Happy Half-Birthday, Clive!

I am in shock that our Clive turned 6 months old today! Where have the last six months gone?!?

Clive Simeon had his 6 month appointment today and he weighed in at 17 lbs. 9 oz. and measured 27.5 inches long. He's a good sized baby.

Clive is the happiest baby ever (are you tired of hearing about that yet?)! He smiled at everyone in the doctor's office today except the doctor. :)

We celebrated his half-birthday by going to Hudson and eating cookies (the cupcake shop was closed). Poor Clive didn't get to partake in the cookie feasting though. He's stuck eating mashed sweet potatoes and bananas.

So far he has two teeth that are steadily pushing through his lower gum line. He rolls around and stands very well. Sitting up he's still wobbly at. He is incredibly active and wiggly ALL THE TIME. When he starts crawling we'll really be in trouble.

Here are some of my fave photos of our smiley guy.

A cheese blessing

Some days, God really makes me smile.

Late this morning Chloe and I ran out to get a few groceries. Grocery shopping always takes longer with a toddler and before I knew it my stomach was growling for some lunch.

Since I'm trying hard to avoid cheap fast food I quickly considered my lunching options. What I truly craved was a few protein-packed slices of salami paired with a morsel of cheese.

We approached the deli counter and as I asked for various meats my mind raced. Would it sound silly to buy just one piece of cheese to go along with my salami? Is that even allowed? Will the deli lady think I'm trying to mooch a free piece of cheddar if I ask?

As we finished our order, I asked for a piece of cheese for Chloe. Our local grocery chain gives free cheese to little ones and Chloe looks forward to that cheesy goodness every time we shop.

Lo and behold the deli lady hands over Chloe's cheese and it's a little thicker than normal. Two slices were stuck together! One for me and one for Chloe. God is so good to care about even my silliest desires. Thanks for that tiny blessing today, Father!

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" [Luke 11:9-13]

Home sweet home

After 10 hours on the road, we were unspeakably relieved to pull into our own driveway late Sunday night.

The trip was long but good overall. Matt and I took turns sitting in the back with the kiddos reading books to Chloe and/or feeding Clive. Clive was obviously fed up with sitting in his carseat at hour 8. So we stopped for dinner and thoroughly tired him out (it is impossible for him to fall asleep in a busy crowded place - he's such a social kid). The last 2.5 hours in the car were a breeze! Clive slept soundly and Chloe was content to listen quietly to her Patch the Pirate cd.

We got home and jumped into a busy week so unpacking has been slow. I'm so thankful my hubby is being understanding about that!

Ah. Dorothy was right; there's no place like home.

Click here to see our vacation photos.

Vacation pics and snippets

Since I'm pumped about getting to bed before 11 tonight (yay for Clive finally eating some solids and sleeping longer!) I'll give you the highlights of our vacation thus far in bullet points. I feel like I save time when I'm not using a verbose format. :)

• Chloe has made two sand castles on various Lake Michigan beaches.
• Clive is the smiliest, easiest, happiest baby in the universe.
• I'm eating way too much cheese.
• Chloe's tummy does not agree with the sour tastes of rhubarb.
• Peanut butter kiss custard. 'Nuff said. :)
• Chloe got her hair cut. It's 3 inches shorter now and she looks like such a big girl!
• We are making a royal cluttery mess of my mom's condo.
• Clive is becoming a pro at bottle-holding and toe-grabbing.
• Chloe is a dancing, singing, head-phone obsessive, imaginative, lovable nut.
  
• Though it's tough to be away from home with two little ones, I'm loving being around family and friends.

Blogging on Vacation?

We arrived safely in Wisconsin after a vvvvvvvvvvery long drive and a heavy rain storm. It's so good to be in my home town! Though I seem to have temporarily forgotten what city driving is like . . . And the highway/street names didn't all come back to my brain like I expected.

