Of the importance of deep friendships..

Last night I had the privilege of getting together with some very close girlfriends that I have known for more than 20 years.  All of us met in a Bible study at Mariners which deeply impacted all of us and drew us together.  We have made it a priority to get together once every three months.  Sometimes we struggle to find the time because of our many commitments. However, I think that all of us would agree that when we do get together, it's always deep and every one of us walks away feeling refreshed.  I truly think this is the living out of what the body of Christ is to be.  We are able to meet together, open our hearts, share ours successes and our failures, challenge one another to deeper spirituality, and pray over one another.  It's complete transparency at it's finest.

I also find that when I meet with these women that somehow I am in the presence of God.  It's not that they are perfect, or even super spiritual, it's just this immense feeling of love and acceptance that I imagine I would feel in the presence of Christ.  There is no need to put on pretenses.  I can just be me, imperfections and all and know that I am warmly embraced.

I am an only child, and have been disowned by my parents, and thus these women have filled in a very painful gap for me.  And in many respects,  they have been better for me than my own family.  All their children call me Auntie, and my son will call all of them Auntie as well.  

God has given me a great gift in these women, and I can't imagine my life without them.  Thank you God for good friends.  

Of Baby Beach and The Energizer Bunny...

Today some women from our MOPS group (Mother's of Preschoolers) met at Baby Beach in Dana Point for a fun playdate.  I had my son all decked out in his cute swim trunks and diaper and even packed a nice lunch and a ton of new sand toys.  We left a little early to be sure we could get a good parking spot and also to assure a good place on the beach.  Much to my disappointment we utilized none of the extras that I had brought along.   I had imagined myself teaching my son to use a shovel and a pail, teaching him to how to  splash in the water, and enjoying a nice lunch on our towel after all our fun in the water and sand.  But that was not the case. 
Once we found our friends, we put our stuff down and then made our way to the water.  After about 15-20 minutes of running in and out of the water, my little guy decided that the water was no longer interesting, but playing "run away from mommy" was SO much more fun.  Mind you, my little guy is 18 months (started walking at 10 months) and so he's pretty fast. I spent the rest of the hour and half that we were there running back and forth chasing my toddler across the beach and trying to keep him from running all over everyone's towels, destroying sand castles, and stealing sand toys.  It was non-stop activity, much like the Energizer Bunny.  Please note that I am a Type A personality.  I like order, organization, schedules, etc.  But today was random chaos.  I smile saying this because much of life since having my son has taught me that not everything can be planned for.  There was no way of knowing that God would give me the Energizer Bunny for a baby, but today was pure evidence of God's incredible sense of humor.  I am glad I can smile, because in a sense, it shows that I am growing as a person. I am learning to not take myself too seriously, and allow God to teach me what He needs to teach me through my precious Energizer Bunny.  Thank you God.!  Seriously.... I mean it.  :)

Of Baby Binders and Dates...

Today my husband and I took some time off from parenting to enjoy some quality one on one time in LA. It was a long day.  So much preparation was required to be ready to leave and be sure that our babysitter had all she needed to do her job.   
One thing that I have found that has saved me a lot of time and frustration is to create a binder for my son that has all the important information that I want our babysitter to know as well as arm her on what to do in an emergency.  In my binder I have a schedule (which is also neatly posted on our refrigerator) and important notes that will be beneficial to our sitter in knowing how to best care for our little guy.  I also have emergency information in case something should happen to our son while in her care along with a copy of his insurance card.  Additionally, we have our custody information on who to contact should anything happen to my husband or myself.
Our binder also contains directions on infant CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver.   And finally, I have a daily log that includes all the foods he's eaten, how much liquids he's had to drink, how long of a nap he took,etc. 
So why do I put all of this in a binder?  Well, if there is an emergency, such as my son stops breathing, and our sitter suddenly has to take our son to the hospital, all she has to do is grab the binder.  it will remind her of what he ate for the day (in case of an allergic reaction), it has our contact information so she can contact us.  it also has a copy of my son's insurance card, and people to call if she is unable to contact us for any reason. Our Baby Binder is a  simple tool, but it has really made my life easier and even allowed me and my husband to enjoy a date or two.