Farmwife and Zann did this one back in the spring. It's awesome!
http://nudge-nudge.blogspot.com/2006/03/if-you-give-mom-mop.html
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Can't Help It, I Have To
You'll all love this, but Farmwife you'll be especially pleased....
So, Smart Guy and the boys went for their semi-monthly trip to Chuck E. Cheese (ya know the fun place straight from hades) this evening. I told Bee that if she was nice when the boys left, that her and I would go to McDs for lunch tomorrow while the boys were at school (hopefully there is school tomorrow). I personally believe in bribery in its purest form. She was great when they left. Told them "bye, see ya later" and everything. So, her and I were sitting at our kitchen table a short while after they left working on Christmas cards when she said, "We don't have boy time do we Mommy?" I said "Nope, why not?" She said, "Because we're girls." So, I said, "So, what do we have?" Expecting an answer like ... oh I don't know "girltime". No way, not my girl who been taught the anatomically correct words for all body parts. Without missing a beat and without even looking up from her coloring, she said... "'ginas." I immediately called my mom who thought it one for the books. I'm so proud.
So, Smart Guy and the boys went for their semi-monthly trip to Chuck E. Cheese (ya know the fun place straight from hades) this evening. I told Bee that if she was nice when the boys left, that her and I would go to McDs for lunch tomorrow while the boys were at school (hopefully there is school tomorrow). I personally believe in bribery in its purest form. She was great when they left. Told them "bye, see ya later" and everything. So, her and I were sitting at our kitchen table a short while after they left working on Christmas cards when she said, "We don't have boy time do we Mommy?" I said "Nope, why not?" She said, "Because we're girls." So, I said, "So, what do we have?" Expecting an answer like ... oh I don't know "girltime". No way, not my girl who been taught the anatomically correct words for all body parts. Without missing a beat and without even looking up from her coloring, she said... "'ginas." I immediately called my mom who thought it one for the books. I'm so proud.
If Mom Sees The Kitchen Floor Needs Swept
Ya know that book , "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? Here's my version...
If Mom sees the kitchen floor needs swept, she goes to the laundry room to get the broom to sweep it.
When she gets to the laundry room she realizes she hasn't put any clothes into the washing machine she started 10 minutes ago, so she goes upstairs to get the clothes.
When she gets upstairs, she sees the bed needs to be made, so she goes to the bathroom closet to get new sheets (it's been awhile) to put on the bed.
When she gets to the bathroom, she sees the toilet needs to be scrubbed, so she goes back down to get to toilet bowl cleaner from the downstairs bathroom.
When she gets to the downstairs bathroom, she realizes that the rugs need to be shook out.
When she goes to put the rugs back down in the bathroom, she realizes that the floor needs swept, so she goes to the laundry room to get the broom to sweep it.
When she gets to the laundry room to get the broom, she realizes that she never did get that laundry to put into the washing machine, so she goes back upstairs to get it.
When she gets back upstairs to get the laundry, she once again sees that the bed needs clean sheets.........
ADD? Quite possibly!! This is a typical day in my life!!! Oh well, at least I get alot of excercise going up and down the steps.
By the way, I will not post again until tomorrow. I have to admit, I'm addicted. Pathetic isn't it!! I need help!!! Like Lauren, does anyone know of a "Bloggers Anonymous" I could attend:)
If Mom sees the kitchen floor needs swept, she goes to the laundry room to get the broom to sweep it.
When she gets to the laundry room she realizes she hasn't put any clothes into the washing machine she started 10 minutes ago, so she goes upstairs to get the clothes.
When she gets upstairs, she sees the bed needs to be made, so she goes to the bathroom closet to get new sheets (it's been awhile) to put on the bed.
When she gets to the bathroom, she sees the toilet needs to be scrubbed, so she goes back down to get to toilet bowl cleaner from the downstairs bathroom.
When she gets to the downstairs bathroom, she realizes that the rugs need to be shook out.
When she goes to put the rugs back down in the bathroom, she realizes that the floor needs swept, so she goes to the laundry room to get the broom to sweep it.
When she gets to the laundry room to get the broom, she realizes that she never did get that laundry to put into the washing machine, so she goes back upstairs to get it.
When she gets back upstairs to get the laundry, she once again sees that the bed needs clean sheets.........
ADD? Quite possibly!! This is a typical day in my life!!! Oh well, at least I get alot of excercise going up and down the steps.
By the way, I will not post again until tomorrow. I have to admit, I'm addicted. Pathetic isn't it!! I need help!!! Like Lauren, does anyone know of a "Bloggers Anonymous" I could attend:)
Look at The Size of Those Raindrops
Have you ever heard the term "fat raindrops"? Well, these are are just plain "obese"!! (and cold)
As If I Needed One More Thing To Get Addicted To
Try this, it's fun.... http://www.cognitivelabs.com/word_shoot.htm
*I take no responsibility if you get addicted!!
*I take no responsibility if you get addicted!!
Big Dog...Louououd Dog...
Billy Boy is here by himself this morning. Bee has preschool on Tues. and Thurs. mornings, so he's alone with no one to play with. He's an only child and until a few weeks ago was always with his wonderful mama who is a friend of mine. As usual, Billy Boy and Bee set up their "house" in the dining room before she went to school. Because of that, Bowzer was standing at Bee's window upstairs where Billy Boy was playing when a siren started somewhere. Bowzer is a very serious howler, he does not fool around. He points his snout straight up in the air and lets it rip. We all think it's funny and sit and laugh at him. Bee's been hearing it since she was in utero, so it doesn't faze her at all. Billy Boy comes from a fairly calm home (very unlike ours). He was playing right next to Bowz when he howled at full volume. Having never heard that sound before, poor little Billy Boy broke down into frantic screams ( not cries) and came racing out of the room!! Poor little guy!! He's been doing so good the last couple mornings when his mommy drops him off, no tears, nothin'....he's not even afraid of the dog, which is amazing because most children who see a 130 pound dog are somewhat standoffish at first, he never was...until now...he won't even look at Bowz now. It won't last long though, Bowzer's the kind of dog that won't be denied if he wants you to love him!!
The Snow is Coming, The Snow is Coming
.....and unfortunately probably ice too. If you look at a radar of the middle of the country, there's a nice long strip fron Kansas all the way up thru Lake Michigan. This means that my best friend Ruby is probably getting hit right now, as are Inkling's parents and soon my parents and Inkling's Grandma and Grandpa M&M. Brother and Mrs. Clean live in the Chicago area, sounds like their getting some already too. Without the windchill, it's supposed to be 15 degrees here tonight with wind gusts up to 50 mph!!! BRRRRR!! The snow's supposed to start sometime during the night, then it's supposed to rain and snow in the morning tomorrow and switch back over to snow in the afternoon. Yuck!! So Temera, Ang, and Inkling..... Farmwife and I are getting snow and ice sometime in the next two days, although not as bad as you!! Lauren, are you guys supposed to get any? Everyone pray hard that Grandma and Grandpa M&M, and Inkling's parents still get to go see Inkling!!!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
What Must the Neighbors Be Thinking
Drama King came home from school today, read his book, had his snack, and said, "Okay, I have to roar now". He then opens the back door, roars as loud as he can, comes right back in, and says "Okay, now I feel better." Seriously guys, this isn't normal!!!!
