We leave tomorrow night to travel all night to go to IL so that we can see Inkling while she's in the states. While there, Farmwife and I are having a blessing/shower for her. I can't wait to see her and Grasshopper. I've imagined for years what she's gonna look like pregnant, and now I finally get to see her! The girl is stunningly beautiful anyway, add a belly with a baby and she's gonna be even more so!! I know she's rolling her eyes as she reads this, but I know it's true!!
I finished my gifts last night around 10:30 or so. I'm very thrilled with how they turned out. I'm actually getting a tad giddy about the whole thing!! Saturday evening, my mom, Inkling and I are all going out for Red Lobster, something they don't have in Canada and Inkling's been craving it!! That'll be two weekends in a row for me and mom, as we went there for Prophets birthday present while Mom and Dad were here last weekend! So anyway, keep Smart Guy in your prayers as he drives thru the night tomorrow night. He plans to sleep for a few hours tomorrow afternoon so he'll be able to stay up!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Two Wonderful Products That I've Always Wanted Them To Create
Kraft Caramel Bits.... the same luscious caramel flavor without having to unwrap 30 caramels for a recipe! These were apparently released last October, but I somehow missed them. You bet I'm buying these little suckers to make the caramel for the caramel-apple pie for my SIL's baby shower next weekend!! Yea, Kraft!!
This one's an even bigger deal to me... Pillsbury is now making crescent roll dough in one big sheet. That means no more pressing seems together to make my sopapilla cheesecake, which lately I seem to be making to take somewhere a couple times a month! Hooray Pillsbury, you're my heroes!!
This one's an even bigger deal to me... Pillsbury is now making crescent roll dough in one big sheet. That means no more pressing seems together to make my sopapilla cheesecake, which lately I seem to be making to take somewhere a couple times a month! Hooray Pillsbury, you're my heroes!!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Just In Case You've Ever Wondered If God Has A Sense Of Humor
This was taken at our county fair last week! Isn't "it" ugly?
ahoh
Well, Miss Bee had to flip her card from green to yellow today. She was caught running in the hall from the bathroom. There were five other little girls involved. One of the mother's of one of those precious little sweethearts will be reading this post. Yes, you know who you are. Did she have any punishment like mine did? She normally watches "Word World" on PBS while she eats, as her teacher has suggested that they watch this show. Today, she had to sit at the table to eat her lunch.... gasp!! You'd have thought she was being tortured! Rough life, huh?
Thanks For The Excitement Ike
Well, we survived the windstorm that was caused by Ike and a front to the south of us that collided in the middle and caused wind gusts up to 65 mph. There was alot of damage and several power outages. To my knowledge, there's still a section on the southside of town with no power. I swiped these pics off a blogger friend from here in town.
On campus.
Tree down in a friend's grandma's yard.
Same tree on her grandma's car. Yikes!!
Her little boy sitting on fallen tree.
On campus.
Tree down in a friend's grandma's yard.
Same tree on her grandma's car. Yikes!!
Her little boy sitting on fallen tree.
New Curtains in Bee's Room
I made these about two weeks ago and keep forgetting to put them up as was requested by a certain friend! Here they are finally! I'm still not sure I totally like them. THE OTHER ONES (click to see) we had up we very feminine and these are just girlie. Personally I like the feminine look better in her room. She really doesn't care either way!!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
How Sweet
This is my hubby and my bro-in-law 30 years ago! Smart Guy had it on his blog and I snagged it. I had actually never seen this pic until I checked his blog a few minutes ago. I can't wait to see if my new nephew looks like the baby (his daddy) in this picture or his mommy when he comes in October.
*The power went out for a few minutes right in the middle of this post. So, I'm getting off of here for the rest of the evening. Goodnight! Stay safe if your in this wind!!
*The power went out for a few minutes right in the middle of this post. So, I'm getting off of here for the rest of the evening. Goodnight! Stay safe if your in this wind!!
Prophet's Soccer Game Last Night
Prophet's soccer team had their first game of the season last night. He played his hiney off, they all did, but in the end, they lost! He's the only one with pants on in the group pics!!
Wow, The Wind Is Crazy
This is right in front of the church.
The schoolyard.
The street in front of the school.
A few doors up from the school! I know it's blurry, but this is a tree downed by the roots!
