6 Months Old

Jonah Buddy is 6 months old. Where did the time go?  Really....where did it go?

Today he figured out how to crawl.

He's already into everything, but thankfully he's pretty slow still.

 Yes, that's right Jonah....I caught you. 

Jonah is also eating real food now.  He's eaten avocado, bananas, sweet potatoes, and peas.  All of which were pureed with love by his momma.  He likes everything with a little fresh ground pepper.  I walk around his chair with my pepper mill and ask, "would you like fresh ground pepper on that sir?" 

He loves being outside. (Good thing since we're outside so much for baseball games these days.)  He went swimming the other day for the first time and loved it.  Splashing water is fun!  

I feel like the next 6 months will fly by.  Before I know it we'll be celebrating his first birthday.  How will I handle this little one growing so fast?

Photo Shoot Rules to Follow

I am not a professional photographer.  

For every decent picture I take there's about 5 before and 5 after that aren't so great.  I do however have some rules that I try to follow so I don't pull my hair out, get frustrated, scream at the kids, and give up during  a photo shoot.  When I follow these rules I'm not as disappointed when going through the pictures later on my computer.

1) Prepare everyone ahead of time with what you want to accomplish.  

In this case I told the kids before we were standing in a chigger infested field sweating that we'd be taking some pictures standing, some pictures in the chair (and yes, we'd take turns getting to sit in the chair).  Sometimes Carter would hold Jonah and sometimes Evan would hold Jonah.  If they know what's going to happen ahead of time it's easier to move from one pose to the next.  

2) Shoot in digital!  It takes so much of the pressure off.  You can snap a million photos and hope there's a good one in there somewhere.  

This series is a perfect example.  Evan is a stone cold poser!  He looks directly at the camera, smiles, doesn't blink and even attempts to comfort Jonah all while looking right into the lens. 

3) Listen to their ideas.

 Rather than fighting with Evan about holding the bluebonnet in the picture (which I started to do), let them have their way for a few pictures.  What does it hurt?  He's excited that we used his idea and even though I'm not going to hang these on the wall, I still enjoy them and they make me laugh a little.  Trust me...a strong-willed child needs to be heard, accepted, and validated often.  This was an easy way to do that without a huge fight.

 4) When it's sunny use the "1...2...3...open" approach. 

 They're not going to be able to stare into the sun while you set up your shot.  To avoid as many squinty eye and closed eye shots explain to the kids that they can keep their eyes shut until you count to three and say open.  Practice inside for a while so they understand what it feels like and how to open their eyes and not look crazed.  

You might still get a picture like this though.

5) Make sure you're the only one with a camera at the photo shoot.  

It's frustrating to upload your pictures when you get home thinking have a decent picture of all three boys but one is actually looking at someone else's camera.  

Only have one person giving direction too.  When there's too many leaders and too many cameras the kids get confused and frustrated.  You will not get good pictures if they are frustrated.  

You have to keep the models happy!

(Evan's goofy smile in this one cracks me up.)

6) Don't let the models eat...not even the props. 

7) Most of us mommies aren't professional photographers so lighting may not be perfect and your composition may be off a little. The easiest way to improve your pictures is to eliminate distractions.

  Don't let them wear distracting clothing.  Solid color shirts are best.  

Jonah's socks were really cute that day, but the label on the bottom was distracting.  Pay attention to those things and remove them from the picture.  

Also look for things like houses, people, or telephone lines that might end up in the background of your photo.  Your kid may look cute but if there's an old junker car in the top corner of the picture you won't be able to use that for a greeting card.  Try your best to pay attention to these things.  Sometimes they can't be cropped out.  

8) Don't be too hard on yourself.  Accept that you're doing your best and capturing memories that you otherwise wouldn't have if you didn't try.  

Texas Bluebonnets

We finally has some rain here in Central Texas.  A lot of rain!  With a lot of rain comes a lot of flowers.  Bluebonnets are the state flower here and if you live in Central Texas you take pictures of your kids in bluebonnet patches.  It's just something you have to do.  You dress them up, you take them into a field, you get chiggers, you sweat, and you say things like, "look here...smile please...just a few more...come on guys...".  It's great fun.  

Here are the best pictures from that day.  

(I'm so thankful for digital cameras because we had a lot of duds.)

Carter 8, Evan 6, Jonah 5 1/2 months

Carter wanted one of himself laying down in the bluebonnets.

Evan is such a ham.  It's hard to believe I got one of him looking so serious.

They grow like weeds.

