Kids update

My kids are growing like the proverbial weeds. Gabriel is 9; Mikaela will be 8 in February. How did this happen?

This phase in parenting has its ups and downs. They are both a lot more independent. They can both fix sandwiches, toast in the pop-up toaster, or pizza rolls or macaroni in the microwave. Gabriel is doing the family’s laundry, including putting everything away. Mikaela is washing our dishes. We’re giving them small allowances for the dirty work, but they still have to clean up after themselves and keep their rooms clean for nothing.

They both have cute senses of humor, although Gabriel is a bit of a wise-ass. We’re working on that.

The kids both have their strengths and weaknesses in school. Gabriel is doing phenomenally well in reading and English. The only thing that’s a bit of a struggle is math. Well, okay, it can be a LOT of a struggle at times. But his 3rd-grade word problems can even confuse me, so I can’t blame him.

Mikaela is struggling somewhat in math as well, but still doing well overall. She doesn’t have to try very hard and doesn’t like to put forth a whole lot of effort, which frustrates me because she really is very smart. I guess we’ll keep working on that as well.

Gabriel is really into legos right now. His room looks like a shrine to the plastic creations. There’s no telling how much $ we’ve spent on those little plastic bricks. Well, he’s good at it, and I know it fosters creativity and his hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, so I’ll go with it. He also likes playing computer games – and is very good at them, but we limit that on school nights.

Mikaela doesn’t like playing by herself very much, but she plays independently now more than she ever has. Her favorite thing to play is still school. She also likes turning her room into whatever her imagination can make it – a shoe store, a restaurant, the doctor’s office, etc. I think she has more fun doing the actual room transformations than playing whatever she was setting up for, though. Maybe she’ll be an interior designer. Her creative gene is really coming out. She has also recently been cutting scraps of fabric and trying to assemble them into clothes for her stuffed animals. I got her a “first sewing kit” for Christmas. Now I need to find someone who can sew to teach her.

The bad about this phase … sibling rivalry. Oh LORD, help me. It’s awful. From sunup ’till sundown. I really am at a loss. I’ll keep praying about it and hopefully we’ll get it figured out before it drives Jay and I absolutely insane.

A Record of ‘Rights’

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails…. “
(I Cor 13:4-8a, NIV).

Love. Has there ever been a word like it? It evokes so many feelings and holds so many different meanings. Love is a mother tenderly kissing her newborn. Love is the elderly couple strolling through the park hand-in-hand.

Love keeps no record of wrongs. But it occured to me today that it should probably keep a record of ‘rights.’

If we can choose to love, we can choose to remember the good or bad about the one we love. Which one is more productive?

It’s easy to choose to find things wrong with someone. We’re flawed humans; you shouldn’t have to look very long to find a fault. We’re full of them.

But to find the good in someone – those gems, even if unpolished – that takes a little more effort. The rewards of that effort will grow your character, build your loved one’s confidence, and encourage those around you.

Kids

My kids are at a funny age. I love their mispronounciations. Gabriel still calls cantaloupe “cameloupe” and sunscreen “suncream.”

He isn’t nearly as forthcoming with conversation as he was when he was younger. Getting a decent response to “tell me what you did at school today?” is like pulling teeth. He has gotten very good at video games on the computer, iPhone & Wii. His current favorite is Lego Star Wars (Wii). I have to limit his video game time, he’d do it all day if I let him. He cracks me up with his tech savviness. He can open Jay’s laptop, press Ctrl/Alt/Delete to bring up the logon, enter the password, and log on to the internet. We’ve had to ban Google (I shudder at the thought of where some of their misspelled search terms could take them) and make sure he only goes to the kid-friendly sites saved in the “favorites” bar.

Gabriel has had a good school year. He is a good speller, a great reader, and fairly good at math as well. He still likes to draw and enjoys making books and comic books. His speech has improved steadily, but I wonder if I wasn’t so consumed with this accelerated nursing program how much better he *could* have been. Sigh, cue the maternal self-imposed guilt trip.

Oh, and he’s now riding his bike without training wheels. He’s ALSO going through a crazy growth-spurt and eating me out of house and home! Recent meal examples: 13 chicken nuggets at one sitting, 1 whole medium pizza, 2 salami sandwiches (and then asked for more). And he’s skinny as a rail! I envy that metabolism!

Mikaela has had a good year, she’s doing well academically too. She’s recently perfected her cartwheel. She loves to color, loves to play school with her stuffed animals (I heard her address them today as “gentlemen and fellas” .. ha!), and likes playing with her Littlest Pet Shop figures. We’ve recently cut cable off, but she can still access some of her favorite shows on Netfilx (streaming through the Wii): Mortified, iCarly and Shaun the Sheep. She never was one for cartoons … she likes shows with “actual” people. Well, Shaun the Sheep is an exception. That show is so darn cute. And witty.

My favorite thing about the kids is that they love our church and love our nightly family prayer time. They remind us that it’s time to pray every night. Sometimes it’s been hard to pause (this year we have felt like everything is on fast-forward – there’s just not enough hours in the day) but it’s been a great discipline for all of us.

By the numbers

Ten years ago this week I graduated from MTSU with my BS in Communications. Today I finished my first (of three) semesters in nursing school. Fifteen years ago this week I graduated from high school (when did I get so old?!?)