The kids were panicked as we were driving home from the church just now. As soon as we walked in the door they all ran down to the basement. When they finally came up, they were looking out the back windows at the trees blowing around. They don't want to sleep upstairs tonight. They're afraid that the wind will blow a tree down on them!! I'd like to watch the weather channel, but the wind has the cable knocked out. Obviously we still have power... for now anyway!!
The schoolyard.
The street in front of the school.
A few doors up from the school! I know it's blurry, but this is a tree downed by the roots!
The kids were panicked as we were driving home from the church just now. As soon as we walked in the door they all ran down to the basement. When they finally came up, they were looking out the back windows at the trees blowing around. They don't want to sleep upstairs tonight. They're afraid that the wind will blow a tree down on them!! I'd like to watch the weather channel, but the wind has the cable knocked out. Obviously we still have power... for now anyway!!
Friday, September 12, 2008
My Bee
I couldn't resist taking this picture of my little schoolgirl with her new haircut just before she left for school yesterday morning! She's growing up waaayyyy too fast!!
Hey Mom and Grandma... does she remind of a certain other little girl about 30 years ago?
I'm So Excited About This
I could just bust from delirium (is this a word?). The Secret Life Of Bees is quite possibly THE best book I've ever read. I'm so planning a girls night out to see this movie!!
Monday, September 8, 2008
My Brag Book
D.K. entered a drawing in our county fair this year. It was a major big deal, and he ended up with the first prize ribbon in his category. There was only one first prize given, so he was very proud of himself.
My Boys! What Would I Do Without Them?
The Sibling Restitution Act of 2004: In The House of Greatness (that would be our home) we shall love one another with all our hearts. We shall respect one another with all that is in us. We shall show one another that love and respect outwardly on a regular basis and never do anything to harm another person living in our home. BUT, if we do... the family member that has inflicted said harm will, upon judgement by Mommy or Daddy, then hold an "I owe you" to be used at whatever chosen time that the harmee chooses to turn in his/her "you owe me". When sibling who has the "you owe me" is told to do something or chooses not to do a particular assigned chore, he/she may then look at the person who "owes" him and say only "you owe me, pay up". There will then be no arguing by the "I owe you" sibling and the job will be done immediately with no grumbling.
The "you owe me" may be held onto for an indefinite amount of time before being cashed in, but if in the meantime you do something so that you suddenly have an "I owe you" on your own name, the slate is wiped totally clean and no one owes anyone anything.
"Sibling Restitution" works great in our house. Bee is just now getting big enough to be able to do some of the things that are asked of the boys though, so she's just now getting in on it. Up until now, our "sibling restitution" law has always been used when one sibling hurt the other physically. Well, we got to use it in another manner tonight...
Each evening the boys bring home their "nightly writing" notebooks to write something in. Our rule is that you do your homework and put it right back into your backpack so all you have to do is grab your backpack and walk out the door the next morning. Sounds great, right? Well, with one child it works wonderful. Phrophet is a very responsible young man and always does his jobs just as he's supposed to do them. D.K. on the other hand is practicing to be an alien living somewhere in outerspace. (and may I add that he's doin' a mighty fine job of it too) Even though we have lists of what needs to be accomplished at any given time of the day, which you'd think would help to coordinate his brain a little bit, he's been known to do things from the morning list at 8:42 at night. Ugh! I'm at my wits end with the child. So, this evening when he starts looking for his "nightly writing" notebook and it's nowhere to be found, I was finding very difficult to have any compassion for him. Afterall, if he'd simply "done the list", it would've been in his backpack. Daddy and I tell him to prepare himself to flip his card to yellow at school tomorrow. He looked all over the house and was beginning to have a full-on panic attack... walking circles, holding onto his head, tears aflowing like a river! I have to admit I then started feeling bad for him. I even actually helped him look. It seemed that the blasted homework fairies had struck our house. As we say in our house regularly, "those cotton-pickin' fairies!" Anyway, we then went upstairs (again) to look. Prophet was laying in his bed reading a book (the dictionary no less, yes my boys are a tad odd). As D.K. is still having his little attack, it finally seems that Prophet picks up what is going on. WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN HOUR AT LEAST BY THIS TIME! Prophet says, "I know where it's at" and goes running downstairs! Sixty seconds later he reappears with the infamous yellow notebook in his sticky, little fingers! Where was it? Well, I'm glad you asked because so did we! "Behind the couch", he says with the kind of grin that makes you want to wring his sweet, little blond neck! I of course reply with, "How did you know it was there?" Oh, yes, all my smart blog readers have already skipped ahead in this story.... "I put it there." So at this point, his little butt is in big ole' trouble. We tell him that D.K. has been looking for it for an hour, and has been crying and totally a mess thinking he was going to be killed at school tomorrow!!! (yes, I know that's a total exag., but he hates to be in trouble at all) Prophet suddenly realizes that he hurt his brother, his best-friend in the world. Daddy takes him aside and talks to him for about two minutes!! When he comes back into the bedroom, he burst into tears and runs over to Jacob and wraps his arms around him and holds on for dear life while he sobs into his little brother's chest, telling him how sorry he is for hurting him and begging him to forgive him. D.K. totally forgot about the revenge he was beginnig to plot in his skull and starts telling him that he loves him and forgives him. So, you think the story should end here, but oh no, it's still going...
