Ship's Log: October 19, 2010
7:08am
The day began a bit later than it should have, but I'm still so tired from the lack of sleep due to the stressful events of last week that I keep managing to work the sounds of my alarm clock into a dream and ignore it.
Today was Connor's field trip to the Tulsa Zoo. It was for the entire 2nd and 4th grades, and we were told that the trip would proceed no matter the weather and just to dress our children appropriately; no umbrellas allowed.
And just how, may I ask, are we to "appropriately" dress our children to tromp through the zoo in a deluge without the aid of umbrellas?! We're not deep sea divers nor do we own waders and slickers. Alas, that's a question for another time! All lunches must be 100% throw-away materials; brown paper bags only. No problem there.
7:30am
Of course, it's dumping rain this morning. It was beautiful yesterday; gonna be gorgeous tomorrow, but today--the day of the seemingly 30 mile treck through the zoo--it is raining cats and dogs outside. Loverly.
7:40am
I pack both Connor and I lunches in our clearly labeled brown paper sacks. Cooper gets his lunchbox, but goes for chicken nuggets and apple slices today! (It's a change from his normal cheese and banana so it's noteworthy.) Getting both boys dressed, fed, loaded up and out the door was no mean feat this morning as Gramma came to sit with Sophie so we could go off on this zoological jaunt. Gramma is a favorite around here and will invariably cause a giddy stir amongst the rank and file! But she's a big help and gets Sophie up and her diaper changed, helps get Cooper into his clothes and his teeth brushed. Thankful for our Gramma today, let me tell you!
8:20am
Kids in van; I'm getting myself in with them, just in the nick of time to get to school before the bell rings. I'm climbing into my driver's seat, holding my coffee cup by the lid. As I move my arm into the van to place it into a cupholder, the contents of my favorite huge coffee cup EXPLODE all over the van. The cup lands in my seat, spilling coffee into it; the lid is still safely in my hand. Coffee is running down the windshield, the passenger window, the passenger door, the console, the steering wheel, the dashboard and the instrument panel and pooling all over the place. You name it; it was sticky and wet.
8:21am
I cannot believe what's just happened; I felt sure I'd screwed the coffee lid on properly! (Boy, I'll double-check that booger next time!) I race into the house to find a towel. Locate towel; try to dry and daub at the worst runny spots, and give myself a fairly dry (albeit sticky) place to sit.
8:29am
Head off for school again. This time, we're gonna be late. I get to the end of the road leading out of our neighborhood and realize that I'm getting the beginnings of a bad headache. I'm thinking to myself about walking through the zoo for hours on end with a gaggle of 2nd graders and no migraine meds. We're already late for school because of the projectile coffee, so it would be pointless to suffer needlessly all day long. I decide to go back.
8:30am
I have to take the long loop around to get back to our house and grab the lifeline of Excedrin Tension pills, and the stronger stuff for just-in-case-the-Excedrin-doesn't-help.
8:33am
Pull into the garage, grab the necessary pills, and race back out the door. Swallow Excedrin as I'm backing out of the driveway. Still pouring rain.
8:35am
I'm leaving for school for basically the 3rd time this morning. I'm driving through the neighborhood (AGAIN!) when the tire low-pressure warning light comes on. Our van is pretty cool in that it's got a diagram of the tires and displays the pressure in each tire individually; the offendingly low tire's numbers blink at you so if you're too dense to realize the difference between less and greater; you'll still get the picture.
8:36am
I call my husband. The light is on; the number is blinking; it is POURING down rain like we're preparing for a flood of Biblical proportions; what to do?! He advises that it's got to be a super-slow leak (he put air in the tire 2 days ago and it's not that low yet), so I can take my chances on the Tulsa trip but I've gotta get it checked when we get back to Pryor. Ok. Still, though...GREAT.
Now I've gotta worry about this tire, but I do NOT want to go to the only place in town that has air; the pump is not covered by an awning and I really don't think I can manage to fill up the offending tire while balancing an umbrella and keeping my knees together to bend down in a shorter skirt...getting soaked to the skin for my efforts...we'll take our chances with the tire.
8:36am
I realize that I left my neatly packed lunch sitting on the kitchen counter. I had made myself this nice little lunch of toasted sourdough bread, with chicken salad in a separate container so it wouldn't be reduced to soggy mush by lunchtime. I had a bottle of water and one of those flavor packets and some apple slices. I was looking forward to my tasty little lunch. It's but a memory now. If I turn around AGAIN, the kids will not only be late for school but Connor will surely miss the bus for the field trip. Not an option. Farewell, lovely lunch! Hello, overpriced and not-worth-the-calories zoo fare! **sigh**
8:44am
Pull into the school. Grab brand-new; NEVER EVEN USED YET umbrella to help the boys get into the school. It won't stay open. Yep, I've managed to purchase the only umbrella in Wal-Mart that doesn't work. Nice. Wrangle the umbrella with both hands while walking the boys into the building.
8:46am
Sign them both in tardy; get Cooper ready for his escort to class and kiss him goodbye. The assistant principal notices my struggles with the umbrella and kindly offers to try to help; confirms it is hopeless.
8:48am
Go to 2nd grade classroom to inform the teacher of the broken umbrella situation and my looming pit stop at Wal-Mart for yet another umbrella.
8:55am
Head to Wal-Mart. Wonder if they have any fried chicken I could take with me for lunch in the deli department...chicken sounded so good today...(I am to discover that they do not).
9:00am
Arrive at Wal-Mart. Go to umbrella section; try out numerous umbrellas for weight and balance. Yes, I said weight and balance. If you are fortunate enough to simply be able to hold your umbrella in one hand while you meander around in the rain, you may not be aware of this fact: some of them are so top-heavy that they pull you sideways if you're distracted by the ginormous diaper bag, the baby on your hip, and the 2 little ones pulling at your skirt. A mother must select her umbrella as carefully as a fighter chooses his sword.
9:06am
Umbrella carefully selected; find and try on a windbreaker that will be somewhat water-repellant. Success.
9:11am
Proceed to checkout. I have managed to pick the only umbrella in the entire store that does not have a UPC code. Well, of course I did. Not surprised at this point. Head back to the umbrellas, pass off the non-tagged one to a salesperson so this won't happen to the next poor sap, and find one with a tag.