Always happy and always there to brighten your day.  

Blogging has become increasingly more difficult over the past few weeks and even months.  We no longer have a cleaning lady, so my mornings are spent cleaning up the house.  Before my mornings were spent reading blogs, writing blog posts, and drinking a cup of coffee.  Jonah is on the move now. Well....he's working his hardest to be on the move.  He doesn't crawl yet, but that could change later today.  He's almost there.  

Baseball has taken over our lives.  Both boys play and Shawn helps coach Evan's team.  I love going to watch them all dressed up in their uniforms.  Jonah enjoys the great outdoors and is usually happy being pushed around in his stroller.  After basketball he's used to hearing me yell for the boys.

Big things are happening to the Cheek house too.  We're in the very beginning phases of adding on some extra space to our house.  We've been meeting with builders, looking at land, and doing our very best to make the right decision.  We decided to stay in our house and add some fun extras.  As things get moving I'll keep you posted with updates and pictures.  

Until the next time I can sit at the computer I want you all to know....I think of you often and I'm so grateful for each person in my life.  

Spring Break Activities #2

The boys have been wanting to go camping for quite some time but the problem is, their parents aren't much the camping type.  Good thing their Gramps is! Time is not usually on our side when it comes to our schedule because of church, baseball, the studio...etc so camping far away was really out of the question.  An easy solution for that problem is camp in Gramps' back yard.  

First they built a fire pit. 

Then they built a fire. 

(I'm a worried Evan may be a little too interested in fire.  He wouldn't stop throwing things into the fire, poking the fire, staring at the fire. Help me!)

They pitched a tent.

(Actually Gramps pitched a tent. Carter and Evan mostly just got in the way.)

They cooked hotdogs and beans over the open fire. 

They told stories around the camp fire.

Shawn, Jonah, and I left after eating and playing a little guitar around the fire.  What I don't have pictures of is what happened at 3:00am.  The wind picked up, the rain started, the thunder clapped, and lightning lit up the sky.  Carter woke up and said, "Gramps it's raining." Evan slept through it all had to be woken up right before they decided to make a run for the house. There's something about my dad and camping that always seems to bring the rain.

The kids thought the trip was successful. I thought it was successful because they slept all day Sunday.

Spring Break Activities #1

Over the break both boys finally had the determination to learn to ride their bikes.  Carter learned first and that lit a fire under Evan.  A few days after Carter learned, Evan learned.  This is a video from his first independent ride down the street.  

(By the end of the week he wasn't jumping off the bike every time he wanted to stop.)

Carter and Shawn rode their bikes to the Donut Shop for coffee, orange juice, and donuts one morning.  The next morning Carter and I rode our bikes to Rocket Cafe for pancakes.  At breakfast Carter said he feels just like Henry Huggins when he rides his bike to "town".  

Evan likes to cut through the fields behind out neighborhood and ride all around the high school, intermediate, and junior high. He picks up rocks, tennis balls, and other various "finds".  He informed me he needs a backpack for all his treasures.  

Boys and bikes....it's a beautiful thing!

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My Family IS a Circus!

I've been a busy mommy lately!

Since my last post...

Both boys had baseball tryouts.

Both boys have had two practices.

(Actually Carter's team has practiced three times.)

We've had three interviews at the studio.

We've started a new Shawn Cheek School of Music blog.

I got a sunburn hanging out by the pool.

We shopped for baseball shoes, pants, and socks. We bought a pitching machine, bat, bucket of baseballs,  two pairs of sun glasses, batting gloves, baseball glove....and now that I'm adding it all up it's a ridiculous amount. (I didn't even name it all.)

Shawn and I consumed approximately 57 pots of coffee.  (7 for me.  50 for Shawn.)

Shawn taught two of our small group meetings at church.  I showed up.

I've read Bossy Pants by Tina Fey and Snow Angel by Glenn Beck. (When might I have had time for this you ask....it's how I pass the time while feeding Jonah.)

Jonah is trying his hardest to crawl.

I'm try my hardest not to cry at how big he's getting.

I've done about 400 loads of laundry. (It may not actually be 400, but it feels that way.)

I've run close to 20 miles.

I've done about 1000 sit-ups.

I've lost ZERO pounds.

I was trained to manage the Relay For Life of Waco's website. 

I managed to fall asleep during three movies...J. Edgar Hoover, Tower Heist, and In Time. 

I've driven down the main highway in Robinson dozens upon dozens of times. 

