Life

Disclaimer: This post is going to be scattered.
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Update on sleeping situation.

I gave Ryleigh Benadryl last night. I did. Not the full dose, but some. And Jesse rough-housed with her for awhile before bed to get her nice and sleepy. And she slept, all night, in her bed, until 6:45 this morning. Thank you, Lord, I will take that!

Ryleigh is still in a mood, testing me at every turn, frustrating me to no end, throwing tantrums, throwing toys, hitting me, and being all-around not fun. I'm running out of options for discipline, and what works one day, does not work the next. Parenting is exhausting. I know, or at least I pray, that one day all of this discipline and frustration will be worth it, as demonstrated by her character. I can only pray. But in the meantime, it wears me out.

The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother. Proverbs 29:15
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We picked up our TV this weekend, from a friend's house who was keeping it for us, while the rest of our stuff was in storage. Still no cable or anything hooked up, but I did pull out the DVD player. We have been to Blockbuster twice and have been enjoying catching up on the movie scene. So far we have watched:

• Slumdog Millionaire
• Taken
• Seven Pounds
• Yes Man
• Marley and Me

I have to say, I have liked every single movie! Sure there are always some scenes which could easily have been avoided, but they are made in Hollywood. I would honestly recommend any of them to you! If you haven't watched a good movie lately, take your pick!

We have also watched our share of The Wiggles, Baby Einstein, Elmo, Veggie Tales, The Little Mermaid, and A Bug's Life. Apparently, for a 2-year-old, they never get old.

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I've been enjoying cooking again, trying more new recipes and bringing out some old favorites. Really since the end of May, we have eaten out more than I care to mention. Something about working on home projects, packing, moving, living out of suitcases, and having your kitchen stored away somewhere makes eating home-cooked meals kind of difficult. Granted, while I was staying at my parents, we had more regular meals. But Jesse has literally been eating out every meal since coming up to College Station. If I even mention grabbing a bite, he turns green. Haha.

Some of the new things I have tried have been Eggplant Parmesan (his Italian favorite), BBQ Brisket using my Grandad's original BBQ sauce recipe, and Herbed Chicken and Roasted Potatoes. Tonight I'm trying a spin-off of my favorite Chicken Enchiladas.

So far, everything has been really good. Jesse said the Eggplant Parmesan might be his new favorite recipe of mine, and he would not stop talking about how tasty the BBQ sauce was last night. Literally, he was licking the spoon and then re-dipping for "just one more" taste. :)

Ryleigh seems content to eat corn, green beans, rice, and fruit. As long as we have one of those staples with every meal, she eats. If not, she just picks. Hoping this is a phase...

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Along with movies, I have also pulled out the books. A quiet house can be too quiet, but it can also set the stage for a perfect reading situation. Some things I have been reading:

• Vanishing Acts by Jodi Piccoult: Love this author! I have read most of her books, and have not found one I didn't like. This book might not have been my absolute favorite, but it was still a good read.
• Rocking the Roles by Robert Lewis and William Hendricks: Jesse had bought this book for us a few anniversaries back, and we never got around to reading it together. So, now we have started. So far, I'm enjoying the perspective, explaining that the Biblical model for roles within marriage is not what we typically think. People normally think of either the Traditional model (think 1950's) or the Modern model (no roles, everything must be equal), and most associate the Traditional model with Biblical principles. This book explains that it is not true. We're still reading, but so far, so good.
• Baby name books...and websites...and suggestions from friends...still no news on that front. I honestly have not had a single name that I really liked. Yikes! Still hoping that some beautiful boy's name just falls in our lap.

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We met some neighbors! The next-door neighbors were out this weekend, and came over to introduce themselves. They have three girls, the youngest who is 3-years-old. She and Ryleigh got along right away, running and giggling together. They seemed very nice, and we look forward to getting to know them more.

Monday, I was half asleep during Ryleigh's nap, just out of the shower, no makeup, hair not done, and the door bell rang. It was another neighbor, bringing us a beautiful hanging basket and introducing herself. She and her husband are retirees from Ohio, who moved to College Station because their son lives here, and owns the Texas Roadhouse restaurant. (Yum!!) She was incredibly sweet.

Hooray for nice neighbors! Hopefully when it cools off some more, we can hang out outside and meet others.

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Okay, that's life in a nutshell. Hope it was not too scattered for ya... I did warn you. :)