Mama's Got Skills

A New Year Already

2011-01-19T00:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know. We're more than halfway through the first month of the new year already.
I'm not exactly behind, I'm just, well... busy.

Busy planning. Busy working. Busy playing. Busy wasting time. Busy cherishing.

I have some definite goals for this year.
I have some not-so-definite goals, too.

Goals I will share with you, the public at large (and small):
Well, first I will preface my goals with my One Word for 2011.

FREE

As in free from sin, free from doubt, free from fear, free from guilt.
As in free to be passionate, free to love, free to dream, free to change my ways, free to be me, free to discover, free to seek God.

Back to my goals:
-Reclaim/revive my healthy body. That will entail changing some eating habits (and being accountable for my eating), and making more time for activity (and then actually using that time for exercise!).
-Reading more. And by more I mean useful books that will actually help me in my life's journey (not all self-help, but not as much mindless fiction).

Annnnnd, that is all I will share for now.

Mr. H and I have already been eating healthier (keeping track of what we eat and tossing out the junk food), and we have made an effort to exercise more (which pointed out my desperate need for the new athletic shoes I bought today!).
Also, I have been reading the book, Boundaries, by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. (I'm about 2/3s through it and I already have learned SO MUCH!)

So there. 2010 was an interesting year, and 2011 has great potential!

Still here!

2010-11-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

I'm still here!
I just haven't had anything special to say lately.
:)

Day of Prayer

2010-05-06T08:32:00.001-04:00

Ah yes. Today is the National Day of Prayer.

And boy, do we need it!

There are some obvious big prayers needed for our nation:
- That giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which as of yet still hasn't been stopped.
- The city of Nashville, TN and much of Middle Tennesee is either still under water or at least very wet from having more rain than they've seen in 80 years.
- Random terrorists are still trying to hurt/destroy our nation (case in point: Times Square bomb attempt this past weekend).

Those are just the big, pressing matters.

Politics has never been so polarized (at least since I've started paying attention when I was 18), and I think people on both sides have some big prayers going up today.

The thing I like about today is that it calls attention to what really needs to be done. Prayer.
Today many people are gathering together to let God know what's going on. Yeah, He knows already, but there is something about talking to God about the things that are weighing on us, that frees us. It's the control factor, I think. When we talk to Him, we're acknowledging that His is ultimately in control. Things may not go our way, or go fast enough, or slow enough in our world, but knowing that He is in control helps.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

And by the way, if you love Him, you have been called, it's in accepting that call where some understanding comes. ("some" being the key word there.)

As devastating as things are for some of our fellow Americans (regardless of what the tragedy is), God has an amazing way of bringing healing and restoration. An Amazing Way. And getting to that point often is full of pain and struggle.

But take heart. God is here and He will never leave you. He is faithful.

My mother has been a very prayerful woman ever since I can remember, and when I am absolutely overwhelmed in my life's circumstances there is no greater comfort than to have her pray with me.
I'm hoping to carry that skill on in my life, too.

Patience

2010-04-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

From dictionary.com:

–noun

1. the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

2. an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner.

3. quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence: to work with patience.

I need some of that patience stuff.

Easter Goodies!

2010-04-03T21:50:00.000-04:00

Today has been a beautiful and fun day!

We went to the Easter Egg Hunt that our church, Peachtree Presbyterian, hosted at Chastain Park.
What a glorious day for the event!! After the kids gathered all of the eggs (it took maybe 30 seconds), we took our Sweet Bear to the play ground and then had a picnic lunch on the lawn.
It was a fabulous morning!

And after my little Sweetie took her nap we made these:

Oh yes we did!
They're basically no-bake cookies shaped into bird's nest.
I got the recipe and inspiration from my friend Robin at All Things Heart and Home.
And of course, I had help from my little baker:

I hope you have a wonderful Easter.
Remember it's not just about the eggs and the candy, but about the immense sacrifice Jesus Christ paid for us all. He died for our sins, and three days later rose from the grave, proving His deity.
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!

Pretty Things

2010-04-01T16:00:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite blogs.
Lesley has a great eye for style and trends.
She also shares some of my favorite hobbies. She really has a knack for this blogging thing.
You should give her a looksee, I'm sure you'll be charmed with her honest and casual writings. :)
Plus, if you go before Sunday, you might get to win a pair of these:

Aren't they pretty?
I think so too.

