I’m working on an afghan– easy double crochet– and I asked Kyla to help me [un]tangle the yarn! She’s such a great helper. Projects are much more fun when they involve little slobbery fingers and giggles!

Simply said- money saver.

If you are on a budget and don’t like to spend lots of hard-earned money on expensive cleaners, Fels-Naptha is a great choice. Approximately $2.00 [US] a bar, the soap works as well and even better than some better known detergents and even dish cleaners.

As a mother of a young child, I keep bars of the soap upstairs near the kitchen sink and downstairs on the wash tub. It is easy to store as it comes in bar form and it has a great smell. I use it mainly as a stain pre-treater, but I have used it as a sole cleaner in between laundry days. It has successfully removed breastmilk poop in baby clothes, breastmilk stains in bras, and food stains [carrots, green beans, etc.] now that our little one has started solid foods.A [very] gently used bar.

I have also used it on my husband’s clothing to remove grease and juice stains. It leaves no residue and other than waiting for the clothes to dry, they are ready to wear.

I recommend this soap for new mothers who are tired of tossing baby clothes and to homemakers who have tried and tried various cleaners to no avail. One last thing to remember: use cold water to treat the stain because hot water will set it sooner.

all the time. Without going into much detail, two specific prayers have been answered today. God is so good.

Kyla had her six week follow up appointment with the ophlamologist on Tuesday and he’s concerned about her eye pressure creeping higher. It was 17 at the one week follow up and it was 21 on Tuesday. It was originally 27 when she was first checked. Her doctor in Martins Ferry would like to check the eye under anesthesia and that will happen on January 5. We’ll be switching insurances at the beginning of the year, and Praise God, the doctor closer to our house is covered. That means only traveling to Morgantown if she needs surgery, which is most likely what will happen. So, we shall wait and see what happens on the 5th and go from there. Another praise is that outpatient surgeries are a $30 copay with the new insurance versus $250 with our current. Please keep her in your prayers and thank you for lifting her up to Jesus whenever you think of it.

This is the reason I don’t want to work outside of the home:

Miss Princess Kyla

I’ve come to the conclusion that right now in my life I’m right where I am suppose to be. Not in that everything in the universe is cosmically in order. No, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about how every longing of my soul has been and is being fulfilled.

Growing up I was pushed and pushed [by my selfish ego] into so direction that was necessary. I needed to get an education because why would you want to be a homemaker. It was necessary to have a career before children because you need to save money for kids. You must wait to get married until after you are well established in your career, have a house of your own, have 297237 cats, and are miserable before you even consider dating. It is mediocre to make your home a haven and enjoy simplicity. Homemaking is something that you do if you can’t do anything else. You must be into math and science because you have to prove the stereotypes wrong. Don’t you just sit there and eat bon bons? Don’t you want to make a difference in the world: the real world. Won’t your kids be weirdos if you homeschool them? Kids need to be around other kids or else they won’t know how to interact with people.

Before I come up with any other ridiculous arguments against the traditional role of wife and mom, think of all the benefits of momma staying home with her babies and [not so babies]. It brings stability to a child’s life. A child will never question what is more important: money or me? A child knows his worth- pricelessness. When a wife respects her husband and Bibically submits, children see real love displayed by mom and dad. The same can be said by a loving husband cherishing his wife [no matter how many little sets of eyes are watching]. When mommas are the first ones to teach their babies and not rely on the state to indoctrinate or maybe teach them about um, something. Note: I have a B.A. in secondary mathematics and have been in the classroom in the past two years. I know exactly what goes on in there and it isn’t learning. It’s called nonsense. Not that there aren’t great teachers, but our husbands are first responsible for our children’s education. Many times they delegate that to moms because they are hard at work during the day making sure they earn the money and respect that allows us to stay at home with our littles.

