tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62168622876577005592024-03-19T08:10:32.918-05:00Ramblings of a Young MomMama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-45296542451524798452010-01-18T15:00:00.002-06:002010-01-18T15:18:03.765-06:00Planting New Roots<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp5RzX4sHyML8tJEnrry38bgTF9hZWTPoaGiZjmip5JALRsxaeJWkM2wr86dbpxfMroHaabBIQ2BQncphNu96nWPpOdpZ78ZmJyVgXR86GJJ_dDY44rYtHeH8KWkKQkhzNiDNE_G1xWA/s1600-h/moving.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp5RzX4sHyML8tJEnrry38bgTF9hZWTPoaGiZjmip5JALRsxaeJWkM2wr86dbpxfMroHaabBIQ2BQncphNu96nWPpOdpZ78ZmJyVgXR86GJJ_dDY44rYtHeH8KWkKQkhzNiDNE_G1xWA/s320/moving.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428188737626449506" border="0" /></a><br />We had certain expectations for what our lives would look like right now. And a month from now. And six months. Even 5 years from now. But our lives have changed in an unexpectedly beautiful way. God has called our family to leave our home here in Central Illinois for a new adventure in Southern Illinois. Toby has accepted a position at Southern Illinois Healthcare in Carbondale and we have found a place to live in Carterville, just a 10 minute drive from his (soon-to-be) office.<br /><br />One huge blessing is that this is much closer to our families. We look forward to reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones. At the same time, we are sad to say goodbye to our church family and dear friends in the Chambana area. Toby has 2 weeks of work left here in Central Illinois, then we have a week to pack everything and move to our duplex in Carterville. That's not much time for closure, but it is what we have.<br /><br />Please pray with us and for us as we make this transition. We love you all so much and cherish your support.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-22396056691483135772009-11-27T08:20:00.002-06:002009-11-27T08:39:06.759-06:00Fires and ShoppingLast night was simply insane. It started with my sister, mom, <a href="http://theadventuresofsupermuscles.blogspot.com/">friend</a> and I all piling into a minivan to head to the <a href="http://www.tangeroutlet.com/midnightmadness/">Midnight Madness Sale</a>. We were almost out of C-U when my sis smelled smoke and spotted a fire. We had a bit of trouble finding it at first, but finally we found a road off of the main road that led us to the house where the corner of the roof (where the chimney was) had caught fire.<br /><br />Imagine the panic and chaos as we four women get out of the van, knock on the door only to have the owners of the house tell us "No, our house isn't on fire, we just have a fire going in the fireplace" and then shut the door. I realize it would be weird to have slightly insane, strange women at your door at 11pm on Thanksgiving evening, but we are still shaking our heads at the fact that they didn't believe us. So my sister knocked again and insisted this time that they come out. Once they saw how the fire was blazing and the smoke was rolling, they started evacuating, along with a large group of children.<br /><br />It was also quite stressful as my <a href="http://theadventuresofsupermuscles.blogspot.com/">friend</a>, who was on the phone with a 911 emergency dispatcher, kept BEGGING the occupants of the house to give us their address so that the fire department could come. In the chaos of it all, NONE of the adults would cooperate. Finally, we cornered a 10 year old girl and made her give us the house number and street name. After all the people were evacuated and the fire department arrived, we headed on to the Midnight Madness Sale.<br /><br />Now that I've had a good 3 hours of sleep, reflecting on my night is making my head spin. I'm thankful for many things this holiday season. A nice house and the safety of my family is near the top of the list.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-27110961910180971652009-11-03T14:29:00.003-06:002009-11-03T14:46:22.786-06:00What Sparked the Last PostOk friends, I promised I would share why the last post contained such a long rant. For over a year I have subscribed to a political activism newsletter called "Care2 Action" which sends me frequent newsletters about situations I should be aware of and do something about. Specifically they are grassroots efforts that involve signing petitions or donating financially to healthy & green living causes, saving the environment, keeping animals from being abused, etc.<br /><br />**If you are reading this and are <span style="font-style: italic;">shocked</span> that a gal with conservative politics <span style="font-style: italic;">actually cares</span> about these issues, well don't be. We conservatives <span style="font-weight: bold;">do care</span> about our world and resources.**<br /><br />Anyway, I've enjoyed the newsletters thus far, even if I don't agree with all that they say, until I received this email yesterday:<br /><blockquote><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >Hi Joanna,<br /><br />Every night Glenn Beck<strong> inflames the right-wing fringe</strong> with his extremist rhetoric against President Obama, but now you have a chance to call him out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(27, 138, 190);">Tell Glenn Beck what you think of his hate speech >></span><br /><br />He's called President Obama a "racist...with a deep-seated hatred for white people." He's compared health insurance reform to Nazi death camps during the Holocaust. He was the main promoter of the recent "9/12 rally" in Washington that featured vile hate speech against President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and the late Senator Ted Kennedy. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(27, 138, 190);">Call him out! >></span><br /><br />Our grassroots action has a real impact. A few weeks ago, <strong>advertisers to Beck's nightly cable news show started pulling their ads</strong> because hundreds of thousands of grassroots activists like you spoke out.<br /><br />Since this is the make or break month for President Obama's plan for health insurance reform, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(27, 138, 190);">we have to keep fighting back against Beck and his extremist attacks >></span></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><table cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" style="font-size:12px;"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td width="57" height="57"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></td> <td style="padding-left: 8px;" width="201"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >Thank you,<br />LiAnna<br />Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></blockquote><br />Ummmm...say what? Shouldn't you be rallying people to fight world hunger or save rain forests? Or maybe, if you disagree with Glenn Beck, you should spend your time convincing people that his views are incorrect? Since when did a tv show host become "the evil" that we are fighting? Should conservatives spend their time and efforts denouncing Keith Olbermann? (Hope the answer to this is apparent: Hell no! What a waste!) Here's what I wrote back to LiAnna and the Care2 team:<br /><br /><blockquote>Hello,<br /><br />I have subscribed to Care2 for some time now because I genuinely care about many of the issues facing our world. Care2 has alerted me to some causes that I previously hadn't had much awareness about. There is a lot of injustice out there--from starving children to people being forced into slavery, wildlife being destroyed, etc.