Tim's Random List

Last night I came across a piece of paper that had been torn out of a notebook and had somehow gotten wedged into a  stack of random bills, tax info, miscellaneous documents etc. - we're not the best about filing over here. On it was written a list in Tim's teeny tiny penmanship. I read the list about five times trying to make sense of it's cryptic contents and the correlation between them. Here is the list in it's entirety (I had to make assumptions on some of the wording as his lettering is so miniscule) followed by a list of burning questions I had as a result:

The list in question

Adae   NJ   H.S.   Ranya  N.Y.   School

Bday 31 Days:  Andrew May 6th Waiting Fam  May 5th
SUV - MiniVan:

No Red Meat:

More than 25 mi:

Ate fast food 24 hrs:

Never spoke in Public:

Multilingual:

Works from home:

Picture of sig. other:

2x pets:

8x cups of water:

Sings well:

Chocolate:

New Years Resolution:

Video/CPU Games: Andrew

Reality Shows:

Coffee:  Andrew

 

1. What is the relation between these things? For example, "SUV - MiniVan:" is followed by "No Red Meat:" and "Sings well:" is followed by "Chocolate:" WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!
2. Why the use of so many colons?
3. Furthermore, why are the colons not followed by some sort of correlating list or response - except in two instance with the name Andrew?
4. Who is Andrew?
5. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN????

After much (much) thought, I finally figured out what this was all in reference to and had my suspicions confirmed by Tim. Now that I know the answer it all seems so obvious but I wonder if anyone else out there can crack the code. Submit your best guess! GO! 

Morning Breath

This morning Jack climbed into our bed as he usually does and laid down between us. He and I were both laying on our backs while Tim was laying on his side facing us. This is important to note because it meant Tim's very potent morning breath was being blown in our direction. After a few minutes of laying quietly the follow exchanged happened:

Jack (whispering) - "Dad..." pause "Dad..." pause "Dad...."
Tim (still half asleep) - "What Jack"
Jack - "You stink"

Classic.

For Tim

I laughed at Tim a lot today because, for whatever reason, his internal thermostat is way off and he has been sweating profusely even though the rest of us are fine. His skin is just straight up damp to the touch and his face is lit-er-ally dripping with perspiration. Night and day. Not sure what's going on there but it makes me laugh a little. But in all seriousness, I want to take just a moment to recognize Tim for the incredible dad that he is to our little guys. So amazing. So patient. So loving. So dad-of-the-year.

For Tim - 

Your steadfast servant-heart keeps us warm and fed and full of love.

Your calming presence is what carries us through the end of a hard day.

Our strength is found in the security of your always open arms.

We have everything we need.

Because we have God.

Because we have eachother.

Because we have you. 

I love our little family. 

And we love you.

The Story of Mother's Day (with videos)

Dear Jack,

For Mother's Day this year I received no gift from you. I was also not at the receiving end of any acts of service (breakfast in bed would have been nice). It's ok, I forgive you in light of these circumstances:

1. Your brother also failed in these departments.
2. You are only two and have yet to learn the functions of a stovetop.
3. Someday in the near future, you and your brother will consider Mother's Day to be the best day of the year (as all children do) and will respond accordingly.

However, May 13 wasn't a total bust thanks to your kind and loving father who made sure I need not lift my little finger too often. After he made us all a delicious dinner, we decided to go to the park because the weather was nice and a family outting seemed appropriate for the occasion (it was Mother's Day, in case you've already forgotten). When we got there, you spent the first five minutes getting across the wobbly bridge - as it turns out you are a very cautious child when it comes to playground equipment. 

After this video was shot, you stood around for a long time not doing anything. It got very boring. I mean, here we are at the park, it's Mother's Day (!) and you aren't even trying to pretend to have fun. What's up with that? Well apparently, it was because you were trying to have a bowel movement (yes, I caught it on video and you were not impressed). 