No one is perfect; there will always be times when I should have bit my tongue [off] but I smarted off [today] and honestly, felt horrible. I have turned off the baby monitor because Kyla would not quit crying in her crib. I know one day [okay, right now] that I will regret not going upstairs and snuggling with her. Yet, in all of this imperfectness, the order is perfect. Even if I have a sink full of dirty dishes [not tonight ], my heart is full of love for my husband and my daughter. No one could ask for more.

Merry Christmas. Go ahead and say it to someone. You might just put a childlike smile on his face.

This is my life verse in various translations. I’ll try to be still and calm today…try…

Psalm 46:10 (New American Standard Bible)

10“Cease striving and ^(A)know that I am God;
I will be ^(B)exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 (Amplified Bible)

10Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10 (King James Version)

10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10 (Contemporary English Version)

10Our God says, “Calm down,

and learn that I am God!

All nations on earth

will honor me.”

This weekend [our weekends run Wednesday-Friday] was full of fun and adventure. Wednesday was peaceful during the day and then church that evening. Then Thursday was our usual visit momma and dad day. As soon as we pulled up mom called my cell and said you better not come up; snow storm is coming. I shrugged it off as hubby said that we weren’t supposed to get more than an inch or two. Flash forward an hour [ok, 10 minutes] it starts to sleet/freeze rain. We ran to Walmart and Kroger and picked up some yummy food and deals. We went home to mom’s and stayed in for the night! The roads were something fierce and there was no way I was driving home– no way! We got to snuggle on the couch and watch The Office and some cheesy movies. By the way, Christmas Child [on Lifetime] was a great movie. I recommend it to everyone looking for a great Christmas movie! We got to sleep on the tufon [futon-- Dad called it a tufon one day and it stuck]. Kyla slept between us; in case you wonder what we think of the family bed, besides vacation [we told Kyla she was on vacation. ], it’d be very hard to get a good night’s sleep with a little piranha with claws. Though it was very convenient for a early morning feeding when mommy was way tired! Since hubby is still working on his final project for his ministry class, I’ve been watching Numb3rs. Since I’m a math nerd at heart and in head, I find it to be a great show. It’ll never rate up there with House or The Office, however. I hope you all have a blessed weekend whenever that may be!

For a great deal– Kroger is selling a 20 pack of Cottonelle Double rolls for $9.99 plus there is a coupon for 75 cents down the next aisle. And… I got a coupon for a free tub of flushable wipes during that transaction!

Remember that most of the time when I have a blog topic it comes straight from my heart because it is mostly, okay almost always, something I am personally dealing.

It’s easy to throw in the towel, swear off caffeine, run an extra mile [or walk briskly in my case], give up, pout, cry, yell, and get pissed when things don’t go according to your little life plan and the goals you have set for yourself. The goals, usually lofty, are set on some totem pole receiving daily offerings and praises that are only reserved for the Heavenly Father. I’m not saying that it is bad to set goals, but it is unhealthy and sinful to put your will and desires above the ones that God has laid before us. Some goals are great: My goal is to breastfeed Kyla until she is one year old. My goal for her is keep her eye pressure under control and to drink from a straw cup. The Lord asks us to cast our cares upon His because He cares for us– not because He is some control freak in Heaven biting at your heels.

I just love to have goals– even if I don’t call them goals. I’d like to lose another five [or ten] pounds, I’d love to get pregnant again soon [and yes, this past cycle was another bust], and I’d love to make Kris the happiest hubby in the whole world. Yet once again, reality and sometimes sin creeps in like a royal pain in the bum. Those chocolate chip cookies creep from baggie to belly very easily, nursing jacks up cycles, and I sometimes [and that is correct] snap at Kris for something silly [or stupid] he does.

I suppose you can sum up the above with a simple phrase that guys like to keep in their back pockets: suck it up. Life can be crappy, life can hurt, life can majorly suck… but on the other spectrum remember those times when your hubby [or wife] just smiled at you so sweetly, remember the first BFP [big fat positive] pregnancy test you got, and remember that cookie[s] you didn’t eat and how nicely your jeans fit. Cast all of those little cares [good and bad] onto Jesus. He seriously wants to take those worries off your back. I can picture Jesus in heaven now– with ripped muscles from carrying all of our crap around.

