I really love Valentine's Day. I made sure Amirah wore a pink outfit from head to toe. Then I wore heart socks and a Valentine's pin one of my students gave me.
We had a party at school this afternoon with lots of treats- Hershey kisses, cupcakes, Rice Krispy treats, etc. We decorated Valentine holders and wrote compliments to everyone in the class.
Ysmaille and I had already decided that we wouldn't go out tonight, but order curbside to go from some restaurant and bring it home. That way we could be comfy and not have to find a babysitter for the peanut. I came home to the traditional card and a box of chocolates, all the while looking forward to a meal that I wouldn't have to cook and dishes I wouldn't have to clean.
Then things broke down. Why do I have to be so dramatic? By the time we got Amirah fed it was 6:30 and Ysmaille no longer felt like going out. I asked him if he wanted me to get food and he did. From Burger King. Burger King. Really? Fine. I'll get you what you want, but I won't do it without drama! I cried all the way there. Then I realized that this was silly. After all, I did volunteer. When I brought the said burger home he thought I was going to get something for myself and felt too bad to eat it if I wasn't eating anything. I was in tears again. The cycle goes on and on... I know it's totally ridiculous.
Valentine's Day is a beautiful, wonderful day. I will always celebrate it. But it is just one day. So our day wasn't romantic. It's true. Ysmaille ate a burger and cold fries while I moped around for half an hour. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that I really do have a wonderful husband. He is the one who got up last night in the middle of night because Amirah was coughing and couldn't sleep. He is the one who after all this evening's drama offered to go out and buy me dinner. He is also the one who is upstairs giving Amirah a bath as I sit here. And tonight he will let me watch "The Bachelor" without complaint. If that isn't romance I don't know what is :)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
My Bucket List-- 9 months later
My bucket list as it appeared on April 14, 2010 and notes on my progress:
1. Grow my own vegetables and freeze/can them. My plan is to grow tomatoes and peppers this summer. I am also hoping to freeze corn, strawberry jelly, and applesauce. I not only grew tomatoes and peppers, but had a pretty successful pumpking/gourd patch as well. I also managed to freeze corn, jelly, and applesauce. This summer I am planning to expand my garden.
2. Travel to South America. We traveled to Southern America instead. This summer Amirah had her first airplane ride and her first dip in the ocean when we went to visit Papa and Nana Burch in Florida.
3. I have always wanted to bungee jump before I turned 30, but that is only a month away and seeing as I have a 2 month old at home it doesn't seem like the wisest idea, so I am now changing that dream to riding in a hot air balloon. First of all my dream has never been to bungee jump. I accidentally wrote that instead of skydiving. Bungee jumping sounds terrible.
4. Make an office in a closet. They show these all the time in decorating and organizing magazines and I really want to try it. This project might have to wait until we buy a different house as all our closets are needed for things other than office supplies right now. I will keep this on my list.
5. Make a canopy for my bed. Before I do this I want to buy a new bed, as we are sleeping on the same matress I've had since middle school. This is partly coming true. Ysmaille and I are buying a new mattress with our tax return money. We are moving up in the world -- from a full to a queen.
6. Weigh 130 lbs. Right now this seems harder than all the above put together. Okay. Still not there. But I did lose all my baby weight.
7. Finish the book I started this winter. I know this sounds like an easy accomplishment, but it seems that when I have any down time I just want to read magazines because it's less of a a committment. I don't remember what book this was, exactly. But it's safe to say I finished it and probably a couple of others as well. Right now I am reading Julie and Julia and The White Masai. The White Masai is fascinating and I find myself thinking about it at school and wondering what's going to happen next.
8. Go to Paris. I know it's overrated, but I want to see it for myself. Plus, having a husband that speaks French makes it seem a little more doable. Still want to see Paris.
9. Sleep through the night. Thanks be to God-- Amirah has been sleeping through the night for months now and as much as I loved her little baby stage I am also glad it's over!
10. Buy $100 worth of groceries for $25 or less. Still working on this one. Couponing takes a lot of time, and I have just been doing the minimum.
That's where I am 9 months later. I'll keep my fans updated-- all 12 of you :)
1. Grow my own vegetables and freeze/can them. My plan is to grow tomatoes and peppers this summer. I am also hoping to freeze corn, strawberry jelly, and applesauce. I not only grew tomatoes and peppers, but had a pretty successful pumpking/gourd patch as well. I also managed to freeze corn, jelly, and applesauce. This summer I am planning to expand my garden.
