Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Hump-Day
De-cluttering my home while the littles nap. Sorting out too-small clothes while folding laundry, matching socks for 3 small pairs of feet, then putting it all away only to do it all over again can be exhausting and a never-ending task - but as worship music plays in the background, I am humbled, and find myself, counting it ALL a joy. Have a blessed day y'all and remember - You Are BLESSED!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Places I've nursed
I was recently talking with a friend about nursing in public and we started going back and forth as to the places where we have nursed. I decided that it would be a fun post to write about and a great thing to have these memories in writing for me to look back on whenever I'm feeling defeated, tired, or forget just how awesome and exciting raising kids can be :D
In no particular order:
1) An Airplane - numerous commercial flights from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh, to Orlando, to NYC and Santiago, Dominican Republic and everywhere in between. Not too exciting. When traveling solo with a baby, I tried to sit next to other moms with babies if there weren't two seats together. I once sat between two grown men which was an interesting experience being as though my boys had a loud suck which often drew attention from people far across the room from me. Needless to say, I may have flashed a few strangers if they happened to be staring right in my direction while nursing since none of my kids liked to have their faces covered by my "hooter hider" but...there are worse things that can happen.
2) In graduate school classes - I had to take my middle son to class for the first 3 weeks of a semester when he was 5-8 weeks old because the childcare center on campus only took infants at 8weeks. All of my professors were supportive of the arrangements and for the most part, my son would nap throughout the 3-hour class. We usually were given a 15 minute break which is when I might change a diaper or start nursing. Fortunately, infants sleep ALOT and my professors and peers were super supportive and loved having a baby in class.
3) In a Higher Education planning meeting - I would have avoided this situation if I could have but there was just no going around it. I didn't have childcare, I had to go to this meeting and speak/give input and my son joined us. He began to get fussy mid-way through the meeting so I just gave him the boob to keep him entertained and quiet - minus his loud sucking noises which were hard to ignore, I was grateful that nobody in the meeting made a big deal of it.
4) In a church service - This is a no-brainer. Nursing during a teaching or preaching. Besides the loud burp my babies would make that happened to always coincide with the minister's silent pause in speech, all was fine. Although I did read once that a mother was asked to leave church and told she could not breastfeed during service - this never happened to me. It's important to note that I always use some kind of cover-up and am as modest and quiet as I can be so not to gain any attention. **Churches that have mommy rooms or nursing rooms are also AWESOME!
5) New York City Subway - I've nursed a couple of my kids in the subways, it was feeding time, and I nursed them.
6) The Intrepid Carrier - I was walking around, taking a tour, my son was hungry, I nursed him as we walked. Nothing too exciting.
7) Local Parks - all the time.
8) California, Maryland and New Jersey Beaches
9) At friend's houses
10) At my house, in every room
11) In the shower
12) On the train - Amtrak train
13) In the movie theater
14) At the mall (In the kids play area, food court and while walking around)
15) Around an Outdoor Bonfire (In both public and private home settings)
16) At the local community swimming pool
17) In a Target aisle
18) In Sam's club
19) Inside PETCO while walking with my boys checking out the fish
20) At home - In my front yard, back yard, drive-way, bathroom, all 3 bedrooms, family room, every room basically except for the closets and the garage.
21) Can't seem to think anymore right now..kids woke up from naps..I'll have to revise this later..
In no particular order:
1) An Airplane - numerous commercial flights from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh, to Orlando, to NYC and Santiago, Dominican Republic and everywhere in between. Not too exciting. When traveling solo with a baby, I tried to sit next to other moms with babies if there weren't two seats together. I once sat between two grown men which was an interesting experience being as though my boys had a loud suck which often drew attention from people far across the room from me. Needless to say, I may have flashed a few strangers if they happened to be staring right in my direction while nursing since none of my kids liked to have their faces covered by my "hooter hider" but...there are worse things that can happen.
2) In graduate school classes - I had to take my middle son to class for the first 3 weeks of a semester when he was 5-8 weeks old because the childcare center on campus only took infants at 8weeks. All of my professors were supportive of the arrangements and for the most part, my son would nap throughout the 3-hour class. We usually were given a 15 minute break which is when I might change a diaper or start nursing. Fortunately, infants sleep ALOT and my professors and peers were super supportive and loved having a baby in class.
3) In a Higher Education planning meeting - I would have avoided this situation if I could have but there was just no going around it. I didn't have childcare, I had to go to this meeting and speak/give input and my son joined us. He began to get fussy mid-way through the meeting so I just gave him the boob to keep him entertained and quiet - minus his loud sucking noises which were hard to ignore, I was grateful that nobody in the meeting made a big deal of it.
4) In a church service - This is a no-brainer. Nursing during a teaching or preaching. Besides the loud burp my babies would make that happened to always coincide with the minister's silent pause in speech, all was fine. Although I did read once that a mother was asked to leave church and told she could not breastfeed during service - this never happened to me. It's important to note that I always use some kind of cover-up and am as modest and quiet as I can be so not to gain any attention. **Churches that have mommy rooms or nursing rooms are also AWESOME!
5) New York City Subway - I've nursed a couple of my kids in the subways, it was feeding time, and I nursed them.
6) The Intrepid Carrier - I was walking around, taking a tour, my son was hungry, I nursed him as we walked. Nothing too exciting.
7) Local Parks - all the time.
