Show and Tell: Birth Info

THE INSPIRATION:

Via

THE MATERIALS:
- Microsoft Power Point
- Cheap white frames from Target
- One trip to Kinko's

THE TIME:
Okay it probably took me about an hour on the computer flipping back and forth from Pinterest to Power Point making sure that I got everything lined up correctly and then of course I had to play with the fonts and the spacing.  I'm a perfectionist so it did take me awhile to get it all looking exactly how I wanted.

THE RESULT:

I did one for the whole family.  Natalie is by far the biggest baby with me in second and Craig being the smallest.

HOW WILL I USE IT?
Right now the three frames are hanging in Natalie's bedroom behind her glider and next to her closet doors.  I'm thinking that when (OR IF) we have another child I might convert all the colors to black and white and create a new one for the new baby and hang it in our hallway or along the staircase.

WHAT WILL I DO DIFFERENTLY?
I know that YOU all can't see it but ONE of the lines separating the information is a little out of alignment.  Craig had to talk me off the ledge at Kinko's when I noticed the mistake once the pictures were printed.  Upon first glance no one would ever notice but I have a very critical eye and I'll admit....when I look at them my first thought always goes to the mistake.  Typical.  :)

*I do have my template saved on my flashdrive if you want a copy to create your own!
What have YOU been pinning and creating lately?!

Sunday Day Book

Outside my window...it is 8:28am and the sun is rising and there is a bit of a chill in the air...finally.

I am thinking...that I have so many things to do tomorrow since I missed a day and a half of school with a fever last week: Kate's baby shower invites, take up and put away volleyball jerseys, collect and record all the cross country information, hand out volleyball pictures, and inventory and put away all my volleyball equipment.  Whew.

I am thankful for...coffee, a snuggly puppy dog, cooler weather and a healthy baby girl.

From the learning rooms...my 8th grade girls didn't fair so well at the end of season tournament.  We lost in the first round but they played hard and we all had a group cry in the huddle afterwards.  All last spring while I was waiting for a math position to open up, I knew that my career path was in God's hands and that he was going to guide me to the place where I needed to be.  I needed to be these girls' coach this year.  I needed them to look forward to every morning when I left my sweet Natalie with her daddy.  We might not have won a lot of games, but we had so much fun and I think their friendship with each other became stronger.

From the kitchen...We had taco soup on Friday night just because it's easy to make.  I think I'm going to make my people some pancakes this morning if they ever decide to wake up and get out of bed.

I am wearing...I'll be honest.  I just got out of the shower so I'm wearing a pink fuzzy robe and a towel on my head.

I am creating...lots of lists.  Always lists.  Trying to get Christmas under control before the holiday season gets out of control.

I am going...to leave for work at 8:00 every morning this week and get home by 4:30 each afternoon.  Sweet.  I haven't done this since the first day of school.

I am reading...The Girl Who Played With Fire.

I am hoping...that my mother reads the third installment of the series quickly so that when I'm ready for The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest she'll have finished it and will be willing to let me borrow it.

I am hearing...the Patriots/Steelers game...is it possible for BOTH of them to lose?

Around the house...Craig and I took 30 minutes this afternoon while Natalie was down for a nap to run around the house and pick things up in order to start the week off relatively organized and calm.

One of my favorite things...Natalie's new "big girl" shoes.  She is in a size 3 shoe and officially out of "baby" shoes.  Now her shoes come with real soles because I guess kids her size should be walking?!  We're still a little ways away from that though.

A few plans for the rest of the week: I'm going to try to make it to the volleyball play-off game on Tuesday night but it will be Craig's second day of going in early and coming home late - I know that he'll be tired and will need some rest and relaxation.

A picture to share:

Daddy and Natalie playing with Halloween bubbles.

Not one to be forgotten, Angie had to join in the fun of course.

Show and Tell: Caprese Salad

THE INSPIRATION:

Marinated Caprese Salad

Via

THE MATERIALS:

Here is the recipe card that I created and put into my recipe binder. 

All my ingredients laid out on the island cutting board.

