To tired to wiggle

Today we painted a rental house for/with my mom and we are too tired to wiggle. Fortunately it was cloudy for most of the morning so it wasn't uncomfortable to paint. It has been a busy month around here. Not much blogworthy of note though. Je finally is beginning to enjoy softball. And a side benefit, she is improving. Nana came to a game and noticed how weird she was throwing sidearmed rather than overhanded. Je hadn't been too willing to practice with Daddy, so Nana told me to bring the bat and ball down the next time Je visited. So now, Je asks to practice with Nana, and she throws the ball correctly. She had a really good hit at the last game, with aunt, uncle, Nana, and cousins as witnesses. In her league, the girls get 4 pitches from the coach and if they don't hit a pitch, they get to hit off the tee. Usually, Je needs the tee. This time, she whacked it pretty good. She isn't committed to playing another season, but I think she is really having a good time. She could stay with the same coach, and since we really like his approach, we are probably going to give it another year. He is pretty low pressure, very positive, and a lot of fun. At a recent game, he brought a cooler full of water balloons for the girls to throw at him. They had a blast. That is probably the first time they had thrown that hard the whole season. Je played first base for an inning and did a pretty good job of stopping the ball, and going to first base with it. She only got the batter out once but her effort was great. That is one of my fondest memories from growing up. Lots of softball. We all three played for many years, and we had a great time doing it. Hours of catch with Daddy in the back yard, practices, games, sweating in the Kansas heat through a double header in July. Totally fun. Seriously. I want that for Je and Jo. Like my sister said recently I LOVE SUMMER!

We're Adding On

Mom got a new water heater this week, and we got a new box to join the first in the living room.













We cut a door in the new box and Voila!















The girls moved their rooms (at least it seemed like it) into the boxes, and are planning another sleepover in their new accomodations.















Such cheap fun.

The Box

It seems we are concerned a lot about sleeping around here. it isn't that I think they are cuter when asleep but over the weekend...Daddy was out of town and it was only reflecting on moments like these that kept me from infantacide. My mom gave the girls the box from her new chair, and they decided that it would be a great place to sleep. Since Friday was a teacher work day and it was a girls only weekend, they had a sleep over. They did it both Thursday and Friday night and are planning another sleep in the box night for tonight. Since tomorrow is Kindergarten Round up, Jessa has another Friday off.

New Look

I tinkered with the colors and picture for my header. That is the girls on Easter morning before church. I rolled their hair in sponge rollers the night before (just like my mom used to do with my sisters and I) It really curled well. A few years ago, I tried to roll Je's hair, but by morning the rollers all came out. Jo had curly hair until she cut it last year. Now it is pretty straight. My sister and her family were in town for the Easter weekend and Friday the girls stayed over with their cousins at Nana's for a slumber party. Big fun! Nana rolled Jo's hair and the cousin hair. She didn't have enough rollers to do all three girls' hair, and said if she had done Je's hair, she wouldn't have had enough rollers to do anyone else's hair. I went out last Saturday and bought enough little rollers to do both my girls hair. They loved it so it will be a treat for them.

When I look at the picture above, I am struck by how classic it is of my two. They are pretty joyful little girls. Jo likes hats and fancy shoes. Je does too, a little, but her hats never stay on long. We signed Je up for softball at Ken Berry League this year. She was dead set against it until we told her she had to try it this year, and if she didn't like it she didn't have to do it again. She is anxious of new things. She has had two practices and found a little girl from her school is on her team. It is growing on her. She is trying to talk Daddy into helping coach. We will see how that goes. Jo already said she wants to play next year.

I've been a bit under the weather today. I've had a little cough and congestion for a couple days then, last night around 12:30, I got so cold I was afraid I would bite my tongue with the shivers. Shan piled four down throws on me to warm me up. By 3 am I had to kick them all off and turn on the fan. Needless to say I didn't sleep well. Hopefully tonight will be better, I am supposed to substitute in Jo's Sabbath School class tomorrow. Her regular teacher will be in Shawnee for her son's installation as a Deacon. I grew up with her son. He has been a good friend,and was an usher in our wedding. But when I think about him being grown up enough to be a deacon it shocks me. Of course, he's been married for over 10 years, has three kids and a doctorate so what's up with that.

