My son Josiah is hilarious.
Seriously, he is his father made over. The boy is never totally present in any situation and getting him to focus on ANYTHING for too long is not a job for the faint-hearted.
The thing is that he is wonderfully artistic. His imagination is fantastic and he "beat boxes" his own rhymes and keeps perfect time. I cannot wait to see what he will become when he grows up. Sam...Sam will be something very planned, and perfected. But, Jo-Watch out!
The k5 boys have started to try to do that rhyme we all know. You know..."Mama Mia, Papa Pea...Daddy's got the diarr-" Well, you are aware of the rest!
I scold them every time they start it! I tell them that I'm a lady and that it is not polite to talk about "diarrhea" casually around me! They grin and oblige for a while until I hear one of them mumbling it under their breath!
Tonight, I caught Josiah off in the corner launching into the Mama Mia poem. I glared at him and said, "JOOOO...what are you saying? Did you day Diarrhea??"
He looked at me with the straightest face and said "No, Mama. I said Diarreek."
Diarreek?
"Yes! I did NOT say diarrhea...I said Diarreek!"
Matt and I stared at each other and both began to speculate that in fact, Diarreek was a WAY better word for those episodes that the original word describes. We began to throw around times when we, in fact, suffered from this Josiah invented illness called "Diarreek".
It is now the official word in our house for diarrhea. We like it better...it's more accurately suited for the effects (Not only on yourself but on those around you when you have this particular sickness), and it makes us laugh.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sickness..Home and Birthday Soup
I can remember living in my home town and really dreaming of what it would be like to move away. I mean, when you're stuck in the cold, extremely familiar, boring sights that you've known most of your life (and you're a wanderer at heart), it's easy to fantasize what a new state would be like.
And to some degree...it does lives up to your expectation.
Many cities (My beloved best friend, Steph) are warm most of the year. And close to historical places or the beach. There are mountains or even just hills as compared to miles of flat farmland. The people are new and interesting and in many ways you can re-invent yourself. Change old behaviors and never have to be known for this or that.
It's also nice to be the vacation spot for all your family and old friends. NOBODY comes 12 hours to my house to argue or shed bad news. They come for vacations or retreats. We eat, and drink and are very merry! :) My boys are always the celebrities as they are seldom seen. Time together is really "quality" versus "quantity".
But then...
Birthdays...Christmas...4th of July....etc.
Today is my 34th birthday. 34? When did that happen?
My son Sam is very ill and this morning, Matt crashed on the bed in fever and chills and announced that he may need a sub for the day.
Hmm...Who would be a convenient sub? :)
I called my dad on the way to school and announced that I just needed one parental person to wish me a Happy Birthday and while he did, he also informed me that this type of birthday should have long since been expected and accepted! I cracked up but it's true. It's just not balloons and cake anymore when you get big. That's what makes me so adamant to give that to everyone else. That and I LOVE cake.
I will not be too prideful to go to my favorite restaurant on the way home and get myself a slice.
I sat on the couch last night and bawled for a while and I didn't really know why? Maybe it's a hormonal girl thing or I was feeling a little shut-up in the house but in the end I knew what it was.
That darn homesickness...showing its ugly face. It dares me to be unthankful for all the wonderful things I have here in the south and to be daunted by the difficult events that led us here. It makes me focus on that old Cheer's ballad..."I just want to go where everybody knows my name..."
I want to pull up to my mom's log cabin, fireplace blazin' and walk in to find my brother Bill and his wife Lori laying on the couch and my mom cooking my favorite vegetable soup.
I want to smell that awesome Texas sheet cake that she's made and that I'm daring my skinny sister-in-laws to eat another piece of!
My dad, flipping through the channels and teasing my boys by shouting "Go play, girls!".
Brandi is yelling that it's "hotter than molasses in this place!!" and Trav has me in some awkward headlock singing "Happy Birthday, Butthead!".
Matt, who's doing whatever needs doing to make things better for me because that's what he does.
Jeannie has called from another basketball game that she's at and I'm purposely not calling Jules in Texas because I know how hard it is to hear everyone together!