<br /><br />So in light of all those important, world-changing problems that I can care about and take action toward fixing, imagine how hard I laughed when I read this ridiculous email alerting me to "fight back against Glenn Beck and his extremist attacks." Can you really be serious?<br /><br />What's more alarming, is that apparently I am a right-wing extremist because I disagree with many of President Obama's political stances. And--shock of all shocks--I agree with some of Glenn Beck's outrageous conservative political beliefs.<br /><br />I'm very sorry that you chose to be so blatantly against a tv personality you happen to disagree with and are wasting my time with a petition against him. I am now unsubscribing to your email newsletters and will no longer support your organization.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Joanna C. Samples</blockquote>Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-13661747600097167232009-11-02T10:53:00.002-06:002009-11-02T11:20:00.312-06:00Is it just easier to hate?<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote>"You've got to be taught before it's too late,<br />Before you are six or seven or eight,<br />To hate all the people your relatives hate,<br />You've got to be carefully taught!"<br />-Oscar Hammerstein, 1949 "South Pacific"</blockquote>I love the words of this song. They are typically used to describe racism, but they are very relevant to all types of hate. You can hate people based on their lifestyle, the class they were born into, the religion they practice, the color of their shoes. Pretty much anything you wish to hate people for. This is often taught to us by our parents, teachers, peers.<br /><br />Because we are living in a very politically charged moment, I want to address political hate. <span style="font-style: italic;">It is strong</span>. I hear it in conversation, see it on tv and feel tension even on the internet. (You've all probably seen or been a part of a ridiculous political argument on Facebook. I know I have.)<br /><br />To me, the two logical choices when I encounter people whose political beliefs are different than mine are to either A) live with the fact that we disagree or B) try to change their beliefs with logical discourse. But, <span style="font-weight: bold;">is it just easier to hate them instead?</span><br /><br />It sure seems like that's what our society does. Either you hate former President Bush, or you hate current President Obama. You <span style="font-weight: bold;">have to hate</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">someone</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">you disagree with</span>, right? You can't possibly show with your words and attitude that you genuinely <span style="font-weight: bold;">respect</span> both men <span style="font-weight: bold;">while disagreeing</span> with some or all of their policies. *Note the obvious sarcasm which is my desperate attempt to make a point.*<br /><br />This is something for which I have felt disdain for quite some time. This is my warning to you that I DO NOT tolerate hearing people call other people they disagree with "evil." So if you would like to bash and berate someone, that's your problem. If you want to tell me WHY you think someone is making terrible decisions, then I welcome your ideas and conversation. Believe it or not, I've had some <span style="font-style: italic;">fruitful conversations with people of opposing ideas who've actually changed my mind about my political beliefs</span>. (I know, shock of all shocks, right?)<br /><br />More about what inspired this post tomorrow. Stay tuned!Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-87897209544442117062009-10-02T07:36:00.000-05:002009-10-02T07:37:30.256-05:00Good night, Willie Lee, I'll see you in the morning.“Good night, Willie Lee, I’ll see you in the morning” by Alice Walker <p>Looking down into my father’s<br />dead face<br />for the last time<br />my mother said without<br />tears, without smiles<br />without regrets<br />but with civility<br />“Good night, Willie Lee, I’ll see you<br />in the morning.”<br />And it was then I knew that the healing<br />of all our wounds<br />is forgiveness<br />that permits a promise of our return<br />at the end.</p>Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-63582074883941379142009-09-26T13:42:00.005-05:002009-09-26T13:47:16.957-05:00Surviving a Loss<a href="http://www.seemamarun.com/2009/09/when-joy-takes-abrupt-about-face.html">On my other blog</a>, I announced yesterday the recent death of our unborn baby. Last night we made a trip to the emergency room where I finished the labor and delivery of our precious child. He or she was alive inside my womb for about 9 weeks.<br /><br />Molly Piper, who suffered the loss of a child just 2 years ago, had this to say on <a href="http://thepipers.wordpress.com/category/grief/">her blog</a>:<br /><blockquote>So if you’re a mom like me, living without one (or more) of your children, take heart that this is indeed one of the hardest things you will ever live through. But that also means that you lived.<br /><br />The lines around your eyes will deepen. But that also means you’ve seen. You’ve seen the chaos of pain. Your eyes have and will shed tears for people in their pain that you could’ve never understood before. This is a blessed gift.<br /><br />Hold on with me. We’re gonna make it. We might not be the happy-go-lucky gals we used to be, but our lives here will tell stories of indescribable loss and the love of a God who made us to be exactly who we are—every line, every gray hair. None of it is wasted.</blockquote><br /><br />Amen.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-1913043254535407182009-09-14T13:33:00.006-05:002009-09-14T15:10:08.293-05:00Saving BIG Money on Groceries<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkZnqDdxAfm4QrQlCM3gxzXhij2lhvbKiefyCPi4hKG30OgtOJK_ud3oQMrK1i2kwSCEoZKQokI0UMPzvCi5vVgvRqdCTCQO2lrUAPID09CKUk_bFUIYOOt_agJgxP2kXa3CmRWTKmxQ/s1600-h/Money_Coins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkZnqDdxAfm4QrQlCM3gxzXhij2lhvbKiefyCPi4hKG30OgtOJK_ud3oQMrK1i2kwSCEoZKQokI0UMPzvCi5vVgvRqdCTCQO2lrUAPID09CKUk_bFUIYOOt_agJgxP2kXa3CmRWTKmxQ/s320/Money_Coins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381393746451636738" border="0" /></a>I love money. As a kid one of my favorite things to do was count and roll change. The feel of the coins in my hands always made me dream about the things that could be bought with it. Now that I'm a responsible, <span style="font-style: italic;">ahem</span>, adult I realize that money doesn't just buy stuff--it buys <span style="font-weight: bold;">freedom</span>. Toby and I have the freedom to live in our very own house, use heating and air conditioning to make our lives comfortable, give to our church and to charity, buy gas for our cars...you get the picture. After all of our expenses are covered, that doesn't leave much money for food. And we like to eat. <span style="font-style: italic;">Silly us, right?