Obligatory Newsletter

That's right, I feel obligated to do one of those total year sum-up posts. I feel like Indigo in the Princess Bride....Let me explain, no there is too much, let me sum up.

Kids first:

Paris is doing great. In 2007 we escaped stitches, but did have one incident that result in a large Dermabond blob on her forehead. It has healed nicely though and we are all in agreement that dermabond is better than stitches but we'd prefer to not do either in 2008. She finished her last year at Sonshine school in May and was a total ham in the program. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or hide. I opted for laugh. We got several comments from other folks after the program regarding her spunk and all I could think was. "Now do you understand why I say she tests me daily?!?!" The summer was great for our Goose. She turned 5 in June and had a pool party in her brand new swimming pool. We got her (and all of us) one of those blue above ground pools. It's right around 3 foot deep. We only had to drain it and start over once and we have definitely leanred a few things about pool maintenance. Fall brought the start of kindergarten. She is attending Pebble Creek in College Station. She has a fabulous teacher, Miss Gore. The first week was torture and then it got better. I would definitely say she has developed a love of learning and aside from having to get up at 6:45 in the morning as really loving the whole school experience.

Tripp has had a big year as well. I won't cover too many details for him. If you want more info just hop over to Monkey Dance and check it out. His year in review includes Sonshine School two days a week. He finished his year in Mrs. Tiffany's (Tiffy) class in the spring and started this year with Mrs. Shannon. By the end of last school year we were starting to have some concerns. Since then we've been through a long process that led us to our current place. Tripp as an Autism Spectrum Disorder. All the professionals are in agreement that he's on the spectrum, we're just waiting for them to score all his assessments to see which "box" they'll put him in. What does that mean for us? Not much really. We keep on loving him and relating to him they way we know how. We do lots of counting and math and video games and when he's in a total zone running around all crazy on his tip toes we've even been known to join him. He is beautiful inside and out. He loves his family tremendously and he is absolutely brilliant. If you don't beleive just sit down and do some addition or subtraction or even some light multipication with him. Yes, he's only 3 and he does those things. Just don't try to have a regular conversation with him - he hasn't figured out how to do that yet. In the mundane part of his life he has graduated to a full size bed, is mostly potty trained during the day, and has mastered putting his dishes in the sink after meals. 2008 promises to be a new journey for our sweet Monkey as we continue through the assesment process and begin receiving services/therapies to help Tripp be the best he can be, and personally I think his best will turn out quite amazing!

Vivian has had quite a year as well. A year ago our Bug was just a wiggly loving little thing preparing to get tubes put in her ears. Since that surgery she has learned to crawl, stand, walk, run, jump, speak, and demand. Yes, I said demand. Anyone who has heard the cry for "Cacker!" knows what I mean. She has recently graduated from her crib. We decided to skip the toddler bed with her so she's sleeping in a twin bed. Her's and Tripp's are both sitting on the box on the floor to keep them low and so far it's working beautifully! Let's see.........yes, she also has gone from a nursing baby to one who runs around with her sippy cup tucked neatly under her arm. And watch out if it's empty, you may get hit when she throws it. She's still taking a paci in bed, but it has been banished from the rest of her life. Since we just started the big girl bed I've decided to let it ride for now. I do intend to get rid of it before spring break since we want to start potty training then. Yeah, it might seem a little early to some of you but she already tells us when she needs a diaper and can answer honestly as to whether she is stinky or just wet. I'm praying it will be an easy transition for her. Truth is, she may well be out of diapers compeletly long before her big brother is! V started Sonshine School as well this year. She goes two days a week just like her Bubba. One of my best girlfriends is one of her teachers so I had no qualms about it at all. Mrs. Erika and Mrs. Hilary love my baby girl and take good care of her while she's there. It is, indeed, all good. Oh, and this morning I heard her count to 4. I guess big brother is teaching her a few things!

Now for the grown ups:

Easy is, well he's fabulous. But since my opinion might be a little biased I'll actually give you and update on him. He's still working for Durotech in Houston. He is so good at what he does. I'm happy to say that the owners of his company seem to realize what a gem they have on their hands. I guess only time will tell how willing they are to compensate him accordingly. He's been on some interviews and even had an offer or two from other companies, but each time we pray about it and feel like we're supposed to stay put. In addition to work he completed a small construction job turning a garage into a very nice apartment at his Aunt Pat's house. He's also worked hard getting house plans ready for my folks. They bought a lot up here and we will begin construction just as soon as we get the plans back form our architect buddy and get them approved by my parent's development. I know once that kicks off life will get hectic, but it is so worth it when I think that this time next year we will have my folks so close. Though he might not say it himself, I've seen my husband grow a lot this year. He is constantly seeking to improve himself and become more fully the man God designed him to be. Watching him with our kids is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I think all this stuff with Tripp has been hard for him, but it seemed from my perspective that once he got through the initial pain of acceptance he has softened and bonded with all of our kids more than ever. Oh, and he takes pretty darn good care of me too!

That leads us to me. If you read my Temple Remodel blog you know how my year has gone. It's been a tough one, but a great one too. I've lost 30 pounds since March. I have a good 20 more to go to hit my goal, but I already feel better than I have in years. In addition to trying to improve my health, love my husband, and raise my kids, I started working part-time for our church as the Nursery and Childcare Coordinator. I also served as the POPS ministry leader this year. I've actually done that for a couple of years, but I'm handing it over in a few days to some dear friends. I'd say that's one of the lessons I've leanred this year - when to admit I have too much on my plate! I've also been constantly nudged by God to write and teach. He has given me some subtle nudges and some that felt more like being hit by a truck. I am going to listen and obey, so keep checking in on my Temple blog to see how that is developing. I'm sure there's more I could say about my year, but since I keep three blogs I'm going to assume that those who care have been reading and anything else I write will be redundant.

And the animals:

Cowboy is still with us. He just turned 9 in November. He's fatter than ever. I think Vivie feeds him regulary from her tray. He can actually be in another room asleep and hear her say "Uh-Oh" and he comes running to see what scraps she may have thrown on the floor.

Rufus (#1) had kittens early in the year. She didn't know what to do with them. I tried my best, but we lost the whole littler. She found herself with a pregnant belly again in October. I was headed out of town hunting with my Dad and I told Easy he should keep her in the utility room because I thought the kittens were coming in the next day or so. I left EARLY the next morning and Rufus #1 hasn't been seen since. I'm sure she went into labor and didn't make it. The first round was really hard on her. The prettier version, and the one we told Paris, is that she went into labor at someone else house and they kept her so they could take care of her and the kitties.

Santa brought two new additions. We now have Rufus (#2) and Samson. Rufus is a girl once again. Good news is that they have both already been fixed so we won't have any more of that kitty labor stuff happening around here! They are currently living in the laundry room, but are moving to the garage tonight. We plan to keep them in the garage for several week before we open the door and le them do what cats do outside.

We've also had a few fish, but our tank currently houses only some pretty shells and a "grow your own mermaid" who promises to increase her size by 600%. We'll see.

So there you go folks. That's our year in review. Oh, we also moved my Nana here a few weeks ago. She's living at an assisted living facility just a few minutes from us. It was a big transition, but one that was needed. We are all looking forward to a fabulous 2008. I'm not putting any specifice hopes on it - all I want is for my family to continue listening for God's direction and following it. I know He won't lead us astray so as long as we're following Him what else matters? I wish the same for all of you. Happy New Year!

Pacisions

As opposed to Decisions. Here's the scoop - Vivie is holy cow attached to her paci. She's not our first to be a paci baby. I've been saying that Paris took one until about 15 months, but the more I'm thinking about it, it may have been more like 21. I took hers away because she started biting the tip off and I was afraid she would choke on it. We "oops" forgot them all at Nana's over a weekend trip. For some reason I'm remembering that being in the spring which would have put her at 21-ish, not 15. What can I say, after three kids my brain just ain't what it used to be. Anyway, Tripp spit his out at 4 months. So, it's been a really long while since I had to think about when to take a paci.

We had gotten V down to just nap and bedtime before school started. Then circumstances changed (read: I caved in) and she started getting it in the car while we were in line to pick up Paris, and in the car on the way to drop off Paris. Then she got sick and "needed" it. So now it is just a permanent fixture in her mouth. She actually prefers one in the mouth and one in the hand. I've even seen her put two in the mouth - it's quite a sight. So my plan has been to take the paci away over Christmas break. But I find myself, well, not wanting to.

She screams. I forgot to give her one at naptime once and she was nearly hyperventilating by the time I got to her. She'll lay there for a little while and listen to her music, but it only lasts a few minutes and she wants her paci. She can even say paci. Sometimes she holds her hand out with her palms up and says, " Where's a paci?" If she sees a paci and it does not land in her mouth within 15 seconds she will scream, slap at her mouth/face, and has even writhed on the floor. Ask Stephanie - she saw it.

So, here's the delimma. Am I being silly wanting to take her paci before she's ready? Does she need it or has it become a control issue? Should I wait until she's a bit older and we can use logic in this process instead of just being the mean mommy who throws out all the pacis? If I let her keep them and we potty train over spring break (serisouly, she already tells you when she's gone) and then take the paci will she regress and pee on the carpet? Am I over thinking?

Input people, I need input.

Craziness!

That's what our life has been lately. We've had a lot of sickness. For about 2 weeks 4 out of 5 members of our household were on antibiotics for something. Right about the time everyone finished their meds the tummy bug hit. Every spend Halloween night in the ER with an 18 month old puking her guts out? I have. I also had the pleasure of hold her down while they put in a catheter (sp?) and putting her in this awful looking contraption that held her still while they took chest x-rays. Fun, lots of fun. Anywho - I just wanted to pop on here and let you all know that we're doing OK. If you don't read my Temple Remodel blog, I suggest you go read the last 4 entries and you'll be caught up on the craziness that has been our life. Then, if you would like to follow the journey we're on with Tripp, hop on over to Monkey Dance and see where we are. If you don't want to do any of that, just keep checking in on us here when you can. I intend to post more frequently as the funny stories, and frustrating ones, seem to be increasing around here. Life at the Foster's is never boring - no doubt about that!

