Nothing Like a Three Year Old to Keep Me In Line

So, I woke up grummmpy this morning. I was downright mean. And there is no excuse for it...none at all. It was just too early, it seemed...and I wasn't ready to get up. Maybe if I practiced what I have been preaching lately and got up before everyone else to do devotions, I wouldn't have been so grumpy. I know I went to sleep a little grumpy. My poor hubby is sick...sinus cold junk and he fell asleep about an hour before I did. I went to bed around 10:30 and my hubby was snoring so incredibly loudly. I had compassion on him though, since he was sick, and I tried my best to ignore him. I fell asleep..clenching my jaw and saying over and over to myself..please stop..please stop. So, maybe that mood continued in my sleep.

I think drainage was the cause of my mister's upset tummy yesterday because he didn't have any more vomiting episodes. He went to bed around 8:00 P.M. But he woke up at 4:45 A.M. for some food and lovin'. And it was sooo hard to get out of bed. I was a tad grumpy then, but not too bad. I fed the mister and sat and happily stared at him as he fell asleep in my arms and began mumbling in his sleep. It was darling. I noticed that it was 5:30 A.M. and I could sleep for one more hour. So, I put him in his crib and went back to sleep. THAT was my mistake.

I had already woken up a bit. I should've put him in his crib...had some breakfast and some juice and opened up my Bible. But, no, I went back to sleep. I went to sleep fast and hard. So that an hour came in five minutes and I WAS NOT WANTING TO GET UP! I was so out of it and grumpy. And I had only been up for two minutes, when my little man and little miss decided to be awake too.

Everyone wanted me and I had my own stuff to do. I had to tidy up the kitchen, get ready for the day and get both kids ready.

I hollered to my three year old to do me a favor and bring me the wipes. Of course, like most three year olds, it took her a bit to actually get me the wipes..so I continued shouting at her...until she brought them to me.

She then looked up at me and with the sweetest voice said...."Mommy, be happy!"

Talk about feeling GUILTY!

I know that if I don't get enough sleep, I wake up grumpy. Once I actually WAKE UP and can handle the many demands placed upon me..I'm fine. But when I am still in zombie mode...all of those demands are equivalent to someone stealing your covers and kicking you while you are in deep sleep.

So, I need to wake up before everyone...open up my Bible..spend time with God..have some quiet to myself...be refreshed and then start my day.

I don't want my little girl asking me to be happy in the morning. Instead, I want to wake her up..with a big smile..say Good Morning Sunshine..rise and shine..I love you. So that she wakes up with a smile on her face.

Thankfully, I Am Rested

Well, ever since we got the skin cream for our little mister, he has been sleeping through the night. He no longer needs a bottle in the middle of the night. He no longer wakes at 3 or 4 A.M. for another bottle. And he no longer needs me to pat his little bottom to help him to drift off to sleep. Instead, we put him down in his crib at around 8:00 P.M., he puts himself to sleep and he doesn't wake up until 6:30 A.M. It's been wonderful. And I have been getting much needed rest..FINALLY!

Last night, I was falling asleep watching our DVR'ed 24 episode and decided to go to bed. It was 9:30 P.M. I didn't wake up until a little after 6:00 A.M.

Our little guy has seemed under the weather the last few days. I think it started on Sunday with a runny nose. Yesterday he just didn't seem like he felt right. I knew he was sick the second I got him out of bed. It was in his eyes. His appetite seemed to have decreased and he slept a lot.

Today, it has been the same. He has had a constant running nose and hasn't been too interested in eating. Although he has been eating, he had 2 1/2 bottles and 1 jar of food, it isn't as much as he should have had already today.

Just a little bit ago, the little guy was napping in his swing. His big blue eyes opened up, he gave me a half-hearted smile and then threw up everywhere...EVERYWHERE. Poor little guy.

It may be a rough night tonight. And I am sooo thankful and so happy that I got so much sleep last night. God knew I would need it.

In Other Words

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing”
~ Martin Luther ~

On Thursday night, I attended Bible study at my church. I had brought the two little ones with me, and they hung out in the nursery. I love my Bible study nights. The women in the group are just amazing. And each time I am spoken to greatly through almost everyone in the group. Our leader is such a strong woman of God. She is amazing. Anyway, at the end of the study, we were in prayer and our leader began praying for someone in the room. She said she wasn't sure who it was, but that she said that she felt opposition in the room and was being told to pray for the individual who was holding onto something and not giving it to her father. I immediately felt such a conviction in my heart. Could that be me that she was speaking about? I knew there was something in my life that I wasn't giving to Him. I was holding onto it, and it wasn't pretty. I felt as if God was speaking to me right then and there.... "Yes child, she is praying for you. You know what you need to give over to me. I want to take it from you. I want to help you. But you have been stubborn, child."

