Aug. 6, 2009 - Once I have these babies...
Things I will try never to take for granted again (in no particular order):
Sleeping without waking hourly to pee/change position
Normal sized breasts
“Regularity” without daily doses of fiber pills
Seeing my ankles again and the veins in my feet
Walking without feeling as though the skin on my legs and feet will tear with every step
Balance
The ability to rub lotion on my own legs
Shaving
Eating a full meal
Life without acid reflux
Reaching the toilet paper without leaving the toilet
Wiping
Fitting into my shoes—any of them
Dressing without contortionism
Sitting cross legged
Bending over
Energy to play with/ discipline my kids
Easily getting in and out of the car or even a chair for that matter
Wearing my engagement and wedding rings
Walking up a single flight of stairs without having to catch my breath and rest after
Peeing in a cup @ the Dr’s without peeing on my hand
Obviously not an exhaustive list but you get the idea.
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May. 19, 2009 - From Mt. Joy PA
It's rare, but sometimes the romantic, nostalgic side of me wins out over the more practical, logical side. Take for example this vacation I planned for my family. I booked a B&B on a working farm about 4 months ago with wonderful visions of our children milking cows, feeding chickens, swinging on the old fashioned swingsets while sipping lemonade. Of course, I neglected to remind myself I would be 6 months pregnant with twins, walking a whole lot, fighting a bull calf at 7:00am over a large bottle he has no idea what to do with while having 3 children "help" (all while in about a 4x3 foot stall) and fighting nausea that comes with a full belly of food and deep breaths of fresh cow manure filled air. Actually, despite all of that and the fact that 2 of the 3 kids are in bed with fevers and their fill of Motrin, we have already decided we need to come back. Oh, it's exhausting but completely worth every swollen limb (me-edema) and cat scratch wound (the kids). If you had seen delight on the kids faces as we arrived last night and pulled up next to a field and barn with literally hundreds of cows you would understand. We had a really hard time getting them inside just to check in between the beautiful wooden playhouse, the swingsets and all the cats and kittens that DIDN'T run away when the kids approached them. We awoke this morning and fed bull calves and then had one of the best breakfasts I've ever eaten; and I'm a connoisseur. There were pitchers of farm fresh milk, oj and fresh brewed coffee (and even that was good and I'm picky about my coffee), jams, and syrup. After the hosts prayed, they fed us family style. First came the fruit tray-- filled with bananas, watermelon, cantelope and red grapes. Then came the peach cobbler, hashbrown potatoes, ham slices, scrambled eggs, buttermilk, blueberry AND chocolate chip pancakes. The grand finale: steaming caraffes of cocoa. I mean, it was a dream breakfast. I was so full I couldn't eat another thing until 4:30pm and breakfast had been at 8:15 (and did I mention I'm pregnant with twins which is generally code for "I eat all day.") After breakfast we went outside for the kids to enjoy complementary horse and tractor rides. The owners of this place love children and it's so obvious and so wonderful! We then drove down to Root's Farmers Market where I bought a very cute berry and grapevine wreath for $5.95 (a steal!) and of course some famous Amish whoopie pies. We came back to the farm with Anne feeling pretty lousy but with enough energy still to ride bikes (they have a garage with several kids and adult bikes and helmets) and swing with Drew while we put Elle down for a short nap. Then we drove into Strausburg to see the trains and have dinner. By then we had 2 very ill children who didn't eat any dinner so we came back and they were in bed by 6:30. We've already discussed returning here again because we really have had a great time. The bull calf we fed was strong but totally adorable especially when he would miss the nipple and end up with milk dripping down the front of his head, the exercise is good for me =), and Anne gets sick literally every time we travel so it wouldn't matter where we went.
There are a few cows ready to birth ANY DAY. We are able to watch if it happens while we're here. HOW COOL IS THAT???
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Mar. 27, 2009 - Prayer
It occurred to me as I wrote the names of the grandparents of my brother-in-law on my prayer list this morning, that I don't devote time to prayer for people unless there are problems. I realize that I may not be expected to regularly pray for someone whom I rarely am in contact with or hear anything about but as I looked down my list I realized that I don't have anyone on it just because I care about them. Sadly, as I sat and contemplated this, even my husband and children came to mind. There are seasons which I have prayed daily for them but then I don't until something comes up-- discipline issues for example (regarding the kids not my husband LOL). In fact I've been praying a lot lately for my oldest daughter regarding school and have neglected the other two. How do you do that???
Sorry about the blog hiatus guys. I wasn't feeling well for a while and once I started feeling better I just got so busy making up for lost time in other areas. I've been baking/cooking/freezing food now that I'm past the nausea. We're doing school "normally" again for the most part. The couch is no longer a permanent fixture on my rearend but rather I'm finding I'm spending too long on my feet at times. I take an occasional nap when my friend Jenny visits and that certainly helps.
We leave for VA for the week on Sun. morning. My mom is up from FL so she is coming with us. I'm looking forward to getting away from the house-- the responsibilities that come with just being home-- the woodstoves, general upkeep and cleaning, the animals, etc. Although in the past it's sometimes meant more work just of a different kind. Like the packing, figuring out meals to make in a hotel room all week, disinfecting the car when Anne gets car sick-- you know-- the kind of work that comes with travel. Ahhh. It will still be worth getting away I think. Geoff will be working but I intend to make the most of the hotel pool and nearby attractions like the Dulles Air and Space Museum. It's free by the way if you're ever in the area. We went last year and the kids loved it. I'm all about cheap/free fun. It's supposed to be in the mid-sixties all week (a nice change from the 40's here) so I plan to see lots of cherry blossoms in bloom and visit lots of playgrounds.
Hopefully you'll hear from me as I will have my laptop in tow.
