Do you know what our kids are learning in school? Evan and I talk the most when he should be sleeping. Tonight, that was 10 pm. Bad parent, bad, bad. As he was laying in bed, he was telling me about 5 ships in the ocean, "like 20,000 miles, not like a big ocean." He weaved Christopher Columbus into it, so I thought they had talked about Columbus Day coming up, but then he said they were off the coast of Somalia. Ok, Chris wasn't near Somalia, was he? And you do know he's been dead for about 500 years? No, now, not way back then. Wow - current events - social studies - in 1st grade. Not just the cheesy weekly reader magazine. There are plenty of pirates off the coast of Somalia holding boats hostage and getting millions of $$ in ransom to fund the Taliban. I explained the pirates were really bad guys and would kill if they didn't get their ransom, but left the Taliban and Iraq out of it. He knows there's a war and his friend and neighbor's dad is gone until next summer training & fighting in Iraq, but we can save that for 2nd grade. I'm still waiting for the computer lab to be kept up like it should be, a real library in the school and art classes, but at least they are getting real news. He knew about the hurricanes a few weeks ago, too.
It's 1st grade. I can read the readers, I can quiz the spelling words. My kid brings home sounds tests. I'm sure I learned it - I can sound out words in a dictionary - but it's already greek to me. Bring on the math - that I still know. E asked me how to spell "ray" - a middle name. Then he told me all about the sounds the "a-e" combination make. Go to sleep, E. I don' know or care how her parents chose to spell her name.
Colby? 4 accidents today, the first day we ventured out of the house for more than an hour or so. Yesterday? No accidents. Time to do some laundry...
Happy Anniversary, T. I'd do it all again.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Miracle Sunday
WARNING - GOD ALERT!!
This post started out in my head about how cute C and his buddy Steven were this week in church. Evan wanted to sit in the front row, which was fine. The band started playing & singing, and C was in the front row, fingers in his ears - it was too loud. It was hysterical in church, and we are a pretty relaxed crowd. My friend's husband and teenage daughter sing in the praise band. Her 2 year old walked up next to his daddy and big sis and grabbed an open (and turned off) microphone and started singing during 1 of the songs. Just hilarious, and so stinkin' cute!
Now, for the sermon...
Is God at work in your life?
Today we celebrated Miracle Sunday at church. We are building a new church, sometime soon. An anonymous donor donated $30-40,000 to the building fund, on the condition that the rest of the congregation matches it on a given Sunday, in addition to regular giving and our building campaign. We have had yard sales, ebay auctions, a silent auction at church - anything to come up with "extra" money. We have also celebrated God's miracles in our lives. It's not about the lightning strikes, it's about the small things that have made such an impact to change our lives.
It's about a country church and the adults that embraced me as a teenager when my parents divorced, supporting me through college and beyond, starting my walk as a Christian.
It's about taking that first "real" job 500 miles away from home, only to find out home is what you make of it, not a place on a map.
It's about a chance email address from a friend and co-worker, who is now my sister-in-law and aunt to our kids. Eight years of marriage this week - woohoo!
It's about infertility after a successful pregnancy, and a pregnancy with no drugs and only 1 ovary.
It's about watching my mom get sick and feeling helpless. And watching my dad and stepmom help my sister and I to help my mom - families coming together in unexpected ways for unexpected things.
It's about a warm, welcoming church when I felt isolated and alone in a corn field in Illinois. Five years later, I don't want to be anywhere else on a Sunday morning or Tuesday night.
Did you make plans for your life when you were 20? I remember talking to the Wesley pastor. My plans? Move to Ft. Worth, work at the hospital where I was born and spent quality time as a preemie 34 years ago, own a Ford Ranger, be a department manager in a big hospital. At that point, there wasn't a husband or kids in the future. I couldn't think that far ahead. I did all of that except buy the Ranger and be a manager when I graduated from college, and it wasn't what made me happy. Now I've got the F-150, work as little as I can and still pay the bills, live in a cornfield of a town, and raise kids - none of which were my plans. And I'm happy, and God's in the middle of it. I still would like to live someplace bigger, but my husband's family is here and it's a great place to raise kids, and that's more important.