And of course, Steph...who's made Gary "pay back" for a million nights of absence due to basketball games by babysitting her boys while she grabs a vanilla coke and comes to party with me.
On those nights the fact that it's your birthday is really the "afterthought" to using it as an opportunity to just be together as family and friends.
Ehhh..it hurts if I think about it too long.
BUT, it's also needful to think about it and remember old birthdays that were much like that. How blessed am I to have those memories? Many do not.
And today, well today is kind of crappy but it is what it is and I have much to be glad about. My librarian popped in with a cake that she's made which is so sweet and I got the most spectacular picture from JoJo this morning. I'm doing desert with friends tomorrow night. And BEST of all...My mom gave me a ticket to see my sister Jeannie at the end of March and I'm so excited about that.
Home is where your heart is and on my birthday "home"...is a bunch of different places.
I miss you guys so much!
P.S. Thanks also to Theresa...who brought me new earrings and a party hat as I was writing this. So cute! Jewelry making...I've got to check into that!
And to some degree...it does lives up to your expectation.
Many cities (My beloved best friend, Steph) are warm most of the year. And close to historical places or the beach. There are mountains or even just hills as compared to miles of flat farmland. The people are new and interesting and in many ways you can re-invent yourself. Change old behaviors and never have to be known for this or that.
It's also nice to be the vacation spot for all your family and old friends. NOBODY comes 12 hours to my house to argue or shed bad news. They come for vacations or retreats. We eat, and drink and are very merry! :) My boys are always the celebrities as they are seldom seen. Time together is really "quality" versus "quantity".
But then...
Birthdays...Christmas...4th of July....etc.
Today is my 34th birthday. 34? When did that happen?
My son Sam is very ill and this morning, Matt crashed on the bed in fever and chills and announced that he may need a sub for the day.
Hmm...Who would be a convenient sub? :)
I called my dad on the way to school and announced that I just needed one parental person to wish me a Happy Birthday and while he did, he also informed me that this type of birthday should have long since been expected and accepted! I cracked up but it's true. It's just not balloons and cake anymore when you get big. That's what makes me so adamant to give that to everyone else. That and I LOVE cake.
I will not be too prideful to go to my favorite restaurant on the way home and get myself a slice.
I sat on the couch last night and bawled for a while and I didn't really know why? Maybe it's a hormonal girl thing or I was feeling a little shut-up in the house but in the end I knew what it was.
That darn homesickness...showing its ugly face. It dares me to be unthankful for all the wonderful things I have here in the south and to be daunted by the difficult events that led us here. It makes me focus on that old Cheer's ballad..."I just want to go where everybody knows my name..."
I want to pull up to my mom's log cabin, fireplace blazin' and walk in to find my brother Bill and his wife Lori laying on the couch and my mom cooking my favorite vegetable soup.
I want to smell that awesome Texas sheet cake that she's made and that I'm daring my skinny sister-in-laws to eat another piece of!
My dad, flipping through the channels and teasing my boys by shouting "Go play, girls!".
Brandi is yelling that it's "hotter than molasses in this place!!" and Trav has me in some awkward headlock singing "Happy Birthday, Butthead!".
Matt, who's doing whatever needs doing to make things better for me because that's what he does.
Jeannie has called from another basketball game that she's at and I'm purposely not calling Jules in Texas because I know how hard it is to hear everyone together!
And of course, Steph...who's made Gary "pay back" for a million nights of absence due to basketball games by babysitting her boys while she grabs a vanilla coke and comes to party with me.
On those nights the fact that it's your birthday is really the "afterthought" to using it as an opportunity to just be together as family and friends.
Ehhh..it hurts if I think about it too long.
BUT, it's also needful to think about it and remember old birthdays that were much like that. How blessed am I to have those memories? Many do not.
And today, well today is kind of crappy but it is what it is and I have much to be glad about. My librarian popped in with a cake that she's made which is so sweet and I got the most spectacular picture from JoJo this morning. I'm doing desert with friends tomorrow night. And BEST of all...My mom gave me a ticket to see my sister Jeannie at the end of March and I'm so excited about that.