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Feb. 2, 2009 - Tagged-- 25 Things About Me
I was tagged on facebook and thought I would post here as well.
1. I don’t ever remember wanting children. I attribute it to a nightmare babysitting job I had at 12 that I quit after 3 months. I only babysat after that on occasion for family friends with 2 special needs children. Geoff and I now have 3 children with twins on the way. God has obviously worked on me through the years.
2. Geoff and I were married Jan. 1997 after dating since Feb.1993 (with an 11 month break). At marriage counseling, he stated he wanted 5 children and I stated I wanted none. Our pastor at the time said, “oh well, you’re in love, it will work itself out.” Fortunately it did but it’s not necessarily advice I would recommend.
3. Since having our first child Anne, we are both under the conviction that we shouldn’t limit the number of children we have. We believe this to be a very personal decision and would never insist on it being right for everyone.
4. Despite my build, I have a very small pelvis which we found out when I had Anne. I went into labor around 10:00pm on a Sat. night and by 2:00am couldn’t sleep through them anymore. Geoff and I (despite all the stuff about resting) got up, cleaned the house, finished packing our bags and were off to the hospital at 7:00am with my contractions less than 5 min. apart. I was contracting heavily but not dilating so I got to sit in the Jacuzzi bath for a while and that helped. It took until about 1:30am Monday to dilate fully. At that point I pushed and pushed (and swore and swore) until about 4:00am when the doctor finally decided she wasn’t going to fit and ordered a c section. Because it wasn’t considered an emergency, by the time everyone arrived and they prepped me for surgery, all I could do was continue to push (and swear) for another hour and a half. She finally arrived at 6:03am with the biggest cone head anyone had seen. My dad in fact thought for sure she would have brain damage. The pediatrician said there was no way she would have fit no matter what we did so it was good that they did the c-section. Thanks to modern advances in medicine, Anne and I are both alive today and Anne’s beautiful and bright to boot. Of course outside of God’s sovereignty I know no amount of medical attention would have done any good.
5. I’ve been married 12 years and still believe I married the most wonderful man on the planet. As a bonus, the best sister-in-law on the planet became part of the package.
6. I worked from the time I was 12 until 3 weeks before I had Anne. Sometimes 2 or 3 jobs.
7. I never finished college. I used to be ashamed of that but I no longer am. I did an internship in NH and then got married. I don’t regret any of it. I have a truly blessed life.
8. Despite not having a degree, I was hired as the Editorial and Photo Assistant at Sailing World magazine. I was promoted to Executive Sales Assistant for Sailing and Cruising World magazines. I knew nothing about sailing when I started but could probably share more than you would care to know now. I loved it! I met so many incredible people from all over—some great sailors who compete in big races such as the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and the Whitbread Round the World. I met amazing world famous photographers and authors. The best perks were that I was able to sail on some amazing boats—one was a 120ft. catamaran. I selected marketing merchandise and did a lot of event planning. I even photographed a rendezvous and regatta for Alden Yachts. It was awesome. When I left, we were in our 2nd year of putting together the Sailing World Dr. Crash calendar which was my baby and it’s still on the market today. Best of all, I had a great relationship with everyone in the office. That’s a rare experience for anyone these days. Perhaps it was all the inhaled salt water that made it such a relaxing, fun place to work.
9. I love forensic science and not because of recent tv shows. In fact I was in the middle of a criminology course when CSI first started. I would much rather watch FBI/forensic files than watch CSI.
10. One of my favorite singers of all time is Billy Joel but I haven’t listened to him in years because I was convicted about many of his lyrics. I also really like reading crime novels, but alas, I no longer read them either.
11. I study everything I can on nutrition. I try to eat healthy and I’m kind of a junk food nazi when it comes to the kids. I don’t ban it altogether but I’m very careful. Something that’s completely off limits however, are artificial sweeteners.
12. I have a 700sf garden that I have no idea how I’ll manage at 6-9mths pregnant with twins.
13. I grind my own wheat for bread, muffins, pancakes, waffles, etc.
14. My coffee grinder gets used exclusively for grinding flax seeds now that I can’t stand the smell of coffee. (Can you believe it? I love coffee! I hope the aversion goes away soon!)
15. My all time favorite comfort food is Macaroni and Cheese. I hardly ever get to indulge do to most of my family hating it.
16. I have friends all over the world that I cannot wait to be reunited with in Heaven.
17. I’m not a patient person but I’m working on it.
18. I’m OCD in many ways but I’m working on that too.
19. I have strong convictions.
20. I’m sometimes over-analytical and always highly opinionated. I tend to say what I’m thinking when I’m thinking it which isn’t always appreciated (or warranted, I might add).
21. I become more aware of my wicked heart every day. I am thankful for family and friends who love me anyway and a God who forgives and forgets.
22. I have many hobbies and interests and I like to try new things. However, I tend to be a perfectionist which usually doesn’t cripple me except in one area. I love to write. I’ve actually written several things—mostly magazine articles—but have submitted exactly none of them. I’m so afraid of being rejected or worse, being told I’m a terrible writer. So, in a folder on my hard drive they will stay…
23. I don’t show it often but I have a very feminine side. I like dressing up and throwing tea parties. Yikes! Did I just admit that in writing? I haven’t done it in a very long time but local friends, beware, the day will come. Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea is my all time favorite film and I love Jane Austen novels and A&E’s interpretations of them through film.
24. I tend to be a very “black and white” person. Especially when it comes to biblical and political issues. I am a walking contradiction as I can be very decisive about the above and yet completely indecisive about more subjective matters. For instance I have trouble choosing a favorite season or even color.