My mom has wireless internet access at her place so I'll be able to check my email and keep up on blogging as time permits. I'm not so sure about reading blogs while I'm away. At home I usually check the old blog reader throughout the day since I have it set on my google homepage.

Which brings me to my question for you all: How do you keep up with blogging while you're away from home?

Traveling Tips

Tomorrow we'll be hitting to road for an 8 1/2 hour drive to Wisconsin. Yikes!

We plan to attend church, stay for lunch, and then hit the road. Hopefully the kids will take long afternoon naps in the car (Clive digs car movement). Then we'll stop for dinner and stretch our legs. The timing should work out nicely. Because predicting how road trips will go with two small children is always a breeze. :) Right.

Today we need to pack and do all the finalizing errands and tasks necessary for our two week absence. Packing is my number one priority today and it just struck me that I haven't planned any traveling diversions for Chloe yet. I usually like to get her some new books, cds, or toys to make the trip go by faster. But I haven't done any of that this time around!

That's why I need your help. Any one have any creative traveling tips for us? I so wish we had a portable dvd player . . .

Old friends

Last night we got to catch up with some very old friends. Ray & Jen Arnett (nee Pischke) were in Cleveland for a library conference so they stopped by for a dinner visit.

I've known Jen since we were teenagers. A lot has changed since then!

The Arnetts have two darling girls, Kathleen and Faith. Chloe was thrilled to have two playmates on her turf! They succeeded in getting out almost every toy of Chloe's and making a royal mess. They had a ball though.

And we adults had a ball too! We caught up on life events from the past four years and chatted it up about libraries, Matt's studies, life in small town Michigan, cloth diapering, and much more.

Thanks for coming guys! If you (or any of you bloggers out there) are ever in the Cleveland/Akron area you're welcome for dinner and fellowship!

Isn't it fun to get together with old pals? How do you stay in touch with your longtime friends?

Summer Schedule

It's hot and humid here in Northeast Ohio. It's finally starting to feel like summer!

Our summer calendar is pretty filled already.

Here's how our summer breaks down:

• Weekly summer story times at the library for both kiddos
• Weekly summer Bible study on Monday evenings
• Bi-monthly playdates with Bible study ladies and their kids
• Monthly Girls Night Out dates with Bible study pals (This month we're doing a fondue night! Woo-hoo!)
  
• Two week vacation to Wisconsin in June
• In-laws visit for most of July
• Wedding in August
• Chloe's 3rd birthday in August (can my baby be turning three already?!?)

What are you up to this summer? Any vacations planned?

Some good deals for your Friday

Happy Friday to you all! It's going to be a gorgeous warm day here; a perfect summer Friday.

Now that I subscribe to Freebies 4 Mom and Money Saving Mom, I'm always alerted to the deals, free samples, and coupons that are out there. Today, I came across two fabulous specials I just had to let you know about.

• Click here to print off a $10 off a purchase of $30 at Walgreens. Good today only! If you do the free-after-rebate items, this would be a great way to purchase the items for May or June. Even though it isn't officially June, the new EasySaver catalog is available as of today. Or if you're willing to invest a bit more time planning your purchase, check out these ideas for purchases at Money Saving Mom. There are some overlapping May and June coupons that would make for some free or almost free purchases.
  
• The competition for online photo processing must be huge. Sites like snapfish, winkflash, and shutterfly are constantly offering free prints to new customers. Snapfish has a terrific promo going right now for new customers. 50 free prints and a free flipbook! To be a new customer you simply need to register a new email address. Between Matt and I we have 4 email accounts so I used one of Matt's to take advantage of this great promo.

My expert giggler

Check out my Clive giggling. He is inexpressibly cute!!!! And no, I am not a biased mother. He truly is the cutest baby ever.

I am astonished by how different Clive is from Chloe during the baby stage. She was a contented baby but not of the giggly smiley sort. She was a focused and intense kind of baby. It seems that in Clive is opposite from Chloe in every respect! Have any of you other moms-of-two-or-more seen that in your kiddos?

