Aug. 28, 2008 - Optimism put to the test
I am by nature an optimistic person. I don't have to think very hard and long to find the positive in any situation. Even in Rachel's cystic hygroma ordeal last summer, I found several things to be grateful for. For instance, I was grateful that she was diagnosed after she was born, due to chromosomal issues if found in utero, that John had a great situation at work with time off and insurance, and that it was summer time and I didn't have to worry about schooling and surgery. See, I took a trying time and found blessings in it.
The problem is that today I strapped, ok supervised, all five kids into their car seats and boosters and then I started the van with its new battery. The good news is that today the van started! Yeah! We had battery issues yesterday and the kids sat in the car for 30+ minutes while the neighbors tried to help jump the van.
So, the kids are all buckled up, journals in their hands so we can do our school work at the playground while we eat, the van is started and then I put the van in reverse. It felt really weird, unlike anything I have felt it do before. I was sure I had run over a toy so I sent Sam out to look under the wheels. No problem there, so I put the van in drive to pull forward and try again. It lurched to a complete dead stop instantly. Picture the scene, I am going under 5 mph and the van comes to an absolute complete stop in a second, which makes the girls sceam and the boys look amazed that I would do that to the van. It actually made the tires squeel, similar to a teenaged driver who is heavy on the brakes. Every time I tried to drive forward it would abruply stop no matter my speed. Needless to say I didn't even leave the driveway.
I have no idea what is going on now, so I called John,and he said to let the car idle for 30 minutes and then try to drive it again. He thought it might have beena computer gliche from changing the battery. So I left everyone strapped in and we just sat, and sat, and sat for 30 minutes. The boys wrote in their journals and the girls complained about how hungry they were. Austin actually wrote a few more poems and Sam wrote another journal entry about his friend Noah.
I prayed out loud, Austin prayed silently, Sam prayed silently and yet, the van would not move properly. So I gathered my little cranky ducklings and went inside to fix a non Zaxbys lunch.
So without further ado here is my list of blessings in this situation:
- We saved gas money for two days in a row
- We saved money being spent on my meal (the kids had coupons)
- I saved myself about 1,000 calories :)
- We spent time together as a family, in a locked down van with seatbelts on
- We finished up all the leftovers in the fridge, finally
- My fridge is a lot cleaner and streamlined looking now
- I probably saved myself a load of dirty, wet laundry from the playground visit
- Naptime started on time, even Sam and Katie in their crankiness earned a naptime today
- I had time to read the business meeting notes from our church, they had taken up residence in our van for some reason
- And lastly, not having a working van for 2 days has made me appreciate having a van at all!
To be continued . . . . . .
Update later on tonight.
So, John left work to service my van and see what was going on. Right before he came home I went out and tried the brakes again and sure enought they wouldn't function properly.
When John gets home he goes straight for the van, starts it right up and drives away! Not a single problem with the brakes! I couldn't believe it. I seriously checked them 10 minutes before he came home and they were still terrible and then he just sits down and drives away. It's a good thing he loves me because it really looked like I cryed wolf. I'll have to say that I am not one to waste such a great opportunity to have another adult on hand, so I took Sam and we ran several errrands, in Daddy's car!
Jul. 30, 2008 - The Love Between the Generations
My grandma Joyce is here for a week and a half to visit with my family. It is such a special time for us, as she lives in south Florida and can't travel as easily as she used to. She arrived yesterday afternoon and has been settling in just great. She has adored the toddler snuggles, the preschooler tugs on her pant leg, the requests to watch the girly dances, the requests for just one more book and the begging to stay up one more minute with Grandma Joyce!
My kids love her. Lily especially has a bond with my grandma. She remembers her from her December visit and now follows grandma around like a puppy. Bless her heart, grandma can't even go to the bathroom without someone wanting to know if she is done yet! It is so sweet to see my kids love this woman I have loved my entire life. She has always been there for me and now I get the opportunity to be there for her.
We have a week and a half to make lots of new memories and talk about the old memories. I'm not sure if we will do something big or not, normal suits grandma just fine. She likes to be there to helps us cook and to watch the kids learn at the kitchen table. We are so blessed to have Grandma Joyce here, thank you Aunt Terry and Uncle Bill for sharing her with us.
Here are some pictures we have taken so far.
Jun. 7, 2008 - Sweep this up!
This broom makes me smile. 
After our home renovation was completed in the laundry/craft room I realized that my old, faithful broom had been used to sweep up all kinds of construction debri. It needed to be replaced. I was actually excited about this, lame I know, but I can be a little on the frugal side, ok those of you who know me stop laughing now, ok, I am a tightwad and proud of it. Anyway, I despised the idea of replacing a perfectly functional broom for one that made me smile.
Once I made the decision to buy a new one, I went to this store in town that carries all sorts of home accessories that make me smile. I love the playful scattering of daisies on the handle and the crispness of the broom bristles. I find myself walking past this broom and just sweeping because I like the way it looks. I know it sounds trivial but if a chore needs to be done then it might as well be fun! 
Jun. 3, 2008 - How to make homemade play-do . . .
Here is the recipe that the kids and I love to use when making homemade play-do.
It is on page 492 of the MOMYS cookbook.
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
2 T cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 T oil
food coloring, optional but highly recommended
*Combine the dry ingrediants in your pot, mix in the wet stuff and heat over medium heat. Stir for several minutes, it will look goupy and like a mistake but keep stirring. In a minute or so it will start to seize up and stay in a ball. When it pulls away easily from the bottom it is done, also it will not look runny or really wet at this point.
Also, keep it in a ziplock bag and it will keep for several weeks.
Sam designed a green volcano and then ended up converting it into a giant green squid.
Katie enjoyed looking on and then ended up designng a bird's nest filled to the brim with new life. Her eggs were so delicately rolled out. She is such a precious child.
Austin, he's my child who uses the creative side of his brain. It amazes me how he can "see" things in 3D. He just knows how to put it all together.
First he designed a T-rex and "wrote" a sentence that says "i have a big head and little arms". I was so excited to see him using the clay to write. He struggles so much with the written word. He did reverse his "g" and I had to help him spell "head" but the motivation was there and he was trying his best. What more can you ask of someone?
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May. 4, 2008 - Blooming roses
Our front flower bed is turning into a veritable rainbow with an emphasis on pinks and greens. Our nearly wild roses are blooming a light variegated pink while our knockout roses are a deep rich red. My favorite bush though is the hydrangea. I have two in my front bed from my beloved. One was for a our 9th wedding anniversary, almost 2 years ago, and another for a birthday present a few years ago. They bloom the most beautiful periwinke blue you have ever seen. I love the color!
I can't wait until they bloom and then can grace my dining room table.
