Finding time

Do you ever feel like you are so tied to your schedule that any disruption is almost impossible to overcome? I'm a scheduler, a planner. I like my plans. I like my routines. We live by them and sometimes I feel like we don't really live because of them.

I'm trying to be better with this. Since my children were born we have had a nightly routine. Dinner, playtime/homework, bath, books, prayers, bed. That is the routine. We eat at about 5:30, bath at 6:45, three books and prayers at 7:15 and then usually Alec is down for the count by 7:30. Zach reads quietly to himself until 8 or 8:15 and then he's asleep as well. This is our routine and it works for us. It works really well and I love that. But there are moments when I find myself avoiding activities at night because they would disrupt the routine. Yesterday I found myself NEEDING time with Mike. It was Sunday afternoon and we were supposed to spend the evening with friends from church. That was the plan, the routine, the order of the day. But I felt like Mike and I needed something different. I called our friends, Laura and Gene, and asked if we could change the plan. . . at the last minute (gasp, take a breath).

Laura and Gene were gracious and happy to watch our boys and, therefore, Mike and I had a spur of the moment dinner for two at a nice place downtown that had been on our to-do list for about a year or so. It was lovely and the boys had a ball.

Our evening routine was destroyed. We did quick showers instead of bubble baths for the boys and we only read one book instead of three. Alec didn't get to sleep until after 8 and it was closer to 9 for Zach. But you know what? They survived. Alec is a bit cranky today but it's not the end of the world.

I think I need to make a better effort to find time. To live in the moment and not in the routine. It's hard for me, but that makes it even more precious when I actually step away from the clock and look for the moment.

Fusion: a popular music that is a blend of two methods

The soundtrack of my life is a fusion of many musical stylings. There is the strumming of Mike's guitar along with the giggles of my children (in delicate harmony with their bickering), and now we have the melodious sounds of Zachary on the piano. He's doing great with his lessons and it makes me happy to hear him play. Music is definitely woven into the fabric of this family.

Favoring Father

When we were in San Saba at Mike's parents' home, Alec saw this photo of his daddy on the wall. He said, "Why is that picture of me on that wall?" I looked and did a little double take. It was amazing how much Alec looks like Mike did at this age! I've always

thought he favored the Stark side, but now I'm not so sure. I think I'm seeing his Stark orneriness and just applying it to his looks! What do you think?

Farm: Christmas in pics #3

It's not a trip home without some time out at the farm. The boys always LOVE their time exploring the pasture and doing boy stuff with Poppa Jim: driving tractors, feeding cows, peeing in the barn. I always love my photos from the farm. There's something about the lighting that looks so crisp.

Climbing on the gates is a must-do. Seeing baby cows is also a highlight.

This is Alec with Otis, Dad's barn cat. Otis is a girl-cat named after the drunk on the old Andy Griffith show. She's a really sweet cat. The boys love her.

Look out! Alec is at the wheel.

Nothing like making shadow puppets on the hay bales. That is just good, clean fun.

Are you tired of my pictures yet? Hope not! I've got more coming soon.

Family fun: Christmas in pictures #2

I've got about 250 photos from our Christmas travels. Yeah, I tend to get carried away. I remember when I convinced Mike that we would actually save money by purchasing a digital camera. "Honey," I said, "Just think how much money we'll save by not printing out all of those photos that aren't so great." Of course, when I used film in my camera, I only took two or three rolls of film on a trip. So. . . maybe 64 photos. Tops. Now I take about 250 and while I don't print them all, I usually find about 100 of them that are worth printing!


Anyway, I digress.


Today I want to show photos of my boys with their uncles and aunt. The first three pics are from my side of the family. Uncle Bo is my brother and Aunt Kristy is his wife. The last three pics are from Mike's side. Uncle Bud is Mike's brother..

Foam sword fun: Christmas in pictures #1

The boys got foam swords from Poppa Jim for Christmas. These $2 toys were probably the big hit of the season. They could whack each other all day long and never get hurt. They were also versatile toys that happily adjusted to whatever the imagination demanded: pirates, soldiers, knights, or even Star Wars guys. It was all good.

My favorite moment regarding the foamy swords was when Alec yelled, "I'm god! I'm god, Zach!" It took me a moment but after observing Alec's posture I realized he meant to say, "En gard" (my French is rusty so I'm unsure of the spelling). They had watched a Tom and Jerry episode earlier that day in which the mouse and cat fought with swords and said "en gard" many times. Alec was imitating. I had to try to explain why yelling "I'm god" was wrong on a couple of different levels.

Anyway, enjoy the pics.

Frugal

In August we turned off our Directv service and went without the tube for a few months. It saved us $50+ a month and helped us put some money aside for Christmas expenses. However, with the new move to digital tv next month (and my own love of college football bowl games and college basketball) we turned the satellite service back on yesterday. While I'm pleased to have my football and basketball again, I just hate spending so much on television each month! We honestly don't watch the tube much at all during the week.

Anyway, I need some frugal ideas on how to save that $50 in other ways. Anyone got a great tip for me?