• May. 11, 2007 - Hidden talents
• May. 3, 2007 - My first day of school (an embarassing moment)
My SBA friend Angie posted about her embarassing dress stories
You can find her on the SBA Blog Ring.
They made me laugh and prompted me to blog about MY embarassing dress story...
The first day of first grade. The first day of school.
Back then kindergarten was optional.
I was thrilled to be at school.
All the first graders and their moms lined up next to the fourth-graders.
It was a momentous event in my life.
It was nerve-racking to be in line next to those REALLY BIG fourth graders.
As my mom and I stepped into the building,
a wasp stung me on the chin,
flew down my dress,
stung me all over my chest and abdomen.
It was horrible.
In an act of heroism and bravery,
my mother pulled up my dress
to save me from the vicious attacker.
She PULLED UP MY DRESS - in front every fourth grader
at Bangert Elementary School.
She ran me to the school office, and then whisked me away to the emergency room.
I was fine. I had a lot of tender spots, but I was fine. For the most part.
I missed my first day of school.
We stopped by the school on the way home from the hospital -
long enough to meet my teacher
and have one of those flower shaped butter cookies
(the kind little girls twirl on their fingers like rings)
and some orange Kool-Aid.
I don't ever recall being teased about that day, but I never forgot it.
Twelve years later...
and 2600 miles away, on the campus of a large university...
I ran into a first-grade classmate.
Not as strange as one may think.
Both of our father's had transferred with the same company at different times.
I remembered him...his name, where he lived, what church he attended.
He didn't remember me...
except wasn't I the girl whose mother pulled up her dress in the first grade?
Inconceivable.... |
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• May. 2, 2007 - The Book Bag
My husband doesn't understand my fascination with the library.
He can't figure out my need to bring home 25 or more books
on as many unrelated subjects,
browse through half and then return them three days later
only to begin the process anew.
It strains my neck and shoulder muscles to haul around so many books in a canvas bag,
second only to the discomfort of an ill-fitting bra...
but I do it anyway.
The progression of today's excursion went something like this:
I received a "Hold notification" by phone,
and ran over to pick up the three softball books Sarah requested last Monday.
A lovely display of Egyptian books greeted me.
The Museum of Art has a special Egypt exhibit right now.
Since we happen to be studying Egypt in history, I stopped to browse.
We already have 17 library books on Egypt from the library
(none of which are overdue, thank you).
I did find Robin Cook's novel "Sphinx".
I can't remember if I read it a long time ago or not,
but it surely won't be as WEIRD as some of his newer stuff,
and I haven't read a good entertaining novel in a while,
so I dropped it in the bag.
I headed over to the "Hold" shelf and only found two of the softball books.
So I wandered to the online card catalog to check my account.
This led me past the home organization section (Dewey Decimal 640)
and I couldn't resist picking up a book for "Side-tracked Home Executives"
because if I have been anything lately, it has been side-tracked.
Sure enough the computer confirmed there were two other softball books
floating around somewhere.
I asked for help and while the librarian found my books,
I noticed someone else I knew had an audio novel on hold for her children.
Which made me think about books that I wanted to read the children,
but couldn't fit into the schedule.
So I crossed back over to the children's section to check out the audio books.
I saw "The Jungle Books II" by Rudyard Kipling on a display stand
and thought it would be great to find "Just So Stories"
so the girls could read along in our personal copy.
They didn't have it, but I did pick up "Old Yeller" and we'll listen to that in the car
for the next week or so.
The librarian found the other two softball books.
Since "Old Yeller" is about a dog, I thought I'd head back to the adult section
and check out dog training books...
mainly to see if the copy of "No Bad Dogs" that I KNOW I returned has reappeared.
It hasn't.
Close by to the dog books are the cook books.
Tracy and I are trying to change our diet, and our waistlines,
so I picked up two diabetic dessert cookbooks
in hopes of satisfying our sweet tooth without breaking the fat and calorie banks.
I resisted the urge to check out a cookbook on cupcakes...
which have been my sinful obsession as of late.
and that got me thinking about spiritual things,
so I started looking in the religion section
and picked up a Nancy Leigh DeMoss book (she is such a great teacher)
and a Barbara Johnson book (she is such a great encourager).
