Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our busy house to yours. 

Happy Anniversary

Right now, this very minute I am anxiously awaiting pictures of a good friend's newborn baby girl. (who was actually born on her due date!) So, as I'm thinking about today's date, I realize that YESTERDAY was an important one too. 

Yesterday my parents celebrated 41 years of marriage. 

I know an anniversary is between the happy couple, but I'm kinda partial to this particular couple. And I'm very thankful for the marriage they've shared/displayed/upheld as an example for me. 

Love you Mom and Dad. 

A Prayer for your Weekend

This is the bedtime prayer my friend's little girl prayed last night. (I think she is four)

(and i'm leaving it somewhat anonymous since i didn't ask if i could share)

"I pledge allegiance to God and the United States of Heaven, for the glory of 

Jesus the word stands, that we might see Jesus, Mary and Joseph in heaven, for

 the kingdom and Bethlehem is for all. Amen."

I thought it was pretty classic. 

Happy Friday. Happy Weekend.

Eye Eye, Matey.

Well, here we are setting sail on yet another adventure in the Atkins' household. It came about rather suddenly, without much warning, but we're fully committed to it now.

You see, back in early November Jonah had a regular two-year-old check up. The nurse was different that the one we've always had. She also noticed something no one else ever had. She asked me straight off if I'd ever noticed Jonah's lazy eye. I hadn't. 

When the Dr. came in he checked into the matter. We chatted about it, but I didn't feel like it was a major thing. 

When I left the exam I went to pay. The receptionist asked if I preferred any particular medical group in Springfield. This caught me off guard...WHY oh WHY was she asking me that question?? Well, much to my surprise the Dr. recommended we see a specialist. 

{skip ahead to yesterday}

We finally got into the pediatric ophthalmologist. We immediately liked the Dr. and felt like he really knew what he was doing. Through a series of activities/exams/observations he determined that our little guy is FARsighted. Jonah can see things in the distance pretty well, but when he tries to focus up close he sees double and THAT is the reason for the lazy eye. He's turning it to eliminate the double image. 

So, we are the proud new owners of an eye patch and are soon-to-be owners of 

BABY GLASSES!!!

 The ones he tried on for the fitting were very cute. He will be one stylish dude! 

*here's hoping he will keep them on* 

Five for Friday: Songs and Nonsense

Call them underplayed. Call them non-traditional. Call them whatever you like. Here is my list of songs that do not receive the same "on-air" time each Christmas season. Now, I'm not saying they should. I'm just saying they don't. 

This first one...well I don't know why, but I do kind of like it. I recently discovered this group...The Puppini Sisters...and they've done their own version, which I really like. 

 (and, no, they aren't really sisters)

Another of my favorites...I'd really like to hear it more (I think)...

really, how can you not like Shirley Temple

This isn't a song, but is about a song. 

I don't want to hear it on the radio, but it is good for a little laugh.

This is a spoof on how wrapped up people get in their shopping and "gifts."

I try to stay out of 'Tinsel Town' as much as possible, myself.

(the light show is fun to watch on this video...the only one I could find)

And, this one isn't truly a Christmas song. BUT it is in one of my favorite Christmas movies. So, I'm calling it non-traditional and adding it to my list. 

If you have a sister, you've probably sung the famous line before..."Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister, and Lord help the sister who comes between me and my man!" 

May that line stick with you through the rest of the day!

Merry Christmas

What if...

I found this funny video today. 

Happy Thursday.

If Joseph and Mary used Facebook.

Boys of Fall

So, today, we woke up to the first snow of the season. It's just a pretty little dusting. Jonah doesn't know what to think of it. In honor of that, I thought I'd feature one of our wonderfully mild fall days.

I love these boys. They are very dear to me. I love watching them play together.

I couldn't resist taking some cute fall pictures of my little sweetie that day. 

Enjoy!

Sneaky Little Sneak

The other day Jonah was in my bathroom while I was getting myself ready for the day.

He likes to go through my bathroom drawer. I HATE when he goes through that drawer. He always finds earrings and contact lenses that DO NOT need his attention. 

He also often finds floss. 

Well, on this particular day he was pilfering as usual. I was trying to dry my hair and couldn't see what he was doing. I thought I saw him snatch something...then he ran away.

I quickly followed, but couldn't find him. I walked from my room, past the computer desk to the living room, then into his room and his bathroom. I just wasn't seeing him. I called his name, but got no answer. 

So, I headed back through the house thinking maybe he didn't leave my room in the first place. On the way there, I found him. He was crouched down in the computer desk chair HIDING. He was so cute hunched against that chair back. And sure enough...he had the floss!

