This week’s topic is: Perspective.

I had given up.  I told Chad earlier in the week, or the end of last week – the days run together when we’re busy and the hosue is a mess and everyone is sick – I had told Chad that I was done looking for a Life Group.  We had tried so many times since coming to our current church.

It’s like we’re not meant to be part of one, I told him.  See, Life Groups all meet on Sunday night.  But I teach Awana Sunday night – something I’m not really lookign ot give up.  Every time I mentioned it to someone at Church, while looking for Life Groups, I would get a response like “oh, that’s too bad.”

I felt like they were saying, “If you really wanted to connect with us, you would give up your other ministry”.  We thought about joining in the summer, when I have no other Sunday commitments – but Sundays are already hectic, what with Church and getting ready for the week and being home with the kids… and the thought of going for two months, only to be relegated back to the shadows during the school year grated on me.

We just won’t try this year, I said.  Why bother?  And finally – I felt peace about it.  Not bitterness that I wasn’t allowed in the group, not stress about whether I was being punished for my choices, just peace.  That’s it, I thought, we just weren’t meant to be there.

Then out of the blue, I got a message from a girl in my bible study, asking if she could steal my away from whatever life group we were in, because she thought our kids would play well together and wanted more young families in hers.  Here we go again, I thought – I’m not meant to be in a life group.  But I messaged back, and said I couldn’t meet on Sunday nights, but that we could maybe come through the summer if she wanted.

So it turns out, they don’t meet on Sunday nights at all.  Random nights of the week right now.  But probably never Sundays.

Suddenly, “God doesn’t want us in a Life Group right now” turns into “Maybe He just wanted us to wait on this one”… and we’re going to join them for hot dogs and fellowship tonight.

My perspective, is not always (in fact often not) God’s perspective.  But it’s nice when the perspective changes, and I can see a little of His direction.

— 1 —

You guys.  My life is crazy right now.  I mean, it’s crazy all the time, but it seems extra crazy right now – like the merry-go-round is spinning way too fast – and I can’t quite put my finger on why.

Brianna was sick this week.  A stomach bug, that cancelled her ear tube removal for the third time (first time was hand, foot, and mouth.  Second was scarlet fever).  But! She may not need it done after all, now that’s we;ve put it off so long, so we’ll know more about that later next week-ish.

I think I’m getting sick. Or maybe it’s from sleeping on the couch for two nights so I could hold a bucket out for Brianna to puke in.  Or maybe it’s just stress because, work, life, parenting, hello.

My house is in disarray, which stresses me out.  But all the puke laundry was done yesterday, and an extra load to boot, so I’m not that terribly far behind. I just *feel* behind. If I keep reminding myself I’m not, maybe it will stick.

Meanwhile, here’s some interesting diversions:

— 2 —

No really, my mother’s day was great.  I took a 6 hour nap(!) on Saturday, and an extra 2 hour nap on Sunday.  That’s like, as much sleep as I get in two days, people. Which is why I needed those naps, ha ha.

We went out for dinner Saturday, and Chad ordered take-out on Sunday, so I was super spoiled.  And the kids made me a paving stone with their hand prints, and Brianna’s design sense, and it looks awesome.  And Brianna signed her name, with all the letters in order, in my card, right above Benjamin’s crayon scribbles.

I love my kids.  Even when I’m stressed out.

— 3 —

I spend a lot of time worrying I’m not the right kind of mom. I mean, there’s a ton of stuff I don’t do.  All the time.  I haven’t had Brianna start Bible memory verses, even though she can quote Mother Goose like no tomorrow.  I had completely neglected to work with Benjamin on colors, which Chad helped fix this weekend.  I feel like I should be teaching more, working more with them on skills and emotions and chores and… and… and…

And I’m so often overwhelmed by it. So often. And especially this week, as my feelings of not being good enough tend to increase as my other stress does.  So this post came at just the right time for me.

My constant struggle is to be in the moment.  I just need to keep on – being in the moment.