As I drove home, with the two awake kiddos in the back seat, I began praying out loud to God. Tears streamed down my face as I let go of something I had been holding onto. When I was finished, my little three year old asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was talking to God. I let her know that God is all around us, even though we can't see Him. I told her that we can talk to God anytime about anything. We can tell Him when we are happy. We can talk to Him when we are sad or angry. And I told her that He loves it when we talk to Him. All she said to that was, "Oh."

A few minutes later, she began mumbling and I turned the radio down to hear her. I asked her to repeat what she had said, because I couldn't hear her. What she said in repsonse was soooooo sweet.

"Shhhh..I'm talking to God, Mommy."
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I just read a bunch of other contributing posts. How convicted I am this morning as I realize that I have been seriously suffocating lately. All of the posts touched me so much, but there was one that I urge you all to read. Whoever you are...... right now, whether you contribute in these posts or not...whether you are a believer or not...
READ THIS

Psalms Sunday #9

Welcome to Psalms Sunday. Every Sunday we share a little bit about the day's Psalm. You can talk about anything. Was there a verse that spoke to you? Do you have a story to share about the topic of the Psalm? Do you want to tell us what you think the Psalm is saying? Basically, just share what comes to your heart after reading the Psalm. Write your post and then come here to sign Mr. Linky so that we can visit you. It's so wonderful to take this time to share with each other and learn from each other. Plus, it is so enjoyable to venture through the Psalms. We are currently doing the Psalms in order. Today is Psalm 9.

Psalm 9

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Death of the Son." A psalm of David.

1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.

4 For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.

7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.

8 He will judge the world in righteousness;
he will govern the peoples with justice.

9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.

12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

13 O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

14 that I may declare your praises
in the gates of the Daughter of Zion
and there rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

16 The LORD is known by his justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion. [b] Selah

17 The wicked return to the grave, [c]
all the nations that forget God.

18 But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

19 Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.

20 Strike them with terror, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.



I see a recurring theme in this Psalm.... God, you are good. You do so much. You are my strength. I will always praise you for all that you are. I will share the testimony of what you have done in my life, to all. I praise you, I PRAISE YOU!

And isn't it so easy to have that attitude after God has done something tremendous in our lives? But is it easy to have that attitude at 5:30 A.M. when you know God would like for you to get out of bed and spend some time in His word before you start your day?

That is definitely one way in which I would like to be like David. He knew that He wanted nothing more than to praise God. He knew to rise early and spend that time with Him.

A couple of days ago, my friend, Tiffany, and I talked a little on this very topic. We were discussing how we know that God is always with us, right there next to us always. But because we can't physically see Him, it's easy to get caught up with the distractions of our day. It's so easy to be so very selfish with how we spend our time and how much of it we give to God.

But imagine if He was sitting at your kitchen table at 5:30 A.M. waiting for you to rise out of bed and join Him. Or what if He was knocking repeatedly on your front door? How easy would it be then to throw those covers over your head and go back to sleep?

What if He was standing behind you right now, tapping at your shoulder as you blogged, asking to spend some time with you? Would you tell Him to head on into the other room and leave you be for a moment while you finish up your post?

The thing is, He is always there. The God you want to praise. The God you want to rejoice over. Do you show Him that attitude of praise in your daily life? Or do you tell Him to leave you be while you tend to your day to day activities?

And let me just say that I definitely don't give up enough time to God. When I awake in the morning, my computer is the first thing I turn on. My email is the first thing that I read. But if I saw God as my house guest at my kitchen table as I walked down my stairs in the morning, I know that I would definitely walk right by my computer, sit down next to my house guest and begin yapping. I'd most likely offer Him some breakfast as well. And we'd talk and laugh and sing songs for hours.

So, Do You Eavesdrop?

Blog Party post #3

Well, the party has been going on now for almost 15 hours. And there are 6 more days to go. I am glad we have a week for this, because at last check, there were 322 party goers signed up. I have already had the privilege of visiting many parties.
It's been FUN! So, I am a people watcher. I could just sit in a coffee shop or bookstore cafe for hours just watching people. I don't do it to be nosy. I love to observe others. I love to try to figure out what their personalities are like. Are they going through hardships? What are their struggles? What has their day been like so far? And I do listen to conversations too. It just happens when you are observing them.

