The Margin Label

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I’ve tried and failed too many times to count.

Depressing.

And really, where is the fun or motivation in that... So I faced the facts and nixed the idea altogether. Done.

However, every year, I do try and choose a theme or maybe a better choice word…a "label" for that particular year. This “label” does not have to come about with the start of the year. It could be during the year that I run with it. It might even be after the year has wrapped up that I look back and say “After all that, there is no doubt last year was all about _____.”

My “label” can be a broad concept, a word, or even an emotion. My “label” is a summary of the journey that I will go on or I did go on. For example, last year my label was “patience” as I navigated and waited on a new balance with two kids, busier work schedule for the husband, a new niece in NICU, a new job for me…you get the idea. Last year put me in prayer often as I waited on Him to open doors, close doors, show doors and at times, remain silent. It was in those silent times that “patience” became a test for me.

The year before that was “change” as I quit a job, took a job, had a baby, navigated the husband’s new job and potty trained a 2 year old. That last one? Warning to the up and coming parents? Potty training and teething are up there in the “I’m exhausted and it’s only 10 am” stage.

Both words put a label on a whole range of events and emotions that kept me running in a circle throughout the year; pinball style.

By putting a label on the year, I am not ignoring the other concepts, emotions or stamps on the year…I am being intentional in another way. I am intentionally focusing on the journey God has me on; on this 365 day portion of my life. Since I don’t know how long this path is to last, and knowing full well that everything He does He does for a reason and that includes putting me in places or positions, why
would I need to move any faster than just one day at a time? By focusing on one day at a time or even one week at a time, I can be more intentional with myself, with my marriage, with my kids, with my relationship and with ministry. Labeling what I feel this portion of my journey is, helps me look at my daily journey intentionally.

This year’s theme in “margin.” Being a full time wife, a full time mom, working full time in ministry, a full time pastor’s wife and fully devoted to it all, I recognize how easy it is to be swept away in self-pity-parties. And trust me, that is not a pretty picture for one whose nose becomes as red as Rudolph when she cries.

Ready? Set? SLEEP!!!

It's Fall...My house is decorated...I have my pumpkin soaps and candles out...I've had my initial Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks (my first REAL coffee btw since being pregnant. Woop woop!)...I'm starting to watch through my list of October movies while a certain toddler sleeps...Tomorrow is October 1st!!! And yet, THIS IS HAPPENING.

It is almost 10 pm and near to 80 degrees. Do you see tomorrow's high? Uh.

Ew.

Where's the 60's? Where's the drizzle? Where's the breeze? WHERE'S THE FALL???

The Husband and J are camping out tonight. Literally. The Husband (who loves the summer and literally did a happy dance when he saw this week's forecast) setup our new tent earlier today before the sun pelted anymore of it's insane rays down on us knowing that tonight and maybe even tomorrow night would be the "perfect" night to sleep outside. I think J might have pee'd his pants with excitement helping get everything setup for his campout with Daddy. He made sure to grab his Mickey AND Goofy stuffed animals, his Thomas flashlight and of course his pillow (or as he prefers to call it, "My Pay-yo."). The chatter has died down a bit from out there but it's been so cute listening to him talk on and on about every little thing that comes to mind. I know The Husband is loving this too.

I, however, am not claiming a spot on the air mattress tonight (yes, you read that right. air mattress. no more of this back ache, sleeping bag twisted, am I laying on a tree root? sort of camping for us. We live it up and cart the aerobed into the tent). Instead, I get some time with this little face!

In all honesty, I hope I do not see much of his eyes tonight as he SHOULD be sleeping. When J was little and I had limited time at home before heading back to work full time, I knew that I HAD to sleep train that little guy. Sleep was a necessity and having a baby sleep through the night as earlier as he possibly could was a MUST. So with a BabyWise mentality, I drew up a Feed/Wake/Sleep schedule and buckled down. Best decision ever!

Knowing how effective and important sleep training came to be with J, I was eager to get Rett on his own schedule even though he is so young and thinking ahead... my work hours have changed drastically. It resonated even more in my head a few nights ago when he was up from 4-6am as if it was the middle of the day. Uh sorry kid, this mama needs her sleep and so do YOU!

And so I got to work drawing up the ideal day. I took J's wakeup time, naptime and bedtime into consideration too so that I could hopefully be able to shift my focus from one kid to the other instead of juggling both. With those factors, along with some work ones, we are getting our feet under us with a new routine. Let's just say that sleeping a solid 4 hours in a row last night quite literally brought a smile to my face at 5am.

