Multitude Mondays - Week Twenty

341. catching up with old friends before the fall busyness begins

342. button-tab pants and shorts (They are the only reason I have anything to wear at 21 weeks pregnant. Why is this my third pregnancy and I still don't have any maternity clothes that fit that are in season?)

343. growing more and more confident in telling people we are homeschooling

344. a completed schoolroom... for right now (It is quite sparse, but we only need the basics for pre-k. I know we will accumulate more as the year goes on, including artwork, so I am trying to not get ahead of myself. It feels wonderful to have everything in place, though.)

345. two girls who still take naps (Olivia just gave up her morning nap. I have been letting her sleep in until 9am, though, to counteract this. Late, I know, but only 1 hour later than she was sleeping. At least they both take a good long nap in the afternoon. Mommy needs that time!)

346. having Daniel around a lot (Again, I know I said I hated his work schedule. I do. I hate the schedule of the days he works, but the days he doesn't work are wonderful. Out of a 28 day cycle, he has 14 days off. I'm sure you can imagine how much Daddy time we are getting right now. It has been so wonderful to see how much he is getting to bond with the girls, and I love having him around, as well.)

347. getting into a routine of my own, despite Daniel's work schedule (I know I have talked about before how badly I need my quiet time in the morning. It truly sets the whole mood for the day. It would be easy to accomplish if I would just go to bed at the same time every night. I have been praying about waking up early, and God recently told me I needed to be praying about going to bed early -- that is the key to it all. Shocker. I have managed to start getting in bed by 10:30, but I think to get up when I want to, I need to make it in earlier, around 10pm. Baby steps, though. Anything is an improvement, and I am already reaping the benefits.)

348. Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit (How do you underline in blogger??? This probably has been one of the best books I have ever read, only because I feel like it was written directly for me. Everything I have been struggling with is covered in this book, and have already learned so much. It has been the perfect book at the perfect time as we get ready to start this year. This year will be so basic for Emily, and perfect for me to get my feet wet. Outside of the educational aspect, I hope to learn this year to control my irritability, impatience, and frustration. This book has helped me realize that I need to alter some expectations that I have, and I couldn't be more excited to start the school year!)

349. free meals (We have been trying to be good and not spend much this month. We have really been feeling the hit of an increase in gas prices, our electric bill, and our water bill. It is always nice to get a free meal and luckily we got to have a wonderful Sunday dinner with Daniel's parents and his grandparents.)

350. memorizing scripture (I think Bible memorization is so crucial to the life of a believer. It is mentioned multiple places in the Bible about the importance of meditating on His laws and commands, but how can we do this is we are not familiar with the Bible? The more I plant to memory, the more God calls to mind at the exact time I need it. I have been reminded so many times in the past couple of weeks of biblical guidance and it is huge comfort to have an answer sitting in my head when I need it most. It develops a thirst to grow deeper and deeper in my faith every day, and I pray that my children will have the same experience.)

Chores

Since I am in the process of getting everything in my life in order, it was time to whip those kids of mine into shape, as well. They have to be useful for something, right? I kid... sort of. In all honesty, we are big on chores in this house, but it hasn't been until now that Emily could really start to carry some of her own weight around here. I knew she needed some sort of visual to remind her of all we expected, and I knew exactly where to go -- Pinterest.

A couple of months ago I discovered a new love. Pinterest. Have you heard of it? If you rely on the internet as much as I do, you absolutely must check it out! I have always read a lot of interior design blog, food blogs, and parenting blogs. I find so many great resources, but the problem is that there is no way to remember everything you read. I always star posts in my reader, but there is no efficient way of scrolling back through for all of those wonderful ideas. Or, I remember vaguely something I saw somewhere and I can never seem to track it back down. Enter Pinterest. Basically, you tag one photo from the article and it saves it to a bulletin board of sorts. That way, you can scroll through and look at one picture to remember a whole post. You can also type in a search term and see all the things other people have "pinned" to their boards. This is really my go-to website now. I have gotten the most amazing projects and recipes. It is a simple way to organize everything in my life that is online. Here is the link to my boards... http://pinterest.com/ecwetzel/.

