New Pet Peeve

You know what really bugs me? When people say that boys are so much easier than girls or how they would rather have a boy because "you have to worry about girls getting pregnant." I think if I hear that one more time I might scream! 

Obviously, I wouldn't want my daughter(s) to be sexually promiscuous, but I wouldn't want that for my sons either. I'm actually excited about being able to teach Annabel about what it means to be a woman and to be feminine, as well as to have a healthy view of sexuality. 

I'm tired of people talking about my daughter's sexuality- scratch that-  women's sexuality as though it were a liability! Why can't we embrace the fact that we are all sexual beings and celebrate that rather than fear it?

Recently, in a class, we were discussing how we, the women in the class, were taught about our femininity and what messages were taught to us about our sexuality as young women. It was such an interesting discussion, and it really got me thinking about this subject. As the mother of a little girl, this is something that is especially dear to my heart. In a society that is so sex-driven and explicit, how will I raise this child to be confident in her femininity and sexuality, while at the same time protecting her sweet, girlish innocence?

I think one place that we as Christians go wrong is that we fail to integrate any positive aspects of sexuality when educating our children. From what I've observed, we tend to preach only "wait, wait, wait," and "modesty, modesty" while failing to recognize that sexuality is a healthy, positive part of the human experience. And- gasp- dare I say it? Is it possible that we are sexual beings even before we are married? No, that can't be. I can't believe the thought even crossed my mind. 

Anyway, if you are the parents of boys, or not yet a parent, please do not say to us mothers of girls that we "have our work cut out for us." I think we know that anyway. But just because my child had the misfortune to be born with a vagina does not mean that she will end up with her own child before she is out of high school! 

Memorial Day Weekend

A couple evenings ago, Annabel enjoyed spending some time outside with her daddy. I thought she was so cute in her little pink short-alls! It's hard to resist taking pictures of such a cutie-pie :)

The next day I took advantage of Annabel being in daycare and worked on my flower beds. I think I planted over 25 plants! My good friend Angie let me split a bunch of her plants, which is the best way to get new plants! 

 

 

Sorry to bore you with the details, but I'm going to! I'm so proud of my newfound green thumb. 

So here's my rose bush, which is doing beautifully-

And some lillies I transplanted:

 And the best new thing around here- my mother's day present!! Check it out...

 Derek was so sweet and bought me some patio furniture. So far we've eaten outside at least once every day! I absolutely love it. I wish we would have bought some 5 years ago:)

Over the weekend Derek's parents Fred and Sue came to visit (Memorial Day weekend). We enjoyed some quality time and good food. 

Annabel really had fun with her cousin Morganne. They played well together! It's fun to see their similarities and differences. 

Last night Derek and I went to Kmart and Meijers to look for outdoor toys. I'm not one of those mamas who buys a lot of toys for her baby, but as she gets a little older and her activity preferences change and mature, it becomes necessary! So we got lots of bubbles, finger paints, her first coloring book and a life jacket for when we go swimming at the neighbors! She's loving being outside as much as we are. I'm still looking for a (cheap) sandbox and a little slide. I'm hoping to get lucky at some yard sales this summer:)

Here are some other random picks from the week:

 Not sure why she's so upset! 

 But it's all better now! :)

  Hanging out with Grandma Sue in her adorable little shorts and tank top! 

Please can we go outside??

Who Doesn't Love Sesame Street?!?

Home Where She Belongs

Friday I went to pick up Annabel after a long week away at Grandma's. My mom and I met in Indy at the Trader Joe's. I love that store! I got there first, and as I saw them pull up, I could see Annabel see me and she was clapping her hands. That made me glad, because I wasn't sure how she would react after being gone so long. But the first thing she did when I got her out was give me a BIG KISS and a hug for a long time. Wow! It was so good to have her squishy, squirmy little self back in my arms. After shopping, we got some picnic stuff and headed to a park in the Carmel area. Wow- it was probably the nicest park I have ever seen! It was on 116th St, near all the really nice subdivisions. If you ever have to kill time on this side of Indy, I definitely recommend this park! There are water fountains to play in, awesome slides and a rope climbing thing. Annabel had a blast. I love parks. 

This isn't a real culvert (at least I don't think so). It was an underground tunnel system- pretty cool! 

She quickly ditched the "baby slide" for the giant slides!!

The rope climby thing and the giant slide Annabel went down all be herself!

Mother's Day Weekend and More

I know, I know, it's been forever since I posted. Part of my excuse is that Annabel has been gone all week at my parent's, so I haven't had any new pictures from this week. Last weekend (Mother's Day weekend) we had a lot of fun! 