Home is where your heart is and on my birthday "home"...is a bunch of different places.
I miss you guys so much!
P.S. Thanks also to Theresa...who brought me new earrings and a party hat as I was writing this. So cute! Jewelry making...I've got to check into that!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
A Day In The Life
I thought it would be fun to show you a day in the life of this blogger. Most of my family and friends haven't seen our new library and so I'll use this post to send pics and some highlights of Jo's birthday and Sam's 1/2 birthday.
I must start by saying that I spent the entire weekend cleaning and shopping for the upcoming week. We were preparing for two in-class birthday parties, one at-home birthday party, a k-5 Valentine Party and the 3rd grade Valentine Party for which I am the room mom so I have to plan and throw that gathering. Friday is "Living History Museum Day" for our school and I spent Saturday helping Sam do a project and designing a lay-out and buying fabric for a costume that I have to make by Friday. I cleaned for 8 hours on Sunday (thanks to sicko Sam grounding me) to get the house up to par. Made 3rd grade class party stuff and had kids do their valentines ahead of time.
SOOOO...Wednesday morning 6:00am. I'd gone to bed near 1am after an intense Prasso and decorating the kitchen for Jo's home party.
6am- shower and get dressed. Make lunch, get items together along with 5 doz. Krispy Kreme donuts for the class party. Gallon of Milk. Cards to be laminated for teachers on Valentine's Day.
7am-Make bed and head for the car. Kids in belts and hats!
7:45am-arrive at school and head to classrooms to explain party plans to teachers.
8:15am-get morning plan from Librarian and plan to train volunteers.
8:30-9-55- Label a bazillion books and laugh a lot with new volunteer Leah that made it a mission to amuse me for a few hours.
Me and Theresa circulating booksI must start by saying that I spent the entire weekend cleaning and shopping for the upcoming week. We were preparing for two in-class birthday parties, one at-home birthday party, a k-5 Valentine Party and the 3rd grade Valentine Party for which I am the room mom so I have to plan and throw that gathering. Friday is "Living History Museum Day" for our school and I spent Saturday helping Sam do a project and designing a lay-out and buying fabric for a costume that I have to make by Friday. I cleaned for 8 hours on Sunday (thanks to sicko Sam grounding me) to get the house up to par. Made 3rd grade class party stuff and had kids do their valentines ahead of time.
SOOOO...Wednesday morning 6:00am. I'd gone to bed near 1am after an intense Prasso and decorating the kitchen for Jo's home party.
6am- shower and get dressed. Make lunch, get items together along with 5 doz. Krispy Kreme donuts for the class party. Gallon of Milk. Cards to be laminated for teachers on Valentine's Day.
7am-Make bed and head for the car. Kids in belts and hats!
7:45am-arrive at school and head to classrooms to explain party plans to teachers.
8:15am-get morning plan from Librarian and plan to train volunteers.
8:30-9-55- Label a bazillion books and laugh a lot with new volunteer Leah that made it a mission to amuse me for a few hours.
Theresa, Beth and Me
9:55-run two buildings over to pour milk for both Sam and Jo's parties and pass out donuts.
10:20-Head back to library feeling very much exhausted and needing a little "quiet time".
OK... Theresa and Beth were totally cracking up because I'm stunned that of all the potential pics that Shel Silverstein could have picked for his children's poetry book jacket THIS ONE is what he chose? He was a brilliant author but he's terrifying on this book. I've now put the back of this book on our shelves and Shel looks over us as we work. It's a classic Charity move...
12pm-3pm: Eat my ham sandwich on the way to the aftercare program that I head up and prepare to take on 9 five year olds in a small room for three hours. They are my little men and while the stink can be more than I can handle sometimes and if I have to tell another child one more time that it is NEVER acceptable to pick your nose and eat it..bleh!..I think I'll go crazy! They get a kick out of calling me "mom"- and that cracks me up!
3:30-head back to the library to get updated and check in with Matt on when we can leave.