So after standing there for a good few minutes, wind blowing through your hair, silently gripping the bars for some leverage with a blank but flushed look on your face (concentration), you finally finished your business and decided you'd like to try out the rest of the place. In case you were wondering what your brother was doing the whole time we were at the playground...

He was making his serious face. Then he blinked. Then he made his serious face some more. 

I feel like this last video here really says it all about how much you and Daddy love me:

1. Because Daddy really didn't want to go down this slide but did just to humor me.
2. You went down while sitting in your own poo. 

Here's to many more special Mother's Days together!
(this post, if you couldn't tell, is all very tongue in cheek)

The Bad Honey and The Old Pancake Mix

Let me just preface this story by pointing out that Tim has been suffering with a lot of intense muscle/joint pain lately and the last thing he needed were the following incidents, but such is life!

Offense #1: The Bad Honey

A while back, Tim mentioned we needed to buy more honey. I pointed out that we had an unopened container of creamed honey (the solidified, spreadable kind) so we should use that first. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I receive a text from him at work saying, "I think that honey we have has gone bad." I didn't think honey could go bad, so I asked why. "Because I had some for breakfast and I've thrown up five times this morning." Now keep in mind he'd only been gone a few hours, so that's pretty intense. Thinking I better check out the suspect honey, I grab the container down from the shelf and see to my horror that the honey that was once a solid is now completely liquified. My sister, who was with me at the time, also noticed the lid was puffed up which usually signals the presence of bacteria. No wonder, since it was not a new, unopened containter but an old, half used container that had been sitting down in the basement pantry for months. So of course I start freaking out, thinking I accidently fed my husband botchulism-infested honey and called posion control. They assured me he'd be fine.

Turns out (as he later reccounted) that the first time he threw up, he was sitting in the company truck, with his foreman, on the highway. He had to just roll down the window and barf in front of him. I found this hilarious.

And then, a similar thing happened just a few days ago - what are the chances?!

Offense #2: The Old Pancake Batter

We recently switched to a whole foods, plant-based, no-oils diet. I know, it sounds crazy. But I explain a little bit about why we made the switch here.  Needless to say, we're still experimenting with different recipes and for Tim's birthday (May 9) I decided to try and make him pancakes. Working without eggs was easy enough, but not having oil for the pan caused some issues in the flipping and sticking department. I ended up with one half successful pancake that tasted mildly like a good pancake on an ok day. However, I decided to save the batter until we owned a better non-stick pan. Because everyone knows pancake batter lasts a long time.....I think you know where I'm going with this.

A few nights ago, Tim made potato tacos with refried beans. There was quite a bit leftover so he decided to take some for lunch the next day. But instead of pouring what he thought were the refried beans on top of his potatoes, he accidently used the now week old, not good to begin with pancake batter. How he couldn't tell the difference between the two is beyond me, but as it turns out he ate the whole thing anyways with the sense that something just didn't taste right. Let me just say that again - Tim ate a whole serving of potatoes with old pancake batter poured on top. It made him throw up after work (once again, while he was in a car). Of course, we didn't figure out why until the next day when he heated the "refried beans" up in the microwave and ended up with a rubbery pancake. 

I told my sister this story last night and we laughed till we cried. And when I got off the phone and looked at Tim, I laughed until no noise was coming out of my mouth and I was out of air.

Reusing that Giant Gift Bag

Today is Tim's birthday (celebrate!) This morning I tried making vegan-oil free pancakes. The first one worked out ok, the second stuck to the pan so I saved the batter until we can afford some better cook ware. The batter may be there for a while...

This afternoon the boys and I picked up something small for him and as I was preparing to wrap it I realized the gift paper was in the closet with the creaky door of the room Moses was napping in. Poop. Then I remembered I had a giant gift bag sitting in my kitchen that the green side of me was reluctant to throw out. That said, it was (severely) smashed and wrinkled and not really reusable as a gift bag. I mean, even if the bag was still in perfect condition when would I ever be buying someone a gift that large unless it was for myself? (jk) Why not just cut off one side and use it to wrap the gift in? Genious! And use the handle as a bow? Even more genious! Thanks brain!

