Won't you be my neighbor?

House for sale right across the street!

House for sale right down the street!

House for sale across the corner!































The day before Halloween our across the street neighbors just loaded up and moved out. I didn't get a chance to talk to them to see why. There is now a for sale sign in their yard. That makes a total of 3 houses for sale in our neighborhood - I can see all three of them from our yard.
Anyone want to be my neighbor?

Let me in

The other day when Jeremiah was helping Aaron with yard work I looked up to see Jeremiah making kissing faces on the outside of the door. He didn't actually want to come in, he just wanted to give me kisses through the door. It was probably dirty, but a little dirt never hurt anyone did it?

 

Today's only goal

I am a fan of "to do" lists. I like to sit in the morning, look at my calendar, and think about what I need to get done that day. I don't always accomplish everything on my list - and I am learning to be ok with that.

Here's the deal - today, the one and only thing on my to do list is to get all of the dishes washed, dried and put away.

That's it.

Seriously, so many dishes have piled up on the kitchen counter (and stove) that there is only one solitary spoon left in the silverware drawer. And this after I washed a huge pile yesterday...

I get stressed out just walking into the kitchen.

So, while there are many things that need to get done, the dishes has moved to the top of the priority list. I will not start anything else until that one goal is accomplished. Anything else I get done today is just icing.

Update: One hour, 2 sink-fulls of soapy water, and one soaking wet Jeremiah later the dish drainer is piled high with the last batch of dishes drip-drying and the only thing left on my kitchen counter to wash are the zip-lock bags. Go me!

Now for the icing....

Can't get it together....

I don't know what is up with me this week. I just can't seem to get it together. I feel constantly behind and out of control! There are still dishes on the counter from the weekend, my bed hasn't been made, no laundry has been done. What is up?!

I have been accomplishing other things this week (Christmas shopping, making gifts, work, a meeting, grocery shopping, cooking) but every time I see the chaos in the kitchen and in my bedroom I feel like I am going to have a nervous breakdown.

I hate feeling this way.

And I had it so together last week......

Clapping along

I love this video! Jeremiah loves to clap, sing, and cheer along to music. He especially likes to listen to live albums so that he can cheer when the crowd cheers. On Sunday after church we were listening to Allison Kraus. You can tell that he liked it. Enjoy!

Buy Nothing Christmas - I like it!

Ok - I will admit that I like receiving gifts as much as the next person. And yet, every year as the Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier in the stores, and I am bombarded with tv commercials, flyers in the mail, magazine ads to buy more, more, more I start to feel frustration creeping in. For me it is hard enough in this materialistic society to resist the temptation of "things" during the year. This time of year makes it even harder. I even find it ironic that the phrase I have heard often here in the south is "I've got to get Christmas for my kids."

This year Aaron and I have made an attempt to not just get "stuff" for people on our list but to be more creative. (I won't say more than that and give anything away.)

So when I found this website the other day I thought it was great! Revolutionary in this culture I am sure - but great! Check it out!

Buy Nothing Christmas

Family picture

Thought you might enjoy seeing the latest Rapier family picture. Taken today.

 

The Tailor and the Giant

Yesterday while I was doing chores I realized that is had been quiet for a few minutes. So I went to go and make sure that Jeremiah wasn't doing himself (or anything else) any harm. As I walked down the hall I heard soft chattering and there he was, sitting in the chair in his room, looking at his current favorite book The Tailor and the Giant. It was a sweet scene......

Winter weather is upon us! No snow, but overnight on Thursday the temps dipped from the 70's to the 30's with a high of 45 yesterday. What a shock! I don't mind though. It is hard for me to get in the Christmas spirit when it is so warm. I don't know how my Florida buddies do it. :-)

Yesterday on our morning walk I saw a big holly tree in the "woods" down at the end of the street. I am going to cut some branches off to decorate with. I don't think anyone will mind. And we have our wagon now to haul the branches with!

