Surprise!

A month ago, my niece got her hair cut. She had really long dark blond hair and it is straight as a stick. It was a tangle nightmare every morning, and really anytime it needed brushed. We had all been talking about Locks of Love for a while and so my sister took J to go get it done one day and presented it as a fait accompli. J colored a picture to include with her ponytail when they sent it off. Je and I have been talking about this for a few months. Sometimes she thinks she wants her hair cut and then she doesn't. Her daddy likes it long. Of course he said the same thing about my hair for YEARS until last May when I chopped it off and he says he likes it better shorter. BTW his opinion was one of the reason's I kept the same hair for the last oh 13 years.

Before that, I just wasn't ready to change it, and he wasn't around before that so I didn't care if he had an opinion, I didn't know him. Je decided last week that she would like to cut her hair for a little girl who needs it. I needed a trim so after our field trip to the pumpkin patch, with Jo still safely at a friend's house, Je and I went to the salon.Behold, NEW HAIR!!!!!
We printed off the donation form, emailed the pictures to the group and packed up the beautiful red 10 inch ponytail. It is as we speak on its way to Locks of Love. I keep telling myself it will grow back. Not that I begrudge her having short hair, its just she had such gorgeous hair and lots of styling options. I know how to do long hair, short hair is new. I HAD LONG HAIR. MY HAIR IS STILL LONGER THAN HERS! I am still learning how to style my new hair 5 months later, I can put in barretts, I can braid, I can even do that pretty halo thing pictured above, I don't know if I can do short hair. I am going to have to practice and five year olds are not known for their patience when it comes to letting their moms do their hair. AT least mine isn't. ARGHHHH!!!!

Ode to Lovies

Yesterday, Jo got some of her donut on Hippo, and she asked me to wash it. It got me thinking about lovies. Each of my children have their comfort items, Je has a bear and Jo has a hippo. They are the head and arms of the stuffed animal with a blanket body. Each child has her name embroidered on the tail of the blanket. The love the satin feel of the ribbon at the neck and along the edge of the blanket. Je uses bear as a pillow, she wipes her tears on him and I think I saw her use it to wipe her nose. You probably can't even make out bear in the picture. I can but I know where to look and what he looks like. He is the barely visible pale cream thing abouve the red hair. Needless to say, Bear is a little bedraggled. Hippo isn't quite as rough but he isn't as old either. My nephew has a dog in the same style and Dog is much much much worse. He almost never lets my sister wash him. My mother usually steals Dog when Si visits and washes him. I try to give the lovies a bath every week or two and the girls look at it as if their Lovies are getting a bath. They are pretty okay with the concept, so their lovies smell good most of the time and while I have had to resew the ribbon on Bear's neck about five times; he looks pretty good for 5. Lovies are crucial, I give them as baby shower gifts. My mother saw how expensive it was to buy the lovies that all of her grandchildren prefer and started making some. I firmly believe that every little one should have some kind of comfort thing. The other day we had several errands to run in the morning before meeting my mom for a shopping trip to KC and I picked up Bear and Hippo for the trip since if the girls are in the car for an hour in the afternoon a nap is a possibility. Jo knew what Hippo meant, and said that we didn't need to bring him because she didn't want to take a nap. Hippo and Bear are big signals for the girls that they need to settle down and rest. I never had any trouble getting them to sleep away from their beds if I had Bear and Hippo. Give them a binkie and their lovey and they settled in for a nap anywhere. Now that they have given away their binkies (remind me to share the very successful method we used), they rely on their lovies even more. Now it does require me to be vigilant in keeping track of these things but we also have a back up item or two that would do in a pinch. Every little needs a lovey, it makes for easier toddlerhood. We love our lovies!

The Easiest Supper Ever This Side of Take out

For Je's birthday she requested her favorite dinner, white noodles. That is Chicken Alfredo. It is so easy that I cannot believe to credit I get for this meal. I normally keep the stuff on hand but we were out of sauce so I stopped by the grocery store on the way home from bible study. I got the three crucial ingredients, chicken, sauce, and noodles. I like to buy the grilled chicken breast off the salad bar at my grocery store because it is easy and fairly economical. You pay the salad bar by the pound price (3.99 at Dillon/Krogers) but you don't have any waste. The chicken is trimmed, the waste is cooked out and it is already cut up so it is the easiest thing in the world. I keep some in those vacuum packs in the freezer for alfredo or quesadillas or fajiatas. I got a new vacuum sealer for my birthday so I am excited about that but before I borrowed my moms. Before that I just used a zip lock and labeled it carefully with the date. The surplus grocery in North Topeka used to carry huge packages of frozen alfredo sauce. We think they were Olive Garden surplus but recently they raised the price and stopped having it as often. I found that the Ragu alfredo is pretty good so I bought some jars of that. It was on sale this week. Now I am not a jar sauce kinda girl. I make my own tomato sauce every summer for spaghetti and chili but alfredo sauce is complicated and a jar is pretty good for this thing. I let Je pick out some fun noodles to put with the meal and we were on the road. I got some garlic bread for good measure. At 5:25 I put the water on to boil. I warmed up the sauce, added the chicken and got the bread ready to heat up. I fixed some peas from the freezer for a vegetable. At 5:50 I poured the sauce over the noodles and set them on the table. So in twenty-five minutes and probably less if I watched the water more carefully or didn't try to boil the whole bag, I had a good dinner on the table and my kids had their favorite meal. They always ask for at least seconds and often thirds. If I were really organized, I would grill extra chicken breasts when we grill and then chop them for freezing, and I do sometimes but recently, I've found it too easy to get it already done at the store and have them on hand. That and usually any extra grilled chickens get eaten for leftovers before I get them into the freezer. My husband loves leftovers for lunch at school.

Voila'! The easiest supper ever and I didn't have to call for pizza. Plus, everyone thinks you've worked hard. (Except for my mother who knows how easy this is since it was her idea)

The Lull

Today is the lull in the storm. The first week of October brings birthday extravaganza to my home. Three of the four of us have a birthday in the first four days of this month. It was almost 4 of 4 but Jo was born 6 weeks early. Oct. first is Shan's birthday, my birthday was yesterday the second, and Je's birthday is tomorrow, the fourth. She was due on the third but labor went long. I like to think of myself as 28. That is the year I had my first child, two days after my birthday (which I spent on bed rest for pregnancy-induced high blood pressure), and stopped really having a birthday. Maybe when my girls get old enough to know about other people's birthdays they will remember mine. We had company for the weekend, my mother-in-law came to celebrate the birthday. The inlaws never visited on birthdays before we had children. We went to dinner with the whole family just for fun. On a whim we went to see Cars at the cheap movie theater. Definitely worth seeing, we've gone twice now, but at $1.50 it is pretty cheap to see a movie. Yesterday we had a family birthday supper at a local restaurant. Je chose "the big 'Old MacDonald's" with the playground". Such a treat for us grownups. It has an indoor playland and the echoing gave us all a headache. There was a boy in there for a while, unsupervised, who kept shrieking and screaming. My brother-in-law told him to quiet down and he ignored him. Seth is a quiet laid-back kinda guy. A few minutes later I hauled out my teacher/lifeguard voice and got his attention. He immediately stopped and not to long later left. Tomorrow we are planning a quiet family dinner night at home to celebrate on her actual birthday. Now I need to go make butterfly cookies for treats at pre-school. Like I said, a lull.

Could we Handle It?