We will see how tonight goes as every day pans out it's unique set of circumstances. Like today being the traumatic bath day. Seriously, I'm surprised the neighbors didn't come knocking. This kid has a set of lungs on him that makes the dog get up and leave the room. Boy do I love that face, but holy moly, I'd be a-okay if that particular cry would leave and never come back. He flipped out on us when we put him in the cozy hot-tub of a bath. Nope. He apparently thought it was death.

Oy. Needless to say, the rest of the day turned in to quite the sleepy day as his fit wiped him out. But regardless, we are gearing up for our final evening feeding and then it's off to bed!

Here's to you October, my favorite time of year! // tipping my hat to you //
Even though you are blasting us with some funky heat, I'm holding on to the dream of pumpkin carving, Harry Potter music, rain fall, new recipes, and lots and lots of smiles with our new family of 4.



Yay Niners! Yay A's!

Too many thoughts!!!

13 days ago.

It's amazing how life can change so dramatically in just a few days...eh, honestly it was more like hours.

Now here I am.  Mama of two. Hanging out on my couch, writing with a laptop on my lap with a healthy 6 lb. 13 oz. baby boy laying on me snoozing away. I've got a two and a half year  old big brother asleep in his room with his dinosaur pajamas on and mickey mouse stuffed animal in hand.

Today was my first time home alone with my two kids for a few hours. I definitely felt my brain on overdrive as I tackled a few typical chores, a toddler's lunch and nap schedule, and a newborn's feeding/changing schedule. Thankfully, I am able to ease into what our new family schedule will look like as I have till mid-November off from work. Today was actually a unique day as The Husband is technically still on vacation, even though he had to head in to work for a few hours all because he hadn't planned being on his leave yet (Little Guy's due date is still a full two weeks away!).

In all honesty,

It's amazing how many times I have started and then stopped this post...some of the time as a result of my new found schedule, other times out of pure time exhaustion but mainly, because of the pure abundance of what I want to write about. I have so many stories, thoughts and feelings rolling through my head that I truly have no idea where to begin!

So here is my goal: In the days to come I'm determined to let the thoughts just roll. I don't want to forget. I don't want to miss those little details that bring a smile to my face whenever I think about them.

No big deal...Apparently I just amputated his arm.

I've been trying to remind myself that "April showers bring May flowers" 'cause I am ready for some major sunshine... The kind where you can have sliding doors open at 9pm while still wearing shorts and flip flops from earlier that day. This whole sun and 80 degrees on Sunday, sun and 50 degrees on Monday, wind on Tuesday, rain on Wednesday, clouds on Thursday is a little confusing. Poor J got hit with the sniffles with the temperature drop this week. That's what I tell myself even though deep down  I know that it was my fault. We've pretty much had the same scenario happen  ever since J got his first cold...I guess you can call it a ritual by now.

Humidifier comes out. Humidifier stays out for way too long. Humidifier gets cleaned and aired out. Humidifier gets put away. The sniffles come back within 24 hours.  Uncanny I tell ya.

So we took it slow this week. Tuesday, The Husband and I tagged team our work schedules trading who would go in late and who would come home early from the office. Thankfully this little bug only lasted a little over 24 hours. Munch was back to school the following day with only a little runny nose. The rest of the week panned out normal and busy as usual which made me anxious for today to hit.

The Husband is off diving in Monterey with Auntie K which meant J and I had a completely free schedule day! Words cannot describe the amount of happiness a day-off-Friday can bring.  Uncle Matt is in in town for a few days so a breakfast day was planned. How could you not love a morning that involves french toast. Especially french toast that did not require you to do the dishes afterwards. Nom nom nom.

And since we were on that side of the hill (which is a rarity), we made a quick stop over at the elementary school where Gram (my momma) and Grandma (the Husband's momma) work. Smiles all around!

The smiles continued all the way home and after the nap! The kickback started flowing at the sound of the phrase "hair cut." Draaaammmmaaaa. I waited a long time hoping to avoid THIS. 4 months with a little boy's curly head can get a tad unruly. Especially hair that has major Kramer tendencies. Maybe I notice it more now that his hair is finally getting fuller...his locks grow fast.

Two weeks ago...

