MommaJen

There's a baby on the way....

2011-03-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

Nicholas is going to have a baby brother in early June and he is so excited!!

His birthmom and her husband are expecting their first baby and we are all looking forward to meeting this sweet little one. Nicholas is just excited that he will have a brother even though he won't live with us! The kids and I had fun buying gifts for the baby last week and Nicholas picked out something extra special just from him. My kids think it's perfect that they each will have a brother and sister now - one that they live with and one that they get to visit and not have to deal with each day!

This really says it all

2011-03-27T14:58:00.000-05:00

I'm copying something from the website www.thebipolarchild.com because it pretty much sums up our life right now. I've avoided discussing the struggles we have because really who wants to be around a Debbie Downer and sometimes I too just want to escape into discussions of the latest American Idol or the price of gas.

But, this is reality right now. And well, sometimes reality stinks. Life isn't always rainbows and sunshine. Sometimes life is just tough.

This is a long read, but for those of you who are interested in where we are right now, this is it (more or less)

The Bipolar Child Newsletter
November, 2006 Vol. 23
In Honor of Mothers and Fathers of Bipolar Children

--Janice Papolos and Demitri F. Papolos, M.D.
In our book, and in almost every newsletter we write, we talk constantly about the burdens that parents of children with bipolar disorder must shoulder and overcome, all the while attempting to make decisions with the clinicians who work in an area of medicine that is still in its infancy.

But we've never composed a stand-alone list that lets others look at what the parents must grapple with and withstand--in all its stark and disturbing reality.

This list, sadly, cannot even be described as "exhaustive or complete," but as Mother's Day approaches, and Father's Day is just a calendar turn away, the parents coping with a child (or children) with bipolar disorder deserve special recognition and honor for their enormous valor as they:

Look at a very young and much-loved child with a nagging fear that something is seriously wrong.
Feel the external world bearing down on them, advising them to take multiple parenting classes or to tune into Nanny 911. Feel infantilized and ashamed as people offer up criticism and advice.
Accept that they need help from a professional, but feel a stranglehold of fear.
Come to learn that there are only 4,101 child psychiatrists in the entire United States--many wary of making this diagnosis.
Watch their child and other siblings besieged by an illness for which there is little diagnostic or treatment consensus in the field of psychiatry.
Receive multiple diagnoses such as ADHD, OCD, ODD, PDD, anxiety disorder, or simple depression.
Come to accept that the child has a very serious psychiatric illness and make the agonizing decision to begin a trial of medications (if they can find a psychiatrist who can treat their child, or who has open hours).
Read the package inserts of medications which list possible side effects, as well as frightening black-box labels, and watch apprehensively for any signs of serious trouble such as lithium toxicity, tardive dyskinesia, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, new-onset type-II diabetes, or pancreatitis.
Attempt to explain to a child how the doctor is trying to help and what the medications are going to do; subsequently they watch their child experience distressing early side effects that include nausea and diarrhea and severe drowsiness; or worse, the paradoxical effects that produce the opposite reaction of what the drug is being used to treat.
Deal with the disillusionment of a failed medication trial and explain to that child why those pills didn't work and tell him or her: "We're going to try something else," knowing that they may have to repeat that phrase a number of times and thus begin a new round of side effects.
Have to get a child who has a needle phobia to a lab for a blood draw to determine drug levels. (This experience alone could turn one's hair grey.)
Watch children's weight balloon upward and their self-esteem plummet as they take certain medications that can be very effective, but that may also cause weight gain.
Become an all too familiar face at the pharmacy, experiencing shock at the cost of each prescription.
Have to suffer the ignorance of people in the media, who--in a cavalier manner--discuss over-diagnosis and over-medication. Moreover, these parents hear certain clinicians in the field publicly utter insulting sound bites such as: "This is an easy way for parents to let themselves off the hook;" or "This is simply the diagnosis du jour."
Have to listen to the word "No!" from a child one hundred times each morning, but be unable to assert the parental "No" as it will predictably trigger a meltdown.
Suffer the physical abuse of a child raging out of control, and experience crippling shame because they can't manage their own child.
Are set adrift in a house that has become a war zone.
Deal with feelings that alternate from extreme anger at the child to the most unbelievable yearning to help that child, from anger at the outside world for failing to realize what is happening to them, to exhaustion in trying to deal with the child with some modicum of equanimity.
Become perplexed that their child often does well in the outside world, only to return to the safe harbor of home to rage at a parent (most often the mother), leading to the suspicions of outsiders that "Something must be going on in that household, and with that woman;" or "She seems so nice, but you never really know people;" or "He can keep it together at school, so he must be a very manipulative kid.
Have to mount a siege each school-day morning simply to get a child suffering a sleep/wake reversal up and out to school.
Hesitate to answer a phone, afraid that it will be the vice-principal in charge of disciplinary action calling to report an "incident" at school.
Come close to earning a degree in educational law so as to work with the school system. Keep in constant contact with the teachers and psychologist or aide in order to assess what's working and where yet another accommodation may help.
Waylay careers and reduce household income so a parent can stay at home to deal with the child and spend hours at doctors' and therapists' and tutors' offices.
Experience the heartbreak of knowing that their child is rarely invited to birthday parties. Conversely, if he or she is invited, the event might be overstimulating thus provoking some kind of meltdown, and effectively putting an end to any such celebrations in the future.
Fear that their child will become aggressive with kids on the playground or in the neighborhood, thus earning disdain and a cold shoulder from the other parents.
Want the world to understand, but fear that the stigma will further isolate the child and their family.
Attempt to explain the almost inexplicable to the siblings, and to help them cope with the chaos in the household. Feel overwhelming guilt that the family is always fractured as one parent goes to a soccer game while the other stays home with the unstable child; or that a rare dinner at a restaurant devolves into an embarrassing, abruptly-ended event as parents race the child and siblings home and away from disapproving diners.
Are paralyzed if a child becomes manic and hypersexual and says inappropriate things or makes inappropriate gestures.
See their marriages become shaky as the stress of coping with this illness leaves parents little time to relate to each other and most conversations begin to center around the problems of their ill child.
Listen with horror as their child screams, "I don't want to live anymore;" or "I'd be better off dead."
____________________________________________________

It is hard to fathom how these parents get through a day. Their reality is simply unimaginable to the outside world, and their lives--until their children are stable--are a virtual stew of guilt and powerlessness, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, confusion, blame, and shame. These are feelings that most of us would do anything to avoid, but all are feelings that a family who lives with bipolar disorder must endure for months and years at a time.

And yet, we see family after family find the help, learn to cope, steady their footing, and move on with their lives. And then we see them turn around and offer a lifeline of information and support to others who must walk the same path, only now no longer alone.

This is where we are right now. It is not where we will stay. Lance and I are very committed to doing the best we can for Leah and Nicholas. We have been entrusted with them and will do everything in our power and ability to give them the best chance in life.

We are not alone in our struggles. We all struggle with something -- some have very public struggles and some have private ones. Sometimes we keep things private that could be lightened by sharing with someone else and that is where I am today. I need to lighten my load.

Date night!

2011-03-26T22:34:00.002-05:00

Tonight, Lance and I got to enjoy an evening out together! Yippee!

We went to see The Lincoln Lawyer, which I highly recommend. Good story and makes me want to read the book now.

We haven't always been good about getting a babysitter and making time for the two of us, but we are learning. This is something we have to make time for - we both needed it and it recharges me so much!!

Looking thru a peephole

2011-03-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

Right now, I'm only looking thru a peephole at life. I can only see a very small part of God's plan for Leah. I can only see the immediate frustration and challenges. I want to be able to see thru a telescope or binoculars and see the future. I want to see that hard work now will pay off later for her. But I can't. I have to trust God that he will lead us thru with just a peephole and a tiny little flashlight illuminating only moment to moment. This is the way we really should always live - in the moment - since that is all we really have anyway. But, when times are hard, we long for the future. I want to learn from the moment, I want to learn from the pain even when I don't think I can take it anymore.

I stopped blogging last year because of pain and changes that entered my life. Some of them were good changes -- a new church! and new friends! Some were hard changes - a move, moving away from sweet friends, but that is life - CHANGE!

We received a devastating diagnosis for our sweet daughter this year -- she has been diagnosed with bi-polar disease, ADHD, and anxiety. She was 5 when she was diagnosed. Five years old and facing very hard and very difficult things. Things I would take from her in a moment if I could. Lance and I have mourned deeply for her and for us. Mourned for the things that aren't and that may never be for her. We've cried, we've screamed, we've been frustrated. We've also tried to learn, comfort, and grow thru this experience. Some days, we've been very successful and can see much progress. And some days, like the last 2 weeks, we've done the best we can but failed miserably. But last night, I was inspired by another mother....

Nicholas is in Cub Scouts and their theme this month is compassion. A 23 year old young man who has the mental capacity of a 7 year old and his mother came and spoke to the scouts last night about their journey and I quietly wept thru the entire thing. She spoke of the heartache when they received a diagnosis that would change their lives forever, she told of the grieving, the praying, the drs visits and then she spoke of all the blessings that have come into their life because of the journey they are on. Her son is going to the Special Olympics this summer in Greece as a member of the softball team. Her boy who wasn't supposed to live past the age of 6 is now an employee at HEB and living alone in his own apartment and more than anything she said is that her son is the happiest person she knows. Her love and attitude spoke volumes to me. She gave me hope on a day when I really had little left.

We are only beginning our journey -- I feel like we are really still in the mourning phase, but someday, I want to be what that mother was to me last night. I want to inspire and give hope to someone else who needs it.

Back to Reality

2010-07-11T20:58:00.003-05:00

Waa...waa....waaa....

After 10 days off, it's back to work tomorrow. I know it won't really be that bad....it's just the thought of it that I'm not looking forward to and the 1,000,000 emails that will be waiting...

We had a great vacation and it was soo good to get out of town and see something different. We enjoyed some awesome fireworks in Plano, played at Schlitterbahn and Canyon Lake, and Lance and I even got to dance at Gruene Hall - fabulous week!

Hopefully, Lance can get some pictures uploaded for me to share this week!

The $50 Wallet

2010-07-01T19:26:00.000-05:00

So, we are having the allowance discussion at our house again.

We had discontinued the allowance for awhile and now are considering going back to it.

My thought was that N would earn $3/week since he will be in third grade this year and that L would earn $.75/week since she'll be in kinder.

Turns out both of the kids disagree with that amount. L of course thinks she should get the same as N (oh, the drama of being the youngest!) And surprisingly, N also thinks she should get the same. Hmmmm. That really surprised me, but I must say it also delighted me.

Lance and I are going to have to take it under advisement. I still think he should get more since he is older and has more responsibilites than her. If you can count clearing his dishes, taking out the trash, and keeping his room a step away from the trash dump as huge responsibilites. She has the same responsibilites as he, but still requires a bit of parental help to actually accomplish her chores.

So, the wallet.....

N is participating in a 2 week acting camp right now --- he is playing The Wizard in a production of The Wizard of Mars --- it's sort of a mash-up of Life on Mars and The Wizard of Oz. I can't wait to see the performance and he's learned alot about memorizing lines, blocking, set design, and more! All in all a great experience.

