Father Figure

A few weeks back a friend of mine posed a question about children's programming that included a father figure.

I was floored.

We are just entering into children's programming and I must admit that was not something that I had really payed much attention to as I saw a few different episodes of programming.  Oddly enough, I was only really exposed to those that DID have a father figure.  Well, minus Sesame Street -- which is a whole different animal...err...monster.

One program, Calliou, has an involved father figure.  The marriage is valued and you see love and admiration between the parents.  You also see multi-generational living, which I love, because the grandparents are involved.  It's not the best graphics but I love it's innocence, imagination, and of course the family dynamic.  Two thumbs up!

Another program was, Sid the Science Kid.  This is from the Jim Henson Studios (think Muppet's, etc).  I like this show in general for older kids.  Miss L likes the music in general when they sing.  While the dad is n-involved here he is made out to be a big goof-ball.  It's sad really and it was something that I had picked up on while watching before the "father figure" question had been put forth.  There is even a song about how cool the mom is when Sid and his mom are driving to school.  Catchy, yet odd at the same time.

The show, Arthur, was put out in the conversation but I never have seen it.  Are there others that you out there in blog world can think of as well?  I think about this more as I watch different programming or think through movies that we might let the girls watch in the future.

As for Sesame Street, that is more of a community living.  Back when I was watching Sesame Street for my own "educational purposes" there were more family units involved which have since gone to the wayside only making appearance once in a very great while.  On top of that, if you didn't know about it from back in the day you may not put it all together.  However, there is some other education value as we are seeing Miss L interact and even start to count along... even if it usually is only to three and we still have ten lemons left to go! ha!

The lack of fathers in our programming is telling of our current society.  Think back to programming, children's or otherwise, father's were present, normal, involved, fun, etc.  They were heads of their household showing leadership, decisiveness, and manhood.  They generally were not mamby-pamby men.  I am thinking even I love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, Happy Days, Brady Bunch to name a few.  Oh how far we have come from that time period it seems... and it wasn't all that long ago!

Art imitating life or life imitating art?

Sigh.

She's Here!

Well... she's been here for almost a month now.  She arrived about two weeks after my last post.  If I thought I had issues with blogging BEFORE two kids I am not sure what will come of this space.  A ghost town along side the information superhighway?  Maybe.  Or things will just be sporadic.  It may be best to just have this e-mail you when I update :)

Just for clarification, these are not her feet.  I am pretty leery of posting photos of my children on the Internet anymore after stories from friends and Facebook fan pages.  If you want to see family photos (and I am not opposed to having people I know on that site) let me know and I will invite you to where we have our photos hosted.  It's free for you but I can control privacy a whole lot better there. You can just look around to your little hearts content. ha!

In the last post we had a baby pool going and there was one response there and there were several on another social networking site.  Here is what was posted:

Tessa - August 24, 7lbs 12oz, 11:30 PM
Luma - August 26, 7lbs 13oz, 4:00 PM
Actual - August 27, 6lbs 9oz, 7:09 AM
Lisa - August 31, 7lbs 11oz, 4:30 PM
Renee - September 2, 6lbs 14oz
Beth B - September 3, 7lbs 3oz
Alaina - September 4, 7lbs 2oz, 7:01 AM
Mom - September 9 or 10, 6lbs 10oz

Overall, my sweet friend Luma wins the pool and a little something fun.  Technically we went beyond her guess but I was in labor on the 26th and she is the closest overall.  Alaina was the closest on time (good job!) and my mother-in-law was the closest on weight.  Maybe we'll do something for the others.  We'll see.  But for now...  CONGRATS LUMA!  ha ha ha!!
 
One or two people have already asked for all the gory details of the birth story (I know, Tessa!) and I need to write it out anyway for the baby book.  So, if anyone else wants to know let me know and I will send it to you.
 
I have other posts rolling around in my head but for now... I must go grocery shopping.

20 Months, 35 Weeks, and a Baby Pool

Today, Miss L is 20 months old.  It's hard to believe at times.  It's funny to look at her newborn pictures and try to remember that baby.  She is full of personality!  My favorite thing is laughing with her when she gets up in the morning or after nap.  She's usually quite happy.  I love watching her want to help me around the house -- it doesn't matter what we are doing she just wants to be a part of it all.  What fun adventures are in store next?  I love being  a mom for sure!

Today, I am also 35 weeks along in my pregnancy with Miss A.  There have been times that I have thought that this pregnancy would NEVER end.  I think part of that comes a) we found out super early that I was pregnant and b) the valley heat really sucks it out of you!  So, here we are.  We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest addition.  It is thrilling beyond all belief that we have this little blessing coming now.  At the same time it's incredibly scary.  You know, it's a mixed bag of wonderful emotions.