I've learned that when we go through rough stuff, we CAN handle whatever we have to. As I read Kari's post about the contest and the comments posted in the voting I realized we commonly say things like, "I don't think I could handle that" or "I can't imagine going through that" or "I don't know how she does it, I never could". When we view the challenges of others it is difficult to see how they cope and to believe that we could cope. If we haven't been confronted with that challenge, be it death of a spouse, longterm illness, children with disabilities, military deployments, death of a child etc...we probably couldn't handle it. I believe that God gives us the ability to handle whatever difficulty He allows us to experience. If we don't have that problem then maybe we COUlDN'T handle it. But rest assured, others are not sure they could handle the issues we routinely deal with. I read Kari's blog

The other finalists are such amazing women who have gone through such difficult situations: things that I cannot imagine enduring. So, I am shocked to be listed amongst them

and had to chuckle because she expresses the same idea that many others express. We each are given a road to travel. I think each of us is on a road that has only the challenges that we can handle at that time. If my kids are happy, healthy, if my husband is here everyday and I am healthy both bodily and mentally then that is the sum total of the challenge that I am equipped to handle today. Now, if something we to change, should something difficult happen, then I believe I could handle it. Lest that sound smug or superior, let me confess that I handle nothing alone. I know it is God who gives me the strength and wisdom to get through the routine issues of parenting pre-schoolers and living on a single income, a teacher's salary. So if God allows tragedy or difficulty, He will give me the strength, grace and wisdom to manage or He will bring me Home. God doesn't cause my difficulties, but He allows me to go through them, be it death of a parent, a friend, illness, job loss, marital issues, or what have you. I am thankful for the uneventfulness of my life, believe me, I thank God each day, I also pray for wisdom and grace to deal with what life brings me. He always answers my prayers. Just not always the way I expect. My sister-in-law said she stopped praying for patience. God just gave her opportunities to practice patience and stretch that muscle. I laughed when she told me that. I ususally want the wisdom to come as some lightbulb kind of thing. When I need that knowledge it will just be there. And sometimes it is. More often I get wisdom through the experiences and challenges I have to deal with. So maybe instead of being afraid of our challenges, we should embrace them. As many of the voters in the contest seemed to say, there is always someone out there who has a harder road than we do. At least it seems harder from the outside. Maybe they can't imagine how we face our day.

I Blame Hillary

I am a sucker for the online quiz. It's Hillary's fault. She does them occasionally and I always do those that are linked from her blog. Then I do others that link from those. I only include this because I don't know what this means. You will have to decide.

Shelly -- [adjective]: Banshee-like 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Aaarrgh!!!! Part 2

Who said it could get hot again? I love fall weather, especially the last couple weeks when it has been warm enough for shorts and tee shirts during the day but cool enough at night to snuggle under the down comforter and let the attic fan suck in the almost chilly air. I did not approve a heat increase! Not that anyone asked me. I really thought summer was over until Shan came home from picking up Papa John's Customer Appreciation $5.99 pizza and said the bank temp read 95 degrees. AT SIX O'CLOCK!!! I need a cool front.

Friendships fleeting

I've learned that sometimes we get defensive about our lives and choices to the point that we either want to convert everyone to our way of thinking and doing or we criticize anyone whose point of view doesn't meet with ours. In Junior High this meant making fun of those kids who were slightly different or even majorly different. This may go on through, later we add ostracism and gossipy criticism. I pray that I can impart a sense of tolerance to my girls. May they accept those around them for who they are, and respect the choices they make. I want them to understand that what is right for them may not be right for others and what is right for others may not be right for them. Different can just be different, not better or worse.

Please don't misuderstand. There are biblical imperatives that are salvation issues. But so much of life isn't that cut and dried, black and white.

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Thomas Jefferson

Another Contest

Have you checked out Bluebird Blogs? She does amazing work. I would love to have a new design for the blog. Right now she is running a contest, it's my day for contests apparently, since I entered Karianna in the Mom Trap contest. Keep her in your prayers, not neccessarily that she'll win, though that would be great, but that she will be upheld through their family's trials right now.

I Nominate Karianna

Over at The Mom Trap she is running a contest to reward a mom who deserves it with a spafinder or merry maids gift card. The nominating blogger also gets one. I've been reading The Karianna Spectrum for a few weeks now and if anyone deserves a spa day or maid service it is her. She is in the throes of parenting a special needs son and is trying determinedly and admirably to stay cool while getting the bureacratic run around from local school and proffessionals in the evaluation process. My heart aches for the pain these trials are putting on her and her family. When she writes that Cat just wants to go to a new school and make new friends, I want to cry because she is caught trying to meet his needs and wants and at the same time do what is best for her son's education. My prayers go out to her and her family. I don't know Karianna, they live half a country away from me, but I want to go there and do something. Clean her house for her, take care of Sliggle so she can take Cat to an appointment, spend a day teaching Cat so he is educationally engaged while waiting to get back into school. Stay with both boys so Kari and Husband can go out. I know I can't do those things, it is an impractical pipe dream. I'm in Kansas, not California. I get angry for her when I read about the run-around the schools are giving her when I was a teacher and wouldn't have dreamed of doing that to a parent, and my sister is a special ed teacher and talks of such a different mentality in her district. We have relatives who moved to Lawrence for is very successful autism program. Like I said, after reading about the trials in her home this month, I think if anyone deserves a treat, it's Kari.

To Do or Not to Do

I've been debating this a lot in my mind recently. I can see both sides of the issue and my husband and I have for now chosen a path. This article pushed me to respond here where I get to say what I think. Homeschooling is a very personal choice. Each family, Christian or not, has to come to their own decision about this very important issue. I resent articles like this that threaten horrible consequences to anyone who doesn't do as the writers feel is best. At this point we have decided not to homeschool. Je is in a Christian preschool, but next year will probably attend a public kindergarten. The only reason that might change is that in our district kindergarten is all day and few opt out of that. Je still naps most days. She has been really tired from just the half day of preschool three afternoons a week and missing her nap those days. We will have to see how things go as the school year progresses.

Back to the topic. I truly, heartily, and vocally support the idea that parents are the first and best teachers our children will ever have. I also believe that parents are the best able to make choices and decisions regarding their children. I rail against entities that seek to replace parents as influences for our kids. In that way, I sometimes get frustrated with public schools. This comes from my experience attending public schools and from teaching in them as well as being married to a teacher in public schools.

Every family has to decide what works for them, every year. I know myself well enough to know that I lack some crucial things to homeschool successfully, discipline, organization, and desire to do it. Maybe that last one is the most important. I just don't want to do it. It doesn't appeal to me to be solely responsible for my kids education. I am not patient enough, I worry that I wouldn't be broad enough, I wouldn't be innovative enough. In public schools I subscribe to the beg borrow and steal method of teaching. I have my eyes out scooping up ideas from everywhere for lessons. I have resources established. At home I would have to cultivate those resources, I know myself well enough to admit that procrastination, disorganization, and inertia would probably win out in my teaching, and the girls would suffer for my lack. When I taught at school, I had official oversight, regular checkups with other teachers, and parents asking for info. At home, I could avoid, fast talk and finesse my way through and the girls would suffer.

I respect everyone's right to choose what God has for their family. We feel called to the public school at this point. Christians cannot abandon society without leaving a vacuum of influence to be filled by those we would rather kept quiet. Some Christians have tried that. Our own church tried to abstain from politics in the mid-twentieth century urging us not to vote unless the candidate was a Christian and backed the Christian amendment to the constitution. That stand didn't lead to a better outcome. Now we are urged to take part in the process, not hold ourselves apart. If we take all the Christians out of schools we are left with no one to object to the objectionable. We may not be able to halt the liberal agenda but maybe we can temper it, show those not convinced that there are alternatives. I also feel strongly about my role to prepare my kids for life after school. They will have to at some point live in the world. I don't want them to confront things unprepared, and if I allow them contact with the world while I am there to provide perspective and education about them, then I feel that is MY job. So I guess I will be homeschooling in a way. We all do. I just think for our family the reading and writing is best covered by the teachers at the school not the ones at home. I invite anyone who has an opinion to post it. We all get to find God's will for our lives and must live as we are called.

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

That is the title to an Alan Jackson song that memoralizes the tragedy of September 11. It asks where we were and give several possiblilities.


Where Were You
(Alan Jackson)

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day



Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children


That is where I was. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Je, our first, I was still teaching then. I had to use the bathroom between every class and I think it was after second hour that I waddled to the teacher's restroom in the office, and they had the TV on. The news was reporting that planes had struck the two towers. I stopped and watched for a couple minutes, until the bell rang, and I rushed back to class. I was stunned but I had to deal with 7th graders. I didn't know how to talk to them about it, I didn't know enough myself. I went on with the lesson for the next couple classes. During my plan/lunch I had the TV on in my room tuned to the news just trying to absorb everything. I became a news junkie that month. My sixth hour came in and by then, they knew some of what happened. They wanted to talk about it and so we ditched the lesson plan to talk about it. As I look back that is the most significant thing I did during that week. I let my students ask questions and work through their feelings a little. Nouns and verbs come in second after that.

I remember having the news on all the time then. I saved the Newspapers from that week. They delivered special extra editions to school each day that week. They are in the cedar chest for Je when she is old enough to understand what happened in the weeks before she was born.

