Randoms

Travelling Band

'Time for my favourite snack. GRAPES!'

'Hmm, which one do I want?'

'Mmmmmmm...'

'i LOVE grapes!'

Caden can spend upwards of 30 minutes taking clothes out of his laundry basket...

...and putting clothes into the basket...

...and 'folding' the clothes. All the while humming, 'Clean up, Clean up.'

Big, strong man and his kitty...Jay loves Sammy

Listening to Brooke Fraser on Daddy's Ipod

Singing along

'What are you lookin at?'

I think the laundry situation has gotten out of control...

The Dog is Sleepy

She is unable to sleep because I am sitting on the couch, where she normally stretches out. I am once again awake while the rest of the world sleeps...why can't I just go to sleep when I'm tired? I've been working hard all day. Cleaning, playing, cooking, tickling, spinning and dancing in an effort to make a toddler laugh...When Caden went to bed I collapsed on the couch completely exhausted...i watched a little tv, got on my pjs, lay in bed and now i'm back on the couch.
I've always been a night person. For some reason I have to stay up and completely exhaust myself mentally before I can go to sleep. There are just too many thoughts swirling around in my head to shut down rapidly. It's a process for me.
My husband can shut down in about 2 minutes. He can literally go from awake and talking to a solid REM sleep in 120 seconds. It's irritating to say the least.
I don't necessarily stress about anything in particular...I don't always think about anything life changing or deep...I just think. About people, places and things. Apparantly I think about nouns. Nouns stop me from sleeping.
Nouns also stop Dakota from sleeping...because the computer and I are interfering with her precious doggy slumber. Poor Dakota.
I brought her to get shaved today and totally forgot to pick her up. Luckily I remembered 10 minutes after the groomers closed and they very kindly stayed open till I got there. I just made dog lovers everywhere cringe. I use to be a good doggy mother...than I became a human mother and my life has been one scatter brained episode after another ever since.
So I'm seriously considering doing some freelance writing...i'll be sure not to do so at this hour because my thoughts come out very jumbled and uninteresting. We'll see what happens.
Alright...I'll let Dakota sleep now.
Night, Night.

Bono

I stole this from Desmond because it gave me goosebumps like I haven't felt in quite sometime.
This is Bono's acceptance speech at the NAACP awards.
Enjoy your goosebumps!

So....

It went well!
Creating an ulcer in my stomach was unnecessary.
Can't chat long...cause little boy has decided to wake from his nap early...but we got to babyschool at 7am and after a nice chat with the owner, Caden and I sat at the kiddie table to eat breakfast. He was doing great but he seemed to notice that the other children's parents were dropping their kids off and leaving...then it clicked...this wasn't just breakfast with mommy!
So he started to get whiney, and wanted to be held...and I knew I was just delaying the inevidable....so I handed him off to his teacher and as he reached for me and wailed, 'MAMA!' I walked out the door.
I cried like a crazy person the whole way home but even though I felt sad and a little bit like a jerk I knew it was right.
I called an hour later and the first thing I heard was him wailing on the other end of the phone but it was just a momentary squeal. Apparantly he was doing well but the other kids were making him a little nervous.
They said he was fine and I felt a bit better.
I went back to get him at 1 where I found him hanging with his teacher in the main room while the other kids napped in their classroom. Apparantly he refused to nap and was making the other kids want to revolt so they let him hang with the adults instead. They told me he was hilarious. That he played and interacted and pretended to talk on the phone...just like he does at home.
When he saw me he said, "YAY!" and ran to me. He seemed happy and content.
All in all, good first time. I think it went as well as it could have and I feel a million times better about it.
Phew! One parental trial down, 1,000,000,000,000,000 to go.

It's Midnight

I'm getting to a point where it's very difficult to fall asleep. Maybe it's because we need a new mattress. Maybe it's because I'm a 'night person'. I wish I was a morning person. They seem to get more accomplished.
Thanks to multi-grain bagels, turkey bacon, diet green tea and exercise tension bands, I have lost my holiday weight and am back to where I started prior to December...so of course tonight Jay and I shared a pint of Ben and Jerry's in victory of that. It's an endless cycle. Haha.
Church this morning was good. Tiring, but good. I got Caden up at 6:20 to leave for church and he opened his eyes, stretched and said, "Yay."
I said something entirely different when my alarm went off at 5:15.
We all drove into church. I went and helped set up the stage. Jay and Caden went to the Village Inn for some breakfast. It's become their Sunday ritual. They've become 'regulars'.

My mom is coming in 6 weeks and I can hardly stand the wait. This summer she came and stayed for only 6 days which was too short. We didn't even have time to get sick of eachother! :) I can honestly say that August was the first time I've cried for my Mommy since the 5th grade...and I continued crying for a few days after she had left. It was a difficult parting.
But THIS time she'll be here for more than two weeks! Which is good. Very good. I'm So excited. Did I already say that?

