I'm expecting some big returns on these 2 investments.

It's been one of those weeks. Been one of those years, actually. As 2014 winds down, I am currently battling a 13-month old with a NASTY case of strep throat, and a defiant nearly-3-year-old displaying some evident bitterness that her brother is getting lots of attention. And that's pretty much how 2014 has gone. Between his Tylenol-resistant 104 degree fever and her tendency for urinating on every piece of furniture in the house, I've come up with a goldmine of New Years' Resolutions. They are:
-To not get pregnant
-To get 8 uninterrupted hours of sleep for the first time in over a year.
-To speak more softly to my children
-To take Caleb on our first weekend getaway
-To try to remember the many good things that have also happened this year, such as making many lasting friendships, working as a school nurse, and reading some of my now-favorite books.
-To laugh more, such as the time last week when I put Alaina on time-out, and as I shut the door I heard her knock and mutter through her sobs, "Do you wanna build a snowman!?"

They say children refine you, but do you ever feel like you are becoming worse as a person from dealing with all the stresses of parenthood? I do. And I only have 2 children. How do moms of big families do it?!? But ask me if I'd rather just not have any kids at all, and I'd say, "Of course not!" My children are my treasure! It's just the kind of treasure that likes to sneak into your bed and kick you in the face at night.

Teeth chattering

I've decided to become an advocate for global warming. Yes, you heard me correctly. For global warming. After Jack Frost killed my favorite season with subzero temperatures and icy winds, I decided that a warmer world doesn't sound so bad. So I'm buying an SUV. And I'm cranking up the furnace. And I'm all for the Keystone pipeline. Burn those fossil fuels, baby, burn!
Ok, clearly the cabin fever is getting to me, but really. It is SO COLD. I've never read Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but I'm pretty sure the logic is that Venus is closer to the Sun. And, I'm pretty sure they're lying about the whole fire and brimstone thing; I bet hell is just like the Midwest in January.

Dumb phone

Last week I gave my smart phone a lobotomy, and I'm very pleased with the results. It's still a mildly intelligent phone, but less of a time-sucking vortex.
1. I uninstalled my Facebook app. This doesn't mean I cancelled my account; it just means that now I have to make a deliberate choice to get on FB on my laptop, rather than just browsing every time I look at my phone. I waste much less time.
2. I put my phone in airplane mode whenever I go to church or read my scriptures on my phone. Less chance of distraction.
3) I only turn my data on when I am home or when I need something specific. It's liberating to be off the grid every once in a while.
I have, however discovered Overdrive, which has changed my life. No need to whistle while I work when I can read!

From the plains of Minnesota...

Tennessee is America's best kept secret. We went there this past weekend, and I would share pictures, except for Jesse gave my phone a bath so I have no photo evidence of our trip. But can you say rolling hills of autumn heaven? We learned a few tidbits of wisdom while down South. 1) the southern accent is contagious. It wasn't long before Caleb picked it up. Now I'm worried he'll grow his beard out and start wearing camo regularly. 2) bringing kids on a vacation will nullify the "vacation" part. 3) eating Sonic cheesy french fries on a hotel room floor with a one and two year old is way more fun than trick-or-treating in snow. 4) for the first time since Jesse's birth I witnessed my baby actually sleeping "like a baby." Both of our kids zonked out for hours in a stadium filled with thousands of screaming (mostly BYU) fans. Glorious. 5) when you get drowsy on your drive home, you can a) do the rational thing and pull over for a nap, or b) do the Caleb thing, and run laps around a gas station in 25 degree weather. So embarrassing. On the bright side, that same crazy man also showed some brilliance and resurrected my phone by running it through a "desiccator" or "decimator" or some other aggressive-sounding machine in his lab. So endearing.
At least the one photo we got was a cute one.

A half gallon of heaven

If ever there was a food that represented Lindsey, it was this.

I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful.

