A Moment I Want to Remember

I saved this in draft a few weeks ago but forgot to post. Since I use this blog as Ladybug's "baby book" to record memories and milestones, here is a memory I want to cherish forever.

Ladybug has learned that food, drink, even the car can be hot, cold, or "just right." This morning as she was having her morning mama milk, she popped off for a second to say, "Milk hot?" I said, "No, milk isn't hot. It's just right." She responded with, "Milk just right," smiled and started nursing again.

A moment I want to remember (Thursday, July 9th, 2009)

Nothing Cuter Than Pigtails

Ladybug (2 years old) has a lot of hair for her age. Everyone always comments on her hair. It's just like mine - very fine with some curl. Just this week I decided to try pigtails on her. Oh my heart. I fell in love with this child of mine all over again!

I tried several times to get a good picture of her in pigtails, but she is a tough subject to photgraph (and I have a very simple [and old] camera). Here are the best shots.

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Vacation Bible School

Sunday night was the first night of our Vacation Bible School. Oh my word. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE VBS! Here are the top ten things that I love about VBS:

1. Hubby and I are the music leaders. I love being able partner with my husband in ministry!

2. Getting to know all of the kids by name, then being able to call them by name throughout the year. Makes them feel special.

3. Seeing the kids get excited about Jesus.

4. Hanging out with some of my favorite adults from our church.

5. Because Ladybug (2 years old) is in the nursery, I am kid-free for a few hours. Although, VBS is definitely NOT down time, I'm not chasing a toddler all over creation and saying "NO!" every 5 seconds.

6. It's an excuse to drink coffee in the afternoon, because I'll need the extra enthusiasm in the evenings.

7. The fun music and sign language that we get to teach the kids. Oh my word, is it fun!

8. Not having to make a menu plan for 5 days, as we eat at church as part of the nightly activities.

9. Working with our awesome Faith Formation director/children's minister, a.k.a. The Deaconator. She's an awesome friend, a fabulous co-worker, and has a tremendous gift for working with the kiddos. Love her to pieces!

10. Because I accepted Jesus as an 8 year old at VBS, I love seeing the kids make decisions to follow Christ during the week. VBS is definitely a worthwhile ministry!


For more Top Ten posts, hop on over to Amanda's blog.

Eight Principles to Live By

I received this in an e-mail recently, and I'm copying it here as a reminder to myself.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity... - Proverbs 3:21-22 NLT

People who set goals accomplish much more than people of equal education and ability who don't. With that in mind, build these eight principles into your life.

1) Decide what you want. But first consult God. 'Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails' (Proverbs 19:21 NIV).

2) Think on paper. Writing your goals down gives them a sense of permanency, plus it energizes you. 'Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity... ' Wishy-washy objectives won't get you where you want to go.

3) Establish a deadline. Without a definite beginning and ending it's easy to procrastinate and get nowhere.

4) Make a list of what you need to do to. Keep it before you at all times; it'll give you a track to run on.

5) Convert your list to a plan. Decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. An organized plan is always better than trying to carry stuff around in your head.

6) Act immediately. 'Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity... ' (Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV). Do something! A mediocre plan that's implemented beats a brilliant one that's not.

7) Do something every day to move you forward. Build it into your schedule. For example, read systematically through your Bible, call a specific number of clients, engage in physical activity for a given time.

8) Have a goal you're willing to devote your life to. And keep your eye on that goal at all times. 'Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom' (Psalm 90:12 NIV).

as seen in The Word For Today

Welcome to the Blog Hop!

Welcome to my little corner of the interwebz! Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll keep this post short so that you have plenty of time to check out the other blogs participating in the Blog Hop '09. Let me introduce myself.

My name is Heather; I am a Christian wife and mom. I started blogging in September 2007 as a way to chronicle the wonderful things about our then 3 month old daughter. Hubby (creative nickname, huh?) and I have two daughters actually. Our first daughter, Susie, is in heaven with the Lord. And we have an adorable 2 year old, nicknamed Ladybug. Hubby and I lead worship together at our church.