Prophet now can't get a grip on himself. He lays there with his face plastered in his pillow just sobbing his blue eyes out. I went over and layed on the bed with him and he put his face in my chest and just cried and cried. I finally said , "Prophet, it's okay, he forgives you, it's done!" He replies, "But Mommy, I just feel so guilty." "Well, Bud, would you feel better if D.K. got some kind of restitution?" "Yes, I actually would." Yes, all you mothers are thinking my child has lost his mind if he is actually wanting his brother to have restitution for his wrong doing. So I say, "How about he has a "you owe me"?"
So, there you have it, our first "you owe me" gotten with no physical pain involved between brothers. I'm sure as they get older there will be more and more of these earned and used between. As I sit here and type, they've been in bed for 35 minutes and they still haven't quit talking. They love each other. They share everything. Most importantly, everything is once again right in their worlds. I'm glad.
The "you owe me" may be held onto for an indefinite amount of time before being cashed in, but if in the meantime you do something so that you suddenly have an "I owe you" on your own name, the slate is wiped totally clean and no one owes anyone anything.
"Sibling Restitution" works great in our house. Bee is just now getting big enough to be able to do some of the things that are asked of the boys though, so she's just now getting in on it. Up until now, our "sibling restitution" law has always been used when one sibling hurt the other physically. Well, we got to use it in another manner tonight...
Each evening the boys bring home their "nightly writing" notebooks to write something in. Our rule is that you do your homework and put it right back into your backpack so all you have to do is grab your backpack and walk out the door the next morning. Sounds great, right? Well, with one child it works wonderful. Phrophet is a very responsible young man and always does his jobs just as he's supposed to do them. D.K. on the other hand is practicing to be an alien living somewhere in outerspace. (and may I add that he's doin' a mighty fine job of it too) Even though we have lists of what needs to be accomplished at any given time of the day, which you'd think would help to coordinate his brain a little bit, he's been known to do things from the morning list at 8:42 at night. Ugh! I'm at my wits end with the child. So, this evening when he starts looking for his "nightly writing" notebook and it's nowhere to be found, I was finding very difficult to have any compassion for him. Afterall, if he'd simply "done the list", it would've been in his backpack. Daddy and I tell him to prepare himself to flip his card to yellow at school tomorrow. He looked all over the house and was beginning to have a full-on panic attack... walking circles, holding onto his head, tears aflowing like a river! I have to admit I then started feeling bad for him. I even actually helped him look. It seemed that the blasted homework fairies had struck our house. As we say in our house regularly, "those cotton-pickin' fairies!" Anyway, we then went upstairs (again) to look. Prophet was laying in his bed reading a book (the dictionary no less, yes my boys are a tad odd). As D.K. is still having his little attack, it finally seems that Prophet picks up what is going on. WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN HOUR AT LEAST BY THIS TIME! Prophet says, "I know where it's at" and goes running downstairs! Sixty seconds later he reappears with the infamous yellow notebook in his sticky, little fingers! Where was it? Well, I'm glad you asked because so did we! "Behind the couch", he says with the kind of grin that makes you want to wring his sweet, little blond neck! I of course reply with, "How did you know it was there?" Oh, yes, all my smart blog readers have already skipped ahead in this story.... "I put it there." So at this point, his little butt is in big ole' trouble. We tell him that D.K. has been looking for it for an hour, and has been crying and totally a mess thinking he was going to be killed at school tomorrow!!! (yes, I know that's a total exag., but he hates to be in trouble at all) Prophet suddenly realizes that he hurt his brother, his best-friend in the world. Daddy takes him aside and talks to him for about two minutes!! When he comes back into the bedroom, he burst into tears and runs over to Jacob and wraps his arms around him and holds on for dear life while he sobs into his little brother's chest, telling him how sorry he is for hurting him and begging him to forgive him. D.K. totally forgot about the revenge he was beginnig to plot in his skull and starts telling him that he loves him and forgives him. So, you think the story should end here, but oh no, it's still going...