Thoughts of Sunny Growth on a Rainy Day

2010-03-12T17:46:00.002-05:00

Today I went to a Vegetable Gardening Lunch & Learn held at my local public library. It was given by one of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, the very knowledgeable Amy Whitney. I think it is safe to say that I was inspired, encouraged, and well-informed in that hour or so of gardening-talk!

There were a few things that really stuck with me at the presentation:
1)   Figure out the goals you have for your garden – that will help determine what you plant, where you plant it, and how you plant it. (I will be re-formulating my gardening goals with Mr. H over this weekend.)
2)   There are SO MANY local resources for gardening advice and help!! I mean, I knew that, but now I really KNOW that! It turns out the Cobb County Extension Office is so not all that far from my house! (I am definitely taking a soil sample to them as soon as I can get my dirt dry.)
3)   And I learned lots of valuable little specifics about my garden and the veggies I plan to grow this year. Stuff like, if I plant my squash earlier, I might actually get some squash before the vine borers do!

And I got lots of super-informative pamphlets and hand-outs to help me figure out what varieties grow well in my area, and when to plant things, and how to fertalize, and oh-so-much more!!

As I hope you can tell, I’m really excited about getting back into gardening this spring!

I am currently contemplating planting tomatoes and green beans (again!), re-trying summer squash, adding sugar snap peas, and maybe something leafy like spinach or maybe broccoli. I think I may need to coerce Mr. H into expanding our little raised bed a bit!

The Restroom GPS Skill

2010-02-11T22:09:00.001-05:00

So, I have noticed a new-ish Mama skill.

It's something that I became pretty good at when I was pregnant.

Now, I am truly skilled - ever since my daughter began potty training.

I have become an expert finder of public restrooms.

I noticed it one day when I was visiting a grocery store without my daughter.
The first thing I thought of when I walked through the doors was "Okay, in this store the bathroom is in the back."
NOT "where is the greeting card aisle?" or "what should I have for lunch today?"

I didn't even have to "go" at the time, either.

Apparently, I had left my restroom GPS on.

My skills really are endless.
:)

Showing Some Skill

2009-10-13T21:27:00.007-04:00

I don't often show my mad skills here on my blog, despite the title, but I've decided to let you have a peek at what I do.
I am a video editor by trade (even though I often play the role of producer, director, script-writer, etc...), and here is a video I recently made for Forman Christian College, in Lahore, Pakistan. I edited the entire video, which was shot by several videographers. I did shoot one of the interviews, however. I scripted the V.O., which was done by my friend, Ayshah Powers. I did a good bit of color correction and audio sweetening, and a little graphic animation. It's a video about an amazing school in an amazing place. Enjoy.

Where Were You?

2009-09-11T18:24:00.003-04:00

I had just gotten back home from my morning walk, and was getting ready for classes at GSU. I had the TV turned on and tuned to the Today Show, and it was serving as background noise for my morning routine. I was living with my parents at the time, and my father was downstairs sleeping – he worked the night shift at the time, and my mother was already at work. I remember the initial confusion after the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. “What happened? Was it a plane? What a freak accident!” And as it slowly got clearer, it seemed to get more confusing. “It was a commercial AIRLINER?! How the heck could it have gotten so far off course??? Dear God, all the PEOPLE!! How will they put out the fire at that height?! Why isn’t anyone on the roof?” And then Katie Couric and Matt Louer began reporting that it could be a terrorist attack. “A terrorist attack?! How could this be?” I was still trying to wrap my head around how one airplane could do so much damage to this huge building. It still wasn’t making sense that all this was happening. And then the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

“NoNoNoNO!! Dear God, we’re UNDER ATTACK!!!” At this point was when. I was scared out of my mind and I bolted down the stairs to wake up my dad. I very clearly remember saying to him, “You’ve got to wake up, Daddy! The country is under attack!! Wake-up!! They’ve hit the World Trade Center!! BOTH buildings of the World Trade Center!!!” I ran into the living room and turned on the TV in there. I was shaking. I called my friend Julie, and we stayed on the phone together crying quietly as we watched the horrible commotion unfolding. My dad came into the living room and was trying to understand what was happening when the reports of the Pentagon being hit began. I hung up with Julie when her call-waiting beeped in.

