As most of you know, Andy and I just went to Costa Rica on vacation. This is a company paid vacation for salesman that make a certain amount each year. The first year we went to the Bahamas. Last August we went to Cabo San Lucas and this time we went to Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Andy started blogging about our vacations in Cabo. I haven't really had any desire to do it until this time. I wanted to write from my point of view the things we did and highlight some things that happened.
I may take a few blog posts to get it all in. For this one, I mostly just want to blog about Costa Rica and some things I noticed while I was there.
When we got there, one of the first things our guide told us was the country "slogan", Pura Vida! Technically translated it means 'pure life' but in reality it means 'full of life'. Everywhere we went, people would say to us "Pura Vida" and we would answer back.
It seemed everywhere we went was "full of life." Everywhere we traveled, I saw community and family. Small houses painted in bright colors, with dirt yards had people sitting on the porch just enjoying the day. Kids running around playing with each other. Women talking and laughing.
As we drove through this town, someone from our group remarked how little these people had and how there was so much more that they didn't even know about, and how much they were missing. That remark struck me. I wonder if these people are really the ones found wanting. We may have fancier cars, bigger houses, nicer yards and better clothes but are we happier? We isolate ourselves, often move away from family for jobs or better surroundings. More often than not, we choose the television over games with friends. We would rather send an e-mail than go over and visit with someone. I wonder, if for all our 'things' if we are the more fortunate ones.
It seems to me that a people that stay near family, live simply within their means, and have little to worry about, would be the luckier ones.
So what does that mean in my life? Well, I'd love to pack up everything and move there but seeing as how that isn't an option right now, I've come up with something different. Instead of sending someone an e-mail or text, I will call them (even though I have phoneaphobia). I will make more of an effort to draw in the people around me and connect with them. I will stay in touch with my family more often than I do now. I will thank God for His blessings that He's already poured out in my life and be content with what I have now. I think this is the "Pura Vida" way of life.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Life of a Sippy Cup
I have just recently come to realize that a sippy cup has various stages in it's life as a cup. I'd like to share my revelation with you.
Stage 1- Brand new
This is the stage I like the best. A brand new sippy cup just brimming (excuse the pun) with possibilities and new commitments to keep it clean and found (this will make sense as you read further along)
Stage 2- Filled with liquid (juice, milk, take your pick)
This would be my second favorite. What crying toddler doesn't retreat into silence when you hand them a sippy cup full of their favorite drink? Ahh, sweet sanity.
Stage 3- Lost
We all know this stage. Toddler wonders around with sippy cup, becomes distracted with something else, and drops sippy cup. If it's out in the open, it is either discovered by Mom and re-offered to toddler or washed, refilled and then re-offered. Such madness. If it's not out in the open, the searching begins.
Stage 4- Really Lost
Now, don't pretend you don't know this stage all too well. This is the stage where the sippy cup is LOST. No amount of looking or sending your child to find it helps. It's not under, behind, in or on any furniture. Not in any room. It's disappeared to the land of lost socks and keys.
Stage 5- What the Heck Is This?!? Oh My Gosh, It's The Sippy Cup
Oh no, don't lie. If you have a kid, you've said this at least once. More kids= more times you've said this. This is the stage where the sippy cup actually jumps out of it's hiding place and walks itself to the sink. It's got some sort of nasty, soild toxic waste growing inside and you can swear you hear it talking. This is also the end of the life of the sippy cup. Because when you find a sippy cup in this stage you run to the kitchen, pull out the tongs, very carefully clasp the cup between them and then haul booty to the trash before it escapes.
But then of course, you are down one sippy cup. So back to the store you go and thus begins stage one all over again. Ahh yes, the life of a sippy cup, explained.
Stage 1- Brand new
This is the stage I like the best. A brand new sippy cup just brimming (excuse the pun) with possibilities and new commitments to keep it clean and found (this will make sense as you read further along)
Stage 2- Filled with liquid (juice, milk, take your pick)
This would be my second favorite. What crying toddler doesn't retreat into silence when you hand them a sippy cup full of their favorite drink? Ahh, sweet sanity.