Anyways, I knew they would have some great ideas for chore cards, and I was not wrong. I found a couple I liked, but ultimately settled on this idea. I was having some crazy problem printing, though, so I made my own based off of the above idea. I added two more cards that were needed in our life... feed Roxy and pick up books. I am quite happy with the results. Plus, I am utilizing some of the millions of dollars I spent on scrapbooking supplies in college that are now just sitting in our art closet. To make these extra durable, I am lamenting them.

Once I find a good home for them we will get started on our new chores. I can already feel some of my responsibility lifting! I will let you know how it all goes.

ps - When I was uploading this picture to the computer, I found so many other good pictures on my camera I had forgotten about. I guess that is what happens when you take such a long blog break. Looks like I have some blog posts to write.

Multitude Mondays - Week Nineteen

331. vanilla chai lattes (Coffee makes me sick when I am pregnant, so this is my go-to pregnancy drink. It is nice to have it back in my life again. This past week I have been making a cup, completing my Bible study, and still finding an hour to myself before the girls wake up. Can't ask for much more!)

332. a wonderful week of Daniel working days (Oh, goodness. Have I talked about how much I loathe Daniel's schedule? It needs to be a blog post itself. I keep praying and praying for a change of jobs, which should hopefully be coming soon. I think it is wreaking more havoc on my life than it is on his. This past week, he thankfully was working days, which means my life runs smoother. I can get up with him and start the day off right. When he doesn't work days, I end up sleeping late and I don't get any quiet time in the morning, which results to a bad day from the start.)

333. lemon water (I hate water. Absolutely hate it. Like I hardly even drink any, even when I am pregnant. I know, I know. I swore Emily was going to come out all shriveled up. Luckily she didn't and neither did Olivia. I am trying to make a conscious effort to drink more and luckily a little squirt of lemon juice makes it go down a whole lot easier. Lord, thank you for lemons.)

334. a new washer with a hand wash cycle (So, it isn't exactly new. It is a hand-me-down, but still a huge upgrade from out low-end pair we bought when we got married. I have been really wanting a washer with a hand wash cycle and this lucky girl finally got one!)

335. Getting passed down furniture from my mom (I am so excited. This week we are getting a media cabinet that will go in our study/schoolroom. This room have long been overlooked in our house since we moved in. We won't be using it for "media" reasons, but as storage. Once I get this piece in place, I can put the whole room together, which will be a huge relief. This room sort of makes me sick anytime I walk through it right now.)

336. visiting with my grandmother (My grandmother is definitely close to the end of her life, and I feel so blessed that we are now in driving distance. She has played such a huge part in my life and I am glad we get to see her more. Plus the girls love seeing her, as well, and I know she finds so much joy in listening to her great-grandchildren play right in front of her.)

337. Daniel's week off (Okay, so I know I said I hated Daniel's schedule. I do. The only perk, and I mean ONLY is that he gets one whole week off a month. I know. Crazy, right? This week we have so much planned and will hopefully get a lot done around the house. Definitely a blessing because I am sure that only having weekends off would mean less productivity in the house department.)

338. Our close friends from NC, the Boyle's, experienced a fire in their new house this past weekend. Unfortunately, they lost everything. As unfortunate as the situation was, I find it such a blessing that they all made it out of the house safely, especially given how fast the fire overtook their house. The Lord definitely had his hand in that situation, but when does he not?

339. Dinner with a long, lost cousin. (Tonight we are having a cousin of mine and his wife over for dinner. We practically grew up with each other and haven't caught up in a long time. I am really looking forward to their visit and getting to know his adorable wife. Plus, they are pregnant with their first child and due only a couple weeks after Wetzel #3 should be coming into the world.)

340. Only one child getting hand, foot, and mouth disease. No more explanation needed.

Getting organized -- cleaning

One of the biggest challenges I have had since becoming a parent is cleaning the house. I miss the old days when I could clean the entire house in one swoop. I knew that this wouldn't be possible anymore given the length of nap times, but what was the alternative? It is so difficult to find another way of doing things when the old way has become such a routine. Of course, add to the problem that our house is now 4 times larger than when we first got married, and I now have 4 more loads of laundry to do a week.