I think Tuesday will be Caden's first day of 'baby school'...if I work up the courage between now and then. I'm petrified. The director suggested I come early, between 6:30 and 7:45 when the little ones are having breakfast. That way I can sit with him while he eats and when he goes off to his classroom I can leave. But I can't help but wonder if it's the right thing to do. What if he thinks I've abandoned him? These people are going to be complete strangers to him...but I know that if I stick around any longer than that I will be a distraction to the other kids and the program. So the director said that I can stay as long as I want and watch him through the classroom window but I don't think I can...cause I know he's going to go crazy when I leave. I've never done this before. Is it right to drop your kid off and just leave even when he doesn't know anyone? It might be...I just have no idea. I keep telling Jay that I am afraid I am going to traumatize him. Jay thinks that leaving him at home for 2 days alone with no food is traumatizing..not bringing him to a place with singing, playing, swings, slides and other children. I suppose he's right. I just have this unrest in me...I'm dreading it. I don't know if it's the kind of feeling that I am suppose to listen to or if it's the kind I am suppose to work past. Everyone seems to think it is the right decision but I don't know. It's Midnight.

The Glass is Half....Wait, Where's the Glass?

I'm not quite sure how I can be bored yet extremely busy, lonely yet never alone, depressed yet living a dream, wanting more while being completely fulfilled. Being a stay at home mom in a foreign country has really opened my eyes to depending on God for EVERYTHING. For patience, for energy, for sanity...I love my Son to the max. I had no idea what motherhood would bring with it. I'm growing, I'm changing, I'm adapting and I'm stronger and better for it. Still there are days when I wonder why God saw me as fit to handle one of his own. Caden is a hand full, as most toddlers are. I'm not going to sit here and say he is any worse or better behaved than any other 2 year old, but with a temper the size of the state of Florida, a smart and sharp mind but no vocabulary (or desire to have one) to express what he wants, feels or needs, everyday is more than interesting.
I have never before experienced the range of emotions that come from being a stay at home mother. It is by far the hardest job I have ever had....and I use to work night shifts at a fish plant in Newfoundland...this is much harder, but I am thankful that at the end of the day I smell better now than I did then.
On any given day in the range of 5 seconds I can go from tearing my hair out in frustration to laughing hysterically in a tickle fight. It's bizarre.
I was telling Jay the other day that every bone in my body wants to be home with Caden, yet every bone in my body craves having something for me...a job that I can go to and dress up for and interact with other adults...a reason to get out of my black jogging pants and slap some make up on. Does that make sense? He didn't think so either :) How can someone literally want two things at once?
I am completely thankful for my life. I am blessed to have the ability to stay home. We always have what we need...and as I told my friend Stephanie the other day, it may come from Family Dollar or the Goodwill, but we always have what we need. And I'm that type of girl. I'm a simple, small town girl who doesn't need much material stuff to be happy. Most girls would fall over and die at what my closet has to offer...they wouldn't die happy mind you. Most of it came from the Goodwill, one shirt even turns my skin blue everytime I wear it...but I'm cool with that.
I am very thankful for my life, my family and my situation but I'm learning that most things in life come by sacrificing something else and what you get may or may not be the greenest side, but it's the piece of land you've chosen, regardless.
By staying home I get the satisfaction of knowing my son is focused on all day..being read to and played with and loved by the person who loves him most, moi. But I sacrifice alot of my individuality...a potential career, extra income, the ability to drive long distances without listening to the doodlebops. It can get tedious...but the experiences I have with Caden in the midst of poopy diapers and temper tantrums and dirty fingers all over my clean clothes when I'm about to go out the door, are priceless. This side is pretty darn green, even though it's hard as heck.
My husband has to work long hours, most days of the week either in the store or on the phone from home on his days off. I'm hoping there's a greener side for him someday. He deserves it. But hey, he has a job and he is awesome at it. Having worked with the homeless I can more than praise God for his skills, his drive and his job...even if it's retail.
I love our house. It's perfect for us. It's way the heck out in the middle of no where and one can feel very isolated out in the country with a youngin. But we're proud to own a piece of dirt...even if it's attached to a dirt road.
I love my church, my friends and the life we've made here...but it is far from loved ones who are missing out on Caden's childhood and that hurts daily. What I would give to have my family within the same nation as me. This is a scenerio in which I have to ask others to make sacrifices for themselves on our behalf...to love a grandson and nephew from a nation away and they've never made me feel guilty about it even though I know deep down they wish it wasn't so. Sacrifices.

On one hand we're a one income, lower level middle class, semi-immigrant family who work long hard hours, seeming never to get ahead.

On the other hand we are a husband, wife and beautiful child who are able to pay the bills and love eachother beyond measure. We are able to raise our child the way we choose in a nation where we're free to worship God and be together.

I guess it's all in how you look at it.

The Terrible Twos

My son has turned into a little savage monkey...otherwise known as a toddler.
The tantrums are endless..and pointless. The two worst are when the throw pillows won't stack and when he can't get the cottonballs back into the ziplock bag he took them out of. Two things totally worth loosing ones religion over (insert sarcasm).
He is precious. I love him. He makes me laugh much more than he makes me cry.
This too shall pass.

I don't know how I feel about them.

