Me and my friend Kermit

So Kermit and I have something in common. We're both GREEN. Yep. I'm green. Know how I know? Well, yes, I recycle, and I try to conserve energy, and I've been known to take the bus--but that's not why I'm green.

Know what makes me green? This week I ran out of plastic bags--you know the ones you get at the grocery store, Wal-mart, Target, Walgreens, and every-other-single-place where you shop (whether you buy 1 item or 100 items?!) and then save in a corner somewhere or toss out if they have holes in the bottom? I RAN OUT! And you know why? Because I've been using my canvas shopping bags (I have several including a cute moose one that folds up and hangs out in my purse). A couple of months ago, every time I went into the grocery store or Target I would get mad at myself because I'd be in the check-out line and then realize that I forgot my recycled bags in the car. So I decided I needed to be "intentional" about it, that maybe if I was intentional about grabbing my bags when I got out of the car, that it would then become a habit. And it worked! Now it's almost second nature to grab the bags from the floor in the backseat or from the trunk (plus I've got 'moose' in my purse).

And you know what? I actually like using my canvas bags--more "stuff" fits inside them and they're much easier to carry up the two flights of stairs to my apartment. So all in all--it's a win-win (for me and for the environment!).

The best gift ever!

This week I received a package and inside was....The. Best. Gift. Ever. (Not as good, of course, as the gift of eternal life, a trip to Hawaii, or a diamond engagement ring, but still, really, really great!)

The gift arrived in the mail from my SIL and fam who are living in Chicago for the summer. Now, I know from the front it looks like a magnet with the skyline of Chicago, in the shape of a bottle cap (which is totally awesome--all on its own).

But the back of the magnet is where the real magic is!

Can you see it? Can you imagine the possibilities? It's like my own little hidden treasure.

The best gift ever, right?

A new addition (#15 and #58)

The Kristi Kappes household has a new addition and it doesn't have to be fed, watered, or walked!

So, I've been a filing fanatic for as long as I can remember--seriously, I just love slapping labels on manilla folders and creating a sense of organization. But it seems like ever since I moved to Phoenix almost four years ago, my "sense of organization" has been a little out of control. I'm not sure if it's because I downsized space-wise when I moved here, or because I lived out of suitcases for my first two months in the city, or because I just have so much more gosh-darn-paperwork to deal with, or because all of my files were in random containers stuffed into the back of my closet. Whatever the case, I'm so glad to have gained a sense of control over the chaos!

My new addition helped me take this gigantic mess...

And organize it into this piece of beauty!

Yep--that's my new, super-sweet file cabinet. And this week, as I've gone through my mail and school paperwork, it's been so easy to just walk over to my new addition, slide open a drawer, and pop the paperwork right in/out. #15 on the list is now complete!

And this provided the motivation for me to work on #58 (switching to e-bills). Since most of my bills are already on auto-pay or are paid online, the change to paperless statements should hopefully be a smooth transition!

A big thanks to my parents for helping me put together the new addition (thanks Dad!). And a big thanks to the UPS employee who had to lug the 52lb and 58lb boxes to my doorstep--free shipping/delivery rocks!

A Night Out

Last night I took my friend Ben Beachy (my cousin's son) to a ballgame as a gift for his 6th birthday--we had a great time and I wish all my "hot dates" were as fun and relaxed as this night was!

I took Ben on his first Metro Light Rail ride--it's much easier to park north of Chase Field (for free) and then take the Light Rail down to the stadium--even better, I happened to have two extra Light Rail tickets on hand that we could use. On the ride down to the stadium the Light Rail was filled with other baseball fans--an older gentleman sitting across from Ben asked who he wanted to win the game--"The Diamondbacks!" said Ben. Good answer!

The Light Rail dropped us off almost directly in front of the stadium--so easy! Ben wanted to hang out for awhile to watch the doors close--I think the Light Rail may have been a bigger hit than the game itself!

We arrived early enough at the ballpark that we had time to get a snack, check out our seats (right above the D'backs bullpen where we watched Hudson, their new pitcher, warm up), and spend some tim

e on the upper concourse, before settling down to watch the game. The upper concourse has all sorts of great things for kids--a playground area, batting practice, and the ballpark "concert-master." I'm not sure if that's his title, but the guy who plays all the organ music, etc. Both Ben and I were pretty impressed with the three different keyboards he was using.

In my opinion, a visit to the ballpark is not complete without a hot dog covered in ketchup and mustard. I had the hot dog, but Ben opted for the more nutritious options of popcorn, cotton candy and pop (don't worry--I made sure he ordered the caffeine-free variety). And although I was tempted, I held myself back from a stop at the Coldstone Creamery booth.