This blog chronicles my journey as a wife and mom, as well as cute things that Ladybug is saying and doing. I share inspirational posts, my most recent was about dealing with change. I share the joys and struggles of parenting. Recently, I started a series on teaching Ladybug Bible memory verses.

I enjoy cooking and baking, and I also have a recipe blog. I don't post a lot there, as it is mainly my on-line cookbook. But feel free to check it out.

And I also love Twitter! Feel free to follow me there: I'm @notdiyheather.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'd love to know a little bit about you too. Please leave me a comment and tell me about your favorite childhood toy or pet. I'll try to visit your bloggy home soon!

Bible Verse Craft - A

Thanks to the inspiration of Amanda and Leigh at Impress Your Kids, I have decided to start helping Ladybug learn memory verses. We're starting out very simply, both for her sake and mine! I don't want to push either of us to the point of frustration with expectations that are too high.

Our "A" verse is Psalm 16:8 - I know the Lord is ALWAYS with me.

For the letter A, we did three crafts. First, I traced a large A and let Ladybug color it with crayons. Then I wrote out our Bible verse and emphasized the A in Always. When reading the verse to Ladybug, I stressed the word always as well, hoping that she would at least repeat that word after me. She then used crayons and stickers to decorate her verse.

For the third craft (no pictured, sorry!), I wrote out "A is for" and drew several things that start with A. She used crayons and stickers to decorate this page.

We posted our crafts on the door next to our kitchen table so that we could review them when we sat down to eat. Ladybug loved pointing out her big A, then I would read the memory verse to her.

I'm really excited about helping Ladybug begin to hide God's Word in her heart, and I know that in the process, I will also be learning more of God's Word too! Beginning with B, we will also be learning a song that corresponds with our letter of the week.

Thanks, Amanda and Leigh, for your inspiration! If you haven't yet, you MUST check out their new bloggy home for Impress Your Kids. (And they are having a surprise party all week with lots of fun giveaways!)

No Room in Baaaaaa-ggage

One evening when we were cleaning up toys, I came upon this scene and had to wonder...


I guess there was no more room in baaaa-ggage!

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Change: It's Difficult

Like most people, I do not like change. I am a creature of habit. I like routine. I am stuck in a rut. It all means that I would prefer to have things stay the same.

Hubby likes to shake things up sometimes, but he is learning (after almost 7 years of marriage!) that I need time to prepare for change before it arrives. Now, this isn't always possible, but he does the best he can.

One of the changes that he likes to make is rearranging furniture. And not just furniture, but changing whole rooms. We have an older home that has a more closed floor plan. Plus we have a bonus room that used to be the garage. And since we have an eat-in kitchen, we don't use the dining room space for dining, we have a lot of flexibility in assigning labels and functions to three of the largest rooms. You could label them living room, office, and den.

For the last few weeks, Hubby has been preparing me for the change to come. He wanted to flip-flop rooms (again, for the third time). He took the time to prepare me to accept the inevitable change. I admit that I dug my heels in a bit.

What was the living room is to become a shared office/music studio. What was my office/catch-all room is to become the living room. And what was his office/music studio is to become a den.

He began the process slowly and moved one piece of furniture after Ladybug went to bed on Thursday night. Then Saturday, he purchased a used love seat that was in great condition (found on Craigslist). We moved that into the new living room space on Saturday afternoon, plus moved a few smaller pieces into the other rooms. Saturday night after I went to bed, he decided to move Ladybug's toys to the new living room as well.

I gave in and told him just to get it done. Sunday after church a friend came over to help him move desks, the TV armoire, and a few other things. The change is complete.

And as much as I drug my feet over having this change happen, I admit that I like it. The new living room space is cozy and just the right size for our family of three. Once we get the office area organized, it will be a nice work space for both us, plus it will have the exercise equipment. And the den will be a quiet place where I can go and try to actually read a real book. (What a concept!)

As much as I do not like change, I realize that it is inevitable. In furniture arrangements and in life. Life equals change. Sometimes those changes are good, sometimes not so good, and sometimes they are surprising.

