Welcome to the Ark

The Parable of the Merciful Mama

2012-03-12T15:42:00.000-04:00

I was fairly certain that my five year old had accidentally accessed the Internet on my phone. As I don't have a data plan this would mean some charges. It had happened before, and we had taken the money from her savings as a consequence. Clearly that had not made a lasting impression. She has always been strong willed and a stereotypical oldest child who believes she is right and knows what is best. No, I don't know where she gets it. We are constantly on our toes thinking of strategies to help her become the woman God wants her to be, and I am sure we haven't seen anything yet as she and I learn to live together on her journey to adulthood.

Since this time incurred an almost $25 charge, I called Verizon to block data on our phones until we decide to pay the monthly fee. I also had the woman on the phone make sure Caitlyn hadn't accidentally signed up for anything with a recurring charge. The woman sheepishly said, "Okay, I'm unsubscribing you from two things - mobile email and Sexy Girls Next Door."
(Pause)
Me: You're kidding.
Her: No.
Me: OH MY GOSH!
Caitlyn: (from the backseat) "You said a bad word!"
Me: "Well you did a really bad things that deserves a bad word!" (to the woman on the phone) "Well, I suppose it could be worse. I could be dealing with a teenager who intentionally signed up for something like that."

I waited a couple of hours debating and praying about how the proper punishment. (Remember my whole Lent sacrifice of trying to make my words, thoughts, and actions honor God?) After I got her brother to sleep we had a chat about things. Thankfully she didn't recall seeing anything bad on my phone, although she did realize at one point that she had gone to the Internet and tried to "x it out."

Drawing from our sermon Sunday on Matthew 18, The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, I tried to explain the monetary amount of her transgression. She has a chance to earn a quarter a week, but each time she refuses to obey she loses a penny. If she never misbehaved it would take her 2 years to pay us back. In addition she had recently clicked something on her Dad's Facebook account that would take another 2 years of perfection to pay off. For a 5 year old, this is an impossible sum of money to earn. I then explained that because God had forgiven Mommy and Daddy for our sins against him, we were going to forgive the debt she owed us. She understood that if she did it again we would be making a trip to the bank, but this time the slate was wiped clean through no merit of her own, just because God had shown his love to us and we wanted to show that love to her.

Most of it probably went over my preschooler's head, except for the part that she wasn't going to have to spend the money she is saving for her purple Honda. But I only wish all my parenting decisions were that well thought out and based in Scripture.

Did it change her? It's hard to say. But I know it changed me.

Letting Go

2012-03-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

It's been a week since we put our dog Sasha to sleep. After almost 15 years together it is hard at times to remember she isn't here. One morning during her morning chores Caitlyn yelled that we needed to get Sasha some more dog food, and it took a couple of tries to remind her that we didn't have a Sasha anymore. Elijah went in the garage and emerged with two treats, saying one was for "Ze-Zeke" and one for "Satcha." When he remembers he looks sadly at me and says sadly, "Die." For me it happens at times when I feel the need to take care of her - hearing footsteps and thinking she needs to go out, clearing the toys from the floor so she'll have a clear path, seeing the cream cheese in which we hid her medicine, or thinking I need to put her on the deck if we're going out for a while. Letting go was hard, and I imagine it's an ongoing process.

The actual decision to put her to sleep was difficult. For a couple of years I had been saying that she would die at any time, then she would pull through. At Christmas we took her on our whirlwind trip since she needed such constant care. The trip was stressful for her, and we did not think she would make it. But when we came back home she pranced around the yard and perked up. Every time my heart would tell me that it was time, something would happen to convince me otherwise.

Of course I knew she was past her prime. She no longer did tricks, unless you count trying to catch popcorn in her mouth. Rather than "speaking" and "whispering" on command she would only whimper in the direst of circumstances. Her hearing and vision had been fading, and she spent most of her days sleeping. But the finality of the decision weighed heavily on my soul. You see, I fervently believe in the hope of heaven, but I am not all together convinced that "all dogs go to heaven." I do know that God's eye is on the sparrow, and if animals do have an afterlife then Sasha is a shoe-in for a good one.

In order to minimize my sadness after Sasha's death I took care of destroying her medicene the night before and combining her dog food with Ezekiel's. I made sure we completed Caitlyn's math assignment graphing pets the day before so we wouldn't have to deal with that. But wouldn't you know it, one of her reading sentences the next day was, "I hope my pet lives a long time." The night before the appointment I slept upstairs to be available any time she woke up and needed anything. At 3 am I cooked her a chicken breast for a last meal. When I dropped the kids off at my friend's house they said goodbye to Sasha, and my intuitive daughter voiced the thoughts hidden in my heart. She gave Sasha one last hug and asked, "Don't you wish they could fix Sasha and make her one year old again?" I choked out the reply, "Yes baby, that's exactly what I wish."

I held it together fairly well at the vet, taking Sasha for one last walk around to sniff the grass and only falling into sobs when we first arrived and when I was leaving. I knew that a sense of calm was the final gift I could give the sweet dog who had seen me through so many tough times in my own life. Sasha miraculously allowed them to insert the catheter that would deliver the drugs to her system, and I was able to hold her snuggled in my lap on the floor as she gently passed into peaceful slumber. In the end it was as it began, the two of us alone against the world, embracing against whatever life threw our way.

Remembering Sasha (4-12-97 - 3-1-12)

2012-03-04T07:54:00.001-05:00

People tend to think they have the best dog in the world, but I know I did. My dog was beloved by people around the globe! The summer after my sophomore year in college I decided I needed a dog. The small dogs advertised in the paper were all taken, so against my better judgment I went to check out some Rottie-Husky puppies in a guy’s backyard in Knoxville. Soon I was driving back to my apartment with my 25 pound bundle of joy. Except for a semester when she had to live with my parents, we have been inseparable.

Carson Newman
Sasha was an active puppy, and everyone at CN loved her. Several people had keys to my house and would walk her when I was in class or at work. When I would walk her around campus people I didn’t even know would say hi to her! Once when she was a puppy she found a nasty ball outside my apartment. No one would pick it up to throw it for her, so she dropped it on one side of an SUV then ran around to the other side to play “Solitaire fetch.” I never worried about living alone when I had a big dog to protect me. On the other hand, once when a pit bull got away from its owner to go after her I protected her by punching the pit bull in the mouth. (Afterwards I was shaking at my stupidity, but it worked!) She was spoiled rotten. Once, I was afraid because I thought I heard someone outside and let her hop in my bed. After that point she slept with me until I got married.

As a poor college student I often made toys from empty Mtn. Dew bottles and wadded up pieces of paper. Unfortunately one day she thought my college research paper was a toy! Thankfully my professor had a great sense of humor when I showed her that my dog literally ate my homework and allowed me to reprint after class with no late penalty. My favorite sociology professor loved to blow bubbles to relax. Knowing this I brought Sasha into class for a presentation on relaxation to demonstrate how blowing bubbles isn’t nearly as relaxing as blowing bubbles for a dog who will jump up to pop the bubbles!

She learned a lot of tricks, fetch being her favorite. I would take her to my parents’ house and hit tennis balls down the side of the mountain to try to wear her out! She could also sit, lie, down, shake, and chase her tail, but her most impressive trick was being able to both “speak” and “whisper.” She would go crazy anytime it snowed, running around the house scooping up snow in her mouth like a bulldozer and rolling around until she was soaked. I would make snowballs and throw them into the snow for her to chase. Crazily enough she often found them and chewed them up.