9:14am
Back to the checkout counter to purchase umbrella and jacket; takes a couple of tries to get my debit card swipe to read. (It's a small thing, I know, but at this point par for the course; nothing I've tried has worked on the first go-round today!) Go running through the downpouring rain to the van and head off to Tulsa to hopefully get there in somewhat the same time frame as the buses and children.
9:32am
Groomer calls. I'd left a message on their answering machine yesterday; hoping against hope they could get Boaz in today. Knew the chances were slim, but had to try. We leave for OKC tomorrow, and just in case he throws up everywhere--let's face it, the chances are looking good at this point--it helps to have his fur trimmed so there's less work involved in getting puke out of it.
Would you believe they can get him in right NOW?! That's never happened in a year of owning him! I always have to wait for an appointment; several days at least! Sheesh. Now I'm thinking about how nice it would be to have a clean, shorter-haired dog on this trip. Making myself crazy.
9:35am
Call hubby again. He points out that it's impossible to do that today; and that I always manage to make myself crazy trying to cram a week's worth of tasks into one day. Let it go for once. He's right. Try to forget about it, but still clenching my teeth a bit over the fact that it might have been.
9:36 - 10:15am
Calls to/from various saints in the church regarding food for the Nances; whether or not there's going to be church Wednesday night (there is!), etc.
10:15am
Zoo trip. It's still lightly raining, so I'm carrying the new umbrella. It's huge so Connor can fit under it with me. Normally buy small ones, but decided he needed help staying dry since I don't own "appropriate" rain attire. I've never purchased a poncho and frankly don't intend to.
10:25am
Am handed clipboard with paperwork for the scavenger hunt (of which I was completely unaware until this point) and a pencil. We're paired up with another mother and her son who is in Connor's class. Enter zoo.
10:27am
It stops raining. I figure it'll start up again and we're in the monkey house, so I keep the umbrella. Juggling it under my arm as I try to wrestle the papers (printed front and back so the parents have to keep unclipping them from the clipboards and flipping them back and forth. Let's not make this easy on the chaperones or anything!)
10:29am
Call the groomer while I'm still fretting over the impossibility of today and schedule him for next Tuesday. Make a mental note to write it on my calendar at home. I'll probably forget; but at least I tried.
10:30am - 11:15am
Fun with Connor and his buddy Jaxon...it's a cool scavenger hunt and we're loving life. We're finding the animals A-Z and ones that fit in certain categories (long tail, spots, stripes, feathers, lives underground, etc.).
Umbrella now weighs about a million pounds and its length is a problem in crowded exhibits. Kids keep bumping into it as it is tucked beneath my arm while I wrestle with paperwork and clipboard; I'm getting constantly jostled and they're all getting stabbed. Nice. No one lost an eye. This should be noted. My skill should be applauded.
11:25am
Meet up with classmates for lunch. A teacher's helper can't find Connor's lunch. Connor had told me when we arrived at the zoo that he thought he'd left his lunch at school; but I told him that they put them all together in a cooler, so not to worry. Now I'm wondering if nobody put it in the cooler and he really did leave it. Great. 2 lunches made and left behind. Oh, well...off to The Giraffe Grille to get grilled on prices and stuffed full of fat grams that frankly I don't want or deserve; I packed a healthy lunch, for Pete's sake!!!
11:40am
After standing in line for what seemed an eternity, we are both holding slices of pizza and sodas. (Me with the gigantic umbrella and the clipboard as well.) I pay for our meals; and before I could put my change in my pocket, Connor's teacher walks into the grille, holding up his lunch. Are you kidding me with this?! I just laughed, told her I had just paid for our new lunches and to forget it. She handed it to us so Connor could at least eat his cookies for dessert.
11:43am
After Connor's taken his turn washing his hands in the restroom (we are NOT touching our food after zoo germs! Ewww...) I leave him to stand guard over our 2nd attempt at lunches and go to wash my own hands in the Ladies' room. There is a little boy in there, sitting bare-bottomed on the floor of a stall. Poor little man has gotten used to stripping at home to go potty, but looking at his naked little heinie touching the floor of the bathroom at the zoo just about puts me into a germaphobic coma. I quickly wash my hands and go to exit the restroom...there are no paper towels. Well, of course there aren't. Why should I have dry hands after everything else that's happened today?! I use my jacket to open the door to escape back to Connor.
11:50am
It's taken us forever to get our food and find our way back to our group; most are finishing up by now and headed off in pursuit of animals that start with various letters of the alphabet. We scarf down our food, only to find that I had neglected to get napkins from the grille! We've got greasy fingers from our pizza slices, but thankfully a parent overheard our dilemma and handed us some wet wipes. (Where's my diaper bag when I need it?!)
11:56am
We still have to knock out J, N, U, V, X and Y. Off on the hunt again! The kids are loving it, but frankly I'm a bit pooped. My brain is FRIED from the craziness of the day so far...what horrors await?!
I aquired a large souvenir coup and Connor's smaller one; so now I've got a 600 lb, super-long and ungainly umbrella tucked under one arm, his cup tucked under the other, my cup hanging from a strap on my arm, and the dreaded clipboard thrown in the mix for good measure. Feeling like a beast of burden.
Have to balance all these items while walking and writing on the appropriate paper in the appropriate place and keeping an eye on 2 little boys who want to go climb the nearest rock. Easy peasy! Not.
11:55am
We've walked straight into a cave in the Rain Forest exhibit and the zookeeper points out the bats over our heads. Wow. Bats right over my head. I rapidly back OUT of said cave, and she says in an offended tone, "They won't attack you, make a nest in your hair or suck your blood! Bats are great! When it's storming outside, the bats sometimes get their days and nights mixed up. When that's going on and you walk through that door over there, they just fly right past your face and you can feel the breeze from their little wings on your face. It's lovely."
She must have noticed the color draining from my face..."when it's storming outside..." uhm, like today, lady?! Are you INSANE?! Why oh why would she SAY that to me when she saw me back away from the mere thought of having them sleeping over my head?! Not too bright, this zoologist, I fear...(and she seemed really educated so I'm pretty sure she was an actual zoologist and not just a poop scooper)!
