Saturday, January 29, 2011

Reflections on a busy week . . .

Hi all!  Busy, busy busy, that's what we've been around here.  Mostly I've been busy making cakes, and doing stuff with and for the kids, dentists, doctors, school projects.  I haven't had a lot to do that I really hate to do.  I mean, no one likes dishes and laundry, but they are a daily part of life.  This week was super busy, but I really enjoyed it!  A thought occurred to me this week, I was happy being busy!  Normally I hate being super busy, it  makes me huffy, and short tempered.  I really like being home with my family.  But I realized that this week was just the right amount of busy, and full of things that I enjoy doing.
I've been thinking about busyness.  There are times when I have way to much to do, that I get irritable and grouchy.  Then there are weeks that I have nothing to do, and after a few days I feel depression start to set in.  I am starting to wonder if boredom and depression are look alike cousins.
I started to think about God's plan for busyness vs. rest.  God has layed out a perfect plan for us.  He worked for 6 days, and rested for one, and he loved what he was doing.  God didn't sit around and watch TV, and play on Facebook for four days, then finally get around to creating something, and then go back to the couch.  God worked, and he rested.  He had just the right amount of busy.
I've been thinking about this ratio of rest vs busyness.  We need to find the right ratio.  I really think that we need to busy enough that really look forward to, and enjoy our rest.  When I think about it, I can name a dozen or more stay at home moms I know that are struggling with depression.  I'm a stay at home mom, so don't think I am against being home, I'm not.  But I think there are many of us who have the ratio wrong.  We have too much rest, and that leads to depression, or maybe just boredom, his look alike cousin.  Facebook, TV, dishes and laundry aren't enough to keep our minds and bodies active.  It's too much rest.  We need to do more.  We need interaction with others.  We need to do something we enjoy.  Maybe what we need is to be busier. 
I'm not saying that all of us Stay at Home Moms need to go out and get a job.  No, we have chosen to stay home for a reason.  But maybe what we do need is to get out into the community, volunteer, do something for others.  I can guarantee you that if you are looking for something to fill a little of your time and keep you active, nothing will fulfill you more, than doing something to benefit someone else.  Maybe you need a hobby, something that you can't wait to get the housework done so that you can get to it.   Most of the happiest Stay at Home Moms I know keep busy making something with their hands, or volunteering in the community.
You know yourself best.  Are you busy enough?  Or do you have the rest vs busyness ratio off.  If you are pretty busy, is it with way too much that you don't enjoy?  Do you need to dedicate more time to doing things that fulfill you?

Just something that's been rolling around in my head?  Any thoughts?  Do share!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Just bragging on my girl...

Hi all!
I thought I would drop you all a quick update on how Karis' development is coming along!  First of all, she has been going pee pee in the potty for 6 days now!  We are just putting her in a t-shirt and pull up during the day, and she still pees in her pull-up a little bit.  However, she is going in the potty 5-6 times a day.  Yay!  
Speech-  As many of you know we stopped teaching Karis anymore sign language, so she is holding steady at about 45 signs.  It was keeping her from trying to speak, and I think the strategy worked.  I keep a running list of her words, and I don't remember when I last updated it, but whenever that was, her vocabulary has more than doubled since then.  Here's the current list
up
down
all done
hi
bye bye
Chili- our dog
daddy
bubba-what we call Keaton
love you
that
this
----that's the old list, here are the additions
all gone
mama
Pappa
Booboo-Memaw or Momo, her grandmas
bagel
cheese 
potty
eat
cookie
baby
belly
ow
ball
moo- like a cow
bzzzz-like a bee
baaa-like a sheep
ball
ya-as in yes
Beautiful- buebue
elbow- Behbow
Elmo-bobo.


That's 32 things!!!  I'm so proud of her.  She hasn't had speech therapy since May, and she is still doing well. Smarty pants!
I'll add update this list if she says anything in the next few days that I forgot to add.


That's all for now! Have a great weekend!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Friday Funnies . . .

know I've slacking with the blogging lately. I haven't been in the mood! Haha! I did want to say hi to you all though and give you a good laugh today. A good buddy reminded me today how much I love Brian Regan, so I thought I would post another great clip of his comedy. Come on, you owe yourself a 5 minute laugh!







Here's another laugh.  I just posted this to my husband's blog by mistake!  He was logged in, and I didn't bother to look at whose account I was on!  Oh well, I deleted it. Haha, just the kind of thing I would do, right?!
Have a great weekend everyone!
love to you all
Tracy






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