Eleven years ago today (5/13) I married Jay. Twelve years ago next week, we met in a bowling class.

Eight years ago, I was pregnant with Gabriel. Seven years ago, I was pregnant with Mikaela.

It’s amazing what a difference a few years can make, huh?

TODAY, I have a 7 1/2-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl, a dog, and a cat – and one amazing husband. We have lived in our home for almost 4 years. After years in the publishing industry, I’m now headed down the path to a nursing degree.

I guess if I could go back and change anything about the past years, I would not worry so much about anything and everything. God has always taken care of us and continues to do so – no thanks to my nail-biting.

Done

Well, the longest semester ever is finally over. I finished my third semester (since starting on my second degree) on Wednesday and I’m thoroughly enjoying my break.

Mikaela has been at home with me this week. I pulled her out of her private school because we can’t afford to keep sending her until I get a job. I’m really enjoying spending time with her and teaching her again. This week we worked on fractions, reading and ending consonant sounds, among other things. She is one smart kid.

Gabriel is still in public school, and I’m wishing more than anything I could put him back in private school. He is being picked on again and he just generally doesn’t like it. He never had a single problem at his private school (the same one Mikaela went to) … oh, how I wish I had a job so I could send them both back there.

I actually just went on a second interview for an administrative job at a local hospital. The pay is decent, but probably not enough to put both kids back in private school. I guess I’ll have to see if and when I get my first paycheck….

I had a really good feeling about the interview. I felt like I really connected with the interviewer. I should hear back early this week … so please say a prayer!

So, in the meantime, it’s going to be Mikaela and I hanging out at home. With the fact that she will be old enough to attend the public school next year … this will probably be my last time at home with her. I’m trying to savor it. It’s already been hard watching them grow up so much this year – moving from the ABCs to reading, leaving Playhouse Disney and PBS Sprout behind for iCarly and Spongebob … making insightful – sometimes even witty – observations every day; oh, my babies aren’t babies anymore. (I think that last sentence wins the prize for ‘worst run-on ever,’ but I’m too tired to fix).

So, I really have no immediate agenda other than trying to find work and enjoying my time with my kids. I have an online class starting next January, then it’s time to wait until I start an online nursing program through TX Tech in early 2011 (or if I don’t make the cut, 2012). Of course, Lord willin’ and creek don’t rise.

Speaking of the Lord – I’m in a phase of trying to figure out where to plug in at our newish church. I’m really bad about over-committing and then disappointing (in the realm of church, anyway). I can’t believe I just admitted that … that was painful. I guess part of it stems from frequent past sickness, and also from saying “yes” to things that I was not at all interested in doing (usually after some arm-twisting by another party). Don’t get me wrong … the blame lies with me. But the bottom line is, what do I get involved in? What I’m good at? What the church needs most? I know I obviously need to seek God’s direction in the situation, but it often seems like it’s hard to hear Him on matters like that.

Jay has committed himself to this church more than any other church we’ve attended before – he is their percussionist/drummer. He has no backup, so he’s there for long hours during the week for practice and also on Sunday for both services. I’m so proud of him, though … he’s really putting his gifts to use!

Bowling!

A couple of weeks ago, our family went to a birthday party for the little girl we used to babysit in the mornings – who is also a neighbor and who attends daycare with my kids. She had her party at a bowling alley, and the adults and kids all got to bowl.

It was the first time our family has done something like that – going somewhere we ALL enjoyed. It was a blast. This is a new era we’re entering into – we can actually go fun places with the kids and enjoy ourselves. Well, if I have to lose their baby sweetness as they get older, at least this is a nice silver lining. My sister told me that there were good and bad things about every phase of childhood – I guess this is a good example of that.

The Pineapple

My husband’s family has a three-tiered, wooden pineapple serving tray/party tray similar to the one above. It spins like a lazy susan and it has been in the family for years. A few months ago, Jay and I were at a antique store when we happened upon another, very similar one. It was worth the small price they were asking for it, especially since it’s both vintage and imported – not something you see every day.

I know my husband’s family has some interesting stories and memories to share about this piece of family history. Stay tuned and I’ll update as I learn more …

UPDATES:

Jay’s oldest sister, Melanie says:

The family pineapple, as we call it, has adorned many a holiday table setting.  Every Christmas I can remember my grandmother putting together the 3 tiers getting ready to fill the bowls with nuts and olives signifying that the annual Christmas Eve party would begin soon.

It’s been passed around from grandmother to mom, to sister, to sister to now me.   I’ll admit I have been hording it like a precious family jewel.   It’s currently wrapped in a sheet nestled away in my attic waiting for to make its appearance at the next holiday party.   Who knew something so silly as a Hawaiian wooden pineapple would stir such warm happy feelings.

Sharon, Jay’s mom says:

My parents owned a paint store that sold Bruning paint. The top Bruning paint sellers were rewarded with free trips, and one year in the 70s they got to go to Hawaii. While they were there, they bought this 3-tiered wooden hors d’oeuvre tray. They brought it back home, where it became a fixture at every Christmas party for 20 years.

Summer summary – kids and pets

We now have 4 pets. FOUR. Yes, we are indeed insane.