There were so many firefighters and ambulances and police officers! I kept thinking and praying that they could save all those people. I don’t remember if I called my mom at her office or if she called the house, but I remember us all trying to get the facts straight as we described what we were seeing on television. My mom had to get off the phone; they were all listening to the radio, and somehow still trying to work. I remember my father and I sitting in silence, our eyes glued to the television, and me gasping through my tears as the North Tower collapsed. We were so stunned. It seemed to happen so slowly and yet far too fast. There was SO MUCH smoke. I began weeping as I realized that the hope for survivors was dissolving.

When the smoke cleared a little, the cameras showed that there were still people, firefighters and first responders, rushing about, trying to help as many as they could. There was a new sense of urgency to get the people out of the South Tower now that the vulnerability of these buildings had been revealed. There were rumors of people jumping from the heights of the South Tower in their own last efforts to save themselves from the unbearably intense inferno. Later reports and video footage confirmed these gruesome rumors.

News coverage flashed from reports at the disaster sites of the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. We were so alert and horrified and vulnerable - we were just waiting for the next attack. “Hurry! HURRY! Get OUT of THERE!!” We experienced such final despair as we watched the South Tower tumble from the top down, this time creating what seemed like endless smoke and darkness. All hope was lost for anyone in the buildings, and more fears arose as we realized the South Tower collapsed onto other smaller surrounding buildings. The news coverage seemed silent, everything seemed so final and dead. But as if to rouse some hope and courage in the viewers, the cameras showed the mass exodus of pedestrians from Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. Survivors. Dusty, exhausted, stunned, and devastated survivors. They were from all parts of Manhattan, not just the World Trade Center, but we didn’t care. They were alive and on their way to find their loved ones.

Story after story telling of compassion and heroes emerged from that point on and continued for months. A corner deli stayed open for the rescuers to eat and drink water for free. Steel workers and construction workers showed up from all over the country to help with the recovery efforts. Fire departments from other states sent firefighters to relieve the New York Fire Department. The passengers on flight 93 overtook the hijackers and crashed into a field in Pennsylvania to keep the terrorists from hitting their intended target.

I remember mindlessly walking outside to escape the stuffy intensity of the day, and noticing how remarkably silent the skies were. All air traffic had been suspended.

After calling several friends and deciding that we would go to the 7:22 Bible study that night, we all met ahead of time at my boyfriend’s apartment. We didn’t know what to say. We went to 7:22, and experienced such hope and encouragement. We left still shaken from the day’s disaster but confident in the knowledge that God was still with us, even in this tragedy.

After 7:22 we headed to Starbucks to debrief. I remember the guys in our group talking about how they would be ready for the draft if it were called up again. We were certain our country was going to war. We didn’t know who we were going to fight, but we knew someone had to be responsible for these horrible acts. All the talk of war and fighting made me nervous. It felt like the start of a new era. Maybe it was. As we all know now, the government didn’t reinstate the draft, and our country went to war with terrorism. It’s not exactly as black and white as the Allies vs. the Axis in WWII, but it still has the good-guy vs. bad-guy feel, I guess.

It’s odd to me that these memories will be so clear to me as long as I am alive with a functioning brain, and yet they will be like a fairy tale to my now two year old daughter. It makes me feel old and wise like my grandparents telling their stories of “how it was in their day.” And at the same time I feel like I carry this burden of having had my small experience of September 11, 2001, and that I need to share it. These experiences are part of what makes us who we are. They show us what we’re made of, and what we ultimately believe. Be sure to share your story with someone today. I personally, would love to know it.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and those they left behind on September 11, 2001. May God be with those still healing from this tragedy.

Family, Work, Garden

2009-08-23T22:29:00.005-04:00

So here's what's up these days:

- We're trying to casually start potty-training our Sweet Bear. She's not as willing as we'd like, so we're trying to be all "no pressure, sweetheart... ...hey wanna go read a book while you sit on the potty?" Yeah, that's not going very well. We have a chart for her to put stickers on. We've shown her the M&Ms. We've gotten one puddle on the floor and not so much as the tiniest tinkle in the toilet. She's only two. She'll get there.

