Smart and Trendy Moms is giving away a gorgeous handmade onesie.

What's Keeping Me Sane Right Now...

1) Norah Jones, Train, and Fernando Ortega in the CD player rotation.
2) the girls' 7pm bedtime creeping closer and closer
3) my Spice Spice Baby candle
4) wool diaper covers
5) the toy fire truck that's keeping Adeline occupied
6) freshly mopped floors
7) Amelia's at my mom's for the afternoon
8) Brandon will be home soon
9) I won some reusable training pants today:)
10) dimples

Why is my sanity in question today? Yesterday was really hard, and today my mom took Amelia for the afternoon to give me a break while the young ones napped. Did they nap? Adeline napped while Justice was up, Justice napped for thirty minutes while Adeline was up...translation: no nap for me...

Sometimes they really do hear me...

There are sooo many days I feel like a failure as a mom, like I'm not teaching my girls enough, like nothing is getting through to them...but it seems that just when I'm getting really discouraged, God works in my children's hearts at just the right moment to lift my spirits.

I've been struggling to teach Amelia obedience lately. She so often has the attitude that she is in charge, and I get so tired of telling her something over and over, or fighting over every little thing I ask her to do....the other day I asked her to bring something upstairs for me. Her face started to get "that look" and I reminded her how important it is to God that she obey her mom. Her face changed and she said "Just a minute, mom." and disappeared around the corner. I was about to go after her when I heard her whisper "Jesus, please help me obey my mommy." She came bopping back around the corner with a huge grin on her face and did exactly what I asked her to do, with a cheerful heart!

If that's not proof that God exists, I don't know what is...

Freebie!

Get a free frie and drink from McDonald's when you buy an Angus Burger. Print your coupon here.

Katydid and Kid is giving away a custom silhouette artwork based on your family's picture. These are so cute and vintage-looking, I'd love one for my living room.

Just for Me and You is giving away an adorable crocheted hat and diaper cover set from JoCo Couture.

Natural Baby Goods is giving away a Halo sleep sack.

Cheap and Creative is giving away an adorable burp cloth set from Trend Lab.

What I Love Right Now...

1) my brand new slipcovers that have remade my basement
2) sparkling water (almost completely replaced my need for diet coke)
3) getting newborn diapers in the mail
4) Bones Season 3
5) afternoon naps
6) pants that still fit at 10 weeks pregnant
7) the most amazing frost I've ever seen greeting me every morning
8) snowmen in the front yard
9) my new dayplanner
10) my girls trying to figure out the whole "baby in the tummy" concept...for instance, Amelia says we have to be careful not to squish it or it will cry

Forward and Back

I started blogging a little over a year ago, and though with the advent of a teen in the house and doing childcare for an infant four days a week it's fallen considerably by the wayside, it's nice to be able to look back on the past year and reminisce. I thought it would be fun to evaluate how I did on last year's "resolutions". So here they were...

*limiting the girls TV time to when they first get up in the morning, and right after nap--did ok most days, still working on it
*a planned activity every weekday (library story-time, arts and crafts, imaginative play, outside...something intentional that the three of us do together)--greatly improved but not where I want to be
*workbook time with Amelia on days she doesn't have speech or AWANA--ok
*some sort of work-out most days of the week (even 20 minutes on DDR, it doesn't have to be an hour-long ordeal)--did NOT happen and probably won't this year either
*take my vitamins every day--on track by the end of the year
*drink more water (I got a few stainless steel water bottles I need to use more)--check
*spend more time with God--very up and down
*plan and prepare healthier meals for my family, and be consistent about encouraging the girls to eat their vegetables--due to B's high cholesterol, I've worked really hard at this, and I think I'm doing great!

On the whole, I saw improvement in most areas, and I'm not going to let my perfectionism get me down. After all, 2009 was a rough year, full of change, hopes, losses, and growth...sometimes in the midst of life, your focus has to change for a while and you take a few steps back in certain areas. I'm looking forward to a better 2010, with more structure, less housecleaning and perfectionism, and an additional family member to shake everything up as soon as I start to figure things out.

So here goes, the goals for 2010...

Parenting:
*re-start the Answers in Genesis preschool curriculum and figure out if we should homeschool for kindergarden next year
*work on memory verses every day

Spiritual:
*schedule quality time with God every weekday

Health:
*eat more fruit
*rest when I need it, even if I haven't achieved the Holy Grail of housekeeping perfection

Financial:
*stick to an eating-out budget
*stick to our "money map" even when I really really really feel like remodeling the bathroom