Last week I was talking to some friends about how since we've become mothers, our standards on somethings has gone down. House cleaning was the main topic, but it really got me thinking. So much has changed since I had Jeremiah. Thing that were important, aren't any more.

When I first started staying home I thought my house had to be immaculate at all times. I thought that's what it meant to be a home-maker, to be a Stepford Wife. Always look perfect, have the perfect house and the perfect family. That was more do-able when Jeremiah was awake maybe 4 hours a day, and I could put him on the floor and know he would stay there. That's not the case any more! I have a very high energy boy who loves playing outside and with people. He's at such a fun age now! He really wants to play and interact. I would much rather be doing that then cleaning toilets! So honestly, that's what I do. I keep my house neat and clean. But I'm not worried about my toilets any more.

Cleanliness seems to be a theme on my lowering standards. I used to always shower and wash and dry my hair. Then I would go through the motions of styling it and doing my makeup. Now my goal it to wash my hair at least every other day. Don't worry, I still shower every day... Well, most days. :-) Anyways! I'm not so wrapped up on how I look. Yesterday I need to go by Hobby Lobby. I went in jean shorts an old Belhaven shirt and no makeup. That was fine with me. I jut didn't care. I went from always having to be totally together to kind of back to college days, run the brush through my hair, wash my face, brush my teeth and I'm good to go!

This is true with Jeremiah. When we go out I make sure he's not dirty and that he has clothes on. We spend a lot of time in shirts and clothe diapers when around the house. I would much rather have a child who is wearing something that doesn't quite match but is content and sweet natured then a child who is fussing but in a really cute outfit. Yes, if you're wondering, I'll probably be one of "those moms" who lets her little boy where dress up clothes to the grocery store. :-)

There are some things that are more important to me. I have become much more aware of the language people use around me. I've always noticed when people would swear or use God's name disrespectfully. Now I'm hyper aware! It's one thing to say those kinds of things around adults, but kids, come on now! I don't want Jeremiah hear those words. Especially when he's trying to imitate everything we say. He's such a sponge right now, just absorbing everything. More then most would give him credit for.

Money. I don't think it's that it's become more or less important to me. I'm have a new perspective on it on. After a lot of tears and pray, we decided it was more important that I be home. Disclaimer: I think there is nothing wrong with mom working out of the home. I know several women who do work out of the home and are incredible mothers. I know for some, there's no option, both parents have to work out of the home. I'm thankful that God has allowed for me to stay home.

I'm not going to lie, it was hard going from two incomes to one and I had to make some big changes on how we spent our money. We used to go out to eat a lot. We still go out, but not to the degree we used to. I used to go to the grocery store and buy whatever we wanted. Now I clip coupons and buy what's on sale. Money is important. It's what enables us to pay our mortgage and all the other bills. Things that we HAVE to do. But we don't have to have tons of it to be happy or even content. I have more funny spending the weekend at our house, playing outside or at the pool and then curling up on the couch with Matt to watch a movie then if we had gone out. All things that don't cost a thing. Like I said, just a change in perspective.

I know there are many other ways my priorities have changed. These are just a few. What about you? What changes have you noticed since having kids?

Father's Day

In typical Megan fashion, I'm a day late on my Father's Day post. After breakfast and presents we went to church. Our church has a really neat tradition of on Mother's day the men go up front and sing a hymn for the offertory and the women sing on Father's day. The hymn we sung was "Faith of Our Fathers".



The refrain is "faith of our fathers, holy faith. We will be true to thee till death". That song got me thinking about how thankful I am to have a Daddy who taught me that faith. A Daddy who taught me what a god honoring man looks like through his example.



Matt is one of those men. A man who loves the Lord, then his family. I'm thankful for the father he is to Jeremiah and will be to our future children. A father who will seek to pass on our faith to our children.



My prayer is that Jeremiah will share our faith and pass it out to his children. That we will see the faith of our fathers passed on for countless generations!

Getting big

14 months ago I was holding my new born baby boy. Now I have a little boy! He's doing so much now!

Biggest accomplishment this month is walking! The only time he crawls is so he can pull up on something.

Loves playing chase and trying to run away.

Signing "all done", "please", "eat", "thirsty" and starting on "more". Thirsty is changing some. A little girl from church sticks her tongue in and out and makes a funny noise, he's starting to use that now. We came up with our own for "amen" he puts his hand up over is head. Yes, us the frozen chosen our teaching our son to raise his hands. :-)

Starting to talk! Occasionally he'll say: momma, dada, Ton (meaning Tonks). Consistently says: da (dog), ba (this has many meaning and sounds a little different for bath and ball) and boom!

Developing quite the temper! If he gets mad he'll throw whatever he's holding on the floor and then kick at it. Or just throw himself on the floor. Looks like the terrible 2 are starting early fr Jeremiah! Hopefully they'll be over more quickly!

Working on feeding himself with a fork or spoon. Some food makes it too his mouth, a lot ends up on the floor or in his high chair.