While some folks would say that we probably have another 5 weeks in front of us we could easily be heading off to the hospital next week.  You see, Miss L was born at 36 weeks to. the. day.  There was no medical reason that she came early other than she was ready.  We have heard and read that many mothers tend to deliver around the same time.  Yes, I know there are exceptions to this.  We have also read that breech babies can come early for whatever reason.  Miss L was breech which resulted in a cesarean section.  So, while we know we could be waiting another 5 weeks for Miss A's arrival we are just getting prepared for an early visit from the stork.  I think I will pack the hospital bag tomorrow. ha!

So, I thought a baby pool would be fun!  Leave your guess for date and time -- and guess her weight, too.  Miss L was 7lbs. 6oz for a reference point.  We may have a gift card incentive to a favorite coffee place if you play along...ahem.  :)  My due date is officially September 15 for those that want to know that information.  I will post this on another social networking forum so you can enter there if you want... but only enter once, please. 

Oh, and of course, we will keep you updated as to when she arrives!

Hesistant Hostess

Before I got married one could generally find anywhere from one to thirty college students in my apartment on most nights of the week.  Even on and off during the day a few would stop by if I was home to kill time before or between classes. 

I like having people in my home.

That hasn't really changed much but the dynamic of life has changed a bit.

When I got married we were part of a church that showed hospitality in a way that I had never seen before.  It was beautiful, generous, lovely... and, well... sometimes a bit intimidating.  Not that any one of these families imposed certain expectations on my but they were my own self-imposed expectations and thinking that I needed some serious observation lessons before attempting any of these shin-digs.  I would see women under such grace feed 15 people for a sit-down lunch/dinner and it seemed like it never phased them.  Scary!  At the time we also lived pretty far away from most people in our church family and in my mind I thought that it would be a great imposition for them to come all the way down to our home.  Sigh.  I think we had three households from church in our home.  The rest were a fun family that lived relatively close, family, and a neighbor.

Now we live pretty close to just about everyone in our church, family, and other friends.  In my expectations I didn't want people to see all of our moving boxes, then there was the "legitimate" excuse of morning sickness, or I want to get this or that project done.  Well, boxes are removed, morning sickness gone, and projects completed.  No more excuses.  You can insert my anxiety sky-rocketing here as Husband talks about having this or that family over. 

Again, it's not that I don't want to spend time with these people it's my own self-imposed, unrealistic expectations of what needs to be presented and done for these people.  Yeah, no aroma of grace there!

This last Friday we had a lovely family over in a very impromptu manner for dinner.  In the midst of my third trimester I am moving slow and trying to keep things simple and the oven off as much as possible.  Let me note that this family is quite hospitable and the wife is a whiz in the kitchen.  I told her basically that we were having pasta salad and I whipped up another cool salad type thing to eat with chips.  The pasta salad was even from a box but we love it and I added a few extra things to make it a bit more "hardy."  They brought a couple of things to share as well which was great.  Husband bought a bottle of wine home which I think can make any meal better.  ha!

We had a grand time in fellowship which is really what the evening was all about.  The kiddos had fun playing and we let them all stay up after their bedtimes.  While talking with the wife she appreciated the fact that I didn't put on any "airs" in creating my pasta salad.  She got a good laugh when she inquired about the recipe and I told her, "It's my Aunt Betty Crocker's recipe." All with a smile.

We talked about hospitality and what it means to have people in our homes ever so briefly.  I realized in our conversation hurt that had been extended to her because those who have been in her home and experienced her gourmet side think they have to return the same when they come over.  NOT SO!  Yes, she has special gifts in different areas as I have gifts in other areas.  We learn and grow from each other.  It's not about the food but what happens around the food.

It was a good learning experience for me on a variety of levels.  Even in letting her help me in the kitchen while being 7 months pregnant I learned it really is okay to let your guests help.  It was the least stressed I have been in a "hosting" situation in a long time.

So, with that we have another household coming next weekend for lunch... in the midst of a crazy, filling-up-fast, getting-ready-for-baby kind of schedule.  Family and other friends, too.

Even while having an extra tabel in the front room while we are trying to sell it.  Yes, the house was clean but there is grace even in that.  Not everything was totally in it's place.  A toddler lives here and it was obvious.  But that's okay... we live here, it's not a showroom.  More on these other aspects later.  But I am not quite so hesitant a hostess anymore.

Two Girls, Two Rooms

One of my sweet friends asked me to blog about my final decisions to put Miss L and Miss A in their own rooms for the time being.  So, here's a bit of my thought process and those with other experience can share, too.

The reality is that Miss A probably will not go into her own room for at least a month or so after we come home.  Mostly for my own sanity she will be in our room.  Hopefully, she will "probably" be sleeping through longer stretches of the night by then, too.  It will really come down to how long she is actually sleeping through the night, if I am getting much sleep while she moves and coos, and ultimately if she keeps Husband up at all during the night.  He has to function at work, you know.  He doesn't have the option to stay in PJ's or have Grandma come help him, or take a nap at work.