When life throws too many changes at us, it can be very unsettling. Thankfully, we have a Lord and God who does not change. In fact, we know that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Knowing that He remains constant when the winds are swirling around us provides that anchor that we need so that we do not lose all sense of reality.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Cousins

My Sister sent an adorable picture of my niece, Miss T. I knew we had a similar picture of Ladybug (now 2 years old!), and I wanted to compare the two cousins. I think there is some family resemblance, although Miss T definitely looks like her daddy. Don't you love the infant gummy grin?

Miss T, 10 weeks old
Ladybug around 12 weeks old



Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Potty Training Sticker Chart

We have recently started potty training with Ladybug (2 years old). She absolutely L-O-V-E-S stickers, so I knew that stickers would be motivating to her. I made a simple sticker chart to track her progress.

And to keep the stickers close by for immediate gratification, I tucked the stickers in an envelope and taped the envelope to the back of the bathroom door, which is directly opposite the toilet. So as Ladybug sits on the potty, she sees her stickers and sticker chart and knows what her reward is for peeing in the potty. (The envelope is high enough that she cannot get the stickers by herself. Plus we keep the bathroom door closed, and the knob has a safety cover so she cannot go into the bathroom without supervision.)

I am not pushing the potty training with her, and she is still wearing diapers most of the time. Occasionally I get brave and put training pants on her. She is very good at telling me after the fact that she has peed or pooped in her diaper, but I do catch her beforehand at times. She earns at least one sticker every day. And she gets very upset if she sits and does not get a sticker! But we are very clear with her that she only gets a sticker when she pees in the potty.

Our potty sticker chart works for me, and having the stickers and chart close by helps to reinforce the desired result!

Top Ten Things I Learned on Twitter This Week

Yes, that's a long title. But since I spend so much time ducking in and out of the Twitterverse these days, I thought I should share with my wonderful readers a few things that inspired me this week. (Okay, not all are from this week. I just went back to found some favorites.)



Thanks to all my Twitter friends who inspire me every day! Don't forget to visit Amanda for more Top Ten lists.

Parenting Win!

Parents, what do you do when your plans for an activity or play date fall apart at the last minute? Well, I ask Twitter!

Last Wednesday's play/swim date fell through due to a playmate under the weather. (Side note: I'm SO thankful for parents who are courteous enough to cancel when the child is sick!) I knew that I didn't have any craft ideas for staying home, so I tweeted about it and got some good ideas! Thanks to @BrennanAnnie for the suggestion of going to a store that has a train table so that Ladybug could play.

We went to one of our local bookstores, I got a yummy banana/strawberry smoothie with a shot of espresso (YUM!), and Ladybug and I went to the kids' area. There is a nice reading area and a train table. Ladybug and I spent an hour and a half occupying ourselves. Ladybug learned more about sharing with other children, while I chatted with a nice grandmother and another mom.

After a few other children arrived, it was time for us to move on, so we went to the reading area. Ladybug played with a great Melissa & Doug puzzle while I read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. I am a huge fan of Eric Carle's books. I didn't know about The Grouchy Ladybug until just recently, and I was surprised that no one had bought it for Ladybug yet, considering her nickname and the fact that we receive all kinds of ladybug gifts for every occasion. (Now we will be receiving this book, thanks to Grammy!)

It was a good time for both of us. Ladybug was on her best behavior, and I was very proud that she didn't fight with the other kids and didn't make a fuss when I said we were done with the trains.

So, if you haven't checked out your local toy store or bookstore for a train table, I highly recommend doing that! I know this will be a recurring activity for us!

Photo Credit: stock.xchng

Want to Win a Wii Fit?

In my blog series that I have been writing on my toddler's nutrition, I have mentioned Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, who I follow on Twitter. She hosts a weekly Twitter discussion on topics relating to kids, nutrition, and exercise, and I have enjoyed the information that she shares.

Dr. Dolgoff is having a sitewarming party tonight and you have a chance to win a Wii Fit! Here are the details:

With childhood obesity reaching an all time high across the country, many parents struggle with how to help their children maintain a healthy weight with proper nutrition.

Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, the official doctor of Camp Shane and a board certified pediatrician, has created Dr. Dolgoff's Weigh, a traffic-light system that allows kids to learn which foods are healthiest without counting calories. To spread the word about her site and program, Dr. Weigh, is sponsoring a Wii Fit contest to help you get your family up and moving this summer!

To Enter:
To enter to win the #KidsWeigh Wii Fit contest, check out client testimonials and fabulous Dr. Weigh success stories then fill out this secure contest form telling us which story was your favorite!

Form: http://tinyurl.com/kidsweighcontest

Want a chance to speak with Dr. Dolgoff about your nutritional questions and win more prizes?

Join her Friday, July 10th at 9 p.m. ET on Twitter for her #KidsWeigh discussion. Door prizes will be awarded. To RSVP and for more information go to: Resourceful Mommy.

Egg Carton Crafts

With the hot and humid days upon us, we can't always play outside in the middle of the day. I turn into a puddle of sweat. It's not great for a toddler to play outside in 100 degree heat. So I have been looking for some indoor activities for us to keep our summer days full and fun.

My wonderful Twitter friends came to the rescue when I asked about egg carton crafts. They had so many brilliant ideas, but what I discovered was, that with a little bit of instruction, kids' imaginations are the best at taking an idea and running with it.

Ladybug (2 years old) and I invited her cousins over for egg carton crafts last week. And we had a blast!

Our supplies were: egg carton, chenille stems (pipe cleaners), googly eyes, glue, crayons, and scissors. We could have used paint, but I am anti-mess when it comes to my toddler (I'm working on that!), so I wasn't Ladybug isn't ready for paints just yet.

The nieces made all kinds of bugs and creepy crawly things. Ladybug enjoyed pulling the legs off all the bugs. I just drew eyes and mouth on them for Ladybug, and the older girls used the googly eyes and chenille stems for mouths.

Little Mama showing off her creations
Drama Queen hard at workLadybug trying to be like the big girlsThe final product! (Minus the ones Ladybug pulled apart)

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Tiny Talk Tuesday

Ladybug (2 years old) loves playing with her animals and watching classic movies with animals, like The AristoCats, 101 Dalmations, and The Jungle Book. This provides lots of opportunities for her to learn new animals. Currently, she says, "Nake" for snake and "grrr" for tiger.

She also likes to tell me what the animals are doing. "Grr walk. Kitty bath. Bug jump."

There are a few things that she has own way of saying - these are SO cute! X is "ske." Yes is "sa."

When we are playing outside, we play our own version of Red Light, Green Light. I tell Ladybug to stop, go, come back. But sometimes she'll beat me to it, and she'll say, "Stop. Go. Back." All at one time!


For more Tiny Talk Tuesday, be sure to visit Mary at Not Before 7.

Taking Time for Me

I had always heard that moms struggled with taking care of themselves. I admit that I never understood this before I became a mom, because I was very good as self care as a single person. Granted, some of that started to slip when Hubby and I got married, but I still made time for myself and had my own hobbies and interests.

But lately, both Hubby and I have been burning the candle at both ends. He with his grad school internship plus work, me with trying to be a round-the-clock parent when he isn't home. It's much harder to care for a child all of their waking hours when you are completely alone than I realized.

Now, I know that there are parents out there who have much more difficult circumstances than I do on a daily basis. But because we are all unique beings, our capacity for difficulty differs. I struggle to balance self-care with my "job" as a wife and mother.

As a Christian, I *KNOW* that my relationship with God needs to be my first priority, but I admit that there are many days that I don't have my quiet time. I have always been in the habit of lifting up prayer concerns as I go through my day. But finding time that I can actually sit down and read Scripture and meditate has been difficult lately.

Even in neglecting my own spiritual walk, I feel like there isn't enough time in the day to do all the things that need done. But one thing I am learning to that even if I don't have that daily time for myself, I try to make sure it is still a part of my weekly routine. Days when Hubby is gone from 8 am to 9 pm do not leave much time for me, but I try to make sure the other days have time for me built in.