THE TIME:
Not long at all!  Definitely under thirty minutes.  The hardest part was the chopping of the cheese, tomatoes and basil.

THE RESULT:

It looks pretty similar I suppose.

HOW WILL I USE IT?
I served it with large yummy pieces of bakery french bread at Natalie's baptism party on Sunday.

WHAT WILL I DO DIFFERENTLY?
- Since I was a wee bit nervous about the party, the baptism and everything in between I was super on the ball and made this dish on Saturday evening.  Although the TASTE was good, the consistency was a bit soggier than I expected or would have liked.  Next time I definitely think it's a "day of" preparation.
- I'm not sure how I felt about the red wine vinegar.  Last night I had some left over slices of mozzarella, big pieces of roma tomato drenched in balsamic vinegar served on bread and it was a much more "authentic" tasting dish.  I will probably combine the cheese, tomato and basil in the same way but maybe use balsamic vinegar as the marinade.

What have YOU been pinning and creating lately?!

Baptism

Natalie was baptized this afternoon at the same church where I was baptized, received First Communion and then was Confirmed.  My mother was also the Youth Minister in charge of junior and senior high religious education for ten years.  All of our family members and many of our close family friends joined us today at the church to witness and then celebrate Natalie's initiation into the Catholic faith.

Getting dressed in her christening gown before the ceremony.

Being blessed with the holy water while being held by her godparents, my brother Mike and my close friend Kate.

The four adults in charge of the spiritual raising of this child.  Uh oh.  Ha, ha, ha.

At one point during the ceremony Deacon Harry proposed an interesting (and rhetorical) question. 

Why get your child baptized?

As a man of faith he wants to make sure that people are baptizing children with the intent to truly raise them in the Christian manner and not just because the grandparents request it or because "it's just the thing you do."  I've thought a lot about this in the past few weeks leading up to today.  Why do I want her baptized?  What am I commiting to do as a mother for my child through this action?  How does this one ceremony shape the morals and values that my family will uphold?

It's very simple.  I want Natalie to have a relationship with God.

I want her to understand that everything good and perfect is sent from God.

I want her to know that she is made perfectly in his image from the very top of her head to the tips of her toes.

I want her to have a spiritual shield and sword to combat the trials and struggles that she'll come up against in her life.

I want her walk in the footsteps of Jesus and strive to treat people with compassion, respect, kindness and without prejudice.

I want her to lead by example and be a Christian role model for those around her thus spreading the glory of God.

I want her to know that in her darkest hour when she is feeling the most alone, she is not.

And selfishly....I know that I can't always protect her from everything that is bad in this world.  She will hurt and she will cry and I won't always be there.  But God will.  And as a mother who will eventually send my precious baby out into the world, I have to cling to the knowledge that God will always be with my baby even when I am not.

I Feel Pretty

This morning I was getting ready in the bathroom and actually putting on make-up BEFORE I went to school while Natalie was scooting around on the floor.  It was about 15 minutes before we were supposed to take her to Ms. Rebecca's house and she was starting to get fussy and hungry.  I looked down at her and said "Hold on Natalie.  Just let Momma put her make-up on so she looks human." 

A seemingly innocent remark, right?

Not so fast.

Obviously at 7.5 months old Natalie had no idea what I was saying.  Her thought process was focused on getting a bottle into her belly, she was not processing the greater societal pressures that are put on women by the media to be perfectly tan, skinny and always put together.  She was just hungry.  But if I'm going to grow a daughter that is confident in herself despite what the media portrays as beautiful I have to start watching my words and my actions. 

Craig and I can tell her everyday that she is beautiful and smart and wonderful but our actions, especially mine as her image and role model of a woman, will speak far louder than our words.  I have to model for her self-confidence which will mean eliminating negative self talk and reinforcing a healthy lifestyle.

My biggest struggle growing up was my height.  I towered over all my friends....including all of the boys.  I was gangly and awkward and struggled to find clothes that fit my tall and lean frame.  From the looks of Natalie, being tall will be a part of her life as well but hopefully since I know where to shop and how to "dress" a taller frame I'll be able to guide her in the right ways towards appreciating her height and being proud of her build. 

