No, not all Christians. And for the record, I still believe in God, although sometimes I wish I didn't.
Let me explain. Last night I commented on a friend's status (it doesn't matter what it was about) and was thereafter notified when someone else commented. Upon reading some of the comments (that were not necessarily directed towards me) I found myself loathing Christianity as a whole. Not God, not Jesus, but the religion in general.
It took me many, MANY years of self-discovery, insight, and humbling myself before I announced myself as an out-of-the-closet Christian. Meaning, I didn't care what anyone thought about me for my beliefs (although, there were times where I was overly defensive).
Fast forward to this year when there were many hot-button issues that were surfaced during the election. My Facebook news feed overrun with "morals" and "if you vote for this person, you are not a christian," "Oh, I feel sorry that you are not morally sound, I will pray for your children".
That last one is not a direct quote, but whatever the exact wording may have been, this was the implication. That was when I became furious.
I'm what I guess you would call a "liberal" Christian. I don't force my children to study the bible (although they like to read it and ask questions). If they have questions about other people's religions or lifestyles, I make sure to let them know that the other people are not wrong, they are simply doing what they think is best for their families, just as we are doing for our family. If they came to us one day and said they chose to be a different religion or they are gay, we wouldn't preach at them or tell them they are wrong. We would simply accept it and move on. I believe that Jesus taught love and tolerance above anything else. Something that is lacking, in my opinion, these days.
I had a someone recently tell me that when his wife says "I love you" during an argument, it's almost always followed by, "But". "
"I love you, but....."
He said that he wished she didn't do that because it felt like it voided the "I love you".
This is how I feel some Christians are about lifestyle choices.
"I love you, BUT I won't tolerate your lifestyle."
I understand that there are some cases where this is honestly the best thing to say, like during an intervention or something.
But, can you imagine hearing that over and over again? It takes it's toll after awhile, y'all.
How can you expect these people to want you in their lives, if you can't accept them as they are?
Okay, so you guys remember my blog about a nagging wife? Well, I feel like no matter how hard I try and no matter how far I've come, I have all of these nagging wives pecking at me from all sides about how I'm damaging my family because I'm not a good Christian.
Well, folks, what happens when you have a wife that nags at her husband, always telling him he's not doing enough, never encouraging or supporting him? He holds resentment and wants to get away from her as fast as possible.
That's where I'm at right now. I want to run as far and as fast as I can. I'm actually LOSING my faith because of people who think they're saving me from my sins. I'm pretty sure that's the opposite of their intent. And I'm sure I'm one of thousand who feel this way.
Do you want to know what finally made me decide to change my heart towards God? Women who lived by example of what I was striving for. They didn't punish me or judge me, they just went about their day secure in who they were. They didn't throw scripture in my face. They taught me the morals of the bible by how they acted, not by damning me.
So, as a former atheist who is now a Christian, let me tell you that the best way of "saving someone" is to just live your life and set an example. Because quite frankly, making people (WHO ACTUALLY DO BELIEVE) feel terrible about themselves is sure not going to change the heart of someone who doesn't believe. Let God work in their hearts. That is NOT your place.
I do expect to get some hate about this, and that's fine. I'm just telling you how I feel about what's going on with me. Thank you for taking the time to read.
*And for future reference, there will be very few blogs about religion on here.*
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Cleaning my Wedding Ring
Oh, sure, I've cleaned it hundreds of times. But as I stood in my bathroom this morning, something felt different as I scrubbed my wedding ring.
I've looked at my ring often and thought how beautiful it was. I thought about how much time Josh spent picking it out; How much thought he must have put in it. I remember back to the night when I first saw it, there in that little white box that still sits on my dresser. I've noticed the one, tiny flaw in one of the diamonds, that to most people would be an issue, but as I stood there looking at that flaw today, I realized this was much more than an imperfect diamond ring. This truly symbolized my marriage.
"Well, that's what a wedding ring is for, right?"
Of course, but it never struck me that way until today. I had always seen the band as a symbol to show everyone that this person was committed, off the market.
This last year has been one of the most draining, heartbreaking years of our marriage. There have been a lot of family changes, and it's been rough. We were never at a breaking point, but recently, we sat down and decided to re-evaluate priorities. It's so easy to slip into worries, both individually and as a family, and we hadn't checked in with each other in months. It's a slippery slope, folks, and we refuse to slide.
With this being a fresh observation, I was thinking about this last week's event while scrubbing away. As I looked at that flawed diamond, I realized that it was a reminder that all marriages are flawed. But that doesn't detract from this beautiful ring and what it represents. A ring is a circle. The circle can represent so many dynamics of a family- life, children, cycles. It's so small, but it takes a lot of pressure to bend it. But even then, it's only bent, not broken.
This time, I wasn't just polishing my ring, I was polishing the year's worth of guilt, resentment, anger, and loss from my marriage. As I looked at my fresh clean ring, I could see where the white gold was flaking off to show the gold underneath, and of course that one diamond. I knew it was vulnerable to the same things that tarnished it before.
It showed me that there is some damage that can never be undone, but that's all part of what makes my ring, MY ring. It shows the bumps in the road that has made it what it is. I'm grateful to be able to see those vulnerable places so I can remember to take better care of it, just as I should have been doing with my marriage.
From now on I will be cleaning my ring more often and remembering what makes it my ring- the road it's traveled, the damage it's been through, and how solid it still is.
