Things Grace says...

Here are some things that Grace says incorrectly...I don't have the heart to correct her...she's just too dang cute. She's growing up too fast as it is anyway. I will put the "Grace" words in italics....here goes...
--"Mom, this food is cold...could you put it in the microphone?" (meaning microwave)
--"Hey Dad, can you do me a favorite?" (meaning favor)
--"Be careful....that is very break-a-full" (meaning breakable)
--*Said when "helping" me put on my make-up in the morning* "Mom, are you going to put on your eyebrowns?" (meaning use my eyebrow pencil)
--At night she waves her "magic wand" and we turn her light out right after she says "Bibbety-Bobbity-Boo." Lately though, she's been saying "Bibbety-Bobbity-Kangaroo"

That's not the half of it...I just can't remember anymore right now...I'll add more as they come to me. She is an absolute JOY...and quite a clown. Life is never dull with Grace Ellen.

Sam's first snow day!

Well, this is the first "big" snow of the year--a little over 3 inches--and enough to keep us indoors for about 24 hours. When Danny got home from work he felt the need to shovel the driveway and invited Grace to join him. Thanks for the pink snowsuit, GrandTone! We are using it!! Sam wasn't so sure of the whole situation--from the bulky snowsuit, to being plopped right down in the middle of the cold, white stuff. But he sat calmly as mommy snapped picture after picture--such a tolerant boy. This is old news to big sister and she absolutely LOVES snow...we had to coax her back indoors with the promise of hot cocoa!

As heard in a conversation between Earl and Grace (we were driving in the car at night, it was--of course--dark in the car, and Grace was trying to read her book)
Grace: "Daddy, turn on the light"
Earl: "No Grace, it's not safe to turn on the light when you're driving the car at night"
Grace: "DADDEEE...turn on the LIGHT"
Earl: "Grace, I said 'NO'"
Grace: "Daddy...I can't seeeeee...turn on the light"
This went on--back and forth, back and forth--for a good 10 minutes, then Grace pushed her daddy a bit too far and asked ONE last time...
Grace: "Dad...turn on the light...I can't see my book"
Earl: "Grace...if you ask me to turn the light on again, I will give you a swat when we get home"
**silence in the backseat**
Then...very quietly....Grace: "Hmmm...if I had a big light I could sure see this book better..."

Overwhelming

I cannot begin to imagine
the emotions she felt.
I remember,
vividly,
the first time I held my children,
slippery newborns, blinking in the light.
I remember the wave of pain,
the "surge" of labor,
the fear,
the excitement,
the uncertainty that is life.
My body,
bringing life into this world...
But I cannot begin to imagine
Mary.
What must it have been like
to feel that same surge,
to hear Jesus
cry,
to cradle his slippery newborn body,
to put Him to her breast and
know
that the Savior of the world
has come?
She held the King of Kings.
She kissed His sweet baby face.
I am certain she counted His fingers and toes
and wondered what color His eyes would be.
I marvel at my own children;
At their tiny fingers and sparkling eyes.
I drink in their smell.
I kiss them as they sleep,
and my mind is overwhelmed with joy,
and worry,
and love.
But I cannot begin to imagine
Mary.
What must she have pondered
and tucked away in her heart?
The thought overwhelms me
humbles me
brings me to my knees

Bronchitis...lovely

I get this stuff twice a year. It is something I have inherited from my momma...cheers to the gene pool. BRONCHITIS. Lovely, just lovely. I'm nursing people...yes, sustaining human life with my very own breasts. It's one of my superpowers. *cue music and tight costume* What does breastfeeding have to do with bronchitis you ask....lots. The most wonderful thing is that Sam is getting all of my lovely immunities in the liquid gold that is breast milk and will likely NOT get a touch of the crud...if he does, it will be very mild. (I told Danny I was thinking of drinking my OWN breast milk with my coffee this morning...he did not scoff at the idea...he chuckled...my how he has grown in 6+ years) There are other things however that make having both bronchitis and a breastfeeding baby complicated.
1) Bronchitis=coughing. And in MY case, a seal-like barking cough. Most violent and loud. This keeps me from sleeping and has been known to wake my sleeping baby (he is a light sleeper...like his momma)
2) I am a stay at home momma. That is my job. If I had any other "normal" job and contracted a nasty case of bronchitis, I would call my employer and take a day to rest to recuperate. Ha ha ha ha...have you MET my employers?? They would not let me "call in" (I tried)...and often act JUST LIKE CHILDREN. I cannot call in...my job doesn't "end"....as I type--comfortable curled in my chair--employer #2 is escaping down the hallway toward the toilet "Yay, fun! Water play!" ACK!
3) When I get bronchitis, PLEASE don't tell me to "drink hot tea" and "get lots of rest" and all of that other holistic crap. I truly believe in being "hippy" about lots of things (breastfeeding, cloth diapers, recycling, thrift stores...) but I also believe in the power of medicine. GIVE ME DRUGS....bring 'em on. Cough suppressant, expectorant, decongestant...GIVE 'EM. BUT all of these medicines effect Sam's milk in one way or another. Decongestant dries ALL bodily secretions, including breast milk. Cough medicines are transferred to milk and often make a baby VERY groggy...scary stuff. And so I am left with "hot tea" and "lots of rest" Ha ha ha ha ha...right. Can you put whiskey in hot tea?
4) And finally the worst part of it all. I have NO voice. I am a MOTHER...I yell...sometimes a lot. I also sing my children to sleep. I miss my voice when it is gone (Danny doesn't and I'm beginning Grace is starting to "catch on" to the fact that mommy has lost another one of her "superpowers") It is rather frustrating to be so silent when the world around me is aflutter with talk. Sam said "Dada" yesterday--BOTH of my offspring's first word (figures)....normally I would be IN HIS FACE encouraging him to say "mama mama mama". I like to talk and yell and sing...But, as Grace says, my throat is "cracked"....
So please...pray for me...but don't call me and tell me to "drink hot tea"...it would be a one-sided conversation after all...

Grace happens

We joined the church today. Actually, I guess we should say we "transferred our membership"--I have been Methodist since birth, Danny since marriage. We had to take a 7 week New Member class that consisted of STEP training. Spiritual gifts, Traits, Experiences, and Passions=STEP. It is a curriculum designed to help members "plug into" the church, discovering what makes them CRAZY for God and how they can serve within the church. It is a great class, and Danny and I learned a lot...about ourselves and about each other. For instance, I put down that I LOVE to organize and decorate, and just this week I got a call from the ladies who are planning to decorate the church for Christmas. They had seen my "passion" listed on the sheet I turned in and wanted to invite me to help! Very cool! Sooooooo...we took this class and have now joined the United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd on 96th and N. Oak in Kansas City, MO. We had to stand up in front of the congregation and said some "I wills" and I dos"...promising to support the ministries of the church with "our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service". We brought the kids along for the ride, figured they outta get in on this commitment too. Grace was dressed in the most darling black velvet dress, Sam in a little blue button up shirt and some blue dress pants--very cute, very darling, what a lovely family we have...BUT WAIT...as we stood before some 200-odd people and BOTH pastors, pledging to support the church and confirming that we do, in fact, believe that Jesus Christ not only takes our sins away, but is ruler of our lives--GRACE happened. And I'm not talking about the grace that God gives....no, no, no...I'm talking about Grace Ellen Farris. She put her liddle fingers up on either side of her face, in a sort of "horn-ish" fashion, and began to make crazy faces. Ah, yes...this congregation has NO idea what they've gotten into...let's just start praying for her youth pastor RIGHT NOW.

