Thankful Thursday # 5

Better Late Than Never!

1. Getting a $50 gift card for Jadon from our tax guy!  I sent him a birth announcement and thanked him for all his help over the years.  Who know you could have a relationship with your tax guy!
2. The swing and the movie Cars.  So far the only way I can get some time to get important stuff done.  You know like blogging!  Haha!
3. Cool mornings this week.
4. Realizing my fears and working to get over them.
5. Getting the apartment packed up before we actually move.  I haven't looked at the garage ~ scared too!  That is Josh's territory!
6. I packed away Jadon's clothes that are too small on him now and realized again how blessed we were from every one's generous gifts!
7. A supportive husband ~ he always has good things to say about me even if I find it hard to believe him sometimes.
8. Thankful Thursdays and Five Minute Fridays!  Blog ideas I don't have to come up with!
9. Reading the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.  I am thankful that there are people in the world that do so much good! Stones into Schools is the sequel to Three Cups of Tea.
10. Getting all of my volleyball articles in sheet protectors and organized!
11. Stuck to my menu for the week!

What are you thankful for?  Write your list and link up with Curious Georgi.

5 Minute Friday - New

From Gypsy Momma:

So, here’s the skinny: I keep thinking about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And so a while back I figured, why not take 5 minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.  No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation. Just painting with words. Finger-painting even.

For only five minutes.

I love that so many of you loved that idea too. So we gather here every Friday to compare our five minute masterpieces, in all their messy beauty. We just write, without worrying if it’s just right or not.

And this week, I asked on Facebook what we should write about. Two of you suggested, “New.”
You got it.

To paint your verbal picture and share it with us just:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Get a little crazy with encouragement for the five minuter who linked up before you.
 Start
OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes for the prompt:

New…

Possibilities come to mind.

Each day can bring new possibilites.  Possibilities to make someone happy.  Possiblitlies to start something for the first time or start fresh and go in a differrent direction.

Every day doesn't have to be the same ~ there are possiblities to meet new people, see or do something new, or look at the same things in a new way.

Possibilites should be exciting, but they can be scarry as well.  I am moving in a week to a community.  I am excited about the possiblities to meet the neighbors and other moms in the area.  I hope that I will be able to start new friendships that will be strong and true. 

STOP:

Click on the link below to see other 5 Minute Fridays at The Gypsy Momma.  Hopefully you will write your own!

Day 1 of Eat, Play, Sleep

In the months after Jadon was born, I read books and article on baby's sleep schedules.  Most said that after 3 months, babies start to consolidate sleep ~ they take fewer naps but sleep longer during those naps.  I loved the sound of that and thought about all of the things I would do during those longer naps!

At about 3months, Jadon started to take 2 - 3 hour nap in the swing and a few shorter naps.  Sometimes they were during the morning and sometimes they were later in the afternoon.  Cool, I thought.  He is starting to get into a rhythm. 

Reality check!  Schedule, what schedule? 

All of a sudden, the long naps stopped.  I have no clue why, they just did.  If he does fall asleep in the swing he only sleeps for about 30 minutes.  He is back to nursing through his naps.  I literally have to sit on the couch for 2 hours for him to get a good nap.  The second I try to get up to put him in his crib, he tries to start nursing again or starts crying as soon as his head hits the crib mattress.  This totally baffles me because when it is bedtime, I nurse him to sleep and put him down in the crib.  Most of the time he stays asleep, but even if he wakes he is able to go back to sleep on his own. 

I am going to try eat, play, sleep now that he is older and loves to play with his toys. I think he was about 2 months old when I met Candra (click her name for her blog) at the park and she told me a bit about it.  All I remember is the pattern, eat, play, sleep.  Apparently it comes from the Baby Wise book.  I am going to look into it more.

Thankful Thursday # 4

1. Good doctor's visit!  Jadon was all smiles for the doctor and was proudly showing off all the things he can do!
2. A great nurse gave him his shot - he didn't cry or even make a sound! I think he was showing off for daddy, but I will definitely request the nurse next time! 
3. I am not going crazy!  I put Jadon in his crib with his head to the left and when I checked on him his feet were where his head was!  Jadon had learned to move himself around on his back!
4. Josh having some time off between jobs to help start packing for our upcoming move. 
5. Starting to pack early.  Can you say paper plates and plastic silverware!
6. My parents have had their house up for sale for less than a month and looks like they will be singing a contract soon with a closing around the beginning of September.
7. I want a dining room set since my one Grandma gave me her china and the other one gave me her crystal. 
8. Jadon sleeping until 8AM this morning!
9. Moving causes me to look at all my stuff and decide if it is needed or not.  Lots of stuff going in in the trash and to Good Will.  Less is more! For the most part, I don't get attached strongly to stuff.
10. Morning routine - Josh gets Jadon and changes his diaper while I make coffee.  For some reason Jadon cries when I get him - I think it is because he sees me and wants to eat right away and doesn't want to wait for his diaper to be changed.

