Crazy, Busy Life

We have been on a whirlwind for a few weeks. So much so of a whirlwind that a lot of people don't know what we've been up to. We even haven't had much time to think about it!

We can give the long story individually because right now I'm trying to type and watch our toddler "hide" things in drawers at our current place of residing. I'm not calling it a residence because we're not really living here, we're just residing here for awhile.

We spent last week in Monument, CO at Greater Europe Mission's office learnin about GEM and thankfully being appointed to work at Black Forest Academy in Kandern, Germany this fall. Since that happened, now we're in little, tiny, middle of nowhere Houghton College in Houghton, NY learning about Third Culture Kids and how to work with them. We're going to spend this next school year at BFA being dorm parents. We're excited about the change of pace. We can really see now why life was like it was these past 6 months or so. I remember asking God many times WHY???? and now I see why.

We're looking forward to growing as a family in many different ways. Being away from extended family will be hard, but we think that it'll make our little family unit stronger and closer.

While at GEM training we met some amazing people that we hope to see again soon. Our orientation class is making it a goal to be the first group to all make it to international convention 2010. It's never happened before, but I have a good feeling about our class!

I don't have any pics from this week yet, but here are some from CO.

My Baby Turned 2 Yesterday!

My little guy turned two yesterday. I can't believe that just two short years ago he came into our lives (yes, I know there were 40 weeks before that where he was "in" our life, but you know what I mean). I have a hard time remembering life before he came around.
He is very much a toddler these days. He likes to choose what shirt he wears and tries to stall bed time by saying he's hungry. He can do the motions to a few songs and likes to listen to them over and over again. He's got quite a sense of humor and knows what is funny. He can give puppy and lion kisses. He can say sentences like "There's mommy's car!" which we understand! But he also says things like "I want the sunbutter on my crackers" which we don't understand and only figure out by asking questions until he nods with a nod that says "uh, yeah, what took you so long to understand me?" Then he says lots of words which I will bore you with but I want to document for my records until I write them down somewhere I won't loose them: Mommy, Daddy, crash (for truck), uh-oh, na-na (all done), nay-nay (Aunt Kaitlin), mak (for milk and Uncle Mark), Mimi, Opapa, Granny, Papa, Aunt Glocky (why he can't say Aunt for Kaitlin we have no idea), Nana (his friend Savannah), Anie (Lanie), bar (bear), zoom (plane), ball, cup, eat, more, please, dit-doo (thank you), tutle (turtle), paint, read, draw, car, where is?, what is that?, me, Knock (Knox), oo-ee (monkey), puppies, t.v., music, roll, chip, hot, cold, no, ooohhhhh, wow, side (slide), ice (outside), ish (shoe or fish), asi (raisin), ech (peach), ay-oh (play dough), up... and others. Quite a few are a bunch of nonsense letters strung together, but we understand what they mean because he's consistent in using them. He likes to flip the syllables around, but apparently that's not too weird and he should get past that. He signs some still as well. He's even made up a sign or two. Funny kid.
It's fun to see him learn more things every day. When he opened his birthday presents he was full of "wows" and "ooohhhhs." He loves to read books and will hand you one and say "read!" I think that comes from me reading to him from very, very early on. He's such an easy going kid which I think is going to be to all of our advantages! He still naps well and sleeps well. He hasn't tried to climb out of his crib which I'm very thankful for. Maybe by the end of the summer we'll put him in the toddler bed version of his crib, but for now I'm just going to let him be where he is since he's happy with it. No point changing what's not broken.
He also likes to cook. He insists on helping me cook and bake. He likes to pretend to cook as well. He has an oven and lots of pots and pans to play with. He knows to use a pot holder and to add seasonings. One of his friends got a kitchen for Christmas and he was so excited to play with it when we went over to her house. He was microwaving things, pressing the buttons, etc. It was so funny. He also loves balls. He can dribble a ball and throw one as well. He likes to mow the lawn with his lawn mower. He loves bubbles. He likes drawing (on anything...sigh) and painting. He likes using rubber stamps too. He loves playing with the water hose and trying to drink the bathwater. He wakes up every day saying "Mommy!?!" He likes to jump and play the piano. He love airplanes and his Cozy Coupe. He loves being outside.
He can take off his clothes now. That was a fun after nap time clean up about a week ago. I had no idea he could take off jeans and a long sleeve tee and his diaper. lol. It was sooooo funny.
He's a pretty neat kid and I love spending time with him. I know he's a good kid, but it's also comforting to hear from the people in the nursery that they love taking care of him because he is so easy going. He was over tired one day during MOPS and had a big melt down and the nursery workers called me and they were so confused. They had no idea what was wrong and you could tell they were worried. Turns out he was just really tired from all the fun and was hungry too and just lost it. That was the only time in 2 years I've had to get him. I'm so thankful for an easy kid, but it makes me a little fearful of having another one some day!
Okay that's enough bragging about my baby - for now at least.