4:30pm-We get to leave early and head off to Olive Garden to celebrate Jo's birthday and Valentine's day at the same time.
6:00pm- home to party!
7:00pm- Finally sitting down for a few minutes to blog before I have to get showers done, homework accomplished and plan for tomorrow's events.
B...E...D
These are the weeks I could cry when I think about all that has to be done. Sometimes I wish to have my old life back! :) Despite the busyness, motherhood is wonderful. I'm so grateful that if I have to be running around at work with my head spinning that I get to do it with my boys. So many mothers would love that.
Off to the next thing....
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Happy Birthday Jo
...not "JoJo"...at age 6 he's not into that nickname anymore. "Just call me Jo", he says.
6.
What in the world? Where did those years go?
Celebrating Josiah's life is not hard. From that first day I took the milkshake to "get the contractions rolling" to yesterday when he told me "I love you, Mama" out of the blue-Josiah has been a pure joy to raise.
A friend at work the other day asked me if it was hard to treat him like a big boy when he still has such a baby face? (He gets that from his dad!) It is so much more noticeable when he's around the other boys in his class....I said "sure" but not because of that sweet face, because he's STILL my baby. I'd love to have another child but I wonder how I would identify with Jo. He's always been my littlest.
So, tomorrow is his birthday and I have to get to bed and sleep at least some to make it through the next couple of days but I wanted to post something about my little man.
Happy Birthday, JoJo...I mean, Jo! I love you so much.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Enough
Song lyrics | God Speaking lyrics
This is my new favorite song.
I don't give much time to too many Christian songs these days because I really feel like alot of them are shallow and lacking in the true God-focused worship that is helpful to me.
I heard this song the other day and several phrases of it really touched me. I love that it acknowledges that God uses everything in our lives...even being tangled up in fear...to speak to us about who He is. A great part of my life was lived in deep fear and while I live in victory of that now, I have sincere compassion for those who struggle. It's a dark place. I love the reminder that God is involved even in those times.
But mostly, I appreciate the phrase..
"Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
get our attention to prove that He is enough-
He'll do and He'll use whatever He wants to
To tell us 'I love you'".
I have a love list of people that are dear to me. Family and old friends that are struggling in life and are far from God. I call their names out to God each day, pleading for His intervention.
I was talking with Matt this morning and confessing that as I look around and really take in "the storm" that is humanity today, I wonder if God has lost His power. Has He turned His back on us? Does He care to change hearts? Is it too late? And what about those loved ones that are away? Is He active with them? Are there unknown ambassadors of truth when we can't be around to speak?
God then uses His Word to remind me that He is forever mighty to save. That His silence is to grant one more minute of mercy for repentance. That He loves us. He knows us. He knows just how to "get a hold of us...get our attention".
He is enough.
So, if you know someone like me...somebody that you long to see embrace the sufficiency of God and the joy in the journey to become like Christ-give my song a listen! It will encourage your heart to remember that our lives are in God's hands and He knows exactly what we need to see who He is. He is our passionate pursuer and He never fails to use circumstances to show us His love. Don't lose hope!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
My Valentine
Today I was asked to sub in Sam's room for a bit. Sam is in 3rd grade and he has been begging me to do that for a while but there just hasn't been the opportunity.
Today, his class was studying poetry that has strong imagery. We discussed what that was and focused on the use of the five senses in a poem. Then they were instructed to write their own poem using imagery about Valentine's Day.
Of course, they all moaned and groaned over the assignment and how it was IMPOSSIBLE to do and so I quickly jotted down a poem for them that I made up as an example.
Here it is:
My Valentine
On valentine's Day, I love to get out of bed
And come to school to see Miss Allison's red head (Sam's teacher has red hair)
And I love to get cards that are smooth to the touch
And eat sugary treats that I enjoy so much
This year my Valentine won't look like a man
But will be my wonderful, good-looking son, Sam!
OK. As soon as they read it, they started to "OOOh" and "AHHH". And after seeing Sam's face turn multiple shades of blush and watching him sink as low in his chair as possible-I knew I had made a classic mom error.
