1,000 Gifts

Last June I embarked on a journey. Counting my gifts. 1-1,000

When I began counting I was a new, mama, and completely and utterly overwhelmed.

I cried every day as Brad left for work.
I begged God to bring rain to cancel his baseball games, so that he would be home in the evenings.
I pleaded with God that my girls would sleep.

In short, I had no idea what I was doing. Every moment I felt like I was drowning.

Anxiety. Fear. Resentment. Doubt. Depression.

They flooded my soul. I sat in a pit with all those dark friends swirling around my head.

I would combat them with prayer. On my knees, weeping, begging, pleading with God to help me kind of prayer.

I desperately longed for just one day to feel manageable. 

A blogger friend of mine had joined Ann counting her gifts.

I was intrigued, and decided to give it a try.

I had no idea how much it would change my life.

You see, when you seek joy; when you seek God in everyday (even in the hard stuff). Fear, anxiety, resentment, doubt, sadness? They can't co-exist with joy. So, my heart changed. I changed.

Do you see how my perspective was totally altered? Instead of looking at things, and feeling helpless, I just looked at things, and said:

Okay. This sucks. Where is God here? What can I find joy in in this place?

I intentionally sought Jesus.

Sometimes it was really hard. But you know? God always showed up. Even if it was just to give thanks that my precious babies had breath to cry.
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It seems so fitting that this would be the week that I'd reach 1,000.

My girls have been sick with the croup for a week now.

Lots of snot.
Lots of coughing.
Lots of crying.
Lots of clinging.
Lots of watching (and listening to) my sweet daughters fight to breathe.

I step away. To seek my Father. To seek joy.

Breathe in.

Lord...

Breathe out.

...Jesus Christ...

 Breathe in.

...have mercy...

Breathe out.

...on me.

(Thank you, Mandy)

Then, I list my gifts.

Mercy.
Grace.
Joy.
Eucharisteo.

Everything's a miracle.

Eucharisteo precedes the miracle.

So I give thanks. And look for miracles.

988. Hair bands, from when the girls were infants (that still fit), and hold their hair away from snotty noses.

989. Rain boots.

990. Craft night at Heather's

991. Chatting with Laura and Heather late into the night.

992. Meeting Lori at craft night.

993. Waving at Lori on Sunday at church.

994. Chatting and connecting with Kelly and Gabby at Artisan.

995. Seeing both Kelly and Gabby at church the next morning.

996. Having friends at church!

997. Going to a church full of people that are full of grace.

998. Meeting Beth and praying for her during chruch.

999. Olbas oil. Seriously. Check it out!

1000. Listening to Brynne and Hadley coughing. Knowing they are breathing.

1001. Honey that quells the coughing.

1002. A husband that helps me with the girls in the middle of the night.

1003. Laughter about croup (and 90s rap).

1004. Brynne calling for her papa in the middle of the night.

1005. Playdate scheduled with Shelly and Max.

1006. Texts from Affton and Sara checking in on us and praying for us.

1007. Getting to 1,000 gifts.

1008. Intentionally doing hard things, and finding God in the hard stuff.

Mama Loves: Tennis Courts

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! So glad that you've stopped by!

Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.

Maybe you've found:

• a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
• gear you just can't live without
• a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
• a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
• an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
• an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
• or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!

Share it with us! Blogging has made me a better mama, because I've learned about all kinds of great things, like those listed above, from mamas just like you. Here's your chance to share it with all of us!

To link your post up, click on the linky tool at the bottom, and follow the directions, it's really easy. You can also add this beautiful button to your post. Just grab the code in the box, copy and paste it into your post. Easy.

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What are some favorite toys around your house? You guys have already shared so many great ideas!

• Mandy's girls love these puzzles.
• Leslie's boys love tractors!
• Katie can tell you a fun way for your little ones to learn sign language.
• Wendy and her twins love music!
• Sara's little one loves having a table just his size (this is on our Christmas list this year for sure!).

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We've been sick around here this week. The girls have been battling the croup. I'm so thankful to report that with a call to our pediatrician, we've been able to treat it at home. No ER visits!

So, a word on snot.

That stuff is like glue. I really think the glue manufacturers should look into it as some sort of natural glue alternative or something. Snot certainly has some staying power.

But, it is no match for Boogie Wipes!

Crusty, snotty noses need Boogie Wipes. The saline dissolves all the glue-like snot gently. My girls actually like having their noses wiped with these.

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So, I don't know about you, but at this stage in the game, I can't take the girls to parks with playgrounds by myself. In fact, the very thought of it makes me start to sweat.

My girls, in a matter of two seconds, can masterfully manage to divide to the far most opposite ends of the playground, and climb their way into some sort of precarious, dangerous situation.

One day, in desperation--Brad was out of town, the girls really wanted to run around outside, it was a lovely day, so I wanted to be outside too--I took my girls to the playground, only we didn't go to the playground. We went to the tennis courts adjacent to the playground.

The courts are fenced in, so I shut and latched the gates giving my girls a great big cage open area to run around and play, free of the perilous high places.

