Consignment Shopping is my favorite!!!

On Saturday I went shopping, which doesn't sound that unusual unless you know me and how infrequently I go clothes shopping. It's not that I don't love clothes, although I admit I love them a lot less than I did in high school and college. It's more about trying not to be so materialistic, attempting to avoid funding unethical manufacturing and business practices, and of course saving money. So that's why this Saturday was so great- I went out to hit the kids consignment sales! I have been looking forward to this for weeks. First I went to the Just Between Friends sale, because it was the last day and whatever they had left was 50% off. I got some cute things, but only spent about $20. I was saving my money for my next stop: Jack & Jill.

The Jack & Jill sale here is my favorite because not only does it have the most stuff I've ever seen, but they are really picky about what they take. They actually rejected one of my little outfits this year because it had a slightly yellowed spot I didn't even notice. When I shop this sale, I don't have to worry about weeding through junk. And since I was a consigner this year, I got to shop before the sale opened to the public! It's amazing how much more there was this time; most of it was gone by the time I've gotten there in the past. I got a pair of Easter shoes for Hannah, four toys for the girls that are new enough to give for Birthday gifts, two outfits, a swimsuit and a coverup for Lydia, and three sundresses, one pair of jeans, one capri outfit, a new swimsuit, six shirts and two pairs of shorts for Hannah. The grand total? $63. Amazing.

I'm adding another button to my blog- a link to the kids consignment sale website. It has a directory of seasonal sales all over North America. Also, if you live in the Cincinnati area, I am very seriously making plans to start my own sale coming this fall. More about that is sure to come...

Song for Sunday: What kind of wife?

In our car, we listen to a variety of music. It mostly depends on the mood of the driver, or the mood of the three-year-old in the backseat. If Hannah is feeling silly and we want to sing with her, or if she is feeling demanding or grumpy and we want to appease her, there are a few go-to kids cds we keep on hand. One cd is composed of almost all nursery rhyme songs, including Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. If John & I are trying to have a conversation (I know, dream on, right?) we sometimes turn the music all the way into the back. This is what was going on the other day, enabling me to hear Hannah singing along. Here are the words she sang:

Mary, Mary wife contrary
How does your garden grow?

Just in time for the Sunday AM sermon series on I Timothy. Heh heh heh...

PS- please hear the playfulness in this post, and don't use my comment thread to start a debate about women's submission. I will delete them.

New blogs to check out

I just wanted to point out that I added a button on the side to take you to a new blog I found: A Frugal Friend. It has some great ideas for saving money, free giveaways, and more. I also added a new blog to my list; my hubby John finally joined the world of blogging. Check it out!

And here is a video to make your day "happy."

Why yes, I DO have two daughters...

I realize that a lot of my posts lately have been about Hannah. I just want to be sure everyone knows that it is not because I like her better or because I have forgotten about Lydia. Hannah is just at an age where she does & says the silliest stuff- like yesterday, when she- oh yeah, this is Lydia's post. I'll tell that story tomorrow...

Lydia is actually doing a lot of really cute stuff too. She still hasn't begun to crawl, but she is getting closer every day. It isn't stopping her from getting around, anyway. She just turns & rolls in whatever direction she wishes. She has also figured out how to scoot, but only in reverse. It is very frustrating to her (and admittedly entertaining to me) when something is in front of her & she pushes herself further & further away from it with her scooting. She is working very hard on pulling herself up to stand in her crib or at the sofa or coffee table. I'm afraid she might skip crawling altogether, which my mom says is a bad thing. Apparently there is an old wive's tale that if you skip crawling, you are destined to become a criminal...

She is also trying to say a lot of things. "Baby" "Bye bye" "DaDa" and "Doggie" all sound pretty much the same, so you've got to try to figure out the context. She also says "boo" and (I think) "book." When she wants out of the crib or the high chair, she says "up, up, up" but it is really more of an "uh, uh, uh." She says something like "duck" and makes cute little (slightly) distinct noises for ducks, dogs & kitties. And I promise she has said "momma" and "I love you." As my Aunt Leanna once pointed out with Hannah- the latter sounds somewhat like when people teach their dogs to say it. Oh well.