25. Apparently I enjoy writing about myself.
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Feb. 1, 2009 - the baby name game
Anne and I were laying on the couch together the other day (the couch and I are nearly inseparable lately) discussing baby names. She thought of baby names and I would say either "that's a possibility" or, "nah, I'm not crazy about that one." Then she came up with one I had never heard before;
"How about Paulan?" she asked.
"Paulan? I've never heard of a Paulan. Where did you hear that name?"
"You know, Paulan Silas, like in the bible." she said while giving me that "come on you're smarter than that, Mom." look.
I lost it I must say. When I finally composed myself (poor Anne) I did explain that it was Paul AND Silas.
Too cute.
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Jan. 24, 2009 - Pregnant with Twins! Yes, Me!
Crazy, I know.
I don't have much to say about that right now-- still processing =) but I wanted to let you know what my kids thought.
At dinner Wed. (the night we found out), Anne had a revelation.
"WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIT IN THE CAR!" she exclaimed as I watched both of her eyes nearly fly out of her head.
Our transportion loving son (trains, planes, tractors, etc.) had a great fix.
"We can buy a bus!" Drew proudly and excitedly concluded.
With all the carseat mandates, sadly, we may actually need one...
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Jan. 24, 2009 - Celebrating Christmas (beware--soapbox entry)
In a recent post I mentioned that I didn’t think that “Christ”mas should be forced upon us by the church. I thought I owed an explanation as I’m sure the comment at the very least intrigued some if not offended others.
Many years ago I learned that the Christmas holiday was originally a pagan festival in celebration of the sun God and the winter solstice. The Catholic church then “redeemed” the day and made it a celebration of the birth of Christ in the 4th century. I always took it for granted that we celebrate it now as a “Holi”day. That is until I was clued into what a Holy day truly is. A Holy day is instituted by God himself through His word. Man cannot institute a Holy day nor can the church. I think a better way of thinking of Christmas would be as a Memorial Day and not as a Holiday. Which arguably would not be very convincing today as the word Holiday is synonymous for any day that may be cause for celebration. We call Valentine’s and Presidents Day holidays. A true Holy Day would now consist only of our Day of Worship.
Should we then abstain from this man-made holiday?
Many have answered yes to that question. Especially among those true to the reformed faith but I’ve also encountered Baptist brothers and sisters who do not participate as well. Even the Jehovah’s Witnesses do not participate. A very wise man who attended my church and is now with the Lord, was from a Dutch reformed background and could not in good conscience, celebrate Christmas. He had many biblically sound arguments. Among them, the most obvious; “God never asked us to.”
I began thinking about Christmas with an enlightened perspective. I started learning about its history and where it stood years ago and what it is today. It was a constant game of ping pong as I shifted between “I shouldn’t and I should”. Instead of detailing the struggle, I will share my conclusion. I believe Christmas is a beneficial act of worship for our family. How and if others celebrate it should be a personal decision based on their own convictions gleaned from diligent study and prayer.
This is not to say that I do it perfectly. I’m consumed by Christmas for the prior 6 weeks and concede that I do not worship Christ in all those moments leading up to the Church’s decided day of culmination (Dec. 25). I get caught up in the stresses and Martha duties like the rest. Sometimes we get so busy we forget WHY we’re busy. That’s true in many situations. But, I do try to take every opportunity to remind my family and myself of why we’re busy. It’s a great time to show hospitality and give of yourself in a way that for some doesn’t come naturally throughout the year—and people are more receptive. It also creates an opportunity for witness as people are much more open to “religious” talk this time of year. Just don’t make the mistake of leaving Jesus in the manger! Be sure to include the cross!
Here’s what I determined from scripture and what I see revealed about God’s character. We see celebrations and feasts encouraged throughout the Old and New Testaments. And not just the ones that God instituted but also weddings and other special events. I think of the feast given in honor of the prodigal son. Angels rejoice and celebrate each time someone receives the saving grace of God. Celebrations are outworkings of happiness and joy!
We experience deeper friendships and edification when we unite for a celebration—a small birthday party or an elaborate wedding reception. Some would argue that when we participate in such “pagan” things that it is idolatrous. I don’t believe this to be true. As sinners, we become idolaters almost daily in much less obvious ways. When I celebrate a loved one’s birthday, I am worshipping God by praising Him and thanking him for the blessing of that person. By no means am I putting that person in a position of higher standing before God. However, I do believe that I’d better be celebrating the birth of Jesus if I see no qualms for celebrating these “lesser” events.
We also see in scripture that when the Lord does something for us; gives us a victory, answers prayer, etc. we are encouraged to build a memorial for that so we don’t forget the blessings that God generously pours out on us as His children. I find traditions a great way to build memorials. Aside from Christ’s resurrection, I see no better time than to build memorials surrounding Christ’s birth. You can make traditions that are truly meaningful and bring glory to God. Many are familiar with lighting candles for advent, reading scriptures, having a birthday cake for Jesus, etc. You can be creative and go further. I know families that give their children only 3 gifts on Christmas to remind them of the 3 gifts Christ received.
In closing I would agree that the Church should not force Christmas upon anyone. A family who in no way throughout the year exhibits love for Christ and then displays a crèche around Christmas seems at the least, blasphemous. I also don’t see the pursuit of “keeping Christ in Christmas” as a worthy cause for the same reason. Christ can only be part of Christmas if you’re a Christian. For those who aren’t, it’s a meaningless attempt to break the mundane. I don’t think Christ would be happy to be associated with those types of Christmases. And for those who can not in good conscience celebrate it and have reasonable, biblical arguments as to why, they should not feel pressured to participate in festivities or sit through misguided sermons.