I started out just addressing the most glaring problems when I had a chance. This lead to us often realizing we had absolutely no clean clothes or the bathroom was beyond care. If I have time to clean one bathroom, it is going to be the guest bathroom, since that is the most used, but our bathroom was repeatedly getting looked over. I started to look online for a solution that would work for us. Unfortunately, we don't have the option for a house cleaner right now. (Someday, sigh.) I finally came to the harsh realization that I would be doing laundry and cleaning every day for the rest of my life. Okay, it's not as bleak as it sounds...

I like being organized and I realized I just needed to split everything up and assign it a day. Every morning when I wake up, I do one load of laundry. Getting in the habit of one load is so much simpler that having one day when I wash everything that this family wears. Less to wash and less to put away. I also have different areas of the house that I deep clean and declutter every day. I have to say, this has been amazing. Although I am cleaning every day, I find it takes me less time overall and everything stays clean. It really feels like only 15 minutes of upkeep, and then I am done.

The printables at simplemom.net have really helped keep me organized when it comes to a cleaning schedule. I love having lists to check off, so simplemom's mini docket was made just for me. If you are in need of some organization printables, check out the following sites...

Simple Mom printables (practical, basic solutions)

Design Finch printables (adorable designs, any kind of planner you would need)

Multitude Mondays - Week Eighteen

321. Getting closer to other women in Houston. (Geez, it takes long to make good friends in the civilian world! We knew a lot of people in Houston, but I want friends who I can see on a regular basis and are going through the same stage of life as me. I had a wise woman tell me that the key is to get involved in an organization and be on the leadership board. Slowly, I am getting to know some women in my mothers group and being involved has definitely helped. I am really looking forward to creating some lasting friendships.)

322. Getting back on my organizational kick. (It's amazing how much better I feel emotionally and how much smoother things run around the house when I am organized. I truly think it is the only way to stay sane with little runs running around. )

323. Conviction to homeschool. (I never, in a million year, thought I would be homeschooling my children. It is definitely something the Lord places on your heart and I cannot wait for this season of our life to begin.)

324. Having an opportunity to attend a homeschooling convention. (I had been waiting all summer for this. It was a smorgasbord of homeschooling options and helped me look into many curriculums I had been researching for some time.)

325. Attending a seminar for preschooling parents. (It was a wonderful way to get my heart in the right place and realize some of my expectations were set a little high. I feel more confident going into this year knowing what I learned from the seminar.)

326. Hearing Sally Clarkson speak. (Wow, this lady is vibrant! She is nothing like I expected. It seems like we had a similar college experience, which gives me motivation that I can somehow be a similar godly example and raise my children for His glory like she has. I really don't know any women like her, but if she could do it, so can I. If you are a young mother and ever need encouragement, I highly recommend reading any of her books.)

327. Playing outside when we can. (With the weather as miserable as it is, it is such a blessing to have a tolerable day outside every once in a while. We have particular enjoyed playing in the sprinkler lately.)

328. Olivia's curls. (I am not quite sure where they came from, since I had straight hair until I was in my 20's, but they are so sweet.)

329. Emily's sweet spirit. (It is a reminder from the Lord for me to be patient and really watch my actions. She wears her heart on her sleeve and can be hurt by even a wrong look, which makes me all the more cautious with my responses to both of my girls.)

330. Being on a tight budget. (We are doing a no spend month, which is exactly that -- no spending except on required items... food, gas, etc. That means no eating out, no shopping, no "but we really need this," because if it won't kill us, we don't need it. As difficult as it is, it is a blessing to take some time away from a consumer attitude and enjoy more family time.)

Multitude Mondays - Week Seventeen

Blessings never stop, and neither does being aware of them. I definitely let my Multitude Mondays slip by, but a friend has inspired me to start it back up again. I would previously sit down and write everything I could think about, but once I had two active kids on my hands, my list (and my blog) went to the wayside. My friend, Emma, has started her list writing 10 things every Monday. This is definitely a goal I think I can handle at this stage in life. Here it goes, once again...