Hysterical. The word derives from the Latin word histericus, meaning "of the womb."  The ancients thought a woman's female reproductive organs were to blame for any emotional fits she displayed. They weren't too far off, I think. Where am I going with this? Well, some days I feel like a slave to my hormones. I usually take pride in my level head, so I can't stand that I can look at a calendar and say, "Caleb, you better avoid me for these three days of the month because I will be completely irrational and most likely try to kill you."
How can one person's emotions vary so drastically? Join me, I pray you, on my own personal emotional roller coaster ride of the last 24 hours:
1. Find some rad pants at the thrift store for three bucks. I am beautiful and trendy.
2. Two hours later, two-year-old urinates on carpet, which is followed by reprimanding her in a less-than-pleasant tone. I am now the basest of parents, and worthy of CPS intervention.
3. Hang up finishing touches in Jesse's Pinterest-worthy nursery (yes, a year late). I am crafty and creative.
4. Accidentally download virus onto family computer. I am stupid and incompetent.
5. Alaina repeats the word "stupid"after computer incident. See #2 feelings.

My roommates and I used to have compliment sessions in college. Nothing boosts your morale like hearing a thirty-minute discourse of reasons why you are the best ever. Some days I could sure use one of those. Maybe I'll plan one for this week's family home evening lesson...

Life lessons learned

Folding laundry next to your sick baby might mean returning the clothes to the washing machine sooner than expected.

Won't you be my neighbor?

You know, they say Daniel Tiger is a kid's show, but it's really a parenting show. All those catchy jingles are great for teaching. My sister might disagree. She thinks I'm one of those modern parents who spoils her kids. That may be true. But at least I'm not this bad:

http://youtu.be/9WfP_e3hsb4

Zzzzz

I am a sleep snob. Or at least I used to be before having two children. I am that person who went to bed at 9pm in college so she could get 8 solid hours in before her 6am clinical the next morning. And after graduating, I am that person who didn't even consider working night shifts because she preferred poverty to sleepless nights. I am that girl who used to lie her smiling face on her pillow every night and exclaim, "Ahh, my favorite part of the day!"
Unfortunately my sleep snobbery has reluctantly been put to rest (pun intended) within the last two years. You can thank my two adorable offspring for that.
Sometimes I go to bed at 9pm just so I might get six hours of sleep by 7am. Between thunderstorms, Alaina screaming for fear of thunderstorms, Jesse waking up 3-4 times, Alaina falling off the bed, and nausea from eating chips and salsa too late (that last one's my fault) I'd say our nights get a little crazy around here.
When we are young, people make us sleep when we don't want to.
Then when we grow up we want to sleep but nobody will let us (aka my life).
And then we get old, and have the freedom to sleep, but we can't.
And then we die.
So I guess in the end we all get to take a nice long nap.

If I die

Have you ever had that conversation with your spouse--the one where you give them instructions following your death? Ours is a continuing dialogue, where I throw in the do's and don'ts whenever they come to mind. Caleb hates it. I can't say I blame him. The subject's a real downer.
Like, for instance, when you're watching 17 Miracles, and your wife randomly says, "You know, if we were both stranded somewhere, and I die, I give you permission to eat me." This is then followed by a charged debate on whether cannibalism is ever truly acceptable, and whether or not I would take the liberty to eat Caleb if he were the first to die. FYI, My answer was, "Only with your permission!" (I didn't get it.)
And then there's the touchy subject of remarriage. I am well aware that Caleb would whither away without a wife to stuff food down his throat, so I have made my own list of worthy replacements. My only stipulation is that she be uglier than me, so I can be reassured even in the afterlife that I am his first love. I can see the wanted ad now:
Distraught Widower seeking replacement wife to raise 2 young children and manage household. Cheery disposition and "sweet spirit" required. Frumpiness encouraged.
Sometimes I will randomly ask Caleb, "So, what do you love about me?" just so I won't miss the good stuff in my eulogy. And speaking of funerals, I once heard of a man who died from complications of diabetes. His wishes were that his funeral be followed by an ice cream party, since his disease prevented him from eating his favorite treat while alive. I'm liking the sound of that.
As for Caleb, he won't give me much instruction in the case of his demise. He only says that purchasing a life insurance policy is tricky because he never wants to be worth more to me dead than alive. He says I met get ideas.

