Sometimes it's the little victories that mean the most.
I used to set the bar unintentionally high for myself saying things like, "My kids will eat only organic food, lean meats, leafy green vegetables, and whole grain breads." Life experience and a firmer grasp of reality have taught me that plan was naive and......well, stupid. Kids are kids. They like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese out of a box (a very specific box). They like McDonald's and Oreos. They prefer plain white bread, processed cheese, and, for the most part, they do NOT like leafy green vegetables. While my intention is to keep my kids healthy by feeding them the right kinds of foods, this battle inevitably has a negative effect on my own health and well-being by increasing my blood pressure, creating unnecessary tension in my muscles, and giving me a headache. And seeing that the goal of making my family eat healthy is that I can avoid dying prematurely of a stroke and/or heart attack, I've had to make some changes.
So, what do I do? Typically hide green leafy vegetables in other dishes or add them into items that can be smothered in ketchup. I buy bread that they'll eat and make pancakes with whole wheat flour which can be hidden under syrup. I do my best, but have chosen to choose my battles wisely. Let's face it...most days we're just glad our kids are eating. Period. Which is why my heart smiles a bit when I can steer them away from the "usual" and serve them something like homemade soup and apples for lunch. It's a small victory but on days like today, I'll take what I can get.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
"Mom, I Want to Move to a New House"
I'm coming to terms with the fact that this phrase was uttered by my 5 year old today. I understand that he's been couped up in the house for the last six days with the flu and is in need of a change. However, having moved five times in the last three years, the term "move" sends chills down my spine.
Imagine my alarm, then, when I received the following text from my husband later this afternoon-
"Guess who's moving"
(insert mini-stroke here)
Thankfully, the answer is NOT us. Although that was my first guess. I'm also thankful that my husband assures me he would not choose to announce something so large through a text message.
I am not convinced that God doesn't have another big move for us in the future, but we plan on crossing that bridge IF and when we come to it. In the meantime, we are happy and content right where we are and are not in a hurry to pack up yet another house.
Sorry, buddy, regardless of how much fun you think it is to move into a new house, you're just going to have to live here a little while longer!
Imagine my alarm, then, when I received the following text from my husband later this afternoon-
"Guess who's moving"
(insert mini-stroke here)
Thankfully, the answer is NOT us. Although that was my first guess. I'm also thankful that my husband assures me he would not choose to announce something so large through a text message.
I am not convinced that God doesn't have another big move for us in the future, but we plan on crossing that bridge IF and when we come to it. In the meantime, we are happy and content right where we are and are not in a hurry to pack up yet another house.
Sorry, buddy, regardless of how much fun you think it is to move into a new house, you're just going to have to live here a little while longer!
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011 Reads
I was informed yesterday that my husband was going to buy me a Kindle for Christmas until he realized, and I quote, I'm "not really a reader". The words unintentionally cut me to the core and I've been in a self-induced funk ever since. Why? I LOVE to read. I admit, I don't always run to it the first chance I get. But, those of you who are mothers can attest to the fact that free time is a precious commodity and is often spent seeking pleasure other ways- like showering. The truth of the matter is that I don't have a lot of time for myself but I'm convinced that I can make some progress in this area this year and convince my family (namely my husband) that I am in fact a READER.
So, here we go again! It's time to scour the shelves of our personal library and decide which books I want to attempt to read this year. I must admit, I didn't accomplish what I set out to in 2010, but my list did help me to focus on a few particular books instead of staring blankly at shelves lined with them until I was completely overwhelmed and reverted to playing "Angry Birds" on my phone. I must also add that I did read a couple books that were not on my list originally.
My 2011 Reads are as follows-
So, here we go again! It's time to scour the shelves of our personal library and decide which books I want to attempt to read this year. I must admit, I didn't accomplish what I set out to in 2010, but my list did help me to focus on a few particular books instead of staring blankly at shelves lined with them until I was completely overwhelmed and reverted to playing "Angry Birds" on my phone. I must also add that I did read a couple books that were not on my list originally.