Just writing this post is making me tired and I still have laundry to do.  Shawn's about to drink a pot of coffee and tomorrow will be here before I know it.  Each day is full of a long list of things to do and places to go.  You'd think I need a break, but this life is wonderful and I wouldn't want it any other way. 

Can you relate?

Number one priority for tomorrow is go to the grocery store.  I offered Carter pickles for dinner (it's one of the few things left in the fridge) but he refused.  We had to stop by Subway after his baseball practice and we picnicked on the grass while watching Evan practice.  

  

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Healthy Smoothie

Jonah slept all night long.  I slept all night long.  I feel like Wonder Woman! (Minus the shiny hair, rocking bod, and cool hair band.)

I stayed awake at 6:00am after feeding Jonah, made the kids a much healthier lunch than they'll get in the lunch room, and went to breakfast with Shawn.  I gathered up clothes that don't fit the boys and took them to Goodwill.  I went to the gym, shipped a package of Shawn Cheek Bootcamp Sight Reading DVDs, and....wait for it....I washed my hair!  Maybe I AM Wonder Woman. 

After eating too much breakfast After an invigorating workout, I thought it would be a great idea to replace my ham sandwich with a healthy smoothie.  

How did I get it to be a lovely shade of green?  Andes Mints!  Not really, how could I justify this smoothie as a healthy meal replacement if I loaded it with Andes Mints. (Plus, I'd rather save the Andes Mints for when I watch reality TV in the bed tonight.)  The real reason it's green is because I loaded it with two cups of baby spinach.  I read a blog post recently that promised me if I added spinach to my smoothie I wouldn't be able to taste it.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE spinach, but mixed with yogurt and fruit....let's just say I was a bit skeptical.  Here's what I did...

In a blender I added,

2 small ripe bananas, sliced

1 cup nonfat vanilla flavored yogurt (Stonybrook Organic)

about 1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries (Central Market)

about 1 cup frozen unsweetened peach slices (Central Market)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Apple Juice (Unfiltered Organic, Central Market, I tell ya, this is the best tasting apple juice around,)

2 T. Cold Milled Ground Flaxseed (Central Market, found on the health food aisle)

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

Blend until smooth.  I don't have the most expensive blender on the market so I had to help the smoothie along by pushing the ingredients around while blending to get things going.  Just don't get your spoon caught in the blades!  The flaxseed has no flavor that I can tell.  It doesn't quite blend up, and can be a bit crunchy in your smoothie.  Shawn thought they were strawberry seeds so it obviously wasn't too big of a deal, and it's a natural way to add a lot more fiber to your diet.  This recipe makes two servings, each about 300 calories. 

Next time I'll try it with one less banana and more spinach.  I'm going to see just how far I can push it before someone asks why I put spinach in their drink.

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Book Review :: The Hunger Games

A few weeks ago several friends of mine from our Bible study group were talking about The Hunger Games.  I'm one that never likes to feel left out of the conversation by not knowing what's being talked about.  So, to not feel left out I got the first book of The Hunger Games Series on my nook color.  I quickly finished the first book and by the end of the week I had finished the other two in the series.

They're quick reads without a complicated plot line.  The characters are relatable and the setting is interesting.  The story takes place in the future in a drastically different United States known as Panem.  There are 13 districts and the Capitol.  The districts each specialize in a different product that serves the Capitol.  For instance, District 12 where our main characters are from specialize in coal mining.  They're usually poor and under the strict Capitol government.   Even though it's set in the future the Districts come off as more primitive without many of the comforts and conveniences of modern technology we use today.  The Capitol and it's residents however seem like something out of a Doctor Suess book. Everything is colorful and people are altered to have golden tattoos or overdone features.

Each year the Hunger Games are held for the Capitol's entertainment.  Two candidates are chosen from each district, one boy and one girl.  They are sent to the arena and must fight to the death.  The lone survivor is the winner and travels all over Panem for the victory tour.

This series is classified as young adult fiction but nothing about it other than the characters being teenagers strikes me as teeny bopper-ish.  There is no foul language or sex.  Just gory murder.  Even the murder doesn't seem so terrible.  It's like when an actress says they did nudity for their role in a movie because it was important to the story line.....  Murder in the Hunger Games is actually the whole point of the games so it is necessary and important to the psyche of the characters.  