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Jan. 3, 2009 - Choosing Battles Wisely
The month of December seems to bring a host of National news stories on communities in a tizzy over some display on the lawn of their town hall or some other public building. The Jewish people want their Star of David, the Christians want their crèche and those with no religious affiliation want no decorations at all. Is all this bickering really beneficial to anyone? What about the Hindu citizens down the street not saying anything at all? My vote is with them. Not because I’m afraid to stand up for what’s “right” but because I feel the argument is a waste of energy. In reality the town hall should probably stay neutral on the issue. Isn’t this the very essence of separation of church and state? The town hall shouldn’t impose its beliefs upon the community any more than the church should be imposing “Christ”mas on everyone. (More on that in another blog). I’m all for expending energy on the argument of what is ok for a person to display on their own private property. I mean, when did we become a society where we have the time and funds to make laws as ridiculous as “You can’t display a snowman exceeding 12 feet on your property.” (in reference to an Alaska law which recently made headlines) The government is supposed to be there to protect us, not waste its resources on complete lunacy. We should be able to display whatever we want on our property—after all we do OWN it. I know what you’re thinking, “What about the man down the road who displays his pentagram with pride?(A poor example but bear with me) I’m certainly not advocating such displays however I’m not going to go to the city courthouse and try and get some law passed that removes his freedom to post what he pleases. Years ago, this may have been cause for an outcry of Christian and Non-Christian alike and the sign would probably be removed. Sadly, those days are long gone and we shouldn’t expect that people would behave the same way. Today, one can display hideous scenes of torture and gore on their front lawns all in the name of Halloween. A garden studded with wooden children peeing on it or large wooden women bending over with a clear shot of their backside is considered cute instead of obscene. It’s the age in which we live. I don’t have to like all the ways people choose to enjoy their freedoms. I do however want to remain free to display/post what I please. We must choose our battles wisely as many of the wars we wage could adversely affect our Christian freedoms.
Think about this as you lobby for public school prayer. Do you want your children uniting in prayer with those who are rebels against God, mouthing words to an all religion encompassing, made up deity? Or would you rather have them praying privately to the One True God?
Think about it as you protest the removal of the Ten Commandments from local courthouses. Isn’t it a mockery to have them hanging in a building that no longer believes in the absolute authority of God? They hang amongst judges who nonchalantly and routinely usher unborn children to their death and allow child molesters to reside in our neighborhoods. The Fear and Awe of God have been replaced by compromise and laughter. Why should they hang in such a place?
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Jan. 1, 2009 - The New Year
With Geoff home this past week I’ve had some leisure time to put to type some of my ponderings of late. It’s been tough to find blogging time these days. Much of the last few months was spent rearranging rooms, creating a library/school room, teaching school from a suitcase throughout this transition, attempting to further involve ourselves in the lives of local college students by hosting some outreaches, baking cookies, making and purchasing gifts, attending parties and throwing a few of our own, and planning my schedule for the 2009 sexual integrity programs I’ll facilitate for a local crisis pregnancy center. My most recent project is in making some dramatic changes to our menus due to some alarming cholesterol results among Geoff’s side of the family—Geoff himself is borderline. While we eat “healthy” there are definite ways of bettering our diet such as cutting out most if not all saturated fat and implementing more meatless meals. As Americans we’ve fooled ourselves into thinking we have to plan a meal around a meat entree. In reality we should be incorporating as much plant based protein as possible with the occasional meat “treat”. This is a difficult idea to embrace as I have an aversion to beans but I will do it for the health of my family. Convincing myself isn’t nearly as difficult as it will be to convince the rest of the family.
Normally today I would be completing my list of New Year’s Resolutions. Because it’s made up primarily of the list the year before, I’ve decided not to do one this year. I will not be creating a list of unattainable ideals but instead am making one goal of memorizing scripture. If I fail at this it won’t be because I overwhelmed myself with a list of impossible tasks but rather because I wasn’t a good steward of my time. And hey, if I don’t have “Eating less chocolate” as a resolution for the 10th year in a row it means guiltlessly eating as much chocolate as I want.
Happy New Year!
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Jan. 1, 2009 - scripture memory
I'm pondering how I ever allowed myself to lose sight of such an important teaching tool in my personal life.
I've been rereading a passage in Proverbs for quite a while now. I find that I'm looking it up again and again and rereading it with the same excitement as the first time I stumbled upon it. Then it dawned on me; why not memorize it? I'm ashamed to say I haven't intentionally memorized scripture in many years. By intentional I mean outside of the accidental absorption of my children's Christian Ed. or Awana verses as I help them practice or a repetitious song, I haven't made the effort for my own spiritual growth.
So my New Year's Goal is to memorize scripture on a regular basis. I'm starting with Proverbs 2:1-10. As the world presses it's judgements and philosophies upon me it's a good reminder that true wisdom comes only from God. I think that's why I'm so often drawn to this passage.
"My son, accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-- every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul."
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Dec. 19, 2008 - I'm back...
We’re experiencing our first real snowfall of the winter in RI today. The schools closed last night in anticipation of a possible kafuffle like last year (Dec. 07 snowstorm brought gridlock on 95 for hours with children stranded on school buses until 11pm. Our church’s Christmas outreach is postponed due to what could amount to a foot of snow by daybreak tomorrow. It’s rather ironic because I invited many people to attend our “Christmas Eve” service which never existed—it was always scheduled for tonight—I had to re-invite people to the service tonight that will now really take place Christmas Eve. I thought I subconsciously sabotaged it because I’m singing a solo for the first time in 20 years. I guess it wouldn’t have worked anyway…
I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last blog. This time of year is so incredibly busy and it's all I can do to keep my head afloat. Admittedly, I haven’t even made my Christmas cards yet. It seems like something always takes precedence and it gets put aside yet again. I did take an hour this morning while my friend Jenny watched the kids to finish my brother and his new wife’s wedding album (they were married in July). Sad, I know. I vowed to be finished by Christmas so I have a huge weight lifted. Unfortunately I may have to make a new goal of having my Christmas cards done by the New Year. I apologize to everyone holding vigil by their mailboxes waiting for yours to arrive =). I must have priorities and right now more than ever it needs to be school. It’s far too easy for me to make excuses this time of year and not focus on school—like prepping for the upcoming week when I’ll be hosting 30 people for Christmas dinner.
