common parenting problem for me

I wish I could sound as natural when giving some affirmation of virtue to my children as I do when I say something like, "That was hilarious!" or "You're a good eater!"

Why do I feel like I put on a Sunday school teacher voice when I talk about the most important subject matter??? Even if I am not Sunday school teacherish, I don't sound as authentic, you know? At least, it feels that way to me.

when do kids transition from saying "mommy" to saying "mom"???

Me: Miles, since when did you start calling me "Mom"? You're too young to be calling me "Mom".

Miles: I like calling you "Mom". I'm too old to call you "Mommy", I think.

Me: No you're not. You're a Kindergartner, for pete's sake. Avery didn't start calling me "Mom" until about two seconds ago. I like being called "Mommy".

Miles: I like calling you "Mom".

Me: You might like it, but I don't think it feels right.

Avery: Me neither.

Miles: Me neither...but I like it.

playing favorites

i'll be honest. i think i like my other blog better right now.

no raw emotions.
no drama.
no (self-imposed) pressure.
no need to remember a funny story accurately.

just pretty fabrics, spools of thread, crafti-deliciousness...ah....

it's like a new friendship. no expectations. just discovery.

talkin' with the boys in the car

Miles, noticing the concentration of churches downtown: Why is there one church right next to another church?

Me, unready to answer questions as usual: Well. Some churches believe different things and...

Avery: Our church is the MOST godly.

Me, ignoring that for now: wha? Oh. Um. And some churches just have different styles. I mean, some churches have different music styles and some churches are really formal and some are really casual...

Miles: Yeah. Like our chaplain at school is REALLY casual, because he says, "Thanks, God for this day...instead of Thank YOU, God."

nothing says "i love you" like a meatloaf. no, really.

After the sprain, I know some of my out-of-town friends felt badly they couldn't do anything to help. But may your hearts be warmed by the fact that not only did Molly and Abraham hook me up with this fine personalized meatloaf (really, you two should publish this recipe and challenge any non-meatloaf eaters to try it!!! it was delish!). Josh and Sara brought a pan of their fabulous mostacolli and bread. And Marty did indeed have our friend, Tiffany, deliver a full-to-the-brim bag of Trader Joe's goodies. I might be forgetting some other kindness that came my way, but the point is that I was taken care of. God is good.

(Now, I hope this is the last time I mention the ankle, because even though I'm not trying to, I feel like I'm milking it somehow!!)

oh. side note/question: Is it a St. Louis thing to pronounce mostacolli something like musk-uh-cho-ly??? I'm trying to figure out if I have a legitimate roots to my mispronunciation.

a blog on the side

i started a sewing blog. so. i'll put all my crafty stuff over there and stop buggin' you non-crafting, fabric haters.

it started as an easy way to show a customer a cover-up. and it blossomed into this. (about an hour ago.) i imagine many of the post titles will be like, "yeah, ingrid, i thought you might like these" or something like that.

hey, if you go over there, feel free to give me a suggestion for a blog title. i just couldn't come up with anything catchy.

me and the boys talkin'

Me: Y'know, you two are very different, but...

Miles: I KNOW we're different. Avery could hit a ball over the house when he was three. And I don't even think I could hit one over the house NOW?!

Me: Yeee-ah. That's probably right, Miles. Avery's always been into...

Avery: Sports!

Me: Yep. Never did like art or drawing. All little kids make scribbles when they are little, but a lot of kids would show you their scribble and say, "Look, it's me 'n Gramps at McDonalds." But, when I asked Avery to tell me about his picture, he just looked at it and said, "I know don't know...lines and dots."

Avery laughs, amazed at his candor: Really??

Me: Yes, really.

i'm not a steady eddy

I get things done in bursts. The gimpy ankle is not conducive to my habits. Everything takes so much longer than it used to.

Oh, how I wish I could be a steady eddy, whose every stride is some modest accomplishment, which accumulates over the course of the day into some triumphant crossed-off to-do list.

if you really want to know what's been on my heart for the last 24 hours

Psalm 22:6
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave himself for me.

Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Philippians 4:5
Let your reasonableness be made known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.

Matthew 16:25
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

i hopped on the computer to do something else, but my desire to write a "brain dump" cannot be overcome

I really have a lot to say, but I don't want to overwhelm you with bulky paragraphs. I will try to be brief.

Relationships:
I think I have a habit of inadvertently making people feel insignificant. I hope it's not true, but if it is, I don't know what to do about it.

Reading the Bible:
I want to do this everyday this year (well, not just this year...). What I read affects what I want. That can be good...or dangerous.

Christmas:
I'm trying to figure out why I dreaded (and would have avoided) Christmas this year. That's not to say I wasn't excited to see my parents and aunts and uncle who visited. I highly anticipated that. But, Christmas, the gifts, the traditions...it's shameful for me to admit this so blatantly, but I could have skipped it.

Avery:
My hopes for him range from incredibly superficial (Please, Lord, give him another front tooth!) to desperate pleading (Lord, save him!!! I want to see him satisfied in You!). On a somewhat separate note, I've learned that he's just not that expressive and I need to stop faulting (and sometimes loathing) him for his communication style. I know I sound harsh, but maybe the next category will clarify...

(my) Emotions:
When I communicate how I feel about something, I am NOT making the statement that this is how I SHOULD feel about it. What I usually mean is, "I'm feeling _______, but I know that's not right and I need to change." Recently realized that Brent is totally different. (You're all saying "duh".) And so when he hears me say, "I'm feeling ________." He thinks I mean that the circumstance needs to change...not me. Nope. I need to change.

the Ankle:
Feels so much better. Still can't walk normally, still need the brace, but don't necessarily need crutches. Had company over last night and was honestly embarrassed that I was neither nimble nor quick!

New Year's Eve meal:
Chipotle + a margarita = a colon cleanse, I think. Hm. Maybe we should submit the bill to Health Partners.

New Year's Eve company and games:
Games + three couples who love games = lots and lots of hilarity. Learned a new game. If I can find a directions online, I'll link here. It would be worth your time. I'm addicted. I want to play right now.

Fiction:
hm...I've written a post about the latest thing I read. I need to edit it and see if I want to post. I love fiction. I can finish novels. It's impossible for me to be too careful about what I feed my brain, though. Seriously. I think it can send me into a spiritual coma or something. And I don't think the solution is a buncha Christian lit. I could use a list of tried and true novels that won't pollute my mind.

the blog:
How much can I reveal in my heart without feeling overly exposed? And...why do I even have a blog? I mean, I just meant it to be a virtual scrapbook and now it's like some Christmas letter with too many random details that never ends...

Speaking of Christmas Letters...
I didn't send out Christmas cards this year. Fits in with the inexplicable Christmas-dread thing. I've thought about doing a New Year's card, but I can tell already that I probably won't follow through with it.

Ending this post:
I have to do it somehow. How about abruptly?