8) California, Maryland and New Jersey Beaches
9) At friend's houses
10) At my house, in every room
11) In the shower
12) On the train - Amtrak train
13) In the movie theater
14) At the mall (In the kids play area, food court and while walking around)
15) Around an Outdoor Bonfire (In both public and private home settings)
16) At the local community swimming pool
17) In a Target aisle
18) In Sam's club
19) Inside PETCO while walking with my boys checking out the fish
20) At home - In my front yard, back yard, drive-way, bathroom, all 3 bedrooms, family room, every room basically except for the closets and the garage.
21) Can't seem to think anymore right now..kids woke up from naps..I'll have to revise this later..
Friday, May 23, 2014
Tips on Being Married to an Introvert
Tips on Being Married to an Introvert
I came across a few articles recently on the topic of "Extroverts married to Introverts". As I approach my 6-year wedding anniversary, I realize how much I am still learning about my husband - how he gains energy, interacts and all that is involved with how we, together, socially interact, refuel emotionally and in essence, how WE live this thing called life.
Introverts find social interaction to be TIRING - perhaps even EXHAUSTING. This can have a HUGE impact on a marriage, which usually revolves around doing things, going places, raising children TOGETHER. Extroverts such as I, have a tendency to think they are right, the way we choose to spend our time is RIGHT and that there is something wrong with the introvert - which can cause some problems. It is reported that Extroverts make up about 80% of the world's population with Introverts being in the minority (20%). Chances are, you know an introvert and could likely marry, be married to be very close to one. Introversion is not the same as being shy, socially awkward or antisocial. Introversion simply means that spending time by yourself helps you to have energy, while spending time with people - depletes your energy, making one "moody, grumpy, irritable, closed-off" and any other number of things that one must learn to cope with. This energy is usually emotional or mental, but can frequently translate to physical energy, as well. Social situations like parties or sporting events are simply "over-stimulating", even if it appears that an introvert is having fun - which can be the CONFUSING part for the "non-introvert" within the marriage. With all of that said, Introversion can be a challenging trait to bring into a marriage ALTHOUGH the same can be said for EXTROVERSION.
The following is a brief overview of my personal experience as well as some general tips for making introversion WORK in your marriage. It is possible. Challenging at times, but very possible.
My story: David and I began our courtship living across the country from one another so his introversion came as somewhat of a "WHAT?! WHY?!" kind of reaction. I wasn't exposed to his "introversion" until we were married. Yes, that's right, it wasn't until our honeymoon actually that I first had the reaction of "Why don't you want to explore the Bahamas all day?!" type of reaction. During our courtship, we only saw eachother in-person 27 days and those days and I think we were both excited to be around eachother that I didn't notice any introversion tendencies. During our engagement we spent maybe 1 day a week together and again, our excitement for exploring restaurants together or attending social gatherings with one another was nothing out of the norm for me. It wasn't until after we married, that we moved into our own apartment together and finally, we were spending every day/night together - more time than ever before that I began to notice just how different our personalities were from one another. I don't consider myself a complete Extrovert and enjoy some quiet/alone time too and I won't begin to consider my personality to be "superior" by any means. I had studied the terms introvert/extrovert in college psychology courses yet it took me years to truly grasp that I was married to an Introvert. I couldn't understand why David would complain about going to social gatherings or to my family's house for holiday weekends or why it seemed he always just wanted to be home. A true homebody is what I would refer him as while I was the "busy-bee", always trying to make plans outside our home. The birth of our first born son only heightened my annoyances with my husband's introversion as I couldn't fathom how my husband could possibly argue about NOT wanting to spend an entire day at Disneyland or attend 2 kid-birthday parties in a row on a Saturday afternoon. Our son would LOVE doing those things so how could we not want to take him or do those things with our child?! Am I right or am I right?!
Today: My marriage today is successful and although we still have arguments about how his introversion meshes into our family of five with all of the social events that go on - I am proud of my marriage, proud of where we are, the genuine love and mutual respect that we have for one another. I admit that I still struggle at times with not being understanding or respectful of my husband's need to have his "alone time" so that he can REFUEL his emotional energy BUT after several years of practice, long hours of discussion, numerous arguments had, lots of literature read on the subject, prayer and lots of apologizing, I have a few pieces of knowledge, words of advice, whatever you want to call this list, to share. I hope someone reading this might find it helpful and KNOW that I too am practicing these tips and STRIVING to do these better myself every new day. If you're married to an Introvert too, remember that this world is an Extrovert World, so imagine how difficult it is for our spouse to live daily where most people do not care to understand Introversion. Let's love and embrace our spouse, accept them and as the serenity prayer goes, pray for the wisdom to know the difference. (*The list is derives from several articles that I read in an effort to be a better wife to an introvert and quite possibly, a mother to one)
1. Be LOVE
Love is patient, love is kind, love does not get angry. Easy to say, at times - very hard to do. These are things I still struggle with but I am working on. I have recognized that I can be demanding and "demanding" shuts him down, which makes me more demanding, which makes him shut down that much more. It is a vicious cycle. The key is breaking the cycle. Be love and ask God to help you both.