She quickly proceeds to tell me how bats won't actually hit you if they fly at your head; they'll go around (small comfort!), and they're just like birds but with hair instead of feathers or some such nonsense. I would rather sleep with a snake (which I cannot imagine I would ever be able to do without sobbing like a baby) than have a BAT fly past my HEAD and feel the "BREEZE" on my FACE. What a nightmare.
12:15pm
I thank her for the information and steel myself to quickly pass through the cave (which was required to get to the next part in that horrific exhibit) and just not look up at the BATS over my HEAD. **ugh and whew**
12:16pm - 1:30pm
More scavenging for animals. More juggling the large cup, the small one, the 1,000 lb umbrella that now feels like a 10-foot spear, the clipboard, and wrangling the papers that are curling up because of the humidity. Found every letter except U, V and X.
The zoo sported signage of a mysterious Vicuna, but we never saw him. And unlike some of the other parents--who were cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater types and Googled animal names and filled in the kids' papers regardless of whether they spotted that particular animal or if it was even present in the zoo...uhm, shouldn't we let the kids have FUN with this?! Isn't that the POINT?!--we left those letters blank.
1:30pm
Train ride back to the front of the zoo, and not a moment too soon! I was wearing cowboy rainboots (which were fabs, let me tell you!) and I had only sat down for about 6 minutes all day...to scarf down my lunch...so the chance to sit was heavenly. More wrangling with all the gear; add to that Connor's now soaking-wet jacket that I didn't have the heart to make him tie around his still-dry waist. I almost FELL over the stupid umbrella exiting the train. Gracefully, of course. Gak.
1:50pm
Gift shop stop; should be noted that it should be renamed the Gateway to Bankruptcy. Who on EARTH is willing to pay $50 for a sweatshirt that is advertizing the zoo?! I insisted on a $5 toy and threw in a fossilized shark's tooth for good measure.
Purchased duplicates of same for Cooper, of course. I'm no glutton for punishment. I can't imagine the flood of tears after his realization that not only had Connor gotten to go to the zoo with Mommy, but had also been handed new toys. No thanks! Buy 2 of everything boy-related; that's my motto and I'm sticking to it.
More jockeying of my now monstrously-sized umbrella, cups, clipboard--lost the pencil--and refused to carry the new items; so the bag goes to Connor.
3:30pm
Back to the school to pick up Cooper (Connor rode with me from the zoo and we had fun recounting our day), then off to find a tire shop to fix the tire with the leakage problem.
4:00pm
On my second stop, found a tire shop that's not gonna make me wait; handed over the keys and sat down. (Ahhh...although it STINKS in tire shops! Don't know how those people can stand the smell of all that rubber!)
4:15pm
The boys were walking around the shop, and I looked up from answering various texts about Gramma's funeral, viewing, food to the Nances, etc. to see them each rolling a tire through the showroom. Seriously. My normally well-behaved boys decide to throw common sense to the wind and do THAT?! Got that notion right out of their heads and the tires returned to their resting places.
4:30pm
Tire is fixed! Wahoo! (It was a screw.) Now off to our house to let the poor dog outside and get the boys a late after-school snack.
4:45 - 5:15pm
Cleaned out the van. Coffee is everywhere. Hey, at least it smells good. Still don't think I've gotten it all...
5:30pm
Dropped the boys off at the church to catch a ride with their Papa while we head to the school for Cooper's P/T conference. (He's doing great!)
6:20pm
Head to Adair to eat dinner with the Nances and get our kiddos. Nice family night.
8:30pm
Headed home to put sleepy baby in bed and let the boys play Wii for a bit.
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Packing for our trip to OKC tomorrow morning
11:00pm
In bed and blogging about this insane day. Glad it's over! I'm sure one day I'll look back on this record and laugh.
It started out stressfully, but ended in a nice quiet evening with my family, so all's well that ends well. No harm, no foul. And all in all, my problems of the day are small in the grand scheme of life. Nobody got hurt. Nothing was broken that could not be fixed. Still a good day overall!
Now here's hoping I don't have to clean up doggie vomit on the trip to OKC tomorrow! And no blow-out diapers resulting in poopy carseats. And no nastiness of any kind. We'll see. It'll be tomorrow; so it will officially be a new day. It's gotta get better, right?!
All the thoughts and feelings that come with being a stay-at-home Mommy to 3 little darlings...I'm not pulling any punches on my blah-blah-blog, so be forewarned!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
You CAN take it with you after all!
I've been doing some serious thinking and soul-searching over the past week. Gramma Lillie was in the hospital, and we got the call on Monday that she was probably not going to make it through the day.
Of course her entire family rushed to her side to say our "I love you"s and our goodbyes. When I entered her room and went to her bedside, she looked at me and said "Well, it looks like I'm gonna get to go home and be with Jesus!" Such a dear saint of God, and such a wonderful promise we have!
She actually stayed with us until Sunday evening at 6:40pm, and then she went on to claim her reward. I know that she is shouting on the hills of glory with her husband, Dennis (my hubby's namesake) and her sister Lucille and all the saints and dear friends and loved ones that have gone before her. What rejoicing she must be doing right now!!!
Which brings me to the thought that has really resonated with me this week. We have all heard the phrase "You can't take it with you". And when talking about material things and earthly possessions, this is certainly the absolute truth. We came into this world naked and owning nothing and we leave it the same way.
But there are some things that Lillie will get to take with her on this journey. Because of her faithfulness to God and her devotion to her family, every one of her kids and grandkids is not only living their lives for God, but also are actively involved in ministry. She wasn't a preacher, but she raised up a house full of preachers to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto Salvation!
And that is what she takes with her. Her family. Her labors in this life were not to earn money or financial rewards, but the more important payoff of spiritual things and life eternal. She instilled a love of God and modeled faithfullness and a consistent prayer life to her kids and grandkids.
My husband lived with her for almost a year while he was attending the University of Oklahoma. He said that every single morning at 9:00 he would hear the sounds of his Gramma going to prayer. The sound of that mighty woman's voice still resonates in the annals of my memory. Hers is the voice that I listened for when we would go to Ladies' Prayer Meeting at Southeast UPC. She was such a faith-filled woman and a powerful voice of prayer.
