I process better by writing, and I definitely have a lot to process from the last 24 hours.
Caed was diagnosed with asthma shortly before turning 1. In fact, we were in the hospital on Easter weekend 2009 because of asthma related symptoms. Caed must like holidays in the peds ward...but who could blame him? They bombard him with gifts while he's there! This time, he walked away with a Santa teddy bear, a bag full of firemen and military men toys, a book, a quilt, a bunch of Thomas stickers and a new neb mask!
Yesterday was supposed to be our annual fun, family trip to the mall to ride the train. Caed had been coughing since Wednesday and even had a small episode on the way home from the grocery store. After a treatment of his rescue meds, he was back to his normal self except for the coughing. But he seemed to be his normal, active self. I mean I found him on top of the washing machine preparing to jump off...surely he's fine, right? PJ and I even went over his Asthma Treatment Plan over dinner. One of the indicators for seeking medical help is if he's unable to do normal activities...but clearly he was able...so we dismissed it.
I decided to give him a regular neb treatment before leaving for the mall because of his coughing. He is so very good about sitting with his mask on his face for treatments. But about one minute after starting this treatment, he started wheezing, coughing, crying and doubling over in pain. Saying his belly hurt he could not get comfortable. He turned very pale, then blue around the lips.
We live pretty far out, and our only rescue unit comes from a town about 20 mins down the road. The last time we called 911, the EMT advised us to never wait at home, jump in the car, head towards the hospital and call 911 on the way so that an ambulance can meet us in route. So that's what we did.
There are some images in a parents mind, that I think will haunt forever. This is one of those images. The sight of my child crying out my name, then stopping short and pulling in his lips, with fear in his eyes as he tries with all his might to suck in air only to scream my name again...So glad PJ was driving. The rain was causing traffic to move so slowly and this wretched car in front of us would not pull over despite our flashers and attempts to signal by flashing our high beams at them. It took much longer than it should have to reach the ambulance waiting for us in Rustburg. Finally the car in front of us pulled over right in front of the lot where the technicians were waiting. Thanks!
So much rain. So much fear. Ugh! Caed's oxygen level upon arriving into the ambulance was 79. It should be 95-99. He was lethargic, disoriented and pale. Another memory, I'll not soon forget, especially when he reached for my hand and held on tight. I'm so thankful for "Mr. Justin" the EMT that moved quickly to treat and also keep Caed and his insane mommy calm for the duration of the trip to the hospital.
By the time we arrived at the hospital, Caed was talking and asking Mr. Justin to drive him on the fire truck some day. Upon entering the ER, immediately the nurses fell in love with my little blue-eyed boy. He looked so small on that huge stretcher and was telling everyone that would listen about Christmas and Lightening McQueen and his future fire truck ride with Mr. Justin. Otherwise, the ER was the ER: a painfully long wait, especially with an exhausted 2 and 4 year old.
Around 11pm the doctor decided to discharge us. But as we were preparing to sign the paperwork, I noticed that Caed was still breathing with his belly and had significant retraction (that's where you can see the skin pulling around the ribs). The doctor was puzzled because all other vitals were fine. So then we were given the option of admitting him with an advisory from the doctor to do so because of our home's distance from the hospital should something happen in the middle of the night. I hate that moment when you just. don't. know. what the right thing to do really is. What was best? Was it really necessary?
So we decided to admit and thus create another 1.5 hour wait for ourselves in the ER. At this point, I really really really wish I had a video camera available so as to show you what we experienced with our children. Caedmon, by this time, had had several breathing treatments and two doses of a steroid. To say he was hyper is a major understatement. He was literally bouncing all over the bed and talking nonstop: some of it was detectable, some was another form of language yet to be discovered. And Abby. Dear, sweet, patient Abby (who by the way, figured out how to get food, drinks, a teddy bear and a coloring book from the nurse just by smiling at her as she walked by.) I'm almost sure that Abby experienced temporary insanity induced by exhaustion because she carried on a detailed, two-sided conversation with herself for almost 20 mins. She very clearly was taking on the role of two people and even told us that she was talking with the voices in her head. I'll just leave it at that for now!
Finally we arrived in our room in the new, AMAZING!, peds ward at Lynchburg General. The nursing staff there is absolutely fantastic! They were generous to my boy that was now leaping from one piece of furniture to the next, assuring me that he wasn't possessed but was reacting to the large amount of steroids in his system. The way they cared for Caed, and secured his attention amazed and inspired me! I do have to say that they were very impressed with his willingness to cooperate. I was extremely thankful that I spent extra time this week praying about and working on being consistent with his obedience. Character development: check!
So the night consisted of meds and every hour waking (for momma!) from nurses to see how he is doing. The intake nurse called it 23 hour Observation Care in our paper work (supposedly that makes it cheaper for us in the billing cycle! I REALLY hope that's the case).
So what I've learned about asthma:
It's real. And it's serious! Honestly, Caed has been doing so well throughout the fall that I let my guard down and didn't take his symptoms seriously enough. Partly because I didn't have a full understanding of how asthma works. A person can be fine in the morning and experience a trigger and struggle the rest of the day. Also, a person may seem fine in activity level, but really tightening of the airways is going on inside. In Caed's case, excessive coughing is an indicator of need for rescue meds even if he's as active as normal. Now I know!
I also didn't have a clear understanding of how to use his meds appropriately. I didn't understand how his long term and his rescue meds should be working together for effective treatment. And being afraid of over medicating, I actually was under medicating. Yes, there's mommy guilt there for me.
Now we have a much more clear Asthma Action Plan. I know what to look for, and how to respond. I plan to keep a trigger journal to keep track of information (because, really, they asked me SO many questions about when things happened and what triggered it and how many doses I've given. I was lost...it would have been much easier and helpful to have it all documented to begin with.) And hopefully, hopefully we can stay out of the ER from now on.
One cute side note. As Caed and I ate our lunch together this afternoon this was his heartwarming prayer after singing the "Open-Shut Them" song he learned at church: "Dear God, Tank you for Mommy, for Abby, for me and for Daddy. Tank you for Baby Jesus and Jesus and God. Amen!"
The only thing my little guy could talk about in the hospital today was going to ride the trains at the mall. So, yes, we left the hospital and went straight to the mall for our annual ride! His smile was incredible!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Redeemed!
God has been teaching me SO very much about His love for me. I've been searching for a symbolic piece of jewelery to wear to remind myself of His love and His power in my life. It had to be something special, but most of all I wanted it to reflect the beauty of HIM in my life, His active presence with me.
I have so many things in my past that I thought were insurmountable. I have experienced things that have created a bondage which I assumed could never be broken and would be life-long. Perhaps some day, I will have the courage to share those things here. But for now, it's enough to say that I was walking through life with a very noticeable limp.
But God recently freed me from one aspect of this bondage. And I want to remember it forever. He's been showing me so much about His redemptive love which not only restores but also uses my brokenness.
My husband recently attended an apologetics conference in North Carolina and he brought back a bracelet which has captured my heart. It has become to me, a perfect representation of what Jesus has done in my life.
This beautiful bracelet was sold by a ministry called Rahab's Rope. Rahab's Rope seeks to help women and girls who have been forced into the sex trade in India. These ladies can come to RR and experience safety and the love of Jesus. Here, a woman is given an opportunity for education and is taught a trade in order to provide a living for herself.
This bracelet was created by a woman at Rahab's Rope. It is made from pieces of broken glass bangle bracelets, popular among Indian women and girls. What a beautiful picture! Glass bangles that were worn and broken, tossed to the side, forgotten, seen as useless and worthless have now been transformed into art. Each bracelet is different, with its own set of stories and its own tragedies. But the pieces come together to form a thing of beauty. Think for a minute about the women who have worn these bracelets. If those bangles could talk, would they share horrific stories? Would they tell of hours in worship of false gods? How many tears and laughs have they experienced? How did it get broken? The history behind each bangle is just as unique as the stories of each woman at Rahab's Rope...just as unique as my story and your story.
The thing I love about it is that you can still see the broken pieces! The Bible says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17. I have spent so many years trying to hide my past thinking that would be the way in which I would be a new creation. But one thing I've learned from the Daniel Bible study by Beth Moore, is that He doesn't want to wipe away my past. He wants to use it for greater things in my future. He has redeemed my past. He has a unique purpose in that redemption. As with this bracelet, the broken pieces, when sealed together, make for a breathtaking piece of beauty.
The description of this bracelet on the website is "a recycling project with stunning results", but I rather prefer the phrase, "a redeemed project with stunning results." That's how I want Jesus to describe me!
I have so many things in my past that I thought were insurmountable. I have experienced things that have created a bondage which I assumed could never be broken and would be life-long. Perhaps some day, I will have the courage to share those things here. But for now, it's enough to say that I was walking through life with a very noticeable limp.
But God recently freed me from one aspect of this bondage. And I want to remember it forever. He's been showing me so much about His redemptive love which not only restores but also uses my brokenness.
My husband recently attended an apologetics conference in North Carolina and he brought back a bracelet which has captured my heart. It has become to me, a perfect representation of what Jesus has done in my life.
This beautiful bracelet was sold by a ministry called Rahab's Rope. Rahab's Rope seeks to help women and girls who have been forced into the sex trade in India. These ladies can come to RR and experience safety and the love of Jesus. Here, a woman is given an opportunity for education and is taught a trade in order to provide a living for herself.
This bracelet was created by a woman at Rahab's Rope. It is made from pieces of broken glass bangle bracelets, popular among Indian women and girls. What a beautiful picture! Glass bangles that were worn and broken, tossed to the side, forgotten, seen as useless and worthless have now been transformed into art. Each bracelet is different, with its own set of stories and its own tragedies. But the pieces come together to form a thing of beauty. Think for a minute about the women who have worn these bracelets. If those bangles could talk, would they share horrific stories? Would they tell of hours in worship of false gods? How many tears and laughs have they experienced? How did it get broken? The history behind each bangle is just as unique as the stories of each woman at Rahab's Rope...just as unique as my story and your story.
The thing I love about it is that you can still see the broken pieces! The Bible says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17. I have spent so many years trying to hide my past thinking that would be the way in which I would be a new creation. But one thing I've learned from the Daniel Bible study by Beth Moore, is that He doesn't want to wipe away my past. He wants to use it for greater things in my future. He has redeemed my past. He has a unique purpose in that redemption. As with this bracelet, the broken pieces, when sealed together, make for a breathtaking piece of beauty.
