Picture of health

This week, my husband & I managed to contract our fourth or fifth bug since August!!! It's so totally frustrating that I think we'll both go mad if we get sick again this season. It zaps our energy. It interrupts our schedules. It deprives our kids of quality time. It's just plain crazy.

Everyone keeps telling us...yup, kids drag home everything they come in contact with. Except that I don't think it's the girls who are making us sick. We've been sick; they haven't! Actually, both of them have gotten a little congested or had the sniffles over the last couple months. But until this week, they haven't been affected by the viruses like we have. (They currently both have the symptoms of a typical cold and are suffering through it with us.)

So the question has to be asked...why are we getting sick, and they're not???

The best we can figure is that we take better care of them than we take care of ourselves. We don't get enough sleep. We don't take supplemental vitamins. We don't always eat our veggies...or eat well like we make our 2-year old. We drink lots of coffee and soda as compared to their juice, water and milk.

So I guess the mystery has been solved...time for momma and poppa to follow the directives that they've been dishing out.

My secret super hero identity

Since becoming a mother, I've worked very hard to avoid the "super mom trap". I know that I can't do it all or be everything to everyone. I should say that I realize that fact in my brain, but somewhere in the deepest recesses of my being, I still feel the pressure to be a super mom. I constantly compare myself to other moms - not in a good way. Every other mom I know seems to have it together, seems to be able to accomplish everything, and seems to have a better handle on their kids. Again in my brain, I realize this isn't reality, but there is still this negative voice that invades my thoughts every day...taunting me with things like:

• You're not doing enough around the house.
• You're not spending enough time with your kids.
• You're not giving your husband enough attention.
• You're not taking care of yourself.
• You're not, you're not, your're not.....

I've learned to shut down that negative voice, take a deep breath and see my life in the way that God might. True, there are things that need to change. Priorities need to be reordered, and time needs to be spent more wisely. But overall, I think I'm doing an okay job as a mom, and I pat myself on the back now & again for the choices I make and actions I take every day.

The other day, I felt physicall drained, so I took a nap when the girls did. Ray woke up before me, and she came to wake me up. I didn't really want to get up, so I asked if she wanted to cuddle with me on the couch. She did, and I snuggled her in my arms. I asked if she was my "cuddle bunny". She said yes, and then she said something that I couldn't hear. I asked her, "Am I your cuddle mommy?"

To which my 2-year old replied, "No, you're super, mommy."

In my daughter's eyes

Inside the Happy Meal that I purchased for Ray the other day was a minature Barbie doll. When I asked what kind of toy she received, she muttered something that I couldn't hear. When I asked if it was a Barbie, she said, "No, it mommy." They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That's my girl!

Diversity as a good thing

Lately, I've had a hard time finding reasons to love the town in which we live. When I bought this place, I just wanted an affordable home that was close to my boyfriend at the time (what was I thinking?!). Now that I have kids, the town just isn't working for me anymore. Hubby & I would love to move to another town nearby, but that's in God's hands...and probably not in the immediate future. The thing I dislike the most about this town is that I cannot find playmates for Ray. We visit the parks often, and there are never other kids for her to play with. So recently, I decided that we would make weekly trips to a nearby mall. The mall has a playarea where Ray can go crazy with other kids her age.

Our small town is located just outside a large metropolis...large for Iowa, that is. The area that we're closest to isn't considered the city's finest, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as "the hood" either. It could be classified as one of the most ethnically diverse. Sometimes that's good, and sometimes it's not. Depends on exactly where you live and your perspective.

Anyway, most of the other kids (and parents) at this playarea are of a different ethnicity. And as I watched Ray racing around with the other kids this morning, I suddenly realized the one thing I like about our current location. We don't live in an area where everything and everyone is the same. Our houses are different. Our families are different. Our skin color is different. And it's not necessarily a bad thing.