Stage 3- Lost
We all know this stage. Toddler wonders around with sippy cup, becomes distracted with something else, and drops sippy cup. If it's out in the open, it is either discovered by Mom and re-offered to toddler or washed, refilled and then re-offered. Such madness. If it's not out in the open, the searching begins.
Stage 4- Really Lost
Now, don't pretend you don't know this stage all too well. This is the stage where the sippy cup is LOST. No amount of looking or sending your child to find it helps. It's not under, behind, in or on any furniture. Not in any room. It's disappeared to the land of lost socks and keys.
Stage 5- What the Heck Is This?!? Oh My Gosh, It's The Sippy Cup
Oh no, don't lie. If you have a kid, you've said this at least once. More kids= more times you've said this. This is the stage where the sippy cup actually jumps out of it's hiding place and walks itself to the sink. It's got some sort of nasty, soild toxic waste growing inside and you can swear you hear it talking. This is also the end of the life of the sippy cup. Because when you find a sippy cup in this stage you run to the kitchen, pull out the tongs, very carefully clasp the cup between them and then haul booty to the trash before it escapes.
But then of course, you are down one sippy cup. So back to the store you go and thus begins stage one all over again. Ahh yes, the life of a sippy cup, explained.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Please Help Stop This Reign of Terror
We have recently received reports of a small bandit, who runs around leaving destruction in her wake. Please review the following pictures and help us stop this reign of terror.
As you can see, this bandit is quite destructive. Nothing is safe. She loves to snatch and raid purses of all size and color. If I were you, I'd go check to make sure mine was safe. No, really. You should check.
Yet another gruesome scene we have captured. This shows that no place is safe from this destructive force. She can and will conquer every defense with ease.
Here is a picture of the bandit fleeing the scene. The photographer took this at great peril to her life. When cornered, this bandit is vicious. (see next pic)
Please do not attempt to stop this bandit. She takes no prisoners. She is easily agitated and lets out a high pitched screech when someone gets in her way. (No evidence yet on if this screech is lethal, although eye-witnesses have been known to cover ears and run in terror)
Caught in the act yet police were not able to apprehend the suspect. They were too busy cleaning up the mess.
And while they were distracted, the bandit moved to her next victim; a pile of freshly folded laundry. It doesn't look freshly folded you say? Well, it was.
And while this report was being written, yet another incident was reported. A container of beads was discovered, opened and strewn across an entire room. No photos are available at this time.
If you see this suspect, give her what she demands and leave the scene immediately (if it's safe to do so). Also, please take great care in protecting your laundry piles, shoes, purses, plastic garbage bags, beads, and diapers. These are the most likely of victims and scenes of crime. She also likes cats and anything else she senses she isn't suppose to play with.
Together we can stop this.
As you can see, this bandit is quite destructive. Nothing is safe. She loves to snatch and raid purses of all size and color. If I were you, I'd go check to make sure mine was safe. No, really. You should check.
Yet another gruesome scene we have captured. This shows that no place is safe from this destructive force. She can and will conquer every defense with ease.
Here is a picture of the bandit fleeing the scene. The photographer took this at great peril to her life. When cornered, this bandit is vicious. (see next pic)
Please do not attempt to stop this bandit. She takes no prisoners. She is easily agitated and lets out a high pitched screech when someone gets in her way. (No evidence yet on if this screech is lethal, although eye-witnesses have been known to cover ears and run in terror)
Caught in the act yet police were not able to apprehend the suspect. They were too busy cleaning up the mess.
And while they were distracted, the bandit moved to her next victim; a pile of freshly folded laundry. It doesn't look freshly folded you say? Well, it was.And while this report was being written, yet another incident was reported. A container of beads was discovered, opened and strewn across an entire room. No photos are available at this time.