The description of this bracelet on the website is "a recycling project with stunning results", but I rather prefer the phrase, "a redeemed project with stunning results." That's how I want Jesus to describe me!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Our First Coconut Experience
There's a first time for everything. Personally I hate coconut. I hate the smell, the taste, the texture. But when Abby spotted a "real coconut" in the grocery store...how could her Daddy resist?
Have you ever opened a coconut? I had NO CLUE how to get into that bad boy. So this was our fun project in school today. The kids were totally enamored with the brown ball!
First, we "researched" the process on Youtube:
Realizing it was a bigger job than I wanted to get into, I employed the help of Dear Hubby. I'm so glad he works from home! Um. Yeah. So we do not own a corkscrew...so we had to use a bbq skewer to poke the first hole. PJ then used a butter knife to make the hole larger.
During this entire process we tried many things and Abby kept saying, "I don't think this is a good idea..." She tends to be the cautious one in our family. :)
Next, we let the coconut milk or watery-substance drain into the glass. It was actually very dirty, so we later used a coffee filter to clean out some of the "juice" for tasting.
PJ then beat the outer shell with a can opener. The guy in the video used the handle of a butter knife. We did this too...and broke our knife. :( So the can opener was the next logical option. It was loud.
VERY loud.
But it worked! I love Abby's initial response!
Have you ever opened a coconut? I had NO CLUE how to get into that bad boy. So this was our fun project in school today. The kids were totally enamored with the brown ball!
First, we "researched" the process on Youtube:
Realizing it was a bigger job than I wanted to get into, I employed the help of Dear Hubby. I'm so glad he works from home! Um. Yeah. So we do not own a corkscrew...so we had to use a bbq skewer to poke the first hole. PJ then used a butter knife to make the hole larger.
During this entire process we tried many things and Abby kept saying, "I don't think this is a good idea..." She tends to be the cautious one in our family. :)
Next, we let the coconut milk or watery-substance drain into the glass. It was actually very dirty, so we later used a coffee filter to clean out some of the "juice" for tasting.
PJ then beat the outer shell with a can opener. The guy in the video used the handle of a butter knife. We did this too...and broke our knife. :( So the can opener was the next logical option. It was loud.
VERY loud.
But it worked! I love Abby's initial response!
Abby loved it! And she and PJ carved out much of the coconut and ate it.
Caedmon and I are like-minded when it comes to coconut preferences. I tried it and think I'll pass.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
On Becoming Holy
A friend, Brittany, posted an article on her Facebook wall recently that has captured me, and is changing, the way I view relationships in my life.
You can read the full article here: Her.meneutics. Honestly, I only skimmed it briefly, but this one little truth etched itself into my brain and as I lay in bed this morning in between hitting the snooze button, God began transforming my view on the relationships and roles in my life. I feel like I'm developing a new lens from which to see my world.
My paradigm shift came from this little sentence taken from the subtitle of a book by Gary Thomas:
“What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”
What a thought! What if God has, in His mercy, allowed certain events and relationships into my life as a tool to make me holy as He is holy? Certainly many of these things also make me happy but happiness is not the supreme goal. Becoming more like Christ is the goal, and in that I find joy.
Ha! I love this because I can see it so plainly now!
In my marriage, through my growing relationship with my husband, God has taught me about forgiveness: the importance of asking for it and of giving it. God has allowed me to experience wholeness in sexuality where brokenness and distortion nearly destroyed me. God has given me a great friend through my husband that knows me better than I know myself at times and a teacher that helps me understand God's Word.
As a mother, God has taught me to trust Him more fully. There is nothing in this world that creates more fear in my heart than something harmful happening to one of my children. It's a daily surrendering of my fears and choosing to trust Him because He is good. God has taught me the importance of consistency. I want to impact my kids in healthy ways...who else, other than your kids, gives you a day-to-day, hour-to-hour audience? They see me when I wake with bed-head, then through several emotions all day long until I fall into bed at night. In learning to be consistent with them, my walk with the Lord has become more consistent.
In friendships, He has taught me the importance of integrity, saying (and hearing) the hard things, and service. How many times I've been blessed by a friend because they have laid down their own desires or plans for the day to help me with food, or cleaning or even a listening ear. Through friendships, I have learned how to love others as I love myself.
Even through homeschooling my children, I'm learning the importance of honoring God with my mind and my intellect. I'm learning about administering grace to the least of these in my home and in turn receiving it because I am so totally unworthy of it. And to do so with joy.
This is such an amazing shift for me. My life is not so much about being a romantic comedy with a happy ending so much as it is about a divine passion of redemption of my soul!
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in [me] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
You can read the full article here: Her.meneutics. Honestly, I only skimmed it briefly, but this one little truth etched itself into my brain and as I lay in bed this morning in between hitting the snooze button, God began transforming my view on the relationships and roles in my life. I feel like I'm developing a new lens from which to see my world.
My paradigm shift came from this little sentence taken from the subtitle of a book by Gary Thomas:
“What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”
What a thought! What if God has, in His mercy, allowed certain events and relationships into my life as a tool to make me holy as He is holy? Certainly many of these things also make me happy but happiness is not the supreme goal. Becoming more like Christ is the goal, and in that I find joy.
Ha! I love this because I can see it so plainly now!
In my marriage, through my growing relationship with my husband, God has taught me about forgiveness: the importance of asking for it and of giving it. God has allowed me to experience wholeness in sexuality where brokenness and distortion nearly destroyed me. God has given me a great friend through my husband that knows me better than I know myself at times and a teacher that helps me understand God's Word.
As a mother, God has taught me to trust Him more fully. There is nothing in this world that creates more fear in my heart than something harmful happening to one of my children. It's a daily surrendering of my fears and choosing to trust Him because He is good. God has taught me the importance of consistency. I want to impact my kids in healthy ways...who else, other than your kids, gives you a day-to-day, hour-to-hour audience? They see me when I wake with bed-head, then through several emotions all day long until I fall into bed at night. In learning to be consistent with them, my walk with the Lord has become more consistent.
In friendships, He has taught me the importance of integrity, saying (and hearing) the hard things, and service. How many times I've been blessed by a friend because they have laid down their own desires or plans for the day to help me with food, or cleaning or even a listening ear. Through friendships, I have learned how to love others as I love myself.
Even through homeschooling my children, I'm learning the importance of honoring God with my mind and my intellect. I'm learning about administering grace to the least of these in my home and in turn receiving it because I am so totally unworthy of it. And to do so with joy.
This is such an amazing shift for me. My life is not so much about being a romantic comedy with a happy ending so much as it is about a divine passion of redemption of my soul!
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in [me] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
Friday, November 11, 2011
A Dream Come True!
It's been a long, rough couple of weeks for me, ya'll.
My dear hubby suggested that I take some time to myself while he watches the kidlets. It took me about...oh...2.5 seconds to decide what I wanted to do:
The only thing this pregnant lady wants is to sleep-in. I wanted to sleep under fluffy, soft blankets with the room chilly and to be uninterrupted until my own body told me to get up.
It. Was. Heavenly.
I did not emerge from my cocoon of heaven until:
Amazing, isn't it? Sure beats the 2AM puke duty or the 6:30AM up-for-the-day daily duty.
And this is how I was greeted:
Breakfast in bed! I feel totally loved and cherished today! Thank you, family, for a day of rest!!
A final pic of my hubby's yummy, perfect omelets!
My dear hubby suggested that I take some time to myself while he watches the kidlets. It took me about...oh...2.5 seconds to decide what I wanted to do:
The only thing this pregnant lady wants is to sleep-in. I wanted to sleep under fluffy, soft blankets with the room chilly and to be uninterrupted until my own body told me to get up.
It. Was. Heavenly.
I did not emerge from my cocoon of heaven until:
Amazing, isn't it? Sure beats the 2AM puke duty or the 6:30AM up-for-the-day daily duty.
And this is how I was greeted:
Breakfast in bed! I feel totally loved and cherished today! Thank you, family, for a day of rest!!
A final pic of my hubby's yummy, perfect omelets!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Yes, kids do LIVE here.
I've been living in a fantasy world for a few weeks. It goes a little something like this: my world is perfect. My kids are always clean, and always put away their toys. Dishes never clutter the sink. The beds are always made. Even the dog doesn't shed...but if she does, I vacuum the hair immediately. That sounds lovely doesn't it? And I've even managed to maintain that facade...for a bit.
The problem is, that creating a perfect front comes at a cost. Here is what I've really experienced:
I'm exhausted. I stay up late to clean up so that I don't have to do it in the morning.
I'm irritable. It may feel good to wake up to a clean house, but when someone spills something I am less than kind.
I'm obsessive. I can't let things go. I keep thinking, "Just one more thing and then I will sit down." Funny thing about that philosophy...I always find exactly one more thing to do.
The kids are frustrated and bored. They've been forced to watch entirely too much TV while I obsess.
And even after all the "maintaining" that a "good stay at home mom" has done, there are STILL areas that are not up to the standards of others.
I'm sick of myself. I'm sick of putting pressure on myself to live this way. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate a clutter free space. I like not having toys all over the floor and I think it's important for the kids to learn responsibility and pick up after themselves. But I miss the days of playing in the grass, discovering new bugs in the yard. I miss "finger" painting giant pieces of paper (and the bathroom floor) with our feet.
Someone recently came to my house and made the comment "You can tell kids live here." To be honest, it ruffled my feathers. I felt a need to explain. But it dawned on me today as I was vacuuming the hardwood floors (really???) that I'm a people-pleaser. I'm directing my attention to the standards of other people. My expectations for myself are based on the opinions of others.
But this is all wrong! I need only to live up to the standard of One. Jesus Christ. And I can assure you that He cares more about the state of my children's hearts than the state of their bedroom. I'm reflecting on the things that I'm teaching their young hearts. Do I want them to see exhaustion and people-pleasing modeled as a way of life? Or do I want them to see a life surrendered to Jesus and worshiping him in all that I do? I want to be a reflection of Christ, One who looks not on the outward but the inward. I want to be and I want my kids to be eternally-minded. Going only where our Shepherd leads. Doing what HE puts on our to-do lists.
So yes, kids live here. There are stains on the carpeting and upholstery of our car. Construction paper and finger-painted masterpieces decorate my walls. Toy cars are parked under the couch. Stuffed animals sit on the kitchen floor awaiting adoption from the "pet shop". And super-heroes bask in the sunlight on the sun-porch floor. Yes, kids live here. They reside here. They learn and discover here. They rest here. They take comfort here. They have adventures here. They LIVE here. And, it's my desire that here, in this home, they will experience the wonderful, abundant life that Jesus gives us.
