Success! And by that, I mean today, not overall.

The watch did the trick, and both Ella and Natalie had much needed naps. I had an afternoon of quiet, so I could make a dent in my work. I took a little quiet time for myself, too!

How does she not sleep?

For Christmas I got Ella a digital Dora watch. She doesn't seem to have as much of a concept of time as of accessories, but I can understand that. Long ago, Ella gave up naps. I have finally decided to take rest time back. Mommy needs it. So I give her the watch, and a post-it with the time on it that she has to wait until before she can get out of bed. I've thought of setting timers, but then won't the timer wake her up if she falls asleep? So for 2 days, we've done the watch. I gave her 30 minutes yesterday that she had to stay in bed quietly. Today was 45. She came out a minute ago whispering, "Mom! It's 1:45." So I went in to check her watch, 1:25. I tell her she still has 20 minutes to lay down. So Ella lays down, staring at her watch. How can she possibly stare at a watch for 20 minutes and not fall asleep (which is my true goal)? Time will tell....

Grace each day

I had a co-worker a couple of years ago, who was a truly amazing woman. She was in her 40s, and was a raging diabetic. She had divorced within the past couple of years moved back to her hometown, and had ended up having to go back to work, so we hired her for our front office at the newspaper. I have never met anyone more full of joy and peace than Jean. Even with her health problems, she still seemed to find immense joy in every day -- every day was truly a gift. Just having her around calmed my spirit. She just never got upset. Even when an angry customer would call because their bill had a mistake, she'd calmly handle it. Afterwards she'd come tell me about it, giggle, say she'd take care of it, and go on with her day. After she'd been with us a few months, she called me at home on a Friday to say she wouldn't be in -- she was too sick. She said she just didn't feel right. I told her to take care of herself, we'd see her Monday. By Sunday she was in a coma, and on that Tuesday, she passed away. I still miss her. At her funeral her sister said that Jean used Max Lucado's "Grace for the Moment" devotional, and she read the beginning prayer every day. I wanted to share it with you (all 2 of you):
I Choose Love...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I Choose Joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of a lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I Choose Peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I Choose Patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I Choose Kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I Choose Goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I Choose Faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I Choose Gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I Choose Self-Control...
I am a spiritual being... After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

I love the internet and I'm raising a bilingual child

I love, love the internet, and I'll tell you why. I have spent January re-establishing contact with long-lost friends. Between myspace, email and the blog, I am having a fabulous time. Just this morning I got a comment from my dear sweet Shawna on my blog...it's been just ages, and I was so thrilled to see pictures of the little munchkins! My good friend Nita keeps me posted on her NC adventure, which I love reading about. I love catching up with what Amy has been doing.

I adore talking on the phone, but I have reached a phase of life where I don't want to call anyone. As soon as I reach for the phone I start thinking "Is she busy? Changing a diaper maybe? Is it naptime?" I don't know anyone's schedules, and it just makes me so hesitant to call. Honestly, I don't know what my problem is, since I love when people call me. So I love being able to keep up with people. I love feeling like I'm still in the middle of people's lives. I'm learning to seek out joy, and right now, the internet is one of the gifts I am thanking God for.

On another note, I am raising a bilingual child. Natalie has a deep love for all things Dora and Diego. She's almost 22 months. The other day at the doctor's office she wanted to climb on the table, and looked at me, "Suben?" Now, she's not getting the tense right, but she isn't in English either. Then yesterday morning she got in a box and said, "Push me Mommy?" I had to sadly explain to her that Mommy can't, because Mommy is now old with back injuries. So instead she got out, and started pushing it herself, "empujen, empujen." I haven't had a Spanish class since 1995, so I know I'm probably not spelling it right. But still. Spanish for push. All I can say is, Noggin really is like preschool on tv.