Privacy

I've completely neglected the blog lately because I have been contemplating our family's privacy. My facebook is pretty private, yet I had pictures and info here on this blog. I have changed the settings, and only those who I know will be able to view our blog. If you know a friend or family member who would like to read along, just send me their email, and I can add them.

I have quite a few posts that have been waiting to be published once I figured out the security issue. I'll post those soon. :)

Sweeties

I am fully aware that it is practically April, but better late than never, right? Well, that's what I'm going with. I love, love, love Pinterest. Practically everyone I know is on there, well, except Mom, Nicole and Natalia. Join us in twenty twelve you three!! Anyway, one could become quite obsessed and certainly bogged down with Pinterest, especially a certain someone like me who tends to get overwhelmed with too many ideas or choices, but I LOVE it. I don't get on and pin very often, and I really try to limit what I pin. Otherwise, I'd probably never even know where to start. ;)

Anyway, I got a few fun ideas off pinterest for Valentine's day. Here are the pictures.

SO SURPRISED! Daddy had to work on Valentine's so we celebrated a little early.

No, it was not loud. However, I think she is a bit confused about how to act surprised. ha.

They both got some adorable Tiny Toms <3

And candy of course. :)

YES!!!! Candy!!!!!

Her paisley Toms. ADORABLE!!

Breakfast...how precious is this??

We did more heart shaped fruit for lunch with a heart sandwich. For dinner, we did a family tradition that I grew up with and had red/pink food. We had yummy spaghetti with Shirley Temples and raspberry sherbert with heart cookies we made. Needless to say they are still asking for more red drink. LOL It was even watered down and they guzzled it! Poor deprived children. ;)

 

And even though they are crazy monsters some days, they are our whole world and making memories with them is so much fun. They've started calling each other sweetie. It is so cute. I guess that makes them a little less crazy monster and a bit more precious. I wouldn't trade them for the world. And yes, that is much easier to say when they are sound asleep. ;)

Is there anything sweeter...

than your precious toddlers saying Bible verses they've memorized? I think not.

I am so very thankful that there wasn't a preschool here in California that fit our needs within our budget (some people seriously pay 12k for PRESCHOOL! It's preschool people.) A lack of preschool led us down an amazing road of homeschooling. Isn't it amazing how God works things out like that? So...I researched a bit and being the perfectionist I am, I decided to purchase a complete preschool homeschool curriculum, Horizons. And by perfectionist, I mean I would research and research and research things to teach and never actually get to the teaching part. ;) I can get a bit bogged down by the details and just get downright overwhelmed by choices. Just ask my husband when we go out to eat and there is more than 3 choices on the menu. ;) Thank goodness for In-and-Out. It was made for people like me...minus the secret menu. That is almost more overwhelming because I can't remember how to order right. But that's beside the point. I needed structure people. It might be a miracle that I settled on a curriculum. Don't think I didn't agonize over it and ask at least 10 people's opinion though.

The Horizon curriculum we purchased is a complete set that starts off with a Bible principle and verses, including scripture memorization. As much possible of the rest of the teaching for the day is based on that principle including science, social studies, language arts, math, arts and crafts, songs, poems, etc. There are also a million teaching tools for writing and just basic toddler teaching that I never would have known. I love to learn...like LOVE in size 500 font, so whether it is how to teach toddlers, photography, or French, I'm in heaven just learning anything new. Who knew that putting stickers on a straight line or swirl would help their writing? Or that being able to differentiate slightly different puzzle pieces/pictures prepares them to tell the difference between b and d or p and q? I find the simplest things fascinating, especially when I get to implement it and watch their face light up when they "get it," and I get to see the learning taking place. 

