VerWaynia

Love & Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Because of the advertisements you see in the left column of my blog, I sometimes get offers to participate in ad campaigns. I almost never accept, because frankly it's extra work and I have a hard enough time writing regular blog posts, let alone sponsored ones. But I thought this one was interesting, so I decided to give it a shot. I'll be honest, I've done little to no research on the actual campaign, so I can't say I'm endorsing it, but I like this week's question and wanted to answer it...

How do you practice self-acceptance and find unconditional love for yourself? How does practicing love first help you attract more love and happiness in your life?

There was a time in my life that I really had no idea who I was and I certainly wasn't prepared to love whoever that turned out to be. I had to gain some independence. From my parents, from boys, and from my own hang ups. But, I also had to gain some dependence on God. I was in flux for a few years, but something that was never in flux was my faith. God loves me beyond measure even when I make mistakes, and because of that I'm able to love myself (usually) and I'm able to try my hardest every day to show what's probably only a fraction of His love to the people in my life.

That's my official answer, but of course there are a few less grand answers to that question as well.

1) I married well, which I have God to thank for. My husband and I are best friends. We compliment each other. My strengths are his weaknesses and his strengths are my weaknesses. We have fun together, and we're a team in everything we do. It's much easier to love yourself when you're around someone everyday that loves you so obviously.

2) I believe you should "treat yo self" every now and then. Jeff and I feel strongly about not living beyond our means, especially since I work so little, but we also think it's ok to splurge once in awhile. That also applies to self care. I'm not especially good at making time for things like pedicures and haircuts (I shoot for twice a year for both - yikes,) but I do make time for exercise. Not a lot of time mind you, but 30-40 minutes on the treadmill or in front of a strength training video I can handle, and it makes such a difference in my self-image. Plus, Jeff and I exercise together sometimes, and that's a lot of fun.

3) I love to laugh. Jeff and I have that in common. We joke all the time, and I try to be silly with the kids whenever possible. I also try really hard not to take things too seriously, and to stay out of drama.

4) I have a strong support network. I have some great friends and we have an awesome House Church. I know I have people in my life that I can turn to for prayer and help with just about anything and that they truly care about me and my family.

5) As you can see from all of these pictures, I also have 2 amazing children, made fairly obvious by the fact that they're shopping the IKEA catalog in the picture above! I'm not the best Mom. I make mistakes every day, and I'll be the first to admit it. But loving them makes me want to be better. I want them to be happy, healthy children who love themselves and know that they're loved in the way they deserve. And of course, that brings us back to my original answer, because I can't accomplish that without God!

If you'd like to share your own answers to the question, feel free to visit the host site, and you can also enter the corresponding sweepstakes here.

K-Cup Standoff: French Vanilla

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

As said in this post, I love my new Keurig and I've been quickly working my way through the sample pack that I got for Christmas. This week, I'm reviewing the French Vanilla selections. It's probably important to note, that in general, French Vanilla isn't my favorite of the flavored coffees. But, I gave each of them a try, and here are my impressions...

The Contestants: Timothy's French Vanilla, Green Mountain French Vanilla, and Wolf Gang Puck Francaise Vanilla

Cup Size: 7.25 oz (I used the smaller brew size for all three of these selections because I have found that flavored k-cups tend to err on the weak side. Of the three, I think only the Timothy's would have been strong enough for my taste in the larger size.)

Flavored Creamer: 1 teaspoon of Coffee-mate's Caramel Macchiato

First of all, I'm going to rank these for you by two categories: overall strength of brew and also strength of vanilla flavor - 1 is strongest, 3 is weakest.

Strength of Brew:
1) Timothy's
2) Green Mountain
3) Wolf Gang Puck

Strength of Flavor:
1) Wolf Gang Puck
2) Green Mountain
3) Timothy's

Timothy's was the strongest cup of coffee, although it had a bite to it (I think the professionals call this acidity) and I think it would have been better in the larger size. I had a very hard time distinguishing the French Vanilla flavor in this coffee, which for me wasn't such a bad thing, but since this is a French Vanilla standoff, I'm taking that into consideration. Wolf Gang Puck's hoity-toity Francaise Vanilla had a great vanilla aroma and I think the vanilla flavor was slightly stronger than in the Green Mountain, but it was a really weak cup of coffee. Green Mountain's was the best of both worlds. I could taste and smell the French Vanilla, but it didn't overpower the coffee. I'm pretty sure that if I had used the 9.25 cup size that the Green Mountain wouldn't have been strong enough for me, but in the 7.25 it was just right.

Verdict: Green Mountain wins this standoff again! However, if you want to drink a 9.25 oz cup of coffee and you're not that concerned with the French Vanilla flavor, I would probably pick the Timothy's.

You're Welcome!

Meaningful Art in Every Room of the House

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:25:00 +0000

We love having things on our walls, but we're very selective about what we display, because we want those things to have purpose. It's important to us that the things you see in our home reflect who we are and we choose them carefully. Of course, having a designer as a husband certainly helps with this!

We added a cool feature to our kitchen the other day, and then I started thinking about the other rooms in our house. I realized that we have at least one meaningful piece of "art" in every room, so I decided to take some pictures and share them with all of you.