Coupons - Still Not Convinced?!?

If you're still not convinced that you need help learning how to use coupons correctly...

Shopping trip this evening -

3 Bertolli spaghetti sauce pouches = $.33/each
3 McCormrick Grill mates = FREE
8 travel sized Band Aid pkgs (8 band aids in each) = FREE
2 Colgate toothbrushes = FREE
1 Vitamin water bottle = FREE
4 Angel Soft toilet paper 4 packs = FREE
2 Soft Soap 7.5oz = FREE

And yes I did buy some sunscreen ($1.oo off), Tree Top apple juice ($1.00 off 2) and sugar ($.90 off), etc. but as usual I spent the same amount that I saved and got some items I wouldn't usually buy like the spaghetti sauce pouches. Ragu is about $.06/oz at Kroger and Bertolli is a lot more, but in this case it would up being maybe about $.03/oz or less. I can't remember how many ounces are in each pouch. Either way, I'm hoping it tastes better than Ragu!

In other news I've got an artist on my hands. He drew on the walls a few days ago and all over his body and today he drew on himself, his clothing and his car. Sigh. Thankfully most of it washed up easily. I'm hoping the clothes come out unscathed this time. These markers weren't washable. He's so funny too. He tells me where he colored when I ask! lol.

90% Coupon Savings!

I did a talk on Tuesday to my MOPS group about using coupons and sales and saving lots on your groceries. I'm hoping some of those people are serious that they'd hire me to actually sit down with them and teach them my techniques. If you're interested, here's what I bought and spent and if you think that's spiffy, you can hire me too! Have a coupon party with me; I'll even teach you how to make a coupon binder which is so much easier to use than any other method.

On Wednesday at Kroger I bought:

1 pkg Juicy Fruit gum
3 Pillsbury brownie mixes
1 bag Kroger tortilla chips
1 bag organic baby carrots
4 bags Quaker Quakes rice cakes
2 bags Birds Eye frozen veggies
2 bottles Suave conditioner
2 bottles Suave shampoo
2 Suave deodorants

Final purchase price: $2.88

I was super excited when I got the ad that morning in the mail because I knew it was going to be a great shopping trip. I actually went back the following day and bought a few more brownie mixes, deodorants and shampoos to put in a box for the food pantry. I've decided that this is a way that I can contribute to those who can't even afford good food without breaking my limited grocery budget. I think on that second trip I only spent about $1 to buy 6 items to donate. And everything was a name brand.
If you already have couponing somewhat down, I can help you to figure out how to stock your cupboard so you can "shop" for dinner from it as well as figure out how to make meals from the sales circulars that actually taste good.

