Well, it was a weekend. Not overly exciting, no adorable tales to tell. Just a weekend at home. And I enjoyed it immensely. Funny how just being with your family can be fulfilling all by itself. Don't ya think? I do.
Saturday was spent resting and playing outside with the kids and doing some of those things that just aren't a priority until you make them such. We put up the blinds in the living room. They have been in a box, waiting patiently for about three weeks now. It just hasn't been important to get them up. There were already blinds up, so it's not as if the world was gazing through our window at us. My make shift laundry line snapped, so the real laundry line just got bumped up several notches. However, we are out of town for the next two weekends, so, it still will wait a bit. Priorities are relative anyway. Didn't you know that?
Saturday night, Joshua's parents came to have dinner with us. I had forgotten how easy it is to make dinner when someone else is entertaining the kids! We had a feast and a nice visit. The kids went to bed, and Joshua and I had time to watch a flick. Cool, yah?
Sunday was church, where I worked the nursery with a girl named Jen. We had a nice chat, between caring for the 8 or so kids in our charge, and I pray the acquaintance continues to blossom into a friendship. Then home for lunch and a nap, then we went shopping for shoes for Mommy! Hooray! Next came a surprise call from our friend John Ed, and we got to eat dinner with him while he was in town. Thomas is pretty fond of John Ed, however, Gracie thinks somewhat differently. But she is coming around. Then, home, bed for the kids, and there you have it.
To some of you, I know this sounds boring, mundane, and any other number of dull words. But I am at peace with the weekend. I spent time with loved ones, got to work at a new relationship, visited with an old friend, and here it is Monday morning, and I feel refreshed and ready for the busy week ahead. Praise God for all the little things. They make the big things even sweeter.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Miss Priss
We finally did it. Our little girl has her ears pierced. For some reason, I really wanted to do this. I have always (since before I can remember) had my ears pierced. I love to wear fun earrings. I know there are people who believe that this is desecrating the body, but call me unwhole. I have two extra holes in my anatomy, and I love to decorate them. So, when Sarah Grace got here, I asked Joshua how soon we could pierce her ears.
Silence.
It's not that he is against the idea of earrings. It's that he is against the idea of someone putting holes in his little girl. I understand this. So, we postponed the event until after her first birthday. This past Saturday, I could stand it no longer. Thomas was with Granny for an overnighter, and so Joshua, Gracie, and I headed off to Merle Norman.
The lady who was running the store that day was a tad trepiditious about doing it. She said that on children as young as Gracie, they usually had two ladies who each had a piercing gun so they could do both ears at once. Somehow, this actually bothered me! I assured her that Grace is a pretty laid back kid when it comes to ouchies, and on we went. Once we selected the earrings, Joshua left. He just could not witness this event.
It was no big deal. Sarah jumped and screeched once on the first ear, and took about two minutes to calm down. Then she sat perfectly still for the second ear, jumped and wailed once, and that was pretty much that. One great big, rolling alligator tear. And she didn't want to talk to the kind lady with the gun. Imagine that.
So, now, I get tickled to see the sparkly earrings peeking out from behind the fluff that is her hair. She hasn't bothered the earrings even once, doesn't even seem to notice them. She is perfectly content to sit while I clean her ears and rotate the posts in her ears, then she grins at me and prances off.
The night after, we couldn't find Sarah PJ's, so we popped her into some of Thomas' old ones. She looked so tom-boy with her boy jammies and glittering earrings. Quite the picture of cuteness, if I do say so myself. Alas, I did not take a picture of this. I do have her at the breakfast table, giving me this wonderful look you see, and if you inspect closely, you will see one of her little shiny, blue, stoned earrings peeking out!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Funny Flushings
Yesterday, we received an email from Granny and Papaw that contained a link. Thomas was sitting in my lap, and I asked him if he wanted to follow the link. "k.' So, we clicked on the link, and zoomed through cyber space together.
Soon, we found ourselves watching thes amazing cat and it's antics. I laughed because it was funny. Thomas did that wonderful little fake laugh that children do just because their parents are laughing. Alas, the video clip ended.
But not the joke.
