Friday, November 21, 2008



(this picture was taken a couple of weeks ago, and it has nothing to do with the post. i just love how big rhys's laugh is, and how you can see some of his teeth.)

so i thought about titling this post "neglect," but i think i did that already a while back. plus i've been thinking i am going to stop titling my posts and treat this more like a journal of sorts, unless i have some super catchy awesome title, and then i'll throw one up there. of course, i'm sure you care a LOT about what i'm thinking related to my blog titles. :)

i really have neglected this space lately, though. i was telling some friends last night that i go through stages where i feel like i just don't have anything significant to say. i am an emotional person (just ask my husband...), and i kind of let them drive me, so to speak. so when i get overwhelmed by an emotion, these tend to create the best written blog posts for me (at least in my opinion). and lately since our lives have evened out more, i  have felt more evened out, so i have felt less inclined to write here. i feel like writing about my everyday life would just bore the snot out of all 5 readers (ok, i'm exaggerating--all 2 readers...), so then i think, "well, why write at all?"

plus, i don't want to end up being one of those bloggers who is just being self-indulgent, writing about ME all the time, not having anything important or significant to say--wait, i already do that. ok, moving on...

so a lot has happened since i posted last. here's a list (in no particular order of significance) for fast reading:

1. the green diapers are working out great. we use pampers at night because i feel like they work better, but this means we have still cut down mostly on use of the "non-green" diapers. plus i feel so cool using diapers that were designed in europe. i'm a complete dork, i know. actually, it's nice to feel any semblance of coolness when you are changing a diaper filled with poop, so i'll take what i can get.

2. i've been working like crazy, which is the main reason (besides lack of self-confidence...) that i haven't posted lately. a former boss has been so gracious in giving me TONS of work to do in the last couple of months, and it's paying off big time. if you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that for some harrowing months, my husband was out of a job, and things were really, really tough around here. well, things are really looking up for us now, which is very exciting and relieving! we have had conversations lately about how it's almost surreal to watch people talk about the economy, cutting back spending, etc. etc. because we have been living that for a very long time. so it's nothing new for us, but we are actually feeling some relief in that department lately. can you tell i'm feeling relieved? and have i mentioned relief? ;)

3. gillian and aedan are having so much fun at school these days. aedan's favorite thing to share with anyone who will listen is "i'm in the 1st-grade class now because i'm SO smart that they put me in the smartest reading group." yikes. he told this to a kid on the mall playground and i thought the kid was going to beat him up. i told rick the other day, "look at this kid. you know EXACTLY where he gets this from. right?" anyone who knows my husband will know what i mean. :)  

and gillian reads constantly. it's tough to have a conversation with her these days; her nose is always in a book. i find myself saying, "put your book down and look out the window" when we are in the car. this of course makes me immediately feel like my mother, because she said this to me constantly when i was a kid. i always had a book in my hand. gillian has also mastered the jump rope, and she's swiftly becoming a jump rope goddess ninja. as in, she's awesome, but also seriously dangerous with it if you stand too close. so we back away and let her have her space when she's showing us the rope action.

here are a few pictures i've taken of the kids this month:


(while other kids are learning to ride bikes and climbing trees, our kids choose to get the crayolas and color outside...go figure.)



(notice the button: "i'm here to save the planet." i always think this is borderline heretical or something, but i still think it's funny attached to our stroller. and who knows what's in store for rhys someday, right?)


(storytime with big sis)


(taking an ice cream break while shopping--doesn't he look just like his dad in this picture?)

4. in other news, my orchid is growing a whole new shoot and looks like it's going to bloom like crazy soon. of course, i was messing with it, trying to stake it, and broke off a good 6 inches. i was so mad. but it still looks like it's doing okay and is now growing an offshoot to compensate for its mother's error. and our "fall/winter" weather has been simply amazing. THIS is why i love living in florida...

5. i finished another rug for a christmas gift. here are a couple of pictures:



now i need someone to tell me if anything can be done for the curling edges. it looks like a sombrero or a big flat basket with shallow sides. this is not good...my expert craftsy girlfriend already said, "well i know you don't want to hear this, but you should rip out that part and redo it." ok, that's not happening. so any other suggestions? :)

6. i was just asked to participate in a team of book reviewers who write about books on their blogs, which i'm really excited about for a few reasons. (a) i always complain that i have no time to read, but committing to this will force me to read something other than material about radars, schizophrenic kids in juvy, and cadaver body scanning. (b) i have been really uninspired spiritually lately (this is a whole other blog topic...), and i'm hopeful that reading will maybe renew something inside me. (c) writing about things other diapers, kids, and my own angst will be a fresh change!

7. i am really looking forward to thanksgiving, but i'm even more excited about christmas. we are traveling home to virginia for about 9 or 10 days to see family and friends. i'm most excited about getting to see my sister, who has a son 4 days older than rhys. i wish all the time that we lived closer, so we could spend more time together with everyone. and that's all i can say, because suddenly i find myself teary-eyed. this sucks.

8. this is probably one of the most random  posts ever, but what can i do? i haven't posted in 18 days, so this is what i (and you) get for it. :) i hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and i'll hopefully be back soon with a more coherent, thoughtful post next week! 

6 comments:

Kellie said...

Yeah! Glad you're back :) I happen to know somebody that would use your cloth diapers if you're going with the green ones. (it was a plot all along). Or you can google "cotton babies growing up cloth" and they will pay you for them.

I'm so glad that everything is going well for you.

Mrs. H. said...

Hi Kristi,
I can't believe your sister's baby and your youngest are 4 days apart! I can't imagine how your mom and dad must have felt the week they were both born! :-)
I enjoyed your update - how is your knee?
Laurie :-)

Amelia Plum said...

glad to catch up with you. i think that pin is pretty hysterical on the stroller, possibly heretical but it all depends on presentation and that's funny. i love to see the pictures of the kids and i'm glad to hear that life is more even keeled for you as of late (i so know what you mean about scirmping when others our basking in a productive economy and then having your financial worries ease somewhat when everyone else is tightening belts). have a wonderful thanksgiving.

krystal said...

I HEAR you on the title!! I cannot tell you how many times I've had a post all written and then never posted it because I couldn't think of a clever title. Ridiculous! :) It was so good to see you the other day & to catch up a bit on your blog. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Amy said...

ok, the rug doesn't look nearly as bad as you made it out to be. it will be fine. have you thought anymore about coming through at Christmas?

Anonymous said...

Hi Kristi,
Lovely to catch up with all you've been doing, very busy by the sound of it !
Love the save the planet badge :)
asti x