Texas

Moving to Texas was emotional and scary, and perhaps I couldn’t have done it without my constant companion. But she and I made some amazing friends there! She loved to wrestle with my friends (Crocodile Hunter Kathy?), and many were excited to keep her if I had to go out of state. Sasha was afraid of water until one day at a pond with a friend she really wanted to chase some ducks. After literally “taking the plunge” we couldn’t keep her away from any water source from then on… well maybe except the bathtub!

After I moved in with Melinda, Sasha found her second family with the Whighams. They loved her as much as my family did, and she returned their love. She played with Mama Dot’s little poodle Romy and raised Melinda’s cat Sebastian to be a great cat-dog. They were her family if I ever flew home, but if I made the 17 hour trek in my Honda she rode in the back like a trooper, sometimes only stopping once or twice for gas, food, and a potty break!

Back to N.C.
As much as I didn’t want to move to Texas, moving back to NC was just as tough. I moved to a place where I had no friends, and Sasha was my constant companion. After Jamie and I started dating he became her Daddy. She accompanied me to visit him from time to time until one of his neighbors called the front office complaining that he had a bear in his apartment!

Sasha came to our wedding reception as the guest of honor. Right before our wedding she popped a ligament on one knee and popped the other one right after our honeymoon. I knew my husband loved me when he unflinchingly forked over the cash for both surgeries.

Through several family additions (1 husband, 2 cats, 2 dogs, and 2 kids) she remained sweet and faithful. Although she no longer played fetch, she still loved the snow and slow walks outside. She never once growled at the kids, but she would put other dogs in their place with her Alpha personality, even when they could have taken my senior dog down in a second! In the end I was thankful to hold her as she gently passed into peace, beloved by so many and leaving a paw print shaped hole in my heart.

If you have memories of Sasha, please leave them in the comments section below so I can keep them.

You can see pictures of Sasha’s life by clicking here.

Visiting with Aunt Melinda before my wedding

Sasha never stopped loving the snow!

Eventually Sasha had to start sharing he popcorn with her younger sister and brother.

You can see more videos of Sasha on my Youtube channel.

Weekend Fun!

2012-02-25T13:01:00.000-05:00

Another part of my Lent journey is focusing on something I've tried before but forget in the busyness of life. It goes completely against my Type A overbooked constantly moving nature. I want to be present in the moment, especially with my children. My mind likes to jump to the next task at hand, especially when I am doing something "mundane" like playing with toy trains. I don't want to look back on my children's childhoods and find that I spent so much time doing and thinking about "stuff" that I missed the joy of childhood. So although I have been consumed during the week with getting things together for the consignment sale, I have purposed to do fun things on the weekends without trying to get anything else accomplished!

Last weekend my good friend Rebecca Ann helped me run my errands and meet my parents and nephew for dinner. I couldn't make it without her! We shopped at an old fashioned hardware store in Matthews where I bought some heirloom tomatoes while the kids played with chickens, stared transfixed at fishing crickets, and chased each other around giant bags of manure. If my non-green thumbs can somehow grow these tomatoes and save the seeds we can grow tomatoes from them forever and not have to worry about GMOs, BPA, and who knows what other initials.

This weekend Daddy came home early because of the rain and we played Balloon Lagoon as a family. Elijah did a great job playing but couldn't handle the entire game of Feed the Kitty that followed. Instead he decided to play "torture the boxer". Once the camera started rolling he went easier on poor Ezekiel. Today we threw on our coats and headed to the park to ride bikes and enjoy having the cold playground all to ourselves.

You can see more February pics by clicking here.

Ash Wednesday

2012-02-22T23:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I searched for something like I used during Advent that would relate the celebration of Lent with my preschoolers. Not having found anything I decided to wing it. I spent the day continuing to examine my actions and thoughts to discern whether or not they were rooted in love. Many of them weren't, but as the day progressed I noticed some of my natural tendencies being supplanted by a supernatural calm and peace.

Since my church doesn't have an Ash Wednesday service we celebrated the holiday by the compost pile for the sake of fire safety. Knowing that my children wouldn't be able to hang for the entirety of Psalm 51, I chose two key verses: ⁹Hide your face from my sins, and wipe out all that I have done wrong. ¹⁰Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a faithful spirit within me (GW). We talked about the biblical significance of ashes representing mourning or sorrow for sins and how God completely forgives our sins when we ask as well as giving us clean hearts to not sin again. We chose a sin to write on the paper and put it into the compost pile to burn it.

Our lighters never work well, and I was struggling. A young man walked by, an odd occurrence on our busy sidewalk free street. He heard the clicking of my lighter and asked if we would like to borrow his. He came over and asked if we were making compost. His name was Jordan, and we shared with him what we were doing (aside from making compost). He must have at least some knowledge of God because when we thanked him he responded, "anything for the good Lord." It was deeply meaningful to watch our sins symbolically turn to ash, although I suspect the kids were more in awe that we were actually playing with fire. We'll see if anything comes of meeting Jordan, but I thank God that he gives us beauty for ashes as we grow into trees of righteousness (Is. 61:3).

Truly Celebrating Lent

2012-02-21T23:57:00.000-05:00

The kids decorated our cake with
waaaay to much sugar!

During my first Lenten season as a married woman, I made the mistake of cooking meat on a Friday night. My Episcopalian bred husband was mortified and ate a PB&J. (Give me a break - I grew up Southern Baptist. We take Paul's "kill & eat" sheet vision very literally.) It's funny how differently people can celebrate the same holidays and holy days. After seeing Fat Tuesday recipes on the Today show and forgetting that it was "Shrove Tuesday" - the one night the hubs would love pancakes for dinner - the kids and I cooked skillet Jambalaya and made a homemade Kings' cake. The purported purpose of the Kings' cake is to remind people of the Magi's trip to find Jesus as a child, but today most people just look for the baby in the cake for good luck or to see who picks up the tab. (We mostly made it because it looked yummy.)

Likewise many religious traditions can lose their meaning. People can "give things up" for Lent as a cultural habit more than a reminder to pray and come closer to Christ. Since my denomination has no "Lenten requirements" I have some freedom to think about how I desire to spend the season. So many of us overlook it or rush through it, even those of us who follow some prescribed ritual.

Currently I am in a Bible Study on Ephesians in which we look at only a verse or two a day. It runs contrary to my normal study of the Bible in which I devour large sections and look at the "Big Picture." Stopping after a verse or two sometimes feels awkward. But concentrating on one or two verses a day allows you to really stew on the verses if you allow your mind the time throughout the day. Today's verses were Eph. 3:17-18, part of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians.

The end of verse 18 is "that you, being rooted and grounded in love." Throughout the day I have contemplated whether or not my actions and words were rooted and grounded in love. Many of them weren't. So instead of giving up chocolate for Lent I am going to spend the season examining my thoughts and actions to see if they grow from love, watering the roots in my heart through communing with the Father, and fertilizing my faith through the reading of the Word. Join me on my journey!

My halftime show is better than yours

2012-02-06T00:16:00.000-05:00

The high school party was fun, the food was great, and the devotional was inspiring... but I have to say I loved watching the 4th quarter in bed with my kids the best!

The video is grainy, but my halftime show was better than yours. Eat your heart out Madonna!

Karen, this one's for you

2012-02-01T14:40:00.000-05:00

Caitlyn's speech Monday should have been a 2-3 minute speech on a famous scientist. I had an awesome children's book on Louis Pasteur all ready to go over with her! But I left it at home when we went to my parents' house. Instead of pulling an all-nighter with a 5 year old when we got home at 10 pm Sunday I told her she could just do her speech on anything she wanted to talk about. She chose the very scientific subject of my sister's new puppy, Jax. Here you go sis!