Giving Thanks

Well, it's Tuesday. I can't believe it's been a whole week since I last wrote on this little blog. And then, on the other hand, it feels like it's been two weeks! 

We have been busy, as I am sure many of you dear ones have been too. 

We joined the Atkins family for Thanksgiving. The crowd was 13 people fewer than normal, but  it still felt pretty large. (there are normally nearly 50 people there...in a small farm house.) I love the people who we see at Thanksgiving each year and I love the traditional game of Hand and Foot. (if you've never played before you should...just don't play with us!)

I  caught a couple of pictures...one of which has less to do with Thanksgiving than  it does with a recent birthday!

Cooking with Grandma Atkins

(cranberry bread)

the Nerf football with Chiefs helmet and jersey from Aunt Melody! it was one of the highlights of our visit. he LOVES it! (and so stinking cute when he'd throw the ball...the helmet would fall down over his eyes.) can you see the chinstrap over his nose?

Hugs with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Atkins. And Tiger, my sister-in-law's favorite dog who she lovingly nicknamed 'underfoot!'

The Dressing That Changed My Life

Really? FOOD that is life changing? Well, I admit that food isn't THAT big of a deal. But it's true. Before I tried this recipe I DID NOT like dressing. At all. (nevermind that I was 8 years old) 

I may have been 12 when I first had this recipe. My mom discovered it somewhere. She MADE me try it. I don't even know if I admitted that I liked it at the time. But, it has stood the test of time. I still love it. And people who try it for the first time always agree that it is the best. 

Not only does it have a fantastic flavor...it's MADE IN THE CROCK-POT. How can you not give it a chance? Who doesn't love a good crock-pot dish?!

I realize this is very last-minute for this year's feast, but if you are searching for something new to wow your guests...look no further (and start chopping!)

My Favorite Thanksgiving Dish

Crock-Pot Dressing:

8 in. square pan of cornbread

8 slices of day-old bread, toasted

4 eggs

1 med. onion, chopped

1/2 C. celery, chopped

1 1/2 TBSP sage

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cans chicken broth

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 TBSP butter

(there is a bit of prep work...doing the bread...but that can be done the day before, if you need to save time)

Saute the onion and celery in the butter before adding to the pot. 

Throw in everything and cook on low for 4 hours. You may want to stir a couple of times...and I guarantee you will not be able to resist sampling. 

(*note: I like to let it get really well-done..."dry," but that is a texture issue on my part)

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving. 

Growth Chart

I recently created another craft idea I saw on Pinterest. I actually "made it my own" using a few different ideas. 

I didn't take any "before" pictures, but just imagine a very plain straight-from-the-lumber-yard piece of plywood and you can imagine it for yourself.

Here is the after.

After I decided on a layout.

After I painted and sharpied.

After I kept Jonah out of the middle of all of it!

I used foam letters to spell out that quote I found. 

I used a fancy metal yard stick, fancy ink pen/marker, and a plain sharpie for the lines. 

I hung it so that the bottom was 18 inches from the floor, to ensure that the "2ft" mark was in the correct place. 

I plan to always use that orange marker for Jonah. Then, if we have any other children I'll choose a different color for each of them. In 20 years we will have a very colorfully filled  height chart that can move to any house in which we might live. 

Five for Friday: Poor Advertizing

Have you ever seen a commercial on t.v. or an ad in a newspaper/magazine and thought, oh, my...they need a new marketing staff? I have. Sometimes I think they could do better to hire ME and I have no background in marketing.  So, I compiled a list of 5 advertisements for you today. Four of them are not-so-good. The last one IS! 

Happy Friday

really? you printed that?? your target audience CAN'T READ IT!

to read the full blog someone wrote about that one, click here.

This one is a few years old, but my inspiration for this entire post. You see, a local dealership is offering the very same promotion right now. Jonathan and I were astounded when it came on the other day. It caused us to notice some other terrible advertisements that night.

OK, this one made me laugh a LOT. It is incredible...in a ...well, just see for yourself...

And who doesn't love Flo over at Progressive. 

She gets me every time. 

This one is older, but one of my favorites.

James Andrew Atkins

As I mentioned the other day, Jonathan and I went to visit Daniel and Riss. 

We had a really fun visit with them. We just hung out, went for a walk, and ate some really good food. Typical for one of our gatherings. Oh, wait, that walk...I should say more about that walk. You see, Riss was a couple of days overdue with that sweet baby. I'd teased her about packing a bag and walking to the hospital, so that by the time she got there she'd be in labor! Well, we went for a walk around a nearby lake instead. Jonathan kept wanting to go further, but there was seemingly no end in sight. So, we talked him into turning around...and since no water had broken...I guess Jonathan thought there should be some sort of awkward water situation, so he stepped into a huge mud puddle that covered his foot up to the ankle. 

