In Lue of moving...

I realized over the weekend-that we've been in our house for a year! We honestly have not lived in the same place for this long....since....ummm....the beginning of our marriage. AND SO.
I realized that one of the only benefits of moving that often is you do not accumulate clutter and your closets get a good re-do every year ( at least once).

And now that we're here, and it looks like we'll be here at LEAST another year it looks like I'm going to have to do some deep cleaning around these parts.
And so, to inspire myself to do it. I am documenting my progress here.

Today:
The refrigerator.  It was gross. Now it is not.

WINNER!!!!

So, today's the day! I'm about to announce the winner of my book give away, but before I do so I've got to go ahead and say how sad I was that only 11 people entered!! Does this mean only 11 people read my blog? That only 11 people like free stuff? Is this because you didn't like what I was giving away? Is this because you feel like children's books are just for kids ( UNTRUE!)? Well, anyway...it doesn't matter because I'm still excited to share this little piece of happiness with one of you...

And so, last night before we went to sleep, I told Brett to pick a number between one and 11 ( yes, I could have used one of those official number generator things, but we're not that official here on Abigail's Day...so you'll just have to go with it...) Annnnyway...Brett picked his number and the winner is....

ALISHA P

I'm happy that Alisha won since she's expecting her first child! YAY! The perfect time to start collecting really great children's book...

Anyway, Alisha I know you're currently on the move-so if you could send me an address where I could send your book within the next day or so that would be great!

And as for the other 10 of you...have no fear, I had so much fun getting to share this little piece of awesomeness with you...I'll probably do another giveaway of something else that makes me happy before the summer's out.

one-two-three jogging strollers

I have three jogging strollers in my garage. And I'm a "mild jogger" at best. So how did this irony occur?!
Well, I'm pretty sure I told you about how I acquired my first jogging stroller at a consignment sale at the end of last year. I got it for 35 dollars or something ( I can't remember now, exactly...but it was insanely cheap) and I was SOOOO excited about it....

Until I tried it out.

Something was seriously up with the front tire that made it ride ever so slowly to the right. So, sure you'd start out in a straight line and within a few short minutes you would be off in some ditch somewhere wondering what had happened. It made even walking a pain. And so it sat in my garage for MONTHS. Months and months and months. Until finally I was really annoyed with the fact that I had a unusable jogging stroller in my garage collecting dust and worse....spider webs ( ewww!) while I was stuck pushing my giant travel system stroller around when I wanted to exercise. But then I saw my opportunity. MOTHER'S DAY! Time for me to cash in!!!
So I told Brett that ALLLLL I wanted for mother's day was for him to FINALLY fix my jogging stroller.

And so, Brett tried and one of his buddies tried and it was decided that it was not fixable. I was sad, but I rallied because the weekend of Mother's Day was the Post Wide Garage Sale, where everyone puts there stuff out on the front lawn and sales it for cheap. And by stuff I mean BABY STUFF...( oh, and camping gear...) Baby stuff and camping gear that's what you will get if you go to an army garage sale. Anyways, so I was too lazy to go out in search of a new jogging stroller ( hey, its EARLY and I like my Saturday morning pajama time) but lucky for me, we have a guy living with us who  likes to garage sale ( If he ever has a dating profile I recommend him using that as his opening line. He'll land a TON of girls that way! haha) and so he picked me up a new jogging stroller even prettier and newer looking than the last one, he even promised me that it went straight when he pushed it...all for the low low price of $15.

I was excited and on Mother's Day Morn I went out and test rode my newest jogging stroller....and low and behold it pulled LEFT.

I was bummed. way way bummed.


And so, in the end I had to give up my dream of getting a jogging stroller second hand and for cheap. It turns out that, especially those who do not have a swivel front wheel, tend to get unaligned pretty fast. I'm sure those much handier than us can fix such problems...but it is not in the cards for the Wilson Family.