And I wouldn't have it any other way!
The problem is, that creating a perfect front comes at a cost. Here is what I've really experienced:
I'm exhausted. I stay up late to clean up so that I don't have to do it in the morning.
I'm irritable. It may feel good to wake up to a clean house, but when someone spills something I am less than kind.
I'm obsessive. I can't let things go. I keep thinking, "Just one more thing and then I will sit down." Funny thing about that philosophy...I always find exactly one more thing to do.
The kids are frustrated and bored. They've been forced to watch entirely too much TV while I obsess.
And even after all the "maintaining" that a "good stay at home mom" has done, there are STILL areas that are not up to the standards of others.
I'm sick of myself. I'm sick of putting pressure on myself to live this way. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate a clutter free space. I like not having toys all over the floor and I think it's important for the kids to learn responsibility and pick up after themselves. But I miss the days of playing in the grass, discovering new bugs in the yard. I miss "finger" painting giant pieces of paper (and the bathroom floor) with our feet.
Someone recently came to my house and made the comment "You can tell kids live here." To be honest, it ruffled my feathers. I felt a need to explain. But it dawned on me today as I was vacuuming the hardwood floors (really???) that I'm a people-pleaser. I'm directing my attention to the standards of other people. My expectations for myself are based on the opinions of others.
But this is all wrong! I need only to live up to the standard of One. Jesus Christ. And I can assure you that He cares more about the state of my children's hearts than the state of their bedroom. I'm reflecting on the things that I'm teaching their young hearts. Do I want them to see exhaustion and people-pleasing modeled as a way of life? Or do I want them to see a life surrendered to Jesus and worshiping him in all that I do? I want to be a reflection of Christ, One who looks not on the outward but the inward. I want to be and I want my kids to be eternally-minded. Going only where our Shepherd leads. Doing what HE puts on our to-do lists.
So yes, kids live here. There are stains on the carpeting and upholstery of our car. Construction paper and finger-painted masterpieces decorate my walls. Toy cars are parked under the couch. Stuffed animals sit on the kitchen floor awaiting adoption from the "pet shop". And super-heroes bask in the sunlight on the sun-porch floor. Yes, kids live here. They reside here. They learn and discover here. They rest here. They take comfort here. They have adventures here. They LIVE here. And, it's my desire that here, in this home, they will experience the wonderful, abundant life that Jesus gives us.
And I wouldn't have it any other way!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Motherhood: Drop Cloth and Bucket Required
Thank you Desiree for the title of this unbelievable day...
(Please note that this post is probably TMI...but well...it's life in the land of Motherhood.There are intentionally no pictures attached to this entry.)
Before I begin the unfolding of today's events. Let me start with the lessons I've learned (been learning) and had the opportunity to practice.
.
Lesson 1: Sometimes God does give us more than we can handle. I texted a friend today and told her that I knew God
doesn't give us more than we can handle but I'm at my limit. She texted back a surprising, but wonderful response: "Actually, I think God does give us more than we can handle so that we see our need to depend on Him." Thank you! That set the stage for me today. I listened, I leaned in, I survived!
Lesson 2: Godly friendships are imperative. I can't do this journey alone. I know that I can text several of my closest friends and ask for prayer and I know I will be prayed for in that moment. That's so reassuring...and life giving. I'm thankful for interceding friends.
Lesson 3: You can either laugh or you can cry about a situation. It's much more pleasant (and makes for better blog material) if you laugh!
Lesson 4: Blue and red icees are not as fun coming up as they are going down...but I am getting ahead of myself here! On to the fun (??) run down of my day.
After a terribly hectic and long day, we arrived home late, put the kids to bed late...and went to bed late ourselves. Around 1 am I hear the familiar "thump thump" of Caveman's foot steps (he's never been one to pitter-patter around the house). I groan "Why can't these kids stay in their own beds?" Then I hear "Momm....blahhhhh"....next is Hubby, "Ugh! He just threw up on me!" (and we later found that he also got the entire basket of freshly washed clothes).
Yes, my 2 year old son was standing near the doorway of our bedroom and projectile vomited onto my husband. (I'm so glad that I sleep closest to the window!) We break into clean up mode. Wonderful Hubby cleans without ever a complaint.
Caveman now on the bed rolls all over my pillow and sheets while I'm getting a rag. <sigh> I just washed those too!
I go to his room to get fresh clothes and it's a regular slip-n-slide in there. Yes, I had to change my clothes. I return and flip on the light to find that he had apparently been facing the wall when his belly began to feel upset...yes...all. over. the. wall....but surprising not on his sheets. Thanks buddy!
Finally all are settled back in bed and an hour later I'm awakened by Caveman who is complaining that he peed in his pull-up. Now is the time he wants to potty train??? I feel him. He's soaked. We go to the bathroom only to find that it's not pee. Apparently his mouth is not the only thing that can explode during the night. <sigh> Really regretting those oreos I gave him earlier in the day.
Back to bed and 2 hours later...same routine.
Hubby gets up at 5:30 and goes to his office (also the home of the zapped cat ). The next thing I hear is frustration as several trips ensue to the bathroom and the sun porch (in which the cat was deposited). Yes. The cat had, in fact, pooped on Hubby's chair. Not knowing this, he sat in it. The cat is not currently a favored household member.
Everyone is up and groggy by 7. I finally get breakfast scrounged together by 8:30.
Hubby is planning to go out of town with his boss today and we have to leave the house by 9. I'm feeling frantic because I've had no sleep. One child is sick. The other is in high gear. And my husband is leaving for 3 days.
My doctor's office calls just as I'm about to start crying. "We got your tests back. You have an infection. We called in a prescription, but you need to know that these meds will give you side effects that we cannot treat until your 2nd trimester. Have a good day." Of course that call would happen today. In that moment. I'm 8 weeks along...it's going to be a long 4 weeks.
We get out the door, make the 30 minute drive to the house of Hubby's boss. Say a goodbye to him and off I go to pick up my prescription (fighting back silly tears in effort to be strong for the kids).
Once arriving at Target, one kid is winding down. The other is screaming his head off and wanting only to be held. Poor kid. He's sick. I get it. In effort to keep them quiet and hydrated, I buy them icees. A red one for Blue Bird. A blue one for Caveman. All are happy. I decide to glance over the clearance section of clothes in effort to find brown pants and a shirt for Blue Bird's lion Halloween costume.
At which point, Blue Bird says, "Mommy, I feel sick. My tummy hurts." I'm sad to say that I didn't at first believe her, thinking it was only attempt to be like Caveman. She proved her point when she deposited all her red icee into my lovely purple jacket...in the clothing section of Target.
She tends to get insanely embarrassed. So I managed to hide her and clean her up without anyone noticing.
We rush over to the pharmacy to get my meds before any more red icee revisits us. Just as I'm paying and saying "Thank you" to the pharmacist, I notice a look of utter disgust on her face. I turn around to see a steady stream of blue icee coming out of Caveman. Blue icee everywhere! Blue icee....all over the pharmacy area. All over the clearance clothes that I had in the cart. (I guess I'm committed to them all now.) All over the cart and Blue Bird's feet and shoes.
The pharmacy worker gave me a bag and some paper towels, all the while Blue Bird is crying out "He got some on my foot! Please clean off my foot!" And the other pharmacy workers could all be heard "It was a blue icee?" "Do you think the icee made him sick?" "I stay away from the blue..." Yes...all duly noted. No, it's not the icee. He has a vicious stomach bug and my husband is out of town and I have to have this medicine so that it can give me side effects that will linger untreatable for 4 more weeks. Thank you!
So I strip Caveman down to his diaper and proceed to the check out. Yes, it's fall. Yes, my kid is naked. Yes, he has a stomach bug. Yes, I brought him into a public place. My husband is out of town and I needed this medicine...oh forget it...just stop staring at me. I'm not a circus routine! <please someone tell me they have been in this situation before!>
I survey the checkout people. I avoid the mean ones and head straight for the one that is always smiling and happy. So thankful that at this point a friend from church joined me in line and distracted the half naked, icee covered kids while I explained to Friendly Cashier that I would hold the tags of the soaked clothes while she scans them with her scanner-wand-thingy. She was so. very. kind. And I bagged my own items.
I was so glad to get home. I'm so thankful for friends and their encouraging words and service to me.
Currently, I'm typing in the dark in the living room. The kids are asleep in their sleeping bags, on their mattresses, on the living room floor, with a trash can between them. Tonight was supposed to be our "fun camp out" night. (a tradition of ours when Daddy goes out of town). Maybe tomorrow will be more "camp out-ish".
But for tonight, I will sleep, with my drop cloth and bucket handy...
side note: 3 loads of laundry, 3 pillows, and a set of sheets was the total count for the day.
(Please note that this post is probably TMI...but well...it's life in the land of Motherhood.There are intentionally no pictures attached to this entry.)
Before I begin the unfolding of today's events. Let me start with the lessons I've learned (been learning) and had the opportunity to practice.
.
Lesson 1: Sometimes God does give us more than we can handle. I texted a friend today and told her that I knew God
doesn't give us more than we can handle but I'm at my limit. She texted back a surprising, but wonderful response: "Actually, I think God does give us more than we can handle so that we see our need to depend on Him." Thank you! That set the stage for me today. I listened, I leaned in, I survived!
Lesson 2: Godly friendships are imperative. I can't do this journey alone. I know that I can text several of my closest friends and ask for prayer and I know I will be prayed for in that moment. That's so reassuring...and life giving. I'm thankful for interceding friends.
Lesson 3: You can either laugh or you can cry about a situation. It's much more pleasant (and makes for better blog material) if you laugh!
Lesson 4: Blue and red icees are not as fun coming up as they are going down...but I am getting ahead of myself here! On to the fun (??) run down of my day.
After a terribly hectic and long day, we arrived home late, put the kids to bed late...and went to bed late ourselves. Around 1 am I hear the familiar "thump thump" of Caveman's foot steps (he's never been one to pitter-patter around the house). I groan "Why can't these kids stay in their own beds?" Then I hear "Momm....blahhhhh"....next is Hubby, "Ugh! He just threw up on me!" (and we later found that he also got the entire basket of freshly washed clothes).