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

Smarties

At Bible Study this week they gave us Smarties because we are all getting smarter. Now I am sitting here eating them and thinking about my baby getting smarter. Yes, this week my first baby went off to preschool for the first time. Last week we went to a practice day to get ready, but I stayed with her most of the time. Tuesday I dropped her off and left her there, rushing home to throw the other one in bed to get a nap before we went back to pick up Je. Je loved it. Each day she bounces into class with hardly a goodbye. When I get back to pick her up she rushes up to give me a hug and bounce to the car. She related about her day a little bit but most of it is still a mystery. She has learned about recess and snack and likes them well enough to rave about them and the curly haired girl, the birthday girls, and the little girl who cries when her mama drops her off. Next week we begin carpool so I hope our carpool buddy doesn't do that. Shan comes home each afternoon and asks her about school and gets a pat answer of "fine" or "good". Paybacks!!!! I get those kind of answers from him sometimes. I told him that you have to pick your moments, and when she is watching Bugs Life is probably not a good moment. Paybacks.

Things of Great Joy

The computer is back up and running. With a new CD/DVD/CD-R drive, new hard drive, and a new memory it is almost as good as new. And with the warning recieved before the crash I was able to back up everything so within an hour of the repairman's departure, you wouldn't know that things were different...files saved, settings restored, bookmarks and webpage preferences remembered....I love technology when it works.

Yesterday was the first day of Bible Study. This semester I am studying a new Beth Moore video study on the book of Daniel. I WAS BLOWN AWAY. It is going to be fabulous, and I thought that about the other ones too. I was so stimulated by the intro material, I am looking forward to the homework. For example, she showed us in scripture how Daniel, something that took place 2 1/2 millenia ago is relevant to us today. The tower of Babel was built in Shinar. Abram was called out of Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the Promised Land. Both of these were covered in the Patriarch's study I did last fall. The plain of Shinar was were the nations decided to build a tower to the sky so that their name would never be lost from the earth, and they would not be scattered. That was in direct contridiction to what God wanted and wants. His name is to be glorified and He wants us to be fruitful and fill the earth. Chaldea is another name for Babylon. Shinar is in Babylon. This is not a coincidence. The Babylonians captured the Israelites and brought them back to the place where they had started. This represents the spiritual battle we all face in that the enemy wants to bring us back to our beginnings, our sinful selves, and invalidate any spiritual growth and progress we have made with the LORD. Daniel and his friends were some of many who were confronted with this challenge and the four of them fought against the enemy. May God use the ancient story to teach me a fresh word today. It has begun already.

Potty Training at Three

I have learned that no matter how successfully your toddler masters potty training accidents still happen for YEARS. I have written of this jouney to dry pants in earlier entries pitfalls and success and relapse. Let's hope we are nearing the end of potty humor. Jo sometimes gets too busy to go to the bathroom. Usually this happens when watching a movie. My new policy if that happens, is to then deny TV access for the rest of the day. If sister gets to watch a video then she does it by herself and Jo has to stay downstairs. This happened yesterday, and Jo took it pretty well. She seems to get the link between behavior and consequences. This evening, she was outside playing with Je and when they came inside she her shorts looked funny. I asked her if she was dry. Her answer was slow in coming, Je answered yes for her. Daddy thought she was damp but she came to me for a second opinion. I thought it was normal sweaty girl from the heat and HUMIDITY that we are enduring prior to a big round of storms expected tonight and tomorrow. She confided that she was dry, "I jus went in the grass!" she said with the offended air that only a new three year old can have. Ah wounded dignity! At least she was dry. Her father tried to blame this on me, but I told him we both taught her this when we stop on the side of the road. I do use a portable potty seat at least

I am in my right mind. I'll prove it!!!!

I am proudly left handed. I know that makes me quirky. I love it except the world is designed for right handed people. I am really sad that neither of my children seems to be lefties. When I was 15 my dad gave me a button for my jean jacket (that was very cool then) and it said
"If the right side of the brain controls the left side of the
body, then only left handed people are in their right minds"

I still have this button in my treasure box on my dresser.

I miss my dad.

You Are 35% Left Brained, 65% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Okay! I give up!!!!

I have been trying for nearly a week to get my computer to play nice. It won't. It is on its way into a wall or something. I think it has a virus that none of the expensive virus protection can find. So now I am stuck with this thing that doesn't work right. Right now the screen display resembles something that might have been on the computer of my elementary classroom when I was in 4th grade playing Oregon Trail!!!!! The graphics and stuff are way way weird. A friend had her baby (Congrats Lisa) and I looked at the pictures she sent via a weblink and it looks like a grainy bad newspaper photo or a digital camera print with 1 megapixel. I am sure the little guy is adorable but I won't be able to tell until I see him at church. Shan better do computer repair soon or I will pull my hair out.

To top it all off I have been having a week. I cry at the drop of a hat, I am completely unmotivated to do anything productive, my house is a wreck and my in-laws come this afternoon. Laundry is done but the clothes are in piles in the laundry room needing folded, iron, hung up, put away, etc. I am just blue. I guess my summer has caught up with me and like I said the other day BEFORE I just want it to end. Summer that is. Not life or anything. I can't wait to return to bible study, and routine. I hate limbo land and that is what August is for us teacher wives. School has started for the kids but not preschool or other school year activities that wait till after Labor Day.

I just want to get through these blahs and get on to the good stuff.

Although, I just got a link to show up and work in my blog so maybe things are looking up!!!

Summer is Over. Finally!!!!!!!

Now for a teacher that may seem like a strange sentiment especially barely halfway through August when the calendar indicates about 5 weeks till the autumnal equinox and it summer-like weather is likely to last at least till Labor Day, the unofficial official end of summer, but School has started. I think it is ridiculous that school starts in the middle of August but no one listens to me. The students returned to the classroom today so that is for me, the official end of summer. I am not even in the classroom currently, and that is what it means to me. Today wasn't noticably different for me and the girls but Daddy is a teacher so it is different for him. Fortunately, the heat wave has broken and I can stand to go outside and breath at the same time. I even opened up the house and turned on the attic fan. Love the attic fan. The house gets really cold, and Shan wears his flannel jammie pants. I love it. Snuggling under the covers and being cool.

I am relieved to have summer ending. This has been not so much my favorite year. Bible School and Church camp have been bright spots in the otherwise painful stretches. With deaths in the family and other difficulties with that and other things, I am ready for a fresh start. No I love winter so to me that is the fresh time. Fall is also acceptable, summer, my least favorite season weather wise.

BlaaaaaaaH!!!!

I know everyone has heard that the nation is suffering through an extreme heat wave. That means it is HOT!!!!!!! Most people talk about the winter blahs, its cold, its yucky, and when is it going to be over. I on the other hand love winter. I love snow and mush, cold weather, fires in the fireplace, hot cocoa, winter coats (although unless it is really cold, like 3degrees, my coat usually just rides around in the car with me), sweaters, turtlenecks and jeans, et al. So this heat wave is especially blah hy for me. I wish I could report some good from the heat, you know sweating five pounds off or something. I am so unmotivated to do anything productive, I haven't blogged in a week, I have cleaned my house, the public rooms only and I did browbeat my children into cleaning their rooms so they could watch TV. I have done only enough laundry to keep us in clean clothes, rather a neccessity when you sweat so much that you have to change clothes and shower two or three times a day. I don't cook because my husbands only request when it comes to dinner is, "Nothing that involves heat," meaning no grilling, baking, frying, or microwaving. My air conditioner has been hard pressed to keep up with the heat. The air conditioner is over 20 years old. I just want it to hold out for a few more years, Pleeeeeeeaaaase. I realized yesterday that Jo 3rd birthday is two weeks away and I have done very little to plan for it. I have presents that I have bought all year long so that isn't the problem, its a gathering kind of issue. Party or no party what to serve at dinner.

I think I haven't been this hot since I was pregnant. It is just tooooooo HOT. Have I mentioned that it was hot?

Back to the Grindstone

We have returned from the mountaintop and are beginning to melt. At the base of Long's Peak and Twin Sisters sits a church camp. We spent 6 wonderful days in the cool comfort of Colorado, escaping 100 degree temperatures in Kansas. We attended seminars each day on worship and discussion about them. Each afternoon we had free to play. Outside our lodge, the children gathered on the playground. Our girls loved it. Especially Je with her new-found skill in leg pumping.

