Monday, December 24, 2007


and here's our silly Lily...growing up so fast!
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Here's a little taste of our zany Zoe! She is a yoga master in training. Look, mom, no hands!
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Zoe

Nine months old already...time flies.
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Friday, December 21, 2007

cooped up with croup

As the title suggests, we are dealing with a bout of croup at the moment. Zoe started to develop a fever and cough which quickly turned her voice hoarse. I took her to the doctor where she was diagnosed with croup and then last night, without any warning signs, Lily woke up with a fever and a croupy cough as well. sigh. After a trip to instacare at 2 a.m. they are both on steroids and on the mend, but all things considering, they are still fairly happy which makes things a little more bearable. And how is it when they are sick, I am sick too? That should be against the laws of nature. ACtually, it should be against the law for any mother to get sick because it's not like you can call in sick, and say, 'sorry, i'm laying in bed all day...' ha!
And irony always rears its head at this time of year. We were all really sick the whole week of Christmas last year and couldn't enjoy all the parties and festivities that had been carefully planned, and this year it's going to be a little tough, too. We of course have both of our big family parties this weekend where other little children will be present. It's like, 'here you go, here's a virus from our family to yours. merry christmas!'
Well, I guess I should be used to it. I can most assuredly say that I've been sick on Christmas or my birthday for atleast half of the time I've been alive. Irony says, have a merry Christmas and a Happy Birthday, but don't enjoy yourself too much because now is the time to be sick. bah!
Oh well, we pushed through the basement project. The carpet was laid today, and the tiling is atleast laid after two STRAIGHT 10-12 hour days thanks to my father-in-law and husband. It looks really good already even if it's not grouted yet. now it's just waiting for the plumber to do the finishing work of hooking up the toilet and sink, and getting the bathroom and trim painted. then we should be able to rest a little.
well, here's to a happy weekend before Christmas....

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Cramming

So, I thought I was done with cramming since I graduated, but lately we've had a different kind of cramming. We are in the process of finishing up our basement. We are making a small room as an office with a full bath attached. It's been a little crazy because we are down to the wire trying to get it done before my dad comes on Christmas day. (then atleast he'll have an official room to sleep in) It will be nice to have some more space for our smorgasborg of stuff as well, i.e. my scrapbooking table and storage stuff.
i'm waiting for andrew to get back with the few supplies we didn't buy yesterday at Lowe's so we can hopefully get the first coat of paint on. Carpet comes on Friday and Andrew's dad is doing the tiling Thursday. It's a good thing we would never build a house because we're not very good when it comes to the decisions and agreeing on the nitty gritty. Just painting the primer was enough to get us both going on who was doing it better....sigh. Or maybe it's just because we are down to the wire and seemingly on edge with all we need to accomplish.
It will be so nice to have done though. I'm excited to see it come together. I'll post pix when it's done....
better get some of the house picked up so there's less to do in the morning when both girls are awake. how is it that house work just multiplies even when you think you have it under control? it's one of those phenomenons I have yet to understand. Laundry is one of those chores that especially gets out of control (I swear I just did it a few days ago...)
Okay, i'm rambling.
signing off for now...

Friday, December 7, 2007

We love you, Daddy!

It's official! Andrew got his honorable medical discharge papers from the Army today. No more deployment scares! Daddy gets to always be home to sniff his girls' heads...We feel the Lord had a hand in allowing Andrew to stay at home and be with his girls at these tender ages. We're proud of you 1st Lieutenant Pedersen--you always have a medal in our books, bad back and all!
Zoe showing off her baby blues in her green Christmas dress
Lily twirling in her 'princess' dress
Zoe enjoying her favorite food--Ritz crackers.
(it's the only 'big people' food she can eat with her two little teeth)


Yes, we do believe in using our heater. Lily just likes to dress up in the winter clothes/accessories. (I mean who wouldn't? we have a cool, red Chief Wahoo hat!)


Wednesday, December 5, 2007

From the mouth of babes...

My vacuum cleaner was giving me stress tonight, and as I unscrewed the case for the third time to fix the belt, my frustrations started to express themselves verbally. Lily could tell I was getting frustrated and inquired, "wuts hwong, mom?," to which I replied that the vacuum was broken. She so innocently and simply looked at me and said, "you can do it, mom." Oh, the simplicity and faith of a child.

I appreciated her faithful encouragement (atleast it kept me from swearing), but alas, after ensuring the belt was on correctly and replacing the case, I ony got about two lines of carpet vacuumed before the belt decided to just break entirely. Who needs a clean house anyway? What's one more bit of something for Zoe to pick up and eat? Makes your immune system stronger, right? :o)

But yes, I can do it....things might not always work how I envision, but I can do it.
Isn't it all about trying and not necessarily succeeding anyway? Yes, it's nice to succeed, but life's not always fair and simple that way. It's the process that's our teacher--not the finished product. We CAN do it, or atleast try, because it's in not trying that we ultimately fail.

