emmafree123's Xanga

Friday, January 27, 2006

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:58:50 GMT

Shouts of joy, its a boy! Ok, so I know John beat me to the punch, but I at least had to followup with my last entry. I don't know what I'm going to do with a little boy. If anyone would like to join in naming this little Freeman, now would be the time to send in your suggestions. Thnks.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 18:03:04 GMT

Now that they are 2, the girls are starting to talk more and it is always surprising to me how many words they know that I don't actually remember teaching them. Yesterday when we pulled into the driveway from being out, Ava quietly says to herself "Home". And after a brief pause, she adds with a smile "Daddy". I like the way she associates one with the other.

Speaking of Daddy, most of you know John is about to be one (again) and in a week and a half we find out if we're having a boy or a girl. Now is your chance to comment and let us know your prediciton...boy? or girl?

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 17:16:16 GMT

My 2 year old is watching "In the Heat of the Night".

She is addicted to TV. They aren't allowed to watch it much, really. Sesame Street in the mornings and sometimes Elmo in the afternoon when Daddy works late and Mommy has to make dinner. But all day long, it is a constant remote control battle with her...she finds it hidden in the couch cushions or under the ottoman or on the coffee table. And she aims it at the TV with confidence and purpose. Or if she can't find the remote, she goes straight to the TV itself (I know, you really can turn the TV on without a remote...go figure) and starts pushing buttons and inevitably finds the power button. I've tried lots of different tactics...scolding her for turning it on without permission, closing the doors to the TV thing, distracting her with a snack or legos or a book. So far, nothing works all that well. Don't get me wrong, I don't let her watch whenever she wants, but she is constantly testing me, thinking maybe I won't notice Matlock or Regis or Tony Danza droning in the background (you gotta love daytime TV). She isn't usually satisfied with any of those adult shows...I'm convinced her goal is always to find Elmo but I could be wrong.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I'm headed to turn off the 700 Club.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:38:20 GMT

ok, so I'm not really currently reading Great Expectations, but I do feel as though I am living beneath them. Ever feel like everywhere you turn, somebody has placed an expectation on you? Or do you find yourself trying to keep people from placing expectations on you only to discover it is something you can't control b/c people are people and they aren't perfect and neither are you so it shouldn't matter? Or worse, do you ever think that maybe you yourself are the one who is actually doing all the "expecting"? And am I even making any sense? All I know is, today was one of those days for me and I don't even think I knew it until about 30 minutes ago. When I'm in that place of feeling overwhelmed by expectations (real or perceived, mind you)...all I want to do is find a place to rest..be myself...to live in freedom and not worry about what they (or I) think.
"Come to me, all you who are weary...and you will find rest for your souls." Mt. 11.28

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Sun, 09 Oct 2005 16:34:36 GMT

12:28 am--sleep stops at the sound of a high pitched toddler scream
12:35 am--the screaming continues, and there is a blurry, monotone discussion about what to do
12:36 am--decide to let her cry herself back to sleep
12:46 am--decide to pick her up after she cleverly screams "mommy" instead of just, well, a scream
12:47 am--baby #2 decides to join in the midnight opera just as baby #1 gets settled in mommy's bed
1:20 am--both babies are taken back to their cribs by mommy and daddy
1:22 am--baby #1 starts up again. this time we WILL let her cry herself to sleep.
1:45 am--back in mommy's bed
2:30 am--daddy goes to sleep on the couch because 23 pound baby is hogging the bed
2:35 am--mommy puts baby back in her crib cause it just ain't right for daddy to have to sleep on the couch
3:30 am--baby #1 is up again, this time even madder than before
3:35 am--mommy curls into the fetal position and imagines throwing baby #1 out the window
3:36 am--mommy prays for advise and wisdom from the Lord about what do to with a strong-willed screamer. she hears nothing in reply.
3:45 am--mommy goes to get baby #1 who has thrown her beloved pacifier out of her crib. after picking it up, the pair head off to the guest bedroom
3:46 am--baby #1 sleeps soundly next to a guilt-ridden mommy who whispers "i love you and promise to never throw you out the window"

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 22:40:43 GMT

Last night was a rare gem of a night where I was reminded of how fun it is just to "be" with people. Sitting outside at a friends party with a great mix of people...some I'm close with and others I only know by association...it was so refreshing. I want to be more intentional about being with people.

