10 things I've seen on the playground this week.
1. Spongebob Squarepants game where the kids chose the characters they wanted to be and then chased each other around the play equipment inexplicably.
2. An argument over who was going to be the abominable snowman.
3. Campfire building lessons with everything but the actual fire.
4. Bug catching...grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, butterflies...
5. Scooter riding. Except for Julianna who rides a "cooter."
6. Lots of little bare feet. And even though it's totally against school rules to run around barefooted, I'm letting them. It's summer. I run around barefooted, too.
7. My daredevil daughter climbing everything in sight including playground ladders, up the slide, and monkey bars.
8. A rhino/squid. The big brother said the little brother was a squid while the little brother insisted he was a rhino. I voted for rhino.
9. Human and dragon sacrifices. Pretend of course. I'm still not sure why or to whom they were sacrificing but it was very near the fire building pit as to be more effective.
10. Lots of kids having lots of fun. Yeah for summer!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Ramblings
After over a week of no posts, rambling seems appropriate.
I've been working some extra days at school. The other teacher is in the process of buying a house and has needed some time for paperwork and packing. Anyone who has ever bought a house knows that it's a full time job getting through that.
Working this summer hasn't been too bad. The kids I care for are well behaved (mostly). My kids get to play with other kids. I have time to work in my classroom. I get paid. Except for the getting up early, it's pretty much win/win.
Although I have had the worry this week that without some time off, completely off, I may get tired of school before next school year is over. Maybe I'll try to get a whole week off before September.
Yesterday Julianna was wearing a little skirt/shirt outfit. Adam asked me if she had shorts under her skirt. When I told him "no," he said, "Mom, that skirt is too short to not have shorts under it." I'm going to be glad to have him around for her teenage years.
Josh went on a youth group outing on Monday. Swimming at the lake house of a couple from church. He had a great time. Loved it, as a matter of fact. I was excited for him to get to go and actually encouraged him to. Until about halfway through the day when I realized that my almost 12 year old was way, way, way too big. And growing up right before my eyes without me having a thing to do to prevent it.
I got to spend some time with my sweet sister yesterday afternoon. The busyness of life doesn't allow for nearly enough of those times for us. She is pretty amazing. Right now she is growing my new nephew and being a real trooper about being pregnant all summer. And her kids are such good friends to mine. I love that all the cousins adore each other. The boys play like boys and have such a great time together. And the girls...well, they are the cutest thing ever when they get together. The days when we went swimming together are gone. But now are the days when we watch our kids do the same thing. I couldn't help but smile when Aidan was showing me his handstand in the water...just like his mommy did all those summers ago.
And speaking of swimming, Julianna didn't have a swimsuit to swim in the pool in my sister's backyard so I let her go in her underwear and tank top. Which worked out fine, until her unders got wet and she decided to go without. Ummm...yeah. Let's not run around half naked.
The rest of today will be spent cleaning my house. Well, that and playing with the kids. And maybe a short nap. And the watching of So You Think You Can Dance. And starting a new book. Okay, so I'm going to spend 15 minutes cleaning. It is summer vacation after all.
I've been working some extra days at school. The other teacher is in the process of buying a house and has needed some time for paperwork and packing. Anyone who has ever bought a house knows that it's a full time job getting through that.
Working this summer hasn't been too bad. The kids I care for are well behaved (mostly). My kids get to play with other kids. I have time to work in my classroom. I get paid. Except for the getting up early, it's pretty much win/win.
Although I have had the worry this week that without some time off, completely off, I may get tired of school before next school year is over. Maybe I'll try to get a whole week off before September.
Yesterday Julianna was wearing a little skirt/shirt outfit. Adam asked me if she had shorts under her skirt. When I told him "no," he said, "Mom, that skirt is too short to not have shorts under it." I'm going to be glad to have him around for her teenage years.
Josh went on a youth group outing on Monday. Swimming at the lake house of a couple from church. He had a great time. Loved it, as a matter of fact. I was excited for him to get to go and actually encouraged him to. Until about halfway through the day when I realized that my almost 12 year old was way, way, way too big. And growing up right before my eyes without me having a thing to do to prevent it.
I got to spend some time with my sweet sister yesterday afternoon. The busyness of life doesn't allow for nearly enough of those times for us. She is pretty amazing. Right now she is growing my new nephew and being a real trooper about being pregnant all summer. And her kids are such good friends to mine. I love that all the cousins adore each other. The boys play like boys and have such a great time together. And the girls...well, they are the cutest thing ever when they get together. The days when we went swimming together are gone. But now are the days when we watch our kids do the same thing. I couldn't help but smile when Aidan was showing me his handstand in the water...just like his mommy did all those summers ago.
And speaking of swimming, Julianna didn't have a swimsuit to swim in the pool in my sister's backyard so I let her go in her underwear and tank top. Which worked out fine, until her unders got wet and she decided to go without. Ummm...yeah. Let's not run around half naked.
The rest of today will be spent cleaning my house. Well, that and playing with the kids. And maybe a short nap. And the watching of So You Think You Can Dance. And starting a new book. Okay, so I'm going to spend 15 minutes cleaning. It is summer vacation after all.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Blessed Sunday
If you know me at all or have read my blog for even a little while, you know that I adore my children. They are a great blessing and one I have counted for Blessed Sunday on several occasions. For almost nine years I only had boys. And I love having boys. I don't mind at all the noise and dirt and bugs. I've even gotten used to Hot Wheels and Legos in every corner of the house. I was thrilled to be the mommy of boys and boys alone. Boys are energetic and curious and absolutely made of all kinds of snips and snails and puppy dog tails. And my boys make me so happy with their distinct personalities and quirks. Josh is smart and sensitive and is becoming a great companion in all kinds of activities. Adam is silly and thoughtful and completely hilarious and fun. They are amazing in so many ways and certainly a blessing.
And after all those years of mommying boys, I was frankly a little apprehensive about having a girl. What in the world was I going to do with a girl? I am not a girly girl. What if my daughter was? I didn't know how to put in a decent ponytail and hadn't painted a nail in more years than I could remember. Dresses and bows and tights and sparkles? Really? But of course I fell in love with my daughter before she was even born and all those concerns melted away. And on the day she was born, I knew she was something special. I told Arrty as we were contemplating her name on the day she was born, "Julianna is quite a name. It's going to take quite a girl to fit a name like that." But I knew looking into her tiny, sweet face that this little girl was going to be quite a girl. And she is. She is smart and funny and observant and just a little bit stubborn. She is, in fact, a girly girl. She wants to wear at least some pink every day and has very specific footwear and hair accessory requests. Which I do my best to fulfill. She loves her babies and stuffed animals and wants at least a million in bed with her every night. She loves to be outside and is curious about the world around her. She can't stay away from animals and hugs and often kisses any that will allow it. And she pretends. My boys never were much of pretenders. But Miss Julianna pretends all the time. To cook, to feed her babies, to be a cat or dog or frog, to be a princess or a mommy or a photographer. It's fun and fascinating to watch and sometimes she even lets me play along. Mommying Jules is so very different than mommying the boys. And I love it.
This difference was apparent once more yesterday. I was lying on my bed reading and she was in and out of the room playing and talking and climbing all over me. After a while she discovered a storage box sitting in front of my dresser and asked if she could stand on it. When I told her she could, she climbed up and immediately spotted my jewelry box. She then asked me if she could look in it. Now when I say jewelry box, you should know that I don't wear jewelry and therefore the box contains a bunch of stuff I've collected or been given over the years that pretty much only has sentimental value. So I told her that she could look in it. The girl spent a good hour looking at and trying on all the rings, necklaces, and bracelets. She whispered to herself and sat down and climbed up a hundred times enjoying her play. I spent more time watching her than reading and was amazed once again at this little girl that God has loaned me. Julianna Grace is a blessing. And having a daughter is a blessing. A blessed abundance of sugar and spice and everything nice.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
10 Things Thursday
Monday, July 11, 2011
7/11=19
If you are wondering about my math skills after seeing that title, don't worry, it will all make perfect sense soon.
You see, 19 years ago, on 7/11/1992, I got married. I was 20 years old. He was 21. We had known each other since I was in 5th grade and he was in 6th. We had been dating for 3 1/2 years not counting the middle school crush and silliness. We were both in college. We both lived at home. We were oh so young. And oh so in love. So on that 11th day of July with the sun shining and me in my JC Penney wedding dress, we said, "I do." And have been saying the same thing every day for the last 19 years.
We have been through the poorer more than the richer and our fair share of sickness. But the better has still outweighed the worse by a long shot. We have grown up together. Not just our shared childhood, but since we've been married. At 20 years old I felt plenty old enough to get married, but now when I think back I was still so very young. We were both in college and working close to full time. It was a busy time and a wonderful time. For 7 1/2 years it was just the two of us. Frankly it's hard to remember, or even imagine, those years before kids. It's all kind of a blur of growing and learning and becoming a wife. And being happy. Almost as happy as I am after 19 years.
And if I had to do it all over again, I would still walk down that aisle and say, "I do." I would hold his hand and know that he was my lobster. I would smile knowing what was to come for us. I would kiss him longer and not worry about what the old people thought. I would enjoy every second because I would know that that day was just the beginning of something wonderful.
You see, 19 years ago, on 7/11/1992, I got married. I was 20 years old. He was 21. We had known each other since I was in 5th grade and he was in 6th. We had been dating for 3 1/2 years not counting the middle school crush and silliness. We were both in college. We both lived at home. We were oh so young. And oh so in love. So on that 11th day of July with the sun shining and me in my JC Penney wedding dress, we said, "I do." And have been saying the same thing every day for the last 19 years.
We have been through the poorer more than the richer and our fair share of sickness. But the better has still outweighed the worse by a long shot. We have grown up together. Not just our shared childhood, but since we've been married. At 20 years old I felt plenty old enough to get married, but now when I think back I was still so very young. We were both in college and working close to full time. It was a busy time and a wonderful time. For 7 1/2 years it was just the two of us. Frankly it's hard to remember, or even imagine, those years before kids. It's all kind of a blur of growing and learning and becoming a wife. And being happy. Almost as happy as I am after 19 years.
And if I had to do it all over again, I would still walk down that aisle and say, "I do." I would hold his hand and know that he was my lobster. I would smile knowing what was to come for us. I would kiss him longer and not worry about what the old people thought. I would enjoy every second because I would know that that day was just the beginning of something wonderful.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things you could find at our 7th annual 4th of July party:
1. Some of my favorite ladies sitting in the shade, drinking Diet Coke (or water or tea), visiting, and laughing.
10. Fireworks. Julianna had a love/hate relationship with the fireworks this year. She loved to see them, but hated the loud noises. She was thrilled to see her three favorite colors: pink, purple, and green. And she especially liked the "sfarkly" ones.