I set up a quick hair trim station, hit "play" on Madagascar and held my breath. With every curl I touched, you would have thought I was amputating his arm!!! "Owwwww Mama, OWWW!!!" "Ugh!!!!!!!" "Nooooo!!!!" Really kid?

I had to go extra slow coaxing him through every gentle touch reminding him that "Baby, this doesn't hurt! It tickles!" The tears slowed down as I kept asking questions about the movie and talking about everything from pirates to bees. Anything to distract this child from apparently a near death experience.

But we made it! He survived! I know we all had our doubts. ;)

Oy. I'm really glad our neighbors did not call CPS on me.

I asked if I could take a picture of his trimmed up mop to text to "Daddy who was swimming with Nemo" (best way to describe diving to a 2 1/2 year old) but apparently the trauma was too much. I received a very quick "NO mama." I didn't fight back.

Is it worth trying to take him to an actual salon? We've had terrible luck with mama cutting his hair, with a stylist at home and at someone else's home cutting his hair. Since he's been aware of what's happening, we are 0/3 for a tear-free session. This mama needs some tips!!!!

For the Love of Buzz.

It never fails - A necessary trip to Target right before nap time. You would think that a mama would learn from previous experience. Yea... Apparently I needed to experience Target in a different light.

Don't get me wrong! For the most part, J loves Target. He has a blast checking out the $1 section. He Ooh's and Aah's his way through the toy aisles with me! He's awesome like that.

First stop was the sunglasses. Little man insisted on a few minutes of modeling. This kid can definitely rock aviaters like it's nobody's business. Why he picked out a pair of black 80's plastic frames for me I will never know. Those quickly worked as an awesome headband. After the orange, blue and green pairs were given a run, little whines started to creep out meaning my time was quickly running out.

And then we found it! IT being a sweet deal combining the words Buzz Lightyear and Clearance. Score for J and score for Mama! With a 2-Year Old Birthday and Christmas quickly approaching in the same month I'll grab any deals I can find so as to avoid the overpriced, picked over toy aisle during December.

Even though Rex and Buzz were fully encased in their plastic box it was seriously love at first site. I'm pretty sure I overheard him singing to them. It was just that awesome.

And then all that awesomeness came to a screeching halt. The cashier needed to scan the beloved Buzz. Hold on to your hats.

It was as if I literally cut off his arm and gave it to the poor unsuspecting gal!

Oh the tears. The sobs. The inhumanity!!!

Seriously I think the Buzz box left his hands for two seconds. TWO seconds! It's shocking how loud a kid can get in just two seconds. I'm sure I got a few "looks" from my fellow Targeters. And being that it was naptime...I didn't blame them in the least. ;) Yep, I will take the blame for the crazed human sitting in my cart.

5 minutes later. Our state of affairs had changed.

For those of you wondering, I WAS able to successfully transfer a sleeping boy AND sneak the Buzz-O-Wonder back to the guest room for a later day.


P.S. Remember those 80's sunglasses I used as a headband? Yea...those little beauties came home with me. What's worse? Forgetting they were on my head and WALKING out with them. Oh. My. Word. I will be returning those with a pathetic apology...;/

Hello, my name is chopped liver.

The list of words he's throwing at me is growing everyday. Like growing to the point that my heart literally is a puddle of sap when I walk through the front door and his little squatty body runs over to me telling me with a look of utter devastation "Vanna Da Ball de whaaa boken." Where's the Rosetta Stone for Munchkin-ese when you need it?!

I'm pretty sure means "Savanna took the ball and it's broken."

He's awesome. Seriously its the most ridiculous thing to hear his little voice attempt to throw out words instead of grunts. Poor guy is so close yet gets so stinkin' frustrated when we don't understand the de's, boo's and uhhhh's of his Munchkin-ese. The husband and I try to be as patient as we can but still there are days where patience gets us no where and J will resort to running out of the room and dramatically falling on the floor with a big "OWWW!" Sometimes we're lucky and the performance will include a head bang or two. Man I love that boy.

There is one word that i am dying to hear. I thought for sure he would have picked up on this by now after my daily drills. I'm not asking for much.....just the correct name.