Retractions, Competitions, and Dinos
Smart Guy has demanded that I print a retraction about yesterday's post when I told everyone that he had apparently hit me in the nose. I was freezing all day yesterday. I don't mean the kind of cold that would cause one to say "I'm a little bit chilly" and then go put on another pair of socks and a sweatshirt. I mean the kind of cold that makes ones teeth chatter even after the addition of socks and a sweatshirt to her ensemble...it looked really cute. I was cold to my bones. Then around 9:00 last night as I was putting laundry away... it hit me. I'm am also getting sick!! Yuck!! I don't have the time or the money for this!!! My neck hurts, my face hurts, my nose has that feeling it gets when you jump in the pool and forget that humans weren't made to breath under water, and my teeth are already hurting, which is rather unusual for so early in a cold. Prophet had it a few days ago. On Sunday he looked like something the cat drug in. At this point he simply has a runny nose. Hopefully this will do the same thing and be a shortlived annoyance instead of turning into what Inkling and Lauren have been dealing with the past two weeks. So, basically, Smart Guy believes that my nose pain is from being sick not from him clobberin' me!!! Okay, sounds like a good excuse!!!
My dishes are done, the downstairs is picked up, Billy Boy (the little guy I babysit) has had a successful trip to the potty, woohoo, Mt. St. Laundry has successfully been reduced to a meer pile of rubble after 2 days of non-stop washing, drying, folding, and putting away, Bee and Billy Boy are deep into defending their "house" from the "evil Bowzer", and I seriously considered running the vacuum this morning :)....so I sit here fairly guilt free and post.
Everytime Billy Boy comes, him and Bee take all the benches from the big "farm" table in my dining room (which my dad made when I was a little girl) and push them around so that poor Bowzer can't get to them. He tries, but alas generally gives up. He's so big that he can't get under the benches and so lazy that he won't go over them. They always block his favorite window from him when they build their "house", so he can't see what's going on in the neighborhood, it's pure torture as far as he's concerned. He usually ends up running upstairs to see if the blinds have been opened yet, it's quite funny to watch. It's a desperate situation when one cannot be nosey!!
Prophet and Drama King have a friendly competition going!! Their school has a reading program called the Family Readers. For every 15 minutes a child reads they get to color in 1/4 of 1 of the 5 clocks on a page that is sent home from school to track their reading. After 4 of the clocks are completely colored in, they become part of the Family Readers Club for that month. When the fifth clock if colored, they then earn a "Book-It" certificate for a free pizza from Pizza Hut. Anyone remember doing "Book-It" as a kid? They still do it. I just looked it up and as of last year at this time, they had spent 290 million since 1985 when it started. Wow!! I was in sixth grade that year, I remember the "Book It" button that everyone got and it seems like we put a star sticker on the button for each pizza we earned or something like that. Anyway, back to the boys.... Drama King is usually the one to turn his paper in first. He is much more of a self-starter and more likely to come home and read for awhile without grumbling. Prophet on the other hand usually has to be coaxed into reading for more than 10 minutes....usually. It's been really cool this month because Prophet has been coming home and immediately getting in his bed to read a book. He's actually about 30 minutes ahead of Drama King. Drama King (the kid who has only missed 1 spelling word since he started first grade) is rather bothered by this, so there have been a few words between the two of them. It's actually been great watching Prophet get so excited about it!! I'm not encouraging the competition at all, it just happens. Have boys, will compete!!
Someone gave me an article years ago when the boys were still small about parenting. It said that parents with 2 boys less than 18 months apart have the most overwhelming, incredible, and crazy parenting job of all. I believed them then and I most definitely believe them now. Prophet and Drama King are 17 months apart. If you factor in the ages they should be had they both been born on their due dates, which neither was, they are only 15 months apart. If you factor in the fact that Prophet had a brain hemorhage and hydrocephulus, and spent the better part of his first two years focusing on growing and getting stronger rather than other things...well the difference between them virtually disappears. I've had many people ask me over the years if they are twins. When they were little, I typically answered "No, but they feel like triplets." To which people often laughed and walked away. I was serious!! There were days I was ready to hand them to the first nice person who walked by. It's amazing to me as a female, that two people who claim to love each other and can be playing nicely and getting along one minute can try to kill each other the next. Prophet was a biter. The only person he ever bit was Drama King though. I don't know how many times I said to him "We love our brother, we don't bite him." Ha, whatever..in one ear, right out the other.
Thankfully they get along well these days. They're best friends. The serious punching and biting of the early days has pretty much disappeared. They do love to wrestle, but it's all in fun, and we have guidelines they have to follow...no hair pulling, no faces, no crotches, and if you actually do get angry while doing it, you have to stop. We have consequences if you hurt your brother out of anger. Not only do you get disciplined by mommy and daddy, you also then "owe" your brother something. We call this the "you owe me" clause. This means that at any given time, if your brother has a "you owe me" against his name, you can use it. It's been about 2 months since we had a serious enough incidence to earn a "you owe me". Drama King was flexing his "muscles". Prohphet reached out to feel them, Drama King didn't want him to, so he popped him good right in the schnoz. Blood went everywhere!! By the time I arrived on the scene, there was a trail of blood from the middle of the boys' room where it happened, all the way thru the hall, into the bathroom, and all over the bathroom counter. Drama King was frantically trying to get the nosebleed to stop and clean up at the same time...it was quite the scene to behold. He knew he was "toast". So for his discipline, he had to clean all the blood from the bathroom and sit on his bed for 30 minutes. For his "you owe me", his brother waited a few days to use. When you have a "you owe me" against your brother, you can use it anytime Mom or Dad asks you to do something. You simply pull out the "you owe me" and your brother then has to do it for you. It works great. Here's how Prophet used it...I needed to put laundry in the dryer, but there was already laundry in there and I didn't feel like getting it out, so I put the wet stuff in with the dry stuff and dried a double load. When it was dry, I told the boys to take it all up and put it on our bed. Prophet chose this moment to use his "you owe me". Drama King didn't say a word, he knew he had to do it, and he did. It took him several trips, but he got the job done!!
