4 Things We're Looking Forward To

1) Spring! While part of me wants to hold on to winter because it means Brian is still home from work and we have lots of family time, the rest of me wants spring to hurry up.  I'm looking forward to warmer days when we can go out without bundling up in coats (and gloves and hats)!  I am looking forward to taking the baby outside without wrapping her in blankets and having her gasp in the wind.   We have been blessed with good health this winter, but the kids are passing around a cold this week and Alaine had a fever on Saturday and Sunday, so I'm ready for spring's fresh air.

2) A vehicle we can all ride in together! The day after I wrote this post, we bought an 8-passenger vehicle.  We are so excited, but until we get it through state inspection and finish cleaning it (the former owner was a smoker), we are still doing the 2-car thing.  

3) The yard drying out!  We live on low land so the ground stays saturated after a rain.  We've had so much rain and other precipitation this winter that the kids haven't been able to play in the yard for weeks.  Good thing our back deck is large enough to sort-of large enough to run around on.  Considering  6 inches of snow fell yesterday then switched to rain which melted all the snow...and it is supposed to continued all day today...we might be waiting a long time for dry ground!  

4) Gym class starting this week!  The P.E. class my kids take from one of the local colleges has been on break since early December, but it resumes this week!  The kids can't wait to see some of their friends regularly again.  Notice, the exercise part of class is not my kids' priority. 

What I'm Listening To, Reading, and Watching

What I'm Reading...

I went through a major reading slump when I had morning sickness during the summer.  I lost my motivation, plus moving my eyes to read exacerbated my nausea.   Even after I felt better, my reading habits changed and I started reading less, but I am taking advantage of the early postpartum period to sneak in a few extra minutes. 

I'm about three-fourths of my way through  The Brontë Plotby Katherine Reay, a fun, light (but not fluffy) novel with many literary quotes and references. Before Macie was born, I read the birth part of Gentle Birth, Gentle Motheringby Sarah Buckley. Now I need to read the parenting part.  If you can get past a some woo-woo parts in the early chapters, this book is full of great information. When both of those are done, hopefully I'll have time to read the highly-recommended Being Mortal by Atul Gawande before I have to return it to the library.

What I'm Watching...

I mentioned on my Facebook page that I'm watching the final season of Downton Abbey.  When the first episode came on, I was largely pregnant.  When the second episode aired, I was less than five hours postpartum and watched from my hosptial bed.  I watched episode three with my new baby and struggled to keep my eyes open at the end.  

Right before Macie was born, I borrowed More Business of Being Born from the library.  I only watched the first disc (of four) before she arrived so I'm watching the remainder now.  I also have Spirit of the Marathon II waiting in the wings for a lazy afternoon.

What I'm Listening To...

Don't hate me, but I have a baby who likes to sleep.  I do not feel like the stereotypical, sleep-deprived new parent!  I try to nurse her late in the evening before we go to bed, sometime between 10:30 and 11:30.  She wakes once in the night to eat again, and that's it until morning. In fact, I've had to wake her  two mornings.  I've found that those quiet moments in the wee hours of the night are the perfect time to listen to podcasts.  I only put in one earbud so I can hear any stirrings in the house.

I've listened to multiple episodes of Birth, Baby, and Life Podcast.  I've also listened to 2-3 episodes of The Popcast, but I'm not loving it.

What have you read, listened to, or watched in this new year? 
Do you like it, love it, or wish you'd skipped it?
What should be on my radar?

2015 By the Numbers

240 

days I was pregnant

35 

the age I turned in August

74 

blog posts I published

11 

books I read out loud to my kids (not counting school books

57 

books I read alone

30 

number of above books that were non-fiction

27

 number of above books that were fiction

1048.72 

number of miles I ran

2 

races in which I participated

My Guilty Pleasures

Dark Chocolate Peanut M & Ms'

 

People magazine

Podcasts (like this one)

SURVIVOR
  scary movies

reading in the bathtub

***

What are yours?

The Whats and the Wheres

{This post contains some affiliate links.  If you choose to purchase, my family receives a small commission at no additional cost to you.  This post also contains just-for-fun links for your pleasure.}

As of today, Thursday, August 27:

What I'm Reading:

I'm only reading one book!  My whole reading pattern has changed since I've been pregnant.  I'm in the middle of The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up, but next up is God and Jetfire: Confessions of a Birth Mother.  Do you sense a theme?

