Eat that frog!

Ever heard the phrase "Eat your frog" ? Sounds pretty crazy right? I mean, who wants to eat a frog, sounds pretty gross to me. My Dad talks about eating fried frog legs when he was young (gross) but a whole frog?

Well, you can relax. I'm not literally talking about eating a frog.  It's a phrase from a book of the same name. Now, I got this book either for free or 99 cents on my Kindle shortly before I had Sophie. And honestly I haven't read it. I think I skimmed it, but not really read it. And considering it's a book about how not to procrastinate, I think I may be failing already.

I honestly bought the book because it was on sale and because it was recommended in another super cheap book e-book I bought (and did read thank you very much) from Tsh Oxenreider. Tsh is the creator of SimpleMom.net. And if you don't read this blog you really should. It was one of the first blogs I ever subscribed to. She keeps it real, has a lot of great advice and her posts are short but usually really good. She has lots of tools on her website too. So check it out.

Anywho...Tsh's ebook is called One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler.  This is a fun, easy read. It's all about how to set up routines in your life to make things go smoother.  She emphasizes making a change or two at a time and then to keep doing it for a month to make it a habit. Not every idea will work for you and your family, but some of them are really good ideas. 
# 5. Start menu planning
#18. Get more sleep (a favorite of mine)
#32. Go on dates with your kids.

Some of it you may already do. I love checking things off a list, so it was great when I could go check these things off the list of what I already do---make your kitchen paperless, declutter toys, downsize your book and magazine collection. 

The first project is called Eat your frog. Now, there is no particular order for the projects, but I think this is a particularly great number one.  So what does it mean? Do the one thing in your day that you dread doing, first. If you hate exercising, go to the gym early in the morning. Hate unloading the dishwasher? Do it right before or after breakfast and build it into your morning routine (project # 3). Then you have the rest of your day to do whatever and not have to think about that frog, plus you feel accomplished early. Even if you don't get anything else done the whole days (and we all have days like that, sometimes multiple days) then at least you got that one important thing done.

Today I tackled my frog early in the morning. Day one, now I just have to do it for 29 more days to make it a habit :) My frog? Exercise. I love how it makes me feel after, but it is getting myself motivated to do it that is the killer. Sophie and I were up at 5 for her breakfast and she would not go back to sleep...you know she wanted to eat scrambled eggs with me and watch the sunrise. So that's what we did and I was done with breakfast and had her back asleep by 7 so I could go to the gym. Then I was back home and showered by 8:40 to take Kara to preschool.  Now I have my whole day to do whatever I want, and not have to think about what I need/should/hate to do.

Yay for me!



Another frog I have is getting Sophie's newborn pictures posted. So here are some. Aunt Jean these are for you!

If you love the photographs, my cousin was the photographer. She was amazing. She brought her own props including the headbands, some of the blankets, the bird's nest and the background. We set it all up in my kitchen. I can give you her contact info if you are interested!! 

Be born in me

Feeling a little sentimental today. I guess it's those darn hormones still kicking in! I have something really important I want to share but it may cause me to ramble a little bit so bear with me...

Let me just say that last week was H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E.  Monday started with me feeling a little under the weather and by Tuesday night the dreaded GI bug had hit me full force. I won't go into details but my husband is a pretty great guy if I do say so myself. He helped..a lot. Anyhow, I was sick and completely wore out. I sent Kara to see my parents for the day during the worst of it because they were leaving for FL for a month and because I just didn't think I could take care of her and Soph.
 Thursday and Friday I was pretty much on my own and I was exhausted. I was very impatient with Kara and several times we both ended up crying after I screamed at her and then her feelings were hurt.  I kept thinking to myself, "I just don't know if I can do this. I am not cut out for being a mother of two. I stink at it.....yada yada yada." Throwing a pity party for myself. I got through it, Todd swooped in every evening and the weekend and I was able to get some rest and get myself back to normal.

Yesterday was MUCH better with less gnashing of teeth with Kara and I actually had a pretty productive day.  So...during all that I kept thinking I had been crazy to have two kids and that God was pretty crazy for allowing it.  Today I heard a song called Be Born in Me by Francesca Battistelli. Beautiful song. 

Holy is He, Blessed am I.

Be Born in Me.

Trembling heart somehow I believe that you chose me.

I will hold you in the beginning, you will hold me in the end. 

Every moment in the middle make my heart your Bethleham

Be born in me.

All this time we've waited for the promise, all this time you've waited for my arms....

I am not brave, I'll never be.

The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy

I'm just a girl, nothing more.

I am willing, I am yours.

