The Players (Part 2)

Photo Credit: JA Laub Photography

Scroll down for The Players post 1

This is my first born (by 1 whole minute)...my Lily.  Oh my, what can you say about Lily?  Lily is a piece of work (as my Dad would say).  My first clue should have been on the evening she was born.  The nurse came around to my room to check on me.  She peeked over at those two little bundles laying in the crib next to my bed.  "Oh my," she commented, "Baby A (Lily) is the most alert newborn I have ever seen.  She's just a couple of hours old and she is looking all around!"

I should have taken it as a warning.  This child is perhaps the most driven little person I have ever met.  She stays bruised, scraped and bleeding about 99% of her life. She has busted her lip, climbed out of her crib, tortured her little sister and plays a mean game of tug of war with the dog.  I love her spirit.  She is quick to laugh, her smile lights up a room and she has the cutest little toddler run that you have ever seen.

Aaron and I are determined to raise our twins as individuals rather than lumping them together as "the twins".  We are trying to learn the personalities of these little girls and then use this knowledge to bring out the best in them.  We want them to be all that God created them to be as individuals.  Sometimes that can be tricky when you are raising two at once - two going through every stage at the same time.  We try very hard not to compare...to let them blossom at their own rate.

Lily is so, so driven.  She reaches most physical milestones first out of sheer determination.  I watched her will herself to crawl, then walk, then run!  She literally went from taking a couple of shaky steps to running in a few days time.  I have learned that she is fiercely independent.  Rather than just grab forbidden things out of her hands, I have learned to "guide" her into putting them back where they belong.  We are already having to work hard at discipline with her because she has a mind of her own and can throw quite the tantrum.

But, at the same time, she is such a joy.  She runs to us with her arms up and a huge grin on her face when she wants to be picked up.  She gives sweet open mouthed kisses and tight little hugs.  She proudly brings every little speck of lint off the floor to me and holds it out and says, "This!"  She makes her sister cackle with laughter before I go in to get them out of their cribs in the morning.  I have no idea what she does, but Harper thinks it is hilarious!

Lily never stops from sun up to sun down.  I think she would never sleep if I didn't make her!  Many times, I can hear her babbling on the baby monitor as she tries to settle down and go to sleep for the night! But oh, how I love to get her how out of her crib when she wakes up.  She loves to peek over the railing and give me that beaming Lily smile.  It makes my heart jump!

I simply cannot wait to see who Lily becomes.  I only hope that I am strong enough, brave enough and have enough energy to help guide her into the woman God has created her to be!

The Players (Part 1)

I have no idea if anyone that doesn't know me in real life will ever lay eyes upon this blog.  However, as nothing more than a creative exercise - if anything - I feel it necessary to outline the players in my domesticated life.  It is only logical to start with the only man in our house, my husband, Aaron.

Here he is with three of the women in his life: Calli, Lily & Harper.  But, more on them later.

I don't tend to be a gushy person.  Do you know what I mean by that?  I don't tend to go on and on professing how great someone is.  I tell the person how I feel.  Beyond that, I like to think that my feelings tend to lose a bit of their genuineness when I am spouting them to the whole world to hear.  But, it's my blog and I guess it's my place to share my feelings.  So, here goes.

The highest compliment I can pay to Aaron is this:  He is nothing I ever expected my husband to be and yet he is everything I ever needed.  He is the heart to my head.  He is selfless and expressive in his feelings. He makes me feel loved and secure.  He is my home.  I often tell him that wherever life may take us, my home is with him.  Home is where he is.

From our first date, I think we spent every single day (minus a mission trip) of our 9 month courtship together.  We, to this day, simply never tire of being together.  No matter how mad I am at him...I don't ever want him farther away than the other end of the couch.  Speaking of our 9 months of dating, it was - without a doubt - the most romantic 9 months of my life. I waited 28 years for Aaron and my waiting was rewarded.  When I found it, I just knew that I knew that I knew that I knew that he was the "One".  It culminated on a 90 degree "fall" day when I walked down the aisle to him and he sobbed like a baby.  I, on the other hand, couldn't shed a tear nor wipe the smile off my face.