Yes, my 2 year old son was standing near the doorway of our bedroom and projectile vomited onto my husband. (I'm so glad that I sleep closest to the window!) We break into clean up mode. Wonderful Hubby cleans without ever a complaint.
Caveman now on the bed rolls all over my pillow and sheets while I'm getting a rag. <sigh> I just washed those too!
I go to his room to get fresh clothes and it's a regular slip-n-slide in there. Yes, I had to change my clothes. I return and flip on the light to find that he had apparently been facing the wall when his belly began to feel upset...yes...all. over. the. wall....but surprising not on his sheets. Thanks buddy!
Finally all are settled back in bed and an hour later I'm awakened by Caveman who is complaining that he peed in his pull-up. Now is the time he wants to potty train??? I feel him. He's soaked. We go to the bathroom only to find that it's not pee. Apparently his mouth is not the only thing that can explode during the night. <sigh> Really regretting those oreos I gave him earlier in the day.
Back to bed and 2 hours later...same routine.
Hubby gets up at 5:30 and goes to his office (also the home of the zapped cat ). The next thing I hear is frustration as several trips ensue to the bathroom and the sun porch (in which the cat was deposited). Yes. The cat had, in fact, pooped on Hubby's chair. Not knowing this, he sat in it. The cat is not currently a favored household member.
Everyone is up and groggy by 7. I finally get breakfast scrounged together by 8:30.
Hubby is planning to go out of town with his boss today and we have to leave the house by 9. I'm feeling frantic because I've had no sleep. One child is sick. The other is in high gear. And my husband is leaving for 3 days.
My doctor's office calls just as I'm about to start crying. "We got your tests back. You have an infection. We called in a prescription, but you need to know that these meds will give you side effects that we cannot treat until your 2nd trimester. Have a good day." Of course that call would happen today. In that moment. I'm 8 weeks along...it's going to be a long 4 weeks.
We get out the door, make the 30 minute drive to the house of Hubby's boss. Say a goodbye to him and off I go to pick up my prescription (fighting back silly tears in effort to be strong for the kids).
Once arriving at Target, one kid is winding down. The other is screaming his head off and wanting only to be held. Poor kid. He's sick. I get it. In effort to keep them quiet and hydrated, I buy them icees. A red one for Blue Bird. A blue one for Caveman. All are happy. I decide to glance over the clearance section of clothes in effort to find brown pants and a shirt for Blue Bird's lion Halloween costume.
At which point, Blue Bird says, "Mommy, I feel sick. My tummy hurts." I'm sad to say that I didn't at first believe her, thinking it was only attempt to be like Caveman. She proved her point when she deposited all her red icee into my lovely purple jacket...in the clothing section of Target.
She tends to get insanely embarrassed. So I managed to hide her and clean her up without anyone noticing.
We rush over to the pharmacy to get my meds before any more red icee revisits us. Just as I'm paying and saying "Thank you" to the pharmacist, I notice a look of utter disgust on her face. I turn around to see a steady stream of blue icee coming out of Caveman. Blue icee everywhere! Blue icee....all over the pharmacy area. All over the clearance clothes that I had in the cart. (I guess I'm committed to them all now.) All over the cart and Blue Bird's feet and shoes.
The pharmacy worker gave me a bag and some paper towels, all the while Blue Bird is crying out "He got some on my foot! Please clean off my foot!" And the other pharmacy workers could all be heard "It was a blue icee?" "Do you think the icee made him sick?" "I stay away from the blue..." Yes...all duly noted. No, it's not the icee. He has a vicious stomach bug and my husband is out of town and I have to have this medicine so that it can give me side effects that will linger untreatable for 4 more weeks. Thank you!
So I strip Caveman down to his diaper and proceed to the check out. Yes, it's fall. Yes, my kid is naked. Yes, he has a stomach bug. Yes, I brought him into a public place. My husband is out of town and I needed this medicine...oh forget it...just stop staring at me. I'm not a circus routine! <please someone tell me they have been in this situation before!>
I survey the checkout people. I avoid the mean ones and head straight for the one that is always smiling and happy. So thankful that at this point a friend from church joined me in line and distracted the half naked, icee covered kids while I explained to Friendly Cashier that I would hold the tags of the soaked clothes while she scans them with her scanner-wand-thingy. She was so. very. kind. And I bagged my own items.
I was so glad to get home. I'm so thankful for friends and their encouraging words and service to me.
Currently, I'm typing in the dark in the living room. The kids are asleep in their sleeping bags, on their mattresses, on the living room floor, with a trash can between them. Tonight was supposed to be our "fun camp out" night. (a tradition of ours when Daddy goes out of town). Maybe tomorrow will be more "camp out-ish".
But for tonight, I will sleep, with my drop cloth and bucket handy...
side note: 3 loads of laundry, 3 pillows, and a set of sheets was the total count for the day.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Curiosity Killed the Cat...Almost...
Yesterday started out as any normal day (these days). Caedmon wanted to dress up in his Iron Man costume and Abby was carrying the new kitten all over the house like a baby.
It all happened so fast. Iron Man somehow attained Purrsia and had her in the baby carriage. She jumped out, Caed ran forward after her and the dog followed Caed. Purrsia ran into the pantry and one second later I heard her pitiful little meow simultaneously with the a "zap". I knew in an instant what had happened. Purrsia was in the electronic mouse trap. I hate that thing now. I had totally forgotten it was in there!
I dug it out from the back of the pantry and to my horror all I could see was Purrsia's tail and one foot twitching. I pulled my now limp kitten out of the trap and cried for PJ. The kids went running to his office. As soon as he heard my voice he came bounding out knowing something was terribly wrong.
PJ held our twitching, wet kitten (she peed on herself when she got electrocuted) while I called the vet. I'll never forget that sound (I think it's called a death rattle) as Purrsia gasped for every breath. We had a little hope as she began to move a little, but she was still gasping for air and seemed to be blinded now.
I loaded the kids into the car to rush to the vet. Through tears and sobs we prayed for God to heal our 12 week old kitten. As soon as we said "amen", Purrsia let out a loud "meow!" We laughed with joy. But she seemed to be getting worse, with her mouth wide open wanting air. Once I got her to the vet, they did not seem very hopeful as I dropped her off. I couldn't stay to see the doctor because I had to drive PJ to LU for an intensive. So we left her and prayed.
I sobbed the entire way to Liberty and then back to the vet. A thought occurred to me at some point that Abby was totally calm. She wasn't crying but rather seemed to be enjoying the ride and singing along to our Veggie Tales cd. I wondered at this. My child who cries when you look at her wrongly. The one who cries when things do not go as expected. She was so calm. I decided in the moment to have faith. We asked Jesus to heal our kitten, and so I would expect it. I knew He could heal Purrsia...but for some reason I worried that He wouldn't.
When we returned to the vet we were told that they needed to keep her for the day. Her bodily systems had shut down. Her lungs were full of fluid and the vet was concerned about her vision, but she was doing about 50% better. There was hope.
Long story short, we brought Purrsia home that same evening and she was perfectly healthy and playful as if nothing had ever happened. Her sight was returned, she was eating, drinking, purring and playing. A-MAZING!
I asked Abby why she was able to remain so calm during the whole ordeal. She said simply: "We prayed for her!"
So grateful for her childlike faith. So grateful that God heard a 4 year old's prayer and that He healed even a small creature like our 12 week old kitten!
It's just a shame that Purrsia is so young and only has 8 lives left. :)
It all happened so fast. Iron Man somehow attained Purrsia and had her in the baby carriage. She jumped out, Caed ran forward after her and the dog followed Caed. Purrsia ran into the pantry and one second later I heard her pitiful little meow simultaneously with the a "zap". I knew in an instant what had happened. Purrsia was in the electronic mouse trap. I hate that thing now. I had totally forgotten it was in there!
I dug it out from the back of the pantry and to my horror all I could see was Purrsia's tail and one foot twitching. I pulled my now limp kitten out of the trap and cried for PJ. The kids went running to his office. As soon as he heard my voice he came bounding out knowing something was terribly wrong.
PJ held our twitching, wet kitten (she peed on herself when she got electrocuted) while I called the vet. I'll never forget that sound (I think it's called a death rattle) as Purrsia gasped for every breath. We had a little hope as she began to move a little, but she was still gasping for air and seemed to be blinded now.
I loaded the kids into the car to rush to the vet. Through tears and sobs we prayed for God to heal our 12 week old kitten. As soon as we said "amen", Purrsia let out a loud "meow!" We laughed with joy. But she seemed to be getting worse, with her mouth wide open wanting air. Once I got her to the vet, they did not seem very hopeful as I dropped her off. I couldn't stay to see the doctor because I had to drive PJ to LU for an intensive. So we left her and prayed.
I sobbed the entire way to Liberty and then back to the vet. A thought occurred to me at some point that Abby was totally calm. She wasn't crying but rather seemed to be enjoying the ride and singing along to our Veggie Tales cd. I wondered at this. My child who cries when you look at her wrongly. The one who cries when things do not go as expected. She was so calm. I decided in the moment to have faith. We asked Jesus to heal our kitten, and so I would expect it. I knew He could heal Purrsia...but for some reason I worried that He wouldn't.
When we returned to the vet we were told that they needed to keep her for the day. Her bodily systems had shut down. Her lungs were full of fluid and the vet was concerned about her vision, but she was doing about 50% better. There was hope.
Long story short, we brought Purrsia home that same evening and she was perfectly healthy and playful as if nothing had ever happened. Her sight was returned, she was eating, drinking, purring and playing. A-MAZING!
So grateful for her childlike faith. So grateful that God heard a 4 year old's prayer and that He healed even a small creature like our 12 week old kitten!
It's just a shame that Purrsia is so young and only has 8 lives left. :)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Eternal Preschool
I have a confession to make. I'm scared of teenagers. Well, I'm not really scared of them as persons... I'm scared of having some of my own.
At church yesterday, I was talking to a parent of a teen. He was telling me how quickly time has passed and that having a teenager is so different. Then it suddenly dawned on me. I'm going to have some of those one day. I got scared. It's not that I'm realizing this for the first time. Obviously, I know that kids grow up and that it's all natural and we can't stop it from happening. But you see, I'm a mom of preschoolers. The world I live in seems eternal. My days are very much the same: feed them, clean them, play with them, clean up after them, feed them, feed them,clean up, put them to bed.
Both of my kids love to pretend. Abby pretends to be everything from tigers to princesses. Caedmon prefers to be a fireman or one of the characters from Busytown Mysteries. And they like for me to pretend too, usually at the same time. So most days I'm Sleeping Beauty Sally Cat.