The game itself was, as most baseball games are, fairly uneventful, though we did see two home runs, and when we left, the D'backs were ahead--I'm not even sure who actually won the game, but we had a great time!

How can I keep from singing?

I love to sing. I'm not really a sing-in-the-shower type of girl, but I do love to sing in my car, and with other people, and I love karaoke (though I haven't done that since my college days!). And one of my secret dream jobs has always been to be a background singer (though I think I might be glamorizing the singing and travel life a bit).

Tonight I went to choir practice, after a 6-week absence due to my class schedule and vacation schedule, and it was great. And my soul was refreshed. And I realized how blessed I am to have a choir community--a place to sing and worship, all at the same time.

There's just something about harmonizing with others, making beautiful music, and raising our voices in worship that brings me a sense of peace and calm.

Some of my favorite memories are singing with friends and family...

• Singing with my two cousins both when I was toddler and now as an adult (on the rare occasions that the three of us are in the same city at the same time--most often for weddings and funerals!)
• Singing with a group from choir at my high school convocation
• Singing in several high school and youth choir musicals
• Singing at family gatherings
• Singing with several church choirs

I've sung with church choirs big and small and though I love the robust sound of the larger choirs, I also love the community of the small choirs--how everyone knows everyone--those small choirs often became my family!

Now I sing with a larger choir and I certainly do not know everyone, but I am thankful for my friends Darlene, Debbie, Theresa, Christina and Linda who keep an eye on me, notice when I'm missing, check-in to see how I'm doing, and raise their beautiful voices in worship. I am truly blessed to sing with them, to stand beside them, and to be enveloped into their community.

How can I keep from singing Your praise

How can I ever say enough

How amazing is Your love

How can I keep from shouting Your name

I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing

--Chris Tomlin (Christian music artist)

What I learned about parenting this week

(in no particular order)

• I learned that parenting is one of the hardest, most stress-filled-danger-lurking-around-every-corner jobs. But it is also one of the most rewarding and gratifying jobs (HELLO people—we’re molding human lives here!!).
• I learned that broken items (toys AND non-toys) should NEVER be left out—they are quickly mistaken as ‘new’ toys—but that broken toy pliers squeezing Auntie’s arm really hurts, and that a towel bar used as a tool on the house you’re building is quickly going to put a hole in Daddy’s leather chair.
• Climbing trees is never allowed. Never. Not even when we’re trying to pull a Sound of Music.
• Messy diapers are gross—and hazards to the environment! And, wiggly arms and legs are not helpful to Auntie when changing a messy diaper. So not helpful.
• Shoes are overrated. (I ONLY forgot them once for one of the children, and remembered them all the time for me. Thanks Grammy, for the suggestion of leaving them in the car!)
• Purses are overrated. I learned that all I need are the car keys, my phone, my sunglasses, my driver’s license, some money, some snacks, some drinks (non-alcoholic, of course!), some tissues (though shirts work just as well)…ok, so maybe a purse is required (and I didn’t even mention the shoes, car toys and extra diapers!). I totally get the stylish diaper bags now—something that doubles for both mommy and children needs!
• You should NEVER-EVER-NEVER set your Starbucks drink on the roof or hood of the car. You’ll be tempted, especially when you have your hands full with a bag and a child, but don’t do it—because you NEED that drink. Get your priorities straight—put drink in cup-holder first and then put kids in seats. (I may, or may not be speaking from experience here—I’ll just say, that if you’re going to set it down, set it on the hood of the car so, in theory, you’ll see it before you start driving.)
• Every place should have a drive-thru (though this could be my laziness talking here). Just imagine it—preschools with drive-thrus (though that line might get a bit long), gas stations with drive-thrus (full-service pumps so make sense now!), and EVERY Starbucks should have a drive-thru.
• Always park close to a sidewalk or close to the door. NEVER park in the middle of a parking lot. Parking lots are full of danger. (Where are my Inspector Gadget arms when I need them?!)
• Can someone please invent a kid thermometer that is kid-friendly (or at least deceivingly so?!)—maybe one where you add different lollipop attachments to the top, or, one that looks like a sippy cup—something that doesn’t have to be stuck in the ear, mouth, arm pit?!? (Though I am oh-so-thankful for child medicines that taste like candy!)
• Snacks/drinks are a parent’s/caretaker’s best friend and can stave off boredom/trouble/unhappiness like nothing else—especially when in the car, at church, or at a concert (though the correct answer to “Can I have fruit snacks? Yes, I know I just had 5 cookies…” is always “NO!”).
• A second pair of helping hands (adult, not child) is always appreciated. Always.
• Who is creating children’s cartoons/shows these days?!? I don’t even know what to say to this.
• Sometimes giving in to a request is easier in the short-term for Auntie (but can create challenges in the long-term for Mommy & Daddy!).
• Car keys/house keys should have attachments like my uncle's jet-ski key does--so they are with you at all times. I finally used a carabiner to attach them to my jeans/purse. Of course, I never lost them, left them at the store, on the car seat, or on the ground--but I envisioned myself doing so many, many times!
• People who say "Boy, you have your hands full!" when they see you carting around two toddlers is not helpful, and slightly degrading--especially at times when I think it looks like I have it all together. (Though, our definitions of "all together" could be slightly different.)
• Prayers for patience are never ceasing. And, you're never too big to apologize/ask forgiveness for allowing your fear/frustration to turn into anger.
• Coffee and wine are two of Auntie's best friends (though I suppose this is probably true all the time, and not just after a week of parenting!).