Ok so there's no denying the giant crease going down the paper. But frugality is king, so creases are overlooked. Plus I'm not trying to impress anyone here - just Tim, who would be happy if I handed it to him in the plastic bag it was carried out of the store with. But I think there's something to be said for getting to unwrap a gift on your birthday - it's just more special, no? I also saved money by making my own card (going with the owl/whale theme for the boys). Total cost of this delightful little gift and card? Less than $5. Win!

And that's my handy dandy tip for reusing giant gift bags that are laying around. 

You're welcome :)

Job: Check Duvet Cover: Check

There's a lot going on with our family at the moment; a lot. Some of which is still too delicate to be talked about in this space. But I'm excited to report that things have finally fallen into place for us in the job and insurance department. The hand of God is so unquestionably upon the whole situation and we are blown away by how He orchestrated the events of this all coming about.

Let's just put it this way: Aladdin's Eatery is owned by a very generous man and Tim works for some very gracious people who have gone out of their way to ensure that our needs are met. And while I know his promotion to Kitchen Manager was also in the restaurant's best interest, they could have easily gone another route that didn't involve us. Best of all, Tim is excited about the position. He has lots of experience managing kitchens and he prefers it over waiting tables.

We.are.blessed.

This job is an answer to prayer and so much more. In a time when few are getting the breaks they so desperately need just to make ends meet, the magnitude of this opportunity is humbling for us. It's also a call to be vigilant in being ready to assist those who are facing similar predicaments to the one we could have been in. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" Luke 12:48

In other news, we finally have the "nursery" close to being completed. I love that I can call it a nursery because that's what it really feels like. There are still a few pictures to be hung but it's finally livable. I'll post some pictures as soon as the final touches have been done.

Also, I think I found my much-sought-after duvet cover. This will be the fourth I've tried in our room. That's right, the fourth. Am I madly in love with it as I was with the ditzy pennants one (no longer sold)? No, I'm not. But I really like it, and I think its going to compliment the rest of the decor perfectly and that's the main concern. Of course, I may be way ahead of myself here, since I have yet to try it in the room. But I'm confident this will be the winner. The picture below is actually a comforter (hence the "quilted" appearance) which is what I thought I would be buying when I picked it up from the store (the last one!) but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a duvet cover - which is what I prefer:

The best part is, it didn't cost an arm and a leg like all the other duvet covers I seem to like. Go Target. Here's hoping it's "the one."

poop and the E.R.

"It appears Jack and I have the stomach flu. There is poop everywhere" is how Tim described last night's situation. Around midnight, Jack woke up crying. Crying because he'd packed his overnight diaper (the kind that is leak proof under normal circumstances) full of ... well, not pee. It was the scenario that you think about before becoming a parent and wonder, "Will I barf all over my child as I strip him of his feces-soiled clothes?" The answer is no - at least not this time. While one of you may be dry heaving (Tim) outside the bedroom door, the other parent's adrenaline gland is working hard to override the desire to inhale the smell of other-worldly horribleness, all the while speaking softly and kindly to a distressed baby who hasn't quite woken up and doesn't understand why he's being stripped naked and being held under a shower with his shirt still on. Poor guy. There really was poop everywhere. Tim was in the shower with him, so he quickly calmed down and relaxed, even though the steam was only helping to absorb and then accentuate the smell of diarrhea.

