Leah ROHLF: October 2007 Archives

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October 27, 2007

Sometimes I wonder if Belle is getting it...

not just the growing up and learning about her surroundings. But the God part, the bigger picture, the part that we are here as children of God to be lights to others. I find it hard to gauge with a 1.75 year old. However, today, this brought a smile to my face.

We were driving in a parking ramp and had gone around and around several times to find a place to park. Finally we found one and as soon as I pulled in and put the car in park, I heard the following from the backseat:

"THANK YOU LORD!" (which is apparently what I say when God provides a parking spot in cramped quarters)

She does see things, she hears about God, she is learning bible verses and is now just starting to clap and sing at church. It is an exciting and scary thing to know that I have a walking imitator behind me for the next several years.

Posted by Leah at 08:45 PM | Comments (4)

October 25, 2007

Next time someone has a baby... I'm ordering take out!

For the love!

In the past 6 months, our family has had the opportunity to take meals to about 6 different people due to a loss, new baby or illness. And while I had a child and know what a blessing meals on wheels can be, for some reason at our house all of hades breaks loose on the day that I have picked to deliver these to people. Something(s) always go wrong, Belle is screaming, dinner is buring, Jason is caught in traffic so I have to leave late, or I get caught in traffic and arrive late. Last night was no different. I was attempting to get out of the house with a hot meal and within 1 minute of me leaving my child decides that she is too full from dinner and projectile vomits at the dinner table. Thanksfully Jason was home to help, but SERIOUSLY! I've decided the devil likes to take advantage of these times and I have to realize that I'm in a battle.

On top of all of that, I have decided that maybe I have too high of expectations. Here is what I usually have in mind:

1) Cook a homemade meal with several options all creative so that they don't have to eat the same thing that other people bring.
2) Have the meal all arrive out of the oven/micro at the same time so that nothing is soggy and it is all hot and steamy when it arrives at their door.
3) Have my family fed so they don't go hungry
4) Somehow in the entire mess have the families feel blesse and loved through all of this.

So I decided I'm going to lower my goals:

1) Take OUT!
2) Cook the meal hours ahead of time and deliver it cold. (Did I mention TAKE OUT!)
3) Tell my family that we are fasting for that meal.
4) Somehow in the entire mess have the families feel blesse and loved through all of this.

So sorry to anyone having a baby after the Windhams! We will see what you end up with for a meal from the Rohlf house! :)

Posted by Leah at 02:03 PM | Comments (7)

October 15, 2007

Bedtime at the Rohlf House.

It took a lot of "crying it out" bedtimes, but we eventually got to the point that Belle would go to bed without fussing when it was time. However, she is getting older and realizing that she can "distract" us... or at least give a good try to put off bedtime. This amazes me because many times I have heard that children under 2 don't understand things so you shouldn't try to train them or expect them to do what you want. You basically ride it out and wait until that time. I don't think so. Here is the short version of her "attempt" this evening.

*This is after a bath, new diaper, pj's on, hair brushed and book read.*

Mom: Bedtime, I love you
Belle: I hold you (this is what she says when she wants us to hold her, because we ask her "do you want me to hold you? "ANYWAY!)
M: I will hold you for a minute, but it is time to sleep
B: Hold your hand
M; Nope, no hand holding right now, sleep time.
B: Comb (She wanted her comb to brush her hair again)
M: No comb... you may have that in the morning
B: Comb, Comb, COMB!
(Insert dealing with this attitude problem here)
M: Bedtime Belle, I love you
B: A shower (she wanted me to take a shower too)
M: We will see, but probably in the morning
B: Mom A shower...
M: (as I'm walking out of the room) I love you
B: muffled crying and talking here (I closed the door to tell her it was final)

5 minutes later: A little sleeping girl

All of that probably took about 3 minutes.. not bad, but I think she could go on all night unless I just leave. Anyway, it made me smile the first few times that she did this because I felt loved and thought she wanted me to hold her, and now I realize it is her way of holding off bedtime for as long as possible. Smart kid.

Posted by Leah at 07:38 PM | Comments (2)

October 10, 2007

"Do these jeans make me look fat?"

(Not sure if this posted the first time or not...)

I've heard of this question...

that girls shouldn't ask it and guys shouldn't answer it.

I never really understood why.

I do now.