Last night I played hookey from the youth group rollerskating party. Aaron went and I stayed home and watched the new Pride and Predjudice movie. Not the 6 hour long one, but the most recent one with Kiera Knightly. It was beautifully done. I needed a night on the couch with a chick flick and a box of Milk Duds to refresh myself!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Chasing Penny on popper Part III

Here's more.

Chasing Penny on popper Part II

The second edition, since our camera doesn't video much time.

Chasing Penny on Popper Part I

Jeremiah is now big enough to propel his popper on his own. And boy does he love it! His favorite thing to do on it is to chase Penny Lane, who runs in terror, which in turn sends Jeremiah into spasms of laughter. I tried to get it on the video and didn't quite get the height of the laughter, but you get the idea and it is still fun to watch him drive this thing around. There will be more later!

Cool!

I was surfing around on other people's blogs last night and found a link to a really cool website.

Ten Thousand Villages

It as an awesome website with "fairly traded handicrafts from around the world." There are some really neat things on there and it doesn't seem too expensive.

I think that getting people Christmas gifts from a place where the money goes to help people in developing countries makes so much more sense than paying into the corporate greed of Wal-Mart!

Check it out!

Suficient Grace

Jeremiah is in bed.

I am exhausted; physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Today was challenging. By 10:30 Jeremiah was on his 4th pair of big boy underwear and I had cleaned up 4 puddles off of the floor. I have no idea if this is normal or if despite his psychological readiness to use the potty his physical readiness has just not caught up. After a tearful phone call to Aaron we decided that we will wait for big boy underwear until after Christmas. Until then we are back to just sitting on the potty first thing in the morning, after nap, and before bath and if he asks to. I just can't handle more than that right now. So, no more potty talk for the time being!

I went into work from 1 - 4 while Cherise was here. And there was stress there as well.

And tonight Jeremiah just seemed very negative and strong willed. Literally every question I asked was answered with "no, no, no." Bathtime was a struggle as was bed time.

I just sat on the couch and ate the last piece of pumpkin pie and prayed. What am I doing? I am not being the mother that I should be.

Then I remembered the verse,

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor. 12:9

I was reminded that my strength is not sufficient for this task of being a wife, mother, director. Only by relying on God's grace and strength will I be able to extend grace to those around me and have daily joy.

I think it is beautiful that God gives us what we need and does not expect us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and use our own strength.

Tonight my prayer is that I will rely on His grace tomorrow.

A note from Aaron

So, here is Aaron's explanation for not wanting to use a chart or reward system for using the potty (or I guess really for any motivation). I see his point. God loves us unconditionally and provides us with the ultimate reward of salvation, regardless of our behavior. I guess that the difficulty is finding a balance. Maybe the key is to use the stickers as a way for Jeremiah to feel proud of his own accomplishments - not as a bribe or reward for "good work."

parents, teachers, anyone in a position of authority needs to consider how they interact with their students/ children. I believe these people have a responsibility to act in a manner that reflects how God interacts & deals with his children/students. The best example is Sunday school - if you show up - you get a sticker. If you bring your bible you get a sticker, if you bring a dollar or a friend or say your memory verse or whatever - you get a sticker. The manner in which you conduct the classroom is teaching students/children something. What is it teaching them? I will strive to reflect God's relationship with his children to my students and my own children.

Maybe it's merely symantics. But if a progress chart helps us keep up with our trips to the bathroom & shows how we have improved over time & continue to accomplish our goals then that's great.
I don't want a chart full (or empty as the case may be) of rewards for going to the bathroom.

Potty Training 101

Jeremiah sits on the potty and we read his favorite book, over and over and over again.
I have spent a lot of time on the bathroom floor today.
Jeremiah shows off his new "bog boy pants."
Well, they are really pull-ups but he saw the pack and wanted to wear them. I was just going to use them as back-up. They will supposedly get cold when he pees. Tomorrow we will get him underwear, I think it will help if he feels wet and dirty.