And her prayers paid off! Her husband, Dennis, who had for many years fought against her attending church with their 3 children, ended up in an altar of his own, and was filled with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost. For him this happened at a later time in life than most, but the point is he was Spirit-filled when he went on to keep his own appointment with his Maker. Lillie saw that prayer answered and accomplished many great things, and as her daughter-in-law Linda so eloquently put it "She did it all on her knees."
I have always admired Lillie Nance; long before I had a clue that I would, just like her, become Mrs. Dennis Nance. She was just one of those dear saints in the church that you could look to and say "if she prayed her family through, I can pray mine through! If Dennis Nance got the Holy Ghost, there isn't a person alive who can't get it!"
The fruits of her prayers were so vibrant and rich that one couldn't help but look to her for inspiration. Whatever our individual prayer requests were, we could look to Lillie and see the answers to those same prayers and have faith for their fulfillment.
What big shoes are left behind for us to fill! We had a praying Gramma, and certainly as a result of those long years of faithful commitment to God through thick and thin, she gets to take her family with her to Heaven.
So this is the payoff day. Every struggle, every trial, every long hour spent before the Throne of Grace in prayer became worth it at 6:41 pm yesterday evening! She is free from the struggles of her mortal body and is reaping the rewards of living a life well and for the Lord.
What a blessed assurance! What a glorious promise! What a way to end a life! With heaven in sight and her family all around her. I am so thankful that we serve such a mighty God that is able to keep his promises and has loved us enough to allow us to live beyond this mortal plane...taking us to a beautiful Home above!
So I have renewed my determination to be a praying Mama and eventually a praying Gramma myself. I want my kids to see faithfulness in me like Lillie's saw in her. And in the end, I want that most precious reward; to take my kids to heaven with me. If Lillie Nance could do it, I can do it! In Jesus' Name!!!!
Everyone wants to die right; but few people want to live right. We're left with only the certainty that this life is fleeting; like a vapor. We never know when our time is coming. We may live into our 80's like Lillie did; or we could go long before then as so many young people and children have before us. The only certainty is that this life will end; so if we want to be ready to die right, we have to be willing to live right...NOW.
Lord, help me to live my life in a way that glorifies You and keeps me ready to meet You when my appointed time comes, whenever it may be. I can't wait to greet Lillie on that beautiful shore and rejoice right beside her.
We love you, Gramma Lillie!!! We miss you but in our mourning we are comforted by the wonderful knowledge that you live on in health and happiness, worshipping God as you always have. We look forward to the day when we will see you again on the other side.
Of course her entire family rushed to her side to say our "I love you"s and our goodbyes. When I entered her room and went to her bedside, she looked at me and said "Well, it looks like I'm gonna get to go home and be with Jesus!" Such a dear saint of God, and such a wonderful promise we have!
She actually stayed with us until Sunday evening at 6:40pm, and then she went on to claim her reward. I know that she is shouting on the hills of glory with her husband, Dennis (my hubby's namesake) and her sister Lucille and all the saints and dear friends and loved ones that have gone before her. What rejoicing she must be doing right now!!!
Which brings me to the thought that has really resonated with me this week. We have all heard the phrase "You can't take it with you". And when talking about material things and earthly possessions, this is certainly the absolute truth. We came into this world naked and owning nothing and we leave it the same way.
But there are some things that Lillie will get to take with her on this journey. Because of her faithfulness to God and her devotion to her family, every one of her kids and grandkids is not only living their lives for God, but also are actively involved in ministry. She wasn't a preacher, but she raised up a house full of preachers to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto Salvation!
And that is what she takes with her. Her family. Her labors in this life were not to earn money or financial rewards, but the more important payoff of spiritual things and life eternal. She instilled a love of God and modeled faithfullness and a consistent prayer life to her kids and grandkids.
My husband lived with her for almost a year while he was attending the University of Oklahoma. He said that every single morning at 9:00 he would hear the sounds of his Gramma going to prayer. The sound of that mighty woman's voice still resonates in the annals of my memory. Hers is the voice that I listened for when we would go to Ladies' Prayer Meeting at Southeast UPC. She was such a faith-filled woman and a powerful voice of prayer.
And her prayers paid off! Her husband, Dennis, who had for many years fought against her attending church with their 3 children, ended up in an altar of his own, and was filled with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost. For him this happened at a later time in life than most, but the point is he was Spirit-filled when he went on to keep his own appointment with his Maker. Lillie saw that prayer answered and accomplished many great things, and as her daughter-in-law Linda so eloquently put it "She did it all on her knees."
I have always admired Lillie Nance; long before I had a clue that I would, just like her, become Mrs. Dennis Nance. She was just one of those dear saints in the church that you could look to and say "if she prayed her family through, I can pray mine through! If Dennis Nance got the Holy Ghost, there isn't a person alive who can't get it!"
The fruits of her prayers were so vibrant and rich that one couldn't help but look to her for inspiration. Whatever our individual prayer requests were, we could look to Lillie and see the answers to those same prayers and have faith for their fulfillment.
What big shoes are left behind for us to fill! We had a praying Gramma, and certainly as a result of those long years of faithful commitment to God through thick and thin, she gets to take her family with her to Heaven.
So this is the payoff day. Every struggle, every trial, every long hour spent before the Throne of Grace in prayer became worth it at 6:41 pm yesterday evening! She is free from the struggles of her mortal body and is reaping the rewards of living a life well and for the Lord.
What a blessed assurance! What a glorious promise! What a way to end a life! With heaven in sight and her family all around her. I am so thankful that we serve such a mighty God that is able to keep his promises and has loved us enough to allow us to live beyond this mortal plane...taking us to a beautiful Home above!
So I have renewed my determination to be a praying Mama and eventually a praying Gramma myself. I want my kids to see faithfulness in me like Lillie's saw in her. And in the end, I want that most precious reward; to take my kids to heaven with me. If Lillie Nance could do it, I can do it! In Jesus' Name!!!!