Thus the fancy fancy $100 stroller that I love, love, love....it has a front wheel that both swivels and locks in place for the walking and the running...it has a comfy comfy seat for Ransom, it has cup holders for me...and it has a really crazy I'm-embarrassed-that-we-have-such-crazy-luxuries speaker for your MP3 player, in the inside for Ransom to listen to tunes or books on tape while I push him:

And so, BE CAREFUL...I will more than likely be selling TWO jogging strollers at the next Baby Consignment sale...and when I do, I will put a note on them that only the very handy should purchase. 

Mommy Blogging.

The "Mom Blog" is a big deal these days.  Particularly successful Mommy Bloggers make the Times most influential people lists, make forbes lists of successful people, and products and companies are lined up to get on board to have the All Powerful Mom Blogger's endorse their products...they are a formidable bunch.

And, I suppose, if I'm honest I too am a "Mommy Blogger". I am, afterall a "Mom" and a "Blogger"...and I cannot help but let that aspect of my life infiltrate just about every aspect of this blog. Along the way I've picked up new readers who read my blog because I'm a mom, but there are some of you out there who have continued reading despite the fact that I'm a Mom. HAHAH!

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about the blogs that I read and why I find them enjoyable and I'd like to share an example with you today...this blog, to me, is the perfect example of what I think a Mom Blog should be.

I must go ahead and give a shout out to my friend Esther for introducing me to this blog, and I should note that Esther is single and has no children, so I'd go ahead and conclude that this is also why I love this blog. It is not OVERTLY forceful about parenthood...instead its more about life choices and a way of life.
The blog is called "Enjoying the Small Things" and I believe it helps me do just that.
Kelle Hampton is a photographer, writer and mother and her blog is primarily pictures of her beautiful two daughters, one of whom was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome at birth. Kelle's blog posts are full of sun shine and impromptu popsicles and dates with sidewalk chalk. While a lot of it seems idealized, its also a blog of yet to be unpacked suit cases by the front door and a million barbie shoes ingrained into carpet, its about struggling with keeping balance between work and home, about dealing with the every day of having a special needs child. This blog simultaneously  inspires me to do better enjoying the small things, but also to not sweat the small stuff. I without fail feel a sense of delight after reading this blog.
OH. AND ANOTHER THING. Unlike other Mommy Bloggers...where product endorsements and giveaways are King ( or Queen in this case), I love that Kelle does not devote whole blog posts to touting and sucking up to some latest sponsor, instead she just adds an extra paragraph at the end of her posts saying how happy she is to introduce a new sponsor-she then shares a little about the company and then leaves her readers with the option of entering a giveaway if one is offered. AND unlike some blogs where you must literally sell your online life away by following on Twitter, facebook, Blog Reader, plus have all your friends and family do the same just to enter one small contest, instead she just has you comment answering some delightful question like, "what is your favorite childhood vacation?"
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Anyways, I do not know Kelle and I will probably never meet her, but her blog makes me happy and in a world where blogs seem to be constantly "selling" something whether is actual products or just the writer themselves, its a pleasure to read a blog that is focused on things of seemingly little importance-like wiggling your toes in sand, or the first crop of strawberries of the season....Love it.
GO READ THIS BLOG....You will not be disappointed.

Tidbits #2

We recently visited a book store in our town...ok, ok, it was Barnes and Noble. MAN! I MISS HALF PRICE BOOKS SO MUCH. But since that's all this town has to offer that's where we were forced to go...

Anyway, how great it is that I now have a child and a legit reason to visit the children's book section! How DANGEROUS it is that I now have a child and can "justify" buying all the children's books I want to buy! *sigh* 

This trip, however, I only bought one book ( because let's be honest...at Barnes and Noble prices WHO CAN AFFORD BOOKS?!?) because it was TOO GOOD to pass up. 

Now you all know that I would never steer you wrong when it comes to children's books...and there are many many MANY out there not worth touching with your little finger, but THIS book, THIS book is wonderful. So wonderful in fact, that I am currently considering sending it to a friend of mine that doesn't even HAVE children. Its that good. 