Prophet now can't get a grip on himself. He lays there with his face plastered in his pillow just sobbing his blue eyes out. I went over and layed on the bed with him and he put his face in my chest and just cried and cried. I finally said , "Prophet, it's okay, he forgives you, it's done!" He replies, "But Mommy, I just feel so guilty." "Well, Bud, would you feel better if D.K. got some kind of restitution?" "Yes, I actually would." Yes, all you mothers are thinking my child has lost his mind if he is actually wanting his brother to have restitution for his wrong doing. So I say, "How about he has a "you owe me"?"
So, there you have it, our first "you owe me" gotten with no physical pain involved between brothers. I'm sure as they get older there will be more and more of these earned and used between. As I sit here and type, they've been in bed for 35 minutes and they still haven't quit talking. They love each other. They share everything. Most importantly, everything is once again right in their worlds. I'm glad.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Happy Birthday Prophet!!
Prophet turned 11 today! I cannnot believe he's past ten years old. I'm not possibly old enough to have an 11-year-old child... am I? After bathtime this evening, we suprised him with presents and a cake! I think he'd given up on getting anything this year at all!!
At 4:57 am this morning, it was officially 11 years since the birth of our little 2 lb 3 oz, 13 1/4 inch long, wonder baby. His birth marked the end of what felt like the world's longest but also shortest pregnancy. I'd been on bed-rest for 10 weeks by the time he was born. I had thrown up at least three times everyday practically from conception. I had been in excrutiating pain the same amount of time. I had been told by doctors that I was just having normal pregnancy pains and to get used to it. I had lost 30 lbs from his conception to his birth. I was so sick. I didn't know exactly how sick until two days after his birth when I woke-up with a 106 degree temp and couldn't move from the incredible pain. I ended up in emergency surgery at 11:00 that night fighting for my life. This was when the Crohn's was diagnosed.
While I was fighting for my life, so was my little guy. After a day or two, his weight had dropped to a frightening 1 lb 12 oz. When he was born, he just looked like a really small, but healthy baby. After losing a several ounces, he looked like a sick baby. Although at the time, I didn't think so. I just saw the precious baby that I had wanted since I was a five year old putting a pillow under my shirt pretending I was pregnant.
I spent many moments in tears wondering what would happen. If you've ever given birth and had a "normal" delivery and baby, you know the emotions and hormones that run thru you. Multiply that feeling by 1000 and you have an idea of what giving birth to a sick baby does to ones emotions. Then add in the stress of being sick for six months straight, surgery, and medical bills, and you've got one emotional train wreck.
After I was finally released from the hospital to go home, two weeks after my arrival, I went to the hospital to see him as often as I could. Most weeks that meant 7 out of 7 days. On occasion my mother and the nurses "made" me stay home to rest. On those days I called several times to check on him.
There was a point sometime during his first month of life that they sent us home one evening and told us to discuss the option of turning off the machines. This was right after they had told us that he had a severe interventricular brain hemorhage and hydrocephulus. Basically his little brain was supposed to be so damaged that he probably would never do most of the things we take for granted. It didn't look good for our little guy. We decided that we would allow him to be whoever he was supposed to be. We did and look at who he has turned into today.
He's the most amazing 11 year old I've ever had the pleasure to be around. He's a hard worker, which comes naturally when you have to teach yourself to get around somehow because your brain isn't letting you crawl, so you decide that scooting on your butt is a good option. He destroyed the butts of many cute little outfits by scotting around. He used his hands and the sides of his ankles to push around. It was a sight to behold. I remember when one of the people at the development center shot down my thrill about his scooting around and told me he had to crawl or he wasn't developing properly. I never stepped foot in their office again. We found another person who would rejoice in what he could do, not tear him down for what he couldn't.
By the time he began walking at the age of two, I had been taught the most valuable lesson in my life... don't take anything that your children do for granted. Parents of typical children just assume their child will do everything when they are supposed to. We knew he probably never would. He never has. He does everything when he's ready and not a second sooner. I've learned to rejoice in everything. I've learned that slower doesn't mean dumber as many people think. It means that he thinks differently, and wow does he.