Everyone wants to die right; but few people want to live right. We're left with only the certainty that this life is fleeting; like a vapor. We never know when our time is coming. We may live into our 80's like Lillie did; or we could go long before then as so many young people and children have before us. The only certainty is that this life will end; so if we want to be ready to die right, we have to be willing to live right...NOW.
Lord, help me to live my life in a way that glorifies You and keeps me ready to meet You when my appointed time comes, whenever it may be. I can't wait to greet Lillie on that beautiful shore and rejoice right beside her.
We love you, Gramma Lillie!!! We miss you but in our mourning we are comforted by the wonderful knowledge that you live on in health and happiness, worshipping God as you always have. We look forward to the day when we will see you again on the other side.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Baby Sounds
I confess that I'm in love with the chirps and squeaks of my baby's voice. Right now I'm listening to her in the monitor; she's supposed to be going down for her nap, but she is talking away to herself and decidedly NOT sleeping.
I want to remember these little baby sounds while they last. She uses this little high-pitched squeal followed by a long gasp as she shakes and quivers when she's excited. She narrates her day for me; babbling as she walks through the house.
Every time she wants to have a conversation, she waves and flaps her arms and sticks her little pink tongue in and out as she happily babbles away about whatever particular subject has caught her fancy. This is such a happy sound! The happy coos and chatter of a little one is so dear and I don't want to forget these moments.
I want to remember these little baby sounds while they last. She uses this little high-pitched squeal followed by a long gasp as she shakes and quivers when she's excited. She narrates her day for me; babbling as she walks through the house.
Every time she wants to have a conversation, she waves and flaps her arms and sticks her little pink tongue in and out as she happily babbles away about whatever particular subject has caught her fancy. This is such a happy sound! The happy coos and chatter of a little one is so dear and I don't want to forget these moments.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
the solar system through the eyes of my 2nd grader
So Connor comes home today and says "Mom, I REALLY LOVE 2nd grade! It's REALLY FUN!" Which I must say makes my heart sing a bit...he's finally settling into the groove of the year. This little man has the hardest of times getting into a new habit. He hates all forms of change; both good and bad.
He is following me around the house,chattering as we go. He launches, "Today we learned about the Solar System. We watched the Magic Schoolbus in the Solar System video. The schoolbus broke down, and the teacher had to go out on a line to fix it, and the line broke, and the kids panicked!"
"We learned about Uranus (pronounced by him "Yur-in-uss"), and that other planet that is blue...which other planet is blue, Mom? Hmmm? Uhm, lemme think...oh, yeah! Neptune! Neptune is the other blue planet! And how scientists believe that Pluto (pronounced "Plew-Toe") is a moon that broke away from Saturn. Or an asteroid. But it orbits the sun, and none of the other asteroids orbit the sun. Weird, huh?! So how can it be an asteroid if it's orbiting the sun?!"
So funny to watch him trying to make sense of what he learned in school today. This kid gets excited about learning new things; reminds me a lot of myself at that age. I just loved school and learning new information. He is like a sponge soaking it all in, and just letting it roll around in his mind while he sorts through all the new knowledge he gained today.
It's fun to see the world through the eyes of a 2nd grader for the 2nd time! I remember so vividly doing the same thing he's doing; trying to sift through information to make sense of the universe. Don't think I'll ever quit. But today's topic was the complexities of Plew-Toe and Yur-in-uss. Fascinating stuff! Love that kid to pieces.
He is following me around the house,chattering as we go. He launches, "Today we learned about the Solar System. We watched the Magic Schoolbus in the Solar System video. The schoolbus broke down, and the teacher had to go out on a line to fix it, and the line broke, and the kids panicked!"
"We learned about Uranus (pronounced by him "Yur-in-uss"), and that other planet that is blue...which other planet is blue, Mom? Hmmm? Uhm, lemme think...oh, yeah! Neptune! Neptune is the other blue planet! And how scientists believe that Pluto (pronounced "Plew-Toe") is a moon that broke away from Saturn. Or an asteroid. But it orbits the sun, and none of the other asteroids orbit the sun. Weird, huh?! So how can it be an asteroid if it's orbiting the sun?!"
So funny to watch him trying to make sense of what he learned in school today. This kid gets excited about learning new things; reminds me a lot of myself at that age. I just loved school and learning new information. He is like a sponge soaking it all in, and just letting it roll around in his mind while he sorts through all the new knowledge he gained today.
It's fun to see the world through the eyes of a 2nd grader for the 2nd time! I remember so vividly doing the same thing he's doing; trying to sift through information to make sense of the universe. Don't think I'll ever quit. But today's topic was the complexities of Plew-Toe and Yur-in-uss. Fascinating stuff! Love that kid to pieces.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
An Ode to my Husband on a Hectic Day
This blog goes out to my dear husband. Here's what his day looked like today. He got up at 6am, made some new garage sale signs, then drove them around our town to strategically post them. He came back to the house, helped me drag things out of the garage and line them up on the driveway, then headed out to buy donuts for breakfast for everyone. He got back, scooped up the baby and fed her breakfast, then took her with him to his parent's house in Adair to borrow his dad's truck, trailer and riding lawnmower.
He went to the church to peek in on the work in progress (we're in a HUGE remodel project), and brought over some things for us to sell in our garage sale. (We made a little bit of $ for the church because of his actions today!)
He unloaded the lawnmower and started mowing our grass, then got the boys' things together, got them ready and took them to their friend's house to play, returned home and finished our lawn. He then loaded up the lawnmower on the trailer, headed to the church, and did the same thing there.
Back home to help me tear down the remains of the garage sale, then off to Adair again to return the truck, trailer and lawnmower and get everything put back in its place.
He got back home, folded up all the tables which we had borrowed from the church for our garage sale, loaded them in the van, and swept out and organized the garage.
He hung out with Sophie and Nana for a few minutes while he waited for me to finish scraping wallpaper paste at the church, then headed over to the church to unload and set up all the tables again. We left the church, picked up the boys from their friend's house, and got takeout for dinner.
After a VERY quick dinner, he bathed the boys and got them ready for and off into bed, then headed back to the church to finish cleaning up, vacuuming, putting away ladders and tools, and generally making sure that everything is in order for Sunday School tomorrow. He got home at 10:49 pm.