Jigglers Anyone?

Pumkin shaped jello jigglers to be exact. 48 of them. That's how many I've made for my children's classes. I made them for Vivie's class to have incelebration of orange day. I made them for Tripp's class in celebration of his birthday (it's Saturday). And I made them for Paris' class to enjoy during their pumkin extravaganza tomorrow. I have a large tub of left over jiggler scraps. My fingertips are orange. My children are happy. That makes me happy.

Lunchroom Virgin

At least I was until today. I volunteered at Paris' school today in the cafeteria. Wow, what an experience. I have never squirted so many ketchup smiley faces in all my life. (it was hamburger/chicken sandwich day w/fries.) The kids were all really sweet and very glad to have help opening their milk cartons and yogurts. I quickly figured out that one little boy never actually needed anything, he just wanted you to come talk to him. And then there were all the raise your hand so you can tattle kids. I think the words "Well, just ignore him." came out of my mouth about 20 times. Those and "walking feet please," "keep your hands to your self," and "eat your lunch."

My favorite part of the day was a conversation I had with a sweet little boy. It went like this:

Sweet Boy: Do you have a baby? Do have a baby in your tummy?

Me: Nope, I don't have a baby in my tummy.

Sweet Boy: Then why does it look like you do?

Nice, huh? And to think, I've been feeling so good about loosing 25 lbs!

Don't Put a Triceratops in Your Pants

How's that for a strange sentence? I find that as a parent I say the most ridiculous things sometimes. Here's the conversation I had with Paris on the way home from school today. (She got a wind up triceratops toy from the treasure chest for getting a sticker in her chart every day.)

Paris: Mommy, do you know where I put the triceratops that's funny?

Me: Where?

Paris: Under my panties!

Me: I don't think that's a very good place for a triceratops.

Paris: I didn't put him IN my panties where my lady parts are. I put him UNDER my panties. (she was wearing a skirt with built-in shorts)

Me: I still don't think that's a very good place for a triceratops.

Paris: But Mommy, it's like a tunnel!

Me: Paris, don't put a triceratops in your pants.

Paris: OK.

Won't she just die one day if she realizes how many stories of hers I blogged about?

Scouting?

I'm looking for input today. I've been looking at options for extra curricular stuff for Paris. We considered dance, but she wasn't really sure about that when she found out we would have to pull her hair up every time no matter what (she detests a pony tail). She love to dance, but I know her pretty well and I just wasn't convinced we should commit to the kind of $ and time dance would require. Most of the sports flyers we have gotten so far she isn't old enough to participate with since she just turned 5 in June. We got something that was for Daddys and daughters through the YMCA, but it looked like A LOT of camping and we have no camping equipment. So Friday we got the Girl Scout flyer sent home from school and I think I'm interested in that.

I got on line and looked over the website. They appear to be based in good values and I'm very much in favor of developing leadership skills. I know that Paris has some very natural take-charge genes and I think anything that will help her develop what may be bossiness and sass now into strong leadership abilities is a good thing. I wasn't a Girl Scout, but I was always interested. I even made my dad take me to a meeting in late elementary school to check it out but that's as far as it got - seemed like it was a little late in the game to join. Easy was a Boy Scout, but he claims that the two organizations are completely foreign entities so he has no input on Girl Scouts. So, I'm asking for your input here. If you have scouting experience of any kind and have positive or even not so positive input - please share! And I would love input from both childhood experience and if you have any parent experience I would love that too. Thanks!

My Crazy Fall Schedule

Just in case any of you are wondering what I'll be doing with my time this fall I thought I'd post my fall schedule. Pray for me friends. I have no doubt I'm doing the things I'm supposed to be doing, I just know that I know that I know that it will take God to give me the energy and peace to be a positive light in the midst of it. Keep in mind that each day starts at 5:00 AM with my morning run, followed by shower, quiet time, and then helping Paris start her day at 6:45. At least 4 hours of my 10 hour work week will be done from home. And, oh yeah, don't forget all the stuff to make the house run - laundry, cooking, cleaning, and of course some PLAY time with my kids!

Sunday - Go to church and make sure the nursery is staffed and running smoothly.

Monday - Paris has school. Keep P&E from 10-1. That will be four children in the house with Tripp being the oldest.

Tuesday - P to school. T&V have Sonshine school from 9:00-1:30. I keep my office hours at church the entire time they are at SSS. We will go straight to pick up P since it would be a waste of gas and time to go home first. Hopefully the littles will sleep in the car and I'll get some reading done while I'm waiting in the pick-up line.

Wednesday - P to school. Ladies' Bible class at 9:30. Church that night at 7:00.

Thursday - P to school. T&V to SSS. Run all errands, have all appointments etc... during this time as it is my only chance to do those things without the kids.

Friday - P to school. T&V to Stephanie's by 9:00 so I can work a few hours at church. I'll pick them up by noon.

Saturday - No alarms. No plans. Praise God.

The Big K - A Week in Review

Well, it's Friday afternoon and our first week in the public school system is behind us. I thought I'd give a little review, and maybe a few laughs.

Monday
Paris woke to her Hello Kitty alarm and was happy to follow our new morning routine. (10 minutes to rest on the couch, 15 minutes to eat breakfast, 15 minutes to get dressed and out the door) She gladly posed for a few pictures. You can see the sass, I mean sparkle in her eyes. She and I load up and head to school. The closer we get to her classroom the tighter her hand gets on mine. We unload her stuff, find her table, and then she realizes I'm leaving. Yes folks, Paris was the cryer in her classroom. I squatted down and comforted her just a bit but remained firm that she would have a great time. As she really started to crank up (there were real tears folks!) Miss Gore caught on and headed over. I kissed Paris on the head, waved at Miss Gore and exchanged that look that said "I know, I need to just leave and she'll be OK" and I left. I made it all the way to the car before I dialed Easy and shed a few tears - mostly I just choked up, no sobbing or anything.

I learned about the car rider line that afternoon. I'm amazed how early I need to be there to be waiting in the actual parking lot and not in the line on the street. Paris hopped in with a smile. She told us (my mom was still here) about her new friend Sarah - who has the "very same" shoes she does! She did say that she did not have fun. Later that evening she explained that she didn't have fun because she "didn't even get to waste any time!" Welcome to life sweet girl.

Tuesday
I got to walk her in to school again because Mom was still here. I took her to the gym where they will meet everyday for assembly to start the day. We found her class, she sat down and never looked back. She looked really tired when I picked her up. She didn't have much to say about school that day...at least not to me. Later that night she told her daddy that she had to "pull her pin." They each start on blue every day and then have to pull their clothes pin and put it on another color should they make a poor choice and not follow the rules. She had to put her pin on yellow because she was hiding under a table and didn't come out when Miss Gore asked her to. She explained that it was because she was supposed to work with a boy that she didn't know and she didn't want to. I think Easy thought she made a good choice to hide from the boy.

Wednesday
This one was tough. My mom left on Tuesday and Tripp had an 8:30 appointment with his speech therapist so I had to start dropping her off at the front of the school. She did a good job and got out of the burb. She gave me a look that was something like "I'm really not sure about this, but you told me I could be a big girl so I'm not going to tell you I'm scared." I saw her look back once to see if I was still there, but I had already moved up through the line of cars. When she didn't see me she just kept going. When I picked her up she announced that she stayed on blue all day. Yea! That night on the way home from church we have this conversation:

Paris: What are we doing tomorrow?
Me: Well, babe, you're going to school.
Paris: But Mommy, I can't go to school on every single day!
Me: You don't have to. There is no school on Saturday or Sunday.
Paris: What about stay-home day? ( a favorite around here!)
Me: Saturday will have to be stay home day for you.
Paris: Is tomorrow Saturday?
Me: No.
Paris: Is the day after that Saturday?
Me: No.
Paris: Is the day after THAT Saturday?
Me: Yes.
Paris: OK. Two days then fun.

Thursday
If Wednesday was tough, Thursday was super tough. She didn't want to get out of the burb. Her eyes clouded up and her bottom lip quivered. She did manage to get out and shut the door, but then the line of cars began to move and she literally had to walk along side the burb as I was driving through. She kept looking in the window at me waving with this look on her face that absolutely ripped my heart to shreds. When we got close enough a Mommy Volunteer saw what was going on and gave me the "It's OK, I'll get her" wave and put her arm around my daughter and walked her in. This was the day that it hit me. IT WAS AWFUL. I missed her. I wanted to be the one making it all better. I called my friend Kara that afternoon and had a good cry. Many other things made this day hard...but that's for another entry.

When she got in the car she told me that she had to pull her pin to orange. That means she made two poor choices. She couldn't "melimber" what the first one was, but the second was talking in line. I know, not a shocker that it involved talking. Here's the story I got:

Paris: My friends kept making me talk in line.
Me: Did they have to pull their pins too?
Paris: No.
Me: Were they talking in line?
Paris: No, they just made me.

I wasn't sure what to say to that so we moved on to another subject. Later that evening she told her daddy that she didn't want her friends to have to pull their pins so she talked so they wouldn't have to. I did explain that starting next week when she has to pull her pin to orange she will loose her computer time for the day.

Friday
Much smoother morning. We were at the front of the line when she had to get out so there was a helper there to open her door and encourage her with a smile. She bounded into the car this afternoon and Miss Gore helped her with a "See you Monday stinker!" I like Miss Gore. Paris stayed on blue all day. When I opened her daily folder I discovered that she was "Queen of the Day" yesterday and all her classmates had drawn pictures of her. They each had written (or at least tried to write) Paris at the top of the page and their own name at the bottom. We had fun looking through it and I got to find out more about the kids in her class while we talked. Did I say I like Miss Gore? I like Miss Gore.


