Words to Live and Write by

I am willing to fall Because I have learned how to rise.

I craft Love from heartbreak, Compassion from shame, Grace from disappointment, Courage from failure.

I am among the brave and brokenhearted, and I am rising strong.

(credit to Brene Brown)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Week One: Going Crazy

It's week one of our "baby lust treatment program" (see previous post) and I think the week is best summed up by the words of a silly song we sang as kids:

"I am slowly going crazy. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, switch... Crazy going slowly am I. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, switch..." (repeated faster and faster each time)

This little bit of video also captures the essence of it:



We've definitely had our fill of messes this week, from the grossest diapers we've ever seen to dinnertime fun.

Naps are not nearly frequent enough, and we need them just as badly as the kids. Plus, we have played way too much Wii; it's one of few things that will keep the kids endlessly entertained. I only wish it was as exciting for us...


Ciara is determined to play on her own. Just try teaching a 3-year-old how to use a Wii controller, I dare you. And then try one of those 2-player games like ping pong.


Ciara has also determined that during playtime, she's a lion named "Goliath," and will not answer to any other name. And Alan has a fascination with shoes, so we can never find them where we left them. Here he is starting a new one-shoed fashion trend.


Well, that's our life so far this week--at least the highlights of it. I don't even want to know how crazy we'll be after another week of this treatment!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Recipe for Baby-Lust-Be-Gone

Ingredients:

  • one boy with separation anxiety, 1 1/2 years old
  • one girl prone to frequent temper tantrums, 3 1/2 years old
  • two weeks with no parents.
Mix first three ingredients together and then gradually blend in the following:
  • mountains of dirty diapers (very smelly)
  • two parts screaming
  • one part Veggie Tales
  • a sprinkling of naps
  • oatmeal, applesauce, and cheerios to taste
Administer entire mixture to person or persons affected by baby lust. For best results, return person(s) to a quiet environment after application to let treatment sink in.
Works almost instantly! In no time, affected person(s) will be saying, "Do I really want this?" Guaranteed to work or your money back! (Sanity is non-refundable).
Caution: Relapses have been known to occur. In such cases, simply re-administer treatment.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Our move to Texas has taken us even further away from family and friends, and we are notoriously bad at keeping touch by email or phone. So we've decided to try keeping a blog. Hopefully, this way we can keep everyone updated on any big events, as well as any random thoughts or rants we feel like posting.

Adjusting to life in Texas has been interesting. Hannah's brother Ammon and his family have been generous enough to let us stay with them. Needless to say, life with two kids, 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 years old, is a bit different than what we're used to! But when they're not screaming, Ciara and Alan are adorable, and Ajax sure loves having a peer group to play with.


The job search continues, and gets more frustrating all the time. We are going on three months of unemployment, and starting to wonder if having B.A.'s really entitles us to higher paying jobs or just over-qualifies us for the lower paying ones. Hopefully, something will turn up soon. We appreciate your prayers and help as we deal with this trial.

On the plus side, all the free time has given Hannah the chance to come up with an idea for a novel, tentatively named "Star-Crossed." It's not currently past the brainstorming stage, but anyone who wants to call or email to toss around ideas with her is welcome. What remains to be seen is whether she possesses the skill to write it out, having never written anything beyond college essays before. Who knows? Maybe it will turn out to be a smash hit and we won't have to worry about unemployment ever again. :)

We'd love to hear what's new with everyone from time to time. We'll do our part and try to keep up with this blog--just don't expect every post to be full of excitement.

Best Wishes from Texas,

Anthony & Hannah