There have been so many times over the past month that I’ve wanted to blog but didn’t. Especially regarding the little anecdotes my kids are always coming up with. One that I distinctly remember was a conversation DH had with our son, Drew. He was adamantly stating to his sister that she was a girl and he was a boy. Geoff couldn’t resist finding out how a 3 year old decides.
DH: What makes Anne a girl?
Drew: She wears a headband.
DH: What else makes her a girl?
Drew: She sleeps in a big girl bed.
Unfortunately there was a third reason just as cute but it escapes me. That is why I MUST blog more.
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Nov. 2, 2008 - "Sam"isms
I had to laugh at my husband yesterday as he pulled something I'm notorious for-- a "Sam"ism. It's what we call it when I speak to my children as if they're adults. We were in the car listening to KLove and the song "I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul" came on and Anne (6) asked us what "gain" meant. I deferred to my DH, Geoff, because I couldn't think of a good way to explain it to her and he replied, "It means to aquire something." All I could do was burst out laughing...
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Drew was talking about hats that people with different jobs wear today.
"Firefighters wear firefighter hats. Policemen wear policemen hats. Construction people wear construction hats. Daddies wear daddy hats. (referring to DH's baseball caps). If you're a Mommy you don't have to wear a hat."
Cute.
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Elle (21mths) has a few cute sayings. One is "Oh man." The funniest part is that she says it at all of the appropriate times. She'll ask me to read and if I reply that I can't she'll say "Oh man" in this highly dissapointed voice and walk away. She also says "ok" all the time. I'll tell her I'm going to get her dressed now and she says, "Ok." Almost every time I make a statement to her she says it. The best one she says is, "Yes mom." My goodness it took my other two kids at least 3 years to get that one and I'm still reminding them... She will also say "bless you" and "love you" unprompted. And, everyday before her nap and bedtime, she insists on saying goodnight to Anne and Drew and giving them hugs and kisses. It's adorable.
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Oct. 29, 2008 - Funny and Not-so-Funny Stuff...
Anne sings constantly-- especially in the car-- ESPECIALLY when there's no music! She was making up a song the other day that I thought I would share. Now you have to visualize the head bopping, shoulder grooving, out of tune singing of a 6 year old.
God makes a lot of bad decisions and rules
But we have to listen to Him... anyway...
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Yikes. I really don't think she necessarily believes this but you never know.. I let the opportunity slip by and never addressed it... I know, bad, bad, bad. I think I was just so surprised by the song.
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The kids were discussing Heaven and Hell the other day (it seems to be a prevalent topic with them these days) when I overheard these thoughts.
"Will they serve really yucky food in Hell?" Drew asked.
"I don't know, probably." Anne replied.
*****
another conversation...
"When I get to Heaven, I'm going to play Hide and Seek with Jesus. That will be fun." Drew said.
He doesn't realize how truly profound a statement that is! It struck me how often I "play" this game now and how utterly senseless it is since Jesus always knows my actions and even my heart.
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Oct. 29, 2008 - regret
I've been asked a number of times throughout my adult life if I have any regrets. Recently, this subject came up again and I realized how much my answer has changed through the years. Regret is a funny thing. Sure, we all have made decisions which, if we had to make them again today, we might choose differently. Notice I said "today" and not "if we could make them over again" meaning back when... I am at a place in my life where I confidently believe in the full sovereignty of God. I can't have regrets if this is true. Every decision-- no matter how poor-- made me who I am today. Looking back at the whole of my life thus far gives purpose and proper perspective to all the fragments. It makes me think of a wise allegory I heard once. Our lives are made up of lots of small pieces of fabric that may be torn and frayed, but our Master Quilter sews these scraps together making beautiful works of art. How true is that? If we spend our lives in the "what ifs", "I wishes" and "I regrets" we will miss what God has done and continues to do in our lives. We serve an Incredible Lord who is ALWAYS in control!
Nothing brings peace to my soul during this election time more than this truth! God uses us as a means to bring about His will and in the end, His Will always wins! How liberating! I can rest knowing that whoever He places in office is who He wants in that position. He blesses nations and curses them through their leaders. Let us not forget this!
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Sep. 29, 2008 - falling apart...
I often forget how literal kids are until I've just scared the pants off of one of my own by making a statement well beyond their capacity of understanding. I remember being at my sister-in-laws before having children and I would often say something to one of her kids only to receive a look of total confusion or blankness from them and a loving rebuke from her prompting me to restate what I was trying to say in a more child-friendly manner. Three children later and I find I haven't learned a thing...
The kids entered the car from Awana the other night with sandwich bags of those brightly covered goldfish-- something they beg for and I always refuse to buy. I tried to bribe them into not eating them by saying I would buy them an all natural equivalent. I was met with the groanings of "Daddy already said we could have them." Well I couldn't take them now... Instead I began spouting all the research I've come across regarding links between food coloring and hyperactivity-- at the kids-- not my husband! I buckled the kids in and got into the passenger seat of the van and proceeded to laugh out loud at the lunacy of what I had just done.