I am shocked at the end of the week at how strong the joy is that wells up inside me when I catch sight of her in the pick up line each day. It's like I'm all of the sudden whole again. I don't really feel incomplete all day while she's gone or anything. But I certainly feel like everything is the way it should be once she's back in the burb with me! We are looking forward to setting no alarms tomorrow and having a "stay home day!"

Guard Cat

As some of you may know, I've been getting up very early in the morning to go jogging before Easy leaves for work. I've had a few friends caution me to "be safe" while I'm out alone. To all of you concerend, I want to put you at ease. Not only do I carry my pepper spray when I jog, I have the ultimate in defense systems.........Rufus. (If you know Rufus, you may now laugh.)

Rufus is our "garage cat." She was a total stray. She is tiny. She's maybe a year old. This is the same Rufus who didn't know what to do with her kittens when she had them. The same Rufus who is a slayer of junebugs, frongs, lizards, and mice. The very same Rufus who allows Paris to lug her around like a ragdoll, purring the whole time. And yes, the same Rufus that was so sly last night and snuck in the house while Easy and the kids were coming in from the pool. (I found her in Paris' room, sleeping on the floor.)

This amazing, talented little cat feels it is her duty to guard me as I jog. She does have some rules though. She will only protect me on Freestone Drive. When I leave that street she will sit and wait patiently as I run around the cul-de-sac or out to the end of the neighborhood and back and then picks right back up with me when I get back to Freestone. So, all of you with concerns, rest easy. Rufus is on the job.

A request........

I'm not sue who all reads this blog or if thsoe of you who read it ever read my other blog. Today I posted some thoughts on my other blog that I would love to share with anyone who takes the time to read about me and my family. So, if you're reading this and you never click over to read my Temple Remodel.......click the link in the sidebar and you'll know what thoughts have been in my head as of late.......

Vocabulary Lesson

Vivian asked me to post some of her latest vocab acquisitions so that in the event you are nearby you will be able to understand and grant her every wish and desire. Here you go......


"Muh Muh" = More when accompanied by the sign for more. Occasionally it also means milk - which she will sign as well.

"Mama" = me of course!

"Cah-bu" = Cowboy our sweet little dog

"Dog dog" (prounounced without a distinct "g" sound) = any other dog and sometimes Cowboy

"Sna!" = give me my snack now (usually reserved for the church nursery)

"Nigh nigh" = usually in response to "are you ready for night night?" and clearly means yes, please take me to bed

"Bye bye" = self explanitory

"Dada" = that's my Smooch of course!

"Dadoh" = that would be my dad commonly known as Dadoo around here

"Dahpuh" = diaper, as in thank you for my clean one

"Bubba" or sometimes "Dibbuh" = her brother Tripper

"Tay too" = thank you (one of her favorites)

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" (visualize arm flapping and feet clapping with it) = Clearly I am not full so you need to find something else to feed me. I don't care if you are out of food. Just find something and put it in my mouth. Now!

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" (when not in high chair) = Paris, I know you love me. But serisouly, you are gonna have to BACK OFF!!!!

"Hah" (think hat with a silent t) = her version of Hi, this is a new greeting for her

and my personal favorite...............

"Ah Stidi" = Excuse me. Yes, you there. I have pooped in my diaper and it smells. You need to change it now or I will begin screaming and crying.

I love my daughter!

I especially love it when she loves things that I love! If creating a shoe store for her Barbies wasn't enough - last night she really stole my heart.

Tripp & Viv were both down for the night. It was almost 8:00 and Easy was done with the yard. We decided we would look and see what nature shows we could find on TV and spend some time with our Princess. As we're getting things settled we have this converstaion:

Paris: What are we going to watch?

Mommy: I don't know, let's see if we can find a show about nature or animals or something.

Paris: Can we watch that show where the guy gets bit by the A. C. R. S.?

Mommy: The R.O.U.S.?

Paris: Yeah.

Daddy: You want to watch The Princess Bride?

Paris: YEAH!!!!!!!


What joy, what joy!! We snuggled into the couch and watched the movie as a family. Everytime Easy or I would quote with the movie Paris would say "I can hear you!" I told her that I couldn't help it. Quoting The Princess Bride is completely involuntary and totally required when watch the show! It was fabulous!

And just in case there are any of you out there that are not familiar with this classic - an ROUS is a Rodent of Unusual Size. I'm not sure what and ACRS would be - any ideas?

Seriously Silly

Yesterday was a funny day around here. Great things happened and some just plain silly things happened. Paris' friend Hannah (who is moving on Saturday) spent the whole day (and night!)with us. V went to hang out with "Ms. Stephie" for a while and Paris, Hannah, Tripp and I went to the movies to see Charlotte's Web. Tripp had to make 3 potty runs during the movie, but he told me every time. I was proud. After that we picked up V and headed home for lunch and playtime. Tripp had a haircut appt. at 4:15 - we went and took all 4 kids! I apologized to both our stylist and her mom that runs the shop. It really wasn't all that bad, but I'm sure they would have preferred to not have two 5 year olds having a flip flop flipping contest in their waiting area.

Anyway, the fun started after we got home from there. Tripp came running through the room and shouted in has amazingly cute Tripp voice, "Hallo Hala Balala!" (we call Hannah "Hannah Banana" around here) I didn't even know he actually knew who she was! It was precious. Then my sweet V decided to make a milestone day out of it. She cut another tooth. I saw her bend down from a free standing postion, pick up a toy, and stand back up without ever sitting down. And then she really blew the top off the day by taking steps!!!!!!! For those of you unaware, we've been waiting patiently for this day. She's over 15 months old and was refusing to walk unless she had hold of at least your finger. Well, it seems she finally relalized she could move without a pinky grip. It was the cutest most amazing thing to watch. She then proceded to "walk" to me several times, twice for Paris, and once for her Daddy. Awesome!

My favorite stories for the day come from the late evening grocery store trip the big girls and I took. Paris has a Video Now Jr. that she watches shows on when we travel. She calls it a Nick Jr. because all the shows she watches are Nick Jr. shows. I hadn't taken it out the car yet from her Graggie-Dadoo vacation so she and Hannah were "sharing" it. On the way to the store Hannah starts watching a Dora video. This is what I heard:

Dora: We need to save the prince! Will you help me save the prince?

Hannah: I will! I'll help save the prince too!

Paris: No you won't.

*pause*

Hannah: Yes I will.

Paris: (with attitude and indredulity) Are you in the Nick Jr?

Funny!!! Then as we approached the grocery store I hear this:

Paris: Hannah, look it's the store. I see the sign. Look! It says "A" "Chee" "B"!!! (I start laughing as I realize my daughter just invented a new letter in the alphabet)

Hannah: Paris it says "H" "E" "B".

Paris: That's what I said Hannah! We're going to "HEB" (all run together this time) - that means the grocery store!

Kids crack me up! I don't know what time they went to sleep. At 11:00 I told them to close their peepers because mommy/Ms. Sarah was going to bed. No one got up after that so hopefully they didn't stay up much later chatting! Enjoy your Friday!!

An Alarming Sight

Yesterday when I went out to get the mail my little dog Cowboy went out with me. As I was coming back towards the house I see my dog showing inappropriate affection to our cat. And the cat, Rufus, was letting him. No hissing, no paw batting. It was quite alarming. I'm guessing that Rufus has been really lonely since we were all gone for a 4-day weekend.

Unintended Break

Well, that was quite a lengthy break from blogging and I assure you it was unintended. Our internet went down Saturday before last and it just got repaired today. Talk about frustrating!!!

I really have nothing fabulous to say about the happenings around here during my blog absence. We've been living life and it's been pretty good. I will brag on my hubby. We have had an unprecidented (sp?) two weekends in a row at home with no big plans and WOW how productive he (we) have been. The pressed tin backsplash is up in my kitchen. My microwave has been lowered to a normal height (it was previously installed for use by Goliath). All the touch up painting with our main wall color has been done. The last few thresholds have been installed. My Duet W&D are now sitting a top some platforms crafted by my Smooch so that I no longer must bend over at the wasit to load and unload them. The door going from our utility room to the garage has been reset so that it lets much less ac out and doesn't shut itself when your bringing in the groceries. And our utility room is clean and organized. I'm amazed at what can be accomplished if we just stay home!

Shoe Stores, Girl Shorts, and Real Underwear

Just a few tidbits from life as of late...............

I popped in to check on Paris during rest time last week and she says,"Look Mommy, I made a shoe store!" And indeed she had. Thanks to my good friend Dasha, Paris now has a few Barbies and all there attire/accessories - including many pairs of shoes. (These were all Dasha's as a kid and she now has two boys so she's giving Paris her Barbies) Well, my sweet daughter (after my own worldly heart) had taken all the shoes and arranged them in varying levels inside two of her big Petshop toys. Her Barbies were there, visiting a most creative shoe store. Needless to say, Paris received much praise for her creativity!

Girl shorts rock. OK, this is probably more info than you want but since I got married I've gained a lot of weight. (see my other blog for part of my journey back down!) As I got bigger I gave up on cute panties and adopted mommy panties. Now, I'm not talking granny panties that cover everything from your belly button to your knees, but definitely mommy panties. You know, all cotton, no sexy. Well, on a recent whim (prompted by reading Sheet Music) I solicited some input from my better half and I wound up buying some Hanes "girl shorts." Can we say comfortable? And amazingly my husband says they are up a bit on the sexy scale. Who knew sexy and comfy could reside in one pair of panties? (and they're still all cotton!!!)