Daddy loved the outdoor adventure sports at camp. He flew down the zip line a couple times and just raved about the rock climbing wall.
I was prodded into trying the zip line.



The zip line runs 1000 feet long and at some points is 100 feet above the ground. This picture was taken as I passed the lowest point so Shan and the girls could get a good look at me. I was terrified, but I knew he was taking a picture so I smiled. We had a great time and the fellowship and worship times were refreshing. We went to church camp a lot growing up and so it was fun to take our kids. Many of the kids they played with at camp were children of kids I knew at camp as a kid and teenager. Some were even grandchildren of people my mother went to camp with as a child and teenager. I love the continuity of it. Sometimes the smallness and interrelatedness of our denomination can be a problem but usually I love it. The week at camp was one of those times.

Can you tell we got a new camera to take on vacation?

Phone Calls

It was another dreaded phone call. Mom called to cancel plans; she was going to sit with her aunt, whose grandson had been killed that morning in a motorcycle accident. He had just graduated college and was preparing for a year-long mission trip to Brazil. I've been sifting through my memories of family gatherings and other times when I saw him. His parents once stayed with my sisters and I while our parents were out of town for the weekend. I remember I was in grade school and it was the school carnival we didn't want to miss. They took us and then we went to have supper at Wendy's. We got some strange looks because it was just two parents and 5 children and one on the way. It looked like we were a huge family. I am not sure how to feel about this. Our family is a close one but second cousins, and especially ones that are 10 years younger are not particularly intimate relationships. But I am saddened for his parents and brothers. His grandparents and other loved ones.

On the completely opposite end of the emotional spectrum, while eating supper with my sister and family, my brother-in-law received a call from his brother. He is engaged, and the wedding is in December. This is another young man, almost done with college planning a career in the Navy. In the five years my sister has been married I have really come to love her in-laws. So I celebrate with them at this news.

Such a wide range of things. My mind raced as I tried to sleep. That couple with a bad backache kept me awake. I'm going to have a rough go today. I really dread these kind of things. I am horrible at knowing what to do and then I feel like my inaction is worse, but I don't want to offend. Lord, give me wisdom.

I've learned a lot about waiting on God and contentment since this picture was taken. This week the thermometer has pegged at 101 degrees for the first time since Aug. 26, 2003. For almost three years this picture has been on my fridge so I have not had any trouble remembering what I was doing that week. This was a picture of the first time I got to hold my new daughter; she was 4 days old and just 3 lbs and 8 oz. She was delivered by emergency c-section at 12:22 am and I saw her briefly before they whisked her to the NICU. After a couple hours in recovery they wheeled me back to my room by way of the NICU and I saw her again for a few moments, but I was very groggy. I developed a fever and wasn't able to go in the NICU. I didn't even get out of bed for three days, the nurses came in several times each night to wake me up and roll me over so I could get moving enough to get out of bed more quickly. I remember lying in the hospital bed feeling the waves of heat come through the window. The air conditioning wasn't up to the job of keeping the building cool when the temp outside had been over 100 for four straight days. That whole time has been on my mind a lot as the news has reported on the heat and as people have been so generous in support since my grandmother. I remember the volunteers who drove me to the hospital after I was released so I could visit Jo and meals brought in since I was supposed to be resting. Shan had started a new job the same week I had Jo and couldn't get time off. The first few days of school are hard to be gone. He took one day off, the day she was born but mostly I was on my own. My mother had Je and then she had a trip planned that she needed to do. No one expected the baby six weeks early. God truly is good.

A Hard Week's Play

I 've learned that if you keep a child so busy playing they will sleep well.



We've had a busy week of playing. First we had a playday at the park for our babysitting co-op. Je is trying so hard to make it across the monkey bars.



Je finally mastered the art of swinging on her own. I have tried for about a year to teach her how to pump her legs to keep herself going but she didn't get. Then this week a lightbulb moment and off she goes. We've had a hard time keeping her off the swings since.



Then Grandma and Pacca came to visit and we went to the zoo and rode the mini train. Jo was so anxious about the tunnel that she hid her eyes and plugged her ears for the first half of the ride. She hates loud noises. After we emerged, she smiled tearfully but wouldn't unplug her ears. She was afraid someone on the train would scream.

Principle Vs Preference

http://happyhomefront.clubmom.com/happy_homefront/2006/07/that_would_make.html

I had to link to Jill's blog because I could soooo identify with her thought. We all have a dream church, or congregation or pastor. Heck, it probably extends to most of life, houses, cars, jobs, families, towns in-laws, the grass is always greener. I am firmly convicted that God puts us in the situations HE has for us and we should concentrate on glorifying Him rather than worrying about our comfort and convience. As to the church thing, I came to the conclusion a long time ago that there are salvation issues and things that are not. In matters of principle, stand like a rock, (salvation by grace) and in matters of taste, be willing to accept others ideas as their preferance and agree to disagree, (exclusive psalmody, a cappella singing). The church I have belonged to all my life has these as important parts of worship. I choose to stay in the church because I agree with the theology of the church and its Reformed premise. I also love singing the Psalms and doing so without musical instruments. Those are a matter of preference for me. I can attend other churches and sing the hymns to the accompaniment of an organ, a piano, or a rock band and it is still honoring to God as long as He is the focus of my worship not the minutia.

Seriously!

I know I have blogged about our favorite restaurant in a previous post.



But the episode today was too good not to pass on. We were seated and the waiter arrived with two diet cokes. He just brought them. Since we had extras in our party today, my sister and her husband are still visiting after the funeral, they go back Sunday, he had to take their drink order but he brought mine and my mother's before taking our order.I think they know us there. Huh. Viva!!!!!!

Sad News

This morning at 5:20 am my grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep. She was 83 years old and had suffered a recurrance of the cancer she had been fighting for almost 13 years. Please remember my mother especially at this time and our family in your prayers.

The Hardest Thing

I've learned that the hardest thing to do is to accept help. Most of us are so willing to give help but recently it was brought home to me that we don't like to allow others to help us. My grandmother has been living with my mom and is facing her last days on earth. She is a godly woman and after a long battle with cancer is ready to go home to God. As her illness has progressed my mother has needed to do more for her. This week Grandma has hardly been out of bed and my mom doesn't want to leave her alone in the house if she can help it. I have gone down several times so my mom can keep the rest of her life going and run errands etc. Several of our church family have offered to help sit with Grandma or do things for Mom and I know Mom appreciates that. She has had a really hard time accepting help. I told her that she has done so much for people over the years that they are just waiting for the opportunity to return the favor. My mom often takes meals, or helps with projects etc for people in the church. For her love is service. I know part of her reluctance is she doesn't want Grandma to worry about or be upset with the need for someone to be there and the reminder that a sitter would be. The whole situation has made me sure that we as Christians not only need to help our brothers but we need to allow our brothers to help us when we have a need. How often do we say "Thanks, I'm okay," when we could use a hand? In doing so do we deprive our brother of a ministry opportunity. I have wanted to do more for my mom this week and I have been treading lightly so as not to push. She doesn't want to impose but what is family for. I continue to volunteer and when she does ask I gladly agree to do. I am taking a lesson away from this, Help and be willing to be helped. It goes with our Romans 12 lesson. Give your brother an opportunity to use his or her gift in service to the body, even you.

Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:3-9 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.what is good.

This was part of the Sabbath School lesson last week and even before that I have been giving a lot of thought to gifts and roles in the body. I have heard people say that life doesn't come with an instruction book and that babies don't come with owners manuals but I would bet the people who believe that don't read the Bible. I have yet to come across a problem that I couldn't find a solution in the Bible, even if the solution means calling my mother and asking her. Honor your mother...

My recent experience with directing Bible School with Betsy and meshing our individual talents to put on a (in my humble opinion) successful week makes me even more sure that my role as a Christian is to use what gifts God has given me to glorify Him. I also believe that means helping those around me use their gifts, to form a body that compliments each other with service not competes with each other. We shouldn't bemoan the gifts some one has that we don't but find ways to take advantage of their strengths, and use our strengths to add another dimension. I felt truly blessed in our team at Bible School. Each person chose areas of interest and areas that filled our needs. We could truly hand off the assignment and not worry about their implementation because it was done and done well. Praise God.

