Fare thee well, 2009

It's been a good year.

 

I'm excited to begin the next one, though.

 

Though much of it will be exactly the same as the year about to finish,

I hope to make those ordinary things seem extraordinary. To revel in the mundane.

To relish each item on my "to do" list, and finish each thing with a joyful heart.

And if that doesn't work, there is always coffee!

 

Our NYE plans are as follows:

 

Let the kids have chicken nuggets and french fries for dinner.

Bathe children, dress for bed, give drinks of milk.

Brush children's teeth.

Put children to bed.

Get out grown-up food and start the party for two.

Eat grown-up food, then clean up kitchen.

Sit down to watch various NYE programs.

Kick each other awake until midnight, when we can respectably go to bed.

 

Have a safe and fun New Year's Eve, everybody.

 

Next post I'll share my one resolution. Exciting stuff, hey?

 

XOXO,

Sarah 

 

 

My 'To Do' list

 

 

The pile of dirty laundry

The pile of books with dust jackets removed

The bicarb footprints

The grotty floor

The scattered clean laundry

The risotto/rice cake mess on the floor

The mountain of dirty dishes

The mysterious poop in the shower

The half-eaten apple that is hiding somewhere in my house.

      * I found the container from the fridge that said apple was in, empty, in the toyroom, so I know it's here

             somewhere. That's what happens when I have a lazy day!

The laundry to hang outside on the line

The toys strewn from one end of the house to the other

 

or

 

Sleep.

 

Tough call, isn't it?

 

XOXO,

Sarah

An Overdose, more shopping, and some spilled coffee

With a side of "Baby needs a new pair of shoes", thanks.

 

We got up this morning, and I had a list.

As I came out to the kitchen, opened up my email, I noticed that it was strangely quiet behind me. Never a good sign. So I turn around to see Charlie Brown putting the antihistamine back on the bench, WITHOUT THE CAP, while smacking her lips and saying "deyishus". Great. I have no idea how much she drank from the bottle, as it was already opened. My best guess is she had an adult dose. Did it make her crazy? Nope. Did it make her sleepy? Not a chance, bucko!. As near as I can tell, the antihistamine is worthless, because she's still itchy, and does not seem affected in any way, shape or form.

Next, we get dressed and head out to the shops. First stop, Kmart to pick up a layby (layaway). Easy enough, except for the part where I won't let Charlie walk beside the trolley and she goes berserk when I put her in the shopping trolley.

Next, we go to the shopping centre across the road. Scored a parking space next to the trolley bay. A two-seat trolley was right there next to the trolley bay, so DOUBLE score! It was wet, but I'm not that picky. So we grab it, head inside, and get some paper towels with which to dry the seat area. I then realise I've left my wallet in the car, so we go back outside to get it. Okay.

First stop, the dollar shop. I found a glass jar for one of my Christmas presents, Hooray!

Next up, the chemist (drugstore) to ask about the antihistamine overdose, and buy some nappy (diaper) rash ointment.

Next, Target (to find another Christmas present)

Next, the calendar kiosk (another Christmas present)

Next, Woolworths (regularly scheduled grocery shopping)

Next, Coffee

Next, Camping Shop (where I spilled my coffee on myself trying to maneuver the shopping trolley) - I then decided that this was a dumb idea, and will send my husband to finish that particular task.

Next, back inside, where I realise that the sole of Pippa's shoe is talking to me, and we go back into Target to find shoes (they didn't have any in her size), both children are crying loudly and covering their ears (because the other child is too loud?), go to Payless and find shoes (while Charlie insists that she needs to do wee), pay and make a hasty retreat for the car, make it home without any accidents (of the bodily function variety), unpack the car, and now I'm going to make some lunch. After which they will sleep, and I will change my (now coffee-scented) shirt, cook tonight's risotto, and maybe do some present wrapping.

 

So that's my morning up until 11:42 am, what about you?

 

XOXO,

Sarah

A moment of gravity

I just found out today that one of my friends from church who was expecting is no longer expecting. The irony of singing about baby Jesus while coming to terms with your own deep, personal loss is indescribable.

 

I am not her, so I can not know what is going through her mind right now. But I grieve with her. I ache for the child who will not rest in her arms. I weep for the miracle of that first meeting between mother and child. Of course I grieve with her husband as well, and for their children who will not get to meet their new sibling. But because of where I've been, I identify more closely with her.

 

There is so much I wish I could share with her, so much I want to say. I want to let her know that she is not alone, that it wasn't her fault, that her baby is safe in the arms of Jesus, that time will not erase this pain, but it will soften it a bit. That I am here, if and when she wants to talk about it, cry about it, be angry about it, or even to NOT talk about it.

 

But it is so hard to know what to say, or do. or not say or not do. So I simply said that I was sorry for their loss, that I was praying for them, and I send lots and lots of hugs. Maybe I should have said nothing. But I really did feel that God was urging me to say something. To acknowledge their unborn child, and grieve with them.

 

Please spare a moment for her and her family today, and offer up a prayer for comfort and healing on their behalf. They will need every prayer now, and in the weeks and months to come.

 

Thanks,

Sarah

Wardrobe malfunction of the irritating variety

Why don't bra manufacturers out there make an underwire bra that keeps its underwiring contained? I just spent nearly 30 dollars on a bra, only to have not one, but BOTH underwires poke out after wearing it once, and handwashing it once. Am I the only person that has this issue? How do you fix this? I can't really afford to spend more on bras, and if I just pull the wire out, well, let's just say that the forces of gravity are not kind to me and my 'girls'. 'Nuff said.