My 2011 Reads are as follows-
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Extravagant Worship- Darlene Zschech
- The Sacred Echo- Margaret Feinberg
- More Letters from Pemberley- Jane Dawkins
- Before Green Gables- Budge Wilson
- Sizzling Sixteen- Janet Evanovich (this series is my guilty pleasure. I read the first 12 books in 2 months, when I had one child. I have now owned this book six months and have manged to get through 3 chapters)
This list is much more concise than last year's. This is largely due to the fact that, in the past 12 months, I've gotten a healthy dose of reality and have learned that I'll feel much more accomplished if I set the bar a tad lower. Ultimately, it is because I have promised my husband that I will begin the year with Tolkien (since he's been reappearing on my list for quite some time now) and, having not read these books since high school, I am anticipating that I'll need about 8 months to get through all three of them. That's being optimisitc.
Happy reading!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Our Year In Review
We say this every year, but, as we ring in 2011, it really is difficult to believe that another year has gone by.
2010 began much like it ended, with sickness in our home, medications and dosage cups lining the counter. Our house was on the market and after sharing our bedroom with an infant for nine months, we were eagerly looking forward to moving into a bigger home. We celebrated my grandmother’s 95th birthday with a party at our house. We enjoyed a long weekend visiting our good friends, the Kings, in San Diego where we spent the weekend laughing, sailing, and watching our boys play together. We are thankful for our good friends. After we left San Diego we drove up to Oceanside where we met up with Fernando’s parents and were reunited with Fernando’s brother, Oscar, whom he had not seen in 20 years. It was wonderful getting acquainted with him and his family and we were blessed to be able to introduce Daniel to his two “new” cousins!
In February our sale went through. As the house we were planning to move into wasn’t going to be available until April, we began contemplating where were going to spend the month of March. We happily celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary on February 8th.
Thanks to good friends, we were able to move the first weekend of March. It was bittersweet leaving the home we purchased when we got married, but, seeing as our family has outgrown it, we were excited to be starting a new chapter. We were blessed to spend the next six weeks in a beautiful home, much larger than we needed, but SO enjoyable.
April brought yet another move (our 5th in three years) and hopefully the last for a little while.
May was a month of milestones and mourning. We celebrated the 2nd birthday of our sweet little princess. She has grown into such a beauty and is as charming as can be. She definitely knows how to get her way with the help of her big brown eyes and ridiculously long lashes. We were thrilled and a little saddened as we watched as our firstborn don his first cap and gown and graduate from preschool. In a blink he’ll be headed off to college and we are determined to treasure every moment we have with him. Unfortunately, close to Mother’s Day, my grandmother was hospitalized because of a very bad cough. We all thought it was a cold that had gone bad but quickly found out that she had stage 4 lung cancer. Our family was shocked at the diagnosis and struggled to come to terms with the fact that her time with us was limited. At the time, we didn’t know just how limited. Meemom passed away on May 26th. It was an extremely difficult and emotionally trying time for us, but we were blessed with visits from almost our entire extended family and, amidst the pain, built lasting memories.
In June, we happily celebrated Isaiah’s 1st birthday. We were amazed at how quickly his first year had gone and are still in awe at how much he has grown and changed. He continues to amaze us and bring smiles to our faces every day.
July is yet another birthday month in the Orona house and this year we celebrated BIG. For Daniel’s 5th birthday we decided to surprise him with a birthday trip to Disneyland. It was not uneventful, as an allergic reaction to some latex balloons landed us in an urgent care in Anaheim and warranted a shot in Daniel’s behind. But he quickly recovered as we headed down the road to the Happiest Place on Earth. He had a blast and enjoyed some quality time alone with Mom and Dad.
August brought continued heat and the anticipation school starting. Daniel started kindergarten at Westar Elementary and fell in love with it instantly. He has grown and learned so much since starting school and he never ceases to amaze us. He is bright and eager to learn.
We spent most of September trying to adjust to our new school schedule and I, quite frankly, had the hardest time figuring out how to get three kids up and out the door before 7:30 am everyday. Sofia took a big step and moved from her crib to a “big girl” bed. To this day, she still hasn’t mastered the concept of staying in her big girl bed. We’re hopeful that 2011 is our year! Fernando and I we’re blessed with a weekend away to San Diego, thanks to a conference he needed to attend. We were able to enjoy some quiet time on the beach, an adult only dinner with Ron and Susan, and a fun evening out with my brother and his girlfriend, Wendy.