Lately

Murderer

Today I killed a firefly. It was an accident. I thought it was a mosquito, and as I crushed it's poor little body between my bare hands it sent out one final spark as if to say, "Goodbye cruel world!" In that instant I would not have felt more guilty if I was Lord Voldermort himself drinking precious unicorn blood, for there are few animals I love more than fireflies.
It reminded me of another time that I accidentally killed an animal. I was in the middle of heavy traffic a few years ago when out darted a kitten onto the freeway. A kitten! How did it get there?!? I watched in horror as he helplessly dodged cars, and then stopped frozen in front of me. In a split second I had to decide who deserved to live more: the kitten or the drivers on either side of me. Then a thump. I killed the kitten. And then I cried all the way home.
Sorry, this post turned out to be a real downer.

We just won't mention humidity and arctic winters.

Either it's the sleep deprivation or I am officially a converted Midwesterner, because hearing this song on the radio made me cry like a little girl.

Finding favor

Lately I have been overwhelmed by the negativity I find every time I go online. It seems that every news article and blog is determined to defame, attack, or hurt somebody. Compile that with the ever-increasing reports of mass shootings, and I could sure use a spoonful of sugar every once in a while to help swallow all the nasty reminders that humans can sometimes be terrible to each other. I'm not for censorship, but my heavens, is it necessary to destroy any person or organization that holds unpopular beliefs or mishandles a situation or even just says some dumb things? So instead of finding fault today my blog will be finding favor with some people and groups that deserve some positive recognition.

Here's to my neighborhood grocery store bakery that passes out a free cookie to my kids every time we go. It's a great incentive for Alaina to obey.

And let's hear it for Shane from the water company for being so accommodating with all the pipe problems we've had in the front yard.

Wanna know what else I love? Libraries. We frequent three libraries in our area, and I just love taking my kids there. Hooray for their summer reading programs too.

I love that the IU Health organization provides so many delivery options for pregnant women.

Chase Bank gives Alaina a sucker every time we use their drive-thru banking. And they always address me by my name. It's simple, but that extra customer service really impresses me.

I am a huge supporter of my husband, who works his tail off in grad school, and still finds time and energy to be a great spouse and father. Moms tend to get lots of recognition for their service and sacrifice, but let's not forget dads. They have hard jobs too.

Lastly, I just love the leaders of my church. Whenever I hear a prophet or apostle speak I feel like I get to know them better. I can tell they love the Lord. Their words uplift me and make me want to be better. I believe the Lord speaks to them, and I sustain and support them.

Life's better when we lift others up rather than tear them down.
With whom do you find favor?

Photogenic

On Facebook I am always impressed by the quality of so many selfies that I see. It almost convinces me that I would look equally as glamorous in my own self-taken portrait. So I will take one, and the same thing inevitably happens: I stare into the face of some jaundiced, lazy-eyed, double-chinned stranger, and I decide to spare the world. I'll stick to copious posts and photos of my children.

Ah-choo

I don't understand seasonal allergies. What's more natural than nature? You would think that evolution would have taken care of this problem by now. Everybody is all worried about harmful chemicals causing cancer and such, but that won't be what kills me. It will be anaphylactic shock from grass pollen. I'm not appreciating the cosmetic ramifications either. These hives on my face and neck really clash with my outfit.

Lessons from nature

This week I was bitten by a horsefly. Ever had that experience? Felt like a piranha bite--or so I'd think. Never actually had a piranha bite. I checked horseflies up online. Those are smart little buggers. The females use their arms to rip open your flesh to gain quick access to your blood, which is necessary for reproduction. This is also helpful because the victim will be more focused on the wound pain than on killing the perpetrator, thus letting the fly escape. It's been four days and I still itch like crazy.
While we are on the subject of creepy animals, here's another tidbit of knowledge for you. Remember the angler fish? (Think the scary fish with the light on finding nemo.) Well that's the female angler. The male is like a hundred times smaller and he latches on to the female with sharp teeth to fertilize eggs in exchange for safety and food. After a while he becomes fused there and just sort of exists. Sounds like a pathetic existence to me, but we are talking about a lightless underwater abyss, so I'm not sure anybody down there is having a picnic. Anyway, it got me thinking. Ladies, I'm all about strong, competent women and girl power, but let's not be angler fishes. Or horseflies. Let's just be people. The nice kind.