We’ve had our sweet, lazy Daisy, a long-haired dachshund, for about a year now. She’s become a family member. This spring, we added two gray tabby kittens – buttercup and lilly – to the mix. And just this week, we were given a puppy by my husband’s boss. One of her parents is a mini dachshund, the other is a regular dachshund. But whether she winds up being mini or not, she is short-haired. We named her Violet.

So we have 4 female animals, all named after flowers. They’re all getting along amazingly well, and they have a grand time romping in the backyard together. Now if we could just get the newest addition housebroken!

Anyway, here are some pictures taken this summer of the kids and our pets. Enjoy!

The kids

Oh, my babies have grown this summer. Other than the 6-month stint at a newspaper when Gabriel was 2 and Mikaela was not quite 1, this summer was the first time I’ve been away from them for any length of time each day. In a way it was a welcome break from the monotony of dirty dishes, whining and sibling rivalry; in another way, I felt like a part of me withered as I know we are turning a page in my children’s lives and I can’t go back and edit the previous pages ever again. As much as I believe in homeschooling, I’m not sure it was the best choice for us for many different reasons, the biggest one being that we absolutely have to have a second income to make ends meet. I have nothing but respect for moms who do homeschool, though, and I have more than a little wistful feeling that I wish it had worked out.

The school the kids are at this year, they are already familar with: it’s the same place as the daycare they went to all summer. It’s a small, private (Christian) facility that provides pre-K through first grade – as well as after-school care. The class sizes are wonderfully small and their teacher has 30 years of experience and the sweetest disposition. I’m really excited and have a good feeling about this year.

I actually went up to the school to talk to the kids’ teacher yesterday, to give her a bit of background on both of my kids. I told her about Gabriel’s disabilities and diagnoses, but that he has come an awfully long way. I asked her to help me help her to help him. (got that?) I want her to tell me the things he needs extra help in throughout the year so he doesn’t fall behind.

And I told her about Mikaela: she catches on to things quickly but can be really lazy! I hate seeing that in her personality and want to know how to get rid of it. For instance, when I read a book to her, I stop to let her sound words out, for her to almost always say: “no, mama, YOU read it.” Of course, that’s one example of many. If she can con someone into doing almost any job for her, she will do it. I can’t tell you how often I ask her to do something, to have her try to delegate it to Gabriel. Or often she’ll tell someone who doesn’t know any better that she “can’t” do something or “doesn’t know how.” She pulls this with her dad pretty often. She was demanding that he buckle her into her carseat well after she knew how, saying, “Papa, I can’t do it!”

The conniving shows that she’s pretty smart, but it’s obviously not good! She has her good qualities, too, and she can be an absolute sweetheart when she wants to be. (We’re working on encouraging that. )

Both kids are sounding words out and trying to write. They need some help still but I love to see that they’re progressing. Both kids but especially Gabriel loves playing with those alphabet magnets, and he’ll spell out all kinds of words, asking us to see if he spelled it right. We were pleasantly surprised when Gabriel sounded “Puzzle” out correctly the other day. I’d put a lot of effort in trying to teach the kids to read, and teaching them phonics, this last year but it seemed like a lot wasn’t sticking. Well, maybe it just took a while to soak in.

Done, Done and I’m on to the Next One

I am done with my first semester of this summer session. What an incredibly intense 5 weeks. I took “computers for healthcare providers” and Anatomy & Physiology I.  The computer class was a (relatively) easy “A” – the A&P I was an “A” earned by 5 weeks of the hardest studying I’ve ever done. The A&P class was from 8 am-12:15 pm Mon.-Thurs.; all other hours were pretty much occupied in the lab poring over the plastic body models, organ models and skeletons – or at home studying ’till the wee hours. I seriously spent 50+ hours per week outside of class studying. Thank God for my husband – he played Mr. mom. He’s done all the cooking and cleaning, most of the kid-tending (they were in daycare during the day) and also helped me study. Remind me to buy him a nice present when I get my first “big” paycheck as an RN …

Anyway, that A&P I class was seriously, ridiculously hard work. But I would up with a final grade of 96. The class average was 68. But honestly … almost no one (other than the very few of us that made A’s) put in the long hours that it required. Can I even tell you how glad I am to be done?

Nevertheless, here I go again. Tuesday I start an online class – Science of Nutrition, and the following Monday I start Anatomy & Physiology II. Same instructor, same time-slot, hopefully same grade!

So, that leaves me three classes to take in the fall: Microbiology, Human Lifespan/Growth and Development (a Psychology class), and Statistics (UGH! math). I am applying to Texas Tech’s school of nursing this fall. They have a one-year, online, bachelor’s-of-science to bachelor’s-of-science-in-nursing degree. It starts Jan. 2010 and ends in December. I really want it. I double-checked with them today that it was OK that I was taking some classes in the fall when I applied; they said it was.

Also before I apply I have to shove in a medical terminology class and a certified nursing assistant (CNA) class. The terminology course I can get online; the CNA course takes a month and I need to start it soon.

We’re sweating bullets about the finances … student loans only go so far. But I know if God wants this to be, He will help us out. And so many doors have been open so far, I can’t imagine things falling apart now. Your prayers for us during this challenging but exciting time are very welcome!

Update on the kids (‘baby book’ post)

It’s been a while since I’ve updated on the kids!