- Mr. H is continuing on in his journey through college, pt 2. He spent all summer taking classes, and now he's just started the fall semester. It's been tough, but he's doing great, and it will all be worth it in the end.

- Work has been a bear these days. I have a gazillion projects going on with lots of what I call "intruder projects" popping up. These "intruder projects" are the ones that come up last minute and trump any prioritization already in place. You know the ones. They push back all the big patient projects that started off with plenty of time ahead to get done, and done well, and with panache. But now with all the terribly annoying "intruder projects" barging their way in, the original projects suffer. So now I feel like I'm throwing everything together with little time to give to each project the care and consideration it deserves. *sigh* That, and meetings. SO many meetings...

- My garden is not doing so great. Well I take that back. The tomato plants are doing wonderfully, and have finally produced delicious red tomatoes!!!! YUM!!!! The squash was attacked by some kind of vine borers, and then some kind of fungus that looks like dust, and then what finally did it in was the aphids. We will not be planting squash next year. The green beans did alright until the beetles found them. Now the leaves look pretty chewed up. The rosemary was having a hard time because the squash was growing over it, blocking the sun, but now that the squash is done for, the rosemary is perking back up. And finally the basil. The basil is probably the happiest plant I've ever tried to tend. It's grown up to at least 2ft in height, and tried to flower - but when it blooms it makes the leaves bitter, so I pinched off the prospective buds. I'm pretty proud of my attempt at gardening this year. It's been tough keeping up with it while working and raising a kid - and not really knowing what I'm doing with it. We've already begun to plan for next year, though. I just hope I figure out some of the pest/fungus repellent methods that will make it even better.

- In other news, my mom just had total knee replacement surgery almost three weeks ago on one of her knees. She's doing really well. She's even walking with a cane now rather than her walker! I'm so proud of her and the progress that she's making! She still has a long road of recovery, but I can tell she's definitely on her way!

That's about it for now, I guess. I've got a lot I should do tonight, but I'm just going to let it sit until tomorrow, because I am tired. So there.

Goodnight all. :)

It's Getting Better All the Time... better, Better, BETTER!

2009-06-17T22:57:00.004-04:00

My daughter's a year older (SHE'S TWO NOW!!!!! omg!!!),

My husband is AWESOME!!!

My garden is GROWING!!! ( I have green beans and my squash is blooming!),

and I'm finally reading through the stack of books on my nightstand!!

One day maybe I'll get around to making this a right and proper blog... ;)

Things are looking up in my little world. :)

Know that you are loved - even when it doesn't feel like it.

hugs,
K

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:07:00.004-04:00

I can not even begin to describe the love I have for my mother.
Sometimes, when I tell her I love her, she say's "Oh, thank you, honey!"
When she does this, it confuses me, because there has never been a time
I did not love her, and I can't imagine a time that I won't.
Her gratitude is lost on me - It's like being thanked for taking a gift.
Rather, I should be thanking her.

I Love You, Momma.
(Thank You!)

Backyard Garden

2009-05-07T23:35:00.002-04:00

We did it!! And my Sweet Bear helped!!
Saturday Ella and I planted two tomato plants, a basil plant, one squash plant and sowed some green bean seeds.
Sunday we planted one more tomato plant and one more squash plant.
Since then it has rained buckets every night (except tonight) and everything has already begun growing!! Well, we haven't seen a green bean sprout yet, but it's only been a few days, so I'm still very hopeful!

My wee one LOVED playing in the dirt!

I can't wait to see the first fruits (and veggies!) of our labor! :)

It's Friday!

2009-05-01T17:49:00.002-04:00

Happy Weekend, everyone!!

My plan is to get my veggie garden planted and watered!
I will then watch it obsessively until something sprouts! Ha!
I'll post some pictures soon!!!!
Until then, watch the cutest baby video ever, one more time below!!

Have a GREAT weekend!!!!
hugs,
Kellee :)

Too Cute!!

2009-04-19T21:14:00.002-04:00

This is what happens when two people who love music have a baby.

Enjoy!!

I'm still here...

2009-01-18T23:00:00.004-05:00

Okay, okay, I know I've been away.