1. Some of my favorite ladies sitting in the shade, drinking Diet Coke (or water or tea), visiting, and laughing.
2. Video games. Josh and Adam really hit it off with the exchange students from China who joined in our celebration. It was great fun having them there. Even if we had to communicate using sign language. And even though they put watermelon on their hamburgers.
3. Horseshoes. What's the 4th of July without horseshoes? Luckily we didn't have to find out.
4. Cotton candy. Warren and Lynn brought George's cotton candy machine and made all the kids (and some of the adults) very happy.
5. Happy kids. Happy, sticky kids.
6. Friends. Julianna loved playing with Katie. They bonded over cotton candy and bug boxes.
7. Did I mention sticky kids?
8. Kim. One of those "favorite ladies" I mentioned who was especially happy about the appearance of cotton candy.
9. Smiles. This is just one of the many smiles I saw that day. It was a good day.
10. Fireworks. Julianna had a love/hate relationship with the fireworks this year. She loved to see them, but hated the loud noises. She was thrilled to see her three favorite colors: pink, purple, and green. And she especially liked the "sfarkly" ones. 
Thursday, June 30, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about this week.
1. It was almost, but not quite, summery.
2. I didn't really mind, but I will soon because we want to go to the beach and I need a hot day for that.
3. I have been falling in love with my children all over again. Must be all the time we've been spending together. Or maybe it's because they are just so cute.
4. I watched a few minutes of Eat, Pray, Love. It was the scene where an Italian man tells Julia Roberts' character something like "Italians have made an art of doing nothing." I like that. I've been trying to enjoy my "doing nothing" without thinking of all I should be doing instead.
5. Speaking of Julia Roberts, I want to see her new movie with Tom Hanks. It looks super cute.
6. I just finished reading Graceling. Tomorrow I plan to go to the library to see if they have the next book in the series.
7. I am now reading The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide. Guilty pleasure summer reading at it's finest. I loved the interview part between Stephanie Meyer and Shannon Hale.
8. I am so looking forward to summer theater tonight. One of the four nights per summer guaranteed to be spent with some of my favorite girls eating yummy food and enjoying musical theater.
9. My husband interviewed for and got a job. A full time, permanent, benefited job. The first such job in almost 4 years. Hallelujah!
10. I have been reminded this week of the power of prayer. And of all those who love us and have taken our family before the Lord in their prayers. What a blessing.
1. It was almost, but not quite, summery.
2. I didn't really mind, but I will soon because we want to go to the beach and I need a hot day for that.
3. I have been falling in love with my children all over again. Must be all the time we've been spending together. Or maybe it's because they are just so cute.
4. I watched a few minutes of Eat, Pray, Love. It was the scene where an Italian man tells Julia Roberts' character something like "Italians have made an art of doing nothing." I like that. I've been trying to enjoy my "doing nothing" without thinking of all I should be doing instead.
5. Speaking of Julia Roberts, I want to see her new movie with Tom Hanks. It looks super cute.
6. I just finished reading Graceling. Tomorrow I plan to go to the library to see if they have the next book in the series.
7. I am now reading The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide. Guilty pleasure summer reading at it's finest. I loved the interview part between Stephanie Meyer and Shannon Hale.
8. I am so looking forward to summer theater tonight. One of the four nights per summer guaranteed to be spent with some of my favorite girls eating yummy food and enjoying musical theater.
9. My husband interviewed for and got a job. A full time, permanent, benefited job. The first such job in almost 4 years. Hallelujah!
10. I have been reminded this week of the power of prayer. And of all those who love us and have taken our family before the Lord in their prayers. What a blessing.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Artistry
On Tuesdays and Thursdays this summer I am teaching at our school's summer day camp. Yesterday we had a visitor. It was Abby, my adorable and sweet niece. Julianna was so excited when she found out her cousin was coming to play with her. One of the things they wanted to do was paint. So I broke out the watercolors and paintbrushes and they, along with all the other kids, painted and painted and painted. Here are Abby's masterpieces.
And here are Julianna's.
And here is when they painted their fingernails blue. Umm...whose idea was this, Little Girls?
They were mighty pleased with themselves. Luckily it was washable paint.
And here are Julianna's.
And here is when they painted their fingernails blue. Umm...whose idea was this, Little Girls?
They were mighty pleased with themselves. Luckily it was washable paint.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about the kids' dentist visit yesterday.
1. They all have beautiful, straight, strong teeth. Yeah!
2. They have all gotten (and lost) teeth earlier than typical.
3. Adam has to go back for 4 sealants on new teeth that he's gotten in the last 6 months.
4. Josh needs 2 sealants and a tiny filling (which did not make him happy). The dentist wasn't sure how he even got the cavity they found, but it's there nonetheless. Not even big enough to require anesthesia.
5. Julianna didn't want to show off her teeth. She gets extremely shy around doctors and dentists. They did finally get a peek and were happy with what they saw.
6. She did, however, love the sunglasses they put on her and chose some similar ones from the treasure box after her visit.
7. Josh chose a sticky hand (which Arrty hates).
8. Adam chose a whoopee cushion (which I hate).
9. They all got new toothbrushes and Julianna therefore brushed both willingly and for a lot longer than usual last night. I guess she just needed a pink toothbrush with monkeys on it.
10. I am grateful that my children have access to health and dental care and that we have insurance to cover it.
2. They have all gotten (and lost) teeth earlier than typical.
3. Adam has to go back for 4 sealants on new teeth that he's gotten in the last 6 months.
4. Josh needs 2 sealants and a tiny filling (which did not make him happy). The dentist wasn't sure how he even got the cavity they found, but it's there nonetheless. Not even big enough to require anesthesia.
5. Julianna didn't want to show off her teeth. She gets extremely shy around doctors and dentists. They did finally get a peek and were happy with what they saw.
6. She did, however, love the sunglasses they put on her and chose some similar ones from the treasure box after her visit.
7. Josh chose a sticky hand (which Arrty hates).
8. Adam chose a whoopee cushion (which I hate).
9. They all got new toothbrushes and Julianna therefore brushed both willingly and for a lot longer than usual last night. I guess she just needed a pink toothbrush with monkeys on it.
10. I am grateful that my children have access to health and dental care and that we have insurance to cover it.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Head for the cellar!
I'm working today caring for children at our school's summer day camp. We were outside for recess when some of the kids starting yelling, "Tornado, tornado!!" and running for cover. Either they all saw The Wizard of Oz at summer theater last week or think we moved to Kansas all of a sudden. I thought it was kind of amusing but had to laugh out loud when Julianna came running around the side of the play equipment yelling, "Tomato, tomato!!" I know she doesn't like tomatoes, but running from them is a little dramatic. :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things I don't need today.
1. sunscreen
2. popsicles
3. shorts
4. a tank top
5. a fan
6. air conditioning
7. ice water
8. sandals
9. sunglasses
10. a beach towel
10 things I do need.
1. an umbrella
2. galoshes
3. socks
4. a coat
5. hot chocolate
6. a hat
7. long pants
8. a space heater
9. long sleeves
10. a calendar--to prove that it really is the middle of June
1. sunscreen
2. popsicles
3. shorts
4. a tank top
5. a fan
6. air conditioning
7. ice water
8. sandals
9. sunglasses
10. a beach towel
10 things I do need.
1. an umbrella
2. galoshes
3. socks
4. a coat
5. hot chocolate
6. a hat
7. long pants
8. a space heater
9. long sleeves
10. a calendar--to prove that it really is the middle of June
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Last 12 Days
Since Julianna's birthday on June 2nd, our life has been crazy busy with birthday celebrations and end of school year stuff. Here's what's happened over the last 12 days.
June 2nd--We took Jules to her birthday dinner. She wanted hot dogs. So we went to DQ and had dinner and sundaes for dessert. DQ is not my idea of a special birthday meal, but then again I'm not 3.
June 3rd--I began birthday party preparations for the big party on Sunday.
June 4th--More cleaning and cooking plus some last minute shopping for the party.
June 5th--Church in the morning and then the party after. It was great fun with lots of friends plus cake, ice cream, and presents of course. We had a very happy 3 year old.
June 6th--Doctor's appointment in Spokane in the morning, work the afternoon, Bible study at our house that night.
June 7th--Kindergarten graduation. They are so very cute in their little caps with their bright smiles. It was wonderful and exhausting.
June 8th--Kindergarten movie day. I've finally decided once and for all that most, almost all, kindergartners cannot sit through a full length movie. No matter how much popcorn you provide.
June 9th--Last day of school and awards ceremony. Lunch with my coworkers. Dinner and first summer theater show (The Wizard of Oz) with the girls...and Marci and my Joshes. (My Josh loved the play. Lots of action and special effects. He wants to go again and doesn't quite believe me when I tell him that there aren't pyrotechnics and people flying around the stage in every show.)
June 10th--To school for some cleaning up--with a few yard sale stops on the way. Where I happened to run into my mom and sister. (Surprise, surprise.) Then lunch with them and my dad at Olive Garden. Then I finally made it to school for a few hours. Then shopping with Julianna to spend a Borders gift card she got for her birthday. She chose a princess book with little figures to play with and a stuffed dog. Then we went to the park that she spotted on our yard sale trail and would not forget about. She had such a great time sliding and climbing and running. She also met a new friend. They hit it off right away and played together for the longest time. It was interesting watching Jules at the park. The boys always had each other and never had to make friends with strangers. (The boys spent this day with their daddy in the woods. They had a great day, too.)
June 11th--BOOK DAY! The Book Man's sale first thing in the morning and then the Scholastic Book Warehouse after that. We of course found lots of treasures and books we couldn't live without, but the highlight of the morning was when Kathy stuffed $433 worth of books into our little "build-a-box." We paid $24.95 for that box. She is a master at the "build-a-box" puzzle. After we got back to town, Adam and I went to see The Wizard of Oz with my sister and nephew. So I got to see it twice. It was just as good the second time. And Adam loved it as much as his brother had. Aidan liked it, too, but said it would be better if there wasn't so much singing. :)
June 12th--Church, lunch, nap, ice cream. Ahhh.
June 13th--First official day of summer vacation. We spent the whole day at home. The kids playing and watching movies since it rained. And me cleaning and doing laundry. Then we had Bible study.
Today--My first day of Camp Cougar, our summer program at school. I will be working Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today I cared for 10 kids not counting my own. It went well, but after all my years of teaching, I'm pretty much undauntable when it comes to a room full of kids.