October was eventful, to say the least. We enjoyed seeing Daniel in his first school program, in which he played a crow. It was the perfect part for our energetic, chatty little boy! Mid-month, I underwent a long overdue surgical process and finally had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted. The procedure went very well, but the recovery was much worse than expected. Severe nerve pain kept me on strong meds for the next three weeks and made managing three young kids very difficult. Thankfully, Fernando picked up the slack (and my medications) and I learned a VERY important lesson. Percocet is my friend! We also began passing around the first of about 100 head colds we would experience throughout the remainder of the year. In spite of the runny noses, we celebrated Halloween, Orona style, which included pizza with Grandma and Peepaw and trick-or-treating. Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Yoda came back tired and toting pounds of treats!
November started with a bang and a trip to the pediatrician’s office which will never be duplicated- one parent, two toddlers, and six immunizations. We welcomed much cooler weather and enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with family and very good friends, the Hermans.
December was jam packed, but what fun month it was! The month started with a much anticipated trip to New York City for my mom, sister, and I in honor of Mom’s birthday. It was one we’ve been dreaming of and planning for years and it did not disappoint! We spent five days roaming Manhattan, seeing sights, shopping, eating ourselves into oblivion and loving every minute of it. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. Poor Fernando willingly stayed home with the babies and began battling a nasty case of the stomach flu that would sweep through the house in the coming weeks. Once again, this year, we were able to take the kids up north where we spent a day celebrating Christmas with my sister and her husband and then headed to Williams to take a ride on the Polar Express. The kids had a blast and we couldn’t help but enjoy watching the wonder and amazement on their faces as we headed to the North Pole and Santa boarded our train. The rest of the month we spent enjoying the season with our kids, watching Christmas movies and looking at Christmas lights. Fernando and I were blessed to be part of the Christmas Eve services at Palm Valley Church and are humbled to have been able to be part of these services for the past 8 years. We enjoyed the holiday season in spite of the cold and flu season, which we have yet to conquer.
We are thankful for our home, Fernando’s job, our church, and the nearness of our family. We pray God’s richest blessing on you and your family in the coming year and look forward to 2011 with hope and anticipation that the Lord has amazing plans for us and is able to do exceeding abundantly more than we could ask or think.
Happy New Year!
With love,
Fernando, Eileen, Daniel, Sofia, and Isaiah
2010 began much like it ended, with sickness in our home, medications and dosage cups lining the counter. Our house was on the market and after sharing our bedroom with an infant for nine months, we were eagerly looking forward to moving into a bigger home. We celebrated my grandmother’s 95th birthday with a party at our house. We enjoyed a long weekend visiting our good friends, the Kings, in San Diego where we spent the weekend laughing, sailing, and watching our boys play together. We are thankful for our good friends. After we left San Diego we drove up to Oceanside where we met up with Fernando’s parents and were reunited with Fernando’s brother, Oscar, whom he had not seen in 20 years. It was wonderful getting acquainted with him and his family and we were blessed to be able to introduce Daniel to his two “new” cousins!
In February our sale went through. As the house we were planning to move into wasn’t going to be available until April, we began contemplating where were going to spend the month of March. We happily celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary on February 8th.
Thanks to good friends, we were able to move the first weekend of March. It was bittersweet leaving the home we purchased when we got married, but, seeing as our family has outgrown it, we were excited to be starting a new chapter. We were blessed to spend the next six weeks in a beautiful home, much larger than we needed, but SO enjoyable.
April brought yet another move (our 5th in three years) and hopefully the last for a little while.
