Off Topic - Article to Share

This is completely off topic from my usual posts, but I'm wanting to share this with my family & friends - in case any of you have ever found yourself asking certain questions like I have lately. I found this article and it has answered some of the questions that have been nagging at my heart lately. I think it's a really great article. I'm grateful to have stumbled upon it.
That's all.

It's called:
How can I be sure I'm truly saved?

{Dear Eisley - Vol. 4}

{Dear Eisley}

I can't wait until...

- you can take ballet classes
- you have your first sleepover
- you have a say in the decorating of your room
- your hair is long enough for me to French braid.
- you can tell us, with your own spoken words, that you love us
- you can understand just how much we love you. This, unfortunately, probably won't happen until you have kids of your own
- your Grandpa Erickson can enrich your childhood through crafts, art, and stories {with all the best voices for the characters} - just like he did mine
- your face lights up on Christmas morning, filled with the excitement that only new toys from Santa can bring
- you can tell me what you'd like to dress up as for Halloween
- you choose Christ by your own free will, it will happen one day, when you realize you are a child of God whether or not we force you to go to Sunday School
- you and daddy go to a Father/Daughter Dance, and I can do your hair all fancy
- you become more my friend than my child

but then again.... I can wait.

Love you,
Mom & Dad
-

{Once Upon a Time}

{If you're wondering where my previous post - which included the teaser trailer to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland film which was pretty much awesome - is, I have four words to say: "Walt Disney, you suck!" They're pulling it from everyone for copyright reasons and I can't find it elsewhere. Boo!}

Once upon a time...
this blonde haired, blue eyed beauty was sitting in her garden...
and along came a white rabbit muttering, "I'm late! I'm late!" so she followed him, naturally...
... down the white rabbit's hole.
...and into Wonderland.


Can you tell I'm excited?

Here's a treat to get you in the mood for the big party - my favorite clip from the movie. It's quite funny if you actually listen to what they're saying...

"Mustard? Yes! That'll-- Mustard!? Now don't let's be silly! Now lemon, that's different... "

Oh, just watch.

{08/08/09}

The big 08/08/09 is coming up, despite my protests that it's just not fair. I hope I didn't forget any invites, but if we know you - you're invited. So come! Seriously. It's Alice in Wonderland themed, could you tell? {Justin convinced me to hold off a few more years for Marie Antoinette...}

First - you can RSVP by leaving a comment to this post in case you don't feel like calling me ;-) or if I already know you're coming.

Second - feel free to get festive! White rabbit ears, Queen of Hearts crowns, face paint, etc. are all encouraged. I'm making Justin wear a Mad Hatter hat {shout out to Justin: aren't you excited?!}

Finally - if you want to bring/send a gift for Eisley but are having trouble thinking of exactly what, a few ideas of things she needs {and seriously, only if you were planning on a birthday gift, we know this economy is rough right now and don't expect anything but your company}:

* Bath toys. She has none. This is sad.
* 9 & 12 mos clothes. We go through a lot of onesies & soft pants & play clothes - so those are nice to have more of. We're pretty well stocked on dresses for now, although we won't ever turn down a pretty dress.
* Toys that involve "taking out & putting back in", she's been into that lately
* Books. These are also chew toys for her, so the heavy cardboard or soft plush kind are best for now. She already has several copies of War & Peace, so please everyone stop buying her that one.
* Melissa & Doug toys {found at US Toys, They Just Keep Growing in Castle Rock, and a few at Barnes & Noble} are especially welcome in this home - as they're good old fashioned wooden, Made in the USA, learning toys.

Just thought I'd put that out there as often people have asked me what she needs or what size she's wearing, etc. On toys, don't forget to check the packaging to make sure of age appropriateness. That's something I always forget, then I realize I just gave a niece a toy she can't use for 3 years...

I'm so excited! Not for the turning 1 part. But parties are so much fun for me.

Happy Unbirthday to all of you!

{Messy Face Poll}

Here's a confession: I've always cringed at pictures of other people's kids with messy faces. Baby splattered with spaghetti sauce and half eaten noodles? "Eew," I think.

And I honestly always thought everyone thought these pictures of other people's messy faced kids were gross... {which left me wondering why so many parents post them?}

Then I snapped my own kid's messy faced picture. Cutest messy face picture ever! But now I wonder if other people will cringe at it, the way I cringed at theirs.

SO - it's poll time, you tell me {and be honest!}:

For the love of Eisley leave a comment! Click down there and say hi.

{Nature Walk}

Recently on a walk by himself {well, with Eisley, I was home spray-painting birdcages in preparation for Paris Street Market} Justin discovered this little piece of heaven, right in our own backyard.

So he brought us all back the other day, for a lovely little nature walk. The trail starts just a couple blocks away, between two houses...With Eisley in her Chicco carrier, the little dogs on leashes, we headed off - over the bridge towards the trail.



Down the little trail we went...

Until the paving went away. It smelled like the mountains.
Jealous?
I was there too, Justin took a pic to prove it. I'm probably watching out for mountain lions here, which actually inhabit the very nearby Castlewood Canyon, so don't think I'm crazy.

{Some people have to really work at getting their kids to smile for pictures...
we don't have that problem.}I know I'm jealous of the people in those little houses that back up to this...
Nearby was a larger creek, which we couldn't see, but we could hear it. It made for quite the ambiance.
On our way back Eisley asked if she could walk one of the dogs. "Sure, what the heck?" we said.