I just heard my husband return with dinner. Saturday is pizza night at our house.

Funny Kurt!

Our mechanic is a friend. His son wrestled for Shannon for four years before graduating last year, and he and his wife are wonderful people. When our previous mechanic missed a couple of repairs we switched to Kurt. Our car dealer gave us a free oil change, and then I had to have some minor warranty work done, so I haven't had the van in to our mechanic. Shan's pickup needed an oil change and a little work on the gearshift, so he took it in this morning and I picked him up before our day. We got donuts and took the girls to the zoo. We were taking advantage of the nice weather and spring break. This afternoon we went back to pick up the truck. Kurt was just closing down for the day, and was outside the shop when we got there. Shan went in and I got out to get in the driver's side of the van. He hollered a greeting over. A few minutes later I he walked over:

K: "You didn't get rid of your jeep did you?"

Me: "Yeah, it was time"

K: "Man, I still have a kid to put through school"



Very funny, Kurt. That's why we got rid of it, it was keeping mechanics in business.

It's Over!

The Streak is O!V!E!R! After 24 long years, K-State finally beat KU at home. Bramlage Collesium is no longer simply Allen Fieldhouse West, but a place where KU can lose. AND DID! This makes the sad football season last fall almost bearable. We can be happy fans now. It certainly felt like more than two years since K-State beat KU, but it's true, I looked it up. We won in Allen in 2006. But to lose at home for 24 straight games is embarassing. Reagan was president, cell phones were brand new. None of the current players were even born yet. I better stop, that isn't a good memory, it makes me feel old.

She finally did it!!!!

I've learned that life is never going to give me a chance to catch my breath. It seems that we are flowing from one project into another. I can't keep up.

I do want to make a comment in regards to the email my sister sent me. The photo is too gross to show on this blog, (It looks like a Jayhawk had a toxic accident with a Powercat--the horrors!) She thought she was funny but I, not so much.

I am so proud of Je today. She tied her shoes by herself for the first time this evening. We have been working on this for a while now, since that is an important kindergarten skill. Not having a lot of luck. I saw in the book order from Jo's preschool, a book that would help teach shoe tying. I decided to splurge. It is a two sided board book. On one side it teaches the bunny ears method, with laces to practice with and a step by step photo guide for the whole process. The other side is called the Rocket method. It has a weird lacing style but you tie the laces the regular way, cross the two, bring one under, make a loop and finally go around the loop and through. That is more advanced tying. Je started playing with the book tonight and the first time through was a bit frustrated. I left her alone to see how she handled it. I could see her over there working the bunny ears method. She was looking at the pictures and doing the steps. She brought the book to me with the laces she had tied. Ta da! Then she put on her shoe and tried again. It was a bit loose and floppy, but it was tied!!!!!! Hooray!!!! She used the pictures in the book to remember the steps. The best $10 bucks I ever spent. Yea Je!!!



***I will post some pictures of the redecorating we did at church in the next week or so after we are all done. We have painted two rooms and most of another, we just need to move the bookshelves. It is looking good.

KSU 41 Texas 21

Two in a row baby! Look out KU---your coming into our house and we're ready for some revenge!