If you see this suspect, give her what she demands and leave the scene immediately (if it's safe to do so). Also, please take great care in protecting your laundry piles, shoes, purses, plastic garbage bags, beads, and diapers. These are the most likely of victims and scenes of crime. She also likes cats and anything else she senses she isn't suppose to play with.
Together we can stop this.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
God's Little Princess
So I just had to blog about this. At the end of the day I am usually tired and worn out and have listened to loads of whining and crying, kissed many boo-boos, wiped a lot of tears and bottoms. I've cooked three meals and cleaned up after them (if I'm lucky). I've done laundry, dishes, swept, played games, done school and read many stories. By the end of the night I am a little low on patience. Actually if truth be told, by the time 7 rolls around, you better not mess with me. So tonight was bath night which adds an extra element of stress to an already dragging Mommy. I am getting Rayelle out of the shower and trying to be patient. She is taking her time, as little girls often do and I was getting angry. As I am just about to start snapping at her to hurry up, she pulls on her pj shirt and it says, "God's Little Princess." At that moment I stop. I almost started crying. A feeling of great love washed over me that I was entrusted with one of God's little princesses (actually 2). He loves her and is always patient with her no matter how much she pokes around. Just like He's patient with me when I am slow to do things He has told me to do. It's just funny how God sometimes gives us little hints and sometimes He gives us huge signs. I hope I will always remember that my kids are God's little princesses and prince and I should treat them with care.
Monday, September 14, 2009
My Greatest Accomplishments
So I decided to make a list of all of my greatest accomplishments. Some are serious but don't worry, most aren't. However, I have accomplished all of these at least once. I promise.
1. Got dressed before noon. (I know! Noon! Can you believe it!)
2. Had 3 kids naturally. (ouch)
3. Made it through the day in only one change of clothes (no vomit, pee, or poop!)
4. Told a kid , NO! and they actually listened!
5. Only changed 6 diapers in one day (I swear. I'm not lying)
6. Had an adult conversation without using the words potty, boo-boo, or poopy
7. Slept in until 7:30 am (I thought I was in heaven)
8. Slept through the night (and you thought it was only an accomplishment for babies!)
9. Went major shopping with 3 kids in under 3 hours without any catastrophes, accidents, apocalypses, or natural/unnatural disasters taking place.
10. Heard the word "Mommy" less than 10,000 times in an hour
11. Kept one baby and two kids entertained for an hour in the waiting room without adding any gray hair!
12. Went pee without someone walking in or standing at the door saying, "Mommy, what are you doing in there? Are you done yet?"
13. Played Candy Land 12 times in a row (and never won).
And the finale....
14. Bathed three kids, got them ready for bed, with stories, kisses and prayers in under 10 minutes.
Thank you thank you! No please, no more applause. I know it's astonishing but every word I said was true. I promise.
1. Got dressed before noon. (I know! Noon! Can you believe it!)
2. Had 3 kids naturally. (ouch)
3. Made it through the day in only one change of clothes (no vomit, pee, or poop!)
4. Told a kid , NO! and they actually listened!
5. Only changed 6 diapers in one day (I swear. I'm not lying)
6. Had an adult conversation without using the words potty, boo-boo, or poopy
7. Slept in until 7:30 am (I thought I was in heaven)
8. Slept through the night (and you thought it was only an accomplishment for babies!)
9. Went major shopping with 3 kids in under 3 hours without any catastrophes, accidents, apocalypses, or natural/unnatural disasters taking place.
10. Heard the word "Mommy" less than 10,000 times in an hour
11. Kept one baby and two kids entertained for an hour in the waiting room without adding any gray hair!
12. Went pee without someone walking in or standing at the door saying, "Mommy, what are you doing in there? Are you done yet?"
13. Played Candy Land 12 times in a row (and never won).
And the finale....