Maybe, just maybe, things will slow down now. A girl can hope.
June 2nd--We took Jules to her birthday dinner. She wanted hot dogs. So we went to DQ and had dinner and sundaes for dessert. DQ is not my idea of a special birthday meal, but then again I'm not 3.
June 3rd--I began birthday party preparations for the big party on Sunday.
June 4th--More cleaning and cooking plus some last minute shopping for the party.
June 5th--Church in the morning and then the party after. It was great fun with lots of friends plus cake, ice cream, and presents of course. We had a very happy 3 year old.
June 6th--Doctor's appointment in Spokane in the morning, work the afternoon, Bible study at our house that night.
June 7th--Kindergarten graduation. They are so very cute in their little caps with their bright smiles. It was wonderful and exhausting.
June 8th--Kindergarten movie day. I've finally decided once and for all that most, almost all, kindergartners cannot sit through a full length movie. No matter how much popcorn you provide.
June 9th--Last day of school and awards ceremony. Lunch with my coworkers. Dinner and first summer theater show (The Wizard of Oz) with the girls...and Marci and my Joshes. (My Josh loved the play. Lots of action and special effects. He wants to go again and doesn't quite believe me when I tell him that there aren't pyrotechnics and people flying around the stage in every show.)
June 10th--To school for some cleaning up--with a few yard sale stops on the way. Where I happened to run into my mom and sister. (Surprise, surprise.) Then lunch with them and my dad at Olive Garden. Then I finally made it to school for a few hours. Then shopping with Julianna to spend a Borders gift card she got for her birthday. She chose a princess book with little figures to play with and a stuffed dog. Then we went to the park that she spotted on our yard sale trail and would not forget about. She had such a great time sliding and climbing and running. She also met a new friend. They hit it off right away and played together for the longest time. It was interesting watching Jules at the park. The boys always had each other and never had to make friends with strangers. (The boys spent this day with their daddy in the woods. They had a great day, too.)
June 11th--BOOK DAY! The Book Man's sale first thing in the morning and then the Scholastic Book Warehouse after that. We of course found lots of treasures and books we couldn't live without, but the highlight of the morning was when Kathy stuffed $433 worth of books into our little "build-a-box." We paid $24.95 for that box. She is a master at the "build-a-box" puzzle. After we got back to town, Adam and I went to see The Wizard of Oz with my sister and nephew. So I got to see it twice. It was just as good the second time. And Adam loved it as much as his brother had. Aidan liked it, too, but said it would be better if there wasn't so much singing. :)
June 12th--Church, lunch, nap, ice cream. Ahhh.
June 13th--First official day of summer vacation. We spent the whole day at home. The kids playing and watching movies since it rained. And me cleaning and doing laundry. Then we had Bible study.
Today--My first day of Camp Cougar, our summer program at school. I will be working Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today I cared for 10 kids not counting my own. It went well, but after all my years of teaching, I'm pretty much undauntable when it comes to a room full of kids.
Maybe, just maybe, things will slow down now. A girl can hope.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Phew!
It's been a whirlwind of a week. One more half day of school then I'll have time to tell you all about it.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about Julianna.
1. She turns 3 today.
2. She was born at 8:04 on a Monday.
3. She weighed 7lb 14oz and was 21 inches long.
4. She was, and still is, absolutely adorable.
5. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday supper, she said, "A hot dog."
6. When I asked her where she wanted to go for lunch, she said, "To the store to look at toys."
7. While at the store looking at toys, (Yes, I took her. How could I resist?) she chose a My Little Pony and a stuffed dog.
8. She can melt my heart with a smile or sweet word.
9. She can make me laugh out loud more than anyone else.
10. She is a gift. A true blessing from above. And I thank God for her every single day.
Happy birthday, sweet girl.
1. She turns 3 today.
2. She was born at 8:04 on a Monday.
3. She weighed 7lb 14oz and was 21 inches long.
4. She was, and still is, absolutely adorable.
5. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday supper, she said, "A hot dog."
6. When I asked her where she wanted to go for lunch, she said, "To the store to look at toys."
7. While at the store looking at toys, (Yes, I took her. How could I resist?) she chose a My Little Pony and a stuffed dog.
8. She can melt my heart with a smile or sweet word.
9. She can make me laugh out loud more than anyone else.
10. She is a gift. A true blessing from above. And I thank God for her every single day.
Happy birthday, sweet girl.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about the Coeur d'Alene High School choir concert I went to on Tuesday.
1. It was certainly not like my choir concerts at CHS circa 1990.
2. Nowhere to be seen were the long, blue choir robes like the ones we wore. (I was assured, however, that they do in fact still wear robes at some of their concerts.)
3. It was "glee-ed" out. Popular music, funky costumes, choreography...
4. There was a lot of Lady Gaga. Now I appreciate talent and I believe that in her way she is talented, but isn't one of her songs enough for any concert other that hers?
5. There were some really good singers. Really good. I guess we had some good singers back in the day, but I didn't appreciate it like I do now.
6. Josh went with me and enjoyed it. He's turning out to be my music buddy.
7. I couldn't help but remember when I was 17 and singing with my high school choir. That was definitely my favorite part of each day and the part I remember best.
8. I also found myself wondering about my children as teenagers. Very daunting for me to think of it. I have a feeling I will be praying a lot. We've given them a good start and I trust that they will make mostly good choices in what they do. But this world isn't always an easy place to live a pure life.
9. Signs on the walls of the high school haven't changed. Still a big sheet of newsprint with one corner torn off painted with bright colors with the last word squished on at the end.
10. I'm old. I'm pretty sure I went to high school with several of the parents of the performers. And they are old. So I guess that makes me old, too. And besides that, only an old person would ever think there's any such thing as too much Gaga.
Bonus: I would not go back to high school for a million dollars. I don't even think I'd teach high school for a million dollars. Okay, maybe for a million I would.
1. It was certainly not like my choir concerts at CHS circa 1990.
2. Nowhere to be seen were the long, blue choir robes like the ones we wore. (I was assured, however, that they do in fact still wear robes at some of their concerts.)
3. It was "glee-ed" out. Popular music, funky costumes, choreography...
4. There was a lot of Lady Gaga. Now I appreciate talent and I believe that in her way she is talented, but isn't one of her songs enough for any concert other that hers?
5. There were some really good singers. Really good. I guess we had some good singers back in the day, but I didn't appreciate it like I do now.
6. Josh went with me and enjoyed it. He's turning out to be my music buddy.
7. I couldn't help but remember when I was 17 and singing with my high school choir. That was definitely my favorite part of each day and the part I remember best.
8. I also found myself wondering about my children as teenagers. Very daunting for me to think of it. I have a feeling I will be praying a lot. We've given them a good start and I trust that they will make mostly good choices in what they do. But this world isn't always an easy place to live a pure life.
9. Signs on the walls of the high school haven't changed. Still a big sheet of newsprint with one corner torn off painted with bright colors with the last word squished on at the end.
10. I'm old. I'm pretty sure I went to high school with several of the parents of the performers. And they are old. So I guess that makes me old, too. And besides that, only an old person would ever think there's any such thing as too much Gaga.
Bonus: I would not go back to high school for a million dollars. I don't even think I'd teach high school for a million dollars. Okay, maybe for a million I would.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things that have happened this week.
1. The sun decided to shine two days in a row!
2. I figured out how to get Julianna to wear shoes...only buy sparkly ones.
3. The day came when my kindergartners declared school over by giving me the unmistakable sign of becoming unable to sit still. No more learning. They're done. Which is a great excuse for me to play with them more.
4. We counted how many days of school we have left. 13.
5. Our school administrator is out of town. When the cat's away...
6. We celebrated Adam's birthday with dinner at Outback. He had ribs.
7. I was enlightened on how to buy gifts for tweens. Take the brother shopping with me. He picked out Adam's birthday gifts and they were a big hit. I totally would have bought something else. Thanks, Josh.
8. I played with the dogs and cat out in the sunshine. I love them, but they make me sneeze and itch. Which is why they are outdoor pets.
9. Since visiting Marci's school last weekend, I have been contemplating my classroom for next year. Paint. Ceiling decorations. New library shelves. Comfy chairs. Fewer but better toys. Real art and more kids' art.
10. I've smiled and laughed a lot thanks to all of the above.
1. The sun decided to shine two days in a row!
2. I figured out how to get Julianna to wear shoes...only buy sparkly ones.
3. The day came when my kindergartners declared school over by giving me the unmistakable sign of becoming unable to sit still. No more learning. They're done. Which is a great excuse for me to play with them more.
4. We counted how many days of school we have left. 13.
5. Our school administrator is out of town. When the cat's away...
6. We celebrated Adam's birthday with dinner at Outback. He had ribs.
7. I was enlightened on how to buy gifts for tweens. Take the brother shopping with me. He picked out Adam's birthday gifts and they were a big hit. I totally would have bought something else. Thanks, Josh.
8. I played with the dogs and cat out in the sunshine. I love them, but they make me sneeze and itch. Which is why they are outdoor pets.
9. Since visiting Marci's school last weekend, I have been contemplating my classroom for next year. Paint. Ceiling decorations. New library shelves. Comfy chairs. Fewer but better toys. Real art and more kids' art.
10. I've smiled and laughed a lot thanks to all of the above.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Adam D.
Today my baby turns 10. Now I'm fully aware that he's not my youngest child. But he was for 7 years until his little sister was born. He was, and still is, my blond, blue-eyed baby. Absolutely adorable and charming and funny before he should have been. Seriously. The kid has made me laugh everyday for the last 10 years. Sometimes by trying and sometimes totally by hilarious accident. He's smart, too. He has to work hard at school to overcome a major case of butterfly chasing,* but he gets great grades and remembers things better than I. Especially if he's interested in it. And frankly, I don't find multiplying fractions all that interesting either. It's hard to believe that I've been his mom for 10 years. This child who make his daddy and I look at each other and ask "where did this kid come from?" This child who can drive me to drink, or at least could if I drank. This kid who positively can melt my heart with a smile. He's something else, I tell ya. And I love him all to pieces.
Happy, happy, happy birthday, Adam!
*Butterfly chasing is when you are supposed to be going one way but see a butterfly and chase it in another direction. In other words, he's easily distracted by, well, pretty much anything.
Happy, happy, happy birthday, Adam!
*Butterfly chasing is when you are supposed to be going one way but see a butterfly and chase it in another direction. In other words, he's easily distracted by, well, pretty much anything.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Two For Tuesday
Two reasons I haven't posted much lately.