Craig and I were chatting the other day about our experiences with sports growing up and how things would have been different if we knew then what we know now.  I didn't appreciate and take advantage of my height when I was in middle and high school.  Instead of seeing it as an extreme advantage and something other people were envious of, I hated having unnecessary attention drawn to myself and would have much rather blended in with my peers instead of standing out.  It's only now that I view my build as my biggest asset when it comes to playing sports - I'm tall, I'm intimidating, I'm strong and I'm confident.  I just wish that I didn't have to wait until my mid-twenties to figure that all out.

Of course as an athlete I would love to eventually be a parent in the stand watching my daughter play a game that she loves but if she decides to play sports I want it to happen organically, not because Craig and I are forcing her to participate in something that she isn't good at or doesn't want to do.  But if she does decide to become an athlete I want her to recognize her height as an advantage and use it to the best of her ability.  I want her to feel confident on the court and strong as an athlete and as a young woman.

Past Life

Let's be honest.  I don't watch quality television.  My favorite channel is Bravo.  I watch the Housewives and I revel in their stupidity and their drama....probably because I'm happy that I don't have "friends" like them in my own life.  Since August I've been watching Most Eligible Dallas and it turned out to be one of my favorites - probably because I recognize the nightlife scene and I can somewhat relate to their sense of humor, morals, expectations, etc. when it comes to life and dating. 

The other night was the season finale and the "will they, won't they" moment between the two featured people, Matt Nordgren and Courtney Kerr.  They are two best friends who everyone in their circle believes are in love and should be dating each other and the whole season was built around this dance that they did of flirting and fighting. 

I can relate.

When I first met Craig there was a large group of us at my former school that hung out together after hours at Thursday afternoon happy hours and Saturday evening get togethers.  There was a lot of flirting.  A lot of eye contact.  A lot of innuendos.  A lot of heart fluttering and butterflies in the belly.  And a ton of speculation from our friends and co-workers. 

And our "season finale, will they or won't they moment" when we finally kissed for the first time?!  Not as romantic as Courtney and Matt's hot tub rendezvous at the lake, but instead as he was "tucking" me into bed after I sprained my ankle playing basketball against 6th graders.  He had come over after his 8th grade basketball games to bring me dinner and make sure that I had everything that I needed.  I'll admit.  I was a little nervous and definitely scared to try and date him.  I had dated my best guy friend a few years previous and after we broke up I had lost not only his friendship but the friendship of the circle of guys that we had hung out with together.  Craig was my best friend and I didn't want to lose him but at the same time, there was definitely that spark and chemistry between us.

So where am I going with this?

I got a little sentimental watching Most Eligible and I had a mixture of jealousy and sadness in there as well.  Being married is wonderful....most of the time.  There is a sense of security in knowing that I have a partner in life - someone that will back me up but also challenge me to be a better person.  Life is better with Craig as my husband that I know for sure.  But in the back of my mind there is a little part of me that misses the mystery, the guessing game, the flirting. 

My best-friend Amy has been married for more than seven years and she will be the first one to say it - marriage is always like a roller coaster and everything circles around in seasons.  Right now for Craig and I, life is crazy and hectic and we don't have a chance to catch our breath much less any time for romance.  It's not ideal and I would like to be able to slow down and enjoy each other's company a little bit more, but I know that it will circle around.

And although the guessing game that Craig and I played was fun, exciting and entertaining, I wouldn't want to return to that point in my life.  It's fun to reminisce about the "good ol days" but when you get right down to it, I wouldn't trade in my current life even with all the craziness and exhaustion.

Show and Tell Update

I'm thinking of starting my regular Pinterest Show and Tell posts on November 1st - anyone interested?  I will make them a weekly or maybe bi-monthly occurrence.  There are lots of pins that I have that will be corresponding with upcoming events - baby showers, holidays, a baptism, etc.  So I've got lots of material to work with - it's just a matter of finding the time, energy and motivation to get them done.  But I guess that's what the Show and Tell is about, right?!  If you're interested, let me know!