And the total for Miracle Sunday?? $55,000, + the donor's $$.
Let's go dig a hole. God has more work to do in this cornfield.
This post started out in my head about how cute C and his buddy Steven were this week in church. Evan wanted to sit in the front row, which was fine. The band started playing & singing, and C was in the front row, fingers in his ears - it was too loud. It was hysterical in church, and we are a pretty relaxed crowd. My friend's husband and teenage daughter sing in the praise band. Her 2 year old walked up next to his daddy and big sis and grabbed an open (and turned off) microphone and started singing during 1 of the songs. Just hilarious, and so stinkin' cute!
Now, for the sermon...
Is God at work in your life?
Today we celebrated Miracle Sunday at church. We are building a new church, sometime soon. An anonymous donor donated $30-40,000 to the building fund, on the condition that the rest of the congregation matches it on a given Sunday, in addition to regular giving and our building campaign. We have had yard sales, ebay auctions, a silent auction at church - anything to come up with "extra" money. We have also celebrated God's miracles in our lives. It's not about the lightning strikes, it's about the small things that have made such an impact to change our lives.
It's about a country church and the adults that embraced me as a teenager when my parents divorced, supporting me through college and beyond, starting my walk as a Christian.
It's about taking that first "real" job 500 miles away from home, only to find out home is what you make of it, not a place on a map.
It's about a chance email address from a friend and co-worker, who is now my sister-in-law and aunt to our kids. Eight years of marriage this week - woohoo!
It's about infertility after a successful pregnancy, and a pregnancy with no drugs and only 1 ovary.
It's about watching my mom get sick and feeling helpless. And watching my dad and stepmom help my sister and I to help my mom - families coming together in unexpected ways for unexpected things.
It's about a warm, welcoming church when I felt isolated and alone in a corn field in Illinois. Five years later, I don't want to be anywhere else on a Sunday morning or Tuesday night.
Did you make plans for your life when you were 20? I remember talking to the Wesley pastor. My plans? Move to Ft. Worth, work at the hospital where I was born and spent quality time as a preemie 34 years ago, own a Ford Ranger, be a department manager in a big hospital. At that point, there wasn't a husband or kids in the future. I couldn't think that far ahead. I did all of that except buy the Ranger and be a manager when I graduated from college, and it wasn't what made me happy. Now I've got the F-150, work as little as I can and still pay the bills, live in a cornfield of a town, and raise kids - none of which were my plans. And I'm happy, and God's in the middle of it. I still would like to live someplace bigger, but my husband's family is here and it's a great place to raise kids, and that's more important.
And the total for Miracle Sunday?? $55,000, + the donor's $$.
Let's go dig a hole. God has more work to do in this cornfield.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Superheros, Undies and Soccer
Evan playing soccer, Colby watching soccer holding his buddy's very special fillup tractor, and a weekend outing to Meramec Cave earlier in the month.
E's bizarre bedtime conversation...
Mom, can you fix a broken head?
Well, it depends on where and how hard you hit your head. But it's a definite hospital stay, so let's not do it, whaddya say?
I was thinking, if I was a superhero and hit the bad guy with a brick in the front and the back and the very back and...
Good night, Superhero. Close your eyes, close your mouth.
Colby is in day 4 of underwear. It's about the third time I've tried this, and maybe it's finally working. 4 changes of clothes on Monday. None today. Woohoo!! He certainly has not been like his brother to potty train. E was much easier and less stubborn. C would prefer to just be naked, and really isn't bothered by wet undies. I want to be done with diapers, but he could care less. I can count the number of accidents E had on one hand since we put him in undies, including at night.