But, there is another boy in his group, Stuart. And Stuart seems a wee bit more wordly wise than my boy. Stuart claims he owns some special quarter that there are only 20 of the in the U.S. and he owns all of them.....he's offered to sell one to N for only $5. I told N that I thought it was a trick. Then yesterday, N comes home with a wallet. Up until this point, all his money has stayed in his banks, only to come out when going to buy a specific item. But, Stuart evidently needed money to buy a snowcone yesterday and so he convinced N to buy his wallet (an Incredible Hulk one at that). He told N that the wallet cost $50. Of course, N didn't have $50 and coincidently the small snowcone cost $.75 and so N bought the wallet for that amount. Stuart got his snowcone and N got a used Incredible Hulk wallet. Not sure who got the better deal there!

I want both kids to learn about saving, spending, giving early in life so that any mistakes they make are on a small scale and not financially devastating. And so, I observe and offer my opinion when asked. And act really surprised and excited when a little boy shows me his first wallet. Wow, he's growing up!

The Mr. Men Show

2010-06-30T18:10:00.002-05:00

So, has anyone out there seen the Mr. Men Show? You know all 3 of my readers?!?

This is a show my kids have discovered this summer and I have to say, I enjoy it too. Funny, how I can make time for folding laundry when this show comes on. Is it wrong to admit that I, a 38 year old mom, likes cartoons?

What I like about this show is that there are these very unique characters (although they are pretty one-dimensional) and yes, some are women. Just a few of my favorites:

Miss Chatterbox --- this is L when she's had a nap. She doesn't even take a breath between sentences if you can call them that. I'm not sure there is even a comma or period anywhereit'sjustamashofwordsallrunningtogetherandheavenhelptherestofusifwewanttosayanythingatall. I think her brain must be running at warp speed when this happens. Although, I have to admit that when she's like this, it's one of my favorites 'cause she's happy and she comes up with the cutest things!

Mr. Rude --- typical boy stuff -- bodily functions/noises

Mr. Quiet --- he's speaking so quietly you can't hear him and it's usually a perilous situation where you really wish he would yell out, "THERE'S A BUS HEADED RIGHT TOWARD US!"

Mr. Stubborn --- 'cause which of us hasn't been this a time or two in our lives. Rain is falling from the sky and we keep saying, "There is no rain out here. It's not going to rain today at all."

So, my advice, watch it sometime. It will make you laugh out loud. Or at least I do. Maybe I'm trying to recapture my youth.

Fine, Whatever

2010-06-28T21:20:00.002-05:00

Dear L,

How did you come up with the expressions you are now using on a daily basis? When asked to do something you don't want to do, you pause and then say, "Fine. Whatever."

I know Daddy and I do not say these words together, with the same tone of voice and context with which you so do. I'm not sure how your 5 year old self found this language that I had hoped wouldn't arrive until you were 13 or at least 10.

Please, my darling girl, please tell me that you are simply getting the teen language and attitude out of the way early and that you will be a delight to your father and I during your teen years.

If in fact, you are going to deal us greater misery, don't bother to tell us.

I don't think we can handle it.

Love,
Momma

Where do I begin?

2010-06-23T21:07:00.003-05:00

So, it's been awhile. 4 months maybe. I probably don't have any readers left. Things here got busy and the blog had to be put on the shelf for awhile, but hopefully it won't have to be reshelved that long again. But, I also noticed some of my favorite blogs have been shelved some as well --- life gets busy and it's hard to maintain, but it's something I really want to return to. This blog is really the only journal I have and something I want to look back on and remember this phase of life.

Moving to a new city. What can I say? The adjustments continue....I never dreamed this time last year that we'd still be adapting at this point. But, I have to say, other than missing daily conversations with dear friends and my previously extremely flexible job, we really like San Antonio!

The highlights here:

a GREAT school for N --- I thought Forest Ridge was a great school in College Station, but it had nothing on our school here ---- fantastic! N had straight As all year with 95 being the lowest and the best part was his much improved behavior. It must be all the maturity that comes with being 8.

Great new friends for me. My biggest hesitation in the move to SA was having to start over with friends. That has actually been the easiest thing for me; I have a wonderful group of ladies who have embraced me and I so look forward to time with them. Just a few weeks ago we had a girl's night out that was awesome. We laughed and were completely obnoxious in one moment and were discussing deep theology in the next. These gals "get" me and we are travelling the momma road together.

A great place for Lance to serve. Things had gotten hard and discouraging in College Station for him and it was obvious things were only going to get worse. Lance is enjoying a renewed energy and passion for ministry and doing so in such a positive, loving environment here.

We finally sold our College Station house in May --- never dreamed it would take that long. We've decided to stay in our rental house one more year to build back up our savings after almost a year of "double" house payments. While I'm not crazy about the 1990 era wallpaper in this house and the vinyl floors with wood pattern, it's plenty big and will do until we can find something that is ours.

L turned 5 in March and we are now counting the days with her until Kinder begins. She is writing very well and has begun spelling simple words and we know she will LOVE big-kid school!

So, hopefully, you'll hear from me again before October and I can get back to telling the story of our lives!

The Newlywed game and more!

2010-02-08T11:45:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend, we had lots of social engagements. We are oh, so popular! :)

Friday night, was a play at Churchill High School featuring 3 of the youth from our church. It was very well done even though we had to leave at intermission. L just could.not.make.it.all.the.way.thru. Possible reason why? It was not High School Musical, which is now her favorite! Is she 4 or 12?

Saturday, after I did my early 6am breakfast making and bathroom helping with the 4 y.o., I went back to bed and slept until 10! Then I woke up and read in bed until 11! It was nice!!

Saturday night, we had fun at a friends house with guys vs. girls pictionary and The Newlywed game. Lance and I were the 2nd longest married couple there and it's hard to believe, but had forgotten some of the details from our dating days. We didn't come in last place, but definitely not first either! It was a great time complete with homemade sushi from our Korean friends and lots of French goodies from our French friends. It's amazing how international our group is -- although, there are also plenty of good ole Texans! It's fun to have new friends and learn crazy things about them!

And of course, Sunday! The Saints finally win! What an awesome thing for the Saints' fans who never gave up! We celebrated with our youth and college and it was fun to see how little some of them knew about football. And how MUCH some of them cared.

All in all, a great weekend of fun!

Runaway

2010-02-05T09:13:00.002-06:00

Are mommas allowed to run away? 'Cause I'm considering it... not permanently of course, but maybe for 2 or 24 hours.

Lance has been out of town since Sunday and this momma is worn down. The first half of the week was quite relaxing and down right enjoyable. No need to feel compelled to cook dinner. PB&J and mac n cheese work quite nicely thankyouverymuch. Lots of books, and some TV time. After all, it has been raining for DAYS. I can't remember the last time we saw the sun.

But by last night, I was over the single momma routine. Since L was still awake and fighting sleep at 11pm, I was envisioning an entire night awake with her. And you know how when you aren't sleeping and then you panic, 'cause you're not sleeping and so then, you can't relax and you surely won't get any sleep then. Well, that was me last night. And after having been awakened at 5am by crying cats, I was a wee bit desperate for the sleep.

L has decided she doesn't like anyone or anything, she doesn't have any fun toys and everyone is mean to her. Hmmm...with an attitude like that, I can certainly see why everyone is being mean to her. And if I weren't her momma and love her like crazy....

So, tonight, Lance gets home. If you see me with my purse, fleeing our home for a few hours, you'll know, I did run away.

But I will come home.

Maybe.

Just kidding.

All I want for Valentine's Day is.....

2010-01-29T14:49:00.001-06:00

my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth.

Just when I thought he couldn't get any cuter, this happens!

The Derby

2010-01-27T13:39:00.003-06:00

Last night, was the pinewood derby for N's cub scout troop! This is the car he designed and painted. The only thing Lance did for him was cut it out (by the design N gave him) and help him attach the weights! The painting and everything else was done by N. He was very proud! And so were we!

I've always thought N was adorable, but I must confess, I think he's even more adorable these days with his missing top tooth. The grown-up tooth is peeking thru so it won't be long that he'll have this toothy grin. But when you combine it with his freckles, well, it just does me in. This boy is likely to get away with a little more (at least with his mom!)

Geaux Saints!

2010-01-25T11:14:00.002-06:00

In honor of my Louisiana heritage, I have to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to the New Orleans Saints. The Cowboys have always been #1 in our house while growing up in Dallas and being married to a man from Dallas, but...my dad has been a faithful Saints fan for years and finally, finally, finally, there is redemption for this team and this city!! How very exciting! And they are playing the Indianapolis Colts, which just happens to be the city of my birth - very cool!

Last week, a several great moments happened at our house.

N lost his 3rd tooth - and it's one of the top front teeth, so he has that super cute smile that only 1st and 2nd graders seem to have. This tooth had been loose since last spring, so it was a long time coming!

Friday was report card day and N got straight A's again for the 2nd 9 weeks! We are so proud. And he also got all E's in conduct, except one S for music!! Yeah N! After our 1st grade struggles, 2nd grade seems to be a breeze! I think he just had to figure this school thing out.

Saturday, L had an awesome day! Those of you who know L in real life, know that she can be dramatic at times. Like, most of the time. You never have to guess what that girl is thinking, she will tell you and tell you and tell you! But on Saturday, L was a pleasant, happy child for 98% of the day and Lance and I were on cloud 9. She ended up with lots of praise and a reward for her great behavior. The best part was she knew how hard she had worked and was proud of herself. We are hoping this behavior will continue more frequently as she approaches 5!

How many different land forms do you know?

2010-01-15T13:06:00.004-06:00

'Cause I struggled to think of even two.

I was given a quiz last night by N. He had thought of 21 different land forms...and they couldn't be bodies of water...he was very clear on that. Which meant that canal and ocean were out.

So, here's what I came up with:

island
canyon
mountain
peninsula
cliff

and with some hints, I got a few more:

desert
arch

But, I missed:

mesa
valley
ridge
mound
berm
volcano
plains
forests
craters
and a whole bunch more that just boggle my mind to think of.

Now, granted some of his were stretching a bit (is there really something called a pin, but I was amazed that a 2nd grader could come up with all the different categories he did, as well as with illustrations to go along with them.

He insisted to me that I must have learned this stuff when I was in 2nd grade and that I had just forgotten it by now, but really, I don't think I ever knew it. And it could be, that science has just never really held my attention for more than say 5 minutes. But, this boy, science is his first love. I'm beyond amazed. He knows what a butterfly's tongue is called, for goodness sake.

I write Jazz

2010-01-12T09:07:00.003-06:00

My 4 year old, L, still has lots and lots of cute sayings and funny things she thinks are true.

Over the weekend, I was helping her write some cards for her friends. She was writing their names while I helped her spell them. And oh, it's so sweet. The big preschool capital letters that she makes. The way it takes 3 lines to write "Gracie". But after awhile, her hand got tired. Ha! So, she asked me to write some names for her. But, she didn't want me to write them like her. She wanted me to write them in Jazz. I wasn't quite sure what she meant until she demonstrated her version of "L" in jazz and I realized. Jazz is cursive!