Aaron understands that being married means serving one another, daily, in the little ways.  He does that.  He actually looks for ways to serve me.  It is a "want to" attitude, not a "have to" attitude. He prays for me and with me and with our girls.  He knows how to love us as Christ loved the Church.

On top of all this, he is the best "wheeler dealer" I have ever met.  Aaron can get a deal on anything.  We never, ever, ever pay full price for anything.  Aaron can work a deal like none other be it a TV, a car, a treadmill or a computer.  He knows how to hustle and make a dollar.  I never fear making ends meet. Aaron can always, always make a buck, find a buck or get it free.  He is a provider for our family in every sense of the word and there is a great deal of security in that.

Watching him as a daddy the last 15 months has been every bit as wonderful as I knew it would be.  Not that there haven't been harsh words at 3 am when TWO babies are crying or long periods of the silent treatment with screaming babies on a road trip.  There has been plenty of that.  But, Aaron has been my partner through all of it.  I often think the greatest tip you can give to expectant parents of twins is this:  teamwork.  You have to work together.  Aaron is my partner in parenting.  More importantly, he loves those little girls and shows them with his attention and his time.  They are lucky to have him for their Daddy.

That, in a nutshell, is my Aaron...the first player in this domesticated adventure I'm on!

Stuff I Like (Alternately titled, I am old)

I am absolutely in love.  I also feel incredibly old.  I can remember when I used to get excited about a new movie coming out, maybe a new outfit, trying a new restaurant.  My newest obsession?  The object of my affection is...a mop.  Seriously, Aaron and I fight over who gets to use it.  BUT, in our defense it's not just any mop.  My new love:

This is my new Bissell Steam and Sweep. Isn't he sexy? This mop is revolutionary because, as the name says, it both sweeps up crumbs AND sanitizes the surface with steam.  What more can you ask for?  I am sounding like a Bissell commercial.

As you can see from the background of the picture,  my first floor is almost entirely ceramic tile.  With two one year olds that drop food like it is their job and a dog that goes outside about 5,422 times a day, my floor is, well, less than clean 99% of the time. On any given day there are dried up scrambled eggs, hard banana slices, muddy paw prints, milk splatters...and that's just the things that the dog hasn't licked up and the girls haven't eaten off the floor.  I have been losing my mind trying to keep the floor clean. Enter the Steam and Sweep.

Ah, the domesticated life.  I have become obsessed with minutia - like clean ceramic tile.  But, my friends, it is the little things that make me happy.

On a related note, I have begun a cleaning regiment with the girls.  It is going well, however, they still have a way to go before they are cleaning up entirely after themselves...much less the dog too.  In the meantime, I will keep using my Steam and Sweep and marvel at my shiny tile floors.

It's a Family Tradition

I've been on a quest the last couple of weeks for hugely discounted Christmas ornaments.  It's become almost an obsession.  But, the stores' discounted Christmas displays are slowly giving way to Valentine's and even St. Patrick's Day merchandise.  That coupled with the fact that I'm not just looking for any old ornaments - rather very specific ones has made it a huge challenge.  But, let me back up a bit...

We had a really rushed Christmas this year. That coupled with the fact that our girls are getting older, has led Aaron and I to have a few discussions regarding traditions, holidays, Santa, intentionality, etc. We really have a desire to create some lasting, meaningful traditions with our girls around Christmas that enforce the faith that we are trying to teach them the other 364 days in the year.

I recently discovered several bloggers discussing their family tradition of the Jesse Tree Advent. Each day of December has a corresponding family devotion and symbolic ornament that traces Jesus' heritage through Old Testament prophecies and stories. I love the idea so I am jumping in! I am using this book (there are lots out there). I have also decided to use "real" ornaments rather than the crafty ones in the book.  Thus, my quest for all these unusual ornaments like a silhouette of Bethlehem, a lion and a lamb, etc.  My biggest score so far has been a 10 Commandments ornament.  Can you believe it?!?  Leave it to Hobby Lobby for the overtly religious ornaments!