On Friday, we headed down to Greenwood to visit our friends Chris and Geneva. Our other friends Wes and Melanie were up from Tennessee for the weekend, so we all met there to hang out. This group of friends are probably our best, best friends from college and we always have sooo much fun together. Mel, Geneva and I were all really good friends in college and on the same wing for three years, and Derek, Chris and Wes were the same way. In fact, Derek and Wes were roommates for two years. Its kind of funny how we all intermarried! We spent the evening eating (of course!) and playing crazy games. We hadn't planned on staying the night, but we were having so much fun we just decided to crashed there. Us girls stayed up till 3 talking and slept together while the boys played video games and crashed in the living room. What fun! The next morning we left the kiddos with the boys and hit the yard sales. I found some good deals on picture frames and a few dresses, but nothing too exciting. 

Then we rushed home to get ready for an evening with our friends Joe and Melissa. Since we hadn't planned on staying in Indy the night before, we weren't as prepared for the dinner as we probably should have been. Derek had planned on making a cheesecake, but there was just no time :( Sorry guys! After grilling babyback ribs and veggies, Derek gave Joe an IOU on the cheesecake and grilled peaches with a raspberry puree for dessert instead. I personally wasn't too upset because I get a little sick of cheesecake (shhh- don't tell anyone!) We played a couple games of euchre and enjoyed their company as well. So much fun in two nights! 

The next day was Mother's Day of course, but poor Derek woke up with the bug Annabel and I have shared. So I got up with sweet Annabel and let Derek sleep until 10:30. Poor guy- he really needed it. We ended up missing church, but that was okay. After Derek got up, he said he felt better, so we went ahead with our plans and met my parents and grandparents in Indy for a picnic lunch. Then we went to the Chateau Thomas Winery and enjoyed an afternoon of wine-tasting and good company. Even though my two babies weren't feeling the best, I think we all ended up enjoying the day. Annabel even learned how to say 'airplane!'. What a smartie! 

After this, Annabel went home with my parents to give us a little break. Actually, I think it was more because they really missed her and wanted to spend some time with her, but the break is nice, too! Since I'm not in class right now and I have a pretty small caseload, I've just been doing stuff around the house and relaxing. It's been nice, but I'm anxious to see my little punkin tomorrow. I bet she'll be all grown up:(

Here are some other random pictures from last week:

 Playing with her glowworm

She put the hat and boots on herself! I think she's trying to change her dolly's diaper :) Hope its not a poopy one!

 

I love Annabel's funny faces in this video! She is getting very creative with her facial expressions! So cute. 

Yesterday Annabel had to get her 18-mo vaccinations. I felt so bad for her- you could tell it really hurt. So we stopped at Sonic on the way home and got an icy treat to cheer her up a little! In the evening she ran a temp and was very cranky, (happens every time!) so she went to bed early and appears to be feeling much better today. 

Her checkup went well. At 19 months she weighs 24lb and is 33" high. She's tall for her age but slightly underweight. The doc wasn't worried though because she is obviously active and healthy and reaching all her milestones. In fact, they said she was such a good patient, and they gave her the "well-adjusted child of the year" award! :)  The nurse said they wished every kid was as easy and good as she was! What a proud moment for mama. 

With Annabel quickly reaching the "terrible twos," we're starting to get into the murky waters of discipline and correction. I just think the whole thing is really interesting. Occasionally I get frustrated, but I try to put myself in her shoes and find out what is causing her to act a certain way. I never assume that it is "bad" behavior, just assertiveness, testing boundaries, and learning self-control. Though it can be challenging, I really enjoy all of it. And most days are really, really good. I'm very proud of her. 

As for me, today I called off work and am staying home sick. I feel really crummy. Derek was such a sweetie and ran to CVS at 11:00 last night to get me NyQuil. So yes, I'm still in bed at 1:00 in the afternoon! Hoping to feel better by tonight because I'm still going to try to see 4 clients this evening. Oh dear. Signing off for now!

Free as a Bird

Back when I worked at the mortgage company in Knoxville, we used to have a saying that went a little something like, "there's no such thing as a free place to live." In reference, we were talking about people who would go months without paying their house payment and expect to be able to stay in their home. But I was reminded of this saying recently when I heard this story.

I was recently talking with a friend, who in a time of need had accepted a gift from another friend. Initially they felt as though this gift were a blessing, exactly what they needed at that time. However, as weeks went by, the comments came, and my friend came to feel indebted to giver. And I thought, "how sad." 

If there's anything I hate, it's feeling indebted- whether financially or emotionally- to another person. And so I pose the question- is there really anything we can expect to be free?  Or is there always an expectation attached to the item? Whether its a government handout, a work benefit, or a gift from a friend, it all seems to come around in the end. Maybe I'm wrong- so let me know what you think! :)