2. Travel to South America. We traveled to Southern America instead. This summer Amirah had her first airplane ride and her first dip in the ocean when we went to visit Papa and Nana Burch in Florida.
3. I have always wanted to bungee jump before I turned 30, but that is only a month away and seeing as I have a 2 month old at home it doesn't seem like the wisest idea, so I am now changing that dream to riding in a hot air balloon. First of all my dream has never been to bungee jump. I accidentally wrote that instead of skydiving. Bungee jumping sounds terrible.
4. Make an office in a closet. They show these all the time in decorating and organizing magazines and I really want to try it. This project might have to wait until we buy a different house as all our closets are needed for things other than office supplies right now. I will keep this on my list.
5. Make a canopy for my bed. Before I do this I want to buy a new bed, as we are sleeping on the same matress I've had since middle school. This is partly coming true. Ysmaille and I are buying a new mattress with our tax return money. We are moving up in the world -- from a full to a queen.
6. Weigh 130 lbs. Right now this seems harder than all the above put together. Okay. Still not there. But I did lose all my baby weight.
7. Finish the book I started this winter. I know this sounds like an easy accomplishment, but it seems that when I have any down time I just want to read magazines because it's less of a a committment. I don't remember what book this was, exactly. But it's safe to say I finished it and probably a couple of others as well. Right now I am reading Julie and Julia and The White Masai. The White Masai is fascinating and I find myself thinking about it at school and wondering what's going to happen next.
8. Go to Paris. I know it's overrated, but I want to see it for myself. Plus, having a husband that speaks French makes it seem a little more doable. Still want to see Paris.
9. Sleep through the night. Thanks be to God-- Amirah has been sleeping through the night for months now and as much as I loved her little baby stage I am also glad it's over!
10. Buy $100 worth of groceries for $25 or less. Still working on this one. Couponing takes a lot of time, and I have just been doing the minimum.
That's where I am 9 months later. I'll keep my fans updated-- all 12 of you :)
Monday, January 17, 2011
Things to Come....
I've been inspired to make some changes in this new year...
1. When we first bought our house we had people over all the time and we prayed that our house would be a place where others felt comfortable and safe. Since having Amirah we have kind of become hobbits in our own little world. I want that to change. My new goal is to have someone over for dinner once each month. We've invited our first friend today.
2. I also want to continue to run. I'm just amazed at what my body can do. When I started to run/jog I could barely make it one minute at a time. Today I ran 8 minutes at a time. I actually ran more than I walked! My goal is to run a 5k in the spring.
3. This spring I am going to clean the basement. Ysmaille's going to help me. He doesn't know that yet. I cannot stand another year looking at the following: pajama bottoms, ceiling tiles, college textbooks, etc. The amount of stuff we have stored there is ridiculous. No more.
1. When we first bought our house we had people over all the time and we prayed that our house would be a place where others felt comfortable and safe. Since having Amirah we have kind of become hobbits in our own little world. I want that to change. My new goal is to have someone over for dinner once each month. We've invited our first friend today.
2. I also want to continue to run. I'm just amazed at what my body can do. When I started to run/jog I could barely make it one minute at a time. Today I ran 8 minutes at a time. I actually ran more than I walked! My goal is to run a 5k in the spring.
3. This spring I am going to clean the basement. Ysmaille's going to help me. He doesn't know that yet. I cannot stand another year looking at the following: pajama bottoms, ceiling tiles, college textbooks, etc. The amount of stuff we have stored there is ridiculous. No more.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Ayiti, ou gen ke'm!
Haiti, you have my heart. I fell in love with this beautiful island almost the moment I set foot on it in May 2002. Within months I had also fallen in love with a beautiful island boy who stole my heart and wouldn't let go!
I can't even express how I feel about today- January 12, 2011. One year ago I sat in this same spot, so worried for family, wondering if they were okay, making phone call after phone call, watching the news, mesmerized at what one moment in time could do to my island. I saw the hotel where we got married. What once was a majestic, grandiose building standing on the side of a mountain was reduced to huge mounds of white and gray concrete. Ysmaille's parents' house, where we spent part of last summer, was now unlivable. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it-- still can't.