(Let me preface this blog entry by saying that I wrote it on Saturday night and saved it as a draft...then the message on Sunday cleared things up for me...I'll let you know when the text changes from Saturday night's ramblings to Sunday night's ramblings :)

Saturday Night:
I don't know how I feel about the radical Christian groups who stand by the side of the road with signs about heaven, hell, salvation and damnation.
On one hand I figure they are telling more people about Jesus than I am in the run of a day. Generally what they are saying is true...it's just hard to explain the full extent of Jesus on one sheet of poster board.
On the other hand, my usual gut reaction when I see these people is to roll my eyes and ache with embarassment. I want to be proud to be called a follower of Christ, but the word 'Christian' has such a negative stereotype, especially in the southern United States. I fear that 'Christians' are coming across as Jesus lovin, bible thumpin, gay hatin, potluck eatin, money houndin, hypocrits who say one thing and live another. I hate that.
When a rapper accepts an award for a single in which he talks about killing and raping, in a video that shows half naked women and money falling all around him...and then says, "I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for making this possible." I cringe. I'm embarassed for myself. I'm embarassed for Jesus.

Sunday Night:
This morning Pastor Brian gave us the challenge to find 7 people who don't know Christ and create deep, real, loving relationships with them so that they can get an introduction to Jesus by a person they know and trust. I think this is the face of evangelism. It has to be about relationship.
I once heard someone say that we need to scare people into accepting Christ because people are dying and going to hell while we're wasting time trying to build relationships.
I couldn't disagree more.
How in the world can I ask someone to give up themselves, live their lives for a Being they can't see in the physical, expect them to believe a far fetched story about a virgin becoming impregnated by a ghost and then delivering the Savior of the world, with a pamphlet and 30 seconds to spare? They need to know me. They need to trust me. They need to see Christ in my life and be drawn to His power. Otherwise, I am coming across as a judgemental lunatic, who doesn't care about the person...only about being right. I think this detrimental to the faith, not 'wasting time building relationships.'
I'm excited about my 7. I have only thought of 2, but I'll think of more during my closet time tomorrow. I'm excited about how God is going to use me. I am intimidated by this task because it means putting myself out there...taking someone under my wing without them even knowing it...which means I have to be worthy of that. I need to know my stuff. I need to know why I believe what I believe...teaching without knowing is damaging.
We need to be educated on our faith...we need to know how scripture is applicable in a really big, messed up, 2008 world where Christianity has been given a bad name. Where it's ok to believe in a vague superior being and to be 'spiritual' but it's not ok to profess Christ as truth or to help people see the path to Heaven without coming across as ignorant and judgemental.
In a perfect world people would see our attempts of sharing the gospel as acts of love...not acts of judgement in an attempt to be right and superior. But it's not a perfect world, and like it or not the word 'Christian' has been damaged to the point that it is not a good representation of God's people anymore.
We need to try our hardest to undo the damage that's been done...to be authentic and real...to invest time into people, all types of people.
So I guess the title of this blog is no longer true.
I do know how I feel about them.
I feel like they are doing what they think is effective...I, personally, don't think that it is. But most of us do what we've been taught...and when our intentions are good we do the best with what we have. Even if what we have is tainted or off.
The majority of people who accept Christ and walk away do so within the first 48 hours of their Salvation moment.
Scary.
Make a friend. Love them to Christ.

There's a Lizard in the Dishwasher

I'm not kidding.
Also, while I was driving through Crawfordville, I had to brake for a pig. I thought it was a dog, but then saw that it was pink with a curly tail.
Where on earth have I found myself?

The time has come the walrus said...

I can never remember the rest of that rhyme.
The time HAS just about come for Caden to start going to baby school. I wasn't exactly sure when I was going to start putting Caden in baby school, but I think there's no better time than the present. He needs to start socializing with other kids...he needs to know that he can survive without me...i need to know that he can survive without me :) It is the right decision.
I know this is going to be a hard adjustment for both of us. Caden is a very emotional and temperamental child. He has been use to things his way ever since he was born. His house, his bed, his chair, his toys...not having to share or get use to new places or new things. We stopped in to check out a daycare today that is beautifully kept, very organized and really the perfect fit from what I can see. Great price and great location. I tried to get Caden to go into the 2 year old room and play with the other kids. This lasted 30 seconds (if that) ending with him screaming and the other children gathering around him, wondering what his deal was.
This is the first of many uncomfortable situations my child is going to have to face in order to become a better, more well-adjusted person. It doesn't make it any easier.
I envision him crying the entire day...maybe to the point of throwing up. I envision it being really hard on the people that work there and potentially on the other kids. I envision him being a challenging child in the beginning...which leads to me envisioning myself being embarrassed. Needless to say my visions are not happy ones...but I know he'll be better for it in the long run. I want him to go one or two days a week, and then increase that amount if I can find a part-time job that will work for us. That's the plan. Plans sometimes have a way of changing but that's where my head is right now.
Any encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Please click the comment button below to leave words of wisdom.