Then I found a Zig Ziglar book called "Conversations With My Dog"
in the religion section, so I grabbed it
because the title was cute and the book was small.
The religion section is one aisle over from the audio books, and I had already been there -
so I decided it was time to go.
And that is how I ended up with the 12 books I brought home.
I added them to the stack of Egypt, magic treehouse, beading, children's science projects, beginning chess, watercolor, homeopathy, decorative pillows, children's poetry, Thailand, American Girl books in the living room.
Which brings my library book collection to a total of 39.
I may not be an expert in anything, but I am certainly well-read.
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• Apr. 28, 2007 - Told Ya!!
• Apr. 26, 2007 - Secret Agenda
Sarah has asked for a new soccer ball for her birthday on May 31st.
She loves soccer.
However...
My husband has a hidden agenda.
All the women born into his side of the family are softball players.
He wants Sarah to be a softball player.
So he has engaged in a calculated plot -
to ignite a love of softball in his eldest child.
Two weeks ago he took her to Walmart, and played "catch" with her in the aisle.
I left when the third softball rolled under the back wall shelving...
Last week, he took both girls to the NC State - Carolina Softball double-header.
He bought them Wolfpack visors.
The entire team signed Sarah's.
Not to mention that State won.
Then last night he bought her a softball glove for her birthday gift.
And a softball.
I put my foot down when he started looking at $80.00 softball bats.
Today, he gave her the ball and let her use his glove.
He figured that he could catch her throws bare-handed.
Think again.
She can throw pretty hard.
I hope he can hold out giving her the glove until the end of May.
We don't need to buy another present.
No $80.00 softball bats for her birthday. I will not have it.
In the meantime, Mother's Day is only a few weeks away.
Surely he wouldn't...
I best not ask for a soccer ball either. I just might get that bat.
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• Apr. 6, 2007 - Bullet-Proof dog bed
Yep. That's right.
They really do make a bullet-proof dog bed...
Sort of.
How do I know that?
Because the canine object of our affection
performed a rather thorough dissection
of his dog bed while he was crated
for a few hours today.
It looked like a sheep shearer's convention met in our kitchen.
It has been exactly one week since Buddy joined our family.
I was told the "best behavior" phase with a new dog lasts
at least two weeks.
I feel cheated.
I knew it was the beginning of the end yesterday.
I gave Buddy a simple command;
he stared at me,
yawned slowly
and then looked away.
Then there is the labradoodle hustle
he performs to avoid the "crate" command.
Which brings us back to the bullet-proof dog bed.
I found it on ebay.
Made of 1050 denier ballistic nylon.
The fabric that combined with Kevlar
has protected some of our nation's finest.
100% chew-proof guarantee.
I doubt Buddy could chew through that.
And if he does, he might need the extra protection for himself.
I will win this battle.
All meals and water breaks will now be taken
in the crate.
The honeymoon is definitely over.
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• Apr. 5, 2007 - Shhhh....do you hear that?
That's right. It's nothing.
NO THING.
The girls and daddy are at grandma's, and I am home alone.
ALONE.
Okay, the dog is here, but he is such a COOL dog.
And his list of Mommy requirements is pretty basic.
There is not a box to pack, or unpack. We are moved - completely.
I have no idea what to do with myself for the next few hours...
but I'll think of something.
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• Apr. 3, 2007 - I should have been a superhero...
I rescued the guinea pig today.
He got a sunflower seed impaled on his lower front teeth.
Hannah was certain he was choking to death.
I'll just add master guinea pig handler to my list of accomplishments.
His name, by the way, is CJ - which is short for Cracker Jack...
Because guinea pigs do a little dance called "popcorn" when they are happy.
Who would have known?
And the dog?
Well, he is just the coolest.
He loves me. He loves my kids. He loves my husband.
And he loves animal crackers.
He also loves to bark at other dogs, in a friendly sort of way.
We're working on that part.
He does not love to poop while on the leash.
We're working on that part, too. |
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• Apr. 1, 2007 - New additions
Last week we moved off campus to a larger townhome and added a guinea pig and a 3-year-old labradoodle to our family.