This has been a very long and exhausting day, but I have to say that at the end of it I'm so thankful that I've managed to have the brains to marry a man who works for God and his family cheerfully and with a happy heart.
On days like today, his great attitude and happy demeanor make life pretty great. I love you, honey. You're a great, great man.
He went to the church to peek in on the work in progress (we're in a HUGE remodel project), and brought over some things for us to sell in our garage sale. (We made a little bit of $ for the church because of his actions today!)
He unloaded the lawnmower and started mowing our grass, then got the boys' things together, got them ready and took them to their friend's house to play, returned home and finished our lawn. He then loaded up the lawnmower on the trailer, headed to the church, and did the same thing there.
Back home to help me tear down the remains of the garage sale, then off to Adair again to return the truck, trailer and lawnmower and get everything put back in its place.
He got back home, folded up all the tables which we had borrowed from the church for our garage sale, loaded them in the van, and swept out and organized the garage.
He hung out with Sophie and Nana for a few minutes while he waited for me to finish scraping wallpaper paste at the church, then headed over to the church to unload and set up all the tables again. We left the church, picked up the boys from their friend's house, and got takeout for dinner.
After a VERY quick dinner, he bathed the boys and got them ready for and off into bed, then headed back to the church to finish cleaning up, vacuuming, putting away ladders and tools, and generally making sure that everything is in order for Sunday School tomorrow. He got home at 10:49 pm.
This has been a very long and exhausting day, but I have to say that at the end of it I'm so thankful that I've managed to have the brains to marry a man who works for God and his family cheerfully and with a happy heart.
On days like today, his great attitude and happy demeanor make life pretty great. I love you, honey. You're a great, great man.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Working on God's house
Well, Den & I went to the church last night @9pm and started spraying walls and peeling/scraping wallpaper off the walls. I was a LOT of work...then today I went @9:30 and stayed 'till 3:15 when I left to go pick up the boys from school; I took a 30 minute break to run home, grab a couple of ladders and tools and eat a sandwich before racing back over and jumping back in! My hands are so sore from the strain of picking and scraping all day. My neck and shoulder muscles are screaming in protest from all the water bottle squirting and pushing and pulling required for the job.
But it does bring up a point; the way we are willing to care for God's house does in part show how we care for Him! Just as I want to care for my body, His temple and dwelling place, I also want our church to show our town how much we care for the place that we come to worship our Maker.
And any time you run into a big project, it's hard to carve time out of our busy schedules to do the things that need to be done to finish that project; but who doesn't want to devote just a few short hours to physically caring for God's house?! David wasn't allowed to build the Temple, but he did his part by laying up stores of treasure so that when Solomon was handed the monumental task of building the first ever permanent House of God that he would have the quality materials that God's house deserved.
I won't have as much time myself to dedicate to this project this week as I would like, but I want to make sure that my thoughts are there somewhat...we want to represent our love for God in caring for His house and showing that we value its upkeep.
But it does bring up a point; the way we are willing to care for God's house does in part show how we care for Him! Just as I want to care for my body, His temple and dwelling place, I also want our church to show our town how much we care for the place that we come to worship our Maker.
And any time you run into a big project, it's hard to carve time out of our busy schedules to do the things that need to be done to finish that project; but who doesn't want to devote just a few short hours to physically caring for God's house?! David wasn't allowed to build the Temple, but he did his part by laying up stores of treasure so that when Solomon was handed the monumental task of building the first ever permanent House of God that he would have the quality materials that God's house deserved.
I won't have as much time myself to dedicate to this project this week as I would like, but I want to make sure that my thoughts are there somewhat...we want to represent our love for God in caring for His house and showing that we value its upkeep.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Random Fact About Me #1
I am the Queen of Returns! I have returned everything you can imagine. Things that can't be returned; I've returned them. I actually sport this title with great pride, and think that I should be issued a crown or a tiara of some sort! I pretty much know every store's return policy. If you need to know how to return just about anything, you should ask me. Seriously. When I'm told "no", I usually just ask for the manager. He/she typically has the power to go above and beyond the store's policy. Never take "no" for an answer until you've spoken to someone who holds the power to say "yes"!
Tonight, I returned fast food to the Arby's in Pryor! I got fed up with them messing up our order and overcharging us, so I went back with my receipt and the extra food that they charged us for and we did not order. We had used coupons and not been given the credit for them, and been charged for and given an extra side. So, I left Arby's with cash in my hand tonight! **happy dance**!
Oh, and **patting self on back**! I think this is the first time I've actually gotten cash back from a fast food joint; they typically just give you free food. I am not, however, interested in free food right now. I wanted cold hard cash and I got it. Wahoo!
This is just the latest example of my reign of returning genius. It may not be mind-blowing to you, but I left the parking lot feeling very self-satisfied.
Tonight, I returned fast food to the Arby's in Pryor! I got fed up with them messing up our order and overcharging us, so I went back with my receipt and the extra food that they charged us for and we did not order. We had used coupons and not been given the credit for them, and been charged for and given an extra side. So, I left Arby's with cash in my hand tonight! **happy dance**!
Oh, and **patting self on back**! I think this is the first time I've actually gotten cash back from a fast food joint; they typically just give you free food. I am not, however, interested in free food right now. I wanted cold hard cash and I got it. Wahoo!
This is just the latest example of my reign of returning genius. It may not be mind-blowing to you, but I left the parking lot feeling very self-satisfied.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Things I don't want to forget
There are moments in every single day of mothering that take my breath away. There are times in every day that I make myself stop, focus, and simply soak in the joy of these little ones. They do such funny things and make such cute faces and say things that melt my heart. I don't want to look back later in life and think "I wish I had enjoyed the moments". I am making sure that these moments don't pass me by!
There are also moments that I don't want to forget that may not belong on a Hallmark greeting card. I love the pictures of my kids that I have captured when they are screaming or crying or red-faced with fury. I want to remember these moments, not just because they are real elements of my life and our days with our little ones, but because I don't want to forget what they feel like...so that I can sympathize with other mothers who are going through the exact same thing. I hope I remember these moments with my little ones, so that when they in turn have little ones who are having these moments I can (silently) laugh and remember how it felt to mother a child in the throes of a meldown!