</span><br /><br />Saving money on groceries and toiletries has, in the past, consisted of just doing without, sometimes even going without things we really needed. Don't get me wrong, I still don't get to buy the junk food I crave (which is a good thing for my wallet and my health) but now I've learned how to get things we need and want <span style="font-weight: bold;">while spending half</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">of what I used to spend each month.</span><br /><br />Before I share my secrets with you, let me just say that <span style="font-weight: bold;">you do NOT have to do any of the things I do</span>. In fact, if using coupons or shopping at certain stores horrifies you, by all means don't do it. But please don't waste time telling me why you can't do those things. You can do anything if you want to, but you don't have to either. <span style="font-style: italic;">That's the beauty of living in a free country</span>.<br /><br />My first and biggest secret I have learned is to <span style="font-weight: bold;">subscribe to money saving blogs</span> where very dedicated people have already done all the work for you. They will tell you what the best deals are at certain stores every week and where to find the coupons and how to score the deals. All you do is clip the coupons and go. It's a beautiful thing. Check out <a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/">Money Saving Mom</a>, <a href="http://www.couponladyonline.com/">Super Savvy Shopping</a>, <a href="http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/">Jane4Girls</a>, or someone local to you.<br /><br />The next thing I've learned is to <span style="font-weight: bold;">buy most of my groceries at Aldi</span>. Several people in my life, including my dear husband, grew up in poverty and have very negative associations with this grocery store. Those issues aren't there for me, so I have no qualms about walking into Aldi and buying milk for $1.49, eggs for $0.88, bread for $1.49, etc. Sweet Baby James <span style="font-weight: bold;">LOVES </span>the cinnamon graham crackers from Aldi and doesn't mind that they aren't "name brand." I will caution you that there is a learning curve--you have to figure out which items at Aldi taste good and which don't. Since I'm VERY PICKY and like HIGH QUALITY ingredients, I would be happy to share my experiences with you anytime, just ask. I used to spend $100 a week on groceries at County Market or Wal-Mart--last week at Aldi my entire week of food cost $42.15. We were ecstactic!<br /><br />The other trick I've learned (again, read those money saving blogs!) is how to use coupons correctly to <span style="font-weight: bold;">get toiletries and groceries for FREE </span>or for just pennies on the dollar. This is *usually* done at CVS and Walgreens, but sometimes Target, Meijer or Wal-Mart. Most of us don't use coupons well and don't stock up on items when they are cheap. My good friend <a href="http://www.couponladyonline.com/">Coupon Lady</a> really opened my eyes to this. Coupon shopping is very effective, gratifying and downright fun, but it does require good organizational skills (which<span style="font-style: italic;"> can</span> be learned, trust me) and some space in your house or garage to store the stocked up items.<br /><br />Some other money saving websites that may interest you are:<br /><a href="http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/">Baby Cheapskate</a><br /><a href="http://slickdeals.net/">Slick Deals</a><br /><br />What are some ways that YOU save money? I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and ideas.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-57333585291648630602009-09-08T07:40:00.002-05:002009-09-08T07:58:53.015-05:00Back to School Speech from the President<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQw9_9466YYpmFljXpQDuXHacMKjerW1GO6MAjeyz8i1A6JVeh2hmuDMW_WftKol2EYB4m0ds1aIADHdunicOSM8loiitRFLxwJDG7XRRbWV8msdLGRKB1VS04pCNaaRY7cLpiZPGFfcE/s1600-h/Barack+Obama+Capitol.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQw9_9466YYpmFljXpQDuXHacMKjerW1GO6MAjeyz8i1A6JVeh2hmuDMW_WftKol2EYB4m0ds1aIADHdunicOSM8loiitRFLxwJDG7XRRbWV8msdLGRKB1VS04pCNaaRY7cLpiZPGFfcE/s320/Barack+Obama+Capitol.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379080185895809666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There's been a lot of talk about President Obama speaking to our children today via internet in classrooms across the country. It turns out that the whole thing has been blown completely out of proportion by some of us conservatives. His speech (though I've only read excerpts, quite honestly) is a fantastic message to our youth to work hard in school and in life. Check out the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1989_ive_read_the_presidents_speech_amazing/">gist of the message according to John Piper at the Desiring God blog</a>.<br /><br />Let me be clear that I still want to be understanding to those who were weirded out by this whole thing. At first, I was under the impression that the content of Barack Obama's speech was NOT going to be made available to parents ahead of time. That is a bit unnerving to those of us who A) do not believe Obama is infallible and B) were unsure if this was a political endeavor to push his current agendas.<br /><br />Quite frankly, I don't want public policy to be blindly pushed on my children whether it is policy with which I agree or disagree. My goal is to raise human beings who actually know <span style="font-style: italic;">what </span>I believe/think and <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span>, and then are able to logically come to their own conclusions. And<span style="font-weight: bold;"> let's be honest</span>, I hope that they come to many of the same conclusions I have come to. Anyone who says that they wouldn't enjoy that is lying to you or lying to themselves. <span style="font-weight: bold;">But more than that</span>, I want for my kids (and I hope you want for yours) to learn how to critically think through everything so that they have solid reasons for the principles they stand on, no matter what those principles may turn out to be.<br /><br />Random thought: Isn't it totally weird that I now can say I have childREN? It feels weird to me.