And since we're speaking of undies - my son is wearing real underwear out in public. Yeasterday morning I got up and thought," It's July first. You're wearing underwear." We've been sort of in process with him since Christmas. The car is the last frontier. He does a good job of telling you he needs to go everywhere except the car. In the car he just pees. Even if he just went minutes before we pull out of the driveway, he pees. So, I started lining his carseat with little lap pads I still have from the very newborn stage (like I've had them since I had Paris and never used them!) and they are helping a great deal. Today he learned "No tt in cah seat." He did go to church & lunch out yesterday with NO accidents. Yea Tripp!! (and yea me!)

My daughter is 5.

I don't understand how that happened exactly. I mean, I know I've been around for the last five years watching her grow up, but somehow it jsut doesn't seem possible that she's 5 and about to start kindergarten.

5 years ago I was one exhausted woman right about now. If memory serves me correctly, we were probably rubbing a cold wash cloth on a beautiful newborn trying to get her to wake up enough to attempt nursing. I have to say, she was stubborn even a few hours after entering the world. (I suppose some things don't really change.) Now it's all I can do to get her to go to sleep at night.

It amazes me to know how much she has grown and developed in the last five years. From being so totally dependent on me (and her daddy and her Graggie) to care for her to this amazingly beuatiful girl that loves fiercly and takes challenge on with zeal. Don't get me wrong, she still has her moments when "I can't" is all she says and she really wants me to do things for her that she is totally capable of herself. But she is just so brave and friendly and flamboyant. (Not sure if I spelled that right, but anyone who hangs out with us knows the word fits!) And soon she's going to the "Big K" where she'll have new friends and new adventures and all new challenges. (Like being quiet and being away from me and her siblings "ALL day")

I guess as I sit here thinking of the last 5 years I realize how blessed I am. I have an amazing family. God has brought us through some major challenges in the last five years. Knowing that and looking out in my backyard this evening watching my hunky hubby push 2 of our three kids on the swingset and hearing our 3rd babble quietly through the baby monitor gives me such tremendous peace. God has brought us to this place. I know we will face all sorts of things in the next 5 years, but I'm not worried. God got us here and I know He has a plan for where we will be in five years. I know He will see us through every trial we face. I know He will be sitting there with Paris on her first day of kindergarten and that He will amazingly be sitting with me at the same moment as I'm sure I will have a "big cry" when I get home from dropping her off. His constant presence is what gets me through my everday and I know He won't ever let me down.

Father, thank you for the last five years. I have no idea what the next 5 will be like, but as long as you're steering the ship, I'm up for the ride. Let's set sail.

Danger Girl Strikes Again!

She's cute. She's tan. She has great hair. She's adventurous and brave...........and she gets hurt.........a lot. Never heard of Danger Girl? Here's her track record:

Age 7 months - attempting to walk a little prematurely and falls, hitting head on a window sill. Results in 3 stitches in the left eyebrow. Mother is left with a major migraine.

Age 12 months - falls down a full flight of stairs head over feet (over head over feet) and escapes unscathed. Her mother had a breakdown as she witnessed the whole thing.

Age 2 1/2 years - in her excitement over her first Christmas at home she flies out of the bathroom and runs into the corner of the wall. Results in another 3 stitches in left eyebrow. Mother and Father and left exhausted, but no migraine ensues. Several days later she hits her stitches at a good friends house and busts the wound open again. Several days after that while letting a cousin's dog literally drag her around the yard by a rope, she busts it open a second time.

Age 4 1/2 - bounding over the ottoman, she takes a little tumble and bounces her head off a wooden chest. Mother, now used to the sight of a bleeding head scoops her up and tells Father to get off the potty so he can take us to the ER. Fearing stitches are in the near future, Danger Girl show a rare moment of fear as she totally FREAKS OUT at the idea of the ER. A quick change in approach calms her as she is convinced they are only going to Scott & White, not the ER. One very large blob of dermabond later she's all better. Mother and Father are a little tired.

And most recently, a mere week and a half from her 5th birthday she attempts scaling the local mall treehouse from the outside. Result? A nasty little scrape and a bruised, possibly hairline fractured, rib. Mother and Father, now used to injuries and somewhat doubtful of her whines and complaints (did I mention she also maquerades as Drama Girl?) let it be over night and take her to the doctor nearly 24 hours after the injury. No real course of treatment other than a few days of Motrin. Mother thinks briefly of feeling guilty for not taking her in sooner, then banishes the thought as she gets lunch ready for Danger/Drama Girl and her little brother Number Man and baby sister The Cuteness.

So, if you spend time with this family..................Keep your eyes open, and your hand on the phone, Danger Girl may strike near you!

Quite a Surprise!

If you've been following my Temple Remodel (link is in the sidebar) you know that I purchased some workout videos to use on Wednesday afternoons to get another cardio day in my schedule. So, today is Wednesday and I got started. The video I used today I bought at Half Price Books. (actually, I sold them enough books that I didn't have to spend any money out of pocket!) I looked it over in the store. It's call Jazzthetics I think. I thought it was a good buy because it's a 2-sided DVD with 2 workouts on side A and 3 on side B. So, I got the little ones off to rest time and Paris was excited to watch me "dance" in the living room. Trying to decide where to start I thoroughly read the back of the case and see that side A is 2 35 minute jazz workouts hosted by.........Traci Lords?!?!?!? uh-oh. So, I thought to myself that maybe this, um, person actually made a workout video. Afterall, she must have a fabulous body to make her money in that industry she's so famous for. I plug it in and see a few of the pics on the main menu and decide it's probably not the video I'll be using while my almost 5 year old is watching me dance! Good thing there was a side B. It was hokey, but it made me sweat and there were even a few parts I couldn't do so I'm guessing it will do what I need it to do - at least for a while. I find myself very releived that I bought another video brand new at Target - it does NOT have Traci Lords in it.

Oh, and just so you know, once Paris went to rest I plugged in Side A just to see what it was. I suppose you could call it an exercise video, but I won't be using it. All I saw was Traci Lords in a tiny bikini bottom, sports bra, and ballet flats (all in canary yellow) making a kind of serious, stare intently at the camera while pouting a little face while stretching. I watched just long enough to hear the instructor (a voice over) start the work out with.....hip rolls. Than I hear from behind me in Paris' sweet little voice, "Wow Mommy, she's really pretty." That was the end of the video. And to Ms. Traci Lords I say this,"My daughter thinks you are beautiful and that is exactly how God made you. I pray for you today that you allow God to make your entire life as beautiful as He wants it to be. And no mam, I will not be using your video."

Relaxing in to Summer

Not much going on around here. I'm settling into our new routine for the summer. We're playing with friends and getting some exercise. You can see a more accurate look at what's going on if your read my other blog. The link is in my sidebar.

Kids are doing well. Paris is having a hard time adjusting to an increase in physical activity. She keep saying she's tired and her legs are sore. When it's time to run in the splash pad or play on the playground however, her body feel sjust fine. She resists structure. Kindergarten will be interesting. I did get her registered for that yesterday so we're good to go come the end of August. Tripp is doing well. He's talking more and more. The potty thing is getting better ins ome areas and staying slow in others. I'm just doing my best to stay patient and not push him too much. He's a sensitive little dude so we just keep praising all the good stuff and being as non-reactive as possible when he has an accident. Vivie is growing and babbling all the time. She is cruising furniture well now. I even saw her stand all by her self for a few seconds the other day. Again, I'm not rushing this process. She'll walk when she's good and ready.

I guess that 's about it. We're just finding our groove for the summer months and really enjoying all the time we're spending with friends. I hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Snuggle Up!

I've found a new favorite thing. They're called Snuggles. I'm sure your think this is some sort of comfy shoe or blanket or pillow....but it's a food. Snuggles are a whole wheat bread product. Think hot dog bun, but without all the puffy air. They're great for housing sausage or hot dogs. Today I had chicken salad in them. he back of the package suggests trying some cream cheese on your favorite lunchmeat wrapped around a pickle inside. I haven't tried that yet, but it sounds good. Anyway, I'm just excited becasue they taste so good! When I was pregers with Tripp I developed an aversion to wheat bread. Since then I have wanted to replace the white sammie bread I usually use with a healthier option, but had yet to find one that tasted good to me. Snuggles fit the bill! They actually add good flavor to my food. Good and good for you (or at least better for you than white bread). I guess the down side is that like any other specialty item they aren't terribly cost effective. I'm use to paying less than a buck for a whole loaf of bread and Snuggles are $2 for 8. I think I'll keep the Snuggles for Mommy and let the kids eat the "cheap" bread!

No Baptizing

Yesterday I watched a friend's boys for about 5 hours. One of them is Paris' age and if you've been around her much you have surely heard about him. She is, afterall, planning to marry this young man. He and his older brother were here yesterday. The kids were having a blast. I got our little pool set up so they could splash around. Right about the time I got everything set up and they really started having fun, Vivian decided she wanted to go inside and have lunch. So, I opened the back windows and gave the big kids a warning that I would be just inside and that I would be able to see them and hear them while I fed Vivie and got Tripp into some dry clothes. (He was cold so he wanted to go in too.) As I'm getting things ready in the house the big kids start to get a little rambunctious. I listen closing and hear the following:

Young D: No, D----!

Paris: Me either, that's scary!

Young D: D----! I said no!

Older D: Who wants to be baptized!?! (as he tries to shove his little brothers head in the water)

Paris: Let him go!

Older D: Who wants to be baptized!?!

And before I know it I hear myself saying..........

"No baptizing in my pool!!"

I'm not sure if that was appropriate or not. It's definitely one of those sentences that made me laught the minute it came out of my mouth. No one grows up thinking "When I grow up one of my rules will be 'No baptizing in my pool.'" I suppose if my little pool was needed for a baptism I would gladly oblige. It would be important, however, that all participants in the process were willing. Yesterday that was clearly not the case.