Delight

I was making dinner earlier this week and started to sing something?--I can't remember what exactly I was singing...just that I was singing. Grace was in the living room being 3 (you know when you tell someone your child is a "3 year old", this is NOT an adjective...it is a verb, children work VERY hard at being 3) and she began to make requests "MOM! Sing MY song" ("Amazing Grace"...she has deemed it HER song....) So I did. "MOM! Sing 'Caroline'" (A Nancy Griffith song we have sung to her since she was a baby) So I did. And the list went on. Baby brother stopped his curiosity and crawling to listen. The dogs stopped asking to be fed. Grace listened intently, quietly sitting on the coffee table (her favorite perch). Eventually her requests stopped, but I continued to sing...Christmas carols, hymns, "Little Surfer Girl" (by the Beach Boys...we sing this to Sam, but sing "little surfer boy" because his initials are SRF)...I love to sing, it brings me MUCH delight. But then I began to notice that a little voice had joined me. In the living room, atop her perch, Grace was singing along. Even if she didn't know the words...she sang along. My very own little back-up singer. I stopped singing and began to listen. She carried on. She makes up her own songs. It is amazing to me to hear her creativity at such a young age. I can't express the delight I find in hearing her sing. It makes my heart swell with joy, it brings a smile to my face. To hear MY daughter singing. Her tiny voice rising within her. Her eyes in some far off place. It is truly amazing to me. She is VERY 3 and somedays it's all I can do not to lose my mind, but there are moments such as these that bring me great joy as a parent. And then I thought...."If I find this much joy in hearing my daughter sing, I can only imagine the delight the Lord finds in MY singing. The pleasure it brings Him to hear my voice rising to heaven, prasing Him with song." We are the children of God and He finds much delight in us, even if we sometimes act like a 3 year old.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above thee heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost...Amen

This is what happens when you're the baby brother and your big sister has an extensive imagination...

There is a plastic bucket that holds our wooden blocks. The Parents as Teachers educator that comes to our house 4 times a year to "enhance" my children's education told me that if I were to have only ONE toy in the house, blocks should be that toy. Appropriate for ALL ages, hours of fun and imaginative play...so I pulled out the blocks, sat the children in the floor together, and slipped off down the hall to throw a load of laundry in the washing machine....all the while never realizing the plastic container fit nicely over Sam's head. Big sister realized this "fun" fact however and made short work of accessorizing her baby brother. I left the room for 5 MINUTES when I heard Grace giggle and Sam whimper...here is what I found upon my return.
He was very worried about the WHOLE situation and not entirely sure if he trusted me to safely remove the plastic bucket from his head. Grace was laughing throughout the ordeal and squealing with delight that Sam was, in fact, a "spaceman"...
It was a bit tricky to remove and I sorta panicked for a few minutes. I tried to pull the bucket up and off--it would NOT budge...I wiggled it a little, moved it forward and backward but still nothing....Grace thought my efforts to free her brother were simply hilarious and she danced and twirled around while I planned his escape, so I sent her off to time out while I very carefully released Sam of his "spaceman helmet"
Turns out "spacemen" don't suck on binkys because if they did they would not be able to remove their helmets. Took Momma a bit of manipulating to figure out this very handy fact. Here is our little "spaceman" free of his plastic bucket helmet and once again smiling...confident in his mommy's powers to do any and all task placed before her. And yes, there is a new rule when playing with the blocks: "Don't put the plastic bucket on baby brother's head"

Honesty...a child's eye view

Today we went to Wal-mart...if you have ever been to Wal-mart on a Saturday afternoon (and I'm thinking most of you have, after all this is America) you can raise your right hand with me when I ask "Who wants to run SCREAMING from the store?" We all went--Danny, Grace, Sam, me--the entire crew. It was fun...until we pushed fun a little too far (meaning I forgot Cool Whip and had to send Danny back to get it while I waited in a checkout lane that was much too loooooonnnnng)...it was about this point in our "fun" little venture that Grace's "listening ears" fell RIGHT off the sides of her teeny tiny face. Now, I didn't witness the "event"...it was reported to me by Daddy (with a capital "D"). I sent Danny and Grace back for cool whip (a staple in our house) and I waited, waited, waited in line. As I waited I heard WAILS coming from the "cool whip section" and I thought SURELY that can't be MY sweet baby girl. But it was and she was coming STRAIGHT toward me, crying REAL tears...weeping....then I heard Danny say "There she is...go see your mother" (GREAT..it's never good when he says "mother"). Apparently Grace "lost it" while looking for dessert topping with her Daddy. She stopped in the middle of the aisle, wouldn't move...lagged behind...just plain drove her Daddy crazy. And so, she lost the privilege of watching a movie in the car on the way home--she is currently watching the newest Little Mermaid movie, the loss of this privilege was devastating in her 3 year old world. I scooped her up, got the story from Danny, and then took her to the bathroom so she could "gather herself", while Danny finished the grocery transaction at the register. We all met back outside at the car, and Danny and I began to do the "parent" thing--he loaded groceries, I loaded kids...then Danny started the car and began the drive home. It was at this point we heard a very small voice from the backseat--"Daddy, my movie is still on...my movie is not off...you didn't turn my movie off"...It was music to this mother's ears. My daughter was REMINDING us that we forgot to inforce a punishment, she was being HONEST--no matter WHAT resulted of that honesty. We turned the movie off, then turned to each other mouths hanging open in shock...she IS hearing us, we ARE doing a good job. Oh that we could be that honest with God, with each other, with ourselves. So much of our lives is spent "getting around the system" and "sticking it to the man"...we forget that in being honest with God and with those we interact with everyday, we are--in turn--being honest to ourselves. Grace Ellen constantly reminds me that I must become like a child before God...I must humble myself at the feet of my heavenly Father...even if it means losing my movie in the car.

I have decided...

...that I am going to listen more and say less. So if you find me on the quiet side of life, this is why. God is revealing Himself to me in many ways. He is calling to me in the quiet places of my heart, and I feel it is only reasonable to still myself before Him in order that I might hear His call on my life more clearly. I have a servant's heart--did you KNOW that?--I sure as heck didn't and it is baffling to me. Never in my life have I felt the pull to give more of myself and take less from others. And I'm not talking about serving my family--I've done that for years, that's easy. No, I'm talking about the urge to SHOW people--perfect strangers--the God of all creation, to show them the unending, glorious joy of God...God is revealing Himself to others THROUGH me....Wow. Above all things God wants us to KNOW and BELIEVE in Him. That is His heart's desire...the rest that follows is simply gravy. I hear Him whispering to me "Make me known so that they might believe"...and you can only hear a whisper if you stop talking and start listening.

Well...

