The Very Scary Monster.

Ben (the "very scary monster") is celebrating his very first Halloween this year!

We attended First Fest at First Baptist Arlington with Mom and Dad. The event kicked off with the Pumpkin Run, which was Ben's very first 5K race!

Mom ran the 5K, too!

Ben spent some time flirting with is friend Ava before the race began.

Daddy and Ben made a great team! They finished the race in 28 minutes, even with the jogging stroller and lots of hills!

In order to ensure that I didn't actually lose any weight as a result of the run, we finished the race and went straight to the food tents for hamburgers and funnel cake. This was the first festival we've attended as a family of three, and as Tim so aptly put it, "What's a festival without a funnel cake?" Ah, one of the many reasons I married that man.

We had a great time, and left with a very tired little monster.

Just Like They Said.

I saw this special "tip" on Pinterest a few weeks ago and had a chance to try it.

I put warm, boiled chicken in my KitchenAid mixer and turned the paddle on for thirty seconds.

Thirty seconds later, I had perfectly shredded chicken. Just like they said.

Scattered

Prior to a certain blessed event, which took place approximately six months ago, I felt like I had a relatively good handle on my life. I was reliable and punctual. I worked full-time, volunteered a good chuck of my time, cooked dinner most nights, made crafts, took classes, learned new things, went running, planned parties, and sent birthday cards on time. You could count on me.

I am wincing as I type this next part, because I KNOW what you are thinking. I know, because I'm thinking it, too. I knew lots of moms who seemed to be in over their heads some days. They appeared a little frazzled and scattered. They were late. They forgot things. I suppose I just assumed maybe they had always been frazzled and scattered, and I didn't attribute much of the whirlwind to the children pulling at their legs. Maybe organization wasn't one of their strengths? Maybe they weren't as neurotic as I was.

I know. How could I not have known?

In the last two months I have:

- Gone to the grocery store and left my list sitting on the counter at home. Three times.

- Gone to dinner with my husband with mascara on my left eye. Only my left eye.

- Pulled away and left the garage door open more times than I can count.

- Gone to church with only one earring in. (That one was just this last Sunday).

- Mailed an empty envelope to my grandmother and left the card sitting on my desk.

- Gone to dinner with my husband with baby puke dried on my back. Yes. On. My. Back. Not until I got home and somehow caught a glimpse of my backside in the mirror did I realize Ben had spit up over my shoulder. I suppose the good news (or sad news, depending on how you look at it) is that Tim never noticed it, either.

And I only have one baby. I'm afraid to imagine what my life could look like with two or three.

The above list probably isn't even the worst of my scatterbrained shenanigans, but it's what comes to me off the top of my (garbled) head.

What has happened to me? Besides, of course, having a baby.

"Cinderelly, Cinderelly, Night and Day it's Cinderelly..."

While perusing Pinterest a few weeks ago, I came across this cute weekly chore list. I pinned the list and labeled it, "Could I and would I keep up?"


Although I'm home with Ben practically all day every day, I'm still amazed and slightly puzzled by how little I actually accomplish in the way of housework.

Inevitably, by the end of the week, the only things I've managed to do are the really crucial things ("Um, Meagan, do I have any clean underwear?") and I frantically try to play catch-up all weekend. My current system certainly doesn't lend itself to relaxing weekends. I really love that this list divides all the mundane tasks throughout the week and leaves weekends for family time. Plus, it seems that splitting things up and doing a few things a day will be more manageable and less overwhelming.

Still, I'm not as ambitious as this list might suggest. For example, I'm all about clean baseboards, but there's no way I'm cleaning the baseboards in every room once a week. I can't remember the last time I wiped down the walls. And vacuuming the curtains seems like an "as needed" chore, not really an "every Wednesday" chore.

I cut down the list and made it my own.


I decided I'd rather tackle chores for the whole house instead of room by room. For example, I'd rather vacuum the entire house while I have the vacuum out instead of dragging it out to do a different room every day. Same with the bathroom cleaning supplies and the dusting.

I'm going to try it this week and see how it goes. Having everything listed on this pretty little sheet makes cleaning the bathrooms slightly less yucky.

If you'd like a template to make your very own super-duper handy-dandy never-seen-anything-like-this-before chore list, Amy made one that you can find here.

Also, when will Ben be old enough to vacuum?

Sadly...

I am at the point in my life where my wildest fantasy now includes a cleaning lady.

Be My Baby.

My baby boy is 6 months old.

I'll make you happy, baby, just wait and see
For every kiss you give me, I'll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you, I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you 'till eternity...

Marriage.

I love this:



There is no such thing as a "starter marriage."

When vows are taken lightly, families crumble.

I plan to print this and read it again and again. Marriage is hard. My marriage isn't perfect. BUT... we will fight for it and treat it as if it will last forever. Because it will.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.

Thanks to my talented brother, Anthony, for taking Ben's 6 month portraits for us. Anthony captured our smiley, happy little man so perfectly.

If you're in need of a great photographer, contact Anthony at anthonypalagi@gmail.com

Other Babies.

There is no question that Ben looks like Tim. After people say, "Wow, look at that hair!" they say, "Man, he looks like his daddy." That's always the way it goes. I often joke that the only part of Ben that resembles me is his dimply bottom, but it's really not much of a stretch. The kid looks like his dad.

My brother took Ben's 6 Month portraits today and they. are. fabulous. A wonderful photographer and an adorable subject (and pumpkins!) make for some great shots.

I couldn't resist lining one of today's pictures up with some baby pictures of Tim and me, just to see if I could find any of myself in him.


It's hard to tell.