You see, I want my girls to understand that the world is bigger than the United States. I don't want them to be afraid of or confused by someone who looks different. I want my kids to think for themselves and find their own path in life. I want them to "fit in" but in a way that allows them to think, talk, act and think for themselves....not try to fit into some cookie cutter mold of what someone else thinks is acceptable.

One of the missionaries supported by our church was recently home and preached several weeks about expanding one's worldview. And what it comes down to is this. We may look different. We may not agree on everything...or anything. We may have different traditions or values. We may worship different gods or none at all. But we are ALL created in the image of and loved by God...whether we love Him or surrend to Him...or not. It doesn't matter. He loved us first and will always. That kind of love and understanding may result in what I want ultimately for my girls. I want them to see past (without effort) the color of one's skin and into their heart. And it starts in a little mall, in a little playarea with two beautiful little girls who want nothing more than to chase each other until they get dizzy.

Random Thoughts from a 2-year Old Brain

Recently, hubby & I have tried to have dinner together as a family several times a week and begin the dinner with a prayer. Ray is fascinated w/the idea of prayer, and she also likes to pray. So after Dad has finished his, we tell her that it's her time to pray. And every night she says, "Deer fahder, like da food. Amen!"

This morning on the way home from playing, Ray asked for a cookie. Cookies aren't a staple in our house...because hubby and I have a weakness...so it was an out of the ordinary question. Instead of asking her why she asked for a cookie, I asked, "Where does that come from?" To which she replied, "The kitchen".

We often wonder what goes through her mind, and sometimes she just says it out loud.

Depressing Debt

Hubby & I, because of our own experience, are strong supporters of Financial Peace University, which is a 13-week class created by Dave Ramsey and dedicated to regaining control of your financial future. We began walking Dave's "baby steps" about four years ago, and we've never looked back. It hasn't turned us into money experts, but we are doing things much differently than we did before we started. Three years into the plan, we made the last payment on our consumer debt...over $50,000 worth. It was the most liberating day of our lives. Our only regret was that we weren't able to attack the mortgage, but by paying everything off, I was able to quit full-time work to be home with my children...a dream for both of us since before we were married.

We encourage anyone to take this course to regain financial peace. We know several couples who are currently attending a class. One participant shared with me today that each family in the class recorded their total consumer debt, which is any debt except their first mortgage (credit cards, student loans, second mortgages, car loans, etc.), and the class leader tallied the numbers. Among the 27 families in this one class alone, their total consumer debt is nearly 1 million dollars. That's right...1 million. And I don't think this group is unique in any way. In fact, I think they represent the average family in our region.

I am so glad that life will change for these 27 families if it hasn't happened already. FPU is similar to AA. You don't typically attend a class unless you realize there is a problem, which is only the first step. These families have a tough road ahead of them, but it will definitely be worth it. I can't wait to hear each of them scream, "I'm debt free!" on Dave Ramsey's radio show. We're rooting and praying for them!

Needing a vacation after my vacation

We talk ourselves into taking one big trip a year...just to remind ourselves why we don't travel very often. The last three years (since having kids), our big trip has been to Minneapolis to visit my brother and sister-in-law. And all three times, the trip has been less than ideal. Ray doesn't typically sleep or eat well and is antsy the whole time. Because she doesn't sleep well, neither do we, which means the weekend is exhausting for us...especially the drive home. Then it seems as though it takes another week to recover. This time was no different except it was Jordi who caused problems. She was literally up all night on Friday, which made the rest of the weekend very difficult. We did have some good times though, and I think Ray enjoyed the adventure. Despite everything, she was really pretty good the whole weekend. THANK GOD!

I realize that we need to travel more often to get the girls used to traveling, but at this point, I'm not sure when we'll be hitting the road again. I hope it will get easier with each passing year....that's my "Happy Path" anyway....but only time will tell.

All I know is that I'm going to need at least a few days to recover this time. Especially since I came home with some kind of stomach bug that's with me still today. Ick!