Well, now that I've wrote so much I need to go read to Bee and Billy Boy (who, by the way, has had another successful trip to the potty since I've been writing) for awhile...but one more story. Drama King is a dino freak, hence Inkling's name of "Budding Paleontologist", and he can actually roar like the t-rex and screech like the velociraptor in the Jurassic Park movies. The funny part is watching him do it. He sticks his neck way up in the air, put's his hands up in front of him to look like a t-rex and strutts around while leaning forward. It's hilarious. It's pretty cool in moderation, but sometimes..... Well, he admitted he was doing it to the kids at school so I told him he could only do it outside during recess and not in anyone's face. So yesterday he comes home from school and says, "It was really hard not to roar today, one just had to come out, so it did, but I was outside, so it okay. I really need to roar right now." So he goes out the back door, closes it, and stands there and roars like a crazed lunatic, motions and all. The neighbors probably think he's got a hidden personality something like Sybil. That's my Drama King!! Ya gotta love him!
My dishes are done, the downstairs is picked up, Billy Boy (the little guy I babysit) has had a successful trip to the potty, woohoo, Mt. St. Laundry has successfully been reduced to a meer pile of rubble after 2 days of non-stop washing, drying, folding, and putting away, Bee and Billy Boy are deep into defending their "house" from the "evil Bowzer", and I seriously considered running the vacuum this morning :)....so I sit here fairly guilt free and post.
Everytime Billy Boy comes, him and Bee take all the benches from the big "farm" table in my dining room (which my dad made when I was a little girl) and push them around so that poor Bowzer can't get to them. He tries, but alas generally gives up. He's so big that he can't get under the benches and so lazy that he won't go over them. They always block his favorite window from him when they build their "house", so he can't see what's going on in the neighborhood, it's pure torture as far as he's concerned. He usually ends up running upstairs to see if the blinds have been opened yet, it's quite funny to watch. It's a desperate situation when one cannot be nosey!!
Prophet and Drama King have a friendly competition going!! Their school has a reading program called the Family Readers. For every 15 minutes a child reads they get to color in 1/4 of 1 of the 5 clocks on a page that is sent home from school to track their reading. After 4 of the clocks are completely colored in, they become part of the Family Readers Club for that month. When the fifth clock if colored, they then earn a "Book-It" certificate for a free pizza from Pizza Hut. Anyone remember doing "Book-It" as a kid? They still do it. I just looked it up and as of last year at this time, they had spent 290 million since 1985 when it started. Wow!! I was in sixth grade that year, I remember the "Book It" button that everyone got and it seems like we put a star sticker on the button for each pizza we earned or something like that. Anyway, back to the boys.... Drama King is usually the one to turn his paper in first. He is much more of a self-starter and more likely to come home and read for awhile without grumbling. Prophet on the other hand usually has to be coaxed into reading for more than 10 minutes....usually. It's been really cool this month because Prophet has been coming home and immediately getting in his bed to read a book. He's actually about 30 minutes ahead of Drama King. Drama King (the kid who has only missed 1 spelling word since he started first grade) is rather bothered by this, so there have been a few words between the two of them. It's actually been great watching Prophet get so excited about it!! I'm not encouraging the competition at all, it just happens. Have boys, will compete!!
Someone gave me an article years ago when the boys were still small about parenting. It said that parents with 2 boys less than 18 months apart have the most overwhelming, incredible, and crazy parenting job of all. I believed them then and I most definitely believe them now. Prophet and Drama King are 17 months apart. If you factor in the ages they should be had they both been born on their due dates, which neither was, they are only 15 months apart. If you factor in the fact that Prophet had a brain hemorhage and hydrocephulus, and spent the better part of his first two years focusing on growing and getting stronger rather than other things...well the difference between them virtually disappears. I've had many people ask me over the years if they are twins. When they were little, I typically answered "No, but they feel like triplets." To which people often laughed and walked away. I was serious!! There were days I was ready to hand them to the first nice person who walked by. It's amazing to me as a female, that two people who claim to love each other and can be playing nicely and getting along one minute can try to kill each other the next. Prophet was a biter. The only person he ever bit was Drama King though. I don't know how many times I said to him "We love our brother, we don't bite him." Ha, whatever..in one ear, right out the other.
Thankfully they get along well these days. They're best friends. The serious punching and biting of the early days has pretty much disappeared. They do love to wrestle, but it's all in fun, and we have guidelines they have to follow...no hair pulling, no faces, no crotches, and if you actually do get angry while doing it, you have to stop. We have consequences if you hurt your brother out of anger. Not only do you get disciplined by mommy and daddy, you also then "owe" your brother something. We call this the "you owe me" clause. This means that at any given time, if your brother has a "you owe me" against his name, you can use it. It's been about 2 months since we had a serious enough incidence to earn a "you owe me". Drama King was flexing his "muscles". Prohphet reached out to feel them, Drama King didn't want him to, so he popped him good right in the schnoz. Blood went everywhere!! By the time I arrived on the scene, there was a trail of blood from the middle of the boys' room where it happened, all the way thru the hall, into the bathroom, and all over the bathroom counter. Drama King was frantically trying to get the nosebleed to stop and clean up at the same time...it was quite the scene to behold. He knew he was "toast". So for his discipline, he had to clean all the blood from the bathroom and sit on his bed for 30 minutes. For his "you owe me", his brother waited a few days to use. When you have a "you owe me" against your brother, you can use it anytime Mom or Dad asks you to do something. You simply pull out the "you owe me" and your brother then has to do it for you. It works great. Here's how Prophet used it...I needed to put laundry in the dryer, but there was already laundry in there and I didn't feel like getting it out, so I put the wet stuff in with the dry stuff and dried a double load. When it was dry, I told the boys to take it all up and put it on our bed. Prophet chose this moment to use his "you owe me". Drama King didn't say a word, he knew he had to do it, and he did. It took him several trips, but he got the job done!!
Well, now that I've wrote so much I need to go read to Bee and Billy Boy (who, by the way, has had another successful trip to the potty since I've been writing) for awhile...but one more story. Drama King is a dino freak, hence Inkling's name of "Budding Paleontologist", and he can actually roar like the t-rex and screech like the velociraptor in the Jurassic Park movies. The funny part is watching him do it. He sticks his neck way up in the air, put's his hands up in front of him to look like a t-rex and strutts around while leaning forward. It's hilarious. It's pretty cool in moderation, but sometimes..... Well, he admitted he was doing it to the kids at school so I told him he could only do it outside during recess and not in anyone's face. So yesterday he comes home from school and says, "It was really hard not to roar today, one just had to come out, so it did, but I was outside, so it okay. I really need to roar right now." So he goes out the back door, closes it, and stands there and roars like a crazed lunatic, motions and all. The neighbors probably think he's got a hidden personality something like Sybil. That's my Drama King!! Ya gotta love him!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Ouch!!
Apparently Smart Guy slugged me while we were both sound asleep last. My nose feels like someone punched me. With as bad as it hurts, you'd think I would have woke up if he had actually rolled over and clobbered me. Who knows!! I actually did get him a couple weeks ago...right in the shnoz. I don't remember it, I was sound asleep, but he says I did it!!