Kathy Day

Today is Kathy Day. My good friends, the Phillips' Family, have offered to watch my little man so that I can have a day to myself....a gift far more precious than rubies. I am so mellow right now. Thank you Jesus for good friends.
I am sitting at the coffee pub with my laptop, drinking a chai tea in my bare feet, listening to some soft, folk, finger-picking guitar song with a pretty harmony...I've always wanted to come here and just chill with my computer, a luxury I usually do not have with a toddler. Today is a good day. I love my boy, my time with him is precious...but this is the first time I've had a whole day to myself since he was born. I'm overdue.
I'm also excited because the coffee pub is painted in the exact same colours that I want to paint my living room and kitchen...and as I suspected, they look fantastic together!
My cell phone is dying...but that's OK. Who needs it? I am an island today.
I have given myself a 9 dollar budget for this day....3 of which I have already spent on an over priced tea, but when I envision relaxing at a coffee shop, a chai tea has to be in the mix. It is delicious.
I am going to go to the dollar theatre today, and since it is $0.75 day I am in luck!
It is a nice feeling to be alone but to feel freedom in it instead of loneliness. I spend alot of time alone trapped in my house...but when I have a day to go out on my own and do whatever the heck I want (within the limits of 9 dollars) I feel so free. Like the world is my oyster...whatever that means...i don't ever like oysters.
Could I do this everyday knowing I wasn't with my little one? No way. The alone time is only nice from time to time. He brings me so much mroe joy than I could bring to myself. Having a baby changes everything....but it's SO worth it.
My feet are cold because I refuse to wear socks even though it is a bone chilling 40 degrees Fahrenheit today. Socks hinder me from feeling completely free so I will embrace this numb feeling in my toes.
Mmmmm....chai tea.
I need to go soak in some more of my environment. If you need me, call me tomorrow.

Super Great 2008

Here's to hoping for a 'great' 2008.
Last year was pretty fantastic and this year is bound to be even 'great'er....simply because 'great' rhymes with '2008' and i like saying it all the time to be corny.
This year I will (in no particular order):
- Loose at least another 10 pounds (preferably before summer) and tone up my non-existent muscles.
- Spend more time with God and less time just thinking about doing it.
- I will see my sister. I haven't seen her in two years, she hasn't seen Caden since he was 6 weeks old...and now that she is with embryo (that's right! I'm going to be an Aunt!) I WILL see her sometime this year. That's a promise. We will also go to Newfoundland sometime this year. If everything goes as planned I will have my mom in March, my sister in April, we'll go home in May and I'll go to Alberta with my Mom in August to see 'embryo' when he or she is a full grown baby. I'm very excited about a year full of family visits.
- My husband and I will do something nice for our 5 year anniversary.
- I will stress less and laugh more.
- I will slowly release the overprotective grasp that I have on my little man and will enroll him in 'baby school' one day a week. This is a big one but I think we both need the time away from each other and he needs to spend time with kids instead of me and animals.
- I will find some way to earn extra money. I may get a part-time job if 'baby school' turns out to be a good thing...we'll see what happens.
- I will spend more time playing, singing and writing music.
- I will try and get up before the baby so I can have a productive start to the morning...but I know this one is not going to happen. :)
- I will be a better wife, mother, friend and overall person. There are many areas I can improve on. Too many to list here..but I should be more fun to be around this coming year.

Unlike alot of people, i like getting older. I'm sure I'll change my mind when I am no longer in my early 20's, but I like learning and growing and changing. All of which can't happen without the passage of time. I've learned so much these past few years. That life isn't as black and white as I always thought it was. That people are in great part a product of their parents and if you can find out how someone was raised, you can be much more understanding and patient with them. I've learned how hard it is to be a mom...and have gained a brand new appreciation for my own. I've learned that my little boy is very different from the little girl I use to be. He's CRAZY! Haha.
I'm learning how to trust people without being naive..how to be smarter in relationships...how to let my guard down without hurting myself. Life is a complicated animal. I'm learning that family and friendship is one of God's greatest gifts..that his commandment for us to love each other second only to Him is exactly how we're built to operate. People need God. People need people. Friendship, or lack of it, can make or break a person a persons spirit.
I'm learning to forgive because I don't want to become a bitter person...bitter people are some of the saddest I've ever met. I want to be someone who breathes positivity and energy into others.
I've learned that the telemarketer who is telling me I didn't pay my mortgage when I actually did isn't the one I should be annoyed with. She is just doing her job. Same with the cell phone guy, the power company, and anyone else I deal with during annoying times in my life. Just because people make mistakes doesn't make them stupid or incompetent. It makes them human. I don't want to bring people down to make myself feel important or empowered. No one wins that way.
I've learned that marrying my best friend was the best decision I've ever made...even when we want to ring each others necks.
I've learned that Minneapolis is not pronounced 'MinneANapolis' like I've been calling it my entire life.
So many lessons. I'm thankful that God has given me a heart and mind that is receptive to growth and change...although I do get quite defensive from time to time when someone tries to show me something 'I already know.' I'll start working on that too.
Happy New Year.
May 2008 bring you new discoveries about yourself and the world around you. May you start and finish many books...may you discover beautiful new music and scenery...may you meet many new friends...may you love your God, your family and your friend's more than you ever have before.
See you next year!

I don't know why...