-Heather
I've looked at my ring often and thought how beautiful it was. I thought about how much time Josh spent picking it out; How much thought he must have put in it. I remember back to the night when I first saw it, there in that little white box that still sits on my dresser. I've noticed the one, tiny flaw in one of the diamonds, that to most people would be an issue, but as I stood there looking at that flaw today, I realized this was much more than an imperfect diamond ring. This truly symbolized my marriage.
"Well, that's what a wedding ring is for, right?"
Of course, but it never struck me that way until today. I had always seen the band as a symbol to show everyone that this person was committed, off the market.
This last year has been one of the most draining, heartbreaking years of our marriage. There have been a lot of family changes, and it's been rough. We were never at a breaking point, but recently, we sat down and decided to re-evaluate priorities. It's so easy to slip into worries, both individually and as a family, and we hadn't checked in with each other in months. It's a slippery slope, folks, and we refuse to slide.
With this being a fresh observation, I was thinking about this last week's event while scrubbing away. As I looked at that flawed diamond, I realized that it was a reminder that all marriages are flawed. But that doesn't detract from this beautiful ring and what it represents. A ring is a circle. The circle can represent so many dynamics of a family- life, children, cycles. It's so small, but it takes a lot of pressure to bend it. But even then, it's only bent, not broken.
This time, I wasn't just polishing my ring, I was polishing the year's worth of guilt, resentment, anger, and loss from my marriage. As I looked at my fresh clean ring, I could see where the white gold was flaking off to show the gold underneath, and of course that one diamond. I knew it was vulnerable to the same things that tarnished it before.
It showed me that there is some damage that can never be undone, but that's all part of what makes my ring, MY ring. It shows the bumps in the road that has made it what it is. I'm grateful to be able to see those vulnerable places so I can remember to take better care of it, just as I should have been doing with my marriage.
From now on I will be cleaning my ring more often and remembering what makes it my ring- the road it's traveled, the damage it's been through, and how solid it still is.
-Heather
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Ten Commandments of Irritation
Would you like to know what the best cure for a nagging wife/mom/sister is?
DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
Most of the time I absolutely LOVE being a stay-at-home mom. I work really hard to make my family's life flow easily, to make a nice, clean home for them to live in, to decorate the house to create a peaceful environment, blah blah blah. But how peaceful is it going to be when I'm nagging all the time?
Not peaceful at all.
When it was just Josh and Sawyer here with me, I didn't mind cleaning up messes and organizing. I loved cooking and doing the laundry. Heck, I used to wash curtains just to have something to do! Fast forward a year-and-a-half later, Sawyer is older and makes much larger messes, Sofia is older and making messes, and Isaiah is a teenage boy... need I say more? I do need to say he doesn't really make messes and he cleans his own laundry and room. You'll see his list in a few.
Hold on, let me go get my bowl of Kix with chocolate chips... This is gonna be a bumpy ride.
There are Ten solid rules that no matter how hard I try, they feel they must live by. So here are our Ten Commandments.
1. Thou shall fill up any open space on shelves, coffee tables, dressers, desks, etc...
This is a pet-peeve to the max for me. It's something we've struggled with since day one of our marriage. But here's the thing, I've realized it's not just Josh. It's the kids too!
"Hey, look at this beautiful shelf with home decor and color coded books! It's the perfect place to dump all of my crap!" I grew up in house with lots of extra stuff, so clutter drives me crazy! I don't even know what to do with half of Josh's stuff. He has (last I counted) 8 pocket knives. What do I do with those? Not to mention the screwdriver, watches, packs of gum, trash, receipts, and other crap. It's too much! There's a place for all of those things! And the kids.... Apparently toys don't belong in their rooms in the toy boxes that are available. Nope, they go on the coffee table.
2. Thou shall throw all laundry anywhere but the hampers.
I have to admit, I do it too, but I'm also the one who cleans up the messes. I know, "lead by example", but I have to lead by example so much, I figure I should get some slack with laundry.
I find laundry under the couch, in bathroom floors, under beds, once I even found clothes in the freezer. (I'm guessing Sofia did that.) If a hamper is not available, make a pile where the hamper usually sits.
3. Thou shall half-ass all homework and chores.
I understand hating homework and chores as a teen. Hell, I still do. However, they are necessary evils. If I ask you "Did you do your homework?" what I mean is, "Did you do all of your homework, to the best of your ability, don't lie to me." Also, chores.... If you know I'm going to check, wouldn't you do it right the first time? Or at least not lie about doing it? YOU KNOW I'M GOING TO CHECK! You're going to get caught! I don't understand it.
4. Thou shall proceed to flip out at Heather if something gets lost.
Here's the thing... If YOU lost it, I can't guarantee I'll find it. I'm not in charge of your phone, toy, homework, etc.... I already have enough to do besides find your stuff.
5.Thou shall hover over the cook in anticipation of food.
Back off... I'll let you know when dinner's done. I always have, I always will. Company in the kitchen is welcome, but do not get within 3 feet of me. ( Unless it's for a hug or kiss. I never get tired of those.)
6. Thou shall yell at the person who wakes you up in the morning.
I don't want to wake anyone up in the morning unless I have to. I would rather let everyone sleep while I drink my coffee and blog or watch my shows. I'm doing my family a favor by making sure they get to their respective places on time. I cringe when I flip the boys light on because Sawyer yells almost every morning and Isaiah gives me the go-to-hell look. I would rather throw a pillow at Josh and run, then leave the house for an hour so he can wake up. I have NEVER met a person who hates mornings so much. I try and wake everyone up in the nicest, calmest way possible, but when I'm telling you for the third time to get up, I lose my patience. So, can you guys just make it easier on me, please? After all, the only thing I'm asking you to do is wake up.