O The Weather Out West is Frightful, but The Fire Is So Required to Stay Warm
We all need to take the time to pray for our friends Temera, Ang, and Inkling...and all the others out in the northwest where the snow, temps, and power lines are all fallin' at the same time. Temera especially as this is already a hard time for her wo/ her beloved Beluga and her hubby by her side. Pray also for their families, some of which are also hunkered down in other places waiting this thing out!! Pray that they stay warm and protected 'til it's all blown past!!
*for those of you that read this post earlier, yes I did have "east" in the title before...what can i say, I still have to do the whole "N-ever, E-at, S-our, W-atermelon" thingy while I point my finger in a circle.
*for those of you that read this post earlier, yes I did have "east" in the title before...what can i say, I still have to do the whole "N-ever, E-at, S-our, W-atermelon" thingy while I point my finger in a circle.
Crossing the Road
This is what my mom has referred to as "crossing the road"....
Me- "What letter is that on your arm?"
Bee- "K"
Me- "Did you talk about the letter K at school today?"
Bee- "Yep. We colored a kangaroo."
Me- "Why did you color a kangaroo?"
Bee- "Because it starts with the letter K ... kangaroos bounce around like this (she proceeds
to bounce crazyily around the room) Mommy, they bounce like this ... kangaroos like to
bounce ... kangaroos can bounce high ... I can bounce high like a kangaroo ... my friend had a
a boo-boo on her ear at school today."
Me- "Did she, what happened to her?"
Bee- "I don't know. She can bounce like a kangaroo too!!"
This is normal everyday conversation with a three year old living in your house, but for some reason having a kangaroo in the conversation and having Bee bouncing like Tigger all over the upstairs as this conversation took place made it funnier than usual!!
Me- "What letter is that on your arm?"
Bee- "K"
Me- "Did you talk about the letter K at school today?"
Bee- "Yep. We colored a kangaroo."
Me- "Why did you color a kangaroo?"
Bee- "Because it starts with the letter K ... kangaroos bounce around like this (she proceeds
to bounce crazyily around the room) Mommy, they bounce like this ... kangaroos like to
bounce ... kangaroos can bounce high ... I can bounce high like a kangaroo ... my friend had a
a boo-boo on her ear at school today."
Me- "Did she, what happened to her?"
Bee- "I don't know. She can bounce like a kangaroo too!!"
This is normal everyday conversation with a three year old living in your house, but for some reason having a kangaroo in the conversation and having Bee bouncing like Tigger all over the upstairs as this conversation took place made it funnier than usual!!
Monday, November 27, 2006
Question of the Week
If you only put clean silver ware in your silverware drawer...where in the world do all those crumbs come from? Am I the only one who has this problem and has wondered this?
Teach Them, Don't Take It Away
Lest a certain Canadien that has been placed in my life to teach me not to be rude, not to gossip, and how to have manners, should think that all of us Americans eat those mudd balls from the last post everyday of our lives, I post this for thought....
There has been a new trend in food in American schools the last few years. I've read more than one article concerning this and had info sent home from my children's schools. School systems around the country are trying to go healthy...but try as they do, IT AIN"T HAPPENIN'. As I sit and study the monthly menu that my children's school sends home, I am reminded once again of one the reasons that I began their academic careers in kindergarten with a home-packed lunch everyday. My boys have had school lunches a total of about 20 times since they started school 4 years ago. For them it's a treat when they come downstairs in the morning and their lunches aren't packed. It's usually pizza day, but at least they normally serve raw veggies on that day too. The only other times they have had school lunches are when Smart Guy and I are out of town and they are in someone else's care or when we've had an especially busy evening or weekend and there just wasn't time to pack them. I admit, I've recently been getting tired of packing two lunches everynight ( or morning if I didn't manage to get it together the evening before). But when I read the menu, I have a renewed sense of responsibility towards my children. They don't need to have chicken nuggets, pizza, sloppy joe's (on white), corn dogs, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, or salsibury steak everyday at lunch. A simple p.b. & j. on whole wheat, fat free popcorn, an apple, and the occasional cookie once a week or so is perfectly good for lunch and much healthier, and yes they do eat it. They drink water most days for lunch. They have milk with breakfast and dinner. A favorite lunch is a bowl of dry cereal (they buy milk that day at school and add it to the cereal) such as Kashi's Cinnamon Harvest or Mighty Kids. I throw in a piece of fruit and a container of yogurt and they're happy and healthy little campers. Veggie dogs on whole wheat buns are also a well-eaten lunch favorite.
Some people probably think I'm crazy. Childhood is supposed to be a time to enjoy your food, I know. It's not like they never get anything good. During the holidays, we eat like everyone else. We make pie's, candy, mashed potatoes, and we eat white (gasp) rolls and bread. What this teaches my children though, is that there is such a thing as moderation. There's a time for junk food, and it's not in the everyday life, it's for special occasions to help celebrate. I know of someone who actually served yogurt at their child's birthday party, not frozen yogurt, just yogurt. My mom refers to these people as "food snobs". Ya know, those people who look down their nose at you when you give your child a cookie. (What's funny about that comment from my mother is that she made Brother and I eat Carob chip cookies made with whole wheat flour as children. I will never do that to my children, ugh!) Come on, give me a break! The evil part of me hopes her children get a taste of snicker bar ice cream at a friends house someday and drive their parents crazy from then on.
This brings up something else the schools are trying to do. When we lived in Alabama, they actually tried to tell the teachers and moms that there was to be no sugar at all in the classrooms. I'm all for getting rid of the candy that some teachers give out as rewards. I'm in total agreement about daily snacks only being healthy items. As pathetic as it is, Prophet's teacher actually had to ask parents to send in healthy snacks for the class on their snack day instead of cookies or little debbies. We send in the same basic snack on our snack day. One month it was four cheddar cubes each with 4 apple slices. The other month was cheddar cubes and Kashi's cinnamon harvest cereal. The kids ate it. BUT, a child should be allowed to bring in whatever they want to on their birthday. And mothers should be able to plan a fun party to celebrate those holidays that we all remember having parties for when we were in school. Serve water instead of juice, pop, or Caprisuns, but let them have their cookies or cupcakes and enjoy them. If you add up every holiday and the 15 or so birthdays that will be celebrated during the school year, that still only comes to about one bad snack every other week. The problem is this....most children are still eating so much crap at home, that the gov't now feels they have to solve the problem while they have children under their roofs.