Thomas sat in my lap and jabbered for a bit, then slid down to wander about our bedroom. (a place strictly off limits unless Mommy or Daddy is with him) The next thing I heard was the toilet flushing in the bathroom. I turned around to call Thomas out, and just as I did this, he peeked his head around the corner and started laughing hysterically. I, of course, got tickled at my little prankster, and laughed. This prompted him to flush the potty again.
We laughed and laughed like a crazy little duo. And then I had to convince him to do something else with me, before he managed to over work our poor toilet and I had to clean up toilet water. It's just ooky, even if it is 'clean'. Know what I mean?
Soon, we found ourselves watching thes amazing cat and it's antics. I laughed because it was funny. Thomas did that wonderful little fake laugh that children do just because their parents are laughing. Alas, the video clip ended.
But not the joke.
Thomas sat in my lap and jabbered for a bit, then slid down to wander about our bedroom. (a place strictly off limits unless Mommy or Daddy is with him) The next thing I heard was the toilet flushing in the bathroom. I turned around to call Thomas out, and just as I did this, he peeked his head around the corner and started laughing hysterically. I, of course, got tickled at my little prankster, and laughed. This prompted him to flush the potty again.
We laughed and laughed like a crazy little duo. And then I had to convince him to do something else with me, before he managed to over work our poor toilet and I had to clean up toilet water. It's just ooky, even if it is 'clean'. Know what I mean?
Monday, September 11, 2006
Forks & Noodles
I have this failing as a mother. Well, I have many. But this is one I don't mind failing at most days. I would so much rather feed my children than to turn them loose with forks and spoons so they can develop these important skills. The developing of these particular skills is so messy. And as I am growing baby #3, I feel more tired. Therefore more lazy.
So, in direct contrast to the I-am-too-lazy-to-clean-their-mess-so-I-will-just-feed-them-myself theory, I recently ran into a new one. I-don't-wanna-feed-them-I-would-rather-clean-up-the-mess-later. Got it? On this night, I had created a masterpiece straight from a Banquet Box, calling itself Chicken Fettucini Alfredo. It is really good, for all you moms out there who need a meal in a box every now and then. So, on top of the fact that Thomas is learning to drink from a cup (no more sippie for him!), I gave my kids cream covered noodles and forks. Let the messiness begin.
Thomas did fairly well, forking, then getting part of the food in his mouth and cramming in the rest with a hand. Gracie soon learned that the fork was just for decoration. She waved it around in one had while the other hand reached down for a handful of noodles to stuff in her mouth, nose, eyes, ears, you know, just wherever her hand landed. Plus, she was tired, so occasionally, the hand rubbed her eyes, then brushed back over her hair. It was a lovely disaster.
We stripped them down at the table (forgive me if this offends someone's sense of dinner table decorum), held them at arm's length, plopped their Alfredo sauce covered bodies in the tub and started the cleaning process. Pretty easy, really. So was the kitchen. I think I like the new theory for most foods. Soup is still in spoons held by Mommy, though!
9/11
I keep hearing the question, "Where were you?" Like it really matters where I was, but I don't think that is the point. I think the point is "Do you remember?" And the answer to that is yes. I remember. September 11, 2001 is emblazoned into my mind the same way my baptism is, how I totaled my car once, my wedding day, the passing of grandparents, the birth of my kids, and other huge events in my life. I remember how I found out, how I felt, the absolute horror of feeling like my home had been attacked. I remember sitting with friends and praying, I remember calling friends of mine in the DC area, only to be scared to death because, for reasons that are obvious now, the phone lines were so jammed I couldn't get through. Not that these friends should have been in any danger, but just checking, you know? I still remember that day. How on earth could I forget?
Amazingly, no one I know was 'directly' affected by the 9/11 events. None of my loved ones died in those buildings, not even an acquaintance of someone I loved. And yet, the grief I felt was every bit as profound as the grief you feel when one of your own passes. I cried for the families who lost loved ones. I cried for the kids who will never know one or both of their parents, for the spouses who will never see the face of their beloved again. Parents whose children died. Brother, sisters, friends, teachers, mentors. People who touched intricately the life of someone else, and now that bond is gone. Not to be reconnected. Not this side of heaven.