Here's the dilemma. Show Munch a family picture and you've got "Daddy" (correct!), "Jaaaaa" (correct!) AND last but not least... "Dad." (Uh...Nope!) Wait what? The Dad is me? Oh that's right!!!!! My child refuses to call me mom.

mommy. mom. mama. maaaa. mother. lady-who-birthed-me. I'd take anything. I would even take just a straight up Mmmm sound thrown my general direction from this little person's mouth. Instead I am forced to repeatedly point at myself in the picture and at my face saying "Mommy. Mommy. That is mommy." The reply? He points back at the picture, looks at me with the stubborn eyebrow gaze and says it a little more drawn out to help me understand. "Daaaaaaaad."

 And there it is. Apparently I was confused. Say hello to daddy, J and daaaaaaad.

For now. :)

Hello, my name is Nasty-Butt. What's yours?

I'm noticing a theme around here. Home, daycare, books, blog world [Hey there Football Mommy! :) ]...Mom's of 12-18 month old munchkins (in particular) have a new skill they are adding to their resume. In the past two weeks I have officially entered a new phase of parenting. I'm lucky enough to be earning my Tantrum 101 Badge and I'm hoping to move to a happier course sooner than later. I sort of prefer the veins in my forehead to stay inside of my skull. Seriously what is the deal with these "flip a switch" mood swings that take a once was laughing, high-fiving munchkin to a gleam-in-the-eye, running-away, crying, overall nasty-butt munchkin?!


J is 16 months now (cue melting mom heart) and when out in public he's still pretty good at minding his manners. Let me rephrase that...I am still willing to venture out into public with him which means that yes, his manners are visible to the general public. However, there are some days that once my child walks through the front door everyone needs to hang on to their hats and glasses and prepare yourself for what appears to be the end of the world. The days that I just want to skip over are the days when EVERYTHING is a big deal to J. I kid you not, Savanna (our golden) sniffed J's hand the other day (apparently her nose was too cold?) to which he responded by running to the corner of the room, facing in to the corner and standing there for a good minute half-crying, half-moaning as if she had bit his finger off. Um. Okay. Really? (cue laughter). 


So if he's not running to the Munch Corner as I have so fondly named it since it's always that corner, he's banging his hand on something while looking right at you with a nasty gleam-in-his eye. This one is big during dinner or any other time when you tell him "No." He'll smack his high chair tray table, he'll smack the wall, door, whatever object is close by. WHAT THE HECK?! Nope, this is not going to fly.


I so desperately want to correct him in a way that connects the dots in his brain that behaving like that is no-bueno and find one consistent way that does that! For awhile we were able to intentionally ignore the one or two smacks to the tray table during dinner when he saw that he was being offered poison veggies to eat. I could see his little brain hashing out his new plan of attack since his nasty-butt display wasn't working but he always gave up and moved on. Now, well since the gleaming eye lingers longer, I am attempting the time-out method and/or the butt swat after intentional ignoring and several No's are laid on the table. Some days are better than others. The tough part of this Tantrum 101 Badge is knowing/assuming/guessing that my consistency is working. (cue pulsing forehead vein).


Sometimes I think he just wants to play the part his amazing hat implies...

Monday Morning: What a charmer.

I got a text from the husband this morning with a solo picture that I just had to share. I usually prefer to start my Monday Morning's with a laugh but I overslept which has meant that all morning, I have felt rushed and just a little off. Apparently someone else was a little off this morning as well. :)

Now I realize that some of you might view this Monday Morning post as a Laugh, more of a chuckle, a sigh or some of you might go as far as saying "You're crazy...this isn't funny, its...pathetic!" I'm not denying that you might be right on all accounts. But for me and the husband, this was most definitely a laugh.

For those of you who know my Munchkin and his previous sleep-standing history, this picture completely captures his mobility while "sleeping." I did not hear a PEEP all night which is amazing and makes this feat even funnier. Last week was a rough one. Our boy was in a "I'm not hungry...ever...ever...ever" stage which meant that a middle of the night cry session became a week-long ritual. I was not a happy mommy. We shifted schedules around. Started giving a heartier bedtime snack which in turn has made all the difference in the world. BUT...even though his belly is full and he is falling asleep during story time, his action sleeping never ceases to amaze me. This kid already has full on conversations in his sleep and will roll his way into the most awkward positions typically in the corner or through the railings of his crib. To find him half naked, totally dishevled and overall pathetic looking is worthy of sharing.

What a charmer!

*Disclaimer: The gnarly knot of his forehead was from this past weekend. Beauty ain't it? That's what happens when you combine a new pair of sandals, a footstool and an excited 15 1/2 month old who prefers to run instead of walk. My heart ached with that tumble. Got to love that boy.

