Winning the Small Battles

One important parenting lesson that I had read about but forgotten about is to win the small battles now and not let them slip by and potentially turn into bigger battles.

When I first began giving the little one food, I tried to put a bib on her.  As she got a little older, she would pull on the bib, sometimes pulling so hard that it would leave marks on her neck if the Velcro did not give way.  At that time, I decided it just was not worth the hassle to try and get her to keep the bib on, especially since she often did not eat her food all that well. 

Just the other day I realized that we needed to readdress this issue and this time I needed to make sure she left the bib alone.  She has finally started eating more table foods and I want her to wear the bib so we do not have to change clothes after each meal. 

The first time we tried the bib, she put up quite a fuss, but it did not take long for her to leave it alone and just eat.  Since then, she has let me put a bib on her and she leaves it alone while she eats.  This is good since she decided that she like homemade spaghetti and other messy foods.

Fortunately, we were able to win this battle fairly easily.  I figured I would have to put up with more a battle on this issue.  I know that not all battles will be won so quickly, but I hope that I remember to stick to my guns and persevere when the need arises.

Yard Update

I don't have any current pictures of our yard or my rock/dirt pile to post today since we have been blessed with some much needed rain.  I will try to post some pictures next week.

I have started going through the rock/dirt pile once again, and I hope to stick with it and have it completely gone through by the end of summer.  Our backyard was a mess when we moved in (I wish I had taken pictures of the strange landscaping) and we have not been as committed as we should be to getting it made right.  My plans for this summer are to eliminate the rock/dirt pile, bring in more dirt to fill in holes (if needed), and hopefully put down some sod (I'm so tired of dealing with grass seed).  We also plan to replace the front part of our fence which is standing up only by a prayer and possibly create a barricade around our back deck so that the little ones can go out and play and not fall off.

In the front yard, I have been buying perennials to plant so I will not have to keep replanting each year.  When I post some pictures, you will see the huge planting bed the previous owners left us.  We have done some work to make it more manageable and hopefully after this summer, we will have a nice bed of flowers and plants in front of our house.

Current Reading Selection

I am currently reading East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart.  Actually, Matt purchased the book to read himself, but I don't think he has every gotten around to reading it.  It has been awhile since I have read a biography, so I started reading it myself.

The book begins by covering her childhood and the years she spent in Atchinson, KS with her grandparents.  Amelia seems like she would have been a fascinating person to grow up with as she had a great imagination and people skills.  It continues through her teenage years when she moved from place to place with her parents.  Even though her parents did not get along well, the books shows Amelia as one who did not let those circumstances get her down or stop her from pursuing her dreams. 

I am currently at the point where she becomes the first female to fly across the Atlantic (at least as a passenger).  The book goes into great details showing the dangers of flying at the time.  With all the safety features on planes today, one forgets how treacherous flying once was.  Of course, the attitude of the people then differs greatly from people's attitudes today.  Back then, people knew the risk that lay before them and they willingly faced those risks without placing blame on anyone. 

I need to focus myself a little better on taking the time to read the book (as opposed to watching television or playing on the computer) so I can finish it while I still remember the beginning of the book.

We're All Still Here

I was surprised at the amount of news coverage over one man's prediction that the world would end on Saturday.  I was equally surprised at the time and energy that many Christians put into posting verses that state that no one but God knows the time or place of Christ's return.  While I agree with these verses, I don't think that this was the best response to the situation.

How many Christians used this event as an opportunity to talk to others about salvation and being ready for the real judgment day?  I know that I did not.  I will freely admit, not proudly mind you, that this is one area with which I struggle in my walk with the Lord.

How many Christians prayed for the man who made this prediction and the many people who truly believed it would happen?  How many of us are still praying for these people as they deal with the reality that they are here and not in heaven?

My goal is not to pass judgment on anyone's behavior, but just get some feedback on how we should respond when we hear people misrepresenting scripture.  Praise God that He is not hindered by our foolishness and stupidity.

What's there to Blog about Anyways?

I think I stopped blogging on a regular basis because I felt like I needed to focus my blog on one idea or topic, but I could not decide on what topic to focus.

I consider reading through a list of one hundred classic books and writing up my impressions of each book on the blog, but I worried it would take me too long to read each book (since reading time is limited these days), and I worried about students plagiarizing my ideas since I find students who do this to other people's blogs.

I could blog about raising a little one with one on the way, but I doubt I would have much new insight to share on that topic that the hundreds of other blogs don't already share.

Perhaps I should focus on our adventures in yard management and trying to make something out of the mess the previous owners left behind. 

I want to make my blog meaningful and interesting as well as unique.  I want to use the knowledge I gained from my schooling and teaching as well as life in general.

I'll keep pondering this problem, but I would appreciate any feedback that you all might have.

What Happened to All the Blog Posts

I'll be the first to admit that I have not been very faithful to keep up with my blog these last six months.  I've noticed that I apparently am not the only one to put it on the back burner.   It's funny because I come to my blog everyday to check other blogs, but I just don't take the time to add a new entry.

I hope to be more faithful to add thoughts and insight to my blog on a regular basis.  I hope that some of the rest of you will consider doing the same.  Seeing status updates on Facebook just isn't the same as seeing thoughts more fully developed on the blog entries :o)