2. Set aside time for your spouse to be a homebody
A little alone time is simply more important to your spouse’s well-being than social interaction. That means you may be sitting on the couch watching a movie more often than you thought you were going to or limiting how long you stay at a social gathering together. Just keep in mind that your spouse is sitting there, watching that movie with you, which means that you have been invited into his/her private bubble. From an introvert's view, that is a LOT of love! Also, if your spouse enjoys hanging out in his man-cave, gets energized by playing video games or rebuilding his computer at home or doing any number of seemingly "isolated/alone" tasks that we DON"T GET, let them be, let them enjoy that (as long as it isn't harming anyone) and realize that they are home and "not out at a bar or hanging with their guys" as my husband likes to tell me. Oh, and just for the record, interrupting his/her "alone time" for a quick hug and kiss is perfectly acceptable!3. Be willing to cancel plans and create alternatives
Let’s say you and your spouse have plans to go to a birthday dinner party on Friday night. You’re both excited about it, although you expect your spouse to talk to only one or two close friends while you circle the room. Now let’s say your spouse had unexpected meetings at work that day and feels extra stressed, leaving him feeling totally drained. A dinner party, even with friends that you look forward to seeing, can be REALLY exhausting and even kind of PARALYZING at that point. This part can be VERY hard to do but "Adapting your plans accordingly will help your spouse feel loved and cared for".4. Ask your spouse questions. Email/Text are more than fine.
Use open ended questions sparingly. Open ended questions will only provide disappointment when the answer that is expected is not given. Start with small, closed ended "yes or no" questions. This will lead into open ended questions and then perhaps, a conversation! Also, asking questions is important but must be done at the right time-you'll figure out when this time is. Now, your spouse may not realize that you want to even know what they think since generally they keep their thoughts private (in part because they have so many of them). Since introverts find social situations less appealing than extroverts, they may have a hard time communicating their needs simply because they don’t have as much practice! That’s why it is important to ask questions if you want information. Asking them in an email, using bullet-points so not to overwhelm them, or via text message is also a useful tip.5. Entertain yourself
If you expect your introverted sweetheart to be engaged with you all the time, you’re going to be disappointed, not to mention, lonesome. Schedule some time to hang out with friends if your social needs are not being met, or at the very least, find something to do that makes YOU excited. You may even plan trips with other family members or friends that you would enjoy that your spouse might feel too overwhelmed to share with you. This is another hard one for me, especially with our growing family of three children - but I am grateful that my husband encourages me to do things on my own - as long as HE is the one I come home and tell all of my stories to. For the record, Extroverts (or Ambiverts --- between the two) also benefit and even CRAVE ALONE TIME as well - just not as often.
7. Compromise.
If I could give one word to sum up what it takes to survive any kind of relationship between introverts and extroverts or in any marriage for that matter, it is COMPROMISE. In everything you and your spouse do together whether it be date nights, watching movies, enjoying conversation, and even raising children, the key is compromise.
In closing, marriage is a beautiful thing. No marriage is easy. Marriages between an introvert and an extrovert have an extra set of challenges BUT it is still very good. Work at it, don't grow weary, find hope in knowing that God created you both to be UNIQUE and to GROW in love TOGETHER!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
My favorite family outings in Morgantown, WV
If you're a mom and you live in Morgantown, WV - you might have found yourself saying at one time or another "there's nothing to do in this town!". You might have never said that if you are an outdoors type of girl (hiking, hunting, nature-walk loving) OR, if you have come to appreciate many of the simple things in this town which make it unique, inviting and simple place to be.
Being born and raised in the Los Angeles area where there are in fact, too many things to do, I was quite taken back after moving here to find that things are quite simple here: No amusement parks like Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Six Flags or all of the many waterparks and other high-energy amusements, No large Shopping centers and fun outdoor venues such as Downtown Disney, the Grove, The Block, the Galleria, etc.. or Chuck E'Cheese/Peter Piper's or Dave & Busters types of eateries where fun and games are mixed with food. Let's not forget all of the jumping gyms and fun zones that exist every few miles providing a place where kids and play and families can enjoy the company of one another. I didn't even mention one of the many beaches, or Boardwalks, Arts festivals, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Promenade, Rodeo Drive, Hollywood walk of fame, Mann's Chinese Theatre, Griffith Park and the Observatory, Hollywood Sign hiking trail, Celebrity house driving tour, LA Zoo, Museums' galore, shopping galore, dining options galore - for kids, with kids, with childcare, you name it-- LA has it!
My point. I had to get used to the idea that despite not having all of the above here in Morgantown, that this town indeed is special and filled with lots of nuggets which although may be small in comparison, can be just as interesting, and offer families a new environment in which to enjoy one another.
Here are a few of the things that I enjoy doing with my family that are local and might I add, Free or very low-cost as well! In no particular order:
- Local parks and Rail Trail (Marilla, Westover park on the River and Krepp's are my favorites) They are just filled with beautiful green trees, you can even hear the sound of the water streams nearby, they are clean, well taken care of, have benches for picnics and the boys absolutely have a fun time every time). I especially enjoy taking the double stroller and walking along the river in Westover before letting the boys play in the castle, we then walk down to see the ducks and check-out the catch of the day by local fisherman. Going back to the rail-trail, as a "former" avid runner, I absolutely love running the rail trail and equally love, taking walks on the rail trail with the family. Listening to the birds chirp as we walk along the river, catching glimpses of deer and counting the caterpillars along the trail - it's one of my all-time favorite places in Morgantown to be.