It's easy to homeschool around the guinea pig..but the dog is another story. Tomorrow will be the first attempt.
Only one stack of boxes left to go through. And it's all craft and scrapbook junk that I don't know how to store, but won't give up.
Stay tuned.. . |
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• Mar. 14, 2007 - I look like Sandra.
I went to a funeral today - my grandfather's sister.
Left at 8:00 a.m., got there at 10:30 a.m.
...only to find out the service was at 3:00 p.m.
So I dug up Aunt Ruby's phone number and went to her place
to hang out until the funeral.
Aunt Ruby is 83, and is pretty cool for someone who's 83.
Heck, she's just cool, period...for any age.
We went to lunch and ate all kinds of yummy country cooking at Fuller's.
I wanted a peice of 7-layer cake and
Aunt Ruby said it sure looked good
but she thought the strawberry shortcake looked good, too.
So I said "Have both."
To which she replied that she didn't need all those sweets.
So I said, "I figure if you are 83 years-old you should eat as much dessert as you want and no one should dare say a thing about it."
I sat with the purses while she went to the dessert bar and came back with two desserts.
So I said, "Thank you for getting my cake."
To which she replied, "Oh, that's my cake." And she ate both desserts.
When I'm 83, I'm going to eat both, too.
After lunch we picked up Aunt Berline who is 92 and we all drove to the funeral.
It was a nice funeral - I appreciate
the legacy of prayer
that my great-aunt left her children and grandchildren.
It was not a side of the family I am around very often. Faces were familiar, but older.
I knew some names, and some knew me.
A lot of people know Sandra. I don't.
Someone said she was the wife of a distant cousin.
A lot of people asked me if I was Sandra.
A lot of people whispered to other people, "Is that Sandra?"
No, I'm not Sandra.
But apparently I look a lot like her. |
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• Mar. 12, 2007 - Still Thawing Out...
I have been duly chastised by a number of people because I have disregarded my blog of late. So here's an update on all those questions folks are asking me.
Found a job?
No
Found a new place?
Yes
Buying or renting?
Please see "Found a job?"
Through with seminary?
Yes
How's your mom?
Okay, some days better than others
When did you get new glasses?
Last week
Scrapped lately?
Please....
Got the dog yet?
When we move...
When's Sarah's b-day?
End of May
What does she want?
Things for her new room -solid lime green comforter with turquiose accessories
... by Wamsutta at LNT - need more info? Call me.
We are still pondering the next auto purchase...
but the "Found a job?" category
has us a little stumped right now.
We've decided on a used Expedition...
big enough for extra people,
good dog hauler,
and not a mini-van.
Since we would probably be giving up Big Ed
once we buy a another vehicle, a truck-ish type replacement seems necessary.
Giving up Big Ed is a big deal. Hannah cries every time we mention it.
I mean, he's been part of the family for over 215,000 miles, since 1994.
Big Ed defines us in many ways...
Showing our age, sagging in some places, peeling in others,
Able to carry heavy loads, and good with children
Reliable, with a few minor chronic problems
Quick to help out a neighbor
And not very concerned with looks
The rust spots and lowered tailgate keep my dear husband rooted in his rural background.
An Expedition will definitely be a good choice for us,
but it will never be as special as Big Ed. |
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• Jan. 7, 2007 - When you freeze up and can't do anything...
That's what stress does to me. I can't decide what to do next, so I don't do anything. Life has been like that for the last eight weeks or so. And that's one reason the blog has suffered.
My youngest today decided she wasn't going to eat any more eggs or meats. Because the animals are God's creation...and she doesn't like eggs anyway. But she does love steak. So I doubt it will last.
Phrases I am pondering today.
"Eveything's a maybe" - my oldest
"malicious intent" - my pastor
gotta run.
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• Nov. 14, 2006 - Toilet paper liners
I was just wondering...
Do you ever find this actually stocked in a toilet stall, or is there an empty dispenser?
When they are stocked are you able to pull one out with one hand and not tear it up?
Can you then seperate the center piece from the seat piece without tearing it?
Are you able to place one on the toilet seat without it sinking into the bowl,
or blowing off the seat?