Love music! Dances all the time. During "If your happy and you know it" he'll clap when you say to and raises his hands when you say amen. :-)

Still love his thumb.

More in love with his silkies than every! Will pull them out of the hamper if he can't find one. While I'm folding laundry he'll take all of them as I'm folding them.

Favorite place to hang out is the cabinets.

Now here is Jeremiah in action!

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ADD

Sometime I feel like I have ADD. This afternoon has been like that. After I put Jeremiah down for a nap I got some lunch. Started doing some research online, trying to use my time while he's napping. I kept thinking of things I had been wanting to learn more about and hadn't. Next thing I know I have three tabs open on three very different topics while eating lunch. Matt called to see if I had found someone to keep Jeremiah during a doctors appointment. Forgot all about it while I was online. As I'm making the call I remember I need to do laundry today. Now I'm leaving a message and starting laundry. Then I decided I should blog too. Like I said, ADD.

As of now I have laundry going, working online, blogging, still have to do lunch dishes, and keep thinking of more things I want to do! Maybe I'll complete something and not just have lots of things half way done. Oh, and I need to call the dentist. Going to go make a list now!

Produce!

I was working in the garden yesterday and saw one lone green bean! I was thrilled! The lone green bean made my day! Today when I went to take pictures, needed some proof, there were several green beans and several different plants! They still need some time, but I'll be making fresh green beans before long.




Green beans aren't the only thing growing. My pepper plants are doing really well! Here's the biggest one so far. If you look closely you can see the beginnings of some more. I think I'm going to have more peppers than I know what to do with. If any of you like sweet green peppers let me know!

Remember...

My post back the end on May about how I making something for in my half bath. Well, I did it! I actually did it that weekend but waited till now to post pictures.



When we moved in, two years ago, I got a very girly bathmat and trash can for the half bath. I love it! Fits my personality perfectly. It's black with khaki, white and red poke-a-dots and flowers. Sounds kinda weird, but I promise it's cute! I decided to paint all but one wall a nice neutral khaki color (that's the main color in the rest of the house) and one wall a red. The red I picked was a lot brighter then I expected. I've been trying to think of a way to tone it down some. So here it is!

The white pattern on the paper is the exact pattern that's on the bathmat. The red is still bright, but I don't feel like it over powers the bathroom any more.

Here's the blog that explains how to make your own.

A little like his momma

People always say Jeremiah looks like me but acts just like his daddy. Which it true! They both have the same mischievous, fun loving, jokester personality. Today I saw part of my personality in Jeremiah! He had been playing in the kitchen cabinets, getting all the tupperware out. Next thing I know he's taken all of his magnets off the fridge and put them in one bowl. He shook the bowl and then dumped them out. Then he put them all back in the bowl. Maybe I'll have a fellow "I like to organize for the fun of it!" person in the family!

Garden

So here was my garden the beginning of May. Hadn't even plated anything yet.

Look at it now! In the back left are the sweet green peppers. Fount left is the zucchini. All on the right are lots of green beans. I can't believe how they've taken off. The pepper and zucchini plants have flowers on them. I'm taking that as a good sign because on FarmVille that means the fruits will be coming soon! I'm a nerd, I know.


There's been some trial and error, which was expected. I'm already making plans for another planter box and all the fall veggies I'll be able to plant!

Summer

I love summer time! Well... not how hot and humid it gets, but everything else! Grilling, playing outside, all the Americana decorations, the pool and the holidays! Oh the holidays! Growing up as an Air Force brat, we took our patriotic holidays pretty seriously.

I mainly remember the 4th of July. Mom would buy us a new red, white or blue shirt and we would decorate them with iron on and puff paint. We would always have at least one family we spent the day with. Dad would grill and make homemade icecream! Then we would wait for the fireworks. The best fireworks I've seen have been on the Mall in DC or on base. You can't beat military fireworks!

Having all these vivid memories has made me want to create times like that for Jeremiah. This spring my mom and I picked out a "patriotic" outfit for him. I want him to remember having people in our home and doing special during these holidays. So this Memorial day, we started!

Jeremiah's "All American Boy" outfit

Ms. Terri came over for a cookout

Spent the evening with Matt's side of the family. Travis and Chandler
Matt and I being the American flag minus the stars. :-)

Brenda and Ricky giving Jeremiah a toy car

He loves it!

During all the fun and excitement growing up, we always knew what the holiday meant. When you grow up in a military family there is always that, "what if daddy has to go to war???" My dad flew during the cold war, I was too young to remember it. But I remember when the Gulf War started being worried about my dad. He hadn't flown for years, but I knew if they needed him overseas he would go. We had a friend we tied a yellow ribbon on a tree for. Thankfully, God brought him home and he took the ribbon off.

This is what I want Jeremiah to remember. That the summer holidays are more then the outfit, good food, and the fun times with friends and family. I want him to know that there are men and women who have given up a tremendous amount to sever our country. Some have paid the ultimate price in the fight for freedom. I want him to learn and then have respect for our country and the people who faithfully sever. I know this will come as Jeremiah grows. This was the start though.