I think Owen Wilson was right on when Jay Leno asked him if his little guy, Ford, looks more like him or his girlfriend. Owen said, “Who he really looks like at this point is other babies.”

Ben's 1st Halloween

This is Ben's first Halloween and I'm feeling tons of pressure to find a great costume for him.

This the scariest thing I can come up with:



What do you think?

A Clear Calling.

When I quit my job to stay home with Ben a few months ago, our budget changed considerably. I absolutely believe that I am right where I’m supposed to be, but we are making some very real sacrifices to make it happen.

I know so many moms who stay home with their little ones and still find ways to generate income, and I’ve been plagued with this nagging feeling that I should be doing something to contribute financially. Certainly, any little bit that I could manage would help us live more freely. Sometimes I almost feel lazy because I’m not contributing more. Tim has done nothing to make me feel this way. This nagging comes from deep within me – it is the “achiever”, the honor roll student, the Type A firstborn, the problem-solver, the multi-tasker. Still, as I’ve thought and prayed about what I could or should do, I’ve had no real direction and no real peace.

We are working our way through the book of Acts in my weekly Bible Study. Last week we read about how the disciples, steeped in prayer and ministry, grew the early church. The church was experiencing a period of incredible growth when some of the Greek Jews complained that their widows were being overlooked during the daily distribution of food (Acts 6). The twelve disciples gathered and discussed the situation before them. Undoubtedly, the widows needed to be fed, but the disciples concluded, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables” (Acts 6:2).

The issue wasn’t that waiting tables was "below" the disciples, or that the concern was not valid. The issue was that the twelve disciples weren’t called to solve this problem first-hand. Instead of interrupting their ministry to feed the widows, the twelve wisely decided to appoint seven other men to take on the responsibility of ensuring the widows were fed.

The disciples were not distracted. This crisis did not divert them. Feeding the widows was a noble pursuit, but it wasn’t the pursuit they were called to. The disciples did not multi-task just because they could. The disciples had a clear calling, and they remained focused.

The seven men the disciples appointed to take care of the widows became the first deacons of the church, and because the twelve disciples went on with their ministry, “the word of God spread” (Acts 6:7).

This portion of our study spoke so clearly to me.

Providing financially for our family is a noble calling, but it is not my calling. Not right now. Tim and I have prayed about this together, and we are in agreement. God has called Tim to provide for our little family financially, and He has called me to focus my time, energy, and attention on caring for our son and our home. Although I am often tempted to pick up some work and allow us a little more financial breathing room, we will live within the budget that Tim's income provides us, we will control our spending to the best of our ability, and we will trust that God will provide for all of our needs, just as He's promised.

I realize that this isn't the case in every family. There are certainly moms who are called to financial pursuits, and God could provide an opportunity like that for me before too long. Each family has a unique situation, and this is where our family is right now.

So here is my takeaway: Just because I can doesn’t mean I should. Just because the cause is noble, doesn’t mean it’s my cause. This was a revelation for this multi-tasker.

I’m so thankful for this challenge. Instead of feeling guilty that I'm I'm not bringing home any bacon, I've found peace in remembering and maintaining my focus.

What about you? Are there things you are pursuing or situations you are tending to that are distracting you from the things you’ve been called to?

Creative Energy

In the months leading up to Ben's birth, I did quite a lot of painting and sewing. Since we did most of his nursery by ourselves, I sewed his curtains, his bumper pads, the crib skirt, a quilt for the wall, etc. I also painted the mural on the wall. (Pictures here.) I enjoyed every bit of it, but the pressure to have everything finished before he arrived, coupled with the exhaustion that comes with pregnancy had me pretty worn out.

After Ben was born, I didn't sleep for four months. At least that's how I remember it. Doing anything crafty was WAY out of the question because I tried to spend any "free" time either feeding myself or showering. He's almost six months old, and I just now have my act together enough that I feel like I can justify clearing the cobwebs out of the doorway to my craft room.

A few weeks ago, I made this binder cover. I'm not gonna lie, it unleashed something inside of me. Months of pent-up creative energy came pouring out. I wanted more.

This weekend, I made a prayer jar for Ben. I found the idea on Pinterest and loved it. Although we are already in the habit of saying prayers with Ben every night, they usually sound something like, "Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and my nice house. Help me to sleep well tonight. Amen."

This prayer jar is filled with tongue-depressors with the names of all of our family on them. Every night, we'll let Ben pick a stick (which he LOVES) and we pray for the person or people on that stick. So far, it's been a big hit. I love that it will teach him to pray for others on a regular basis.

First, I painted all of the tongue-depressors. The main reason I did this was because sharpie usually bleeds on wood, and I wanted to avoid that.

After the paint dried, I wrote all of our family members' names.

Then, I just threw the sticks in a mason jar and tied a few scraps of fabric around the top. I originally painted a green square on the jar where I could write "Prayer Jar," but the paint didn't adhere to the glass and it wiped right off after it dried. I quickly gave up and just scribbled with sharpie directly on the glass.

The great thing about this project was that it only cost $1.27 because I already had everything except the tongue-depressors.
Note: Look and see if there is paint that adheres to glass.

Yesterday, Ben helped me make this crayon monogram for his room.

Okay, he mostly just tried to eat the crayons and I had to wrestle them out of his hands and mouth between hot-gluing them down on the card-stock, but we still did the project "together."

So, those are our crafts from the last few days. I'm starting small, but it feels great to be getting my mojo back!

My Little Pumpkin.

I'm a Mom now, so I get a free pass on the ridiculously cliche Anne-Geddes-style photo-shoots with my child.

Like this one.

"Wait, you're going to do what with me?"

Seriously?

Seriously?
Seriously.
I have the cutest little boy in the world.