Toilet seat liners and I had some serious problems on our recent Denver trip.
I am sure that someone could make a lot of money by redesigning them.
Really.
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• Nov. 7, 2006 - Forth-coming: house church
We're back. We cancelled our apologetics conference for this weekend.
Because we have been on the go so much...too much. Three trips in six weeks was more than we could handle.
Denver was good, not home, but good. Look east and there is nothing...look west and WHOA!! Those mountains are just incredible. And we got some great pictures of elk wandering through the town of Estes Park. That scene reminded us of the show about the Alaskan doctor where the caribou wanderes through town during the intro. (What was the name of that show anyway? It was filmed in Washington state.) The rock formations at Garden of the Gods were beautiful. We both were sucking some serious wind on Pike's Peak. Even climbing the single flight of stairs at our hotel winded us. We are sea level kind of people. We stopped by Sheplers and picked up Western shirts for the girls as souvenirs. We ate at a place called Trail Dust Steakhouse, went to see "One Night with the King"
We really enjoyed visiting a house church while in Colorado and had the chance to talk with several house church planters. I was at first impressed with the way house church fosters discipleship and growth in all its members. How it encourages everyone to utilize their gifts and be missional in their daily life. We don't doubt that God is calling us to use this type of church model and impact our community. The how and where is forth-coming... Tracy is finishing up a proposal paper and will be talking with some folks in the next few weeks. God has given him a great vision for the effectiveness of house church in North America.
House church doesn't pay the bills, though and we are at a great crossroads as we finish seminary and begin to think about re-entering the secular workforce. Again, the how and where is forth-coming.
It's easy to get stressed out these days. We both have ailing grandparents and my mom is on her 2nd of 18 chemo treatments in the next year. Truth is I really can't worry about tomorrow, for today has enough troubles of its own. I know God has all the answers and they are all.... well, forth-coming.
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• Oct. 21, 2006 - Walk the Dog
I got to walk Buddy today, all by myself. Sarah goes with me most of the time, but not today.
Buddy is the big black dog that may come live with us one day
...if we ever move into a house with a decent yard.
He belongs to Gail now, and she had foot surgery. She can't walk him.
And Buddy NEEDS his walks.
Gail takes him on four-mile walks
Wears him out.
Not me. I'm not that athletic.
But we are working on manners.
Like, don't pull on the leash.
Sit at the intersection.
Wait at the gate.
Ignore the other dogs and people.
And I found a new one today. Ignore the motorcycle. It's not for chasing.
Fortunately I had a good hold on the leash.
Maybe I should increase the walk to four miles.
Walking the dog is very therapeutic. I can tell a difference in my oldest daughter when she gets to spend time with Buddy. It really affects her disposition, in a good way.
When we drive up, Buddy knows our car and starts barking...then he runs up to the top step and peers over the privacy fence.
He can't see the car, but somehow he knows when I am alone. No bark for me. Just a tail wag.
I guess we know who he likes best, don't we?
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• Oct. 18, 2006 - House church, anyone?
We are studying up on it, praying about it, and will be heading to Denver in two weeks to meet with a seminary professor there to discuss it. Problem is, we don't know anyone who actually DOES it.
So I'm looking for some information.
How did you become involved in house church?
What are your meetings like?
How are you organized?
Do you have a pastor or elders? What are their roles and expectations?
Are you affiliated with any denominational organization?
Are you a replicating church? How do you evangelize?
What are your thoughts on the modern traditional church?
Can a house church and modern traditional church coexist, or colabor?
Are you fully integrated or do you have a separate children's group?
What about weddings, funerals, baptisms?
I'm curious and would really like to know.
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• Oct. 17, 2006 - catching up
It's been almost three weeks. I know that's way too long. But if you had lived my life for the last few weeks...
Our Disney trip the first of the month was lots of fun.The girls were the perfect age to go, (8 and 9). They enjoyed it immensely, with the exception of Sarah's experience in Splash Mountain. My very cautious child will not be riding another log flume anytime soon.
We did have to regroup when my grandfather was hospitalized the day we planned to fly home. As it turns out, a simple medication adjustment seems to have solved his issues. In the process he has gotten a full medical workup and the report is that he is in better shape than anyone thought.