7.Thou shall get annoyed when a bill is forgotten...
...or when anything is forgotten for that matter. I have a lot going on in my head, I can't remember everything, and yes, that unfortunately includes important things sometimes. I understand people getting frustrated in that situation, but getting annoyed isn't going to make it better. A simple, "I understand, you have a lot on your plate. Would you like me to do it?" Or, "Mom, it's okay, we can take care of it." would help the situation so much! Most likely, I'll turn your offer down out of pride, but then I won't feel like I need to get defensive.
8. Thou shall only focus on the things that aren't done.
Laundry? I hate folding it. However, silver lining? It gets washed! There's so much that I get done in one day, but it's easy to not see what did get done and focus on what didn't. Josh is super awesome when he understands that I've done a project instead of cleaning. I was productive on something different that day. Good job! Mix it up! The kids however, are a different story. "Mom! You didn't wash my footie pajamas!" Sawyer completely ignores the other 10 pair of pajamas he has clean. "Mom! You didn't find my show and tell toy!" "Son, that's your responsibility."
9. Thou shall get annoyed when errands must be run.
I hate doing them, too. But they have to be done, sometimes by myself, sometimes with Josh, sometimes with the kids. Being huffy about it, puts me in a bad mood when I already was dreading it as much as you were.
10. Thou shall get into everything that does not belong to you.
Today I have gotten onto people for getting into my:
Paperwork
Phone
Candles
Food
Bedroom
Paint (Sofia drank it. After an ER visit and a cute picture of her covered in blue paint, she's a-okay.)
and Scissors
I have few things that I get to myself. If I tell you not to touch it, that's because it's MINE. A mom has to put up boundaries. Mine were crossed today and I'm still grumpy about it.
So there are our Ten Commandments... What are some of yours?
-Heather
DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
Most of the time I absolutely LOVE being a stay-at-home mom. I work really hard to make my family's life flow easily, to make a nice, clean home for them to live in, to decorate the house to create a peaceful environment, blah blah blah. But how peaceful is it going to be when I'm nagging all the time?
Not peaceful at all.
When it was just Josh and Sawyer here with me, I didn't mind cleaning up messes and organizing. I loved cooking and doing the laundry. Heck, I used to wash curtains just to have something to do! Fast forward a year-and-a-half later, Sawyer is older and makes much larger messes, Sofia is older and making messes, and Isaiah is a teenage boy... need I say more? I do need to say he doesn't really make messes and he cleans his own laundry and room. You'll see his list in a few.
Hold on, let me go get my bowl of Kix with chocolate chips... This is gonna be a bumpy ride.
There are Ten solid rules that no matter how hard I try, they feel they must live by. So here are our Ten Commandments.
1. Thou shall fill up any open space on shelves, coffee tables, dressers, desks, etc...
This is a pet-peeve to the max for me. It's something we've struggled with since day one of our marriage. But here's the thing, I've realized it's not just Josh. It's the kids too!
"Hey, look at this beautiful shelf with home decor and color coded books! It's the perfect place to dump all of my crap!" I grew up in house with lots of extra stuff, so clutter drives me crazy! I don't even know what to do with half of Josh's stuff. He has (last I counted) 8 pocket knives. What do I do with those? Not to mention the screwdriver, watches, packs of gum, trash, receipts, and other crap. It's too much! There's a place for all of those things! And the kids.... Apparently toys don't belong in their rooms in the toy boxes that are available. Nope, they go on the coffee table.
2. Thou shall throw all laundry anywhere but the hampers.
I have to admit, I do it too, but I'm also the one who cleans up the messes. I know, "lead by example", but I have to lead by example so much, I figure I should get some slack with laundry.
I find laundry under the couch, in bathroom floors, under beds, once I even found clothes in the freezer. (I'm guessing Sofia did that.) If a hamper is not available, make a pile where the hamper usually sits.
3. Thou shall half-ass all homework and chores.
I understand hating homework and chores as a teen. Hell, I still do. However, they are necessary evils. If I ask you "Did you do your homework?" what I mean is, "Did you do all of your homework, to the best of your ability, don't lie to me." Also, chores.... If you know I'm going to check, wouldn't you do it right the first time? Or at least not lie about doing it? YOU KNOW I'M GOING TO CHECK! You're going to get caught! I don't understand it.
4. Thou shall proceed to flip out at Heather if something gets lost.
Here's the thing... If YOU lost it, I can't guarantee I'll find it. I'm not in charge of your phone, toy, homework, etc.... I already have enough to do besides find your stuff.
5.Thou shall hover over the cook in anticipation of food.
Back off... I'll let you know when dinner's done. I always have, I always will. Company in the kitchen is welcome, but do not get within 3 feet of me. ( Unless it's for a hug or kiss. I never get tired of those.)
6. Thou shall yell at the person who wakes you up in the morning.
I don't want to wake anyone up in the morning unless I have to. I would rather let everyone sleep while I drink my coffee and blog or watch my shows. I'm doing my family a favor by making sure they get to their respective places on time. I cringe when I flip the boys light on because Sawyer yells almost every morning and Isaiah gives me the go-to-hell look. I would rather throw a pillow at Josh and run, then leave the house for an hour so he can wake up. I have NEVER met a person who hates mornings so much. I try and wake everyone up in the nicest, calmest way possible, but when I'm telling you for the third time to get up, I lose my patience. So, can you guys just make it easier on me, please? After all, the only thing I'm asking you to do is wake up.
