Classic Hilton's

Last Monday night I had to do a terrible thing to Brooklyn.  It's so terrible, both Brooklyn and I avoid it for as long as we possibly can. I had to cut her finger and toe nails.  I don't like cutting nails ever, under any circumstances, but Brooklyn loathes it entirely! She is terrified that I'm going to cut her finger off or hurt somehow. She used to have to be held down so she couldn't jerk away. Now that she's older she has a bit more self-control, but she still whimpers and whines throughout the whole procedure. Miserable!   I have never cut her too deep. I am extremely careful and gentle with her. She has never experienced even the slightest pain with my behind the clippers. I finally said to her one day, "Brooklyn, I have never hurt you! Don't you trust me?"  She said, crying, "No!" Well, last night, she managed to keep her hands still but talked the entire time about how she was nervous and kept squinting her eyes, just in ca...

Here is our plan for the week of 2/20 - 2/26.  Monday Scrambled Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Fruit Peanut Butter & Jelly Picnic, Finger Fruits and Veggies, Oatmeal Cookies Chicken Stirfry Tuesday Toaster Strudel/Toast, Fruit Sandwiches Tacos Wednesday Cereal Sandwiches Penne Pasta Bake, salad Thursday Cereal Lunch Out Dinner Out -- OR Spaghetti with steamed veggies Friday Toaster Strudel/Toast Leftovers Personal Pizzas with steamed veggies Saturday Pancakes Spinach Salad Beans & Cornbread with steamed veggies Sunday Cereal Lunch Out Slow cooker chicken, new potatoes, steamed veggies/salad I'm not sure which chicken I'll make in the slow cooker, so I may spend some time this week searching for something new for that. I may also scrap that whole idea and do something lite, depending on our community group plans for that day. At some point this week I plan to try a new low GI Granola Bar recipe (the first was really good, but not as crunchy as I wou...

Once upon a time, I happened upon a job that I liked. Initially I took a "no thought required" job in payroll, and within a short amount of time was promoted to a leadership position in Human Resources.  I liked the work (even if the company made me crazy) and I think I was good at it. In it I saw possibilities for my future, places I could grow to. In addition to the regular paycheck and benefits, I received a very regular boost to my self-esteem in the form of well received completed tasks and accolades from co-workers and superiors alike.  I left that job 10 months ago and my new job is much, much harder. I have greater responsibility, the hours are worse, the money is not as good, and I don't get those pats on the back, at least not as often as I used to.  Sometimes I miss HR. I was miserable at that job, don't get me wrong. But sometimes I miss the clear cut expectations, the rules that were easy to follow, and the sense that I was doing something right wit...

  My how time flies!  Grayson, you are in your 11th month, which, if you're doing the math, means you will very soon be one year old. Amazing. As far as development goes you are right on track with your age group.  You walk everywhere you possibly can, though of course you still do more falling and balancing than anything else.  You remind me of a little E.T., especially when I put you in your oversize "big brother" t-shirt.  It's very strange to think of you as a big brother when you are so very little yourself.  I try to imagine what things will be like once baby Maddi arrives, but just can't quite get there. In some of my musings you are far more advanced than you are likely to be, and in others you are still 11 months old. One thing I do know is that you are a fairly easy going child.  You respond well to routine (as does your big sister, Brooklyn) and you are content so long as your needs are met. That, I can deal with! T...

Brooklyn, adorable Brooklyn!! Sometimes you have an issue with bedtime. For many reasons, I'll not disect here, you have become a master inventor of reasons to prolong sleep. Your antics tonight take the cake!! You tromped down the stairs at about 7:30 with something "very important" to tell me. After hemming and hawing a moment, you said, "I wonder what baby Maddi will be like." I promptly sent you back to bed and explained that "very important" means you are bleeding, can't breathe, or you are fighting a very real monster in your room. Ten minutes later you romped down again with a hangnail that "looked like it was about to bleed"!! I about died laughing!! One thing is clear: we need to find a better outlet for you creativity!!

If I seem tense or on edge right now, it's because I am. I felt the need to sit this morning, but I couldn't find my Bible, so rather than just find it or one of the many others we have in the house, I pushed the urge away and filled my day with chores and children.  The result now is that I am feeling cranky, stressed, and overwhelmed by a house that is never clean enough, the multi-faceted issue of feeding my family responsibly, and the constant pressure of trying to use space effectively while not overrunning my parents house with our presence.  *Sigh* At least my kids are cute and well mannered. I think I'll call it a night once I get the kids down. 

Birth control. This is a difficult subject to write about, because I know my views are controversial. So let me begin by saying, to anyone who reads this post, I am not judging you! Birth control is a very personal issue and I do not presume to know God's will for your life.  What I believe I absolutely believe that God has given us medicine and technology and brains to make wise decisions about them. So birth control is not in and of itself the problem, but more our uses of it.   I believe that there is a lot about reproduction that we simply do not and will not ever understand.  It would not surprise me to learn that the rampant infertility issues we face as a society can be directly linked to our casual use of birth control, specifically the hormonal kind.   I believe that God is sovereign and that every single child conceived on this earth is in His plan.  In that, I believe children are a blessing and that He will never give us more than we...

Brooklyn didn't care for the dinner we had last night. I don't really blame her. It wasn't the best tasting meal, and I'm trying this new thing where she has to at least try (which means take three good bites) to eat the food the rest of us are eating. We had herb roasted chicken breast, brussel sprouts, and buttered noodles (I always try to make sure there is one thing she likes).  I will admit, it wasn't great. The chicken was pretty dry, and the noodles were even too firm for my liking, but regardless, it was dinner. Anyway, she didn't like it. As the meal wore on, she grew more and more despondent, eventually asking if she could be excused.  She went up to her room to "do nothing", but since that is not dramatic enough for her, she came back down to mope in front of us while we finished eating. She told us (in her saddest, most pathetic voice) that she had a bad day, making up some ridiculous line about not wanting to run on the playground. As h...

This post is a good 3 weeks late because I have been busy keeping up with a very active TEN MONTH OLD!!  Grayson James Delano,    At ten months old, you are still as sweet and tenacious as you could possibly be! Month nine was a huge milestone month for you because you started crawling, so I spent most of month ten mulling over and wondering (as in, being awe struck) about your personality.   While there is no doubt you are Brooklyn's little brother, I am amazed by the differences between the two of you.  She had no trouble snuggling down with me for a nap (in fact she preferred it!) while you insist on taking your good naps in your bed, where you have room to roll around as you please. Sometimes when you don't feel well you like to sleep with your head on my shoulder (or Daddy's), but those moments are few and far between!  Brooklyn hated the vacuum (still does!) but you LOVE it! You follow it around and want so desperately to do it yourse...