14. Bathed three kids, got them ready for bed, with stories, kisses and prayers in under 10 minutes.
Thank you thank you! No please, no more applause. I know it's astonishing but every word I said was true. I promise.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Baby's Essential Guide to Living
Lately I've been thinking about something. It seems like babies are hardwired with certain information from birth. Where do they get this info? I think that somewhere there is a "Baby's Guide to The First Years of Life" book out there and that somehow every baby is exposed to this how-to manual in the first week of life. If this were true, I think that it would read something like this:
Read, study, memorize and then burn.
Chapter 1- Essential Words
- "No"-Learn this word as soon as possible. It drives them crazy. Also if they tell it to you, ignore it. They are just kidding.
- "Mama"- learn this next. It will get you out of a LOT of trouble. If you get caught getting into trouble, just cock your head to the side, open your eyes up really big, and say this word. You're immediately forgiven.
- "Uh-oh"- Use this word any time you drop something (on purpose or accident). It will instantly be retrieved for you again and again.
Chapter 2- Poop
Rule 1- The best time to poop is after you have been bathed, dressed for church and placed in your car seat.
Rule 2- Poop in public places when everything is quiet (like church), it's hilarious and people love it!
Rule 3- Don't poop all at once, space your poops apart, about every 20 minutes is good.
Chapter 3- Car seats
This is a torture device used for one purpose- to confine you and supress your God-given right to freedom. Resist this device at all times.
See Chapter 2 about how to get out of this device effectively
Chapter 4- Words of Wisdom
-if it's on the floor, it's yours to eat, whether it's food or not
-if you can reach it, it's yours to play with (or eat)
-it's really fun to pull the cat's (or dog's) tail and watch them run away (do this as much as possible)
Chapter 5- Sleeping
Rule 1- Never go to sleep at the same time two nights in a row
Rule 2- Wake up to play at night, this is the best time
Rule 3- Sleeping through the night is a health hazard. Avoid this as long as possible. To maintain good health you must wake up every two hours.
Rule 4- Do not fall asleep if you are by yourself. Always make sure Mommy or Daddy is in the room, rocking you and singing to you. Nursing to sleep is a bonus. If you are not COMPLETELY comfortable, don't fall asleep- cry instead.
Chapter 6- Crying
-Do this at odd times (just to keep them on their toes)
-If they make silly faces, you are obligated to stop crying for a moment but you can start again as soon as they stop
-You must cry as loud as you can or they might not here you in the next county
-Cry if you're sad, mad, hungry, uncomfortable, poopy, wet, too cold, too hot, over stimulated, tired, teething, bored, or when you want attention. This is the only way to communicate your needs so perfect THE CRY.
Chapter 7- Eating
You may eat anywhere and everywhere, for as long as you want. Don't worry about where you are or if your mommy is in a dress (she knows better). If you're hungry she should feed you (read Chapter 6 titled Crying for tips on attention getting). You should never have to wait for a meal. It is always ready and the perfect temperature it's just that sometimes mommy has to hide the food. People aren't as thrilled about seeing "them" as you are. Just scream really loud and your food will magically appear.
Above all else remember this one very important thing. When all else fails, when nothing above is working and you are truly desperate, there is one last trick you can use that will always work- say "Da-da", This single word has the power to call Daddy from whatever corner of the house he was in, pick you up and dote all the attention on you that you could ever want. Use this word wisely (however the effect it has rarely wears off).
Now that you've read this manual, please eat it, slobber on it, flush it down the toilet, tear it to shreds or whatever it is you do to destroy things. It must not fall into the parents' hands. Good luck babies! We will eventually rule the world...but for now, let's work on ruling our households.
Read, study, memorize and then burn.
Chapter 1- Essential Words
- "No"-Learn this word as soon as possible. It drives them crazy. Also if they tell it to you, ignore it. They are just kidding.
- "Mama"- learn this next. It will get you out of a LOT of trouble. If you get caught getting into trouble, just cock your head to the side, open your eyes up really big, and say this word. You're immediately forgiven.
- "Uh-oh"- Use this word any time you drop something (on purpose or accident). It will instantly be retrieved for you again and again.