- WVU creative arts center - I do love the fact that Morgantown is a college town as the "college town" has many many perks, one being, this fantastic Creative Arts Center which brings in lots of main-stream broadway musicals, acts, performers, etc.. Musicals that we have seen are: Shrek, Annie, The African Children's Choir, Mama Mia, and others.
- Local mall events - I admit, I would have probably never participated in "mall events" back in LA besides maybe the Christmas holiday ones. I don't even know if other malls do the events like those that occur in Morgantown but I could say that I have attended most all Mall-events (at least since becoming a mom). The kids and I love the annual Kids' Fairs and Baby Fairs that are filled with booths that offer fun activities, face painting, informative material, super-heroes, i.e. We attend the annual trick-or-treating and egg-hunt events and have also taken advantage of the summer movie events that the mall movie theater offers. All of the mall events are FREE and I can't tell you how many play dates I've had in the Children's play area (which is an awesome place to go during the winter to get the kids out of the house or just to burn some energy)
- WVU family events - At the Rec Center, Mountaineer Kids Club, Annual Trunk-Or-Treat, Touch A-Truck (Coliseum parking lot), NCAA WVU games (basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, football), Observatory (Friday evening shows), Mountaineer Week family activities and events in the Mountainlair, etc.etc.
- Farmer's Market: Saturday mornings, especially in the summer and Fall, I love taking Josiah and sometimes all of the kids to Farmers Market. I let them pick out a fruit or vegetable, we talk to the farmers, sample fresh cheeses and other foods offered, we walk around, I buy a fair-trade coffee and get the boys a freshly baked pepperoni role and we have a fun time learning about produce, new ways to prepare foods, colors and all the while, supporting our local farmers. Many times, we walk across the street and head to the library afterwards to check out books after returning our ones from the week before.
- BOPARC, City and Library activities: The City offers lots of interesting events that I am not accustomed to including several parades throughout the year: 4th of July, Homecoming, Thanksgiving, Christmas (did I leave one out?) Josiah has marched in several of the parades with his TaeKwonDo School and it is usually an enjoyable time. We typically park near a PRT station, ride the PRT to the Downtown Walnut station and walk the parade route, grabbing Pizza from Casa di Amici or enjoying one of the many food vendors along downtown High Street. We also Love Kid's Day in July, Chocolate-Lovers Day and several of the other events that happen on Downtown High Street each year. The Library also has lots of great programming for kids such as storytime, summer Kid's series and workshops and let us not forget, Free book rentals! Sometimes, I grab the daily paper or the latest gossip magazine and read while the boys play with the Thomas the Train table set in the children's reading area - It's a win-Win!
- The WOW FACTORY and Children's Discovery Museum: These two places are the only such places I've found in-town to offer weekly activities for families and kids (apart from that mentioned above). We don't go to these places as often but always appreciate and enjoy that they exist. We celebrated Josiah's 3rd birthday at the Children's Discovery Museum and have created several gifts at the WOW factory for Christmas and special holidays and have enjoyed our visits there everytime.
- Summer BOPARC Swimming: We love Baby Splash and KidSplash at Krepp's Pool, less crowded, safe water-fun for the kids and it's a great place for a playdate during summer months!
- MOPS meetings - Oh, I just love going to my MOPS group at CRC (Chestnut Ridge Church). This past year was the first year I was able to get involved as I wasn't able to make the bi-monthly thursday meetings in prior years due to work and/or school. Since September 2013 however, I have greatly enjoyed getting together with other local moms and having a lovely breakfast with them while learning and sharing about all things motherhood. Since Josiah started school, I typically take Daniel with me and leave Jubilee with David at home. Daniel goes to class (childcare) while I attend the MOPS meeting/activity and it's always a great time. Since Daniel has not been in any formal childcare for most of his life, this gives him a bit more social time with others and he enjoys the activities they do as well. I am so grateful for my CRC MOPS group.
- Community group/Gatherings/Birthday Parties: Sadly, we don't have any family around and with limited things for us to do, we absolutely love to attend friends' birthday parties or any gathering we get invited to. With that, it is always an honor to be invited places and for the most part, we typically attend most all of the kid's parties we get invited to (if we're in town). We love people and celebrating people and we always have a good time. Our family also meets bi-monthly for a community group which is one of our favorite times of the week (we all eat together, then while the kids play with sitters, us "adults" pray, encourage one another and sharing in meaningful conversation) - it's fun for the whole family!
- Staying home: I admit, this is a new one for me. We are in our third home since moving to Morgantown, and up until now, I never had a back-yard or a neighborhood to really enjoy and appreciate such as the home we live in now. There are many days that we are just home, playing indoors or outside in our backyard, the boys enjoy playing out on the back deck or riding bikes, throwing balls, etc.. and I enjoy not having to load them up in the car to drive somewhere. There is also a little park in our neighborhood which we often walk to (although our community is very hilly-so the walk is a real work-out). We have play dates with friends at our house or I go to other friend's houses and it's always an enjoyable time. My husband (who is a big home-body) is probably most happy to hear now that "staying home" has become one of my favorite things to do with the family.
