I had just put A down for her nap and settled into my bible study homework. I am studying Kelly Minter's No Other Gods and was reading the following phrase from the Introduction! of chapter 2:
Even when you have grandiose plans, spiritual plans....things can unexpectedly turn....because there will always be a million nagging tugs on our time and attention, and somewhere in the middle of all the tugging it is essential we build a fortress wherein only God, His words, and our heart exist together for a time. It cannot happen accidentally. (34)
When I heard loudly from the next room, "Puppies! Puppies!" (my daughter's beloved stuffed bunny).
I ignored the whimpering and tried to focus on the words I was reading.
"Puppies! Juice, Mama, Juuuuiiiiccee...!"
Again, I ignored her. Eventually, she'll settle down and sleep.
"Mama? Mama? Juice! Juice!" The cries grew louder. Remembering we'd been out in 97 degree heat just minutes earlier, I dog-eared my page and ran downstairs to get her water. I walked in her room, retrieved Puppies from where she'd been tossed in the floor, and watched A guzzle a large amount of water.
"White pappy," she whined.
"You've already got blue pappy, now night-night."
"Whiiiiite pappy!"
I gave her the white pacifier and rocked her to sleep. After placing her in her crib, asleep, I returned to start chapter 2 of my study. Determined to at least get through the first page.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Articles for Second Time Moms
I am a voracious reader. Absolutely love to read. If there's nothing new to read, I will find myself reading the cereal box or even the back of an Elmo DVD. While I enjoy reading for leisure, most of my reading is to learn more about a topic of interest. Lately, that topic has been pregnancy.
With my first pregnancy, I read everything I could get my hands on, but since I've forgotten most of what I've learned, I find myself re-reading many of the books I bought during my first pregnancy, especially those on fitness. What I've discovered, though, is that most books and magazines target the first-time mom, leaving those of us on our second pregnancy with little new information. "What could possibly be different about the second pregnancy than the first?" you might be asking. Where do I start? For one, you are balancing the needs of pregnancy with caring for a feisty, curious, endlessly energetic toddler. Since authors of pregnancy information seem to be at a loss for what to write to second-time moms, I have a few suggestions for some possible articles.
1. How to chase your toddler up the down escalator without allowing your newly burgeoning "bump" to knock you off balance, catch your toddler with one hand, and gracefully exit the escalator without falling, toddler in tow.
2. How to keep your 2-year-old from riding her tricycle into oncoming traffic, running into oncoming traffic, jumping into the deep end of the pool, etc. without going into labor.
3. The best way to sneak your utterly exhausted pregnant body a nap while simultaneously exhibiting enthusiasm during the 400th viewing of "Sesame Street Sings Karaoke."
4. How to snuggle with your sweet toddler when she no longer fits onto your lap (and not because she's the one growing.)
5. How to explain to your two-year old that Mommy does not feel like nor can she physically manage to bend over and push you on your toddler car up and down the neighborhood street for hours.
6. Why calories eaten off your child's plate don't really count during pregnancy.
7. Why it's okay to feed your child chocolate and pizza for dinner three nights in-a-row because you no longer have the pre-pregnancy energy or brain power to construct an argument that makes everyone happy.
8. Bible-study for pregnant moms who want to spend their child's naptime sleeping, but know they desperately need to use it for prayer and devotion to maintain their own strength and sanity.
9. Yoga for two, make that three. Your toddler will always awaken from naptime about the time you get the yoga mat down.
10. Advice for Dads. How to make your pregnant toddler mommy's job a little easier. Suggestions include treating her to a day at the spa.
I'm sure there are more topics that need to be covered, but this would be a good start!
With my first pregnancy, I read everything I could get my hands on, but since I've forgotten most of what I've learned, I find myself re-reading many of the books I bought during my first pregnancy, especially those on fitness. What I've discovered, though, is that most books and magazines target the first-time mom, leaving those of us on our second pregnancy with little new information. "What could possibly be different about the second pregnancy than the first?" you might be asking. Where do I start? For one, you are balancing the needs of pregnancy with caring for a feisty, curious, endlessly energetic toddler. Since authors of pregnancy information seem to be at a loss for what to write to second-time moms, I have a few suggestions for some possible articles.
1. How to chase your toddler up the down escalator without allowing your newly burgeoning "bump" to knock you off balance, catch your toddler with one hand, and gracefully exit the escalator without falling, toddler in tow.
2. How to keep your 2-year-old from riding her tricycle into oncoming traffic, running into oncoming traffic, jumping into the deep end of the pool, etc. without going into labor.
3. The best way to sneak your utterly exhausted pregnant body a nap while simultaneously exhibiting enthusiasm during the 400th viewing of "Sesame Street Sings Karaoke."
4. How to snuggle with your sweet toddler when she no longer fits onto your lap (and not because she's the one growing.)
5. How to explain to your two-year old that Mommy does not feel like nor can she physically manage to bend over and push you on your toddler car up and down the neighborhood street for hours.