I Married a Science Teacher

The other night my husband sat in front of the computer for what seemed like hours taking some of those online quizzes that people can post in blogs from blogthings. Some of them were stupid, for instance the redneck I am married to only registered 35 percent redneck. The questions were pretty bad. To get redneck status you would have to have inbreeding and a car in your front yard. I know a lot of rednecks who have neither. I registered only 13 percent and while I am not really redneck, by virtue of being married to one I thought I would rate higher than that. As I took the below quiz I was hoping not to embarrass myself. I was never very interested in science but as a college graduate it would be humiliating to fail 8th grade science. My science teacher husband not withstanding.

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 7/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

So this Fits

After I did this I had Shan go through the questions. It was so right on it was scary. He actually thinks the cookies are making fun of him and that he has to eat them to teach them a lesson. I posted his Seasame Street identity, mine will have to wait.

table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="350" align="center" border="0">You Are Cookie MonsterMisunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.
You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around.
You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking
How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Fiesta Finale Finito

It's done, It's done, It's done. The kids are all gone, the crafts made the stories told, the tacos eaten and the decorations put away. The church is clean and back in orginal condition. The thank you notes are written and distributed, the extra workbooks are returned to the bookstore and my feet hurt. Give me a month and I can maybe start thinking about next year. It was such a successful week, we had 7 more kids than last year and we averaged 3 more per night. I am sure we blew the budget but no one seems to care that we did and the kids had a great time. Several parents came up to thank me for the week and I am basking in the glow of personal satisfaction. God is great and He blessed our week. So many things fell together and I have to believe that He directed it. Thank You Father.

The Flip Flop Favorites

My girls wanted flip flops ever since last year when they noticed their friends had them. So this year I looked at my local cheap store, NBC, and found Je a pair of flip flops. I didn't think Jo could handle them yet since she is only two. It took me about 10 minutes of them fighting over the flip flops to change my mind and schedule a return trip to the store to find Jo some. Jo has a real serious shoe thing. If you take off your shoes, beware. Jo will remove her shoes so she can try yours. I can't tell you how many times I have had to spend big chunks of time searching for my niece's shoes when she visits because Jo borrowed them and left them somewhere randomly in our house.


So we got the flip flops and the girls love them. They wear them everyday. They wear them to bed. I put my foot down though and they have to wear real shoes to church. Je quickly learned how to wear shoes without ties or straps. She does great. Jo on the other hand took a little longer. For starters, she has the littlest feet. I have yet to see a flip flop in a size 5 or 6 so she has some labeled extra small. I think they are from Children's place. Flip flops small enough to fit Jo are not really flip flops because they seem to all have elastic around the heel. The girls don't want that. So Jo's are a little big, but she has finally figured out how to keep them on and which toe they go between. Now if she can just get them on the right feet we'll be set. She cracks me up. I usually make Jo wear regular sandals when we go places because the flip flops are still big, so as soon as we get home she takes off her regular shoes and puts on her flip flops. They both put them on first thing in the morning. It's hysterical. I have passed the shoe thing on to my kids. I think Shan is ready to collapse from the thought of two teenagers and their mother with closets full of shoes. At least he has a few years before that happens. Maybe.

Sleep--Who Needs it.

Okay, I have given up on trying to sleep tonight, at least for a while. It is 2:40 am as I start this post. The last several nights I have had trouble going to sleep because I can't seem to turn my mind off. With Bible School looming I keep thinking of things to do or worry about. Sometime Saturday morning before reaching full consciousness, I had a brainstorm about the decorating. I got up before 7 and typed up room by room lists of the things we needed to do in each room. I used Hot Tamale font for the lists, and then posted them on the doors of each area so that when my helpers arrived I could point them at a list. Several people commented that my lists were helpful. I was really impressed with my snack coordinator. She and her daughter took the list for their area and went to town. I had a few decorations that were up for grabs and they took some and left a lovely environment for our snack time. We are doing it a bit different this year--we are making the suggested snacks that match the lessons and we are having the kids do it. It will be great. I keep telling myself that anyway. We did tape down three large drop cloths on the floor of the family life center, or as I call it, the gym. The whole church looked very festive today and fiesta like. Tomorrow, or rather today, I have people coming to finish the sanctuary. I am using a whopping third of my babysitting tickets today to give myself a kid free chance to finish all those little details. I have this nagging feeling that I am forgetting something huge.

So after Saturday's decorating marathon I was beat. My legs ached which is a sure sign that I am exhausted. I could be off my feet most of the day but really busy and get tired and my legs would still ache. I took a couple tylenol pm's to help me get to sleep Sat. Night and was sleeping great when my mother called at 7:26 to borrow sugar for banana bread she was making for my grandma's breakfast. Speaking of grandma, she is not so great, she doesn't leave the house much and has used the oxygen the home health people brought almost all day this last week. The cancer is affecting her lungs even more now. Pray for my mom as she takes care of her.

So now it is almost three am Monday morning and I am not sleepy, tired yes. I couldn't even get to sleep this afternoon when I tried to take a nap. I can't even blame it on the snoring husband because he wasn't.

Eventually, I will crash, probably sometime around five thirty p.m. when I am supposed to be getting our crew leaders ready to greet the kids.

Oh well sleep is overrated.

A Pit Stop in the Summer

So I've neglected to blog. Let me describe to you an average day in the last month. We get up before seven and try to clean a little house, do a little laundry make a few phone calls all while the monkeys, as their father calls them, interrupt. "Mama is sesame Street on now?" Yes please go watch. The phone rings, Can you watch my kids today? Sure drop 'em off. Mama are we going somewhere today? I think we'll stay home. But Mama!!!!! Kids come, They See, They Destroy, They move on. I go back to cleaning and phoning, and laundry. You should see the ironing stash. Now a usual day in our house is pretty busy. I run after the kids, and the errands, and house chores all day usually stopping for a break around two to eat lunch, before hitting the ground running again. With Bible School and all the other activities this YEAR has been busy and I don't see an end in sight. For example:

We spent Memorial day with Shannon's family at a reunion. Now Kansas in May is supposed to warm up but it is extremely rare to have temperatures in the 100 degree range. Not this year. On the bright side the Yucca plants were beautiful.

Bible School is coming up and after one of our meetings when I kept sharing ideas I'd garnished along life my co-director said, "You're all Bible School all the time." I see ideas everywhere. Since it is a Fiesta themed event, we have great shots of the Western Kansas Desert...
Stuckey's on I-70 past Oakley sells Mexican blankets cheap, I am on the lookout for big boxes to use as adobe buildings, and on and on...Today I was driving out of Wally World parking lot and towards the mall for Bath and Body sale and had to turn around because there were some great clean huge boxes to use in the trash dumpster. I could only get two in the car and my kids weren't even happy with that.

For my middle sister's birthday today my youngest sister flew in to surprise us all. She was supposed to be there on Sat for our birthday breakfast but she got delayed on the plane and didn't make it till Sat. Afternoon. It has been great catching up with here and her husband. He hadn't been back to visit since Christmas. Which sounds like a recent event except in our family where we get together often.

Four weekends in a row we had big family get togethers with aunts and uncles etc. My local brother in law thought that was an item of note but my sister and I told him that that is pretty normal for our family we just got out of the habit the last several years. My husband remembers those days pretty well since we did it a lot through our courtship. My sister has only been married five years and in those years we've had a combined total of five kids so we had a lot going on.

My older child has had a ear infection and now she has a bad cough all in a months time so we are a little stressed and I had to lead Sabbath School last week and and and

So to summarize, I've been a little busy and I didn't get to the blog. It will only get busier this summer. That was just my schedule...Shan has his own list and so do the kids. AAAAAAAA Calgon take me away.

Now they've gone too far

I work about 5 hours a week as the Menninger Bible Coordinator for the YWCA. Mrs. Menninger wrote a four year through the Bible course over one hundred years ago and at her death the family bequeathed all of her materials to our local YWCA since she had held classes there for many years. So I am in charge of distributing those materials to groups and individuals interested in going through the course. I keep the records and handle the finances. Today I was in my office there and I caught up on my email. This message appeared in my in box

As we move towards fully living out our mission I hope we will be mindful of the exclusivity of messages about a particular God, Jesus, Christianity, praying, congregations, Sunday worship....etc. in our workplace. Understanding that many of our staff, members, and co-workers around the world, have different values and beliefs, and working hard to be an inclusive organization means it is not appropriate to discuss/articulate our own personal religious or spiritual beliefs in the workplace as it makes others feel uncomfortable, disrespect, or marginalized. Over the past 100 plus years we have become a global organization and our foremothers who started the Young Women's Christian Association, would recognize the legal and ethical reasons we now separate "church and state/workplace". --LH

It had been sent in response to the following email

YWCASubject: RE:
I worked for a small local congregation where we modified the song slightlyÂ…

Red and Yellow, Brown, Black and White Â….