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-18951342320399716162009-08-31T07:54:00.004-05:002009-08-31T08:21:05.846-05:00Grieving the Loss of Mike SamplesMike Samples passed away yesterday morning. He was staying with his twin sister at her home and she insisted that he go to the hospital because he wasn't well. She went to change her clothes and he said he wanted a nap instead. By the time she changed her clothes and came back to Mike he had peacefully passed away.<br /><br />There is some relief in knowing his two decade long fight with AIDS is over. Also a severe diabetic, he often had major blood sugar spikes and dips which made him pass out. Over the past year he has suffered blockages, surgeries and organs shutting down. The pain and suffering is finally over.<br /><br />Although Mike is my husband's half-brother, I didn't know him very well. But I will never forget the light in his eyes when he held my Sweet Baby James for the first time. He was delighted to see the sweet smile of a child who looked so much like his brother Toby.<br /><br />Mike's battle may be over, but there is still a lot of unfinished business. Please pray for our family as we grieve this loss. I am very sad that Mike never knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He desperately needed God's grace, mercy, love and forgiveness. I am also sad that he didn't find acceptance in this world. Many people who mistakenly assumed they would have to accept Mike's homosexual lifestyle in order to love and respect him decided to reject him completely. Most of those people are still ignorant of the consequences of their actions, but some are having to deal with their past choices and are having a hard time coping now that there is no chance for reconciliation.<br /><br />While we didn't always agree with Mike's choices, we genuinely loved him. From the way Mike interacted with us, I believe he knew this and loved us too. Thank you for your prayers and sensitivity at this time. We found out the news as we drove to church yesterday morning, but we didn't turn around to go home because we knew that our loving family at Temple Baptist would be waiting there to support us and help us through this time. I can't thank you enough for those who have given us their condolences and offered to help in any way they can.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-58636301355987292182009-08-25T10:12:00.004-05:002009-08-25T10:28:54.437-05:00Pregnancy & Exercise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsLOC6Ssic0QT10OaiPk5iOmtIZgWq486TCNIqdA6uFV7FKuoHOil2nH3VP9b6LQHnLbVlEvwT9x70JlAdRCtGIdwYm-aHWFzx1FbTAS9I2UD-sWKQ0IloKcasrJTfWSwGTwgdUToIO4/s1600-h/beached-whale.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsLOC6Ssic0QT10OaiPk5iOmtIZgWq486TCNIqdA6uFV7FKuoHOil2nH3VP9b6LQHnLbVlEvwT9x70JlAdRCtGIdwYm-aHWFzx1FbTAS9I2UD-sWKQ0IloKcasrJTfWSwGTwgdUToIO4/s400/beached-whale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373921473292370322" border="0" /></a>A second pregnancy is much different than a first. For example, with my first pregnancy I wasn't showing until about 3 months along. As opposed to this pregnancy, where 6 weeks into being pregnant <span style="font-style: italic;">the beach ball tummy has already emerged</span>. With my first pregnancy I felt fantastic for the first trimester, minus the increase in allergy/sinus issues. This time around I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">riding the nausea waves</span> and feeling pretty miserable in addition to the aforementioned allergy/sinus issues.<br /><br />Nonetheless, I'm exercising with my preggo neighbor and doing prenatal yoga. <span style="font-style: italic;">Oh, and I'm still doing that whole running 4 miles 3 times a week thing.</span> If you live in my neighborhood, please don't tell me how much I look like Santa Claus as I run by your house. <span style="font-weight: bold;">No matter where you live, DO go check out the News-Gazette</span> for the (almost) full page, color article about my <a href="http://www.seemamarun.com/">See Mama Ru</a><a href="http://www.seemamarun.com/">n</a> effort. Thus far we've raised $250 for the West Side Park.<br /><br />(In case you haven't figured it out yet, the picture above is a beached whale.)Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-80512757103762211052009-08-17T07:25:00.003-05:002009-08-17T07:36:10.068-05:00See Mama Run<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PwX65VDbXeNd679P6auoSutzY8exupmLEVpQ6__mVa_CRpAIurZSTUJOvqjXk8BSO4XyU1WCUsxmf48NqbE5uuNVfqBsFPwCW4GJcYVBRpNL1j05OK8eVnXczB2NGm5ScOLHRbj4MY4/s1600-h/DSC_0065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PwX65VDbXeNd679P6auoSutzY8exupmLEVpQ6__mVa_CRpAIurZSTUJOvqjXk8BSO4XyU1WCUsxmf48NqbE5uuNVfqBsFPwCW4GJcYVBRpNL1j05OK8eVnXczB2NGm5ScOLHRbj4MY4/s400/DSC_0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370908433458824082" border="0" /></a><br />I just launched a new blog called <a href="http://www.seemamarun.com/">See Mama Run</a>. This is an effort to raise money for playground equipment at our local park. See those swings in the picture above? That is <span style="font-weight: bold;">the only piece of equipment we have</span>. Pretty lame, huh?<br /><br />Our children deserve more than a rusty set of swings! Please check out my blog to read more about my commitment to run 5.5 miles in October. I need you, dear readers, to do one or more of the following things:<br /><ul><li>Contribute financially--even $1/mile will be a big help!</li><li>Become a supporter of my <a href="http://www.SeeMamaRun.com">See Mama Run blog</a>--you can log in on the left hand side to do this.</li><li>Tell everyone you know to visit my blog--the more visits the site receives the more donations West Side Park will receive and *hopefully* some advertisers will contribute too!</li></ul>If anyone reading this has any contacts in the local media and is willing to help me get their attention (like the News-Gazette, WCIA3, etc.) please let me know!<br /><br />Thanks for supporting me. It means more to me than you could ever know.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-26162751935073560712009-08-13T08:03:00.004-05:002009-08-13T08:12:41.456-05:00The weird pregnancy dreams have begun!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3mkLM8t-BOWPO4Rk9Ckznhg0PUe_itE_9dRLnAF3DhCfVrbEBU0WaOVnkTNTt9gQmwI6DR6BEVI39Ut0L23psRXVkxz2UmSeY7Uezq8aQbgRV9nIMgDnD4jyvBxPF6DIIZvtscOxKiA/s1600-h/Elvis-Presley-brv01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3mkLM8t-BOWPO4Rk9Ckznhg0PUe_itE_9dRLnAF3DhCfVrbEBU0WaOVnkTNTt9gQmwI6DR6BEVI39Ut0L23psRXVkxz2UmSeY7Uezq8aQbgRV9nIMgDnD4jyvBxPF6DIIZvtscOxKiA/s320/Elvis-Presley-brv01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369435304785532978" border="0" /></a><br />Last night I was in an Elvis movie. Well, not really a movie, it was sort of real but it had the plot of pretty much every Elvis movie ever made. And <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elvis was pursuing me</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Did I mention that this was a dream? </span>My mom was a widow and I had a rebellious sister--rebellious because she wore <span style="font-weight: bold;">jeans</span> and hung around with a <span style="font-weight: bold;">boy</span>. [Scandalous, no?] I, on the other hand, wore skirts like a good girl and helped my mother around the house. <span style="font-style: italic;">This was the 1950's after all.