Elijah's opinion of the puppy:

January recap

2012-01-31T00:47:00.000-05:00

Since I'm swamped trying to sort through years of clothes and baby gear for a consignment sale, here's a quick recap of January. Caitlyn attended her first sleepover. My overprotective nature welled up and was a bit disappointed to never receive a call to come pick her up. Since the birthday girl had already spent the night at our house, I felt like I needed to say yes! Caitlyn loved it and stay up until 4:30 am! She only went to bed then because the mom made her. Somehow she was still well behaved in church the next day.

We also made a quick weekend trip to the mountains. Jamie took my nephew on his first skiing trip while I cleaned out some of my boxes in my parents' basement. The main reason we went up is to attend a reception honoring my Dad's decades of service at the church where I grew up. It was a bittersweet chance to say goodbye to many of the people who had influenced me in life. Don't my parents look great?

To see more pics from January click here.

Up All Night

2012-01-25T08:40:00.001-05:00

I finally turned on the TV so I
could finish working. You have
no idea how annoying Calliou
is at 1:45 am.

For my 100th post I bring you... insomnia man! Yes, this little fellow is not a fan of sleep. Last night he would scream like a banshee if I left his side. Even laying him next to Daddy, getting him to sleep, and rolling out of bed like a ninja caused him to instantly wake up in a panic. I finally brought him upstairs with me so I could put up the dinner leftovers and get my online Bible Study set up for today. A bit before 2 am I soothed him to sleep only to hear the pitter patter of little feet walking to our bed 6 minutes later. Exhausted and laughing rather than crying, I let him climb in bed with us. His mommy radar instantly went off when I got up just before 7, following me upstairs screaming loud enough to wake up his sister. Thanks Elijah.

Which one of my boys is the better sleeper?

One pot of coffee may not be enough today...

Young Picasso

2012-01-21T06:40:00.000-05:00

Elijah has never been that into art, preferring to eat the crayons rather than color a picture. But apparently he just needed exposure to the right medium! Isn't this lovely? Now I am not into modern art, so can someone tell me what this picture represents? I'm thinking it's his take on the classic statue of The Thinker. What's your opinion? And can someone stop by the store and pick up some Mr. Clean Magic Erasers?

But snow seemed like a good idea...

2012-01-06T15:11:00.000-05:00

For our two week Chistmas trip I had checked the weather forecast up until the time we drove back from Ohio. I'm not sure if they even had a forecast available past that, but I should have at least consulted the Farmer's Almanac. So when the snow hit Canton we had winter coats but no snow bibs, gloves, or boots. Of course the kids are not going to miss a chance to play in the snow, especially since we live in an area that rarely gets any.

Caitlyn is cut from the same cloth as her mom, and the idea of playing in the snow was much better than the reality of it - especially without good snow gear. Being the good sport that I am, I made snowballs for her to throw at me so her hands wouldn't freeze. But I made her hold off on trying a snow angel until she was ready to go in. I knew that would send her inside in a screaming fit to her sympathetic grandmama.

Elijah loved the snow and had to be carried in kicking and screaming. He may have his dad's temperament for cold weather, but he was helped greatly by the fact that he never actually touched the snow. Apparently his consignment sale shoes are pretty watertight!

But seriously, doesn't playing in the snow always look much more fun when other people are doing it?

Elijah tried his best to entertain my Dad while he recovered from a hip replacement:

You can see more snow pics by clicking here.

The fifth (and final) weekend of Christmas

2012-01-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

Our whirlwind Christmas culminated with a visit to Jamie's family in Ohio. We had dinner parties with both sides of the family and really enjoyed catching up. I love my in-laws! My kids have such a great time with their cousins. They see each other only a few times a year but always pick right up where they left off. Grandpa treated the 3 older grandkids to a rendition of Snow White. (Snow White is all the rage lately what with Once Upon A Time on tv and two movies coming out soon. We are so hip!) Caitlyn is very into plays and was enraptured with the altered storyline. Many basketball and football games were watched, including one with Jamie's high school best friend and his children.

On a bittersweet note, I was glad to bring Sasha up with us, even though it meant I slept on the couch to keep an ear out for her. Jamie's parents and sister were able to see her for probably the last time. His sister's dog Watson had been buddies with Sasha when they were Carson Newman puppies, and unfortunately she had just found out that he has lymphatic cancer. I was glad we could say goodbye to sweet Watson and she could say goodbye to Sasha.

On a happier note, please enjoy this video of how white children breakdance, and click here to see the other pictures from our trip!

The wheels on the van go round and round (the fourth weekend of Christmas)

2011-12-27T07:18:00.000-05:00

Dad getting some pet therapy from his pup

The best part of Christmas was of course cryptically telling people that we had to change our Christmas plans because my dad was in rehab and just letting them wonder. (It was a hip replacement people - my parents are teetotalers!) Seriously it was probably a blessing for us to go to the mountains for Christmas Day because it is closer to Cincinnati (our next destination) and we weren't staying in a hotel this year because of having to bring my elderly dog. My dad's side of the family came up to be there for Christmas Day, and with all the kids it wasn't much less chaotic than being with all my cousins as usual. Santa knew to hit my parents' house and not go to my grands' - after all the guy is kind of a stalker.

What's Christmas without a little craziness, right?

Check out the rest of the Christmas Day pics by clicking here.

Retooning Christmas

2011-12-24T22:47:00.000-05:00

As a huge fan of the biblical story of Christmas I love this video! I have long said that the theology of most Christians comes more from plays and song than scriptures, and too few know what part of the Christmas story come from the gospels and what they actually saw on a Hallmark movie. I feel the tide changing in certain circles. This cartoon explains my feelings perfectly!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Just monkeying around

2011-12-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

Thinking that I was so ahead of the game, I had almost all of the presents we needed for Ohio in Ohio and all the presents we needed for Christmas morning and my side of the family at my grandparents' house in Roxboro well in advance of Christmas. Of course, nothing in my life seems to ever go smoothly, so life threw me the curveball of needing to bring our elderly dog on our Christmas trip and my dad needing hip replacement surgery and being unable to travel at Christmas. After Jamie calmed me down from my mini breakdown when I realized there was no way we could get our suitcases and all the wrapped presents from Roxboro to Canton, a 4.5 hour trip, we continued to roll with the punches! We had a mini pre-Christmas with my grandparents and most of my aunts & uncles, loaded the car with a lovely Sasha sized space in the back, bungeed our suitcases to the roof, and prayed against rain! Everything worked out fine, and we had a fun few days with the grands. My maternal grandparents gave the kids some animal hooded bath towels, so Caitlyn put on this monkey show for her dad:

Elijah was eager to help my granddad open his gifts. He loves his 3 great grandparents!

My grandparents also gave the kids scooters. Caitlyn has wanted a "real" scooter for a while and picked it up right away.

And this is what our van looked like!

Growing in patience and teamwork is a great Christmas gift, right?

See more pics from the trip by clicking here.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy (The third weekend of Christmas)

2011-12-20T09:13:00.000-05:00

Our church collects money each holiday season for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The money helps support missions work overseas. Last year was Caitlyn's first year in Mission Friends, so she collected change from around our house to give. Currently she is able to earn up to 25 pennies a week if she is obedient. At the end of the week she gets to put whatever pennies are left into her piggy bank. So for the weeks she had her Lottie Moon bank I let her choose to put some pennies in it instead of her bank. I didn't pressure her or tell her how much to put in and was pleased that she would share anything. On Sunday I watched tearily from the choir as the children paraded in to dump all their change together. Caitlyn's few cents may have been the worldly equivalent of the widow's mite, but seeing her give cheerfully from her heart was one of the highlights of my Christmas season.