I decided to take the bull by the horns today and get abit more proactive with the whole potty training thing. So Jeremiah has spent some time on his potty while I read books to him. Still no pee in the potty, but it will come with time.
We are having a minor parenting style disagreement in this house since the potty training started. I am in principle all for a sticker chart or some kind of reward. Anything in my mind to encourage the process and make it go faster. Aaron thinks that we should not use rewards. He thinks that Jeremiah should be intrinsically motivated to use the potty or not. Of course it is possible to find research supporting both points of view. So, we have to do some talking and some compromising. Any words of wisdom or potty training advice?

 

Random stuff

This morning when it was time for Aaron to leave for work Jeremiah clung to his neck and said, "no, no, no."

After having papa home for most of last week Jeremiah is going to have to adjust to having only me around. I am going to have to adjust to having only Jeremiah around.

This morning we took a walk to Bi-Lo to get dish soap. Yes, we ran out of dish soap earlier this week and now almost every dish we own is stacked up on the kitchen counter.

We also did some yard work. Well, Jeremiah rode around in his wagon while I did the yard work. The wagon is a huge hit, makes doing yard work and taking the dog for short walks so much easier. Should have bought one a long time ago.

It is another beautiful day, almost 70 degrees and sunny. I am hoping that Jeremiah will take a long, long nap this afternoon (since he is in his own bed) and then we will go rake more leaves.

Our Christmas tree is up and decorated. Jeremiah likes to say the word, "nativity." I have no idea why.

He is starting to talk in sentances - the problem - I don't know what he is saying.

We have informally started the potty training process. Jeremiah's favorite book is "A Potty for Me" - I think I have read it about 100 times. Last night Aaron put him on the potty before his bath. No pee. Until he stood up. Then pee was all over the floor. I went in after his bath to say goodnight. While he was hugging me he started talking about pee-pee. I thought he was telling me about the pee on the floor. Nope - when I put him down the front of my shirt was soaked in pee. That kid is smarter than me! :-)

Have a great day!

Geiger Family

Me and my cousin Susan.
I haven't seen her in years. She got married a month ago to a man from LaFayette (go figure) and lives about 1/2 hour from us. We have plans to get together soon!
By the way, I think we kinda look alike. :-)
Justin (Susan's new husband), Susan and Grandma Barbara.
A group of people were playing domino's - it got kinda competitive.
Uncle Henry, Aunt Gayle (they live in Birmingham), cousin Brenda (her husband Boyd and thier 5 children were also there), and Grandpa.
They were the other half of the domino's game.
At the other end of the table a trivial pursuit game was going on.
Cousin Ernie (back safe from Iraq), his girlfriend (I don't remember her name...), cousin Jody (her 5 kids were there too), and Aunt Glenda.
Uncle Ernie was cooking the hamburgers and hotdogs and somehow I didn't get a picture of him.

On Saturday afternoon we took a beautiful drive up the mountain into Mentone, Alabama for a small reunion of the Geiger family. It was at a gorgeous state park that we have now discovered and want to go back to again. The day was perfect, sunny and about 70 degrees. We met so many family members that I haven't seen in years and years. So it was a bit overwhelming. I mean, you would think you have a lot to talk about but after so many years it is almost like, where do we begin. But, it was neat to see everyone.
We relived a lot of memories. Memories of playing at Aunt Gayle's farm. Susan and I had memories from all the time we spent together in Willow Grove, and our trip when we were younger to visit my Grandma Rachel in Florida.
There were kids everywhere! About 13 in all I think. But a big playground kept them all busy.
My cousin Rachel wasn't there. She is expecting her first baby in May. I am hoping to reconnect with her, since she lives in Birmingham.
After a day of running around outside Jeremiah was completely exhausted. We left the park at 6pm and it only took him about 30 seconds to fall asleep with his teddy tucked under his arm.

After this busy Thanksgiving weekend I am reminded of the connections we have to family. We may not see them often. They may be completely different from us. They may annoy us sometimes. But we are connected.

 

New Wagon!

Aaron puts Jeremiah's new wagon together.
Jeremiah sees his new wagon. What is this?
I think he likes it!
Taking a ride with his friends.