...God chooses to work through me...but I am overwhelmingly blessed and humbled by it. I've done nothing to earn what I have. It has literally been handed to me, undeserved without reason or explanation aside from pure love from on high.
Thank you Lord for music. For the gift of listening to it and and the talent of making it, for allowing it to flow out of me, for allowing it to flow out of others and into my senses. Thank you for giving my soul a sensitivity to it that draws me nearer to you than anything else on earth has the capability of doing.
God is a rockstar.

Happy 87th Birthday Nan!

2007

For 2007 I resolved to loose weight, manage money more adequately, and not move unless we bought a house.
Well, I've lost 20 pounds, we bought and moved into our first house back in April but techinically, we've been in the same general area for 1.5 years and I guess I've done a bit better with money. Having a mortgage back in 2006 would not have been possible but we cracked down, made it work and are still standing so I'll go ahead and check 'manage money better' off of the list.
Yay for accomplishments.
Now to narrow my mental list of 1000 resolutions for 2008 to a blog-able list of no more than 10...
I'll get back to you before next year.

Christmas

Christmas Eve Caden and I brought Jason to work and headed to Micah's house for some hang outage. Micah, Caden and I ventured out on operation Christmas Dinner, heading to Publix and the Fresh Market to pick up some delectable treats. Then we made Christmas tree cookies out of Rice Krispie Treats while Caden ate dog biscuits.
It was fun times.
Then we picked Jay up and headed home. Caden and I went home and cleaned up while Jay went to Walmart to get some last minute presents for Caden and a sweet card for me.
After Caden went to bed we had our yummy Christmas eve feast. I wish I could do all my shopping at the fresh market. It was delicious.
We put the gifts under the tree (not the ones from Santa of course...they came after we were asleep) and then we went to bed.
At 6am we were awoken by an angry, screaming baby. Since it was Christmas we decided that was just as good a time as any to start the day. When we went to get Caden we realized that the alarm clock in the room across from his went off at 6am, blaring Christmas music into his room. This would make any toddler ticked on Christmas morning.
He quickly got over it and ran towards his presents. (Video in previous entry)
After ripping everything open, we ate a yummy breakfast prepared by Chef Jason and we pretty much did a big fat nothing all day long. Caden had a pretty crabby day...I guess when you wake up on the wrong side of the crib, there's nothing that can be done...but all in all it was a Nice, relaxing day. We watched Christmas TV and ate alot of brownies and pie. Caden went to bed and Jay and I watched VH1's "Best Songs of the 90's" which brought back some fun memories and reminded us of our age difference. He'd say, "This song was popular my first year in college."
Then I'd say, "Ya, it was popular when I was in grade 7."
Funny.
Here are some photos from after dinner play in the back yard. And yes, it was actually cold enough for Caden to be wearing a hat!
"I love my new bike!"

"Brrrrrrrrr, what is this sensation I am feeling?"

Wagon Races.

Like Father, Like Son

Stick to the motorcycle Jay.

"Move it Kid! It's my turn!"

oh my

Jay thinks he looks snaggled toothed here. I have no makeup on, I didn't brush my hair and I look really sleepy. A match made in heaven.

No makeup, but the best pic I've been able to get with Caden to date.

"Night, Night Christmas!"

These are my 600 thread count sheets from my husband. We couldn't let them sit under the tree another minute. They are SO comfy, and the perfect colour. Good job Jay!


To everyone back home, I miss you and wish we were with you for the holidays. I wish I was gorging myself on mom's tea ring and chocolate cake. I wish we were laughing at each other and visiting the Fagner house, where Sharon would try pawning off her chocolates and we would play the newest board game. I miss Christmas in Newfoundland. If Jay is ever out of the retail business, we'll get home for the holidays. Actually, having Jay home for an entire day was the best Christmas present. He's been working so hard and for such long hours, whenever we get to spend a full day together we're reminded of how much we enjoy each others company.
So YAY Christmas. You came, we laughed, we loved, we played, we ate. See you next year.

A Stock Family Christmas

New Christmas pj's on Christmas Eve


'I've got my pillow and I'm ready for bed!'


The living room before Caden


Playing a tune for Dakota on the new drum


Jason, sporting his new riding mask and t-shirt


Some pre-breakfast trucking


Followed by some pre-breakfast puzzle play...where is that breakfast anyway?


Daddy is making it in the kitchen. Fried potatoes, eggs and sausage. YUM!


The living room after Caden.


Christmas Morning. Caden woke up earlier then he wanted to when the alarm clock across the hall from his room went off at 6am, blasting some very loud Christmas music. I guess Santa wanted him up bright and early.


Little Drummer Boy. Caden has probably played this for about 3 combined hours today. Gotta love drum solos by a 2 year old.