After putting a clean Jack back to bed, we stayed up a little longer as Tim had been making frequent trips to the bathroom himself for most of the evening. He won't mind me saying this because he proclaimed it to the world via Facebook. Around 2 a.m. he said he was feeling "weird" and wanted to take his blood pressure (we have a home kit from previous incidents) which was registering at 180 over 120. According to a website he found, a reading like that required "immediate medical attention" since he was experiencing"hypertensive crisis." Tim's had countless tests done on his heart over the past couple of years and never found anything suspect (praise the Lord) but when these things come up, it's hard to not treat them as emergencies. So he drove himself to the ER while I prayed he wouldn't have a heart attack on the way there. Two hours later and $150 poorer he was on his way home. Most people are in the ER for "gun shot wounds" or "trauma to the head" or "appendicitis." Tim was sent home with a paper that read "You have been diagnosed with diarrhea and abdominal (belly) pain." We laughed pretty hard about that.

Day 2 and the poop continues, at least for Jack. Ce la vie. This is parenting, folks. 

...and here we go again.

If you've been following my tumblr page (which I intend to maintain) then you'll know the itch has returned. Not to mention I have more time and head space for these sorts of things now that I'm only working a few days a week.

The status of things (since August 22, my last post) is as follows:

• I'm 7 months pregnant, and approximately 2 months + 1 week away from delivering our second son __________ (he has a name, but I'm not ready to share it yet).
• We are about a month or so away from potentially being without medical insurance. This sentence does not fit nicely with the one above.
• That said, we are so grateful for the support we've received from family, friends and my employer. God has revealed His faithfulness through others in so many unexpected and incredible ways. It's humbling to be at the receiving end of such generosity. We're keeping the faith that our situation will improve in the coming weeks, Lord willing.
• I'm totally in nesting mode, even if my lack of a completed children's room and general failure to follow through on inspired household projects says otherwise.
• Both Tim and I are at constant war with our hair. This usually plays out on Tim's headas a shave/no shave scenario (freshly shaved, currently) and mine as a bang/growing-bangs-out fight to the death. Presently, the bangs exist but are not cooperative.
• Jack is a toddler who is discovering the power of the tantrum as well as the kiss (we covet his little shows of affection). He is loving and sensitive and determined and smart. The personality gene pool was a perfect swirl of mother and father the day he was created, it seems. Looks wise however, he's all Tim. Except for the ears, which are tiny and perfectly shaped like mine.

Here is Jack eating a black bean taco. This is monumental not only because he is trying a new food (he likes to reject most things "unknown") but also because he is using utensils as well as eating it as intended (assume taco hold). Of course, this all happened at his Nan's house, a place which generally inspires his ability to tackle new life skills.

West Side Market

We went to the West Side Market this morning to pick up a few things and I thought it might be a good opportunity to snap a few Project 365ish pictures.... and in the end, this was all I got, which makes me laugh because I was surrounded by a myriad of excellent options and this is what I have to show for it.

On the subject of Jack... today he managed to spit-up in my mouth (sick!) and poop so much that we had to (literally) cut him out of his onesie in order to avoid covering him in his own waste. Lovely.

Three Posts in One Day!

I've been back logged with post ideas, what can I say?

A few days ago there was a big snow which left our driveway in need of a good shovel. So we decided to tackle the task as a family, Jack included. And of course this can only mean one thing... photo op! Especially since it was the babe's first time actually being in the snow.

Two Years!

Monday marked our two year anniversary. Two of the best years of my life (and hopefully Tim's!) We are so blessed to have been brought together by a God who knew just how beyond perfect we are for each other.

To celebrate, we had a movie date (Gnomeo and Juliet, which gets a B+) and went to dinner at the 100th Bomb Group where we got married. It was wonderful to be back in the place where it all began and to think about where we've come since... and the little person who arrived right in the middle. So much love, all around.

February 28, 2009

Snowed In.

Today is a Myers (+ Cameron) SNOW DAY! Both boys were called off work which means we have the whole afternoon ahead of us with nothing to do except our favorite activities. So far, our day has included the following:

- fresh coffee

- sizzling bacon from the West Side Market

- making homemade apple and pear sauce with cinnamon (for Jack)

- the watching of Nacho Libre

- a game of Settlers (which hasn't happened... yet)

Today also happens to be a staying in one's pajamas day - Jack included. And because of the extra cuteness he exuded, I did a rare (semi-formal) photo shoot. And here, my friends, is the product of that:

The Text(s) of my Dreams.