Other funny things she's convinced are true (and it may be because I've neither confirmed nor denied her feelings): Does that make me a bad mother?!?

She thinks if she drinks juice in the bathtub and some of it drips, the bath will catch on fire. (I don't deny this, because truthfully, why does a 4 y.o. need juice in the bath....is it because she's had a long, stressful day and she needs to relax and wind down? I think not)

When choosing clothes for the day, that I tell her don't match, she wonders if the police will come take her to jail. (Well, maybe the FASHION police)

Oh, I love my gal and her sweet 4 year old moments... and I only have 2 more months to enjoy them. She will be 5 in March --- FIVE! I can.not.believe.it.

New favorite

2010-01-02T21:39:00.002-06:00

I have a new favorite book. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. He has been one of my favorite authors for several years. The Notebook and Message in a Bottle are by him as well.

The Last Song is a love story, but it's not the main focus of the story. The main focus is actually the relationship between father and daughter.

I highly recommend this book!

And while I was watching The Princess and the Frog, I discovered there is already a movie in the works for The Last Song. :)

When the circle is broken

2009-12-31T08:48:00.003-06:00

This week has been an interesting one. Some good news arrived and some bad. Some lucky things happened and some unlucky. (If there is such a thing as luck!)

We hear alot about the circle of life. And it's true that people are born and die every day and that is life, but what happens, when that circle seems broken. When things seem to happen at the "wrong time"?

This week.... Lacey had her first baby. A sweet little boy who decided to arrive 7 weeks early!

A sweet friend from my Bunco group in College Station lost her husband in a car accident. 34 years old and gone in an instant. No time for goodbyes. Her toddler daughter lost a father she probably won't remember.

In things that now seem much less important, Lance's car was hit twice by a hit and run driver. The guy hit it and then backed up and hit it again! Fortunately for us, there was a witness and so we have the license plate number. Hopefully, this person has auto insurance and this will be nothing more than an inconvenience to fix!

Lance's parents were here with the kiddos while we worked this week. They took the kids to a movie yesterday afternoon and the fire alarm went off! So, the movie theater comp'd 4 tickets to use on a future visit. So, our family will be able to go to the movies sometime soon! This is exciting for us because movies are one of the items cut from our budget this year!

2009 has been a great year! We've had some super great times and moments this year and we've had some sad and hard times too --- just like all of you. We've said goodbye to great friends in College Station and hello to new ones here in San Antonio. God has blessed us greatly thru all of the transition.

In 2010, I don't have real "resolutions" although I do have a few things that are on my heart.

I'd like to:

do better on my eating and exercise
keep developing friendships here in SA
plan a "date" night with each member of my family separately --- one for Lance, N, and L --- a time to have one-on-one conversation with each

I pray that you and your family have a safe and happy new year!

See you in 2010!

Do you think he ought to purge?

2009-12-24T10:58:00.002-06:00

If you click here you will see a house here in San Antonio that is decorated for Christmas all year long. If the link doesn't work, just google "Ed Clark's Christmas lights". It is quite a sight.

The legend is that his wife's favorite holiday was Christmas and when she died, he decided to keep the decor up all year long. He adds things to it each year.

Wow!

I think this is one house we will miss on our driving tour of lights. Riverwalk and Alamo Heights, here we come!

The happiest Christmas ever

2009-12-23T17:56:00.000-06:00

Lance and I were at a Christmas party last night and the hosts were generating some fun holiday discussions around the dinner tables.

One topic....what are some of your favorite "toasts"? After our group mentioned melba and cinnamon, we realized what they meant. Our table of 8 decided we were "too Baptist" to have any favorite cheers! :)

Another topic, that got me to thinking, was "What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?" As each person shared theirs, it made me think of lots of Christmas memories from my childhood. (I couldn't really think of a gift that was a standout)

Some of my top childhood Christmas memories:

Spending Christmas at my grandma's house with a fireplace (we didn't have one when I was growing up) - my brother and I LOVED to throw paper in it and see it spark. I can still smell those fires and unique smells to my grandma.

Going to church on Christmas Eve --- to me, it's still the most magical night of the year!

The year Paul (my brother) got a dog for Christmas. The doorbell rang and there she was in a box on the front porch.

Having "snacky" food after church on Christmas Eve and getting to open presents that night!

Some of my favorite adult Christmases:

N's first Christmas, when the little girl behind us in church saw the baby Jesus printed on the bulletin and showed her mom that I was holding baby Jesus --- sweet, sweet.

N's first Christmas, when it was just the 3 of us at our house. We put N to bed and the silence and quiet of those moments. This was also N's first night to sleep the entire night --- Merry Christmas to us!

L's first Christmas, when we knew that our family was complete and we were all together.

This year when we are all together and we are healthy and happy.

I'm hoping these are things I'll realize for my kiddos each year. It's a season for making memories and while I love to hear their squeals of delight at their gifts, I know what they'll really remember is going on a hayride thru the Christmas lights at Santa's Wonderland; making cookies with Nana; playing with the train with grandpa; going to see the trains at NorthPark mall with grandad and grandmommy; acting crazy with their cousins (both the teenagers and the little cousins)reading fun Christmas stories with Lance and I and watching Rudolph, Charlie Brown, and Frosty.

As they grow older, I'm sure some other traditions will begin and we'll embrace those as well.

Gifts don't matter much, but The Gift does.

If anyone still reads my blog, I pray you have a blessed time with your family and friends and that you remember the Baby who came long ago for all of us.

Merry Christmas,

Jen

Merry Happy!

2009-12-22T14:01:00.003-06:00

In our new neighborhood, we have a very diverse group of people. But one of the largest groups are our Jewish friends. Our area of San Antonio has a very heavy Jewish population. I had a few classmates in school who were Jewish, but definitely not a majority and really Plano is the last community I lived in where there many at all.

So, N's school party was highly varied complete with Jewish and Christian traditions. I was glad he was learning about their faith and he has definitely educated us. We've learned to play dreidel and it's a great game with an 8 and 4 y.o. No skill required! He's told us about the 8 days of celebration, of the gifts, and the candles.

So, Sunday morning, during the Children's Sermon at church, our children's minister asked all the kids what that day was the last of. (Correct answer: last Sunday of advent) But, L's answer was: Hanakkuh. It was funny! Everyone in the congregation laughed. But see, L doesn't like it when she says something cute and everyone laughs. So, I play a little game with her....I tell her that it's me they are laughing at. And so, she is always saying, "momma, you are so funny". Well, Sunday, I was a riot!

My sweet L, I'm so thankful you are still little and say cute things. I know someday you won't anymore and I'm thankful for these days. Love, Momma

Taking bribery to a whole new level

2009-12-15T13:19:00.004-06:00

Before becoming a parent, I was an expert on parenting. I believe LOTS of people are experts prior to actually parenting.

Now, not so much. In fact, I know I frequently break the "good parent" rules. Most of the time in the interest of my hearing or sanity. I've been known to offer up all kind of sweet treats, favorite cartoons, extra playtime outside, later bedtime, etc. all in the interest of getting thru the day.

But, today at Hobby Lobby, I heard a new one. One I've never tried before and can honestly say I never will.....

are you ready for this?

Are you sure you're ready?

This is what I witnessed a mom bribing her 3-4 year old son with:

That's right.....she said, "If you can't be good, I won't buy you a lottery ticket today."

Now, I'm sure the lottery ticket is really for her (after all don't you have to be 18 to win) but still....this would have never occured to me. ('Course I don't play the lottery, so that might be why)

I should have asked her if it was a successful means of bribery. I'm always up for parenting advice. :)

Is this one you've tried? Or have you heard other unusual parenting techniques?

Funny

2009-12-11T08:28:00.002-06:00

Click here if you like those crazy beer commercials - "Real Men of Genius". This is a take off on those from a "Christian" perspective.

Keep on dreaming

2009-12-08T11:17:00.000-06:00

To my darling daughter,

I know you love convertibles. I too have had my romance with convertibles. In the 80s, it was the Volkswagon Cabriolet and Bug. Now, it would be a Mercedes in candy apple red.

But, my sweet darling, no matter how much you dream about convertibles, I have to tell you that my next car will not be a convertible. I will have at least one more "mom" car before I can even consider something as fun and impractical as a convertible.

Love,

Momma

Home

2009-12-07T10:00:00.003-06:00

For the first time in four months, I feel like I'm at home.

Now, I'm still not digging my rental house with pink/blue flowered wallpaper in the kitchen or my guest bathroom with shiny pink floral wallpaper, but where it really counts in my heart and spirit, I do feel "at home".

We had a wonderful weekend spending time with old and new friends. Friday night, we had dinner with Melissa and her family. Melissa and I were friends and roommates at Baylor and it's been fun to reconnect. The 4 kids wasted no time getting down to the business of playing and aggravating one another.

Saturday morning, the kiddos made gifts for family members while Lance and I started and finished our Christams shopping. Yep, that's right, going to only 2 stores we were able to complete our shopping. Of course, it helps that we are on a tight budget this year, but I think the kids will be excited with their gifts!

Saturday night, we had two parties to attend - a Christmas party and a Sweet 16 Birthday party. It was a late night, but made fun by our new friends here in San Antonio!

Sunday morning, we had the most glorious Christmas music at our church. We had 30 members of the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra playing with our choir --- there were so many choir members participating that 3 of them had to sit in the baptistry - crazy!! I really thought I would miss the contemporary music from our church in College Station, but it's amazing because I don't. Our choir is so talented that it's truly a time of worship - I wish everyone could have been a part! Our family got to light the advent candle and that was special for us --- this is the first time L has been in "big church" for the Christmas season. She did really well.

Last night, we had the luxury of having Lance home with us on a Sunday night and so we took the kiddos down to the riverwalk to see the luminarias and Christmas lights -it was fun!

70 percent

2009-12-03T16:12:00.007-06:00

There is a 70% chance of snow tomorrow! Yippee! Who woulda thunk it when we moved here in August and it was 110 degrees. And I'm not exaggerating - it was 110!!!

And no matter whether we get snow or not, there is 100 percent chance of cold which puts me right in the mood for addressing Christmas Cards. I've got all 100 of my cards made, but haven't started addressing any of them. I'm thinking tonight, with a blanket on my lap. Now, if we only had a fireplace in our rent house, it would be perfect.

We've been invited to friends' house tomorrow for dinner and the kids are looking forward to their indoor climbing wall - it's awesome!

Saturday, the kids are going to a gift-making workshop to make gifts for their g-parents while Lance and I shop. And Saturday night, we have our first Christmas party of the season! Add the Christmas musical on Sunday at church and I think we'll be feeling very festive!

This post is oh, so random ---- kinda like life since we moved.

The kids are doing great - N had straight A's the first 9 weeks and has really blossomed with his reading and science this year. He has impressed his teacher with all his knowledge and I must say I'm impressed too. He can name all the planets, moons, and asteroid belts in the solar system. Plus a whole bunch of other stuff that I never really cared if I knew or not, but is now a whole lot more interesting to me because of the cute boy telling me about it.

