This Owl

I'm not really sure what this is called, but it is the coolest.  Whoever invented these things was pure genius. 

So, as many parents have probably learned (as we have), when a baby grows into a toddler and learns to do new things, it's both a blessing and a curse.  When our girl started sleeping in a toddler bed, it was great.  She was learning new things and gaining more independence. 

It also meant she could just get up out of bed whenever she darn well pleased.  And she did just that.  If she woke up in the middle of the night, she came out of the room.  If she woke up at 5 in the morning, she came out of the room.  And any attempts to tell her she had to go back to bed were usually met with screams of indignation. 

But then we got this cool owl from my awesome friend April.  She is seriously awesome and always picks out amazing gifts for my kids.  This was a Christmas present.  My little girl thought it was super cool because it was an owl.  We thought it was super-cool because it is designed to help our girl understand about appropriate times to get up.  And okay, so she stopped thinking it was as cool for a while once she started realizing what it was for...

But now she loves it. 

If she wakes up and gets out of bed before 7, we take her back to bed and say "Let's see what owl says!"  If it's not 7, he stays orange and tells her to go back to sleep.  She doesn't scream at the owl, by the way.  She crawls back in bed without issue, we sing a verse of I Am a Child of God, and she goes back to sleep.  It's amazing. 

And when she wakes up after 7...  Well, the owl is lit-up green. And she comes out excitedly and says "Mommy!  Owl turned green!" 

Seriously, a genius, whoever came up with this. 

Beautiful Art (By a Beautiful Artist)

The other day, I was over visiting a sweet friend and helping her with a few things on her computer.  As we sat in her computer room, I happened to notice a beautiful canvas painting.  I knew she is an artist, so I commented on how beautiful it was.  She told me she had always wanted to live in an Irish Cottage, so she envisioned it in her mind, and she painted it. 

I also noticed there were some other paintings behind that one, so I asked if I could look at her other work.  The one behind it was a beautiful sunrise.  I was drawn in by the colors.  Honestly, I love sunrises and sunsets.  The are so beautiful.  And so this painting was.  She told me the story behind the sunrise painting. 

And then she told me I was welcome to take a painting.  Or even two. 

I was shocked.  And hesitant, honestly.  Could I really take these treasures home when they meant something to her?  The thought made me feel almost greedy!  But with the sweetest smile, she assured me she wanted me to have them if I appreciated them so.  She said she wanted them to go to a place they would be appreciated.  She then told me of others who had loved others of her paintings and now those paintings are theirs.  She laughed as she told me one lady saw one and said, "Oh that is so beautiful!  Can you leave it to me when you die?"  Instead, this beautiful artist insisted the woman take the painting right then.  Just as she insisted I do.

And so I did.  I still feel just a little guilty.  But I am excited to have them hanging in my home. 

So many pieces of art are beautiful.  I am no artist.  That is definitely not a talent I have.  I am grateful there are those who do have the talent and can create beauty.  And, to me, art is more beautiful when I know the artist.  These will be treasured for as long as I live.  As will the artist.


What are you grateful for today?

My Diffuser (and These Two Oils)

I'm a relatively new user of essential oils.  But I will say I have loved my experience so far.

Especially when my kids get a cold.

Because now, at the first sign of stuffy nose, I run my diffuser with the Respiratory Blend (in this case, it is called Breathe) and the Protective Blend (which is called On Guard).  And seriously, the stuffy noses start to clear fast.  For example, my daughter had a stuffy nose about an hour before nap-time.  I started the diffuser, and by nap-time, she was breathing clear through her nose.  Makes all the difference come nap time, let me tell you. 

And I have noticed our colds don't hang around as long.
At least, that's been the case in the past.  So we'll see if that is true this time as well. 

So, yeah...  I'm a fan.  Because I've noticed a difference with the way colds go in this household. 


What are you grateful for today?

My Mom's GPS

It may be sad that my mom has a GPS, and I do not.  Alas, I am practically in the dark ages ;).  I don't even own a Smartphone.