</span><br /><br />Elvis came to install an appliance in our home and became intent upon courting me, going so far as to invite himself to dinner and charm my mother into letting me take a <span style="font-weight: bold;">chaperoned </span>walk with him. <span style="font-style: italic;">Much to my disappointment</span>, I woke up from the dream just as he was about to sing "Love Me Tender" with the guitar he just happened to pull out of nowhere.<br /><br />Pregnancy hormones are <span style="font-style: italic;">so weird</span>.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-66820224812138059142009-08-12T16:18:00.010-05:002009-08-12T17:23:07.743-05:00When I'm Wrong, I'm Way WrongThe surprise post today was <span style="font-style: italic;">supposed</span> to be this big announcement about <span style="font-weight: bold;">running a half marathon</span> in May to raise money for our local park. I was pretty psyched to announce my <span style="font-weight: bold;">new website</span> as well as the website for our local neighborhood watch program [which is in charge of raising money for playground equipment].<br /><br />But apparently, <span style="font-weight: bold;">God has other plans</span>. It seems I'm going to be too busy to run the half marathon in May.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBTSGghnbTWTdQ_7QvVYKE5RUKvrMGOxXQFDx7eAbJYX5fvEQbriuSAw58evg-9Htg-VRunaEMnT3uZj1E3rOngChR23wxSK488b9aYcygbKFRlCvBGkEsyUhA6_bMcf-bPZMiJHKFsU/s1600-h/JamesBigBro+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBTSGghnbTWTdQ_7QvVYKE5RUKvrMGOxXQFDx7eAbJYX5fvEQbriuSAw58evg-9Htg-VRunaEMnT3uZj1E3rOngChR23wxSK488b9aYcygbKFRlCvBGkEsyUhA6_bMcf-bPZMiJHKFsU/s320/JamesBigBro+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369190417656956882" border="0" /></a><br />In case you didn't catch that, let me make it even more clear:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1Ptdziqqt75O7R93wiwZ-tRS58wABeKZm4kDxygELaUN3AdYPmryG_c3VJO0srSipPK-fR7v8FnH54a6FKoF4mo49krMvhpV0K-44t8MCj2W1QL6DtF__dD7NvSspak3zzHo_7g6Uzg/s1600-h/JamesBigBro+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1Ptdziqqt75O7R93wiwZ-tRS58wABeKZm4kDxygELaUN3AdYPmryG_c3VJO0srSipPK-fR7v8FnH54a6FKoF4mo49krMvhpV0K-44t8MCj2W1QL6DtF__dD7NvSspak3zzHo_7g6Uzg/s400/JamesBigBro+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369191888838780642" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, this is me eating some crow. I assure you I had <span style="font-weight: bold;">no idea</span> that there was a new baby growing inside of me when I posted that there was a big surprise coming your way. When I'm wrong...I'm way wrong. <span style="font-style: italic;">But sometimes those "wrongs" are big blessings. </span>And this particular blessing will be making his/her entrance into this world around the middle of April. So, <span style="font-weight: bold;">SURPRISE to you and to me.</span>Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-67454672617499778392009-08-10T14:29:00.004-05:002009-08-10T15:05:40.458-05:00Blog Makeover<div>Hello Readers! Happy Great Mom Monday!</div><br /><div>In honor of GMM, I took my Sweet Baby James and his friends to Curtis Orchard for some yummy apple donuts, apple cider, and [of course] apples! The weather was perfect and the company [moms and kids from our meetup group] was fantastic.</div><div> </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368428371937668434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3W0-VSCGsidA-PtqGFUacWMm1jiwRumT0FxN6Fwj4kZ9grsFHlXfPABYDSaP8GFNdti8uQAuC-iyyWJ0WzTsYxcH90FDybf4QE60BrciI_518nnFKi7SR2LKz2cVfJ-1E6xzQItzIpR8/s400/CurtisOrchardAug09+110.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><div>As you may have already noticed, this blog just received a, <em>ahem</em>, much needed makeover. This Mama is becoming more tech savvy and digging into the world of web design. Unfortunately I can't take credit for this beautiful template, but I'm beginning to understand the language behind it. Please pardon my dust as the tweaking and fixing of the template begins.</div><br /><div>Oh, and hold on to your socks. I've got a surprise that may knock them off! </div><br /><div><em>And no, there is NOT a baby on the way. I know what you were thinking. Shame on you for jumping to conclusions.</em> ;-)</div>Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-16771211121055052752009-08-02T06:18:00.003-05:002009-08-10T15:10:29.782-05:00Win FREE Diapers!Check out <a href="http://www.clothdiaperblog.com/feed-your-stash-3-bumgenius-deluxe-aios-1-babylegs/#comment-11110">this website</a> for your chance to win free diapers AND a pair of BabyLegs!Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-79072104686980688922009-07-20T18:23:00.004-05:002009-07-20T18:36:44.645-05:00Running on Empty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjham0vqc1B7ziEkHfrbAqg1N5wsrrgfKX-KYgOge4jnwjqd1N5RQKe62mkfF1xSR5bw9wEGtNaatJPkJrXpz-PZljZl1WKccWNi4uWvbrTxHG5G26hKEdc5oLsWdvkCF92Fvk-An9kxgU/s1600-h/running-empty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjham0vqc1B7ziEkHfrbAqg1N5wsrrgfKX-KYgOge4jnwjqd1N5RQKe62mkfF1xSR5bw9wEGtNaatJPkJrXpz-PZljZl1WKccWNi4uWvbrTxHG5G26hKEdc5oLsWdvkCF92Fvk-An9kxgU/s320/running-empty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360690401052995442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If you are a parent, you've probably experienced this phenomena. Some days (or maybe even every day) it seems that you are running on empty. You aren't getting enough sleep, have given into eating a poor diet and are mentally fatigued. It makes you feel like a sack of crap, for lack of better example. It sabotages creativity, productivity and <a href="http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/Information/item/Can+Lack+of+Sleep+Make+You+Gain+Weight%3F?archiveChannel=Home%2FArticle&clicked=true">even your weight</a>.<br /><br />I wish there was a quick and easy answer to prevent burnout [because I'd sure make a lot of money by selling that information!] but I <span style="font-weight: bold;">do</span> know that we simply aren't designed to give and give without recharging on a regular basis. As I type this, I feel that I'm running on empty and need to recharge, but don't really have the luxury of time to do so. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Praise God</span> that we are being whisked away on vacation in a very short amount of time! It is a much needed break. And I fully intend to have a day [which probably really means half a day] of kid-free time, all to myself at some point during that week.