Let it be known by all that on February 9, 2011, one Timothy R Myers sent the following series of texts to myself, the happy recipient of a long-awaited concession of will:

TM: I want to join the gym. Stat.

LM: Ok with me! What brought about this revelation?

TM: I'll call it a Holy Spirit provoked kick in the butt to listen to my wife and honor God by eating better and getting in shape. I'm planning on being kind of hardcore about what we eat so I hope you're ok with that.

LM: Um... You don't even have to ask.

TM: Well... So what if I say no more cheese and crackers?

LM: Hmmmm

TM: Thaaaat's what I thought

LM: Well everything in moderation.

TM: Nice.

Might I add that my sole motivation for encouraging such things is for health reasons only - just in case it comes across as though I'm expecting a certain "look" to be obtained. And for the record, I can absolutely give up crackers and cheese out of solidarity for this new effort. Well...maybe.

Holy smokes!

Did I forget to mention we went to a marriage seminar this past weekend that was abso-lute-ly amazing?! No? Well let me tell you folks - it was incredible. If you know what's good for you(r marriage) you'll carve out a few hours of your night, make a cup of coffee (or two), and cozy up with your spouse while you listen to David Rheinstein's talk on marriage (and life with Christ as a whole) here . It's challenging, funny and sobering. It's convicting and encouraging. It's worth every minute of your time. I promise.

Oh, and if you want to read a great commentary (which I couldn't agree with more) on the WWJD marketing ploy, please check out David's article found here.

{{sigh}} There's nothing like Truth and sound teaching to remind me that I serve an awesome, intelligent God.

The List (so far)

I haven't finished the list by any means (so much for the end of weekend deadline) but I've made progress. Here is my list of goals for 2011 thus far, and in no particular order of importance:

{1} Start and finish a knitting project

{2} Write a song on the guitar

{3} Read 3 to 5 books, cover to cover

{4} Open an Etsy shop (and hopefully sell something)

I know these are simple goals, and I'm hoping the other half of the list will be a bit more ambitious and big-picturesque. But for now I don't want to set my sights too high, since having a baby and a husband means that my goals must take their needs into consideration as well. Back in the day, I'm positive this list would have included "Move to a new country" or something of that nature.

Tim's list, thus far, is:

{1} Read the entire Bible

{2} Record an EP with Lauren and Cameron

{3} Get Lauren pregnant

When I suggested we make these lists, he asked whether we were going to share our goals with each other. In consideration of goal No. 3, I'm glad we did. It's good to be in the know for those sorts of matters. Not telling me would also be a just a bit divisive on his part: "What?! I'm pregnant?! How did THIS happen? ...... Tim!!!"

So to all of you out there who heard our speech on the benefits and joys of having just one baby, who felt the force of our vehement defense against your cries of having a "spoiled" and "lonely" child (which I will always disagree with).... apparently, you win. It took Tim less than a month after having Jack to decide that one is not enough and two must be had. He gave up trying to convince me of this a while back and now just states very matter-of-factly that we will unquestionably become a family of four.

And try as I might to convince Tim and myself that this is not the plan I signed up for - that having just one baby is what I truly want, Tim is always quick to catch the beginning of a smile that forms at the corner of my mouth as I ponder the thought of gazing down at another little Myers.

Recycling.

I like to think of myself as environmentally friendly. Sure, I often leave the water running while I brush my teeth. I don't always buy local produce and I'd rather drive than take the bus. But for the most part - at least when it comes to recycling and littering - I try to be very diligent about being kind to the planet.