Monkey in the Rain

It rained a lot last night between 11pm and 12am. Not as much as our friends a bit further south in the metroplex, but enough. So while it rained I was talking to my mom about how my grandmother was doing. Then I talked to D about it. Got tired. Its after 12am by now. Say, "I'm going to feed Monkey and then go to bed." Get up off the floor where I was sitting, walk into the kitchen and then, and only then, do I realize that Monkey had been outside the whole time. Oops. I yelled (quietly) "Monkey is outside!" And then we both dashed outside laughing about it. She probably didn't think it too funny, but it was amusing especially at 12am. She was fine. Her tray was full of water so I dumped it and put in dry newspaper and Monkey got rubbed down with a dry towel. She looked funny, but she was alive and well this morning and no worse for the wear. Poor bunny. She didn't know that when the child came home, she got moved down the totem pole. It's been a tough 2 years for her!

6 Months Later

So it's been almost six months since Hashimoto became a word in my vocabulary. Well, in truth that word didn't enter until November when I found a GOOD doctore, but nevertheless. I feel less tired than I used to, but it's still a rollercoaster ride. I need to go back to my doctor and get my meds readjusted. I also am going to have them test for Celiac Disease and something else that I can't remember. Celiac Disease is closely related to Hashimotos. I feel like an old lady lately. (Sorry old ladies) I get so stiff and sore when I sit in one position for too long. Especially if I'm sitting on my knees. That isn't normal and from what I've read could be Celiac. BLAH. Not fun. I also have some days where I could clean the whole house followed by days of not wanting to do anything. Again, not good. I need to reserve a day to sitting and waiting and going back to the doctor so that I can get to feeling better again. I've lost my creative side most days and that I hate the most. I just don't feel like sewing or scrapbooking or anything. Too much mess, too much thinking. Gotta get down to the bottom of this so that I can feel better.
Oh and my toes hurt with cold on chilly days. And I'm tired of being cold all the time still!

To Santa or not to Santa

Santa or no Santa is the current debate in our household. I do not wish to perpetuate the fantasy of Santa to our child(ren in the future). I don't see the point. Yes, we all lived through it and amazingly still trusted our parents after the pulled a huge rouse over our heads. I just can't do it. What makes me highly amused this Christmas is looking at the thought of Christmas through non-believers who celebrate it anyhow. Those people with the "holiday" trees and such. If you look at Christmas strictly from that view it is hilarious. They are celebrating a fantasmical man who "breaks" into houses to leave gifts. What is the point???? It's absurdly funny. Celebrating a fat man whose belly is like a bowl full of jelly. Pointless. Yes, you can say that it's the spirit of St. Nick that they are celebrating. Giving to others. That is a good thing, don't get me wrong. But why must we do it under the cloud of some nice guy that lived a long time ago? Why can't do we believers go along with the fat man idea and tell our children that some mystical person cares about them enough to give them presents? Why do we do that? What about the real reason of Christmas? The real person who came down to earth, the real person who gave us the best gift of all. Why don't we give eachother gifts in memory of Jesus coming to earth? Why do we buy into the fantasy fat man?
Maybe it's the magic of being young. But it seems shoddy that we have to lie to our children to give them some magic in their lives. I think the magic in life can come from the amazement of how a tiny acorn becomes a mighty oak tree. That kind of magic will even cause adults to take a second look at the amazment of it.
So my reasoning abolishes the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny from being acceptable facets of the holidays and the like. Not everyone in my household agrees with me mind you. Why did I come to this line of thought? I have two children whom I give cooking lessons to. They were here about two weeks ago and they were going on and on about Santa and how they have seen him here and there and some elf creature that lives in their house who goes to the North Pole every day to report on their behavior, etc. etc. etc. It pained me (really it did) to hear them, ages 10 and 7, go on and on and on about this. I felt awful listening to them and going along with the lie that they believed. I didn't agree with them or encourage them. I didn't say anything except "wow" and the like. I didn't need to because they were so excited.
Maybe I'm being overly analytical about this whole thing. Maybe I should just relax and let my child believe in the fat man. But I don't know why I should. Why should some fat guy he's never met love him more than I and buys him gifts that he'll love get all the thanks? Not that I need praises from my child, but I don't think some nobody should get the credit. I want to focus on the real reason for the season. I want my family's view to be that of Jesus and not a guy in a red suit. Is that so wrong?