We went to San Francisco on our honeymoon almost 8 years ago, and we found this gorgeous silk table runner in Chinatown. Unfortunately, over the years it's gotten stained, but I couldn't bear to throw it away. We had these frames sitting around (from one of our many IKEA trips,) so I decided to cut out the prettiest parts, frame them, and hang them. These are in the den and are actually the only things on any of the walls in that room. Our den is still a work in progress, because we haven't quite determined its personality yet.

And while we're on the subject of San Francisco, I love that we got these pictures framed. They're photographs I took on our honeymoon and now they hang in our bedroom.

Jeff called dibs on our 4th bedroom to use as his office, and of course he has a ton of cool stuff in there, but I'm highlighting his movie poster. He loved its design, but it was just sitting in his closet. So, one year for his birthday, I surprised him and had it framed. Also in this picture are two Bob Dylan vinyls that I gave him for our first Valentine's Day. He displays them proudly :-)

And then there are the kids' rooms. You've seen pictures of Aida's nursery, but this barrette holder is a newer addition. I don't think I've done a post about this, but one of my hobbies is making cute hair clips for Aida. I was buying so many on Etsy that I decided to try my hand at making them. It's a lot of fun, but I was running out of places to put them. So, once again I turned to Etsy and found this store. I absolutely love her style and she does custom orders. I sent her pictures of Aida's nursery and she created something entirely unique for me.

I'm not sure if you remember this post, but we were so impressed by Evan's ingenuity, that Jeff compiled his photographic creations and we hung them up in his room. The day will probably come when he doesn't find this cool and he insists we find it a new home, but until then he's pretty proud of it too.

This is our dining room. We augmented the original design by cutting each sheet into separate branches so that we could create something new. These wall graphics are one of the first things we ever put on our walls and I still get excited every time I walk in to this room.

We have this rotating display in our living room. Jeff creates these really cool graphic collages, and I love them all so much that I can't pick favorites. So every few months we rotate 2 new ones in. And I get to show off my husband's talent, so that's fun!

Last but not least is the kitchen feature that prompted this post. Jeff went to art school with someone that started their own business creating these table decals. She has a ton of amazing designs, and our table was in desperate need of a face lift so we were really excited by the concept. I think she'll do custom designs, but I fell in love with this one. It's only been a few days, but so far we would definitely recommend her product. It seems durable, it has a matte finish that cleans really well, and it looks great. We love it!

So there you have it, meaningful art in every room of our house: Den, Bedroom, Office, Aida's room, Evan's room, Dining room, Living room, and Kitchen. And the best part is that all but one are completely one-of-a-kinds. It's been a slow process, and there's still a lot more wall space to cover, but it's a process we enjoy!

K-Cup Standoff: Hazelnut

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:29:00 +0000

I think that my Keurig Coffeemaker has revolutionized my life in ways that could only be compared to the significance of the Microwave Oven's effects on the American household. You know, excluding all of its negative impacts like increased divorce, cancer, and childhood obesity rates. For someone who loves coffee, but is the only person in her family with a palette advanced enough to enjoy it, besides my toddler of course, it is the perfect way to make coffee.

If you have a Keurig, you know how instantly the vast realm of K-cups can engulf your world. I keep promising myself that I'm going to do the smart thing and buy a reusable K-cup so that I can use my own 12 oz bags of coffee. And I will. Eventually. In the meantime, I'm having way too much fun researching and taste testing the endless varieties of perfectly convenient, all inclusive, 5 seconds to brew, caffeinated K-Cup goodness.

However, I am finding a lot of the reviews to be a little intellectual for my taste, so I decided to dumb it down a little and write my own every now and then. I'm starting with a comparison of two that I enjoyed this week. I do need to make a few disclaimers. My palette may be advanced enough to appreciate coffee, but it's not advanced enough to detect every hint of earthy flavor and inspiration. Plus, even though, I am perfectly capable of enjoying a strong cup of black coffee (especially with some type of chocolate decadence,) I almost always add flavored creamer. But, I do not EVER drink my coffee with "cream and sugar." It's either black, or flavored. So, if you are a black coffee elitist, then my opinion may mean nothing to you. Also, I like my coffee strong, so that impacts my perspective.

The Contestants: Gloria Jeans Hazelnut vs Green Mountain Hazelnut

I read the following reviews:
Gloria Jeans
Green Mountain

Cup Size: 9.25 oz

Flavored Creamer: 2 teaspoons of Coffee-mate's Belgian Chocolate Toffee (which may or not be expired.)

According to the reviews, I expected to prefer the Gloria Jeans variety. But, I did not. End of review. Ok, maybe that's a little too dumbed down. I've tried a few of Gloria Jeans' selections, and I'm not impressed with the strength of their brews. I've found all of them to be a little weak and watered down for my taste, especially when using the 9.25 oz size. However, I think that the times I've used the 7.25 oz, I've liked them much better.

The hazelnut flavor was a little more pronounced in the Gloria Jeans, but the Green Mountain was a better cup of coffee overall. Even on the larger size it had a lot of body and was strong enough that the creamer didn't hide the taste of the coffee, and there was still the hint of hazelnut that rounded out the experience.