To tell you the truth, I've been obnoxiously busy. Work has been a bear. A giant, mean old grizzly.
These past few weeks have not made me want to blog about my life as a working mom.
It's exhausting. It's stressful. It's not been all that fun. *sigh*

And now my Sweet Bear has pneumonia and an ear infection.

So what positives can I pass along?

The baby's getting better - thank God for banana/bubblegum flavored anti-biotics!

Also, I think that with all the stress, pain, and suffering work has been causing me, I am able to appreciate my family in a new way. They are my comfort and safe place. And when I get home there are no sweeter words to my ears than when my husband says, "Mama's home!" and the following response from the wee one, "HI!! Hi Mama!!"

It gives me warm fuzzies just thinking about it.

Give your loved ones hugs, and have a good night.

hugs,
Kellee :)

The Year in Review

2008-12-31T18:49:00.010-05:00

2008 was a crazy year for sure!

I think for me it marked me finally getting used to being a mom.
I've loved it from the beginning, but there's just so much change involved in becoming a parent, it's taken a good year or so to get used to it. Hopefully next year I'll really get my act together!

We've spent most of this year watching our wee chubby little baby turn into quite an active little girl!

exhibit a: and exhibit b:

Moments to remember:

Ella turned ONE year old!!

She learned how to walk:
She had her first airplane ride:
And we all went to the beach!!

We've also had some ups and downs as a family:
We had a new kitchen floor installed! and our dog Lucy is now afraid of walking on the new floor!

Mr. H lost his job due to the economy - but now he gets to go back to school so he can have a more fun job in the future!

My job got less stressful at the start of the year when more help was hired! Then it got super stressful again when the help quit at the end of the year.

Only God knows what is in store for us next year.
We can be assured there will be changes, challenges, and growing, growing, growing!

Here's to a New Year! Let's make the best of it!

Christmas 2008!

2008-12-31T18:27:00.003-05:00

I hope you had a sweet Christmas!
We certainly did!!

Ella got a kitchen!!
(...there's never enough counter-space...)

We had our Forman-Hart family seafood Christmas feast!

And there was much chaos in the present exchange, as always!

Much thanks to our family - who knew we could squeeze all that love into our tiny little house year after year?!

Shuffle Survey - enjoy

2008-12-18T23:31:00.002-05:00

1. Put iTunes on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write down that song name, no matter how silly it sounds.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
"Stone on the Water" - Badly Drawn Boy

I guess I like to be vague... ;)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
"Mercy Lives Here" - The Choir

Aww.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
"Flat Foot Floogee" - Benny Goodman

Heehee, that's funny!

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
"Barracuda" - Heart

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
"Say It Again" - Badly Drawn Boy

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
"Heartaches" - Patsy Cline

That is SO NOT true! LOL!

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
"Dear John" - Aimee Mann

LOL!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
"Witchcraft" - Ella Fitzgerald

Seriously, I cannot stop laughing! (I don't even know any magic tricks!) :-D

WHAT IS 2+2?
"Fade to Grey" - Jars of Clay

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
"Madly" - Exit 10

Not sure what that means...

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - KT Tunstall

Not sure what that means either...

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
"Keep on Smiling" - Crooked Smile

I think I can agree with that. :-)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LOVE?
"Love Song (Live)" - Sara Bareilles

Ha! Now THAT's appropriate!

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

"The Calling" - The Benjamin Gate

My mom does call me a lot... ;)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
"Fairest Lord Jesus" - Christy Nockels

I think we're talking about a whole other wedding with this answer!

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
"Baby, Now That I've Found You" - Alison Krauss

Maybe it got these last two mixed up?

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
"Sweet Adeline" - Elliott Smith

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
"Say Yes" - Elliott Smith

So much of a secret, I can't even figure this one out!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
"Don't You Know" - Watermark

Hahaha!

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
"Concrete Girl" - Switchfoot

That would be pretty bad; I guess I shouldn't get too involved with the mob...

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
"Everybody's Stalking" - Badly Drawn Boy

Creepy! I suppose I should look over my shoulder more often!

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
"The Boy's Gone" - Jason Mraz

But I got him back!

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
"Necessity" - Exit 10

Hmm.?

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
"Dogtown" - Spent Poets

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" - Charlie Hall

???

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
"Let That Be Enough" - Switchfoot

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
"Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" - Tavares

LOL! This is so not working!

