Being a mom has obviously been a learning experience from day 1 but I am now beginning to realize that I have to be extremely strategic as to where my time goes. This month has been very humbling, to say the least. There have been lots of bruises & goose eggs, tears & teeth...and while I know it comes with the territory of having a little one, a very active mister little one at that, I've realized that my time and energy (or lack thereof) has been a big contributor to the tears and frustration from Luke. So long are the days of mommy sitting at the computer working on bills, ministry needs & catching up on e-mails.... and a very big enthusiastic "Hello" to the days of watching Luke's every step, squeezing in short bursts of productivity, and using his nap times and bedtime to spend time with the Lord and take care of the real necessities of my family. So, while I'm figuring out this new phase with Luke and working on keeping our home sane and peaceful, here's a brief recap on the past 4 weeks. I'm not sure where blogging fits into all of this :)
Luke is walking. Er...Running. He's not so great at it, hence the bruises & goose eggs. He is very needy and clingy at this phase and I literally cannot walk 2 feet from him before he starts whining and tugging at my legs to either be carried or entertained. This exhausts me on all levels...but my biceps are reaping benefits. He is talking up a storm and is obsessed with birds, blueberries (yes, we are still obsessed), broccoli & daddy (I don't think I will ever win this one). He also has a strange fascination with tupperware and putting it back together. I've introduced him to crayons and chalk, both of which I think he could play with all day. He is beginning to remember animal sounds and body parts, and knows that the letter A is for "babal" - aka: Apple. He is very into books right now and we spend a good portion of our day reading the same books over and over again. He LOVES music and loves for me to sing his favorite songs to him with the hand motions. These songs include: My God is So Big (to which he throws his hands up in the air for BIG), Itsy Bitsy Spider, ABC's, Fingers are Wiggling and Happy & You Know It. I get a round of applause every time ;)
Billy is loving his job and we are loving having him home. The Lord has truly blessed him with a great boss and a great environment to work in. He is officially google-able :) He's been tackling lots of projects at home that he's been wanting to do for the past two years like building our garden (see below), setting up Luke's swing set - fantastic gift from my favorite family, the Pleasants, and building shelves in our bathroom. I'm so thankful for a handy hubs!
I am cooking. A lot. To say that my boys eat a lot of food is an understatement. Most days Luke consumes more food per meal than I do. To give you an idea of what I have to work with, we are averaging 2 gallons of milk/week (for Luke & I, Billy doesn't drink much), 18 eggs/week, 1 pint blueberries/week, 10 bananas/week, and I don't even know how to count the amount of broccoli Luke consumes per week. I should have invested in BJ's.
Gardening. We finally got our garden in place and I am in loooooove. Billy built up a raised bed that is 12x10 ft. So far we've planted broccoli, potatoes (red & yellow), yellow onions, radishes, carrots and red & green leaf lettuce. Everything is sprouting beautifully! Last week we purchased 3 blueberry plants & a blackberry bush. They look great in the yard and because they are already 2-5 years old we will yield a relatively large fruit production this summer. I'm sure you're noticing the connection between our garden and the amount of food we're going through each week... I'm hopeful for a lower grocery bill this spring, summer & fall ;)
Moms Sew Sassy - phew, we have been busy busy bees!! We are hosting a home show this weekend at my friend Erin's house and are excited for the turnout we are anticipating. We have done really well with our costs and are having a blast coming up with new and fun things for our kiddos. We also found out we made it into PEAK FEST!! We are so thrilled and a little shocked. The application process is very competitive and our particular category is the most popular and most challenging to get into. We are really grateful for the opportunity but this has obviously added more to the calendar for the next two months. This morning we thought it was a good idea to take both children, all of our coupons and all of our measurements to Joann's....which resulted in a 2 1/2 hour trip and two VERY fussy and annoyed children. Note to self: Don't ever do that again.
Our niece, Baby Addison! She is edible, I tell you. All 6 lbs 11 oz of her :) We had a great time visiting with Ray & Sarah and I was so thankful to be in Georgia and celebrate with them when they brought Addison home. I'm even more excited to go spend a week there when Sarah heads back to work so I can snuggle with Addison all day long... mmm babies are addicting ;)
I finally dove into my reading list that I started earlier this year with the goal of reading one book a month. While the whole one book a month thing hasn't exactly worked out, I absolutely love the book I just finished up (Fearlessly Feminine) and have loved the quiet restful time this has provided throughout my days. I just ordered the book, Faithful Women and an Extraordinary God, which follows the lives of 5 faithful missionary women throughout history.
And for the many many people that keep asking and wondering when we're going to have another baby...we are NOT pregnant, though we gladly welcome a new little one whenever that may be.
So there you have it, life with the Grimme's this past month...it's been a good one :)