I haven't read any of the Harry Potter series so I can't compare the two young adult fiction works.  I have however read the Twilight series and let me just tell you, The Hunger Games is by far more interesting to me...an adult.  I've been a brooding teenager dealing with young love to a vampire boy.  Why would I ever want to experience that again?  Bella describing Edward as a sparkling marble statue over and over got a little monotonous.  After seeing the first Twilight movie I was finished.  I completely lost interest and didn't have any desire to watch the rest.  I finished reading the series only because I started it and once I start a series I have to finish it.  Like the Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest series.   Yikes, I wouldn't recommend that series to anyone!

I'm looking forward to the first movie coming out in March.  In my opinion, movies are never as good as the book, but if you can go in with an open mind, knowing the director can not fit everything from the book into the movie, it can still be an enjoyable experience.  If I were you I'd buy these books immediately and start reading them tonight!  If you have a Nook I can even lend it to you.  And maybe when the movie comes out I can step out of my old person mindset and try going to the theater, fight the crowd, and the price, to see The Hunger Games.  If not, I'll just wait until it comes out on iTunes and watch it in our garage theater in my PJs.

Under my Facebook badge on the right side of my blog vote for your favorite book series.  I'd curious to know which one will be the winner!

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Food Memories :: Beef Stew

Is there a special meal, that when eaten, takes you straight back to your childhood?  

For me, that meal is my Granny's Beef Stew.  It's not a fancy meal.  The ingredients are stew beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions.  Basic and simple, but the feelings this meal gives me are much more complex.  I remember sitting in her kitchen watching her serve up this stew to me.  As a child I didn't really like meat much, but this stew... I loved.  It was served hot on a cold day, warming me from the inside out.  Today when I take a bite of this stew I'm taken back 20 years to her table.   

When I married Shawn she put together a cookbook full of recipes she made me as a child growing up. Of all the recipes in the book, my family enjoys this one most.  When I tell them I'm making stew Carter will ask, "Is it Granny's stew?"  I never stray from the original recipe created in 1960.  I want to do it just like she did.  

While I'm cooking I imagine her chopping onions.  Am I doing it like she did?  Browning the meat in batches, peeling carrots and potatoes, and tending a simmering pot takes time, but with each step of the recipe I think about the many times she's done it for her family through the years. 

As the stew bubbles away on the stove filling the house with the smell of true comfort food, I remember

the special moments I spent at her kitchen table.  Even the task of washing dishes by hand doesn't bother me when I'm making beef stew.  I take that time to think of the people I'll be serving.  Will they know how much I care about them, because this recipe is truly a labor of love.  It's reserved for people I hold dear and love the most.  

 I believe cooking for someone and sharing food is the best way to show you care.  One day, when my kids get older I hope they don't just remember the stew I used to make.  I hope they know the tradition behind the recipe and the love that goes into the preparation.  I hope they let me teach them how to make it so they'll understand the love that has been passed down from generation to generation with each full bowl of beef stew.  

Here's the recipe just as it appears in my cookbook.

Beef Stew

Heirloom recipe handed down from : Norma Kay (my Granny)

Region of origin: Central Texas

Tradition: Winter evening meal  

Origin date: 1960

Prep time: 3 hrs.

Ingredients

2 T. oil                                               2 lbs. cubed stew meat or chuck

2 large onions                                    clove of garlic, chopped

4 cups boiling water                          1 T. salt

1 T. lemon juice                                1 t. sugar

1 t. Worchestershire sauce                1/2 t. each paprika and pepper

1 or 2 bay leaves

Instructions

Heat oil in Dutch oven and brown meat slowly on all sides.  Chop onions and add with other ingredients to meat.  Simmer, covered, slowly, for at least 2 hours.

Now add:

6 carrots, peeled and sliced, 3 or 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed.  Simmer stew another 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Now pour 1/2 cup cold water in jar and add 1/4 cup flour and shake.  Push stew to one side and stir in flour mixture.  Simmer a few minutes longer until thick.  Serve with hot garlic bread or corn bread and salad.  

Serves 6 to 8

My favorite picture of Granny and Grandpa. 

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iHeart Valentine's Day

I don't know what it is about Valentine's Day, but I love it!  I love little hearts everywhere....heart themed clothing, heart themed food, and heart themed gifts.  I love chocolates.  I love the kids little Valentine's day cards and the parties they have at school.  

We don't do anything exceptionally special on Valentine's Day.  Shawn and I certainly didn't get all dressed up and go out on the town.  In fact, I write this blog post surrounded by papers for an upcoming website project, clean folded laundry, a plate with tuna sandwich crumbs, and shhh....a half eaten box of chocolates.  We didn't even have a special dinner (did you notice...tuna sandwiches.)  