Here is a link to one interesting story that my dad found for him and that N has now shared with everyone he meets. This is a true story of a lake in Louisiana that disappeared in moments. It really is pretty fascinating stuff.

L is continuing to amaze us with her awesome art skills. Her birthmom and her maternal birth grandfather are both very talented artists and it's very obvious she has been gifted in this area. Her art skills are far beyond the average 4 y.o. Not that I'm biased or anything. She is also already taller than N was at her age and he's no shorty. So, I think Lance and I will be little midget people compared to our children even before osteoporosis sets in.

And now, I must be off to find the one closed toe pair of shoes I own and my only full-length pants so that I won't freeze tomorrow, 'cause I do live in the tropics ya' know.

Alive and Kickin'

2009-11-10T11:51:00.002-06:00

We are still alive and well in San Anton - just adjusting to a new way of life!

Since my last blog posting, we've had a BIG birthday in our house - N is now 8 years old. We had a fun time celebrating with new friends and N was lucky enough to have g-parents come for the weekend to celebrate with him!

Halloween was a fun time - N was a Clone Trooper - his first store bought costume :(

L was a tiger and super cute, but she got very mad trick or treating, because everyone kept calling her a cat. We kept telling her, she needed to say, "Trick or Treat. RRRRRR, I'm a tiger" But she didn't and so ultimately, she came back to us and said, "That is it. I'm done." No more trick or treating. And this would last 4 or 5 houses until she would decide to try again, but alas, the same scene would play out and then she'd quit again. Oh, and she got tired of walking. So.... the gal who really wants to go to Disney World when she turns 5 will not be going, 'cause if you can't walk 3 blocks to trick or treat, then there is no way you can last several days of all-day walking. And I, her momma, refuse to carry a 40 plus pound gal 'round Disney. So, maybe 6 will be her magic age and hopefully, the boy won't think it's lame by then!

Lance and I have been going to a parenting class the last couple of weeks. More than anything, it's been a great chance to meet other parents in the same phase of life we are and to see that we are all encountering the same joys and pains -- it helps to laugh with others and know we are not alone!

And tonight, I'm very excited to be hosting a girls' night out --- there are 12 ladies coming and it will be great fun to enjoy an evening out for girl talk! I'm hoping it will become a monthly event!

Our church here has been AWESOME ---- we already feel such a part of the community of faith and our children have been welcomed and loved on so well. We are so thankful to be serving here.

Now, if we could just sell our house in CS --- any takers?!?

Imagine 7 of these together

2009-10-09T15:35:00.002-05:00

Once you have the image of the sweet little 7 y.o. boys dressed in their scouting uniforms in your mind, go ahead and hit the mute button.

You'll thank me later.

Student Teaching

2009-10-07T07:59:00.004-05:00

I'm a wee-bit slow with the blogging. This move has dramatically changed my daily schedule and one of the big things to be chunked is the blog. The picture above is N on his first day of 2nd grade!

Today, N is doing a "guest teaching" spot in his class. They are learning about sound right now and since N reads all kinds of books about science related topics, he already knew all the answers to his teacher's questions. So, yesterday, she invited him to share with his class some of the many things he knows about sound. He even took a book with him today for visual effects. This was a great thing for Mrs. B to do --- this is giving N his need for attention in a positive manner and it makes him even more proud of his love of reading.

When did it happen?

2009-09-29T09:34:00.003-05:00

When did my child who still loves to play trains, hotwheels, and legos decide that he is now too big to wear a cute costume that Momma picked out?

Personally, I think this is a super cute costume that would be oh, so easy to make. And, it would be original - I love homemade costumes, they are special and part of the fun is the making of it together.

But evidently, when you are a month away from turning 8, this costume is "lame". Oh, my heart is aching. 'Cause what does he want to be? Some kind of charachter from Star Wars that wears a helmet and carries a blaster to kill droids.... and he wants to but it from the Halloween shop - gasp!

I guess it was bound to happen - I wouldn't want my teenager still acting like a little boy. But, did it have to happen so soon?

We'll see what happens in this delicate balance of independence.

All you mommas out there who still have little ones, enjoy it while it lasts, 'cause it don't last long!

Aggieland Fun

2009-09-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

Click here for a fun website for a great cause! And of course, being from Aggieland is pretty cool too!

N sponsors a boy thru Compassion International and it has been awesome to read the letters the boy writes to N. It has taught N alot about compassion for others and it has helped him practice his handwriting as well

Midnight shopping and other San Antonio stuff

2009-09-22T22:20:00.004-05:00

Last week, my friend Emily was in town and one of her requests was to go to some scrapbooking stores. I did a bit of research and found one that is open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Very cool - it was huge and had lots of unique items! And of course, I've now realized what I can do on Friday nights after kiddos are in bed - they have a large workroom with die cuts and what not. And I've also just shown my age, 'cause if you'd told my 20 something self that a Friday night would be comprised of crafting I would have laughed. It's funny how you change when you're in your mid-30s. I wonder what my mid-40's will bring? Doing crossword puzzles with my slippers on? Falling asleep on the couch at 7:30pm?

Anyway, Emily and I had a fun, though short visit. We ate Mexican food (of course- it's San Antonio!) and caught up on all the goings-on of the last 6 weeks. I'm missing my gals from Aggieland and this was a great "fix" to tide me over until our Canton trip! 10 days and counting!!!

Tomorrow, I have another friend coming to town. Morgan is joining her hubby at a Pharmacist's conference and she's going to come spend time with me while he is "learning"! Morgan has a sweet little boy and is pregnant with her 2nd! Can't wait to see her!

N got his first "progress" report - San Antonio is on a 9 week reporting schedule instead of 6 weeks and last week was already half-way thru the 9 weeks - can't believe it! N has straight As and we are super proud. 'Course if he would remember to WRITE.HIS.NAME on his papers, he'd have almost straight 100s! He's a total boy; who cares about little details like names. He now has some new BFFs here and that makes this momma very happy!

L was THRILLED that Dancing with The Stars started back up this week. She is INLOVE with Derek Hough and that long-haired snowboarder. We are so in trouble when she's a teenager. L is losing a little bit of her shyness here. She's still mostly shy, but occasionally now she will talk to others outside of our family. That is a big step for her. Right now, it's hard for me to imagine her being ready to start Kindergarten next fall, but I'm sure lots will change in that time. She is now officially 4 1/2. Closer to her 5th birthday than her 4th. It makes me sad since she is our baby, but Lance is very happy. I think he is ready to be done with the preschool phase of life.

We had a fun time at a swim party last Saturday night with some young families from our church. Our kids were among the oldest kids there which was a new feeling and somewhat liberating. The parents of the toddlers didn't get to chat much - there was much running and containing involved.

Sunday, N got to go bowling with the kids from church and so L was on her own with us. That rarely happens and we enjoyed the time with just her. It was much quieter and she got to "shine" a bit!

Lance has his first retreat with the youth here this weekend - he's looking forward to the opportunity to get to know the students on a "deeper" level and hopefully enjoy the beach (if it's not raining!). The kids and I will enjoy a quiet weekend and have a playdate scheduled with some new friends here.

If you are still reading this uber-long post, congratulations! You have made it to the end!

Since I'm not posting as often, I find I have more to write. Life here is good. It's been hard at times and there have been tears, but not too many. Things get a bit easier each week and we are beginning to find our routine.

The Secret to Happiness

2009-09-09T21:42:00.003-05:00

We've recently moved. To a new city. With 2 kids who've never moved before. With 2 adults who knew it was the right decision, but still struggled with leaving friends and routines behind. We've been sick since we've moved, we've just not quite gotten into a routine. And due to the extreme heat, and the no-swimming situation, we've been inside ALOT more than usual. Oh,and we still have a house to sell in our old town that we really.need.to.sell. All these things together contribute to the "blahs". I knew I was feeling a bit blah, but when I noticed N feeling a bit "blah" I was a bit more concerned. He's not a blah kinda kid. He's a "this is the greatest day of my life" kind of kid.

He's been telling us that he doesn't like his new school, that he doesn't have any friends, and our new church is too small. So, we've listened and tried to offer the positive side of all his "complaints".

But, all of this changed for him yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, he announced that he had discovered The Secret to Happiness. He didn't want to tell anyone, but he wanted to write a book about it. But, he was afraid that if everyone knew that they would mob him and tear his clothes off because they would be so happy to know "The Secret"! So, finally, he let Lance know what the secret is......................

Be happy where you are. Now, I don't know about you, but for me, this was both profound and yet quite simple. Contentment. This is something I struggle with - I always am looking forward to something more, bigger, different, etc. When instead, I should just be happy where I am.

I should enjoy the being "new". I should soak in the excitement of new adventures and the joy of not knowing all the negative about people here. I should thank God for the opportunity to know and serve alongside others!

And N? He seems to have really taken his "advice" to heart. There is contentment and peace about him now. And we're only in the 3rd week of school. Yippee!

Check this out...

2009-09-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

Share

This is funny, but unfortunately too true.

the week in review

2009-08-30T14:43:00.002-05:00

So, lot of big things happened in the Mayes family this week as they did in houses all across the country with the beginning of the new school year.

N had a great beginning to 2nd grade. He has a great teacher(s). He now has a sign language name (given to him by Mrs. E the deaf teacher in his class). It's an airplane in motion - how appropriate for N. He had a couple of rough moments this week with learning the new rules and structure for his new school, but ultimately, he ended the week with a sticker on everyday! For this, we are thankful. I think he will settle in nicely this next week. He has already made a couple of friends and is enjoying leading them in building at recess. Their school has had to cancel regular recess due to too many children becoming overheated and they are now doing indoor recess until the temperature cools off to less than 100. At the rate things are going in San Antonio, this may be Thanksgiving!

L LOVES her new school. She too has made some new friends and is enjoying the activites at her school - cooking, swimming, and computer time. She also really loves our new church, which is a HUGE relief for me, because there were many days in College Station where getting her to church was a struggle. She is growing up and it's hard to believe she'll be starting Kinder in just one year. Time moves too fast!

One of the biggest concerns I had about moving was having to make new friends. Both for me personally and for the family as a whole. We've had many opportunities this week to get to know people better and we are looking forward to others. Here are just a few:

Last Saturday, we went to have dinner with my Baylor roommate and her family. Melissa, Wayne, and the boys were wonderful hosts and the kids played together as if they've known each other forever. It was great to reconnect since we hadn't seen each other in 12 years!

Sunday and Wednesday, we had church, and enjoyed our time getting to know people better - it's a very welcoming place!

Thursday - I went and joined a group of "stampers". It certainly was not the same as my group of friends in College Station, but I did enjoy the crafting and visiting with other ladies - they were very nice.

Thursday was also a big day for Lance and I - our 15th weddding anniversary! Can't believe it's been that long already! We will celebrate with date night next week - this past week was just too hectic!

Friday night, Lance and I went to a b-day party for our music minister and another guy. The home where it was being held was truly the biggest and most magnificent I've ever been in before - complete with valet parking. But, it was not like a museum at all; it was very personal and warm. But still, when the home is just doors down from David Robinson of The Spurs and George Strait, you know you are in swanky territory! The kids enjoyed their first babysitter since we've been in San Antonio.

