Julie's Thoughts

2010-06-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

This week's Blogs

This one on patient motherhood - I need this.

What great thoughts on the reason we need vision as mothers.

2010-06-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Fruit Leather

My girls both love this but with new food allergies it is almost impossible to find any we can have. I just found this recipe. I know you could make it, at least somewhere in the back of my mind, but now I really know you can. Strawberry season is over but maybe we can make some with plumb this year.
I am excited about the possibility.

2010-05-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

Things I've Found

So I rad across this blog about being an organized mom. Sounds great and I want to work toward that. Seems a little out of reach at this point but little by little I can get there.

This I ran across this surprising one about the government saying we do not have the right to choose what we will eat. It is in relation to raw milk but how wide reaching might this be? Really scary!

2010-05-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Lunches

So readin this post made me wonder if I should start trying to make lunches for the week.

It is worth thinking about.

2010-05-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Daily Thoughts

The weekend is now almost over. I had big plans to post this weekend.

We got the eaves on the house done on Saturday, a project that has been on our list since we purchased the house.Rebecca decided to play in the mud. (She had it all over.)

Then today, when I thought it might be a little more relaxed it ended up being a full day, which included a little bit of a nap.

Now as I try to finish up things to be ready for tomorrow, a million thoughts run through my head. I want to start with a plan for the girls in teaching them. It would be great to start the week out with the house at least part way clean, (I do not feel like there is any room in my house that is clean right now. ) So I am trying not to dwell on the perfect but remembering what is important and working to have that done and then off to bed to hopefully get a little more sleep than the past few nights.

2010-05-14T21:32:00.001-07:00

Menu Planning

We have all heard the reasons that it is good - even tried it maybe. But what is the practical way to make it work?

I know I have tried. I even had a list of what to repeat in our menu. Then everything changed.

Abby was diagnosed with food allergies and, for me, I have not figured out how to do many of the basics again. Biscuits, bread, peanut butter, cheese – all of these have always been staples and now they are not any more. I am still learning. There are a HUGE amount of resources out that and I am grateful! I don’t know what I would do without those things. I am also reminded that it could be worse.

This idea of using google calendar makes sense to me. I think I will have to try it. Maybe this way I will have everything I need in one place. More than that, it will send me a reminder. Everything is a process and maybe this is one that is worth a try.

2010-05-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Lesson Plans for my Day

I have been reading about plans, lesson plans, routines, or whatever you want to call it for kids. I am working on something for my two year old but had not really stopped to think about how to include my 10 month old in the mix.
The ideas on Teach Preschool have been great in thinking about the older one. Then I just read this post about planning for infants. For next week I will be looking at how to plan for both girls.
Is this something that I think I would be great at doing? Probably not. But my girls deserve the best I have and I think that this is part of that.

2010-05-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

Bumpy Days

Simple Kids calls them bumpy days in this post. We have all had them. For me it is how bumpy I allow it to become.

Today was one of those. I had a morning appointment that took us away from home. When the gentleman did not show and said we would have to reschedule for the afternoon I tried to make the "bump" be just that, one bump. We ended up with late naps and a hard bed time. While I did make the rest of the morning good I did not do so well in the late afternoon.
Realizing that it is not just our kids who have bumpy days is important. Today was one of those. While I could make the best of the morning, arriving home to the things I had left undone or planed for the rest of our day did now work well for me.
Guess I need to work harder at teaching my little ones to bounce over the bumps of the day as I learn to do the same.

2010-05-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Priorities

Just read this blog about self-management instead of time-management.

That idea was great. In reading the list of priorities I was surprised to see the home listed before her children. The reason she gives makes sense, but I am not sure how I feel about it. It warrants more thought though.

Maybe if I could get my priorities figured out, self management in order then everything else would fall into place. Worth working on at least.

2010-05-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Kids Learn From Us

Just read this about how kids learn how to act in social situations. It was a good reminder for me.

Reminders are good as you look at the day, thinking "What have I done wrong?" I need to be sure to look at everything in light of what is being shared or expressed. And just maybe I will understand by 2 year old better tomorrow.

2010-05-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

When to Stockpile

I keep reading about stockpiling. I have to admit that I really have not started yet, but I can see the need. With the recent allergy diagnosis, I am finding it more difficult to know what to cook.

Aside from that, I just saw this article about when to stockpile certain items. It is defiantly worth taking note of when things normally go on sale.

2010-05-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided it was time to move Abby into Rebecca's room. We had been talking about it for a long time and after more than a week of Rebecca in our room every night and Abby awake multiple times it seemed like the time.
I moved the baby bed, which meant taking it down, into the other room and rearranged the furniture both places.
That done I was excited about the possibility of a night of a little more sleep.....or that is what I was hoping for.
Night one was not hard to get them to sleep. Abby woke up twice before I went to bed and 3 times during the night. Rebecca was up twice and in our bed.
Tonight it took Rebecca more than 2 hours to go to sleep. I do not know what is going on. I wish she had words to tell me.
We will keep at it.