Unfortunately, his wife's health is ailing as well and they are at a crossroads. They have some major decisions that must be made regarding their lifestyle. My grandfather carries a heavy burden right now. It's hard to watch someone I love so much go through such a difficult time.
Mom started chemotherapy last week. She is very tired, but all in all seems to be managing things well. Not to repeat myself, but it's hard to watch someone I love so much go through such a difficult time.
My husband's family celebrated his granny's 86th bithday last week. His mother cares for her full-time and has very little outside help. Both of them are recovering from broken hips, and we are too far away to just drop in. That being said, it's hard to watch someone I love...
My dearest friend in the world (see earlier post) called last night and is taking her husband to an oncologist today after a very grim CT scan. The girls and I will be watching their children today. It's hard to watch...
The lesson for homeschool lately has been "caring for others". That's what we do. Always. Sometimes it wears you down, and sometimes you have to say no. Sometimes you give up something you enjoy in order to help out. Sometimes people turn your help down. Sometimes you can't do anything at all.
But always, always you care. You take care of family, you take care of friends. You take care of strangers and at times, you take care of enemies. You don't turn your back or look the other way. You do good. Always.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galations 6:9
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• Sep. 28, 2006 - When rules are a discouragement
Awana was last night.
My girls love it.
It certainly has encouraged my children to hide God's word in their hearts.
But as with any program, there are certain guidelines that must be followed, to keep the masses in order.
We ran into one last night. My oldest started working on one of the Search Site sections in her TnT book yesterday morning.
The instructions indicate that it should be completed over the course of three days. It is a series of bible study questions that require the child to look up and study the verses.
Sarah was really enjoying it. It excited her to study God's word. So she finished the entire section in one sitting.
She wasn't rushing through it and I saw no reason to stop her, just to follow the rules.
Last night at Awana her leader passed the section off for her, but instructed her to follow the three day directions the next time in order to pass it off.
I'm all for following directions, but I will not tell my child to study the Bible less in order to follow the Awana instructions. That was a hard one to explain to Sarah in the car on the way home.
This is a case where I think a little discretion could have been utilized. There is a flame there that needs to be encouraged.
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• Sep. 21, 2006 - Using Library books - NOT!!
We are using a Living Books approach to history with a popular history curriculum.
Little did I know how popular.
I thought it would be inexpensive because we love the library, and could check out all the supplementary books. I did this a few years ago with Five in a Row. It worked like a charm.
Apparently everyone in my city is using the same history
...and they are all on the wait list for the supplementary books...
ahead of me.
At this rate we will finish our history curriculum in, ummmmm.....
2026.
That is not acceptable, It's time to regroup.
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• Sep. 15, 2006 - Simple
I was challenged over at 2Peas this morning to blog about the simple things that give me pleasure.
I immediately thought of my best friend, Katrina.
Not that she's simple...
Well, actually I was thinking about her anyway, because she called this morning.
Katrina and I became friends about eight years ago when she started attending my church. She was tall and quiet and kind of groovy in her fashion sense. She had a baby six months older than mine who cried the entire time he was in the nursery. She was the most patient person about her child that I had ever seen.
I remember thinking "I will never become friends with her. We are just too different."
Silly me.
She balances me like no other women friend ever has.
She never ever tells a secret.
She is perfectly content to be a servant to others.
She never complains about what she does or doesn't have.
She is thoughtful.
And many of the simple things I enjoy she has given me.
Like the nectarine sugar scrub in my shower.
Or the large magazine basket by my bed.
Or the Fiestaware that she picked up at a yard sale in Ohio and brought all the way to NC because she knew it was a steal and I would love it.
Or the blue insulator by the front door that we use as a paper weight.
Which brings us to why she called today.
She found another insulator for 50 cents at an estate sale, and got it.
Because she knew I would love it.
It's a simple friendship. We do for each other. We aren't high maintenance.
And even when our two oldest kids couldn't be in the same room without arguing, we told them to figure it out. That we were friends and they were going to have to learn to like each other.
Maybe that doesn't have much to do with simple.
But it is simply amazing to me that I have such a great friend.
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