It fits the melody very nicely. There was a sizeable Mexican & Mexican-American representation. The little guys in my Sunday school class thought it was a pretty cool revision. It made me think having grown up singing the original version.

We can so easily make someone feel overlooked even with the best intensions in mind. I am thankful for grace (capacity to accommodate and/or forgive people). I know I need to both give and receive it daily.

Thanks,

T

I have long endured subtle religious bias from this liberal organization. Frequently, they send emails out and have programs encouraging us to contact political leaders on causes that I feel are in conflict with my values, for example, they wanted us all to contact state legislators to urge them not to enact legislation that would mandate abstinence education because they believe birth control and pro-choice are the way to go. I am left wondering what Mrs. Menninger would say today of this organization. We are bound to this group because of how the bequest was made. I write the checks but they have to sign them and have oversight of us. The email senoriginallyly didn't seem all that religious in nature. Have we proceeded so far that to even mention that we are affiliated with a church or are a Christian is offensive. I bet not. The response email was written by the woman who runs the batterewoman'sns program at the YWCA. Her father is the district attorney and she was appointed to sit on the city council for a while to fill vacancycy but she was not elected to the seat when she ran for it later. She lost mainly because she endorsed a proposal to make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation illegal. This would have applied to all jobs, housing attitudes etc. I think it was mostly a reaction to the Phelps family and the public was overwhelmingly against it. I am not sure how to respond to these emails, or even if there is a response. I want to be salt but I also don't want to offend. I fall back on the verse in Romans that says we are more than conquerors. At timelikeke these when it seems that the anti-Christian movement is gaining ground, I can take comfort from the knowledge that we rest on the side of victory. We may lose an earthly battle but the Lord has won the eternal war.

Everything I Needed to Know I learned From Sports

I read Agapepress.org 's daily email news. It is from the American Family Association in Mississippi and relates the news that is sometimes quickly passed over by the networks because it has religious significance. One of their columnists writes about sports. Not sports news just character lessons from sports. I think his regular job is at a paper in Mississippi on the sports section. As I read the column http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/5/192006bl.asp I was reminded that good sportsmanship is good living all the way around. Communication, attitude, teamwork, selflessness, endurance, perserverance, giving it your all are all Godly ways to live. The apostle Paul likens the Christian walk to a race and that is apt but I think team sports are just as effective an analogy. We live on a planet where we have to live with people. It is human nature to want the glory for ourselves, it is a poor athlete who hogs the glory from his team. Not one person on the superbowl teams could have one the game by himself. Even the game winning player has several hundred people to credit...parents, teammates, competition, coaches, wives, siblings, etc. It's been said behind every good man is a good woman and I believe behind every good person is a host of good people. As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another and without people to challenge us in practice, or anyplace we cannot improve. The article talks about the disrespect that Barry Bonds shows for the game and his team by not even attempting to run out the pop up and I cheered. The Christian life is like that. If we choose not to fight against the evil in our world and the apathy in our hearts, churches and communities we are doing a great disservice to the Lord and to ourselves, families and congregations. Everytime I read Brad Locke's column I am struck by how right on the mark he is. Sports are fun and relaxing but we also can learn from them. Or we should apply our faith to our sports. Play with everything you've got to bring the glory to God.

The Phone Rang

Ever since my mother called me at 2 am to tell me my father had died of a sudden heart attack , I have an entirely reasonable trepidation when the phone rings at odd times. This doesn't just mean late at night or early in the morning although that is when I am freaked the most. Whenever my mother-in-law calls during the day it sends streaks of unease through my stomach. Usually it is unwarranted but the call we received a week ago justified the queasy feeling. Her sister had been rushed to the hospital and they had discovered that her cancer treatments hadn't prevented the growth of a tumor which was cutting off the supply of blood returning to the heart. She was taken off life support about 24 hours later and died 17 minutes after that.

I had been expecting it about Shan's grandfather, I don't know how many times we've been told that he is a short timer. Last summer when his thyroid had shut down and he had cancer they were beginning radiation for, the word was, he probably wouldn't make it to Thanksgiving. I am not sure if that was a pronouncement from the doctor or if the family is making guesses. Since he is still here I would bet it was the latter.

Don't we all dread that phone call? Come to think of it, most calls after 10-10:30 and before 7 am are usually bad news. In college it meant that my alcoholic roommate was drunk and needed a ride. Of course that was after she temporarily lost her driver's license for driving drunk. She still drove to the bars but she called me for a ride home. Since I don't drink and my boyfriend lived 3 hours away she figured I'd be home and sober. I was, usually in bed so I could get up for church.

More recently we get early calls from people who read the newspaper early and want to buy whichever item we've got listed. Since our paper will let you place a free ad for items less than $75 it is better than a garage sale. I am usually sleeping at 6 am but people forget the niceties when there is a deal on something. Right now I need to list the old microwave, ( finally the new one is here and installed), a headboard from my grandmother's house, and a patio set since I got a new one for Mother's day. Better get ready for the early phone calls.

Bear is Back

Yesterday at naptime we couldn't find Je's bear. I looked high and low and it was nowhere to be found. I didn't want to delay nap to keep searching the girls rooms so I gave her a doll and told her to try to sleep. When Shan got home he said he hadn't found it last night when he'd looked either. I started to panic. Seriously. I couldn't imagine where he was and I kept picturing the "lovey fight" in the backseat of the car with open windows and bear sailing out of the car on 21st Street and me not noticing. It had been over 24 hours since that happened and I figured that if we lost bear then it might not be found. I really couldn't believe that Bear could have gone out the window and Je or Jo wouldn't have screamed but I had just yelled at them to stop that because I was afraid it might happen. We got home from Mom and Brother-in-Law's birthday dinner and I resumed my search for Bear. I had a knot in my stomach just like when my engagement ring slipped off my finger on a frigid day when my hands shrunk last winter. I picked up the sleeping bag in Je room for the third time and shook it hard. Out dropped Bear. All is well with our world. Je and I did a happy dance. Losing Bear would have been worse than the ring. The ring was covered by insurance and was replaced. (The new one is better than the old one, even Shan thinks so because the old one was a marquis cut that had a pointy end which scratched him). I asked Je what we should do now and she thought we should tell God thank you since He helped us find Bear. We did and she went to sleep really fast. I did too, over and over again b/c I could then sleep better.

BTW if you get a chance check out Evolution of Dance at You Tube. It cracked me up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIeIWkK0t4s

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

My microwave is getting old. It is very weak, 625 Watts so it cooks slow and it is black when the rest of the appliances are white. I keep waiting for it to stop working. We bought it used when we moved into this house because the kitchen is spacious but no really good spot on the counter for a microwave. We found a microhood in the paper for $75 because some older gentleman's second wife didn't like the all newish appliances that the first wife had picked out before her death. So with our Christmas money we (finally!!!!) went out and bought a new one. Shan spent the morning installing it after removing the old one. (Not as easy as it sounded, apparently). I put the girls leftover mexican rice in the microwave, pushed the 1 minute button to heat it up and watched as the rice rotated in the new oven. (This is a novelty, the old one didn't rotate.) I opened up the door after the beep and touched the rice. It seemed warmer but not warm enough so I pushed the button for another minute. After that it didn't seem any warmer. We tried some other settings but the rice remained room temperature. ARGHHHHHHHHHH! I called the handy dandy 800 number to get product assistance. After pushing several buttons to get to a live body the guy tells me that he can't diagnois the problem over the phone but he could call an appliance repairman and have them call me to set up a repair, but don't worry it will definitely be covered by the warranty. DARN TOOTIN IT'LL BE COVERED!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S BRAND NEW!!!!!! I only thought that I was nice to the phone guy but seriously. I do not want to wait until Tuesday to have a repairman come to fix the microwave that should have worked in the first place. With much wheedling, rational arguments made and a phone call to a higher authority, (my mother) I convinced Shan that the microwave had to go back to the store and a new one secured in its place. To be fair, it was Shan's idea to call my mom, he thought that if she thought we should take it back rather than get it repaired then that was probably the right thing . He was just trying to avoid having to take it down and put another one up. He also HATES to return anything to any store. So when he gets back from lawn mowing he will take down the old one, I will go trade it and he will put it up. Lowes is open until 10 so I am willing to be patient as long and I know it is going to happen.