Whole

Whole is made up of many parts.

I feel more like a bunch of parts than whole and I have so many parts.  I have the wife part, the mommy part, the coaching part, the playing volleyball part, the running part, the naturalist part, the teacher part, and so many more parts that I feel I haven't found yet.  As I discover and live in those parts, the more complete and whole I feel. 

Some parts are more important than others.  The part that makes me whole or complete the most (excluding being a mom and wife) is the volleyball part.  I feel like I am totally alive when I am either in the gym, researching different volleyball philosophies, and creating practice plans.

Last week I was able to go to a high school pre-season volleyball tournament.  It was great because I got to see many girls that I have worked with over the years play all in the same place.  I brought Jadon with me and he was so good - I guess it was all those times I had tournaments when I was pregnant with him.  Not to mention that there were moms that were more than happy to love on him. 


Is there any way to combine my passion for volleyball and helping others? 

I am a fan of John Kessel at USA Volleyball.  He started a program called Leave a Ball Behind.  Basically, you either send/give balls to less fortunate groups so they can enjoy playing volleyball.  It seems trivial, why give these groups volleyballs?  Don't they need something more important?  Obviously needy kids need food, clothing, and shelter, but they also need someone to love on them.  Someone to make their day a little brighter. I think that knowing someone truly cares for them will give them hope, to allow them to be kids! 

I read Candra's blog Curious Georgi on this same topic and commented that I really didn't know what to do to help people become whole.  Well, I think I just figured it out.

I will be coaching for VolleyOne Volleyball Club starting this next club season.  I am hoping to run some ideas about the Leave a Ball Behind program to see if I can start it through their club.  Who knows where this could go?  It might even lead to a mission trip or two!

    



Link up to 5 Minute Friday and The Gyspy Mama by clicking below.

 

 

Thankful Thursday #3

1) Beautiful Crepe Myrtle Trees along my walking rout.
2) Safety First Comfy Seat Premier High Chair.
3) Resourceful husband.  He rigged a toy arch from the bouncy seat onto the high chair so Jadon can reach the toys.
4) Time to write this blog post thanks to the high chair and toys.

5) A very curious little boy.  I say that now, but what will I think when he is a toddler?

6) Getting in 3 workouts this week so far.

7) Being able to spend time with my parents this past weekend.  They live in Ohio but are moving to Nashville.

8) Italian Sweet Cream Creamer by Coffee Mate - my daily indulgence!

9) Being able to order pizza online from Jet's Pizza.

10) Riverstone Church - I love that the church has a private nursing room with the sermon on audio and that everyone understands how crazy it can be to try and take a almost 4 month old to church!

The Human Factor in the Benefits of Running

I was excited to see my Runners World Magazine September issue in my mailbox yesterday.  I read it cover to cover - I love the training tips, recipes, and inspirational articles.

Runner's World has a regular article called HumanRace which includes "news, trends, and regular runners doing amazing things."  In this issue the article "A Fresh Start" is featured.  It is about an all women's prison running club Running Free at Topeka Correctional Facility in Kansas. The club began in 2007 after a lot of convincing and held their first 5K race in May of 2007.  The club has held 17 races and has 80 members while none of the costs of this club comes from taxes payers and has actually raised $35,000 for charities!Running Free held its first marathon this past May.  Eight prisoners ran the matathon on the .8 mile loop!  That is 32.75 laps!  Amazing!

Co Founder Carol Hill is quoted saying, "I think of running as a metaphor for change."  And change has happened - none of the core members have had any disciplinary sanctions in the past year.

Also in the HumanRace section:

• Chris Heiert partnered with Cincinnati's City Gospel Mission to train addicts to use running as part of their recovery.
• Girl Scouts in Massachusetts created a patch girls can earn through running projects.
• Girls with Sole hosted a 5K for girls in the Cleveland area who have experienced abuse.
• Fit Girls is a club for 4th and 5th graders that combine running, reading, and kind acts.

Everyone knows the typical benefits of running: healthy heart and lungs, helps lower weight and cholesterol, reduces stress, etc.  It is great to see that running can do so much more - teach important lessons of strength and determination, how to cope with adversity, build self esteem through accomplishing goals, building relationships, and so much more.

Thank you to all of the creative and caring people who have started groups like the ones mentioned and for Runner's World for publishing such great stories!

Click below to go to the Runner's World site to check it out all the running info and to subscribe to the magazine!