And let me also say there sure is more than meets the eye on that show, Lost. wow.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 23:19:23 GMT

ok, I am officially over it. Paint colors, that is. I know the colors I paint my walls isn't the most exciting subject to read about (for all those in my subscribing audience aka John and Stacey :)

On to more exciting things like 10th grade girls small group starting up tomorrow (lets here it for krispy kreme chocolate covered creme filled with a decaf coffee), Lizzie almost getting her drivers license in 13 days (ahhh, sweet 16), watching season one of 24 on dvd (don't they get tired of wearing the same wardrobe for a whole year? and after 4 years of filming the show, does it mean that jack bauer hasn't slept in 4 days?). Ok, so maybe that isn't all that exciting, but what a concept for a show...24 episodes=24 hours.

Gotta run...we've set our show time in 29 minutes.
And if emily_timily is reading this, i agree with dave/seveneggs(see comments 8/29)

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 15:36:46 GMT

Because a perfect blue was so difficult to decide on, I realized my only option was to go with yellow...Restrained Gold, to be exact. And I'm finding it to be very satisfying...a muted "happy" in the day, a deep thought provoking "relaxed" at night. It is a good color.

We've been here a day over a week and it still doesn't feel like home. But we love our house and the girls are beginning to play again (rather that following me around from room to room with tears for fear of getting lost).

I'm updating this on our new computer...a mac with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Great for the cool factor, not so great if the girls get a hold of them...we'll have to keep our eyes open for a mouse in the toybox.

Friday, July 29, 2005

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 01:42:53 GMT

I heated my microwave for 25 seconds today. Yes, you read that right...I thought I was heating my coffee but then when I opened the door, it was empty and there was my cold coffee still sitting on the table.

I blame it on color. We're moving in a few weeks and I have to choose colors for my walls. It really is a stressful process and I admit it has been consuming me for some time now. Watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with John tonight, all I did was look at the walls behind Willy to try to get ideas...I wouldn't recommend this, by the way. Not the best movie for color inspiration for a home...where people LIVE...everyday. But you never know where you may find that perfect inspirational hue for the living room...so I remain aware of color at all times. It wouldn't be so hard if there weren't so many different shades of blue. Whatever happend to BLUE? Now its Flint Smoke and Sonata and Prelude (I like the musical blues, by the way)...but when Johns mom said Flint Smoke looked like the battleship Big Frank sailed away on when they first got married, I decided to lay it to rest. She calls it gray, I say its gray-blue. A big difference, by the way. Now, though, I think I'm leaning more toward the greenblue family...like Rainwashed, Interesting Aqua and Tradewind. I really like Moody Blue, but I just can't bring myself to paint my walls that. "Oh, you like this color? Its Moody Blue...welcome to my home. Now SIT DOWN! Would you like some coffee? TOO BAD!"

Then there's the packing. I started with the books and at first I was very Monica Geller about the whole thing...old journals stacked in yearly order in one box...North Carolina history books (remnants of Johns local history hobby) and my sign language books all in their own boxes. But today I realized the manual on "How to play the Hawaiin ukulel" was packed neatly between "Goodnight Moon" and the One Year Bible. I guess its sort of a metaphor for life...as much as I try to compartmentalize things sometimes, everything ends up connected...like heating up air in the microwave because I'm thinking about color because the girls are sleeping and I can't think about color when they are awake and I'm "heating" coffee to sit with the Lord and tell Him the fact that I can't stop thinking about color and will He please remind me of what is really important....and life continues until you really can't tell where the prayer ends and the bedtime story begins.

Sort of like bluegreen. Or greenblue. And yes, we do have an Hawaiin ukulele.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Sun, 24 Jul 2005 23:01:54 GMT

Always read the book in the order intended by the author.

Same with movies.

"Luke...I am your father" just doesn't carry the same weight when you already know the story, he's a kid, he falls in love, they get married and pregnant and he has fear then anger then hate and it destorys him yadayadayada...But I'm still glad I watched them. Now I laugh at star wars humor and can breathe like Darth Vader and am getting really good at throwing out everything I learned in my English grammer classes: "Truly powerful the language of Yoda is."

Now on to Lord of the Rings. I've seen the first one and half of the second but the third came out when I was in labor so I kind of missed the whole return of the king thing.

Oh how I love summer nights watching movies.