7.Thou shall get annoyed when a bill is forgotten...
...or when anything is forgotten for that matter. I have a lot going on in my head, I can't remember everything, and yes, that unfortunately includes important things sometimes. I understand people getting frustrated in that situation, but getting annoyed isn't going to make it better. A simple, "I understand, you have a lot on your plate. Would you like me to do it?" Or, "Mom, it's okay, we can take care of it." would help the situation so much! Most likely, I'll turn your offer down out of pride, but then I won't feel like I need to get defensive.
8. Thou shall only focus on the things that aren't done.
Laundry? I hate folding it. However, silver lining? It gets washed! There's so much that I get done in one day, but it's easy to not see what did get done and focus on what didn't. Josh is super awesome when he understands that I've done a project instead of cleaning. I was productive on something different that day. Good job! Mix it up! The kids however, are a different story. "Mom! You didn't wash my footie pajamas!" Sawyer completely ignores the other 10 pair of pajamas he has clean. "Mom! You didn't find my show and tell toy!" "Son, that's your responsibility."
9. Thou shall get annoyed when errands must be run.
I hate doing them, too. But they have to be done, sometimes by myself, sometimes with Josh, sometimes with the kids. Being huffy about it, puts me in a bad mood when I already was dreading it as much as you were.
10. Thou shall get into everything that does not belong to you.
Today I have gotten onto people for getting into my:
Paperwork
Phone
Candles
Food
Bedroom
Paint (Sofia drank it. After an ER visit and a cute picture of her covered in blue paint, she's a-okay.)
and Scissors
I have few things that I get to myself. If I tell you not to touch it, that's because it's MINE. A mom has to put up boundaries. Mine were crossed today and I'm still grumpy about it.
So there are our Ten Commandments... What are some of yours?
-Heather
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Where Have I Been the Last Few Days?
I've been on my flippin' iPhone.
These things are the devil. I have been ridiculously absorbed in the phenomenon that is the iPhone.
I've been going "free app" crazy and playing ridiculous games. One in particular is the My Little Pony game app. (Of course!) It's not a bad game, but since all of my friends hate MLP, I have no one's Ponyville to visit, so I'm just sitting here collecting coins. Now it's boring.
Saturday we went to the Discovery Center in Springfield. I love when the kids get to go to educational places to have fun, but by the time Josh and I got home, we were crabby and exhausted!
This morning I've lost my husband to the deer woods. He came home from Wal-Mart last night and was acting kind of cagey. I asked what he had bought and he said, "nothing". I pushed farther and he said, "I have a deer call and a bottle of pee in here! Okay?!" Of course then we cracked up laughing. He left here at about four this morning, but then an hour and a half later I got a text from our friend, Lisa (he's hunting on her land) that asked where he was. I started panicking because he should have been there already. I don't know if you guys do this, but when I don't hear from Josh or I can't get a hold of him, my mind goes straight to the worst things. "Is he dead? Was it a wreck?! Did he get lost in the woods? Was he really going hunting?"
It's stupid, guys! I do this ALL the time. It turns out he was just asleep in the car outside. I hope he doesn't fall asleep in the woods.
So, that's where I've been.
Happy whatever-ing!
Heather
These things are the devil. I have been ridiculously absorbed in the phenomenon that is the iPhone.
I've been going "free app" crazy and playing ridiculous games. One in particular is the My Little Pony game app. (Of course!) It's not a bad game, but since all of my friends hate MLP, I have no one's Ponyville to visit, so I'm just sitting here collecting coins. Now it's boring.
Saturday we went to the Discovery Center in Springfield. I love when the kids get to go to educational places to have fun, but by the time Josh and I got home, we were crabby and exhausted!
 |
 |
| My niece, Cassie about to be nommed |
 |
| Sofie trying on "alien eyes" |
It's stupid, guys! I do this ALL the time. It turns out he was just asleep in the car outside. I hope he doesn't fall asleep in the woods.
So, that's where I've been.
Happy whatever-ing!
Heather
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Things I'm Obsessed With: Nerd Edition
Those who know me, know I'm a bit of a geek/nerd/ dork... whatever you want to call it.
So, I thought I would share some of my obsessions with you today.
First, we have Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr. Bean)
I LOVE this man. I would have easily dated him before I was married. He's hilarious and he's not afraid to make fun of himself, two things that make a man incredibly attractive to me. A bit different, I know. But who loves cookie-cutter men?
Up next is My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
This is a fandom that I couldn't even imagine would have grown as large as it did. I have been a fan of My Little Pony since Gen 1, but this generation of ponies is, in my opinion, the best! Whenever I'm having a bad day, a few episodes of ponies is the cure-all. They're so positive, but in a hilarious way. Not to mention, they throw pop culture references in the episodes. Legit. Pinkie Pie is my favorite by far! Can a female be a "Brony"?
This last picture is a great segue into my next obsession.... Dr.Who.
I was introduced to this show only last year, but it has taken over my Facebook. You can't really explain Dr.Who. It one of those shows that you have to watch to understand the depth behind it. It's hard to believe there's anything deep about it when the monsters are so cheesy, but if anything, you can watch it just to see David Tennant!
Next, cult classic movies- The dark kind.
I want my kids to grow up as twisted as I am, so they don't look at me like I'm crazy. Therefore, I must expose them young. Since the beginning of Summer, we've been watching...
Edward Scissorhands-
The Labyrinth- David Bowie, another man I would have loved to get my hands on...