Needless to say, I learned a lot. And I wasn’t even fulfilling all the roles of a real parent. I wasn’t paying bills; responding to birthday party RSVPs (or buying gifts for such parties); planning menus for next week (or this week since all of our meals were outlined and pre-made!); washing/folding laundry (or even choosing the children’s outfits since those were already laid out for me!); cleaning of any sort—though I don’t even like to do that at my own house (wiping the counter and taking out the trash were about all I could manage this week—crumbs on the floor? Makes me feel like I’m at the beach!); communicating with my spouse/friends/other adults; planning that summer vacation; scheduling the pool company, the bug company, the yard company; and forget mowing the yard…the list continues on! I managed the children’s basic needs (and my own basic needs!) and that was about it—and that was pretty much a full-time job!

And it made me realize how self-involved I am—the change to full-time caring for/worrying about others was refreshing and eye-opening. My life problems/worries/work frustrations just seemed to fade to the background as I focused on my two most favorite little people. And I didn’t miss thinking about myself (though I did sometimes miss my personal space—can Auntie please go to the bathroom by herself?).

I was honored to be entrusted with the care and well-being of these two precious miracles—and though they are young and will probably forget this week, I know I never will. And I’m guessing Grammy and Nana and Papa (the other hands on-deck this week) won’t either! We weren’t perfect, and probably broke some of the house rules, but WE ROCKED THIS!!! (Though I think that speaks more to good parenting than anything we did in the week!)

Mostly, I learned that kids have very basic needs—someone to love them, care for them, create a consistent and stable home for them. They don’t need lots of money, or lots of toys, or fancy clothes, or fancy cars, or fancy shoes—they just want someone to be present with them—to throw a ball, to chase around, to read a book, to sit quietly, to ponder life’s wonders…

Thank you to my parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle and two cousins--for modeling these things to me when I was growing up (and still today), so I can now model them to my niece and nephew and all the other little children in my life (and maybe someday, my own children).

And, thank you to my brother and sister-in-law, for not only being great friends and valued members of our family, but for allowing us to care for and love on your kids—it was a true blessing.

A true blessing.

For Mother's Day

A few months ago I was browsing my friend Christin's blog and jumped over to a blog she had linked on her page--and was struck by the post for that day. Really struck. Struck so much that I FaceBook messaged the blog's author (which felt a little bit like cyber-stalking but I knew we had several mutual friends plus she's the wife of a former work colleague) and asked if I could share her blog post for Mother's Day. Sara responded and graciously gave her ok (thanks Sara!). You should definitely check out her Glimpsing Grace blog about her family (including two little boys and lots of parenting adventures!).

I've included the full blog post below--even now as I read it again, I'm struck with the simple truths it contains--and the love that a mother has to grow up her children, even at 3-years and 3-weeks-old, into men of God. Powerful stuff.

And I know, even though I'm now 30-something years-old, that my mom has a similar prayer for me--Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

March 11, 2010

On Choosing a Wife (from Glimpsing Grace)

Before I started this blog, I sporadically kept a journal for the boys. I tried to jot down a sentence or two each night before bed, detailing what they had done that day. I'd forgotten all about it until yesterday when Josiah unearthed it in a dresser drawer. As I paged through it tonight, I found this entry:

October 18, 2007

Let's talk wives. It's on my mind today even though at 3 years old and 3 weeks old, neither of you guys is thinking beyond your next packet of fruit snacks or bottle. It's nice of mom to look out for you, isn't it?

Here are the rules for picking out your future wives--

1) She must love Jesus.

2) She must love me.

That's all that's to it. Pretty easy, huh?

Now, once you're married , you're gonna need more rules. Here they are--

1) Never joke about divorce. It's never funny.

2) Find out which household chore your wife hates most and volunteer to do it.

3) Keep the gas tank in her car full.

4) Pray together every night before bed.

And, of course, there are rules for being good dads. Mom wants grandkids one day, ya hear? :-) You only need one -- be the same kind of dad you have.

love you,
Mom