 

XOXO,

Sarah

Things almost always look better after a nap

and when you've had a really great nap, it looks even better. Not perfect, but better. After lunch yesterday, the girls and I had a monster nap. Over 2 1/2 hours, to be precise. And things didn't seem so bad. I can cope with an awful lot, but my "tolerance threshold" is dramatically lowered if I've not had enough sleep. Lachlan came home from work yesterday, and took the girls for a walk, and I got some cleaning done, which helped tremendously. Then I went out for yet another end of year party (I just had some soft drinks, which was good because I was able to provide a lift home for two other people), and that helped even more.

 

I've decided to try the exercise class again. My plan is thus: Spend January developing a solid morning routine, and then in February, when it starts again, start with one morning session a week. It runs from 6 to 7 in the morning, so I should be able to just squeeze it in before Lachlan has to leave for work. If this works, it will be great.

 

Today we don't have much in the way of plans. Just getting things ready to go away for a few days, planning the menu and shopping lists, wrapping presents, maybe a playdough session, maybe some colouring, a Christmas movie, some baking, and hopefully, some rain. It doesn't feel so humid this morning, so we might get some rain today. It's been forecasted all week, but so far it hasn't happened. Personally, I think the weather people should be sacked. But maybe that's just me.

 

And, after another nap this afternoon, I could be dangerously energised and happy. Fair warning has been issued...

 

XOXO,

Sarah

The mess is stalking me...

apparently does not taste very nice. I say this because my 18-month old daughter just came to me trying to wipe it out of her mouth. The three year old was clutching the tube, and chewing on the lid. I wish I was making this up, I really do. When you combine that with the flour incident yesterday, and the Christmas ornaments with bites out of them, the extra laundry from a crazy potty training regression, the tantrums, the bickering, the whining, and the constant stream of mess that follows me around like a stalker, I think I have reached the end of my patience for today. Quite possibly tomorrow's allotment as well. Santa had better be REALLY good to me this year, that's all I'm sayin'...

Christmas

Is there a middle ground?

At one extreme, you could buy nothing, decorate nothing, bake nothing, and do nothing except go to church, read your Bible, pray, and listen to (Christian only) carols.

 

At the other extreme, you have a Christmas celebration of Griswoldian proportions.

 

Surely there's a middle ground in there somewhere. Surely I don't have to strip away all the 'pretty' from Christmas to prove to the world what Christmas means to me. Surely I don't have to put embroidered holly linens on every bed to prove to the world I am "Ho Ho Ho" enough?

 

Where is that middle ground?

 

We have a tree.

We (and by we I mean Lachie) put up some garland around the house.

We went to see some Christmas lights last night.

We bought 3 presents each for our children.

We plan to go to church on Christmas day.

We plan to attend the candlelight carol service at our church.

I've been teaching Charlie different songs about Jesus. 

I let her watch movies about reindeer.

We don't make a huge deal about Santa, and instead let her draw her own conclusions.

 

It feels like a pretty good balance, but when I'm standing next to someone who is at either extreme, I question my judgement. When I'm next to someone at the "do nothing" end of the spectrum, I feel shallow and materialistic. When I'm next to someone at the other end, I feel inadequate.

 

Christmas isn't meant to make us feel crummy. It should be a time of rejoicing. What your rejoicing looks like to others doesn't matter so much as what your heart looks like to God. Can you celebrate Jesus' birth while giving gifts to other people? Yep. Can you have a beautiful Christmas without the special Christmas dinnerware? Absolutely.

 

What does Christmas look like at your house?

 

XOXO,

Sarah

Boy am I glad that McDonald's is not conveniently located

It's at least a 10 minute trip in the car, not including the time it would take to get the kids dressed (one is sans pants, the other sans shirt), in their carseats, close all the windows, turn off all the fans, leave house, drive there, get kids out of car, go in, wait in line, order food, receive food, drive home (because we're NOT going to the playground), get kids out of car, open all windows, turn on all fans, put kids in bed, and consume my (overpriced) now cold Bacon Double Straight-To-My-Bum Burger with Cheese, and soggy fries, and drink my used-to-have-ice-but-now-it's-just-watery-Coca Cola.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, it doesn't sound quite as good as I'd thought. Well, it does, but I'm just too lazy to go through all that, no matter how good the food might be. :)

 

Cheers,

Sarah

 

 

Stewardship

I've been wrestling with this particular topic lately. Am I a good steward (stewardess?) of all that has been given to me?

 

Money - do I really manage it wisely?

 

Time - I know I don't manage that well. (Facebook anyone?)

 

Gifts - I use my gift, but I don't take care of it as I used to. I almost never warm up before singing (don't tell my music teachers that!), and rarely rest my voice when I'm tired.

 

Health - Again, I know I need to do better. A lot better.

 

Family - Do I cherish my family? Do I treat them as I wish to be treated? Do I truly see to their needs?

 

Grace - God has given me redeeming grace - do I pay that forward to the people around me, or do I keep it to myself and give none to others?

 

Home - I have a beautiful home, do I manage it wisely? Do I take care of it? Do I keep it functioning smoothly (as much as I can, at any rate)?

 

Food - We are blessed with an abundance of food, as evidenced by the number of things that go into our compost.

 

I know that this might sound like I'm being a bit unrealistic - but I don't think I am. I'm simply wanting to examine what my daily life looks like under the light of God's provision. It all comes down to choice. How do I CHOOSE to use my resources?

 

What about you? How do you choose to use your resources?

 

XOXO,

Sarah