I don't know what to do. I don't want to forget about all our friends and family who are rebuilding, but it seems so far removed from us. It's almost like the needs are so overwhelming that instead of helping where we could we haven't really helped much at all...
I can't even express how I feel about today- January 12, 2011. One year ago I sat in this same spot, so worried for family, wondering if they were okay, making phone call after phone call, watching the news, mesmerized at what one moment in time could do to my island. I saw the hotel where we got married. What once was a majestic, grandiose building standing on the side of a mountain was reduced to huge mounds of white and gray concrete. Ysmaille's parents' house, where we spent part of last summer, was now unlivable. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it-- still can't.
I don't know what to do. I don't want to forget about all our friends and family who are rebuilding, but it seems so far removed from us. It's almost like the needs are so overwhelming that instead of helping where we could we haven't really helped much at all...
Monday, December 27, 2010
He DELIGHTS in me!
Some would call my daughter strong-willed. I prefer to call Amirah spirited! Today was a beautiful day for Mommy and Amirah. She has been so happy and energetic. As I was playing with her today I pointed at her and she began giggling. She fell to her bottom and then on her back in ant
icipation of being tickled.
icipation of being tickled.Amirah, my beautiful princess, makes me so happy. I delight in each new skill she learns. I love her passion for life. As we played I was reminded that God feels the way about me. He is delighted when I learn something new. He loves it when I am passionate about the people in my life. He DELIGHTS in me.
delight- (noun)- a high degree of pleasure and enjoyment; joy; rapture
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Time
Time. It's such a precious resource and yet I use it so wastefully. Yes, there are moments when I know I'm using my time to make a difference-- when I take the time to call someone who's had a rough day, when I purposely smile at a stranger that looks sad, when I stop what I'm doing on the computer to chase Amirah around the living room and let her giggles fill my soul. I don't do it enough though. I also use precious time to mindlessly google things. I use precious time to dwell on how someone offended me. I use precious time to watch TV, even when it's not that interesting.
Two days ago a friend of mine lost her life in a car accident, leaving behind a husband and three beautiful daughters. I try to imagine what life would have been like for Dad and his three girls if we had lost our mom, and I just can't do it. She didn't know it would be her last day. Never even entertained the possibility.
Today when I layed Amirah down for her nap she cried and cried. I listened to it for a few minutes and it didn't sound like she was settling. I went up to her room and scooped her up from her crib and began rocking her. Within minutes she was fast asleep. I breathed her in. She smelled a little like the bananas she had for breakfast and a bit like the formula she had spilled on her pajamas, but you know what? It was perfect! She smelled like life. Like she had been living. Sometimes when I'm experiencing a beautiful moment like the one where my baby girl falls asleep in my arms, I purposely stop and breathe in the moment, and like Mary I treasure it in my heart. Life is bound to get tough and I may need that beautiful moment to get me through a rough patch.
My time will not be wasted today! It's just too precious!
Two days ago a friend of mine lost her life in a car accident, leaving behind a husband and three beautiful daughters. I try to imagine what life would have been like for Dad and his three girls if we had lost our mom, and I just can't do it. She didn't know it would be her last day. Never even entertained the possibility.
Today when I layed Amirah down for her nap she cried and cried. I listened to it for a few minutes and it didn't sound like she was settling. I went up to her room and scooped her up from her crib and began rocking her. Within minutes she was fast asleep. I breathed her in. She smelled a little like the bananas she had for breakfast and a bit like the formula she had spilled on her pajamas, but you know what? It was perfect! She smelled like life. Like she had been living. Sometimes when I'm experiencing a beautiful moment like the one where my baby girl falls asleep in my arms, I purposely stop and breathe in the moment, and like Mary I treasure it in my heart. Life is bound to get tough and I may need that beautiful moment to get me through a rough patch.
My time will not be wasted today! It's just too precious!
Friday, December 10, 2010
lots of random thoughts tonight
- loved hanging out with my sisters. we don't do it enough and i love it when i do. they get me. no pretenses. just me. plus, we are so funny when we are together!
- my eyes have been getting "gooky" at night. not sure why. need to look into that.
- did we water the christmas tree tonight? or the night before? need to look into that, too.
- i really need to go to bed. do you think ysmaille meant it when he said he would let me sleep in and take the baby tomorrow morning? i really hope so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)