— 4 —

So I was chatting with a friend this week, and mentioned reading the Bible on my phone.  No joke, the YouVersion app is what keeps me on a reading plan.  And I think that’s kind of awesome.

But my phone is fast becoming an integral part of my life.  I use it to schedule, connect, track, and maintain almost every aspect of what I do.  And that is kind of scary, and kind of awesome, all at the same time. Just a thought.

— 5 —

I buckled down on the diet today.  Seriously.  I went to the doctor last week, and while she had mixed news on what could be done on improving my health concerns in general (nothing serious), the most depressing part of the visit was stepping on the scale.  Looking into the possible things I’m having problems with – none of them are due to weight, but weight plays a factor in making them worse or more difficult to treat.

So.  Eating healthy(er), again.  Which means I have to curb the emotional eating, because yikes I have a lot of emotions, and they all seem to crave carbs. Wish me luck!  Also hope to step up the exercise again, when my xBox hard drive returns from the nether (where it’s being replaced).  And, we might get a Rec Center membership, if Chad and I can ever find the time to go.

— 6 —

This is old, but it still makes me lol: 100 Essential Skills For Geeks. I have an embarrassingly awesome number of these skills, which totally makes me a geek chick, which we already knew.

— 7 —

I totally read The Hunger Games in one sitting.  Due to my awesome cousin, I’ll be reading the second book this week, and probably the third shortly after.  I haven’t decided if I’ll review them all at once, or one at a time, but a review is definitely forthcoming.  I love reading, and I love that my Kindle (and my phone, lets be honest) help me work it into my everyday life – when I really don’t have time to read at all.

As a funny note, my requirements for a purse no longer include fitting a TI-89 (like in college), but now include fitting my Kindle (which is thinner, but wider).  My current purse (a 5 year gift from my company, and the only name brand purse I’ve ever owned) works wonderfully for this. If I ever get a MacBook Air, though, I will totally need to upgrade my purse.

That, if nothing else, should cinch my geek girl cred. My purse size and shape is almost entirely dictated by the technology I feel I need to carry.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

I love my phone. Love, love, love.  And in my quest to stay on top of everything in my life – it is one of my greatest tools. I use it for everything (except meal planning.  Tried that, but prefer the new post-it system).  Here are some of the apps I use to keep track of all the crazy.

Google Calendar (built into Android OS). I have it set to synch with my work calendar, and Chad’s work calendar.  Mine works really well – Chad’s schedule is a little too fluid to depend on being completely correct – but it gives me a rough idea of what’s going on.

Astrid Tasks (free).  I keep my to do list here – all of it, including recurring tasks that I’m trying to make habits (like the laundry, dishes, meal planning, etc).  You can enter tasks without a due date, schedule a due date (and time, if you want), and set up recurrence if you want.  It includes reminders, which drive Chad nuts because my phone is buzzing ALL THE TIME. But – I can tell at a glance what I need to do right now, and what I’m behind or ahead on.  There are a ton of features I don’t use, like tagging tasks to put them in separate lists, etc.  I’ve heard this works really great with GTD – haven’t incorporated it yet, but I’m working on it.

My Pantry 2 ($0.99).  To be honest, I’m still working on getting this list up to date, and keeping it that way.  But!  I love the idea of it! There is a free version of this app, but I bought the full version so I could use the cool UPC scanner functionality.  Basically, this app holds my pantry (and fridge, and freezer) inventory.  So when I’m at the store, and decide I need something that isn’t on my list – I can double check and see if we already have 4 of them sitting in the pantry.  UPC scanning makes it pretty quick to add things to the list, and I love knowing what I have – it makes meal planning easier as well, as I can plan around what we have and save some money at the store.  It also has features to make a grocery list, but I don’t use it because I use…

Grocery IQ (free). You can add things to your list by scanning the UPC (I’m totally a sucker for scanning UPCs, y’all.  It makes me feel all techy and stuff).  You can set up multiple lists for multiple stores, and you can organize each list by how your store is laid out. You can also put in a price, so you can use the app as your price book for often purchased items. So many great features. As you check items off your list on the store, it hides them so you don’t have to hunt through all the checked off items and risk missing the one more thing you need (I do this all the time with paper lists).   Oh, and the best part? My list is shared to Chad’s phone as well, so he can add or update thing – and, if needed, I can quickly email or text message a copy of list to Chad, if he’s stopping on the way home from work and I don’t want to have to depend on him to check the app.