Lydia is addicted to Peek-a-boo and started playing with some random guy in Publix the other day. He didn't mind. She also shakes her head and waves hello or bye-bye. She loves the water and taking a bath, but she hates being wiped off after she eats. Speaking of eating, she has the strongest gag reflex I've ever seen in a baby. Give her an oversized bite, or push your luck with a yucky veggie or a lumpy stage three food, and she starts heaving. In a cute, baby kind of way. She is just starting finger foods, and I think she could eat an entire container of Gerber puffs in a day. Her favorite babyfood seems to be bananas.

So there you have it. A little update on my little one. She is going to be 10 months old on Sunday- such a fun age. Here is a 9 month picture. She really is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, although I admit I'm biased. See what you think:

What Hannah has to say about her Mommy

What my three-year-old thinks about me...

1. What is something mom always says to you?
“Don’t bite Sophie”

2. What makes mom happy?
Not to bite Sophie

3. What makes mom sad?
(everybody now) When I bite Sophie

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
When she tumbles over like a clown

5. What was your mom like as a child?
She had brown hair and little legs

6. How old is your mom?
As old as daddy

7. How tall is your mom?
I don’t know

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Play with me & do the chores (ha!)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Call me

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Thanking me for helping do the chores

11. What is your mom really good at?
Doing the chores with me

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Picking up lots of toys with me (ie. Cleaning up for her…)

13. What does your mom do for her job?
I don’t know

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Ice cream

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
When we both play together

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Belle

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play together

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We have the same skin

19. How are you and your mom different?
We don’t have the same color of the hair

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because you give me hugs and kisses

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Brusters & Publix

Bad Mom Confession #1

Hannah has completely forgotten about her Halloween candy. And the candy from her Christmas stocking. And the candy from her Valentine exchange. She still gets sweets, carefully rationed, but she has no idea as to their source.

From time to time I sneak a piece (or two, or five) when she is in the other room. Sometimes it's about weeding out the kinds I know she doesn't like. Sometimes it's about craving the kind I do like.

Thanks for letting me get this off of my chest.

Song for Sunday

Grace by Silers Bald

My heart is so proud.
My eyes are so unfocused.
I see the things You've done through me
As great things I have done.
And now You gently break me.
I cry just like a baby.
You hold me as my Father,
And mold me as my Maker.

And I ask You 
How many times will You pick me up.
When I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness aboud?
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face, 
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient, grace."

At times I may grow weak.
And feel a bit discouraged.
Knowing that someone somewhere
Can do a better job.
For who am I to serve You?
I know, I don't deserve You.
But that's the part, that burns in my heart,
And keeps me hanging on.

(Chorus)

And You are so patient with me, Lord.

As I walk with You, I'm learning
About what Your grace really means.
How all of my transgressions
Were paid at Calvary.
So istead of trying to repay You,
I'm learning to simply obey You.
By giving up my life to You
For all that You've given to me.

"clearly" not me

Yesterday we got an ad in the mail for an Easter sale at a Christian bookstore. I like to see what cute little Veggietales or Hermie videos they have on sale for the girls, and I have occasionally found a good price on a book John had his eye on, so I sat down to look through the small catalog. When I saw this, I wasn't sure what to think:




Now I'll admit, at first glance, the girly-girl in me liked the colors. I'll also admit that we have a few "trendy looking" Bibles in our house. John got a two-toned NIV study Bible at a conference once. He also has a cute little Message Remix, and most recently he got a copy of the Green Bible, which I think is pretty in its own simple earthy way. I confess that I have a purple Women of Faith Bible, given to me when John proposed. And just the other day I was complementing a girl on her glittery little Bible as she came into children's worship. I'm saying all of this to let you know that I am not completely against the Word being aesthetically pleasing. If a cute Bible gets someone to pick it up & start reading it for the first time, terrific. But something about this Bible has gone too far.