1. Blogger was down for a few days.
2. I didn't want to.
1. Blogger was down for a few days.
2. I didn't want to.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Morning Call
This morning while I was brushing my teeth, my phone rang so Josh answered it. I knew it was my sister because it was her ring that I heard. I heard his side of the conversation which was mostly "okay"s. When he hung up and I finished brushing, I asked him what she wanted. He said that she wanted to borrow "a loaf of bread or two." "A loaf of bread? Are you sure she didn't say a slice of bread or two?" "No, I'm pretty sure she said a loaf." I figured that she was out of bread and needed enough to make a sandwich for my nephew's lunch so I went to the kitchen, opened the bread, and got out a baggie all the while wondering why Josh had said "loaf." So I called her back. "Josh said you needed to borrow a loaf of bread or two," I said laughing and knowing she would say "slice." But to my surprise, after a brief hesitation, she said, "Umm, I asked to borrow a roll of toilet paper or two." I'm so glad I called. She really would have been confused if I had shown up at her house with two slices of bread.
Wednesday WORD
Matthew 6:34 (various translations)
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Confession
Here's today's confession. I watch reality tv. And I let my kids watch reality tv. We watch it together. We watch The Amazing Race, American Idol, Deadliest Catch, and Survivor every week. Josh and I watch So You Think You Can Dance when it's on. And the boys in the family watch lots of reality tv on Discovery like Swamp Loggers, Ice Road Truckers, Swamp People, etc. (Are those reality or documentary?) Usually these shows are just purely entertainment. I can't even tell you who last year's winners were or how much crab was caught. But it's fun to watch.
This year's Survivor, however, has proven to be more. There's a contestant on the show who is very open about his religious beliefs which happen to be very similar to mine. He's a Bible believing, praying, God fearing Christian. Which has caused trouble for him from the very beginning. You see, after the very first challenge when the other team won, he went over and congratulated them and shook hands with one of their competitors. A few members of his team didn't like that and voted him off first. They saw what he did as weakness and a threat to their tribal unity.
But this year there's a twist. When voted off, the contestants go to Redemption Island and get the chance to compete to re-enter the game. Well, Matt won every challenge and rejoined the tribe a few weeks ago. Where once again he was promptly voted off and sent back to Redemption Island. He was discouraged to say the least. But the show, on national tv, showed him praying and crying out to the Lord. Amazing. And guess what? He's still in the game. He has won his way to the last few weeks of the show and has a chance to join the tribe again. Which in itself is quite an accomplishment. But even more so is the effect he's had on the other contestants. When Julie lost her challenge against Matt, she was okay with it and said that he had inspired her to go home and find a church family to be a part of.
And last week, when Mike, one of Matt's opponents who he's been having Bible studies with on the island, had the choice to spend time with his mom who had been flown in or give this gift to the other contestants, the very ones who had voted him out, he talked about reading Matt's Bible and referred to the verse where Jesus tells us to love others more than ourselves. And then he gave his "enemies" his prize and they got to spend time with their love ones while his mom left without even getting to hug her son. When she was asked about it, she said she wasn't surprised. She was proud of his decision and thought he did the right thing. (Here it is if you want to watch. It's about 14 1/2 minutes into the episode. Matt's the young man with longish blond hair in the yellow tee shirt.)
I couldn't believe what I was watching. This young man competing on a tv show was living for Christ. He was sharing his Lord and Savior. He was saving others. And they were showing it on national television! The truth is, Matt has had times when he wanted to go home. He's wanted to be done since he's been by himself almost the whole game. But he prayed that God would keep him there as long as he needed him there. And he's still there. He's still there teaching others through his words and actions. He's teaching his fellow contestants as well as the Survivor audience. And he's taught me a few things as well.
So I just want to say, "Go Matt! May God bless you in this game and all the others you play in your life. If you continue to play for HIM, you will win no matter what."
This year's Survivor, however, has proven to be more. There's a contestant on the show who is very open about his religious beliefs which happen to be very similar to mine. He's a Bible believing, praying, God fearing Christian. Which has caused trouble for him from the very beginning. You see, after the very first challenge when the other team won, he went over and congratulated them and shook hands with one of their competitors. A few members of his team didn't like that and voted him off first. They saw what he did as weakness and a threat to their tribal unity.
But this year there's a twist. When voted off, the contestants go to Redemption Island and get the chance to compete to re-enter the game. Well, Matt won every challenge and rejoined the tribe a few weeks ago. Where once again he was promptly voted off and sent back to Redemption Island. He was discouraged to say the least. But the show, on national tv, showed him praying and crying out to the Lord. Amazing. And guess what? He's still in the game. He has won his way to the last few weeks of the show and has a chance to join the tribe again. Which in itself is quite an accomplishment. But even more so is the effect he's had on the other contestants. When Julie lost her challenge against Matt, she was okay with it and said that he had inspired her to go home and find a church family to be a part of.
And last week, when Mike, one of Matt's opponents who he's been having Bible studies with on the island, had the choice to spend time with his mom who had been flown in or give this gift to the other contestants, the very ones who had voted him out, he talked about reading Matt's Bible and referred to the verse where Jesus tells us to love others more than ourselves. And then he gave his "enemies" his prize and they got to spend time with their love ones while his mom left without even getting to hug her son. When she was asked about it, she said she wasn't surprised. She was proud of his decision and thought he did the right thing. (Here it is if you want to watch. It's about 14 1/2 minutes into the episode. Matt's the young man with longish blond hair in the yellow tee shirt.)
I couldn't believe what I was watching. This young man competing on a tv show was living for Christ. He was sharing his Lord and Savior. He was saving others. And they were showing it on national television! The truth is, Matt has had times when he wanted to go home. He's wanted to be done since he's been by himself almost the whole game. But he prayed that God would keep him there as long as he needed him there. And he's still there. He's still there teaching others through his words and actions. He's teaching his fellow contestants as well as the Survivor audience. And he's taught me a few things as well.
So I just want to say, "Go Matt! May God bless you in this game and all the others you play in your life. If you continue to play for HIM, you will win no matter what."
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Blessed Sunday
For Blessed Sunday this Mother's Day, I have had many ideas for the blessings I could write about. Obviously I could write about the blessing my children are. Or I could write about my mom or other moms I know. I could even write about the blessings of motherhood in general. But the blessing I decided on for today is what motherhood has taught me about God.
You see, for me motherhood has been the greatest catalyst in increasing my relationship with God. I feel like I know and understand him better. I feel like I love him more deeply since I became a mother. It started at the very beginning of my mom journey. I had a little bit of trouble getting pregnant with Josh. In my control-freak manner I prayed for a baby. My time. My terms. My plans. He said "no." Finally after a while I gave it to him. I literally prayed, "Okay, I'm giving it to you. Do what you want." Josh happened. That was my first lesson. One I still remember and am blessed by to this day. His time. His terms. His plans.
Since I became a mom I've also learned about God's love. The love I feel for my kids defies understanding. It's an instinctual, intense, amazing love. God's love for me, and you, is like that, too. Only his love is perfect in every way. Perfect and unconditional and so much more amazing than any love we can feel on earth. I also can finally understand a little better how God can love us all with that awesome love. When I was pregnant with Adam, I wondered how I could possibly love him as much as I loved Josh. And then I did. With Julianna I knew I would love her as much. I understood that love is in no way limited. There's always enough to go around. If I had 6 billion children like God does, I would love each and every one just as I loved the first. Each differently but equally.
And then there's grace. You know, when we're given something even when we don't deserve it. Over the last 11+ years I have learned a little more about God's grace given to me. And I've learned a ton about giving grace to others. I give of myself to my children 'til there's no more to give. And then somehow I find more. Most of the time they take it for granted. Most of the time they take advantage of it. Most of the time I don't mind. Beyond that, I sometimes don't give them something they do deserve. Like consequences or lectures or worse. That's grace, too. Just like God's grace. I don't deserve so much that he gives me. And I certainly do deserve so much that he chooses to not give me. Hallelujah! Amazing grace!
I truly count motherhood as one of my greatest blessings. For so, so, so many reasons. Honestly, I can't imagine how I could even begin to understand my Father if I weren't a mother. Josh, Adam, and Julianna are a part of me just as I am a part of him. The rely on me just as I rely on him. They are my greatest joy in this life. I pray and hope with all my heart that I can be a great joy to the one who gives all joy.
You see, for me motherhood has been the greatest catalyst in increasing my relationship with God. I feel like I know and understand him better. I feel like I love him more deeply since I became a mother. It started at the very beginning of my mom journey. I had a little bit of trouble getting pregnant with Josh. In my control-freak manner I prayed for a baby. My time. My terms. My plans. He said "no." Finally after a while I gave it to him. I literally prayed, "Okay, I'm giving it to you. Do what you want." Josh happened. That was my first lesson. One I still remember and am blessed by to this day. His time. His terms. His plans.
Since I became a mom I've also learned about God's love. The love I feel for my kids defies understanding. It's an instinctual, intense, amazing love. God's love for me, and you, is like that, too. Only his love is perfect in every way. Perfect and unconditional and so much more amazing than any love we can feel on earth. I also can finally understand a little better how God can love us all with that awesome love. When I was pregnant with Adam, I wondered how I could possibly love him as much as I loved Josh. And then I did. With Julianna I knew I would love her as much. I understood that love is in no way limited. There's always enough to go around. If I had 6 billion children like God does, I would love each and every one just as I loved the first. Each differently but equally.
And then there's grace. You know, when we're given something even when we don't deserve it. Over the last 11+ years I have learned a little more about God's grace given to me. And I've learned a ton about giving grace to others. I give of myself to my children 'til there's no more to give. And then somehow I find more. Most of the time they take it for granted. Most of the time they take advantage of it. Most of the time I don't mind. Beyond that, I sometimes don't give them something they do deserve. Like consequences or lectures or worse. That's grace, too. Just like God's grace. I don't deserve so much that he gives me. And I certainly do deserve so much that he chooses to not give me. Hallelujah! Amazing grace!
I truly count motherhood as one of my greatest blessings. For so, so, so many reasons. Honestly, I can't imagine how I could even begin to understand my Father if I weren't a mother. Josh, Adam, and Julianna are a part of me just as I am a part of him. The rely on me just as I rely on him. They are my greatest joy in this life. I pray and hope with all my heart that I can be a great joy to the one who gives all joy.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about Julianna.
1. She is getting over laryngitis and has a voice that has been described as sounding like a "small, 40 year old man."
2. She describes her voice as "broken."
3. She says words that start with sm and sp like they start with sf--sfile (smile), sfecial (special), sfarkly (sparkly), Sfarties (Smarties). And yes, the boys think that last one is hilarious.