So there you go – four apps I love!  If only there was an app that would actually do my housework…

For more Things I Love Thursdays, head over to Be The Difference!

So I took a deep breath, and asked Brianna if she wanted to be my helper for the night.  She was ecstatic!  She put away the clean silverware, helped me wash the dishes (and actually helped wash, not just played around in the water), and helped carry her sheets downstairs and put them in the washer.  Benjamin chipped in a bit as well, but his helping is still more like “just keep him busy” than actually helping me.

Brianna loved helping.  And yes, the tasks took me slightly longer than if I had done them without the kids in the picture at all – but they still took less time than if I had tried to do them with both kids hanging off of me and stopping me every other minute.  Plus, I can count it under quality time with Brianna. And she’s learning that the housework doesn’t do itself, which I’m sure will be helpful at some point in the future!

Having little helpers works for me!

You can find more Works For Me Wednesday post over at We Are THAT Family.

We decided on Hunger Games, since we figured there would be more opportunities to watch Avengers in the future, and I really really want to read the book – but have been burned so many times by the book-to-movie translations that I wanted to see the movie first. This is actually why I still have not read The Help – and Chad refuses to watch it with me because someone told him it might make me cry.  But that’s another story.

And there were two notable previews, worth mentioning if only so I don’t forget I want to see these movies:

• Spider-man: Totally not sure about the new guy they have playing Peter Parker.  But?  Emma Stone as MJ?  Sign me up.
• Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter: I think this movie will be AWESOME.  Chad disagrees.  But I think I can convince him… I mean, Honest Abe has an axe – that turns into a vampire killing GUN. HOW COULD THAT NOT BE AWESOME?

So.  Yeah.  On to the actual movie, Hunger Games.  I went into the movie kind of cold, because honestly?  All I knew was:

1. It’s a movie where kids have to compete to the death
2. As such, people die
3. Some people wear weird costumes
4. Peeta was played by the kid that was in Bridge to Terabithia, and he’s not a little kid anymore. Yikes!

I expected action, and some gore, but amazingly they kept well within the PG-13 rating.  Not having a whole lot of expectations, I would have been hard pressed to be disappointed.

That being said… I really liked the movie.  A female heroine, who sacrifices herself for her sister and then totally wins the competition, potentially starting an entire revolution in the process? Don’t mind if I do.  I thought the awkward teenage love story portions of the movie played out well, and I enjoyed the performances by all the actors (probably because I had no preconceived notions of what they should look like or how they should act).  They left it open at the end for the sequels, and I liked the fact that not everything was neatly tied up – but they didn’t leave you hanging on a cliff, either (Twilight, I’m looking at you here). The action was good, but there were parts were the camera action threatened to make me sick, and it was difficult to follow through those scenes.

Rant: Seriously, if I had a time machine, I think I would go back and destroy Blair Witch Project before it ever made it to the theater – that style of action shot, that looks like people running around with handheld cameras, is my least favorite cinematography trick.  Rant over.

Short version: Great movie. I am planning on reading the book tomorrow, no joke.Now the only questions is: should I read the whole series? Or wait on the movies? Hmmmm.

We can’t become what we need by remaining what we are.
 ~ Max Dupree

So, last week – was better.  Especially the first half of the week.  I moved a couple of meals around due to my own lack of preparation defrosting things, but we made it.  And of course, the end of the week we ate out a little more than I had planned, due to Mother’s day, and Date Night (yay!).

Here’s the plan for this week:

Monday: Chicken Alfredo, French Bread, salad (I am so sick of pushing this meal off – we have to eat it tonight, because I don’t want to have to put it on the plan another week in a row!)

