Resolutions

Over the last couple of years we've made quite a few resolutions (not necessarily at New Year's) in an effort to create a more healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle:

*switched to glass kitchen storage containers
*drink out of stainless steel bottles
*stopped using the microwave (almost entirely)
*created a compost system to reduce kitchen waste and use on our plants
*planted tomatoes
*started buying local honey (does wonders for Currie's allergies)
*switched to grass fed beef
*started buying raw milk and organic eggs from a local farm
*had a natural child birth
*use wheat grass, garlic, GSE, to boost immunity when starting to feel sick rather than defaulting to antibiotics (also use humidifiers to help cold/coughs)
*use cloth diapers
*use clothes line for said diapers when possible
*purchased home w/in 5 miles of where we work, worship, and study
*used no VOC paint for all interior painting
*installed eco-flow showerhead, more efficient toilet, etc. during renovations
*reuse materials whenever possible during renovations
*use homemade furniture polish & all purpose cleaner w/ kitchen ingredients
*bought motorcycle to reduce gas emissions (gets 68 mpg vs. 16 mpg for the truck)
*traded out said 16 mpg truck for 19 mpg minivan (okay not a big difference), continue to use little 34 mpg car as primary vehicle (even on road trips) instead of comfy minivan
*use bicycle to commute when possible (Currie)

Things I'm thinking about for this year:

*planting a veggie garden
*eating more fish (actually any amount would be "more" for us!)
*decreasing sugar & flour intake (based on Nina Planck's Real Food)
*buy more local/organic fruits/veggies
*eat more fruits & veggies!
*exercise more regularly (need to decide what this would look like for me)
*go to bed before 11

(These are the tangible resolutions...every year I think about spiritual disciplines as well: less worrying, coveting, complaining, more praying, reading the Bible, focus on others. I have significantly less progress in these areas!)

Any other suggestions that I haven't thought of??
And, oh yeah, Happy New Year!!!

10 months: wishing I could freeze time

*still loves her bath; funny how sticking this kid in water can make her go from fussy to delighted almost instantly
*pulling up; pretty "mobile"- a hundred times a day I think she's going to crawl for the first time because she gets so close, but every time she sits back down or just decides to lay on her belly, or sit back up
*1st tooth on Oct 7 (8.5 mo); 2nd tooth on Nov 21th (10 mo)
*loves standing and walking with me
*uses her index finger to point and to "lift the flap" on her books
*wobbles her head to "dance"; loves music
*first costume: Ewok (c'mon, even Ewoks sometimes get tired and need their pacis)

*sits up from being on her tummy
*says "ba-ba-ba-ba-by" all the time; loves to jabber
*is learning to feed herself, but only with her spoon- she is not a barbarian!
*sleeps from 8 pm to 7 am, w/ her bunny

*loves people and playing w/ the big kids at the nursery at my school
*favorite toy is currently her musical piggy bank & coins- and books, always books
*first taste of "grains" was grits @ breakfast w/ her great grandaddy

and finally
*loves the beach; she splashed in the waves, banged shells together, and did not protest one bit to be covered in sand from head to toe...
a girl after her mommy's own heart <3 and now, for your viewing pleasure, sounds of a happy baby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvxQyuYHwhQ

baby book entry: 8 months

*says dada, yaya, bobobob, and (*finally*) mama!!
*scooches backwards off a blanket
*menu options include: egg yolks, banana, avocado, applesauce, sweet potato, peas, carrots, zucchini, yogurt, pears, green beans, cantaloupe, broccoli
*she has started rocking and then tipping herself onto her face from a sitting position, then ends up on her tummy to scoot...I think crawling is right around the corner (yikes.)
*we've figured out that she can roll over, just generally chooses not to :)
*her fine motor skills have improved drastically...she likes playing with my hair band and transfers it between her hands
*she takes my hands in hers and makes them clap
*she likes to bang two toys together
*puts her paci back in her mouth (she's been doing this for probably a month now)
*LOVES bath time, books, and eating
*went through 5 days of intense pain from teething (LOTS of drool & low grade fever), but still no teeth!!
*she'd been sleeping from 7 to 7 until we traveled & she started teething; for the last month she's been waking up at least once a night
*had her first tent camping experience last weekend at the church retreat (while teething!)
*super ticklish on her belly & under her chin
*(very) vague/ideal schedule: wake up 7; nap 9-11; nap 1-3; sometimes afternoon nap or just down time in crib around 5; bedtime 7
*I'm starting to wonder if her eyes are turning more gray than blue
*almost everywhere I go with her someone tells me she looks like a "Gerber baby" (I can't argue with that!) :)

Win an Ergo!!

Hi ladies,

There is this awesome contest going on right now to win an Ergo baby carrier! I've been wanting one for awhile and have searched all over the country on craigslist to find one for cheaper...but the problem is, few people ever want to get rid of their Ergo because they love it so much!

Here is the link on how to enter the contest-- super easy!!
http://www.heavenlyhold.com/pages/contest.htm

Irons in the Fire

Life is about to get a whole heck of a lot busier around here. Starting Sunday I have three "hats" to wear: Sunday School Coordinator at our church, SNAP tutor, and PreK3 teacher. (Not to mention wife, mother, housekeeper, etc.) Yikes. This week I've been running around like a crazy woman getting ready for all three roles to start the same week. Here's a sneak peek at what I'll be doing for each position:

-Sunday School Coordinator: recruit teachers (this proved harder than one would imagine!), order curriculum, coordinate subs when needed, be in classrooms, act as support for teachers (this is a volunteer position)

-SNAP tutor: case manage for 6 kids (read: paperwork!), plan lessons for small group instruction focused on strategies to improve written expression, task management, math reasoning depending on each student's individual needs (this will be 2 evenings/3 hrs. each evening)

-PreK3 teacher: play with/teach eight 3-yr olds, plan lessons in reading/writing/math readiness, picture/composer/nature study (Charlotte Mason style), go on enrichment trips (this will be 2 mornings/5 hrs. each- Ellie will be across the hall in a nursery)

While each of these positions is really exciting to me, I get overwhelmed thinking about dishes, laundry, dinner, (cloth) diapers, baby food, and kitchen renovations on top of everything else!! Still, I am SOOO thankful that I am not teaching full-time, but that God has given me these 3 outlets (not to mention the finances) in the educational world so that I can spend more time with this sweet girl:

Super Trooper

Well, the Bishops have had a CRAZY summer! Last week I realized that our little Munchkin had slept in about fifteen different locations in the space of two weeks. She's a trooper!

This summer we made it to:
Boiling Springs, NC (Charlotte Mason conference)
Atlanta, GA (my roomie reunion)
Nashville, TN (General Assembly/mini-fam reunion)
Boynton Beach, FL (to see parents, aunts, grandparents)
Dalton, GA (to see bro, sis, nephew)
Lookout Mtn., GA (to see bro @college)
Dalton, GA (to see bro, sis, nephew, & NIECE!!)
Atlanta, GA (Cov friends reunion)

One Year Later...

We've been in our house one year this week!

Then:



Now: