Five Question Friday

I'm joining in again on Mama M.'s Five Question Friday, just because I know everyone is eager to find out everything about me. So here you go.

1. Do you sing karaoke? If so, what is your go to song?

I can honestly say I don't think I have ever sang karaoke. I've watched many other people, but thankfully I have always stayed away from the mic.

2. What is your favorite coffee drink?

Starbucks white chocolate mocha please.

3. If you could choose your own name, what would it be?

I'll keep my own name. Thanks.

4. Were you ever bullied?

Don't remember that ever happening to me. I was very tomboyish so they were probably scared of me. I do remember being picked on for making good grades, if that counts.

5. How often do you eat fast food?

We go through fast food spurts. We will eat it a couple times in a week then we won't eat it again for another month. Now that I'm not working we don't really have any reason to eat fast food. My waistline says thank you. Although McD's does sound good right about now.....

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Seasons of Life

Everyone goes through different seasons during their lifetime. Some are in grade school, some in college. Some are expecting their first child, some have already raised theirs. Some are just starting their first job, while others are retired. The list could go on and on.

I'm loving this season in my life. There is never a dull moment with two small children in the house. Something I'm learning with two small children though is that a tidy house at all times is just not going to happen. I'm slowly learning to get balanced in this area. I have always freaked out if someone unexpectedly came over and there were toys all strewn out throughout the house. I'm learning to accept the fact that during this season in my life, there are going to be toys everywhere. If I picked up Isaiah's blocks every time he dumped them out, my family would starve. Ok maybe it wouldn't go quite that far, but you get my point. So if I know you in "real life" and you plan on paying me a visit any time soon, you have been forewarned. If their are toys everywhere when I find out you are coming, the toys are still going to be there when you arrive.

Another thing I am learning about this season of my life is that I need to enjoy and cherish it more. Jazlyn is starting school this fall so pretty soon we won't be able to spend the whole day together. *Sniff, sniff.* Before I know it, Isaiah will be the one going off to school. I know I need to spend more quality time with them while I can. In honor of quality time I might not post as much anymore. I know you are disappointed, but I am giving myself a rule. I am not getting on the computer anymore unless it is bedtime or naptime. If my kids are awake then I want them to have my attention. Someday they might not want my attention as much as they do now.

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Works For Me Wednesday

I know many people who read this are just going to say Duh! Well, I am hoping there will be at least one, maybe two people who won't have that reaction and will be encouraged to make this a norm in their life. My tip is.............

Menu planning!!!

I have never done this completely. I would usually figure out some stuff we could have for dinner while I was making my grocery list, but that was as far as I got with it. I am officially in week three of menu planning and I can't believe I didn't start it sooner. I started doing a menu when we started our new budget (more on that later). This is what works for me: I figure out all three meals for every day of the week, plus snacks. Then, *Pay attention! This is the important part!* I hang the menu up on the fridge. Normally when I would go grocery shopping, my half done menu would go in the garbage once I got back from the store. Everyday when my husband would ask what was for dinner, I would go digging in the cabinets and freezer trying to remember what I bought. Then two months later I would find that frozen chicken buried in the bottom of the freezer that we should have already eaten.

Menu planning saves time and money. Don't believe me? I'll prove it!

• Anyone who wants to know what is for dinner can look at the list (if they can read).
• You won't have to try to dig through your fridge and pantry to know what you have to eat.
• What you buy at the grocery store won't get wasted because it didn't get eaten in time. 
•  You won't waste money on buying dinner when you already had a meal at home waiting to be cooked.

So if you haven't already, GO MAKE A MENU!!

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Note To Self

When it is 10:30 at night and you are putting the kids in the car to head home, make sure you don't set your keys on the seat, lock the door, and shut it. That will result in you being locked out of your car. Just so you know, that is not a good thing.

