Art

I have mentioned my lack of artistic talent on here in terms of crafting.  Well my lack of talent does not end there it also transcends into my decorating skills.  I just kind of freeze when it comes to decor.  I have ideas that swirl around in my head, but I have no idea on how to make it some what cohesive.  I don't know what looks good, or how to position things.  Whenever we move to our forever home, I will hire a decorator to help me figure out what I like, and help me get the feel to my house that I want.  Anyway, I have had some really great pieces of art that I have wanted to hang in Sonya's room, for about a year.  Literally two of these pieces I have had for over a year, and the rest I have had for about three months.  So the other night Josh walked upstairs with his toolbox, and said lets hang those pictures.  I was very excited to get the art up on the wall, but wasn't quite sure how to hang them.  So I quickly called my friend Greta, who is a genius when it comes to these things, and begged her to come over.  (She is the one who makes all of Sonya's cute headbands.)  She of course was able to configure the art in no time at all.  

Here is what we hung in the wall.

The two checkerboard pieces are are from Land of Nod, they were a gift from my aunt after Teddy was born, 16 months ago.

The bird on a wire piece we purchased at Webster Groves Art and Air Show, this past June June.  It was done by local Kirkwood artist Julie Hartman.  Quick side story, after talking with Julie for a while, we landed on the most important St. Louis question, where did you go to high school.  She went to Kirkwood high school, and she really good friends with my cousin Chip.  Shows what a small town St. Louis really is.  Back to the art,  I LOVED her work as soon as we walked into her booth. It was so whimsical, but edgy and modern at the same time.  We ended up buying four of her pieces. 

 Here is a closer look.

Sorry about the glare.

Here are the other pieces we hung.
I have had this music poster since Sonya was a baby.  I had it hanging in her old room over her crib, but she ripped it off the the wall. 
 So into storage it went. 

This piece is also from Land of Nod.

I love how it turned out, and thank you for Greta for helping me get the art on the wall.  

Christmas in August

This is the time of year that I start to think about what our family Christmas card will look like.  Crazy, I know.  I try and get inspiration from a passage of scripture or a Christmas song.  Then I think about how I want to capture the kids to reflect the the theme, or the opposite will happen I will find a photo that will give me the theme.  This is all truly ludicrous.  Our family Christmas cards are not works of art or super fancy, but I love them.  Honestly, half the reason I send Christmas cards is because I love getting them .  

My favorite cards have certain criteria:

• I LOVE photo cards.  Especially when you can see everyone's faces.
• I like when everyone's name is listed on the card, not just "The Lang Family."  I am kind of a name freak, but that is an entirely separate post.  Let's just say I have help name 5 babies in the past two years, not including my own.
• I like flat one sided cards because I tape them on the door and I like see the whole card and who it is from.

Here are our cards from the past three years.  

Like I said, nothing fancy just sweet.

2007

2008

2009

If you would like to receive a card from us, I will gladly send you one.  
Just let me know.  
If you want to send ME one, I would love that too.
I am also taking theme suggestions.
Merry Christmas!!

Teddy 15 Months

Here is an update on big baby T at 15 months

• Height:  33.75 inches (above the 97%)
• Weight:  29 lbs  11.25 oz (96%)
• Head Circumference 49 cm (92%) 
• He had tubes in his ears on July 1st (HOORAY!!)
• He finally started walking three weeks after his surgery full time.
• His favorite phrase too say is "whuzzatt," translation "what's that"
• He will check his cup when you give it to him to make sure it is not water, he will only drink whole milk or almond milk
• He wears a size 6 diaper
• He wears a size 8 shoe (yes that is right, a size 8)
• He wears a size 3T shirt
• He wears a 2T or a 3T bottoms
• He sleeps with his Texas long horn and yellow and white PBK blanket
• His favorite books are Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Gorilla, and Baby Beluga
• He uses his left hand for shaking toys, playing his drum, coloring (before he eats the crayon), and eating with a fork or spoon.  South paw?
• He loves to push things around the house ie, his shopping cart, a step stool flipped upside down, trucks, cars, wagon, chairs
• He loves to burrow in blankets, and bites when he is excited
• He still loves to crawl up into Josh or my's lap and snuggle
• His curls look like wings on the side of his head
• When we are at home he only wears a shirt and a diaper
• He and Sonya are learning how to share, translation they fight a lot
• Sonya calls him Baby Crocodile
• He and Sonya love to play chase
• He loves to dance

Moms and More

This summer I attended a bible study through Greentree Community Church called Moms and More.  I cannot say enough about this program.  It is a group set up for moms with kids five and under.  We would come in every Wednesday to an awesome brunch put on by a different small group every week, have a "snippet" during brunch.  A "snippet" was a little informative piece on anything from organization, to safety, to bread making (I actually led this snippet).  After brunch and the "snippet" we would head upstairs to the sanctuary of the church we met in and hear out speaker for the week.  The speakers were amazing this summer.  All of them were mothers speaking on issues close to their heart and how God used them, changed them, saved them, encouraged them, taught them.  Then after the speaker we would break off into our small groups and discuss what we had heard.  I have to say the best part of this group was there was no homework, perfect for mom with small kids.  

Today was especially close to my heart.  It was our last Moms and More meeting for the summer, and we had a large brunch with beautiful tables set up.

All types of good food.