Where was I? I was at home. Being a bum. I hadn't turned on the TV or the radio, and would have gone on in oblivion for who knows how long had I not been walking around my apartment complex. My landlord came out and asked "Can you believe this?" My response? "What?" And that was the end of my oblivion. I sat with her, glued to a TV set for what seemed like days. Then, I went to the local Baptist Student Union and again just sat and watched the total destruction that was happening to my nation. I cried. I prayed. I was mortified.
I still shed tears. I still pray. I am still mortified. But, as the years have passed, I have begun to wonder, was this a wake up call from our Lord? I give no credence to the question "How could GOD let this happen?" I sometimes wonder, how could He not? It saddens me to think of how a 'nation under GOD' could stray as far as the US has. I wonder if the Lord allowed this tragedy to happen upon our shores to snatch up the attention of our 'godly' nation. You know the one, where the 10 Commandments get judges in trouble, where prayer at football games is taboo, where the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE is causing a stir, where everything is supposed to be okay just to validate the life choices that people make.
Our pastor made mention of the fact that the US is a major target for missionaries. I meant to ask him if they were Christian missionaries, or if other religions were taking into consideration our unsaved nation as they moved to expand their own 'territories'. Please, oh please, Lord, let US turn back to You! This is the thought that has been welling up in my mind and heart for 24 hours now.
So, where were you? And how are you? I hope you are disturbed. I hope you are anguished. I hope you are praying.
Amazingly, no one I know was 'directly' affected by the 9/11 events. None of my loved ones died in those buildings, not even an acquaintance of someone I loved. And yet, the grief I felt was every bit as profound as the grief you feel when one of your own passes. I cried for the families who lost loved ones. I cried for the kids who will never know one or both of their parents, for the spouses who will never see the face of their beloved again. Parents whose children died. Brother, sisters, friends, teachers, mentors. People who touched intricately the life of someone else, and now that bond is gone. Not to be reconnected. Not this side of heaven.
Where was I? I was at home. Being a bum. I hadn't turned on the TV or the radio, and would have gone on in oblivion for who knows how long had I not been walking around my apartment complex. My landlord came out and asked "Can you believe this?" My response? "What?" And that was the end of my oblivion. I sat with her, glued to a TV set for what seemed like days. Then, I went to the local Baptist Student Union and again just sat and watched the total destruction that was happening to my nation. I cried. I prayed. I was mortified.
I still shed tears. I still pray. I am still mortified. But, as the years have passed, I have begun to wonder, was this a wake up call from our Lord? I give no credence to the question "How could GOD let this happen?" I sometimes wonder, how could He not? It saddens me to think of how a 'nation under GOD' could stray as far as the US has. I wonder if the Lord allowed this tragedy to happen upon our shores to snatch up the attention of our 'godly' nation. You know the one, where the 10 Commandments get judges in trouble, where prayer at football games is taboo, where the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE is causing a stir, where everything is supposed to be okay just to validate the life choices that people make.
Our pastor made mention of the fact that the US is a major target for missionaries. I meant to ask him if they were Christian missionaries, or if other religions were taking into consideration our unsaved nation as they moved to expand their own 'territories'. Please, oh please, Lord, let US turn back to You! This is the thought that has been welling up in my mind and heart for 24 hours now.
So, where were you? And how are you? I hope you are disturbed. I hope you are anguished. I hope you are praying.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Choices
I worked in a preschool classroom for nearly 5 years. The average age of the children I worked with was four. Let me tell you, 5 years of 4 year olds taught me a lot more than I think I taught them! Certainly, the lessons I learned were more profound that ABC's and 123's. One of the harder lessons for me was coming to grips with the fact that I had choices. Every single day.
I remember working in the classroom on days when I was frustrated with things that had absolutely nothing to do with the kids that comprised that class. I remember days I chose to set my frustration aside, and work with the children that God had put in my care. Those days almost always went well, even if at the end of the day, my personal problems were still sitting, waiting for me. I also remember the days where I chose not to shelve my personal frustrations. Those days were bad. Those days, the kids were edgy, my coworkers tiresome, the job I loved felt like a cell where someone else was jingling the keys just outside my grasp. I would go home and think, 'this was the worst day ever. Why, oh why, did everything go so badly?' It is only now, in mothering that I have learned that the moods of my children hinge in part on how joyful I choose to be. I didn't see it then, and often wondered at how the classroom's emotional thermostat swung so drastically. It has taken me quite some time, and literally hundreds of kids to learn that joyfulness is a choice and not a coincidence.