Saturday, we had plans to truly relax and enjoy the day, but sickness invaded our home. It started with Lance and the day ended with me being sick as well - yuckers! We are both puny today and trying to rest and get over this without passing it along to the kiddos. I'm guessing all the new people that the 4 of us have been exposed to, have left us vulnerable to new germs.

Also, if you are still reading and haven't given up on this post, I started my job this week. The employees are very friendly and welcoming. I think I will enjoy the job, but am still feeling some of the overwhelming feelings that come with a new job - lots of little things to learn. I know it will come with time and I just have to be patient!

I hope you all had a great week as well. I won't have as much time to post (at least in the beginning as we get used to our new schedules), but promise to post as often as I can. I've noticed some of you with blogs haven't posted as much recently as well!

Goodbye lazy, hello routine

2009-08-23T14:58:00.002-05:00

Today is it. The last day of lazy. The last day of sleeping bags on the floor and toys everywhere. Today is the last day of no homework, no alarm clocks, and doing what we want. This has been both the laziest and hardworking summer we've ever had. The moving has been tough, but the 6 weeks of having our kids at home has been great! They've gotten to enjoy the "lazy days" of summer that all kids should have. But, routine needs to return and Lance and I are both looking forward to tomorrow!

N is going to be in a very unique situation at school. His class is a co-taught class with a regular classroom teacher and a hearing-impaired teacher for the 5 students in his class who have hearing issues. There will also be an aide in his class and in 3 weeks, there will be a student teacher as well. So, his teacher to student ratio will be 1 to 4 which is awesome! I'm thinking the opportunity to have behavior issues will be low!!!

L will begin PreK tomorrow. How did my baby get to PreK so soon?!? She is looking forward to her new school and the fun activities they will have.

And I don't start my job until Tuesday, so I have one more day to do laundry, clean house, and run any last minute errands. I'm excited about starting my job and getting in a routine, but I have to say, I'm beginning to have some of those 1st day jitters as well.

Some new revelations

2009-08-19T10:47:00.002-05:00

I've learned some things during this process of relocating our lives.

Being a stay-at-home mom is hard work. By the time the day is over, I'm exhausted from mediating all the arguments that go on between my two during the day.

Not having a pool to swim in during the month of August is torture, pure torture!

When you tell someone you are new to the community, they are very nice, kind, and welcoming!

When you have days upon days to get something done it takes longer than if you were simply given one day to complete the task. Why is this?

I miss my friends and my community from College Station. Relationships take time to build and somehow 2 weeks does not a community make!

A Tale of Two Cities

2009-08-11T10:47:00.002-05:00

We've been together in one city for about 36 hours now. It's great now that we are all under one roof together again.

The kiddos and I have been enjoying our summer vacation and exploring our new city.

There are definitely some HUGE differences between living in a community of 120,000 and a city of 1.6 million. Oh yes, there are!

Swimming Pools - In College Station, we had some wonderful city pools that we were able to buy swim passes for and go anytime we wanted. Here, the only city pools are in low-income areas of the city. This has been an eye-opening experience for me. We were encouraged not to go, but I took the kids and went anyway. The great part? The pools are free of charge. We had a very nice experience and N made friends with a little boy while L and I swam together. We were the only white people at the pool, which was fine, except everyone kept staring at us. I'm sure they were wondering why we were there. I'm guessing white middle-class folks don't often come to their pool, which is a shame really. Segregation definitely still exists and it's become very obvious to me in the last week here. :(
We tried to join the neighborhood pool, but the people who own our rent house haven't paid their HOA dues and so we weren't allowed to join. Bummer!

Stores - oh, man oh, man - I've fallen in love with my new grocery store! They have everything, it's huge and the prices are really good too - and it's less than 5 minutes from our house - yippee! They have all manner of shopping experiences here and they are close!! Now, I'm sure this could get me into trouble, but hey, I have 2 small children that I don't want to take shopping with me, so for now, my money is safely in the bank!

I'm beginning to figure out how to get around San Antonio or at least our small corner of it - everyday we discover something else new and exciting!

Limbo, we're over you

2009-08-04T21:33:00.002-05:00

This has been the summer of limbo. We've known pretty much all summer that we'd be moving. Combine that with the regularly scheduled craziness of summer as a youth minister and well, our schedule has been chaotic and at times, minute by minute.

Tonight, the kids and I are spending our last night in College Station and thankfully since we've already said our goodbyes, I'm not emotional. No, instead, I'm watching Hannah Montana with my kids.

Oh yes, the Hannah who we've managed to avoid up until this point, has now found our kids. And L, she just asked if we could go to Hannah's house. Um, no. No,No, and No. I can already tell L is going to care alot more about pop culture than her brother.

Goodbye College Station. You've been good to us. We have life-long friends here and I'm sure we'll be back. But for now, we look forward. We look forward to the joys and the challenges that will meet us in San Antonio. For they will meet us. The good and the bad. The joy and the sorrow. For they are part of life and we wouldn't have it any other way!

I'll be offline for a few days as we transition. But I'll be back with new stories and new faces and some of the old as well.

It's a numbers game

2009-07-29T08:47:00.002-05:00

Today's post is brought to you by the number 100,000.... this is the number my odometer will hit the next time I get in my car! My 6 y.o. SUV has taken some major abuse - it's definitely a "mom" car complete with stickers on the window - ya' know - like "I've been Krogering" or "I survived my shot at the doctor", stuff like that!

And in other number news, my sweet little 4 y.o. fish (I mean daughter) decided to jump off the diving board for the first time yesterday. She's been eyeing it for several weeks, but yesterday, she just announced, I'd like to jump off the diving board into 10 FEET of water, thankyouverymuch. This is something you would never catch MommaJen doing, but like a good Momma, I went to the deep end and clutched with all my might to the side of the pool, while my 4 YEAR OLD jumped in and immediately bounced up and swam to the side. I told her she had done a great job and that I was super proud and she just said, "That was double fun, I'm going to do it again, bubba, do you wanna do it?" all in one breath.

And then she proceeded to do it 1.5 million more times. Or maybe it was 20. I don't know. All I know is that if she keeps this up, the Olympics of 2024 better watch out!

Goodbye Friends

2009-07-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

Last night a group of my friends treated me to a fun evening! We went to Wings N More, a College Station favorite and enjoyed good food and GREAT company! After I left, I began to feel like this move is really going to happen and it made me sad. I know San Antonio is where we are supposed to be and I know we will make new friends, but it's hard to say goodbye to good friends here! Fortunately we aren't that far away and I already have a trip to Canton planned with a couple of them in October!

So, thank you, Debi, Emily, Jeannie, Jennifer, Kristin, Lacey, and Tracy for one fun last evening on the town! I will miss you gals so much!

We have a place!

2009-07-22T18:24:00.000-05:00

We took a mini-vacay plus house-hunting trip the last few days and we had success!

We are going to lease a home for the next year. Our home here hasn't sold yet, but hopefully will soon and we'll have time to scope out neighborhoods, etc. and determine where we want to "land" in San Antonio.

But, for the next 12 months, we have a place that will work nicely for us. And since it has 4 bedrooms, we will have room for guests! :) It even has 3 full bathrooms - yahoo!

After the success on the house-hunt, we were able to vacay a bit. Some friends had given us a gift card to the Pappas restaurants and we were able to enjoy some delicious seafood.

We floated the Comal River, which was an interesting experience. Note to self: don't ever float the Comal River when the Guadalupe river is low - all the partyers that are usually on that river come to the Comal and it was a little like a frat party from college - complete with exhibitionists, drunks, etc. Fortunately, our kiddos didn't pay much attention, but Lance and I were ready to get them off the river!

Schlitterbahn was the big fav of L's - that girl is fearless. She did all the big slides with Lance and even when she got dumped out of her tube, she swam right back up and kept going. N, not so much, so he and I enjoyed the lazy river and other more tame adventures.

We also enjoyed Wonder World - a little overpriced for me, but the kids enjoyed it and so that made it fun for us!

We are now on the countdown for the move!!! Lance has just over a week before he starts his new position!

Does it Count if they were Pulled?

2009-07-14T10:01:00.000-05:00

My sweet N had two teeth pulled yesterday. They were baby teeth that were preventing his two grown-up teeth from coming in correctly. My boy's mouth was crammed full of teeth. So now he's got a little relief and perhaps (we're hoping!) we'll have a few less days in braces down the road.

N did great with the two shots and the pulling and tugging to get these teeth out. His main question: Does the tooth fairy still come if the dentist pulls them out?

Well, folks, the answer is yes! The tooth fairy does indeed come for those teeth! This morning, N found two gold $ coins under his pillow!

And the best part for me? He's cuter than ever!!!

Cock a doodle doo

2009-07-06T11:24:00.002-05:00

We have a rooster living in our neighborhood. Really, we do.

A week ago Sunday, the kids and I spotted him on our way to church. In fact, I backed up the car to get a second look because I couldn't believe there was a rooster in our yard. It was.

That evening, we had some youth over at our house and they along with my kiddos chased the rooster around the neighborhood. It was funny!

A couple of days ago the rooster was in a tree behind our house - not sure how he got in the tree.

Today, he was back in our yard. We learned that one of our neighbors who works in Hearne accidently brought him home from work. The rooster had climbed into the bed of his truck and found his way to College Station.

As long as he doesn't wake me up at the crack of dawn, I guess it's okay, but it's kind of strange!!!

The Love of Friends

2009-07-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

This beautiful note of friendship was on our doorstep today. We aren't home alot right now since we are trying to sell our house and HELLO we have young children who like to make messes and what not. So, this note from a friend of N, was friendship from the 6-7 year old set.

In case you aren't familiar with reading things written by kindergarten and 1st graders (which I wasn't until 2 years ago myself and I now consider myself somewhat of an expert) :) I will translate:

To N:
From: Kai

I knocked on your door today and nobody answered and I just wanted to play with you.
Bye N

I am sooo glad N is still in the innocent stage of friends where being real and true is still what is happening. They aren't trying to be cool yet or playing games with one another that are cruel. They just love.

May we, the grown-ups, be as tender and real with our friends.

A credit card? Really?

2009-07-02T12:59:00.000-05:00

So, when did they start putting credit cards on vending machines? If it was in 1983, please don't tell me because I like to think I stay up on current events. And really, if it's not in People magazine or on the internet, it must not be happening, right?

No, seriously though, a credit card to get a coke or bottle of water?!? I admit, I don't carry alot of cash, but I generally have the $1.25 if I'm in desperate need of a cold beverage. But, I'm sure they probably will get more sales this way. What cracked me up the most was it just wasn't debit cards, but American Express. Try explaining that one to your company when the credit card bill arrives - yeah, I was really thirsty and the 28 cents I found at the bottom of my purse just wouldn't cut it.

So, what other things have I missed?!?

I don't really know where to start

2009-06-29T09:13:00.004-05:00

So, I've been absent from my blog lately. Not because I didn't have anything to say, quite the opposite in fact. There has been ALOT to say, I just wasn't free to say it.