Gabriel is now 5 years and 7 months old. He can write his letters, although he often gets a few of them backwards (especially “N” and “S”). He has taken quite an interest in writing things and spelling lately – just yesterday he tried to write “please” in chalk on the driveway. He spelled it “Pes,” and when I showed him how to spell it correctly, Mikaela looked at the word and told me it needed a “Z” on the end. Smarty pants.

Anyway, Gabriel loves playing with our alphabet magnets and is getting pretty good spelling simple words by himself. I wish I could say the same on the reading and math fronts … he still struggles to count to 20 without mistakes, and his reading is going VERY slowly. He knows the letter sounds, he just has a hard time putting them together. I am giving him some room on this, though .. it could really be part of his processing issues.

His speech continues to get clearer. He is understood about 90% of the time by others … a day I thought would never come! We’re still working on proper sentence structure, i.e. saying “I need to go to the bathroom please” instead of “I hafta go bathroom.”

His curiosity and sense of wonderment thrill me. I have a lot of hope for his future. He asks a lot of questions lately about where things come from, what things are made of and what the purpose of things are (what are eyebrows for? where does (tap) water come from? what’s this made of?)

His sensory integration/hydrocephaly/speech/add/ocd issues … I’m really beginning to think he may just be a bit of an odd duck, but not to a severe degree. I mean that I don’t think he has nearly as many issues, and nearly as severe issues as I thought he did. Thank God. That really did not come out well … but do you know what I mean? He is a sensitive child, and almost all of his lingering issues revolve around that. So I guess I’d say his problems are now emotional, and even then not really out of the range of “normal.”

He does have a few hangups. He hates having his hair changed. If it’s spiky he gets upset and sometimes cries. He HATES getting water in his ears and often fights me in the shower if that happens. And he still has some mildly “OCD”  tendencies, but I think they’re really more in the range of someone who is a perfectionist, just like his dad.

Mikaela has more good days than bad. She sure can cop a major attitude though. I shudder to think of her teen or even her tween years. You woudn’t think my tiny 25-pound 4-year-old could slam a door with such ferocity. I swear one of these days it’s going to fall off its hinges. And of course she gets punished for it … but she does it anyway.

Mikaela is now 4 years and 3 months old. She is still tiny … but she’s finally in a size 3, so I know she’s growing! Honestly, I need to re-weigh her. She must be going through a growth spurt, because she eats all the time right now.  I mean, seriously. She eats 3 meals and possibly even up to 5 snacks a day. Maybe more .. I guess I should count! I have to struggle to make sure she’s eating healthy snacks, though … at least for most of the snack times. She sure does love junk food!

Mikaela is smart. She’s definitely reading, although I would still call her a beginner. She is bad about guessing instead of reading the word. She is trying to write and spell just like Gabriel, although I think Gabriel has her beaten in that area so far… and I guess he should since he’s older.

Mikaela loves going onto starfall.com and playing their beginning-reader games. She knows how to get to the site, click around to where she wants to go, and close the page down afterwards. Gabriel enjoys playing on that site as well.

Mikaela is super cute. Pictures never do her justice. She’s just so petite and adorable (OK, I’m biased, I know) … but seriously we get comments from strangers everywhere we go. It really honestly makes me nervous that she attracts so much attention. I don’t take my eye off of her in public for a millisecond … and I’m sure I won’t until she’s much, much older. But anyway back to her cute-ness … she also has this very girly high-pitched voice that my mom always says sounds so cute every time she calls. My mom got a shock when we were in TN for the wedding though!

My parents, kids and I had to stop off at Wal-mart so I could get some camera memory the day before the wedding. I decided to leave the kids in the van with my mom while my dad and I went in. Well, I don’t know if the kids forgot my mom was there (she was sitting behind them) or what .. but they pulled out their rudest, crudest potty humor. In front of my very proper mother. Thankfully, she thought it was somewhat funny (or so she says), but I was mortified.

Back to Mikaela … I really want to get her involved in dance lessons or soccer or gymnastics soon. She’s never had the opportunity to do anything like that and I really think she would enjoy it. Anyone have any advice for activities for this age?

Wedding photos

We recently got back from our trip to TN, where my oldest niece got married May 2nd. Gabriel was her ring-bearer and Mikaela was her flower girl. The wedding – and especially the bride – was just beautiful. Here are some photos I snapped:

Bluebonnets

Taking your childrens’ photos in the bluebonnets is a time-honored central Texas tradition. I’ve been trying to scout out a good location for this year’s pictures, and just yesterday I found a decent-sized patch off of Shell Road near TX 195 in Georgetown. I got some good pictures this year, mostly because my kids are finally old enough to bribe.

Here’s a look at this year’s photos, along with bluebonnet photos from the last 5 years:

Mikaela’s new room

As one of her birthday presents, we gave Mikaela a “girly” room. Jay did all of the work by himself. I think he did a great job!

Winter blahs

I am eagerly anticipating spring. I hate this time of year, where there’s really nothing else to look forward to. Thank God I live in TX, where spring often starts in late Feb.

Let’s see … what’s new? Well, for one, I’ve been on my facebook a LOT lately with status updates, so blogging has kinda fallen by the wayside. Sorry about that.

Homeschooling is going well. I’m working really hard to make it fun. Makes for lots of planning, but the kids are enjoying it. Instead of doing a lot of worksheets, I’m trying to do activities. Like simple science experiments, math and phonics games, and dramatic interpretations of books. It only takes us about an hour or an hour-and-a-half, 4 days a week, and they are learning an amazing amount. The kids like it so much, they ask each morning when we can have school (as soon as mommy has her caffeine). Oh, if only they would always be this excited about learning …

I am looking forward to having a set curriculum, with pre-made lesson plans, to work from. That will take a load off. Like right now, I know I have to plan for this next week, and it’s a little overwhelming.

I always kind of dread Sunday afternoons, because there’s so much I want to do to prep for the week ahead, and I almost never get it all done. Ideally, I’d like to finish and iron all the laundry, have the house spotless, and have the lesson plans ready for the week. Usually, I just settle for getting the laundry washed and writing the lesson plans.

Back on things to look forward to – Mikaela’s 4th birthday is next month (Feb). We’re hoping to have a nice little family party and give her a girly room, finally. We got a comforter (see pic below), and we want to paint the walls a light greenish color, paint her bed white, and maybe hang some stuff from the walls or ceiling. She’s never had a room done up nicely – she didn’t even have a home to call her own until she was 9 months old (we were living with family). I’ve been wanting to give her a girly room so badly, and now we’re finally doing it. I’m so excited.

Deja Vu

Today was warm – almost hot. We took the kids to the park – almost exactly a year from when we took them during a warm spell last winter.

Church small group Christmas party

We had our church small-group Christmas party/potluck on Tuesday night – the adults did a “White Elephant” gift exchange, and the kids did a book exchange. It was crowded and chaotic, but fun. Our host snapped some pics:

… the last one is of me wearing my gift: a lovely crocheted scarf. Sure beats the lame gifts I brought! Oh, and a side note: everyone is henceforth banned from taking photos of me from a low angle. Not flattering.

My hubby

After a recent promotion, Jay has submitted his resignation for his second job. He’s going to start giving drum lessons again, as well … so we’ll be rolling in the dough. LOL. Well, something like that.

THANK YOU, Jay for all your sacrifice for our family. You worked from dawn until well after dusk each day … but now I’m so looking forward to being able to spend more time as a family again! I’ve missed you!

Photos from TN trip

Christmas cookies

We made and decorated Christmas cookies last night. That’s always a fun, messy time together.

Christmas festival pix

We went to a really great Christmas festival Saturday – it had horse-drawn carriage rides, live music and dancing, the usual carnival-type games and food, as well as a “Bethlehem Village” that was set up to look like it did in Jesus’ day; here are some of the pix:

The fam

From our Thanksgiving trip. L-R: my nephew Josh (15), my sister and brother-in-law, my niece Rebekah (18), my niece Lauren (22) holding Clover the malti-poo, my dad and mom, me, and Jay. Of course, that’s Mikaela and Gabriel in front.

We’re Back

I am back from my trip! We got in from our Thanksgiving trip early in the a.m. on Monday; I decided to let Gabriel skip school that day so we could all sleep in. It was nice. I spent the rest of the day trying to clean, unpack and do laundry.

Yesterday was Jay’s birthday, so we were busy celebrating it – and putting Christmas decorations up. Today he had to go back to work after 8 days off – I know that’s got to be hard to get back in the swing of things after that long! Unfortunately, his break could have been much better. He’s had bronchitis for over 2 weeks now.

Anyway, our trip was nice! We both had a really nice time, as did our kids. But for some reason, the drive there (to Birmingham) through east TX, Louisiana & Mississippi seemed much shorter than the route back through TN and Arkansas. So, like I said – we drove in to Birmingham, spent the night there Tuesday night, then drove to the Knoxville, TN area to my sister’s house on Wednesday. My kids are at a fun age to be enjoyed by family, so we had a pretty fun time. One of the days, we went to the Knoxville Fantasy of Trees, where the kids did Christmas crafts, rode a carousel, and got to see lots of beautifully decorated trees and gingerbread houses – all to benefit the children’s hospital. While there, we also baked Christmas cookies and had “early Christmas,” with the kids opening their gifts from my parents and sisters’ family. Oh, and my sister fattened us up all week with her ridiculously wonderful cooking.

We stayed in Knoxville until Saturday mid-day, then drove to the Nashville area to see my sister & brother-in-law and their daughter. That evening, we had a sitter come over so we could go out to celebrate Jay’s birthday. We went to McCreary’s Irish Pub in Franklin and had fish & chips … it was fun. Our friend Eric, who we haven’t seen in forever, got to go with us – although, we missed his lovely wife who couldn’t make it because of a cold.

Sunday morning we got up and drove back home. We started out at 9:30 a.m. and made it home at 2:30 a.m.  It was a long, long, hard day. It was rainy, which made travel very slow. I don’t ever want to see Arkansas again.

I’m bad, but not THAT bad

Jay is always ragging on me about my addiction to soda. First it was Dr Pepper, and now it’s Coke. So yesterday when I was running around trying to get the house ready for company, I somehow found myself in the bathroom with a bottle of Coke, which I set down on the edge of the sink.

Later in the day, Jay went in the bathroom and called out: “Why is there a Coke in the bathroom? Wow, you ARE addicted.”