Sincerely,
Melissa

I bet you can already guess what I did last night. We had a meeting for church and I did the above as we were getting ready to leave. Don't ask. I was tired. The funny thing is that right before we got ready to leave I was joking around about just sleeping on their couch because I didn't want to have to go out in the cold and drive home (even though I was literally two minutes away from my house). I had both of my kids with me and my husband was working until 6:00 the next morning. Thankfully we were at someone's house I trust and their precious son let the kids and me sleep in his bed until my hubby could bring the extra key to me.

Hope everyone had a better night than me.

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Why God Why?

My heart is heavy tonight. We visited a couple who have been married for almost three years. Last year their first child, a son, only lived for a few hours before going to heaven. This is a loving, sweet couple who love the Lord. They desperately want kids. It's not fair that children are born everyday to parents who don't even want them. Then this couple, who would have been are going to be great parents, had such a small amount of time with their son. It doesn't make sense.

I don't think I have ever shared this on my blog. Before Isaiah was born, we lost a baby when I was ten weeks pregnant. That was one of the most painful things I have ever gone through. Even as I look back now I don't understand why God let that happen to us. I do know, however, that there was a reason for our suffering. Maybe we will know what that reason was before we die. Maybe not. I questioned God then more than I ever have. I still trusted Him and believed in Him, but I wanted answers. I wanted God to tell me why He let that happen. He never did tell me. All He told me was to trust Him.

I know that God's ways are incomprehensible to us, and I know that Jeremiah 29:11 is true. I know that God always wants what is best for us. What we think is best isn't always what He thinks is best at the time. I don't understand why God won't give this couple a baby now. I guess it's not my place to know. It's my place to pray and trust Him.

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Awesome Diaper Deal

If you have a little one in diapers and can set up a new account at diapers.com head on over here to see how you can get a great deal on some diapers. I just ordered 207 Pampers diapers for $44.48 with free shipping. As if that wasn't good enough, there is also a $14.97 mail-in-rebate that I am going to send in. Yay for saving money!

We have a busy weekend. My MIL is supposed to come into town tomorrow. Then on Sunday it is my nephew's fourth birthday! Maybe my camera will cooperate with me and let me share some pictures of our fun weekend. Until next time...

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I can't do it all by myself

No, I'm not talking about my husband not helping me around the house. He does help me out when I demand ask him to. I'm talking about me trying to live my life without God's help.

God had to get me to this point in my life for me to realize just how much I need Him. Sure, during tragedies and disappointments, I've needed Him. It's easy to see how much I need Him during those times. What I'm learning now is how much I need Him everyday.

Leading up to my last days on my job I thought that I was about to have it made. No more getting up at 5:30 every morning. No more feeling rushed to get dinner fed to my family before starting the cycle over again the next day. I thought now that I was going to be a stay at home mom, my life was going to be easy.

Lately it was seeming as though I was struggling with everything. Every time I had to do the dishes or laundry I felt like I was having to put forth all of my effort just to do a simple five minute task. It was taking everything I had just to make it through each day. During one of my woe is me pity parties, I realized that I'm not letting God truly lead my life. I'm not supposed to do all this on my own. In John 15:5 Jesus says "for without Me you can do nothing." 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that God's grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. I was trying to do everything in my own strength instead of relying on God's strength for me each day. I need Him everyday in everything I do in order to be a good wife and mother.

I'm learning a lot during this time in my life. I feel like I've grown more spiritually in the past six months than I have in the past few years. Now that I'm not so busy, I've been able to do a lot of self examining and I'm more open to hearing what God has to say about me. His lessons are not fun during the learning process, but I'm thankful that He loves me enough to keep teaching me.

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What do you value?

When I took Jazlyn to dance the other day I noticed this little boy in her dance class (yes she has a boy in her dance class) while we were waiting for her class to start. We will call him Sam. Sam was reading while we were waiting. They were small words, but he was still reading. Everyone in her dance class is about four or five. Sam looks four.