Sunday night my Mission Friends choir kids performed their poem and song to start off the night. They are amazing!

Kassy's graduation

2011-12-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

Almost a decade ago I was asked to be a godmother by a single mom with a daughter I loved. Since then Kassy has been an extended part of our family. When I married Jamie he became her godfather, and the kids consider her a fun big sister. She has endured several emotional trials in her life and school career. I have seen others give up under similar circumstances, but Kassy persevered. We have been honored to encourage and help her along the way whenever we could. In turn her presence makes our lives better. Monday night was her high school graduation. On the same night they also conferred GED certificates. I was inspired by parents and grandparents receiving their degree after decades without one. I was touched by my children's good behavior and excitement over the ceremony. (Elijah loved clapping for everything.) But I thought my heart was going to burst when my sweet goddaughter walked across the stage in her cute albeit impractical shoes to receive her high school diploma.

Way to go Kassy! We know you are going to succeed in college and beyond. The world and our lives are a better place because of you.

Fragile Worship

2011-12-12T17:45:00.000-05:00

Is your focus on the voice
from the microphone or the
voice of the King of Kings?

Sunday night was amazing. The handbells played, the youth choir sang, and the adult choir cantata went off with very few hiccups. Hearts were blessed, and we give all the glory to God. At such times we all wear black, walk in and stand just so, and minimize distractions. Soloist and readers are humble. We want the focus to be on God, not on us. And these things are all good and for the glory of God. But there was great concern among many that a choir member would leave in the middle of the performance. I get why that would be bad. When Elijah was a baby I didn't even sing in the choir our of concern that my pager would go off, and I would have to slink out of the exit. I understand that Satan could use such a distraction to pull someone's heart away from a spiritual moment. But the fact that it becomes such a big deal for people has gotten under my spiritual skin and causes me to want to ask others the question I have asked myself:

Why is your worship of God so fragile that it can be destroyed by such trivial things?

If I am truly worshiping then although my focus may shift to the mother ushering her child out the back door, I will immediately refocus rather than wonder why they can't remember to "go potty" before the service. I won't be annoyed by the person texting (who is possibly using a Bible app) or whose cell phone rings or who never sings or smiles or that family who always walks in late for the service. My focus will be heavenward to praise and inward to seek His will for me. Too often we find people at which we can roll our eyes and think "there they go again" rather than looking at all that needs to change within our own hearts. Let's worship the King of Kings with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and it wouldn't hurt to love everyone in the sanctuary as we love ourselves.

The second weekend of Christmas

2011-12-12T15:41:00.000-05:00

One of my church responsibilities is planning the preschool Happy Birthday Jesus party. This year no Saturdays were available so we moved it to the Bible Study hour, making it super easy on me. Basically my job was to walk around looking as if I had done something while the Sunday School teachers did all the work. The children were adorable in the dress up room, sang their hearts out in the music room, and made a cute Baby Jesus necklace in the craft room. (Jamie was adamant that Elijah had made a necklace for me and not for himself.) I attempted to tell the story of Jesus' birth to the whole group using the kids' Veggie Tale nativity set, but between the little ones wanting to grab the pieces and Elijah wanting to grab me it was mostly a fiasco.

Caitlyn was in demand that afternoon as Daddy wanted her to help decorate our porch, my mom wanted her to help make Christmas cookies, and I had two advent crafts to complete. You can imagine that she enjoyed the attention.

Months of preparation culminated in a grand cantata Sunday night. The youth choir sang, handbells played, and the orchestra and adult choir shared the message of Jesus from our hearts. Jamie did a great job playing trumpet! It was so special to have my parents and other friends able to come worship with us that night!

Heavy Metal Mom

2011-12-09T10:36:00.001-05:00

To say I lost it yesterday would be the understatement of the year. Having gone to bed super late the night before because of choir practice, Caitlyn was exhibiting every bit of her 5 year old strong willedness. She vacillated between screaming and the silent treatment of acting as though she couldn't hear a word I said. I kept checking for earbuds and an IPod hidden beneath those golden tresses. I inconstantly jumped from taking pennies from her obedience cup, forcing a nap (which didn't take place), sending her to her room, yelling, and even smacking her bottom once. When we said prayers last night the kids and I had a confession time. I confessed my yelling and the smack (which to my chagrin Caitlyn said she thought had been funny) and prayed to do better today.

So this morning when Caitlyn started in with the whiny-screamy-fussiness I had a sudden stroke of genius. I looked at Elijah and said, "Get out your air guitar! Caitlyn's a hard rocker!" We started screaming things heavy metal style while playing our air and nose guitars. Miraculously it snapped her out of her funk all three times! Elijah's amazing air guitar ability was probably the key, but maybe I can handle being a mom after all.

I couldn't make this stuff up

2011-12-05T23:24:00.001-05:00

Heard around our house this week:

When asked to make an animal sound, Elijah will intentionally make a different animal sound for comedic effect - class clown! He also says "good" and nods his head in an effort to get out of trouble and convince us of his (sometimes false) sincerity in striving to "be good."

Caitlyn: Mom, I know who I'm going to marry when I grow up - Elijah! But don't worry, you can live with us!

Caitlyn: (Responding to the Christmas song Have you seen that child?) Oh no I haven't seen that child. Where did you put that child?

Caitlyn: (Playing with her Lego men) This is the way we go to prison, go to prison, go to prison. This is the way we go to prison, early in the morning. (Later I heard her singing "President Obaaaaama" in her room. I can only hope the Lego men received a last minute pardon.)

Caitlyn often has me tell her stories while we go potty in public places. Last Friday I was making up a story about a child who learned not to be greedy at Christmas and was leading to what the real meaning of Christmas is. Caitlyn said "Oh! Oh! I know the best gift of Christmas! It's about Baby Jesus!" (My heart swelled with joy and pride.) "Jesus got the BEST Christmas gifts - Gold and Jewels!" (Maybe we still need to do some work here....)

The First Weekend of Christmas

2011-12-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Don't worry... it's marker.

Although I complete most of my shopping before Thanksgiving I do not do anything "Christmasy" until the advent of Advent. The first weekend of December certainly got the ball rolling! Friday Caitlyn and I went to a hilarious production of Junie B in Jingle Bells Batman Smells. On the way back we witnessed the wedding of some friends and brought their daughter home for a sleepover. I knew we had a crazy Saturday planned since I needed to make six lasagnas for the Youth Christmas party, but Santa and Mrs. Claus were in Harrisburg that night. (We go every year to the tree lighting with our neighbors to both avoid the mall and maintain Santa continuity through the years.) Just before we needed to leave, Elijah came up the stairs looking like this --->

I knew those marks were a bit too uniform to be self-inflicted and marched right downstairs to confront the girls. Caitlyn confessed immediately with the self defense or "But it was fun, and he liked it!" Now, I am not personally a fan of making a big deal out of the naughty or nice list, Elves on the Shelf, and things of that ilk. I have tried to emphasize that we do good for the sake of doing good and to glorify God. But I was so annoyed that my child would look like he'd been in a knife fight at his Santa pictures that I said, "You'll have to tell Santa what you did! He already knows anyway." Caitlyn replied with trepidation, "Is he going to put me on... the naughty list?" With a shake of my head I replied through pursed lips, "I don't know, Caitlyn... I just don't know."

