My little babbler

Smell - to perceive with the olfactory sense

In a strange fit of boredom (yes boredom, who would have thought?) I have decided to excite you all with two updates in a row! Miracle... That and I have an inexplicable urge to share about the strange smells in my kitchen. I have determined that I can always tell when garbage day is coming up because my kitchen starts to have strange smells in it. And I always notice it when I'm on the computer. This is probably because the garbage can sits next to my desk. Every so often starting from about Wednesday, I catch a whiff of an odd odor, and I wonder, what is that smell? Then I remember, oh right, the garbage can is right there. It really drives me bonkers sometimes. Maybe I will have to take the suggestion of all these Bounce ads I keep seeing that have different ideas for ways to use the product other than in the dryer...like to keep your garbage can smelling fresh.

My cat is a moron. For some reason I have yet to determine, she enjoys being tortured by Reuben. See, whenever she walks near him, he has the uncontrollable urge to grab her fur...and yank. At this point one of two things happens - either he comes away with a fistful of fur, or, he grabs skin along with the fur and the cat is now totally under his control and unable to escape as he forces her to the ground in a fit of aggression...okay maybe not so much the fit of aggression, but she does get pushed into odd angles, and it does not generally look like a pleasant experience. Now, you would think that after experiencing this punishment once the cat would learn its lesson and leave Reuben alone. Ha! You would be wrong. No, instead she keeps coming back for more! I can not figure it out.

well, I think my inspiration for the day has ended. At least I've run out of random things to comment on, so I will go and make myself some lunch now. I'm hungry. And maybe I'll do some dishes...maybe...if I feel like it...

Oh joy more teething!

Well, Reuben has been SUPER whiny the last week from his teeth being sore (you should see the faces he's been making!). Yesterday I found tooth number three!! It's on the top in the middle, and I think there's an eye tooth coming in next to it yet. So I'm hoping we're at the tail end of the teething crabbiness, because this kid has been MISERABLE!

I've been babysitting a couple times for the girl that will be full-time in September. It's been going okay, but I have officially determined that I never want twins! Or at least I would never want twins if I were a single mother. The daytime is not so bad, but trying to put two 6 month olds to bed at the same time by myself was a bit of a challenge.

Tim is away again for a couple of days this week. He has training in Ottawa for some certification program. We deal. At least it's not a whole week. I can handle two nights on my own.

well, I hear the children waking up! (that sounds so weird...) So off for now...

Just had to share...

Love the face!

Easter Ponderings

I have woken up with this refrain in my head: "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!"

I think it may have something to do with the fact that this is one of the songs my parents' church is singing this morning, and I helped them type up the Powerpoint slides for the service.

Yet the words are true. Christ is risen today. Easter Sunday. This year a day with mixed feelings. Joy in knowing I serve a risen Lord. Sadness over the recent death of a family friend. Guilt over probably not making it to church again this morning (Reuben's schedule is really not conducive to a 10AM service, an hour later and we might be okay, but I am not about to go just so they can call me out of church again to try to calm a screaming baby...and I hate that I have to justify this to myself). Anxiety over whether or not the turkey I am cooking later on today for at least eight people will turn out.

Thoughts of turkey aside, I am determined to focus my attention to the joy of today. To remember the sacrifice my Lord made for me, the great love that He has for us, and to offer Him the only gift I have, however unworthy...my heart.

Christ is risen indeed!

Thoughts

I'm not sure if I've admitted this here before, but I like online forums. I'm currently a member of one that is a group of women who've all had babies in September. We started at the beginning of our pregnancies, and have continued on. It is difficult for me to explain to people, including my husband, how much I appreciate having a place to go to ask questions about babies, vent about life, and generally share conversation with other women who are at about the same point in life that I am.

But that's not really the point of this post. Where I'm going with this is, today I was reading the blog of one of the women who I met on this forum, and she has inspired me to write today, if not more frequently all together. Not that there was anything in particular that she wrote that made me think of something specific to write; just that it made me feel like writing...about something...

It is not easy for me to always find the words to say the thoughts that are running through my head.

Maybe the problem is that there are too many thoughts in my head. Or maybe it is that my thoughts aren't always thoughts, but a mix of emotions, sensations, experiencing life by just taking it in instead of analyzing with words...my husband would probably discount this by saying that my mind never stops moving. This is true, but just because my mind is moving doesn't always mean it is thinking in complete sentences.