And The Dark Crystal-
Of course there have been more, but I can't think of them right now.
Then we have Self-Help books.
Not those "breathe deep and think happy thoughts'' books. More like insightful, sarcastic, relatable books. Everyone needs a dose of "I'm-not-crazy-and-the-only-person-who-feels-this-way" every now and then. A couple of my favorites have been...
Now we have a couple of websites.
First, Failbook.
It's people's fails on Facebook. Plus, there are NUMEROUS categories for fandoms, texts, parenting, dating, etc... This yet another thing that makes me deliriously happy. This site is almost ALWAYS open in a tab on our computer.
Next, iwastesomuchtime.com/.
One that I check periodically throughout the day. It's a mishmash of funny, sweet, silly memes, stories, and pictures. It not only makes me laugh, but sometimes the posts make you think. Love it!
So, those are my obsessions lately. I hope you're inspired to check some of these things out!
Happy obsessing!
-Heather
So, I thought I would share some of my obsessions with you today.
First, we have Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr. Bean)
I LOVE this man. I would have easily dated him before I was married. He's hilarious and he's not afraid to make fun of himself, two things that make a man incredibly attractive to me. A bit different, I know. But who loves cookie-cutter men?
Up next is My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
This is a fandom that I couldn't even imagine would have grown as large as it did. I have been a fan of My Little Pony since Gen 1, but this generation of ponies is, in my opinion, the best! Whenever I'm having a bad day, a few episodes of ponies is the cure-all. They're so positive, but in a hilarious way. Not to mention, they throw pop culture references in the episodes. Legit. Pinkie Pie is my favorite by far! Can a female be a "Brony"?
 | ||
| Dr. Whooves |
I was introduced to this show only last year, but it has taken over my Facebook. You can't really explain Dr.Who. It one of those shows that you have to watch to understand the depth behind it. It's hard to believe there's anything deep about it when the monsters are so cheesy, but if anything, you can watch it just to see David Tennant!
Next, cult classic movies- The dark kind.
I want my kids to grow up as twisted as I am, so they don't look at me like I'm crazy. Therefore, I must expose them young. Since the beginning of Summer, we've been watching...
Edward Scissorhands-
The Labyrinth- David Bowie, another man I would have loved to get my hands on...
And The Dark Crystal-
Of course there have been more, but I can't think of them right now.
Then we have Self-Help books.
Not those "breathe deep and think happy thoughts'' books. More like insightful, sarcastic, relatable books. Everyone needs a dose of "I'm-not-crazy-and-the-only-person-who-feels-this-way" every now and then. A couple of my favorites have been...
Now we have a couple of websites.
First, Failbook.
It's people's fails on Facebook. Plus, there are NUMEROUS categories for fandoms, texts, parenting, dating, etc... This yet another thing that makes me deliriously happy. This site is almost ALWAYS open in a tab on our computer.
Next, iwastesomuchtime.com/.
One that I check periodically throughout the day. It's a mishmash of funny, sweet, silly memes, stories, and pictures. It not only makes me laugh, but sometimes the posts make you think. Love it!
So, those are my obsessions lately. I hope you're inspired to check some of these things out!
Happy obsessing!
-Heather
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Let's Analyze.... Christopher Robin
A few weeks ago, my sister had mentioned to me that her oldest son (14) and daughter (13) had just realized that the characters from Winnie the Pooh were all in Christopher Robin's imagination.
They were floored.
I imagine that this was one of those moments for them that was similar to when they realized that Santa, the tooth fairy, and the Easter bunny weren't real. There was a slight shock factor, but an understanding as well.
By the time kids are old enough to realize the truth, they understand the purpose behind the story.
With this fresh in my mind, Sofia and I were sitting on the couch watching and episode of Winnie the Pooh where everyone forgot Eeyore's birthday and they were trying to make up for it.
This got me thinking... Kids replay events through play. I've heard Sawyer do this with his Hotwheels.
Could this episode have been Christopher Robin reaching out, hoping that someone would remember his birthday? I mean, we rarely see his parents and he has to resort to playing with stuffed animals by himself in the woods.
Now, that got me wondering, who do all of the characters stand for?
Here's my little gut-punch to your childhood.
Obviously we have Christopher Robin. A lonely, only child who fills his time creating elaborate stories using his stuffed animals to work out his emotional issues.
Kanga- CR's mother. In real life, his mother is absent most of the time. She's probably strict and absorbed in CR's step-father. So in CR's pretend world, she's loving, involved, and is a kangaroo. Kangaroos have a pouch in which their young stay close to them. Obviously something CR craves with his mother.
Roo- CR's sibling which was never born, eventually causing his parent's divorce. Roo isn't gender specific, because CR didn't care which gender his sibling would have been. He just wanted a sibling.
Rabbit- CR's bitter, grumbling, neurotic father who can never be the same after the divorce. He thrust himself into his garden as an obsessive way to ignore what's really going on in his life.
Owl- CR's step-father. A pompous, arrogant man who is cultured and thinks he always knows best. He cares very little about anyone but himself and makes people feel small to make himself feel better.
Gopher- The crazy grandfather. Enough said.
Pooh- A friend that CR made up to make himself feel empowered and confident. After all, it always makes us feel better to have a friend that we can correct and make feel little -"Silly old Pooh." - Sounds sweet, but is meant in a derogatory way.
Tigger- Tigger represents the childhood that CR should have had if infertility hadn't caused the divorce. He's bouncy, hyper, and has the speech of a three year old. He's everything that childhood should be.