Tuesday: Pork chops, rice, veggies

Wednesday: Dinner out.  Or Shepherd’s pie.

Thursday: Chicken noodle soup, biscuits

Friday: Ham & Cheese casserole

Saturday: BBQ Chicken, mac-n-cheese, baked beans

Sunday: Frozen pizza, for the last week of Awana (we have awards after Memorial Day, but this is our last “real” night – and thus we are not locked into the pizza-on-Sunday-night routine over the summer.  But we might stick with it anyway, cause it’s easy).

And, because I love you guys, here’s my recipe for Shepherd’s pie (the super easy edition).  Forgive me, I don’t really measure and my recipes are super flexible…

Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 2 adults, 2 picky kids, + leftovers.

1 lb ground beef

brown gravy mix (I use tony’s, but whatever is cheap)

1 cup frozen mixed veggies, defrosted (or leftover veggies).

potato flakes (enough for 4 servings)

milk, water, butter as needed for potato flakes

1/4 – 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I usually use cheddar, but whatever we have shredded works fine.

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Brown the ground beef.  Sometimes I do this ahead of time and freeze it, which makes for a really quick meal.
3. Drain and rinse.  Put it back in the pan.
4. Add gravy mix, veggies, and about 1/2 cup water.  Stir.
5. Simmer for a couple of minutes to let the favors mix. (this is really so you have time to cook the potatoes)
6. While simmering, prepare potato flacks according to the package.  If you have real mashed potatoes left over from something, just warm them up.
7. Put the meat/gravy mixture (this should be thick) in a 9×9 casserole dish, top with potatoes.  Sprinkle with cheese.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until gravy is bubbling and cheese is melted.
9. Serve!

My kids, for the most part, will eat this without picking the veggies out.  And I’ve found you can sneak some pureed veggies into the gravy, if you’re slick about it.

And now you know how I cook – mostly by the seat of my pants.

First, the disclaimer: I purchased the test tube myself, and while I was encouraged to share my opinions of the products with friends and family and online, I was not provided any extra products or incentives for doing so. But this post does include Amazon affiliate links.  Alright, on to the products!

NeoStrata® Skin Active Cellular Restoration (sample size)

I was eager to try this, as my skin has been looking a little dull lately, and I was looking for something to counteract that. When I first used it, I noticed it smells very chemically – almost like the chemicals you use when getting a perm. But the smell only lasted a minute, and the product seemed to soak into my skin fairly well, not leaving any greasy feeling.  After two days, I could see a little improvement in my skin, so at least it is doing something.

Verdict? I don’t know if I will buy the full-sized product when I run out, though – it’s fairly pricey (list price: $79 for 1.75 oz) and the chemical smell was a real turn off.

Mally® Evercolor Shadow Stick – Platinum (full size)

I adore this!  I had tried similar products from less expensive product lines (CoverGirl, etc), and was never pleased with how they blended, or how they stayed on during the day.  But the Mally Evercolor Shadow Stick was amazing – I could put it on, and had time to bend with other colors or lighten it up before it set.  Once it set, it was there for the whole day, no creases or anything like that. The color is build-able for a really dramatic look, but I am able to put it on light enough to wear to the office.  The sticks come in a variety of colors, as well.  It is a little pricier than the brand I had been using (list price: $25), but looks like it is totally worth it.

Verdict? I will probably be buying at least one more color of this (probably violet!) as soon as I have money in my cosmetics budget!

Moroccanoil® Frizz Control (full size)

I have to say, this was the product I was most anxious to try, and probably the one I tested most thoroughly.  I mean, I have amazingly frizzy hair, and I live in constant humidity.  The instructions said it worked best when used alone (ie, no other products.  So, Saturday, I showered and put 4-5 sprays in my hair, combed through to distribute, and “styled as usual” – usual being to scrunch my hair until it curls a bit, and let it air dry (straight hair in Houston humidity? No way).  Annnnd… it was less frizzy than if I had used nothing, but still very frizzy.  More frizzy than my usual mousse and scrunch routine.  But! my hair felt really silky and was shiny – not greasy looking, just healthy shine.And it smelled nice, when I put it on – but didn’t leave an overwhelming scent in my hair, which was nice.