Maybe it is the idea that it is more of an accessory than the foundational wisdom for living a Christlike life. Maybe it is the notion of offering a "choice"- as if we are telling the little girls to whom this is marketed that we can tailor the Bible to fit our own personality. Maybe it is the overuse of the letter U rather than simply spelling out the word... I don't know. I think more than anything, it is the subliminal message that this Bible is about you (or me, or whoever gets this little darling on sale at Lifeway). Is the Bible applicable to you? Of course! Does God use it to speak to your life? Sure! But I think society does enough to fool us into thinking life is all about us, without some Zondervan marketing genius plastering the same notion on the cover of the Bible. Kids have enough pressure these days from well-intentioned parents making & expecting everything to be perfect, giving them anything & everything they want, making into enemies teachers, coaches, refs, and anyone who makes life a little difficult or bursts the bubble they build around their children. Americans- Christians- We raise selfish kids.

Jesus called His followers to abandon everything- sinful desires & bad habits, sure, but also jobs, family, EVERYTHING in pursuit of Him and His way of life. Inside that very Bible are stories about the Son of God washing the feet of fishermen and being mocked & spit upon as he was sentenced to die. Jesus didn't have a house. He borrowed a donkey for the triumphal entry. I already wrestle daily with how much extra stuff we have in our house that could benefit someone else, and I know we have less than many other Christian families. There are people in the world who don't have Bibles because they can't read them, or afford them, or they are forbidden. And here we are marketing one that pretty much cheapens the Word of God into something like one of those Lisa Frank binders I had in middle school. And makes it more about impressing your friends, showing off your personality, looking cute at church, than about trying to be like Jesus.

I realize this blog is a little harsh. But you know what? It's time for Christians to get harsh on ourselves & each other when it involves complacency and selfishness. If we get our focus right, we can change the world. If we don't, we'll just keep making our own world prettier, so we don't have to see the darkness closing in on those outside of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I just realized we have too many Bibles in our house. Anyone know of a good ministry that can share them?

Percussive wisdom

One of Hannah's favorite new activities is typing. She has always liked to play on the computer, but lately she has started to be able to sound words out phonetically and type them (with help). With Mommy or Daddy standing next to her helping her sound out the words, she can type "dog" or "Nana" or other simple words. The other night I came down from putting Lydia to bed to find a note Hannah had written. After carefully typing the names of everyone in our family (with Daddy's help, of course) Hannah wrote a note on her own, offering three-year-old wisdom. If you or I were to read it, it would say something like this:

FFFFFGTTPNEUWWWWWLLLLLPPAJHSTNSSSSSKKKKKKHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (for seven more lines...)

But when I asked Hannah what she wrote, this is what it said:

"Be kind. Don't be shy. Tambourine."

I'm not sure if Tambourine was the name of the intended recipient of this advice, or Hannah's pen name, or an actual part of the advice. If the latter is the case, I'm still pondering the implications.

Song for Sunday- Two Dogs

Hannah got a cute book & cd by John Lithgow for Christmas. It's called "I Got Two Dogs." It's about his two dogs, Fanny & Blue. Here is a sample:

I got two dogs, Fanny & Blue.
Bet you kind of wish you had two dogs too.
Fanny's all white. Blue's kinda gray.
They never ever fight, and they never run away,
They're not too smart, but they're loyal & true-oooooooo
Oh there's nothing I'd trade for my Fanny & Blue.

The other night, after we listened to the song at bedtime, Hannah decided to make up her own lyrics. They went something like this.

I got two dogs, Sophie & Al.
They always fight and Sophie runs away.
But there's nothing I'd trade for my Sophie & Al.

She forgot some of the song, but she is completely right.

Veggie Skyline?

Last night we tried out a new recipe. John's fast from meat has limited my dinner options, but other than having to use a little more creativity for meal planning, it hasn't been so bad. I've still been able to eat some here & there, so I haven't really been missing things like bacon or cheeseburgers the same way my hubby has. There is only one thing I've started to miss: Skyline.