Being able to invest myself in them and watch them learn and grow has been the most amazing thing I could ever ask for. I am so very thankful to my husband for allowing me this opportunity and working so hard to provide for us in order for me to stay home and pour myself into them. Not to say it isn't the most frustrating thing I've ever done, as it most definitely is. Some days I'm quite certain they are teaching me more than I'm teaching them, especially in terms of patience. If you have ever been around me for longer than 5 minutes, you know I am incredibly, incredibly impatient. I always said I could never, ever be a teacher (which will be even more ironic when I get around to posting about spiritual gifts.) I loathed when I was made to teach classmates all through school just because I finished my work early. I got so frustrated when they didn't get it right away. Funny how things change, especially when it comes to your kids. Not that I magically have more patience with my children, but because I am so invested in them, I have learned to have more patience and swallow my frustrations. It is truly amazing to see God working in me through them and our experiences. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing them understand something after hours, days, weeks of teaching. I'm not sure I could ever be more proud of them, but in those moments my heart literally explodes with love and pride in them. I'm not sure who is more proud showing Daddy our creations of the day when he gets home from work, even when it is just a page of perfectly written K's or beautiful rainbow paintings. ;)

I'm not sure if we will continue homeschooling throughout their entire school careers, but I am forever grateful the time we do have to learn together. Each day I am more and more convinced we will homeschool for a while longer for a million different reasons though it does make me sad thinking that they will miss that first school bus ride or school assemblies or field days or lunch with all their friends, so we will cross those bridges when we get to them and just be grateful for each day at a time. I know I will forever cherish the giggles, the HUGE smiles of accomplishment, the hugs, high fives and even the tears of frustration, for this time I have with my little loves is far too short and they will be grown and navigating the world on their own before I know it. The first (almost) four years has already flown by.

I will leave you with far too many pictures of one of our days of painting while little sister napped (If you've gathered anything from my other posts, you know Miss Campbell is far too messy for painting inside.) I just love every picture, so I couldn't leave one out. I know I will cherish these pictures and be so glad I took so many one day. :)

If you made it this far and you have any tips on homeschooling now or for our future, I'm all ears! Email me, call me or leave a note here! I'd love any advice!!

Pay-lay-Oh!

The paleolitic diet per wikipedia is "centered on commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.^"

This has been all over the internet. No idea who created it, but it's humorous and correct (minus the fact that legumes which aren't allowed aren't addressed beyond peanuts).

 So we are all about trying to eat healthy or sometimes healthier in this house. I had heard of the Paleo diet (more like lifestyle) a time or two, but randomly we caught a special on the local news about it and a study that UCSF was doing on it. I was fascinated by the results they were having from the study, specifically the cholesterol lowering results. I inherited high cholesterol from my Dad (Thanks Dad!) and being in decent shape, there hasn't been much I can do to lower it except eventually going on meds...for the rest of my life. Not fun. So I figured I'd give it a shot. For the most part, I have loved it. The food is delicious and it fits out lifestyle well considering I am home to cook most days and we don't eat out very often. It is VERY hard to keep it up when out and about or with company, so we tend to have cheat days, which I'm completely ok with. I figure if we eat paleo 90-95% of the time, that ain't bad! ;)

Check out some of our delicious meals. Excuse the awful pictures. It was just too yummy to waste time getting it all staged and getting out the nice camera, so instead I took a quick iPhone pic and dug right in.

Sirloin Dijon from Everyday Paleo

Spice Rubbed Burger w/ sweet potato fries

If you are interested, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend the cookbook Everyday Paleo. Her website it awesome too with lots of recipes. Even if you just want to add a few healthy recipes to the mix for your family, you should check it out. We love the Rockin' Moraccan Chicken, Spice Rubbed Slow Cooker Chicken, Salmon w/ belgian endive, Pecan Crusted Chicken (AMAZING!), Spice Rubbed Burger, Sirloin Dijon, Warm Arugula Salad...ok I could go on and on. Those are just a few favorites. Brussels sprouts are a new favorite in this house too. Crazy, I know!

A friend also has a new paleo blog, You Hunt, I Gather, which I love. She has some amazing recipes and some good information. I can't wait for her to add even more delicious paleo treats to try.

Health-bent is also a great website along with the cookbooks Make it Paleo and Paleo Comfort Foods.

Oh and I guess I almost forgot to write about the best part. I FEEL AMAZING! I have a few health issues (nothing major just annoying) like stomach issues, migraines and the like. Once I got over the caffeine withdrawals (which I must do again after a week of vacation and bad choices), I felt so good. I've never felt so thin and not once felt stuffed or bloated even at the end of the day. It's always nice when your jeans are a bit lose. ;)

I figure what do I have to lose? Eat some delicious, home cooked food and cut out the processed junk that consumes most of our diets...I'm in!