I don't mean to sound high and mighty. We don't eat perfect in our house. We do eat all whole grain bread and pasta. We buy 1% milk and lowfat dairy products. We use p.b. with no hydrogenated fats in it. I buy pretzels, the occasional baked doritos, sunchips, and lowfat or nofat popcorn instead of chips most of the time. After school my children get a piece of fruit instead of a twinkie and you will never find poptarts or fruit loops on my pantry shelves. My children think apple cinnamon cheerios are a major treat. I love Kashi's cereals, their healthy and you don't have to sell your firstborn to buy them. While our family was here this weekend, I bought a bag of regular potato chips and a container of chip dip. It was devoured!! My children love junkfood...if the truth be told, so does their mother. I love Big Macs, chicken nuggets, french fries, pizza with ham on it, tacoes loaded with sr cream, and anything with cream cheese and sugar together, but I have a immediate family history of diabetes and heart disease. If I don't change the cycle, I will carry on family tradition and my children will then be responsible for changing it. Why not teach them now?
So, if you actually wanted my opionion on this subject, you've got it. Don't take the "good" stuff away completely, teach them moderation.
There has been a new trend in food in American schools the last few years. I've read more than one article concerning this and had info sent home from my children's schools. School systems around the country are trying to go healthy...but try as they do, IT AIN"T HAPPENIN'. As I sit and study the monthly menu that my children's school sends home, I am reminded once again of one the reasons that I began their academic careers in kindergarten with a home-packed lunch everyday. My boys have had school lunches a total of about 20 times since they started school 4 years ago. For them it's a treat when they come downstairs in the morning and their lunches aren't packed. It's usually pizza day, but at least they normally serve raw veggies on that day too. The only other times they have had school lunches are when Smart Guy and I are out of town and they are in someone else's care or when we've had an especially busy evening or weekend and there just wasn't time to pack them. I admit, I've recently been getting tired of packing two lunches everynight ( or morning if I didn't manage to get it together the evening before). But when I read the menu, I have a renewed sense of responsibility towards my children. They don't need to have chicken nuggets, pizza, sloppy joe's (on white), corn dogs, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, or salsibury steak everyday at lunch. A simple p.b. & j. on whole wheat, fat free popcorn, an apple, and the occasional cookie once a week or so is perfectly good for lunch and much healthier, and yes they do eat it. They drink water most days for lunch. They have milk with breakfast and dinner. A favorite lunch is a bowl of dry cereal (they buy milk that day at school and add it to the cereal) such as Kashi's Cinnamon Harvest or Mighty Kids. I throw in a piece of fruit and a container of yogurt and they're happy and healthy little campers. Veggie dogs on whole wheat buns are also a well-eaten lunch favorite.
Some people probably think I'm crazy. Childhood is supposed to be a time to enjoy your food, I know. It's not like they never get anything good. During the holidays, we eat like everyone else. We make pie's, candy, mashed potatoes, and we eat white (gasp) rolls and bread. What this teaches my children though, is that there is such a thing as moderation. There's a time for junk food, and it's not in the everyday life, it's for special occasions to help celebrate. I know of someone who actually served yogurt at their child's birthday party, not frozen yogurt, just yogurt. My mom refers to these people as "food snobs". Ya know, those people who look down their nose at you when you give your child a cookie. (What's funny about that comment from my mother is that she made Brother and I eat Carob chip cookies made with whole wheat flour as children. I will never do that to my children, ugh!) Come on, give me a break! The evil part of me hopes her children get a taste of snicker bar ice cream at a friends house someday and drive their parents crazy from then on.
This brings up something else the schools are trying to do. When we lived in Alabama, they actually tried to tell the teachers and moms that there was to be no sugar at all in the classrooms. I'm all for getting rid of the candy that some teachers give out as rewards. I'm in total agreement about daily snacks only being healthy items. As pathetic as it is, Prophet's teacher actually had to ask parents to send in healthy snacks for the class on their snack day instead of cookies or little debbies. We send in the same basic snack on our snack day. One month it was four cheddar cubes each with 4 apple slices. The other month was cheddar cubes and Kashi's cinnamon harvest cereal. The kids ate it. BUT, a child should be allowed to bring in whatever they want to on their birthday. And mothers should be able to plan a fun party to celebrate those holidays that we all remember having parties for when we were in school. Serve water instead of juice, pop, or Caprisuns, but let them have their cookies or cupcakes and enjoy them. If you add up every holiday and the 15 or so birthdays that will be celebrated during the school year, that still only comes to about one bad snack every other week. The problem is this....most children are still eating so much crap at home, that the gov't now feels they have to solve the problem while they have children under their roofs.
I don't mean to sound high and mighty. We don't eat perfect in our house. We do eat all whole grain bread and pasta. We buy 1% milk and lowfat dairy products. We use p.b. with no hydrogenated fats in it. I buy pretzels, the occasional baked doritos, sunchips, and lowfat or nofat popcorn instead of chips most of the time. After school my children get a piece of fruit instead of a twinkie and you will never find poptarts or fruit loops on my pantry shelves. My children think apple cinnamon cheerios are a major treat. I love Kashi's cereals, their healthy and you don't have to sell your firstborn to buy them. While our family was here this weekend, I bought a bag of regular potato chips and a container of chip dip. It was devoured!! My children love junkfood...if the truth be told, so does their mother. I love Big Macs, chicken nuggets, french fries, pizza with ham on it, tacoes loaded with sr cream, and anything with cream cheese and sugar together, but I have a immediate family history of diabetes and heart disease. If I don't change the cycle, I will carry on family tradition and my children will then be responsible for changing it. Why not teach them now?
So, if you actually wanted my opionion on this subject, you've got it. Don't take the "good" stuff away completely, teach them moderation.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Calling All Chocolate Freaks
Need a chocolate fix...oh my gosh...try this!! Get out a block of cream cheese and a stick of butter. Let it soften for a couple hours till it's fork soft. While you wait, destroy a package of Oreos (or if you're like me the storebrand) until it resembles something you'd plant next spring's petunias in. When the cheese and butter are soft, mix it all together. Put it in the fridge, or freezer if your really desparate. Wait until it firms up slightly. Shape into balls. It doesn't stick to your fingers as bad if you keep a bowl of warm water next to you and keep dipping them in. (your fingers, not the chocolate balls) Make them fairly small, this stuff is really sweet and rich. Put into freezer until solid. Melt a bag of Milk Chocolate chips in the microwave...30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds ( you get the picture, there's nothing harsher to the nostrils than burnt chocolate, except may burnt micro popcorn). When chocolate balls are hard (don't go there Inkling), dip the tops of them into melted chocolate. The chocolate will harden quick because the balls are frozen. Store in the fridge. These things are so good. My kids have dubbed them "mudd balls". Smart Guy won't eat them. He says they're too sweet. I wish I was one of those prissy women that always say, "Oh just give me a little, it's toooo rich". That drives me nuts. Bring it on, just give me a glass of milk to wash it down!!!!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Insight into me....