No, for real though. It seems as though I have learned a few things in the past years being married. There are some questions/situations that can get you into trouble. Most of the time I know ahead of time that I'm entering murky water, yet I plunge ahead anyway. It happened again last week.

My sister is in cosmetology school. She called one afternoon and told me she had a few hours and she wanted to "fix" my hair. I agreed and decided to keep it a secret from Jason. #1 problem right there... Jason doesn't really like suprises. This totally blows my mind because I LOVE suprises! So sometimes I just think, "I would love this... so I bet he would too!" See where I'm headed with this? All afternoon I spent getting my hair cut and styled andI was thinking and hoping about the reaction my husband was going to give me. (Might I say, he had told me in the past that he really liked my hair how it was) and this "fix" turned into a chop. But at least it was a cute chop! Or so I thought. He walks in the door and I smile and give him a kiss and he starts to realize something is different. I'm so hopeful for the "Wow!!!" comment, that the "What did you do to your hair?" comment about knocked me over! #2 problem... he is taken off guard and not recovering well... I should stop, let reality sink in and give him a few minutes to gather his thoughts. But NO... I keep going! "Do you like it?" I ask. He stutters and says... "Yeah" and I don't give him time to explain his answer, but start crying right there and tell him that I think he doesn't like it. We spend the next 30 minutes of me sniffling and him trying to explain that he was suprised (and that he doesn't really like to be suprised) and that he usually doesn't do or say things on the fly. Most things in his life are thought out WAY in advance, so speaking on a whim didn't work well. I figured he didn't like it because I didn't get the "WOW!" and couldn't see a way to let him out of this. If he said he did like it, I thought he was just saying that to make me feel better, but he really couldn't say that he didn't like it because that would have made me feel ugly and tell him that he is insensitive! (Did I mention that this happend about 20 minutes before we were having a babysitter and going on a date? ;) I know I know...bad timing for a suprise haircut!)

Anyway, here is the conclusion that I came to. Sometimes when girls ask guys questions, they are honestly looking for a second opinion. Like they need a girlfriend, but don't have one nearbye. But honesty is what they are looking for.

Then other times, they are looking to impress their man and hoping that they know them well enough to make a decision that will please them. Example, my hair cut.

And last (Well, maybe there are more options here, but this is all I could come up with for the moment) there is the 'please tell me that I look beautiful even though none of my clothes fit right' and just wanting affirmation that you are the only girl in his eyes.

If only, those of us ladies could learn to clarify these things to our men. Like next time I will say to Jason:
"Dear, what do you think of these jeans? And I'm not trying to back you into a corner... I'm wanting your honest opinion. Ok, maybe your gentle honest opinion. On second thought, lets not talk about this now and I will come back later with Wendy!"

Posted by Leah at 01:15 PM | Comments (1030)

Belle's Prayer.

In the last weeks and months, we have been working with Belle about praying before we eat. At first, she would just repeat each word after me, but occationally she will branch off and "pray" for something that she remembers. (Like for mom or dad or the food.) Today, I made lunch and put it in front of her. I said, "What do you say?" and she grabbed my hand and prayed her own prayer without any coaching or hints. Think if this as one long thank you prayer, she didn't say thank you each time, but I think that was what she was getting at. Here is how it went:

"D-sus (Jesus), Ank -you food, day, mommy- E-daddy. Cold outside, hock-gogs (hot dogs), cheese, kep-up (ketchup), Uhhhhh, food, cheese, forks, mommy,daddy,uhhhhh, hock-gogs, Elijah E Rachel, milk..... (mom says, "How about Amen!") ..... AMEN!"

Posted by Leah at 11:17 AM | Comments (18)

October 08, 2007

"Do these jeans make me look fat?"

I've heard of this question...

that girls shouldn't ask it and guys shouldn't answer it.

I never really understood why.

I do now.

Then other times, they are looking to impress their man and hoping that they know them well enough to make a decision that will please them. Example, my hair cut.

Posted by Leah at 02:04 PM | Comments (21)

October 02, 2007

I'm in a rut...

For the life of me I can't figure out anything to blog about.

I must be sick or something. Usually I go through my day and can create about 8 different blog entries in my head and one of them will end up getting posted.

Maybe real life has hit... nothing funny or unusual happening.

Nobody wants to read about laundry and cleaning bathrooms.

I had leftover chinese for lunch today.

Yep, gonna sign off now. Hopefully I will be back soon.

Peace.

Posted by Leah at 01:08 PM | Comments (3)