Two nights ago, I put Drew (3) to bed early because he didn't get a nap and was an emotional wreck by 5:00pm. At 6:00pm I informed him that he was getting into the shower and he was going straight to bed afterward because he was "falling apart" and needed rest. The poor kid kept tearing up and insisting "I not, I not." As I dried him off he looked at me all weepily and then looked himself up and down, then slowly and sadly looked up at me again and said, "Mommy, I can't see that I fallin apaut." I hugged him and gave him the interpretion of the silly cliche' I had used.
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Here are a couple of cute things said by the kids as we traveled into Boston by train.
Drew: "That's cool that people live in Boston."
Anne: "Do people live in Boston so they can see the trains?"
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After a history lesson on mummification in Egypt, Anne's only question was, "Are you going to do that to us?"
"Do what to you?"
"Make mummies of us. Me, Drew and Elle. Will you make mummies with us?"
"Uuummm, no..."
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Sep. 21, 2008 - Simple Living
Voluntary simplicity is not a limiting lifestyle. Actually, choosing to live “consciously and deliberately” will give you freedom… more quality time… more discretionary money… and more appreciation and enjoyment of every aspect of your life.
Choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com
We took our kids to the Boston Children’s Museum yesterday. If you’ve never been, it’s AMAZING! I was highly impressed with the creativity of the exhibits and the activities for the kids to participate in and learn from. It was an exhausting trip but well worth it!
Something I took with me and have been contemplating over the last 24 hours was the Kyoto house on the 3rd floor of the museum. It’s an actual house from Japan that is over 100 years old and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It is a small house constructed entirely of wood--at least 10 different kinds--but doesn’t feel at all dark or claustrophobic. There are full wall windows on both ends that allow light to enter. There are two large adjacent rooms which are mostly open to each other and the floor is covered in hand woven straw mats that smell fresh like spring. There is a small kitchen area open to the 2nd room and a very small bathroom with a very narrow and deep tub. The most impressive part was the furniture—or lack of. There were two tables. In the first room was a small square one reminiscent of an end table only much lower and the second was also low but slightly larger and rectangle shaped. Both had several pillows around them obviously for seating. There was a futon mattress on the floor in the first room and I asked if it was what they slept on (proving how terribly uncultured I am) and was told that they sleep on it and then it gets folded up and put into the closet so that they can use the room for other things throughout the day. The closets extend along the entire wall of each room! The rooms multitask! What the heck happened to us her in America? Why DO we devote an entire room to sleeping? How much wasted space is that? The wheels have been turning in my head ever since. DH got a little nervous today as I searched the internet for Japanese philosophies and ideas on simple living. You see, up until yesterday, I honestly thought simple living meant surviving on 6 pairs of shoes instead of 60.
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Sep. 5, 2008 - We made it!
Today marked the end of 3 weeks of school for us. I tossed the late morning schedule in favor of a trip to the library and music store. We read and borrowed some books, took out a video on "rescue vehicles" and headed over to the music store to get a couple of guitar books and a music stand. I was a very proud mama as we left the store and none of my 3 children disobeyed my command of not touching any of the guitars (they have a lot of them and many are very expensive). I don't know why the strings on a guitar are so appealing to kids but they seem to be magnetically drawn to them and can't resist the urge to strum when they are near.
We were out at the beach tonight to check out the surf which was surprisingly calm. While admiring the sky and perfect crescent moon, Drew asked "Is that in space?" He's been on a rocket ship kick lately and loves to talk about anything to do with them. I answered yes to his question and in the loudest, most enthusiastic voice he responded, " WE FOUND SPACE, MOM, WE FOUND SPACE." How precious to witness this moment of an abstract concept becoming a reality to him. I was filled with as much elation as he was.
Anne said something funny at a baby shower last week. She was outside sitting on the stone wall by the driveway with her cousin, Emily. Another little girl was playing in the driveway and people were starting to leave. My sister-in-law, Amy went out to tell the girls to be careful because they could get hit by a car if they didn't stay out of the way. Anne promptly informed her that she told the little girl she might get hit but that she (Anne) would call an ambulance for her if she did. "That would be a helpful thing to do wouldn't it Aunty Amy?" she said.
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Sep. 3, 2008 - "A government big enough to give you everything you want
is a government big enough to take from you everything you have." Gerald R. Ford
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln
What I think the Democratic Ticket will likely mean—
Free Universal Health Care
Free (Mandatory) Public Education (possibly including some government approved parochial schools)
This sounds really great doesn't it? Who wouldn’t like to get something for nothing? But nothing could be more ridiculous. We all know that nothing comes without a price. I have a friend who always stated “It either comes out of your wallet or your hide.” But the Democratic party has a great weapon this time; a man who can make just about anything sound appealing. Wasn’t it CS Lewis who said (of other religions but it can be applied) that if you tell a lie with a bit of truth in it, it makes the lie more believable?
A serious issue is at risk—our freedom. As you take a look at my list of potential problems resulting from bigger government, you may think me an alarmist. I challenge you to look back even just 20-30 years. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the direction our country is heading. I think the next 4 years are crucial at this point in time. We have a responsibility to think, pray and act.
Free Universal Health Care
No competition to keep costs low(er) = Little incentive to provide high quality care
Loss of provider choices—you no longer get to choose your doctors, pediatricians etc.
They decide what kind of care you receive—goodbye alternative or homeopathic medicines and remedies!
Prescriptions become mandatory (to lower blood pressure for instance so they don’t have to pay for heart surgery later on, ADHD meds for children…)
Denial of prescriptions/treatments/surgeries due to expense or availability within your network
They decide where you receive treatment—they won’t cover cancer surgery in a great NY cancer hospital because it’s not in your local network
You can no longer try experimental drugs because of cost or worse, you’re made to try them because the government deems it necessary (Wouldn’t YOU like to decide? I sure would!)