Here's just one of the random things that I do. I decided at 9:30 tonight that not only did each of my children need a bath, they also needed haircuts. It is now 10:45, the boys are both asleep, but Bee is wide awake after having just finished her haircut. Oh, well, at least they're all fresh, clean, and trimmed up. Don't worry Inkling, I only trimmed Bee's hair this time. She's wants to put it in a ponytail this summer...we'll see. Oh yah, don't forget, Mountain Mom and Grizzley Dad are still here. Only I would cut everyone's hair when my mother-in-law, the licensed beautician, is here!!!
Friday, November 24, 2006
Ewwwww, Gross!!
Well, my in-laws just walked in about an hour ago. So...my mother-in-law ( have I mentioned she's a good one) and myself are standing in the kitchen talking. Something possesses me to look up at my kitchen fan, which is white. I notice that the white ball pull things on the ends of the chains are COVERED with little brown spots. I was immediately clueless and grossed out at the same time. I climb up on a chair to check it out closer. At this point I notice the same spots all over each blade of the entire fan. I knew what it was.....one of those stupid, little, orange, lady-bug looking beetles. Three weeks ago they were all over the inside of my house. One of them apparently decided to roost up inside the hole in the bottom of the pull on my fan chain and poop everywhere. Not to be gross or anything, but I don't even poop that much and I have Crohn's disease:)! Thankfully I have a mother-in-law who doesn't judge me by my cleaning abilities ( mainly because hers aren't any better than mine. No offense Mountain Mom) It came right off with a Magic Eraser. The question now is this... do I reuse the Magic Eraser? It's only been used once before and has many uses left in it!!!
Leave It To Walmart
We found an incredible price for Prophet's "big" Christmas gift at Walmart online. $40 instead of the usual $80. Smart Guy got up at 5 am when the price took effect and before they went out out of stock. We have yet to be able to get thru to "proceed to checkout" and it's now 9:30 here in the eastern time zone. There's apparently something going on with their site. ughghghghghghghghgh!!!
Well, my in-laws will be here in 2-3 hours....no time to blog!!! Maybe bedtime tonight!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
Well, my in-laws will be here in 2-3 hours....no time to blog!!! Maybe bedtime tonight!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Inkling's Thanksgiving!!
Don't forget to think about Inkling on this first holiday away from us. We all miss her incredibly. Thank you to Temera and Ang for allowing her the chance to see her family's faces today. Henry David was out buying a turkey breast when I was talking to her last night because she's still sick and can't go out today to see anyone today. Pray that this first American Thanksgiving with Henry David will provide memories to last a lifetime. I love you, Inkling!!! I miss you!! Happy Thanksgiving to my favorite orange headed friend!!!!
I'm Thankful...
...for Smart Guy. He loves me. He puts the kids to bed most nights. He works hard. He puts up with me. He emptys the dishwasher. He clears the table. He loves me. He takes out the trash. He puts gas in my car. He puts up with me. He scrapes the ice off my windows. He misses football games when there's something on I wanna see. He loves me. He puts his arm around me in church. He still opens doors for me. He puts up with me. He took a new position so I could be closer to my mom. He doesn't wake me up when I wake him up snoring. He loves me. He loves our children. He loves God - the rest falls into place.
...for Prophet. He walks. He talks (alot). He reads very well. He loves music. He breathes. He laughs. He's a super sensitive soul. He's passive-aggressive (I don't know if I'm thankful for that, but it does provide a lot of laughs) Because of his premature birth and brain hemorhage, he wasn't "supposed" to do any of these things, especially on his own. He does and then some. He works hard everyday to be who he is. He's incredible.
...for Drama King. He's smart. He's very in tune with the feelings of others. He tries to protect the underdogs. He loves animals. He's my cuddle bug. Not a day goes by when I don't get a hug and an , "I love you, Mommy". He seven and I know it won't last forever, so I cherish it. He's precious!!
...for Bee. She's my baby. She's my only girl. She's smart. She's "rotten". She's got personality +. I think every mom should have a boy to make her fully appreciate the connection between mother and daughter. I've always said, "I've known her my entire life." She came into this world an old friend of mine. I cherish her as my daughter and the friend I hope she'll be when we grow-up. She's amazing!!
...that my family is all alive and healthy after our wreck this past summer.
...that we now live close to my parents. An hour and five minutes is nothing compared to the eleven hours from Alabama.
...that Inkling finally found her love, so she can make a list like this in a few years.
...for my mom. She's quiet when need be. She talks when need be. She's understanding. She's fun. She's a good friend. She's mine. She's an excellent Granny to my kids. If everyone on the planet were so blessed, it would be a different place to live.
...for my cousin. We'll call her Cleanin' Cuz '75. We fought all the time (seemed like it) as kids. As adults, I love her dearly. I treasure her friendship more everyday.
...for Inkling and Ruby. My two best friends!! They couldn't be more different. I've never been able to figure out how I can be like each of them, but they are so different from one another. They each fulfill a different part of my "girly" need for deep friendship. I've never lived near either one of them...it's a God thing. No matter how often Smart Guy and I move or where to, I can never leave them behind. They are always just a phone call or memory away. I love them. Losing one of them, would be like losing my right arm.
...we've moved back to "God's country"....the midwest. I made some friends that I'll love always and know I can always count on, but I never want to live in the South again. I'm so not a southerner, I'm a midwest girl.
...for God's unconditional love. I'm thankful that he bothered to create me and sent his son to suffer a horrible fate on this planet so that I can live under his incredible grace.
Thank you, Father, thank you, so, so much!!!!!
...for Prophet. He walks. He talks (alot). He reads very well. He loves music. He breathes. He laughs. He's a super sensitive soul. He's passive-aggressive (I don't know if I'm thankful for that, but it does provide a lot of laughs) Because of his premature birth and brain hemorhage, he wasn't "supposed" to do any of these things, especially on his own. He does and then some. He works hard everyday to be who he is. He's incredible.
...for Drama King. He's smart. He's very in tune with the feelings of others. He tries to protect the underdogs. He loves animals. He's my cuddle bug. Not a day goes by when I don't get a hug and an , "I love you, Mommy". He seven and I know it won't last forever, so I cherish it. He's precious!!
...for Bee. She's my baby. She's my only girl. She's smart. She's "rotten". She's got personality +. I think every mom should have a boy to make her fully appreciate the connection between mother and daughter. I've always said, "I've known her my entire life." She came into this world an old friend of mine. I cherish her as my daughter and the friend I hope she'll be when we grow-up. She's amazing!!
...that my family is all alive and healthy after our wreck this past summer.
...that we now live close to my parents. An hour and five minutes is nothing compared to the eleven hours from Alabama.
...that Inkling finally found her love, so she can make a list like this in a few years.
...for my mom. She's quiet when need be. She talks when need be. She's understanding. She's fun. She's a good friend. She's mine. She's an excellent Granny to my kids. If everyone on the planet were so blessed, it would be a different place to live.