Oh yeah, a goodie for today. I totally bought 6 steaks [porterhouse & tbone] @$3.00/ea. Regularly $9.99/lb. I guess you can add another goal for me– cook some yummy steaks!

…that I write a blog entry.

Sorry that 1. I have been too busy to blog, 2. I have been too absentminded to blog. and 3. I have not felt like blogging.

If you only believe 2 and 3, that’s okay. Now let’s get down to business. The kind of business that makes us laugh. Here’s a tale for you. Two days ago I received a -at time dreaded- piece of paper on my door. I had a parcel to pick up at the post office. Paranoid, I searched debit cards, credit cards, Amazon, Snapfish, eBay, Walmart and every other online establishment that I purchased from in the past years. I called mom, Kris’ mom, and everyone else who would send a parcel to ME. I was determined that I wasn’t going to open this huge piece of mail at home– only at the post office, lest it blow me up. So yesterday after chores, chores, dirty diapers, changing Kyla, burning CDs, and punching out bulletin board letters, it was time to go to the post office. [at this time, I must admit, I was a tad excited. Someone thought so much of me to send a parcel.] We went to our “local” post office and the postal officer said it was downtown. So, I get to the car and yell, “Kris, it’s at Jebbia’s.” “WHAT?” “Jebbia’s.” Note: Jebbia’s is a fruit market located near the post office. So, we go downtown to the post office and I stand in line with Mabel, Esther, maybe even Eve and St. Nick [everyone in line was 90+ and driving! YIKES!] I patiently, or not so patiently, await my turn while aforementioned patrons purchase rolls and rolls of stamps for Ye Olde Sante Clause Cards. Finally, it’s my turn. Postal woman gets my Parcel [While You Were Out Card] and comes back with a small 4×4x4 box addressed to me from Mead Johnson Nutritionals. It was no other than a canister of formula– baby formula. Ah, to say that I was surprised was an understatement. I was shocked and the carnal side of me, was mad and sad that I don’t get to use my present. Though, I will share the present with a great friend of mine who will surely use it.

If you’re in the mood for another Danielle adventure, please read below.

Last night Kris, Kyla and I went to his mom’s house for supper. After a long, [at times stressful-look above] day, I was thankful for a hot, yummy meal that I didn’t have to cook. We were talking about life, love, Beagles [which we were supposed to get today-- another story for another time.] and Kyla. I thought of some earthshattering event that I seriously needed to tell my mother, which I now forget. That’s how earthshattering it was. I forgot her phone number and thought my cell was in the car. It was way too cold outside to get it, so I used MIL’s phone. I dialed xxx-2733 and I say, “Mum?” “ewauroieurh [could not understand who answered.] I hurried up and hung up because that was, of course, not mum’s house or work. I was thinking and thinking of what her number could be. Note: she has worked at the same place for 7 years and I have been dialing it for at least 2x week for 7 years. So, [lightblub moment] my cell is in my coat pocket. Ta-da. I am finally able to call xxx-2273 [which I did remember just now without looking at the contact list.] I still don’t remember what I told her; I do now that in the midst of that chaos that I lost my keys. I swore they were in the side pocket of the diaper bag. Kris, that’d be pocket #3. [teehee] They were actually in my fleece pocket at home on my bedroom dresser. Life is good. and hilarious.

Since I am so absentminded, silly and at times, just plain dumb, I told Kris on the way home that we should label the diaper bag pockets with numbers because he always get pissed [miffed, ticked, etc.] when I tell him something in the side pocket. He thinks they are all side pockets. So, we brainstormed at 11:00P and came up with a labeling system. Problem solved. Pray that I don’t forget what pocket number things are in or what number what pocket is.

If I can think of an enlightening devotion topic during Kyla’s later afternoon nap, I will enlighten you with thus said topic! Until then, happy reading!