3F Summer

That's what I'm having this year. It going to be filled with Friendship, Fitness, and Fun! I have 3 girlfriends (Stephanie, Erika, & Kara) who are working with me to create a healthier lifestlye for ourselves and our kids. Our goal is to stay sane, loose a few ( a more than a few) pounds, and have a lot of fun with our children. We will be walking several days a week, having a pool day each week, and going to the movies some. (There's a Summer Movie Clubhouse that show kid movies at 9:30 am for cheap!) More than anything we will hold each other accountable, let each other vent, encourage one another and above all those, love each other as the sisters in Christ we are. I am grateful today for my 3F girlfriends and the plans we have made for the coming months. What ar you doing with your summer?

Update

Just thought I should update. None of the kittens survived. Rufus wouldn't step up and be a mommy and by the time got them to our favorite cousin Karla (the vet) it was really too late. They got to cold and the process of cleaning and warming and feeding them was more than their little systems could handle. Now we're just trying to take care of Rufus - having babies was hard on her body even though it didn't seem to phase her in any other way. Paris says that Driveway, Stroller, Quilt, and Last are all in heaven and God is taking care of them. She also wants to get another cat so it can have kittens and "maybe be a better mommy then Rufus." That's a NO from me and Easy - no more kittens.

Lesson learned - even though I think in principle that it was Easy's job to arrange the surgery to fix the cat (it is, afterall, his cousin that's the vet and he originally told me that Karla was going to come get the cat and take her in for the surgery), in the end my stubbornes cost me, not him. I was the one involved in birthing kittens and tube feeding kittens and making kittens go potty. In hindsight I should have just found a way to handle it myself and get her fixed. I know I will now.

Our Furry Family

Well, things in our "furry family" have been changing quite a bit. About a week and a half ago my good friend Stephanie helped me do a very difficult thing. We took our big dog, Posum, and let her go to sleep. Easy had Posum before we started dating. I always joked and said that she was "just part of the package." And even thought she drove me bonkers with her barking and digging and her "oh-my-goodness" stinky smell, it was really hard. The plan was to just drop her off at our vet clinic and not stay. That's not what happened though. One our Easy's cousins is a vet and Karla saw on the log that I was bringing Posum in. She called and told me to bring her out to Aunt Pat's and that she would do it herself. In some ways this is good because it saved us some $, but it feels wrong to think about $. Anyway, I wound up sitting in the back of Stephanie's truck holding her as she got her sleepy shot. I lost it. The good new is though, she doesn't hurt any more. Paris took the news as well as could be expected. We're still praying for Posum at night, but last night was the first time she acknowledge in prayer that Posum was dead. Easy has been OK. He had one cry. I think he was just releived that he didn't have to do any of it himself. She was, afterall, his dog. And there is something special between men and their dogs.

On another furry note, I am becoming an expert at birthing kittens! Our garage cat Rufus went into labor. This morning when I went to load the kids in the burb I found what I thought was a kitten that didn't make it in the middle of our driveway! I went and checked on Rufus - she was obviously still in labor so I just loaded up the kids and took them to school. I came back home ready to get Rufus some clean water and food, a box with a towel in it and to "take care" of the kitten in the driveway. When I got home she was having #2 in one of our old strollers. Thank goodnes it's one we don't use and weren't planning to pass on because it's so worn out! I got started preparing things for her and when she heard me get the food she just got up and came looking for me - with a kitten hanging out! As she was walking around she finished birthing it and it just fell on the floor and she walked away. She never even looked at it! So, I grabbed another towel, picked up the poor little thing, rubbed it down with the towel, put it in the box and put Rufus in their with it trying to get her to be a mommy. She would stay until I walked off and then she just got up and left it. I got her back in the box and went out to the driveway to tend to the other kitten only to discover that it was mewing and crawling around! So, I sccoped it up and rubbed it off and brought it in to the box - which Rufus had abandoned again. I put her back in and made her lay down and tried to get the kittens close enought they could latch on and ran for the phone. Yea! Cousin Karla was available at the clinic and told me what I needed to do. I have now removed the placenta from both kittens (that's right folks - I REMOVED THE PLACENTAS!) and brought them all into the utility room. I had to sit there and make Rufus stay in the box until they latched on. I took a while, but she is now staying in the box by herself and letting them nurse. Praise God! I was not interested in tube feeding kittens! I have no idea if there are any more coming or not. She's a very young cat so she just may have the two. I'm currently calling them driveway and stroller. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.....................

A quick update, Rufus had #3 a little while ago, I'm calling it Quilt because she got out of the box and on my quilt that was waiting to be washed to have it. She did better with this one, washing the kitten itself, but I still had to do the removal of the placenta. She wouldn't stay in the box with the kittens until I had done that. I guess she thinks it's gross....I know I do!

Let's add one more, I'm calling it Last. Let's pray that it is.

Irritation

Gas prices are going up. That stinks, but I don't really care. I try to be efficient in my gas use anyway, so I just don't look when I fill up and then focus on making my trips around town as efficient as possible. Bottom line is that it takes gas to make my burb move so no matter how much it costs, I'm gonna have to put gas in the car. Here's the irritation. I drive a big vehicle. It has a big gas tank. Gas prices are rising. The last two times I filled up the gas pump cut off at $100. Please note, the pump cut off on it's own - my tank was not full. I realize that is a shocking amount of $ on gas to some of you, but the burb has a 40 gallon tank. It takes a lot of gas. The closer gas prices get to $3/gallon, the less likely I am to be able to fill up my car if all the pumps are set to cut off at $100. I guess I'll just have to start filling up when it gets down to 1/4 tank or something. I'm just thinking that if youre going to raise gas prices, you need to adjust your pump govenors to let people with BIG cars and BIG tanks actually fill them up!

Titles, Shoes, and Scorpions

Titles.........I'm getting a new one. As I type this my big brother and his wife are in labor. I'll be Aunt Sarah tonight. Technically I'm already Aunt Sarah, but that's by marriage only. This time it's blood and I'm excited! Henry David will be making his appearance soon. I can't wait to see him and get to know him. He's blessed with some amazing parents, grandparents, cousins, and I hope a pretty good Aunt as well. I'm thinking I want a cool name though. Aunt Sarah sounds old and stuffy to me. I think I want to be Tia. I think that's Spanish for Aunt. Any other suggestions that are cute and make sense in some way are welcome.

Shoes........the ugly shoes have won. Let me explain, no, let me sum up. (movie reference there.....whoe can name it?) Crocs and croc-like shoes are ugly. I don't care how many people wear them out in public, they are still ugly. Everyone says, just try them on and you'll understand. So I did. And then I bought them and swore they would be only for the house and the yard. (By the way, I bought Airwalks at Payless because I'm WAY to cheap to spend money on the name itself!) Then this weird thing happened. I forgot I had them on.....and I went to the gorcery store. And then I forgot I had them on and I went over to a friends house, and then to church, and then to another friends house, and then to the ER (that story is next). Then this morning when I got out of my burb at the church building to work the nursery for Ladies' Class there they were, like they've just grown on at the end of my legs. That's when I gave up. It really wasn't intentional at any point. I'm sure Stacy and Clinton would really be disappointed in me, but I surrender. It's true. They're so stinking comfortable that at this point, I don't care that they're ugly. Besides, mine are pink and everything is cuter when it's pink.

Scorpions.........grrrrrrrr. As some of you may recall, not too long after moving into our new home I had to kill a scorpion in my house. Since then my bravery has increased. I've killed several others on our property, two in the house the rest outside. I had to kill another one yesterday. It was the biggest one I've killed so far. Guess how I found it........IT STUNG MY BABY!!!! Poor, sweet little Vivie was minding her own business crawling around and got a nice sting thanks to a rude and uninvited arachnid. No one asked him to come crawl around on my carpet (which happens to be the same collor he is). Certainly no one told him it would be fine for him to take his nasty little tail and sink into my baby's skin. Yet, he did it anyway. How rude. So, I freaked out. Vivie let out this blood curdling scream and when I came around the corner she was just sitting there screaming and the little ---beeep--- was crawling away from her. I picked her up and smashed him with my shoe several times. I told Paris to go in the bathroom and stay with Tripp (he was on the potty). I must have looked like a crazy woman because she didn't ask any questions. She just went in the bathroom, shut the door, and stayed there for like 20 minutes while I called the nurse-line and started trying to find where V got stung. In the end the nurse told me to bag the bug and head to the ER just to be safe. Easy got home during the phone call, so I was off to the ER. $100, and a Benedryl-Motrin cocktail later Vivie was fine. Apparently unless you have an allergic reaction to them, the scorpions in Texas aren't too toxic - they just hurt like heck. Needless to say I called the Fabulous Don Hancock this morning and he was here at 2:00 pm to treat our house. Death to arachnids everywhere. That't my motto and I'm sticking to it.

Hey Mom!

This post is for my mother.

Mom,

We had a conversation in the car the other day and I feel compelled to comment further. It was regarding your career in education. You said something about listening to your gut. I'm sure you're with me now. So, here's what I have to say after thinking about that conversation.

You may not have listened to your gut, but I fully believe you listened to God. Had you followed your gut instinct, you could still be "happily" working away in education. Clearly, God had other plans for you. Because you listened to Him and yielded to pressure that may have felt like pushing, you made an impact in MANY children's lives. You started a process that has cleaned up a personnel issue (or two, or three) so that you left education a better place for children. You took care of your mom when she needed you. You took care of me when I needed you. You will take care of Matt & Kara when they need you. And more important than anything, you've started a new part of your journey with God that is amazing. It has impacted me in ways I can not begin to explain. I am so grateful.

So, your gut may have a regret or two, but my prayer for you is that your heart does not. You are an amazing mom, teacher, leader, Graggie, and friend. I am blessed by you every minute of the day. I love you. Now, post something on your blog!!!

Bye Bye Fishie!