The thing is, I'm great at collecting recycling but I'm terrible when it comes to actually recycling it. That is... sorting, bagging and leaving it out on the curb to be collected. I'm not going to lie - I hate that part. So does Tim. But since I take care of the finances, laundry, vacuuming and a few other various household duties, it's given me the opportunity to leave some of my least favorite jobs** to Tim - which basically comes down to... you guessed it... sorting, bagging and putting out the recycling. Unfortunately, Tim finds this task just as tedious as I do, which results in a corner of our kitchen looking like this:

** other "deferred" jobs include (and are limited to) taking out the garbage and emptying the diaper genie, both of which are often also left until overflowing occurs. I've been laughing the whole time I've been writing this post because it humors me to think how lazy we both can be sometimes (clearly, I could do all three of these jobs myself or take care of them pre-overflowing, but that would mean effort and who has time for that?)

Oh... and on that note of being environmentally friendly, I also don't use cloth diapers (hence the diaper genie). That is still a sin (in the non-Biblical sense) in my eyes, but I know myself too well to even begin to believe that if I used cloth, there wouldn't be hundreds of poopy diapers lying around, unwashed (again, with the laziness/procrastination). I guarantee if I used cloth I would forever be without a clean diaper and always resorting to the disposables anyways. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I applaud all mothers who take the time and care to use cloth.

5 days till Christmas!

As previously mentioned, we're trying to be healthier these days in what we eat, which includes cutting out sugar as much as possible. Today, however, in a very serious tone, Tim said, "I'm really needing some sort of holiday sweet." I half reluctantly agreed to make some sort of Christmas cookie, but wanted to try a new recipe, so I turned to the mother of all crafts and baked goods - Martha Stewart. Outrageous Chocolate Cookies (found here) are what Tim decided on. All I have to say is.... this one's a fail Martha. Tim will probably love them, but I find them sickeningly sweet. Plus, I'm not a fan of cookies that have that hard outer "shell" and are all gooey inside. I should have gone with my initial idea of making chocolate chip banana bread.

Tonight Tim is at his workplace's Christmas party. We'd both forgotten it was tonight and I had all my ideas on how to spend the evening together once Jack was in bed not to mention I was in the midst of making him his cookies... and I'm not going to lie - we had a bit of a disagreement over the whole thing. I admitted I overreacted and made it into a way bigger deal than it needed to be... plus he had kind of sold me on the idea after talking up the gift card raffle that would take place. Things like "$500" and "win big" were some words he used, so I secretly joined him in his anticipation of what sorts of loot he'd get from this event. Maybe he would come home with an early Christmas present!!!!

He won a $10 gift card to Starbucks. Bahahahhahaha.

(not to seem ungrateful of course..... its two cups of coffee we didn't have before I suppose!)

Car.

We finally accepted the fact that Tim's Subaru is more of a money pit than a mode of transportation and decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy a new (used) car.

After hours and hours and HOURS of research on Tim's part, it came down to a couple models. We really wanted the Honda Fit but our price range just wouldn't allow us to get a decent one. So we settled, very surprisingly, on the Chevrolet HHR - a car neither of us expected to like. But in the end, it feels very solid and safe, has a lot of cargo space and is kind of a lot of fun to drive in.



This isn't the car, but its the same color and year. It closely resembles the PT Cruiser - which again, I don't think either of us would have said was our first pick - but we're happy with the car and (hope&pray) we got a good deal on it. So we're now a "Chevy Family" since I drive the Aveo. Chevrolet always makes me think about Ramona Quimby and how that is what she named her doll.

In other news, we've been playing a whole lot of Settlers of Catan - which I cannot, for my life, win a game against the boys.... though I was on a winning streak prior to this - as well as Killer Bunnies which Cameron taught us how to play. I bought it about a year ago because I'd played it once and liked it. But then Tim and I couldn't figure it out on our own so its just been sitting around, fielding resentful remarks and glares from its owners for costing so much and being too complicated to play. But now we are fans and all's well that ends well.