Welcome Wordless-ish Wednesday: Box Forts

The Bay Area was drenched with rain last week. Seriously everyday was RAIN! Prior to Munch's arrival into my life, I loved me some big ol' thunderstorms. Now? Well let's just say I view rainy days as a time for God to stretch my creative thoughts and ideas. Q: How do you entertain a 15 month old over a rainy day weekend when daddy is at work? A: You go out to the garage and you get creative. 

You then spend some time mentally preparing yourself for what the house will look like when you get home from work the next week when you know daddy's creative thoughts and ideas were also stretched. 

And so we have the...

Box Forts.

Today, I'm linking up with Take It From Me ladies. Join in and start following!

Sole survivor

I was the sole survivor last week. 5/6 in my house came down with the nasty 24+ hour stomach flu that literally empties everything from you. All of us (sickos and healthy) were physically, emotionally, mentally pooped after THAT ordeal.  Haha! pooped! No pun intended. ;) This weekend in between rain drops I had every window open while I disinfected every toy, door knob and surface that I could find while washing every blanket and bucket that had been strategically placed around the house. Clorox was my friend and thankfully costco loves them too.

This was the first time we've had to work with a puking Munchkin. That was one pathetic site. We haaaaave worked with a sick Husband before which was also pathetic but at least we were able to get a few laughs in the midst of the bathroom visits. Something about reading a text sent from the bedroom while I am in the living room that reads "I've concluded that I am dying" that just brings a smile to my face.

It's during days like these that I am verbally so thankful for the Husband and the team that we are. I am mentally thankful for him everyday but when he is MIA for a good chunk of time, I tend to pour out the emotions whenever he returns. Something about working full time, being a chauffer, caretaker, laundromat, chef, and maid that does me in after a few days. We've been doing this whole parenting thing for 14 1/2 months now, the whole married thing for almost 5 years and the whole relationship thing for almost 12 years. Trust me, that last part sounds crazy to me as well. It's amazing to me how God can bring two high schoolers with completely different backgrounds with different strengths and weaknesses, passions and interests together and over time make them ... a couple. Married. With goals and passions that move them forward...together.

I know we are no where near having the perfect marriage - whatever that is. I know there are days when I desperately want to toss the socks left out, right into the trash can. I know there are days when he thinks I'm crazy for vacuuming the living room when I just did it yesterday. In my defense, it's winter. We have a golden retriever. Let's just say that during these months I desperately just want to shave her hair off. I know there are days that we are NOT on the same page and one of us steps up to get to the heart of the matter. I also know that the Husband and I, no matter what day it is, has the other person's best interests at heart. We may drive each other nuts some days but regardless of whatever is going on, I have his back and he has mine. Our relationship is what matters the most.The empty toilet paper roll left on the dispenser, the dishes left in the sink, it's just stuff. What matters is us. It's us and how we communicate through life together and our relationship with Jesus right in the center of it.


After the Husband fought his flu battle, we ventured out for a belated Valentines date night dinner. We dropped J off at Grandpa S and Grandma D's house and drove ourselves down to get some deeee-licious PF Chang's. It's amazing how good food tastes after you are used to eating flu remedy foods. It was a much needed step out of reality. I sort of forgot that there are other time options for eating dinner other than 5:30! I also forgot how amazing it is to NOT carry a diaper bag, my work bag and an extra sippy cup. I didn't dive all the way in and carry a purse...yet. I enjoyed the shoulder free experience of my wristlet. We ate, we laughed but the best part? We talked. I could talk to that guy for hours. We talk about anything and everything. Parenting, the couple next to us, our boy, YouTube, our finances, the yardwork we need to do, our jobs, the craziness of our schedules, Dave Ramsey, our marriage, our future plans. We try to be on the same page. We may have different thoughts on how to get to that page but I feel so blessed to be married to someone who wants to BE on the same page.

Husband, Thanks for hanging around. Both Munch and I kind of like you. ;)

Doctor, Will you marry me?

A year into this whole "I'm now a parent" thing and still there are days that I waive my white flag out of sheer desperation. Tuesday night was a white flag night. It was more of a "Someone help because I have no idea what to do" sort of night. Poor Munch had been off all day. When I went to pick him up after lunch, the ladies at his daycare said that he just wanted to "sit" with them. Weird. They also said he didn't want to eat. Really weird. He had been chewing on his finger a lot which made me think he was teething. We have 8, here comes number 9. Ugh.