BOREDOM

I'm so intensly bored today.
I feel like a loser cause I update this thing so much.
I haven't seen the sunlight today...but my house is looking much cleaner.
I spent a few days last week on the go, barely spending a moment at home and it's amazing how quickly the whole place went to pot.
Between yesterday and today, it is looking and feeling much better. I even flipped the matress and cleaned the ceiling fans and showers! I'm on a roll.
Caden and I have been playing many homemade games like 'Pillow Forts' 'Where's Caden? He's in the cupboard!' and 'What toys can fit in hole in the front of the subwoofer.' That last one is more his game and my pain in the neck. Now he is playing, 'Tackle the kitty.' It's good that Sammy doesn't have claws, or else Caden might not have such a nice lookin face.
Tonight we will be having chicken fajitas for dinner. yum.
I've eaten probably about 4 dozen Christmas cookies this week and have lost 2 pounds. I have no idea what kind of problem I have but I love it! Thyroid, worms, I don't care. I LOVE YOU!
Caden is convinced that Santa, horses and cows say, "Mooooo."
He is only right about one of those things.
The other day I gave him an old coffee can to play drums on and i didn't realize there were a few grinds left in the bottom of it so when he inevidibly beat a hole in the plastic top, the grinds came out onto the carpet. I was in the kitchen, unaware that this had happened until he ran to the side of the fridge, grabbed the broom and dragged it to the living room where he tried to sweep up the mess before I could see it. I couldnt' help but praise him for his willingness to help around the house, even if he pressed the grinds further into the carpet. Can't blame a boy for trying.
I should do a power tidy before Jay comes home and wonders what unnatural force hit our living room. There are blocks, toys, pillows and goldfish everywhere. From 7am-8pm it is romper room.

Prayer Closet

Lately I have been thirsty for more of God but haven't been very proactive with our relationship. There's always something to take my attention away from reading scripture or praying. After a message Pastor Brian preached a few weeks ago, I knew it was time to stop being complacent. To stop thinking about having daily quiet time with God and to just start doing it.
If I'm lucky, Caden will usually sleep from about 1-3 in the afternoon which gives me a two hour block of time to do whatever I want (within these four walls of course.) I usually take this opportunity to get a shower, catch up with friends, mess around on the computer, clean things that are difficult to clean when he's awake and various other babyless activities. I'm easily distracted so I had to find somewhere in my house where I could be completely alone with God. Where no laptop, tv, cleaning project, telephone, window, animal or snack food could distract me. I chose my closet.
So lately, God and I have been having afternoon conversations in my walk-in closet and it's really been an incredible experience. I was praying in there the other day and I felt this overwhelming sense of God's presence and was completely humbled by the fact that I was talking to the God of the universe. Prayer really is an amazing privilege. My bible has a permanent spot next to my shoe rack, underneath my hooded sweatshirts. It's funny because now that I've moved my bible from beside my bed to my closet floor, I use it more often. I'm really having quite the revelation. Instead of procrastinating my time with God like I've done in the past, I get excited for it.
My church experience has been much more powerful too. I was so overwhelmed by God's greatness on Sunday that I could hardly play.
I'm realizing that you really can't love someone until you make an effort to get to know them. We're all told we should love God, but love is something that comes from not only admiration of what God has done, but of who He is. Knowing Him leads to loving Him..it's impossible not to...after all, scripture says, 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.' -Jeremiah 29:13
All of my heart...not just the Sunday morning part or the 'when i need something' part. I've heard that scripture a million times but it's starting to make perfect and practical sense to me now.
I encourage everybody to spend more time in their closet. It might become your favourite room in the house.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Tree Fiasco

Monday night we got all bundled up, took some pics and set out to find a Christmas tree. We looked at the Crawfordville Walmart and they had two of the ugliest, 3 foot trees I've ever seen and they were selling them for 20 bucks! Not a chance.
So we looked for the Christmas tree farm where you cut your own tree. By the time we found it, it was 7pm and the farm closed at 6pm. Then our adventure brought us to Winn Dixie where the boy scouts were suppose to be selling trees but alas, there was no boy scout to be found. The entire time we searched, Caden screamed like a banshee in the back seat...he's been spending alot of time in the car lately and I think he had his fill of being strapped in. This video is in between the Christmas tree farm disappointment and the future Winn Dixie disappointment.



Here are the fun pics we took before our eventful evening.






Then we came home, treeless.

Last night I went into town to pick Jay up from work and we went to the Walmart on Apalachee where the tree selection was steller! We found another cheap but beautiful Stock Family tree, costing only 14 bucks this year. Still not as good a deal as the 7 foot, 5 dollar tree of Christmas 2005, but a nice tree none-the-less.



We brought the tree home and began trying to set it up when 20 minutes later we noticed that the front door was wide open. Mocha (our smallest kitty) was in the driveway and Sampson (our big, black kitty) was nowhere to be found. Mocha ran right back inside once she was caught red-pawed but Sammy was long gone. We called for him and walked up and down the lot and the street. About 20 minutes later it set in that my favourite animal (shhh, don't tell the others!) was gone. I began to cry. Jay went into 'must find my wife's cat' mode and went outside with a lighter (cause we don't have a flashlight) and a can of tuna. In hindsight, funny picture.
After about 30 minutes I was convinced my kitty was gone, but then I heard Jay yell, "AH-HA!" from the backyard and he came in through the back door with a big, black cat craddled in his arms. I squeezed Sammy and hugged him until his little kitty eyes popped out of his head.
After all the drama we had a nice night of decorating the tree, making Christmas cookies and drinking hot chocolate.