The problem child

Occasionally my mom will send me a copy of one of her journal entries from when she was my age. I enjoy comparing our lives in similar stages. The last one was a real gem. I quote, "Lindsey needs to learn respect for her parents and obedience. She will be our trial, I think." Hope I didn't disappoint.
For the record, I was four.

Still a book worm

Our weekly trips to the library are as much for me as they are for Alaina. I've always loved to read. I still get a wonderful feeling of satisfaction when I walk through the library doors.
I love kneeling down and scooting along the shelves as Alaina and I load our library bag with exciting picture books. Btw, I usually CAN judge a picture book by its cover.
I love the nostalgia of rediscovering books from my childhood. Like yesterday we read Roxaboxen, and I remembered not just reading it as a child--but living it.
Or singing the song in I love you forever  in the same melody that my own mom sang to me.
I know Alaina will appreciate it someday too...If I could just pry her away from the movie section.

Me no like forks.

I spend A LOT of time in the kitchen. Make breakfast, feed kids breakfast, clean up breakfast, make lunch, feed lunch, clean up lunch... you get the idea. Dish time is my thinking time, and here's what I am thinking today: for the most part, forks are overrated. Why don't we just eat most things with our hands? I mean, it would really save on dishwasher space, and Alaina's usually ends up on the floor anyway. Plus, we just create an extra thing to clean. Why don't we just skip the fork and use our hands? Our hands will clean themselves when we do the dishes anyway. Caleb will tell you that I'm a true minimalist; I usually make him share a cup with me during meals because dirty dishes pile up far too quickly in the Miskin home. This character trait applies to other areas of my life too. Like this week I am spending the nights at a YMCA camp as the night nurse. I brought pajamas, a sleeping bag, and a toothbrush. And the book I'm reading, of course. I'm not a caveman or anything.

Aspiration prevention

To the stranger who just gave my 6-month-old a Dorito, please don't be offended if I reject your future offers to hold him.

True love

In a few weeks Caleb and I will celebrate our four year anniversary. It's gotten me thinking about love.

True love to me is:
-Pulling a tick out my leg with tweezers.
-Doing the dishes
-Telling me I'm beautiful, even when you think my hairdo is weird.
-Watching the kids so I can go to book club
-Getting up to soothe the crying baby at 3am
-Buying me french fries when I'm crying.

I'm grateful Caleb is fluent in my love language!

Another punch in the mommy card.

Years from now at some high school reunion someone will ask me to name my greatest life accomplishment. I'm pretty sure my answer will be "potty training my children."

I'm back in Indiana, and the weather still stinks.

Hello, all of my faithful blog followers (all 14 of you). I have returned from a 3 week vacation and am ready to resume normal life. For this post I will share some lessons learned for a travelling parent.

Lesson 1: 

When flying alone with two children, it is perfectly acceptable to let your infant sleep on the floor AND shamelessly bribe your 2-year-old with candy. Anything to keep the noise level and movement to a minimum.

.

Lesson 2:

Looking for a fun family activity? Have a unique pizza night! I made a Bacon Brussel Sprout pizza, compliments of the CPK menu. MMM.

Lesson 3:

Dads make the best babysitters.

Lesson 4:

Exercise is a way of life, and should even be done on vacation. The men in our family prefer push-ups.

Lesson 5:

Seatbelt laws do not apply for sisters.

Lesson 6:

The Mothers' Lounge is a great place to take a baby during church for a nap--even if that baby isn't yours.

Lesson 7:

When en route to the airport, be sure to give yourself plenty of travelling time in case you drive over debris, shred your tire, and have to put on the spare in freezing weather and 40mph winds. Worst travelling day ever.

