When my children were born, I had no desire to do such things as 'the tooth fairy.'  I mean, come on!  But it was a big tradition in my husband's family, and when my mother-in-law presented my daughter with a 'tooth fairy pillow,' I just went along with it.

Fast forward to six months ago.  One of the big girls lost a tooth, and all three of the girls had questions about the tooth fairy.  So, I decided to follow the lead of one of the FIAR moms and address it with a little fun.  I made my plans and I waited.

Friday, my oldest daughter lost a couple of teeth.  I decided this was the time to gently lay the tooth fairy to rest.  It would be perfect.  She is my daughter that simply cannot fall asleep easily.  She comes in to our room usually at least twice each night in the first half an hour after lights out, wanting to talk about something before she can relax and go to sleep.  Perfect!

So, after my husband finished reading the bedtime stories, I set the plan in motion.  I stepped into our bathroom and emerged dressed in black pants and shirt,  wings pinned onto the shirt, a tiara, a feather boa, and a sequined purple tutu.  I had a wand.  I was ready.

After turning on the hall light so I would be nicely backlit, I walked into the girls' room, and heard.... snoring!  What!  Big Girl was asleep?  No way!  I was expecting Two to be drowsy, but not Big Girl.

I stomped across the floor to waken her.  Didn't work. I kicked her underbed boxes back under the bed where they belong. Didn't work.  I jingled the wand over her, then poked her with the wand, then poked her with my finger. Finally I grabbed her arm and shook it.  Her eyes flew open. 

I jingled the wand in front of her, then shook the money before her very eyes. I wanted to make sure she wasn't missing this.  Then I roughly shoved the money under her pillow, and just as roughly emerged with the tooth pillow.  I waved that in front of her as well.  Then, flapping my arms like a deranged goose, I tiptoed loudly from the room, shutting the door behind me. 

Expectantly, I waited in the hall for her to come out and ask what in the world I was doing.  Never happened.  Finally, I went back into our bathroom and emerged in my pj's, only to be met by two-year-old Boyo asking, "Mama, what you were doin' in that dwess?"  

My husband and I figured that Big Girl would at least have a dream to tell us about the next morning.  But, nuthin'.  

Finally, I said to her, "Hey, since you're going upstairs, why don't you see if the tooth fairy left you anything.'

"She did. But I was waiting to show it to Princess and Boyo."

"Oh."

My husband looks at me with some serious surprise on his face, and then says to Big Girl, "Honey, uh, did you happen to see the tooth fairy?"

Big Girl replies very matter-of-factly, "Yes."

"Well, what did she look like?"

Continuing up the stairs, she says in an even tone, "She was bigger than I imagined."

! ! !

Shortly thereafter, I heard her telling her younger siblings all about her tooth fairy sighting.

Guess I'll try again.

They are gifts.  My children are gifts to my husband and me.  Not only is the Bible very clear on that, but our experience bears it out as well.

Why would I give them away?

Why would I send them away from me, to sit at the feet of someone else to be discipled, influenced, changed?

Why would I give away their daily best hours of energy, enthusiasm, joy, fun, to someone else so that I can be left with the dregs?

Why would I give away the joy of seeing my child change from pre-operational to operational in math;  watching as reading "clicks" for her; sitting shoulder to shoulder as she finally gets her hands to do what she wants them to do; hearing her excitement as mysteries of the world open up to her?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

With cooler weather moving into the area, the area mice have decided to move into our house.  Last night we saw one in the family room.  A little later I was in the kitchen doing dishes and 4yo Princess Perky went into the family room alone to get something.  Mousie poked his head out from under our couch and Princess got hysterical. She jumped up on a chair and began to scream, "Help! Help! I'm so scared! Get me out of here! Get me out of this room! Get me out of this house!"

I ran in and grabbed her and sat down in the chair with her and began to comfort her.  As I was doing so, Mousie looked out again, and the screaming began again.  I gently put my hand over her mouth and said, "Shush!  Now be so still and sit here and watch."

Watch we did.  Mousie kept poking his head out from under the couch and pulling it back in until he felt a little more safe. Then he exited his refuge and began to make his way across the floor. He stopped just a bit from us and stopped to look at us, giving us a good chance to look at him.

He was so cute. Dark gray and soft looking, with big velvety ears - if he wasn't in my house he would have been adorable. 

Mouse viewing turned out to be a mistake.  Perky now thinks mice are the cutest things ever, luuvs them, and is plotting to get one as a pet for every member of the family.

"Please, Mama, please.  I'll care for it so well!"

Uh, no. Thanks, but no. I'll have guinea pigs, I'll have fish. I'll have reptiles, amphibians and birds. But no mice in the hice.  I mean, no mouse in the house.  Ever.  Unless it comes in voluntarily and at great risk to its personal safety.

- We called the children to come to the supper table.  When 4yo dd arrived, she was out of breath.  We asked her what she'd been doing. 

"Playing."

"Playing what?"

"Detective.  I'm a detective and I detect when people have been muhduhd."

-We were driving home from errands and talking about our pet chickens.  10yo dd and I were discussing petting the chickens and just generally lovin' on them.  4yo dd pipes up from the back seat, "Yes, but we can't hug them, or their heads might pop off!"