And how do I get Clive to chew on a teething toy and not his own tongue?!? Anyone have any ideas?

Blogging dearth and the week's blessings

Oh my, I'm embarrassed by my lack of blogging this past week! I've had good reason to be e-silent though; my dad is here visiting.

My dad is a jack-of-all-trades and since he's been here he's done numerous household projects for us. He and Matt trimmed our huge backyard trees, made a bathroom in our basement, and replaced our kitchen flooring. They also managed to get in two rounds of golf (during which Matt scored his first ever hole in one! Watch out pga!).

The project experience has been invaluable for Matt. He's learning firsthand from my experienced papa. And all the physical labor and project problem-solving has been a terrific break for Matt from his dissertation work. It's been a great blessing to me to see Matt relaxed and "playing" with wood. He's just a big boy at heart. :)

Another blessing has been the projects themselves. Since we are poorer than dirt, we could never have dreamed of completing any of these jobs ourselves. But with my dad's physical and financial help, our home is a now bit nicer. I'm still getting used to walking into our kitchen and being surprised by such a beautiful wood floor (pergo, actually).

I wish I could add to this blessing list that Clive is sleeping through the night consistently. He's not though. He was doing great at 3 1/2 months and then around his 4 month milestone his body suddenly decided he needed cereal. During that transition we had some middle-of-the-night feedings again. When got used to the cereal, he had a few good nights and then my dad came for a visit. During family visits I don't ever let Clive cry it out because I don't want to wake our company. To top it all off Chloe, Clive and I are sharing colds. So, now Clive's waking up when his nose gets too runny. Sigh. The last few nights have been better so hopefully we're on the road to uninterrupted sleep.

The blessing is that though I've been weary with the duties of a mom of two and running on intermittent sleep I can attest that God is faithful! He has ALWAYS helped me to take good care of my children. I can honestly say that they have not suffered (much, aside from a little irritability) from my sleep deprivation. God's strength has enabled me and revived me.

Yet another blessing has been Clive himself. You might think he's not a good baby because of his wacky sleep habits but he's just an incredibly social and happy guy. Lately he's been laughing a lot. The extra special thing is that Clive only does his biggest laughs with me. That's such a sweet reward for me. When Clive laughs and enjoys me I feel like he's saying, "Thanks for making my life so fun, mommy! You're my best pal in the whole world!" I know I've said this before; a laugh or smile from my kids magically refreshes me.

God's been keeping this song in my mind this past week to remind me to lay my tired self at His feet. He cares about me more than anyone else!

My troubled soul, why so cast down
You were not made to bear this heavy load
Cast all your burdens upon the Lord
And trust again in the promise of His love.

Jesus cares, He cares for you
And all your worrying won't help you make it through.
Cast all your burdens upon the Lord
And trust again in the promise of His love.

I will praise the mighty name of Jesus,
Praise the Lord, the lifter of my head,
Praise the rock of my salvation,
All my days are in His faithful hands.

The comfort of Scripture

Do you ever feel that the Bible is written specifically for you? That God gives you a special message that is exactly applicable to your situation and feelings? It's refreshing when God does that. Like a big glass of water to my soul after a long thirsty day.

Yesterday was a particularly rough day for me. Matt was in an allergy fog all day and his constant pill-popping made him even more unlike himself. So I was on full-time kid duty and laundry duty while he napped and tried to do a few projects with my dad (he's visiting right now).

I usually slump after supper time; the day and my intermittent sleep from the night before catch up with me in the early evening. Last night was no different. Since Matt was feeling so lousy, I got stuck with doing the huge pile of dinner dishes while my dad took Chloe for a walk. Then my pop and I took the kiddos to run a few errands and gave Matt some quiet time. After the kids got to bed I folded laundry with my dad until 10:30 while we watched the movie Rocky Balboa. I did some Narnia reading and at 11 something I exhaustedly picked up my Bible for a quick psalm.