My teething hunch was thrown when we pulled up into the driveway. As soon as I turned the car off, the boy burst into tears. Um, okay?? I left the bags in the car and hurried inside with Mr. Tears. It was 1:30. Naptime. I followed our normal routine and got him changed, into his sleepsack and laid him down. The tears turned into sobs as soon as the door closed. The tears usually last no more than 10 minutes but after 30 minutes of on and off sniffles, the room was finally quiet. Poor guy. Something was off. 30 more minutes passed and the sobs picked up again. I clocked out of work and peeked in his room. Munch was laying down but crying. Mom-time. We rocked in his room for awhile, ventured into my room to both lay down which is where I finally got him asleep. An hour later naptime was over and Daddy came home. He managed to tickle a little smile out of Munch. Phew, much better. Or so I thought.

Later that night after hanging out at Grandma C and Grandpa D's house, I attempted to lay the sleeping Munch down in his crib. Not even 5 minutes passed before the cries started again. These cries were different. Something wasn't right. Flashing back to naptime I knew that the only chance of sleep for all of us would be to get him asleep with me. I quickly got ready for bed and brought Munch to our room again. He just wanted to he held. My heart was breaking for this little guy.

It was jolted back into reality around 2:30 when both Ryan and I woke up to a child radiating heat. I kid you not, I have never felt that much heat coming from one person. As Ryan ran to get the thermometer, I went about stripping off those pj's hoping that he got overheated and would soon start to cool down. Negative. His entire body was hot to the touch. 102.8!!!! Oh man. This is where the desperation came into play.I had never dealt with a fever like this. What were we supposed to do? As I gave him a dose of infants advil, Ryan got Munch's medical card which had a listing for a 24/7 advice nurse. Yes please. Nurse Judith was there to take my call. As I am giving all the pertinent info to Nurse Judith, Ryan takes Munch to get a diaper change from which I hear "Get a  towel!" Poor kid lost his lunch. I immediately relayed this new event to Nurse Judith. "Honey take a deep breath, we are going to figure this out." Um, we better!

I truly was on the verge of tears. This was scary. J has impeccable timing though. After he was all changed and I was given a rundown on how long advil takes to work, what to look for in dehydration and to call back if the fever goes any higher, Munch is carried back into the room and gives me a goofy grin. My boy is sick but man is he cute. With my nerves fried, Ryan and I were desperate for this fever to go down but I knew it wasn't going to be immediate. 30 minute increments is what we gave ourselves. Every 30 minutes we took his temperature.

1 1/2 hours later, alarm went off and thermometer was ready. I had a child with a fever that had now jumped to 103.3*. I reached for the phone. Unfortunately Nurse Judith was not around for this one. Instead I was told to hang up and call the doctor. In my head, I was dressed with diaper bag in hand headed out the door to the ER. In reality I tried to calm myself so that I was coherent for the doctor. He seriously was an answer to prayer. Munch's doctor just happened to be on call that night. I flubbed my way through what was going on and was calmly told to administer an additional partial dose of advil and to make my way to the ER if his fever reached 105* (because 103.3 was not torture enough). He told me his schedule for the next few days and advised me to call in the morning to set an appointment. Sleep he said.

30 minutes later, our fever check showed that his temperature had started to drop. Not much but enough to give my chest a little more breathing room. It continued to decrease into the morning. I called the doctor in the morning to which he said there was no need to come in unless I thought it necessary. Apparently all Munch needed was the correct dosage to combat those high numbers. He was fighting a virus of some sort. A VIRUS. This fever could stick around a few days because of a virus.

This week has been on and off again with Munch. Our very own Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. I'm starting to get pretty good about gauging his temperature by watching the way he reacts to things. Outbursts = Fever. This virus is a rough one on everyone and I wouldn't mind if it NEVER came around again.

Bring on the happy dance, Munch is fever free and has been since yesterday. He is now eating and back to naps. Hallelujah we are virus free! *fingers crossed*

Hola, je m'apelle Dana. Aloha!