Norm!

It finally happened. We're regulars. The wait staff at our favorite Mexican restaurant can predict with great accuracy what we are going to order. I am not sure if this is a good thing or not. It has taken a while to get to this level of relationship with a restaurant. It is a commitment. The last time it ended sadly so we are proceeding cautiously. (You think I am joking here but seriously)

When I was in high school a new Mexican restaurant opened in the mall. It was a new location for a place we had frequented before we moved here, not really a chain since there were only like four locations total, 3 there and the one here. We were addicted to chips and salsa. We had to go at least once a week for at least that. Sometimes we had fajitas or quesadillas, more often we would get the super nachos with every thing on the side to construct it ourselves. My father was a really soft touch so we could usually talk him into Annie's Santa Fe. Everytime we had a day off of school we would get Mom to take us for lunch. Every weekend we would want to get salsa to eat at home. During college I would go get take out salsa and chips to take back to school with me and hoped it would last until my next weekend home. We even got quarts of the stuff and bags of chips to serve at our wedding dinner. We were having dinner at Annie's with my Mom when we told her we were expecting our first baby. Are you getting a picture of how much we liked this place? It was a huge deal when it closed. We now had to pick a restaurant to go to when we ate out. Before, if we were eating out no one even needed to ask, that is where we went.

In the years since it closed we have tried several other places to find good salsa and chips. Finally we settled on one. It is pretty good. There is another one with better salsa but it is farther away and the atmosphere is more bar than restaurant so we don't usually go there. The salsa isn't that much different. Having settled into a routine Mom and I go there for lunch with the girls. We order fajita's to share with extra rice, no beans and a side of rice for the girls. We drink diet coke and get water for the girls. Last night when we went there, Shan, Mom, the girls and GiGi the waiter knew what we wanted without our telling him. Shan had to tell him but he doesn't get to go very often since he has to work. We told him we wanted the fajitas and he wrote it down and said, "extra rice, no beans and four plates, and a side of rice?" I just wanted to laugh. It was a "Cheer's" moment.

Midnight

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

I think this probably fits. Thanks to Hillary for providing the link.

Unusual Habits, hmmm. Wonder what those could be I've always thought they were pretty normal. That might take several blogs to sort out.

Wild Blue Yonder

Yesterday we had a family get together with my aunt and cousins from Nebraska. One of them is a Navy fighter pilot. He flies an F-18 SuperHornet and instructs at Top Gun . He flew the SuperHornet and landed at Forbes for some flight quals and made it for the weekend. After lunch we went out to Forbes and watched him take off for his two hour flight back to Nevada where he and his family live. We laughed because he would make it home before his mother and sisters would because it is a four hour drive to Nebraska.
It was so cool to go out on the tarmac and walk right up to the plane. We stood twenty yards away as he revved up the engines and felt the hot exhaust blow over us as he turned to taxi down the run way to prepare to take off. He circled over us on his way west and wagged the wings in farewell. Way Cool.

Last summer we toured my brother-in-laws P-3 at the Jax Naval Air Station in Fl and that was pretty cool too, but we didn't get to see him fly it.

I didn't take a camera but my uncle did so hopefully we will get a lot of good pictures out of the day.

I was driving today and the girls were chatting in the back and Je noticed something out the window. She said, "That green and black jeep is like yours Mama." (It was a Jeep Wrangler not a Grand Cherokee but it was a jeep and it was green) It started me thinking about something my sister said to me a few weeks ago when I was holding my new nephew. She asked me if holding a brand new baby made me want another one. And it didn't. I want more children but I don't miss the infant stage. My girls cuddle and want to be comforted when things go wrong, but they are walking and talking. They tell me in words what is on their minds and while there are days that I want some peace and quiet for the most part I like to listen to their thoughts and I just enjoy spending time with them. I don't miss the months of sleepless nights, bottles, diapers and guessing at what is wrong with this small person. I definitely don't miss hauling that baby car seat everywhere. Now don't get me wrong, I love babies and if God overrode the vasectomy and we had another baby I would weep with joy. I would have two or three more if it weren't for the difficulties with my health during pregnancy. But I enjoy each new stage my kids go through and it wouldn't be a disappointment to adopt older children rather than infants. When my sister asked me if I was longing for an infant I felt good that I could say not really. The first year of my girls lives was the hardest so far. A friend once made some comment about the girls and I responded offhandedly that we were having fun with them. She replied with one of the nicest things I've ever been told, "You always look like you are enjoying your children" I have thought a lot about that and often have thanked God for her encouragement that day. We were at church camp when Jo was 11 months and Je was not quite three. I was stressed out with the logistics of waiting in line to eat, disrupted nap times, keeping the girls quiet in meetings and a long car ride to the camp etc. Mom's don't get vacations, we take our jobs with us. So that comment stands out as a great example of someone whose been there saying a word of encouragement to someone new to the role. But I honestly believe that if you don't enjoy your children that is a sad thing. They teach me something new all the time and though I am tired, busy, and occasionally wish for a stage to pass, I am never bored with my life. A woman I worked with said she could never be a stay-at-home mom because she would be bored inside a week. I am sure there are people like that out there but I don't know a single stay-at-home mom who actually stays at home all that much, nor are they bored. Children are too much fun. Each stage is something new and wonderful to experience with them and the littlest things are a big deal. My girls were jumping for joy just to go to this Mexican restaurant for lunch. You would have thought it was Christmas that's how excited they were to go out to lunch with Nana. The love rice. That is what makes my life interesting, seeing them grow and change.

Yes

That is the answer to the previous question. Je was out like a light before 7:20 this evening. Jo took a little longer, but I think by 8 I stopped hearing her up there. We had a big day and no naps so I am sure Je was exhausted. It was the first day of Eager Readers for this session. Our Parents As Teachers group holds a session of storytimes a few times a year. The girls love it. It is seriously the best one we've ever been to and we've gone to several. Each week has a theme and the stories and activities, crafts and snacks all fit the theme. The kids sing and play and make their own snack and really have a good time. Today we sang about cookies in the cookie jar, painted a picture of cookies in a jar, decorated a real cookie and a paper plate to look like a cookie with foam stickers. It lasts about an hour and is great. Our friend K and her mom were there for the first time and that was big fun. Then after a short rest we went to play at K's house and so I bet the girls were dragging. K's family is in our co-op and I left the girls with them and went to help my mom with a project for a few hours. Daddy picked them up and brought them home to work on their flower bed. I guess they pulled weeds and got it ready. Daddy found some poison ivy and quickly washed his hands and use a poison ivy wash to help but I hope the kids didn't find it. That would be bad. Why is the two year old crying, she's supposed to be sleeping. Off I go to restore order.

Will they ever sleep?

I don't get it. Each afternoon I go through the same ritual of naptime. I put each girl in her bed, check for lovies, and tuck the covers up. I kiss their foreheads and tell them night night. Usually, this meets with success. I can go back downstairs and sit with my lunch and book or puzzle and have 15 minutes of quiet to regroup. Somedays, this procedure doesn't lead to a nap however. For instance today, Jo has been out of bed three times to go potty and wash her hands. Each time she calls down the stairs and says "Mama, I have to go potty!" I can't believe that a small person can need to go that much. She has had two glasses of milk all day and that is it for beverages. I don't think I went to the bathroom that often when I was 9 months pregnant and a baby rested on my bladder. The last time I checked on her she wasn't in the bathroom or her room. On her last return from the potty she detoured to her sister's room to read books with Je. What!????? They were calmly lying there on the twin bed looking at the grasshopper book with the clickers that make noise. It is days like these that I am sure I don't want to take my blood pressure and that my head will explode. When I put Jo in bed and explained (again) the procedure outlining consequences for not staying in bed, (namely a moratorium on TV for the next day) she cried "I want Daddy!" Of course, Daddy won't make her take a nap. Not.