But I'm planning to upgrade soon, which is why I have put off buying a GPS.  I know there's an app for that.  Hahahaha.

Anyway.  I will confess:  I'm a late adopter of technology.  Mostly because I get comfortable with what I have, and I figure if it ain't broken, I don't need to fix it.  Because, usually, the fixing it thing costs more money.  And I'm kinda cheap.

But I digress.  The point is, my mom has a GPS.  And she always lets me borrow it when I ask.  And so Friday, when I went to the Marine Science Center, where I've never been before, I was able to ask her if I could borrow it, and she said yes.  And it got me there!

I love that I don't have to do what I otherwise do and sit down to study a map (google maps is my preference) and then jot down some directions on scratch paper to take with me.  I love that I can just get in the car, plug in the GPS, and enter in my location.  I don't even need to have the address sometimes!  Truly exciting.  It's totally sort of 1984-ish, considering there is a sattellite somewhere tracking my every move...  But so awesome and handy!

Technology is a great thing.  And GPS is pretty much the bees' knees, in my humble opinion.  So here's to my mom's GPS!  And here's to 2016 when I plan to get a Smartphone (and bite the bullet and pay the price) and then get the app for that ;).


What are you grateful for today?

Our Afghan

There is a sort of tradition in my husband's family (he is one of 5 boys) in which my mother-in-law would crochet an afghan for her son and new daughter-in-law when they got married.  Over the years, crocheting has become harder and harder on my mother-in-law's fingers and such an undertaking as this beautiful blanket took great effort for her.  In fact, her sister helped her finish ours so we could have it this past year.

But what a beautiful act of love.  What a precious gift.  And so I am thankful for this treasure.  And thankful (a tad belatedly) for the love and effort given by our mom and our aunt.  What an amazing talent.

And isn't it awesome that it matches our recliner so well :)?


What are you grateful for today?

That I Didn't Get As Sick As the Rest

It's been a fun couple of days in our household.  (That's sarcasm, if you couldn't tell ;)). 

It all started Tuesday night/Wednesday morning when my 2 1/2 year old woke up crying because she'd thrown up in bed.  Strip the sheets, strip the kid, bathe the kid (her hair was matted with the nastiness), re-make the bed, convince the 2 1/2 year old it really is still sleeping time.  Feed her crackers.  Get her to agree to try to sleep if mommy sleeps in her room on the floor.  By this time, it's 1:30, the baby wakes up in the next room, so Mommy gets up to go put him back down and in the 2 minutes she's gone... Yep, little girl pukes again.  And so...  we repeated the process (minus the bath, since it wasn't as bad this time, but still needed new jammies!).

So Wednesday was full of a clear liquid diet and trying to convince a 2 1/2 year old (a very energetic one) that she needs to be still and rest.  Ha!

By Wednesday night, I wasn't feeling so great.  I got the kids down (hubby has been on swing shift) by 9 and got into bed with chills and aches around 9:45.  I was miserable.  And so cold -- like I couldn't get warm.  Baby woke up at 4 to eat.  Then woke up at 5 to puke.  Poor guy.  But by then, I was feeling tons better, and my fever was gone.  And by the time both kids were up for the day at 8 (thank goodness for that!), I felt almost 100% -- just very tired.  So I got a nap in. 

And that's when my husband got sick.  And he has had it worst of all :(.  But I've been well enough to care for everyone, and that is a great blessing indeed.  Because it's awful being sick.  But it's even more awful to be sick when you have to take care of all the other sickies!  So I'm grateful I didn't get as sick as the rest (no pukies for me!).


What are you grateful for today?

That My Husband Got Up with the Baby This Morning

Maybe my little guy is teething.  Because he isn't having such great nights of sleep lately.  He is up every 4 hours or less.  Yuck.

My husband knew how many times I got up in the middle of the night.  And so, when our little guy woke up at 6:30 this morning, my husband (who has to work a late shift) took the baby to the living room and fed him and played with him and let me sleep.  I didn't get up until 8.  It was a beautiful thing. 


What are you grateful for today?