Our Stellar Parenting Skills Revealed

Dinner from a jar while sitting on the counter.

Sleeping in the Bumbo.


The "Parents of the Year" award may have to wait :).

Saela the Professional

Beautician

Crazy-Haired Golfer


Bike Trickster
(my personal favorite)

Learning to be at Peace with Imperfect Perfectionism

Traveling on the sidewalk outside of the Starbucks, where I was studying today, was a young girl in a power wheelchair. Her head was cocked to the side as if deep in thought, but in reality, due to some unknown ailment, she could not straighten her neck – and probably despite great effort on her part – never would be able to do something we all take for granted on a daily basis. This was one of those “moments of clarity” where I am reminded of how many things I have to be thankful for: my health, my parents and family, my husband, my beautiful healthy children, the fact I am employed, have a roof over my head and that I do not want for any basic needs.

These moments of clarity remind us to be thankful – but invariably, we fall back into “life” and begin to forget what is most important and it takes another “eye-opener” to bring us back again. My upcoming board exams have me stressed to a level I have not experienced before and too often I am finding myself wrapped up in “getting it all done.” I fear that if I give in – even a little – that I will lose complete control of everything. It’s all or nothing. I tell people that “I’m trying to be more relaxed about ‘how clean the house is’ or how if ‘this or that’ isn’t done that it is okay.” Really, though, I think about those things a lot and continue to get anxious when things aren’t done. My perfectionism, though, is imperfect, as even when the house is “picked up” the imperfections are unseen i.e. drawers are jam packed, dog hair remains on the floor etc. I am relaxed about some imperfections and very rigid about others. I would like to try and find a balance so that I am not so rigid about things that don’t really matter. A quote by Robert Fulghum comes to mind: One of life’s best coping mechanisms is to know the difference between an inconvenience and a problem. If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire – then you’ve got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference.

Robert Hastings wrote an essay called “The Station.” A small excerpt…Sooner or later, however, we must realize there is no Station in this life, no one earthly place to arrive at once and for all. The journey is the joy…Life must be lived as we go along. The Station will come soon enough.

2 Corinthians 4:18: …we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Perfectionism has benefits and drawbacks. My hope is that, with time, I will be able to use my type A instincts to their full potential in maintaining a happy healthy home for my family while keeping perspective that “life is lumpy”…and things are not always orderly. So, enjoy the journey, embrace your family, overlook the mess – the mess won’t matter when you reach the eternal Station.

4 Months...

...just doesn't seem possible - does it?

Summer Over? Already?

I cannot seem to figure out where all of the hours in the day go...how in the world can September be more than half over already? Asher had his first illness: the Croup. He woke up at 3 am on Wednesday morning barking like a seal and I just *knew* what it was...our pediatrician confirmed the diagnosis a few hours later. Asher, despite his illness, was happy as a clam to be hanging out with mom at 3 am...let's just say, I didn't sleep much that night. He seems to be feeling better today. (...and he weighs 17 # 9 oz - 90th percentile...our little linebacker!)

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Saela has nearly completed her transition to the "big girl room" aka the Older Toddler room as opposed to the Younger Toddler room she is in now at school. Her teachers are amazed at how well she has adapted to spending more and more time in her new setting each day. I think the move may be tougher on me than her...I asked her current teacher, Miss Sarah, to please pass on that Saela needs her snuggles in the morning. I just cannot believe that my baby girl is TWO years old - and big enough to be have a conversation with me.

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Steve will be heading to South Bend to watch MSU play Notre Dame. He is enjoying hanging out with his friends at the games. I was able to go last week as well - it was a fun time despite the last second loss.

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I am proud to say that I've nearly completed the Couch 2 5K running program and can now run 30 minutes. It took me 30:53 to run my first 3-mile stint in over three years! Hopefully next summer or the summer after, I will be able to do another triathlon. Balancing work and home life has been difficult - but so far manageable. I am trying really hard to *let go a little* and just take things as they come and know that some days - doing the bare minimum is okay as this affords me more time to just enjoy my beautiful babies. For those that know me well - this has been hard as I am rather...ummm...anal. My babes are growing up before my eyes, though, and I need to slow down and forget about all of the things that really just don't matter and won't matter if I miss out on their lives right now. I have cherished every moment and hope that I can keep all of those memories deep inside to share with them when they are grown. I had their photos taken recently...here's a sneak peek...

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Saela Catherine ~2 years

and

Asher William ~3.5 months

photo courtesy of JC Penneys

Gearing Up for the Season

Michigan State University's...

...newest little fan!

GO STATE!

Getting Dressed

Today, Saela picked out her entire outfit:

Here she is showing off her new ponytail holders.

Here she is displaying her love for all sweaters that button.

Here is her current favorite skirt.


...and somehow she managed to pick a pair of tan socks.
Of all the colors in the other pieces - there is no tan.
We'll blame this on her fever...hopefully she's not inheriting her mother's lack of fashion sense.

Saela is really such a sweet girl. She has had a fever, at times as high as 104 degrees, since Thursday evening - but she is handling it like a trooper. She continues to say please and thank you and other than being a little clingy is acting like her normal self. She even helped me make the bed by bringing me pillows...and then kept bringing more pillows - so now our couch pillows are decorating the bed. :) The above outfit was picked out entirely autonomously... again...let's hope it's the fever. :)