We are one less pet today in our house! Paris has had the pretty male beta fish for some time. She was bored with it. I was bored with it. Paris wanted to get some new guppies (go-bees in her language), but you can't do that with a beta. We had willfully been trying to "let Fishie go." Easy told me I couldn't just flush it. Paris thought maybe her Daddy could shoot it, but he said that wasn't a good idea. (can you tell she lives in a hunting family?) So, Paris and I decided we would just not feed it or clean it's tank. He wouldn't die. Seriously, we hadn't fed the guy in two weeks and he was happily swimming around in a very murky tank like nothing was wrong.

So, last night I had my monthly babysitting co-op meeting at my house. My wonderful friend Stephanie was in the kitchen with some of the other ladies and when I walked in she told me that she's given Fishie to Erin! Joy! Glee! Really? You want the fish? Let me me get him out, and here's his food. Oh, I'm so glad he's going to a good home. Bye bye Fishie!

Turns out Fishie will be the first pet at their house. I think he'll make a good one - he certainly is hardy! I did tell her that he hadn't been fed in quite some time so he will probably be hungry. I hope they enjoy the little guy. Now Paris and I just need to clean out the tank and get it set up to put 2 guppies in. (and an o-cat a little later) Wish us luck. We've tried guppies before and lost I think a total of 5. I think we were trying to put too many in our little tank. We did three plus the feeder fish and I think that was too much. Plus I think we overfed them. So, we're going to do just 2 this time and see how it goes. I better go - I need to get everyone dressed and out the door. Have a great day!

Conversation with Paris

Paris: Mom! Come look at my mess!

Mom: (walking towards the hall tentatively with a bit of fear in her step, sees a large pile of stuffed animals surrounded by Little People toys.) Wow, that's some mess!

Paris: neh-ssssssssss-TTTTTTT!

Mom: Oh, I misunderstood. That's a nice nest.

Paris: Why would I show you a mess?

Mom: (not sure how to respond without dripping in sarcasm remains silent and lets the conversation end)

Blessings

It's been a rough week. So, I thought today I would focus on blessings. Here are 5 people that have serisouly blessed my life this week.

1. My mommy. She let Paris (and me) call her as many as 4 times a day during this stuck at home illness. It cheered up Paris and it kept me sane.

2. Irene Campbell. If you want to know how Irene has been such a blessing, go read my other blog. The link is in the column on the side.

3. Kelly Garrett. Kelly gave me a big stash of XS Sports Drink that I am absolutely convinced helped stop the fever in my house. Thank you Kelly for the tip and the supply!

4. Stephanie Ray. Stephanie not only handled Ladies' Class for me (along with Erika - also a blessing!), she kept Vivian for me yesterday for a few hours and then let me sit at her table to eat my lunch so I didn't have to drive all the way home before picking up Tripp from school.

5. Sheila Walsh. I'm reading her newest book and this week it has really made me have some revelations about myself and how I stand before God. I can't wait to keep reading. The title, if you're interested, is God has a Dream for your Life.

And the Fever Goes On

Vivie has been fever free for 24 hours!!! And her spots are fading!! There's hope, there's light, there is an end to this virus. I ran less fever yesterday. Today I'm good so far, but it didn't go up until after lunch yesterday so we will wait and see. Tripp got it yesterday. Paris still has it. They both had nearly 103 yesterday and woke up with 102 this morning. No school. No Easter parties. I have some very sad children. Maybe we'll hide eggs in the house since they can't go to school tomorrow. I did tell Paris that if she is fever free with no medicine from noon today until noon tomorrow that we MIGHT let her go to her party. Not sure how I'll pull that off since Tripp won't be able to go up to school at all. Who knows. All I know right now is that Vivian is better and she is the light at the end of the virus tunnel of doom.

The Saga Continues

So, I thought we were getting better. Vivie got a clean bill of health from the pneumonia, Paris forehead wound is healing up nicely. Life looked great for about 4 days. Friday Vivie spiked a fever and broke out in a weird looking rash. The nurse said it was viral and not to bring her in unless the fever lasted more than 3 days or the red spots turned purple. Sunday, after getting to go to church all by myself, I came home to find Vivie running 102.2 on Motrin and her rash spreading to engulf every inch of skin imaginable. So, off to Urgent Care we went. I'm glad we're going to Nana's next weekend so I'll be able to avoid Scott & White for a whole weekend! The pedi there said it definitely looked like a virus and that her lungs, throat, ears, and nose were perfectly clear. If she's still running a fever on Tuesday we're supposed to call back. Oh, and he said that the spots will probably outlast the fever by several days. It's going to be a beautiful first Easter for her!

And of course, she has learned how to share. Normally sharing is a good thing in our house. It is something to be applauded and praised. Sharing a virus is not to be praised. Paris spiked a fever last night and is still running one. No school for her tomorrow. And then my sweet, sweet daughters shared the virus with me. 101 temp anyone? I'd gladly give mine away. Fortunately, Paris and I don't have the spots so at least we are spared something.

So, today, more than anything I've thought how nice it will be when my Dad retires and my folks move up here. Then at least my mom could come get the one healthy child left and take him to her house. How many days left, Dad?

A New Blog

I started a new blog today. I will be keeping this one too. There's a link to the new one in my side bar under "My New Blog." Original, huh? If you'll recall, in Jauary I posted about this year and my goals. Part of that included a desire to do some temple remodeling. The new blog will be totally dedicated to that journey. I've realized that the remodel could never be purely external. There are lots on interior rooms that need to be re-done as well. Join me there and see how it's going. I'm sure I'll need your support along the way.

Lessons Learned

Today's Friday Five is five things I've learned in the last month.

1. Gluing a wound back together, although much less painful, is not any prettier than having stitches done.

2. Posum is, well, I don't know the right word. Posum is our big dog. Due to her incessant barking at the old house, we had to bring her here a little sooner than we were ready. (the friends that bought the old place were keeping her for us) That meant we had to get our fence built in a hurry. Now she's in the back yard. She barks quite a bit, she eats A LOT, she digs, she smells, she has hearing challenges, she digs, she stares in the back windows at me at night and it creeps me out, did I mention that she digs?, and she makes my husband and my children smile. I wish she mad me smile. She does not make me smile. So, the lesson here is.....absence did not make the heart grow fonder.

3. Apparently painting with poop and then getting a pop on the rear end for it is sufficient lesson learning to get my two year old to go in the potty. He has only had 1 #2 in a pull-up since the artistic episode. Woo Hoo!!!

4. You can travel too much. Being gone as much as I have been in the last month leads to many negative things. Laundry gets backed up, cleaning gets behind, grocery shopping/meal planning don't get done properly, clutter accumulates EVERYWHERE. I've also learned that a cluttered house leads to a cluttered mind which leads to less sleep which leads to a mommy walking around everyday trying to keep her head out of the water and feeling a constant sense that she my drown at any moment. We're staying home this weekend.

5. Having chest x-rays done of a 10 1/2 month old baby is unpleasant. Even more unpleasant is having said baby diagnosed with pneumonia and then having to hold her while a nurse (who Vivie smiled and waved at when she came in the room) sticks her in the leg with a big honkin' shot of antibiotic that will make her leg hurt for several days. However, x-rays are MUCH easier to go through than stitches on a 7 month old (or again on a 2 1/2 year old, or even having the same 4 year old glued back together).

Health Update

So........since the last time I wrote things have been pretty crazy around here. I've made two out of town trips. One to the Women of Faith National conference in San Antonio and one quick trip to Baytown so I could go to my sister-in-law's baby shower. Take those into account with the health issues we've had in our house and that leaves you with one pooped mommy! Here's the scoop:

Vivie is all better. She got a clean bill of health at her check-up last Wednesday. Thursday was the first day she was really back to her normal self. If you go back and count the days, that was almost 12 days from when she got sick. That's a long time to have a sick baby! But she's all better now and has even decided that not nursing and having real milk in her cup is OK. I don't think she LOVES it, but she's drinking it so I'm satisfied.

As for Tripp - other than his perpetual snot (which we've just about decided is allergies) he's doing well. We did get a "health alert" (as though we should be alarmed by health in general?) from his school. Apparently someone(s) at school that he comes in contact with has had Pin worms. Don't know what those are? They are little teeny tiny white thread like worms that live in the anus. Yes, I said anus. They are transmitted in a "rectal - oral" fashion. Can we say EEEEWWW! Symptom? Rump scratching, especially at night? How to you confirm them? You get a flashlight and go on a worm hunt at night. As our pedi put it so nicely (imagine hand motions along with this) "Get a flashlight and then spread the (pause) buttock and look for white thread like wigglies." I told Easy that after all the diapers I've changed over the years that clearly worm hunting is a job for Daddy. Fortunately, we've had no rump scratching so that hasn't had to happen. In truth, I was afraid we were perhaps the source. After all, we did have that whole poo painting thing a few weeks back and who know if any of that made it to the mouth......GROSS!!!!!

And then there's my sweet goose. Paris has been doing great. We've been having fun. We've had a few tough days. Apparently mommy being gone two weekend in a row didn't sit well with her so we went through that whole test the limits thing in the midst of Vivie having pneumonia. She redeemed herself this weekend though and went shopping with Graggie and me and even went to the shower with us. She won't call it a shower though. That's just "silly" according to her so we called it a party for Aunt Kara's baby that hasn't come out of her tummy yet. Quite a mouthful, huh? Anyway, she pulled a Sarah. (for those of you unaware, I have an extremely clumsy history!) We brought this little wooden trunk home from my moms house for her to use in her room. It was mine as a kid. I stored all my baby doll clothes in it. We need to clean Paris' room in a bad way so the trunk was just sort of sitting in the entry. Paris, in her typical exuberance, went to sort of roll over one of our ottomans and went a bit too fast. As she went off the other side (the ottoman is being used as a barricade to keep Vivie in the living room) she literally bounced her head off the edge of the trunk! Lots of blood. Not cool. I bundled her up with a damp towel pressed on it. Told Easy to get off the toilet because we needed to go to the ER "now!" We took her to urgent care at Scott & White and thank goodness they were able to glue her back together. It wasn't painless and and it certainly isn't pretty, but it was WAY better than stitches. We've done stitches with her twice already and she remembers the second set. She didn't want to go tot he doctor because she was so freaked that she might have stitches again. In the end she is left with one heck of a headache and a big blob of steri-strips and Dermabond that will flake off on it own. We don't even have to go back to the doctor unless there's a problem. I'm left with a migraine and an extremely sore right bicep. See, once my mom handed her to me I didn't really put her down until we were in the room getting seen by the doctor. I had no idea 39 lbs. was so heavy!