Here are a few things that I am doing to find weekly time for me:

~ when I go to the chiropractor (generally once a month), I get someone to watch Ladybug. Between my mother-in-law and two friends, I can usually find someone who can watch her so that I can reduce my stress. I have drive time to be quiet and waiting room time to read. And since Ladybug DOES NOT like anyone touching Mama, not having her there reduces my overall stress.

~ When Hubby is home and not working on a paper, I have asked him to be the parent so I can sit outside or lock myself in a room alone to read. Very refreshing!

My main priority during these alone times is to quiet myself and the thousand thoughts that are racing through my brain, read Scripture, meditate, and maybe read another inspirational book if there is time.

I know that I need to take care of myself. I am not a nice person to be around when I am lacking sleep. My sinful nature takes over when I am not staying connected to God. I know that in order to be the wife, mother, and woman that I want to be, I *MUST* take time for me.

Any suggestions out there? I'd love to hear how you deal with making time for yourself in the midst of a busy family life.

Potty Training Success

Friday morning, my nieces came over to do crafts. I started making a potty sticker chart and told Ladybug what I was making. She said she had to go potty. So we went and sat on the potty, and she pee'd!!!! I think she surprised herself because she stopped then had to start again. Only the 2nd time I've had her sit on the potty.

And she did the same thing on Saturday after playing outside. We came in she said she had to go potty, and she did! So proud of my girl!

My Toddler's Nutrition - Dairy

We had a great Twitter discussion this week led by Dr. Joanna Dolgoff who specializes in childhood obesity. This is a recap of the discussion, with points that specifically apply to my toddler.

Dr. Dolgoff shared some interesting facts regarding recommended daily allowances of dairy for kids. "Toddlers (age 1-3) need about 500 mg calcium each day (amount in 2 glasses milk). Kids age 4-8 require about 800 mg calcium (amount in 3 glasses of milk). Kids age 9-18 need about 1300 mg calcium (amount in 4 glasses of milk). This increased level is important during puberty."

Because Ladybug still nurses, we have not introduced cow's milk. But I know that weaning her will come soon. I asked Dr. Dolgoff her recommendation regarding whole milk vs. skim milk for kids. She said that the AAP recommends skim milk after age 2. That was new info to me! But I'm also glad to know that I won't have to buy different milk for Ladybug when she weans, because Hubby and I drink skim milk.

Other than dairy products, there are a lot of other foods that contain calcium. These include: fortified cereal, fortified orange juice, soy products, figs, sardines, tofu, collards, canned salmon, spinach, kale, rhubarb, canned clams, rainbow trout. In our house, we do eat tofu, collards, canned salmon, and spinach.

And of course, Ladybug loves cheese. The only kid I know that doesn't like cheese is my very picky niece. And Dr. Dolgoff recommends only low-fat or fat-free cheese. I'll have to pay closer attention to that.

Some great facts that Dr. Dolgoff shared:

- 8 oz milk has the same amount of calcium as 2 oz of cheese (300 mg)
- 6 oz of yogurt has 225 mg of calcium
- 4 ounces of soft serve ice cream has 120 mg (about1/3 of the calcium in a glass of milk or 2 oz cheese)
- 1/2 cup broccoli has only 35 mg of calcium
- 1 ounce of almonds has 80 mg of calcium
- People who eat diets rich in (LF or FF) dairy products may weigh less and have less body fat

And most amazing to me was the list of diseases that a diet high in low-fat and fat-free dairy can help prevent: osteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer, obesity, dental cavities, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and decreases total and bad cholesterol levels.

Not only was this motivating to help Ladybug eat well, but for Hubby and I to make sure that we are eating a diet high in low-fat and fat-free dairy foods!

I learned a lot from this week's discussion. Thanks to Dr. Dolgoff for leading our discussions and for sharing such great info!

Photo Credit: stock.xchng

Me & My Shadow

Ladybug, what's so fascinating over there?

Oh, it's your shadow!

Ladybug (2 years old) is really enjoying the discovery of her shadow lately.


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