oh Christmas presents, oh Christmas presents...

So, I saw on one of my favorite "kiddy" blogs the idea to put together a little Christmas wish list for Lauren. Now, first and foremost...I am not advocating ANYONE going out to buy any or all of these items. I just thought it would be fun to throw out a few things that I really think she would like/get good use out of over the next years. Some of these things the grandparents have already said they might be getting, but some of it is new stuff that I thought might help with the question of what to get Lauren.... now you have some ideas. :) Again I feel as though I should clarify - I am NOT ASKING anyone to get Lauren presents (this is mainly for family who have asked what to get her) Also, if you are reading this and see anything that you have good or bad feedback on - I'd LOVE to hear it. I hate wasting money!!!!

A little table and chair set for her to play on/color on/eat on/whatever!!!


Touch and Feel books.... she is totally into reading and loves new textures. I really think she would like any book like this!



Lauren is just entering the stage of liking to play with crayons and even paint...can you see where this is going? I thought this little artist smock would be nice!!!

Finger paints!!! Oh the fun we could have!!!


Isn't this baby doll the cutest? I'd love for her to have a baby, but she hasn't really acted that interested in them so far. P.S. Did you know that there are baby dolls out there that are like 80 bucks? Seriously?!?!


She loves Play Doh and I thought this set was really cute with the little tools!!!

I'd love for Lauren to have a set of wooden blocks. I thought these were cute with the letters and pictures on them!
I really like this magnetic letter set from Melissa and Doug. I've seen a lot of really neat activities using these and I like that there are uppercase and lowercase letters!

How cute is this kitchen? I am not sure this particular one would work for our house though because it is a corner unit, and believe it or not, we do not have a corner open....unless I actually put it in the dining room....hmmmm... I do think Lauren would like this as she is really into pretend play!Of course, this cute little food set would be fun for her too! Also, a mess?!?!


Musical Instruments!!!!! Drum, xylophone, maracas, any of those would be fun!!!!!!!




Counting bears!!! These are great for color sorting, counting, texture, pretend play, and on and on!


How about this? I am thinking this would be sooo wonderful for indoor play during the cold winter months! Lauren LOVES the slide at the park and I can imagine she would really enjoy this mini version!

Shawn and I were also thinking of getting her a little reading chair for the living room....any thoughts?!?!

an open letter to perfectionism

Dear Perfectionism,

You and I have been acquaintances for a long, long time. To say that we have been through a lot together would be an understatement. The truth is you've been my constant companion. The first one to cheer me on or to call me out. You've pushed me, pulled me, encouraged me and then mocked me.

Have you had fun with yourself all these years? Have you loved watching me as I tirelessly reached for you over and over again? Have you laughed to yourself as I came up short again and again and again? Have you sat mesmerized as I gave up and didn't finish project after project or commitment after commitment out of the fear of failure you instilled in me? And have you enjoyed lacing any success I have had with your bittersweet, "could have, should haves"?

Yes . . . knowing you - you have.

After all, isn't that what you do? You hide behind a nice, neat title and then wreck havoc on the lives of those you encounter. Most people don't even recognize it is you. They blame it on pressure and their own hard work ethic. All the while you get off free and clear.

Well, Perfectionism, today I have your number. I've been watching you...tracking you. I've been analyzing the areas where you have me and the wonderful and horrible things you've used to lead me to those places. Today, I am seeing things a little more clearly. I'm taking my ownership and heaping yours on you. How does it feel?

I know that I am not immune to your deceptions and as much as I wish I could be, that will not happen while I am alive on this earth. There is no pill or shot I can take that will untangle your hold from me. It is too twisted, too methodical, too consuming for human hands or mind. It is going to require God. It is going to require an overhaul of the way I think and who I listen to. It is going to require that I purposefully set you aside daily or even hourly.

I guess this means we're breaking up. It's been real. But it hasn't been fun.

Sincerely,
Jen

friday

So in about 20 minutes we've got to pack up to head to Lauren's 15 month well child visit. How can it be that she is old enough for one of those? How can it be that she is no longer a little baby? I mean, of course I will always consider her my baby but if I am being honest with myself she is a toddler. A toddler! How does that happen?