So Monday, I tried the curls again – this time with mousse as well.  Noticeably less frizzy, and still kept that silky feeling and shine. Winner!

I haven’t tried straight hair yet, but may try that this week sometime.  If it can keep out the frizzies when my hair is straight, that is a miracle.

Verdict? I love the way it makes my hair feel, and it does help with the frizz factor.  I’ll have to see how long a bottle lasts to determine if it’s worth the price, though (list price: $32 for 3.4 oz).

Olay® Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex (sample size)

Hey! A brand name I recognize! And the sample size came with a coupon for $3 off!  Yay!

I don’t have a huge problem with wrinkles, honestly.  I mean, I have a few starting, but they are super faint, mostly related to laughs or smiles, and it’s not like they bother me.  But I thought I’d give it a whirl… that’s what this test tube this is all about, right?

The product went on smoothly, didn’t really have a scent at all, and didn’t irritate my skin or make it greasy.  So thoe were all wins.  But after a week?  Honestly, I really can’t tell a difference.  Maybe that’s because I don’t have many wrinkles to fight, or maybe it’s doing something to prevent them, I have no idea.

Verdict?  While I’m all for fighting aging, this product just didn’t do much for me.  I would be willing to try it again, though, if my skin care needs change.  The fact that it can be found in Walmart, and Target is a bonus – and at $28 for 1.7 oz, it’s certainly on the less expensive end of things.

ybf Eye Liner – Plum Noir (full size)

So most of my experience with cosmetics is limited to mass market brands – Cover Girl, Revlon, etc.  A few products from Clinique, but those are few and far between.

That being said, this eyeliner was seriously the best I’ve ever tried.  It was soft enough to leave a good line without tugging or scrubbing, and hard enough to make a good line and not smear.  The color was awesome, too!  Not too dark on me, which can be a problem.  And it came off easily with the different eye make-up removers I tried.

Verdict?  Yes, please.  I’ll probably buy more of this in other colors – and at $14.50, it’s a steal.

Memoire Liquide Soliel Liquide Fragrance & Vacances Liquide Fragrance (sample sizes)

I was totally unsure about these… despite being hung up on smells, I’m typically not one for fancy perfumes.   These claimed to “evoke memories, or create new ones”, and everything was in French, which was odd and makes them sound more expensive I suppose.

The Soliel fragrance claimed to smell like a sunny day.  I liked the smell, it was citrusy and a little outdoorsy (I’m told that’s sandalwood), and very energizing.  It did kind of smell bright like a sunny day – I’m thinking this is due to the citrus.  Overall, very pleasant.

The Vacances fragrance claimed to smell like a vacation, on a beach, on an island.  Sure, I like beaches, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out this smelled – not like salt water, seaweed, and sunscreen, but like coconut, white flowers, and a tiny bit of vanilla.  It was really nice, and sure enough, made me think of cruises and days at the beach.

Both fragrances went on well – not too strong – but dissipated through the day.  I would need to freshen them up if I wanted them to be noticeable for a night out or something, I think.

Verdict? I think I liked the Vacances scent the best, but since I don’t wear fragrance that often, it’s pretty pricey (list price: $95/bottle).  Not sure if I’d buy it for myself, but I might suggest it as a gift or something.

Memoire Liquide Amour Liquid Body Cream (full size)

By the same company as the fragrances above, this body cream is supposed to evoke memories of love.  It smells like vanilla, and something else… but it makes me think of college (I liked vanilla a lot back then).  Which is where I fell in love. So that works, I guess?

The scent is light enough to wear to bed, but very nice.  And the body cream itself is super rich and thick, but doesn’t leave my skin greasy or slimy.  It absorbs very nicely, and leave my skin soft and smooth.  I love this body cream!  I’ve used it mostly on my hands and elbows, as I don’t typically use a lot of lotion anywhere else, and it is divine. This is seriously the best lotion I’ve used in a while, if not ever.

