In a funk

Yes, I am.

I want desperately to escape this funk that has so interrrupted my life. I want to embrace the long days of lonely motherhood with a new attitude. I also want to find a remedy for the circumstances that brought about this funk....

I need to stop complaining and being lazy. I need to find joy in sweeping the floor ten thousand times a day, or picking up cracker crumbs and legos. I need to give thanks.

So, here's to giving thanks today for this precious life that I have been given to raise. I may not always feel excited about the day to day tasks that being a mother brings, but I know that this is far too valuable to ever wish away.

14 months

Dear Aidan,

Today you are 14 months old. I can't believe how grown up you are becoming. You have such a hilarious personality and we've been getting to know you even better this past month. You are now saying several words: dog, duck, ball, hot, hi, bye, daddy, mama (still only if you are sad), Steph, night night, and birdie( a couple times). You love to mimic noises we make and it makes us laugh so hard to hear you try. You definitely understand almost everything we say and you know what is "off limits" in the house. You shake your head "no" whenever you are about to do something you shouldn't or are in the middle of doing it. It's cute, but you are also a little bit of a stinker when you do it. You were pretty sick this past month with ear infections, fevers, cold, and a rash. You were put on two different antibiotics over a period of about 2 1/2 weeks. It was a rough time for Mommy too. You now have 7 teeth and are getting more, so you are kinda crabby, but we know that it must hurt to be getting those new teeth in. You are really into eating crackers and sign "more" all the time when you want them. You have also learned to sign "please" and it is so darn cute when you do. You went to Deanna Rose this month and absolutely loved petting the goats. You have no fear of animals and you are so friendly to everyone around you. You are aboslutely in love with your blankie and will cry and cry to get it out of your bed. You have figured out that it is accessible if you can pull it out of your crib, so you do that most every day. It would follow you everywhere if Mama would allow it. You are still taking two naps right now although you had a few days this month where you took one really long good one. I think you are in a transition period and you will eventually start taking just one nap on a regular basis. You slept for a full 4 hours one day and we were so happy about that. One of the cutest things you started doing this month was developing an obsession with blowing out candles. You start stomping and blowing if we light a match and you could do that all day. We light lots of candles just to see you blow them out.

Aidan, you are an absolute delight and I love you.

Love,

Mommy

(P.S. The picture is of Aunt Steph and Aidan at the pool this summer)

I am a garage sale junkie

Aidan and I have been going to garage sales right and left this spring and I am officially addicted. I have gotten a smattering of good deals and it gives me such a high that I just have to keep going.

Here are just a few of my great deals:

Blurry picture, but brand new (not anymore) Teva flip flops in my size for $1



A bright fun rug to go under my kitchen table and that matches the kitchen perfectly: $2



A fun decorative china "box" : $2



Toys for Aidan ranging from .50 to 2.00



Little People car garage: $2



Big container of duplo legos! : $7



Turtle sandbox: $2



Beautiful Radio Flyer wagon: $15

Now, these are just a few of my great purchases....Other things include: Christmas tree ($3), adorable wooden kid table and chairs ($2), wooden toy box ($5), vintage shirts for me, table and chairs for the kitchen, clothes for Aidan, children's books galore, and other fun decor items.

I am all about good deals and love getting almost new stuff for so much less!

I also absolutely love Craigslist and plan to do a post showing everything I have bought from there....it's a little ridiculous. :)