Life these days….

Things here are chugging along well.  I was down and out with a cold last week (like the rest of the midwest seemed to be!)  Now that I’m more able to think and not be a big lump of gray mush I thought I’d start the posting off with a picture from Halloween.  We had a fun night and the kiddos is loving all these nice treats in our house.  The Daddio and I are trying to eat them all after she goes to bed to avoid repetitive nights of sugar highs :)

Notice in shot two of this little froggy the ridiculously full bag of candy.  She insisted on carrying it all by herself and at the end of the long up and down walk of our street it was plumb full and she was struggling to carry it!

Note that her lips are blue.  Although it was cold outside the lips are candy stained M&M lips.  The candy eating started early that night!

Our life in video

Hi all, thanks for your encouragement with the wild two year old I’m trying to raise!  It helped a lot and reminded me of the “big picture.”   I also discovered mid-way through last week that she was getting her two year molars in.  Ouch. 

We’ve been filling our days here with tower building, dress up, tea parties, coloring and her new boggle jr. game.  Here a few videos I’ve been wanting to share with you (and yes, I’m including a bit more of some Mighty cat torture for those who’ve been asking for more!)  Enjoy seeing what life is like in our neck of the woods…er….suburbs of Chicagoland!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKOiTDybYpQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZZfbiK6no8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sldulsirxic

Internship

Just got this letter (see below) via email from my Alma Mater, Luther College.  What do you think?  Should I respond and offer to have a student come for J-Term (month of January) to do an internship? 

I could really show them the ins ands outs of potty training, tantrums and time outs, the how-tos of budgeting their money and living on one income, bath time fun, laundry with some stain fighting secrets, and last but of course not least, the art of trying to cook and not burn dinner for your family while your child runs around naked because she had a bit of a potty accident in her carseat and instead of bathing her you decide to save that task for the Daddio who seems to be running late so I just let her run around like a wild and free hippie child in her birthday suit. 

I think it’d be in top demand as an internship, no?  If not a learning experience, I’d at least get some extra help, maybe a nice friend out of the deal and I’m sure that whoever took me up would realize by the end that although he/she’s exhausted, smells bad, and hasn’t combed their hair for a month, they’d most likely discover the best career in the world!!

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Dear Luther Alumni: Greetings from the Career Center! As part of the Sesquicentennial Strategic Plan, the College has established a goal of having 70% of our students participate in at least one internship by the time they graduate. This is a bold objective, but one that will have a resounding impact on the growth, development, and overall career preparation of our students. In today’s market, students need a great education and relevant experience to compete!   With this in mind, I am writing to inquire if you would be willing to host a Luther student intern (full or part-time) at your place of employment during the upcoming January term (Jan. 4-27). During this time, a student intern could: • Assist with “backburner” projects that you simply don’t have enough time to work on; • Job shadow you (and your colleagues) to develop a better understanding of your field/industry; • Attend meetings (with staff and clients, if feasible) to understand the priorities, goals, and challenges of the organization; • Rotate through different departments to gain a comprehensive picture of the various functions performed within your organization; • Conduct informational interviews with entry-level, middle, and upper management to learn about the points of entry as well as the various positions and career ladders within your field; • Meet with representatives within Human Resources to learn about how to present themselves to employers. If you are interested, please contact me at (information/phone number taken out privacy, of course).  As you know, our students have wide ranging interests — from health care to marketing to environmental conservation to museum studies! If you have a need and/or an interest, please let me know! Many thanks! Mark Mark R. Peltz, Assistant Dean & Director Luther College Career Center

I’ve been at war and I’m not sure if I’m winning!

The war is with this little two year old stinker   To be fair, she’s got her great moments that make this all worth it and make me extremely happy to be her mommy.  But….BUT.   She’s such a little stubborn one these days.  It’s really truly become the terrible two time of life for us here.

Let’s start with the good things of course.  She’s growing, learning and changing a lot.  The pacifier isn’t even talked about any longer and at night she goes to bed quietly about 85% of the time.  She really likes to help and enjoys getting the table set and filling up the dishwasher after dinner with plates,etc.  

The main thing making me pull my hair out is when she refuses to follow any of my directions/requests, hates playing alone or by herself, and constantly throws her food and dumps out her milk.  *Insert frustrated sighs, args and general noises of discontent here*

I don’t mean to complain and really we have some great days around here that I wouldn’t give up for anything.  It’s just hard sometimes when you combine her stubborness and my hormones some days–Hence the WAR!! 

I’m trying some things out and think some of them are helping.  I guess the hardest thing right now is trying to get her to STOP throwing her food or spilling her milk at meals and snacks.  We usually put her in time out immediately after she does it.  When Daddy removes her from the table she cries cries cries.  When I do it, she laughs, scoots herself all over the room or even gets up and laughs and then runs away. 

The other issue is her lack of entertaining herself.  At 18 months this kiddo would wander our Madison backyard checking out every bug that went by, playing in the sandbox and even going down the slide alone (with me watching from the window of course).  Now, she can’t stand to not be entertained by one of us.  She has un-learned (is that a word) how to play alone and engage by herself.   Not that I mind building lego towers and playing tea party, it’s just that after 8 hours of playing legos, picking up toys and constantly repeating “please don’t eat the playdoh” I sometimes regret not addicting her to television at an early age so I could have more quiet and the chance to pee alone once in a while. 

So, wise readers I have but one request.  HELP!!  I know you all are brilliant and have great ideas that will make me go, “Well, huh, why didn’t I think of that!!!”  

Please leave me a comment with your nobel award winning ideas and if you can’t leave me a great idea, leave me an “I know exactly how you feel sister!” 
That would be great

Hoa’s Defense

I went to Luther College and while there was accaintences with a woman named Hoa.   She’s in trouble now and could use some help.  Please read her story, contact your representatives (even in you’re not from Minnesota) and most of all pray for her and her husband, Dan.