6. Why calories eaten off your child's plate don't really count during pregnancy.
7. Why it's okay to feed your child chocolate and pizza for dinner three nights in-a-row because you no longer have the pre-pregnancy energy or brain power to construct an argument that makes everyone happy.
8. Bible-study for pregnant moms who want to spend their child's naptime sleeping, but know they desperately need to use it for prayer and devotion to maintain their own strength and sanity.
9. Yoga for two, make that three. Your toddler will always awaken from naptime about the time you get the yoga mat down.
10. Advice for Dads. How to make your pregnant toddler mommy's job a little easier. Suggestions include treating her to a day at the spa.
I'm sure there are more topics that need to be covered, but this would be a good start!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
If I Could be Like Dad
Ahh....isn't it sweet when little girls long to be just like their daddy. Especially when dad decides to mow the lawn shirtless. Need I say more?
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Real Sports Hero
When I was home from college for summer break, I remember clearly looking forward to curling up each evening on the couch in my parents' den and watching the Braves game, uninterrupted for hours. No classes, no tests, no deadlines. Just the pure thrill of summer baseball. Sometimes my siblings would join me, unless they had dates. (Fortunately, for me, my husband saw through the supergeek exterior.) But normally, I watched alone. For me, no matter what was going on in my life, I knew that almost every evening on TBS, the Braves would be there. Skip, Pete, Don, and Joe became like family friends. "That ball is hit hard. It's going, going.....and caught by the second baseman." It was like comfort food during a time in my life when things never seemed certain.
Much has changed over the past year for the Braves. No longer are they on TBS. The network has now opted to show reruns of Family Guy and Everybody Loves Raymond. (I hope that's working out for them.) When I turn the channel to Fox Sports South, or whatever it is, I now only see Joe and some red-headed guy. Mark Lemke has moved from second base to the radio booth, and Ron Gant is now host of the pre/post-game shows. What has remained constant, though, are two players who have earned my respect more as each year passes, Chipper Jones and John Smoltz. And we learned yesterday, that Smoltz could possibly be hanging up his uniform for good. Season and possibly career-ending surgery looms heavy on the horizon.
As someone who resists change, I've weathered the recent changes to the team rather well, but my heart was heavy yesterday upon hearing the news. John Smoltz is more than a pitcher; he's a phenomenal pitcher, but he is also a class-act, who quietly breaks records then eases gracefully from the spotlight to focus on family and charity. While I'd cringe watching Greg Maddux drop the f-bomb when a pitch didn't go the way he'd intended, I'd admire Smoltz's poise and character. A Christian, who doesn't just "talk the talk," he truly lives his faith and has earned the respect of players and coaches everywhere. In his own words, "I’m still going to go out and give it all I’ve got. I just don’t play for the records or the popularity anymore. I play for no one other than the Lord now and when you play only for Him it really removes the pressure you once had and you can go out and have fun and work hard"(Serving Christ Through Baseball,Cash, 1999).
In an era where performance enhancing drugs have become more common than sunflower seeds in the dugout, Smoltz has always played by the rules. His faith in God and in the purity of the game have earned him quite a career, not only as a starter but also as a closer. He is the real deal, a true American sports hero. And while I realize he might be back next year as a lefty, I just wanted to say kudos to John. It has been a real pleasure to grow up watching you pitch with such grace, elegance, and character.
Much has changed over the past year for the Braves. No longer are they on TBS. The network has now opted to show reruns of Family Guy and Everybody Loves Raymond. (I hope that's working out for them.) When I turn the channel to Fox Sports South, or whatever it is, I now only see Joe and some red-headed guy. Mark Lemke has moved from second base to the radio booth, and Ron Gant is now host of the pre/post-game shows. What has remained constant, though, are two players who have earned my respect more as each year passes, Chipper Jones and John Smoltz. And we learned yesterday, that Smoltz could possibly be hanging up his uniform for good. Season and possibly career-ending surgery looms heavy on the horizon.
As someone who resists change, I've weathered the recent changes to the team rather well, but my heart was heavy yesterday upon hearing the news. John Smoltz is more than a pitcher; he's a phenomenal pitcher, but he is also a class-act, who quietly breaks records then eases gracefully from the spotlight to focus on family and charity. While I'd cringe watching Greg Maddux drop the f-bomb when a pitch didn't go the way he'd intended, I'd admire Smoltz's poise and character. A Christian, who doesn't just "talk the talk," he truly lives his faith and has earned the respect of players and coaches everywhere. In his own words, "I’m still going to go out and give it all I’ve got. I just don’t play for the records or the popularity anymore. I play for no one other than the Lord now and when you play only for Him it really removes the pressure you once had and you can go out and have fun and work hard"(Serving Christ Through Baseball,Cash, 1999).
In an era where performance enhancing drugs have become more common than sunflower seeds in the dugout, Smoltz has always played by the rules. His faith in God and in the purity of the game have earned him quite a career, not only as a starter but also as a closer. He is the real deal, a true American sports hero. And while I realize he might be back next year as a lefty, I just wanted to say kudos to John. It has been a real pleasure to grow up watching you pitch with such grace, elegance, and character.
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