I publically apologize to my mother and anyone else who is disturbed by the fact that we put bobble head Mr. T. at the top of our tree. God doesn't care what we put on our tree as long as we remember what Christmas is about...plus I think he has a sense of humour.
Mom, if I ever get home to Green's Harbour for Christmas, I hope you will make a place for Mr. T. on the mantle's Christmas village...you know you love him. ;)

Overdue Video

This is candid video at it's finest. I was able to catch Jay playing "golf" in the back yard. Note how his golf swing is timed perfectly with the music I purposefully put on in the background. Priceless.
This is Caden when he had his chest infection. He was so adorable even though he was sick.

According to this video, Caden likes football just as much as I do...it's a little dark in the beginning but once I turn the light on you can see his enthusiasm clearly.

Overdue Pics

"If you need me I'll be in here."

Caden graciously offered to take care of paying the bills online.

Sorry for the sideways pics but my photoshop is acting up.

Here's Caden when he had a chest cold. Poor little monkey.

"Is this the belt you wanted, Mom?"

First Ever Stock House Christmas Lights...nothing fancy considering we don't own a ladder.

Confused Kitty

We're Back

We've returned from our week long trip 6 days early.
Don't ask....
But since you're probably wondering what happened, I'll create a visual for you.

Caden is generally amazing in the car and he is also an amazing pooper, going about 5times a day (TMI?)
Anyway, on the way to Atlanta he has his first ever episode of constipation and screamed for alot of the 5 hour drive.
We get to Julie's and a few hours later guests start arriving for Julie's Christmas cookie party and Caden is all ready for bed. Julie's husband graciously offered to watch the little ones upstairs during the party and when it came time for Caden to go to bed, be began screaming bloody murder....not just crying....flat out hyperventilating. So I went up to comfort him and let him know I was right outside and that he was safe...I leave the room and within 2 minutes he had worked himself up so much that he vomitted EVERYWHERE!
I get him cleaned up...meanwhile all the party people are downstairs...and they very sweetly and understandingly tell me to bring him on down to join the party. So he does...until midnight! He just would not calm down and go to sleep.
So he went down at 12, I went down at 12:30 and at 4:30 he woke up screaming again. I took him into bed with me and he tossed, turned, kicked and managed to take up an entire double bed with his 25 pound body....it would have been comical if I wasn't so exhausted.
I lay there watching him take up my entire bed and thought, "Should I really drive another 4 hours away from home if everynight is going to be like this, or should we pack it up and go back home?"
Everyone I sought advice from told me to head back to Florida.
So I did.
He was golden on the way home...never made a peep....and although it took him a while to go to sleep last night, he eventually did and slept in until 8:30 this morning.
I'm really sad that I didn't get to see my friends in Charlotte but I am glad to be home. Caden is a good little boy, he is just very set in his ways...like a little old man.
Jay was secretly thrilled to have us back and Dakota was beside herself with glee to see Caden come through the door...so it's all good.
In spite of all the drama it was really nice to see Julie and the family and even though Ava made Caden a little nervous from time to time (because of his baby/toddler phobia) he did give her a big sloppy kiss before leaving.
So I apologize to anyone who was anticipating our arrival up North. We'll try it again a little later on.

Merry Christmas

Click Here

the Depth of Roseanne

I've been watching old reruns of the show 'Roseanne' lately. I have a tendency to have the tv on all the time for company, so once Caden goes down for a nap I turn the TV channel to the CW and let several episodes of the Cosby Show and Roseanne play in the background while I do chores.
I don't usually catch an episode in it's entirity but today I came out in the living room just in time to hear Roseanne say, "We have alot to thank God for, and I believe we should stop praying in dark corners and start praying the way we fight. Out loud and in public."
Sometimes you find life lessons where you least expect them.

Traveling Circus

Caden and I will be leaving Tally on Thursday morning for a week long adventure to the 3 states north of here. We will first head to Atlanta for some much anticipated time with the Osteig Family. From there (on Saturday) we will head to Gastonia, NC for a wedding...well, perhaps just a wedding reception because Caden is not a sit-in-church-and-be-quiet kind of kid. That night we'll head to Desmond and Kristy's where we will stay until Wednesday at which time we'll start making our way home, stopping for lunch in Greenville, SC with friends from the ol' stompin grounds and we'll spend one last night in Atlanta before making it all the way home on Thursday of next week.
I'm a bit anxious as to how Caden will do with the sleeping arrangements...he doesn't do well in a pac-n-play and he hasn't really been sleeping well in his own crib lately so it should be an adventure. He really isn't that bad in the car so the journey itself shouldn't be too taxing...I say this now...talk to me next week when we're in the middle of our 20th hour of driving.
I'm really excited to see my peeps. I anticipate fun, great conversation, alot of laughter and tea...lots of tea. Plus it will be nice to experience some lesser degrees of warmth during the holiday season. I even bought Caden a down filled coat today. How exciting that he may actually get a chance to wear it!
I need to go to the store now and get some tomatoes and lettuce. The husband is apparantly craving BLT's for dinner tonight. Adios.