All that aside, I do find it rather cathartic to make the effort to put into words the thoughts in my head. And so I sit here with my coffee, thinking...

I am thinking about that stupid dog next door that barks endlessly. I am thinking about how great it is that Reuben has slept through the night for two nights in a row now, and how even greater it is that he is having a two hour nap this morning. (Hurray!!) I am thinking about how my home daycare thing is really starting to take off - I've got one girl lined up to start full-time care in September, and two other mothers interested in starting part-time care soon...they come for interviews next week. I am thinking about how awesome God is, how He continues to provide for us even when there are times I can't see how He might possibly get us the money we need to pay the bills, He comes through. I am thinking about how I love being a mother, at home all day with my son, even though sometimes it gets boring, but then I realize how much I sometimes love boredom, because it means that I'm on my own schedule, and I can choose to not be bored by doing something I actually want to do.

Those are my thoughts today...I could go on...I could always go on...as Tim says, my brain never stops...but I think Reuben is finally waking up from his nap, and he needs to be fed...so off I go, until the next time I decide to pour out my thoughts...

Snowbound

I'm having a random bored moment while Reuben is napping, so I thought I'd take the time to get another post in for all you who check back here with regular frequency. The fact that it is snowing today has kind of bummed me out, even though it's pretty, but I'd been planning to walk over to the grocery store this afternoon and pick up some much needed cream and sugar for my morning coffee...drinking it black just isn't the same. Of course there are some other things we need too, but those are the important ones. ;)

I am thanking the Lord that Reuben is finally having a long nap. The last few days he's been stuck on 30 and 45 minute naps, which makes for a very long day of constantly trying to get him to go to sleep. My brilliant plan to get him to 2 hour and a half naps with a 45 min catnap late in the afternoon has not worked out quite as I'd hoped. If I could just get him past that morning 30 minute nap we'd be all set. *sigh* One of these days. You gotta love how children just seem to run on their own schedule, as much as we try to teach them that there are better ways of going about things...

I've been trying to also get into the habit of taking him outside for short periods in the afternoon. We don't stay out for long because there's really not much for him to do out there other than sit in the snowbank and watch my pathetic attempt at making a little snowman. It melted before I could get a picture taken for you. I think we both appreciate the opportunity, however short, for some fresh air and sunshine.

The last few days I have been having an interesting time looking quite seriously at the option of taking care of kids at our home as a way of having a job next fall without having to leave Reuben. The only thing is that we don't have a whole lot of space in our current home, so theoretically we would have to have moved into a house in order for me to take in enough children to make it worth while. I'm considering seeing if I can find someone who wants part-time care to start potentially in the spring, so I can see how I like it and if it will work out for us or not. We will have to see how things go.

Anyway, I think Reuben will be waking up shortly, so I'll end off with some pictures of him in the snow...what a cutie!

Just thought I'd share...

Reuben has officially learned how to roll onto his stomach from his back. His arm gets a bit stuck, but eventually he's able to get it free...

*sigh* ...they grow so fast...

Moving through life

Well, I've come to realize I've been slacking off again on my updating, so prepare yourself for a long post...well, maybe not so long on the writing, but I'll put up a number of pictures anyway.

Life continues to move along in that way it does. We're already almost through February and Reuben is nearly 5 months old. It is absolutely amazing how fast time flies when you have an infant child! There are still moments when it's hard for me to believe how I could be so blessed to have such a wonderful baby. His smiles have the power to make my heart melt and his laughter fills our house with such joy. He is able to sit up on his own for longer and longer periods, and he just loves to bounce in the jolly jumper. He hasn't gone back to sleeping through the night yet, but I have hopes that we'll get there soon. Maybe he'll be one of those babies that needs to go on solid foods first.

Work is going well for Tim. They're coming out of their slow season at work and soon he'll be doing shows almost every weekend again. I can't say as I particularly like it when things are that busy, but I know that he loves his job, so I don't complain too much. ;) And as long as he gets some days off during the week, we get used to the weird hours.

I like being home all the time with Reuben. Slowly I find ways to fill my days with chores, cooking supper, random house projects like finally cutting our Ikea curtains to the right length. I'm always thinking about what job I'll take once my maternity leave is up, and I'm actually very seriously considering babysitting in my home as an option. We'll have to see...

Anyway, here are all the pictures I said I'd post:

A new video...

Reuben likes to be in the jolly jumper...