Our morning routine

Every morning it's pretty much the same. Alaina and I sit at the table at 8 am. Caleb is already at school and Jesse is down for his nap. She debates whether she'd rather have corn flakes or cheerios (the cheerios usually win out), and I sit kitty-corner from her, amused by her enthusiasm over breakfast cereal.
Then it's off to her room where we pick out today's outfit and put her hair in pigtails. She enjoys this process so much it almost convinces me to put my own hair in pigtails.  Oh, to be two again.

Musings of a mom

I don't generally share the deep feelings of my heart on my blog. There is this hesitation because once I throw it out there, I can't take it back. But I'd like to share a little of my heart with you today.
Having a second child was a huge act of faith for me. Alaina was/still is a wonder kid, and I knew that having another baby would disrupt the comfortable routine we had, and demand much more of my time. But it's hard to ignore that feeling when you know the Lord wants you to do something even if you may not want to do it. So Jesse was born, and I assumed that because I was obedient to a prompting that the Lord would somehow snap His fingers and transform me into this power mom, and having 2 kids would be cake. Nope. The first 8 weeks of Jesse's life were the hardest of my life. More tears fell and more prayers rose up in that time than in any other time of my life. Jesse cried all the time, struggled with breastfeeding, and didn't (still doesn't) sleep well. I remember wondering why I felt inspired to bring so much hardship upon myself.
Jesse is nearly five months old now, and we have gotten past those difficult days. He still takes much more care than Alaina ever did, but he always smiles to make up for it. I have recognized drastic personal growth in myself over the past five months, and I am beginning to see why it is important for me to have children. It's refining me. And let's be honest: my son and daughter are also my greatest source of joy. Nothing better than hearing your toddler say "I love you so much Mommy."
I am also coming to understand God's nature better as I become a full-fledged parent.
My life motto is "I can do hard things," because doing hard things can strengthen character. And I'm starting to get the hang of this hard thing we call parenthood. I still dread those teenage years though...

The Wonderful World of Subliminal Messaging

There are many things that (thankfully) go over children's heads. I was thinking about this today as Alaina watched Dumbo. It made me reflect on several Disney movie plots, and the mixed messages they send.

Let's take the awkward baby elephant that gets wasted, wakes up in a tree, thus discovering he can fly.

Or the 16-year-old scantily-clad mermaid who defies her father's authority to be near her supposed "soul mate," with whom she has never spoken.

And then there's the strained family dynamics in the pride lands, where an envious uncle murders his brother and attempts to murder his nephew. The nephew returns to avenge his father, and, after a fight to the death, resumes the throne.

And let's talk about the sinister step-mother who subdues her orphaned step-child into domestic slavery. This daughter of a judge is wondering where CPS is at.

And yet I still love Disney movies. Every one. Except maybe The Black Cauldron. That one is creepy.

For those of you not on Goodreads

Looking for a good book to read? I thought I'd share some of my favorite books I've read recently. A major chunk of my ideal day would be spent in bed with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate, and the sun shining through my window.

The Classics- I love these because, along with having a great plot, they tend to be very thought-provoking. This also means they tend to be long. Most of these are 800+ pages. Don't be intimidated!

Anna Karenina- And you thought your family was dysfunctional. This one really gets you thinking about your own relationships, and what brings happiness.
Gone with the Wind-LOVE LOVE. I'm half-way through right now.
Les Miserables- Beautiful. There are some long-winded passages about random historical things, and I skimmed those parts. But seriously I love this book.
The Virginian -this one starts slow, so skip the first 120 pages if you must. Just know that the Virginian is a cowboy who loves the local school teacher, and Trampas is the bad guy.


Just for Fun-Sometimes you just need a mindless book that makes you smile.

Edenbrooke-Jane Austen-esque novel. I'm sort of embarrassed that I read this book in 2 days. It's cheesy, but fun.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-Charming and witty
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio-true and very unique story. Fun to read.


Not so happy, but really good books

The Book Thief- so this WWII/holocaust novel was a fascinating page-turner with a really unusual narrator. It's been a while since I've read it, but I think there was some language in this book.
Rebecca (by Daphne DuMaurier)- a suspenseful mystery
The Thirteenth Tale- This one was really well written, but kind of dark.