Here, my friends, is one of the reasons my native state is called "Colorful Colorado." I snapped all these pictures myself on our little nature walk. We have the most lovely wildflowers here.
Whew! What a walk, good thing Daddy thought to bring water.
After exiting the trail, right onto the streets of our neighborhood, we headed home.

Cheers.

{Our Weekend}

A Paris Street Market went well for us! It was especially nice Justin had the 4th off, so he was available all day to help. Angela & Peter stopped by and brought their cutie, Mara, who is Eisley's BFF. Those two must have called each other in secret and planned to match, for our little Firecrackers were wearing identical outfits! Seriously. This was not planned.
It was a nice holiday.

Today Justin & I had a preview class with Eisley over at the Gymboree in Parker. We wanted to see if it would be worth the bucks.
We think she had a lot of fun. It was her first time socializing with kids her age {or very close to} and we think it will be a nice addition to her weekly routine to have fun at Gymboree. It was a fun outing for our little threesome.
Parachutes, bubbles, climbing, friends, songs, magic toy boxes, tunnels, balls, slides, and obstacle courses - all fit nicely into a 45 minute Play & Music class. Who did our flirt choose to chase and follow when she got a chance? The only boy, of course. She has a habit of chasing boys. I'm not kidding.
Fun times ;-)

{TODAY}

9am - Justin hears Eisley is awake, goes to get her in her crib and finds that she has thrown up all over herself. Takes temperature, which is normal. Hmm...

10am - Justin has left for work, I settle Eisley in her highchair with some Cheerios and formula for breakfast. Sees that a new tooth is making headway through her gums.

10.30am - Eisley is now playing on the floor, starts to heave and shake. Proceeds to throw up entire breakfast, looks miserable.

10.45 - After Googling, I decide to call the doctor, leave a message with physician's assistant. Not sure whether or not to take her in... but she's acting fine now, playing happily on the floor.

11am - PA calls back, ask questions, says she'll talk to the doctor and get back to me. Eisley has tiny clay like diaper mess and is straining. It's obvious she's constipated. Great. Puking, teething, and constipated. What else can go wrong, eh?

12pm - Eisley takes a bottle and goes down for a nap. I'm hoping she's over whatever this is and is fine now.

12.15pm - Check on Eisley, so far so good.


12.45pm - Check on Eisley, so far so good.


1pm - Check on Eisley, so far so good.


1.30pm - Check on Eisley, so far so good.


2pm - Doctor finally calls, I miss call, leaves message. Eisley seems fine so I let it go...


3pm - Eisley is awake, can't tell if she's thrown up or spilled some of her bottle. Change her, still constipated. She seems happy so I get her ready to go run errands.

3.20pm - Check mail. Find letter that says Justin's ex-employer is appealing unemployment decision for the THIRD TIME, despite the fact that they've already lost repeatedly and don't even owe any money if they lose so this is all in vain. My good mood is evaporated in a split second.

4pm - Call Mom from Michael's where I'm picking out pretty papers for my crafts to bitch about Justin's ex-boss and the audacity of it all. Eisley begins screaming and fussing.

7pm - On my way home from Walmart, give Eisley toddler cookies to keep her happy. Justin calls, is on his way home.

7.10pm - Eisley is home, playing on the floor. Starts heaving. Throws up.

7.15pm - Call Justin, tell him to meet me at the local Urgent Care center.

7.30pm - Urgent care lady directs us to another urgent care up the street because they're full for the evening.

7.40pm - Arrive at Urgent Care, wait 10 minutes to be received, wait another 15 minutes for good looking but ill-humored male nurse to call us back.

8pm - Doctor comes in, seems bored and not too worried because she isn't really dehydrated too bad - yet, thinks its a 24 hour bug. Asks questions. Eisley smiles at him.

8.15pm - Ill-humored male nurse comes in to give Eisley a shot of Zofran. Despite my efforts to distract, it is quite the upsetting event, being stuck in the hip with a needle. Ill-humored Male Nurse takes his sweet time pushing in the 2mm of Zofran while Eisley gasps for air between screams.

8.35pm - Doctor finally comes back to give instructions on what to do if this or that.

8.40pm - Justin takes Eisley home. I take longer, scenic route. Get stopped at train. Wonderful.

9pm - Arrive home to find a screaming Eisley, still constipated. Justin has given her applejuice, which she throws up 15 mins later.

9.15pm - Try to put Eisley down for the night. She will not have it. Justin reheats marinated grilled pork leftovers and pasta we had {thank goodness} and Eisley plays happily on floor.

9.30pm - I blog.


This has been our day. Wish us luck for tomorrow...

{UPDATE}

9.53pm - Eisley strains to poop. Justin cuddles with her. She' pouts and cries so pathetically that Justin tears up.

11.17pm - Checks email & re-reads this post between making embellished notebooks for Saturday. Sees I misspelled bored as "board". I'm embarrassed. This is one of my spelling pet peeves and yet here I've gone and done it myself... I'm anal {my mother is an editor, after all} could not let that go so here I am editing *again*. Eisley and Justin are sleeping sound in their respective beds. I'm planning on stay up to craft until the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully Eisley has a better day tomorrow. ;-)