Mandatory Vaccinations—You’ll be held liable if you withhold your children, maybe even charged with neglect or abuse (cases such as this regarding other medical treatments have been documented)
Mandatory Birth Control to reduce teenage pregnancy
Higher Taxes
And who knows what recourse they’ll take regarding childhood obesity rates; when your daughter sees a gynecologist; sex education (don’t think they won’t get involved) etc. etc.
Free Mandatory Public Education
Mandatory physical and mental health assessments to medicate and treat as they see fit (special education, ADHD, obesity, sexual health…)
Someone else raising our children in a hostile, godless environment (in most cases)
Our children will learn behavior and social skills from their peers rather than a mixed group of adults and children.
Evolution taught as fact
Homosexuality taught as a healthy, viable lifestyle
Children are taught WHAT to think instead of HOW to think
Submersion into a subculture of constant stimulation, godless images and texts, sexual immorality, anti-American rhetoric… for 7-9 hours per day
Teaching styles will be pressed on students that aren’t always effective—“No child left behind” except of course if he’s a right brained learner
We will lose control over what videos and books they watch and read during school
And of course, higher taxes
These lists are obviously not exhaustive. Allow your mind to contemplate a bit and I’m sure you will come up with your own extensive list.
A running theme throughout is a loss of parental control and further destruction and undermining of family values.
All that being said, I believe God is completely sovereign. His will WILL be done regardless of the outcome of this year’s election. My hope lies not in the Republican Party (which itself has problems) but in my Creator and Redeemer.
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Aug. 23, 2008 - Rub my Feet!
Our youngest daughter, Elle copes with car rides much better than her big sister ever does. However, when she gets tired of reading her board books she can get pretty cranky. She usually has one request at that point (unless she is obviously hungry or tired) and that is to remove her shoes and rub her feet. Yup. She goes from a tearful, grumpy mess to instant rapture. This enormous grin envelops her face and she just stares at your fingers as they move across her toes. You can't get tired though because the second you let go, she starts fussing again. It's equally as adorable as it can be annoying. I love watching my children's personalities unfold and embracing all those quirky differences.
We returned from Groton, CT about an hour ago. Geoff and I took turns rubbing her feet the last 25 minutes home.
We brought the kids to the US Navy Submarine Force Museum (Groton) and toured the USS Nautilus(sp?) this afternoon. They had a lot of fun and the museum did a great job of providing lots of gadgets the kids could feel and test. I was surprised at how much they enjoyed it given their ages (5,3 and 1 1/2). The submarine had lots of manequins dressed as members of the crew throughout-- some were eating, working controls, navigating, sleeping, etc. and Drew kept asking from behind the glass; "Who's that?" He thought they were all real people. It was cute. The best part? The museum and the tour of the submarine are free! They have a donation box at the entrance to give as you feel led. What a great resource! In fact, I'm counting it as a school day field trip.
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Aug. 21, 2008 - Amazing Grace!
My friend Jenny is always telling me I should write a book as I convey stories of catastrophe and/or humor on a daily basis on our walks in the early morning. I think this blog will be the extent to which that may occur. I’ve always loved to write—I used to journal, now I blog mostly, I like to write letters as opposed to emails and I prefer to make my cards rather than purchase them—but I don’t ever have enough time to write as much as I would like. With that said, I also “love” to do many other activities and if given the time would probably want to participate in all of them and therefore be no more invested in writing. So, one day you may visit me, many children and grandchildren (I hope) down the road and on my coffee table will lay a stack of 3 hole punched printouts from my blog in a lovely hand decorated office binder.
Geoff has been away at an important meeting in VA all week and of course if you keep up with my family, you know that spells disaster from the get-go. But truly, God is amazing as I see his hand at work and taking care of me even in these times and I praise him that most of our disasters are very minor when put into perspective.
Before I get into my week, I have to share an enormous praise. I have been struggling for a long time, in fact I can’t think of a time I haven’t struggled, with the concept of forever. I know what you’re thinking… What? I would go through periods where the idea would taunt me because my little brain can’t grasp it and desperately wants to. It’s one of those mysteries that no one understands and yet so many just accept in Faith. Not I. In fact over the past year or so, the fear of the whole concept has nearly rendered me paralyzed at times with anxiety or a full-fledged panic attack. It really has become a serious problem for me. A couple weeks ago I was in my van with the kids and Anne asked the question “How long will we be in heaven with Jesus?” I answered “forever and ever, always we’ll be there”. That was all it took for my head to spin out of control and nearly send us into a stone wall on the side of the road. I was literally in the midst of a panic attack within a ½ second of answering her question. It’s very strange because many times I have to be dwelling on the issue (which believe me I try everything not to do) in order to get that worked up about it. But for the next couple miles home I was praying out loud and trying to be calm and even speaking to myself to “calm down, everything is fine…” Poor Anne kept asking what was wrong and I just kept saying “nothing sweetie, everything is going to be ok.” That was when I realized I may actually need professional help. By now you’re thinking—what kind of psycho is this lady? But no, I really am a stable person—mostly =). I went to God in prayer about it which I’ve done thousands of times before but this time was different. I pleaded, and cried and begged that he would remove this ridiculous fear. I haven’t had an issue since. Of course I haven’t allowed myself to dwell on the issue either although it’s awful tempting to “check” if I’m healed completely. But of course, that is ridiculous as well because it proves once again that I’m not trusting God. But I will say the subject has come up on numerous occasions and I can’t describe the peace or calm I feel about it when it does. It’s unlike anything I’ve felt before. Why am I still surprised when these types of things occur in my life? Because like Israel, I forget His marvelous works, His grace and mercy, His love. Praise God that like Israel I am brought back, forgiven, and made new.