Munch has never been the type of kid that has a "lovey." He was attached to a pacifier till last week when we went cold turkey...so far, so good with that feat. He does get attached to one toy for a few days...One that he continually goes back to is one of those stand-up tables that laughs and sings to him with every little button and switch. I remember when he first pulled himself on it...Now he's literally running circles around it yelling back his famous "Aughhhhhhhhh" line. To switch it up on him, I'll flip the Spanish switch on the table and watch him. He knows something is different but in a matter of minutes he's back to banging his hands and yelling at the lights (that's my boy!). :) So, I've left it on Spanish. Why not?? I would absolutely love it if he was bilingual. I took French in high school, Spanish in college and what do I have to show for it? Bonjour, mi llamo es Dana. Oh wait...Aloha? Hola? Well, you get the picture. I wish that I was fluent in another language. Adding that to my resume would be amazing! I get calls weekly while I am in the office asking if I speak Espanol.  Sadly, No habla espanol  is the best I can do.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to connect with Kathleen Thomas who is the Communications Coordinator with Prim Rose Schools. She shared a thoughtful article that I was excited to share. Her words triggered some thoughts of my own ... I'm anxious to hear your thoughts too! What do you look for in a preschool and early childhood education? For all you newbie moms like me, the crazy thought is that preschool is NOT THAT FAR AWAY. Sigh. Is it going fast for you too?

The Best Time for Bilingual Education- Early Childhood Learning

Of course, nobody knows what the future will hold – but if current trends continue, your child will grow up to enter a workforce in which the competition for decent-paying jobs will be nothing short of cut-throat. Despite the calls for greater co-operation and "interdependence," human nature being what it is, it's a good bet that the economy of the the future will operate according to the Law of the Jungle. It goes without saying that a good education is one of the best ways to prepare that child for survival in that economic jungle of the future.

The Bilingual Future

One of the future trends that has become certain is the existence of a diverse, global society. Nowhere is this more true than in the United States. Almost from the beginning, the U.S. has been a land of immigrants, and while the "melting pot" has been an interesting theory, it has not happened in practice. On the contrary, most major U.S. population centers have become more of an ethnic and linguistic checkerboard; Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Chinese speakers represent some of the fastest-growing segments of the immigrant U.S. population.

In addition, with the rise of China, English may very well lose its preeminence as the international language of business; at best, it will have to share that top status with Mandarin in decades to come.

Getting Ready

Traditional wisdom has been to start teaching a second language in middle school, or even high school. Yet numerous research studies clearly demonstrate that the optimal period in a child's life for multilingual education is during the preschool years – at exactly the same time they are learning their first language. Yes, it is possible to learn a second and third language later in life, but it is more difficult, because that neurological "window of opportunity" – when the brain is most malleable – has passed.

According to Dr. Fred Genessee, Professor of Psychology at McGill University in Montreal, it's as easy for young children to learn two or three languages as it is for them to learn one. He's not alone; educators throughout the world (in countries that often have two or even three official languages) have understood this for decades.

The way a child learns a second language is by actually speaking it in a total immersion environment. You may recall an episode of the animated series The Simpsons in which young Bart gets trapped on a farm in France – and by the end of the episode, finds he's actually speaking the language. While this was a fictional scenario, the phenomenon is real; anyone who has taken young children abroad to stay with relatives in a foreign country for any length of time has observed this happening.

Enrollment in a preschool program that offers immersion in other languages is the best way to get your child started.  This investment will make him/her much more competitive in the job market later on.

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Austin day care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of day care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

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Tuesday Love - Intentional Parenting and a Giveaway!

It's never too early to start emphasizing your role as a parent. Poor Munch doesn't stand a chance of getting away with things in our house. ;) Ry and I are sticklers. We are sticklers for being intentional. This Tuesday love is two-fold.

1. I love that Munchkin has a clean slate and can start out his life learning to make good choices. Parenting is intentional. You are on the clock at ALL times guiding, teaching, encouraging, supporting. Ryan and I will do all we can to guide him through these formative years. Our prayer for Munch is that he is a Spiritual Champion through thick and thin, inside and out. We want his life to make a difference for Christ. We just finished up a great group study with other Revolutionary Parents. If you need some thought provoking material, I could not recommend this book more. Obviously you won't be able to predict every scenario that is going to come into play as your kiddo grows but knowing and having clear understanding of the rules and guidelines expected of them as a part of your family is HUGE. I have a hunch that my already constant prayers for guidance, patience and humility will continue with each day.

2. I love fun giveaways and this one caught my eye! HOUSE RULES! Perfect :)

Fun Giveaway featured by Barn Owl Primitives. Enter for your chance today - You only have till the 11th!

Happy Tuesday Folks! Find something to love today.