This may in fact be the list, and if you're reading this from California, you may be laughing by the simplicity of this list, but I tell 'ya, I wouldn't have it any other way. At least for right now, I am enjoying this simple life, and I am saving lots of money by not having to fork out $$ for this activity and $$$$ for that. I am glad that Josiah, Daniel and Jubilee have all that they need and have yet to be exposed to what most of America has to offer in the sense of consumerism. We are appreciating what's around, taking advantage of local fun and having a pretty good time. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wish sometimes that I could just take the kids to Disneyland, or have a day at the beach but I choose to make the best of what we have and what we have is pretty darn awesome. :)
Being born and raised in the Los Angeles area where there are in fact, too many things to do, I was quite taken back after moving here to find that things are quite simple here: No amusement parks like Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Six Flags or all of the many waterparks and other high-energy amusements, No large Shopping centers and fun outdoor venues such as Downtown Disney, the Grove, The Block, the Galleria, etc.. or Chuck E'Cheese/Peter Piper's or Dave & Busters types of eateries where fun and games are mixed with food. Let's not forget all of the jumping gyms and fun zones that exist every few miles providing a place where kids and play and families can enjoy the company of one another. I didn't even mention one of the many beaches, or Boardwalks, Arts festivals, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Promenade, Rodeo Drive, Hollywood walk of fame, Mann's Chinese Theatre, Griffith Park and the Observatory, Hollywood Sign hiking trail, Celebrity house driving tour, LA Zoo, Museums' galore, shopping galore, dining options galore - for kids, with kids, with childcare, you name it-- LA has it!
My point. I had to get used to the idea that despite not having all of the above here in Morgantown, that this town indeed is special and filled with lots of nuggets which although may be small in comparison, can be just as interesting, and offer families a new environment in which to enjoy one another.
Here are a few of the things that I enjoy doing with my family that are local and might I add, Free or very low-cost as well! In no particular order:
- Local parks and Rail Trail (Marilla, Westover park on the River and Krepp's are my favorites) They are just filled with beautiful green trees, you can even hear the sound of the water streams nearby, they are clean, well taken care of, have benches for picnics and the boys absolutely have a fun time every time). I especially enjoy taking the double stroller and walking along the river in Westover before letting the boys play in the castle, we then walk down to see the ducks and check-out the catch of the day by local fisherman. Going back to the rail-trail, as a "former" avid runner, I absolutely love running the rail trail and equally love, taking walks on the rail trail with the family. Listening to the birds chirp as we walk along the river, catching glimpses of deer and counting the caterpillars along the trail - it's one of my all-time favorite places in Morgantown to be.
- WVU creative arts center - I do love the fact that Morgantown is a college town as the "college town" has many many perks, one being, this fantastic Creative Arts Center which brings in lots of main-stream broadway musicals, acts, performers, etc.. Musicals that we have seen are: Shrek, Annie, The African Children's Choir, Mama Mia, and others.
- Local mall events - I admit, I would have probably never participated in "mall events" back in LA besides maybe the Christmas holiday ones. I don't even know if other malls do the events like those that occur in Morgantown but I could say that I have attended most all Mall-events (at least since becoming a mom). The kids and I love the annual Kids' Fairs and Baby Fairs that are filled with booths that offer fun activities, face painting, informative material, super-heroes, i.e. We attend the annual trick-or-treating and egg-hunt events and have also taken advantage of the summer movie events that the mall movie theater offers. All of the mall events are FREE and I can't tell you how many play dates I've had in the Children's play area (which is an awesome place to go during the winter to get the kids out of the house or just to burn some energy)
- WVU family events - At the Rec Center, Mountaineer Kids Club, Annual Trunk-Or-Treat, Touch A-Truck (Coliseum parking lot), NCAA WVU games (basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, football), Observatory (Friday evening shows), Mountaineer Week family activities and events in the Mountainlair, etc.etc.
- Farmer's Market: Saturday mornings, especially in the summer and Fall, I love taking Josiah and sometimes all of the kids to Farmers Market. I let them pick out a fruit or vegetable, we talk to the farmers, sample fresh cheeses and other foods offered, we walk around, I buy a fair-trade coffee and get the boys a freshly baked pepperoni role and we have a fun time learning about produce, new ways to prepare foods, colors and all the while, supporting our local farmers. Many times, we walk across the street and head to the library afterwards to check out books after returning our ones from the week before.
- BOPARC, City and Library activities: The City offers lots of interesting events that I am not accustomed to including several parades throughout the year: 4th of July, Homecoming, Thanksgiving, Christmas (did I leave one out?) Josiah has marched in several of the parades with his TaeKwonDo School and it is usually an enjoyable time. We typically park near a PRT station, ride the PRT to the Downtown Walnut station and walk the parade route, grabbing Pizza from Casa di Amici or enjoying one of the many food vendors along downtown High Street. We also Love Kid's Day in July, Chocolate-Lovers Day and several of the other events that happen on Downtown High Street each year. The Library also has lots of great programming for kids such as storytime, summer Kid's series and workshops and let us not forget, Free book rentals! Sometimes, I grab the daily paper or the latest gossip magazine and read while the boys play with the Thomas the Train table set in the children's reading area - It's a win-Win!
- The WOW FACTORY and Children's Discovery Museum: These two places are the only such places I've found in-town to offer weekly activities for families and kids (apart from that mentioned above). We don't go to these places as often but always appreciate and enjoy that they exist. We celebrated Josiah's 3rd birthday at the Children's Discovery Museum and have created several gifts at the WOW factory for Christmas and special holidays and have enjoyed our visits there everytime.