I recently began reading a psalm before bedtime. Since psalms are usually short I don't have to focus my tired brain for long. And they're jam-packed with encouragement. Last night I was drained completely from the day and though I longed for sleep, I was restless. As C.S. Lewis aptly observes, "It is a very funny thing that the sleepier you are the longer you take about getting to bed . . . " (The Silver Chair, p.47). I turned to Psalm 3, which reads as follows:

O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah

But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

Ahh. That was just what I needed, Lord. Thank you! You are the lifter of my head the author of my joy. You cause me to sleep and to wake again (at 3:30 a.m. thanks to Clive) and you truly sustain me.

What Scripture has been your source of strength lately?

Some cute baby photos for your Friday

When Clive woke from his morning nap, I changed his diaper and discovered this impression from his outfit on his tummy! Just a funny natural effect of tummy sleeping I suppose. Have any of you moms seen this kind of thing on your kiddos' torsos?

Once I had him naked on the changing table I couldn't resist taking some photos of him in the buff. Naked babies are pure unbridled cuteness in my book! And Clive is so incredibly good natured and happy - even when he's cold and naked. He gives smiles freely and easily (he's nothing like his sister in that way).



I read somewhere that it's been scientifically proven that when we look at a baby, it triggers a pleasurable sensation in a specific part of the brain. I can't explain it but it's the truth with me! No matter how crummy I feel a smile from Clive always makes me joyful inside.

Here's some joy for your Friday!

I knew this day would come . . .

. . . the day when Chloe would learn the most annoying children's song ever. Yup. Last week she learned the dreaded Father Abraham in her Sunday school class. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was only a matter of time I suppose. I always hated doing Father Abraham with little kids because it's a song that has the potential to never end. And of course they get riled up from moving and shaking all their little body parts while singing.

What's your least favorite kiddie song?

Free Iced Coffee tomorrow from Dunkin Donuts!

Tomorrow Dunkin' Donuts is giving away free iced coffees!!!! Stop in anytime between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. for a free 16 oz. iced coffee. Hope you can avail yourself of this free offer!

Have you noticed that Dunkin' Donuts has made a serious comeback this year? Two new locations just opened in my area recently. Gone are the days of the short plump brown-mustached DD worker who wore an orange hat and trudged around saying, "Time to make the donuts . . . " Remember that guy?

Something turned DD around lately. They've got a sharp looking website and aggressive marketing campaign going complete with funny google video commercials (with catchy music by They Might be Giants!). I posted a particularly cute commercial below. I feel this way every time I order at Starbucks. Enjoy!

Precious mother's day gifts

Mother's day was not typical for me this year. I LOVE LOVE LOVE any excuse for going out to eat and Mother's day is the perfect occasion for not cooking. The timing for lunch out didn't work though (Clive needed his bottle in the car on the way home from church). That was only a minor disappointment though as I got some free coldstone creamery ice cream on the way home. Brownies, pecans, caramel, and hot fudge mixed together in smooth vanilla ice cream was absolutely delicious! And Chloe liked it too. Surprise, surprise.

Mother's day afternoon proved to be a draining one. Chloe cried and cried and cried in protest of her nap. Not sure what the deal was but after a spanking and more tears we decided to let her get up. Clive is a cat-napper (each nap is usually only 45 minutes) so I didn't get much down time. After all the nap hubbub, I decided to take the kiddos for a walk to get some rejuvenating fresh air before dinner time. And during the walk Chloe had a potty accident. Sigh. This is not what I picture as an ideal Mother's Day.

Thankfully, the evening went much smoother. I made an easy dinner of blueberry pancakes and sausage. Clive was in bed by 5:30 and Chloe was tucked in by 6:30. Then Matt and I folded laundry and watched a very romantic (please note sarcasm) Mother's Day movie - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

So, what were my precious mother's day gifts? After this disappointing mother's day, I reflected on what I'm thankful for and what's truly important. My heart swells with joy when I share Clive's infectious smile, when I snuggle with Chloe and feel her even breath on my face, when I see the little loving things Matt does to make my job as a mom easier. God's blessings of family are an outworking of His immense love.