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
"Silence" - Jars of Clay

Now that is true.

WILL YOU POST THIS?
"This Song" - Badly Drawn Boy

LOLOLOLOL!!!

I think I need a do-over! :-D

Mushy Triumph!

2008-12-17T21:09:00.008-05:00

Today I got home from work slightly late for a Wednesday night, just in time to allow Mr. H to leave for church choir rehearsal. It was a hurried exchange of "Hi, how was your day? What did you do today? Oh, thanks for stopping by the store! Why did you buy black-eyed peas? Okay, see you later, love you, bye!"

AND I WAS STARVING!

And so was Sweet Bear.

I knew I had thawed out some ground turkey yesterday, and I went right to work.

Sweet Bear LOVES to watch me cook. And of course the best view is from the comfort of my arms. I'm really good at whipping things together with one arm these days. She just hates it when I put her down to handle the really hot or sharp things that I'm not keen on her accidentally getting into. So while I'm draining the hot liquid off the nicely browned ground turkey she is WAILING. Somehow, through holding her and alternately hearing her scream when I need to put her down I whip together a Shepherds Pie-type concoction and throw it in the oven. Then we have to wait, which gave me a chance to change out of my work clothes and breathe for a minute. Sweet Bear also doesn't understand that sometimes when you cook you don't actually do anything more than wait for something to bake. So she'll say "Cook, Mama, cook." and point to the stove. She'll get it soon enough. :)

Also, lately our dear Sweet Bear has decided to become more picky in her eating habits. She used to be so great about eating her veggies! Back in the day (like 2 months ago) she even ate Brussel Sprouts which her father refuses to touch. I have photo evidence (which seems to have *magically* disappeared). Hmmm. But now she pretty much refuses to eat anything green.

Well today I had a tiny break-through! Shepherds pie has the veggies mixed in with the meat with mashed potatoes piled on top. Sweet Bear is a sucker for her potatoes (much like her mama)! So, I just mixed it all together into one beautiful, yet kind of gross mush of potatoes, meat and veggies. In order for her to eat any mashed potatoes, she had no choice but to ingest the despised veggie. At first she was mad at my scheme, but the craving for potatoes won her over and I had that child eating bite after bite of wholesome goodness! Thank God for mix-it-up meals!! I really do have photo evidence of this monumental occasion:

Oh yeah, and you see that pacifier in the picture? She smooshed it into the mushy mess of her meal and stuck it in her mouth. Gross, and cute all at the same time! :)

Happy Evening All!

Hugs,

Kellee :)

Catching Up

2008-12-12T22:54:00.006-05:00

So keeping up with this blog is a little more difficult than I thought it would be.

In the mornings I'm rushed to make sure the dog and the baby and husband are fed or at least on their ways to being that way.

During the day I'm at work. And how irresponsible it would be for me to blog at work! (especially these days, when employers are looking to trim the fat, who wants to be caught not working at work?)

The evening is filled with what's for dinner? and did the baby get a bath last night or is tonight bath night?

Then once she's in bed, I'm not far behind her.

So, I vow to blog when I can. And I'd love it if you would vow not to judge my misspellings too harshly. :) I know there's spell-check, but sometimes I just forget.

Here's the uber-quick version of life since the last post:

I turned a year older and had a great time celebrating my birthday
Mr. H and I decorated our entire house for Christmas all while our Sweet Bear was napping (it was a long nap - the best kind!)
a couple more friends of ours lost their jobs due to the economic trying times we're going through.
It got warm, it rained, now it's cold again
Our Sweet Bear figured out how to get herself up from sitting - a feat which is almost always followed by an enthusiastic "Yay" from she or any observer (tooooo cute!!)

I wish I had time to delve into the emotional analysis that's been running through my brain regarding all that's been going on, but alas, it's so late, and I'm so tired.

hugs,
Kellee :)

PS: Spellcheck always thinks my name is misspelled. Boo to they that created Spellcheck!

You're Going to Make it After All!

2008-12-02T18:36:00.007-05:00

For all of you new to working motherhood I have this to say:

You're going to be okay. It will get better. Your baby is handling this better than you are.

I'm not pretending to be this wise working mom guru or anything, I just remember how hard it was at the beginning. So many emotions and worries I went through!!

And the guilt.