Just the other day, I was trying to take care of back-to-school things with the boys. We were at the school to meet their teachers and see their classrooms before school began for the year. Sophia, however, was less than thrilled to be pushed through a hot school in her stroller, strapped down and confined, and only moving in the direction that she was being wheeled in my ME. By the time we got to Cooper's classroom, she'd had enough.
She was wriggling and squirming and fussing and squealing and making such a racket that I finally let her out of her stroller. She immediately began running through the classroom, touching things that she shouldn't and putting things in her mouth that were--shall we say--less than edible. I was trying my best to focus on Cooper and his needs; he was checking out his new home-away-from-home, and I was busy answering his questions and taking photos of him. Little Miss Sohie, however, needed some attention as well! She was into EVERYTHING and it became a problem, so I had to try to force her back into her stroller.
Ever tried to force a toddler into their stroller when they don't want to go?! Let's just say it's...difficult. They have a way of straightening out and seemingly lengthening their bodies so that they are completely stiff and inflexible. When you try to gently push them back into a normal shape that will fit into said stroller, the screaming escalates and the kicking/flailing increases.
I'll admit; there have been times when I wanted to give in to each of my little ones and just let them have whatever in the world they were screaming for or trying to do/not do! Many times! But I decided before I got to those situations that when I put my foot down as a parent, it has to stay firmly planted. I am trying to equip my children to succeed in life, and the lesson that Mommy is in charge is one that must be learned early and well. So I don't walk away or give in. I wait it out and try to hang on to the last shreds of my sanity and patience and finagle the unwilling baby into the stroller.
I was walking through the mall with my sisters last month, and Sophie had her first public meltdown. She wanted to A) walk, and B) not where it was safe or in the direction we were supposed to be going. I had to pick her up and carry her, screaming, through the mall and to our car. I actually started laughing about it, because it struck me as so funny. Here I am, carrying this little baby girl that was dressed to the nines in frills and had a huge flower on her head--cute as a button--and she was acting so UGLY!!! She was screaming at the top of her lungs and doing that violent "put me DOWN" squirm that makes it so hard to hang on to her; attracting the stares of everyone in the vicinity. And since she's my third child, I'm no stranger to public humiliation. This wasn't my first time at that rodeo, so it was quite funny. And in that situation the only thing to do is LEAVE. Find the nearest exit and do just that--EXIT!!! And laugh on your way to the door, if you can!
And the car seat is no better! That baby doesn't want to sit?! Good luck trying to make them! You think it's easy? If the thought "well, they're smaller than you; just force them!" just came into your head...uhm...only non-parents think that. Trust me. If a child doesn't want to quit crying, you can't make them be quiet. I can't tell you how many times I simply walked away from a full shopping cart in Wal-Mart when Connor was a baby! It wasn't worth the meltdown dramatics I was having to endure, so I just left the store. There isn't one thing for sale that I need so badly that I'm willing to subject myself to that kind of stress!
There are tons of things about my kids that I don't want to forget; both good and bad. And I'm sure I'll be filling this blog with them. Tonight in church was a particularly difficult time with Sophie--she wanted to run and, basically not be in church--so the meltdown mode is on my mind tonight. She's starting off with the tantrum antics normally associated with the terrible twos...and she started at 16 months! Eeek! That's the earliest of my kids yet! Sheesh. Well, it won't last long. (**chanting over and over to self like a mantra**) Before I know it we'll be past this phase and onto the next. And there will be good things and bad things about that phase as well.
But for now, I don't want to forget what it's like to mother a meltdown baby. It's tough, to be sure. So when I see that mother in the grocery store who is haggardly pushing her screaming toddler through the aisles, trying to make as hasty an exit as her list will allow, I will NOT look her way and give her an angry glare (you won't believe how many people do that!), but if I chance to pass her, I'll give her a sympathetic smile and say "I've done this many times myself! I feel your pain!" It's nice to know that someone understands.
There are also moments that I don't want to forget that may not belong on a Hallmark greeting card. I love the pictures of my kids that I have captured when they are screaming or crying or red-faced with fury. I want to remember these moments, not just because they are real elements of my life and our days with our little ones, but because I don't want to forget what they feel like...so that I can sympathize with other mothers who are going through the exact same thing. I hope I remember these moments with my little ones, so that when they in turn have little ones who are having these moments I can (silently) laugh and remember how it felt to mother a child in the throes of a meldown!
Just the other day, I was trying to take care of back-to-school things with the boys. We were at the school to meet their teachers and see their classrooms before school began for the year. Sophia, however, was less than thrilled to be pushed through a hot school in her stroller, strapped down and confined, and only moving in the direction that she was being wheeled in my ME. By the time we got to Cooper's classroom, she'd had enough.
She was wriggling and squirming and fussing and squealing and making such a racket that I finally let her out of her stroller. She immediately began running through the classroom, touching things that she shouldn't and putting things in her mouth that were--shall we say--less than edible. I was trying my best to focus on Cooper and his needs; he was checking out his new home-away-from-home, and I was busy answering his questions and taking photos of him. Little Miss Sohie, however, needed some attention as well! She was into EVERYTHING and it became a problem, so I had to try to force her back into her stroller.
Ever tried to force a toddler into their stroller when they don't want to go?! Let's just say it's...difficult. They have a way of straightening out and seemingly lengthening their bodies so that they are completely stiff and inflexible. When you try to gently push them back into a normal shape that will fit into said stroller, the screaming escalates and the kicking/flailing increases.
I'll admit; there have been times when I wanted to give in to each of my little ones and just let them have whatever in the world they were screaming for or trying to do/not do! Many times! But I decided before I got to those situations that when I put my foot down as a parent, it has to stay firmly planted. I am trying to equip my children to succeed in life, and the lesson that Mommy is in charge is one that must be learned early and well. So I don't walk away or give in. I wait it out and try to hang on to the last shreds of my sanity and patience and finagle the unwilling baby into the stroller.