So...I'm an introvert

Sometime last month I was reading a blog of a friend. Well, more like a childhood friend's wife if you want to get specific. She's a really great writer, but sadly she doesn't blog very much anymore. I stumbled upon a post she had written awhile ago about this blog entry by the lead singer of Owl City who was writing about this post by Carl King (who is a musician I have never heard of).  Is that confusing enough for you? :) And should I know Carl King? Wouldn't be the first time I am out of the loop.

Anyway, I seriously couldn't believe what I was reading. At the age of 28 after countless personality tests throughout the years...I discovered that I was an introvert...apparently a closet one. I suspect that I was an introvert all along, even when I was the bubbly stereotypical cheerleader, I just didn't understand myself or my thoughts back then and school and friends made it easier to "be someone else," but when I read this I had what old Oprah calls an "Ah Ha" moment. I finally understood myself a lot more and things started to make sense.

I'll repost the post by Adam Young called 10 Myths About Introverts and add some of my "Ah Ha" moments in there in red. I was seriously shouting "YESSSSSS!" after every bullet point too. Perhaps this will enlighten some of you as well.

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I recently stumbled across a blog written by Carl King about the phenomenon known as the introverted human being and it struck a major chord with me. After each bullet, I felt like standing up and shouting “YESSSSSSSSS!” at the top of my lungs because these points (made by author Marti Laney, Psy.D) are total home runs. As an extreme introvert, this is like sweet manna from heaven.

(Below is what Adam is quoting from Carl King.)

I was lucky enough to discover a book called, The Introvert Advantage (How To Thrive in an Extrovert World), by Marti Laney, Psy.D. I feel like someone has written an encyclopedia entry on a rare race of people to which I belong. Not only has it explained many of my eccentricities, it helps me to redefine my entire life in a new and positive context.

Sure, anyone who knows me would say, “Duh! Why did it take you so long to realize you’re an Introvert?” It’s not that simple. The problem is that labeling someone as an Introvert is a very shallow assessment, full of common misconceptions. It’s more complex than that. (Since Carl King is talking about it, it has to be.)
Hence numerous incorrect personality tests. I wasn't going deeper into my real thoughts/feelings because I too had plenty of misconceptions about introverts. I answered the questions based on who I thought I was. 

A section of Laney’s book maps out the human brain and explains how neuro-transmitters follow different dominant paths in the nervous systems of Introverts and Extroverts. If the science behind the book is correct, it turns out that Introverts are people who are over-sensitive to Dopamine, so too much external stimulation overdoses and exhausts them. Conversely, Extroverts can’t get enough Dopamine, and they require Adrenaline for their brains to create it. Extroverts also have a shorter pathway and less blood-flow to the brain. The messages of an Extrovert’s nervous system mostly bypass the Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, which is where a large portion of contemplation takes place. 

Unfortunately, according to the book, only about 25% of people are Introverts. There are even fewer that are as extreme as I am. This leads to a lot of misunderstandings, since society doesn’t have very much experience with my people. (I love being able to say that.)

So here are a few common misconceptions about Introverts (I put this list together myself, some of them are things I actually believed):

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.
If you know me, you know I like to talk. A lot. But I cannot tell you how many times I have said that I hate small talk. With a passion. I actually feel awkward in social settings because I'm horrible at small talk and prone to zoning out and not really listening to someone. Now get me talking about something I'm passionate about and I will NEVER.SHUT.UP!

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.
I totally believed this too. I am shy sometimes but it is more about being interested in the conversation and the person.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.
Can't tell you how many times I have emphasized how important I feel it is for everyone to be real and honest. Just ask my mom. I'm sure she can tell you a few hundred times we've talked about this. I've also used the word exhausting when it comes to interacting with others more times than I can count.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.
Yes, yes, yes!! 