The first time I just brought sidewalk chalk (I'm sorry if this offends any serious tennis players out there). Since then, we've brought balls and other toys for the girls to play with in the tennis courts.

We've even had a few playdates at the tennis courts.

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

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Deep Thoughts On Pumpkins

When you head the pumpkin patch this fall, what kind of a pumpkin are you looking for?

Do you search for that perfect orange pumpkin? Symmetrical, with a smooth surface for carving or otherwise decorating?

That's what our Hadley picked. Mostly because she could pick it up. The stem is broken because she's dropped it a few times. I think I like it better that way. Broken.

So, I learned something about myself at the pumpkin patch this year.

I love the "ugly" pumpkins.

I love the funky-colored pumpkins.

The variegated pumpkins.

The misshaped pumpkins.

I think I like to find the pumpkins that aren't "ideal" to most people, because I want them to feel loved. And I have this drive to find what is lovely about them.

Maybe that's because that's what I want people to do with me.

Maybe it's because that's what God does, and I'm trying to get a little bit of insight.

I don't know. Deep thoughts about pumpkins.

Here's my pumpkin:

As we're driving away from the pumpkin patch, my husband informed me that I might have chosen the ugliest pumpkin in the whole patch.

I don't care. I love my pumpkin! It proudly sits on my front porch in all its imperfect glory!

Abundant Sunshine

We had such a fantastic week! My sister came on Wednesday to spend her precious vacation time here with me and the girls.

Having her here blessed my heart, and the girls absolutely adore their Masi, which delights and thrills me.

My sister is a surgical resident. She works insane hours on not nearly enough sleep. And she does really, really hard things.

She sees people die and she saves lives.

Can you imagine?!

Then, when she has breaks she goes home to a husband and a dog. In addition to all that--she still takes time to encourage me, to be my friend, to love me and my family well--intentionally.

Doesn't all of that sound exhausting?

She gets two weeks of vacation a year, which she has to take one week at a time. Two weeks---that's it.

So, you see how blessed and honored and privileged we are that she chose to spend it here loving on Brynne and Hadley (and me too). And how cherished I feel that she made the six hour drive down.

So many blessings this week!

969. Abundant sunshine.

970. The girls picking ripe tomatoes and putting them in their buckets.

971. Petting the goats at the zoo.

972. Hadley reading with her Masi and petting Noodle.

973. Pastries and coffee from Artisan Bakery--such a treat!

974. Pumpkin picking fun!

975. Brynne pulling the wagon.

976. Then riding in the wagon for a little break.



977. Then gingerly stepping over the pumpkin vines with her Masa.

978. Hadley being only interested in choosing great big pumkins.

979. Grandpa helping Hadley pick up her great big pumpkins.

980. Delight in finally finding a pumpkin more her size.

981. Whew! Resting in the wagon after all that hard work!



982. Discovering that riding in the wagon with Papa is way more fun!

983. Pulling the wagon with her Masa.

984. Brynne running down the dusty path with her grandpa.



985. Trip to the fire station.

986. Heading home with our spoils.

987. Sunday afternoon at the park.



Mama Loves: Shades of Gray

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! So glad that you've stopped by!

Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.

Maybe you've found:

• a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
• gear you just can't live without
• a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
• a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
• an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
• an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
• or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!

Share it with us! Blogging has made me a better mama, because I've learned about all kinds of great things, like those listed above, from mamas just like you. Here's your chance to share it with all of us!

To link your post up, click on the linky tool at the bottom, and follow the directions, it's really easy. You can also add this beautiful button to your post. Just grab the code in the box, copy and paste it into your post. Easy.

<center><a href="http://pontificationsofatwinmom.blogspot.com/search/label/Mama%20Loves" target="_blank"><img alt="Manic Mother" src="http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv66/MaAldrich/MamaLovesButtoncopy.jpg"/></a></center>
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Sometimes being a mama is just hard work! We'd all love to find "that thing" that makes life just a wee bit easier. Here are a few great solutions from our mamas you should check out!

• Hands full of good things? Let Melissa tell you about the awesomeness of The Mommy Hook.
• Does your baby have a stuffy nose? Jennifer can tell you how to help your baby breathe easier with Olbas Oil.
• Has your little one(s) mastered the art of climbing out of the crib? Before you resort to toddler beds, check out Katie's solution! 
• Are you traveling with your toddler(s)? Melissa can tell you all about Trunkis. A toy and a suitcase. Love two-for-one deals!
• Having a tough time with discipline? Melissa has two fantastic parenting books for you to check out!
• Need a distraction for your kids, so you can go to the bathroom real quick? Jennifer found the very thing that makes that possible.

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So, I've been waiting to share my Mama Loves for this week until I could give you iron-clad proof that it "works".

Sometimes things "work" in shades of gray.

Isn't that what parenting is sometimes?  

Shades of gray?

She's potty trained, but she has accidents occasionally.

He eats all table food, except green beans--it's a texture thing. He only eats the pureed green beans out of a jar.


She's walking. Two or three steps at a time.

So.

I mentioned awhile back that our girls have been beating each other up, gladiator-style, pretty much every day.

Hitting.
Biting.