-Like mother, like son

The phone rang today, and before I could get to it, 2yo ds picked it up and answered it.  After saying "hello" he immediately frowned, pointed at his sisters, and said, "Shhhh!  Be kite!  I on the phone!"

I wanted a book case headboard, so several years ago my husband made one for our bed.  He made it of plywood, with trim moulding for a little texture and a more finished look.

It holds books, alarm clocks, lights, whatever. 

The headboard was painted to coordinate with our walls and bedding in our old house; we moved last week and the walls here are still white and I haven't found all the bedding yet, but you can get the general idea.

Here is a photo of the headboard.

Here is a side view so you can see how it looks from the side.

The book cubbies have a hole in the back for electrical wires.  We were in a hurry at the time we built the headboard and those were the only lights we could find that weren't halogen. I don't want halogen lights on my headboard - I think they would be too hot.  So, we will keep looking untl we find some lights we like better that are non-halogen.

April 24 - everything proceeding as normal - busy living life and have planned and purchased materials for a DYI remodel of our family room

April 25 - husband driving home from work sees a sign in a yard

April 26 - look at the house, love the floor plan

April 27 - look at the house again and after much discussion decide that it is just too much work and we are not interested

April 28 - make an offer on the house

April 29 - offer is accepted and contract drawn up

May 2 - home inspection

May 6 - renegotiation based on inspection

May 15 - approval of terms by all parties; get storage pod delivered

May 20 - meet with tradesmen to get bids on work to be done

May 22 - show house to sister who is visiting from out of town

May 29 - close on house

May 30 - get family room measured for carpet

June 4 - take possession

June 5 - meet with window guy, floor guy; also a friend about removing wallpaper.  meet with seller to learn about mechanicals

June 7 - remove wallpaper, paneling from house; realize the drywall is not textured. begin moving things from old garage to new garage

June 9 - meet with contractor about texturing walls; hire him

June 10 - meet with another floor guy; hire him

Jun- 12 - 15 - drywall is being textured

June 16-17 - new roof put on

June 16 - 20 - floors being refinished

June 20 - dumpster delivered

June 21 - 22 - put all trash from drywall texture, wallpaper removal, roofing, etc. into dumpster

June 22 - replace doors

June 23 - clean house in preparation to move in; begin moving small items; prepare furniture for new home on wood floors

June 24 - movers arrive to take large items and FIRST NIGHT IN NEW HOUSE

My daughter's recreational soccer team had their-end of season party last night.  We met at their practice field and before we commenced with pizza and trophies and cake, we had a parent v. daughter game.

I am NOT athletic, I am not competitive, I have never played soccer before in my life.  Let me just say those things up front.

Last night I learned some things:

-  I learned that I am more competitive than I thought I was.

- I learned that I don't really care whether my team scores or not, but ain't NOBODY gonna score on me.

- When facing my daughter on the field as a competitor, I learned why her coach says she is "scarey good."  Wow!  Even just for fun, she is intimidating.

- I learned it is a good idea to keep my eyes open when I am kicking a soccer ball.

- I learned why my daughters love the game of soccer!

On my daughter's team, the girls are from three different schools plus homeschool; they are from a variety of family situations; they have a variety of spiritual beliefs.  But they all get along well, and our parent group enjoys each other too.  We are a soccer community and it is a wonderful thing to be a part of such a group.  The team is parent-coached, and all other positions are parent volunteers as well;  we are blessed to have folks who are so committed to our daughters' enjoyment of this past-time.

that we are moving.

We have wanted to move for a while now.  We have felt that with the birth of our current youngest, we are bursting at the seams.    Our floorplan works awkwardly for us, at best.

We have looked and looked, for years, in fact.  But finding the right floorplan on the right lot in the right neighborhood at the right price has been impossible.

(The word "right" in the above sentence does not mean ritzy or new or fancy or anything like that. It just means "fits our needs".)

And... as frustrating as some things are about our house, it is our home.  Our first two children were brought home from the hospital to this house; two more were born here.  Three of them learned to walk in this house.  Except for nine months of TDY, all of our children have spent all of their lives here.

But, our split-level floorplan was causing increased problems for the grandparents; it became increasingly difficult for them to visit us because of all the stair climbing to move from one room to the next.

After years of searching wore me out, we decided that there were possibly things we could do to make the most of where we are, so we set to work in August to make that happen.  We have been making gradual and sure progress and feeling pretty content with that.

On April 25, all of that changed. 

My husband was driving home from work and noticed a "for sale" sign in a yard.  That was a Friday. Saturday we looked at the house. Sunday we looked at it again.  Monday we made an offer. Tuesday the offer was accepted.

Now we are just doing all of the little things one does between putting a contract on a house and closing on it.  Lots of paperwork, inspections, etc.

We are so excited!

The floorplan is one we have dreamed of. The house is easily-navigable for senior citizens: the grandparents today, and us in the future. 

The house and yard are very easily classified as "fixer-uppers", which is why it fits our budget.  That gives us room to plan and dream.

God is so good to us.