When I go out to eat with my hubby, I sometimes will catch myself people watching. I will tell my hubby that the people three booths over seem to be having an argument over raising their children. Stuff like that.

So, I have been doing lots of visiting so far and if you are an eavesdropper people watcher like me..and if you had been following me around, you may have heard some of these discussions.

Kristarella and I talked about how we have a habit of driving for awhile when our gas light is on. I am notorious for driving on empty. In fact, a few years ago when I purchased a car, I asked the nice sales gal, who told me she drove the same vehicle, how far I could drive once the gas light came on. She looked a bit shocked that I would ask such a question and informed me that she never lets her car get past a quarter of a tank. Well, I did find out that I could make it almost to work with my gas light on. That's all I needed to know.

Grey's Anatomy and backgammon were the topics of conversation over at Shoshana's We both got hooked on Grey's by watching the DVD sets of the first two seasons. And she loves backgammon. I grew up playing that game with my mom. She has put a desire in me to go out and buy the game and teach it to my hubby.

Dana and I both have similar Disney family vacation traditions. So, that was a fun topic of conversation. She even ripped out some pictures from her most recent visit to The Happiest Place on Earth.

And finally, over at Serendipity Mine the conversation was about blog design and the use of the word, Serendipity. It is one of my favorite words you know.

Well, there are many more parties to visit. And you all are wonderful hosts and hostesses. There have been some tasty treats, some cute videos and some great decorations.

Please come back throughout the week. I promise to do my best to keep it fun.

A Little Mingling

Well, it's Ultimate Blog Party time and I am sure to see some new faces around here. So, I am going to start it off with small talk. To be honest, in actual social settings, I usually don't just start yapping to others about myself. I wait to be approached. I act shy, but I'm really not. So, let's see. Well, I am a wife and mommy. I am a whopping 27 years old. I always told myself that I wouldn't feel old until I reached 28. So, I have one more year to be young, I guess. HA! I have a three year old little girl who can make me crazy and then make me melt in a matter of seconds. And I have an almost eight month old little boy who has the most contagious, delightful smile.

I enjoy scrapbooking, but don't do it nearly enough. I am currently up to my three year old's sixth month of life in her scrapbook. So, I have a ways to go. I haven't even started my boy's yet.

I love, LOVE anything sweet. My absolute favorite dessert is chocolate mousse cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. The nearest Cheesecake Factory is about an hour away. So, I don't get to go much anymore. Before we moved to our current state, there was one pertty darn close to me. But I discovered recently that they sell my favorite Cheesecake from CF at the Target right by my house. So, every now and then I treat myself to it.....It's DIVINE!!

My favorite movie is Roman Holiday. I just adore Audrey Hepburn. I am a huge fan of hers....and especially for the heart she had. She was an incredible woman. And I am sadly hooked on television. Right now my favorite shows are Grey's Anatomy, 24 and The Office. I also watch Heroes and Lost as well. But I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of either one of those shows.

I currently stay at home and make some money by running a day care out of my house. It tends to be quite stressful most days. Before staying at home, I worked at several Title Companies for a total of seven years. I actually enjoyed that industry although it was very stressful. It was all so fast-paced, and I loved that. I have been going to school for an eternity now to get a degree in Psychology. I think I will be a Junior in college for a very long time. Lately, though, I have been considering changing my major to Elementary Education. I have also realized lately that I have a knack for and enjoy web design very much. So, I am considering possibly going that route as well. I'd like to be working again in about two years or so.

Let's see...what else? I am quite a night owl. I don't seem to get my energy until about 4:00 P.M. I fall asleep most nights after midnight and have a really hard time waking up at 6:00 A.M. I love Pepsi, and drink way too much of it.

I love to sing. I have a guitar, but still don't know how to play it. It sits in my living room in its case just waiting to be loved on. Everyday I think about picking it up and learning some chords, but then I occupy myself with something else, like this here blog for instance.

Well, that's it for tonight's small talk. I will post party type posts all week long, becuse I'd like to milk this party for all it's worth.

Be sure to check out 5 Minutes For Mom for more party posts. And I'll be back here tomorrow with some more party fun.

Good night!

Yep, It's A Party

Well, I am getting all decorated for the festivities. They start tomorrow and go on for a week. It should be a fun time. I will be adding some party music soon, so you may want to turn up..or turn down those speakers. :o)