- Summer BOPARC Swimming: We love Baby Splash and KidSplash at Krepp's Pool, less crowded, safe water-fun for the kids and it's a great place for a playdate during summer months!
- MOPS meetings - Oh, I just love going to my MOPS group at CRC (Chestnut Ridge Church). This past year was the first year I was able to get involved as I wasn't able to make the bi-monthly thursday meetings in prior years due to work and/or school. Since September 2013 however, I have greatly enjoyed getting together with other local moms and having a lovely breakfast with them while learning and sharing about all things motherhood. Since Josiah started school, I typically take Daniel with me and leave Jubilee with David at home. Daniel goes to class (childcare) while I attend the MOPS meeting/activity and it's always a great time. Since Daniel has not been in any formal childcare for most of his life, this gives him a bit more social time with others and he enjoys the activities they do as well. I am so grateful for my CRC MOPS group.
- Community group/Gatherings/Birthday Parties: Sadly, we don't have any family around and with limited things for us to do, we absolutely love to attend friends' birthday parties or any gathering we get invited to. With that, it is always an honor to be invited places and for the most part, we typically attend most all of the kid's parties we get invited to (if we're in town). We love people and celebrating people and we always have a good time. Our family also meets bi-monthly for a community group which is one of our favorite times of the week (we all eat together, then while the kids play with sitters, us "adults" pray, encourage one another and sharing in meaningful conversation) - it's fun for the whole family!
- Staying home: I admit, this is a new one for me. We are in our third home since moving to Morgantown, and up until now, I never had a back-yard or a neighborhood to really enjoy and appreciate such as the home we live in now. There are many days that we are just home, playing indoors or outside in our backyard, the boys enjoy playing out on the back deck or riding bikes, throwing balls, etc.. and I enjoy not having to load them up in the car to drive somewhere. There is also a little park in our neighborhood which we often walk to (although our community is very hilly-so the walk is a real work-out). We have play dates with friends at our house or I go to other friend's houses and it's always an enjoyable time. My husband (who is a big home-body) is probably most happy to hear now that "staying home" has become one of my favorite things to do with the family.
This may in fact be the list, and if you're reading this from California, you may be laughing by the simplicity of this list, but I tell 'ya, I wouldn't have it any other way. At least for right now, I am enjoying this simple life, and I am saving lots of money by not having to fork out $$ for this activity and $$$$ for that. I am glad that Josiah, Daniel and Jubilee have all that they need and have yet to be exposed to what most of America has to offer in the sense of consumerism. We are appreciating what's around, taking advantage of local fun and having a pretty good time. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wish sometimes that I could just take the kids to Disneyland, or have a day at the beach but I choose to make the best of what we have and what we have is pretty darn awesome. :)
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Ocean City/DC Family getaway
Our family just returned from a nice 4-day getaway to Ocean City, MD and Washington DC. It has been 9 months since our last family getaway and I was thrilled to be able to plan this little outing with our family this month. It all started back in January when I came across an awesome GROUPON deal for a family resort in Ocean City, MD. I thought late-March would be the perfect time to go. Josiah had spring break and with David's work schedule giving him Sunday-Tuesday off, late March would be the best time. Granted, it would still be a bit chilly out but the resort featured an indoor water-park which could compensate.
After making the resort reservation, I mapped out our route and discovered a few places along our trip that would be nice potty breaks (for kids- rest breaks for us Adults). I had to go to the Drives, Diners and Dives (Food Network channel show) which has a map of all of the places that have been featured - I found an awesome Mexican food dive just outside of DC (1/2 a mile from our exit) to stop by en route to Ocean City. I also, called up a couple of friends who live in the DC area to meet up with for a visit or a meal. I found 2 other restaurant GROUPONS that we ended up using which saved us 50% off our meals (lunch in Annapolis and Dinner near our hotel in DC). Last, I sent a few emails to our state Senators and Representatives to inquire about White House tour passes (if granted, I was going to extend our stay for a night or two in DC since we would be passing right by the DC metropolitan area to Ocean City).
Most of my inquires were met with success and overall, it ended up being a lovely and relaxing (for the most part) getaway. Most importantly, the kids and David and I can remember this trip (in the freezing cold) for years.
So, without further ado, here is a look of our little (coupon-filled) getaway:
(Jubilee's first time in the pool with mama since her birth-day!)
The next morning, We Headed to our tour of The White House
p.s. It ended up being in the 30's the entire time (although the wind chill factor made it feel like it was in the 10's!) It was way to cold to be out, let alone with the kids. The National Zoo and other museums, Martin Luther King Memorial and other DC tours will have to wait til' next time!
After making the resort reservation, I mapped out our route and discovered a few places along our trip that would be nice potty breaks (for kids- rest breaks for us Adults). I had to go to the Drives, Diners and Dives (Food Network channel show) which has a map of all of the places that have been featured - I found an awesome Mexican food dive just outside of DC (1/2 a mile from our exit) to stop by en route to Ocean City. I also, called up a couple of friends who live in the DC area to meet up with for a visit or a meal. I found 2 other restaurant GROUPONS that we ended up using which saved us 50% off our meals (lunch in Annapolis and Dinner near our hotel in DC). Last, I sent a few emails to our state Senators and Representatives to inquire about White House tour passes (if granted, I was going to extend our stay for a night or two in DC since we would be passing right by the DC metropolitan area to Ocean City).