4. She has begun naming her stuffed animals. They are all named Sweetie Pie.
5. She is a girly girl. She likes pink, clothes, and especially shoes. And if the shoes are pink and/or sfarkly, she likes them even more.
6. She is a "very mature 2 year old" according to her Bible class teacher.
7. She is bossy. She is perfectly capable, and more than willing, to keep my kindergartners in line when she joins us in the afternoon.
8. She knows what she wants. As in clothes to wear, food to eat, books to read, and especially shoes to wear.
9. She loves animals and if they are baby animals they are especially loved.
10. She will turn 3 in 26 days. Oh my goodness, how time flies.
1. She is getting over laryngitis and has a voice that has been described as sounding like a "small, 40 year old man."
2. She describes her voice as "broken."
3. She says words that start with sm and sp like they start with sf--sfile (smile), sfecial (special), sfarkly (sparkly), Sfarties (Smarties). And yes, the boys think that last one is hilarious.
4. She has begun naming her stuffed animals. They are all named Sweetie Pie.
5. She is a girly girl. She likes pink, clothes, and especially shoes. And if the shoes are pink and/or sfarkly, she likes them even more.
6. She is a "very mature 2 year old" according to her Bible class teacher.
7. She is bossy. She is perfectly capable, and more than willing, to keep my kindergartners in line when she joins us in the afternoon.
8. She knows what she wants. As in clothes to wear, food to eat, books to read, and especially shoes to wear.
9. She loves animals and if they are baby animals they are especially loved.
10. She will turn 3 in 26 days. Oh my goodness, how time flies.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Wednesday WORD
Proverbs 24: 16-20
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Blessed Sunday--Easter Weekend
This post is a week late, but it definitely qualifies for Blessed Sunday.
On Saturday our church hosted an Easter egg hunt. Adam and Jules were very excited about it. (Josh chose to go turkey hunting with Pappy instead.) Before we headed out, I painted Jules' fingernails for her. Pink, or course. She loved it. She's trying to show me her nails in this picture.
The two cutest girls at the egg hunt--Jules and Abby.
Jules with one of her eggs. See the pink fingernails!
Jules coloring eggs.
So how many more years do you think I have when all three of my kids actually want to color eggs with me?
Nice!
Easter at Pappy and Grandma's. Cute girls in pretty Easter dresses.
JoJo and JuJu. She loves this dog and hugs her every chance she gets. Such a patient puppy.
The find at Pappy and Grandma's!
This is what happens when my sister, my pregnant sister, is put in charge of desserts. Yumminess to the extreme. 
It was a good weekend. Family, fun, food, and SUNSHINE!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Some Things I Love
So the following list of some things I love may just give you a little insight to the strange shelves in my mind. If you know me well, you won't be surprised, for you know I'm a little crazy. If you don't know me well, don't hold anything you're about to read against me.
I love the book Heaven Is For Real. It's all about this 3 year old boy who has a heavenly experience while in surgery for a critical case of appendicitis. After his medically surprising, but not heavenly surprising, recovery, he begins to tell his parents about meeting Jesus and what and who he saw in heaven while he was in surgery. I admit that I was skeptical when I began reading, but as a believer in heaven and the Bible I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the proof and excited about the prospect of such a wonderful eternity. Is little Colton's heaven my heaven? I don't know. But any heaven at all where Jesus lives is all right with me. And in 40 or 50 more years, after I dance at my grandkids' weddings, I'll be ready to go.
I love the Hunger Games book series (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay). It is nothing like Heaven Is For Real. Not in the least. It is aimed at teenagers and is about a 16 year old girl who gets thrown into a fight to the death game held by her post-war North American capitol. It's brutal and science-fictiony and absolutely fascinating. I loved every minute of the read and fell in love with the heroine. I felt very motherly toward her and was so glad when...well, I won't spoil it for those of you who are still reading or who may. But I can say that if you are at all inclined to read young adult literature, you should definitely try Hunger Games. Just be sure to pack your bow and arrows.
I love going to the movies by myself. Don't get me wrong, I love going with the kids and Arrty and my girlfriends, too, but there's just something so free and easy about going by myself. And that's just what I did last night. I bought "just one" ticket, ordered the snacks I wanted (small popcorn and small Diet Coke), and sat where I wanted. (And then moved over one seat without feeling the least bit weird when an older gentleman, also alone, sat by me because the theater was almost full.) I should make it a point to go more often. It gave me a few hours of much needed solitude. And along those lines...
I love Fast Five! Oh.My.Goodness! I have enjoyed all the Fast movies, but this one was so, so, so good! Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with a little Paul Walker thrown in for good measure. Then you add some really fast cars, exciting car/train/truck/bus/vault chases, and a 100 million dollar heist. Nice. I loved it from the very first scene and smiled and laughed and gasped and jumped in my seat through the whole thing and even until the little surprise after the credits. I love this line in a review I just read about Vin and The Rock--"when they fight, it's like half of Mount Rushmore got liquored up and started wrasslin', two solid slabs of muscle whaling away at each other with great vigor, and to great effect." Yep. It was just like that. And I loved it!
So there you have it. I love heaven, good books, solitude, and action movies. I told you I was crazy.
I love the book Heaven Is For Real. It's all about this 3 year old boy who has a heavenly experience while in surgery for a critical case of appendicitis. After his medically surprising, but not heavenly surprising, recovery, he begins to tell his parents about meeting Jesus and what and who he saw in heaven while he was in surgery. I admit that I was skeptical when I began reading, but as a believer in heaven and the Bible I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the proof and excited about the prospect of such a wonderful eternity. Is little Colton's heaven my heaven? I don't know. But any heaven at all where Jesus lives is all right with me. And in 40 or 50 more years, after I dance at my grandkids' weddings, I'll be ready to go.
I love the Hunger Games book series (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay). It is nothing like Heaven Is For Real. Not in the least. It is aimed at teenagers and is about a 16 year old girl who gets thrown into a fight to the death game held by her post-war North American capitol. It's brutal and science-fictiony and absolutely fascinating. I loved every minute of the read and fell in love with the heroine. I felt very motherly toward her and was so glad when...well, I won't spoil it for those of you who are still reading or who may. But I can say that if you are at all inclined to read young adult literature, you should definitely try Hunger Games. Just be sure to pack your bow and arrows.
I love going to the movies by myself. Don't get me wrong, I love going with the kids and Arrty and my girlfriends, too, but there's just something so free and easy about going by myself. And that's just what I did last night. I bought "just one" ticket, ordered the snacks I wanted (small popcorn and small Diet Coke), and sat where I wanted. (And then moved over one seat without feeling the least bit weird when an older gentleman, also alone, sat by me because the theater was almost full.) I should make it a point to go more often. It gave me a few hours of much needed solitude. And along those lines...
I love Fast Five! Oh.My.Goodness! I have enjoyed all the Fast movies, but this one was so, so, so good! Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with a little Paul Walker thrown in for good measure. Then you add some really fast cars, exciting car/train/truck/bus/vault chases, and a 100 million dollar heist. Nice. I loved it from the very first scene and smiled and laughed and gasped and jumped in my seat through the whole thing and even until the little surprise after the credits. I love this line in a review I just read about Vin and The Rock--"when they fight, it's like half of Mount Rushmore got liquored up and started wrasslin', two solid slabs of muscle whaling away at each other with great vigor, and to great effect." Yep. It was just like that. And I loved it!
So there you have it. I love heaven, good books, solitude, and action movies. I told you I was crazy.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 random things.
1. I taught my kindergartners how to draw a rabbit last week. They turned out really cute. Well, mostly. A couple of them looked a little like Picassos.
2. Julianna learned about the circle of life this week when our trusty mouser, Luke, left a mostly intact mouse on our front walk. When I explained to her that Luke's job is to get rid of the mice for us, she said sadly, "But I like mouses."
3. Josh asked me if I would buy him a cell phone. I told him that he could have one when he was the age that I was when I got my first cell phone--28. Adam then asked, "What did you do if there was an emergency?!" Which led to my explanation of land lines and pay phones. You know, back in the dark ages.
4. I bought new Play-Doh for my class this week. In spite of the mess, it's one of my favorite kindergarten activities. It really allows the kids to be creative. And even my 3rd and 4th and 5th-7th grade art classes had fun with it. (Oh, and one teacher who happened by my classroom.)
5. On cold, windy days my 15 minute recess duty is exactly 15 minutes. 14 1/2 if I can get away with it. On warm, sunny days, my 15 minute recess duty might stretch to 20...or, let's be honest, 25 minutes.
6. There's been lots of baby name talk in our family lately with my new nephew arriving this summer. If I had more babies to name, I like Maggie, Ethan, Ella, Noah, Ava, Sophia, Olivia, Ben, Max, Addison, Mia, Caroline...
7. Why is it so hard for kindergartners to distinguish one coin from another? They all look different. They are different sizes. They have different pictures on them. The penny is a whole different color for goodness sake! How hard can it be? Apparently pretty hard considering I spent my whole math time working on it this morning and some of them still said "penny" when I held up a nickel. Urrrggg.
8. I received a copy of Veggie Tales "Twas the Night Before Easter" from World Vision to show to our school. They also sent a little stack of pictures of children who need sponsors through their program. I love World Vision and we sponsor two children, but I really have to stop doing things where they send me these pictures. I want to sponsor them all! And I don't have to send the unsponsored ones back and I can't bring myself to throw them away. Anyone want to be a sponsor?
9. I so, so, so hope winter is over. If it snows again, I may just have to cry.
10. The movie "Fast Five" starts this weekend. I should not be so excited about an action movie. But Vin Diesel and The Rock in the same movie?!? I can hardly wait.
1. I taught my kindergartners how to draw a rabbit last week. They turned out really cute. Well, mostly. A couple of them looked a little like Picassos.
2. Julianna learned about the circle of life this week when our trusty mouser, Luke, left a mostly intact mouse on our front walk. When I explained to her that Luke's job is to get rid of the mice for us, she said sadly, "But I like mouses."
3. Josh asked me if I would buy him a cell phone. I told him that he could have one when he was the age that I was when I got my first cell phone--28. Adam then asked, "What did you do if there was an emergency?!" Which led to my explanation of land lines and pay phones. You know, back in the dark ages.
4. I bought new Play-Doh for my class this week. In spite of the mess, it's one of my favorite kindergarten activities. It really allows the kids to be creative. And even my 3rd and 4th and 5th-7th grade art classes had fun with it. (Oh, and one teacher who happened by my classroom.)