Today, I am.

We are moving to San Antonio. Lance has accepted a job as student minister at a church there.

This is a BIG change for us. We've lived in BCS for almost 9 years. Our lives are here, friends, jobs, house, schools, everything. We are very excited and it's very clear that this is where God wants us next. But....we still have lots of emotions to process. This is where our children came to us - that alone makes this community a special place!

Yesterday, we were able to tell our church and that was a huge weight lifted from us. It's hard to keep things from people you worship and do life with.

They were so affirming to Lance yesterday and that was nice. Now, we begin the next phase of our transition - trying to sell our house and saying our goodbyes.

So, if you know anyone who'd like a 2-story, 4-bedroom home in Castlegate, send them our way!!! (sorry, shameless plug there!)

I'll write more in the days to come as we process life in transition.

Here's my sign

2009-06-15T09:04:00.003-05:00

Okay, some of the "punch" is lost looking at it sideways, but the fact is, this is an award I never thought we'd receive! :)

We have a lovely sign in our yard declaring us Yard of the Month for Castlegate and now I'm highly motivated to keep the yard weed free and well cared for while Lance is gone! And maybe this is why we really won. They've seen what happens to our yard during the summer while Lance is gone and it's HOT outside. Yeah, MommaJen tends to not really care.

Still here

2009-06-12T10:37:00.002-05:00

I'm still alive. Things have been a wee bit chaotic these first two weeks of summer!

Most normal people relax and slow down during summer vacay! At our house, it's the opposite. Lance's busy season is summer and so is mine, so our kids don't have the hazy,lazy days of summer that I did growing up.

Plus, the kids have spent the last two weeks in swimming lessons; N had Space Camp this week and we had VBS every night! The exhaustion has arrived!

But, Lance leaves town tomorrow morning and the kids and I have exactly two things planned for the weekend: playdate with friends and church on Sunday and THAT IS IT. I'm beside myself with excitement at the lack of things to do. Although, I'm sure a few loads of laundry and some vacuuming may have to be squeezed into our weekend of laziness!

We're cutting edge over here

2009-06-02T11:55:00.003-05:00

So, this article talks about the "up and coming" jobs that pay well and are in demand.

How awesome that N wants to be a volcanologist since it's on the list.

'Course things could change in the next 15 years while he finishes his education! But, I'm glad he's looking at this job than say, a typewriter repairman or a seller of rotary dial phones.

It's an odd number, really

2009-05-29T08:45:00.002-05:00

So, I turned 37 yesterday. 37. It's not a multiple of 5, it's not almost a multiple of 5 - it's just sort of there. Nothing to get too excited about, just one of those numbers you have to pass thru to get to another more exciting (though bigger) numbers!

I had a good day, but you can definitely tell, I've reached that really grown-up age where it's not that big a deal to me to have a birthday. Unlike my younger days when I thought a birthday was a good excuse to not make my bed, go to school or work, or ya' know do anything I didn't want to.

So, my day yesterday consisted of the entire family oversleeping! L woke us all up at 7:15 and panic began! The little neighbor girl rang the doorbell at 7:20,so we were scrambling!

I did enjoy a nice lunch with friends yesterday and when I arrived home L and the kids had some beautiful flowers for me. Dinner was a salad and then we went swimming. A very simple day, but just what I wanted!

My Big Shot arrived last night too! So, hopefully, I'll have some time this weekend to start playing with it!

I got several nice gifts and cards including a blog post from Emily! That was sweet! The card from the kiddos? A singing card that plays Johnny Cash' Ring of Fire --picked out by N -- it was funny!

And today is the last day of school for N! So long 1st grade! Yeah,summer!

Gone Country

2009-05-27T10:26:00.002-05:00

We had our wonderful family reunion this weekend in Louisiana. My aunt and uncle have a fabulous place in the country. It is so unbelievably quiet, relaxing, and beautiful and the weather was wonderful. It didn't really get hot until Sunday afternoon.

My kids enjoyed riding a horse, swimming, playing in a playhouse, and searching for arrowheads (that may or may not have been prearranged for them to find). I'm pretty sure they were prearranged, 'cause what are the odds that the 3 children looking for arrowheads would stumble upon exactly 3 arrowheads?!?

I enjoyed visiting with my cousins and their families - it was a great time to catch up and discover that although we live very different lives, we have lots in common! The same basic values that have been passed down to us from our parents. Good times!

And now, I'll share a fun little video with you that has nothing to do with our trip, but is funny nonetheless:

Big Shot

2009-05-21T08:40:00.005-05:00

This post is mainly for all my "crafty" friends.

I need some input on the Big Shot. Tell me what you love about it; tell me any negatives (if there are any). I'm debating asking for one for my birthday, but want to hear exactly what it can do before I decide for sure!

Also, related to crafting, we had Card Club Tuesday night at Ellen's house. She came up with the cutest original design of a beach scene complete with sandpaper for the beach. You can check it out on Jennifer's blog. I really enjoy the evenings of visiting with friends and having someone else come up with the ideas and do the clean up!

Oh, and check out this blog for a great idea on looking at all the SU! colors. Some of you may already have a system for this, but I always have to pull out all my papers to find new color combos! This is a genius idea! Already printed out my templates.

The fam is headed to a family reunion this weekend and not a lame-o one, but one where we actually know all the people! I'm excited to see my brother and my cousins and their families! My aunt and uncle are graciously hosting us at their place and it's paradise in the country. Much relaxing, great fun, and delicious food are on the agenda for the weekend!

I hope you all have something fun and special to kick-off SUMMER!

I'm winning and I'm losing today!

2009-05-14T14:30:00.000-05:00

First, the winning..... I won the new Amy Grant CD from BooMama's Blog!! Yippee, I'm so excited! I've loved Amy since middle school!

Second, the losing.....

Two things happened yesterday that have seriously motivated me to get back on Weight Watchers YET AGAIN.
I'm hopeful that this time it will stick for the long term and I won't give up!

1st - my dad who is a heart-attack and triple bypass survivor and really just my hero in so many ways, got some test results back that were not very good. Not horrible, just not excellent like they've been the last 5 plus years since his surgery. He and my mom are still adjusting to his work-at-home schedule and some of his discipline has gotten off track. He and mom are "back on the wagon" of healthy living. It has inspired me to get back on as well.

2nd - and really, my most motivating, happened last night...L asked me if I was growing a baby. :( Then she asked me when I was skinny...I had to tell her it was along time ago. :( Then she said the words that spoke the clearest to me, "Now, you are just fat." Wow, they were painful words but true and really, she was the best person in the world to say them to me. So far, L has been blessed with fabulous metabolism - truly many days she eats more than Lance or I, but she's only 4 and very active also. Someday, her weight will catch up to her too. I don't ever want to pressure her to be a certain size or any other unhealthy body image, but I also want to be healthy for her and a mom she can be proud of.

So, today, I'm a winner and hopefully a loser too!

A Worm lives here

2009-05-13T18:05:00.002-05:00

A Bookworm, that is.

N has progressed so far on his reading this year and is now CONSTANTLY reading. You have to pry it out of his hands to get him to eat, bathe, even watch cartoons! Yesterday was the book fair at his school and he got 5 new books - The Magic Treehouse series is a favorite of his and he read an entire book last night! I LOVE it! I have always loved to read and I'm so glad he is now at the point that reading is more enjoyment than struggle to get thru.

Another bonus? He is learning all kinds of interesting facts and his vocabulary has increased tremendously. Books have also brought up all kinds of topics that we are discussing. Life is so interesting with a 1st grader!

I've never wanted any of my children's phases to end: baby, toddler, etc, but you know what the great thing is?!? Every.single.phase has such wonderful things --so many new and first things.

N, I'm so proud of your reading success. Reading will take you far and provide you with many hours of entertainment! Love, Momma

Ahhhh!

2009-05-11T08:56:00.002-05:00

We went swimming for the first time yesterday. Yes, it was warm enough - we live in the tropics here in South Central Texas - I think they officially opened the pool the day after Easter!

We LOVE the pool and yesterday I realized there are several reasons why:

1) It's just plain fun!
2) You can exercise without sweating!
3) We are outside!
4) We get to be a part of our community and visit with friends and make new ones!
5) Since we buy a swim pass, our family of 4 can swim as many times as we want all summer for only $125. Pretty cheap entertainment
6) It wears my kids out!

In fact yesterday after swimming for 2 1/2 hours, we came home, bathed the kiddos, and were getting ready for dinner, when I looked over at L and she was asleep. It was 6pm and we faced the dilemna all parents face at that hour. Do you let them take a short nap, then deal with the crankiness until bedtime or do you let them sleep knowing they may wake up at 3:30am ready to go for the day. Since we had a very busy weekend with some late night activities, we decided to just put her in bed. We heard not another word until 6:09 this morning! Glorious!

Lance and I enjoyed some time last night with just N which is a pretty rare occurence and it was an evening with no drama. In fact at one point, I mentioned how quiet it was and Lance said he'd be happy to throw a couple of tantrums or talk incessently if it would help! :)

Mom's Day

2009-05-10T04:29:00.002-05:00

To all of you moms out there, I hope you are able to have some time to relax and do something enjoyable this weekend whether you are with your kids or not.

To you who are not yet moms, but desperately want to be: my heart is with you. I remember those days. Hang in there and believe that one day it will be you!

And to my mom: thank you for always loving me and still helping me in so many ways. You have taught me well and now I enjoy being your friend!

Chatterbox

2009-05-07T08:28:00.003-05:00

Four year olds talk. ALOT. I had forgotten this since the last time we had a four year old living in our house 3 years ago.

The difference?

N asked ALOT of questions. You know the ones ----why?

L - not too many questions, just talks about every.little.thing. that pops into her mind. Oh, the excitement of life!

So, I'm wondering, is this the difference between boys and girls? Or just my two? N ever curious and trying to figure out how everything works and L gearing up for the "gabfest" of her high school and college years.

Either way the talk is equal parts hysterical entertainment (last night, she was copying Ryan Seacrest's intro to American Idol...."This. Is. AmericanIdol.") and equal parts maddening (sometimes you just want 5 seconds of silence).

But, I know this day too will pass quickly and I don't want to wish these days away. So for now, you'll be seeing us rolling on the ground laughing or plugging our ears with cotton balls!

Dancing Queen

2009-05-04T08:51:00.003-05:00

This weekend was L's first dance recital. We had the rehearsal Friday afternoon and the recital Saturday afternoon. Combine that with our last soccer game of the season and grandparents visiting and it was a busy weekend. But, it was also one of those glorious weekends!

I saw a side of L I've never seen before. That girl was born to dance and she can ignore all other needs/wants when she is focused on that goal of dancing.

Some things that happened:

Went 6 hours without a bathroom break
Went 6 hours without eating/drinking
Went 6 hours straight without whining
Let us mess with her hair FOREVER and yank and comb, etc without complaining

These are not normal events, she was in the ZONE and it was a wonderfully enjoyable time with a happy little girl.

She did a great job dancing and more importantly she had FUN!