In the end after scrubbing Elijah's face, the long wait in line, petting several dogs, and listening to Christmas carols I decided to not traumatize my child with a forced Santa interrogation. I let her hug on Santa and Mrs. Claus, eat kettle corn, and ride the horse drawn carriage. Afterwards we enjoyed a local church's "Walk Through Bethlehem" which culminated in a nativity scene.

I should have made her confess to the Baby Jesus.

Click here for more December pics.

A Bruckmann Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T22:03:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving in Ohio involved Caitlyn making her first sweet potato casserole (until Granny's decades old hand mixer started spinning out of control as if possessed), Elijah's first brussel sprout, the first annual Bruckmann play (come over, I have the video), Caitlyn and her cousin Bryson working on their monkey ring skills, and a trip to the Creation Museum courtesy of Jamie's aunt. It was amazing to see creation and science from the perspective of a biblical worldview, and I was impressed at the solid science they had backing things up. You should go!

The costumes and production of the play were amazing thanks to Granny!

Yes, I was totally calm while my kids held this snake... until Elijah was about to bite it!

You can see more pics from the weekend by clicking here.

September Flashback - Melinda comes to town (An apple a day does not keep the doctor away)

2011-11-27T23:22:00.001-05:00

My kids and I are rarely sick, but just before Melinda & Clara arrived my husband introduced a malicious super bug from his high school into our house. One by one we succumbed to the power of the virus, even sending it back to Texas on the plane with the Piercefields. Being the strong willed women that we are, we were determined to muddle through the infirmary vacation and make the most of it. So we relished in bumming around the house while feeding the children enough honey to fulfill Winnie the Pooh's letter to Santa.

In order to at least experience a small taste of North Carolina as well as breathe a bit of fresh air, we traveled west to Hendersonville - apple capital of the world. As luck would have it one of the apples available to pick that day was of the Jonagold variety - Melinda's favorite. The kids had a blast running around picking up ~~pesticide laden~~ apples and ~~munching them for free~~ sampling nature's bounty. Grandad's Apples also had a cute country store, some photo ops, and an area to feed a goat and a llama through a fenced in area oddly decorated with dinosaur statues. Elijah to this point had not been much of a talker, but the whole say he walked around saying "ABBLE! ABBLE!" Since then we haven't had a moment of silence.

Since Melinda is a super shopper and I despise shopping, we hit the mall so she could force me to shop for some things my kids needed and pick out some cute shoes for Clara. On the way to the car Elijah twisted away from Melinda's hands and tore up his face. We got him calmed down and pressed on. People at the mall said super helpful things to me like, "Stop hitting that baby!" Despite the mockery we successfully spent our husband's hard earned cash, and the kids had a blast playing in the free play area.

We were so sad to send the girls back to Texas, but we knew her family would come get her if I didn't! And now it all works out because Melinda is now preggo with baby #2, but she needs your prayers because she is very sick with hyperemesis.

You can see more fruity pics by clicking here.

Fabulous pictures

2011-11-20T23:22:00.000-05:00

My 2nd/3nd cousin-in-law took these amazing pictures at the family Thanksgiving gathering.

Elijah redecorates

2011-11-19T23:30:00.000-05:00

September Flashback - Melinda comes to town (The International Festival & Dan Nicolas Park)

2011-11-08T07:26:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we hit the International Festival at UNCC. It's a great place to experience new cultures and try their food. I was surprised how many people were eating Chinese and Mexican rather than being adventurous! The kids loved the Chinese dragon and all the cultural costumes. Caitlyn's favorite part again this year was the dancing. She decided that she wants to move to India because she loved their music best. Wouldn't it be neat if she ended up being a missionary there? (My friend Becky's husband is Indian, so we went out to eat Indian food with them another day, and Becky gave Caitlyn some cool ankle bells!)

My parents, niece, and nephew came down to see Melinda and Clara, so we all went to Dan Nicolas Park in Salisbury. The park is amazing and has a train, carousel, gem mining, paddle boats, a petting zoo, mini golf, and a nature center as well as several playgrounds. I am PETRIFIED of having my children on things like paddle boats. I am positive that someone is going to almost drown and I'll have to save them. Jamie and Caitlyn paddled our boat while I sat on the back and tried my best to keep Elijah from wiggling his way to certain death. Thankfully we all pulled through and headed for a real NC BBQ experience in Lexington, NC to celebrate my dad's birthday.

You can see more pictures by clicking here (same link as last blog).

September Flashback - Melinda comes to town (Monkey Joe's)

2011-11-08T07:19:00.000-05:00

I was so excited that my BFF Melinda and her sweet daughter Clara flew up from Texas to visit. It's probably the last time they can fly up because Clara is going to be two next year and also will become a BIG SISTER! The day after they came I was still watching a boy around Elijah's age, so we thought we would go to Monkey Joe's to get some energy out. I didn't realize that Clara had never even been in a bounce house, so she was overwhelmed at first. With some encouragement from her mom and Caitlyn she eventually warmed up to the place.

One great thing about Elijah is that he doesn't need quarters to enjoy video games yet!

Needless to say, our house was not much quieter than Monkey Joe's!

You can check out more pics by clicking here:

September Flashback -The UC/UT game

2011-11-08T06:50:00.000-05:00

Jamie's parents treated the whole family to a trip to Oak Haven Resorts in Pigeon Forge along with tickets to the UC/UT football game. We had stayed there once before on a trip to Carson Newman's homecoming and really love the place. The cabins are spacious and have a pool table as well as a retro video game table that was the hot spot of the house. Of course Alice and I cooked some amazing food, and we decided it would be easier with the kids to tailgate at the cabin. The only problem was that our cabin had a sewage issue, so the first night was pretty stinky before we got it fixed! Saturday morning we hiked the cave trail - a pretty steep trail that involved a lot of hand holding.

Then it was off to Neyland Stadium. I had warned the kids that some people might say mean things and that no matter what we had to be kind Christians, but I need not have worried. The UT fans were so kind! Of course it didn't hurt that UT blew us out. But we started off the game by going ahead first, and the marching band and the tribute to the armed forces were something that even the Cinci fans enjoyed.

And just because he is so cute when he walks - a video of Elijah racing with the other kids at Cracker Barrel while we waited for our table:

You can check out other pictures from the weekend by clicking here.

September Flashback - the party

2011-11-07T23:07:00.100-05:00

For the second year we had a joint birthday party for the kids to accommodate our out of town family (and make it easier on me). Caitlyn was set on a helicopter cake for her and an airplane cake for Elijah. Thankfully my friend Jennifer helped me out and made the cupcakes and cake for us. We surprised the kids the night before with a bounce house, which was much cheaper to buy than rent.

It seemed like a great idea to party in the backyard again until a terrible storm blew in the night before. The backyard was a mudpit, but we got most of the branches picked up and some games set up before the company arrived. With a firm rule of only coming inside for emergencies we had to think fast to decide how to squish over 50 people on our deck for cake, ice cream, and other junk. When the time came to sing Caitlyn hijacked Elijah's cake and insisted that her candle be put on it too. When I saw how muddy my deck was after the party I new it was totally worth moving everything to the great outdoors. I just felt bad for all the parents literally hosing off their kids before going home!

On Caitlyn's real birthday she woke up to a My Little Pony playhouse with several individually wrapped ponies. She was super excited, and so was Elijah.

