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Friday, March 16, 2012

Mish-mash of thoughts (and some pictures :-) )

To the seven of you who still check this blog for updates (LBE, you know!), I frequently have blog posts written in my head, but by the time I leave the bathroom in the morning, they're gone. :-) All that to say, when I started this blog four years ago, I had no idea I would ever have over 22,000 visits. I started it to keep my family updated on my pregnancy with Emily. So, thank you for visiting!

I've heard that, in your busyness, you will make time for the things you really want to do. Cleaning is not one of them for me. It is definitely a chore. This blog has become a chore to me...one more thing I have to do. And, for now, I'm doing it once a month, on Anna's birthday, because that's what I did for Emily. And I'm all about being equal. (Starting to learn that fairness and equality are not the same thing.) But, it's where I am right now. I don't often just get a chance to sit and enjoy quiet time on the computer. Usually, it's a mad rush to get the finances taken care of or get an email or two sent or a giveaway entered. All that to say, I'm still here and I'll still post at least once a month until December, but I probably won't do much more than that. It's hard to put yourself out there when there's very little interaction on the part of the reader.

What usually goes through my mind is questions. So, I'm putting them out here today. Answer them or don't. At least I've asked. And there's about as good a shot of them being answered here as on Facebook where I usually post them.

How do you know when to cut your daughter's hair for the first time?
How do you really get kids to eat veggies & fruits, not just crackers and goldfish for snacks?
Will feeding my kids always be a struggle?
Will I ever feel like I know what I'm doing? (Ok, I know the answer to this one!)
How do you break into a group of people and start real friendships?
Does anyone have suggestions for good, portable, non-carbohydrate snacks that 15 month olds and 3.5 year olds will eat? (read: no crackers)
(Can you tell food is a big issue right now? For the past month, Anna would eat only crackers or goldfish or bread or some spoon-fed things. The doctor said it's time to start playing chicken...literally. Force her to eat fruits & veggies, meats, cheese before giving her breads. A snack and 2 meals have been awful so far!)

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In other news, the weather has been awesome lately (at least some!) so we've been going to the playground. This week has been especially nice because we can use the one at the elementary school just a few minutes away. One of the perks of spring break! Here are a few shots from the playground (from a couple weeks ago and this morning.

 At Fort Imagination a couple weeks ago...now a favorite picture!


 At home, jumping from stepping stone to stepping stone



My little hams this morning at the playground

5 comments:

Jenni said...

well, you know I love love love to see pictures of the girls, but I understand the "have to" of blogging as well. I'm finding that I only blog events or routines (like the 10 on 10) rather than the mundane anymore. maybe because of facebook?

here are my two cents on a couple of your questions.....

1- I would say it's probably time to cut Emily's hair. one reason - it looked so cute when it was a bit shorter and curled more (maybe the length from her birthday last year?)! two, maybe slightly less work/fight for you to deal with it.

2-snack options -- what about fruit or cheese? I know those require a bit more in the way of packing/repacking/carrying a cooler or insulated box, but might not be too hard. or dried fruit or fruit chips? popcorn? yes, I know it is a carb-ish snack too and don't know how long it would stay reasonably fresh.

Anonymous said...

maybe you can put one of those little green maps on the side so each time we click on Baby Ratliff, the red dot over Europe will expand.....no idea how to raise kids without carbs

Linda and Kent

the Whitelaws said...

Oh, girl, I'm feeling you with this post! Our boy is a terribly picky eater, just since we moved to finger foods. And, I too, got a concerned doctor lecture about him not gaining enough weight. I have found that the more I let him be in control, while very messy, he eats more. I just put some of everything that we eat on his tray. And, he still doesn't eat green vegetables, but he does eat more of a variety. Our girl is a great eater, but I've found that she likes to dip things (Ranch, etc). Maybe that would help? Grapes would be a great on the go snack for E, not so much for A because you'd have to cut them. String cheese is a great one, too.

I decided to cut Jenna's hair when the ends were too scraggly and it kept getting very tangled. She was 3 and one month old. And now, she gets it cut every 3 months or so. I'd say that you cut it when you want to.

As far as making real friendships, I've been struggling with that, too. I've heard that you have to give yourself 2 years once you move to a new place. However, I have found it extremely hard to make friends since I've had kids. It's nearly impossible to put in the time it takes to form real friendships! That, and kids being sick causing delays of playdates. I'm thinking of trying to establish a regular coffee/chat time with a set group of potential friends. We'll see.

You're not alone.

the Whitelaws said...

Edamame and carrots - also easy snacks.

Lauren said...

I agree with cutting hair when it is scraggly. That's what we did with Lindsey. She was just over 3 1/2 when we got hers cut for the first time. It really thickened it up too - which was good because hers was so thin and fine. We still haven't cut Reagan's. But I'm to the point where I really want to. Just have to find the time and $.

Food is always an issue with us too. While we were gone last week, I told someone that Lindsey really isn't that picky. But then we started talking about it and I saw how picky she really is. Whoops! My girls have their likes - Lindsey likes fruit Reagan tends to like veggies more.

We have plugged into a small group at church and those girls are my sounding board for just about everything. We talk about kids, husbands (in a good way, of course), food, movies, everything! But I'd love to hang out with you some too. Maybe we can come up with a plan to meet and let the girls play while we chit chat. Maybe once the new Chick Fil A opens over here. :)