Some would look at Sam and think poor kid. Sam isn't always dressed in the nicest clothes and his hair isn't always the neatest. Sam's family looks like they're not the richest. One thing I have noticed about Sam though is that he is very well behaved. When his mom asks him to do something, he does it. He doesn't run around the waiting room with his mom having to get onto him every two seconds. Someone has spent time with Sam teaching him how to behave. And come on, the kid can read. Someone has had to spend a lot of time with the boy for him to be able to read at four. I know some kids are just naturally hyper (Jazlyn), but we all know that you can tell the kids who have not had any boundaries put into their lives. These misbehaving kids are sometimes dressed in the best clothes with the freshest haircuts.

It's all about what we value when it comes to our kids. Some value the way their kids look. Some value the way their kids behave. Some parents consider their children's education to be most important. Some parents value their kids' spirituality. What we value as adults trickles down to what we value in our kids. Whether we value money, family, intellect, or spirituality, that value will be evident in our children.

I'm reevaluating what is important in my life and how those values are effecting my children. What do you value?

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Book Review - This Little Prayer of Mine

I know it's been a few days since we've "talked." I've been enjoying some much needed family time at home. We celebrated Valentine's Day by cooking a meal together, complete with dessert. It was a good day.

Now on to other things. I recently received the book This Little Prayer of Mine from the author, Anthony DeStefano. The book is endorsed by The National Day of Prayer, Danae Dobson (daughter of Dr. James Dobson), and Bernice King (daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.). This is a new favorite in our house.

First off, the illustrations are awesome. I love a beautifully illustrated book, and this book is beautiful. More importantly, the book is all about teaching children to pray. The book goes through many different things that a child might pray about: asking God for comfort when sad or scared, being dependant on God for direction down the right path, asking for forgiveness for doing wrong, being thankful for all that God has given, asking God to help us show His love to others, knowing that through trusting God we can do anything, and the assurance of God's love.

Teaching children to have their own relationship with God is important. Prayer is how they develop that relationship. This book is a great example to kids of how to maintain that relationship at a young age through prayer.

Guess what?! The book goes on sale today! I highly recommend you adding this to your library.

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Five Question Friday

I am starting something new on Friday here. I'm joining in on Mama M's  Five Question Friday. Head on over to her blog to read others' answers. So here we go!

1. What is the one thing your love does for you that you can't live without?


This is a tricky one. Right now I would have to say that he lets me sleep in sometimes. My nine month old son still does not sleep through the night so that extra sleep is a life saver. If you asked me a year from now I would probably say the fact that he is a good dad. I don't ever have to worry about him disappointing our kids. I also love that he doesn't complain. If I cook a less than tasteful meal he doesn't make a big deal about it. Wait, was I supposed to only say one thing?

2. When did you know your love was "the one"?

Probably the first time (yes there were many times) that we broke up (I feel like I am in high school saying that). This was after we were dating for only a couple months. I've always been not the nicest to guys I've dated and my meaness never bothered me much. With him it did bother me. I felt like I couldn't survive without him in my life when we split up, which was a first for me. That's how I knew our relationship was different.

3. Does your love have a special ringtone on your cell?

No I've never taken the time to mess with my ringtones. I probably have had the same ringtone for the past couple years.

4. What are you attracted to most in your special someone?

Don't laugh at me, but the first thing I noticed about him was his voice. He is from the north and he doesn't talk like your typical southern boy, like I am used to. Now I've gotten used to it so I don't notice it too much anymore. I also like his eyes. They are a pretty light brown. I also love that he looks like this mean tough guy, but then once you get to know him you find out that he is really sweet and silly. Wait, that was more than one thing again wasn't it?

5. Did you know when/where he/she was going to pop the big question?

No, we had already decided that we were getting married, but when he did officially pop the question I didn't know. He tied the ring box around my dog's collar. It was cute.

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You know that snotty nose kid?

That would be my son. I do wipe his nose. I really do. Every five minutes. I don't like that he is going out in public this way, but every time I wipe his nose the flood gates open again. It's a neverending cycle.

I used to work at a daycare before I had the privilege of being a mom. I can remember being appalled at the kids who would come in with snot pouring out of their noses. I would want to walk up to the moms and say Umm, hello? Do you not see all of that crust and nastiness on your kid's nose?