And I often get frustrated with the same conversations and same pretend play day after day. And not only that, but the endless cycle that is laundry and cleaning the house! It's enough to make a person crazy some days!
But I realized yesterday that eventually they will be teenagers, and these days of eternal preschool will be a distant memory. Some day my little boy that looks up at me with those deep blue eyes and says "Holda me. I loves you, Sally!" will be asking me for the car keys. And my precious little girl that begs me to play make-up with her and then smears eye shadow all over my face will one day think I have no sense of style and will keep her own private diary! <gasp!>
And then I realize how much of my day I spend rushing onto the next errand. Pushing towards the next task. Trying to achieve the perfect home. I don't want to rush this time or waste it on the unimportant. I want to enjoy it.
This is my reminder to myself:
"Why are you always rushing?
Always worried, always toiling.
The house can wait. Your children can't.
The dishes will have to be washed again later. Let them wait.
Childhood is calling. Play. Pretend.
The days of pirates and princesses will not always linger.
Race cars and choo-choo trains do not wait.
Stop playing with "instruction" and "teachable moments" always on your mind.
Leave your grown-up world. Enter your child's.
Be amazed. Wonder. Dream.
Have camp-outs under the kitchen table.
Picnic in the grass next to the sandbox.
For soon that imaginative child that never seems to stop talking and has boundless energy
will be all grown up.
The trucks will be placed in the attic.
The dress-up clothes that carpet the floor will no longer fit.
The toys which never seem to be put away and the markers with mismatched lids will not be your permanent decor.
This is a season. The best advice I've ever received for this season: Enjoy your kids."
So, if you will excuse me, both of my kids are now awake and it's time for Sleeping Beauty Sally Cat to solve some mysteries in the princess beauty salon.
At church yesterday, I was talking to a parent of a teen. He was telling me how quickly time has passed and that having a teenager is so different. Then it suddenly dawned on me. I'm going to have some of those one day. I got scared. It's not that I'm realizing this for the first time. Obviously, I know that kids grow up and that it's all natural and we can't stop it from happening. But you see, I'm a mom of preschoolers. The world I live in seems eternal. My days are very much the same: feed them, clean them, play with them, clean up after them, feed them, feed them,clean up, put them to bed.
Both of my kids love to pretend. Abby pretends to be everything from tigers to princesses. Caedmon prefers to be a fireman or one of the characters from Busytown Mysteries. And they like for me to pretend too, usually at the same time. So most days I'm Sleeping Beauty Sally Cat.
And I often get frustrated with the same conversations and same pretend play day after day. And not only that, but the endless cycle that is laundry and cleaning the house! It's enough to make a person crazy some days!
But I realized yesterday that eventually they will be teenagers, and these days of eternal preschool will be a distant memory. Some day my little boy that looks up at me with those deep blue eyes and says "Holda me. I loves you, Sally!" will be asking me for the car keys. And my precious little girl that begs me to play make-up with her and then smears eye shadow all over my face will one day think I have no sense of style and will keep her own private diary! <gasp!>
And then I realize how much of my day I spend rushing onto the next errand. Pushing towards the next task. Trying to achieve the perfect home. I don't want to rush this time or waste it on the unimportant. I want to enjoy it.
This is my reminder to myself:
"Why are you always rushing?
Always worried, always toiling.
The house can wait. Your children can't.
The dishes will have to be washed again later. Let them wait.
Childhood is calling. Play. Pretend.
The days of pirates and princesses will not always linger.
Race cars and choo-choo trains do not wait.
Stop playing with "instruction" and "teachable moments" always on your mind.
Leave your grown-up world. Enter your child's.
Be amazed. Wonder. Dream.
Have camp-outs under the kitchen table.
Picnic in the grass next to the sandbox.
For soon that imaginative child that never seems to stop talking and has boundless energy
will be all grown up.
The trucks will be placed in the attic.
The dress-up clothes that carpet the floor will no longer fit.
The toys which never seem to be put away and the markers with mismatched lids will not be your permanent decor.
This is a season. The best advice I've ever received for this season: Enjoy your kids."
So, if you will excuse me, both of my kids are now awake and it's time for Sleeping Beauty Sally Cat to solve some mysteries in the princess beauty salon.
Friday, September 2, 2011
A Treasure of a Car
I like to name cars. I feel like if you name your car, then it will, overall, be a better car to you...it will be like part of the family.
Growing up, we always named our cars. We named beautiful, big, station wagon after beautiful, big, paneled station wagon: Betsy. More concisely, they were named Betsy 1, Betsy 2, Betsy 3 and so on. We may have even had wild one in there named Annie 888 (after a license plate we saw during a family road trip).
The problem, however, when you name your cars and make them part of the family...it's very bitter to trade one of them in for a newer model. My heart is sick even thinking about it. How can we trade Betsy 12, she's been through a lot with us? I distinctly remember when mom and dad decided to upgrade to a paneled mini van. My brother and I sat inside Betsy #? and cried. It was like losing a sister...in fact, I think my brother may have even been willing to trade me in if it meant he could keep Betsy.
I've gotten over my trauma of that day, and have continued to name my vehicles. My car in college was a beautiful hunter green Dodge Neon. I named her Hadassah. Hadassah is the name of a very strong, faithful character in a book series called The Mark of the Lion. My parents gave me this car during a time when I needed to remember what it is like to be faithful and strong. My car was very symbolic to me at the time. Even to this day, my family refers to that car as Hadassah.
PJ, my dear hubby, had a green truck with equal amount of personality as Hadassah. His name was Stan. Oh Stan, how we miss you almost daily!!! We never should have sold you! If you have ever met Stan, you would know right away that his name was Stan. He looks like a Stan. He smells like a Stan. He. Is. Stan. Stan even took PJ and I out on our first date. Nice Stan!
Stan and Hadassah came into marriage with PJ and I, and we four had a very happy arrangement. Unfortunately, Hadassah had had better days and became very sick. In addition, we were about to add an addition to our family and Hadassah's 2 door sporty style along with her low safety ratings were not pleasing to me any longer. So, we sold her to a good family in WV. I still see her, from time to time (still donning the NRG bumper sticker).
Around the same time that Hadassah left our family, we adopted another vehicle. We bought a gold Santa Fe. This was our version of a family car (in effort to avoid having a mini-van). Roomy and faithful we loved her...or him. (I never could discern if it was a he or she). It survived 2 accidents with us and kept us safe. It was our first big purchase as husband and wife, and more importantly, it carried home both of my babies from the hospital. We love this car...especially now that she's paid for!
But...this car has...shall we say...loads of personality. For example, there are many unidentifiable noises that come from her. You can always hear us coming because it rattles, kind of like the Care Bear cloud car, from the 1980's cartoon. There is some squeaking from the back that sounds like a rubber bouncy ball is being squished. A flapping noise that comes from the vents periodically as if the car has swallowed a flock of geese. And an almost deafening roar from it's lack of aerodynamic design since we've put the racks on top. Several times I've been on the phone with my dad while I'm driving and he has commented on the sound of the wind blocking our conversation...only the windows were up at the time.
Another, very strange attribute of our car is that every year for the past 3 years, the air conditioner fan has stopped working during the hottest week of the summer and began working again in the fall once the weather cools down to the 80's. Yes. We have taken it in to different mechanics, paid bunches o' money to get it "fixed" and it works for about a week then stops. To make it even more strange, it usually happens when my father-in-law rides in the car. If it's not working, he rides in it and it starts working again. On the next visit, if it is working, my father-in-law rides in it and it stops working. It really is strange.
So, we stopped spending money on it. We suffer through the hot days of summer with the windows down and my kids always look wind-blown and sweaty. But it's paid for and gets us places. It hasn't worked since the beginning of June this year. However, even though my father-in-law is not in town this week, the AC suddenly began working yesterday. Of course it did! It's 80 degrees again. Thank you, AC. Thank you Santa Fe. Perhaps the car felt the need to celebrate its own personal milestone. This week, the odometer reached 123456!
In other news, after owning this car for almost 5 years, it finally has a name. Abby informed me today that it is, in fact, a girl and it's name is Treasure. Yes, Dear Child, this car is a true Treasure...especially when the AC is working...now can you speak up? I can't hear you over the rattling, roaring, squeaking and flapping!!
Growing up, we always named our cars. We named beautiful, big, station wagon after beautiful, big, paneled station wagon: Betsy. More concisely, they were named Betsy 1, Betsy 2, Betsy 3 and so on. We may have even had wild one in there named Annie 888 (after a license plate we saw during a family road trip).
The problem, however, when you name your cars and make them part of the family...it's very bitter to trade one of them in for a newer model. My heart is sick even thinking about it. How can we trade Betsy 12, she's been through a lot with us? I distinctly remember when mom and dad decided to upgrade to a paneled mini van. My brother and I sat inside Betsy #? and cried. It was like losing a sister...in fact, I think my brother may have even been willing to trade me in if it meant he could keep Betsy.
I've gotten over my trauma of that day, and have continued to name my vehicles. My car in college was a beautiful hunter green Dodge Neon. I named her Hadassah. Hadassah is the name of a very strong, faithful character in a book series called The Mark of the Lion. My parents gave me this car during a time when I needed to remember what it is like to be faithful and strong. My car was very symbolic to me at the time. Even to this day, my family refers to that car as Hadassah.
PJ, my dear hubby, had a green truck with equal amount of personality as Hadassah. His name was Stan. Oh Stan, how we miss you almost daily!!! We never should have sold you! If you have ever met Stan, you would know right away that his name was Stan. He looks like a Stan. He smells like a Stan. He. Is. Stan. Stan even took PJ and I out on our first date. Nice Stan!
Stan and Hadassah came into marriage with PJ and I, and we four had a very happy arrangement. Unfortunately, Hadassah had had better days and became very sick. In addition, we were about to add an addition to our family and Hadassah's 2 door sporty style along with her low safety ratings were not pleasing to me any longer. So, we sold her to a good family in WV. I still see her, from time to time (still donning the NRG bumper sticker).
Around the same time that Hadassah left our family, we adopted another vehicle. We bought a gold Santa Fe. This was our version of a family car (in effort to avoid having a mini-van). Roomy and faithful we loved her...or him. (I never could discern if it was a he or she). It survived 2 accidents with us and kept us safe. It was our first big purchase as husband and wife, and more importantly, it carried home both of my babies from the hospital. We love this car...especially now that she's paid for!