I was walking through the mall with my sisters last month, and Sophie had her first public meltdown. She wanted to A) walk, and B) not where it was safe or in the direction we were supposed to be going. I had to pick her up and carry her, screaming, through the mall and to our car. I actually started laughing about it, because it struck me as so funny. Here I am, carrying this little baby girl that was dressed to the nines in frills and had a huge flower on her head--cute as a button--and she was acting so UGLY!!! She was screaming at the top of her lungs and doing that violent "put me DOWN" squirm that makes it so hard to hang on to her; attracting the stares of everyone in the vicinity. And since she's my third child, I'm no stranger to public humiliation. This wasn't my first time at that rodeo, so it was quite funny. And in that situation the only thing to do is LEAVE. Find the nearest exit and do just that--EXIT!!! And laugh on your way to the door, if you can!
And the car seat is no better! That baby doesn't want to sit?! Good luck trying to make them! You think it's easy? If the thought "well, they're smaller than you; just force them!" just came into your head...uhm...only non-parents think that. Trust me. If a child doesn't want to quit crying, you can't make them be quiet. I can't tell you how many times I simply walked away from a full shopping cart in Wal-Mart when Connor was a baby! It wasn't worth the meltdown dramatics I was having to endure, so I just left the store. There isn't one thing for sale that I need so badly that I'm willing to subject myself to that kind of stress!
There are tons of things about my kids that I don't want to forget; both good and bad. And I'm sure I'll be filling this blog with them. Tonight in church was a particularly difficult time with Sophie--she wanted to run and, basically not be in church--so the meltdown mode is on my mind tonight. She's starting off with the tantrum antics normally associated with the terrible twos...and she started at 16 months! Eeek! That's the earliest of my kids yet! Sheesh. Well, it won't last long. (**chanting over and over to self like a mantra**) Before I know it we'll be past this phase and onto the next. And there will be good things and bad things about that phase as well.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Let's get the party started!
It seems fitting to begin my blog on one of the most angst-ridden days of my life; the first day of school! Sigh. The addage "to have a child is to have your heart walking around outside of your body" is certainly never more true than on the first day of school. I dropped off two little pieces of my heart this morning.
I love my children so much, and I truly believe that they are brilliant, beautiful and charming--and I want them to be treated accordingly! Will their teachers see how special they are? Will their classmates like them? Will they have enough self-confidence to approach other children and make friends easily? Again, sigh. I'm not there to be a buffer between them and the world. Which, let me tell you, I take as my full-time job and very seriously.
I mentioned to a teacher as we toured the school yesterday that I'm not ready to send my kids out into the world just yet. She laughed and said "it's a cold, cruel world out here!" She was joking of course, because she doesn't see school the way a parent sees it. Yes ma'am, it IS a cold, cruel world out there! Kids' self-esteem can take a brutal beating in school. A child that is constantly ridiculed or bullied can develop a complex that is difficult to work through. But...not to be too dramatic...it's only 2nd grade for Connor and Pre-K for Cooper, so hopefully we aren't facing the big guns of playground taunts this early. I also don't want to underestimate the power that words have....so I will make sure to season my words with kindness and love.
So, I'm going about my day with my typical deer-in-the-headlights look on my face that is so common for me on this first day of school, wondering what the boys are doing right now...and right NOW....and right NOW! I really can't wait for pick up time! 3:25 feels so far away! My hubby told me as he walked out the door to go to work, that I should sit down and relax for 30 minutes while Sophie takes her nap. Uhm, sorry...no can do! I'm too full of nervous energy for my boys! Yikes! I can't sit still! I've already vacuumed half the house, and I'll be onto the next part as soon as my vacuum recharges!
Connor, poor dear, was so sick to his stomach this morning! By the time we got to the school, he REALLY didn't want to get out of the van! I've got pictures of him on every single first day of school with the exact same look on his face: sheer terror! Poor little fella'. He was so nervous. The construction and heat kept the kids from lining up outside the school like they normally do, so he went straight to his classroom, which was really quiet--so that's pretty intimidating. And for the first time EVER, he said "no" when his teacher asked him if he wanted to hug me! ACK!!! NOOOOO!!! I'm not ready for my little man to reject public displays of affection with me! I'm hoping it was the nerves of his first day and not going to be a habit with him!!! And I'm trying to comfort myself with the fact that when she asked him, he was already seated at his desk and I was all the way across the room at the door. **sniff sniff**!
Cooper's own words perfectly described him this morning. When we were en route to school, he said "Mom? I'm freaked OUT!" Poor little man...he really was! He kept saying he wants me to take him into his classroom and stay with him. Man oh man I hated that I couldn't do that! But he's got the same teacher's helper this year that he did last year, and his new teacher seems to be a super-nice lady, so I'm confident that I've left him in capable hands.
So, they're off! Out of my care and into another's...Lord, bless their teachers today as well as my boys! Keep them safe from harm. Help ME to remember that no weapon formed against them will succeed! Cover my boys with Your love and help me to be still and remember that You're in control, and that this is but a small worry.
I mentioned to a teacher as we toured the school yesterday that I'm not ready to send my kids out into the world just yet. She laughed and said "it's a cold, cruel world out here!" She was joking of course, because she doesn't see school the way a parent sees it. Yes ma'am, it IS a cold, cruel world out there! Kids' self-esteem can take a brutal beating in school. A child that is constantly ridiculed or bullied can develop a complex that is difficult to work through. But...not to be too dramatic...it's only 2nd grade for Connor and Pre-K for Cooper, so hopefully we aren't facing the big guns of playground taunts this early. I also don't want to underestimate the power that words have....so I will make sure to season my words with kindness and love.
So, I'm going about my day with my typical deer-in-the-headlights look on my face that is so common for me on this first day of school, wondering what the boys are doing right now...and right NOW....and right NOW! I really can't wait for pick up time! 3:25 feels so far away! My hubby told me as he walked out the door to go to work, that I should sit down and relax for 30 minutes while Sophie takes her nap. Uhm, sorry...no can do! I'm too full of nervous energy for my boys! Yikes! I can't sit still! I've already vacuumed half the house, and I'll be onto the next part as soon as my vacuum recharges!
So, they're off! Out of my care and into another's...Lord, bless their teachers today as well as my boys! Keep them safe from harm. Help ME to remember that no weapon formed against them will succeed! Cover my boys with Your love and help me to be still and remember that You're in control, and that this is but a small worry.
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