5. On cold, windy days my 15 minute recess duty is exactly 15 minutes. 14 1/2 if I can get away with it. On warm, sunny days, my 15 minute recess duty might stretch to 20...or, let's be honest, 25 minutes.
6. There's been lots of baby name talk in our family lately with my new nephew arriving this summer. If I had more babies to name, I like Maggie, Ethan, Ella, Noah, Ava, Sophia, Olivia, Ben, Max, Addison, Mia, Caroline...
7. Why is it so hard for kindergartners to distinguish one coin from another? They all look different. They are different sizes. They have different pictures on them. The penny is a whole different color for goodness sake! How hard can it be? Apparently pretty hard considering I spent my whole math time working on it this morning and some of them still said "penny" when I held up a nickel. Urrrggg.
8. I received a copy of Veggie Tales "Twas the Night Before Easter" from World Vision to show to our school. They also sent a little stack of pictures of children who need sponsors through their program. I love World Vision and we sponsor two children, but I really have to stop doing things where they send me these pictures. I want to sponsor them all! And I don't have to send the unsponsored ones back and I can't bring myself to throw them away. Anyone want to be a sponsor?
9. I so, so, so hope winter is over. If it snows again, I may just have to cry.
10. The movie "Fast Five" starts this weekend. I should not be so excited about an action movie. But Vin Diesel and The Rock in the same movie?!? I can hardly wait.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday WORD
To get today's WORD, I went to my Bible site, closed my eyes and clicked. This is where I landed.
Nathan told David, "Whatever is on your heart, go and do it; God is with you." 1 Chronicles 17:2
Nathan told David, "Whatever is on your heart, go and do it; God is with you." 1 Chronicles 17:2
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
We are reading!!
Today I sat down with each of my kindergartners and read with them one on one. And guess what?! They can all read!! Yes, there are some who are very beginning readers, but readers nonetheless. Even my two 4 year olds are reading. And I am thrilled! I've never had a year when every single one of my students were reading at this point in the year. Or even by the end of the year. Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Cutest.Thing.Ever.
One of my afternoon moms came to pick up her little boy the other day and noticed Julianna in my classroom. "Is that your girlfriend," she asked her son. He grinned and acted all shy. Apparently he has been going home and telling his mom all about Jules and how she is his girlfriend. And when his mom asked him what Julianna looked like, he said, "a princess."
See. I told you. Cutest.Thing.Ever.
See. I told you. Cutest.Thing.Ever.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday WORD
Matthew 7:7 (various translations)
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Friday, April 08, 2011
Show and Tell Fill in the Blank
This is my ____________________.
a) Bunny named FlowerHeart
b) Rocks
c) Bunny named Buns
d) Monster Truck
e) Pillow Pet
f) Medals
g) Christmas Tree ornament
h) Ipod (toy)
I like it __________________.
a) a lot
b) very much
c) so much
It's ________________.
a) special
b) very special
c) very, very special
I like to __________________.
a) play with it
b) take it with me wherever I go
c) curl up with it
d) listen to it
I got it from ___________________.
a) McDonald's
b) The Playground
c) Great-Grandma and Grandpa
d) Christmas
a) Bunny named FlowerHeart
b) Rocks
c) Bunny named Buns
d) Monster Truck
e) Pillow Pet
f) Medals
g) Christmas Tree ornament
h) Ipod (toy)
I like it __________________.
a) a lot
b) very much
c) so much
It's ________________.
a) special
b) very special
c) very, very special
I like to __________________.
a) play with it
b) take it with me wherever I go
c) curl up with it
d) listen to it
I got it from ___________________.
a) McDonald's
b) The Playground
c) Great-Grandma and Grandpa
d) Christmas
Thursday, April 07, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things you should see in spring.
1. Sunshine
2. Blue skies
3. Daffodils and other new blooms
4. Short sleeves
5. Birds
6. Bugs
7. Green grass
8. Budding trees
9. Baby animals
10. Kids playing outside
1 thing you shouldn't see in spring: SNOW!
1. Sunshine
2. Blue skies
3. Daffodils and other new blooms
4. Short sleeves
5. Birds
6. Bugs
7. Green grass
8. Budding trees
9. Baby animals
10. Kids playing outside
1 thing you shouldn't see in spring: SNOW!
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Overheard in Kindergarten
"I can spell dog--D-O-G."
"I can spell cat--C-A-T."
"I can spell God--G-O-D."
"I can spell dad--D-A-D."
"I can spell mom--W-O-W."
"I can spell cat--C-A-T."
"I can spell God--G-O-D."
"I can spell dad--D-A-D."
"I can spell mom--W-O-W."
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Saturday
So today is Saturday which means that I have two days left of spring break. I totally did not do anything on my "to do" list. Frankly, I didn't even make a "to do" list. It rained a lot, so we watched a whole bunch of movies. And I've been reading "Rhett Butler's People" which is "Gone With The Wind" from Rhett's perspective. And I've cooked a lot and done dishes at least 1,000 times. I've played Littlest Pet Shop and Babies and read more picture books than I can count. I spent several hours at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital and took care of a recovering child. I've gone grocery shopping and to Costco. I made it to the movies once and tried the new Coldstone Creations. I took Julianna to a birthday party and watched as my baby turned into a little girl. I went out to lunch with my husband and we talked about the past and the present and the future. I spent a loud, exhausting day chasing a two year old around Chuck E. Cheese's. I moved Julianna's crib out of her room and replaced it with a toddler bed in anticipation for her big girl bed in a couple of weeks. And I have spent the last few nights wondering how such a little girl needs to go potty so many times right after she goes to bed. And wondering how she can possibly still be so awake at 10:47pm after being put to bed at 8:00pm. (I figured that one out though, when I went in and found a huge stack of books in her bed. Up reading 'til all hours of the night? Wonder where she gets that?) So, no, my spring cleaning didn't get done. And my 4th quarter lesson plans didn't get made. And no big events happened. But my mind and heart got a little spring cleaning. And now I think I can make it through the next 9 weeks of kindergarten. And if the sun ever comes out, I know I can make it.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about Chuck E. Cheese.
1. It is a perfect reward for potty training. Jules has been saying for days, "Chuck E. Cheese, here we come!" every time she went to the bathroom. They even have a "potty perfect" calendar on the website that can help you keep track of success. And the "perfect pottier" gets 10 free tokens once it's filled in.
2. Julianna loves the games and rides. And it's great because each costs one token. No worrying about her not knowing how many tokens to put in.
3. The boys still like to go. There are plenty of games to keep them entertained for a few hours, too.
4. Chuck E. is scary. Not to me. I know he's just some kid in a giant mouse costume. But Julianna doesn't want to get "too close." At least she doesn't still hide in the seat behind me every time he's near.
5. The food's not bad. It's not gourmet pizza by any means, but it's edible. And the salad bar is pretty good.
6. They changed from Coke to Pepsi products. Which doesn't really matter to me. I'll drink either. But some people I know are not happy about the change. Not happy at all.
7. Sam rocks. Sam is the octogenarian owner of the two Chuck E. Cheese's franchises in Spokane. He's there almost every time we are and walks around and talks to as many customers as he can. He really wants everyone to be happy and have fun.
8. This is not allowed. Who would have thought that the sweet, little girl would be the one to get us into trouble? (And yes, I took pictures before I got her down.)
9. Some kids are just not as well mannered as ours. It takes one mean mother to put some kids in their place. (I was not that mean mother, by the way.)
10. It's a great place to take pictures.
1. It is a perfect reward for potty training. Jules has been saying for days, "Chuck E. Cheese, here we come!" every time she went to the bathroom. They even have a "potty perfect" calendar on the website that can help you keep track of success. And the "perfect pottier" gets 10 free tokens once it's filled in.
2. Julianna loves the games and rides. And it's great because each costs one token. No worrying about her not knowing how many tokens to put in.
3. The boys still like to go. There are plenty of games to keep them entertained for a few hours, too.
4. Chuck E. is scary. Not to me. I know he's just some kid in a giant mouse costume. But Julianna doesn't want to get "too close." At least she doesn't still hide in the seat behind me every time he's near.
5. The food's not bad. It's not gourmet pizza by any means, but it's edible. And the salad bar is pretty good.
6. They changed from Coke to Pepsi products. Which doesn't really matter to me. I'll drink either. But some people I know are not happy about the change. Not happy at all.
7. Sam rocks. Sam is the octogenarian owner of the two Chuck E. Cheese's franchises in Spokane. He's there almost every time we are and walks around and talks to as many customers as he can. He really wants everyone to be happy and have fun.
8. This is not allowed. Who would have thought that the sweet, little girl would be the one to get us into trouble? (And yes, I took pictures before I got her down.)
9. Some kids are just not as well mannered as ours. It takes one mean mother to put some kids in their place. (I was not that mean mother, by the way.)
10. It's a great place to take pictures.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Blessed Sunday
1. Living in a place and time where my children can be taken care of.
2. Answered prayers.
3. Tylenol with codeine.
4. Oregon chai, warm blanket, good book.
5. Spring break...even though it's snowing.
2. Answered prayers.
3. Tylenol with codeine.
4. Oregon chai, warm blanket, good book.
5. Spring break...even though it's snowing.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about potty training.
1. I've done it three times.
2. Each time was very different.
3. It's not easy or fun.
4. It's the first thing parents have to actually teach their children. Eating, rolling, crawling, walking, talking all seem to come naturally. Pottying in the potty? Not so much.
5. M-n-Ms are as valuable as gold. As are stickers with Jules. And the promise of Chuck E. Cheese's.
6. It is a challenge at home.
7. And even more of a challenge at school while trying to teach kindergarten.
8. It's kind of weird that bathroom habits can make me so happy. ("Are you happy that I went in the potty, Mommy?" "Oh my goodness, Julianna, I am so, so, so happy.")
9. I will never have to potty train another child. Never. Ever.
10. Julianna is potty trained. (I have to say that quietly so I don't jinx it.)
1. I've done it three times.
2. Each time was very different.
3. It's not easy or fun.
4. It's the first thing parents have to actually teach their children. Eating, rolling, crawling, walking, talking all seem to come naturally. Pottying in the potty? Not so much.
5. M-n-Ms are as valuable as gold. As are stickers with Jules. And the promise of Chuck E. Cheese's.
6. It is a challenge at home.
7. And even more of a challenge at school while trying to teach kindergarten.
8. It's kind of weird that bathroom habits can make me so happy. ("Are you happy that I went in the potty, Mommy?" "Oh my goodness, Julianna, I am so, so, so happy.")