I've received some pretty cool Valentine's day gifts in the past.  In junior high I remember getting one of those giant CD/Tape/Radio boom box with the big speakers from my parents.  It was all set up on the kitchen table the morning of Valentine's Day.  Valentine's day is just fun!  It's not a particularly important holiday, but can be special with little gestures from the ones you love.  

This morning I spent some time writing down some of the reasons I love Shawn, Carter, and Evan on cut-out hearts.  It's an easy project that didn't take me much time.  All I needed was some white printer paper and a thin Sharpie pen.  What was written is the important part.  When the kids got home from school I took them each aside separately and read theirs to them.  

To Carter, I wrote that he was the first baby I ever loved.  He helped me learn how to be a mother.  I love that he has blue eyes and can remember just about anything he's ever been told. 

To Evan, I wrote that I love his gentle and giving spirit.  I love the gap between his two front teeth.  I love how he's so precise about small things like how his socks fit or the way he likes to line up his toys.  I love that he'll give anything to anyone without thinking twice.  

To Shawn, I love that he loves the Lord.  He's a great father to boys and a friend to me.  He's smart and can always make me laugh.  He always holds Jonah when I need him to the most, and he never complains about getting up early with the kids.  He holds my hand while he drives and he's the perfect match for me. 

Shawn gave me a box of chocolates and a card.  The card, when opened, plays Don't Stop Believing (he knows I like a good 80's power ballad.)  I like all that stuff, but the most important thing about his gift was what he wrote inside the card.  He said, "You are a great mother.  I don't see how you do all that you do each day.  I owe you forever."  He doesn't owe me forever...I won't hold him to that...but it's nice to hear.  I can't think of a better compliment than to tell me I'm a good mother.  

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Book Review :: Who Was...

Carter received these three books for Christmas from an Aunt of mine.  He loves non-fiction so this was a perfect gift.  We've been reading together at night, just a few chapters at a time, and finished Who Was Harry Houdini first, then Who Was Leonardo da Vinci second.  (We have saved the best for last, Who Were The Beatles).  

I've tried to turn reading these book into more than just a lesson about the person.  When their birthplace is mentioned we go to our world map (a gift from another Aunt) on the hall wall and find it.  We use our fingers to see what route they may have traveled and how far away Texas is.  Evan had a lot of fun with the fact that Harry Houdini was born in Budapest....or as Evan kept saying over and over until it wasn't funny more, Bootypest. 

Shawn is really into Art so we have, on our computers, pictures of just about every famous painting from the sketches of da Vinci to the modern paintings of....well...modern painters.  When we were reading about Leonardo da Vinci, it was fun to go on the computer and talk about the different artists he worked with and the significance of their paintings.  It's interesting to hear an 8 year old's critique of a painting from the 1800s.  

I have big plans for reading all about the Beatles!  Shawn and I have a collection of vinyl records we've picked up here and there at garage sales, used book stores, and specialty record shops.  I have several Beatles albums that I plan on playing for the boys as we read.  I don't always approve of the rock star's lifestyle, but I can't deny that they made some great music.  

There are many more books in this series and I hope to add them to our library some day soon!  

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Trophies, Cash, and The National Anthem

This Saturday was closing ceremonies for the 2011-2012 basketball season.  Each boy got a trophy before the game.  Carter is used to getting trophies for the various sports he's played, but it's still new to Evan.  Can you see the excitement in his smile?  

Carter played harder than he has in any other game this season.  Why you ask?  It's because Carter was the highest paid player on his team.   After a terrible showing the week before I gave Carter a little incentive to do well. 

 Cash! 

 I offered him fifty cents for each rebound.  Shawn threw in that he'd pay him a dollar for every basket made.  Carter seemed pretty excited so I offered to also pay him fifty cents for any stolen passes.  (Can you tell who the cheaper parent is?)

Carter worked harder than I've ever seen in any game this season.  He was the Dennis Rodman of 1st and 2nd grade boys....minus the tattoos, piercings, colored hair, and attitude....well maybe a little attitude. 

He worked hard for every rebound.  He ran up and down the court with speed and determination.  He scored two baskets.  He even got a cramp in his side sometime during the third quarter.  He was sweating!  

Total earnings for the game...$5.50.  

After his game we were all invited to his room for a small ceremony to watch him place his new basketball trophy on the shelf with all his other trophies.  We were all gathered in the room and he starts messing around with his CD player.  Now, if you know Carter you know he's all about the dramatics.  He gets his CD player set, pushes play, turns around, and takes a deep breath as the National Anthem starts.  He slowly turns around and places his new trophy on the shelf as we all watch.  