Verdict: If you only want the small cup of coffee and you care more about the Hazelnut flavor than the strength of your coffee, then you might prefer the Gloria Jeans. However, if you want the larger size and prefer a good cup of coffee that just happens to have a hazelnut influence my choice is the Green Mountain.

You're Welcome!

It's a new year

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:39:00 +0000

2012 has been pretty great so far. It started with a fabulous party with our House Church that just kept getting better the later it got. Then we rounded out our Christmas break, during which Jeff was home for a full week. I went back to work on Wednesday after having almost 3 weeks off, and besides all of us feeling tired, it was a smooth adjustment back into routine.

I've been thinking about what's to come, and what lies ahead for each of us this year?

Jeanelle - I got a really interesting call this week from my supervisor. My company has asked if I would be willing to spend some of my newly increased time at home doing administrative tasks that the supervisors don't have time for. We have a lot of new hires coming on soon, and all of their notes and other paperwork need to be reviewed. I don't know if any of you have ever looked in to working from home, but I have, and it's a hard gig to land. In order for a company to pay you to sit around on your laptop in your pj's, you either have to be grandfathered in or it's a scam. So, this is a great opportunity. It sounds like it could be an ongoing thing with some changing responsibilities, and that's exciting. And the best part is that I'll still be home just as much with the kids!

The second best part of this development is it's impact on our finances. I'm not going to lie, we were a little worried how things were going to shake out with my decreased hours after realizing my Mom wouldn't be watching the kids for the remainder of the school year. We don't believe in living on credit, so we were going to be using more of our savings than planned. It always amazes me how God provides exactly what you need. I've done the math and I think that the extra hours from working at home will just cover the shortage we were facing. I had a huge smile on my face during our phone call as I realized that I was experiencing a tangible example of God's provision!

Jeff - As an avid Colts fan, Jeff's 2012 is all over the place! He's been hoping for change all year, and he's definitely going to get it. It's a weird time to be a Colts fan, but he's embracing it! He's also ready for the Super Bowl to come and go. He worked on the bid to the NFL owners that brought the big game to our city and since then, his company has been doing a lot of follow up work. I keep saying he should get tickets as a result, but that's not happening. He works downtown, so I'm a little worried what the Super Bowl is going to do to his already extremely exaggerated commute, but maybe he'll see some celebrities :-)

He's also going to be finishing his "Bible in a Year" plan. He's already almost 80% through and I'm really proud of how diligent he's been. He rarely misses a day and even though I fall far behind, it's been inspiring. I'm sure he has a lot more planned for the upcoming year, but as always, I know that the top of his list includes being an amazing husband, provider, and Father.

Evan - Kindergarten! Need I say more? Seriously, we'll be going to Evan's elementary school in just a few short months to register and make our final decisions on full vs half day Kindergarten. We're 99% sure that we'll be doing full day. We think he's ready. He's comfortable being away from us, he can't get enough of being around friends, and he loves to learn. My only fear is that the long day may lead to increased frustration and behavior problems. But, every month I see Evan mature even more, so I know he's going to do great!

Aida - She is 100% pacifier free. It was so much easier than I had built up in my head. We went the cold turkey route - started the day without it and never looked back. I can't say I haven't missed it on occasion, when she's being fussy, and I know a pacifier would buy me a few moments of peace. But we're free and it feels good. She also turns 2 in June, and yes, we've already seen a few tantrums. Aida's not a fan of "no," but she responds well to discipline and usually turns things around as soon you correct her. I'm considering putting potty training on Summer's agenda, so that could be huge for her, but we'll see. I don't know if I've recovered from Evan's potty training, but I've heard girls are easier...

It's going to be a great year!

Hermits

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:35:00 +0000

We have been absolute hermits during this break. We stayed busy and visited with family and friends while Jeff was home. But on the days that it's just been me and the kids, we've barely left the house. I really don't feel that bad about it, I've enjoyed all of the quality time with the kids, and it's meant more time in my fleece pajamas, so I've been happy! The picture above is one of Evan's creations from last week. I was trying to keep him busy with crafts, so I gave him leftover wrapping paper, ribbon, shapes, glue sticks, and scissors. He came up with this all on his own with absolutely no direction. He says it's Aida :-) We've also watched a lot of movies and played with all of their new toys. It's been a great 2 weeks!!

I did have one thing I wanted to accomplish before break was over - weaning Aida off of her pacifier. She still wakes up once or twice at night looking for it, and if we don't get it to her fast enough she doesn't go right back to sleep. She's been asking for it more and more during the day too. Meanwhile, she also still thinks she's nursing. I said "thinks she's nursing" because I'm pretty sure I no longer have much in the way of supply. We started the process yesterday, and it's been over 24 hours with no pacifier. Yesterday morning was kind of rough, and then she didn't want to go to sleep at nap time, but bedtime was a lot easier. Of course, she had just had a fall that resulted in a fat lip and Tylenol, so that might have helped. And the best part? She didn't wake up or stir once last night, again, maybe thanks to the Tylenol. Day 2 is going well so far, but we'll see how nap time goes.

