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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Quick Takes

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My brother and sister-in-law welcome their 3rd child, and first little BOY, Scott Brian Jr.! He's just SO sweet, cute, and tiny! Of course, at 7lbs, 5 ozs he's a good healthy size. It's just that next to my 8 month old... well, we moms are quick to forget just how tiny they enter the world. He's precious and we are proud to have the cutest newborn as our nephew and neighbor.

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Wednesday evening I had a wonderful ladies' night out with some dear friends. We saw Julie and Julia which was really cute. I recommend it, as it was lighthearted and fun with a sweet storyline. I will admit it would never have been my choice, and I am happy we saw it. One thing I really liked was the old-fashioned "fade-out" scenes - a very much in-love husband and wife start kissing and cuddling and the the light turns off. No offensive graphics, just the suggestion of marital love. I appreciate that simple choice that just contributed to this movie's sweetness. Looking for a refreshingly uplifting story? I'll give it a few stars :)

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Bella is turning into an incredibly observant child and sometimes responds with a sensitivity that shocks me. I was having a *cough* rough day earlier this week and sat down and covered my face for a quick moment. Bella runs over to me, throws her arms around me and says "Don't worry, Mommy. I'm here, it's ok." Talk about an attitude 180 degree attitude change.

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A friend from college with whom I keep in touch via Facebook is considering signing out, citing her lack of housework and participation with her children as her reason. I understand. It has been a huge distraction many days to "just check in for a few minutes" when I really should be giving the kids full attention. There have been times when say, the baby is carefully, painstakingly removing all wipes from the tub and the toddler is, say, using all of them to wipe her own bottom. I am not going to quit Facebook because having friends all over the country is it an easy way to keep in touch. I am interested how others time-manage their computer. I've settled into a better pattern which seems to work for me and my kids, but I'm still open to suggestions.

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As I mentioned last week, I have been trying to do a better job at taking care of myself first thing in the morning. Life has improved dramatically. One day this week I was having a miserable, emotional, impatient day and it hit me - I had not eaten a well-balanced breakfast. I had eaten a granola bar and did not feel hungry, but my mood was out of control. Lesson learned, I hope.

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Potty-training successes: 1 day completely dry, including nap! The very next day found me doing a lot of carpet cleaning. *sigh* oh well. It's coming along and she's doing great consistently getting better, but it is not a 24-48 hr process. I'll get over it.

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Anastasia is sleeping great, eating great, growing well, and developing quite a temper. I'm shocked. I have no idea where she gets that. When Bella hit the separation awareness and screamed for me whenever I set her down or walked away, I worked on it gradually like is generally recommended - talk to her, show her you're still there, but don't actually pick her up again. It worked beautifully and she learned she could chase after me to find me again. Anastasia starts screaming and immediately Bella runs to make her happy. It warms my heart and works beautifully, and Anastasia is no closer to entertaining herself or falling asleep for naps than she was a few months ago. I guess that's the beauty of siblings!

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Happy weekend!

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