Healthy

I'm trying.

Despite the fact that I have desert every night.

Not even kidding.

But I'm really trying to raise my kiddos healthily.

So this WILW, I'm lovin' a little Jillian Michaels tush-kickin'.

El jumped right on that.

She's a yogi-jedi-master.

This guy, he just watched.

It's okay. He looks cute doin' it.

And he wore a Nike shirt in support.

But back on the healthy train of thought, I feed my children vegetables.

That's healthy.

And I feel like a good mom doin' it.

And, Lord knows, us mommas need to feel like good moms at least sometimes!

Truly, though, I'm lovin' these TJ dried green beans.

I've been trying to sell El on them.

She just likes to suck the salt off.

Not quite sure what that does to the nutritional value.

He thinks that's funny.

Just you wait, buddy.

The healthy green things? They're comin' your way soon enough.

And two more lovin's from me this Wednesday?

Lovin' these first impressions from students the other night.

They were serious and straight-faced during the entire exchange.

1. Me: "Oh, I see you have a rabbits foot necklace, is it lucky?"

Little Girl, nervous but excited to share: "Why, I believe so."

Me: "Really?"

Little Girl, thinking for a moment: "Well, I walked through a thistle patch and I didn't get any thistles so I supppose it must be."

2. Me: "Oh, I'm so glad you're in my class! I remember your older sister!"

Little Boy, very serious: "Oh, but I'm nothing like my big sister."

Me: "Really? What do you mean?"

Little Boy in a quite matter-of-fact manner: "Well, I like raw spinach."

Well, I guess that's healthy.

Peace

Spent a little time with him yesterday.

Love him.

And Ellie played copycat.

Love her.

When that grew old, she played outside in her coupe car.

Actually, there wasn't as much playing as this little one preferred just to sit in it.

Just sit.

In quiet.

Not moving.

Just breathing.

By herself.

Just thinking.

Happily thinking.

And it made me think.

Too often, I have my reasons, my realities, my world.

I have priorities and possibilities and promises.

My deadlines, my despairs, my dread.

The commitments, the chaos, they sweep me up so swiftly, threatening to overwhelm me in a swirling state of hopelessness.

It's time for me to stop.

To remember my Rock, my rest.

To choose Peace.

A serene sense of secure calm. A choice of trust and surrender.

Knowing that even He rested.

On day seven.

He built margin in.

Not a back-to-back series of events, miracles, outstanding feats.

He valued a pause.

He could have made more. He could have continued.

But He paused.

He speaks in the stillness, the quiet.

He brings joy.

And this is what I'm loving today.

WILW

...What I'm Loving Wednesday...

1. The Chicken Tacquito Recipe from last night. Delish! And the filling freezes easily so I put some away for a rainy day...or, more accurately, a lazy day. I'm always looking for recipe-spiration! Consider this your invitation to share your baking inspirations...

2. This giveaway!

3. The library. I've got a trip up there planned for today. I'm kind of excited for a book I have on hold. 365 Manners Kids Should Know. I heard about it on this website.

4. The idea of a cleaning calendar. I found one here. We will have to see if I enjoy using it. That's the trick, I guess.

5. Bath time with this mighty man. We've officially entered the cooing, squeaking, gurgling stage. Love it. Love him.

Love life.

WILW...and the Giveaway

What I'm loving Wednesday...

My life as a momma.
Soakin' it up.
Even on a day full of yucky spit-up from this one after a spectacular two month well baby check-up with a round of ouchie shots yesterday.



Little man is 10lbs 2 oz. 25% for weight, 75% for height.
Lovin' the fact that our babies seem to have gotten mostly daddy's genes.

Yes, I'm lovin' life as a momma.
Sweetness.
Even on a day with a little 'tude from a sniffly big sister.



So...

Visit this sweet blog and find something cute. Become a follower of Life with the Frenchs (by clicking here) then leave a comment with me adoring her things and...you're in for the giveaway.
For these.

A gift set of three lovely burp cloths.
Mommas know you can't have enough of those.

Announced Saturday.

WILW

...What I'm loving Wednesday...

1. My planned attempt at a spankin' sweet desert. My over achieving friend brought me a bouquet of these cake pops after I had Tristan and not only were they all dyed blue with sparkles and arranged into a cute little tin, but she also had a newborn just two weeks before me. SO, I've gone to Target and Michaels and loaded up on cake mix, frosting, melting chocolate, food dye and sprinkles...but we shall see... There's actually quite a few recipes out there, but I believe I'm going to use this one...

Maybe I will convince a little miss to help me. We made cookies last week and it was the cutest. I divvied up the dry ingredients and wet ingredients ahead of time and put them in bowls so all she had to do was dump. I did break a few rules by letting her stand on a chair to reach the mixer, but it was worth it.





The drama was when cookie baking was over. That didn't go over so well. Like major-meltdown didn't go over so well.

Thus what I'm loving number two...

2. Parenting books. Yes, my blogger friends, we have reached the twos. I refuse to deem them the "terrible twos"...but. Without going into too much mommy detail, let me just share, they are upon us. It's such a gift to be learning about my little girl's needs and wants and interests and desires...and such an enormous responsibility to know that we are entering the stage of shaping. Shaping her self-discipline, shaping her understanding of love and consistency, shaping her appreciation (or lack thereof on somedays) for authority... We've started reading a few, mostly going old school with our thought process in the current moment with a huge respect for Dr. Dobson's Dare to Discipline book. This combined with some "Love and Logic" approaches I've learned in the classroom have made for some really interesting conversations with my hubby. Ones that make it necessary to pour a second glass of wine. How come nobody told us parenting was like this? Oh wait...they did.

3. What I'm loving number three are my sweet new shoes from my dear hubby.



Love him. He picked them out all on his own, animal print Sperry boat shoes. Loving them. We were lounging Saturday night when he all of a sudden jumped up and decided he needed a hot fudge Sundae from Sonic. After being gone for way too long, he called me to let me know, "They've run out of nuts so they're making me some more." Hm. Suspicious. Anyway, the shoes made up for it.

4. And speaking of parenting, what I'm loving number four has to do with the fact that we are "hiring" our six year old neighbor boy to take care of Pippy over a trip in the upcoming future. I'm so excited to be able to be his first "job". I'm typing up directions for him and going to the bank today to get some cash money. Sweet boy. I'm pretty sure my first job was with my sisters when we started a cookie baking business. We were for real! We had custom orders and everything! The Awesome A's, we called ourselves. And we put them in paper bags and decorated them with markers. Okay, maybe we thought we were for real, now that I'm thinking about it...I'm not really sure.

5. I'm loving the fact that I will be drawing for a winner of the giveaway tomorrow. I have my shipping envelope ready and everything! Free hardback books...coming someone's way...Click here to check it out.

So there, it is. My first WILW. There's so much more. But so little time. And dirty floors and dishes are calling me ever so sweetly to come take care of them while the babies slumber. Or, rather, while they are supposed to be slumbering. Big difference.