What I'm Watching:

Until fall and winter TV returns (hello, Survivor and Downton Abbey), I'm exploring TV on DVD.  Currently I'm watching The Bletchley Circle: Season 2, which I can only describe as Call the Midwife-era British murder mysteries.  In a totally different direction, I plan to re-watch  The Business of Being Borntonight if Brian works late.  (He watched it with me once years ago, but I doubt he wants a see it again!) 

What I'm Wearing:

I discovered thredUP a few years ago.  Quality used clothes in name brands?  Sign me up!  A few weeks ago, with birthday money in hand, I scoured the (literally) thousands of maternity choices and picked out four pieces.  Less than a week later, they were in my mailbox.  My absolute favorite is this Old Navy dress.

photography by Owen

I'm excited because this dress is so versatile!  I can wear it as an everyday dress with flipflops and shades (left), dressed up with some pretty jewelry and shoes (middle and below), and then transition it right into fall (right). 

thredUp has selections for women and children.  If you sign up with my link, you get a $20 credit and I get one, too.  It's a win for both of us. 

What I'm Eating:
I made this meatball sub casserole earlier this week and LOVED it!  My family? Not so much.  The good news is I get to enjoy the leftovers for lunch.

I'm also craving and eating a lot of Mexican food.  We've had quesadillas twice in the past seven days because they are easy to throw together, filling, and healthy.  We made a batch of chicken, black bean, cheese quesadillas and were eating within 20 minutes of coming home from the pool last Friday.  Serve with a side of chopped tomatoes and lettuce or with sour cream and salsa and a sprinkle or two of cayenne. 

What I'm Drinking:

I am all about water.  I love water.  My kids laugh when I say it is my favorite drink.  However, I've been drinking more herbal tea since I've been pregnant.  I'm not normally a fan of hot tea, but fruit teas with a pinch of sugar or a drizzle of honey is working for me right now.


What I'm Listening To:

Podcasts are my thing right now.  Since I'm all about the experience, not the speed, while I run, podcasts are like having a conversation with a friend. My faves right now are Mystery Show (non-Christian but totally clean) and Sorta Awesome (I pick and choose the episodes that are interesting to me.).

What I'm Looking Forward To: 

We have our big ultrasound in less than two weeks!  We're planning a fun way to do an informal gender reveal to our friends and family.

 
Where I'm Going:

We're going to the beach for a few hours this weekend.  We plan to get there in the afternoon and bring our dinner.  Last September we spent a day at the beach and I read for hours while the kids and Brian played in the waves.  I had the best time I've ever had at the beach, but they all felt sorry for me.  This time, I've promised the kids that since I bought a maternity swimsuit, I will get in the water with them if only for a little while.  I am not a beach kind of girl-- never have been-- but I'm making a effort to make memories and this is important to them. 

What is on your radar right now? What should I read or listen to or watch?  Any great recipes to share? 

Weekend Links...and What I'm Reading This Week

• To Moms of One or Two Children...From A Mother of Five
  
  "I now have five children, and I'm maxed totally maxed out just like I was when I had one and two and three and four. But, mothering is easier for me now than it used to be. For one reason: I need God more." 

• Why Having More Babies Isn't As Crazy As You May Think
  
  "Because somewhere in between adding more babies, and more diapers, and more laundry, you also add more perspective."

• Love is Dirty
  "It’s about giving up yourself and your resources to meet someone else’s need. Whether or not they are thankful."

• Rich Mullins Quote of the Week

And just for fun...

• Which Downton Abbey Character Are You?
  I am the Dowager Countess!

*****

A sample peek of the week's reading material:

a list on Friday

1) As of tomorrow (Saturday), there are 5 days left before Christmas.  Even if I forget, Benjamin (6) will remind me.  The first thing he says when he gets up every morning is an exuberant: 

"It's {fill-in-the-blank} days until Christmas!"

2) Yes, he is a morning person, as are all of my boys.  (They get it from me.)

3) My girls enjoy staying up late and sleeping a little later in the morning.  (They get it from Brian.)

4) Today is our dog Finn's 3rd birthday.  We are still waiting for him to settle down and lose some of his puppy-ness.