Okay...so this is technically a song from Mary's point of view. But these words really spoke to me.  God choose me to be the mother of these two beautiful girls. I prayed for both of them before they were born, to be pregnant, for God to bless me with children. God promised that he would fulfill our hearts desire and whatever we asked in His name. He fulfilled that promise and I have waited for these girls to be in my arms. And now they are and my joy is complete.

So my Mommy friends out there...don't be discouraged when you feel like this life is mundane or you feel inadequate or that you have failed. God chose you to be the mother of your children, He knows the mistakes we will make before we make them, but His grace covers them all.  Jesus, be born in me.

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.  John 16:23-24

 And now onto some pictures of the cutest children on the planet.

One month pictures :)

Silly girl!

Snow day...a couple hours before the 4 inches or so that actually covered the ground

Date Night

Hot Stuff, right?

Last night Todd and I had a date night. My parents are leaving for Florida sometime soon (suppose to be this week) and they agreed to watch the girls for us so we could go out before they left. 
We went to the Melting Pot in Charlottesville. We have been there once before and really enjoyed it--and we had a coupon so we decided that would be our early valentine's day dinner. Which is really special since we don't usually even celebrate V-day.

My first glass of Sangria for at least a year. Yum!

 The first year we were married I made a chicken pot pie from scratch and got nothing, the next year he wised up and bought me a ...wait for it... universal remote? So I plan our Valentine activities now. :) The reality is, my husband does not need a special day to remind me how much he loves me. He does a pretty good job on average days.

And the food was great! And we went to Whole Foods after for some shopping. I was in awe...I want a whole foods in Lynchburg so badly. Maybe one day.

We had a great time just talking without being interrupted and being able to say anything we wanted without "little ears" listening. We talked about politics, food, and everything. It was great.

Top two quotes of the night? See my facebook post :)

Whole Foods?

This week has been a busy one. Week two without Todd--but we made it! Kara had a cold and whenever she gets a cold she wheezes and coughs, coughs and wheezes. That earned her a trip to the doctor and some steroids. It also meant Mommy and Daddy were up with her every 4 hours at least during the night doing breathing treatments. Add that to Sophie's feedings and you had one tired Mama. But we survived, barely... but we did :)

The good thing about all that was all the help we have. Both sets of grandparents came over to help out more than once. And as my parents head off to Florida next week, Todd and I are going to the Melting Pot in Charlottesville tonight for our first date night since Sophie was born. And it is to my favorite place!! 

The other news in the Derrenbacker house is our turn towards eating healthy. I have officially lost all the Sophie weight and am back in my pre-pregnancy jeans. Praise God! My friend Kristen has a blog all about organic eating and she has gotten me thinking about the amount of high fructose corn syrup and processed foods we eat. So I am on a kick to get us to eating better foods...more plant based, less meat and diary and processed foods. If you are really interested, you should watch Forks over Knives on Netflix..great documentary. May change your life...maybe.

 

I made pumpkin chocolate muffins this week.  They are actually kinda healthy, at least healthier than normal chocolate muffins.  You can find the recipe here. Pretty easy actually.

 With these fresh ingredients I made...

Zucchini Guacomole. Yummy. A lot of chopping but easy as well and so yummy.

This was my kitchen after ---that was a mess.

 

 And last but not least our pictures for the week--enjoy!

My dad and Sophie Feb 2

 Daddy and his two girls: Feb 3

 

 "Huh?" Face: Feb 6

Relaxing on a play mat: Feb 6

 

Carseat dreamin' Feb 8

Block City Kara made Feb 9

Feb 10   Sunset...

Both girls asleep in the car after indoor park--Kid's Cove

 

 Kara planting seeds with Daddy in the Areogarden Feb 11

 Have a great week! Newborn pictures of Sophie will be later this week!

Haircutz

So far it's been an exciting week here in the Derrenbacker household...not really but we did have one pretty exciting event. Kara's first "real" haircut. I cut her bangs a couple times when she was around 1-2 but we've been letting it grow out for some time now. And it was a mess. I was so tired of dealing with it and all the stuff that got in it....food, marker, paint, chapstick. Yuck.
So here is a before picture...

And here is after:

Super cute right??
She looks really grown up, which makes me a little sad.
I also am a terrible mother as I forgot my camera during said haircut.
But I also had an infant 15 days before...so I have an excuse??


Here are some precious sleeping baby pictures

I can't believe how tiny she is. Or that Kara was ever that little. That pacifier is the size of her head almost. She started taking that on Tuesday night--and is a great little thing to have when we are trying to keep her awake a little in the evenings but don't want her to scream the whole time :)

And lastly, here we have Miss Cool Pants in Mommy's sunglasses. She picked them up on the way down to snack time on Wednesday and then said, "Okay Mom, I'm ready to go outside now." Could she be any sweeter?