One unintended result of this process is that so far she hasn't asked to nurse at all today, so I think the two were connected. For all intents and purposes she was already weaned from nursing anyway, but it's almost like sometimes she just wants to check in to make sure that I'm still here. I'll miss those times with her when they're gone, but I won't miss being a slave to the pacifier - especially at 5:30 in the morning!

It finally snowed

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:14:00 +0000

Jeff was so disappointed that it wasn't cold on Christmas and there was no snow, but at least it snowed before break was over. This is the first time that Aida has actually played in the snow, because last year she was too little. She loves to go outside and wanted to so badly when she saw Evan getting ready, but once she got out there, she wasn't so sure anymore. Daddy and Evan had a snowball fight, while Aida, the camera, and I tried to stay out of the line of fire.

Christmas Was Here

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 20:33:00 +0000

This was the most excited I've been for Christmas in a long time. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed and looked forward to each Christmas, but there was just something special about this one. We were excited about the kids' gifts and I couldn't wait to watch their faces when they opened their presents. But, I was also really excited about my own gifts. Jeff and I haven't really exchanged "big" presents in a few years, but we decided to spend a little more money on each other this year. I had two major items on my wishlist: a Keurig coffeemaker and fleece pajama pants (because if I'm at home, I'm in pajama pants, and we're cheap so our house is always cold!) I got both, so I've been drinking coffee in comfort since Sunday!

Evan didn't get one big gift, but he got a lot of "medium" ones that we knew he would really like. He now has walkie talkies and enough remote control cars that he and Daddy can race each other all over the house. Aida got a few little things, but her major gift was a new kitchen. We had been borrowing a baby kitchen from friends, but she had long outgrown that one. We were waiting for Christmas to give her the new one and I could hardly wait! It's the perfect size for her and she seems to love it!

I think everyone got exactly what they wanted this year and it was a great Christmas. But, between our own advent activities, Sunday school, preschool, and House Church, I also feel confident that our children know the real meaning of Christmas. We're filled with pride and joy every time we hear Evan talk about Jesus, and not just during the holidays. We know that every day he has a better understanding of God's love and sacrifice and that makes us so happy!

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:17:00 +0000

I won't be getting these in the mail this year, but this is our Christmas card! Just pretend it's in an envelope and you got it out of your mailbox today! We're currently on Christmas break and having a blast watching movies, doing Christmas crafts, drinking hot chocolate, and trying to convince the kids to sleep in. I also fully intend to add a little blogging to that agenda!

So Much

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:17:00 +0000

November was so busy and a tad overwhelming, hence the only one blog entry in 6 weeks. We had Evan's birthday, Thanksgiving, my work schedule changed, and the heaviest...My Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. November was an emotional roller coaster, full of questions and unkowns, and prayer, lots of prayer. I'm not going to go in to much detail on here because it's not exactly my story to tell. But I am in the fight, and that's what we're doing. Praying and fighting. Things could look better, but they could also look a lot worse. God is the Lord of our lives, no matter what the situation, and I know that Mom believes and lives into that truth!

My moving down to 2 days per week was a little stressful at first because Mom isn't able to watch the kids while she is being treated. Our plans had to be changed, but it has been such a blessing. Not only have I loved being home more with the kids, but I also wouldn't have had a way for Evan to get to preschool on Wednesdays if I hadn't dropped that day. So far I'm loving the new schedule, and I know Aida appreciates the extra time with Mommy. Three days away were a little much for her I think.

Speaking of Aida, she turned 18 months old this month and she really outdid herself at her check-up. She now weighs 31 pounds and is 33 inches tall, which is almost exactly what Evan's stats were when he was 18 months old, so she's finally caught up. She looks like a 3 year old and she's definitely sturdy, but when I look at her I still just see a baby :-) She's talking so much now, that I can't even count how many words she says. She's so sweet and cuddly and I love her so much that sometimes my heart feels like it might explode when I look at her.

Evan is gearing up for his Christmas party at school and we went to his Christmas program last week. He did such a good job - I took some video on my phone that I might try to get on here soon. We were really proud of him. He's growing up so fast - only one more semester of preschool! He's really excited about Christmas and it's infectious - we can't wait!

Happy 5th Birthday Evan!

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Yesterday was Evan's 5th birthday and today he went to the doctor for his check up and the last round of his Kindergarten shots. Again with the Kindergarten? Really?? Between that and his measurements, there's no denying it. He really is growing up! He weighs 48.5 lbs and he's 3'8 feet tall. This weekend we had a small party for Evan, and after much deliberation, decided to keep it just family. We've promised him a "friend party" next year, though, and he doesn't forget anything, so there's no backing out. Thanks to commercials and McDonalds, Evan insisted on having a Bakugan cake, and he got some pretty cool presents, so he was happy.

Jeff and I got Evan a bunch of "spy" toys for his birthday because he's always talking about wanting to be a spy. I think he'd be good at it because the boy who is never quiet can somehow sneak down the stairs without us ever knowing.