Biographies-typically I'm not thrilled about reading biographies, but I will recommend one:

Unbroken- about a WWII survivor. Holy cow, what a story. I think the movie comes out this year.



I'm pretty sure everybody has already read The Help and Life of Pi, so I didn't include those.

I have appreciated reading so much more since graduating college and leaving behind those mandated textbook reading assignments. Caleb still lives and breathes textbooks, so I can't convince him to read anything more. He did read Ender's Game with me last summer, though. We're redboxing the movie on Saturday.

The Wonder Eater.

There are some days when it's hard to be the mother of my 2-year-old. But then at dinner she says "More broccoli, please," and I get to thinkin' I have it pretty good. Today she asked for just a tomato for lunch. And  then she ate the whole thing.

Story Time Dropout

"Excuse me, but until your daughter learns how to behave I suggest you don't come to story time."

That's what the librarian told me today. So I picked up my squirmy son, my "spirited" daughter, the diaper bag, our winter coats, and my pride, and slumped out of the West Lafayette Public Library. Looks like we'll be frequenting the Tippecanoe County Library for a while.

One of my favorite family photos

This picture is almost 2 years old. If you look closely you will find something amiss. The young boy in the picture is not my son. His name is Byron, and we love him. Byron's class had "Grandparent's Day" a while back. Since neither set of Grandparents lived nearby, he naturally chose us as the lucky replacements. (My mom always says I have an old soul. Maybe Byron honed in on that.) Anyway, I love the way his hand is gently placed on Caleb's knee, like this is the greatest day of his life. It gives me hope that my own children might think I'm worthy of a public appearance once in a while.

White Things

A few white things have been on my mind lately. For instance, does the old fashion mantra "No white after Labor Day" still apply? I have been told that white flatters my complexion, and I find it unfair that I must avoid it for half the year. Plus, many of my shirts are white, and I'm bored of the others. PLUS, white hides the white badges of courage on my shoulders (aka spit-up) much better than more winter-friendly colors.
Which brings me to my second white thing: milk. It rules my life these days. Between breastfeeding and dealing with Jesse's copious amounts of curdled milk-vomit I consider myself a lactation expert. I've eliminated cow milk from my own diet in hopes of improving the situation, but to no avail. Jesse's stomach sphincter seems determined to stay open. And I really miss ice cream. And the last white thing is one I'm sick and tired of talking about, but can't avoid it: SNOW. It annoys me that Midwesterners chat incessantly about the weather, but I'm now realizing why. It runs our lives!!! It's colder here than Alaska, so feel free to pity me. I'm going home in March, and I may never come back.

Christmas, Kids, Cold

I don't really want to be one of those bloggers who only writes about their kids, but that's pretty much my life, so I apologize if it bores you. It's more for the Grandmas anyway. I will try to spice it up in any way I can.

We spent Christmas in South Carolina. I had never been to the South before, and I have a few observations about it. 1) great BBQ 2) friendly people. Some stranger and I got to be best friends in the clearance aisle at Gap because we liked the same shirt. 3) holy cow the biggest churches I have ever seen. most of them were the size of my high school. I love me some good ole fashioned God-fearing people. (Said with a southern accent, of course.)

Jesse got to be Baby Jesus. You know, I always wanted to be Mary in a Christmas pageant. I thought I had it in the bag this year since I was the only one with a newborn. But they let the newlyweds have that job. I was kinda jealous.

Grrr. 

OK seriously? My kid is so cute.

Alaina has 13 grandparents alive. All 4 grandparents, all 8 great-grandparents, and one great-great grandparent. Spoiled much?

Jesse is destined love football. However I don't want him to actually play. I'd prefer a sport that keeps his brain in tact.

I try SO hard to get them both smiling at once. I gave up after this one.

Hmm, what else...

Oh, so I hate snow, and I hate being cold, and after the polar vortex came through I decided that Caleb will get a job in California after he graduates. Luckily he agrees with me.

Just a bit of advice for you westerners: don't call your daughter in the Midwest and tell her that you lit a fire because it was a brisk 65 degrees. Especially when it's currently -40 where she's at. The 100 degree temperature difference might create some hostility.