It seems silly as I write this post to be disappointed in my mother's day. I wish I would have read this article yesterday; I had such a self-centered attitude about the whole thing. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for! A loving husband and healthy kids are not givens. I thank God for His work of grace in me. May He make me more grateful!

How was your Mother's Day? What are you thankful for?

p.s. Matt also got me a lovely card, a small box of chocolates, a bright orange lily for our front flowerbed, and also a subscription to Craft magazine. Thanks, Matt!

Growing up

My kids are growing up SO FAST! Chloe has almost no baby left in her except her super cute pinchable cheeks. Check out how grown up she looks in this picture!?!

Clive's eyes just changed from baby blue to a warm brown color. Now he's got my eyes! He's such an amazingly good baby (or maybe I'm just more confident and at east this time around). He's rolling over now, enjoying peek-a-boo, laughing out loud, and playing a little in his baby entertainer toy. Today he managed to grab and shake a few of the hanging toys and he was so pleased with himself!

Though these days are draining, God is reminding me to cherish them as they flit by.

What poignant moments have shown you lately how time flies?

A plug for Revolution Money Exchange

If you haven't yet signed up on Jenny's blog for Revolution Money Exchange, let me encourage you to sign up before May 15th. Right now Revolution Money Exchange is giving away $25 in online cash to people signing up for new accounts. And the offer is ending soon!

Revolution Money Exchange (RME) is a new competitor of the ever-popular Paypal. Unlike Paypal, RME has no transaction fees whatsoever.

I originally wasn't going to sign up; this seemed like just another thing that I wasn't going to use so why bother going through the process.

But I really hadn't thought it through. This is $25 free dollars we're talking about and applicable to use at hundreds of online stores. So I invested 2 minutes and signed myself up! I need some new black flip-flops and there's a pair at Urban Outfitters that's going to be mine using this free 25 bucks. Or maybe a pair from Kohl's where my free cash can go farther . . . The possibilities are delightful!

So sign up! Use this link or the button at right and I'll even get a bonus $10 for referring you. (And you'll be happy to know that I'll be donating any referral money to a dear friend who is switching to cloth diapers.)

Woo-hoo for happy free money! What do you plan to spend your free $25 on?

Clarification: I just tried to use my RME money online and it didn't work the way I expected. Turns out you have to link your RME money to your checking account, pass the money to your checking account, and then you can use it. (There are a few small business websites you can use the RME cash with directly - you just have to search them out.) Or you can request the money in the form of a check. Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead you! Have any of you used this RME stuff? If so, do you have any tips for us newbies?

Grandma's visit is over too soon

Wahhhhhh! My mom flew home this afternoon after another wonderful visit. I miss her already!'

My mom recently broke her wrist so the poor lady had to spend much time massaging and resting her arm. We still managed to do several things including taking Chloe to her first real movie in a theater (Horton Hears a Who), shopping the 50 cent sale at Village Discount Outlet, and eating chocolate-y cupcakes in Hudson (I had an incredibly luscious chocolate peanut butter).

We didn't remember to take photos often but we did get a few cute shots of the kiddos. Enjoy!

Grandma's coming

My mom flies in tonight for an extended weekend visit. We are all vvvvvvvvvvvvvery excited to have grandma around. Yeehaw!

That said, I'll be a silent blogger during her visit.

A happy weekend to you all!

[I realize this picture has nothing whatsoever to do with this blog post. The post looked strangely naked without a picture. So you get to feast your eyes on our doll Chloe in her church dress last Sunday. You can see our vibrant tulips in the background. Tulips are my favorite flower. We have about 40 of them in the front but they only last a few short weeks.]