I always say this, but I can't believe that we've been parents for 5 years. There are days that it seems like it's been a lot longer, but most of the time it feels like just yesterday we started this journey. And meanwhile, Evan has turned into a really awesome little boy. He loves school, and he loves his friends, and he loves his Sister. Actually, Evan just plain loves. He has a huge heart and he deeply desires to share that heart with those around him. Jeff and I feel honored that God chose us to be the ones to care for and protect that heart.

I've included a video of Evan singing a song that he made up about God that speaks volumes. He had already been singing for several minutes when I got the idea to record him, so I missed the best parts. He sings likes this a lot and he loves to get his guitar out and perform for us. Of course, his Daddy plays in the worship band at our church, so he has a good role model. These are the moments that make me so proud to be Evan's Mommy. There is never a dull moment with Evan and we love him! Happy Birthday, Evan!

Happy Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:39:00 +0000

We started a great Halloween tradition a few years back of having dinner with friends before taking all of our kids trick or treating and we did that again this year. Evan looks forward to walking the neighborhood with his friends almost as much as the candy itself :-) This was Aida's first official trick or treating and it took her a few houses, but I think she got the general idea. Aida was a super cute ice cream cone and Evan was a mighty Thor. I was a little skeptical of getting him the hammer, but Jeff said it was a must, and as far as I could tell he was very responsible with it. As usual, our neighborhood was crazy busy with trick or treaters, and we gave out a ton of candy!

We also carved our pumpkins this weekend, and by "we" I mean Jeff. Although, Evan did work up some sketches and he "art directed" Jeff's carving. I'm always amazed by the finished product. Jeff is a very talented pumpkin carver! Aida wasn't overly involved this year, but she did watch and seemed interested. I'm sure she'll play a bigger role next year. Speaking of next year, I can not believe that November is here! Evan will be turning 5 in a few weeks and then it's the holidays and we're on to 2012. It's crazy how fast this year has been going!

Field Trips

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:33:00 +0000

Evan has been on two field trips for school this year: the Apple Orchard and the Fire Station, and he also just had his first class party for Halloween. I'm going to be honest - these events exhaust me! They're fun and he has a blast, but I am always completely wiped out afterwards. The orchard wasn't so bad because it was outside and Aida was in a stroller and we went at our own pace. But, the fire station field trip and the class party were inside and there are always a ton of parents at those things so it's really crowded, and I'm always stressed and worried that I might have to redirect Evan in front of everyone. Of course, he was really good for both, although maybe a tad too talkative and inquisitive at the fire station. Once I've recovered, I look at the pictures, and remind myself that I'm really lucky to be able to attend those with him

I left Aida with my Mom for the fire station field trip, but I brought her yesterday for the class party and that was a big mistake. She chose the moment of silence right before the class prayer to have her first full-on temper tantrum. I had to remove her from the room and didn't know that meanwhile Evan was going to be the one saying the prayer. When I got back, the teacher told me that I had missed it and that his prayer was so sweet and heartfelt. "Way to go Aida!" I learned my lesson, though. An hour is too long to be cooped up in an overcrowded room watching everyone else have snacks and play games when you've missed your lunch and are getting dangerously close to nap time!

Boo at the Zoo, without much boo

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:51:00 +0000

Aida finally got her first trip to the zoo last week. Jeff took a couple of days off for our Fall Break so we decided to go for ZooBoo. I know it doesn't look like we dressed up, but Evan did have a mask he was occasionally wearing. And Aida's costume is so completely adorable that I didn't want to take the chance that it would get damaged before Halloween. I really have no idea how it's taken us so long to get Aida to the zoo, because she loves animals. We knew she would love it, and I think maybe we wanted to wait until she could really appreciate the animals. There was a lot of pointing and "ooohs" and "ahhs" - it was very fun, of course!

All in one day

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:03:00 +0000

My blogging abilities can NOT keep up with all of the Fall activities! Evan wrapped up his soccer season a few weeks back and later that day we went to my Mom's for a wiener roast. All of the running made Aida a little grouchy (see above) but otherwise it was good day. Evan got his trophy, so that made him happy. We considered getting him involved in the Y's basketball program because we thought it might help with coordination and following directions, but we missed the cutoff. We might look for that next time.

Next week is my last week of working 3 days. I know, it kept getting delayed, but it really is happening this time! And now that I'll be home more during the week and Aida is a little older, it's time to start thinking about involving her in activities. I'm definitely going to start taking her to the library for story time, but I'm also going to do either kindermusik or tumbling. We did tumbling for Evan, but it might be time for some variety. I know she'll have fun at whatever we do, and I can't wait to have those experiences with her.

Driving Miss Aida

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:29:00 +0000

The kids were making the most of our patio this afternoon. We had moved the furniture aside on one of those recent windy days, and Evan used the space to practice his chauffeuring skills. Aida might have gotten a little whiplash, but she was loving it! This video was taken towards the end, after they'd already made several, even cuter laps. The excitement on her face was cracking us up!

Fall Days

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:37:00 +0000

I love Fall! We've been to the orchard, made apple pie, eaten s'mores, and we've had a "bonfire." Soon we'll be playing in the leaves, carving pumpkins, eating chili, and going to Boo at the Zoo. Oh, and we've watched lots of football! We were hanging out in the backyard the other day and I decided to take some pictures. I've gotten really lazy with the picture taking lately, but they were being pretty cute so I got some good ones...