But...this car has...shall we say...loads of personality. For example, there are many unidentifiable noises that come from her. You can always hear us coming because it rattles, kind of like the Care Bear cloud car, from the 1980's cartoon. There is some squeaking from the back that sounds like a rubber bouncy ball is being squished. A flapping noise that comes from the vents periodically as if the car has swallowed a flock of geese. And an almost deafening roar from it's lack of aerodynamic design since we've put the racks on top. Several times I've been on the phone with my dad while I'm driving and he has commented on the sound of the wind blocking our conversation...only the windows were up at the time.
Another, very strange attribute of our car is that every year for the past 3 years, the air conditioner fan has stopped working during the hottest week of the summer and began working again in the fall once the weather cools down to the 80's. Yes. We have taken it in to different mechanics, paid bunches o' money to get it "fixed" and it works for about a week then stops. To make it even more strange, it usually happens when my father-in-law rides in the car. If it's not working, he rides in it and it starts working again. On the next visit, if it is working, my father-in-law rides in it and it stops working. It really is strange.
So, we stopped spending money on it. We suffer through the hot days of summer with the windows down and my kids always look wind-blown and sweaty. But it's paid for and gets us places. It hasn't worked since the beginning of June this year. However, even though my father-in-law is not in town this week, the AC suddenly began working yesterday. Of course it did! It's 80 degrees again. Thank you, AC. Thank you Santa Fe. Perhaps the car felt the need to celebrate its own personal milestone. This week, the odometer reached 123456!
In other news, after owning this car for almost 5 years, it finally has a name. Abby informed me today that it is, in fact, a girl and it's name is Treasure. Yes, Dear Child, this car is a true Treasure...especially when the AC is working...now can you speak up? I can't hear you over the rattling, roaring, squeaking and flapping!!
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| Treasure's Big Day! |
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
$47 Menu
We've been working hard, here at the Campbell Abode, to save money on groceries. We've been using coupons and CVS shopping to build up a small surplus of items. So here is our $47 Menu for the end of August. It's nothing special, but hey, we paid less than $50 to feed a family of 4 for a week!
Monday: Black Bean Soup with homemade biscuits
Tuesday: Left over Black Bean Soup. I added chicken to vary the recipe a bit.
Wednesday: Breakfast Casserole
Thursday: Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
Friday: Spaghetti with Red Sauce
Saturday: Pinto Beans with Cornbread Muffins
Sunday: Grilled chicken and Chef Salad
Monday: Black Bean Soup with homemade biscuits
Tuesday: Left over Black Bean Soup. I added chicken to vary the recipe a bit.
Wednesday: Breakfast Casserole
Thursday: Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
Friday: Spaghetti with Red Sauce
Saturday: Pinto Beans with Cornbread Muffins
Sunday: Grilled chicken and Chef Salad
Monday, August 29, 2011
The Beginning of Our Journey
Here's a rundown/self-evaluation of my first day teaching both Abby and Caedmon with our new curriculum. I won't be blogging about each and every day of our school year (I can hear your sigh of relief) but it's always fun to document at least the first and last day. :)
We started out the day with 2 kids in our bed at 5 something AM. Caedmon was complaining for "Sood" (i.e. Food). Seriously, how is that child so small?...all he does is eat! Finally, got that one back to sleep and I slipped out of bed, grabbed a glorious cup of coffee (I love our 3 minute Bunn!!!) and headed out the back door for some time reading 1 John before starting the day. I love watching the sun come up, listening to the birds and the cows, drinking coffee and hanging out with God and His Word!
Abby was dressed and ready to start by 7:30. She even fixed her own hair! I had to continually convince her that 9:00 would be here soon enough. "Please eat your breakfast, child!" :)
Our roughed out schedule (which we ended up veering off from) is:
Bible
Math
Language Arts (Story telling, reading, writing)
Music and Movement
Snack
Art/Picture Study
Nature Study/Science
Geography (once a week)
Lunch
Rest time
We begin at 9 and end around 2ish (including lunch/rest), though we had so much fun today with the nature study and the story telling that we carried it way over into the afternoon. And several of the above are presented on alternate days rather than every single day.
We are reading out of the Children's Story Bible. I. Love. This. Bible. It's so easy to understand, yet doesn't gloss over details. You read it as though you are talking with a good friend. Very cool!
Today, Math was all about measuring cups and recognizing basic numbers. Greater than and less than. The kids had quite an enjoyable time playing with different size measuring cups and spoons in the kitchen sink with water. Maybe they had too much fun...but as least my floor was mopped and clean by 10am! Then we carried over this lesson as I let them measure out ingredients for our black bean soup. They took turns measuring, adding ingredients and stirring the soup in the crock pot. I was was thrilled with my multitasking here: teaching and cooking dinner before lunch! That's a winner in my book!
At this point, I needed to do an "assessment" with Abby to determine her readiness/level for this curriculum. I was so proud of her! Most of it is basic information, but she really took off on the "tell it back to me" section and the "tell me a story about the picture" section. I was nervous about Caedmon being a distraction during this time, but he entertained himself with Lauri toys (particularly the Number Express) while I worked with Abby. In fact, I checked in, only to find that he had sorted all the pegs, stacked them by color and created a "sishing pole" (fishing pole). I didn't even know he knew how to sort by color yet! Cool! Way to show initiative, Caed!
We spent a lot of time doing rhythms and beats to different songs as well as rhymes and finger play songs. We also did several active games like finding all the body parts that bend/shake/stretch. Then the kids walked around the yard stretching like cats and dogs, then running like chipmunks.
Great intro into our nature study. Today we looked at several flowers in our garden and a butterfly landed perfectly in front of Abby's nose on a flower while we were studying the flower. Great timing! We noted several different leaf and petal shapes and colors. Then we searched for chipmunks.
I was most nervous about what to do with Caedmon all morning, but for the most part, he did everything that Abby did. He wanted to be part of it. Obviously, I didn't teach him about measurements while playing in the sink, but I did show him some basic info such as "this one is bigger; it holds more water. Which one is smaller?" etc. I also read in some homeschooling book that by giving the youngest child quality one-on-one time before beginning your day, you are are basically setting them up for success and getting them on your side. It proved to be true, today at least!
After lunch we read some wonderful nursery rhymes out of the Mother Goose book, then off to rest time for everyone!
Over all, I felt like today was very successful. I even found time to do the laundry! (Though, admittedly it's still sitting in a pile on our bed waiting to be folded). However, I still need to work on my transitions from one subject to another. I felt I was very choppy with my starts and stops. Also, I want to better discern good stopping points. I feel the pressure of moving onto the next thing even while the kids are enjoying the current task. Yet, today we didn't get to everything I wanted to do. We missed out on 2 short stories I wanted to read as well as our art project. But we did spend a lot of time on math and science. So tomorrow we'll pick up on the other subjects.
One other thing I've learned (since teaching Abby last year) is how to read her cues. I better know when to push her because she's almost got it verses she's acting disinterested because it's over her head. She starts acting very silly and using baby talk when she's had too much. So, I've learned to back off and review one point that I know she knows (so as to end on a positive note) then we break and move on to something new.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE teaching my kids. This is what I want to be doing with my days. I'm excited to see Abby and Caedmon grow in knowledge and truth. But I'm also excited to see how God is going to change me and teach me through this experience!
Great first day...now if I can just keep up the stamina!
We started out the day with 2 kids in our bed at 5 something AM. Caedmon was complaining for "Sood" (i.e. Food). Seriously, how is that child so small?...all he does is eat! Finally, got that one back to sleep and I slipped out of bed, grabbed a glorious cup of coffee (I love our 3 minute Bunn!!!) and headed out the back door for some time reading 1 John before starting the day. I love watching the sun come up, listening to the birds and the cows, drinking coffee and hanging out with God and His Word!
Abby was dressed and ready to start by 7:30. She even fixed her own hair! I had to continually convince her that 9:00 would be here soon enough. "Please eat your breakfast, child!" :)
Our roughed out schedule (which we ended up veering off from) is:
Bible
Math
Language Arts (Story telling, reading, writing)
Music and Movement
Snack
Art/Picture Study
Nature Study/Science
Geography (once a week)
Lunch
Rest time
We begin at 9 and end around 2ish (including lunch/rest), though we had so much fun today with the nature study and the story telling that we carried it way over into the afternoon. And several of the above are presented on alternate days rather than every single day.
We are reading out of the Children's Story Bible. I. Love. This. Bible. It's so easy to understand, yet doesn't gloss over details. You read it as though you are talking with a good friend. Very cool!
Today, Math was all about measuring cups and recognizing basic numbers. Greater than and less than. The kids had quite an enjoyable time playing with different size measuring cups and spoons in the kitchen sink with water. Maybe they had too much fun...but as least my floor was mopped and clean by 10am! Then we carried over this lesson as I let them measure out ingredients for our black bean soup. They took turns measuring, adding ingredients and stirring the soup in the crock pot. I was was thrilled with my multitasking here: teaching and cooking dinner before lunch! That's a winner in my book!
At this point, I needed to do an "assessment" with Abby to determine her readiness/level for this curriculum. I was so proud of her! Most of it is basic information, but she really took off on the "tell it back to me" section and the "tell me a story about the picture" section. I was nervous about Caedmon being a distraction during this time, but he entertained himself with Lauri toys (particularly the Number Express) while I worked with Abby. In fact, I checked in, only to find that he had sorted all the pegs, stacked them by color and created a "sishing pole" (fishing pole). I didn't even know he knew how to sort by color yet! Cool! Way to show initiative, Caed!
We spent a lot of time doing rhythms and beats to different songs as well as rhymes and finger play songs. We also did several active games like finding all the body parts that bend/shake/stretch. Then the kids walked around the yard stretching like cats and dogs, then running like chipmunks.
Great intro into our nature study. Today we looked at several flowers in our garden and a butterfly landed perfectly in front of Abby's nose on a flower while we were studying the flower. Great timing! We noted several different leaf and petal shapes and colors. Then we searched for chipmunks.
I was most nervous about what to do with Caedmon all morning, but for the most part, he did everything that Abby did. He wanted to be part of it. Obviously, I didn't teach him about measurements while playing in the sink, but I did show him some basic info such as "this one is bigger; it holds more water. Which one is smaller?" etc. I also read in some homeschooling book that by giving the youngest child quality one-on-one time before beginning your day, you are are basically setting them up for success and getting them on your side. It proved to be true, today at least!