For those of you who don't know what that is, I'll make you some after Easter. My family in Cincinnati keeps us stocked with cans of Skyline, and Publix carries the frozen kind. It is one of those things I cook when I have no idea what to make for dinner, because we always have it on hand. Since it is terribly unhealthy, we don't eat it that often, but I am starting to miss it. John & I mused that there might be a Veggie Skyline recipe out there in cyberspace... and there was! It uses bocca crumbles instead of ground beef. I had to run out for babyfood anyway, so I picked up what we needed to follow the recipe. We were excited, but skeptical. Could it be that we could have meatless Skyline?

No. I mean, it wasn't awful. And it was in the same family as Skyline. But in the kind of sweet, spicy Cincinnati Chili family this recipe was Skyline's weird great-uncle. John ate most of his; I could only eat about half. He says he'll eat the leftovers, that even though it's not Skyline, it's pretty good. That wasn't the point... (sigh)

Hannah's program

On Monday night, Hannah had her Spring Program. Each class has a time on the stage. Even the Lambs, the tiny babies, rode in their "bye bye buggy" so their parents could see them in the spotlight. Two of them were sound asleep with their heads bobbing. I wish I had thought to get a picture! But here are some pictures I did take. Be warned, they aren't the best quality because we like to sit in the back so we can stand up to video and make comments make sure Lydia doesn't disturb anyone...


Hannah and her friends, with Ms Callen helping. Hannah was very excited to have Callen with her class!



Hannah was great at doing all of the motions- she took this program very seriously. Tripp, on the other hand... actually, he did a great job too! By the way, that kid with his arms crossed- he's not pouting. He's getting ready to pull up his shirt.



We sat by Zac & Kevin, which was very entertaining but probably disruptive to those around us. Kevin was really helpful, though. He wanted to make sure Lydia didn't miss anything!



This is the last group to go. They wore matching hats that made John crave Steak n Shake the rest of the night. He settled for a 5 guys veggie burger, which really has no burger at all. It was just lettuce and onions and tomato and mayo on a bun. Good thing I had just bought a giant box of bocca burgers at Sams! We also had cookies & punch after the program, so no one was going to starve. Especially not my father-in-law, who buttered up Agnes (in the kitchen) and left with a big bag of oatmeal cookies.

So, to summarize: cute kids (and sleeping babies), precious singing daughter, bellies, friends volunteering to hold our kids, mini steak n shake cooks in a line up of sorts, and free oatmeal cookies. It was a pretty good night. :)

Grandma-time

Yesterday I mentioned that my in-laws were visiting. Really, it was just John's mom for a few days until his dad joined us yesterday. They headed back to Virginia this morning, and we were all sad to see them go- especially Hannah. It was a quick visit but she got to spend some quality time with Grandma.


Hannah also got to bring her grandparents to the Spring program at school (about which I will be sharing in another entry since I have limited time.) John and his dad got to watch Maryland basketball together, and I got great help with the taxes from John's mom. Lydia, of course, got lots of attention because she is so squeezably cute. I hope Grandma & Papaw got as much out of the visit as we all did, and that their travels today are safe.

Song for Sunday

There is a Stephen Curtis Chapman song that haunts me whenever things start to get a little hectic. Mostly I enjoy humming it when it first pops into my head, because the first verse feels a lot like my life on any given day:

Well the day has just begun and I'm already running late
With too many irons in the fire and too much on my plate
I'd be pulling out my hair if I could just get one hand free
And I'd stop this world if I could find the key

What I see is telling me I'm going crazy, but
What is real says God's still on His throne

The rest of the song is insanely cheesy, and singing it becomes embarrassing when I get to the end of the chorus. Even if I'm all alone or in the shower, I feel slightly ridiculous for remembering the words. Therefore, I am not going to "dorkify" (yeah, I made that word up) myself further by sharing the rest of the song. If you're curious, you can find it here. It just goes on to say that God is in control, even when we feel like everything (including our thinking-impaired dogs or sleep deprived children) is completely out of control.