Here are some pics of the day:

L is the dancer on the far left looking off stage at her teacher for help with the moves:

At the end of the recital, L loved taking her bow. So much that the asst. teacher had to pull her back!

Daddy brought her flowers after the recital:

Getting her makeup done:

Her whole class did a great job!

While I'm Waiting

2009-04-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

There is a song by John Waller called While I'm Waiting and it's a great song. It has been speaking to me ALOT the last few weeks. I catch myself singing it at all hours of the day and night. It happens to be from the movie Fireproof, which was produced by a church. It's a film about protecting your marriage and really was well done. Kirk Cameron is the main character in the movie.

John Waller - While I'm Waiting (Official Music Video) from Provident Label Group on Vimeo.

Lance and I are in a waiting place in our lives right now. And as we wait, I've been caught up so much in the waiting, that I've forgotten to live. Right now! What a tragic mistake and unfortunately one I've made other times in my life.

One of my biggest regrets of my life was not using my time wisely while Lance and I were waiting to adopt. I should have been hanging out with friends, crafting, exercising, and serving others while I waited. Then the focus would have been taken off that for which I longed and the selfish me. I don't want to waste that much time again.

So...thanks to some conviction thru this song, thru my wonderful husband who sometimes has to beat me over the head (no, not really) to get me to hear things that are right in front of me, and thru the voice of God, I'm finally starting to listen and LIVE!

I'm quite sure I'll slip back into my old patterns again eventually, but for now, I don't want to sit and play the waiting game. I want to get out and soak up LIFE!

So, if you are waiting for a baby, a husband, summer vacation, a new job, a promotion, a move, a college degree, to lose 10 pounds or any other thing, don't be like me...enjoy life while you wait!

Vacation advice needed

2009-04-24T05:49:00.000-05:00

After the last 2 years of heading south to the Beach in the middle of hurricane season, we've decided to do something different this year. We're fast learners, we are. :) But we have not in fact decided what to do.

Ya see, next year is the big vacay we've been talking about for years. Disney! Our deal was our youngest child had to be 5 before we would go. It's alot of $$$$, it will take a lot of time, and plus, I want them to actually remember the trip! I know LOTS of people take younger children and that's great for them, but for us, not so much.

So, all that to say, since the BIG trip is next year, the vacation this year needs to be less expensive and smaller.

Our criteria are these:

***Not too far a drive (we discovered last year that the 7-8 hour trip to South Padre Island was a wee bit ambitious for us; we are "old school" and don't have a DVD in the car; our entertainment is each other, books, and toys! :)

***We go the 3rd week in August, so it will be hot - we need to be somewhere with either a body of water or a pool or preferably both!

***Our kids will be 7 and 4 - so activities have to be child-friendly

*** We like to go somewhere and stay in the same location for 3-5 days so we can truly relax, unpack, and unwind - we aren't yet to the days of being able for the "roadtrip" of multiple stops on multiple days!

Anyone have any great suggestions within a 4-5 hour (maximum) radius of Bryan/College Station?!? I know, I'm asking the impossible!?!

Transformation

2009-04-23T08:54:00.002-05:00

I've mentioned it so many times this school year, but WOW 1st grade has been a pivotal year in our house. In the beginning, it was rough, really rough, but now here we are in the final 6 weeks of the year and oh, the progress that has been made in every area.

N started the year reading very simple things - See Jane run. Stuff like that. Last night? The boy was reading a book about Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Tsunamis all.by.himself. It was a multi-chapter book and had very large words in it and he was reading it silently in bed as he relaxed for the day. WOW! It's amazing to me still. When he got his report card last Friday, his teacher wrote about how wonderful his writing skills are and how his math skills are developing well and most importantly (at least to me) how well he is getting along with and connecting with his peers! :) This has been something our whole family has been working on this year and N especially! He spent several months going to counseling and the counselor was able to help him (and us!) so much!

And N has decided that he is 1000% sure that he will be a volcanologist when he grows up! So, I'm guessing, that means he will leave Texas, huh? Of course, this career path is a relatively new one after his obsession with trains for the first 6 years of his life. So, I'm sure he might change his mind 1 or 1,000 times again before he grows up!

Vegetable or candy?

2009-04-17T08:45:00.003-05:00

My 4 year old likes candy. Nothing too profound there although her brother really is not a big candy eater. Or an eater at all for that matter.

Well, after the avalanche of candy that arrived with Easter, we've had a few issues. Namely that L wants candy the moment she wakes up in the morning. Now, I'm okay with her having a piece after lunch and another after dinner, but I do draw the line at morning candy. So, this morning, L tries a new tactic. After begging for the candy and me telling her no yet again. She says, "Can I have a jelly bean?" I tell her no that jelly beans are candy and I've already told her no candy.

Her response was awesome in 4 year old logic. "Nuh uh momma, jelly beans are NOT candy, they are beans." Well then....perhaps we should all be eating more jelly beans. Or not.

And here are a couple of pics from our neighborhood egg hunt. They had a very talented lady there doing face painting.

N - chose to be a vampire

L - with a headband of flowers - this is as close to hair accessories as we are ever going to get!

Hope you have an awesome weekend! Lance will be gone this weekend, so the kiddos and I are going to be looking for fun inside projects since I think it will be raining here!

Just a Swangin'

2009-04-13T14:55:00.006-05:00

Okay, I couldn't resist using the title from an old country song from the 80's. Two of my country cousins had this cassette tape and played it on at least one trip to their house - that memory of the song and just how country they seemed are etched forever in my mind. I will see those cousins for the first time as parents in May - as we journey to Louisiana for a reunion with my mom's extended family!

We spent all day Friday at Tanglewood Park in Bryan complete with picnic lunch. This is a fabulous park with multiple playgrounds and a sand volleyball court which we used like this....

N built this with sand and then by collecting as many sticks as possible to be the "destroyed" trees on his volcano. Then, as the natural born leader that he is, he recruited 4 other boys plus his sister to bring water over to the volcano and pretend it was lava - you can see the trench to the right where the "lava" flowed. There was a girl's volleyball team practicing on this same sand court, but that didn't stop N and his "workers" from constructing their creation.

And finally, the picture I never thought I'd get....

Last year, the bluebonnet picture-taking was not working - between the scratching of the plants and the bugs, the kids just WOULD NOT cooperate, so we gave up. On a whim, Saturday we pulled the car over and just snapped pictures and my little sweethearts cooperated. So, their outfits are not the cutest, I'm okay with that. At least we don't have boogers on our face or food on our clothes.

We enjoyed our Easter celebration this weekend with our church and friends. And as our pastor shared over the weekend, we need to become an "Easter People" like the early church was. Our culture and church has become a "Christmas People", but we have it wrong. I needed to hear that and be challenged personally.

Hope your Easter was a wonderful celebration with your family of faith, friends, and family!

Fort Night

2009-04-07T11:26:00.002-05:00

Last week, the kids built a fort in our living room. It was constructed out of the card table and chairs; and every blanket, quilt, pillow, and stuffed animal we own with the exception of those on Lance and I's bed. (pillows and blankets, not stuffed animals, I made Lance give those up when we got married. :)) We had to draw the line somewhere. This fort stayed up all week and this my friends is a miracle, 'cause MommaJen of 2-3 years ago could have never stood the clutter. But, I'm a new woman, I can now relax and live in a land of clutter with the best of them. And I'm not sure whether this is a good or bad thing. To my kids last week though, it was definitely good.

So, the culmination of the week was the agreement that they could sleep in said fort on Friday night with the understanding that on Saturday, everything would have to be returned to it's rightful location and I could again see the living room.

After we got home from date night (yippee!), the kids got in their pajamas and settled in for the big sleepover in the living room. It was exciting, it was adventerous, it was CRAZY! They were so excited that even though it was 11pm, they just could not get still. Lance told me to just let them be crazy and they would eventually calm down. Ahem, for N, yes that would work. For L, no - the gal just couldn't do it. And so, her night in the fort was cut short and she was forced into her own bed. But when she woke up the next morning, she and N proceeded to watch cartoons from their fort and request breakfast in "bed" which of course was really just their sleeping bags on the floor.

It was a fun experience, but also definitely showed me, I will no longer be in a hurry for my kids to have sleepovers with others! :)

Date Night!

2009-04-03T14:46:00.001-05:00

Tonight is Date Night!

Yippee!

If ever there had been good timing for a date night, tonight is it!

Sic 'Em

2009-04-02T13:32:00.003-05:00

Tonight, the Baylor Men's Basketball Team plays for the NIT championship. Now, I know this is not the NCAA championship, but still, it's a major step for this program. This is the team that just a few years ago was shocked when one of it's players killed another of the players. The coach got in huge trouble, sanctions were made, and the team basically disintegrated.

This is one of those great feel-good stories where the new coach came in with basically nothing and turned the team around!

Go Bears!!

More pink!

2009-03-31T10:12:00.002-05:00

Today, my friend Tracy and her husband Tommy welcomed a sweet little girl into the world! I'm so excited for their family - Big Sister E will have lots of changes in her life, but oh, to have a sister, is awesome! I can't wait to meet her tomorrow and get to love on her!

I've had fun shopping for all the new little ones - there seems to have been a serious baby boom this year and that is so much fun, especially when you know you will never have another little one in your home. Loving on others' babies is the next best thing!

In other news, I can now add Coach to my list of things I've done in my life. I know, it's a shock to me too! Lance is out of town right now and soccer practice was last night. The assistant coach was late (he has 4 kids 6 and under so it's kind of understandable!), but you cannot let a 1st grade boys soccer team go without something to do. Other than you know, poking ants and catching grasshoppers! So, this crazy momma, who's only soccer experience is being a soccer mom, got out the cones and began to "run drills". I'm quite sure nothing I did was "correct" or even "legal in soccer world" but hey, it kept the boys out of trouble and it was kind of fun!

Needles don't bother me...

2009-03-30T12:11:00.002-05:00

I said dumbly to the doctor this morning. You can give me a million shots and it won't bother me at all.

And then I screamed. No, really, I did. I think the longest needle ever was inserted into the top of my foot today. Inside was steroids. Hopefully, this will help my foot issues. She also prescribed oral steroids. And said to tell everyone that I will be a barrel o' fun while taking these. So, fair warning to all who will see me IRL the next 2 weeks! :) Lance has never been so glad to be out-of-town!
I go back to the dr. in 2 weeks to see if the 'roids are helping and plan the next course of action.

In other news, we have on our hands a FABULOUS FALCON! N was the Falcon of the Week at school last week! We are so proud of him - he has worked very hard in 1st grade this year!

L had her 4 y.o. check-up last Friday. Her dr. advised us to try giving her some orange juice (we have eliminated all fruits/juices from her diet due to stomach issues). So, over the weekend, L indulged and oh, did she love that OJ. But, alas, the stomach issue came back and the OJ has been removed. L told me this morning that Dr. Meyer was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. And L, she was right, right, right. I do hope L outgrows this fruit intolerance, allergy, or whatever it may be. But for now, Gatorade is as close as this girl will get to juice.

She's here!