<br /><br />Fill'er up, I'm running on E.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-73628256159473040882009-07-10T13:00:00.002-05:002009-08-10T14:26:06.242-05:00Running 3.2 miles isn't so bad...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpnFcO7wAt5edRtmcmtoUZwNF8e4zwNSUnSg5XfEEK3dUgjTqzMJNDXhyXbouFPzZNQTChDLq_jcWAtZtO_44A8lv2f39Dq2eLdFRzu-BL1USJWMoX-symMnsGYSbT7rx-04lv0-74VI/s1600-h/HalfMarathon070311C_0018-707251.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356822665654016226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 263px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpnFcO7wAt5edRtmcmtoUZwNF8e4zwNSUnSg5XfEEK3dUgjTqzMJNDXhyXbouFPzZNQTChDLq_jcWAtZtO_44A8lv2f39Dq2eLdFRzu-BL1USJWMoX-symMnsGYSbT7rx-04lv0-74VI/s400/HalfMarathon070311C_0018-707251.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />...but 13.1 sounds a bit nutty. Don't even get me started on the whole 26.2 miles thing. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Are you marathoners totally insane, or what?</span> Anyway, I'm publicly committing to run the Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on May 1st, 2010 at the <a href="http://www.illinoismarathon.com/">Illinois Marathon</a>. Now it's your turn to hold me accountable to this. In fact at any point in time from this day forward until the marathon, I give you full permission to harass me about how much [how little] I've been running that particular week.<br /><br />In addition, expect to hear lots of groaning, complaining, whining and general unhappiness about my current lifestyle choice. And don't be surprised if I start fantasizing about an open bag of Doritos, a LaZboy recliner and a Gilmore Girls marathon. [Cause really, that's the kind of marathon that <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">I'm</span> used to, one that involves the active participation of changing the DVD when we run out of episodes to watch.]Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-58195863206601371782009-07-10T07:46:00.004-05:002009-07-10T07:57:42.653-05:00FAIL Friday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aHBBnY4HNiB_hudyzV8zhg7aAVsRPQ8EUPnRA2ECeLo-u30C4I3dld9P9-arE-qi9KKgwE_atfmb33Nwp4xSBziic3cn1Bv1Ugeg7uyrhW-JiInWIeaSd3FTV4OM9VHs0AF6WA-hKX0/s1600-h/MudIsGood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aHBBnY4HNiB_hudyzV8zhg7aAVsRPQ8EUPnRA2ECeLo-u30C4I3dld9P9-arE-qi9KKgwE_atfmb33Nwp4xSBziic3cn1Bv1Ugeg7uyrhW-JiInWIeaSd3FTV4OM9VHs0AF6WA-hKX0/s400/MudIsGood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356814879775030498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Welcome to this edition of FAIL! Friday. Hope your week has gone well and you haven't experienced too many FAILs this week yourself. Mine happened just yesterday and I have to say, it was pretty darn cute. If it weren't so disgusting, I would've made James recreate it so I could take a picture.<br /><br />Our yard is in the midst of a makeover, with a truly ambitious landscaping project underway. The tiger lilies desperately needed to be transplanted, the ground needs to be dug up for the edgers, and we need to get some landscaping rocks....all that is to say, I'm feeling the pinch and needed to focus on something <span style="font-weight: bold;">other than James</span>. Which means: <span style="font-weight: bold;">WHATEVER MAKES JAMES QUIET, JAMES GETS TO DO </span>while Mama is busy. Don't lie--you've let your kids do crazy stuff while you were busy too.<br /><br />On this particular day, what made James quiet was <span style="font-weight: bold;">drinking out of the water hose</span>. Not too bad, you might be thinking, but you didn't see how <span style="font-weight: bold;">muddy</span> this water hose was. I look over at James only to see his mouth <span style="font-weight: bold;">covered with mud</span>. And a great big smile. <span style="font-style: italic;">Who knew mud tasted so yummy?</span>Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-31625208572820599482009-07-06T13:36:00.003-05:002009-08-10T14:39:21.822-05:00Runnin' Fool<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bB6tA0cpU92vpBVtgivOg3NND47Ix0uatTX52kttsyUenJYA1n6-9D7h6wO6FeIi02PU4ybiiGW0BxuYVAPdbsXNG8quirQ0hOhHXaKucbioUClosY00nay3DdO5N3YBhxJfGg3_JqA/s1600-h/california-runner-748829-sw.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355418020374178722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bB6tA0cpU92vpBVtgivOg3NND47Ix0uatTX52kttsyUenJYA1n6-9D7h6wO6FeIi02PU4ybiiGW0BxuYVAPdbsXNG8quirQ0hOhHXaKucbioUClosY00nay3DdO5N3YBhxJfGg3_JqA/s400/california-runner-748829-sw.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Those of you who follow my tweets know that my DH and I ran a 5k in the rain on Saturday. It was good for me to have another 5k run, even though I was not prepared <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">at all</span> this time. My awesome neighbor who helped me train for the Illinois Marathon 5k was on vacation this time around, but has agreed to train with me for a 10k in August.<br /><br />We ran/walked about 3.5 miles today. Here we go again...Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-77505504173565330322009-06-28T18:47:00.004-05:002009-08-10T14:26:29.454-05:00Great Mom MondaysBy special request from <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6216862287657700559&postID=3165498668238865146">libbygirl</a>, I bring to you Great Mom Mondays. This is the post where I tell you something fantastic that I have done/am doing for my Sweet Baby James or my wonderful husband Toby.<br /><br />This week's "Great Mom Award" is given to me for feeding my family healthy foods. It is such a thrill to me that my 16 month old child can't get enough fruit and veggies every day. This spring I planted a garden and just picked my very first zucchini on Saturday. With a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh garlic, basil, topped with cheese, the zucchini baked very nicely. James and I (and even Toby!) couldn't get over how yummy it was!Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-31654986682388651462009-06-26T08:00:00.001-05:002009-06-26T08:00:46.615-05:00FAIL FridaysIn an attempt to A) blog more and B) be real, I present to you a little something called <span style="font-weight: bold;">FAIL! Fridays</span>. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, although you <span style="font-style: italic;">probably</span> thought that I am the most <span style="font-style: italic;">perfect parent</span> in the entire world (sarcasm is dripping here, in case you didn't catch it), actually I mess up quite a bit. And not just in a "Oh, I forgot to starch that pair of jeans when I ironed every piece of laundry" kind of fail. I'm talking about failing on a <span style="font-weight: bold;">bigger</span>, much <span style="font-weight: bold;">funnier</span> scale.