EBay

Now I like eBay. I buy and sell and their book site, Half.com is great. I discovered eBay when I was shopping for maternity clothes. I hated what was in the store and wanted plain cotton shirts and simple shorts and pants with pockets in cotton, denim etc. I wanted my pregnancy clothes to look like my regular clothes, not like some weirdo. That was five years ago. If I didn't remember that eBay helped me out this week with a card. I received possibly the stupidest piece of mail of my life. I got a happy anniversary card from eBay on my fifth anniversary as an eBay user. Give me a break. (I realize that phrase is passe but really what else works? I suppose I could parrot Grey's Anatomy and say Seriously?!) BTW I love Grey's Anatomy. At some point I probably will do an entry about my favorite TV shows and with West Wing coming down to the wire I will have to mourn but I digress.

An ANNIVERSARY card for eBay!!!! No special code for discounts on selling or buying, free shipping or anything just a glad your an eBayer kind of message. What a waste of money, my money collected for listings and purchases. I do not get it.

Oh Well

She's Gonna Shoot You

The last time my sister-in-law visited we took the kids to the place known to be great birth control, Chuckie Cheese. We left with this toy that will skip a foam disc across the room. Jo brought it down tonight and told her father "I'm gonna kill her. I'm the bad guy." Now before y'all get worried about the girls picture a two year old with wild blonde curly hair holding a toy that could never look like a weapon and saying that with a characteristic big cheerful grin. It is impossible to take someone seriously when they look like a pixie. She is so tiny and girl like.

I remember once after church one of my friends was torturing me, (We were both in high school) I was a really easy target for that stuff. I told him I was going to kill him. I was laughing at the time so I doubt anyone could have seriously thought I was going to hurt him beside the fact that he was bigger and stronger than I so get a grip. Some busybody, who shall remain nameless, told my parents thinking that I was being very inappropriate at church. This is the same person who still to this day tells stories on people from twenty or thirty years ago as if we are incapable of growth. When I was two I played with this same friend in the nursery and this person continued to tell us about it and remind us that he predicted we would marry even after we both were married to other people.

Anyway the point of that story was that while I don't want my children to be violent, and I would say that threatening to kill someone even in jest is wrong, I am not going to overreact. I think they are simply pretending in much the same way as when one of them pretends to be the other's momma. I will keep an eye on it but they rarely even hit each other.

A bigger concern is the ancient cheerio Jo found under a chair and, started to take to the trash but thought better of it and put it in her mouth despite a telling her father that it was yucky and should be thrown away! It was food and far be it for her to turn it down unless of course it is the dinner her mother prepared!!!!!!

Easter Exhaustion

I need a week to recover from holidays. Maybe it is just hot and the ac in the car didn't work on the 45 minute car ride home from dinner and I spent most of the afternoon standing in the bright sun. My sister has claimed Easter as her holiday so we loaded up the kids, the eggs, the card tables and chairs and our contributions to the meal and headed to her house. My children insisted on wearing their Easter clothes to dinner. I made skirts for the three of us to match following the direction posted in Randi's blog http://cheekymama2005.blogspot.com/2006/04/twirly-skirt-how-to.html

They turned out great but the girls wore long sleeve shirts with them and thus were understandably hot when they searched for Easter eggs in the treeless backyard.

it was a successful hunt however, 82 eggs were hidden and 82 eggs were found, if we counted right. My mother did the math and I don't doubt her calculations but she adds half in her head and half out loud so I have trouble getting to the solution listening to her. She groups numbers and I can usually get the same answer just not nearly as fast.

Now the kids are on a sugar high from all the candy in the eggs that Shan diligently filled and hid for them. Thanks honey!

She's growing up

My daughter came to me a little while a go and quite calmly asked to talk to me about watching Caillou. I had banned the show because the little boy whines and I started hearing my children echo the tone he uses. It was driving me crazy and I told the girls that they couldn't watch the show again until they demonstrated that they could talk nicely to me when they want something. Jessa came to me and said "Mama I would like to talk to you about watching Caillou again. I have tried not to whine and to talk nicely so can I please watch the show? I am growing up." I nearly fell off my chair. She did such a nice job trying to negotiate a privilege that I had to concede the point. She used a good tone and she has been less whinny. I bet its because she hasn't seen Caillou recently but we will see. Now if I could just get Josi to stop crying everytime someone tells her no we would be getting somewhere.

It's Hot

It's hot. I looked at my thermostat as I came by and it reads 81 degrees in my house. It's April!!!!!! If it is this bad now what will I do in August. The answer is Air Conditioning. I have some basic objection to turning it on before June. I did turn it on in May last year a couple days but under protest. I wanted my children to nap. April is just too much. When the sun goes down I am going to take a cool bath, turn on the attic fan to suck in the cool night air and watch the original Parent Trap we checked out of library this week. I love that movie. We taped it off TV when I was growing up and watched it over and over. I saw the remake last weekend on Disney and felt drawn to seeing the original. Alas it was only on a channel we don't get so when I noticed it on the shelf as I ushered my brood out of the library after story time I pounced. I had a couple extra kids with me so brood is appropriate. Some woman told me I had a well dressed and nicely behaved bunch. Since the three older children were high stepping through the library I wasn't sure if she was being sincere or commenting on my supervision. It was only 9:30 so they were still clean so she may have meant it.

So You Thought You'd Won but.....

I was feeling really good about potty training. We were consistently using the potty all the time and even had moved from the little potty to the big potty with the help of the step stool. Our little potty base flips over and becomes a step stool if you take off the seat a remove the bowl. We have been dry at nap and almost dry at night. She even got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom a few times.

Yesterday


Total failure...


I did a load of laundry last night and there were 9 pairs of panties. I did laundry Monday so if you subtract the three days since we are looking at 6 pairs of panties yesterday. SIX!!!!!!!!!!!! Every time I found Josi she was holding her pants up so they weren't touching the floor. Like the legs were too long. I am not sure why she does that when her pants are wet but that seems to be the signal. I took her upstairs to change and she went off to play. I didn't put new pants on over her clean panties I got interupted so I didn't notice a little while later when she came downstairs. She was very unhappy about something with her sister. I don't know. I picked her up and consoled her. It took a few minutes to realize that she had taken off her panties. She had another accident and put the offending garment in the dirty clothes and went on playing. This was a recurring theme. After her naptime accident she even put on dry ones and told me about it later. Let's hope today is a better dry day. Argh!

It's time for Fiesta

I am getting so pumped about Bible School. We chose a fiesta theme and I think it will be so cool. I got the Oriental trading catalog in the mail today and there are some great things to decorate with and dress up with. The kids last year really seemed to like the hats and bandanas so we want to do something similar this year to fit our theme. I found the cutest sombreros so that will be great. There is also a bunch of great stuff for stuffing the pinata. We will put candy in it but I saw little maraca key chains that would be fun and other novelty things to fill it up with. I also saw a great pinata that looked like a sun wearing big sunglasses. There was even a preschool version of pinata where you pull on dangling ribbons to get to the prizes. We hope to make that the fun final activity for Friday. Last year we had pony rides which was a lot of fun so we want something theme related and a little different for Friday.

The girls go to a story time through the school district that is very well put together with story, craft, songs, games and snack that are all related to the main theme of that day and the overall theme of the session. They love it so I want to use that kind of concept with Bible school snack and games. The kit we got has those areas covered in theme related ways so we will just need to follow there suggestions. I think it is an excellent way to emphasize the Bible point each day so kids who learn in different ways get the overall message in a way that speaks to them where they are at. ( I never can quite forget that I am by training a school teacher) If we all are speaking the same message at each station then by the time the kids leave each evening they should at least have the main idea clearly in their mind. One of the other things I am jazzed about is the daily challenge part of the program. Each day kids are urged to go home and use the lesson is their own life right away. We want to convey that you are never to young, small etc to serve God. He has opportunities for each of us to glorify Him with our lives and selves. The book gives several very easy suggestions for kids to apply the lesson immediately so I think it is real doable.


It will be so great!!!!!

Daddy Wrestles

Today I spent the morning and early afternoon sitting on a hard wooden bench watching wrestling. Now I thought wrestling was over but not so. A local high school coach organized an old timers wrestling tournament and Shan and one of the other coaches from school participated. Shan will tell you that he finished third and they awarded medals to 1-4th place. I will qualify his medal by saying that there were only three men in his weight class in the over thirty bracket. But he had fun and boy did he look great in his singlet. (Not) Singlets don't look good on anybody. Sorta like bikini's. I think very few people, even thin people look good in bikini's. Too much skin shows and every figure flaw is on display, and lets face it most of us have them. So now wrestling is officially over until Nov. except for camp this summer. At least I have my Saturdays back.