*grin*
Alright..I kind of knew it WHILE I was writing it but I had to do it.
Motherhood. It can be so amusing.
Today, his class was studying poetry that has strong imagery. We discussed what that was and focused on the use of the five senses in a poem. Then they were instructed to write their own poem using imagery about Valentine's Day.
Of course, they all moaned and groaned over the assignment and how it was IMPOSSIBLE to do and so I quickly jotted down a poem for them that I made up as an example.
Here it is:
My Valentine
On valentine's Day, I love to get out of bed
And come to school to see Miss Allison's red head (Sam's teacher has red hair)
And I love to get cards that are smooth to the touch
And eat sugary treats that I enjoy so much
This year my Valentine won't look like a man
But will be my wonderful, good-looking son, Sam!
OK. As soon as they read it, they started to "OOOh" and "AHHH". And after seeing Sam's face turn multiple shades of blush and watching him sink as low in his chair as possible-I knew I had made a classic mom error.
*grin*
Alright..I kind of knew it WHILE I was writing it but I had to do it.
Motherhood. It can be so amusing.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Blog?...Me?
I really don't know what has happened to my life.
One day so normal...so manageable...so quiet...
Now-Watch Out!
I've always loved to blog but since I went back to work full-time, I've lost the free time to do it. It's not that I don't think about it. I see and experience things every day that I know are "blog worthy". I still love the idea of blogs...
I just don't have the time anymore.
Our alarm goes off between 5-5:30am and we all hit the ground running so we can get out the door as close to 7am to head to work. I spend the day getting a library up and developed (which is much harder than you'd think) and running an after-care program. I fit in a few miles to walk after work before running home to start dinner, straighten the house, go over homework, get lunches and bags ready, return calls, get baths done and then finally sit down around 9:00-9:30pm.
I try to take a breather but I know there all bills to be paid, Prasso to be studied, discipleship issues to be researched and responded to, e-mails to be returned, calendars to be managed...wait, have I missed an important birthday?? Then there is my room mom duties and small group responsibilities. When is Sam's history paper due and "Don't forget, Charity-tomorrow...TOMORROW Jo needs $5.00 for his field trip or he can't go!"
And time for friends?? HA!
As I contemplate how I'm dropping the ball with EVERYTHING, I doze off on the couch while I attempt to get caught up on campaign results from my voting LAST WEEK!
Honestly, I have a whole new compassion for working moms. I mean, it's not like any responsibilities "go away" when you go back to work...they just get crammed into three hours at night and ALL day on Saturday.
So, I'd love to keep my blog up about our life but our life keeps getting in the way!
Maybe this summer?
One day so normal...so manageable...so quiet...
Now-Watch Out!
I've always loved to blog but since I went back to work full-time, I've lost the free time to do it. It's not that I don't think about it. I see and experience things every day that I know are "blog worthy". I still love the idea of blogs...
I just don't have the time anymore.
Our alarm goes off between 5-5:30am and we all hit the ground running so we can get out the door as close to 7am to head to work. I spend the day getting a library up and developed (which is much harder than you'd think) and running an after-care program. I fit in a few miles to walk after work before running home to start dinner, straighten the house, go over homework, get lunches and bags ready, return calls, get baths done and then finally sit down around 9:00-9:30pm.
I try to take a breather but I know there all bills to be paid, Prasso to be studied, discipleship issues to be researched and responded to, e-mails to be returned, calendars to be managed...wait, have I missed an important birthday?? Then there is my room mom duties and small group responsibilities. When is Sam's history paper due and "Don't forget, Charity-tomorrow...TOMORROW Jo needs $5.00 for his field trip or he can't go!"
And time for friends?? HA!
As I contemplate how I'm dropping the ball with EVERYTHING, I doze off on the couch while I attempt to get caught up on campaign results from my voting LAST WEEK!
Honestly, I have a whole new compassion for working moms. I mean, it's not like any responsibilities "go away" when you go back to work...they just get crammed into three hours at night and ALL day on Saturday.
So, I'd love to keep my blog up about our life but our life keeps getting in the way!
Maybe this summer?
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