<br /><br />Like the time when Sweet Baby James was 11 months old and I didn't yet realize how long his arms were. The boy could reach things on the kitchen table that were not on the edge. Did I know this? Nope. So I left a (cold) cup of coffee on the table.<br /><br />James picked it up, walked down the hall to the office where I was busy typing and talking on the cell phone. I turn around to see him <span style="font-style: italic;">chugging</span> the coffee. So instead of being the rational, calm Mama who handles the situation well, I excitedly say "<span style="font-weight: bold;">JAMES AARON!</span>" which causes my child to throw the coffee cup across the room, meaning the rest of the coffee then had to be scrubbed out of my beige carpet.<br /><br />And in case you are wondering, he<span style="font-weight: bold;"> did</span> bounce of the walls and it <span style="font-weight: bold;">was</span> a nightmare to get him to sleep that night.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-83219580124164087552009-06-25T10:38:00.000-05:002009-06-25T10:38:24.981-05:00Mom Jobs<a href="http://mama2sweetbabyjames.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-i-work.html">Like I said yesterday</a>, I desire to work in order to pay off my mortgage quicker. But I'm not willing to spend a lot of time away from my Sweet Baby James. And paying babysitters to watch your kid while you work is EXPENSIVE! [Can I hear an amen?]<br /><br />So what to do?<br /><br />Here are some jobs I've tried in the past/am currently trying. This is <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> an exhaustive list of job opportunities, by any means, but it may be of some help to you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Kay Consultant </span>- I used to be active in the Mary Kay company before mommyhood. It was a great job. Really! It was super easy to make $100/hour and it was fun to go have girl-time and laughter while making money. My biggest reasons for not continuing is that A) I don't want to be away from my son and husband at night and that was my best time to do parties B) I'm not taking care of my skin anymore and it shows. Mentally, I can't imagine trying to tell women they should take care of themselves when clearly I am not doing it myself. Rather sad, yes?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day Care Worker</span> - Working at <a href="http://www.kids1stchildcare.org/">Kids 1st</a> was a blast. I worked there until my due date and contemplated working there after James' birth. But there are a few foreseeable problems with this. The first is that although they are INCREDIBLY GENEROUS to allow employees to take breaks every 2 hours to breastfeed, it has to be scheduled. And my child wanted to nurse more often than that. If you feel that nursing on demand is important, well tough luck sister. Cloth diapering would not have been possible either since licensed daycare facilities don't do it. Also, if I would've stayed there in my spot in the 2's room, I would've spent the entire day looking out my door across the hall to the baby room where my son would be. Not actually getting to bond with him, just looking at him from a distance. Not fun. Financially it wouldn't have helped me much because HALF of my paycheck would have gone BACK to the daycare. (Yes, they charge the employees for using the daycare.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nannying/Babysitting</span> - This is by far my <span style="font-style: italic;">favorite</span> job. Since the birth of James I have nannied for 2 different families. This can be tricky because it's a big relationship between you, your child, the children you babysit and the parents of the child you babysit. There's a TON of factors to consider, such as: How many kids can you realistically watch including your own? Does your child's personality mesh well with the other children? How many hours a week are you comfortable working and how many hours do the parents need? Where are you going to babysit, in your own home or theirs? Are you willing to drive with the kids to practices, playdates, etc.? Despite all the work it requires to figure this all out, when you find a great family and develop a relationship with them that works well for all involved, babysitting can be the most spectacular job. And MAJOR BONUS: You still get to be with your child all day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Delivering Newspapers</span> - On Wednesdays I deliver a newspaper called "The Accent" which is the free version of the <a href="http://www.news-gazette.com/">News-Gazette</a>. This is a fantastic job because it isn't scheduled for you--as long as you get the paper delivered by 7pm every Wednesday you get paid for it. My typical routine is to get up early on Wednesdays and put James in a stroller and do half of the route, (1 hour 15 minutes). Then I put the route on pause, go babysit (which is a stone's throw away from my route) and after my day of babysitting the Mom I nanny for babysits James while I do the other half of the route (1 hour). If I did this all in one chunk, sans kid, it would only take 2 hours. This doesn't pay extremely well since there are very few hours involved, but it is really good exercise!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now it's your turn.</span> Do you have any [legit] part-time job ideas? Do you have ideas about how to work with your child in tow or finding inexpensive childcare?Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-48344154978630732092009-06-24T13:10:00.004-05:002009-06-24T14:10:04.263-05:00Why I Work<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnydAjTbGOAyKvEuTLyapVgyBF0KGd_2qo6u0NlLtqxHOp1tNc2M3XDifzIbTDt8bgnOuFJbmK2-T4aHcNQD4Zmsl1Zu_Kstpc3Bn99nj7k4B_ChNQ1aM7aFoZXGkd1nGaZbAjplIkvg/s1600-h/workingmom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnydAjTbGOAyKvEuTLyapVgyBF0KGd_2qo6u0NlLtqxHOp1tNc2M3XDifzIbTDt8bgnOuFJbmK2-T4aHcNQD4Zmsl1Zu_Kstpc3Bn99nj7k4B_ChNQ1aM7aFoZXGkd1nGaZbAjplIkvg/s320/workingmom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350958669644250322" border="0" /></a>The subject of Working Moms vs Stay At Home Moms is a touchy subject and a complicated one at best. At the risk of offending or alienating friends (so sorry in advance if anyone takes it personally--it's not meant to point fingers or deem any mom right or wrong in their life choices) I would like to delve into why I consider myself <span style="font-style: italic;">both</span> a Working Mom (WM) and a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM).<br /><br />Ahem. [Deep breath.]<br /><br />I am a WM because I work. Simple logic, yes? Currently I have two jobs: babysitting for a friend in her home and delivering a weekly newspaper (more about that tomorrow). So 4 days a week I work outside my home.<br /><br />But I'm still sort of a SAHM because, excluding the 1 hour a week in which I deliver the paper sans Sweet Baby James, he is with me every second of the day. (Trust me, I've tried to lose him. He always comes back. <span style="font-weight: bold;">J/K </span>of course!!!) So while we may not be physically in my house 24/7, I get the joy and responsibility of being with my child full-time.