May was a month of milestones and mourning. We celebrated the 2nd birthday of our sweet little princess. She has grown into such a beauty and is as charming as can be. She definitely knows how to get her way with the help of her big brown eyes and ridiculously long lashes. We were thrilled and a little saddened as we watched as our firstborn don his first cap and gown and graduate from preschool. In a blink he’ll be headed off to college and we are determined to treasure every moment we have with him. Unfortunately, close to Mother’s Day, my grandmother was hospitalized because of a very bad cough. We all thought it was a cold that had gone bad but quickly found out that she had stage 4 lung cancer. Our family was shocked at the diagnosis and struggled to come to terms with the fact that her time with us was limited. At the time, we didn’t know just how limited. Meemom passed away on May 26th. It was an extremely difficult and emotionally trying time for us, but we were blessed with visits from almost our entire extended family and, amidst the pain, built lasting memories.
In June, we happily celebrated Isaiah’s 1st birthday. We were amazed at how quickly his first year had gone and are still in awe at how much he has grown and changed. He continues to amaze us and bring smiles to our faces every day.
July is yet another birthday month in the Orona house and this year we celebrated BIG. For Daniel’s 5th birthday we decided to surprise him with a birthday trip to Disneyland. It was not uneventful, as an allergic reaction to some latex balloons landed us in an urgent care in Anaheim and warranted a shot in Daniel’s behind. But he quickly recovered as we headed down the road to the Happiest Place on Earth. He had a blast and enjoyed some quality time alone with Mom and Dad.
August brought continued heat and the anticipation school starting. Daniel started kindergarten at Westar Elementary and fell in love with it instantly. He has grown and learned so much since starting school and he never ceases to amaze us. He is bright and eager to learn.
We spent most of September trying to adjust to our new school schedule and I, quite frankly, had the hardest time figuring out how to get three kids up and out the door before 7:30 am everyday. Sofia took a big step and moved from her crib to a “big girl” bed. To this day, she still hasn’t mastered the concept of staying in her big girl bed. We’re hopeful that 2011 is our year! Fernando and I we’re blessed with a weekend away to San Diego, thanks to a conference he needed to attend. We were able to enjoy some quiet time on the beach, an adult only dinner with Ron and Susan, and a fun evening out with my brother and his girlfriend, Wendy.
October was eventful, to say the least. We enjoyed seeing Daniel in his first school program, in which he played a crow. It was the perfect part for our energetic, chatty little boy! Mid-month, I underwent a long overdue surgical process and finally had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted. The procedure went very well, but the recovery was much worse than expected. Severe nerve pain kept me on strong meds for the next three weeks and made managing three young kids very difficult. Thankfully, Fernando picked up the slack (and my medications) and I learned a VERY important lesson. Percocet is my friend! We also began passing around the first of about 100 head colds we would experience throughout the remainder of the year. In spite of the runny noses, we celebrated Halloween, Orona style, which included pizza with Grandma and Peepaw and trick-or-treating. Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Yoda came back tired and toting pounds of treats!
November started with a bang and a trip to the pediatrician’s office which will never be duplicated- one parent, two toddlers, and six immunizations. We welcomed much cooler weather and enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with family and very good friends, the Hermans.
December was jam packed, but what fun month it was! The month started with a much anticipated trip to New York City for my mom, sister, and I in honor of Mom’s birthday. It was one we’ve been dreaming of and planning for years and it did not disappoint! We spent five days roaming Manhattan, seeing sights, shopping, eating ourselves into oblivion and loving every minute of it. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. Poor Fernando willingly stayed home with the babies and began battling a nasty case of the stomach flu that would sweep through the house in the coming weeks. Once again, this year, we were able to take the kids up north where we spent a day celebrating Christmas with my sister and her husband and then headed to Williams to take a ride on the Polar Express. The kids had a blast and we couldn’t help but enjoy watching the wonder and amazement on their faces as we headed to the North Pole and Santa boarded our train. The rest of the month we spent enjoying the season with our kids, watching Christmas movies and looking at Christmas lights. Fernando and I were blessed to be part of the Christmas Eve services at Palm Valley Church and are humbled to have been able to be part of these services for the past 8 years. We enjoyed the holiday season in spite of the cold and flu season, which we have yet to conquer.
We are thankful for our home, Fernando’s job, our church, and the nearness of our family. We pray God’s richest blessing on you and your family in the coming year and look forward to 2011 with hope and anticipation that the Lord has amazing plans for us and is able to do exceeding abundantly more than we could ask or think.
Happy New Year!