Not Just a Day

I've learned that birthdays in our family aren't just the date, it the week around it. Jo's birthday isn't until Wednesday, but since my inlaws visited this weekend her birthday started Friday night with their arrival. Saturday, my MIL wanted to go shopping for presents. She wanted to get her an outfit and a toy. I knew Gymboree had had some cute things on clearance, and we started there. Vera zeroed in on the cutest fall outfit, a pair of jeans with horshoes on the leg, matching vest and a shirt with a horse running through a pasture on the bottom. Y'all know Gymboree right? They have all the matching accessories to go with every outfit. So we left the store with socks, hairbows, and barrettes to match. Then we hit Toys R Us. Over lunch, Vera decided that she really liked the outfit and thought she would go back to get one for Je's birthday in October. They didn't have the exact thing in little girl sizes as the toddler sizes, but pretty close. She also found a great necklace and bracelet set in the clearance bin that complemented the outfits. Jo had to wear the outfit today. Including the cowgirl boots that she got for Christmas. She loves those boots!

Family Fun

When I uploaded the pictures of the first day of school, I ordered some prints of our vacation. One sequence stands out to me. It is so typically Jo that I laugh whenever I see the three pictures...










"Everyone's going on that, great, count me in, let's get buckled here."









"I don't think so! Get me off now!"










"That's better. Y'all go on without me."







And they did!

WOW!

I have to say how excited I am! I have had comments before from people I know in real life or people who followed the link from a contest I entered. People have commented on my WFMW posts a few times, but today, I received my first comment from someone I don't know, who just read an post I wrote about what is going on in my life. I haven't really worked very hard to build up a big readership. I am torn on this. I started the blog because I had things to say and it seemed a great avenue to express myself. I only told two people I was doing it when I started. A few more people (in real life) know now, but I haven't really pushed them to read it. I didn't do this for blogosphere fame, but maybe a little notice would be nice. That is just ego talking. I need to remember that I do things for His glory not mine. When I get wrapped up in my name, my posts, my blog, my, my, my, I've blown past the important One. If it isn't bringing Him glory, I need to do something else. That is the standard, not how many hits I get or comments people leave. But do you suppose that it is okay to be glad about the comments? There goes that ego again!

I just realized that one of my best friends doesn't know. I think I was too shy to mention it at first, then I think it hasn't crossed my mind. I will send her the link today! Sorry E! You might want to rethink that BFF label, I don't drink coffee and I forgot to tell you about the Blog! Oh Horrors!

I'm Busy, Busy, Frightfully Busy, You've No Idea What I have to do!

I've learned that I need to get new dressy summer shoes. My feet almost have forgiven me for the shoes I wore on Sunday but not completely. I had to get a leg and foot massage from Shan last night so I could sleep. I wanted one on Sunday night but couldn't summon the energy to go down three sets of stairs to find him and ask. The cell phones weren't handy either to call to him down three flights. I had a day on Sunday. Saturday, too getting ready for Sunday. It is a brief lull now before the ramp up to Bible School next month. Saturday, I got the food and other things ready for lunch at church and Menninger's graduation ceremony. I also had to send food out to the Manhattan group for their Sunday evening get together. I also took the kids to the zoo on Saturday, because they were having a special thing at the hippo exibit. Jo likes hippos. On the way home from the zoo, I got the last of the stuff for Sunday's taco bar at church. We hosted the Manhattan group so I had to plan for an extra 20-25 people. I snuck out of lunch early to make my way downtown to the church we use to host the Menninger Bible Program graduation. This year we had 20 graduates complete the four year course through the Bible. It is quite an accomplishment. So we I got home at five on Sunday I was exhausted. I left the house at nine that morning to get to church so I could get things ready for the lunch, and still teach Sunday school. There were several extra people in our class, including the pastor and his wife who are working in Manhattan right now. I love them and they are great but with all the visitors in the class it was a little bit of pressure. Class, lunch and graduation were all a success. We had so many leftovers that we will do taco lunch again next month, we stuck everything in the freezer. After typing this all I think I need a nap.

Isn't that the truth

Today's Family Circus is scarily true of our society.

The comic shows the mom showing Dolly a Crucifix, and the caption is "I like seeing Jesus in the manger better."

Don't we sometimes like the Christmas Jesus more than the Easter Jesus. We don't want to think about His sacrifice and pain on our behalf.