Piglet and Eeyore- These represent CR's emotions that someone as young as him can't understand. Piglet is nervous and scared of everything (Wouldn't you if your whole life was changed?) He hides when someone knocks at the door and is cautious of everything. He's constantly wondering "What's going to go wrong now?" He's eager to please everyone and wants to tag along. Eeyore is the depression that stems from the loss that CR has endured. "What's the point? No one cares about me. Everyone forgot about me." There may even be feelings of masochistic nature. He does keep asking people to stab him with his tail.
There you have it, people. That sad, sad tale of Christopher Robin. I'm sure there's much more that can be analyzed with these characters, but I already feel evil for even crossing this line. I suggest you go and watch the older episodes of Winnie the Pooh and see what you think now.
Happy watching!
-Heather
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Yesterday, All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away....
Josh turned 26 yesterday! For some reason, 26 was a hard number for both of us to admit to turning. I have no idea why. I expected either 25 or 30, or both, but no, it was 26. He had to go to school and work, so we didn't get to do much. I used to try really hard to make his birthday amazing and special. Growing up, there were 7 kids in his family, so birthdays didn't get to be that special. But, over the years, other things have taken precedence unfortunately, like it does when we grow up. However, he did score some pretty cool presents!
I knew I wanted to get him Go Radio's new album. He listened to it almost every morning on YouTube, so that was an easy gift to figure out.
But that didn't seem like enough.
I went to our trusty threadless.com to find him some t-shirts. They had an awesome half off sale, so he was able to get two shirts for the price of one! Yay! for savings!
Sawyer actually picked out the designs this time and he was so proud of himself! Honestly, I was proud of him too, because he has great taste!
I can never wait until Josh's birthday or Christmas to give him his gifts, so he got them as they came in the mail.
Saturday, Sawyer and I went to a day event for our Cub Scout pack. He was having a blast until he got this weird rash and shortly after, a high fever. So he got to stay home from school yesterday and today. Of course he's mad that he doesn't get to go to school, so he's been grumpy at me all morning.
We are unexpectedly upgrading to iPhone now. Sofia gave my phone a bath either in a cup or the toilet- we'll just say a cup. Now it doesn't work and I've been without a phone for an entire day now. It seems like it would be more peaceful without one, but I'm constantly wondering, "Who's trying to call me? I don't have an alarm now! Was there anything on that phone that I needed to take off?!" I really hate change, but this is something we've needed to do for years now. I'm cheap, I can't help it.
I also voted yesterday as you guys know. What I didn't tell you, was that I had a slight panic attack when I got to the booth. Okay, to be honest, I had a moment in the car before I went in because I was afraid I would have a panic attack in the booth! Ridiculous! I panicked because I was worried about panicking?!
I was okay standing in line, but I froze when it came time to actually push buttons. I was afraid I was going to hit he wrong candidate and the jargon they use for the special issues confused me! I eventually got through it, but I felt like I was sweating bullets by the end.
Since I didn't have a phone, I had forgotten there was a committee meeting for Boy Scouts, so my sister showed up at my house to pick me up, but I had no idea what was going on. She reminded me and I got to spend the next hour-and-a-half hanging out with friends. I just love our scouts.
So, that was my Monday in a nutshell!
P.S. On the Go Radio album, there's a song called "Go to Hell" where they sing that exact line... LOUDLY. I happened to be driving home this morning listening to it with the window cracked when I had to slow down for a dog. I didn't notice the dog's owners standing in the yard when that line blared out the speakers. I got a "Who do you think you are look". It all just happened to happen so perfectly that it seemed like I was telling them to go to hell because their dog was in the road. I got a chuckle out of it, but they didn't.
Anyways,
Happy Tuesday!
-Heather
Monday, November 5, 2012
Breathe... It's Almost Over
Regardless of your political affiliation or opinions, I want you to vote. It's empowering to know that I have a voice (which is occasionally loud) when it comes to what happens in my community and country.
As I stood in the line waiting to cast my vote, I looked around and beamed from ear to ear. There were so many different kinds of people, young and older. I expect a large turnout from people in their mid-twenties and older to vote, but I saw an incredible amount of most likely first-time voters today.
It's not only an incredibly important voting year for our country, but for our state, city, and county as well. There were a lot of decisions to make and I'm confident in my vote.
There's been so much negativity towards our presidential candidates. I know there always is, I'm not jaded. And I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I would hope that you consider others feelings, opinions, religions, sexual preferences, and living preferences before you blast your opinion out there.
Regardless of who runs our country, we are all people, and we are all in this together. We are teaching our children that we were put on this Earth to help others, to live life to the fullest through helping others. Don't get lost in the silliness of politics, y'all. While they are important, remember to also focus on your home, your family, your friends, and neighbors. We can't completely control what happens in our capitol, but we can control most of what happens right in front of us.
Cliche, I know, but peace and love. They can't change everything in the world, but they can make this cruel place bearable.
Happy voting!
-Heather
Aprons.... Yes, a Bit Random
So, do you guys remember my multiple personalities post? Well, I'm here today to delve a little deeper into the "Bree" side of me.
We're going to be talking about aprons. Yes, I said aprons. I have an unhealthy obsession with aprons. Fortunately, I have the will power to not buy them often, because well. that's just not practical. I have a sweet cousin who found three vintage ones while thrifting and gifted them to me. Josh bought me one for my birthday a few years ago, and it's my go-to apron.