Empowered with this newfound knowledge, I find interactions with everyone around me to be much more bearable, and dare I say it, even enjoyable, on those days where I wake up and think, 'Lord, thank you for today, but do I really have to be around people?' Trust me, I am not the most sociable of creatures. But learning that I have choices over my own personal mood-o-meter keeps me friendlier, thereby honoring my Lord with a joyful countenance.
I remember working in the classroom on days when I was frustrated with things that had absolutely nothing to do with the kids that comprised that class. I remember days I chose to set my frustration aside, and work with the children that God had put in my care. Those days almost always went well, even if at the end of the day, my personal problems were still sitting, waiting for me. I also remember the days where I chose not to shelve my personal frustrations. Those days were bad. Those days, the kids were edgy, my coworkers tiresome, the job I loved felt like a cell where someone else was jingling the keys just outside my grasp. I would go home and think, 'this was the worst day ever. Why, oh why, did everything go so badly?' It is only now, in mothering that I have learned that the moods of my children hinge in part on how joyful I choose to be. I didn't see it then, and often wondered at how the classroom's emotional thermostat swung so drastically. It has taken me quite some time, and literally hundreds of kids to learn that joyfulness is a choice and not a coincidence.
Empowered with this newfound knowledge, I find interactions with everyone around me to be much more bearable, and dare I say it, even enjoyable, on those days where I wake up and think, 'Lord, thank you for today, but do I really have to be around people?' Trust me, I am not the most sociable of creatures. But learning that I have choices over my own personal mood-o-meter keeps me friendlier, thereby honoring my Lord with a joyful countenance.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Let The Good Times Roll
It was a great weekend for the two major college football teams in Alabama. The Auburn Tigers (WOOHOOO! WAR EAGLE) took a 40-14 win over Washington State and the Alabama Crimson Tide (go bama) defeated Hawaii 25-17. Just thought all you football fans out there would appreciate seeing your team's name on our blog. *grin*
In other news, albeit smaller news to many, I figured out how to get only my name or Joshua's name as the signature on new posts. Actually, Joshua figured it out, so all the accolades go to him. I am simply utilizing it! Thomas managed to get off the trampoline all by himself, Sarah discovered her Daddy's wallet at the tender age of one, and we are expecting our third arrow in April. Our cup runneth over!!!
In other news, albeit smaller news to many, I figured out how to get only my name or Joshua's name as the signature on new posts. Actually, Joshua figured it out, so all the accolades go to him. I am simply utilizing it! Thomas managed to get off the trampoline all by himself, Sarah discovered her Daddy's wallet at the tender age of one, and we are expecting our third arrow in April. Our cup runneth over!!!
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Sunday Singing
Tonight, as we were driving back from church, the kids were a bit fussy. We started singing songs to try to placate their tired little souls, and among our favorites was 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'. After a few songs, the piteous cries had subsided and quiet reigned yet again. Then, in the peace of our night time ride, we hear 'tinkle, tinkle hmm-mmm star...der you are. upabove so high...diamond in da sky, tinkle, tinkle, star...you are...star....diamond sky...you are...' and so on. Then, a bit of silence, and clap, clap, clap. Thomas had sang the song, was all done, and since Mommy and Daddy weren't on the up and up, he let us know he was done. He did, of course, receive applause all around.
I have heard him sing snatches of songs, but this was the first time he 'went all the way through' and is was such a sweet little voice. Joshua and I sat in the front grinning like crazy people at yet another one of our son's accomplishments. I hope I have the same excitement and joy and crazed grin for him for all of his feats, from singing a song to riding a bike to making his own sandwich. Driving, marriage, and children...but let's not rush it! I am enjoying it waaaaaay to much in the meantime!
I have heard him sing snatches of songs, but this was the first time he 'went all the way through' and is was such a sweet little voice. Joshua and I sat in the front grinning like crazy people at yet another one of our son's accomplishments. I hope I have the same excitement and joy and crazed grin for him for all of his feats, from singing a song to riding a bike to making his own sandwich. Driving, marriage, and children...but let's not rush it! I am enjoying it waaaaaay to much in the meantime!
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