It has been so ugly. Especially the biting. The girls have bite marks and bruises from old bite marks, in different stages of healing, all over their arms, backs, and Hadley even has a bite mark on her foot.

One particularly hard day, I went to work searching for the solution.

Mamas, I don't think there's a magic solution out there. I realized, nothing, nothing is a cure-all. Much of it depends on me too. I can't just throw a book or parenting technique at my girls and expect it to magically work.

But.

I've found something that has helped (?), or at least given us some language to talk about what's going on.

Free Spirit Publishing has a line of children's board books called the Best Behavior Series.

We own Teeth Are Not for Biting and Hands Are Not for Hitting.

The rest of the series includes:

• Diapers Are Not Forever
• Feet Are Not for Kicking
• Germs Are Not for Sharing (you know I love this one!)
• Pacifiers Are Not Forever
• Tails Are Not for Pulling
• Words Are Not for Hurting

I really like that these books have simple language and illustations that are easy for the girls to understand, yet the message is loud and clear.

(Don't you love the Cozy Coupe parked off to the side?)

I also like that the books give alternatives the behavior, and explain the correct activities that hands and teeth should be used for.

My girls are still biting and hitting. That hasn't stopped.

But.

When I say, Teeth are not for biting, sometimes they run and grab the book. So, that's something. At least they know it's not okay.

We're working on it, mamas, we're working on it.

Shades of gray.

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

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Loving Well (or not)

Have you ever believed that you were loving someone well? Loving them really well?

Then you discover that you're the only one that thinks so?

In my feeble attempt to pour out love and grace. I was accused of being unloving, unkind and judgemental.

Ouch!

Sort of the opposite of what I was going for.

That ever happen to you?

This great God of ours; he does that sometimes. He messes with our lives. Calls us out of our comfortableness to grow us. To change us.

He does this because he loves us so much, and he wants us to be able to love even better.

But.

Sometimes it's painful--the changing. Conflict in relationships is painful to me. I hate it, actually.

Can you relate?

Jesus is definitely doing some messing in my life.

Even though it sucks and it's painful, and it makes me uncomfortable, I'm excited to see how he'll redeem it.

In the meantime. I'm praying and loving.

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960. Emails with my sister.

961. Trying to give grace and failing. Miserably.

962. Amy's great post about failing--have you failed lately? Good!

963. The people who work in the nursery at church. They reassure this anxious mama with such grace.

964. Navigating our first play group.

965. Anticipation of my sister's visit this week.

966. Apple picking!

967. The fruits of our labor.

968. Four years of marriage.



Sharing today with Ann, the Soli Deo Gloria girls and Michelle.

Mama Loves: Showcase and Omega-3s

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! So glad that you've stopped by!

Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.

Maybe you've found: 

• a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
• gear you just can't live without
• a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
• a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
• an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
• an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
• or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!

Share it with us! Blogging has made me a better mama, because I've learned about all kinds of great things, like those listed above, from mamas just like you. Here's your chance to share it with all of us!

To link your post up, click on the linky tool at the bottom, and follow the directions, it's really easy. You can also add this beautiful button to your post. Just grab the code in the box, copy and paste it into your post. Easy.

<center><a href="http://pontificationsofatwinmom.blogspot.com/search/label/Mama%20Loves" target="_blank"><img alt="Manic Mother" src="http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv66/MaAldrich/MamaLovesButtoncopy.jpg"/></a></center> 

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So, we've been doing this Mama Loves thing for almost two months.

Thank you so much to all of you that have linked up! I've learned about so many great books, toys, gear and other time and money-saving tips. You guys rock!

It just now occurred to me (duh!) that I should maybe highlight some of the awesome stuff you guys are loving.

From now on, I will make a point to showcase a few of your Mama Loves each week.

Today, I will do a little catching up!

You love children's books? We read a whole mess of books around here! If you're in the market, check out there are lots of superb Mama Loves suggestions here:

• Wendy's recommendation of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
• Bea can tell you about two of her boys' favorite books.
• Mandy can tell you why her girls love the book Have You Got My Purr?
• Jennifer can tell you why Hooked on Phonics is awesome--even for toddlers.
• Monique shared just how awesome it is that her daughter loves reading books.
• Affton shared her son's favorite book--a photo album!

If you're want to get some of these books for free--let Melissa tell you all about Swagbucks. 450 swagbucks gets you a $5 amazon.com gift card!!
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I just read an article in Kiwi Magazine that said that children often don't eat enough fish. Not enough fish = not enough Omega-3. Or does it?

Flaxseed is a great source of Omega-3, and is something my girls get almost every day (they love fish too, so sometimes twice a day).

Here's the recipe of our breakfast muffins:

4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 olive oil (sometimes I use fancy blood orange-flavored olive oil, but plain will do)
2 tsp vanilla
1 medium carrot peels and grated
1 large apple or pear peeled and grated
(instead of the carrot and apple/pear, you can use a 3/4 to 1 cup of applesauce)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (you can use dried currants, pomegranates, or any other kind of berry)
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 steel cut oatmeal
3 T brewer's yeast (optional)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Fill greased muffin trays to the top. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

I can't wait to see what you're loving!

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