We went on about our visit-as-usual. 

Jonathan and I were planning to return home first thing (if 9am can be called first thing) Sunday morning. Then we got the phone call. It was Daniel. She was in labor...and had been at the hospital since 1am. (he also alerted me to a text message he'd sent much earlier which read: 'the water broke we are going to the hospital riss says to say thanks')

I have never before been in the waiting room of the hospital when a new baby has been born. There was a lot of anticipation. You see, my sister-in-law decided to go the old-fashioned route and NOT find out the gender of the baby she carried. I have known a handful of people who have made that choice and it is always SUCH fun when the baby is born to finally find out! (makes the pre-planning a bear, but totally worth it in the end) So, there we sat in the waiting room, going back and forth with reasons we could believe it was a boy, or a girl.  Each time the big door opened we were all on alert to see if it was Daniel. When he did come through the door...declaring that Baby James was here...it was THE SWEETEST thing! 

I loved being there for that moment.

Auntie Amy and Uncle Jonathan 

This is right after he told us the news...that is my i'm-so-excited-i-can-hardly-stand-it face. 

And here is baby James. 

James Andrew

8lbs. 5 oz. 23 inches

 Sunday, November 13, 2011

10:45am

Did you see that length? I don't know that I've ever heard of a baby being that long...at least not one that came out of a mama who is barely over 5 ft. tall!! His legs are nearly as long as his mama's already!

He had quite the time getting out into the world. The Dr. used the phrase "tight fit" and there was a vacuum involved. The tight fit is believed to have caused him to have what was discovered to be an acute phemothorax (air between the lungs and rib cage). He came out gasping a bit. Shortly after birth he was transferred to another hospital with a NICU. They took care of the problem easily, but he has to stay there through the duration of antibiotics. 

This is very hard on his mom (and dad, i'm sure). 

They are totally in love with the new guy! I am so happy for them and for our family.

The Canceled Birthday Party

Ok, it really was a canceled party. BUT, we had it anyway. We weren't going to risk spreading chicken pox to the unsuspecting. But, we also weren't going to miss a photo-opp. To this day I am not sure if Jonah had the pox or not. I thought I saw some bumps that could have been...I just don't know. I still feel terrible about the friends that didn't get to come. I'm a big fan of "the more the merrier" and I think this party is just such a case. It could have been LOTS of fun. (we did have our own fun, though)

My mom and dad came up from Arkansas. Mom had done a lot of prep-work (before cancellation). My sister came over from Ozark and we partied like fools. 

 *please note those "birds" on the {angry} centerpiece. my mother did an AWESOME job hand painting some rocks to look like birds. Those rocks truly were my favorite of all the decorations!

 we had birds hanging from the ceiling...

...and roosting atop the cakes.

 setting up the "angry birds" game in the backyard

(you can't see it in the picture, but the balloons have pig features)

...destroyed!

Weekend Update: the Oklahoma trip

This past weekend was QUITE fabulous. It's one for the memory books. EXCEPT I have very few pictures to show for it. So, it's gonna have to be one for my memory banks! (I had my camera...I just didn't use it like I wish I would have). I would like to share some of the highlights with you...one of which I will detail further later on this week.

*Jonathan and I went out of town together

*we stopped in Rogers to drop Jonah with Grammy and Grandpa

Jonah got excited when we turned into their driveway. He started clapping and saying "yay, Gamma's house"

*Jonathan and I road tripped the furthest we've ever driven together. We have gone to Oklahoma before, but we took a longer route this time. Road trips are some of our favorite times to share!! 

*We had a wonderful visit with his brother Daniel and our sis-in-law Riss. We love them. We love sharing their company. 

AND to top off everything....THEY HAD A BABY BOY right before we left town. 

(THAT is the highlight I will share in more detail later on...it's my new favorite story...but I want to get their permission before I share it)

*We got to visit with one of our favorite CollegeGirls on our way home. She was VERY gracious in rescheduling THREE times. We love you, Kaelie. Thanks for being so flexible. Our visit with you was really a treasure.

and now, for a picture. without people. 

(yep, this is where we ate lunch)

Bath with a GLOW.

Well, I just keep thinking about all those birthday pictures sitting in the files, waiting to be uploaded. I still feel overwhelmed by them, so they will sit a while longer! (there are so many good pics...and I haven't yet figured out my "angle" on all of them.) Someday...hopefully before the month is out! 