With love,
Fernando, Eileen, Daniel, Sofia, and Isaiah
Friday, December 31, 2010
Ummm...yeah
Let the self-loathing begin. Shocked even at myself for letting so many months go without blogging. In the tradition of "passing the buck", I'd like to blame A) my three children who poop round the clock and are incessantly needy. B) Twitter which forces me to narrate my life in phrases of less than 140 characters each. C) President Obama...just because. After all, presidents are always responsible for our personal problems and lack of self-discipline, aren't they?
Working on our 2010 Year In Review...just as soon as I change a diaper. Hoping to get it published prior to 2012.
Working on our 2010 Year In Review...just as soon as I change a diaper. Hoping to get it published prior to 2012.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
What a Day!
One just never knows what each day will bring. But, today was especially good!
With my hubby traveling this week, I am naturally extra tired at the end of the day. By the time dinner, bath, and bedtime routines are finished, I'm ready to crash. Today was no exception. In fact, I was SO tired that we skipped right from dinner to bedtime, eliminating baths altogether. After all, the kids don't smell foul...yet. :-)
But, during our regular story time, I found myself in the middle of a rather deep theological discussion with my 5 year old. It started by him asking if God lives in heaven. I briefly paused, debating internally whether to broach the subject of God's omnipresence with a Kindergartner and simply answered, "yes". We'll tackle that subject at a later date.
The next sentence, however, was one that would change not only the course of our night completely, but his entire life. "Mommy, I want to go to heaven." Once again, my inner dialogue began. "Am I ready to delve into this? Does he really understand what he's talking about? Do I dare begin? I'm SO tired..."
And so I began...explaining to D that he CAN go to heaven, asking him question after question to see if he understood what it means to have a relationship with God and finally if he wanted to do that. His answer was Yes!
We prayed together and he became very pensive, asking if he could go to bed. Afterward, I spent the next few minutes praying that the Holy Spirit would speak to his little heart and that he will continue to grow in his understanding of his relationship with the Lord. I can't even begin to explain the joy I have knowing that my little man has decided to accept Christ as his Savior, or the blessing it is that I was able to be there for that moment.
Thanking God today for the precious gift of my kids and the privilege of getting to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Praising Him that one now has the assurance of salvation and praying that he will grow to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
With my hubby traveling this week, I am naturally extra tired at the end of the day. By the time dinner, bath, and bedtime routines are finished, I'm ready to crash. Today was no exception. In fact, I was SO tired that we skipped right from dinner to bedtime, eliminating baths altogether. After all, the kids don't smell foul...yet. :-)
But, during our regular story time, I found myself in the middle of a rather deep theological discussion with my 5 year old. It started by him asking if God lives in heaven. I briefly paused, debating internally whether to broach the subject of God's omnipresence with a Kindergartner and simply answered, "yes". We'll tackle that subject at a later date.
The next sentence, however, was one that would change not only the course of our night completely, but his entire life. "Mommy, I want to go to heaven." Once again, my inner dialogue began. "Am I ready to delve into this? Does he really understand what he's talking about? Do I dare begin? I'm SO tired..."
And so I began...explaining to D that he CAN go to heaven, asking him question after question to see if he understood what it means to have a relationship with God and finally if he wanted to do that. His answer was Yes!
We prayed together and he became very pensive, asking if he could go to bed. Afterward, I spent the next few minutes praying that the Holy Spirit would speak to his little heart and that he will continue to grow in his understanding of his relationship with the Lord. I can't even begin to explain the joy I have knowing that my little man has decided to accept Christ as his Savior, or the blessing it is that I was able to be there for that moment.
Thanking God today for the precious gift of my kids and the privilege of getting to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Praising Him that one now has the assurance of salvation and praying that he will grow to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." -Luke 15:10
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Bright Idea #1
My love language is gifts. I love to get them, but more importantly, I love to give them. I think if I had all the money in the world, I would spend it buying stuff for other people. There's something to be said about picking out something that you know someone will love and knowing that someone thinks enough of you to do the same.
I am now constantly on the lookout for things I can pick up for Daniel's teacher. Because even the smallest thing, a candy bar, a kind note, a can of soda, can brighten someone's day. However, there is nothing more painful to me than staring at a wall of candy and having NO idea what he/she might like, hate, or be allergic to.