307. little cuddlers (Olivia has turned out to be a cuddler that Emily never was. It is so heartwarming to have a little toddler draped across you.)

308. being a mom (I am taking more and more pride in this. It has been very difficult to come back to Houston where people put a different emphasis on how they live their life. It's like I am the crazy person who decided to have kids early. The good thing is that it has made me really look at my priorities and realize exactly why we are doing this. I definitely wasn't so aware of these ideals when everyone around me in the military had kids early, as well.)

309. the self-examination that has occurred in Houston (This goes along with 308. I have learned that being out of your comfort zone really can make you are stronger person who knows exactly where they stand.)

310. carrying on conversations with Emily after 3 years of delayed speech (We never thought it would happen.)

311. our house (I really love this house. There is a lot we want to do to it, but I feel it was made for our family and our style.)

312. air conditioning

313. my mothers group and getting involved in leadership (I really love the ladies, and I am excited about getting to know them better this year.)

314. being the service coordinator for MOPS (This is something I would have never done in the past, but is something the Lord has strongly been placing on my heart. He has been convicting me of the importance of getting my family involved in regular service opportunities so my children grow to have hearts for service from a young age. The leadership position fell into my lap after a conversation with a friend, and I am so excited about mobilizing other women and children to act, as well. I can't wait to share more on this blog!)

315. watching Emily do jig-saw puzzles (We were at my in-laws when Emily threw together her first jig-saw puzzle without any help. I was in shock. I, honestly, didn't realize she was to this point yet. Then I felt really bad for not having them around to challenge her. Since then, we have invested in a few and I love seeing her little brain working and realizing how much she is growing up.)

316. summer break (Not that we are really taking a break from anything, but we are acting like we are. More movies, less baths, playing at the pool, taking advantage of fun activities while trying to escape the heat as much as we can, and dreaming about fall weather that will never come to Houston. Most of all, realizing this is a break that will soon come to an end. We need a schedule back!)

317. our neighborhood pool (For a neighborhood pool, they really have a great place for the toddlers. I must take a picture to share. Only negative for me, it is completely in the shade. The vain side of me wanted to work on my tan at least a little this summer. Better for the kids, though.)

318. Daniel's job (I absolutely HATE his schedule, but I know it won't be forever. I am just trying to be grateful for the opportunity that presented itself so early after getting out of the Marine Corps, especially since it is in the field he wanted to get into. BP-Renewable Resources really is an amazing company to be working for. )

319. pedicures (Especially when the pedicure was after going over a whole year since my last one. Definitely a relaxing treat for tired mommies! Thank you Jan!)

320. An exciting week ahead (Going to an event tonight with some friends from church, seeing much missed family tomorrow, and going to my first homeschooling convention later this week. This blog is getting ready to turn into education central, and I can't wait to share more about the exciting year we have planned. I am just so thankful for the Lord working in my life!)

Okay, that was a little more than 10, but I wanted to round it off to a nice easy number to work with. It's good to the back and share all the things I am so thankful for. This really is a blessed life!

Olivia is walking (or so she thinks...)

As most younger siblings are, Olivia has been ahead of the curve (and definitely ahead of Emily) on most of her milestones. She started sitting up at 4.5 months and was crawling at 6 months. This was on average 2 months earlier than Emily. In keeping with this pattern, I was convinced that Olivia would be walking by 8-8.5 months. Well, 8 months came and went...

as well as 9 months,

10 months,

11 months,

and 12 months.

Emily wasn't really walking around much at all and then one day, she walked unassisted. Olivia on the other hand, has been very successful since about 8 months with walking around as long as she has a hand to hold on to. Let go, though, and she becomes as limp as a noodle in half a second. We are only a few days shy of her 13th month and I am convinced she will never walk by herself.

She recently learned a new skill, though -- walking on her knees. From the huge smile on her face, I think she actually believes she is really walking. Hmmmm. As you can tell from this video, Daniel gives her all the positive reinforcement she needs.

Maybe someday...