Anyway...back to the bath. I did something fun the other day. I found some glow sticks on clearance at the store. I put them in a bubble bath for Jonah and he LOVED it. He had so much fun with it!!  Bubbles really make the difference, too. They add to the "glow" factor...spreading the light around! 

(don't worry, I didn't let him put them in his mouth)

And if that isn't enough fun for you...just look at him on this video:

The package came with 10 sticks. I've only used four of them so far (two at a time). To tell the whole truth, I really wanted to put all 10 in there at once. I would love to see it with two packages!!! (I like colorful things).

Sweeping me off of my Feet!

The other day I gave Jonah some graham crackers for his snack. I don't remember if I gave him the package, or if he snuck it while I wasn't looking. Somehow he ended up with the package. And made a mess. 

But, then he did the cutest thing.....

all on his own, without me even asking him to!

Makes me so proud! 

on being two

this is dedicated to my TWO-year-old. the week before his birthday he practiced being two. 

he's good at it:

 

 *red crayon on the wall. (jonah, meet Mr. Magic Eraser)

*shoving dishwasher detergent under the microwave

 

 

 

and last, but certainly not least... the one where he played with mascara.

(jonah, meet Miss Eye Make-up Remover) *

 

Why do I document my child's bad behavior teachable moments?

That was not rhetorical. WHY do I do it? 

I do not know. 

I'm going to have to quit. He's going to catch on that mischief brings out Mommy's camera.

*note, this is not my house. this was the week we stayed with 3 of our favorite people.

Five for Friday: Bible Verses

Well, I've been mulling over what to post today. I'm still not quite ready to post the birthday party pictures. For some reason that feels overwhelming. I don't know why.  It is Friday, so I'll do my usual post of Five things. I can't really think of anything to share other than my five favorite Bible verses. Or five of my favorites...five that stand out to me today. 

In no particular order:

Phillipians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.


Romans 8:28

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.


Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet, 
   a light on my path. 


Philippians 3:14


I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.


John 3:16-17


For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

How about you? Do you have a favorite verse or passage that you turn to regularly?

Happy Weekend. I will be celebrating another couple of birthdays Sat. Perhaps I'll do a big birthday post for next week. 

Cutest litte Cat-in-the-Hat!

Our church has a Kid's fun night every year on the 31st. Well, we like to make it a Family Fun night...cause our family likes to have fun together!

see:

When Jonah was a baby we were given this Cat-in-the-Hat costume by our friend Dawn.

So, I have been planning this dress-up-as-a-family idea all year...knowing the Cat would fit Jonah this Halloween. 

But, as usual, I was scrambling around at the last minute. Why do things have to take longer than anticipated to put together?

But, we made it. And we had a good time!

    Jonah's favorite area was the one with basketballs...

throwing a bean bag to knock down the crows. thank you, mrs. jan for your help!

And he also found a new way to "play" at the duck pond. he re-arranged each duck to a new pond, rather than pick just one to see if it was a winner! they ladies running it thought his idea was a good one!

Oh my goodness....look at this cute cute girl I saw. I have no idea who she is or which adults she was there with...but her dancing brought quite the crowd!

And then, after we got home, he had to sort through his loot. I didn't even have to teach him how to do this! 

Birthday Week...Bummer.

Ok, really. This has been a very strange week for us. 

You probably know that I work as a nanny. The kids' parents are out of town this week, so Jonathan, Jonah and I are staying with them. We love them dearly and care for these kids as if they were our own. (I feel qualified to say that since I do have my own) So, I can take whatever comes our way. It is just part of it, as they say.

Well, earlier in the week (my most recent post) I told you about the stomach bug. It hit 3 of the 4 kids (one at a time), Jonah included. It was short-lived. We got through it generally unscathed. 

Well, the one kid who didn't get hit with that nasty bug...came down with something else...something much different. Something I believe he's shared with Jonah. 

look at these cute guys!

Now, look what he's got.

Yep. those are what you think they are. 

Neither boy has been vaccinated for CHICKEN POX. 

We won't know for a few days...but these two are best buds, they spend lots of time in close company. 

Therefore, the Birthday Party is canceled. 

BUMMER. 

Oh, well. Thankfully the procrastinator in me hadn't gotten too much ready yet. 

We may just have an "adults-who've-already-had-it" only party. 

BirthdayWeek with a Vomit Bug.

I was just thinking yesterday that I didn't write a celebratory blog post. I had planned to write something birthday-ish each day this week. I've made a change in plans. Why? Because little man has a vomit bug and we are spending all our free time dealing with that rather than writing for the ole blog! He woke up with it this morning. He isn't alone in his misery. Two other kids we spend lots of time with are sick with the same thing (only no fever for them.)