Now, it's definitely cheaper to sew your own, (and I WILL find the time to do so eventually) but since time is an issue for a lot of us, I'm going to introduce you to a wonderful website called Flirty Aprons. (This is not sponsored, I just love this site!) I forget where I stumbled upon them, but I'm glad I did! They have vintage looking aprons that are incredibly durable. I've had mine for three years and it's been put through a lot! Holidays, birthdays, cleaning, bbqs, you name it, it's been through it. Not to mention it's been washed often and has held up with no problems.
You should probably read the washing instructions. Instructions are something I'm not good at.
Here are a few of my favorite styles they offer. They also offer men's and children's aprons as well.
So, there you have it. Some awesome aprons.
Enjoy!
-Heather
We're going to be talking about aprons. Yes, I said aprons. I have an unhealthy obsession with aprons. Fortunately, I have the will power to not buy them often, because well. that's just not practical. I have a sweet cousin who found three vintage ones while thrifting and gifted them to me. Josh bought me one for my birthday a few years ago, and it's my go-to apron.
Now, it's definitely cheaper to sew your own, (and I WILL find the time to do so eventually) but since time is an issue for a lot of us, I'm going to introduce you to a wonderful website called Flirty Aprons. (This is not sponsored, I just love this site!) I forget where I stumbled upon them, but I'm glad I did! They have vintage looking aprons that are incredibly durable. I've had mine for three years and it's been put through a lot! Holidays, birthdays, cleaning, bbqs, you name it, it's been through it. Not to mention it's been washed often and has held up with no problems.
You should probably read the washing instructions. Instructions are something I'm not good at.
Here are a few of my favorite styles they offer. They also offer men's and children's aprons as well.
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| I just love these country looking ones! |
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| This is the one that Josh got me! |
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| And I believe Miss Sofia needs this one! How cute is that?! |
Enjoy!
-Heather
Sunday, November 4, 2012
First Days of School
This school year was a hard one. It was Isaiah's (Josh's brother who lives with us) first day of high school and Sawyer's first day of preschool.
I have to take a minute to describe Sawyer before I go any further. I hope I don't seem like I'm bragging, but I'm just in awe of this child. Josh and I can take very little credit for who he is becoming. Of course we've raised him, but he was born with this intense thirst for knowledge and his perspective on the world would have philosophers thinking, "Huh, I hadn't thought of it that way."
We often have conversations that are equivalent with adults and he taught himself to read (with some help of course) by age three. He reads Josh's MicroBiology and Anatomy books. He knows how to get on Google and type in what he wants to learn about, then find the articles and reads them. I have moments where I forget that he's four.
So when the decision to send him to preschool came up, we decided that he needed to be a bit more socialized (not that it's really a problem, he fits in with any age group that he's around) and he needed to get used to a classroom setting.
I was honestly fine with it, until the day before school started. I had a full-blown, honest-to-God panic attack. I was going to miss all of those moments where he taught ME about the world, the funny quips that he would come up with, the morning snuggles, you know- all of the good stuff. But, I knew what was best for him, and that was preschool. Fortunately, he got the most awesome teacher who not only was patient with him, but she teaches him the life-lessons that I would have. She values him as an individual... not just another child in the classroom. She tells me stories about him and she loves him. I couldn't be happier with our decision. It's rare to find a teacher like Mrs. Jolena. The kind of teacher who understands the magic in children and who appreciates them as PEOPLE, not just kids.
So, the morning of school, I had cried all that I could cry the day before, so all that was left was excitement. We snapped some pictures and off we went. I caught a video of him and when we got to school, he had no problem letting us go... just as we expected.
It was a long day waiting for 2:45 to roll around and I don't think I could have gotten in the car any faster. We get to the school, and he threw a FIT because he had to go home.... just as we expected.
He's doing great now, and Jolena has him help her out by reading to the class. He helps the other students with their work and when they're having disagreements, he steps in to help.
All of the kids love him and they all yell "Good-bye" to him when he leaves and some even come give hugs or fist bumps.
Don't put limits on your children. Let them surprise you with what they can do. Listen to them (REALLY listen) and see what their take on the world is. I believe that children are some of the best teachers in the world. I know I've been "schooled" by my two many times. Kiddos are people. They are better people than adults in my eyes. Treat them that way. They only have one childhood, so don't bog it down with anger, stress, and worry. Just love them.
*Steps down from soapbox*
Okay, so here are the pictures we snapped on our first day!
Happy School Days!
-Heather
I have to take a minute to describe Sawyer before I go any further. I hope I don't seem like I'm bragging, but I'm just in awe of this child. Josh and I can take very little credit for who he is becoming. Of course we've raised him, but he was born with this intense thirst for knowledge and his perspective on the world would have philosophers thinking, "Huh, I hadn't thought of it that way."
We often have conversations that are equivalent with adults and he taught himself to read (with some help of course) by age three. He reads Josh's MicroBiology and Anatomy books. He knows how to get on Google and type in what he wants to learn about, then find the articles and reads them. I have moments where I forget that he's four.
So when the decision to send him to preschool came up, we decided that he needed to be a bit more socialized (not that it's really a problem, he fits in with any age group that he's around) and he needed to get used to a classroom setting.
I was honestly fine with it, until the day before school started. I had a full-blown, honest-to-God panic attack. I was going to miss all of those moments where he taught ME about the world, the funny quips that he would come up with, the morning snuggles, you know- all of the good stuff. But, I knew what was best for him, and that was preschool. Fortunately, he got the most awesome teacher who not only was patient with him, but she teaches him the life-lessons that I would have. She values him as an individual... not just another child in the classroom. She tells me stories about him and she loves him. I couldn't be happier with our decision. It's rare to find a teacher like Mrs. Jolena. The kind of teacher who understands the magic in children and who appreciates them as PEOPLE, not just kids.