Evan is finishing up Soccer and getting excited about his birthday. It's a month away and I have no idea what we're doing yet. Thanks to commercials, he's decided he wants to have a Bakugan cake, and yesterday he asked if we could invite his friends, so now I have some serious decisions to make. We weren't planning on starting the "friend" birthdays for another year, but now I'm not so sure. Although, with only a month to go, I'm not sure I have the time to plan for that type of party. I'm not sure I'm really ready for all of that, but then again, what else would you get for the extrovert that has everything?

Aida is trying to talk more. I think she's saying variations of the following words: bye, balloon, brother, Daddy, Mommy, paci, baby, doggy, belly, and kitty. She can point to most of her body parts, and she can make a few animal sounds. And every time we praise her, she claps for herself, so she's got self esteem down. She's at such a fun age right now. She's more independent, but still loves to cuddle. Her newest interest is books. Evan loved books from the beginning and has always liked being read to, but Aida did not have time for books! Now, she constantly brings us books and loves story time.

I keep thinking back to last year at this time and I'm so amazed at how different life already is. Aida isn't a baby anymore, and now she can participate in all of our Fall activities and enjoy them as much as we do. And Evan can take his Sister by the hand and tell her about all the fun things they get to do. It's all so cute I can hardly take it!! I love these kids!

Proud Moment

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:16:00 +0000

I think I might be doing something right. I have a lot of values I want to instill in my children and one of them is that it's way more important what you look like on the inside than outside. I don't want them to be completely wrapped up in their looks and image. I'm sure some of that is inevitable once they get to be teenagers, but I want them to know that they are beautiful always, regardless of their hairstyles or the clothes they wear, and that those things don't define them. I hope that if they feel that way about themselves, then they will also be able to see and acknowledge the inner beauty in the people around them.

This morning I was getting Evan ready for church, and he was in desperate need of a haircut, so I had to resort to using product in his hair to get rid of the bedhead. I was being silly and spiked his hair in the middle and asked him what he thought. He looked in the mirror and whined, "No Mommy, I look like [fake name of boy at school.] I don't want to look like [fake name of boy at school.]" The young boy he was referring to, always come to school looking very GQ and does in fact wear his hair spiked in the middle. I almost beamed with pride in that moment. Not only does my son not register this as "cool" but if he does, he doesn't care, and he doesn't want to look like someone else just because they have a "cool" haircut. That's not important to him, he wants to look like Evan, because Evan is pretty awesome! For as long as humanly possible, I want my son to think that having puffy dump trucks on his garage sale shirt is the coolest thing in the universe. And I want him to look in the mirror and know that even in his pj's and bedhead he is the grooviest chap I know!

It's that time again

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:00:00 +0000

The leaves are starting to change, the insanely hot temperatures are finally starting to drop, and football is back. That can only mean one thing...it's time for television to begin its Fall premieres. It's no secret that I love TV. Each year the options seem to get smarter, funnier, and even more creative, but since my plate is already fairly full, I need to at least pretend to be selective. I've been reading reviews and watching clips and I've compiled a list of the new shows I plan to check out this year. I ended up dropping at least 3 of the new shows I started out watching last year, and I'm sure that will happen again with several of these. But, here we go...

Sunday
Once Upon A Time - A show focused around fairy tales. I've got a soft spot for the fantastical, so I'm going to check it out.

Tuesday
New Girl - I am soo excited about this show. Zooey Deschanel is one of my favs, and it looks really cute and funny. I'm not sure how it can go wrong.

Ringer - Buffy is back! Need I say more? I'm still a little unclear on the plot, but I'm going to watch a few episodes and see where it goes.

Wednesday
Up All Night - Will Arnett seems to always equal cancellation, even though he's beyond hilarious, but maybe this will be the difference maker.

Free Agents - This has a great cast, and is based off of a British show, which is almost always a sure thing, but I'm not sure about the appropriateness of the content. I'll give it a few weeks.

Friday
Grimm - It's the fantastical fairy tales again, only this time in more of a CSI fashion. Friday is a big night already with Fringe, Chuck, Nikkita, and you know, all the crazy going out we do, so this will be a DVR - "get to it when I get to it show."

The list is pretty long, but I'm sure it will get shortened fairly soon. It looks worse than it is though, because most of our tv watching happens via our DVR when we have the time, although there are some shows we watch in real time.

And of course there are returning shows I'm super excited about like Fringe, all of our Thursday NBC comedies, Vampire Diaries, and HIMYM. Oh, and did I mention that the trailer for Breaking Dawn came out tonight? Yeah, I know that's not tv, but I couldn't go without mentioning it because YES!!

Back to Soccer

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Soccer season has started again for Evan and this year he really likes it because he has friends on his team and our friend, Lauren, is the coach. I've said it before, Jeff and I are not big on extracurricular sports. We have no idea what Evan will want to be involved in once he gets older, but for now our focus is on exposing him to things that build his confidence, social skills, sportsmanship, and let him run...a lot. We're not going to put him in every sport just to do it, and we don't even care if he ever gets "good" at soccer. We want him to be a good teammate and have fun and we want him to see us cheering him on while doing so. If you're wondering why soccer, the answer would be that neither one of us can stand baseball, plus there's way too much sitting around in t-ball for a kid like Evan.