<br /><br />Interestingly, many wonderful, caring mamas around me have given me very very different advice about this. Some, like my <a href="http://theadventuresofsupermuscles.blogspot.com/">MommyPal </a>, would tell you that she will make whatever sacrifices necessary to be at home with her little ones and working is not an option for her. She values spending as much time as possible with them and being the full-time educator/nurturer/cook/etc. for her family. On the flip side, a former boss told me that she truly felt working full time and having her kids in daycare is the only way to go--she felt fulfilled, her kids loved daycare, her husband was happy, and she never felt like a "tired, old mom."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Just so you know</span>, there is middle ground too! A very wise, seasoned Mom that I crop with has told me that she is a better mom when she works part-time. And she has been blessed to have her husband watch her children while they were very young and then taken them to preschool part-time when they were a bit older. (She also highly recommends teaching college courses as a mom job--she found that she could teach while the children were taking their naps and then be done in time to pick them up afterward so she didn't miss any of their day!)<br /><br />In case you don't know/couldn't tell, I tend to fall into the "staying at home is best" mindset, but at the same time I want more for myself. <span style="font-style: italic;">That's right</span>, I'm not lying to myself and pretending it's all about James. <span style="font-style: italic;">It's not</span>. You see, there's this lofty ambition tossing about in my head that my <span style="font-weight: bold;">mortgage will be paid off in 2020</span>. That's only 11 years away, and we've only been paying on the house for 3 years. The idea of being 36 years old with a paid off mortgage makes me swoon. How <span style="font-weight: bold;">crazy/awesome</span> would that be?<br /><br />Call me a <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/cms/index.cfm?intContentID=2867">Dave Ramsey</a> fangirl if you must, but it's my dream. Toby and I haven't been the best with money, we've made our share of mistakes along the way. (We've even had credit cards before but *shhhhh!* don't tell Dave!) Currently though, we have no debt other than our mortgage and we have 2 months living expenses saved up in case <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/cms/emergency_fund_kick_murphy_out_9551.htmlc">Murphy</a> comes to visit. That's a great <span style="font-weight: bold;">start</span>--but we can do even better! We are willing to work hard in order to pay off our mortgage FASTER than we have to, because the payoff (thousands of dollars in saved interest, financial freedom, psychological benefits of being out of debt, etc.) is totally <span style="font-weight: bold;">worth it</span>.<br /><br />At the same time, this is <span style="font-weight: bold;">a challenge</span> because I want to be with my child as much as possible. I want to teach him what I value and believe. I want to spend as much of his day with him that I can because he will be off to college before we can blink. Hence, my quest to find part-time work that will benefit my family financially without sacrificing too much of my precious time.<br /><br />Tomorrow's blog post: Mom Jobs.<br />Jobs that I have tried, others I might be willing to try. Your experiences and input welcome!Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-31225831642631647182009-06-22T18:19:00.004-05:002009-06-22T18:29:44.816-05:00One of those days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXwZjXkgV2KpvO4O1a1mFyb4VOk24idAu6G9UI2wXxwSbRiiQmrxZwf_vE2Pt5PhHcC4qhypjV3R_W6eiWW_jfS-sNw33lnuKgWKDnAed6vKn-7kRvmTNhYGQ39R0h4CxCxc2fzAaNcg/s1600-h/Pull_Hair_out.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXwZjXkgV2KpvO4O1a1mFyb4VOk24idAu6G9UI2wXxwSbRiiQmrxZwf_vE2Pt5PhHcC4qhypjV3R_W6eiWW_jfS-sNw33lnuKgWKDnAed6vKn-7kRvmTNhYGQ39R0h4CxCxc2fzAaNcg/s320/Pull_Hair_out.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350295821256890130" border="0" /></a><br />No, this is not a picture of me. But I feel this way far too often. It is one of those days where I want to pull my hair out. Sweet [Sour] Baby James has been quite the character. Not really worse than usual, but a pickle nonetheless. The sweet darling [little monster] has only had a <span style="font-style: italic;">20 minute nap</span> today. Even though he is really tired, he just <span style="font-weight: bold;">refuses</span> to go to sleep.<br /><br />In typical clingy fashion, he would <span style="font-weight: bold;">not let go</span> of my leg as I dangerously cook dinner. (One of these days the hot olive oil on the stove is going to spill or pop James and I will feel horrible.) Every single time he has to be in the car he screams bloody murder all. the. way. to. our. destination. My head is going to explode.<br /><br />But, you may be thinking, there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel! Bedtime is not so far away and surely this child will fall asleep easily since he is so tired.<br /><br />I say to you: HA! You've never met James.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216862287657700559.post-71954643180303826502009-06-21T16:27:00.005-05:002009-08-10T15:12:47.438-05:00I hate to love Shoe Carnival but...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFI0Eq5oel466GRl9cBomT0FNJFqGM5Sx-dUk28n2A9PLddR_wPeLIAAqr4syLWyMf4agvxpR_RQSqpVLskNBFcGy5ITWORAXmbdp3leYIQK15eP6mGmMjYaCUmh1ejOo2ePnZQLRXJ34/s1600-h/Gel_Kyano_13_Wht_Orange.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349896153767141842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFI0Eq5oel466GRl9cBomT0FNJFqGM5Sx-dUk28n2A9PLddR_wPeLIAAqr4syLWyMf4agvxpR_RQSqpVLskNBFcGy5ITWORAXmbdp3leYIQK15eP6mGmMjYaCUmh1ejOo2ePnZQLRXJ34/s320/Gel_Kyano_13_Wht_Orange.jpg" border="0" /></a>...that store <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">does</span> save me money. Big time. I learned a few years ago that I must wear Asics sneakers to avoid nasty shin splints. But the $100 price tag freaks me out.<br /><br />Enter: Shoe Carnival. Thanks to BOGO sales, <a href="http://www.shoecarnival.com/Promos/SpinWheel.aspx">coupons</a>, a club membership card, and special holiday sales, I just can't avoid this most annoying retailer of shoes.<br /><br />Yesterday's trip produced a really nice pair of Doc Martens for my hubby, a new pair of Asics for me to dedicate solely to running, and a pair of Sketchers for me to wear every day. With tax, the total came to $118.50. To put that in perspective, I might have spent that much for one pair of Asics at the mall.Mama2SweetBabyJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137891301427539760noreply@blogger.com0