I think he got a little embarrassed when we started giggling so he quickly turned off the CD player and turned around with his back facing me.  I started to feel bad and waited for some kind of cue on how he would handle this.  He lifts his head, turns to me and says, "I want my money now."

sigh....

This kid got to carry both trophies out of the gym totally content that he didn't receive any cash.  

Carter and Evan each have one game left in the season.  And, while Evan is happy with a trophy and one final game, Carter and I are negotiating his contract for the last game. 

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Resolution Check Up

It's January 31st at 10:20 pm, have you kept your New Year's resolutions going for one whole month?  

I never officially made resolutions for 2012 but there are certain things I wanted to improve on during this year. 

In 2012 I want to keep up with this blogging thing. 

 So far so good.  

In 2012 I want to work out. 

 I don't want to work out to lose weight, although losing weight is nice,  I want to work out because working out makes me happy.  Very happy!  After a nice long sweat session at the gym I'm floating on cloud nine.  I have twice the energy I had before going to the gym and it's just the boost I need to get me through the long afternoons once the kids get home from school.  I've burned off any negative energy I've been harboring and I'm able to keep my temper in check.  

Because I've been working out I've lost just about all the baby weight I put on during pregnancy.  (No one was home to take a picture of me so I had to try myself.)  The variety of activities you can do while holding a baby should be a competitive sport.  I'd excel. 

I've lost more than just weight at the gym.  Recently I lost the ability to walk without pain.  I don't want to go into details but a very smart person gave me some discouraging news today and it looks like I'll be taking it easy for a while.  

In 2012 I want to ditch the negative self talk and be a little more forgiving of myself.  

Why is it that we're harder on ourselves than we are on other people?  I will repeat this as much as I need to..."It's ok that I can't run three miles tomorrow...It's ok...it's ok...it's ok." My mother may disagree, but it's ok to leave the load of laundry in the dryer.  I want to read to Carter and Evan before bed tonight.  It's ok that we ate Subway sandwiches for dinner on Sunday night.  We ate together as a family. 

He says, "It's not ok, that I'm in this Bumbo seat again.  He says, "I want you to hold me and type with one hand."  If I can't train for a marathon I CAN train for competitive typing while holding a baby. 

In 2012 I want to finish a project before starting a new one.  

I started knitting Carter a scarf at the end of December.  I'm not very good at knitting.  I wanted to give up, but I didn't.  Carter now is the proud owner of a scarf that varies in widths, has a few holes from dropped stitches, and isn't quite the right size for an eight year old's neck.  

I finished it though.

sigh.....Evan wants a scarf now.

Resolution number three...

Beans.

No....not just beans.  

In 2012 I want to make more things in my kitchen from scratch.

 I love convenience foods, but you can't beat the price of dried beans over canned beans.  With my new pressure cooker making beans is easy so I'll stick to making huge batches and freezing them.  So far I've made my own teriyaki sauce and my own barbecue sauce.  Pretty soon I hope to be making Jonah baby food.  It's important for me to do the very best job I can to nourish my family daily.  For me, it's worth the extra effort. 

It's easy to start something new at the beginning of January but hard to continue through the rest of the year.  Is it because our schedules get too busy or is it because we're too scared to push ourselves?  Are our standards too high and we talk ourselves out of making change because we think whatever we do won't be good enough? Can we really make a change in 2012?

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The Lengths We Go

Jonah has started laughing. 

Baby laughter that bubbles up from their bellies is one of the sweetest and most joyful sounds on Earth.  I'm speaking from memory because I haven't actually heard Jonah laugh yet.  One time he came really close to laughing during bath time, but it didn't last long enough to satisfy my need for baby laughter.  

Others have heard him laugh.  My mother heard him laugh.  Some friends at church heard him laugh - a lot apparently.  Shawn heard him just this morning.  Not I though....not I!  

It's certainly not for lack of effort though.  I spend a lot of time holding him up in the air making goofy noises and faces that require me to throw all self consciousness out the window.  I've tried singing silly songs.  Apparently the surprise "POP" in pop goes the weasel isn't that funny after all.  The reaction I normally get is a look from Jonah that says, "what's this lady thinking?" 

Have you been there?  Are you with me?  Do you make the most ridiculous faces and voices in an attempt to make a baby laugh?  It's a good thing I'm not a comedian because if I had to get paid in laughter I'd be flat broke!

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