When we do move her we realize there may be several trips in during the night to check on her, feed her, or any number of other things.  Knowing that, we also want to preserve Miss L's sleep schedule.  Sometimes she is totally "out" if we walk into her room at night.  Other times she will wake up right away as soon as the door knob turns.  We are not sure how sensitive she will be to Miss A crying so some of this is based on unknowns that could surprise us when Miss A does come on scene.

So, with that we decided to keep them in separate rooms until they are basically on the same sleep schedule which could be when Miss A is about 18 months old.  It's not very long in the grand scheme of things.  Husband likes the idea of our kids having their own rooms -- he and his brother always had their own rooms.  This is fine if the Lord should decide that we are done at two.  However, should there be more... :)

Even if the Lord says, "two is it" we may still move them into a room together.  They are so very close in age that it wouldn't make that big of a deal.  Then we can reclaim our guest bedroom.  Granted, we don't have a ton of visitors as most of our family lives nearby now.  However, it's nice to have the option.  We do have plenty of floor space and air mattresses are always an option.  We can also create a makeshift guest room if need be in our office or in Miss A's room by moving the girls together (or Miss A to our room) for a temporary fix.  Options...always options.

We will move the crib to Miss A's room this weekend.  I am on the search for a changing table and will make that a one-stop-shop for changing both girls.  Seems easier to have it in Miss A's room at this point in time.

Okay, there you have my pretty simple thought process.  I know quite a few others have put their kiddos together from fairly young ages.  I would love to hear especially the how's and why's.  Usually the "why" is because...well... that's the only option really.

Nesting

Nesting.

In some sense it seems like a foreign concept to me and at the same time a very true reality.

I made the comment to Husband the other day that I think that I have more of a nesting urge with this pregnancy than I did with my first.  He thought it was the other way around.  However, I think that the things that happened (and current tasks at hand) in each situation have been very different and that effects how we perceive it.

Either way, I am totally in the midst of it right now.  Although, I will say that while I have things to do and want to do certain things my motivation can quickly go out the door.  Or little things become big things and that is all I can focus on.  And even worse, sometimes other things completely get neglected because I am focused on this other task or thinking about it, etc.

Things are coming together, though.  Much to our surprise (and my great hesitancy) Miss L moved to a "big girl" bed on Saturday night.  Quite on a whim, I must say.  She has done remarkably well!  So, we will be moving the crib to Miss A's room.  We found a great deal on a new-to-me glider as my other one broke. (That story for another day.)  I am still trying to figure out the changing table configuration.  I just want one changing area for both girls.  I think I have it down.  So, there are just a few little things to get both rooms ready for different changes.

The funny thing is that while there are a gazillion things to still get ready there are toys strewn across my living room floor (with said toddler in the midst of it all) along with a pile of clean cloth diapers that she has also seen fit to play with.  She loves to play with the fluff... even when it has been put away.

Maybe more on all this later...

Water Ice

We made a super fast trip to Texas over the July 4th weekend.  We were there to see a dear friend installed as pastor of a blossoming mission church.  It was a lovely time rich with fellowship and new relationships.  While I cannot go into all of that here there was this one random blip in the weekend that took me back to the summer of 2004 when I spent 6 weeks in Ocean City, NJ.

You know those special things that take you back to a special time and they seem like the most amazing thing?  Then you know how sometimes you can partake in said special thing outside of the context of said special time and it's really not so amazing anymore?  Well, this was NOT the case with Rita's Italian Ice... or more fondly called water ice.  It's like a sno-cone but not that rigid.  It's smooth... like a slushie but... still not quite.  A spoon is generally required. 

Let's just say that I may have given Husband a slight fright as I gasped when I saw the sign on a building as we pulled into the hotel circle.  OH. MY.  I told Husband that we MUST go there at least once this weekend.  After Miss L went to bed we got the hankering for something cool and sweet.  Husband was going to go get it and bring it back.  I told him whatever flavor was fine as long as it was red.  ha!  He came back with Tropical Punch for me and Cookies and Cream for himself.  I thought his sounded strange for water ice but it was pretty yummy!!  A regular size is plenty! On the plus side it is super affordable... I think we paid $4.00 for the two of them.

Ahhhh... Delightful!

We wanted to go again but our schedule kept us running and eating at other venues.  However, there is rumor that Rita's could be coming to the Valley of the Sun in the next year or so!  YAY!  Husband and I thought it would be a good investment and half thought about the possibility of doing a franchise.  I will say that it was a fleeting idea...  fun in the moment but probably not for us.  So, we will wait until places open here and join my Ocean City buddy, Stephanie, at a grand opening.   

In all of this reminiscing... I had to look up the Polish water ice place that I also liked and found that it is pretty much just in three states on the east coast.  But if you are looking for another fun place try out TLC's Polish Water Ice.  If you happen to find yourself on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ you will find these places fairly close to each other... partake... in both!