Aaron and I made the decision that we will still do "fun" stuff like cookies for Santa and Elf on the Shelf.  We decided there was nothing inherently evil or dangerous about those kinds of traditions.  But, we want to make sure that we are emphasizing the main thing at Christmas.  The Jesse Tree seemed like a really cool way to keep our focus in those busy, busy days leading up to Christmas where we can forget what it's all about.

I'm already getting excited about next Christmas!

P.S.  Stay tuned as I start posting about some of the projects I have going on at my house!  I am a domestic goddess these days!  Ha!

If Mama Ain't Happy...

A few weeks ago, Aaron had to make a difficult call regarding his schedule over the holidays. To be frank, I wasn't thrilled. I began to construct my argument and started my protest despite the fact that I knew his decision was not easy and he wasn't thrilled either. As I launched into my counterpoint debate, he cut me off and said, "Please just support me on this. You have no idea how much your attitude affects my attitude. Can we just make the best of this situation?"

His comment stopped me in my tracks and it bounced around in my head for a few days. As I was thinking about it, I was reminded of the old quote, "When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.". Then it hit me. That is so true. My attitude sets the tone for my family's attitude. Most of the time we use that quote as a funny little quip to indicate that Mama should be kept happy. But, what if Mama realized that her attitude was a choice? When I make the choice to be joyful, make the best of a bad situation, smile even when I'm exhausted...I set the tone for how my family reacts. Yes, my husband's leadership in our family is important. Yes, I must teach my girls that they choose their attitude. But, there is just something about being the Mama that really sets the mood in a home.

Wow. That's a lot of pressure. Each and every day I choose my attitude and, in turn, I choose the attitude of my home for the day. When Mama is stressed, the whole house is tense. When Mama is angry, there's a dark cloud hanging over everyone. When Mama is quick to encourage, then everyone feels loved. When Mama serves her family without complaining, she cultivates an attitude of service.

Choose your attitude carefully, Mama.

Becoming Domesticated

So, why the title to this blog?  I wanted something that kind of captured where I am in my life right now.  There are a lot of things that define my life right now.  I'm a wife and a mom.  I'm learning to sew.  I'm trying to learn to creatively save money.  I love home decor stuff.  I'm a reluctant crafter...sometimes, when the inspiration hits me.  Hey, sometimes I even cook for my family.

These are all things which were completely (and I do mean completely) foreign to me just a few years ago. I guess you could say that I am feeling a transition in my life.  My heart, my passions, my priorities have been all over the place during, let's say, the last 10 years or so of my life.  I'm just feeling this movement of my heart and passions to my home.  The birth of my twin daughters 15 months ago brought an abrupt end to life as I knew it.  I fought that - even resented that - for a short while.  But, I have learned to embrace my life, my home, my family.  I'm learning to serve them (and it really is all about serving my family) in new and creative ways.  As cheesy as it sounds, my heart is turning towards my home.  It's my process of becoming domesticated.

It's still kind of foggy to me what domestication looks like for me.  In my mind, I envision that I am Martha Stewart. Then I try to pull off something very Martha-esque and it completely flops. I am realizing that in all this domestication I have to be me.  I have my own style, my own passions, likes, dislikes.  I am becoming the domesticated version of myself.  These are my adventures in becoming domesticated.

Dipping my toe in...

So, I love blogs.  I follow too many to mention.  Here's the deal, though.  I'm a lurker.  I've sat by rather voyeuristically on the sidelines.  It's not that I don't have anything to say.  It's just that,well, you know...it involves kind of putting yourself out there.  It's a new year.  I've decided to put myself out there a bit.  I'm dipping my toe into the blogging waters.  We'll see how this goes!