...the sky was not orange, but the girl had a blast anyway. She quickly got the hang of "real" trick-or-treating and learned a few valuable lessons:
1) If the porch light is on...there are people there that want to give you FREE candy
2) You must knock (with ALL your three year old might) and knock and knock and then ring the bell...If the resident inside the house comes to the door then *Tada* "IT WORKED"!!! (She was SO cute...her liddle eyes lit up and she grinned her liddle smile and actually said "IT WORKED"!)
3) You must look the candy giver in the eyes and say "thank you"...otherwise Momma makes you go back UP the step and stand there until you say it.
4) You MUST NOT eat the candy...NO MATTER WHAT...Daddy however can eat all the candy he wants (cheers to being a grown-up)
5) The mermaid wig is VERY "scratchy"
6) Glitter makeup wears off...there is no need to be sad about this fact of life, you can still be a great mermaid with no glitter
7) You eventually get to eat ONE piece of candy and this makes the entire night well worth the effort

3 year old thinking

Grace thinks the sky is going to be orange tonight. Because it's Halloween. I'm not sure WHERE exactly she dreamed this up, but she is INSISTENT that the sky will in fact be a nice shade of orange. Here's hoping for a colorful sunset.

Wordless Monday

I read a blog that does "Wordless Wednesday"--I thought I would copy and do "Wordless Monday" since most Monday mornings it's all I can do to get out of bed and hit the "on" button on the coffee pot...

Motherhood should come with cup holders. I decided that as I was walking into church today with Grace, Sam, a diaper bag, a purse, and a cup of coffee in tow. Coffee is most important in my life. It keeps me awake, alert, and mostly pleasant....sooooo....that being said--Motherhood should come with cup holders...oh and an extra hand for each child....

Interesting...verrrrry interesting....

Check it out...We're a flu vaccine free family this year.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/21/avoid-flu-shots-vitamin-d-is-a-better-way.aspx

Oh....My....LANTA!!

Here is a small tidbit of advice (no charge): it is easier to STAY in shape, than it is to GET BACK in shape. I was recently motivated by my Weight Watchers leader. She challenged our group that in the 6 weeks left until Thanksgiving we should set a goal and strive to achieve that goal. Now, I wanna lose weight...that goes without saying. WHY else would I be attending Weight Watchers? Why would I insist on dragging two NOISY children to a quiet adult meeting each week (side note: don't give a three year old a box of tic-tacs to "keep her quiet")? Why would I plan my weekly schedule around 9:30am on Tuesday morning (that's when the meeting is)? So losing weight would have been an "easy" goal to set...I could say "I want to lose weight" but then HOW am I going to go about doing that?? I resolved to set a different goal. I have decided that in the 6 weeks before Thanksgiving I will train for a 5K run. That SOUNDS easy when I type it out...it sounded easy as I wrote it down on my "motivating strategy" sheet...the weekly running schedule printed off nicely on my printer. It wasn't until I actually hauled my bootie on the treadmill that I began to have second thoughts. The first day was to run 10 minutes...NOT a problem...10 minutes was honestly a piece of cake...the second day was 15 minutes....a BIT harder, the last 5 minutes I would not call "fun". BUT TODAY...the third day...was to run 2 miles. It looked SO easy on paper. You see, if you had asked me to run 2 miles about, oh, a year and a half ago I would have glady and easily and QUICKLY done it. Enjoying the day, the feel of the earth beneath my feet, the beat of the music, the rhythmic in-and-out of my breathing...2 miles was a WARM UP...that was a looooong time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Today was a miserable sad story. It took me 26 minutes...that's a 13 MINUTE mile, people. That is not good. It was all I could do to place one foot in front of the other. And the single solitary thought that went through my mind had nothing to do with "enjoying" the run...no, all I could think was "it is easier to stay in shape than it is to get back in shape"...never again...never again will I let myself lapse into such a lazy, weak, and tired body. It is good to be back...it is good feel the rush of blood to my legs...even if there is no blood going to my brain.

P.S. The above pic was taken the morning before Earl and I ran the Oklahoma Memorial half marathon...

Apparently I've been tagged...

I supposed to tell you 7 Random/weird things about me so here goes:

1) One of my FAVORITE things to do is to be the first person to open the peanut butter jar--My husband knows this about me and WAITS for me to open it because he knows how happy it makes me. Same goes for a new can of coffee. I do not like to be the first to open the milk jug.
2) I cloth diaper my 6 month old...I don't think that's weird but some people do
3) I have a primal fear of the dark but I can't sleep unless it's TOTALLY dark in the room I'm sleeping in...lately I have started sleeping with a mask, because even faint glow from the smoke detector light wakes me up. HOWEVER, when I wake at night to feed the baby I JUMP out of bed and run run run into his room and turn on a nightlight...
4) I can play the violin...I just don't
5) I can pick stuff up with my toes.
6) I have blond hair and blue eyes, but am a registered Cherokee Indian...yes, 1/256th Cherokee Indian...go figure
7) My husband says I eat my sandwich "backwards"...I don't know HOW exactly one eats a sandwich backwards, but that's what he says...He says Grace does it too.

For the record, I found this to be an extremely difficult task, writing about how I am weird...

My apologies

As you may, or may not, have noticed...I haven't blogged in awhile. This is because me SWEET husband decided this past weekend was THE weekend to begin to paint the ENTIRE inside of our house. Did I mention we have almost 20 foot ceilings...seriously, no lie folks...20 feet of grey sheet rock...prison grey...flat paint grey...Now halfway painted a nice shade of "sauteed mushroom" (at least that's what the paint company "named" the color) I will take pictures when it is all finished--which, by my calculations, should be sometime around 2010. Oh and Sam got his first tooth on Sunday...cheers to a biting breastfeeding baby.

We are connected...more than we know...