9. I will never have to potty train another child. Never. Ever.
10. Julianna is potty trained. (I have to say that quietly so I don't jinx it.)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wednesday WORD
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Blessed Sunday
I can think of 100 things that have been a blessing to me this week. Probably more. But the blessings themselves, although wonderful, aren't what I'm feeling the most blessed by today. What I feel most blessed by is that I can see those blessings. And be grateful for them. I can know from whom they come and raise my voice in praise. I can look forward to tomorrow knowing that I will continue to be blessed. Some days I'm reminded of the dark days in my life and it makes me oh so grateful to be out of them. In those dark days I felt surrounded by thick, impenetrable darkness. The kind I remember from my childhood when we visited my grandparents in the hills of West Virginia and when the lights went out, I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. There were no street lights or neighborhood lights. Even the moon was obscured by the hills surrounding the house. It was so very dark. That's how those days felt. I couldn't see anything, not even right in front of my eyes. I was blinded by pain and depression and fear. But today the sun is shining and I can look around and see everything. I no longer have those blinders on. Praise God! So today I am blessed...just by knowing how blessed I truly am.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Overheard in Kindergarten
Teacher, I'm going to find a rainbow and go to the end of it and find the pot of gold and then catch a leprechaun with my net...Just kidding. I don't have a net.
If you like my DS so much, you should lose some teeth so you can buy one.
I used to be a ninja.
If you like my DS so much, you should lose some teeth so you can buy one.
I used to be a ninja.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things about St. Patrick's Day.
1. It's an Irish holiday...and I am a Flanagan after all.
2. I get to wear green...but I don't own many green items of clothing.
3. There's traditional food...and I have corned beef and cabbage cooking in the crock pot.
4. The traditional St. Patrick's Day color used to be blue...I have plenty of blue in my closet.
5. There's pinching...but there better not be any in kindergarten.
5. There's pinching...but there better not be any in kindergarten.
6. St. Patrick taught Christianity...and chased all the snakes out of Ireland.
7. St. Patrick was born in 387...and died on March 17, 461.
8. St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach the pre-Christian Irish...each leaf stood for one part of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
9. At least a few of my students will forget to wear green...and I will have to dig out my shamrock stickers to put on their shirts for them.
10. I want to visit Ireland someday...and pick real Irish shamrocks.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday WORD
Isaiah 26:3 (various translations)
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole,
Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
The LORD gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole,
Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
The LORD gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Rambling
Josh all of a sudden thinks he's 16. He's decided that he's no longer a child...he's a preteen. Well, the preteens in my house get treated like children. Because THEY ARE.
Adam got punched in the face at school a few weeks ago. His black eye is just about gone. I'm glad, because every time I saw my baby's bruised face, I got mad all over again. By the way, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person. He didn't deserve it.
Julianna loves to grab my hands and dance around the kitchen. The other day she declared, "Mommy, you're my dancer." To which I replied, "You're my dancer, too." And she is. Always has been. It took me three kids, but I finally got one who will dance with me.
I went to the Grease sing-a-long over the weekend with some of my favorite people. We sang. We danced. We laughed. And we all wished we were brave enough to dress like "Bad Sandy."
Our school auction was a big success. We made over $18,000 which is well over our goal of $12,000. Special thanks to all who supported our school at the auction and who do so throughout the year. I did my part, too. I spent $36.
At the beginning of the year, my afternoon class consisted of 4 of my kindergarten girls. Piece of cake. I actually felt a little guilty since it was going to be so easy. Well, I no longer feel guilty. Today I had 10 in my afternoon class. My 4 girls...and six 3 and 4 year old boys. At least they are all potty trained. Well, mostly.
I don't like the time change. The kids can't go to sleep when they should and therefore can't get up in the morning. It has thrown everybody into some kind of jet-lag like state. I'm sure it won't last long. Probably only 6 months or so...just in time for the next time change.
Adam got punched in the face at school a few weeks ago. His black eye is just about gone. I'm glad, because every time I saw my baby's bruised face, I got mad all over again. By the way, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person. He didn't deserve it.
Julianna loves to grab my hands and dance around the kitchen. The other day she declared, "Mommy, you're my dancer." To which I replied, "You're my dancer, too." And she is. Always has been. It took me three kids, but I finally got one who will dance with me.
I went to the Grease sing-a-long over the weekend with some of my favorite people. We sang. We danced. We laughed. And we all wished we were brave enough to dress like "Bad Sandy."
Our school auction was a big success. We made over $18,000 which is well over our goal of $12,000. Special thanks to all who supported our school at the auction and who do so throughout the year. I did my part, too. I spent $36.
At the beginning of the year, my afternoon class consisted of 4 of my kindergarten girls. Piece of cake. I actually felt a little guilty since it was going to be so easy. Well, I no longer feel guilty. Today I had 10 in my afternoon class. My 4 girls...and six 3 and 4 year old boys. At least they are all potty trained. Well, mostly.
I don't like the time change. The kids can't go to sleep when they should and therefore can't get up in the morning. It has thrown everybody into some kind of jet-lag like state. I'm sure it won't last long. Probably only 6 months or so...just in time for the next time change.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things for sale at our school auction tomorrow night.
1. 4 Disneyland/California Adventure day passes + 2 night stay at Red Lion
2. $1500 landscaping package
3. snowmobile trailer
4. 42" plasma screen tv
5. Wii
6. several large baskets (gardening, road trip, family fun, fishing, cowboy cookout...)
7. over 100 small packages on silent auction (collectibles, restaurant gift cards, toys, tools, books...)
8. Silverwood tickets
9. a raft
10. dozens of yummy, homemade baked goods
Come join the fun and support a great cause.
1. 4 Disneyland/California Adventure day passes + 2 night stay at Red Lion
2. $1500 landscaping package
3. snowmobile trailer
4. 42" plasma screen tv
5. Wii
6. several large baskets (gardening, road trip, family fun, fishing, cowboy cookout...)
7. over 100 small packages on silent auction (collectibles, restaurant gift cards, toys, tools, books...)
8. Silverwood tickets
9. a raft
10. dozens of yummy, homemade baked goods
Come join the fun and support a great cause.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Wednesday WORD
Jeremiah 29:11 (various versions)
I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in the end.
I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in the end.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Two For Tuesday
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." Teilhard de Chardin
"Impart as much as you can of your spiritual being to those who are on the road with you, and accept as something precious what comes back to you from them." Albert Schweitzer
"Impart as much as you can of your spiritual being to those who are on the road with you, and accept as something precious what comes back to you from them." Albert Schweitzer
Monday, March 07, 2011
Birthday Guilt
I'm feeling a little guilty. I really didn't mean for last week's 10 things Thursday to be a birthday shopping list for my family and friends. Really. I didn't. It was just for fun. Really. But it turns out that from my mom I got a wooden bowl, new dish towels, and a gift card to Applebee's. And from my sister and her family I got music (Glee Season 1 cd), a movie (Becoming Jane), and a book (Water For Elephants). Then today, a family friend showed up at school with a Dutch Bros. gift card. So I'm feeling a little guilty and embarrassed. I guess I should be more careful with my lists. But thanks everyone for the gifts. It's just what I wanted! :)
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Blessed Sunday
On Friday I was blessed to have yet another great birthday. First thing in the morning the kids and Arrty all gave me the sweetest cards that they picked out themselves. And they gave me movies that they also picked out. So I got Flushed Away from Josh, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium from Adam, Scooby Doo from Julianna, and The Neverending Story from Arrty. Since one of our favorite family activities is watching movies, it was kind of perfect. Then on the way to school I stopped at Dutch Bros. to get my free birthday drink (large chai latte, of course). At school the kids were all excited about my birthday and sang to me off and on throughout the day including the whole school singing during chapel. Kids love birthdays no matter whose it is. One of my student's moms even went home after dropping her daughter off at school and made cupcakes for the class when she found out it was my birthday. How sweet was that? After school my family took me out to dinner. I picked Texas Roadhouse. I had pulled pork and bbq chicken. It was yummy. And yummy again last night when I ate the other half. After dinner I went to Borders and wandered around looking at all the books that I want to read, and bought myself the new Mark Twain autobiography. It's huge! I should have picked it up last instead of first so I didn't have to carry it around the whole store. Then I made a quick stop by my parents' house because I couldn't not see them on my birthday. They did make it all possible after all. When I got home we watched one of my new movies and laughed and ate popcorn. Then I read 'til way too late because I couldn't put my book down (Catching Fire). It was a good day. I smiled a lot and felt blessed to share my day with all those in my life. Here's to many, many more of those special days.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
And so it begins...
Today I begin my 40th year of life. And I'm totally okay with it. Do I feel 39 going on 40? No. Does is seem all that old? Not today. But what I do feel is determination. Here's why. Throughout my house you will find several journals that have entries from years past. Mostly only the first few pages are written on because frankly I'm not that good at journaling. I start out strong at the beginning of any given year, but by mid-January my entries are sporadic at best and pretty much non-existent after that. But the thing that gets to me when I read any of them is that every year that I began journaling, whether I was 20 or 28 or 35, I have the same goals. Goals that haven't been reached. Really? I've had the same goals for the past 20 years and can't get past them? The good thing, I guess, is that they must be good goals if they are still important to me after all this time. But it's so discouraging to see that I haven't achieved them and moved on. Here's what they are.
Be healthy. Eat better, exercise, lose weight. I know what to do and even how to do it. But it's so hard. And it's so easy to make excuses. But the fact of the matter is that it's no longer just me who needs to be healthy. It's my family. And because of my neglect we are not as healthy as we should be. That's gotta change. Now. So by my 40th birthday, my family will be healthier. We will be stronger and lighter and more able to enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Be closer to God. Pray more. Read the Bible more. Rely on him more. This is the one that has actually changed the most. I have, over the years, grown closer to God. I do pray more and rely on him more. And even though I have read the whole Bible a few times, I don't do it everyday like I know I should. And again it all comes back to my family. At the beginning of the year I started reading my Bible that is broken down into days so that by the end of the year I would read the whole thing. When Adam saw me reading it one evening, he said, "Mom, are you reading the Bible?" When I said yes, he said, "Cool." And I realized that he may have never seen me reading it before. He'd seen me reading hundreds of other books, but he was genuinely surprised to see me reading my Bible. When I do occasionally read it, it's early in the morning or before bed. Not when the kids are up. I need them to know that it's important to me to immerse myself in God's word. Lead by example. By my 40th birthday, I want to once again read through the whole Bible. And let my kids see me do it.
