11 Months

little reader

 GMomma found an awesome kitchen at a yard sale!

 Vickie and MeMa took Georgia to visit cousin Alex on Vickie's babysitting day and took them to Everland Play.

 snow day marshmallow creations

The kids ate them but were not as impressed as I had hoped.

 1st gown and matching gown for baby doll

 Christian lost his 1st tooth Feb 7th!

 Grocery shopping wears me out, too, girl.

1st ever attempt at coloring while brother does school work.

Rory turned 11 months on Saturday. I had every intention of blogging that day, but after the kids go to bed I just feel like turning off my brain. So, almost 1 week later I'm finally blogging. Rory now pulls up on everything. She doesn't want to walk holding our hands. When we try she just plops down to crawl. Whatever. I'm in no rush for her to be able to reach and pull down more stuff than she already can. The girl loves to eat. She doesn't seem to think about it until she sees food. Then you better give her some quick or loud complaining will ensue. She "talks" to us a lot and even tries to sing. She laughs and smiles so easily, especially with Georgia, who gives her the most attention good and bad. Still no teeth.

Georgia is really a sweet and sour child. I'm trying to be more faithful to call her out on her sassiness and rudeness whenever it occurs.

Christian is my brilliant but lazy child. If he can't do something perfectly, he has no interest in doing it at all. I'm using the phrase "practice makes perfect" more and more during his school time. He asks very thoughtful, logical questions, and has very creative ideas, but he doesn't have motivation to do anything with his ideas because he can't (or we can't) make it exactly like the picture in his head. I wonder if video games and television are to blame or is there just some lesson here he needs to learn and overcome? I find myself frequently discouraged by his social challenges. In many ways Christian is the easiest child to care for at home, but he is usually the most difficult in public. I'm so very anxious to see growth in his attitudes and mindset toward others. We'll all either come out of this childhood more sanctified or needing lots of therapy.

I have 2 new interests as of late. I went to a doTerra Essential Oils party Friday and just started using the products yesterday. The theory behind essential oils makes perfect medical sense to me, and I am excited to try them. I also became a member to sell them. I hope to post my daily thoughts on them on Facebook.

I recently started reading a book that's been collecting dust on my shelf for several years: 7 by Jen Hatmaker. I LOVE IT!!! I've had an "I'm poor" mindset for several months now, and she cuts me to the core making me see how I am truly oh so rich and I don't mean spiritually or emotionally. I mean literally materially wealthy compared to the majority of the world. In fact, I am in the top 4% of the world's wealthy. 96% of the world is poorer than me. Most of my readers probably earn more than my family, so what are those numbers for you? I want to do the 7 experiment when I'm done with the book. Anyone want to join me? If that makes us crazy, so be it.

Good employment for Andrew continues to elude us. I fear if something doesn't change soon we may need to go live with the other 96% of the world. He's out of town on a job now (in fact, he's having to stay an extra day with no additional pay #Iwanttoscream), but we don't know when the next job will be. This time last year we were so full of hope about the future. This year hope seems to be a mirage in the desert. (I know that's not true, OK? Just let me rant for a minute. You know you've done it.)

You may see a contradiction here. "Abby, how can you say your family needs employment when you've just bought some essential oils?" The answer: I live near family. I'm also slowly reading The New Strong-willed Child by James Dobson:

Or an individual gets married and has children

but bounces from job to job trying to "find himself"

while his family struggles financially.

(Unfortunately, many parents still try to bail out

their grown children even when they are in their twenties,

and sometimes even their thirties.)

What is the result? 

This overprotection produces emotional cripples who often develop

lasting characteristics of dependency and

a kind of perpetual adolescence. pg 130

Hopefully, that doesn't really apply to me, but yikes. I'll let my family affirm or deny that one.

Next month look forward to Rory's 1st birthday.