Today was an absolutely beautiful fall day. I couldn't have ordered better weather. So in celebration of a day like today, my children and I went to the Kansas City Zoo. There were several school buses of children arriving at the same time we arrived, so I told Grace "Let's go fast in our stroller so that we can get ahead of this big group of kids. Plus I THINK if we hurry, it's early enough, some of the animals might still be eating their breakfast." She was ALL for the "plan" and we went on our way. Sure enough, the elephants were eating their breakfast (hay) and we got to talk about how they use their trunks like hands. And the rhino was eating his breakfast (hay...must be a favorite) and we got to talk about his BIG horns. And the giraffes were eating their breakfast (leaves) and we BOTH learned that the giraffe's tongue is prehensile...meaning they can grab things with it like a finger. And finally, the chimps were eating their breakfast (fruits and veges)...the viewing pavilion for the chimps is set WAAAY back in the corner of the zoo. Lots of shade, very quiet. We (Grace, Sam, and I) were the only people in the building (good idea, huh? zooming ahead of the big group!) It was a calming place, I'd almost be willing to call it "sanctuary"...there was only one chimp out, but I told Grace that we would sit for awhile and see if any of the others joined him. She was content with that, going about her three and half year old business...exploring, touching, observing...we weren't talking. Which is weird for BOTH of us. Usually we are filling up the air with talking, lots of talking. But today we were quiet, still even...it was a state I don't find myself in much lately. It was a moment in my life when NOTHING--absolutely NOTHING--was buzzing through my brain. I could FEEL the world around me...my breath--rhythmically in and out, in and out...I could almost SEE myself relaxing...see Grace relaxing. It was a peace. And then the chimps began to arrive--at least 8 to 10 of them. Foraging for food...beginning their day...knowing more than we give them credit for. One chimp had a baby clinging to her back. He was little, littler than Sam. Eyes wide. Clinging to his mother. Learning about the world. The mama chimp gathered food for a bit with baby in tow, then "passed" him off to another chimp who took him behind a big rock--I told Grace he "needed a nap". Mama chimp remained...searching for food, drinking from the watering hole. I watched her...silent. A beautiful creature indeed. Dark eyes, strong body, and breasts--obviously being used to nurse her baby--full and heavy with milk. At this point, Sam broke the peace around us...he was hungry. There is NO doubt when Sam is hungry...he has an almost annoying grunt of a cry. I scooped him out of his seat in the stroller, pulled my shirt up discretely, and brought him to my breast. It was at this point, mama chimp took an intense interest in me. She quickly scurried over to the glass that was dividing us--man and primate. And got as close as she could to me--closer than you sit with someone at the dinner table. She looked at Sam nursing heartily...then looked at me straight in the eyes...then back at Sam...then back to me...back and forth, back and forth with SUCH interest and knowing. I swear she was grinning. Then she tapped the glass with her fist. Sam finished quickly as he does now that he is a "professional" nurser and I left my breast exposed. Mama chimp seemed absolutely amazed that I was doing exactly what she does with HER baby. She couldn't take her eyes off me...As I tucked my breast back into my shirt, she looked at me as if to say "Well, now that's silly. Why are you putting it away? Won't your baby NEED that?" I sat Sam up, feet against the glass...touching mama chimp had it not been for the divider. Again, she seemed to smile and again, she tapped the glass (softer this time). There are no words to explain what I felt in this moment. I could only praise God for gifting me with it. It was certainly spiritual...And then, the crowd caught up and a twirling group of school children came through the door and mama chimp was gone. There are certain "movies" of my life I'd like to replay in heaven...this is one of them.

Come on PEOPLE!!!!

Blog....for the LOVE!!! Blog...I cannot hold up the blogging world on my own two narrow shoulders!! Seriously, I am reading the blogs of COMPLETE strangers...which is fun and weird all at the same time! BLOG...write something I can read and comment about...BLOGGGGGGG!!!!

Testing, testing, 1...2...3...

Three years ago I began a bible study with 4 moms. Three years ago I lived in Yukon, Oklahoma. Three years ago I had ONE 8 month old little girl. We met once a week at the church and let our children play in the nursery together while we dug deeper into God's word. We did this for 2 weeks. On week three, the leader of the bible study lost her little 3 month old baby girl to SID's...we were devastated...the study group fell apart. There is more to this horrible story, but that is another day and another blog about grief and friendship and God and the hard lessons life teaches you. The reason I am writing today is because I just returned from the first meeting of that very SAME bible study here in Kansas City, MO--three years later...almost to the day. I must admit, the devil "got" me for a brief, fleeting moment...I thought "What if I sign up for this study again, and something awful happens? Just like it did the first time I signed up? What if this lesson in God's word is somehow 'jinxed'?" Now if you've talked to my big sister for any length of time, you will know that the words "God" and "jinx" DO NOT mix. God does not "jinx" us...and so, I remembered my big sister's wise words and signed up for the study...for a second time. And tonight God taught me that His timing is perfect...He loves me so gently and so passionately...and that in three years, He has been molding and shaping the clay that is Kathryn Eddins Farris. The author of the study talks about "oppression" and that God's people DO in fact experience "oppression" at some point or another in their walk with the Lord. She points out that there are four factors that cause oppression in God's people (I won't get into all four...you'll have to take the study and discover THAT on your own) ONE of those factors is testing. I know, I know...this is a touchy subject for some believers, but stick with me on this please. She goes on to say that God will bring us through a season of oppression by testing us and that SOMETIMES He tests us before we are ready to be tested. That if we KNEW we were facing a test and TRIED in all our humanness to "study up" for that test, we wouldn't even KNOW HOW to study...we wouldn't know how to get ready for what is coming. And this brings me back to God's perfect timing...Over the past year I have been TESTED. I have taken a test that I was NOT ready for...had I known I was going to be tested, however, I wouldn't have even known how to study. Many days I just got up in the morning and said "What next God? Where now?" and I learned how to rely on God and not on my "well laid plans" (and we all know what a "planner" I am!)..."The enemy CAN defeat us unless we are TOTALLY dependant on the Holy Spirit and God's word"...and so I look back over this past year and even back three years ago to when I first began this bible study and for the very first time in my life I can see "it"...I can see God's wonderful plan, woven so carefully and so intricately and with SUCH unending love...You see, I was NOT ready to take this study three years ago, BUT I was ready to learn another lesson about grief and friendship (another day, another blog)...TODAY I was ready to learn that "pop quizzes" are okay and that even if I'm not ready for the test, GOD in all his glory will be there when the testing happens. Today I'm ready to finish this bible study.

Not a very glamorous job...

...but it's MY job...This weekend I noticed that Sam's right eye was a little red. It got worse as the weekend wore on, so I put in a call to the "nurse line" at our doctor's office. After reviewing his symptoms with the nurse (red eye, no goop, light sensitivity) she concluded that it was "just" a corneal abrasion and suggested flushing the eye with saline solution. If conditions did not improve, I was instructed to make an appt. with my doc on Monday morning. Fast forward to Monday morning...Sam wakes up with a goopy, red eye...ick...I get on the phone to the doctor's office and the little girl on the other end of the phone says "Can you be here in 20 minutes?"--But of course I can, because I am Wonder Woman...Let's back up just a wee bit here...Grace has also not been feeling well and is in full on "cranky three year old girl drama" mode, I am baby-sitting my neighbor's 15 month old little boy, Ayden, and ALL THREE children are still in PJ's, eating breakfast...the house is TRASHED (with a capital "T") and I am fresh off the treadmill in a ratty t-shirt and work-out pants...I have NOT brushed my teeth, I DO NOT smell good...SURE I can be there in 20 minutes...SURE....Let me wave my magic wand...people, I made it to the doctor's office in UNDER 20 minutes. This includes prying an eating toddler out of a highchair as he's grabbing for grapes, putting all three kids safely into car seats (with the help of my sweet husband), popping a piece of gum in my mouth while spraying some car air freshener on my shirt so I smell "fresh", THEN UN-loading all three kids, putting two of them in strollers (Sam pooped somewhere during all this loading and un-loading), and sprinting to the elevator with a three year old screaming "ABRE!!" at the automatic sliding doors (Abre means "open" in Spanish...Grace thinks if she doesn't say this, the doors won't open...right) I MADE it....Oh and Sam has pink eye. Glamorous? No. Worth it? Absolutely...