OH the GUILT!!

I felt guilt about everything! Guilty for leaving my baby. Guilty for not being there for every amazing moment of her developement. Guilty for not concentrating 100% at work. Guilty for not being as organized as I should be. Guilty for wanting a tiny moment for myself after working a long day. Guilty for getting a baby-sitter for a short night out. Guilty for feeling guilty!!

Where does it all come from?

I can't say that the guilt is gone, but I can say that it's better. My baby is doing magnificently well with having a working mother! She's so smart, and healthy, and so very well-socialized! You too will see that it will be okay with time.

Here's my advice:

cling to the knowledge that it will get better
get good childcare for your baby - you must feel confident that your baby is being properly cared for
get as organized as you can (an excellent suggestion I read was to pick out your outfits for the week on one day ahead of time so you don't have to worry about it during the morning rush)
get as much rest as you can when you can
allow people to help when they offer
stick to a routine as best as you can (and if your schedule is wacky or unpredictable, try to have one or two things that are always routine for you and your baby)
remember that parenting is a continuing work in progress
don't be too hard on yourself

I haven't mastered being a working mom. Not in the least. But I'm doing my best to do my best.

And that is all you can do.

If you have any other suggestions for new working moms, please feel free to share them!

Hugs,

Kellee

Good Times

2008-11-29T23:22:00.005-05:00

Ahhh...

Today was truly a great day! (even though the weather would like to have convinced me otherwise!)

We got to sleep in until 9am!! (Our Sweet Bear entertained herself in her crib for a stretch while we caught up on some zzz's!)

I had the glorious opportunity to go to Spa Sydell to get a 30 minute massage (I reasoned that I had to because my gift certificate was soon to expire!), and it was wonderful!

I watched my favorite college team beat their arch-rival in a really good game!

Mr. H took us out for dinner! And our child was so well-behaved!!

We were finally able to capture our wee one's handprints for her 18 month birthday!

The evening ended with the celebration of two of our dear friends' birthdays at our favorite little wine bar!

Days like these are a real gift!

Hugs,
Kellee :)

PS: Apparently, whilst I've been typing these very words, my husband was mistaken for a homeless man while gassing up our vehicle! a) what the HECK was he wearing? b) why didn't he accept the kind gentleman's offer of money?! It has to be good for your health to end the day laughing! :D

Beginning With Gratitude

2008-11-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

Well.

Here I am.

Blogging.

I guess I don't really know where to start.

Let me introduce myself:
I am a woman. I am married. I have a daughter. I also have a job. I also also have a dog.
I love God. I love my family. I love working. I love learning.

Let me tell why I'm here:
I've noticed there are tons of blogs by stay at home moms for stay at home moms. They're nice and all and I enjoy many of them, but being a working mom, I feel a little under-represented. I've searched for good blogs by/for/about working moms, and the ones I've found are either a whining forum of how they wished they could be SAHM's or they are a sounding post of how much better they are than SAHMs. Either way, they're not very uplifting or encouraging. This is a celebration of my situation/station in life. I promise not to whine (much!), and I definitely won't be out to prove my sweet parenting skills (ha!).

What better day to begin this blogging journey than the day after Thanksgiving?

I am so grateful for so much in my life! I have the most amazing (and handsome!) husband! I have the privilege of being the mother of a precious 18 month old baby girl! I have a great job that allows me to help provide for my family! I have a wonderful network of family and friends to help me along my way in life! I am truly blessed.

I hope you enjoy getting to know me as I blog. If you get bored, just click on one of the other blogs I have links to on the side there - they're better at this than I am :)

Hugs,
Kellee :)

Mama's Got Skills

A New Year Already

Still here!

Day of Prayer

Patience

pa·tience

Easter Goodies!

Pretty Things

Thoughts of Sunny Growth on a Rainy Day

The Restroom GPS Skill

Showing Some Skill

Where Were You?

Family, Work, Garden

It's Getting Better All the Time... better, Better, BETTER!

Happy Mother's Day

Backyard Garden

It's Friday!

Too Cute!!

I'm still here...

The Year in Review

Christmas 2008!

Shuffle Survey - enjoy

Mushy Triumph!

Catching Up

You're Going to Make it After All!

Good Times

Beginning With Gratitude