Caitlyn had really wanted to have a party at Chuck E. Cheese, but that was a bit pricey. So my family went for lunch there on her real birthday. Thanks to my husband's great bargain skills I was able to hand out tokens like beads at a Mardi Gras Parade. The kids even climbed on stage to join Chuck E's show!

You can check out more pics from the birthday festivities by clicking here.

Audrey's birthday

2011-11-05T00:36:00.000-04:00

My grandparents have always been an inspiration to me. So it was a blessing to make a spur of the moment trip up for my Grandma's birthday party. Caitlyn had soccer, but Elijah and I loved seeing family and celebrating the life of such an amazing woman. (And yes, he's trying to sneak frosting while his Great Grandmother poses with her children.) She had a wonderful smile during her party, even though she is dealing with so much pain and inability to walk. We love her!

You can click here to see pictures from three other November birthday parties and a trip to the park.

Flashback - August 2011 Part 2

2011-11-03T07:01:00.002-04:00

The week after we returned from Missouri Elijah turned 2. Since the kids' birthdays are close together but our families are far away, we combine their birthdays into one super party. Nevertheless we try to make the actual "birth" day special. As usual Elijah woke up and rushed to find me. As a result he totally missed the train and car city his Daddy and I had meticulously constructed the night before in his room. (Best $10 consignment sale purchase ever!) Caitlyn gave him a microphone (so she wouldn't have to share hers anymore) and a plastic dinosaur that he proceeded to chew in appreciation.

Caitlyn and Jamie began soccer season - Jamie as "Coach" and Caitlyn as "player least interested in soccer". When the preschool choir performed a couple of their songs at the end of the summer her dance moves were great, but the kids didn't really sing. I misplaced the cd, but I still thought they would be louder. When I asked her why they were singing so softly she replied, "Well you were singing quietly!" Point taken.

We also made a super quick trip to Ohio for Granny's 70th birthday luau. We survived the trip up thanks to 5 Hour Energy and a Blockbuster kiosk rental of Barbie: A Fairy Secret, a movie I hope to never see or hear again! The luau food was fantastic, and the one man band was super entertaining! Jamie's parents and their friends still know how to party! We adore our Granny who is more fun at 70 than a lot of grannys are at 30!

You can see all the August pics by clicking here.

Late

2011-11-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

I've stopped making excuses for why we are always late or things. Honestly saying things like, "I was actually running ahead of schedule until I went downstairs to get my shoes, and Elijah dumped the corn meal on the floor and started licking it up with the dogs" is only getting me odd looks.

Flashback - August 2011 Part 1

2011-11-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

August began with a swim at the Duncan's community pool, much easier with Daddy there to help our non-swimmers play in the water. I attended a Classical Conversations practicum, basically a crash course to the intense home schooling we're doing, then off we went to Missouri. Elijah's favorite part of the trip was the curtains in our first hotel room.

We made a two day drive of it, stopping at a rest area, a marina, and a state park to hunt for letterboxes.

We stayed at a great time share with Jamie's family. We stayed in one timeshare and the rest of them stayed in the other. Caitlyn and Elijah basically had their own apartment, and since we really played it up they actually slept in there and left us alone! (Maybe I should build an apartment for them in the garage so I can get some sleep at night.) Elijah adores his baby cousin and getting to be the big kid for once!

On my birthday my wish was to go on a trail at the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area to find five letterboxes. Caitlyn and Jamie accompanied me as well as his mom, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. It was a gorgeous hike, and we found all five well carved insect stamps.

Our immediate family hit Silver Dollar City one evening so that we could get in free the next day on our passes. One afternoon was enough for Elijah and me, so Jamie and Caitlyn went back with his family the next day while I worked in peace and Elijah napped. We took a Duck tour of the city, and Caitlyn got to drive in the water. Later she graduated to driving a go-cart by herself!

But it's always the cheap and free things that are the most enjoyable, and the kids loved feeding the fish at the trout farm more than the pricey Duck ride. I was of course excited when we sat on the SOUTH side at the Dixie Stampede and all my northern in-laws helped cheer our side to a victory. On the last day we rented a boat, but Elijah totally flipped out anytime anyone would get into the water. Mostly I just held him and tried to keep him asleep, but the pictures make it seem like all was peaceful! On the way home we letterboxed at the home and grave of Laura Ingalls Wilder and ate at a famous Missouri restaurant (Sonic).

We stopped for Sunday lunch with my family, and Elijah showed off his great baseball arm with Grandmama Marsha.

On our first day home Caitlyn and I had our first day of school. I'm teaching one of the 8 & 9 year old classes to offset our cost and help me learn the material. Caitlyn knocked them dead with her introduction speech.

You can see the other pics from the beginning of August by clicking here.

Flashback - July 2011

2011-11-01T13:16:00.002-04:00

Going through July's pics wasn't that tough since I did post in July about our beach and zoo trips. Other randomness involved Caitlyn growing an 8 foot sunflower from a seed, VBS, and a trip to Roxboro for my Granddaddy's birthday. We also gave our dog Rusty to my uncle. He has a big farm and only had one dog. Although I had trained him not to run out the door when I came in, I lived in constant stress that one of our kids or a guest at our house would open the door and let him escape. If he got out he wouldn't return, and one of our neighbors would call the police and blame us when any dog in the neighborhood would bark. He hated Rusty and threatened to shoot him with a BB gun. So it was a definite win-win situation even though we loved Rusty. He's doing great on the farm!

A week before Rusty left he got into a tussle with our dog Zeke over some food. His eye got cut so he needed stitches and the "cone of shame." Elijah thought the cone of shame was awesome!

Yes, Elijah is a mess - literally and figuratively. This is how he likes to eat slaw:

Caitlyn helped me make a coconut layer cake for my Granddaddy's birthday for the second year in a row. We're getting better!

Elijah discovered my other Granddaddy's linen closet and kindly cleaned out all the paper products. What a great organizer!

You can see the pics from July here:
July pics
Old & new Elijah pics
Old & new Caitlyn pics
And randomly I found some pictures from my sister to add to my Christmas album, including some great snow pics

Flashback - June 2011

2011-11-01T00:32:00.000-04:00

Well, I'll never find time to go through all the pics and videos I have and edit them to my perfectionist satisfaction. So I'm going to spend the next few nights flying through the months helter skelter. I went through May and June tonight - that's a start!

Here are a couple of videos of Elijah playing with kittens - nothing could be cuter and you know it!

Here's Caitlyn describing the sheer terror of locking herself in the bathroom at my Granddad's church. They had to rip the screen out of a window to get her!

At VBS family night Caitlyn was a little shyer than usual, but still adorable. The second video is of the youth we worked with. Most of them were from the community, and we learned a little Drum Line!

Even if you aren't on Facebook, most of the pics I posted online tonight can be seen by clicking these links:
Some Caitlyn pics (old and new)
Some Elijah pics (old and new)
June pics

Halloweening it up

2011-10-31T22:27:00.000-04:00

Friday night Jamie worked the A.L. Brown football game to make extra money and support our grocery habit. (Plus he just wanted to watch the game and likes wanding people.) The Town of Harrisburg canceled the Halloween party because of the threat of inclement weather, so my goddaughter, the kids, and I headed to a nearby nature center for Creepy Crawly night. We petted a snake, gingerly held millipedes (praying Elijah wouldn't crush one), and looked at all kinds of other insects and arachnids. Outside in the dark there was a Native American storyteller at a campfire. After the stories the kids were able to roast marshmallows on sticks. Caitlyn gave me hers, and it tasted very outdoorsy. We were both spitting it out, and I was contemplating just how dirty that stick could have been when she said, "I think I dropped my marshmallow on the ground." Mmmmm.... dirt smores.