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.
My friend/neighbor here laughs at my home body tendencies and cannot understand how I don't go crazy doing my own thing at home, especially with two little ones. I, of course, go out and do things, but it is definitely at a minimum compared to most. I like to explore new places but I typically avoid social things. I make myself go to Bible study every week because I really do enjoy the study and learning...but I still dislike the social aspect of it. Sometimes I wonder if I come off snobby. :/

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.
Yep, yep, yep. I am a dreamer. I dream big and rarely follow through, but I enjoy solving problems and creating plans and sharing my excitement with those who are close to me. I definitely prefer one on one interactions that are real. 

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.
I definitely understand  myself much more because of reading this. I often find my inner world much more stimulating much of the time. 

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.
I married an adrenaline junky (hello he drives boats that roll over for a living) but that is not in the least bit me. I enjoy busy places but probably just in more limited amounts than my dear husband.

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.
It can be terribly destructive for an Introvert to deny themselves in order to get along in an Extrovert-Dominant World. Like other minorities, Introverts can end up hating themselves and others because of the differences. If you think you are an Introvert, I recommend you research the topic and seek out other Introverts to compare notes. The burden is not entirely on Introverts to try and become “normal.” Extroverts need to recognize and respect us, and we also need to respect ourselves.
-Carl
  

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I love learning more than just about anything, so learning and understanding myself better and "what makes me tick" is just exciting to me. I feel like in my late twenties, I've come into my own a bit more and understood myself and what I like and what I don't and who I am and who I want to be more than ever. If this was growing old is all about, I can't wait for my thirties and beyond...maybe minus the wrinkles and aches and pains though. I'll skip that part. ;) 

Hope you are learning and discovering yourself too. It is amazing how unique God created each of us!

A day that will live in infamy...

Well in our house anyway...

So I know I said I would start filling in on 2012 now, but for the sake of remembering this monumental event, I really must blog about this and post this little video of my post-incident interrogation.

December 5, 2011 Kayleigh cut...no butchered Campbell's hair. 

 So the back story is that we had attempted a haircut for Kayleigh at the salon a few times with no luck. I felt bad torturing them with her drama, so we just figured we'd try again another time. She wanted Tangled hair wrapped around the room, so any haircut was out of the question in her mind. Well, one night while combing her hair, I had had enough of fighting tangles, so I thought "How hard can it be just to trim it straight across?" Well, the answer my friends is very hard. As soon as I started I realized our hair scissors were dull and I mean very dull. No idea how considering they've never been used but I was literally sawing her hair, so I switched to regular kitchen scissors. Sign #1 that this wasn't going to go well. After a few minutes of trying to even it up and only cutting it shorter and shorter, I start to sweat and get sick to my stomach. I take her downstairs to the living room and sheepishly ask Brett for help. He was A. not impressed with my hair styling skills and B. appalled that I was seriously butchering her hair. Thankfully, he saved the day and helped me even it up. I only cut like 6 inches off her gorgeous, long curly hair, but I regained composure eventually and assured myself it would grow back and be just fine all while telling her that I gave her beautiful Tangled hair. The last thing I needed was scarring her from any future hair cuts, especially after learning the lesson that haircuts are best left to the professionals.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and I was doing crafts with the girls and talking to my Mom on the phone. Kayleigh needed to go potty, so off she went upstairs. Of course Campbell followed because what sister can go potty without the other? ;) An hour or so later, I notice a chunk of hair missing from the back of Campbell's hair. Don't judge. Mom and I were busy solving world problems, analyzing everything and venting about something or other that your husband doesn't want to hear about but you just have to get it out. And I'm a master multi-tasker. Talking on the phone and crafting is elementary.

After I have a mini-heart attack, I ask Campbell if she cut her hair to which she responds, "No." I then ask Kayleigh and get the same response. I'm no rocket scientist, but apparently someone is lying. After a quick chat about lying, Kayleigh fesses up that she wanted Campbell to have Tangled hair too. Uh-oh. Massive Mommy fail. Never thought to explain that only Mommy and Daddy give Tangled hair. Oops. Another lesson learned. On a side note, some days (or maybe every day) I think they are teaching me more lessons than I'm teaching them. Perhaps that was God's master plan with parenting.

She finally spills the beans that she snuck the scissors upstairs when she went potty. I sprinted upstairs and found this massive pile of hair.