...for my cousin. We'll call her Cleanin' Cuz '75. We fought all the time (seemed like it) as kids. As adults, I love her dearly. I treasure her friendship more everyday.
...for Inkling and Ruby. My two best friends!! They couldn't be more different. I've never been able to figure out how I can be like each of them, but they are so different from one another. They each fulfill a different part of my "girly" need for deep friendship. I've never lived near either one of them...it's a God thing. No matter how often Smart Guy and I move or where to, I can never leave them behind. They are always just a phone call or memory away. I love them. Losing one of them, would be like losing my right arm.
...we've moved back to "God's country"....the midwest. I made some friends that I'll love always and know I can always count on, but I never want to live in the South again. I'm so not a southerner, I'm a midwest girl.
...for God's unconditional love. I'm thankful that he bothered to create me and sent his son to suffer a horrible fate on this planet so that I can live under his incredible grace.
Thank you, Father, thank you, so, so much!!!!!
Beloved Beluga
Yesterday was a very heartbreaking day for Temera, from Halleyville. Yesterday her Beloved Beluga died. If you've read her at all, you know that her animals are her love. Beluga will be missed incredibly. So, I know today is a day to give thanks, but put a prayer up for Temera and her husband John, that there hearts will be mended.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
This Says It Best
These are the lyrics to a song that Cindy Morgan wrote in 1992 for her Real Life album. I loved them then as a freshmen in college and I cherish them now as a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. I don't think anyone has ever put it down as well as Cindy did, not for myself anyway. Today, being the day before Thanksgiving, seemed like the perfect time to remind everyone to thank God for the everyday things that we tend to take for granted. Yah, sure we're all thankful for our families, our homes, having food on the table, and clothes on our backs....but what about that warm fuzzy feeling that we get when we see the fall leaves, smell the first lilacs of the spring, or hear a small voice say, "Mommy, I love you." That's from God too. He deserves all the credit. He's amazing! He's incredible! He deserves to be thanked for all he has done for us, even when it seems that everything has gone beserk. Slow down and thank him!!
HOW COULD I ASK FOR MORE
There's nothin' like the warmth of a summer afternoon,
Wakin' to the sunlight,
Or bein' cradled by the moon,
Catchin' fireflies at night,
Buildin' castles in the sand,
Kissin' Mama's face goodnight,
And holdin' Daddy's hand...
Thank you, Lord,
How could I ask for more?
Runnin' barefoot thru the grass,
A little hide and go seek,
Bein' so in love that you could hardly eat,
Dancin' in the dark when there's no one else around,
Bein' bundled 'neath the covers watching snow fall to the ground...
Thank you, Lord,
How could I ask for more?
So many things I thought could bring me happiness,
Some dreams that are realities today.
It's such an irony the things that mean the most to me,
Are the memories that I've made along the way.
So if there's anything I've learned from this journey I am on...
Simple truths will keep you goin',
And simple love will keep you strong.
For there are questions without answers,
And flames that never die.
And heartaches we go thru are often blessings in disguise.
So...thank you, Lord!!!!
Thank you, Lord!!!!
How could I ask for more?
HOW COULD I ASK FOR MORE
There's nothin' like the warmth of a summer afternoon,
Wakin' to the sunlight,
Or bein' cradled by the moon,
Catchin' fireflies at night,
Buildin' castles in the sand,
Kissin' Mama's face goodnight,
And holdin' Daddy's hand...
Thank you, Lord,
How could I ask for more?
Runnin' barefoot thru the grass,
A little hide and go seek,
Bein' so in love that you could hardly eat,
Dancin' in the dark when there's no one else around,
Bein' bundled 'neath the covers watching snow fall to the ground...
Thank you, Lord,
How could I ask for more?
So many things I thought could bring me happiness,
Some dreams that are realities today.
It's such an irony the things that mean the most to me,
Are the memories that I've made along the way.
So if there's anything I've learned from this journey I am on...
Simple truths will keep you goin',
And simple love will keep you strong.
For there are questions without answers,
And flames that never die.
And heartaches we go thru are often blessings in disguise.
So...thank you, Lord!!!!
Thank you, Lord!!!!
How could I ask for more?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Oh Please!!!
Well, at the ripe ole age of 3 1/2, my beautiful, little daughter, whom I cherish more than life itself, has developed a new cry. Now, I'm not sure what has prompted this particular sound. It seemed to start over the weekend when my mom called me so I could here her crying after she watched Skip die on the movie My Dog Skip. I had never heard that sound come from her before. I've heard it a couple times today. She is doing it now, she's in bed and does not wanna be there. Personally I think she likes this new sound and is experimenting with it to see how far it will get her! I'm sure it got lots of hugs and attention at Granny and Pa's house over the weekend. So far, here at home, it got a " Get over it, little Girlfriend" and it got her little bahooney (that's butt in our home...not because we don't like the word butt...because we like the word bahooney... this was coined by my best friend Ruby) walked to her room and put into bed. Bowzer has taken his place at the foot of her bed, so she should be off to dream land soon. Oh no..I just heard her say, "no, don't get up" and then her door shut. Apparently Bowz tried to make a break for it. Poor guy!! If he barks to get out of her room after she falls asleep, I will have to take him to the pound!!!
A Lot To Live Up To
Okay, so I just read Inkling's post from last night after she read my first post. I hope I'm as fun to read as she makes it sound like I'll be. Anyway, I'm glad she clarified who everyone of my family is, maybe now it's clear as mud!! She's an awesome girlfriend to have ( even if she did up and leave the country just as I finally moved back up to the midwest after being in AL for many years).
This past weekend was definitely one to remember! On this weekend for the past few years, Smart Guy, myself, and several other members of the youth sponsor team in our church have packed up and headed to the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention. For the past couple years, Inkling has blessed us and come to stay with the Sara Orange Gang (yes, they are my children) so Smart Guy and I could go. This year, because Henry David has now taken the #1 spot in her heart, she unfortunately could not be here. We missed her. I always loved staying up late to talk the night before we left. Last year we stayed up half the night discussing the possible next chapter in her life....Henry David. What an amazing story. It was last year on this weekend, that I gave her my blessing ( she didn't actually ask for it, but I gave it anyway)and told her to do whatever she had to get this guy. It's meant to be!!! When we came home from the weekend, the Sara Orange Gang all knew who Henry David was and I think Bee had even talked to him on the phone!! They were all awaiting the moment when they would officially be asked to be the ring bearers and flower girl in the wedding!!
yadda, yadda, back to this past weekend....Smart Guy left with two other youth sponsors on Thursday afternoon. Bee had her first school program on Thursday evening, so I talked two other sponsors into leaving late with me on Friday morning. She was cute, she spent half her time looking around at everyone around her, she's a bit nosey. We arrived at the Hilton in Cincinatti around 11:30, plenty of time to make it to the first General Session at 1:00. It was awesome!! The worship was amazing. There is something so amazing about worshiping with 4000 other people who are all on this planet with the same calling....to understand youth and find ways to bring them to Christ. The David Crowder band did the worship for the first half of the weekend and Starfield lead for the second half. The speakers were great. They not only talked to me as a youth worker, but also as a person. For myself, I go to these weekends not only for training as a youth person, but also as refreshment for what is commonly a tired soul and sometimes "kicked in the butt" spirit. God has a way of knocking me upside the head at these things and saying "forget everything you've got stuck in your head and be open to new things". The theme for this years convention was "Reveal". For me, that meant, strip away all the crap that I've let build up, so I can let God reveal his true plans for my life, as a mom, a friend, a wife, a youth sponsor...as His child. What does that mean exactly? I'm not sure right now, but there's more I need to be doing somewhere on this planet.