The "morning gene"

It is much too early in the morning. I married a man who ENJOYS the wee hours of the morning. He relishes in the sunrise, likes the feeling of a new day. Now, please don't get me wrong...but personally, I like the sunset and I relish in the feeling of the close of a day. We are very much opposites on this matter. But it seems that my daughter has inherited this "early riser/happy sunshine" gene from my husband...ugh. I am awake early because I am watching my neighbor's little boy all week--by the way, setting your alarm is WAY overrated. I am on the computer because it is all I can do to function at this hour of the morning and it takes extreme effort to simply bring my coffee cup to my mouth. But as I sit here, I am listening to the deep conversation Grace and Earl are having in the back bedroom. He is packing for a business trip, and she is sitting on our bed discussing the mysteries of the world. I have no idea the details of their conversation, but their voices sound like music...and I am thanking God for a man that is a wonderful daddy to my babies....even this early in the morning. Oh, and I THINK that Sam may have gotten MY "morning stinks" gene...perhaps it will all even out.

Here is some very rational thinking...

I am watching my neighbor's 15 month old little boy, Ayden. He is the absolute CUTEST thing ever and is very well behaved, willing to listen, and easy to redirect. I will be watching him all week. So that puts the number of children UNDER the age of three living in this house from 6:45am to 4:15pm to a grand total of three...that is A LOT of little people. At least for me. I know many super-moms who do it from sunup to sundown, but I do not wish to become one of those sorts of moms on a regular basis! Anyway...here is my rational thinking. Two children is a natural number...you have two parents and those two parents are equipped with: two hands, two feet, two legs, two eyes, two ears...you get where I'm going? Two is just PERFECT in my book, some say 7 is God's perfect number, but I think it might just be 2...I'm certain come next Monday morning when I am back to my usual two biological children, my life will--for a short time--feel like a breeze!

Once upon a time...Happily ever after...

You know, I got to thinking...the fairy tales (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty...) NEVER mention home ownership, broken appliances, finances, CHILDREN....They never start off "Once upon a time Cinderella and her prince came home to their castle and their royal refridgerator was just not keeping the food cold anymore" and they NEVER end "They lived happily ever after...with two crazy children who wake up at the MOST inappropriate times (if you catch my DRIFT) and a dog that poops all over the living room" Just a thought...and I'm NOT bitter...and I don't wish to actually LIVE in a fairy tale world...just a simple observation...I do strongly believe however, that I found my prince. He may be a little hairy and a LOT odd (somedays he's still a FROG prince), but he's my prince just the same and when he's gone I miss him like I'd miss my right arm if someone cut it off...I love ya Earl...I'm glad to have you home, even if it's just for 24 hours.

Being a grown up bites...

'Member my day yesterday...yah, to ice THAT lovely dog poo covered cake--the washing machine began to leak early yesterday afternoon. Fantastic. Just flippin' fantastic. Please note: I CLOTH diaper my baby...we have a messy three year old and a dog that crapped everywhere only yesterday morning...we are a ONE income family...Broken washing machines are really not good in this house. So fast forward to today...guy comes to "diagnose" the problem and tells me that the "drain plug" is leaking....blah, blah, blah..."gonna cost ya $250 to fix it and oh yeah, you have transmission fluid leaking out of the machine as well" Right...THIS cannot be a good thing. And in fact it is not..."they" (don't know who "they" is) do not "rebuild" washing machine transmissions and he suggested that WHEN (not if) the transmission goes, our best option would be to get a new washing machine. So I call Danny...we decide to pay the guy his $78 service call fee and go washing machine shopping tomorrow. I am beside myself. And please, if you're reading this, don't offer any advice or solace or words of eternal wisdom...I don't need that, I just need to write. The devil "gets" me with money...he snares me, traps me with the thought of debt (which we seem to once again be incurring now days) and financial ruin. So THAT hellish place is where I am right now...I KNOW that we are blessed, and that God is here SOMEWHERE...I just can't seem to look up from my "wallering" long enough to see EXACTLY where He is...I don't WANT a new washing machine...I want my OLD washing machine...it is paid for...Oh and have I mentioned that this is the 4th appliance we have had go to CRAP in this house? The 4th one...seriously...seriously...We have lived here LESS than a year and have already bought a new dryer and a new refrigerator...Being a grown-up bites.
P.S. The word "wallering" is NOT recognized when you do "spell check"...that's an Okie word...just FYI.

What a morning!!!

We have two big dogs that live in the house. They love us, they tolerate our children, they are members of our "pack"...We also have a BIG wool area rug in our living room (don't worry this will all make sense in just a few short paragraphs) This particular rug was a bought for a DEAL at only $188...I was thrilled to find it at such a fantastic price and it lookED great in our living room. Well, about 2 months after we bought this beautiful rug...Simon (one of the aforementioned dogs) chewed a small corner off of it. It is pure miracle that he is still living after doing such a thing, but I found a way to "hide" the "defect" and we went along our way living life in this house with a lovely rug to decorate our living room. So this morning (EARLY this morning, before the sun was up) I was awakened by our other dog, Harry (the village idiot if you will)...seems he had to relieve himself. I traipsed downstairs half asleep, and let him out to do whatever business he needed to do. He disappeared into the darkness of our backyard and returned about 10 minutes later....ready to be let back inside. We traipsed BACK upstairs, I collapsed back into bed and all was quiet--UNTIL Harry began to whine again. "GO LIE DOWN HARRY" I hollered...he continued to whine and pace, pace and whine. I rolled out of bed and a familiar odor became VERY apparent. I flipped the lights on to find out exactly what was happening...Yes, you've guessed it--Harry had an accident, a big accident...on my beautiful rug. It's not his fault I know, but it certainly was NOT the way I had planned on waking up (I much prefer the smell of COFFEE in the morning, not dog poo). At this point, I'm fairly certain that my neighbors are now suspicious that I have killed my husband. Here's why...
--Earl's work car has been parked in the driveway (without moving) for the past week (he's on a business trip),
--the rug is rolled up and on the curb for the big trash pick-up (I just couldn't put my baby down on that rug after what Harry did to it...it just didn't seem right)...
--the carpet that USED to be between the garage door and the basement is out on the curb too (YES, I ripped that up as well....at 6 am this morning...pulling that up was surprisingly liberating!)
--and Stanley Steemer carpet cleaning has already come and gone this morning.

BUT...as I was sitting outside while the guys cleaned the carpet, I had a revelation. I was worried about the money I was spending to get the dog poo cleaned off the carpet, I was thinking about the first of the month bills I needed to pay, I was calculating the numbers in my head...I was fretting over finances, I was thinking perhaps it would make more sense for me to go to work and make some money, the devil was GETTING to me...then my three year old whizzed past me on her little red tricycle, flashed me a big grin and screamed "MOOOOOMM, watch this"--I looked up to WHERE in life I was, and I realized how blessed I am by the sacrifices Danny and I choose to make. It was (is) a beautiful morning, I get to watch my children grow and blossom and ride their tricycles and I never have to worry if they're being hurt or if they're getting the right nutrition. I never have to worry that Sam's diaper isn't being changed often enough or if he's getting the right amount of cuddles and kisses...and I never have to feel guilty that SOMEONE else is giving him those cuddles and kisses instead of me. I even got to spend some time with my wonderful neighbor friend, Lucy. I am truly blessed...and we'll never have enough money...never...the devil reminds me of that often, but we will have those moments with our kids that you can never get back and THAT doesn't cost a thing. (Plus that tricycle was only $5 at a garage sale) So my blog-reading friends, that is what a morning filled with poo has taught me...funny how you have to be knee deep in dog poop before you realize the blessings all around you.