Lydia is recovering from a nasty illness of some sort and is now teething and obsessed with learning to crawl. Hannah is trying to adjust to the time change and has decided she is quite gifted at negotiation- "how about if I eat two more bites and have my dessert?" "What if I skip nap to watch a movie? That's still resting..." My house is covered in muddy puppy prints. I'm still working on taxes, and my in-laws are here... See why this is our song for Sunday?

Extra hands

Today we had lunch at Cracker Barrel after church. For us, this means leaving with several to go boxes and a shopping bag since the back clearance corner at Cracker Barrel is one of my favorite places of all. On the way out, John carried Lydia and I carried all of the loot. I also held Hannah's hand. She was in rare form, pointing out all of the silly things we passed while she sucked on her 15 cent cotton candy stick. When it was time for her to get in the car, I held her candy and her chocolate milk and the bag with the food and fabulous clearance finds. And I tried to buckle her in. It was a slow & mostly futile effort. I looked over at John, who had already strapped Lydia in and was finding time to coo at her while I fumbled with the straps, and held out the milk & candy for him to take while I told him, "You know, this would be easier if I had another hand..."

To which Hannah replied, "Yeah... like a spider, or an octopus."

Poor Little Lydia

Our sweet Lydia has been sick. On Thursday she started running a fever that didn't even seem to go away with Tylenol. At the doctor's on Friday she had a White Blood Count of 20,000- super high! But she has no other symptoms- no ear infection, no cough, nothing. They gave her a broad spectrum antibiotic shot (I HATE antibiotics, but trust our doctors) and a prescription for more. They also made an appointment for us to have more blood drawn on Saturday to be sure it was working. Although still at a loss as to where the infection is hiding, the doctors did seem to think the antibiotics were helping after the second test. (Maybe I hate antibiotics a little less...)

One thing that has come with this illness is a nursing strike. Lydia will eat her babyfood and yogurt and even those tiny little nutritional nothings called Gerber Puffs. But she is avoiding nursing- almost like it is painful. This is especially hard (for both of us) because it has always been a surefire way to comfort her. Now we have to do a lot of walking and bouncing and shushing and more walking- and she is not a tiny baby! My back is aching. But so is my heart. For those of you mommas who nurse, you know how precious that time is with your little one. It breaks my heart to think that this special snuggle stage is over. Not to mention the worries about dehydration!

I'll admit, I've been discouraged. I prayed about it and seemed to have no response. But then last night, at bed time, she fussed and I couldn't walk it out of her. I laid down with her on my bed, and she wanted to nurse! Even if this was the last time, I'm so thankful to have had that moment with my little one.

Update: It took a few days to get back on track, and she refused to nurse a few more times, but I'm happy to report that Lydia is nursing again. I'm so relieved and thankful to have some more of that precious bonding time with my girl.

Song for Sunday

With Lydia sick and needing extra TLC, Hannah has been snuggling in and watching quite a few VHS tapes in our bedroom lately- including Prince of Egypt. It was a tough one to explain to a three-year-old! But I did rediscover a fun song. Here are the lyrics:

A single thread in a tapestry
Through its color brightly shine
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand design

And the stone that sits on the very top
Of the mountain's mighty face
Does it think it's more important
Than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your life through heaven's eyes

A lake of gold in the desert sand
Is less than a cool fresh spring
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy
Is greater than the richest king
If a man lose ev'rything he owns
Has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning
Of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man
In wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come
The answer will come to him who tries
To look at his life through heaven's eyes

And that's why we share all we have with you
Though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing
There's a lot to go around

No life can escape being blown about
By the winds of change and chance
And though you never know all the steps
You must learn to join the dance

So how do you judge what a man is worth
By what he builds or buys?
You can never see with your eyes on earth
Look through heaven's eyes
Look at your life
Look at your life
Look at your life through heaven's eyes