We had a speaker from Little Rock, AR Camille Richardson talk to us.  My friend Heather, the leader of M.a.M, is from Little Rock and participated in this group when she lived there and Camille was the leader when she was there.  What Camille said completely resonated with me today.  She talked about being the mom you were created to be, that you are the mom that was created by God for your family.  I have all of these thoughts swirling in my head about my role/identity as a mom lately.  I love being a mom.  When I had Sonya and started staying home with her, it was the first time, ever, in my life I had felt like I was good at something and truly enjoyed it.  I knew that having a child would change me as a person, but I didn't know how much.  Having Sonya was a tipping point for me to grow up, become a little bit more comfortable in my own skin, and gain some confidence.

After I had Teddy there was a little bit of a let down, of not having some type of paradigm shift.  It was just more of doing the everyday mom things times two.  I started to feel a little lost and I needed something that was just for me.  That is where the whole obsession with baking began, if you follow my blog you know what I am talking about.  While baking has been a great hobby and fulfilling (and fattening).  It wasn't enough, I was still looking for something life giving.   

Then came photography.  This is another hobby I LOVE, again as you can tell from blog.  I have zero aspirations of being a professional, but would love to improve.  I don't mind lending what little talent I have to help some people out, but the pressure of being "real" photographer is too much for me.  Again, this was not making me feel whole. 

As my search for life giving activities continued through out this year, it made me begin to wrestle with my role as a mom as it was quickly evolving with two very different children.  I realized I am constantly comparing myself to other moms.  I read all of these blogs, I will be honest...some of complete strangers, and other moms that I know or kind of know, and think I will never measure up to these women.  The crafts, the home-schooling, breastfeeding, organic cooking, being green, bible school, I could go on and on.  The pressure I put on myself to be all of these things is ridiculous.  All of that pressure turns into jealousy and envy and I just spiral from there, to where I honestly become paralyzed, and do nothing at all.  Which then leads to feeling of inadequacy and inferiority.  Really questioning am I really supposed to be doing this with my life. 

Enter Camille's words.

      

There are too many great things she said and I won't give her words justice if I try and repeat it, but my biggest take away from her talk was to work in my strengths.  As moms we should be working in our strengths.  Not worrying about what everyone is doing.  That is something I have been struggling with over the past year, my identity as a mom, and what are my strengths?  When I really thought about it  I am always wanting to be something I am not, thinking that my gifts are never good enough.  But that is the thing, my gifts are good enough.  They are the perfect gifts for who God created me to be and to be able to take the best care of my family.  I don't have crafting bone in my body, but I can cook a good meal.  As silly as it sounds caring about making dinner is gift for my family (not that I do this every night), as much as I would love to be able to create beautiful things out everyday items, I can't.  When I really think about Sonya and what she loves, it is not crafting.  The girl loves to run, jump, dance, swing, flip on the bar and I need to fuel her body so she can do all of those things well, and as we say in our house she needs to, "eat her foods that make her strong." 
So maybe my paradigm shift came year a year later than I thought it would.  The Lord needed me to be feel a little lost, to realize he made me perfect for my family, and for that I am grateful.
Sorry for the scattered post, Camille's words are still rolling around in my head, but I wanted to get some of this out before I forgot it.  
Check out Adriane's blog, she nailed what I am trying to say.

Thank you to the leadership team at Moms and More, Heidi, all of the child care workers, all of the speakers, and my awesome small group.

Here are a few more images from the morning.

The book table sponsored by Lay Renewal.

Encouraging words.

The mamas.

Monday Manifest on Thursday

If I could sing, this is who I would sound like.  They are in no particular order.

1. Bonnie Rait
2. Carole King
3. Neko Case
4. Sally Ellyson
5. Gillian Welch
6. Tina Turner
7. Fiona Apple
8. Natalie Maines
9. Aretha Franklin
10. The Trio, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt
11. Amy Winehouse
12. Pink
13. Allison Krauss
14. Lauryn Hill
15. Feist
16. Bette Midler

Their Favorite

I have been writing a lot about food on here lately, sorry!!  Like I have said before I feel like so much of my life revolves around food.  So, with that being said, here is another food post :).  I thought I would share my kids favorite lunch that we eat two to three times a week.  It all started when Sonya watched Kung Fu Panda, and Po was eating dumplings.  I decided to make her some dumplings like Po, and at the time it was a perfect food for Teddy to learn how to pick up and eat.

Here are the "dumpwheens," that is how Soso pronounces it.

Heat up a non-stick skillet, and then drizzle it with a little olive oil.

Brown the potstickers for about five minutes, until it looks like this.

Then add liquid, cover, and simmer another five to eight minutes until cooked.  

The package says water, but I always add a more flavorful liquid.  Today I added chicken stock and red wine.

One thing I always have in my house in frozen peas.  This is something my kids eat probably four to five days a week, and they eat them frozen.  Such an easy vegetable to throw on the side of any lunch.

My kids are blueberry addicts.  I buy them at least once a week, and they always get devoured.

Here is the final plate.

Let the eating begin.

Here is what is left on Sonya's plate.

Very simple, tasty, and nutritious lunch.

Enjoy!!

First Taste

Today baby T ate like a King.  

Can you tell what he got to eat...

Need a closer look...

Josh had a little bit of Straubs Chicken Salad leftover and let Teddy have a taste.  Needless to say Teddy LOVED it.  I HATE chicken salad, really anything covered in mayonnaise makes me gag just thinking about it.  Luckily my kids have not inherited my pickiness, but I might have ruined Teddy for life by giving him the gold standard in chicken salad for his first taste.  If that is the case he would definitely be his father's son in not just looks and stature but his expensive palate.

And yes that is an AC/DC t-shirt he is wearing.  Again he is his father's son.