Memoirs of a Moorings

Woo Hoo!

Day 30-NaBloPoMo! I hardly thought I'd be able to post everyday for a month, but I did. If you read along everyday without deleting--thanks! Actually blogging has been the easiest thing lately. What's been hard is getting a good night's sleep with this big belly, keeping this house clean--it is quite literally a mess and making a good home-cooked meal (Rhyan and I have had lunch out everyday this week). I did manage to put a dent in the laundry (pat myself on the back!)

On another note, a a while back a friend sent me this parent's prayer calendar. I really do dig it. Now, a mother's prayer calendar for ME, would be great right about now!

Back In the Day

"Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes." ~Bill Cosby

I have a handful of vinyl records from my days growing up as a teen in the 1980s. It was a time when music was real--no sampled music or remixes--just real heartfelt songs. I'm waxing nostalgic here because I came across my handful of records. I've been holding on to them because I keep planning to buy a record player--been planning to buy one for more than a decade. But that's another subject. I'm still holding on to these records! Growing up, one of the groups I was obsessed with was De*Barge (and I hate to even admit this now lead singer El De*Barge). I still remember the day that I went to a music store in Berkeley with my ballet teacher who was a friend of my mother's. I chanced upon a rare find--the De*Barge's first album, which came out before they were popular. I think I listened to it every night. Recently, Vibe Magazine ran a 3 part expose on the family. Seems most of them have hit on hard times--drugs, arrests and E*l now has 10 kids. But I still have sweet memories of them. Really makes me with I had a record player now!

One Thousand Gifts-Little Reminders of Grace

76. A silent house
77. Sleeping children
78. A hot cup of sweet tea
79. My first Bible-tattered, underlined, highlighted, memorized
80. A new journal-fresh pages full of possibility
81. An indoor playground for the little one to roam
82. "Ava Maria" from Josh Groban's Christmas CD
83. Freshly mopped floors
84. A glistening kitchen sink
85. A crock pot full of dinner for the evening
86. A stack of books on my bedside table waiting to be read
87. A simple reminder not to fret
88. A heart of praise
89. Hands raised in worship
90. Christmas approaching- a reminder of  Jesus' birth
91. My favorite pen, heavy in my hand
92. The Lord, urging us to trust Him.
93. Wreaths and bright lights waiting to be hung

94. A little hand in mine walking through the house.

95. Nightlights to check on little sleeping faces

96. Midday calls from friends--just because

97. My favorite magazine in the mail

98. The ABC's of Living Simply on Joanne's blog

99. Great ides for managing a home

100. The smell of coffee in the morning.

So Glad for Daddy

"My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.  Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass."  "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply.  "We're raising boys."  ~Harmon Killebrew

As the mother of a boy (soon to be two), I've got a front row seat into the lives of little men. I didn't grow up with brothers so I didn't understand what makes boys tick. Our little one loves to roughhouse, climb, all the things that get boys excited. When Daddy comes home, it's like his roughouse meter is off the charts. He wants to wrestle, jump on Daddy, sit on his head when he's on the couch watching TV and pull him by his shirt tail and be dragged around the house. Lately, I've been noticing that my hubby looks like he's enjoying it all just as much as Rhyan! Thank God for Daddies!

The Nesting Continues

"Beginnings are always messy."  ~John Galsworthy

Getting ready for Rhyan's birth was such a smooth transition. Of course, it helped that I didn't have any other children to care for or that I was a stay-at-home mom. This weekend my wonderful hubby overworked himself to satisfy my nesting instinct. He painted two rooms and put up Rhyan's bunk beds which we picked up last week. I took pics, but when I saw the mess, I said no way am I going to publish them! Rhyan is soooooooo excited about the beds. The mattresses aren't here, but he wanted to sleep in the top bunk so bad. I compromised with him and set him up in the bottom bunk with his toddler mattress from his car bed. I padded the sides with his new bedding and some pillows. Can we say happy camper! He doesn't care that the rest of the room is in disarray. He was just so happy to be in his big boy bed. Let's hope this is the end of late night creeping to our bed! Cannot wait until everything is in order! I ordered a bunch of stuff online for the baby--basics like diapers, onesies, socks, pajamas--stuff we didn't have. I felt guilty for shopping online. Why? It's so hard for me to get around now, it really was the smartest move. So much still left to do--let's just pray I don't go into early labor trying to get it all done!

Overhead......

while Rhyan and I were eating at the kitchen table listening to the MP3 player on random.

Rhyan: I don't like this song.

Me: Why?

Rhyan: It's not speaking to me.

Me: What?

Rhyan: The song is not talking to me..that's why I don't like it.

Okay, can anyone tell me where a four-year-old gets this kind of stuff from?

Following Bliss

"I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be." ~Joseph Campbell

Been thinking a lot lately about following my bliss. And wondering why it's such a scary thought to make changes in life to make it a better fit. Why do we simply settle for the status quo?  Just because it's more comfortable? We only get one shot in life--so why not launch out into the deep. With some time off, I've been thinking of what would be a better fit for me in life--on all fronts--work, church, mommyhood. And then I think of all the friends I know who want to make a change, but just don't. Then I think of the handful who have made a change--starting that business they always wanted to start or moving to a different place or changing careers. I know it wasn't easy for them. But the payoff for them has been a more gratifying life.

I have a cousin who left a stable job with LAPD to go to Atlanta to pursue a degree in black religious studies. She recently got her Ph.D and has found her groove. She rocks! I want to live a life like that. Shedding what doesn't quite fit to wear something more comfortable. Been wondering what changes I need to make to do that.

Makes me think of one of my favorite quotes: "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it"....... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

What's your bliss? And what do you need to begin it?

Re-evaluating My Way

It's day 23 of NaBloPoMo and I'm still going strong. I was wondering if I could actually blog every day! I can. As November almost stretches to a close, I got to thinking about some semi New Year Resolutions I made in January--which seems like only a few weeks ago. Looks like I've fallen off the train on a few of them.

Even with the RSS feed, I have fallen behind on the read-the-Bible in a year plan. But I'm not going to beat myself up. I'll just pick up from where I left off.

With the pregnancy, my menu planning has been random at best. But we are eating every night. Praise the Lord!

Other than that, I'm on track.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

My Home-A Nursery For Heaven

"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." ~Clarence Budinton Kelland

Came across this simple prayer by a mother in my blog reading. Love it. Lately, I've been wondering how I can hide the Word in my little one's heart. I pray with him and am working on memory scriptures with him, but I want God Word's to be real to him--real in everyday life. I grew up going to church, but the God I knew was more of a dictator--One who was only pleased by following rules. I want our children to love God for who He is--a loving Father, One who is concerned about every single area of our lives. So whenever Rhyan is scared, I tell Him "God is bigger than the boogie man." (A song from Veggie Tales). And when he hurts himself, I tell him to pray for God to take away the pain. I want him to know that God sees even the smallest skinned knee. That's the God I know now and the One I wish I knew growing up.

Moms, what are you doing to make God real to your little one? Would love to hear some feedback!