Mama Blog

Time and How It's Spent

I'm blogging from the bathroom floor.

Lizzy is taking a bath, our wireless network is up and running and everyone else is busy. So the blogging commences.

I'm feeling all reflective this Christmas. This past year has been an enormous eye-opener. From surviving one of the deadliest storms in history, to going off my meds, to learning so much about my relationship with God, with my husband and children. Learning about how much time I use in a given day doing computer-related things. Realizing how much time away from my family I've spent when I was still actually inside the same four walls.

I've come to realize that I have a sad little secret and I need to do something about it. I've become addicted to the internet and my computer. There, I admit it.

If I'm not blogging or posting photos, I'm reading about someone else's life and looking at their photos. Or, I'm keeping up the church webpage. Or, various and sundry other things.

In the last year I've begun to take a closer look at my life. To notice the small things. To begin to understand the relational aspects of mothering and being a wife. To begin to understand my need to disconnect.

Yep, I said disconnect.

I don't want to be entirely cut off from all things electronic forever. Though some days it seems like the ideal I know it wouldn't last. I'm just sick of the fact that we all seem dependent on something to entertain us.

So, here's my plan...

Until we move in June we'll continue our cable and internet service. I'll limit myself and the girls to a specific amount of screen time (tv, video game or computer). Any other free time (for them) can be used doing something else, reading, playing, playing outside, projects, etc. I'll try to blog regularly but I'm not going to guarantee a thing.

My free time (what there is of it) can be used on all the various and sundry projects I've wanted to do or on reading all the authors I've bookmarked for "later".

When we move maybe we'll only get basic cable or sky angel or (gasp) no cable at all.

So loyal reader, tell me, what are your favorite pasttimes and who are your favorite authors? Any favorite series of books?

My life in bullets

• Found stink bug number 4!!!
• Have perfected the art of stunning the stinky creatures without actually squashing them, thus preventing some of the smell.
• Have decided that all those weeks with no heater vent cap was the entry point into my attic for all these little creatures.
• Yesterday I was reading email in one room, girls were finishing their cereal in another room when Katy yells "Mama, who spilled all this water!?"
• My washing machine had backed up all over the kitchen and it was running into the office and dining room.
• After a visit from the nicest man in the housing maintenance crew and his friendly roto-rooter, we discovered that even if a wipes box tells you they are flushable, they are not.
• This morning, as I was cooking some bacon on our griddle, I realized I needed more room on top of the stove to place the hashbrowns pan when it was time. Moved the griddle from the top of the stove and managed to knock out the little pan that catches the grease and spill all that hot oil on my bedroom shoes and my kitchen floor.
• Was very glad I was wearing those shoes! Thank you Lynn for getting them for me! Otherwise I'd have been barefoot or in my flip flops resulting in a nasty burn.
• My stupid Snapfish order still isn't here!!!
• Steven got me the prettiest Nativity.

  (click image for a larger view)

  
  

• I LOVE IT!!
  
• One tiny section of my "Vegas lights" tree is just dead. Ugh!
  
• Girls are enjoying a few days of goofing off, watching movies, playing games, reading books.
  
• I have challenged Katy to read 10 chapter books by the end of January.
  
• I have challenged myself to read the rest of the Jan Karon Mitford series as quickly as I can find them. (Some of the books were in various libraries that were damaged. Not sure if I'll be able to get them without buying them.)
  
• We watched "The Black Stallion" last night with the girls and they liked it very much. Emily especially! She sat wide eyed and entrhalled the whole time.
  
• It's 9:23am and I'm sitting here in my robe and in need of a shower!
  
• Guess I should do that, huh?
  
• I pray that each of you has a wonderful, family filled Christmas!

  MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

  Posted by christy at 09:10 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Grandma Teaches Cookies for Christmas

Recipe Scrapbook Image 1, originally uploaded by cbatesteach.

We're in Montgomery and having an early Christmas. She's teaching the girls how to make cookies. I'm working on a recipe scrapbook for the girls for when they are older. This recipe is one that we're including in the book. We took pictures of the girls helping make the cookies with Grandma.

Ugh

My house smells like butt.

I have no idea what's going on. Yesterday I noticed my kitchen had an odd smell. Then I noticed it by the front door.

Found stink bug #2 (*see note at bottom of entry), proceeded to remove from home. Thought perhaps I'd squashed it and made it ooze it's malodorous stench and that was the cause. Hoped smell would dissipate(sp?) over the course of a few hours. No dice.

Lynn came over and helped me spray Odo-Ban around in various places. Smell seemed to be gone or at least covered by the lovely magical powers of the Odo-Ban.

Got up this morning and, you guessed, the bootyliciousness is back. Opened my dishwasher and smelled it there, filled the detergent cups and rewashed the load. Now Katy noticed the smell as she came through.

"Mama! What's that smell??"

So, now I'm on a mission. I'm going to change into my housecleaning-I don't care if they get bleach on them-raggedy clothes and clean this house top to bottom.

*I've seen more spiders, stink bugs, and bugs in general around since Katrina than I think I've seen in my whole life. Those great big wolf spiders...EVERYWHERE! (You can see one of these huge guys by clicking this link http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/wolfspider.htm)

Attempts at Card Photos

Freaky Christmas Shot 2, originally uploaded by cbatesteach.

You can see the rest of the shots at flickr. I'm very pleased with the individual shots.

Sunrise Daytona Beach

Sunrise Daytona Beach, originally uploaded by cbatesteach.

Gotta' love a good sunrise. This one was no exception. God's mercies are new every morning and His gifts greet me with each dawn.

I am blessed.

Thanksgiving '05 Photos

The Fam, originally uploaded by cbatesteach.

Here is the first of many photos we took on our Thanksgiving trip this year. Click through the series to see the rest.

Loss for words

I'm not sure how it happened but I'm at a loss for words. I just don't have anything of interest to say.

I can't even come up with a coherent string of words to describe being this way. I feel mute, blank, boring.

I think, for a while, I'll just be posting regularly to Flickr with photos but not too much here.

I'll be posting pictures there today. We'll be taking our family picture for Christmas cards and I'll post some of those as well. I also have some sunrise pictures from Florida to post later.