Now I understand. No matter how many times you wipe it, the nose still looks nasty. All of the moms who I accused of neglecting your kids, please forgive me.

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Total Money Makeover

I've always known that God wants to use this time of me not working for us to get our finances in check. I've been avoiding God talking to me about this issue, mostly because of the simple fact that I haven't wanted to do it. There are always too many things that I need to buy. I think that my kids would rather have stress free parents than be the best dressed kids on the block.

When it comes to our finances, we have never really done a budget. We have just always spent how much we wanted on what we wanted. I've just always made sure that our money is not depleted. I have gotten a lot better in the past couple years about not spending money erratically (I'm a sucker for cute kids' clothes), but I know making a real budget and sticking to it is the only true way for us to be good stewards over our money.

We are somewhat doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. We don't have any debt besides our student loans and house, so that part I'm not as worried about. The main thing is that I want us to start a strict budget and stick to it so that we can learn to save money and not have to take on anymore debt. The first part of Dave's plan is to save up a thousand dollar emergency fund, so that is our first goal. I'm making our financial goals realistic. I'm not giving a time limit, but every week we do have to put some money towards this fund. 

I'll go into more detail next time of how we are doing our budget and I'll share a little more about the Total Money Makeover, in case anyone is not fimiliar with it.

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Not Me Monday

Not Me Monday, the day moms all around share what they haven't been doing lately, was started by MckMama. Feel free to join in!

When Isaiah dumped out a bag of cheerios onto the living room floor, my whole family did not play in the spilled cheerios. We did not roll around on the floor in them and throw them at each other. My family has more class than that.

It was not me who ate a big bowl of ice cream every night after I exercised. I know that would just completely defeat the purpose.

I did not let Isaiah eat some cereal off the floor that fell from his high chair. I would never do anything like that just to keep him occupied for two extra minutes.

I did not make let Jazlyn vacuum the whole living room. Nope, not me!

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Randomness

Jazlyn has gone to the circus with my parents (yes, I am jealous).

We are having a marriage fellowship at my house on Saturday.

People are coming over who have never been to my house before.

I need to clean my house.

Now would be the perfect time to get on that cleaning because Isaiah is asleep.

I'm not going to clean right now.

I am enjoying this alone time in my quiet house listening to the rain outside.

My dog's name is Junior.

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Your Baby Can Read

In case you don't have a television, I am talking about the Your Baby Can Read learning program. It is supposed to do just as the title says, teach your baby to read. The commercial shows babies clapping when the word clap is shown to them and so on. Then it shows toddlers reading.

Jazlyn knows her letters and most sounds. She can't read. As this commercial came on today I wondered how it makes her feel. She knows that she can't read yet so when she sees a baby reading I wonder if that is a blow to her self esteem. Maybe she doesn't comprehend it. I'm not sure, but I don't want to bring it up to find out. Anyone else with an older child who can't read ever thought about this?

If anyone has ever tried Your Baby Can Read or if your best friend's mom's cousin's daughter has tried it please let me know if it is legit or not.

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Drama Girl

I am sitting here on the floor on the computer (don't ask me why I am on the floor) and I ask Jazlyn if she finished cleaning up her room. She starts walking toward the stairs (her room is upstairs), but stops when she gets directly in front of me. She leans back, dramatically stretches, and lets out the longest  drawn out yawn. Then she goes on to tell me that she is getting really tired and needs to go to bed.

Did I mention that she is four? I think we need to look into putting her in some commercials.

This was not part of my original post, but I just had to add it. We've been trying to teach Jazlyn to eat her food when it is given to her. She is bad about eating two bites of something, then tell us she is hungry thirty minutes later. This evening she ate two bites of a sandwich and said she was full. An hour later when she was hungry again I told her she would have to wait to eat again. She waits a while then comes up to me and asks me in the sweetest voice ever, "Mommy do you love me?" I tell her of course I love her. Then she says, again in the sweet voice, "I was wondering if I could have something to eat?" If I love her I have to feed her upon demand right?

If she acts like this now, how is it going to be when she is a teenager?

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