Most of my inquires were met with success and overall, it ended up being a lovely and relaxing (for the most part) getaway. Most importantly, the kids and David and I can remember this trip (in the freezing cold) for years.
So, without further ado, here is a look of our little (coupon-filled) getaway:
Her longest Road-trip yet - Alegria Jubilee (8 months new)
Pit-Stop outside of DC/Baltimore to R&R Taqueria for authentic Mexican lunch
Driving on a Bridge over the Chesapeake Bay
Francis Scott Key Family Resort
(Highly recommended, included a nice indoor water activity park, an indoor arcade, fitness center, cute family style suite with full kitchen and tons of outdoor activities which we didn't get to utilize since it was too cold such as miniature golf, pirate ship play area, numerous other outdoor activities)
Enjoying family water-fun
(Jubilee's first time in the pool with mama since her birth-day!)
Assateague Island, Maryland, where the wild horses Roam!
(We grabbed some Starbucks that morning upon loading up our car and drove 9 miles outside of Ocean City to Assateague for a spontanteous added getaway before heading to DC. )
After visiting the wild horses and stepping out on the beach for a few minutes, we drove about 90 miles towards DC, stopping for lunch in Annapolis. After lunch, we headed to the National Mall and found the perfect parking spot right across the street from the Air and Space Museum entrance.
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, DC
After about 3 hours in the museum, we raced back to our car (it was freezing rain and beginning to snow), then drove towards our hotel, grabbing a pizza on our way.
The next morning, We Headed to our tour of The White House
A few plans were cancelled (due to the extreme cold) but we were blessed to be able to keep our Visit and Dinner date with James and Linda McCaffrey at their lovely home outside of DC.
After Dinner and great conversation,
we drove (4 hours) back home.
p.s. It ended up being in the 30's the entire time (although the wind chill factor made it feel like it was in the 10's!) It was way to cold to be out, let alone with the kids. The National Zoo and other museums, Martin Luther King Memorial and other DC tours will have to wait til' next time!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
De-Clutter Challenge UPDATE
I've been working on this 40Bags in 40Days challenge and have had some progress with the Kids' Bedrooms and our Kitchen. Here are some photos I wanted to post as motivation for myself that with 3-kids at home,
this can be done! :)
(This stuff above will be going to Goodwill)
Boys Clothes Organized - Check
Jubilee's out-grown clothes Organized and put-away - Check
This is why I need another storage rack - Christmas tree and Christmas Decor all put away in bins/boxes with Boys clothes.
In another 6 months or so- I'll be going through the boys clothes again to swap out Daniels' 2T size with Josiah's hand-me-down 3T clothes..but until then, I feel some-what accomplished.
Here is my list of what still needs "De-Cluttered":
(highlighted=completed)
Bedrooms:
1) Family Room Closet
2) Josiah's closet
3) Daniel's Closet
4) Jubilee's Closet
5) Our closet (ahhhh-scary!)
6) Stack of clothes on the baby swing in our bedroom (scary too)
7, 8,9) Kid's drawers
10) My dresser drawers
11) David's dresser drawers
Kitchen
12) Container, Bowl cabinet
13) Fridge
14) Freezer (hey, it technically is another area right?)
15) Plate/Cup cabinet
16) Medicine/snack cabinet (need to get rid of all of that Halloween Candy and expired meds ASAP)
17) Business cabinet (miscellaneous repair, mail sorting area
18) Kitchen table paper-pile
19) Recycables (needs organized)
Living Areas
20) Entry-closet
21) Shoe area
22) Laundry room
23) Kids toys in bins
24) Family room bookshelf
25) Hall closet
Garage
26) Store Christmas tree in better area with other decor
27) Get another shelving unit for bins - better organization
28) Sell/rid of toilet and misc. building supplies
29) Recycle
30) Fix/do something with the broken wagon wheel
31) Get rid of thomas ride alongs and tracks
32) Organize home improvement materials area
33) Hang strollers with hooks to Garage wall
34) Fix garage door opener/clean area
Misc.
35) Organize outside shed
36) Clear out trunk from our bedroom
37) Clear out donation area/Goodwill/yard sale
38) Clean out bags in garage from work/old school
39) Organize desk area in Jubilee's room
40) Clear out my diaperbag/purse
Here is my list of what still needs "De-Cluttered":
(highlighted=completed)
Bedrooms:
1) Family Room Closet
2) Josiah's closet
3) Daniel's Closet
4) Jubilee's Closet
5) Our closet (ahhhh-scary!)
6) Stack of clothes on the baby swing in our bedroom (scary too)
7, 8,9) Kid's drawers
10) My dresser drawers
11) David's dresser drawers
Kitchen
12) Container, Bowl cabinet
13) Fridge
14) Freezer (hey, it technically is another area right?)
15) Plate/Cup cabinet
16) Medicine/snack cabinet (need to get rid of all of that Halloween Candy and expired meds ASAP)
17) Business cabinet (miscellaneous repair, mail sorting area
18) Kitchen table paper-pile
19) Recycables (needs organized)
Living Areas
20) Entry-closet
21) Shoe area
22) Laundry room
23) Kids toys in bins
24) Family room bookshelf
25) Hall closet
Garage
26) Store Christmas tree in better area with other decor
27) Get another shelving unit for bins - better organization
28) Sell/rid of toilet and misc. building supplies
29) Recycle
30) Fix/do something with the broken wagon wheel
31) Get rid of thomas ride alongs and tracks
32) Organize home improvement materials area
33) Hang strollers with hooks to Garage wall
34) Fix garage door opener/clean area
Misc.