On the other hand I did get granola and bread pudding made after I came downstairs this evening. As soon as the bread pudding come out of the oven it will be time to call it a night.

2010-05-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

I just read this article about vitamin d and studies about deficiencies. Very interesting. It is thought that it could even be linked to celiac and other intestinal problems.

The link is here.

2010-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Haircut
So I decided to trim Rebecca's hair today. Ended up more of a cut but I like the results. Might have a little touch-up but that is ok.

Can you tell what she did while I cut? She was in my makeup. No harm I just always keep it put up. :)

2010-03-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Life vs. Belief

If the way you live is not consistant with the way you believe then it is wrong. Romans 14:23 (TM)

That is a pretty strong statement. I have spent the past half hour contemplating how that applies to my life. What does it mean for me? How do I act on that? Does it only apply to decisions and actions that are mine? Or does it apply to ones that I make or that apply to familly life when I am not the only one making the decisions?

I don't know the answer, but I know that I am ready to do what I need to to find out. It promises to be a hard journey. We all know God never said it would be easy.

2010-02-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

Snow

This is how it looked out our window this morning.

2010-02-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

It's Snowing

So this is the way it looked at 7:45. The snow was just starting.

This is 9am. Pretty amazing for somewhere we almost never get snow.

Here is is 1:30pm and the snow is still coming down. Pretty exciting!
I am looking forward to getting out in it for a few minutes with my girls.

2010-01-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

A Messy Home and Me

I don't think I am a very cluttered person but I know I have things to work on. Don't we all! I know there are things I need to get done around the house and a few little things soon grow into a huge mess.

But then today I read this-

Do you want to know why your home gets messy? It is not because your children tear things up faster than you can put them away and it is not because your husband doesn't help?

Your home gets messy because you don't think you have time clean it up!

So I have been thinking about how I feel about that statement.

Is it all someone else? No I don't think it is. Could I do some more than what I do? Sure we all could.

But does that mean that I take the responsibility for every mess and everything that is left anywhere because "I don't have time" to clean? No! I refuse to take blame and feel guilty for things that are not my responsibility, my things, or part of training my children.

Today I will try to get a few more things straightened while my girls are asleep but I will pace myself and remember there are things more important in the life of a mother than a house that cannot be lived in for being perfect.

2010-01-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

Well I have started trying to watch some blogs. I am not sure how this fits into life with two active little girls but I am trying. Between coupons, a free pair of jeans and lots of ideas, I think it has been a success so far.

A new one I just found is called Simple mom. Maybe I can get ideas from here as well. I hope so. http://simplemom.net/steady-days-a-journey-toward-intentional-professional-motherhood-giveaway/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+simplemom+(Simple+Mom)#respond

2009-12-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Jungle Jumper

Abby loves the jumper. She figured out the first time we put her in it that it makes music if she moves. She will sit there and play until she gets tired.

2009-12-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

Glad for someone to exercize with. I was up at 5:30 this morning.

Abby is just starting to move after being asleep since 11. She is such a blessing.

Last night Rebecca was still not asleep at 9. She is still asleep this morning though, so that is good. Someday my girls will be onthe same schedule.

2008-03-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is Rebecca in her Easter dress. It is hard to believe she is six months old already.

2008-03-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

Rebecca got a balloon from her daddy for Valentine's Day. She loved to play with it.

2008-02-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

Rebecca is growing so fast. She really does not like to sit in her
bouncy chair now she would much rather sit up. This is the
first time I have tried her in the booster seat. She likes it.
You can see her toys on the floor. We will have to work on that.

2008-02-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

I think Cindy enjoyed getting to be "Aunt" Cindy. I know Rebecca had fun.

2008-02-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

Cindy Downey did a deputation tour on the Dallas District. She shared at our church so we were able to spend some time with her.

2008-02-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

Her facination with lights has not changed. Here she is looking up at the lamp above her bed.

2008-02-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

We were invited to Chinese New Year. It was a great experience. Red is the color of celebration.

2007-12-29T16:01:00.000-08:00

This is all of us on Chirstmas. We really had a nice time. It is always great to get together as a family.

2007-12-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

Honey and Pops were so happy to have the two girls there for Christmas. They could not help but have a picture taken with them.

2007-12-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of when the two cousins met for the second time. Rebecca was so excited her hands and her feet just kept going. It was so cute.

2007-12-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Rebecca in her Christmas dress.

2007-12-13T13:46:00.001-08:00

Saying hi

2007-12-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Rebecca is growing so fast. It is hard to believe she will be 12 weeks on Saturday. I have put lots of pictures of her in an album.

This is the link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mnjtorres/Rebecca

2007-12-13T12:37:00.001-08:00

Rebecca Faye Torres was born September 22nd at 10:26pm. She weighed 7lb 14 oz and was 22 inches long.