Verdict? At $48 a bottle, I’ll have to consider carefully before I buy some – but I would certainly consider it for a treat once in a while!  I’ll be sad when my current bottle runs out…

SkinCeuticals® Phloretin CF and Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 (sample sizes)

Ok, so the description on these sounded super-sciency to me.  Basically, the Phloretin CF is an antioxident that helps combat your skin’s reaction to the sun, preventing sun damage.  And the Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 – is a sunscreen. So the name of the game here is avoiding sun damage.  I’m all for that.

I tried applying the Phloretin CF to my skin, after washing and moisturizing, and was surprised that it came out of the dropper a little greasy.  It absorbed into my skin quickly, not leaving a greasy feel, but it smelled awful – like canned chicken? Or spam?  Not sure.  Honestly, I didn’t see that it made much difference – but I don’t spend a lot of time outside. The smell was such a turn off, I only used it a couple of times.

The sunscreen, on the other hand, was very nice.  It had a little tint to it, but blended well with my skin tone and went on without making my skin really oily.  my current moisturizer only had SPF 30, so 50 is a step up.  I felt like this protected me from the everyday sun I get – in the car, outside with the kids, etc.  And it didn’t really have a scent at all.

Verdict? No to the Phloretin CF – at $152/bottle, it would be out of my price range even if it didn’t smell like canned meat products. But maybe a yes to the Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 – at $32/bottle, it’s about the same as what I was currently using, and less greasy.  I may be getting more of this soon…

Dr. Brandt pores no more® vacuum cleaner™ blackhead extractor (sample size)

I was sad to find out there is no actual vacuum in this.  However, blackheads and large pores can be a problem for me, so I moved past my disappointment and tried it anyway.

The instructions say to put it on every 2-3 day after cleansing, and let it dry for 2-3 minutes before rinsing off.  I followed the directions exactly – and sure enough, I noticed less blackheads than before.  It didn’t burn my skin or make it really dry, either.  It did have a little bit of a chemical smell, but dissipated quickly as it dried.

Verdict? Given that I saw such good results, I’m certainly tempted to buy more.  At $45 a bottle, though, it is a little more than I usually spend.  I wonder how long it lasts?

Perlier Peach Foam Bath (sample size)

This bath & shower gel was sadly disappointing.  It didn’t have much fragrance at all, and was difficult to lather in my water.  The whiff of peach fragrance I got was nice enough, but it was just a hint, even when I was smelling the minimal lather I managed to get on my skin.It left my skin soft and smooth, but not any more so than many other body wash products I’ve tried.

Verdict?  Probably not.  It’s not that pricey (list price: $15 for 16.9 oz), but I just didn’t like it that much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this beauty test tube, and am looking forward to seeing how other beauty box companies stack up.  Like anything of this sort, there were products I liked and others I didn’t, but it gave me a great way to try things I would have otherwise missed out on.  Since the Test Tube is delivered every 3 months, I have more than enough time to evaluate and cancel if I decide to stick with another company instead.

You’re gonna cry yourself to sleep
Your’re gonna soak the pillow
for many weeks
You’re gonna cry
Why?
Why me?

But in spite of the ache
that doesn’t go away
You’ll be sharing your story
one rainy day
And at the next table somebody catches your words
He hear’s a truth that he’s never heard
He takes it back to the marriage he’d given up on
Hands it down to his daughter
who writes it into song
You didn’t know

A thousand things are happening in this one thing
Like a thousand fields nourished by a single drop of rain
So honey, wrap yourself in promise
while you wait the morning light
A thousand things are happening tonight

You’re gonna cry yourself to sleep
“cause for the moment all that you can see
Is what you’ve lost , lost
Why me?