I read a great article about raising kids to value challenges and do well in life. It can be found at http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-secret-to-raising-smart-kids . As it points out, 'challenges are energizing rather than intimidating; they offer opportunities to learn.'

So bring on the challenges!! (even if they are annoying ones like fixing the belt on the vacuum)

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Insanity is hereditary. I get it from my kids.



My two little insanities or serenities depending on my mood or time of day.

Serenity Now...Insanity Later

I'm actually just stalling in getting ready for bed. It's one of those things that I wish could be done with the snap of my fingers, but then again, there's a lot of things that a finger snap would be useful for. That reminds me of the movie, "Click", with Adam Sandler--it has a very good message reminding us humans that it's the little, seemingly meanless and mundane things that make up everyday life, that make up our lives. without those little things, what would our life be like? We'd miss out on so much and want to have it all back. Good flick.
This train of thought goes back to my blog title--a classic Seinfeld quote. As I lay next to Lily's bed a moment ago, rubbing her back in efforts to get her to sleep, I listened. This was already the second time I'd been back to her bedside because once again, she'd gotten up after I thought she was asleep for the night 'needing' a drink and telling me she was poopy. (she wasn't). She is a classic procrastinator when it comes to going to bed...but that's another topic. Thus, back to listening. I heard the outside sounds first--a dog barking, a car driving down the street, and then the inside sounds--the heater turning on and the little creaks inside the walls. Then I heard the light, rhythmic breathing of Zoe, peacefully sleeping. Then Lily, too, started breathing more deeply and slowly. At last! she's asleep! But no, next I hear little whispers, hardly audible, as if she's having a conversation under her breath. she's in her own little world, and I think, this is my serenity--sharing in this little moment of an everyday occurrence, cherishing the fact that I can witness the peacefulness of my two sweet babies. I know it won't last long, that my insanity of everyday motherhood will return, but for now I am content to sit in awe that these two precious angels are MINE, that these memories are mine to hold precious, even if no one else can understand their significance.
It's like that little poem says, 'the cobwebs and dusting can wait because now i'm rocking my babes to sleep.' Oh, how I wish I could pause and even rewind time--relive these little moments which already are gone. Pretty soon my little Zoe will be Lily's age, and I know how fast it sneaks up on me because it happened with Lily. Maybe in eternity, when we get to make our own worlds, we'll get to live in each moment--with no dimension of time. We will all be every part of ourselves at all ages and stages. Mind boggling yet kind of fun to meditate on.
And, to keep my insanity at bay, I have to note that I finished the crossword puzzle in the newspaper--a rarity. I can usually fill in most of the blanks, but there's always a few clues that are completely beyond my schooling or knowledge. But today I got them all! I always tell Andrew when he's complaining that I'm yet again working on the daily crossword, that it's my duty to myself and my brain. It's been expertly proven that doing brain puzzles helps to stave off Alzheimers. (or so I'm told--and that's my story and I'm stickin to it!)
And I'm reminded again, of a 'Seinfeld-ism' when Elaine says to Jerry, "You know, I often wonder what you'll be like when you're old and senile," to which Jerry replies, "I'm looking forward to it, " and she comes back with, "yeah, I think it'll be a really smooth transition for you." And in all of us, there's that bit of insanity waiting for old age or whatever to fully manifest itself. And if all of us are insane, none of us will be.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Happy Holidays




Okay, now that you've ogled the turkey, check out this hilarious link which I first got from my friend, Abbie. I just had to do it for our family, too. Take a look. http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9561934465
Happy Turkey Day!
May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize, A

nd may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

You gotta start somewhere...

Well, I'm going to try and get this blog thing underway. I've enjoyed reading so many others and figured I could do my part. While our lives are not all that extraordinary, we do have extraordinary moments which are worth recording. This sounds like a segway into a philosophical discussion or posting, but it is not meant that way-- Just a preface for what I hope to record as life comes at us. And if anything it will be a way to record our family history in a modern, fun way--without taking up quite as much time as my girls' scrapbooks already do ;o).

I love capturing photos of my sweet, little girls in various ways--often just to record those everyday moments which I know pass by all too quickly. I look at both Lily and Zoe and wish I could have them at all their different stages and ages at one time--wouldn't it be nice to have a rewind button when you find yourself reminiscing and wishing to relive a particularly memorable time in your life? I think that would be one of my wishes if a genie ever came to visit me. Alas, seeing as that is only in fantasies, I will do my part in trying to capture up those 'ordinary moments' which are actually extraordinary in retrospect.

Lily is needing my attention at the moment, so I will post and get off my train of thought for the time being. hopefully I will be able to get back sooner than later to add some of my fave pix at the moments.
Note to self : I cannot let this blog take over my need to catch up in the girls' scrapbooks...