In order to solve this problem from the get-go, I developed the following list of questions for Daniel's teacher and emailed it to her after the first day of school thanking her for a great day. This way, I was able to kill two birds with one stone. Not only did I get to have all my questions answered, but I was able to find out right away if she was or was not the "emailing type". I told her there was no rush but if she wouldn't mind, over the next week or so, answering the following questions it would be a big help. She was more than happy to oblige and it opened a door for me to get to know her better and for her to get a little more comfortable with me. After all, why wouldn't you like the mom who wants to shower you with gifts throughout the year? ;-)
I tried to keep it simple and format it like one of those quizzes you might take on Facebook...short and sweet. It will be a lifesaver throughout the rest of the year!
What is your favorite...
1. Candy?
2. Color?
3. Warm drink?
4. Cold drink?
5. Restaurant?
6. Ice Cream flavor?
7. Place to shop?
8. Holiday?
9. Family activity?
10. Thing at Starbucks?
11. Way to indulge?
12. Perfume/Lotion
13. Animal?
14. Decorating style?
15. Scent?
16. Cake or pie?
17. Walmart or Target?
18. Way to unwind?
19. School subject
20. Hobbies
21. When is your birthday?
22. If you had $10 to spend, where would you spend it?
23. Apple things for teachers...love them or hate them?
24. What is something you wish the parents of your students knew?
25. What is the most helpful thing I can do for your class this year?
That's it! Twenty-five simple questions and voila! I have a better understanding of who my son's teacher is as a person and am armed with enough ammunition to keep her happy all year long. Not to mention, I am probably the only classroom parent who is aware that her birthday is coming up in September. Definitely important information! There is nothing worse than forgetting your child's teacher's birthday, as far as I'm concerned. (He/She celebrates upwards of 30 birthdays a year and it's quite frankly, pathetic, for his/hers to go by without so much as a mention). Learn these things, people! ;-)
I am now constantly on the lookout for things I can pick up for Daniel's teacher. Because even the smallest thing, a candy bar, a kind note, a can of soda, can brighten someone's day. However, there is nothing more painful to me than staring at a wall of candy and having NO idea what he/she might like, hate, or be allergic to.
In order to solve this problem from the get-go, I developed the following list of questions for Daniel's teacher and emailed it to her after the first day of school thanking her for a great day. This way, I was able to kill two birds with one stone. Not only did I get to have all my questions answered, but I was able to find out right away if she was or was not the "emailing type". I told her there was no rush but if she wouldn't mind, over the next week or so, answering the following questions it would be a big help. She was more than happy to oblige and it opened a door for me to get to know her better and for her to get a little more comfortable with me. After all, why wouldn't you like the mom who wants to shower you with gifts throughout the year? ;-)
I tried to keep it simple and format it like one of those quizzes you might take on Facebook...short and sweet. It will be a lifesaver throughout the rest of the year!
What is your favorite...
1. Candy?
2. Color?
3. Warm drink?
4. Cold drink?
5. Restaurant?
6. Ice Cream flavor?
7. Place to shop?
8. Holiday?
9. Family activity?
10. Thing at Starbucks?
11. Way to indulge?
12. Perfume/Lotion
13. Animal?
14. Decorating style?
15. Scent?
16. Cake or pie?
17. Walmart or Target?
18. Way to unwind?
19. School subject
20. Hobbies
21. When is your birthday?
22. If you had $10 to spend, where would you spend it?
23. Apple things for teachers...love them or hate them?
24. What is something you wish the parents of your students knew?
25. What is the most helpful thing I can do for your class this year?
That's it! Twenty-five simple questions and voila! I have a better understanding of who my son's teacher is as a person and am armed with enough ammunition to keep her happy all year long. Not to mention, I am probably the only classroom parent who is aware that her birthday is coming up in September. Definitely important information! There is nothing worse than forgetting your child's teacher's birthday, as far as I'm concerned. (He/She celebrates upwards of 30 birthdays a year and it's quite frankly, pathetic, for his/hers to go by without so much as a mention). Learn these things, people! ;-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