Here are the kiddos dancing with the cool frog.

Saturday we hit up a Fall Festival at my friend Rebecca Ann's church. There were bounce houses, games, and easy candy to be had. At the end of the festival night people were literally shoving it into our buckets. For some reason Elijah was petrified of the little train ride, so I had to walk around in the middle of the track holding his hand. Meanwhile Jamie and Rebecca Ann ate funnel cake. Then Sunday we spent a tiny bit of time at the Concord air show until Caitlyn refused to obey and leave a bounce house, so we bounced on home!

Still determined to get my money's worth out of the overpriced Rapunzel costume, we met Jamie in downtown Concord on Halloween to trick or treat at the businesses there. The kids were super excited to see McGruff the crime dog and Eddie the Eagle from the NRA. That night we went trick or treating in the neighborhood with Caitlyn's friend who also happened to be Rapunzel. We even ran into Santa who apparently had a day off due to the economy and whatnot. Needless to say we have enough candy to fill several stockings hidden in the closet, and the best part is the kids still aren't old enough to know which candy is the good kind. MWAHAHAHAHA!

You can see more Halloween pictures by clicking here.

Searching for the Great Pumpkin

2011-10-27T15:43:00.000-04:00

For some reason there were only two families able to go "pumpkin picking" from our home-school group. Nevertheless we had a great time at Patterson Farm and did every activity a large group would do. I was concerned about Elijah running amok during the tour, so inspired by his love for apples I let him pick out the biggest apple from the country store before we started. He carried the giant produce around the whole day, eliciting much attention from the employees. Only when he was able to choose a pumpkin of relatively the same size did he relinquish his fruit. The only downside to our almost private tour was not having enough weight ti keep the tractor ride from bouncing us all around. The kids played for hours in the play area, enjoying the corn bin, duck racing, playing on the pirate ship, and racing miniature John Deere tractors. Elijah was slightly traumatized when a goat nibbled him and when he got hopelessly lost in what was basically a square corn "maze" (see video).

The pumpkins made awesome pumpkin bread! We love Patterson Farms!

You can see more pictures from the day by clicking here.

Tweetsie

2011-10-15T23:49:00.000-04:00

We have a friend at church who owns a company that makes signs and banners. Sometimes corporations will barter tickets to their events with him to get a better deal. Sometimes he takes the deal even when he doesn't want the tickets, although he does want the business. Sometimes he gives us the tickets he didn't want in the first place. That is how we ended up at Tweetsie Railroad.

The kids absolutely loved the day. Their favorite part was the train ride complete with a staged gun battle. We rode it twice, and Elijah was not at all afraid of the gun play. In fact ever since he keeps repeating "Gun. Bang-bang! Train. Choo-choo!" (Apparently we didn't need a speech therapist, we needed an amusement park.) The actors clearly ad-lib, and my cousin later informed me that they were likely all overbeveraged, which would explain a lot.

I, however, needed a Valium. I have a mortal fear of my children plunging to their death, so the chair lift up the mountain was a bit much. Jamie and Caitlyn went first, and Elijah and I followed. You are basically unsecured on that thing! Halfway up I started to relax and pull out my camera to document my calmness. Elijah started wildly grabbing for my camera and freaking out! Thankfully my talon like grip saved him from certain destruction. (The two of us took the bus back down.)

When I checked the weather report I neglected to factor in wind, but despite almost freezing we closed the park down. Caitlyn drove a car and accelerated right when Jamie stood up to take this picture of Elijah and me. Somehow he managed to not fall out of the car!

Beginning to feel that we might cheat death after all, I elected to allow Elijah to ride with Jamie on the Ferris Wheel ~~of Doom~~ and treat Caitlyn to a ride with me. The boys got on first, and the operator really messed with the wheel a lot, unloading passengers and saying "I've gotta balance this thing out." Gritting my teeth I waved calmly every time the boys whizzed by. Just before we were to get on the wheel lurched in the opposite direction. Nevertheless we got on as soon as the operator regained control. At this point we were the only four on the ride, and I sternly instructed Caitlyn that we do not move on the ride as the seat would flip. I did allow her to wave over her head to the boys when they would be behind us - mostly to prevent her from yelling at them when they were in front of us and causing Jamie to drop Elijah. I was most fearful when two maintenance men joined the operator and overheard him tell them, "Yeah, a minute ago that thing was just a 'flappin!" My mind screamed, "WHAT WAS A'FLAPPIN'?" But I remained calm as we managed to exit the ride without the entire wheel rolling down the mountain.

Yes, I might just end up a cool mom after all. You can see more pictures from the day by clicking here.

Busy Days

2011-10-08T16:12:00.000-04:00

There's a perception from the outside world that stay at home moms have tons of time on their hands. I suppose if I wanted to take a nap in the middle of the day I could turn on Nick Jr. and give Elijah the candy jar, but that doesn't really happen. Now that Caitlyn is at the age where Saturday sports also take up a weeknight for practice things are really crazy! Thankfully Daddy handles soccer while I handle Elijah.

After today's game we hit the Town of Harrisburg Fall Festival. The lines were long, but the music was jumpin'. Caitlyn knocked the girl into the dunking booth on her first throw, and we think softball might be a better choice than soccer! She also tried to climb the rock wall. It was hardly worth the wait, so of course Jamie and I hyped up her two foot climb to make it more exciting. The best part was that the kids fell asleep on the way home!

Sunday's conversation with Elijah:
Me: Did you have fun at church?
Elijah: (blank stare)
Me: Did you learn about Jesus?
Elijah: (blank stare)
Me: Did you learn about the Bible?
Elijah: (blank stare) "Nack."
Me: Did you have a snack?
Elijah: (nods excitedly and starts dancing) CRACKA!!!!!

I am pretty sure he was referring to the type of snack and not my pale skin. I love these conversations!

You can see more October pics by clicking here (same link as last blog).

Home is where the heart is

2011-10-07T14:18:00.000-04:00

I’m beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel…thin. Sort of stretched, like…butter scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday. A very long holiday.

- Bilbo Baggins, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring

They say home is where the heart is, but my heart is always pulled to where I am not. When I am home I long to be with my family who live out of town. When I go out of town I think of all I need to do at home. As my dad has battled cancer for more than two years I been acutely aware of the shortness of life on this earth and the importance of spending time with my parents. I am blessed to have three grandparents still, but I can't spend as much time with them and be as helpful as I would like - especially with my Grandma's hip replacement and Parkinson's Diagnosis. And with two ~~time consuming~~ small children when I do visit someone I bring most of my work with me! I'm heading into that "sandwich generation" and sometimes I wonder which piece of the sandwich to butter.

But I am so thankful for the busyness of life and all my dear family. I'm thankful that my husband lets me spend his money and my time to bring the kids up for a few days with my parents or grandparents here and there. My children adore them, and nothing brings me more joy than seeing their faces light up when my kids entertain.

Yes, life is busy, there isn't enough of me to go around, but I wouldn't wish for any other life.

To see more October pics click here.

Flashback - April 2011

2011-09-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

When my mom flipped through my camera pics and mentioned how cute the strawberry picking pictures were (from May), I realized that I might be a bit behind on my blog posts. Now that the crazy summer travel is almost over (one more weekend trip to go!) and the kid's mudfest birthday party is over I am determined this week to get the pics organized and off my camera so I can truly begin an organized new year. If you love pics and videos of my adorable kids, this is your lucky week!