This picture was taken around a year ago, and this is just about what he's doing now (as well as a good portion of the day.) Poor fella. He's added on a touch of fever tonight. I'm gonna go check on him now. Hopefully the next B.W. post will be happier!

Birthday Week 2011

Well, here it is! The last week of October. The little man is almost out of the "baby" stage. In less than a week he will enter full-blown toddler stage. *sniff sniff*

To kick-off Birthday Week I've created a little video. Jonah received an early gift in the mail a couple of days ago. Since Daniel and Riss couldn't be here to see him open it they requested video footage. And to make it even more exciting...well, at least for me...I expanded my horizons and posted it to YouTube.

Without further ado, I give you:

Five for Friday: hodgepodge edition

disclaimer: i do not have any cohesive thoughts today.  next week isn't looking so hot either.

1.Well, Friday has rolled around again. Have you reached a point in the week where you could use a good laugh? I am not one to love tattoos...but this one is pretty clever and made me chuckle. 

2.I might need to chuckle a bit more to burn off the calories from this new recipe I tried out yesterday. Unfortunately I didn't have any toffee bits nor pecans to add. We ate it on graham crackers. It wasn't the best thing I've eaten in my life, but that doesn't mean I walked away from the bowl quickly...at all! 

3.Fact: We do not own Horton Hears a Who on DVD. (gasp)

 Jonah saw part of it for the first time today. 

 He really likes Horton's silly moves. Every time Horton did something funny, Jonah said "adin (again)" to the t.v.

4.Oh, and a little BIG, flashy update for the Man of the House. 

Jonathan registered today for the American Board of Certification for Teacher Excellence.

That probably deserves an entire post. I'll work on that, but you can pray for him to study hard and pass the test at the end!! I think he will make a swell teacher!

5.Next week's Five for Friday post will be all about this guy:

since he will be turning TWO!! 

That's right...this coming Sunday kicks off BIRTHDAY WEEK. 

stay tuned.

(aren't you glad I didn't commit to a top ten list on Friday's...I know I sure am!)

To Sleep or Not to Sleep.

How about NOT.

Our sleep pattern has been a bit "off" lately. A few weeks ago nap time became very tricky. I'd been having Jonah nap in the morning because we leave the house everyday around 3. He'd nap from 11:30 or 12 until somewhere around 2. It worked out great.

And then, it didn't. Naptime became a battle.

We fought the battle.

Then, bedtime became a battle.

Two battles a day? No thank-you!

So, I ignored my inner "mommy" voice telling me he was too young to give up naps. And we started keeping him up.

That has been working out fine. Bedtime is still tricky, but here's why...he falls asleep in the car around 3.

WHAT to DO??? (this is one of those "insolvable problems" we are just going to have to struggle through)

Oh, and just to throw another kink into the pattern...HERE's what he's been doing this week:

on the couch, watching a movie ("rest time")

(I think he's growing)

Meanwhile, I'll be brewing up another pot of coffee! 

Happy Wednesday Afternoon!

Proper Coffee...and something worthwhile.

In honor of the weather changing to that crisp coolness which makes coffee drinking so delectable...I give you A Proper Cup of Coffee (by a folk group from my neck of the woods...Trout Fishing in America.) 

I dare you to listen to the whole thing (or at least stick with it through the chorus.) 

It is a silly silly song. I also dare you to try singing along!

My mother will not be able to stand it. 

And then, after listening, go fire up your Proper Copper Coffee Pots!

Traditional Turkish Coffee in a Copper Pot

Does anyone else find this "less-than-proper?" 

I don't think I could choke that down. 

I'll stick with what I know best.

ok, enough. go drink a cup of coffee and read some other blog with more worthwhile content. 

Here is a blog that will do:

My friend Amy and her husband are in the middle of an adoption ordeal. It was smooth until the baby was born and they discovered there were some legal issues. They AND another family have legal documents for adopting the baby boy. They attended a custody hearing yesterday which gave them more insight into the process, but did not result in a placement of their son. They are still waiting for a final answer, but trusting God with all the details. 

Read more at Becoming Five.

I LOVE Fall

Fall is beautiful. 

And it smells amazing! (I wish I could capture smell in a photo)

Things I love about Fall

*crisp cool air

*freshly fallen leaves

*marigolds

*snuggling under a blanket 

*bonfires

Fall Foods 

(which, for some reason, always taste better when the weather is cool)

*pumpkin spice latte

*apple pie

*frito pie

*hot chocolate

*most any kind of soup