So, the morning of school, I had cried all that I could cry the day before, so all that was left was excitement. We snapped some pictures and off we went. I caught a video of him and when we got to school, he had no problem letting us go... just as we expected.
It was a long day waiting for 2:45 to roll around and I don't think I could have gotten in the car any faster. We get to the school, and he threw a FIT because he had to go home.... just as we expected.
He's doing great now, and Jolena has him help her out by reading to the class. He helps the other students with their work and when they're having disagreements, he steps in to help.
All of the kids love him and they all yell "Good-bye" to him when he leaves and some even come give hugs or fist bumps.
Don't put limits on your children. Let them surprise you with what they can do. Listen to them (REALLY listen) and see what their take on the world is. I believe that children are some of the best teachers in the world. I know I've been "schooled" by my two many times. Kiddos are people. They are better people than adults in my eyes. Treat them that way. They only have one childhood, so don't bog it down with anger, stress, and worry. Just love them.
*Steps down from soapbox*
Okay, so here are the pictures we snapped on our first day!
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| He was so proud of his backpack! |
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| Um, are you excited, Sawyer? |
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| Isaiah and Sawyer doing his best "surprised" face. |
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| Sawyer and Sofie |
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| All four of us. |
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| Cousins on their first day! |
-Heather
Kitchen Re-Do!
I'm doing some catch up blogs, because, well, I haven't been good about keeping up with my blog. So, the next few blogs will be of events past, but they're still relevant! I promise!
When we bought out house 4 years ago, a lovely older lady had lived here for 16 years. And in that time, not much redecorating or updating had been done. Josh and I love to look at houses for what they could be and what character they hold. This house was no different.
There were three rooms in the house that have begged for a re-do since we did our first walk through- the third bedroom (it had paneling and blue carpet), the master bathroom (it has yellow tiles on every wall 3/4 of the way up), and the kitchen.
Oh, the kitchen. I spent every day for a week solid after we closed on the house scraping 3 layers of wallpaper off. Of course, then I had to mud, sand, and repaint. The colors I had picked for the kitchen were a group of yellows, but, to be honest, I hadn't honed in on my decorating skills yet, so it looked pretty bad. They had drywalled off the space between the top of the cabinets to the ceiling, so we knocked that out to add height and storage. Some of it has been finished, but Josh is a really busy man so two of the above cabinet spaces have still not been mudded or painted. However, The rest of the kitchen has been updated!
I'm a sucker for two magazines- Southern Living and Country Living. They always have some kind of decor that I'm crazy about. I saw an article where they had taken the cabinet doors off and it left this wonderful open space to display your dishes as well as knick-knacks. You all know my love of junkin', so I had plenty to fill the spaces! We had lots of left over paint, so this cost me absolutely NOTHING! I don't have any before pictures, but I do have now pictures! And here they are!
I took off the cabinet doors and used primer white on all of the cabinets inside and out. If you look closely, you'll see a lot of my junkin' treasures and my jars of olive oils and flower petals (used for my perfumes and some cooking seasonings. We're using lavender on our Turkey this year.)
Here, I painted the walls and used the primer white again. I sewed together some burlap valances and hung my burlap tea holder. See that picture on the far right? My mom painted that. I need to do a post on her paintings alone. They're incredible. Also to the right is my infamous tea shelf. I typically have around 10+ different teas as well as my own mixtures on hand for different ailments. We still have some wood paneling that needs to have something done with it (you can kind of see it in the bottom picture).
Since I had everything on hand, this re-do was completely free (other than the two days of my life I'll never get back). I want you to get creative when you get the urge to remodel. Reuse and Repurpose! Not only is it good for the environment, but it's good for you wallet and creativity as well!
Happy re-dos!
-Heather
When we bought out house 4 years ago, a lovely older lady had lived here for 16 years. And in that time, not much redecorating or updating had been done. Josh and I love to look at houses for what they could be and what character they hold. This house was no different.
There were three rooms in the house that have begged for a re-do since we did our first walk through- the third bedroom (it had paneling and blue carpet), the master bathroom (it has yellow tiles on every wall 3/4 of the way up), and the kitchen.
Oh, the kitchen. I spent every day for a week solid after we closed on the house scraping 3 layers of wallpaper off. Of course, then I had to mud, sand, and repaint. The colors I had picked for the kitchen were a group of yellows, but, to be honest, I hadn't honed in on my decorating skills yet, so it looked pretty bad. They had drywalled off the space between the top of the cabinets to the ceiling, so we knocked that out to add height and storage. Some of it has been finished, but Josh is a really busy man so two of the above cabinet spaces have still not been mudded or painted. However, The rest of the kitchen has been updated!
I'm a sucker for two magazines- Southern Living and Country Living. They always have some kind of decor that I'm crazy about. I saw an article where they had taken the cabinet doors off and it left this wonderful open space to display your dishes as well as knick-knacks. You all know my love of junkin', so I had plenty to fill the spaces! We had lots of left over paint, so this cost me absolutely NOTHING! I don't have any before pictures, but I do have now pictures! And here they are!
 |
Since I had everything on hand, this re-do was completely free (other than the two days of my life I'll never get back). I want you to get creative when you get the urge to remodel. Reuse and Repurpose! Not only is it good for the environment, but it's good for you wallet and creativity as well!
Happy re-dos!
-Heather
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