Jumbled Thoughts

No need to read on.  This is just for me and my book this entry will some day make it into.  Today was a day for reading.  My house is a mess and we didn't have a fancy meal but I am okay with that.  I love to read.  I love to get into another world and take part of it.  I love that I can go anywhere and be anything and anyone in a book.  For the last week I have been reading, "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.  I finished it a few hours ago and loved it.  It really stirred within me some crazy thoughts and feelings.  It is about the South in the 1960s.  It tells the stories of maids and the good and bad things they dealt with at that time in Mississippi.  The 1960s were not that long ago.  I really can't believe how different things were then, when my parents were young.  I am so thankful to how things are now.  I pray that I would not have been like any of the women in the book.
I also found time today to read 5 articles from the Power of Moms website.  Wow!  If only I can take all of the wonderful thoughts and ideas and apply them all to my life, right NOW.  Wouldn't that be nice.  My kids would be so happy, I would be so happy.  I plan on being a frequent to their website where I can learn and grow slowly but surely into the mom and woman I want to be.
One of the articles challenged me to watch my kids more and notice things.  Here is what I noticed today: Nathan is a great reader.  I love him telling me about what he reads.  He is reading Harry Potter 4 right now and I now just how he feels when he wants to read another chapter at 8:50 at night.  I love when it is quieter and he feels like he can come and talk to me.  I know that I need to make more quiet moments so he feels comfortable talking to me.  Ryan still needs me a lot, even though it can be annoying at times.  He needs hugs and stories and lots of love.  He is always wanting to make Callie smile and laugh.  He wants to help and be a leader for Annabelle, even though she doesn't want the help.  Annabelle dances everywhere she goes.  She bites faces into her salami and talks to it.  She loves to make Callie laugh but leaves the room when she cries.  She is so proud of her school work and loves showing it off.  Callie is still an enigma.  Right now she loves to crawl.  She will crawl one flight of stairs and go over to the next.  When she climbs that one she heads straight to the bathroom.  Thankfully not to the toilet, but to the bathtub.  She would sit in the tub all day if I let her-with or without water.  She wants attention and loves to see her family.  Gregory is amazing.  He can calm any one down, including me.  He loves me more than I deserve sometimes.  He loves to just hug me and cuddle while I read and read until Callie wakes up.  He knows when I need something and is right there fulfilling that need.  Hopefully I can keep watching and keep noticing.  
I am not a shopper.  But over the last 6 months I have received two 50% off coupons to a store and have decided that I need some new things.  Today I tried out their jeans.  I hate trying on jeans.  I have a pair of Mudd jeans that I bought forever ago that if I could find again, I would buy a bunch of pairs.  I love them and they fit me perfect.  I probably tried on 20 pairs of jeans today. I came home with 2, and I am not sure if I am okay with them.  Annabelle is so fun to shop with.  She was sad that she wasn't getting anything so I promised her she could pick me out some jewelry to wear.  She was so cute.  She picked out a lot of things that I had to politely say no to.  When I was finally checking out she just wandered around the jewelry racks.  She has already told me that when she gets married all of my jewelry becomes hers.  I have tried to explain that she will have her own, but I don't think it has worked.
Tonight at boot camp we did a lot of work with our arms.  My goal this time around is to do more "boy" push-ups.  Tonight I did 95!  Not all together, but still, 95!  I was so proud of myself.  I didn't go to my knees once!  Now I just have to work on getting down lower and lower.   Autumn is definitely pushing us harder this time around.  I love feeling sore.
Life is just so full sometimes.  I feel like I am being torn in so many different directions.  Probably my favorite time of the day is when Callie is happily playing on the ground and I am just laying there.  Relaxing.  I don't have the TV on.  I don't have music on (unless Annabelle wants to be dancing).  I just lay there and dangle toys in my baby girls' face.  Sometimes i feel like I need to get up and pick up the house, or make dinner, or work on a project.  But then I remind myself that I don't have much time left for laying on the ground and I lay back and enjoy my time.  I like just thinking about life and my kids and whatever else pops into my head.  The kids and I play games or read books nearly every day.  I hope they remember those times.   I pray every day that I can be a better mom, a better wife, a better woman and example for my family.