He's an amazing kid that has overcome alot in his first 11 years of life. He's had to work harder his 11 years than most of us have to in 30. I find myself wanting to protect him from all the crap that the world will surely bring his way in the years to come. Right now he lives in what I call "Prophet land". This protects him from the other kids who tease or make fun because they can't always understand what he says because of his speech delay. Part of me hopes that he always lives in "Prophet Land", but I know that one day he'll leave there and see the world for what it really is. I dread that moment because that'll be the day when I wanna step in and fix it all for him and I know I won't be able to. He has to learn to live in the world as Prophet.
So, Big Guy, on this 11th birthday of yours... a day we weren't sure we'd celebrate 11 years ago... Happy Birthday to my favorite 11 year old! I love you soooooooooooo much!
At 4:57 am this morning, it was officially 11 years since the birth of our little 2 lb 3 oz, 13 1/4 inch long, wonder baby. His birth marked the end of what felt like the world's longest but also shortest pregnancy. I'd been on bed-rest for 10 weeks by the time he was born. I had thrown up at least three times everyday practically from conception. I had been in excrutiating pain the same amount of time. I had been told by doctors that I was just having normal pregnancy pains and to get used to it. I had lost 30 lbs from his conception to his birth. I was so sick. I didn't know exactly how sick until two days after his birth when I woke-up with a 106 degree temp and couldn't move from the incredible pain. I ended up in emergency surgery at 11:00 that night fighting for my life. This was when the Crohn's was diagnosed.
While I was fighting for my life, so was my little guy. After a day or two, his weight had dropped to a frightening 1 lb 12 oz. When he was born, he just looked like a really small, but healthy baby. After losing a several ounces, he looked like a sick baby. Although at the time, I didn't think so. I just saw the precious baby that I had wanted since I was a five year old putting a pillow under my shirt pretending I was pregnant.
I spent many moments in tears wondering what would happen. If you've ever given birth and had a "normal" delivery and baby, you know the emotions and hormones that run thru you. Multiply that feeling by 1000 and you have an idea of what giving birth to a sick baby does to ones emotions. Then add in the stress of being sick for six months straight, surgery, and medical bills, and you've got one emotional train wreck.
After I was finally released from the hospital to go home, two weeks after my arrival, I went to the hospital to see him as often as I could. Most weeks that meant 7 out of 7 days. On occasion my mother and the nurses "made" me stay home to rest. On those days I called several times to check on him.
There was a point sometime during his first month of life that they sent us home one evening and told us to discuss the option of turning off the machines. This was right after they had told us that he had a severe interventricular brain hemorhage and hydrocephulus. Basically his little brain was supposed to be so damaged that he probably would never do most of the things we take for granted. It didn't look good for our little guy. We decided that we would allow him to be whoever he was supposed to be. We did and look at who he has turned into today.
He's the most amazing 11 year old I've ever had the pleasure to be around. He's a hard worker, which comes naturally when you have to teach yourself to get around somehow because your brain isn't letting you crawl, so you decide that scooting on your butt is a good option. He destroyed the butts of many cute little outfits by scotting around. He used his hands and the sides of his ankles to push around. It was a sight to behold. I remember when one of the people at the development center shot down my thrill about his scooting around and told me he had to crawl or he wasn't developing properly. I never stepped foot in their office again. We found another person who would rejoice in what he could do, not tear him down for what he couldn't.
By the time he began walking at the age of two, I had been taught the most valuable lesson in my life... don't take anything that your children do for granted. Parents of typical children just assume their child will do everything when they are supposed to. We knew he probably never would. He never has. He does everything when he's ready and not a second sooner. I've learned to rejoice in everything. I've learned that slower doesn't mean dumber as many people think. It means that he thinks differently, and wow does he.
He's an amazing kid that has overcome alot in his first 11 years of life. He's had to work harder his 11 years than most of us have to in 30. I find myself wanting to protect him from all the crap that the world will surely bring his way in the years to come. Right now he lives in what I call "Prophet land". This protects him from the other kids who tease or make fun because they can't always understand what he says because of his speech delay. Part of me hopes that he always lives in "Prophet Land", but I know that one day he'll leave there and see the world for what it really is. I dread that moment because that'll be the day when I wanna step in and fix it all for him and I know I won't be able to. He has to learn to live in the world as Prophet.
So, Big Guy, on this 11th birthday of yours... a day we weren't sure we'd celebrate 11 years ago... Happy Birthday to my favorite 11 year old! I love you soooooooooooo much!
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