Fourth of July Fun!

We had a really great 4th of July. I think the best one yet since our kids were born. Not that the holiday has been bad since we’ve had kids … but you know how it is, it’s hard to enjoy a holiday until your kids are old enough to enjoy it along with you.

7/4 also has a special place in my heart and is growing to be one of my favorite holidays. I am growing more patriotic and realizing that I AM proud to call myself an American. My country may not be perfect, but I’m not going to drag it through the dirt. I’m weary with Americans who seem ashamed to call themselves that … as far as I’m concerned, THERE’S THE DOOR. I hear Canada is nice this time of year.

But I digress (SHOCKER!). Yesterday was fun, and I’ve decided to declare our family’s July 4th celebration an annual event. Earlier in the day, we went to a carnival/festival and had a blast while getting burnt into crispy critters – well, the kids didn’t get burnt because I slathered them with sunscreen. The carnival seemed on the small side this year but it was fun anyway. There was a petting zoo, rides and games for the kids, booths where you could buy things (Jay got some Strawberry Habanero jelly … NO THANKS) and food vendors. My favorite part was the petting zoo. The kids really enjoyed it this year, although when Gabriel went to feed the pony, he thought he was being eaten. Ha. Mikaela amazed me, how comfortable she seemed with all the animals. For instance, she walked right up to a rabbit and scooped it up like a baby. She is certainly the opposite of Gabriel … not cautious at all. I guess that could be a good thing and a bad thing at the same time.

Later in the day, we had some family and friends over for dinner – and Jay cooked out on his “new” grill. We had pork ribs, sausage hot links, jalapeno “firecrackers” (stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon), potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, watermelon, fresh ears of corn that we roasted on the grill, dinner rolls, and homemade vanilla ice cream. Everything was wonderful (I can say that because I didn’t cook!) After we all stuffed ourselves silly, we played board games and then left for the fireworks put on by the city. After the city’s fireworks, we came back home and let the kids play with sparklers for the first time. They enjoyed it, although they need to learn some patience! We were having a hard time getting them lit in the wind.

All in all, I’d say it was a really great day. I hope next year’s celebration is bigger, better, and even more memorable.

If you want to see photos of our merriment,click here.

New

New page … or at least, new paragraph

Sometimes you want something and pray for something so long, it’s almost anti-climactic when you get it. I’m not trying to sound ungrateful; I’m just a little numb. Let me back up.

Jay and I have been living hand to mouth for … uh, years. Pretty much ever since the kids came along (not that I in any way regret having them). I have tried all kinds of different job situations myself, from full-time work to working a different shift from Jay to freelancing … none of which have been a good solution. So, Jay has found a second job. Thankfully, he’s going to be doing something he’s very good at and passionate about – teaching. He’s going to be tutoring for Sylvan Learning Center in the afternoons after his primary job.

And I am going to work on being a better mom and a better wife – in addition to stepping up my involvement with the church and in my kids’ education.

It’s funny – almost every person I tell about my work-at-home (freelance) job tells me they are jealous. It definitely has its perks. But as the kids have gotten older, somehow my time commitment to them has grown rather than shrunk (I always thought it was the other way around). What that has meant in my life is that I just can’t do all I need to in a day when I’m working more than a couple of hours. I just got finished with an extremely time-consuming project and I feel so horribly guilty because I haven’t been the mom that I’ve needed and wanted to be. I’ve been leaving the TV on WAY too much, not had the time to teach them like I’ve planned to, and worst of all – not had the time to spend quality time with them. (Do you have ANY IDEA how much it stinks to tell your three-year-old you can’t when she asks “mama, will you peese weed to me?”) I’ve been here in body but not in spirit and mind. I could get REALLY depressed really quickly thinking about all the wasted time I can’t regain with them … but all I can do now is move forward.

Wow, that was pretty heavy stuff. I like to keep this blog on the lighter side, but sometimes it’s nice to share with other moms potentially looking into working at home what it really looks like. I know everyone’s situation is different, though.

Anyway, thank God for blessing us with Jay’s job and thanks to my wonderful husband for being such a hard worker, and for sacrificing for our family. I’ll have you dinner ready and your pants pressed.

BBQ at my place!

So, I’m a sucker for a good bargain. And I’ve recently been somewhat obsessed with craigslist’s “free” area, because you’d be surprised at the quality of stuff you can find there! I mean, some stuff is truly junk, but some is not.

So, today I got on there and someone had offered up a free grill. I was thinking small generic charcoal grill, which would have been great. Hey, give me a break … we’re poor.

But then I get to the guy’s place and it’s a five-burner Charbroil-brand gas (propane) grill. He got a new one for father’s day, so he was just giving this one away. And it was in pretty great shape for free – needs a good cleaning, the electric igniter needs to be replaced ($18 or get a match), and a couple of the diffusers (the guy said they run $6 apiece) need to be replaced. But it was a FREE. GAS. GRILL.

I thanked the nice family profusely, loaded it up in the van (it barely fit, even with the back seat removed) and drove home.

Needless to say, Jay was thrilled. What a huge blessing, and what a great father’s day gift for BOTH of us!

Cutting corners

With high gas prices driving up the cost of nearly everything else, the media has been talking about Americans feeling the pinch and the ways they’re cutting back to save money.