After lunch we read some wonderful nursery rhymes out of the Mother Goose book, then off to rest time for everyone!
Over all, I felt like today was very successful. I even found time to do the laundry! (Though, admittedly it's still sitting in a pile on our bed waiting to be folded). However, I still need to work on my transitions from one subject to another. I felt I was very choppy with my starts and stops. Also, I want to better discern good stopping points. I feel the pressure of moving onto the next thing even while the kids are enjoying the current task. Yet, today we didn't get to everything I wanted to do. We missed out on 2 short stories I wanted to read as well as our art project. But we did spend a lot of time on math and science. So tomorrow we'll pick up on the other subjects.
One other thing I've learned (since teaching Abby last year) is how to read her cues. I better know when to push her because she's almost got it verses she's acting disinterested because it's over her head. She starts acting very silly and using baby talk when she's had too much. So, I've learned to back off and review one point that I know she knows (so as to end on a positive note) then we break and move on to something new.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE teaching my kids. This is what I want to be doing with my days. I'm excited to see Abby and Caedmon grow in knowledge and truth. But I'm also excited to see how God is going to change me and teach me through this experience!
Great first day...now if I can just keep up the stamina!
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| In true Charlotte Mason fashion, they are journaling about (drawing pictures of) leaves in their "Field Journals" I loved this part of the day because I actually got 10 minutes to do some flower sketching as well. I haven't taken the time to do that in quite a while! |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
8 Reasons I'm Glad I Said Yes...
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| The year was 1997. Oh. My. |
"You're going to marry him." my college roommate declared to me about my guy friend, PJ.
"No way! He's like a brother to me!" were my famous last words.
PJ and I met through a mutual friend, Adam, at Camp Cowen, in West Virginia. It was love at first sight... <clears throat> ...well there were a few details in between the first sight and the love part.
I knew PJ long before he knew me. I stood in the back row of the 7th/8th grade chorus concert, singing and swaying (and pushing up my hot pink glasses) to the tune of "Staying Alive" while PJ stood in the spotlight as the lead role of "Dick Clark". Everyone knew PJ.
Then Adam introduced us. We said "Hi" and that was the extent of our conversation all week and any hopes of a summer romance.
But then in 10th grade, I gathered up enough courage to declare my love for PJ and ask him to be my boyfriend! I boldly sent my BFF, Karen, to ask PJ if he would "go with me." He said "no".
After the pressure of dating was off the table, we actually began to form a friendship. We'd hang out at lunch sometimes, we would see each other at church youth events, and gradually he came to call me his buddy.
We both attended college in the Chicago area. I went to Wheaton. He went to that other school, Moody. I'll never forget my first weekend in college. I actually spent it not at Wheaton, but at Moody. I stayed in the girls dorm with some of PJ's (or as they called him "Ronnie") friends and he showed me around Chicago. It was that weekend that he proposed to me...in the back of a taxi. I said "no" (and reminded him of my 10th grade attempt at a relationship). We finally declared that if we weren't married by the age of 26 (or somewhere around there) then we would marry each other.
Our friendship grew over the next few years. He invited me over to his first Christmas party. I secretly pretended to be his wife as we entertained all his guests. We talked on the phone for hours. Christmas breaks were spent having deep late night conversations together with friends at the Pancake House. He began visiting me at Wheaton more frequently.
Then one rainy evening in May, it hit me. I loved him. I didn't want to be with anyone else, and I certainly didn't want him to be with anyone other than me. Knowing it to be the real thing, I fearfully and excitedly said "yes" when he asked me to be his girlfriend.
Six months later, standing in the freezing cold February temperatures of Chicago, next to the Wrigley building overlooking the Chicago River, I fearfully and excitedly said "yes" as he bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
I'm so glad I did! My life is sweeter and richer because of my husband and dear friend. My only regret is that I didn't marry him sooner.
I saw this on a blog once, and wanted to do it for our anniversary. So in honor of 8 wonderful years of marriage, here are 8 Reasons I'm Glad I Said Yes...
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2. He can sing and play guitar. The best moment at our wedding (besides the "may I introduce Mr. & Mrs. Ronnie Campbell part) was the moment that the pastor asked PJ to say "I do", he dropped my hands and walked away. You can literally hear the audience gasp on the video. He walked over and picked up his guitar and sang Steven Curtis Chapman's song "I Will Be Here."
3. Um coffee...need I say more? He loves it as much as I do!
4. He helped me build my first snowman. Yes, by age 30 I still had never built a real snowman...technically, I still haven't as he did most of the work on this one while I tried to keep the kids from crying about being so cold in the snow.
5. He repeatedly humors me and appreciates the small details that I think are so vital, like silly annual Christmas pictures (emphasis on repeatedly, and silly).
6. He does his own stunts and home repairs. Seriously, he works SO hard to provide for his family, and he never complains about it. He's amazing!
7. Abigayle Grace and Caedmon Alexzander...a dream come true for me. Couldn't have done this without my dear husband. He's an excellent daddy and I love traveling the parenthood journey alongside him. He makes pretty cute kids, doesn't, he?
8. He's my very best friend! Most days, I feel like he knows me better than I know myself. He values me and treats me with respect as a whole person. He believes in me. He has always believed in me. He makes me laugh even on the most cloudy days. He leads me towards Christ, and thus helps me find my security in Jesus. Regardless of the simplicity of my questions about faith, he is patient and always encouraging.
Paul Jr. I love you! Happy 8th Anniversary. I hope I get to share 100 more years with you!
Monday, August 8, 2011
A Weight Loss Rant
Today at the gym, I was working hard on the EFX (elliptical machine) and watching whatever morning, feel-good news show was on. They did a story on a woman that used to weigh 336 pounds and now weighs 150! I found it to be very motivating as they scrolled through her "before" pictures and told her story.
Then she bounded out from behind the screen with a new look and a wonderful smile! I was so excited for her. The lady next to me (also on the EFX) grumbled "She's got a long way to go yet."
I found this so annoying. Aren't we all in the same boat...especially those of us at the gym??
That woman on TV lost 186 pounds!!! That's incredible! She obviously has worked very hard physically and has worked just as hard to change her habits (eating, attitudes, etc). Not to mention the fact that she is extremely brave! How many of us would be willing to go on national television and admit our heaviest weight (so that it is fixed at the bottom of the TV screen throughout the entire piece) as well as have pictures of your largest self scrolling as you tell a story about how you let yourself get to that point. Sheesh! I find it hard enough to go to the gym each morning knowing that I'm not where I'd like to be. I get embarrassed even thinking about which pictures would be chosen for my "before"!
Ladies, let's not be so hard on one another. We all have insecurities. Some poor women are crippled by insecurity to the point that they can't even leave their homes. Some women are more functional and have insecurities that are hidden and only rear their ugly heads during times of crisis. But we all have them. Let's encourage one another and not throw each other under the bus.
That's my rant for the day. :)
Then she bounded out from behind the screen with a new look and a wonderful smile! I was so excited for her. The lady next to me (also on the EFX) grumbled "She's got a long way to go yet."
I found this so annoying. Aren't we all in the same boat...especially those of us at the gym??
That woman on TV lost 186 pounds!!! That's incredible! She obviously has worked very hard physically and has worked just as hard to change her habits (eating, attitudes, etc). Not to mention the fact that she is extremely brave! How many of us would be willing to go on national television and admit our heaviest weight (so that it is fixed at the bottom of the TV screen throughout the entire piece) as well as have pictures of your largest self scrolling as you tell a story about how you let yourself get to that point. Sheesh! I find it hard enough to go to the gym each morning knowing that I'm not where I'd like to be. I get embarrassed even thinking about which pictures would be chosen for my "before"!
Ladies, let's not be so hard on one another. We all have insecurities. Some poor women are crippled by insecurity to the point that they can't even leave their homes. Some women are more functional and have insecurities that are hidden and only rear their ugly heads during times of crisis. But we all have them. Let's encourage one another and not throw each other under the bus.
That's my rant for the day. :)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Turtle Guy
Abby is wearing a shirt today that says:
"Save:
Pandas
Whales
Cheetah
All of the animals"
This is unbelievably appropriate for my daughter. She. Loves. Animals. She wants to have a horse ranch and save all the animals that she can when she grows up. "But only the cute ones" she admits.
Sometimes I think Abby feels overlooked. She's 4 but feels 6. She's not the baby anymore and being a big sister is tough work. She would add, "Especially when the little brother is a wild key-whapper." Thankfully, I was able to use Abby's love of animals to reconnect with her in a strange but exciting way.
Driving (faster than I should) down one our little country roads, I just barely missed a turtle in the road. It occurred to me that if Abby had been driving, she probably would have stopped the car and moved the turtle out of the road. I laughed.
Then I thought about how slowly turtles move and how fast other drivers (clears throat) drive. I felt bad.
I found a place to turn around and told the kids, "We have to go back."
The kids whined. Abby asked, "But whhhhyyyy, Mommy?"
"There's a turtle in the road that needs our help!" Her face lit up as she surveyed the road ahead.
I was regretting revealing my plan so early as I imagined that the turtle had already been smashed and I would have to now explain it to Abby.
But to my surprise, he was still okay and trucking along at a...well...a turtle's pace. :)
So, I turned the car around again (to be on the same side of the road as the turtle), parked the car off the side of the road. Looked both ways, and saw a car coming. I had no time to hesitate...but just as I reached down to grab Mr. Turtle, he hissed at me! <I still get shivers when I remember it> The nerve! I'm risking my life to save his and he hisses at me! I didn't even know turtles could hiss! But I couldn't drop him now, my kids were watching eagerly from the car! So I kept hold of him and then tossed him into the grass.
But oh! He landed on his back. I knew that wasn't going to be helpful, so I reached down the small embankment and picked him up again. <shivers> This time, feeling less panicky, I carried him over to meet my kids. They were thrilled!!!
I put him back down into the grass (facing the opposite direction of the road) and got back into the car.
The look on Abby's face was priceless. Mommy was a turtle hero! Her heart had been heard. And now she knows that Mommy is on her side, caring about the same things that concern her little (BIG) heart.
Caedmon, dubbed the turtle "Turtle Guy". Each day that we drive that road, we look for Turtle Guy. I hope this is one of those stories that we share year after year at the Thanksgiving table!
I wondered later if Turtle Guy had a reason for crossing the road. Perhaps a family, or better food. I may have actually set him back by a week. Perhaps the reason for his hissing? <shrugs shoulders> We'll never know, I guess!