You asked to see a picture...

This is the planter that almost broke my back...nice find, huh????!!?? (See previous post titled "Random, random, random" for entire story!!)

And now...

And now, I'm addicted to facebook...seriously people, when will this internet addiction end?? It's not like I have BETTER things to do...but I JUST CAN'T stop typing. Walk away from the keyboard Kathryn...just WALK AWAY...WAIT--Add me as your "friend"...
On a much more GROWN-UP note: I started the "One Month to Live" book today. Our church is doing a sermon series over it and has challenged us to read the book...I like a challenge. I don't like to CHANGE so much though...soooo this will be interesting. I pray that God opens my eyes and leads me into a more fulfilling life, a life lived for TODAY and not "someday"--"someday when the bills are paid...when the kids are grown....when Earl is back in town". Right now, I just feel like I'm going through the motions, the devil "gets" me with worry. I did have an amazing "God" moment in church today. I just plain WORSHIPPED the Lord...raised my voice (almost raised my hands *gasp* but the life long Methodist within just couldn't do it...maybe NEXT week) and praised Him. It was like I was the only person in the sanctuary--haven't felt that in a long time...I guess He's always there huh? We just gotta open our hearts.

Random, random, random....

Here goes with the random-ness I warned you about...

So...if I were a betting woman (which I'm not, but if I WERE) I'd bet on my daughter, because while her behavior is not "model behavior" it is consistent (at least for NOW--my mom always says "The only thing that stays the same is that everything changes") She is the "cryer" in her preschool class. That's right ladies and gents...we dress for preschool, we wear the tennis shoes instead of crocs--and we are HAPPY about it because that's what "big girls" wear, we dress for the color of the day (today was red), we are EXCITED!!!...we carry our backpack on our BACK, we have a smile on our face, we are BIG, we are THREE!!...until...we hit the bottom of the stairs. Then...we cry...and run...once, in all our frustration, we kicked, then mommy got mad, so the kicking hasn't happened again. I'm told by Ms. Wendy that this "episode" lasts all of 2 or 3 minutes, but it happens just the same--every morning we go to preschool. At least she's consistent...

Earl and I installed the "top of the stair" gate two nights ago. You have to have a thing like this in your house if you have a baby that is mobile. We do. His name is Sam and I have NO idea HOW he got SO big and so mobile. He is a rolling machine. Wasn't he born just a few short months ago??

My body is protesting me. I went for a run on Monday morning outside (the first time to actually RUN on the REAL ground in over a year) and I found a HUGE cement planter...HUGE...in a large trash pile. When I finished my run, I hopped in the car and went BACK for the cement planter. I asked the lady throwing it away to help me load it--I still have no idea how we got it in the back of the car. Then I came home and asked Earl to help me UNLOAD it...He happily obliged...he is used to this sort of craziness after 6 years of marital bliss. Now, I have never seen him struggle to lift much of anything, but as he tried--by himself-- and failed to lift this pot out of the back of our van I knew this was a pot that must stay where I placed it--the FIRST time. No moving this thing around to get it in "just the right spot"--it seriously has to weigh over 200lbs!!! So together we lifted the planter out of the back of the van...tearing his pants and cutting my finger in the process. As we were JUST about to get it on the ground, Earl looked at me and said "THIS is a Toni Bailey moment"...All I can say to that is "Buddy you KNEW what you were getting into when you married me"!!!! And for the record, the planter looks just LOVELY with my fall mums in it!!! So...I went on the run, lifted a huge cement planter and then...in all of my infinite wisdom I decided to dig up the rosebush in our side yard. It's not just some dainty rosebush, this thing is a MONSTER. I BROKE THE SHOVEL trying to dig it up...IN TWO PIECES...Okay, let's review--1) run 2) 200 lb cement planter 3) Massive rose bush dug up and bundled for the trash... Now...let's talk about my back...all I can say to you is OUCH!!!!!!!! And where is the heating pad...

You still with me?? Good...thanks for reading.

A little history

There is a story that my sweet mother-in-law tells of my husband when he was a little boy (there are LOTS of stories actually...but that would be an entire blog site in and of itself)...THIS particular story involves my husband and the early onset of his love of food. She says that one night she took the boys (Danny and his brother Billy) to McDonald's. Both boys ordered "Happy Meals"--Billy, the "meat eater" ordered extra hamburgers...Danny, the "carb eater" ordered extra fries. Billy made short work of the hamburgers...but apperently Danny didn't have enough time to finish his fries, so when Jeanie (my mother-in-law) announced that it was "time to leave", Danny frantically stood up and SHOVED the remainder of his fries IN HIS POCKETS....

I tell this story because it spills into a much more current story involving our darling daughter (most obviously sewn thick with Danny's genetic material). Tonight we went to out to eat for dinner to our new favorite restaurant Jason's Deli (they have a SMOKING salad bar...if you haven't gone--go)...we ordered salads, Grace ordered a cheese pizza, Sam ordered ninny milk and cheerios. The children's meal comes with a trip to the soft serve ice cream machine. Grace picked chocolate ice cream (no surprise there). She is a slow eater much like her Aunt Emily...a bite of pizza here, a bite of ice cream there, a bite of mommy's salad, a bite of pizza--you get my drift. The ice cream began to melt....Danny and I were finished...it was time to go, so we gave Grace a warning--"One more bite, then it's time to leave". Grace picked up her spoon in her sweet, sticky fingers and began to SHOVEL ice cream into her mouth. Bite after frantic bite...scraping the bowl to get EVERY LAST DROP of chocolate. THEN she picked up the bowl and tipped it into the air, brought it to her mouth and began to DRINK the remaining melted ice cream--when the bowl was returned to the table, Grace had ice cream on her nose and forehead. The employees stopped their work to watch, Danny and I bit the insides of our cheeks so as not to laugh out loud...then we called Jeanie, my mother-in-law...the force is strong with this one.

I'm being "reinstated"

I miss being a nurse...there I said it...I know, I know--mommy-ing is the MOST important thing in my life right now, and while I have lots of "band-aid and cream" application experience, I REALLY miss the gore and guts that used to be part of my life. I like being in the cool, clean, ORGANIZED and mostly quiet atmosphere that is an operating room. I like defining myself as a mom AND a nurse. I like seeing really weird and really gross parts of the human body and I like the adrenaline rush that comes from racing down the hallway to grab one more pint of blood. It's not even really about my bringing in extra money, it's about fulfilling a passion in my life, about doing something that I KNOW I'm good at, something God created me to do. So...I'm being reinstated...that's right, I let my nursing license lapse (it was due in May--I've been a little busy okay), the Oklahoma Board of Nursing is making me fill out 13 pages of mindless paper work to get back a small piece of paper that makes it legal for me to poke and prod and see parts of the human body most people never WANT to see. At least I don't have to take the boards again...