Let's kick things off with a video that shows poor Elijah scavenging for bits of oatmeal his sister may have left behind. (FYI - he started saying "Hey Baby!" to the basketball goal my parents bought him, not to pick up cute toddlerettes at the playground.)

We also hit Minnie Mouse Day at the mall, wrapped up the soccer season with team pics,

attended Daddy's regional tennis tournament,

helped Ezekiel learn to fit in at our house,

received a basketball goal from my parents,

used the force at my cousin Walker's Star Wars birthday at the skating rink (check out Jamie's dance moves),

enjoyed a visit from Jamie's parents and my niece,

and celebrated Easter.

Gracefully handling showing up in the
same dress as a friend

Defending the kingdom

Sometime playdates are sad

Rocking a sombrero

Why we rarely do art

2011-08-23T08:31:00.000-04:00

Still in a Beach Daze

2011-08-21T15:59:00.000-04:00

The rest of our beach days were much the same. If the day was rainy we would make a break for the beach as soon as possible and find ways to entertain ourselves during deluges. Tuesday was forecast to be the worst beach day of the week, so we decided to use our season passes to the Fort Fisher Aquarium. The seahorses, rays, and jellyfish were fan favorites although every exhibit was interesting. The ferry ride over was as much fun to the kids as the actual aquarium.

Our house was the party destination for families including the Morleys, Oakleys, Phelps, Reeves, and Roaches (in alphabetical order so no one is offended). When we weren't being beach bums my giant bag 'o games and my mom's cooking were big hits. Of course Jamie never fails to amuse either, but the first video featuring my family playing "Little Can You Do If You Can't Do This" will probably only amuse those family members present for the mockery. The adorable videos of the kids playing on the beach should amuse anyone with a heart.

The kids are never shy and made friends with our beach neighbors. They nicknamed Caitlyn "the dolphin." I like to think it's because she loved the water - not because she chatters incessantly...

You can see more beach pics on Facebook by clicking here and on Google+ by clicking here.

Beach Daze

2011-07-30T08:19:00.000-04:00

I promised the hubs that if we could stay right on the beach just this one time then I would be content staying across the street for the rest of my life. I may have to break that promise! Our week at the beach began as a rainy drizzly mess, but every time there was a break in the deluge we raced to the beach for as much beach time as possible. When it rained we could still look out of our sunroom window and see the waves. The kids have taken to the beach like true children of mine. Every morning I head to the beach with my early riser baby and any other kiddos he wakes up. Since we are right on the beach we make trips in and out as beached kids suddenly remember they haven't had breakfast, need to go potty, or need a nap. I am totally spoiled... just don't tell Jamie!

You can see more pics on Facebook by clicking here and on Google+ by clicking here.

Zoo Trip

2011-07-28T08:42:00.000-04:00

Nothing could be more enjoyable than hitting the zoo on the hottest day of the summer and trudging up and down hills pushing a stroller for the better part of 7.5 hours. Thankfully the Asheboro Zoo is almost fully shaded. I was afraid Jamie would mock it since he grew up going to the much larger Cincinnati Zoo, but he really liked it! Coincidentally my aunt, cousin, and 3 second cousins hit the zoo on the same day. We ran into them at all the best places - the water mister, playground, and exit.

Caitlyn spent some time talking to a seal, and it reciprocated by doing a show for us.

Favorite animals were: Elijah - baboon, Caitlyn - chimpanzees, Carol Anne - seals, and Jamie - albino alligators.

For more pics click here. For a video of Caitlyn monkeying around click here.

Beach bum in the making

2011-07-26T07:45:00.000-04:00

Salivania or Bust

2011-07-25T00:14:00.000-04:00

I would love to move into this beehive,

but the wireless service is really spotty.

I was the sort of child who became so absorbed in reading a book or playing a video game that I would literally not hear my parents call me. Back in the days of nonsavable game like Mario Brothers I would often only go to bed with assurances that the game would remain paused through the night and while I attended school the next day. So it may seem hypocritical that I so severely limit my children’s exposure to television and video games. Except on special occasions my four year old has to do 3 chores, reading, and math to earn a television show, then 3 more chores and a workbook to earn video game time. It’s possible she sees me as slightly harsh. The other morning I walked into our bedroom to this conversation:

Caitlyn: I don’t like you mommy. You always make me do chores. When I grow up, I am going to move to a country where they don’t do chores.
Me: Where do you think they don’t do chores?
Caitlyn: South Africa.
Me: I’ve been to South Africa. They have chores there.
Caitlyn: Well then Salivania. They don’t do chores there. (long pause while her dad and I crack up) Where is Salivania anyway?

Despite the fear that my daughter may one day move to an imaginary country with unrestricted television and video games where no one has to empty the dishwasher, I do plan to continue my efforts to fight her natural inclination to zone out into all things technological. (Her latest plan involves turning five so she can buy her own iPhone to play games on during quiet time.)

Now I am as likely as the next parent to turn on the electric nanny when I can’t quite get dinner done, and our long van trips are much more enjoyable thank to a built in DVD player and a Leapster. But several things have convinced me of the importance of fighting to pull my children away from media. Here are a few:

1. Brain Drain – Despite the fact that Jake and the Neverland Pirates will try to draw her into conversation, her brain shuts down to the lowest level possible when placed before a shiny screen.

2. Time Waste – The child will literally stare at a computer or smartphone indefinitely, even if nothing is on it!

3. Lack of Good Programming – Okay, so at the preschool level the only thing I really have to worry about is that The Fresh Beat Band really freaks me out, but the shows only get worse as the suggested age increases.

4. Commercials – Even while watching an okay show an advertisement will pop up with a risqué line from a network sitcom, or our football game will be interrupted with a Viagra commercial. Thank goodness for DVRs, am I right?

5. Family time – I don’t want to be one of those families sending instant messages to each other that dinner is ready. I want us to be truly present with each other and involved in each others lives.

The next generation gets sucked in...

Ephesians 5:15-16 warns, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” As much as we as parents have struggled with time management and wasted time I pray that we can break the cycle and teach our children to walk carefully and wisely use the time given them by God.

Kingdom of Camelot and the Kingdom of God

2011-07-24T22:45:00.000-04:00

Although he was suspicious of my photography,
Jamie did in fact approve this message. :)

One of the biggest sources of contention in the six years of my marriage has been the computer. Although last year my husband and I agreed to track our computer and television usage for a week, he neglected to write down his hours (and hours.. and hours…). His perception of time would become skewed as he entered his Kingdom of Camelot to command his knights. It reached the point that I began to resent the computer and contemplate “forgetting” to pay the bill for a month or two. No matter how I nagged, cajoled, complained, or whined I could not seem to command the same attention as Facebook games and web surfing. One look at my beloved staring at the screen could send me into a scream of “I HATE FACEBOOK GAMES!” while I searched for my Mark Zuckerberg voodoo doll.

Thankfully things have improved. Through calm conversation Jamie has come to understand that when he is at the computer when I need help or attention it makes me feel unloved and unimportant. And I have come to understand that no matter what his actions my be, mine need to be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness… well you see where I’m going with this. Not only does this make me feel better, but as I can communicate in love and frustration it will help change our marriage for the better.

As the apostle Peter wrote, “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” A quick glance may lead one to believe that this verse instructs women to sit down, shut up, and take whatever their man throws at them. But whether or not Peter was speaking from the view of a patriarchal society, it definitely seems the case that my husband is more likely to be won over when I am acting in a pure and calm manner rather than seething and threatening injury to the PC. The real problem is not the computer itself, but the way we handle it, our time, and our relationships with people in “real life".