35) Organize outside shed
36) Clear out trunk from our bedroom
37) Clear out donation area/Goodwill/yard sale
38) Clean out bags in garage from work/old school
39) Organize desk area in Jubilee's room
40) Clear out my diaperbag/purse
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
40-day De-Clutter Challenge
So a friend of mine invited me to participate in a 40-Day De-clutter your home challenge and boy, has it been a CHALLENGE. I am definitely not a hoarder, but I do tend to buy and/or keep things in my home that I don't need to for one of the following reasons (or mix thereof)
1) emotional attachment
2) I "will use it eventually"
3) I might need it, someday
4) I got it free or really cheap and couldn't pass it up
The point of the challenge is to pick one area in your home/car/life and clean-it out. Recycle, Throw-away or Give-away 1 Bag each day for 40 Days. That's 40 Bags in 40 Days. The bag can be any size, it can even be a box...but the point being, to de-clutter what's around us so that we can breathe better.
I started days 1, 2, 3, and 4 great...although I then went out of town for a few days and returned and just have not had much motivation to do much else. So, for the purpose of getting this in writing, here is the list of areas I need/want to tackle (since, if it's not in writing, it really may never happen)
Bedrooms:
1) Family Room Closet
2) Josiah's closet
3) Daniel's Closet
4) Jubilee's Closet
5) Our closet (ahhhh-scary!)
6) Stack of clothes on the baby swing in our bedroom (scary too)
7, 8,9) Kid's drawers
10) My dresser drawers
11) David's dresser drawers
Kitchen
12) Container, Bowl cabinet
13) Fridge
14) Freezer (hey, it technically is another area right?)
15) Plate/Cup cabinet
16) Medicine/snack cabinet (need to get rid of all of that Halloween Candy and expired meds ASAP)
17) Business cabinet (miscellaneous repair, mail sorting area
18) Kitchen table paper-pile
19) Recycables (needs organized)
Living Areas
20) Entry-closet
21) Shoe area
22) Laundry room
23) Kids toys in bins
24) Family room bookshelf
25) Hall closet
Garage
26) Store Christmas tree in better area with other decor
27) Get another shelving unit for bins - better organization
28) Sell/rid of toilet and misc. building supplies
29) Recycle
30) Fix/do something with the broken wagon wheel
31) Get rid of thomas ride alongs and tracks
32) Organize home improvement materials area
33) Hang strollers with hooks to Garage wall
34) Fix garage door opener/clean area
Misc.
35) Organize outside shed
36) Clear out trunk from our bedroom
37) Clear out donation area/Goodwill/yard sale
38) Clean out bags in garage from work/old school
39) Organize desk area in Jubilee's room
40) Clear out my diaperbag/purse
Feel free to join in on the challenge and De-clutter your life of what is unnecessary!
1) emotional attachment
2) I "will use it eventually"
3) I might need it, someday
4) I got it free or really cheap and couldn't pass it up
The point of the challenge is to pick one area in your home/car/life and clean-it out. Recycle, Throw-away or Give-away 1 Bag each day for 40 Days. That's 40 Bags in 40 Days. The bag can be any size, it can even be a box...but the point being, to de-clutter what's around us so that we can breathe better.
I started days 1, 2, 3, and 4 great...although I then went out of town for a few days and returned and just have not had much motivation to do much else. So, for the purpose of getting this in writing, here is the list of areas I need/want to tackle (since, if it's not in writing, it really may never happen)
Bedrooms:
1) Family Room Closet
2) Josiah's closet
3) Daniel's Closet
4) Jubilee's Closet
5) Our closet (ahhhh-scary!)
6) Stack of clothes on the baby swing in our bedroom (scary too)
7, 8,9) Kid's drawers
10) My dresser drawers
11) David's dresser drawers
Kitchen
12) Container, Bowl cabinet
13) Fridge
14) Freezer (hey, it technically is another area right?)
15) Plate/Cup cabinet
16) Medicine/snack cabinet (need to get rid of all of that Halloween Candy and expired meds ASAP)
17) Business cabinet (miscellaneous repair, mail sorting area
18) Kitchen table paper-pile
19) Recycables (needs organized)
Living Areas
20) Entry-closet
21) Shoe area
22) Laundry room
23) Kids toys in bins
24) Family room bookshelf
25) Hall closet
Garage
26) Store Christmas tree in better area with other decor
27) Get another shelving unit for bins - better organization
28) Sell/rid of toilet and misc. building supplies
29) Recycle
30) Fix/do something with the broken wagon wheel
31) Get rid of thomas ride alongs and tracks
32) Organize home improvement materials area
33) Hang strollers with hooks to Garage wall
34) Fix garage door opener/clean area
Misc.
35) Organize outside shed
36) Clear out trunk from our bedroom
37) Clear out donation area/Goodwill/yard sale
38) Clean out bags in garage from work/old school
39) Organize desk area in Jubilee's room
40) Clear out my diaperbag/purse
Feel free to join in on the challenge and De-clutter your life of what is unnecessary!
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