Something to make you laugh...

Sometimes you find crazy eye glasses at the thrift store *new in package*...
Sometimes your three year old convinces you to buy them...
Sometimes you (and your three year old) put them on the 5 month old baby brother...and laugh hysterically...
Poor Sam...



P.S. The swing sold...I have money in hand...I am SO okay with having money and NO swing...

Okay...it's done...

I am selling the baby swing. You know, the apparatus you set up in your house when you have a baby, you put batteries in it (LOTS of batteries...
LOTS), and it swings your baby into their "happy place"--you need one of these sorts of things when you have a baby. But...I am selling mine. It is in the back of the car--loaded to go to a consignment sale. And I am crying. I am crying because selling this swing means I will never have another baby in need of swinging living in my house. Selling this swing means MY babies have long three year old legs that carry them up the stairs and down the slide at the preschool playground and they hardly need rocking any more, much less SWINGING or they are becoming so mobile they end up trying to heave their growing body over the side of the seat on the MOVING swing, onto the floor, toward the dog...or the sister...or the remote. Selling this swing closes a chapter in my life--a chapter I very much have enjoyed. I like babies...I like being pregnant...I like nursing a baby and smelling their sweet sour milk breath...I like tiny clothes and even tinier socks. However, I also like growth, and yes...even change. I like to see discovery on my children's faces--I like to watch my daughter marvel at the wonders of this world and ask "How you do that?" (every 5 minutes) and I like to hear her SING!!! at the TOP of her lungs as we wheel our way through Wal-mart...I like to watch my son slowly piece together how the world works and roll, roll, roll to his heart's content...and I like to see God in action--fast, swirling, singing, twirling, crying, laughing, learning, helping, sharing, fit-throwing, coloring, drooling, grinning action. So I'll sell this swing...and cherish the pictures I have of my children as teeny tiny babies swaddled and sleeping as it rocked them back and forth, back and forth. Now where is that baby gate??

Preschool...here we come!!!!!

Just FYI-->Here's who WE'RE voting for... :)

On a much more serious note: Grace has "Meet the Teacher" night at preschool tonight! I CANNOT BEGIN to tell you how thrilled I am to send her into the capable and loving hands of a person WILLING to teach my three year old!! Have you ever tried to teach a three year old?? Seriously...
Now, don't get me wrong...I LOVE my sweet little daughter, but we are READY (more than ready) for this milestone. Preschool is at our church and it is 2 mornings a week for 2 1/2 hours...2 1/2 glorious hours. Grace keeps asking when I will "leave me at the church, now I can color, and then you come back and get me...okay? Yea, sure." Sam and I plan on airing up the tires on the jogging stroller and heading out to enjoy nature via a pair of running shoes and an Ipod. Although I just watched the weather...guess what the chance of rain on Wednesday is (the first day of preschool)?---Yea, 70%...lovely. Maybe we will enjoy the treadmill in the basement and a QUIET cup of coffee instead....

My new favorite website....

I have a new favorite website...(well other than Craigslist.com--the world's biggest stinkin' garage sale from the comfort of your living room--WHO is the genius that dreamed THAT up?!)

www.wherethehellismatt.com

It will make you smile :) and will remind of how magnificent the world is and how awesome God is...enjoy...and dance...

How to wear a baby...

Some have asked what "happy as an African bush baby" means (in a previous post)...Babies in Africa are hardly ever put down. They are carried most of the day and have unlimited access to their mother and their mother's breasts. They have no strict schedule and hardly ever cry. In order to carry a baby most of the day and continue to do activities of daily living without dropping the baby or throwing one's back out many "baby wraps" have been designed. When I discovered I was pregnant with Sam, I decided I would only put him down if I HAD too...so I began to research "how to wear your baby". There are several different kinds...the traditional "Snugli" or front pack (sold at Wal-Mart--please don't waste you $$ on this one), I also have what is called "The Ultimate Baby Wrap" and while this is VERY functional and causes minimal strain on one's back, it is HOT (oh, how I HATE to be hot!) and complicated (even after mastering the application after many uses). I finally have decided that my VERY favortite is the Maya style baby sling. It's SO simple!!! About 7 yards of fabric with a very strong set of "sling rings" attatched to one end...It is easy to use and very compact (meaning it tucks away nicely in my purse). With this baby wrap, Sam and I function very well as "one" person...he is happy on my hip and very rarely cries...it is a wonderful way to raise a baby and I cherish every single moment I have this tiny boy close to my heart. Someday he'll be a big hairy man...right now, at this very second, he is a sweet smelling little baby tucked away in a sling on my hip. I believe we'd get along quite nicely in Africa...well, except that I hate being hot.

Grace's new "titchen"

Yesterday we all went garage-saleing (this is a verb in our family --"garage saleing"--
meaning to get in the car and try to find the BEST garage sales in our area!!) Earl is always willing to drive me around and hang out with the kids in the car while I hop out and check out the stuff people have hauled out of the garages into their driveways to sell. Yesterday he even did this WITHOUT the back up of the television in the car...Grace had lost that "privilege" earlier in the morning because she threw a fit of Grace-sized proportions. He resorted to playing "I Spy" and it worked surprisingly well...I'm telling ya, my husband gets hotter and hotter by the day. But "shhhhh" don't tell him I said that.... :) Anyway I digress. We "hit" one garage sale (You know I really should dedicate one blog to certain lingo we "garage salers" use, just to keep my readers up to speed...I will consider this when I have more time)....well, we "hit" one garage sale that had a Maya baby wrap for sale for $2!!! (Please "google" this is you don't know what a Maya baby wrap is) WHAT?!!? This is some amazing stuff people!! I snatched it up of course....it is GREAT and Sam is just happy as an African bush baby in it...You know I never put this baby down. Also found some scrapbook paper *shudder* for my mom and sister to fight over (don't worry...I'll type out an account of THAT event....and for the record, scrapbooking makes my blood pressure go up) So we moved on to another garage sale...not so hot...then another....not so hot either....I told Danny to just head to Target and that we were finished for the day. I mean I can't expect to push my luck--after all I DID find that amazing baby wrap right? Well, on the way to Target, we drove PAST another garage sale sign...I didn't even have to SAY a word, I just looked at my sweet, darling, handsome husband, he WHIPPED an illegal U-turn and we began hunting for the said garage sale. As we pulled up, there it was! The play kitchen that had been WAITING for us to take it home!! A Little Tykes play kitchen--Grace calls it a "titchen"--with pots and pans included. Marked for $35...not a bad price, but really it's 12pm and the day is wearing on...we could very possibly be the LAST customers. I offered the lady $20...she took the offer and SOLD...the Farris' are the proud new owners of a play "titchen". It sits in our REAL "titchen" and Grace hasn't stopped playing with it...The food is calorie free, and I don't have to make it...can life get any better? :)
On another, much more random note, I just looked up at the TV and the Olympics are on (I KNOW, big surprise right?) and we're watching beach volleyball (Earl watches it because the women are such AMAZING "athletes"....yeah, whatever) and WHAT IS UP with the inflatable Chinese action figure dude running around the court?? Wow...Go America...