And we feel the pinch, believe me. We live a long way from where Jay works, so we spend a LOT on gas each month. But we have found something to help: Angel Food Ministries.

It’s not a handout … you pay $30 and you get a box full of food. It’s like a bulk discount because they are buying a lot of these foods and distributing them to people. In addition to the $30 box of food, you can also buy “meat” boxes, with various cuts of meat for a good deal. Here’s their June menu and extras you can add, just so you can see an example:

June Menu
1.5 lb. Rib Eye Steaks (4 x 6 oz)
1.5 lb. Hamburger Patties (4 x 6 oz)
2 lb. Pork Riblets
4 lb. Individually Quick Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters
2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
20 oz. Supreme Pizza
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage
2 lb. French Fries
16 oz. Sliced Carrots
16 oz. Mixed Vegetables
32 oz. Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk
6 oz. Pancake Mix
15 oz. Pork and Beans
14 oz. Ketchup
7.5 oz. Macaroni & Cheese
Dozen Eggs
Dessert Item
ALL THIS FOR THE LOW COST OF JUST $30

** One or more specials available only with the purchase of a regular unit. **
JUNE SPECIAL #1
6.5 lb. Family Grill Box – $20.00
(24 oz. T-Bone Steaks (2 x 12 oz.)
2 lb. Meaty Baby Back Ribs
2 lb. Thick Cut Pork Chops (4 x 8oz.)
1 lb. Bratwurst Sausage)

JUNE SPECIAL #2
5 lb. Steak and Meat Combo Box – $20.00
(2 lb. N.Y. Strips (4 x 8 oz.)
2 lb. Sirloin Strips (4 x 8 oz.)
1 lb. Hamburger Beef Steaks (2 x 8 oz.))

JUNE SPECIAL #3
10 lb. Breaded Chicken Breast Strip Box – $16.00
(10lbs of Breaded Chicken Breast Strips)

Anyway, there are distribution sites all over the country, if you’re interested in giving them a try. You have to order and pay ahead of time, FYI.

I can’t believe I’m actually writing this

My husband is currently at “praise band practice” because he’s going to be one of our church’s drummers (they take turns). I realized something watching him play earlier, though … I’m going to have to look elsewhere during our song service. As in, not at him. Because he looks … well, RIDICULOUSLY SEXY playing drums. And I’d hate to think impure thoughts in church.

Day at the Zoo

We took the kids to the zoo today, and we had a really good time. What a thought … could my kids actually be getting to the age where going places with them is enjoyable?

Fitting right in

I think our dog Daisy thinks she’s a person. She’s been snitching the kids’ cookies (we’re trying to stop that), whining when I’m on the phone, and following me into the kitchen every time I go. It’s like I have THREE kids. One of them just happens to be really short and really hairy.

New pix of the kids

That last photo, where she looks like she’s up to no good? Yeah, that’s pretty much all the time. She amazes me how she can go from the cutest, sweetest little girl to little miss manipulative in no time flat. She gets particular pleasure from upsetting Gabriel, who is very innocent and believes everything she says. *Sigh*

And Gabriel, bless his heart, has inherited my stick-straight, won’t-hold-a-part hair. Sorry about that, Gabriel.

Update on the family

I haven’t updated on the fam lately. I’m going to go back a little ways in case you’re just tuning in.

Let’s see. Jay’s been busy working out in his new garden. He’s planted a variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, various peppers, and some herbs. He had to build a fence to go around the garden yesterday, because our dog likes to dig.

Oh yeah, our dog – that’s another recent development. We adopted a dachshund mix from the pound and named her Daisy. She’s really sweet and laid-back. And she puts up with Mikaela’s kisses and hugs.

The kids are now 3 (Mikaela) and 4 1/2 (Gabriel). They have a real love-hate relationship. They fight all the time, but they get worried if the other one is hurt or upset.

Gabriel is doing really well in OT and speech therapy. Especially in OT … he’s advanced amazingly in both fine and gross motor skills. He’s still definitely behind on his speech, but it’s improving steadily. Gabriel made me laugh last week, sighing heavily and telling Mikaela “you’re driving me nuts!” Hmm, I think he must have heard me say that before.

He has made a few friends at church, which I’m thrilled about. His therapist has always seemed concerned about his social skills, but they seem to be getting better all the time.

Mikaela is a chatty cathy. I know, I was the same way. (Okay, okay, I am the same way.) I feel sorry, in retrospect, for my parents. She also inherited my klutziness, much to my chagrin. Mealtimes and any crafts we do are always a huge mess. Mikaela loves to sing and “read” (making up stories by looking at the book’s pictures). Her latest thing is figuring out who goes together. For instance – if she ever sees my friend Sarah she says “where Paul?” (Sarah’s husband).

Our family is getting more involved in our church, which we love. For the first time in a long time, we’re in a church we just love. The preaching is so applicable to our lives, and the people are so sincere and friendly. Couldn’t ask for much more!

Easterblog

The last few days have been super-busy for our family, but good busy. Friday morning was breakfast with Jay’s sister’s family, who were on their way out of town. Shortly after that, we went to the kids’ playgroup, where they got some good playtime and learned about painting and mixing colors. It was some messy fun.