Here are two of my favorite pages: 

Edit: So last night I couldn't sleep...and I was thinking about blogs that I love and people that I love, and how I really do LOVE my blog readers. So, I've decided in the spirit of sharing and all that is fun to truly give this book to a friend. ONE OF YOU! So, dear readers, please comment on this blog post telling me your favorite children's book growing up. And next Monday, I will randomly choose a winner of this lovely book. 

Tidbits #1

We've recently gotten involved in some pretty cool stuff with the Great Commission Movement...which, now that I mentioned it ( how clever of me to just weave this plug in like that) you should REALLY go and visit the website and get your OWN GCM started in your area...I mean, seriously, you should!!
Website: Great Commission Movement

Anyway, the whole idea of going OUT and telling more people about Jesus has really chall,


enged me that I honestly STINK at evangelism. I mean, when was the last time I shared about who Christ is with someone, anyone?!

And when I shared my lack with some friends and confessed that I am just utterly terrified of awkwardness that I feel frozen in midmovement when I even THINK of talking to a stranger about something as un-PC as a relationship with Jesus...one of my Wise Friends said something that I really need put on a pillow...

"You can't die from awkwardness."

I know its not as eloquent or anything. But if you knew me and knew how I will dive onto the bullet of awkward silences or awkward situations/conversations by doing just about ANYTHING to avoid them...then you know how important this little perspective meant to me. Hehe...anyway. Maybe I will re-learn how to cross-stitch and frame it up or something...

My Mother's Day prayer to myself

I ran across this poem by Ruth Bell Graham, mother of five, a while ago and it's stuck with me...it best explains my feelings on being a mother.



Five I have:
each separate,
distinct,
a soul
bound for eternity:
and I
-blind
leader of the blind-
groping and fumbling,
Casual and concerned,
by turns...
undisciplined, I seek
by order and command
to discipline and shape;
( I who need
Thy discipline
to shape
My own disordered soul).
O Thou
Who seest the heart's
True, deep desire,
Each shortcoming and
Each sad mistake,
Supplement
and
overrule,
nor let our children be
the victims of our own
Unlikeness unto thee

Great expectations.

Question:
Will my child literally need braces before his first birthday because he will have ALL his teeth and his mouth will not be big enough to hold them all?!?

Ransom is getting another top tooth. And if you're counting-that's going to be SIX on top. ( eight in total). These seem to be hurting more than the past ones...but then again, I think I say that every time-so maybe we just forget.

In other news, because of the teething and the odd eating habits that brings about- Ransom's diapers have been...ummm..."explosive"...and therefore I have not had the heart as of yet to go cloth on him.
BUT for those interested. I will more than likely be going the Flip diaper route. I'm excited though also apprehensive since it seems like its going to be more work and we ALL know how lazy I am....


Brett and I just watched the trailer for the very last Harry Potter movie. I think we both got teary. FROM THE PREVIEW! Oh, and it also comes out in theaters the day after our Wedding Anniversary. I KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING for our anniversary celebrations. ( yes. we are nerdy.)

I'm typing this blog post on my wireless keyboard+ipad. Not quite use to the setup. But still enjoying the "freedoms" of internet fun just about anywhere I want it.

I did a crazy/wild thing yesterday and got a Sam's Club membership. However since buying just two weeks worth of formula from Sam's club PAID for the membership I feel really good about the decision. I guess I just can't believe that I actually PAID for the rights to shop at a store. I always thought that was crazy...but then again, I didn't ever factor in the children. Oh the children. They do change everything ;-)

I can't believe I just equated a grocery store membership to "wild/crazy"...or going to a movie as the perfect anniversary celebration. *sigh* Standards are low at the Wilson House.

Then again, have you watched your child learn how to crawl as your evening entertainment?! Cuz that stuff is RIVITING.

decisions

there is definitely laundry to be done. new cloth diapers to figure out/try out. grocery lists to be made. emails to reply to. photos to edit/sift through.

But all of that can wait because I have a teething baby and a pretty new iPad to play with.
( one of those is just time consuming the other is just fun. you can guess which).