This past weekend we went camping in CT. It was a great time—aside from a few minor kinks which had they not happened it wouldn’t have been a Short Family Outing. When we were setting up the tent we spotted a garter snake and about a million frogs (aka toads) I know for all of you biology buffs, I do know the difference but doesn’t it sound so much better to say frog? The kids were catching so many of these baby “frogs” and they would make these cute little habitats for them in the plastic cups we had. They would throw in some grass and pebbles—they even caught a couple of spiders so the frogs would have some munchies. I suddenly realized that my children do appreciate me, even if indirectly. With all the frog coddling and concern for their welfare I knew in my heart that they understood some key things about nurturing, responsibility and love. It needs to be a bit more present when they relate to each other however.
(I do have to share a very ambiguous memory that was sparked by all the frogs. My friend Beth and I were driving back to His Mansion Ministries together from RI and when we got onto the back roads in Deering that particularly rainy night, there were literally hundreds and hundreds of frogs all over the road and you couldn’t avoid hitting them. It seemed to go on for miles. Of course, we’re squealing with laughter and disgust and it was totally terrifying all at the same time. I admit thinking about it now only makes me chuckle. I guess I’m a bit removed from the sadness of it.)
Back to camping: We settled in and made grilled pizzawiches?!? thanks to our MI friends (YUMMO) and smores and had Sophie (our 6mth Shepherd mix) tied to a tree near us. Just as we relaxed she promptly chewed through the next site trailer’s phone line that they had just installed. They were one of those couples who rent for the season and they came out complaining of static on the line. Sure enough, Sophie had severed the line and then it began to rain. So in the rain (yes it poured the whole first night), Geoff was trying to splice the wires. Finally the owner drove by and said he would take care of it the next day. We’re still unsure of the cost of this little incident.
Saturday we had a leisurely morning making breakfast. I was all smugly organized with my bag of blueberries, homemade bag of whole wheat pancake mix, canned peaches to mix with my frozen strawberries—only to realize I’d forgotten the maple syrup AND a bowl to mix the batter in. Well, I can be resourceful. So I mixed everything in a gallon sized Ziploc and we happily ate our lumpy blueberry pancakes with the mixed fruit on top but I was secretly wishing that just this once I had bought the packed in syrup peaches instead of the packed in pear juice ones. Have you ever eaten a REAL whole wheat pancake? Syrup is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Saturday night we got the kids into bed around 9:00 and started to unwind by the fire when we received a phone call from our house/dogsitter. Blitz (our 12yr old Shepherd mix) had jaw surgery a week before and his stitches had come out. Ugh. You would think after a week it would be healed but unfortunately by nature of the wet environment and all it wasn’t. So at 10:30 we loaded the kids and all of our bed stuff into the van and drove home. We arrived at midnight and called the animal hospital and with all the bleeding we were told to bring him right in. Geoff took him and I tucked the kids into bed and slept in Anne’s bed while our sitter went back to bed. DH didn’t get home until 2:00 am without Blitz and slept on the couch. It turned out that he had to undergo anesthesia again and his mouth be restitched. He was ready to go at 10:30am and we were able to get back and break down the campsite by 1:15pm—fifteen minutes later than the requested check out time but we did pretty well!
BTW—I will never again go camping without a kid’s potty. I can’t get over how much stress was relieved by not having to walk down to the bathroom at 2:00am—or worse holding it all night because I’m afraid to walk down at 2:00am. For the sake of clarity, yes I was the one that used it in the middle of the night.
I started school on Monday and we seem to be settling into our schedule easily for the most part. The kids seem to even be enjoying the new chore system because they get to wear a cool “badge”. Geoff also left for VA on Monday and that’s always stressful for me. Elle split her bottom lip in the morning climbing a chair. That night after I fed the kids I took Elle outside with me barefoot to water the garden. No, she didn’t cut herself but there are other land mines in our yard to worry about—more on that later. I told the kids when they were done to come outside. They let our dog Sophie in when they came out and I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a shadow in the kitchen window. There was Sophie, completely on top of our kitchen table, drinking from my water glass. I stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds watering my foot. I then ran inside as she hopped down, catapulting my daughters chocolate milk through the air and leaving me with a gigantic mess to clean. She had also licked clean their plates and the pan on the stove of any leftovers. Ugh. On the brightside—she didn’t break anything. My glass remained on the table even though half the table cloth was off of it. I got everyone in the house while I cleaned and about ½ hr later I was getting the kids ready for bed when I noticed the top of one of Elle’s feet was brown. I thought it was dirt. Nope. The smell gave it away instantly. I washed her foot and ignored the OCD parts of me that wanted to run through the house and disinfect everything, and that needed to figure out how it was smeared on the top of her foot to begin with.
Wednesday I was hit with a very strange virus that knocked me off my feet all day. I had terrible pain in my head and pain, chills and achiness down my entire body all day and all night. I was taking pain medication but it was merely taking the edge off. My friend Jenny came over and took care of all my kids from 11:00am until about 4:30. I slept for 3 ½ of those 5 ½ hours and I have no idea what went on the other 2. I was that out of it. It was the weirdest thing. I expected to become nauseous at some point or to get a sore throat indicating a possible flu or bad cold. Nothing. By mid morning today, I was fine. Very Strange. See how good God is though? I was unable to function and with Geoff away I honestly don’t know what I would have done. Jenny has Wednesdays off and usually goes to the beach but decided not to because it wasn’t going to be warm enough for her. Then, our neighbor called and invited Anne to the zoo with her daughter so she wasn’t around until 6:30. God lifts my burdens in many ways— especially through great friends and a helpful, loving husband—and I’m grateful.
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