But in the midst of the most exquisite pain
you’re drawn into a peace that You cannot explain
and the praises you sing of a sovereign God
reach the girl whose last hope is gone
she never thought there was purpose in anything here
now the seed has been planted and it’s taking root there
You didn’t know

Chorus

A thousand things are happening tonight
You’re gonna cry yourself to sleep
A thousand miracles you’ll have to wait and see

— 1 —

My kids say some of the cutest things:

Brianna insists on calling polka-dots “poka-nuts”.  I love this, and hope she never grows out of it.

When Benjamin wants to be carried, he reaches his arms up and says “I carry you! I carry you!”

We put the kids in the bath the other night, and Brianna decided she needed to get back out and sit on the potty.  I went to lift her out, and she yelled “Stop!  My feet will leak on the floor!”.   After Chad and I stopped laughing, we got her a towel for her leaky feet.

Brianna was looking for something pink the other day, and kept saying “I can’t find the pink one!”  Benjamin very helpfully brought her a stuffed penguin, saying “Bran-na, here’s the pen-kwin!”  She had no idea what he was talking about.

Benjamin has decided he wants to go to the beach.  He has no idea what the beach is, I don’t think, but he keeps saying “I want to go the BEACH! I can’t see the BEACH” and pulling us to the door. So we might have to make a trip to the beach soon…

Apparently, Brianna was filmed at church for a mother’s day video to be shown to the congregation on Sunday.  I’m a little afraid at what might possibly come out of her mouth, on camera. It’s either going to be adorable, or mortifying.  Probably both.

— 2 —

I need this error code book:

— 3 —

Since I already geeked you out with xkcd, here’s an article that makes me laugh every time.  If a programming language was a boat.  The last picture is the one that kills me.

— 4 —

I actually bought Brianna a scissors workbook this week.  A whole book of paper – that’s designed to be cut up.  That makes me cringe for so many reasons, but she needs the scissor work (per her preschool teacher) and I don’t have time to hunt down 50 print-out sheets on the internet.  But! If you have an pointers for places to go to get print outs, or ways to work on scissor skills, I’m all ears!

— 5 —

This is how I feel at work sometimes.

Luckily, we have a couple of new people coming on board, which should lighten the workload and improve the standards of our apps across the board.  Yay!

— 6 —

I love this:

Actually, if I could fill my house with word art of witty/inspiring quotes, I probably would.  (Etsy will be my downfall, seriously). There are a ton of them that I love, and I don’t seem to have enough walls.

— 7 —

Tonight, courtesy of my neighbors who are trading babysitting with us, I am totally going on a date with my husband>  Not sure if we’ll make to dinner and a movie, or just dinner, but I am really looking forward to it.  It seems like out life is so busy, we seldom have time for just us… it’s nice to take an evening out and be able to eat a meal without cutting up someone else’s food or bringing a diaper bag every now and again.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!  Actually, Betty Beguiles is guest hosting this week!

This week’s topic is: Identity

Who am I, really?  I feel like I don’t know sometimes.  I’m a mother, and a wife, and so many other things… maybe too many other things.  I feel like I’m failing in all of them so often these days – the house is not as clean as I want it to be, I don’t spend enough quality time with the kids, I’m not sure I’m preparing Brianna for school enough or in the right ways, I don’t have time to work out or have hobbies or…

My perceived failures define so much of who I think I am.  I know that’s not healthy.  I know it’s not really who I am, and somewhere, deep down, I know I’m not really failing at everything.  But it’s so hard to break out of that rut, to see that sometimes good enough is just perfect, and to let it go.  To see where I’m excelling, and to find my little blessings along the way.  I get so bogged down in the process, in the day-to-day of it all, that I miss enjoying who I am and what my strengths are.

I’m pretty good at having fun, when I’m not stressed out.  I like to laugh, and I can sing every song off the shows my kids like.  I put dinner on the table, more nights than not.  The house is certainly livable, even if it doesn’t measure up to my standards.  I love my kids.  I do well at work, often. I’m constantly working on improving, praying that God helps me change what I need to change about myself and my attitude.

These are the things I want to remember about me. That I’m not the failure I often identify myself as being.