Get my house in order. This has to do with clutter, having time to clean, and getting rid of things we don't need. I struggle with this because there's just so much stuff. It seems like I can't get rid of enough stuff to make a big difference. Not to mention that I live with at least 3 collectors. It feels like we are outgrowing our house. And that there's not enough hours in the day to take care of all the stuff the way it needs to be taken care of. So by my 40th birthday, I will downsize, simplify, and make new habits that include delegating chores.
Be financially stable. Sigh. This is a hard one. The last few years have put us further behind than ever. Dang economy and unemployment. I've always been bad at budgeting, but now it's more important than ever. And we might have to make some changes that we've been reluctant to make in the past. But one way or another, by my 40th birthday, I will at least feel like we're moving ahead in this area.
Write. In my heart, I am a writer. My head is so full of things I want to get on paper. Last night I was wandering through Borders and ran my hand along one of the shelves of books. And it hit me that if all these people can do it, why can't I? I have this great book in my head, several really. And I even have a few started. So by my 40th birthday, I will submit 12 articles to magazines and at least one children's book to publishers.
Easy, right? Piece of cake. But it must be done. I want to begin my 2nd 40 years with a whole new set of goals after having reached all of these. They've been on my list long enough. It's time they get done and make room for others. So today I begin a journey. A long, hard journey, but one that must be made. One that I am both excited and nervous about. One that I know, in the end, will make me a better person for having taken it.
Be healthy. Eat better, exercise, lose weight. I know what to do and even how to do it. But it's so hard. And it's so easy to make excuses. But the fact of the matter is that it's no longer just me who needs to be healthy. It's my family. And because of my neglect we are not as healthy as we should be. That's gotta change. Now. So by my 40th birthday, my family will be healthier. We will be stronger and lighter and more able to enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Be closer to God. Pray more. Read the Bible more. Rely on him more. This is the one that has actually changed the most. I have, over the years, grown closer to God. I do pray more and rely on him more. And even though I have read the whole Bible a few times, I don't do it everyday like I know I should. And again it all comes back to my family. At the beginning of the year I started reading my Bible that is broken down into days so that by the end of the year I would read the whole thing. When Adam saw me reading it one evening, he said, "Mom, are you reading the Bible?" When I said yes, he said, "Cool." And I realized that he may have never seen me reading it before. He'd seen me reading hundreds of other books, but he was genuinely surprised to see me reading my Bible. When I do occasionally read it, it's early in the morning or before bed. Not when the kids are up. I need them to know that it's important to me to immerse myself in God's word. Lead by example. By my 40th birthday, I want to once again read through the whole Bible. And let my kids see me do it.
Get my house in order. This has to do with clutter, having time to clean, and getting rid of things we don't need. I struggle with this because there's just so much stuff. It seems like I can't get rid of enough stuff to make a big difference. Not to mention that I live with at least 3 collectors. It feels like we are outgrowing our house. And that there's not enough hours in the day to take care of all the stuff the way it needs to be taken care of. So by my 40th birthday, I will downsize, simplify, and make new habits that include delegating chores.
Be financially stable. Sigh. This is a hard one. The last few years have put us further behind than ever. Dang economy and unemployment. I've always been bad at budgeting, but now it's more important than ever. And we might have to make some changes that we've been reluctant to make in the past. But one way or another, by my 40th birthday, I will at least feel like we're moving ahead in this area.
Write. In my heart, I am a writer. My head is so full of things I want to get on paper. Last night I was wandering through Borders and ran my hand along one of the shelves of books. And it hit me that if all these people can do it, why can't I? I have this great book in my head, several really. And I even have a few started. So by my 40th birthday, I will submit 12 articles to magazines and at least one children's book to publishers.
Easy, right? Piece of cake. But it must be done. I want to begin my 2nd 40 years with a whole new set of goals after having reached all of these. They've been on my list long enough. It's time they get done and make room for others. So today I begin a journey. A long, hard journey, but one that must be made. One that I am both excited and nervous about. One that I know, in the end, will make me a better person for having taken it.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Show and Tell
"These are my spy goggles and they're very special and I got it for Christmas and that's it."
A doll from the Bahamas that grandma brought K. back from a trip. (Very cute fabric doll with brown skin and braids. Today's cutest show and tell.)
"This is my Barbie and "Mike." She's very special and she's really special and they do this (wildly shakes poor Barbie upside down). And I love them very much."* (Histories most adorable show and teller.)
Lego house that was just built during free time. And believe it or not, "It's very special."
Glass ornament from China where the picture is painted on the inside of the glass ball through a tiny whole in the bottom. (Today's coolest show and tell.)
A white teddy bear holding a red heart that A. got from her mom for Valentine's Day.
"This is my soccer trophy and it's very special and I like it very much and it has a gold star on it and soccer things on the middle and I won it from soccer since I was the best."
Mummy Match game where "you roll the dice once you set it up then you put all the cards upside down and you flip them up and if you see the same letter and it's the same color you get to roll the dice."
Cell phone that's "dead" from M.'s big sister "and you can call people and text people. I can read a lot, like a thousand times a whole book. Like 10 books with 11 pages. And I like my phone a lot and I wish I had a real one so I could call someone. And that's it."
*This was Julianna's first show and tell. And yes, she calls Ken "Mike." Not sure why. Can you tell that she learned how to "show and tell" from kindergartners?
A doll from the Bahamas that grandma brought K. back from a trip. (Very cute fabric doll with brown skin and braids. Today's cutest show and tell.)
"This is my Barbie and "Mike." She's very special and she's really special and they do this (wildly shakes poor Barbie upside down). And I love them very much."* (Histories most adorable show and teller.)
Lego house that was just built during free time. And believe it or not, "It's very special."
Glass ornament from China where the picture is painted on the inside of the glass ball through a tiny whole in the bottom. (Today's coolest show and tell.)
A white teddy bear holding a red heart that A. got from her mom for Valentine's Day.
"This is my soccer trophy and it's very special and I like it very much and it has a gold star on it and soccer things on the middle and I won it from soccer since I was the best."
Mummy Match game where "you roll the dice once you set it up then you put all the cards upside down and you flip them up and if you see the same letter and it's the same color you get to roll the dice."
Cell phone that's "dead" from M.'s big sister "and you can call people and text people. I can read a lot, like a thousand times a whole book. Like 10 books with 11 pages. And I like my phone a lot and I wish I had a real one so I could call someone. And that's it."
*This was Julianna's first show and tell. And yes, she calls Ken "Mike." Not sure why. Can you tell that she learned how to "show and tell" from kindergartners?
Thursday, March 03, 2011
10 Things Thursday
10 things that would make perfect gifts for me. (This post is in no way related to the fact that tomorrow is my birthday...okay maybe it's a little related.)
1. Books. I love books. The one I really want but haven't splurged for yet is the new Mark Twain autobiography.
2. Movies. I also love movies and our family has a pretty good collection. I am starting to collect the "girl" Disney movies now for Jules.
3. Movie tickets. One of my favorite things to do with others or by myself is go to the movies. But I rarely do anymore because it costs a week's wages to take the whole family. And it's hard to get away by myself.
4. Restaurant gift cards. Who doesn't like a night off from cooking? I know I do.
5. Music. Cds. Itunes. 8 tracks. Okay, so maybe not 8 tracks. (Although if you have some, I think my dad still has a player somewhere.)
6. Dish towels. The ones I've been using are finally wearing out. I might have to break down and buy some for myself.
7. Chai latte. Mmmm.
8. Poetry. Written by the giver.
9. Wooden bowl. We were at a friend's house for dinner a few weeks ago and she had such a cool wooden bowl for her salad. I liked it a lot and thought about sneaking it out of the house in my diaper bag. (Not really. Who do you think I am?)
10. Time. Time with you. Time with my family. Time with a good book and chai latte. Time by myself. Anyone know where I can get some?
1. Books. I love books. The one I really want but haven't splurged for yet is the new Mark Twain autobiography.
2. Movies. I also love movies and our family has a pretty good collection. I am starting to collect the "girl" Disney movies now for Jules.
3. Movie tickets. One of my favorite things to do with others or by myself is go to the movies. But I rarely do anymore because it costs a week's wages to take the whole family. And it's hard to get away by myself.
4. Restaurant gift cards. Who doesn't like a night off from cooking? I know I do.
5. Music. Cds. Itunes. 8 tracks. Okay, so maybe not 8 tracks. (Although if you have some, I think my dad still has a player somewhere.)
6. Dish towels. The ones I've been using are finally wearing out. I might have to break down and buy some for myself.
7. Chai latte. Mmmm.
8. Poetry. Written by the giver.
9. Wooden bowl. We were at a friend's house for dinner a few weeks ago and she had such a cool wooden bowl for her salad. I liked it a lot and thought about sneaking it out of the house in my diaper bag. (Not really. Who do you think I am?)
10. Time. Time with you. Time with my family. Time with a good book and chai latte. Time by myself. Anyone know where I can get some?
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Wednesday WORD
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Compassion
On Monday nights we have a Bible study at our house. Last night's topic was compassion. One of the questions was, "What are some specific acts of compassion you've seen recently?" Things like helping with disaster relief, working with the homeless in our community, and giving to the needy were mentioned. But the one I thought of was adoption. We have several families in our school and church who have adopted children. I am always impressed by their compassion and dedication. They work hard to adopt. Tons of paperwork, lots of fundraising, and years of planning and waiting. All to bring a child home. And all because of the compassion they feel for the children in our world who have no one to call their own.
Over the past few years I have begun to feel that compassion more and more strongly. It breaks my heart to think of children who don't have a mommy to hold them and love them and tuck them in at night. Who go to sleep hungry or cold or afraid. And, oh, how it makes me grateful every single day that my children are warm, safe, fed, and loved. So, so grateful. I've always thought that maybe God has in his plan for us to add to our family through adoption. Maybe he still will. Who knows? What we do now, though, is sponsor two children through World Vision and donate to Lifeline Of Hope. Compassion leads us to do those things. And compassion will continue to lead me to pray for all those small, nameless faces in the world who need an extra blessing today.
Over the past few years I have begun to feel that compassion more and more strongly. It breaks my heart to think of children who don't have a mommy to hold them and love them and tuck them in at night. Who go to sleep hungry or cold or afraid. And, oh, how it makes me grateful every single day that my children are warm, safe, fed, and loved. So, so grateful. I've always thought that maybe God has in his plan for us to add to our family through adoption. Maybe he still will. Who knows? What we do now, though, is sponsor two children through World Vision and donate to Lifeline Of Hope. Compassion leads us to do those things. And compassion will continue to lead me to pray for all those small, nameless faces in the world who need an extra blessing today.
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