happy weekend!! it's an amazingly beautiful easter weekend here in gainesville and we are sipping our coffee, eating our breakfast, and gearing up for some family fun!
random thoughts and happenings around these parts ....
~ potty training is in FULL swing. much of this is due to the girls at daycare working very hard with her during the day. she goes to school in a pull-up and after breakfast goes right into big girl panties. she's had a few accidents here and there but 90% of the time, she stays dry all day long. when it's time to go home, back into a pullup to avoid accidents in the car. we haven't been as diligent with her at home on the weekends ~ potty training is actually hard work, you have to stay pretty diligent in asking about her potty needs ~ but we're trying to be better. you can tell she is SO proud of herself. the only "downside" is that she really doesn't like being in a diaper anymore....so oftentimes i'll leave her for a few moments in her room and return to find her completely bottomless. good bribe material if you ask me ;)
~ you know you've really hit full fledged parenthood when things like double strollers really get your excited. we like to go on family walks in the evening and up until recently have been loading the kids up in one stroller. no big deal but a little cumbersome. i came home from work a few days back, surprised to find a huge box on the front porch. my sweet hubby had purchased the double stroller i had my eye on and kept it a secret from me! i'm sure i sound like a lunatic but i'm so stinkin excited about this thing. it makes walks and getting around SO much easier with 2....and let's be honest, we need ALL the help we can get!!
~ my husband is amazing. i'm so proud of him. just because :)
~ the little big man is almost 6 months old. i sat feeding him his evening bottle last night and was suddenly struck by how big he is, how fast time has flown, and just how in love with him i am. my heart hurts a little to watch my little man growing so fast! i am certainly biased....but he is just the most amazing baby. he is remarkably happy....and remarkably hungry! he's 5 1/2 months old and wearing 12 month clothes....holy moly!!! he sleeps 12 hours a night, naps well, and is just the most cuddly flirty little thing. the girls at daycare call him "ben-ben" and literally fight over him. he makes eyes at them, bats those long lashes, and realllllly makes me nervous ;) he's sitting up, gnawing on everything, and loves watching his energetic sister. i can't say enough about this little one. i. LOVE. him. to pieces.
~ ryan and i have thought long and hard about the want and need to incorporate more spirituality into our daily lives....and especially into the lives of our children. i grew up in the methodist church, and while my thoughts are right in line with many of the core values taught in that arena, ones like compassion for others, altruism, and loving kindness....there are other aspects of organized religion that are not very appealing to me. i've never found my home amongst one religion or the other. and while i'm not going to use this post to delve into my deeper feelings on the matter (that could take a while!), i do yearn for a spiritual community in my life. i want my children to grow up with these ideas and values....primarily in our home but also reinforced by a greater community. we were married by a young minister named Andy from the church that Ryan grew up in. feeling this void, i reached out to him via email some months back. he and his wife have 3 young children and i was curious about the best way to approach the feelings that i had. amongst other things in his reply, i was struck by the quoted covenant of the church that he sent back to me...
We join as a spiritual community in this compact: To worship God, however known
To welcome into our church those of differing understanding and theological opinion,
to learn from our religious heritage yet to grow, by seeking new dimensions of truth,
To follow, even imperfectly, the way of Jesus in personal involvement with each other,
And, strengthened by this bond,to act in Christian concern for the welfare of all people.
what I am most drawn to in this compact is the open mindedness of this particular spiritual community. I find great hypocrisy in the way that some religious communities preach about love and understanding while practicing hatred and "judgementalism". i don't want any part in that and i don't want my kids exposed to that kind of thought process. i want them to learn about some of the stories in the bible, the torah, and more....and use the messages in those stories to teach them the values i described before.
in addition to all of that, ryan and i are looking for our own piece of the puzzle. none of our close friends have children yet....and this is ok! we do feel lonely sometimes, though, because we don't have people we can talk to about the ups and downs of parenthood. a small part of me hopes we can find some like minded young families to get to know :)
so we'll be going to church for the first time as a family tomorrow....easter sunday and also my mom's birthday!...and i'm really excited for this new journey.
~we've been lazily lounging around the house this morning :) both kids are now snoozing and i'm about to pop my headphones in and head out for a run in this amazing weather! HAPPY WEEKEND!
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