Chapter 2- Poop
Rule 1- The best time to poop is after you have been bathed, dressed for church and placed in your car seat.
Rule 2- Poop in public places when everything is quiet (like church), it's hilarious and people love it!
Rule 3- Don't poop all at once, space your poops apart, about every 20 minutes is good.
Chapter 3- Car seats
This is a torture device used for one purpose- to confine you and supress your God-given right to freedom. Resist this device at all times.
See Chapter 2 about how to get out of this device effectively
Chapter 4- Words of Wisdom
-if it's on the floor, it's yours to eat, whether it's food or not
-if you can reach it, it's yours to play with (or eat)
-it's really fun to pull the cat's (or dog's) tail and watch them run away (do this as much as possible)
Chapter 5- Sleeping
Rule 1- Never go to sleep at the same time two nights in a row
Rule 2- Wake up to play at night, this is the best time
Rule 3- Sleeping through the night is a health hazard. Avoid this as long as possible. To maintain good health you must wake up every two hours.
Rule 4- Do not fall asleep if you are by yourself. Always make sure Mommy or Daddy is in the room, rocking you and singing to you. Nursing to sleep is a bonus. If you are not COMPLETELY comfortable, don't fall asleep- cry instead.
Chapter 6- Crying
-Do this at odd times (just to keep them on their toes)
-If they make silly faces, you are obligated to stop crying for a moment but you can start again as soon as they stop
-You must cry as loud as you can or they might not here you in the next county
-Cry if you're sad, mad, hungry, uncomfortable, poopy, wet, too cold, too hot, over stimulated, tired, teething, bored, or when you want attention. This is the only way to communicate your needs so perfect THE CRY.
Chapter 7- Eating
You may eat anywhere and everywhere, for as long as you want. Don't worry about where you are or if your mommy is in a dress (she knows better). If you're hungry she should feed you (read Chapter 6 titled Crying for tips on attention getting). You should never have to wait for a meal. It is always ready and the perfect temperature it's just that sometimes mommy has to hide the food. People aren't as thrilled about seeing "them" as you are. Just scream really loud and your food will magically appear.
Above all else remember this one very important thing. When all else fails, when nothing above is working and you are truly desperate, there is one last trick you can use that will always work- say "Da-da", This single word has the power to call Daddy from whatever corner of the house he was in, pick you up and dote all the attention on you that you could ever want. Use this word wisely (however the effect it has rarely wears off).
Now that you've read this manual, please eat it, slobber on it, flush it down the toilet, tear it to shreds or whatever it is you do to destroy things. It must not fall into the parents' hands. Good luck babies! We will eventually rule the world...but for now, let's work on ruling our households.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Am I Raising A Pig or A Daughter?!?
So Kaiya went in today for her 9 month check up. I can't believe she is three months away from being one. Since she was born she's been dropping in her growth percentile. If you don't know how they measure their growth, I'll explain really quick. The doctor has a chart and on it is a bunch of curves. They measure height and weight and age and plot it on this chart. They do this at each visit and as long as your baby stays pretty consistent there is usually no worry. So when Kaiya was born, she was normal. I think she was in the 25th percentile, meaning 75% of babies in the US were larger than her. Finally a small baby since the other two were in the 80th percentile (I blame the formula). Well since her first visit, she's been dropping. 15th percentile, then 10th, now she's in the bottom 5th. This is a concern because she keeps dropping, she's not staying on a consistent curve. So her doctor (whom I love) told me I need to be feeding her more. Basically three meals, three snacks a day plus nursing. I also need to just keep feeding her until she is done, not stop when I think she should be full. Makes sense. So dinner tonight was pretty interesting. It took 10 minutes of nursing, 1/2 a banana, 2 small zucchini, 1 piece of bread, 1 mango, and 5 spoonfuls of oatmeal to fill this girl up. It also took 35 minutes to feed her because I would make her something and it wouldn't fill her up so I would have to make her something else. And this was one meal. I think my grocery bill just doubled.
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