So, here's the crazy part, I was sick half the weekend. I mean the kind that doesn't let you out of your room. The fun part?......I was rooming with two other women that I've only known since June. It was a small room, the door to the bathroom actually opened into the room instead of the little hallway like it does in most hotel rooms. We had to get comfortable with each other real quick. It took everything in me just to get to the the sessions all weekend. I didn't make it to everything, but I did my best. It's weekends like this past one that make me ever more thankful that I live in a country with such a dependable plumbing system!!!
I'm home now and back to everyday life!! Bee and Billy Boy (the little guy that I babysit) are busy playing. We worked on their letters for awhile this morning, it was quite fun watching them try to outdo each other!!! Right now as I type, I hear the very distinct sound of Hershey kisses being removed from the Christmas bowl on the table. I better go make sure they leave some for me!!
This past weekend was definitely one to remember! On this weekend for the past few years, Smart Guy, myself, and several other members of the youth sponsor team in our church have packed up and headed to the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention. For the past couple years, Inkling has blessed us and come to stay with the Sara Orange Gang (yes, they are my children) so Smart Guy and I could go. This year, because Henry David has now taken the #1 spot in her heart, she unfortunately could not be here. We missed her. I always loved staying up late to talk the night before we left. Last year we stayed up half the night discussing the possible next chapter in her life....Henry David. What an amazing story. It was last year on this weekend, that I gave her my blessing ( she didn't actually ask for it, but I gave it anyway)and told her to do whatever she had to get this guy. It's meant to be!!! When we came home from the weekend, the Sara Orange Gang all knew who Henry David was and I think Bee had even talked to him on the phone!! They were all awaiting the moment when they would officially be asked to be the ring bearers and flower girl in the wedding!!
yadda, yadda, back to this past weekend....Smart Guy left with two other youth sponsors on Thursday afternoon. Bee had her first school program on Thursday evening, so I talked two other sponsors into leaving late with me on Friday morning. She was cute, she spent half her time looking around at everyone around her, she's a bit nosey. We arrived at the Hilton in Cincinatti around 11:30, plenty of time to make it to the first General Session at 1:00. It was awesome!! The worship was amazing. There is something so amazing about worshiping with 4000 other people who are all on this planet with the same calling....to understand youth and find ways to bring them to Christ. The David Crowder band did the worship for the first half of the weekend and Starfield lead for the second half. The speakers were great. They not only talked to me as a youth worker, but also as a person. For myself, I go to these weekends not only for training as a youth person, but also as refreshment for what is commonly a tired soul and sometimes "kicked in the butt" spirit. God has a way of knocking me upside the head at these things and saying "forget everything you've got stuck in your head and be open to new things". The theme for this years convention was "Reveal". For me, that meant, strip away all the crap that I've let build up, so I can let God reveal his true plans for my life, as a mom, a friend, a wife, a youth sponsor...as His child. What does that mean exactly? I'm not sure right now, but there's more I need to be doing somewhere on this planet.
So, here's the crazy part, I was sick half the weekend. I mean the kind that doesn't let you out of your room. The fun part?......I was rooming with two other women that I've only known since June. It was a small room, the door to the bathroom actually opened into the room instead of the little hallway like it does in most hotel rooms. We had to get comfortable with each other real quick. It took everything in me just to get to the the sessions all weekend. I didn't make it to everything, but I did my best. It's weekends like this past one that make me ever more thankful that I live in a country with such a dependable plumbing system!!!
I'm home now and back to everyday life!! Bee and Billy Boy (the little guy that I babysit) are busy playing. We worked on their letters for awhile this morning, it was quite fun watching them try to outdo each other!!! Right now as I type, I hear the very distinct sound of Hershey kisses being removed from the Christmas bowl on the table. I better go make sure they leave some for me!!
Monday, November 20, 2006
Finally!!
Well, here I am!! I've made my appearance in the world of blogdom. My best friend, Inkling, has been telling me I should for ages. She laughs at me when I say, "If I had a blog, I'd write about that." I can't wait to see if I actually come up with things to post about now that I've got my own place to do so. Of course, my family should provide me with some interesting stories. Prophet is 9 years old and so fair-minded. Drama King is 7 and just that. He causes me to revisit the story of the boy who cried wolf a couple dozen times a month. Bee is three and a fun combo of girly-girl and up and coming tomboy. They're all Y.P.K. s( that's youth pastor's kids ) so they have not a single shy bone in their bodies.
The person who gives them their Y.P.K. status is my wonderful husband. We'll call him Smart Guy!! I've always said that between him and my dad, I can get any question answered. Who needs the internet. He was once told by a principal he'd never amount to anything. Can you believe that? If she could only see him now!! Three college degrees later and I think he needs to find her and make her eat here words!!
Oh yah, there's the dog... we'll call him Bowzer...uhhhh well because that's his name and it so fits him!!! He's been mistaken for a pony in the back yard. If you ever walked thru my backyard when it's been a week or so since "poop patrol" was done, you'd swear there was a moose livin' back there, but since that would probably be illegal, I promise, it's just a dog. A very large, 130 pound, brown beast that we all love incredibly. ( Inkling has issues with my dog. She says it's just allergy issues...yah whatever...I just don't get it.)
The person who gives them their Y.P.K. status is my wonderful husband. We'll call him Smart Guy!! I've always said that between him and my dad, I can get any question answered. Who needs the internet. He was once told by a principal he'd never amount to anything. Can you believe that? If she could only see him now!! Three college degrees later and I think he needs to find her and make her eat here words!!
Oh yah, there's the dog... we'll call him Bowzer...uhhhh well because that's his name and it so fits him!!! He's been mistaken for a pony in the back yard. If you ever walked thru my backyard when it's been a week or so since "poop patrol" was done, you'd swear there was a moose livin' back there, but since that would probably be illegal, I promise, it's just a dog. A very large, 130 pound, brown beast that we all love incredibly. ( Inkling has issues with my dog. She says it's just allergy issues...yah whatever...I just don't get it.)
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