Later Friday we got some gardening in … we were still trying to dig the bazillion rocks out of our garden so we can put some topsoil down. Since there’s nothing behind our house but a field, we’ve been tossing the rocks over the back fence. Gabriel has been helping with that. Every time he tries to toss a rock that doesn’t make it over, he says, “aw, that’s a tricky one!”

Goosed

So, my sister-in-law Tracy and brother-in-law Glen, as well as their 10-month-old baby, Lucy, are in town. We’ve really enjoyed their visit, and Lucy just couldn’t be any cuter. My kids and I (along with Jay’s parents) met them at the park today for a picnic lunch and some park/goose-feeding fun.

Easter baskets

I went shopping for the kids’ Easter baskets yesterday and I’m proud to say, I didn’t go overboard (for once).

I learned how to make gourmet/boutique-type gift baskets working for a florist when I was 16; I’ve been enjoying doing it ever since. But every time I do a custom basket, I wind up sinking WAY more money into it than I originally intended. But this year, I kept it around $30 for both … I’m proud of myself.

It would be so much easier (and probably cheaper) to buy pre-made baskets, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. It feels so impersonal.

While I’m on the subject of Easter, an open message to you retailers out there: I am not buying your product if it says “spring basket.” That annoys me to no end. The holiday is Easter, and if atheists don’t want to celebrate it, that’s just peachy. But don’t dumb your product down just to appease them. Thanks.

Rock band

My husband’s family had a get-together yesterday, and we wound up playing Jay’s oldest sister’s kids’ “Rock Band” video game. The game is similar to Guitar Hero, except that this version also features bass, drums and vocals – in other words, you can have 4 people playing/singing together at the same time, just like in a real band. I tried bass and vocals and had an absolute blast. I’m not sayin’ anyone’s going to vote me into the rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame, but I had fun anyway. If I had the $$ I would totally buy this game.

Incidentally, when I told my sister about this, she said my 14-year-old nephew says Rock Band is for dorks. Well, I guess I’m a dork.

Snow fun!

An unexpected surprise while we were up here in TN:

Worth it

Gasoline: $103

Miles driven in 27 hours: 1,022

Flat tires: 1

Surprising my sister for her birthday: PRICELESS

Every life is beautiful

This is the most heart-wrenching thing that I’ve ever seen.

Wow

You remember my friend Christin, who lost 100 pounds in less than a year on the Kimkins diet? Since then, she’s been on magazine covers, on TV and radio shows, and has had her life turned upside-down by the whole thing. She also came to find out that the Kimkins diet’s founder – “Kimmer” – was (allegedly) a fraud. She’s written about the whole ordeal at her blog.

That’s not the point, though: I just found out that Christin and her family were involved in a really bad car accident on 1/1. I looked at the photo and I just can’t believe no one was killed. Please keep the family in prayer as they recover.

Nertz

Jay and his family introduced me to a card game called Nertz (aka Nerts, Pounce, etc.). I’m not that great at it yet, but it’s a lot of chaotic fun, especially for a group. We played the game on Christmas, and we’ll probably play it when we get together tonight. I’m terrible at explaining detailed things, so if you want to know more about it, this website is pretty good. This one is good too, and even contains video and the ‘official’ Nertz rulebook.

All you need is one deck of playing cards per player – BUT, each deck needs to have a different design on the back.

Anyway, let me know if you played it and what you think. Happy Nertzing!

Christmas

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. And it was a very good one.

Christmas past

It’s amazing to think that this is the fifth Christmas season since we’ve become parents. A look at Christmases past:

Trail of Lights

Yesterday turned out to be fairly mild, so Jay and I decided to make our annual visit to Austin’s Trail of Lights, a 1-mile trek around Zilker Park lined with impressive Christmas light displays. Some scenes are animated and some contain music. There’s also a performance stage and lots of food and drink vendors (bring cash!). The trail is free, but parking is $10.

If you’re taking your kids to the trail with you, I would highly suggest bringing a stroller or wagon. Or better yet, a backpack so your child can be hoisted above the crowd. This last year, we sold our double-stroller, so all we had was an umbrella stroller for my 2-year-old to sit in. So, my 4-year-old had to walk. He was pretty tired by the end, even after taking turns in the stroller.

Anyway, my kids seemed to enjoy themselves, although they didn’t really say much about it. I was expecting more oooh’s and aaah’s.

My boy

Monkey girl

Lately, Mikaela has taken to climbing us (Jay and I) like trees, perching on our shoulders. She gets a big kick out of it.

The halls, decked

Christmas decorating makes me happy. It may not be Martha Stewart-esque, but it gives me the warm fuzzies nonetheless.

Christmas-season challenge

Here’s a novel thought: what if we all (myself included!!) stopped worrying quite so much about eternally insignificant things this holiday season and made a conscious effort to reach out to someone who’s hurting or depressed or even unlovable (that includes obnoxious uncle Bob)? I’m not writing sappy platitudes here; I am giving you a challenge. We all have someone in our family or circle of friends or acquaintanes we can reach out to … the newly-divorced co-worker who hasn’t smiled in months, the elderly aunt who’s crabby, the son or daughter to whom we’ve never really given much encouragement. I am committing to improve at least one of my relationships this season.

 Who’s with me? I need someone to be accountable to on this. Don’t want to pave the highway to hell with any more of my good intentions.