For those of you who thought you were coming to a soccer game and then C's birthday party, the game got moved... to tonight. There was a miscommunication and we thought it was practice. Oops, nope, game. We lost 0-2. E had fun, got a little exercise, and all was ok.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Happy Birthday & Welcome Back
Yesterday was my dad's 67th birthday. I did call and wish him a happy birthday, twice. Colby gets mad if he doesn't get to talk on the phone, so we called a second time - happy birthday papaw, wuv you, goonight. As Tom has worked evenings for the last 3 months, we call him at work and tell him about our evening. So to Colby, every phone call ends in wuv you, goonight.
For those interested, Tom is working on the trim in the kitchen this morning- 4 months of hard work, 3 hours at a time in the mornings and all day on Mondays. When he goes to days next week, his dad can move the morning coffee/ work session across town to Tom's sister's house. Aunt Buckie is packing up and moving today and tomorrow. Perhaps a bit bittersweet for her as she is leaving the last place she and Uncle Al lived together, but we are all happy to have her in town. Evan has heard the stories of his older cousins when they lived across the street from Aunt Buck the last time they were here, and he is ready to create his own memories. He asked this morning as we were walking to school if he could ride the bus home to Buckie's house. Not today - movers won't be here until tomorrow. He wanted to buy her 2 carseats for her birthday. Welcome home, Buckie!
For those interested, Tom is working on the trim in the kitchen this morning- 4 months of hard work, 3 hours at a time in the mornings and all day on Mondays. When he goes to days next week, his dad can move the morning coffee/ work session across town to Tom's sister's house. Aunt Buckie is packing up and moving today and tomorrow. Perhaps a bit bittersweet for her as she is leaving the last place she and Uncle Al lived together, but we are all happy to have her in town. Evan has heard the stories of his older cousins when they lived across the street from Aunt Buck the last time they were here, and he is ready to create his own memories. He asked this morning as we were walking to school if he could ride the bus home to Buckie's house. Not today - movers won't be here until tomorrow. He wanted to buy her 2 carseats for her birthday. Welcome home, Buckie!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Question for the Day
Evan's question for the day, 9/22/08:
Do dogs and people go to the same cemetery?
Good question, but we don't have a dog, and won't have a dog. Nobody has died since Uncle Albert in May, so I just had to wonder where that came from. Tom answered it - he buried his dog in the woods. Papaw didn't think it should be buried in their yard in the city, and Tom thought the dog should be able to run in the country. It just led to more ?'s about dogs running free. Good night, Evan, you're stalling sleeping.
Colby's conversation for the day, 9/22/08:
As I pick him up from library, his first adventure on his own as a toddler...
M: Did you have a good time at Library?
C: Where?
M: Where did you just spend an hour?
C: Here, at the "libary?"
M: Yes, at the library.
C: What did we do here?
C's fascination for the week, and foreseeable future is a catalog of farm implements and dealers from Napa. Other folks pick out houses from these magazines, but C has latched on to tractors. Mommy, read my story. What dat tractor doing? They are all "fill-up" tractors - anything with a scoop or bucket. Lookatdat fill-up tractor.
Do dogs and people go to the same cemetery?
Good question, but we don't have a dog, and won't have a dog. Nobody has died since Uncle Albert in May, so I just had to wonder where that came from. Tom answered it - he buried his dog in the woods. Papaw didn't think it should be buried in their yard in the city, and Tom thought the dog should be able to run in the country. It just led to more ?'s about dogs running free. Good night, Evan, you're stalling sleeping.
Colby's conversation for the day, 9/22/08:
As I pick him up from library, his first adventure on his own as a toddler...
M: Did you have a good time at Library?
C: Where?
M: Where did you just spend an hour?
C: Here, at the "libary?"
M: Yes, at the library.
C: What did we do here?
C's fascination for the week, and foreseeable future is a catalog of farm implements and dealers from Napa. Other folks pick out houses from these magazines, but C has latched on to tractors. Mommy, read my story. What dat tractor doing? They are all "fill-up" tractors - anything with a scoop or bucket. Lookatdat fill-up tractor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)