What’s Old with Stephanie?
Welcome to the early years of my blogs…180 blogs recovered from 2007 through 2013. Meet my kids in their newborn, toddler, elementary, and teens stages. And me practicing who I wanted to be when I grew up.
2007
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New & Improved Birthday Song
Happy Birthday to me I’ve been so busy… This has been such a blessed day, due to friends and fam’ly!
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Supernatural Pod-mobile (April 7, 2007)
I just lay my near-5-month-old down for a nap. As I was nursing him, I looked in his eyes and he was looking up at me with the surprised intensity that only a nursing child can give his mother when the influx of milk let-down catches him off guard. But there was another look there.…
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Where Am I? (April 5, 2007)
We’re in the car today and I stopped at somebody’s house to grab something. On the way out, I thought, “I’ll just turn here cause I know it leads to the other road.” WRONG! It didn’t. And about 200 yards later I remembered which road I should’ve taken. But I decided to ride it out…
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I’m Not Praying Anymore (April 1, 2007)
Got your attention, didn’t I? Well, it’s true. I’m not praying anymore. At least about something that I’m waiting for resolution from God on. It’s not that I’m not praying, it’s just that I have to pray differently. I have to pray for myself to trust that God knows what is best and will provide…
2008
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I am the Consumer! (September 6, 2008)
Please understand that I realize that we all develop a familiarity about our work. I get slack even as an at-home mom. So I expect ER physicians to be comfortable in their environs. But not so casual that you appear apathetic about the patient’s situation. We’ve made our share of ER visits lately, and I…
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They Earned the Fair (September 6, 2008)
The prize for reading for 20 hours through the library reading program was a ticket to the Minnesota State Fair. Our two older boys more than surpassed that goal. Unfortunately, T was not as diligent in tracking his time, so didn’t get the prize. But he did participate in the library Chess Tourney, which did…
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So What Are You Up To? (September 6, 2008)
It’s the non-moments of life that make up a life. Sipping sun tea and watching your son use his tools to raise the bike seat for his little brother. Trying not to laugh as your toddler sits-and-spins a little too fast. Watching your husband teach your son how to handle a plant gently, while managing…
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J Turns Nine (September 6, 2008)
J’s ninth birthday was a journey…literally. We sent him on a scavenger hunt of sorts to earn clues from folks in the community. He would get a clue that would take him to a person, such as the librarian. She would ask him a trivia question. If he got the answer correct, he earned the…
2009
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First Day of Spring (March 20, 2009)
In addition to the fabulous-o tablecloth we got today, we played with play-doh. Play-doh is our friend. Little people get it and they sit still. They make a mess, yes, but that’s what little people do. A play-doh mess is containable, and there’s a method to its proper cleaning: avoid the mess for 12-24 hours…
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A Safe Place (March 8, 2009)
It’s in a safe place. Really, it is. I remember putting it there. I put it there because the last place I put it was not ideal for how rough the boys can be. When I set it there I remember thinking I probably shouldn’t put this here because it could have a bad end.…
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Permission to be Sick (February 16, 2009)
Does my body know when my husband is going to be home? It seems I get sick on the long weekends, when I know he has a day off. I always feel so badly for him having to take care of me on those days. Do I run myself to hard on the “normal” days…
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Thanks, Jimmers! (February 8, 2009)
Paul Revere is most famous for warning the residents surrounding Lexington and Concord of the British approach. He was a silversmith, engraver, husband, and father to sixteen children. Here in 2009, we’re thankful for Jimmers, who was Engraver Extraordinaire for our tribe of four. We visited Continental Diamond, where Henry found my engagement ring and…
2010
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Belly Burst (April 15, 2010)
My 3yo looked up at me to inquire if I’d help him pull up his pants (bathroom visit). He was so close to me and my belly was right in his face. He said, so innocently, “Mama, you going to have lots and lots of babies in your tummy.” Gee, thanks, G.
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No Sound Bites, Just Tears (April 6, 2010)
TE cried because he had to leave. S cried on Sunday because he missed having TE talk to him at bedtime. T cried considerably on Monday night because he missed having TE to play with (they were quite the team). J has mentioned at every meal that he missed TE. It is followed by, Me…
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Multiple Sound Bites: Star Wars Free Zone (April 2, 2010)
It didn’t start raining yet. Two neighbor boys (J and J) came over and picked up light sabers. I announced, “Sorry guys, there’s no Star Wars in our yard today.” They acquiesced, but those that live here responded with What? Why not? Huh? Mom-Aunt: Because it’s a Mom Sanity Zone today. Everyone else: Huh? What…
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My Real Granddad (April 1, 2010)
During lunch today, TE said, “Y’know what? My real granddad is an EX-pert on every kind of animal there is. He knows everything about all kinds of animals.” Okay, I’m cool with that. What kid doesn’t brag about what their dad, granddad, mom, grandmom, or great-aunt-becky-sue can do? Here is why this sound bite is…
2011
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Not Really Hating My Life (July 15, 2011)
Remember the blog about hating my life? In it, I said that I didn’t really hate my life, but I didn’t like the mom that I was within my life. The Ultimate Blog Challenge includes the challenge to visit the blogs of others and see what they are saying and doing. After posting a comment…
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Brain Bake (July 13, 2011)
Tennis camp. No shade. Lots of water. Doesn’t seem like enough. Kids loving the sport. Baby chases the balls around. This is quite nice. Till we get home. Despite the water, the baseball hats, the visors, the apples, the pluots, and the regular breaks, the sun is melting my children’s brains. It takes so much…
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Top 3 Reasons Why This Week is Groovy (July 14, 2011)
{Reading time 1-2 minutes} This is a one groovy week! Truly, it is. A great week. It actually feels like summer. The sun is out, then a little cloudy, then some rain, but mostly in the evenings. So the garden is growing, I’m not paying to water it (I’m also not weeding it…last year for…
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Bible Study (busy mom style) – Part 4 (July 12, 2011)
[Reading time 1-2 minutes] Thought I should close this topic with one more post. Bible study is not something we do because it gets us into heaven. It’s not something we should do to look or feel Christian to ourselves or others. Bible study is just a term our culture has applied to a scriptural instruction…
2012
2013
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I Choose Better Music (March 29, 2013)
Somebody needs to radically change workout music. Yes, I can MP3 my own stuff, but… …the musical selections on fitness videos has left a lot to be desired since the advent of the industry. Some music grooves at a fast tempo, but the subtle lyrics in the background is just not what I want to…
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I Choose to Bask in the Sun (March 27, 2013)
Okay, so I don’t even know if it hit 40 today. What I do know is that my neighbor’s driveway gets great afternoon sun. I sat there, playing sidewalk chalk with Baby Dragon and her friend. Every few minutes the older boys would approach to ask me something about bike riding, snacks, or bike riding…
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Four Tenths. Weight of the World. (March 26, 2013)
So this week is a whopping four tenths of a pound loss! And I’m celebrating it!! I definitely low on exercise and high on sodium this past week. But… …Ethnic Man had a slipped disc. All five children got sick at some point: stomach ache, colds, asthma attacks, bodily fluids emitting when they shouldn’t (’nuff…
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Updates, Upgrades, Dusting, and Mopping (March 19, 2013)
Do these tasks consume your life? They do mine. And I don’t like it. My children say, “Mom, I want the super-duper-bleeper-blopper cause it does this and that and this and that and then it does that and this!” And I say, “Does it clean itself? Does it dust itself? Does it upgrade itself? Does…