I don't know what the future holds for Evan's "sport career." As soon as things get competitive, we've decided to leave all of those choices up to him. If he really wants to be in a sport every season and that makes him happy, we'll be supportive. But if he'd rather just be on the occasional team and take guitar lessons from Daddy on the side, we'll be good with that too :-)

Today Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Aida had her 15 month check up today, and although, she's still coming in under Evan's corresponding numbers, she's well above average. She weighs 28 lbs and is 32 inches tall, and did I mention that she's almost wearing a size 6 shoe? She's pretty much gigantic, but for every inch and pound, she possesses a mile of cuteness.

Aida is still a total Mama's girl. She's much clingier with me than Evan ever was, even more so on days that I work. I think sometimes it bothers Jeff, but Evan has always been a Daddy's boy so I think it's fair. She's friendly and loves kids but it takes her longer to warm up to other adults. Unless you're a woman with a baby, then you're her best friend. She has a little baby doll that she loves to carry around and push in her stroller. It's the sweetest thing to watch Aida pat her and hug her because I know that she's mimicking the affection she gets from me. The kitchen toys are still her favorite and of course sometimes that includes my tupperware and spices. But we have a ton of play food and Evan and Aida like to make us extravagant dinners, or in Aida's case usually soup or tea and that's a lot of fun. I'm very much looking forward to our first batch of cookies!

I was looking back on Evan's 15th month and I remembered how worried we were about his speech development. It's funny how much things change with your second child, because as far as I can tell, Aida only says "hi" and "bye" and I'm not the least bit worried (mostly.) I think there are 3 reasons for this. 1) Because she's our second, I'm a little more laid back. 2) She mimics and makes word sounds that Evan never did at this age. She says "ma ma" all the time, but never in a way that seems to definitely refer to me. And 3) We did almost a year of speech therapy for Evan but at 2 his vocabulary just blew up out of nowhere, and now if Evan is awake and breathing then he is most likely talking. Seriously. He. Is. Always. Talking! Sometimes we kid about how we'd like our "money" back. Sure, I'd love to hear her call me "ma ma," but at least I know she can say the word. I think the one word I'm most excited to hear is her word for Evan. It seems that younger siblings come up with their own names for their brothers and sisters, and for some reason I can't wait to find out what that will be for Evan, or even just how she'll pronounce his name. There is one sign that she uses on a consistent basis, "please." I got so tired of being screamed at when she wanted something, that I instituted the rule that she doesn't get anything unless she says please first. I think that's really worked to her advantage though, because it's really hard to say no to a child who comes up to you with her big blue eyes and uses sign language to say please!

Every month Aida's personality becomes a little more clear. She's very deliberate. When she does something you know she had a purpose for doing it and she's still very opinionated. If she doesn't like what you're doing (or what you're putting on her plate) she will definitely let you know about it! She can make a mess like any other toddler, but she also loves to pick up and put things back after she's used them (Jeff loves this quality :-) She can play by herself better than Evan, but if she's in the mood to ~~nurse~~ cuddle, forget trying to distract her with a toy, because she will not rest until she's gotten your undivided attention. I love that she's so affectionate with me though. There will come a time in her life when that won't be the case, or maybe not, but I'm going to savor it now. She's a sweetheart, and she's silly, and she's absolutely adorable, and we love her beyond words!

Today Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:37:00 +0000

Today was Evan's first day of Preschool (this year, anyway.) He'll be going three days per week now and getting ready for Kindergarten. Kindergarten? No way is that only a year away! He has a new teacher this year and so far he really likes her and his classmates. I think he was a little hesitant when we walked in because there weren't any kids from last year's class, but he was very bubbly when I picked him up so his extroverted self must have quickly bridged the gap. Evan loves school and I hope he has a fantastic year!

Meanwhile, Aida and I spent the morning strolling through Target with Starbucks in hand and going to her 15 month Doctor's appt (which is part two, in case you were wondering.) I think this time around, I'm going to love these preschool mornings. Last year she was still taking a morning nap so between that and her lunch, we couldn't go anywhere. The only downside is that this might lead to more frivolous spending, because I see a LOT of shopping in our future. I can't express how liberating it is to walk through a store with a child who still sits in the cart! I could tell Evan and Aida missed each other though because they exchanged a big hug when we picked him up, it was seriously cute!

Work, with some random pictures

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:39:00 +0000

Tomorrow I'll wrap up my third week of school/work and it's been alright. The second day back was probably the worst. It wasn't quite as busy as the first day, so I had more time to be homesick...and kids-sick...and pajamas-sick...and iChatting with Jeff-sick. Since then, though, routine has set in and my three days go by in a blur. I've almost finished a full month, and that feels good.