So, there you go - all caught up. Today I'm staying home all day and trying to put my house back in order. There is a TON of laundry to be done and more cleaning than I could possibly do in one day. So I guess I'll just eat the elephant one bite at a time and hope I get through it all before it gets crazy around here again! Have a great day!

Home and Helpless

So, we got back to my folks house at about 1:30 AM Monday morning. Our conference was AMAZING!! The kids were all happy to see us. Little Miss Viv did NOT drink any milk while I was away. Mom used the milk I had expressed to mix with cereal each day so we knew she was getting some. I don't know how I'm going to get her to drink milk from a cup, but I'm not worried about that at the moment.

Instead, I'm worried about getting her healthy. Mom said she started coughing and had a little runny nose Sunday morning. By the time we got home she sounded pretty bad and then she spiked a 102 temp Monday afternoon - on Tylenol! So, off we went to the doctor this morning to find out that she has pneumonia! Not cool. I feel so helpless. She's so tired, but she feels so bad she can't just go to sleep. She doesn't have the energy to play, but she doesn't really want to be held. They gave her a big shot of antibiotic this morning and told me that her leg would hurt for several days. I just want to make it all better and all I can do is hold her and rock her and pray that the medicine kicks in quick and that we beat this thing fast. I do think we caught it early enough that it won't take too long for her to start feeling better. I found myself actually gasping with her breaths this afternoon. My chest actually hurt. I've never experienced such real "sympathy pain" before. She's resting now though and the big kids are playing their Little Leaps video game so all is well for the moment. I better go get dinner ready. Tripp didn't nap so he'll be off to bed about 7:00 tonight. I think on a day like today that's a good thing. I'm looking forward to the quiet once I get at least two of them in bed this evening.

Father, heal my daughter. Help me to be patient with Paris. When I am worried about Vivie I seem to not have much left over and I get very snappy with Paris. Help me to not be that way. Thank you for making Tripp such a laid back little dude. Thank you for giving me parents that can keep my children when I'm away. I am so blessed with family. Help us to all rest tonight. In Jesus' name - amen.

Friday Five: I Miss My Kids

Easy and I are off to St. Louis in a few hours for a business conference (yes we're leaving at 3 in the morning) so I dropped off the kids at my folks today. It was really hard to leave them. I told them each that I would be there when they wake up Monday morning. Paris promised to help take care of Vivie. Vivie flapped her arms at me. Tripp (after I gave him a million hugs and kisses and kept saying I love you) just waved and said "bye bye." I know they will be fine, but here are five things I miss already...........

1. Vivie's cheeks - they are so full and I just love kissing on them.
2. Tripp's chatter - he is getting to be quite the talkative one these days.
3. Paris' exclamations - particularly the "I love you Mommy" ones!
4. Watching them play with each other - Tripp had Viv in stitches on the way to Baytown today. It was so sweet to hear her laughing at her bubba!
5. Being able to just go look at them because I want to!!

Father, keep my children safe while I am away from them. Help them to be good for Graggie & Dadoo. Help Vivie drink milk out of a cup. Help Tripp put his business in the potty. Let them all sleep well so Graggie & Dadoo aren't TOTALLY exhausted when I get back. Please help me to not worry too much. I know that you are watching over them and me and that you will keep us all safe. Thank you for loving my children. Amen.

A Story and a Lesson

My children teach me a lot. Sometimes I get a rather profound lesson from events that seem silly to others or sometimes even gross - like the time I blogged about sin and snot. I had another of these experiences recently so I thought I should share..........

The Story

Sunday afternoon I had the kids all down for rest. Tripp was unusually quiet so I figured he must have actually gone to sleep. I was tired so I vegged on the couch instead of getting up to check in on him. When Paris got up she started a movie. Viv was still asleep so I told Paris she could open Tripp's door so he would start waking up. She did as I asked and then exclaimed "Oh Bubba, why are you naked?" I got up and headed to his room to find him naked from the waist down. Then I was hit buy a foul, foul smell. Then I saw it. True to form, Tripp had waited until rest time when he would have on a pull-up to do his "business." Once done he had removed the soiled undergarment. Instead of following his normal routine of crying until I get him a clean one however, he decided that his poop did indeed look remarkably like brown play dough. I can only imagine that he first touched it and flung it off his hand thinking it as yucky as it truly is. Then after looking at it a while, maybe he decided it wasn't all that yucky and playing a little would be fun. I'm sure once he started playing it just became so much fun he couldn't stop. He proceeded to "paint" his toy shelves a lovely color of brown. He smooshed and smeared his new found plaything into his toy piano and left pieces of it all over the carpet. When I realized what I was starring at I was in shock. So, I took him by the hand over to the bulk of the devastation (the toy shelves) and said "Tripper, No no. We do not play with poo poo." I spanked his little naked rear with my hand and told him to sit on his bed. I made him stay there as I cleaned up the colossal mess he had made. When he saw the toy shelf shining white again he sat up and proclaimed, "Ah keen! Good job Mommy!"

The lesson:

This one is really pretty simple. Isn't this how we are with sin in our lives? At first it's easy to say no. But the more time we spend around that thing or person or situation, the more we start to think it's not so bad. We begin to understand the "other" point of view on a topic or we start to feel entitled to a little bit of "fun." It doesn't matter what the sin is, at some point we decide it's OK and we start to play with it a little. It is so easy from there to just get so involved that we don't have any sense at all how big a mess we are making. And then we find ourselves standing before our Father, naked, in the middle of a big, stinky mess. With all the love and gentleness in the world he tells us no no. Sometimes he even spanks those of us that are a bit thick in the skull. And we always find ourselves sitting by, watching him do the work of cleaning up our mess because we are so totally incapable of repairing the damage on our own.

I suppose the good news is this: since Tripp had his "artistic outburst" he has put his poo in the potty everyday. If only I learned so quickly the lessons God is trying to teach me.

Father, thank you for cleaning up my messes. Thank you for sending your precious son to wash all the brown play dough from my life. Help me Lord to stay as clean as I can. And when I start to play in something that smells of Satan, stop me, tell me no, spank my naked rear end if you have to. Put me in time out and help me look at the reality of what I have done. Forgive me Lord and wash me clean again, and again, and again..............and when you have brought me through yet another of my stumbles Lord, let me give you all the credit with a resounding, "Good job Daddy! I couldn't possibly have done that on my own. The credit is all yours. Thank you for your patience and love and meticulous cleansing of my soul." Amen.

Ol' Army, Teeth, Blessed Cough Syrup and a Quandry

Ol' Army has invaded my house. Sweet Vivian who we thought would just NEVER crawl has mastered forward movement. Between the good ol' army crawl, an occaisional inch worm, and lots of log rolls she can move faster than I can keep up. So, she got introduced to the playpen a few days ago. She didn't particularly care for it, but she's learning to tolerate it in small doses. She is very intent on getting a hold of things that aren't hers and eating them. Things like Tripp's v-day card from Nana, leaves off of my one live plant, dust bunnies, and any other small thing she can get her chubby little hands on.

On another note, Paris has been sick. I thought we had avoided that illness that has been plauging her classroom at school. I thought wrong. She has one nasty cough and a low grade fever. After consulting several other mommies I decided it was worth the $30 co-pay to verify that she didn't need any antibiotics and get the blessed cough syrup. Indeed, all it takes is one dose and the cough quiets down as my sweet baby girl drift off to dream land. Don't get me wrong, I'm not normally one of those moms who enjoys medicating a child, but this stuff is amazing. She's actually napping.

And now the quandry.........what to do, what to do. Here's the situation: Vivian still nurses. I've nursed her longer than either of the other babies. I really decided at about 4 months that it was going so well and it is so, um, FREE that I would just nurse her to a year and then go to milk and skip the whole formula thing we did with the other kids. So, I've got about 2.5 months to go and I think I'm done. See, I'm going to be out of town for two weekends in a row in the middle of March. The pedi said I couldn't put her on milk yet since she's on the little end of all those growth charts so I started trying to pump after not pumping since before Thanksgiving and I got nothin'. (that was a really long sentence) I'm taking theses herbal supplements now and they are helping some, but there is NO WAY I will have enough milk for her for two weekends in a row. In addition to this problem, she will not drink my milk out of anything but me. No bottle, no cup, no nothin', Add all this to the fact that she has taken to turning over on her belly while she nurses and sort of arching her little back so she's nursing and looking at me at the same time. She does this catch and release thing that makes me feel more like a water fountain than a mom and in truth when she does that it just feels WEIRD. And lastly, after 9.5 months she has finally cut a tooth (that would be the teeth from the title). This explains why the nibbling she does on occasion while nursing has suddenly started hurting more. All of this has me thinking that two month's worth of formula isn't that big of an expense. And I would sure love to spend an evening alone with my hubby that doesn't end with me getting back out of bed to go nurse the baby one last time before we go to sleep. ( I apologize if that's too much info, but it's all part of the issue at hand.)