Northern Lights

A friend of mine sent me these amazing photos of the northern lights in The North West Territories of Canada.
They make me happy, especially because I was getting a little depressed that it's warm enough to lay out and tan today and it's 3 weeks til Christmas. It's hard to fully enjoy the Christmas season when you have to wear a t-shirt and shorts to hang your Christmas lights.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. Sigh.

Up on the Roof top

I'm going to go hang Christmas lights now.
Hopefully I will not be blogging tomorrow from my hospital bed while lying in traction.

On the Mend

After a shot of anti-biotics and a shot of steroids, Jay is feeling much better today. I am still going through 100 tissues a day but am also feeling much better. Caden has been 100% for a while. He is much tougher than his parents.
I just cleaned the floor on my hands and knees. I love the smell of pinesol. It's so strong it is penitrating my blocked sinuses. Mmmmm. Pine fresh.
I'm not a big fan of mops. Elbow grease is the way to go.

I've decided that in order to be a full-time stay at home mom I need Jesus, caffeine and children's television. The three get me through the day. I grew up watching 'Sharon, Lois and Braham' and I turned out ok. Plus Caden has learned alot from some of his shows. He's even been trying to count...one, two, three sounds like ga, ga, gee but he is trying!

We had Caden's Christmas photo shoot in the park last night and it was pretty funny. Lance has alot of patience. He took about 130 photos in 20 minutes. With his skill and the sheer quantity of photos there's bound to be at least one gem among them.
I feel so behind with my Christmas prep. No decorations are up, there are no lights on the house, and everyday when it comes time for Caden to sleep (which is the only time to get any of these things done) I don't want to do anything but sit and decompress. I need to just buckle down and do it...after all, Christmas waits for no one.

Sharing is Caring?

Being the giving person that I am, I was kind enough to unintentionally pass this virus along to my husband, who always gets everything a million times worse than everyone else due to his chronic asthma.
This couldn't come at a worse time since business is finally starting to pick up after 8 months of the 'slow season.'
He looks like death. Poor muffin. He's on his way to the doctor for his second breathing treatment and possibly a steroid injection to help with the chest pain and tightness. He's really miserable.
Caden is trying to breakdance as I type, because a dude is breakindancing on tv. This is a pretty funny visual...he's actually not doing a bad imitation....better than I could do!
I'm still trying to shake this bug. It's insane. The longest lasting, hardest hitting virus in the world. I think that should be it's official name. The LLHHVITW virus.
Caden bounced back like a champ though. You'd think his little body would be the hardest hit, but he is like a pit bull. He's been great lately. I've been having alot of fun with him. I think having a couple of days childless from 9am til 6pm made me realize just how much more enjoyable life is with him than without him. He's precious and hilarious...and busy! Constantly busy!
Caden and I will be leaving for Charlotte next week. We'll be spending a week visiting friends in Charlotte and along the way. I'm hoping Caden will be on his best behavior. If everyone could whisper a prayer about that, I'd appreciate it! :)

GC.TV Band

We're on myspace music!
myspace.com/gctvband

Children

The other day Caden was in our bathroom and he saw my shiney, blue razer blade on the counter. He wanted to play with it but of course, I told him, 'No.'
He kept gesturing for it.
I tried to divert his attention.
He kept his eyes on it.
I said, 'No' again.
He proceeded to throw a giant tantrum. Under my breath I said sarcastically, "I know. I'm a terrible mother for not wanting you to cut yourself."

That got me thinking....how many times do I throw a tantrum because God won't give me what I want..when the whole time He knows that I'll only hurt myself with it?

Father knows best.

It's always nice to gain spiritual perspective in the midst of a toddler's meltdown.

Cats

I totally stole this from Tiffany because it made me laugh alot.
If anything, I know it will make my dad laugh too cause this is very much his sense of humour.
I apologize in advance because there is one semi-naughty word but I couldn't let that stop me from sharing the hilarity.
Enjoy.

Brain Damage

My son is a bit of a television addict. I've noticed this more so as of late, so I have moved the DVD's from sight and unplug the tv at certain times of the day to break the addiction. When I first got sick I was browsing around on the internet and stumbled across a research study that shows a correlation between early childhood tv watching and later childhood ADD. It said that television exposure between the ages of 0-3 could cause attention problems around the age of 5 or 6 because the brain is trained to need constant attention grabbing images to be entertained and focused.
It said that after the age of 3, exposure to educational programming is benefitial for children, but before that age it could be detrimental.
Perfect. I've flat out damaged the boys brain.
And of course, I read this at a time when I need the television more than ever because I've barely had enough energy to wash my own face.
On the other side of things, alot of the videos Caden watches are designed for children 0-3. They have classical music and word association and he really has learned alot from them...and would Baby Einstein be in operation if their products were designed to damage the brains of babies everywhere?
I also read an article that said these types of videos help to stimulate a babies brain, sharpen their vision and depth perception and that the exposure to music can be very benefitial to a child's ability to pick up on music and foreign languages.
I'm unsure as to who to believe.
So to Caden's future teachers:
I apologize if Caden has difficulty focusing. I don't know why that is the case...but I take all of the credit if he is a child genious and a musical prodogy.
-Caden's Mom