I've been getting questions recently about my career goals or lack there of, especially from those of you who read this post last year, so I decided it might be a good idea to give an update. I've spent time checking out my options and I've come to an unfortunate conclusion. There are lots of things I'd like to do more than what I do now, but I'd have to do most of them 5 days/week to get comparable pay. For instance, I recently told Jeff that I'd love to work at Half Price Books as the person who tells you how much your books are worth. I don't think I can work a job like that 3 days per week, minus 13 weeks a year and make it very profitable. As much as I dislike my job sometimes, I'd rather do it, than work more doing something else.

But I've found an acceptable compromise - I'm going to work even less. This is actually more of a game changer than it sounds, though, because it significantly changes my job description. Out of my 3 days per week, one is a day that I bill insurance and it comes with requirements and paperwork and hoops to jump that my other two days don't have. And that's the day I'll be giving up. With that day gone, I'll just be your average school counselor/social worker and my job will instantly become a lot less clinical. And I think I'll be a lot happier. Not to mention the "working less" part of that story. If I think my week goes by fast now, I can only imagine how it will feel one day lighter!

Jeff and I felt it was really important for me to take Evan to each of his three days of preschool, and I'll be able to do that now, and Aida will get quality time with me (shopping) in the mornings. And I'll feel a lot less strained during the week with one more day to get things done and be home with the kids. I had hoped my new schedule would start in September, but the official word is October. It is official though, so I'm excited!

Maybe I'll also use that extra day to blog more...we'll see...

Her path to toddlerhood

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 01:38:00 +0000

I'm a little behind on this announcement, but Aida is walking! This video was taken 2 weeks ago and she's already practically running. On July 4th, she started trying her hand at walking, and would occasionally take several steps in a row, but most were flukes. Sunday, July 17th was when she really became intentional about walking. Monday she was walking 50-75% of the time, but if she fell down she'd scoot. And by Tuesday, the 18th if she fell down she tried to get back up, and by the end of that week she was walking with proficiency. She loves that she can walk. When she first started she would giggle the whole time and smile at us with so much pride. I love it!

These days we hardly ever see the scoot and I miss it, but watching her waddle all over the house makes admitting she's a toddler almost worth it. Aida is so fun and she's in to everything. And I can't believe how tall she is, she can almost reach the doorknobs - uh oh! Life seems to be getting even more interesting!

How long ago did she turn one?

noreply@blogger.com (VerWaynia) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:10:00 +0000

These were Aida's one year pictures, that I should have posted forever ago. But then vacation happened and since then I've apparently been too busy watching tv or something to update the blog. Speaking of tv, I have found myself occasionally watching Buffy reruns during the kids' quiet times. Yes, my appreciation for all things vampires apparently knows no limit. Except for the HBO version, that won't be named, God and I were not seeing eye to eye on that one, so I had to cut it loose.

Anyway, the pictures...they were taken just before her birthday. This was the first time Jeff was present for a shoot, so we decided to get a few family pictures taken too. She was super cute as always and it was a beautiful morning. We had fun and ended up making a day of it. Her last "baby plan" pictures will be in the Fall when we do family pictures...you know, for those Christmas cards that I'll probably never get around to sending out.

So, what else is new with Aida? Well, she's kind of walking. On several occasions she's walked across the living room and she'll take steps if she's already standing and has a target in mind. But, she's still got a sweet spot for the scoot, so I wouldn't say it's official yet. And there's a chance that she's said her first word. Aida loves to wave and she's started saying what sounds like "bye bye" when she does. Aida "talks" all the time, but this is the first time that a word has been consistent and contextual. She's decided that she loves water. Between vacation, the pool, the splash park, and our sprinkler, she's becoming a water baby. We've also started the transition to one nap and she's only nursing 3 times per day now. She's growing up so fast!

I definitely think Aida is going to be Mommy's helper. She's already my shadow, but she's started to imitate me now and it's so cute. The other day I was cleaning out the dishwasher and when Aida wasn't handing me dishes, she was taking them over and placing them on the table like she knew exactly where they went. And If she sees me cleaning something (which frankly is pretty rare) she'll want a rag so she can wipe too. Her favorite is still pretending to cook. It seems that I've granted her complete access to my spice cabinet, and she's spilled pasta all over the floor on numerous occasions. Luckily Aida makes a mean "pasta soup" and looks adorable doing it, so I don't mind.

Evan and Aida are playing more together which is starting to make my life easier. Of course I have to run a lot of interference, but they have fun together and Evan is always gifted at making her laugh! Evan has been enjoying our frequent play dates, story time at the library, and riding his bike. He's also just gotten his first real chore, which he thinks is fantastic. He's always had to clean his room and make his bed, but now he is in charge of refilling Elliott's (our cat) water bowl. He's very proud of how he "takes care of his pet," and I'm left wondering how long until the curtain is lifted and he realizes that chores aren't fun.

We're having a great Summer, but it will be over in a month, and that's not so great :-( But there's a possibility that I'll be working two days/week this year starting in September, which will be nice since Evan will be in preschool three days/week. I'd really like to be the one that takes him to school each day. We'll see, my company is working some things out, but it's looking good. But, Summer isn't over yet, so there's a lot more fun to be had...Starting with a Grandma weekend that has just begun! Aida is still here, but Evan is off at Grandma's house for two nights, and if we're lucky, Aida will let us sleep in until 8:00!