5) We completed our 20th week of school.  We've been going hard since August and now it's time for our 6-week break.  Of course, my kids don't realize that I always sneak learning into our breaks!

6) Earlier this week, we drove to the beach to see the Christmas lights.  I forgot to charge the camera batteries so it was Brian's smartphone to the rescue!  The picture quality is "meh," but at least we have something to document the night.



7) I love wrapping gifts.  This year, I've been listening to podcasts while I work which equals double the fun!

8) I haven't sent in my registration yet, but I'm about 90% committed to running a half-marathon again this spring.  I'm also planning a 10-miler in March.  That means I need to start serious training in mid-January.  There's a mix of excitement and dread surrounding that.  Brian asked me why I would do it at all if I find it so scary.  I find it hard to put into words, but I guess I love the challenge and the sense of accomplishment. 

9) We made our annual before-Christmas dinner last night. Owen and I did most of the cooking and we spread the work out through the day.  We wanted Christmas music while we stirred and mixed and basted so we picked out 5-6 CDs, put them in order, and as soon as one finished, we popped in the next.  Yes, Owen (8) and I share an affinity for organization.

10) We spent a few hours last Saturday doing nothing but looking at old December photos that are stored in folders on the computer. Photos like this one:

2008

and this one:

2010

{Weekend Links}

And So It Begins @Fabric Paper Thread
This was especially timely as our family spent the first week of December stuck on the couch, passing around the tissues and thermometer, with boxes of Christmas decorations piled in the corner of the living room.

Running After the Flu

And this was timely in an entirely different way.  I'm not training for a marathon, but I'm using the 12-Day Comeback Plan to ease my body back into physical activity. 

Second Cousins
I'm still confused, but this is interesting!

25 Things People With 5+ Siblings Know To Be True
I read the list aloud twice, once to Brian and another time to the kids.  I laughed out loud both times! We especially loved #1, #9, #13, and #19. 

Paint Chip Trees and Snowmen on a Stick
Easy crafts and memory-makers are my modus operandi around the holidays.  I also want to make cookie cutter pizzas.

Free National LEGO Event at Boscov's
My boys will be there!

Things I Love Right Now

1) Well-written Christian fiction

I find that often Christian fiction is too fluffy or too contrived and preachy for my taste.  On the other hand, with secular fiction, I have to be careful in what I select to avoid strong language or sexual situations. I love when I find high quality Christian literature.  These are two books that I have enjoyed this week (one I finished and one I'm still reading through): 

2) My WoodWick candle 

I love to hear it crackle as it sits on the counter in my kitchen and I love the autumnal pumpkin nutmeg scent.

3) Warm meals and new recipes

I cook year-round, but I've enjoyed using my oven again without overheating the rest of the house. Some of our recent favorites: buffalo mac and cheese, sausage stuffed shells, chicken piccata, and pumpkin butter muffins.

4) The Betsy series by Carolyn Haywood

I'm reading the books aloud to my girls, but since we've developed the habit of reading a chapter or two while the kids have an evening snack, the boys have been listening in, too. Written in the 1930s and 40s, the stories are quaint and simple.  We finished this one yesterday: 

5) "In-between" weather

It's November and it has been in the upper 60s so far this week.  I don't mind.  The kids have had more opportunities to play outside this fall than all through the hot, humid summer.  Our dog isn't complaining either.  He loves all the extra exercise, attention, and hugs from Alaine.

6) Dark evenings

I don't embrace change well, but I love when we return to standard time in the fall.  There is something cozy and unhurried about eating dinner when it is dark outside and then settling in for the evening.  With five kids in the house, it is rarely peaceful and quiet, but I can try to imagine it!

7)  Running with people

Aside from races, I've always run alone, but throughout the fall, I've had the chance to run with other people on the weekends.  One Saturday morning when the kids were sleeping over at their grandmother's house, Brian and I ran about six miles together.  The time flew by as we talked for the better part of an hour. I've also had the opportunity to meet up with a few people on Saturday mornings to run a three-mile route.  Again, the flow of conversation keeps my mind off of the effort.  On these runs, I don't care about the pace or the distance. I simply enjoy the companionship.

What do you love right now?  Let me know so I can love it, too!