"Save:
Pandas
Whales
Cheetah
All of the animals"
This is unbelievably appropriate for my daughter. She. Loves. Animals. She wants to have a horse ranch and save all the animals that she can when she grows up. "But only the cute ones" she admits.
Sometimes I think Abby feels overlooked. She's 4 but feels 6. She's not the baby anymore and being a big sister is tough work. She would add, "Especially when the little brother is a wild key-whapper." Thankfully, I was able to use Abby's love of animals to reconnect with her in a strange but exciting way.
Driving (faster than I should) down one our little country roads, I just barely missed a turtle in the road. It occurred to me that if Abby had been driving, she probably would have stopped the car and moved the turtle out of the road. I laughed.
Then I thought about how slowly turtles move and how fast other drivers (clears throat) drive. I felt bad.
I found a place to turn around and told the kids, "We have to go back."
The kids whined. Abby asked, "But whhhhyyyy, Mommy?"
"There's a turtle in the road that needs our help!" Her face lit up as she surveyed the road ahead.
I was regretting revealing my plan so early as I imagined that the turtle had already been smashed and I would have to now explain it to Abby.
But to my surprise, he was still okay and trucking along at a...well...a turtle's pace. :)
So, I turned the car around again (to be on the same side of the road as the turtle), parked the car off the side of the road. Looked both ways, and saw a car coming. I had no time to hesitate...but just as I reached down to grab Mr. Turtle, he hissed at me! <I still get shivers when I remember it> The nerve! I'm risking my life to save his and he hisses at me! I didn't even know turtles could hiss! But I couldn't drop him now, my kids were watching eagerly from the car! So I kept hold of him and then tossed him into the grass.
But oh! He landed on his back. I knew that wasn't going to be helpful, so I reached down the small embankment and picked him up again. <shivers> This time, feeling less panicky, I carried him over to meet my kids. They were thrilled!!!
I put him back down into the grass (facing the opposite direction of the road) and got back into the car.
The look on Abby's face was priceless. Mommy was a turtle hero! Her heart had been heard. And now she knows that Mommy is on her side, caring about the same things that concern her little (BIG) heart.
Caedmon, dubbed the turtle "Turtle Guy". Each day that we drive that road, we look for Turtle Guy. I hope this is one of those stories that we share year after year at the Thanksgiving table!
I wondered later if Turtle Guy had a reason for crossing the road. Perhaps a family, or better food. I may have actually set him back by a week. Perhaps the reason for his hissing? <shrugs shoulders> We'll never know, I guess!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A Snow Princess Sleep Set
I can see why nap time sewing projects can be so addictive. I started this little project yesterday while Caed was sleeping. Today, I popped him into nap time a wee-bit early so that I could finish my project. (He didn't object, so he probably needed the extra sleep, right?)
I bought this set at Wal-Mart on super clearance. It's probably intended for kids learning to sew...but in the world of sewing, I'm just that: a kid! I have learned a lot with this project. I got to practice hemming, create a casing with an elastic neckband, and use a gathering stitch. I'm super excited about the gathering stitch. The hem on the dress is a little wacky, but I'm really pleased with the way the ruffle turned out. Well, let's be honest, the ruffle on the nightgown is my favorite part! I wonder how many things I can add ruffles to? You may be seeing my kids in some very ruffly clothing in the coming months!
I still have much to learn (much, much to learn)...but I am SO enjoying the process!
I bought this set at Wal-Mart on super clearance. It's probably intended for kids learning to sew...but in the world of sewing, I'm just that: a kid! I have learned a lot with this project. I got to practice hemming, create a casing with an elastic neckband, and use a gathering stitch. I'm super excited about the gathering stitch. The hem on the dress is a little wacky, but I'm really pleased with the way the ruffle turned out. Well, let's be honest, the ruffle on the nightgown is my favorite part! I wonder how many things I can add ruffles to? You may be seeing my kids in some very ruffly clothing in the coming months!
I still have much to learn (much, much to learn)...but I am SO enjoying the process!
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| A dress, a pillow, a blanket, and a toy dog. I even had enough fabric for a pillow and blanket for the doll's doll. |
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| Ready for beddy-bye! |
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| So comfy! |
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
A Clean House Starts with a Clean Kitchen
Ever have one of those days when you just NEED some alone time?! Desperately you will sacrifice anything for 10 minutes of peace to get your thoughts together. That was me this morning. I woke up way too sleepy to answer all the questions, track with all the pretend play, or deal with life, basically. Even coffee didn't help.
On top of that, I felt restless. Endlessly restless. Full of a sense of expectation unfulfilled. Full of uncertainty. I needed to spend some time with the Lord. Pour out my heart. Read His word. Fill up on His Spirit.
So I left the kids in the kitchen to play with water in the sink. I knew that I would have water to clean up afterwards, but it didn't matter. I needed to be away for a few minutes. They were quietly playing, not fighting, sharing. I even heard giggling.
I had a wonderful time in God's presence. I finished up by thanking Him for my kids.
I'm SO glad that I spent that time with the Lord because otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to handle what I found in the kitchen.
The picture does not even come close to fully capturing my kitchen. Yes. That IS a sprayer in Abby's hands. Abby and Caed found a new way to shower...the sink sprayer. EVERYTHING was soaked. I walked in to find Abby spraying down the walls. Yep, that cake? Wet. The table? Dripping. The floor? Puddled. The stove, the trash can, the crock pot, the notepad, my neighbor's mail that was wrongly delivered yesterday: WET!
It was God's grace covering my children in that moment. I simply asked them if they had fun and they simultaneously squealed out "Yeah!!!"
Then we got out the towels and dried, dried, dried. At least my kitchen is clean now!
On top of that, I felt restless. Endlessly restless. Full of a sense of expectation unfulfilled. Full of uncertainty. I needed to spend some time with the Lord. Pour out my heart. Read His word. Fill up on His Spirit.
So I left the kids in the kitchen to play with water in the sink. I knew that I would have water to clean up afterwards, but it didn't matter. I needed to be away for a few minutes. They were quietly playing, not fighting, sharing. I even heard giggling.
I had a wonderful time in God's presence. I finished up by thanking Him for my kids.
I'm SO glad that I spent that time with the Lord because otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to handle what I found in the kitchen.
The picture does not even come close to fully capturing my kitchen. Yes. That IS a sprayer in Abby's hands. Abby and Caed found a new way to shower...the sink sprayer. EVERYTHING was soaked. I walked in to find Abby spraying down the walls. Yep, that cake? Wet. The table? Dripping. The floor? Puddled. The stove, the trash can, the crock pot, the notepad, my neighbor's mail that was wrongly delivered yesterday: WET!
It was God's grace covering my children in that moment. I simply asked them if they had fun and they simultaneously squealed out "Yeah!!!"
Then we got out the towels and dried, dried, dried. At least my kitchen is clean now!
Monday, June 6, 2011
A Man Healed of Leopard Seed!
I just love the things my kids are learning at church. The teachers at Blue Ridge are awesome and I love how much they love my kids! It is funny to me, though, the way kids process information. Today Abby has been telling me all about her Bible story from Sunday. It comes from 2 Kings 5:1-15.
Naaman was an army commander who was very brave, but had the terrible skin disease called leprosy.
This is how Abby told the story.
"Elisha told a little servant girl to tell the man to go wash in the river 7 times. When he did he was healed of Leopards Seed."
Holding back my laughter, with as much seriousness as I could muster I asked her what Leopards Seed is.
"It's when you have spots all over your skin like a leopard." :)
Naaman was an army commander who was very brave, but had the terrible skin disease called leprosy.
This is how Abby told the story.
"Elisha told a little servant girl to tell the man to go wash in the river 7 times. When he did he was healed of Leopards Seed."
Holding back my laughter, with as much seriousness as I could muster I asked her what Leopards Seed is.
"It's when you have spots all over your skin like a leopard." :)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Creation Story According to Caedmon
Today at Blue Ridge Community Church, the two year olds learned that God created water. They made a cute little craft to remind them of this truth: a Ziploc baggie with blue toothpaste and "God made water" written on the front. Caedmon has played with and squished his "water" all afternoon.
To follow up on his lesson today, we sat down before bedtime and read the creation story aloud from The Beginners Bible. I let Caed fill in some of the blanks. It went like this:
Me: "In the beginning, the world was empty. Darkness was everywhere. But God had a plan. God separated the light from the darkness. 'Let there be light!' he said. And the light turned on. He called the light 'day'. And he called the darkness 'night.' This was the end of the very first day."
<The following page includes a lovely picture of the ocean waters and fluffy white clouds in the blue sky.>
Me: "And the next day, Caed, God made what?"
Caedmon: (with full enthusiasm as he throws his arms into the air) "BISCUITS!"
<The next page is of a beautiful garden full of brightly colored flowers and trees>
Me: "And what did God make the next day, Caed?"
Caedmon: "SAUSAGE!"
I was really enjoying this, so I continued into the story of Adam and Eve. I read: "Adam loved his new home. His job was to name all the animals" and then added: "Caed, if you had to name all the animals, what you would name them?"
He pointed to a butterfly and named it "Neigh." A toucan was named "Burred." And a rabbit was officially named, "Daddy."
There you have it...the creation story from a two year old's perspective!
To follow up on his lesson today, we sat down before bedtime and read the creation story aloud from The Beginners Bible. I let Caed fill in some of the blanks. It went like this:
Me: "In the beginning, the world was empty. Darkness was everywhere. But God had a plan. God separated the light from the darkness. 'Let there be light!' he said. And the light turned on. He called the light 'day'. And he called the darkness 'night.' This was the end of the very first day."
<The following page includes a lovely picture of the ocean waters and fluffy white clouds in the blue sky.>
Me: "And the next day, Caed, God made what?"
Caedmon: (with full enthusiasm as he throws his arms into the air) "BISCUITS!"
<The next page is of a beautiful garden full of brightly colored flowers and trees>
Me: "And what did God make the next day, Caed?"
Caedmon: "SAUSAGE!"
I was really enjoying this, so I continued into the story of Adam and Eve. I read: "Adam loved his new home. His job was to name all the animals" and then added: "Caed, if you had to name all the animals, what you would name them?"
He pointed to a butterfly and named it "Neigh." A toucan was named "Burred." And a rabbit was officially named, "Daddy."
There you have it...the creation story from a two year old's perspective!
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