I interviewed Kayleigh just for fun (see below and excuse the nutella faces and jammies), and we made a quick trip to Supercuts that night once Daddy got home. I had been wanting to get Campbell's hair cut into a bob before but just never did because it's so hard to cut off all that baby hair, but it turns out, I should have done it already because it just looked so darn precious on her petite little body. I'll probably leave it in a bob for a while. It also helps keep her a (little) less messy since she never kept the ponytail in her hair. Isn't she just a cute little thing??

 And Kayleigh is obsessed with braids lately because apparently that's Tangled hair too. Rapunzel has quite a few hairstyles in the movie, so I guess it works no matter what kind of hair you might have. ;) She is so proud of her braids and just touches them over and over to make sure they are still there. They both have hair like me when I was little and it falls so easily, so I'm braiding all day. Just she would sit still long enough for me to learn to french braid.







And just because I want to, I'm adding this picture. They play downstairs while I workout and they always want a turn. Wish I looked that cute working out!

I'm bursting with things I want to blog about, so stay tuned for talks of paleo, screaming (in a good way), introvertedness (yep I probably made that word up), spiritual gifts, fun explorations here in the Bay area and other fabulous stuff.

2011 is a wrap...

And once again I failed on the blog front. But I have excuses...good ones. 

Bad excuses are worse than none.  ~Thomas Fuller

On that note, I'll just fill you in instead. I had every intention of filling everyone in routinely by keeping up this blog, then I got pregnant and first trimester exhaustion left me napping or playing catch up. Not to mention just about every blog post would have been pregnancy related, and we were waiting to share the news. Then at almost 12 weeks, I starting having symptoms of a miscarriage. Four days before Thanksgiving, we were devastated after an ultrasound confirmed that our baby likely quit growing around 9 weeks. I eventually had to have a D&C.  I was sad and didn't really want to talk about. If I had, I might have said something like Bethenny Frankel said yesterday on the Today show (but way less eloquently.) I am incredibly grateful for my two healthy girls and have found peace knowing that whether our family is complete is in God's very capable hands.


 Watch the video here. This will just take you to the Huffington Post because I apparently have no idea how to embed the video. Lame I know. Oh well. Just click the link.

Christmas arrived along with a visit from my Mom & Dad. We did lots of fun things like riding the cable cars, shopping in Union Square, visiting Santa, hiking near the house, celebrating Mom's birthday and hiking Mt. Tam.

Wait, did I say that hiking Mt. Tam was fun? I might have complained the entire time, but the view was amazing. Too bad Brett failed to mention the parking lot at the top that you could just drive to. I love a good hike, but I should learn by now that when Brett says it is an hour hike, I should add about 3 hours AND most importantly pack extra food.

This may or may not be perfect for me. 

The views were amazing though.

 

I just love them. Don't think they could love each other an ounce more. <3

Riding the cable cars

We celebrated Christmas early since there was surf (big waves which equals work for Brett). Randy & Lesa came down and we had a wonderful Christmas celebration. Santa, Grandma, Poppy, Nana, JB, Aunts, Uncles and all the rest of the family were VERY good to the girls. The were SO excited about Santa this year. Campbell had to go back to see him 4 times after they sat in his lap just to say hey. She is so precious... and not shy. Kayleigh is so timid and shy but so loving and SUCH a pleaser. They were so excited that Santa and the reindeer ate all the treats they left. He even left them a cool note.

GGB Christmas Night...it never gets less impressive.

Since we celebrated early, Christmas day was so relaxing and well...perfect. We went to church, relaxed a bit, walked the GGB, ate McDonald's (Yes McD's was the only thing open and we were out and about not ready to head home. It tasted so good just not having to cook or clean. Ha!) then took a drive through the city to look at all the amazing Christmas lights. They were beautiful! We drove down Lombard, Market, Embacadero, Union Square and by San Francisco City Hall which was all lit up red and green. I just love Christmas.

We rung in the New Year in Red Bluff with lots of fun and games (even made it up way past midnight Cali time) though I don't think I took a single picture. My mother-in-law always takes lots of pictures, so I tend to slack off when she's around. ;)

I'll update on 2012 thus far...tomorrow.