On another note, Shawn is getting to move offices and I told him Lauren and I would love to come help this afternoon. This means that she will probably be running all over the place and getting into all of his stuff, but I think it will be fun to hang with him a while and hopefully it will help him get it all done faster... we'll see!

Saturday I am helping my friend, Kelly, with a conference she is putting on for her middle school girls at their church. The conference is called, Beautiful You, and it is all about being beautiful in God's eyes and putting off the way the world sees beauty and embracing the way God sees it. I am really looking forward to it and I have got to pick the tee shirts up we had made today!!!

Sunday, we are having our family pictures done and I am really excited. My parents and brothers are coming up and I think the last family picture we had done was when I was 14 and it is really time to get another one up!!! I am looking forward to it and hopefully Lauren will smile and look at the camera. Doubtful.

In other exciting news the 17th is getting closer and closer. I can't wait to hear the new stuff from John Mayer and Sara Groves. I told Shawn that I wasn't sure the world could contain that much excitement from me in one day! And, the 20th is New Moon with some of my crazy, awesome friends. Did I tell you we had tee shirts made for that too? Oh my! They are really cool - but who knows if that will translate to us. ;)

normal day

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.
- Mary Jean Iron

you put the noodles in the bucket and you shake 'em all up

Every since my weekend in Tulsa I've been wanting to put together a sensory bin for Lauren. Shari made one for her grandkids and brought it for Megan to use and I was totally inspired by the possibilities.

For this bin I stuck with what Shari had done. She used macaroni noodles to fill the bottom of the tub and so did I. I've seen lots of blogs doing this with beans but I wanted to start with something a little bigger for Lauren.

I also added in some river rocks, measuring cups, foam letters that spell out her name, and finally a little Minnie Mouse to hide and find.



The first time I showed Lauren the bin she DID NOT like it. She wanted the Minnie Mouse out of it but wouldn't put her hands in the noodles for anything. So, we moved on to something else and put the sensory bin away. I pulled it out the next morning and after a little modeling of how to play in it she loved it!

I was a little concerned about the noodles being everywhere but honestly it was not that bad. She did a really good job of keeping the noodles and play items in the bucket. If any fell out she would pick them up and put them back. Too cute!

One other thing, Lauren is sort of like her mother in that her attention span seems to be VERY short. I was so surprised that she played in the sensory bin for so long. In fact, when it was time to put it away she got upset and wanted to play more!!! Success! :)


Here is a little video of how excited she was and how well she played in her first sensory bin!

toilet head

Is somebody giving out The Best Mom of the Year Award? Cause I totally deserve to be nominated. Scratch that - I totally deserve to win. You aren't so sure? Here are the pictures to prove it:



So, yeah - this is what happens when your sweet and sneaky little 15 month old decides to wash her hair in the toilet. Wait, should I repeat that last part? In.The.Toilet.People. I swear she was only gone for like 15 seconds. Do you see how proud she was of herself in that first picture? I wish I could say the same of myself...

what's for dinner?

My oh my.

Remind me the next time I start thinking that I am The Next Food Network Star that I AM NOT The Next Food Network Star. Remind me that even though Paula Dean can throw a bunch of random stuff into a crockpot/dish/bowl/oven/whatever and it turns into a culinary delight with no recipe....I am not Paula Dean and I can not.

It started out innocently enough. We are down to the bare bones of a pantry and fridge and I wasn't in the mood to make ANOTHER weekly menu plan and then the grocery list of things needed to make that weekly menu plan work. It basically boils down to the fact that today I was lazy. The laziness brought about a confidence in myself and my ability to "wing it" in the kitchen that quite frankly I am ashamed of at this moment. If I had only known the outcome, would I have bucked up and made a trip to the store? Yeah, I don't know.

Anyway, here is the recipe. Please, please, please DO NOT attempt this at home. Your tastebuds will thank me.

Ingredients:

the leftover frozen chicken pieces from the bag in your freezer
one can of cheddar cheese soup (gross)
one can cream of chicken soup
some garlic powder
bacon (I really thought this would be my defining moment as a cook....not so much)
a can of mushrooms (what.was.I.thinking?)

Method:

Put all the above ingredients in a crockpot and let cook for a long time. It will basically turn into a very soupy yellowish orange mixture. Don't worry, it tastes almost as good as it looks. Serve this over rice and then basically eat ONLY the rice because, well people I am NO Paula Dean.