My Heart’s At Home Daybook – April 20th, 2009

Outside My Window ...

There are birds! Oh thank goodness the birds are back and they have been snowed on three times. Here in Wisconsin that means spring. Unfortunately, our little patio slab is not ready to greet the spring. I have yet to get the potted plants out from storage and the people who live above me have throw some old cigarette butts onto my patio. Maybe a welcome back spring patio spruce up this weekend?

I am listening to...

My little buddle of winter joy who still screams the better portion of the day. I was hoping she was turning a corner with the liturgical year over Easter, but a little flu bug is making her even more agitated than normal.

To Live the Liturgy…

Anna and her colic self is still weighing on us as a family, but we continue to not let ourselves get spiritually lazy due to our tiredness. I am learning to offer up our difficult days and remind myself of all those beautiful women out there longing for a baby. We also have reached that point where we need to start going to an earlier Mass. Our usual time is too late and running into lunch and nap times. We think Tessa may learn better if she is not hungry and tired.

To be Fit and Happy….

I require alone time to be happy. There, I’ve said it. Whew. It has taken me since the moment I became a mommy to say it out loud. It makes me feel like a “bad” mama because I can’t have someone on me 24/7 I just don’t enjoy that. But, I have come to understand, through prayer, that in order to be a good mama, I have to be a good, happy and healthy Holly first.

The "Easter Bunny," my dad and grandma, got us this very girly double stroller for Easter this year!


I am thankful for ...
So many things this week! I continue to be amazed at how much I love my family, and how much they love each other. Tessa has taken to trying to make Anna stop crying and it just melts my heart! She tries burping her, hugging her and mommy’s personal favorite, trying to change her diaper. Walking in on a 17 month old trying to change a 4 months olds diaper is very funny, and messy.

I am also thankful for our livelihood this week. My husband has a wonderful job working for The Apostleship of Prayer (http://www.apostleshipofprayer.org/) and I have been blessed with a work at home job I am enjoying.

From the kitchen ...
I have been learning to play the sales and coupons game and have done well with cutting our grocery budget by $200 dollars this last month! I can’t believe it and it feels so great. It has kind of become a game for me. Last night I found some meat on sale so this week we will be having hamburgers, tacos and a special treat for my husband, a roast.

I am wearing ...
Blue short (that may or may not be maternity ...opsie) and a tie-dyed T-shirt. I am not wearing any socks and my feet are dirty. Ahh, spring is here!

I am creating ...
Memories with my family. I have decided I need to cut back on some projects and decide what I really want to do and give up the rest. This is an attempt to actually finish an art project. I can’t bring myself to give up scrapbook completely, so I am thinking of making a book for each one of my children. I have been writing a lot more this week and this makes me feel so good.

On my iPod
I’ve been listening to more musicals lately and it makes me long for the days that is all I would listen to. The past few years have brought about many wonderful changes and blessings for me, but listening to musicals makes me feel like I’m meeting myself again!

Towards a real education ...
For Tessa’s learning time we have been working on learning about Mary, (GG’s Maammmwhaa as she would say) shapes and counting to 3. I am thinking about moving into colors but would like for her to recognize and be able to say the names of her aunts and uncles, grandma and grandpa. So, we will see where the week take us.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
Elizabeth at In The Heart of My Home, http://ebeth.typepad.com/reallearning/ has been posting the below in her Daybook. I couldn’t have said it better, thank you Elizabeth. If you haven’t checked out her blog, please do so! It has brought such encouragement to me as I start on my “mommy” journey.

“Ever notice how beautiful a house becomes when Mama smiles? I have and I'm endeavoring to make my house so beautiful much, much more often.”

I am reading ...
oh goodness! I am picked up so many things this week, but never actually started one. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is next on my life of “fun” reads.

I am hoping and praying….
For good news at the Marfan’s appointment Anna has a week from today, and for good news at Joseph’s Marfan’s appointment later this summer.

Around the house ...
I am hoping to get a handle on the master bedroom, it seems to lose its “living space” availability too easily. I would also like to get new pictures in frames and redo the wall I spend my days looking at. I have never been happy with it and it is really starting to bother me. I love decorating, so this should be a fun project. ***One of my favorite things ...Tessa’s hair. As it grows out and her beautiful natural curls come in, the back is taking off while the front and sides lag behind a bit. Therefore, she is ROCKING A MULLET!


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
My husband and I both have a lot of “work” to get done this week, so things will be busy. Daddy has a conference on Saturday so trying to keep up with the cleaning and cooking is key in order for Sunday to truly be a day of prayer and relaxation and not catch up.

I fear Tessa may need to be taken into the doctor as well. Ohhh, how easy it will be when my children will be able to tell me when something hurts….

Picture Thoughts
My picture thoughts will have to wait. I can't figure out how to add a picture anywhere but at the top of the page and after being very creative to get the one picture in on this post, I am deciding that taking the screaming baby out of my hubby's hand is a better use of my time right now:) She'll be five months next week! Can't last forever.....right? Really, I'm asking!