So, - that's what the bulk of me is saying and feeling. Then there's this small part going "But you got this far, why give up now?" I think part of me feels like I might be failing if I quit. Like I just didn't have what it took to do the best thing for my kiddo. So I keep getting up every day and continuing on while wondering if it's really worth it and exactly how we're going to get through those two weekends in March.

OK, that's enough for today. I'm going to rest while all the kids are resting. Hope your Thursdays are going well!

A Quiet Morning

Vivie got up "early" this morning to eat and go back to bed. I used the time while the kids were still in bed to take a shower in peace. I even fixed my hair! So, it's been pretty quiet around here. Quiet, but not silent. Here are five things I've already said on my very quiet morning (note, it is not yet 8:00 AM):

1. Hello my sweet. (to Vivie as I picked her up out of bed)
2. Morning Goose. (to Paris when she got up and came into my bathroom)
3. Paris, that's too loud. (as she was making a VERY obnoxious noise VERY loudly)
4. Paris, don't speak to your brother that way. (as she was screaming at him to move out of her way to see the TV)
5. Well, let me know when you're hungry. (To Paris after she explained that she was NOT going to try the stuffing from the chicken dish I made for dinner last night. She was reminded about how she got sick last time she tried to not eat what we made. She is still standing firm that she will not try the stuffing "for breakfast or lunch or dinner or breakfast or lunch or dinner." Wish me luck.)

And just so you know, I did speak to Tripp when he got up. We had our usual morning greeting of "Hey bubba. Let's go potty."

I wish you a happy, peacful, and quiet Friday.

Just for those wondering, she ate the stuffing at lunch. Her will isn't lasting as long as it used to!

Stay-Home Mom?

So, I've been thinking today about the phrase stay-home mom. I'm not sure what that means exaclty. It's something that in parts of todays society is looked down on and in other parts is very respected. I've frequently heard "just a mom" be the descriptor of a mom who is not going to a job outside of her home on a daily basis. For those of you who are moms you know that "just a" doesn't even begin to cover what you do.

What has really struck me lately though is this. I'm around a lot of "stay-home moms" in my life. At church, in MOMS club, and even in some of the business arenas in my life. What I'm finding to be the truth is that none of them actually stay home. A rather large majority of them do in fact work in some fashion. Many have home-based businesses (like me), and many work part-time (like me), and many spend lots of their time working for service organizations or organizing activities for their church or civic group. I honestly don't know a single stay-home mom who stays home.

So how does the mom of today define herself? I was recently asked in some paperwork if I considered myself to be part of the workforce. I said no. When people ask me if I work, I usually answer "I've got three kids at home. or I'm home with the kids." The truth is, however, that I collect a paycheck every month. It's not much, but it pays for most of the kids clothes and most of my clothes, and those little things like mulch, and flowers, and the Women of Faith conference I'm going to in March. It helps when a car breaks and when Easy and I want to do more than just eat dinner on date night. But, I'm not a working mom by most standards. I'm also not a stay-home mom.

I think instead I'm a mom actively seeking to improve my children's life. If that means putting in some hours so they can have a birthday party or some new shoes when they need it, so be it. If that means saying "no, I can't help with that" because I know it would take too much time from my kids, so be it. If that means putting together activities at church so that I can be around other parents and have my kids around other Godly families, so be it. Whatever it takes to improve my kids' life and teach them the values and character of Christ - so be it.

So, to all of you out there finding your own way to be a mom I say keep up the good work. I'll pray for you today that you are listening for and hearing His voice as He directs your path. I've learned that the path isn't always what we are most comfotable with, but His path always end in a better place than I would've gotten to on my own. So I guess what I've concluded is this - I'm not just a mom, or a working mom, or a stay-home mom, or a domestic engineer..................I'm a Seeking Mom. I hope you are too.

Challenges

I know it's not Friday yet, but I plan to leave by 10:00 in the morning for a weekend trip to Baytown to hang with my folks and brother & sister-in-law. So here you go..........

Five things it's challenging to do with your dominant hand in a wrist brace:

1. Put on or take off your bra. I suppose Easy is always willing to help with the latter, but getting that blasted thing on in the mornings is tough.

2. Open baby food jars, medicine bottles, or anything else the needs a push and turn approach.

3. Feed the baby. Who know you needed your wrist to turn so much to shovel sweet potatoes in a mouth?

4. Cut things with a knife - like cheese, meat, anything that requires actual pressur to slice.

5. Wipe. I'll leave that to your imagination.

Weird Food Confession

I have to eat candies in 2's. Most particularly I have to eat M&M's, Reese's Pieces, Smarties, etc... (anything small and round) in 2's. If I get to the end of a package and there is only one left I will give it away or throw it away. I will not eat it.

Also, I made cookies the other day and I melted some chocolate chips to make little snadwiches out of them. I wound up with way more chocolate to spread than I actually needed. Once the cookies were done I looked at the leftover chocolate and couldn't throw it out. I considered my options and........I ate it.

Thinking Back

I recently attended the funeral for my sister-in-law's mom. Kara and I grew up at church together and she started dating my bubba when we were in high school, so I have many memories of her family. I also recently found out that one of my best friends from youth group years has cancer. Things like that make you stop and think and remember. So today's Friday Five is a look at five of my favorite things from youth group years...............

5. Summer. It was during the summer that youth group really played the big role. We always did things with our sister congregation so it was like during the summer you got this extended set of good friends. With no school you got to do stuff together pretty much any time you wanted. When people talked about year-round-school I can remember thinking, but what about summer friends?

4. Bowling Lock-ins. Once a year towards the end of the summer we had an area-wide bowling lock-in. Sounds silly I'm sure, but man was it fun. Nothing better than staying up all night with your buddies.

3. Skating. Once a month we had an area wide roller skating devo. It was always on Sunday evening and was a chance year-round to see those friends that you got so close to during the summer. It gave you a way to stay connected.

2. CAMP!!!!!!!!!!! We always went to GCCYC for a week with s few other area congregations. There are no words to describe summer camp. If you never went, I am truly sorry for you. The spiritual re-charge was amazing. The friendships forged there last a lifetime.

1. My Buddy Matt. Those of you who know me well know just how much I love my big brother. Over the last few weeks as I've thought back over so many memories Matt is a part of nearly every one. The day he was baptized stands out as on of my favorite memories. It was not long after we had come home from the above mentioned camp. I had my leg in a cast because I broke my ankle as we were leaving camp. He carried me to the car. Actually he and my friend Brad fought over who would carry me to the car. Matt won. We didn't always get along perfectly, but I always knew that Matt loved me and was there if I needed him. We won best camper of the year together one year. I went to camp Blue Haven one year and he didn't go. I cried on the way to New Mexico because it was the first time I was away from him like that. I love my Matt. I guess he hasn't really been "my" Matt for many years. He's Kara's Matt now and has been for a long time. But you know what, he is always going t be my big brother. Today as I think about all we've shared and all we have in the future (they're providing me with a nephew soon!) I just get excited. I don't see Matt as much as I'd like and we hardly ever talk on the phone. We email on occasion and we stay updated through our mom. It's nothing like the relationship we used to have, but I still cherish every memory we make together.

OK, so that turned into the I love my brother blog. Didn't know that was coming, but I guess sad news makes you cherish those you love even more.

Father, please continue to comfort Kara and her family as they learn to live life without Ruth. Let them all lean on you for strength and peace. Please also be with Brad. Help Jenny's delivery to go smoothly and Brad's current recovery from surgery to go well. Decrease his pain Lord. Lift his spirits and remind him that you have a plan. Lord, please, just fixt it. Take away the cancer and fix it. Please.

Rejoice With Us!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited I can hardly sit still. I have amazing news. No, I'm not pregnant. No, Easy didn't get a new job. No, Vivian is not crawling. But.....................

Tripper poo-poo'd in the potty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!!!! There was dancing and singing and double the usual candy reward. I think he was proud. He of course had to get down and turn around and inspect his production. Once he was satisfied that indeed, that poo-poo came out of him and into that potty he was happy to flush and tell it "Bye bye poo poo!"

OK, now that the celebrating has subsided I have to admit that I really haven't a clue if he did it on purpose or not. He was getting very still and serious at the table while we were having a bit of family crafting time. (Yes, Easy was crafting too.) We asked if he needed to go and after thinking about it he said "Poppy." Off we went. There was a very lengthy TT period and then it stopped but he didn't sit up. (He leans forward on the potty so as not to shower himself or his assitant.) I was just about to ask if he was all done and I heard the most wonderful sound I've heard in quite a while. Who knew ploppity-plop could sounds so great?!?!?! In an effort not to terrify him with sqeauls and shouts of delight I simply said very calmly and queitly "Tripper, you poo-poo'd in the potty! Good job Buddy!" Once we were all done the above mentioned celebration began.

So, I'm going to go with yes, he knew what he was doing. I feel better about that than we just happened to catch it at the right time. Either way, I finally beleive we are truly on the way to a potty trained Tripp! Feel free to rejoice and do a happy dance - once he's trained I'll probably stop blogging about poop!

New Book Tag

I've been tagged by Mrs. Jenny!

Here are the directions:
1)Grab the book closest to you
2)Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3)Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog
4)Name the author and book title
5)Tag three people to do the same


To hear the voice of the Lord God must be very difficult; otherwise, it's hard to account for the hundreds of verses in Scripture which exhort us to hear. Most notable of these is the Shema (Hebrew for "hear"), which lies at the heart of Jewish worship: "Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone"(Deuteronomy 6:4). A capacity to hear God is a longed for spiritual gift in the Jewish (and Christian) traditions.

Pilgrim Heart
Darryl Tippens

I know I long for that gift myself. I've decided it does indeed take quiet time alone with Him to be able to hear Him. So, I've started by making quiet time for Him alone each morning. Those who know me well know this is a challenge for me, but when God call me to something - it's my job to say "Yes Sir!"

I tag: Stephanie, Sheri, & Angela R.