Becket, the interactive baby

My goal of running the length of a 5k 5-6 days a week is going pretty well. However, I only can run in the evenings after Becks goes to bed or during his nap time. I tried on the treadmill on Friday morning but only made it 2 miles before I heard stirring in the other room. Most moms could solve this problem quickly by bringing the baby to play on the floor next to them while they run. However, Becks is a very hands-on baby and prefers 100% attention most of the time. I obviously can't and don't always provide that, but it really isn't fun to run while listening to a screaming 7 month old. So I had to stop and fall short of my goal this week.

Parents of little ones, or parents of old ones that used to be little ones:

Suggestions on getting Becket to like individual playtime?

For you chocolate lovers out there

One of my favorite blogs is from The Pioneer Woman. She has fantastic recipes. I made The Best Chocolate Cake from her blog and it was fantastic. Try it out. She talks about using milk + vinegar in place of buttermilk. I couldn't find any plain vinegar on hand, but I usually use milk + lemon juice. It worked out great. Next time I make this I think I'll add chocolate chips on top. To make it more kid-friendly (at least most kids I know aren't really pro-nut) you could use marshmallows or candy bars. Try it out!

Background

In our church whenever you move into a new ward (the unit of church members in a certain geographical area that attend the same meetings together) it is often customary that you speak in Sacrament meeting to sort of introduce your family to everyone. We moved here a little over two months ago and have lucked out so far. I did think it might be appropriate to introduce my family to this blog to sort of give a background.

Whitney the Wife:

I lived in several different cities as a child, but the majority of my growing up years were done in Lehi, Utah. I graduated from Lehi High School and then moved down to Provo, Utah to attend Brigham Young University. I graduated with my B.A. in 2008 and finished my M.Ed at the University of Utah earlier this month. I am not particularly athletic but I do enjoy sports. I do not play any instruments, but I did sing in a few choirs in my youth. I have never been a 'runner' but have tried on and off for the past six years to become one. I'm hoping that since I'm done with school that now is the time for the runner in me to finally emerge.

Todd the Husband:

Todd was born and raised in San Diego County. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Sao Paolo, Brazil. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2010 and is just beginning his Master's degree. He plays the trombone and sings extremely well, though he would never volunteer that information. Todd loves to read and watch/play sports. He is the best.

Becket the Little Man:

Becket was born October 7, 2010. He is a feisty little boy with lots of personality. While just learning to sleep through the night, he has always been a pretty good napper. Becket's current interests are ceiling fans, kitty cats, and picture books.

How to mend a baby's broken heart

I hurt Becket's feelings today. Obviously, I didn't mean to. Todd has done it before (when making a horrified face at the sight of a dirty diaper), but I believe this is one of the first times that I inflicted such emotional pain on my child. We were sitting on the couch just talking like only a mother and a 7 month old can talk. Then Beck decided to grab a fist full of my skin, right underneath my collar bone. I wouldn't call it just a pinch, but what does one call it when all five fingers are pinching the same little area at the same time? Oh well. So I cried out in a bit of surprise and pain. Those big blue eyes looked up at me and welled with tears. I knew the wailing would come right after he stuck his bottom lip out and buried his head into my chest. It took twenty minutes to calm him down. With both of our hearts broken, we cuddled on the bed together until exhaustion from crying induced a much needed nap.

A dream is a wish your heart makes

Goals not written down are just wishes. Well, I do wish an awful lot then. However, to kick of this new blog, I thought that I might as well write down the goals that I have for myself and the timetable for their completion (if applicable of course). Making this public is a little bit like allowing the entire world wide web to watch as I weigh myself on the scale.

Daily:

Read my scriptures

Say my personal prayers

Hold family prayer and scripture study

Read the babe 3 books (at least one before bedtime)

Do 1-2 loads of laundry

Run/Walk 3.1 miles (5-6x per week)

Shower (for those of you moms -new and old- this is aiming pretty high)

Weekly:

Create something new (a sewing project, a piece or artwork, etc.)

Try out two new recipes

Finish 1 book

Improve in my church callings

Update family blog

Update The Homemade Wife blog

By June 5th:

Run a 5k in less than 40 minutes

Lose 3 lbs.

Now that I've not only written them down, but held them high for all to see, my goals will be backed up by motivation.

What are your goals?

And so it begins

I spent my entire teenage years trying to avoid learning any domestic skills. I wanted nothing to do with the molding of a future Mormon housewife. Now, a decade or so later, I'm trying to mold myself into a current Mormon housewife. Who would have thought that it would be a lot harder learning to sew and bake with a 7 month old on your hip? Thankfully my parents didn't let me get away with not doing my share of the housework or cooking an occasional meal. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I also had fantastic church leaders that taught me (mostly through osmosis) basic homemaking skills. Those lovely women were smart enough to know that I would really want those skills later on in my life. Well it is now 'later' and I am kicking myself for not perking up my ears a little more!

I am starting this blog to chronicle my household triumphs and disasters. I want to learn from this journal of sorts that I'm keeping. By making it public, I hope to hold myself accountable to continuous improvement. Yes, this will be a journal...but not the 'woe is me' type of blog or the trendy 'political protest' blog. I hope to be upbeat with most entries but keep it real. I somehow thought that a switch would turn on when I was married with children and suddenly domestic skills would be second nature. That's funny. Hopefully my future readers will also learn from my errors with cooking, mending, and the likes.

I don't want this blog to be about rainbows and butterflies and the perfect life I supposedly lead. I'm a real person. I probably will be more real in this blog than I am in my personal family blog that I update for close relatives and friends. I just hope that as I read past entries in this blog I will be inspired to keep going. Join me in my journey?