I like this quote...

I was watching "Jon and Kate plus Eight" this week (I like that show because when I watch it my life doesn't feel so crazy! Ha!) and Kate said something like this--> "Each day is painfully the same, yet vastly different" I like that...it is SO very true and one of the BEST ways I have found to "explain" my life as a stay at home mommy...

Happy Olympics Day!!

I JUST realized that this will be the FIRST summer Olympics for BOTH of my children! Pretty neat! Grace is really into watching the Olympics coverage on TV. She told me that when she grows up she wants to be a "gym-tastic" (translation: gymnist!!) We're going to get her in a 3-4 year old gymnastic class this fall. Hopefully she'll like it better than she liked ballet...
Connor and Glenda left yesterday afternoon. We had such fun with them!! My sister and Bailey Rose will be here on Sunday for a week!! I can hardly wait!! Danny is working hard...learning the ropes and all the extra stuff they don't teach you (CAN'T teach you) in training. I am so proud of him and am amazed daily at the things he gets to do. He will tell you it is "just a job"--but we both know better, this is HISTORY! And it's pretty stinkin' cool!! God is so good...He has given us confirmation throughout this entire journey and continues to reassure us that we are right in the middle of His hands. Praise be.

Glenda and Connor come to visit

Connor James and Glenda have arrived! We are in the midst of full and joyous chaos. You never really appreciate a good friend until you can't see her everyday. Our children are SO comfortable together as are we...life is good. Off for more coffee!

"Mommy...are toys real?"

A couple of Grace-isms.

Today we were driving to the Sprinkler park in Liberty, MO...we have to drive through on-going construction to get just about anywhere and so Grace marvels at the huge machinery the construction workers use. "Look Mom, look! Oh that's a big one, Mom...MOM! Are you looking?!" Well today as we drove past the construction site, Grace said "I'm going to build a road to GrandTone's house. BaileyRose, Isaac, and Grandpa Trumpet are going to help me." I told her I thought that was a fantastic idea.

Earlier in the week, as I was getting her ready for bed, she looked at me and with all the seriousness in her little heart she asked "Mom, do my toys talk?" (Her new favorite movie is Toy Story 2--I'm trying to find a Jesse doll for her) I told her "Yes, baby, your toys talk...when you're not around." I love love love the innocence of childhood...I can understand when Jesus said "Let the little children come to me"--they must have been a welcome break from all the politics and crowds and questions...

Holy Tonkey!!

That's a Grace word "Tonkey"...she has lots of them, makes 'em up, and it's quite entertaining to hear what she comes up with on any given day. One of her most used words is "Kiki"--it can be used either positively or negatively, sorta like Aloha can be used for "hello" or "goodbye". For example: If she likes the dress you have on, she will say "That dress is SO kiki" but if she doesn't like something, say a certain food or hairbow, she will say "NO! That is too kiki...I not!" Ummm...other words....well, how about "kronkee"--as in "Daddy, you're kronkee" (we think it means "grumpy"...we're not sure) There are more...but it is late, and my brain is starting to turn off...The MAIN reason for this blog is because our youngest offspring, Samuel, is on the MOVE! Holy Tonkey!! Yes, ladies and gents he can roll toward objects of his desire (mostly me) and has begun to lunge if something (mostly me) is out of reach! Tonight he was playing on a blanket in the bathroom floor (don't worry, our bathroom floors are carpeted) while I showered and I watched him roll, then roll again, then LUNGE toward his binky, grab it, and try to put it in his mouth (he didn't really succeed with that part of the "show") The baby gate at the top of the stairs is going up TOMORROW!! All right, off to indulge in ice cream...more when I have time.

My new company

I'm gonna start a business...wanna know the name of it?? "I'm your Bitch Inc." I'm getting t-shirts made in case you wanna start up a franchise of your own. Seriously, if someone asks me to do one more thing today--I MIGHT explode...that includes miniature people. It's not that I don't like helping people...or running errands...but wow. Sometimes you just wanna sit on your rump and drool on yourself. On a funnier note: Here is what happens when you visit the dry cleaner's at LEAST twice a week (more like 3-4 times a week)--> Your three year old starts "playing" dry cleaners...right now she is "delivering" me "two suits" as I sit and type. Oh, now she asked me if I want a sucker...fabulous. Yes, I'd like a sucker very much please...what's the points value?

Something to make you go "Hmmm"

Well, as you may or may not know, I've officially become a hippy. Just need my broomstick skirt and cloth diapers (which I am actually considering). I've done a lot of research on vaccines in the past few months...and I have decided to put Sam on a "delayed" vaccine schedule. Meaning that although he will receive MOST of the AAP recommended vaccines, I am choosing to give them on a MUCH slower schedule. And some vaccines I am declining altogether. God has put this on my heart and has been very persistant that I LISTEN to Him!! I thought I would share some of the information I aquire with those that read this blog. Please note: I understand that A LOT of information that is found via the internet is extremely biased and completely untrue...so I very meticulously pick and choose what to base my beliefs upon. I have also been reading some really informative books, if you're interested I can give you the titles. Copy and paste this link...then watch the news clip. Fairly interesting, doesn't matter what side of this debate you're on...sure makes a girl think...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4296175.shtml

'Kay notes from church

James 1:19-21
"Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with you tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." (The Message)

Cultivating Kindness: No Grapes of Wrath Here by David Isreal (Danny took the notes because Sam was nursing--shocking, I know!--and my hands were full so I'll just type out what he wrote down.)
**In the presence of rudeness, be kind (reminded me--Kathryn here--of my daddy)
**Chose to live in a kind way. Remove negativity. Do not allow the circumstances of your life to cause negativity.
**Kind people reduce stress. I.E. Like during a fight or a tense meeting--kindness diffuses the situation
**Take a step to become more positive
**Remember: God has been SO kind to you, therefore you are called to participate in the kindness of the world.
**Go beyond what is reasonable, give kindness that cannot be reciprocated
**The pastor ended with the Boy Scout motto of "Do a good turn daily"...I didn't know he was a boy scout until he talked about it this morning...but now that I THINK on it, it really doesn't surprise me!

I also like the idea of God being our gardener and we, as Christians, being "landscaped" in His Word.
Okay...that's all for today. I'd love to hear your thoughts. And yes, Emily, I'm almost CERTAIN to post something re. vaccines...

Let's see how this works...

I'm a writer at heart. Always loved to put my mind on paper (well, in this case, ummm...the screen...), even considered a profession in teaching English before I became a nurse--then my mom cut her finger off. But that's a story for another day.... My sister says I would be "good" at blogging--"It's organized and not cluttered" she says--we'll see...my sister, she bounces :) I DO like organization and tidy-ness! Today is Sunday. We went to church. The sermon series is on the fruits of the spirit--a different one will be covered each week. Last week was "love"--we missed last week. This week was kindness. Glad we didn't miss THAT one. I'll type out my notes when the kids take a nap. Right now I gotta go..Sam needs a diaper change, Grace needs a wardrobe change--imagine that.