Grocery Store Excursion: An Accident Report

(Just bring your own cart cover and child size bandages...)

Jay is now 8 months and turn 9 months next week... he's growing so tall! I was unable to squeeze him on last time his cute red jumper for church.

Here's a day-in-the-life:
I had been putting off grocery shopping last week, but we were pretty low on essentials. Jay and I head out to Super Wal-mart for some deals. I've gotten in the habit of going to the closest Kroger, but Super Wal-mart has great prices on produce. I didn't buy baby food, but my bill was lower than it usually is. I probably saved $20. And luckily it wasn't the mob scene that
Wal-mart can sometimes be. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
So, I consult Rachael Ray's website for some new recipes (I'm trying out Chicken Thigh Pie and Orzo with Tomatoes and Feta) to make my list and load Jay into the car. Once we unload and Jay situated in cart with the anti-germ-shopping-cart-I'm-a-new-suburban-mom-cover and we wheel into our new favorite discount retailer, I realize I've forgotten my conscientious list. Back out to the car to get it, and then we are off. We cruise the aisles quickly and I don't have to back track aisles, which is a rarity. However, I notice halfway into our foraging that I have blood on my sweater. Jay has somehow cut himself on the cart. And spit up on the floor. His finger is still bleeding and I have no tissue or first aid items on me. (In the car, yes). I pull out a piece of paper to hastily wipe up the spit, and we keep going. Jay is unfazed by the proceedings. When we are back in the car, I put a band-aid on and wind it around the tip of his finger... I only have regular size bandages. Do you see where this is headed?

I know there is a good chance that he may start gnawing on this bandage, but it is still bleeding, and materialist that I am, would rather not have blood all over baby and new-to-me car.

About 2 miles from home, I here rough coughing and pull over in a bank parking lot. With a "Dear Jesus...", I'm able to pull out the band-aid. I was just on his tongue. I think it was too rough to attempt swallowing at this age. We get home, throw said seat cover and baby's outfit in the wash.

Daddy comes home and suggests dinner out to enjoy the unusually warm weather. I graciously comply. We have a great dinner of wings and brownie dessert and walk the outdoor mall like the ordinary, extraordinary family we are!

Who said home life was boring?

Updated house pictures

Jay is sitting up!

Lots of carpet, little baby

Our den & kitchen

Jay's playroom :)

The Red Wagon

Dudes

House pictures and Christmas recap

Our future home

Family Room

Kitchen


Dining/Living Room

From the curb

Also, a Christmas recap:

We had a great visit at AJ's with family. Jay was incredibly spoiled and beloved (as he should be!) He really seemed to like the wrapping paper. He received a crib aquarium soother and personalized lullaby CDs from Grandma and Grandpa... which we both love. He also got a white rocking horse from AJ and UL! He will be decked out in UGA wear for a while, too. I was nice to visit and eat, eat, eat. Next year, we may be hosting a Christmas luncheon to give AJ a needed rest from her amazing hospitality.

After a day home to regroup (well, I did laundry and A-train drove to Atlanta to pick up bed rails), we journeyed to see my folks. Again, we were doted on and catered to. Nothing like having a baby for the fringe benefits. It was great to have my sister and brother-in-law with us and just enjoy time together. We watched "War of the Worlds" and played Mental Floss. I'm all about "family time" when we get together. Make it meaningful, people!

Jay received many more wonderful gifts, including his own Red Wagon. Aunt Nat got him a wonderful spinning ball that he loves. And I like Elmo Live the best. I think it was designed for the parent. Elmo breaks it down and does jazz hands. My kind of present.

Thanks to Aunt K and Uncle D and Aunt S and Uncle N for money towards Jay's college fund. Thanks to to J & H for the interactive storybook.

2009

As I sit here eating cheese ball spread on Ritz crackers, let me share a few New Year's goals and and a few pictures.

I am part of a ladies bible study called "Downpour" by James MacDonald about personal revival. It's about the holiness and utter separateness of God, recognizing and calling sin for what it is, and moving into repentance. Here's a striking sentence from the first chapter: "Preferring the comfort of (God's) nearness, we have lost the reality of God's transcendent holiness. Our generation struggles and wallows in cheap grace and shallow sanctification because we have departed from the biblical picture of God's holy and exalted nature. God is not the 'Man upstairs' or 'Big Daddy' or some old codger with a long, white beard. God is not whatever my conscience or imagination would like him to be. God is indescribable glory, and He dwells in unapproachable light."

I like this study because though it makes you practically and thoroughly think about God, yourself, and how you relate to Him and others. And Sin. Oh, boy, it really makes you accurately face sin. I like it, though. Some of it has been hard to swallow, and though I differ from this pastor/author's point of view slightly (he's a tad too Calvinistic for my taste), I am glad to be going through it.

All of this is to say,this week's topic fit perfectly with the idea of New Year's "Resolutions". As I was thinking about habits of sin, which the author breaks down into categories of pride, pleasure, and priorities (the good left undone), I realized that as a Christian, any resolution or goal I want to make is really my desire to sin less. And those things which I know are right to do and that I don't do (like prayer), that IS sin. A willful, conscious choice to sin or be obedient. So, maybe I'm a nut, but as I've gone about the last few days, I'm trying to call sin by it's name. SIN. So when I bad mouth someone in the privacy of my home, that's SIN. No pats on the back. Call it what it is.
So, my goals? I have a few, but here's one that I've stuck too these long 3 days of the New Year. My church is reading through a chronological bible. It's excellent. Check it out.

Now that I've waxed theological, here are some Christmas pictures. Got any goals for the year? A new way of thinking? I'd love to hear from you.