Kinsey is 10 Months!

My little one is taking steps! She took 10 steps on February 1st, a snow day, and her Daddy's 25th birthday! It was a special day indeed--and Mommy was home to see it! HOORAY! This month also marks the first ear infection and significant cold she's caught. I, of course, brought it home to her. Boo. She's teething like crazy--6 teeth now, and got another bout of diaper rash. She's having a rough time! She is babbling and gurgling, loves making funny faces, and can put things in a box, take them out, hand them to you, and put them back in the box. She can roll a ball to you, and laughs when you make funny faces as her. Currently, she likes rolling her umbrella stroller back and forth in the house. She is a great eater. Among her more unusual foods includes: avocados, tofu, kiwi, and Daddy's homemade French Bread. She tries most things--I hope that continues!

Yes, I still tear up dropping her off at her caregivers' some mornings. Don't get me wrong, she loves all her caregivers and doesn't seem the least bit fazed that I'm leaving. She knows it's just a part of the day now. Last week was particularly rough since she wasn't feeling well. Some mornings when that alarm goes off, I wonder how I am going to get up, get myself ready, wake her up, feed her, get her ready, go downstairs get ourselves both breakfast, load the bags in the car, get her loaded in the car, drop her off, say good-bye, leave her, then head to work myself, prepare for the day, and greet 23 smiling 7-year-olds. But I always do it and it's not so bad. And most people in the world, have FAR MORE challenging mornings than that, so my complaining ends right here.

I do hope God has a plan for next year. I have decided to stop trying to open doors myself and let him open them for me. I know he will. I just need to be patient and keep praying. I have such a beautiful family. I am so blessed.

Technology

Technology. The thing we are bombarded with first thing in the morning and the last thing before bed. Cell phones, web surfing, email (all 5 accounts), video games, facebook, TV, car radio. People can literally have access to you 24/7. Mitch and I realized the other night, that we needed to take a serious look at the amount of time we consume (or waste) on technology. If we recorded minute by minute the amount of time we spend on our cell phones, checking email or facebook, and playing video games it would amount to several hours (for each of us) by the end of the week. When we complain about not having time and being so busy, I think about how much time could be saved by being "unaccessible," and by living in some silence.

Until Easter (an early lent), we are giving up facebook, video games, and "computer" time (except for school work) during the week. We are going to focus on spending time with each other, talking to friends and family, reading with each other, and loving on our baby girl. We started a puzzle, I got out my scrapbook stuff, and we started some new books. As always, the last thing I do before bed, is spend time with God, in his word, or reading some other devotional, but now that time has grown and includes journeling as well (something that was put on the backburner when school started). I'm so optimistic about this new transition and after a week, I'm feeling good about our decision to step away, and be silent for a while.

I'm not jugding anyone who has internet on their phone, but I would become addicted to checking emails and facebook if I had that data plan. It just wouldn't be healthy for me. I don't have anything against facebook, either. I love catching up with friends and posting pictures for people to see, but I don't need to be on every day, or even every week. One email check a day is good too.

I don't like to think about what technology will look like when Kinsey is grown up. Will kids walk around like zombies texting and typing on their cell phones? Will anyone need to learn how to communicate with others? Why do 2nd graders have facebook?

Ahhh, as the world turns, so do the days of our lives...