2009-03-26T09:55:00.002-05:00

My friend, Jennifer welcomed a sweet baby girl this morning. I won't post her name, but it's a really sweet one and I can't wait to meet her. She has a cute big sister, S, whom I'm sure is really excited as well!

There is alot going on at MommaJen's house, hence the lack of posting lately. I will be back, but am trying to wrap my brain around some things right now.

Update on the foot: I have several issues in addition to the Plantar Fascitis and meet with the foot doctor on Monday - I'll let you know more then, but for now, I'm doing pretty well. The 7 days of rest seems to have helped tremendously!

The foot curse

2009-03-13T14:26:00.002-05:00

My maternal relatives have feet issues. And for me, a great portion of my junior and senior years at Baylor were spent wearing a Blue shoe due to bunions and ingrown toenail issues. Oh yes, you know the shoe, lovely with velcro and all. In fact Melissa, the maid of honor in my wedding, joked about how we were going to have to add rhinestones and pearls to that shoe. I was determined to wear real shoes that day and I did.

Funny, once I was married, the foot issues went away. But now, they have returned and I am not excited, not one little bit. I went to the doctor yesterday and then had to go have an xray. I either have a stress fracture or the beginning of Plantar Fascitiis (sp?). Me personally, I'm hoping for the stress fracture - it will heal and we can move on. From what I hear about PF, it lingers and rears it's ugly head from time to time that you won't forget who is in charge. My aunt has struggled with this the last couple of years and has gone thru surgery and all number of things. My mom had bunion surgery back in the fall and is still trying to completely recover.

So,I'm still awaiting my diagnosis and whether I will have to go get a big honking shot of steroids in the bottom of my foot and meanwhile my doctor told me to elevate my foot and take mass amounts of Ibuprofen for the next 7 days. Hello, elevate and stay off feet?!? With 2 young children and a hubby who will be out of town?!? So, what'll I do?!? The kiddos and I were already planning to head to Dallas and enjoy fun times with family, now momma may just be a little slower than normal. Whaaa :(

Hope you all have a wonderful Spring Break whether you are staying home or travelling!! I will be offline for the week, but look forward to catching up with you!

Lacey, you are the "winner" of my 200th post contest which a whole whopping 2 of you entered. I can see the lure of choosing my blog subject is just not near as inviting as the free gas giveaway from last summer! :)

Lacey, let me know what you'd like me to write about and my first post back from Spring Break will be on that topic.

200 posts and a chance to dictate 201

2009-03-10T14:25:00.003-05:00

Today is my 200th post. In honor of this occasion, I thought about writing 200 random facts about myself, but realized not only would I have trouble writing 200 random facts, but that you, my few readers, may be terribly bored by said list.

So, how about something else instead...

I'll say a little something about my favorite topics:

Boys - and I don't mean the cute kind from middle school that we all wanted to dedicate songs to on the Friday night dedication show. I'm talking about the cute, little ones that grab your heart as your first born and then suddenly can tell you all sorts of interesting facts and jokes and just make you laugh out loud. Today mine told me all kinds of interesting animal facts like giraffes don't have voices and they are as tall as a house. He also just sang me a song about a skunk in a barnyard. Gotta love the things they learn at school! But, I'm super proud of my boy. He has had some struggles this year in 1st grade. But, he has worked very hard to overcome these and he's come a looong way since the first of the year. Yesterday, he met a new friend in the neighborhood, which we are so thankful for since we've had the bully issue. This new friend is right on N's level and they enjoy playing the same things, plus as an added bonus, this friend moved here from Hawaii. Land of volcanoes - which is really cool considering N wants to be a volcanologist when he grows up!

Girls - my sweet gal L that can "push my buttons" and she's not even 14 yet! But she is also my favorite girl to color with; do fun tricks with, and even shop with! L taught me a new song this week called The Clown Song and even though her big brother thinks it's lame, I love it and have even found myself singing it when she's not around! L is a masterful bike rider and has told me that she wants to take her training wheels off next week. She has always seemed older than what she is. Her skill levels and vocabulary are excellent and she has recently learned to count to 59 and write her name!

Lance - my husband that puts up with my crazy ideas! I'm much more "all over the place" than Lance. Lance is the level-headed calm force in our family. When he gets stressed, watch out, you know it's bad! Lance has a very strong work ethic and morals and I really respect this especially when there are so many that don't. Lance will never be seen as a news headline for someone with a moral or legal failure :) And even though we've been together for almost 18 years (14 1/2 married), I'm still in love with him and wouldn't trade him for another. He's my best friend.

My friends - Early in our ministry years, I struggled with friendships. I wouldn't allow myself to relax and have friends. Part of this was because our first ministry experience was ROUGH. Part was because in our second ministry experience we were in a small farming community, where if you hadn't lived there 30 plus years, you were a newcomer. Part was my insecurity. Living in this community has finally taught me it's okay to have good friends; it's okay if they are in the church with us and it's okay if they aren't. Some of my closest friends live here in this community and I'm so thankful for them! They "get" me when no one else does! It's fun to trade mom stories, work nightmares, and have fun playing bunco or crafting!

My church - Being part of a church is like being part of a family. You are with each other during good times and bad. Our church is going thru some of the "bad" right now. It's hard, but these are the people of God and Lance and I were called to serve with them. I've been taught so much by so many of our members and feel blessed to have been alongside them in ministry these last 8 1/2 years.

This has been way too long and really may be less interesting than 200 facts, so to those of you who are still reading, I'll leave you with this....

I used to hear people say all the time how life gets better the older you get and I just COULD.NOT understand this, but now that I'm quickly approaching 37, I get it and I believe it. My life is much richer and more full now than it's ever been. I'm thankful for all the hard days and times that have brought me to this point. I know more hard days are ahead, but I truly do appreciate those good days even more!

Wow, I sound old...

In honor of my 200th post, I'll try something else besides blog candy.

If you leave me a comment and I choose your name, you can choose a topic for me to blog about. And for some of you out there, if you win, I'll even let you "require" me to post pics...and that my friends might be more rare than a $2 bill.

Deadline to comment is noon on Friday the 13th.

growing up

2009-03-10T14:18:00.003-05:00

Last night, we watched part of Dancing with the Stars. L is a dancer thru and thru and we thought she'd like the show. She did. And so did her 7 y.o. brother. And they both sat on me while we watched. This amounts to almost 100 pounds of squirming, fidgeting, dancing kiddos. So, as I was reminding them to sit still, I also reminded myself to enjoy. Because it won't be long before not only will they not physically be able to both sit on me, they just won't want to. These days are fleeting. 'Course when I said this out loud, N popped back with "oh yeah, I will still want to sit on you when I'm 15" Yeah, right, all 6'5" of him, I'm sure!! I'm just hoping he will still want to talk to me when he's 15.

And that leads me into the apology that I owe him:

Dear N,

I'm so sorry I embarassed you by sending Dora yogurt in your lunchbox. I didn't realize your friends would notice and call you a baby for eating "baby" yogurt. I wrongly assumed that because you still enjoy watching Dora that eating her yogurt would be okay. I was wrong. I now know that just because you will still act like a little boy at home that it doesn't mean you are a little boy in front of your friends. Please forgive me.

Love,
Momma

Growing up - it's hard on us mommas.

Party with the Mouse!

2009-03-09T14:17:00.003-05:00

We partyed with a mouse on Saturday night. He was cute, though a little loud. The occasion was L's first "friend" birthday party. Her first three birthday parties were just with family only - and that was okay with her. She is much more shy than N and had never asked for a friend party. But...this year was different, she has been looking forward to her Chuck E. Cheese party for months! Since her actual birthday is during Spring Break, we decided to celebrate early to include her friends.

I haven't included any pics of her friends since I don't have their parents permission, but I've included some of L.

Her cake is hard to identify, but it's a puppy dog and she was thrilled, although, she doesn't like to eat the "dirty" parts....it's called fur, my dear and it's chocolate! And when you have a puppy dog cake, it's almost all fur!!

The highlight of the evening for her was the medal. At the Cheese, they do a whole 5 minute birthday song which is oh, so, loud, but at the end, they give you a birthday medal - looks kind of like an Olympic Gold Medal, which really I think they should give to the parents for making it thru another year :) Just kidding! L is so proud of this medal that she has slept in it and worn it to church and school. And since her party was 10 days before her birthday and Daddy will be gone on her birthday, she is getting to have a birthday 1/2 month instead of just a day, and that my friends is a girl after my own heart.

So now, I'll leave you with some pics!

Oh, and please excuse the nose...we are having some allergy issues and it's rather gross!

Big D, you're not what you used to be.

2009-03-06T13:46:00.003-06:00

So, I spent 3 1/2 days in Dallas this week. I was in training all day - brain overload to the max - but after hours, I had a lil' fun in Dallas.

I was able to make some cards - about 15, I think and that was oh, so productive. As the bellman carried in my card-making supplies, he asked me if I was an attorney! Ha! (I store my paper in file boxes, so I look really smart!) :)

I went out and did a lil' shopping, but bought nothing. I think I've gotten really cheap or something...I just couldn't find any bargains, even with all the selection Dallas has to offer. Disappointing. :(

And then there were the strange, different things that happened.... I think I have been a small town girl for too long now, because oh man, I saw some things that just aren't on my radar in Aggieland!

The mall - cops everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. They even had little "stands" built for them to stand in. There is nothing like being in an upscale Dallas mall at 5pm and seeing more cops than customers.

The hotel I stayed at was swanky. Like "call the butler to get the ice" swanky. I grew up as more of a motel kinda girl. Like you know, the ones that leave the light on for you, so this was an experience. It was nice, I was in the lap of luxury, but because of the whole "call the butler" issue, I got in a sticky situation... I had dinner with my parents on Weds night and then decided to stop on the way back to the hotel to get a cup of ice at a convenience store so I wouldn't have to call the butler and tip him for SOME ICE! So, as I approach the ice dispenser with my cup, I feel a very wet, sticky sensation on my left foot. I look down and immediately flick my shoe off where it proceeded to hit the wall. The substance appeared to be red jello in a pan, but I'm quite sure it was actually some kind of bug/rodent trap which Mr. Convenience Store man would neither confirm nor deny. He took my shoe and washed it in the convenience store sink and gave me a rag to wash such substance off. So I'm standing in a convenience store at 8pm in Dallas where all kind of interesting people are in and out purchasing their beverages and smokes and I'm on one foot trying not to let my naked foot touch the floor. As I finally get my ice and leave, I realize I'm in the middle of a "gay pride" event.

So, even after years of proclaiming myself as not a country girl, but a city girl, I may have to amend that statement to: "I'm not a country girl, but I'm not a city girl either, I'm more of a suburban-type girl"

Kinda sad, huh?

Mr. Mom

2009-03-02T10:17:00.003-06:00

So, I'm leaving town today. I will be gone for over 72 hours. This is the first time I've been gone for more than one night on a business trip since before kids!

I'm excited about the opportunity to learn and develop my skills and hopefully craft and watch TV in the evenings! I'm meeting my parents for dinner one night and may even try to do a little shopping in Big D.

But, I'm a little sad about missing a few days with my family. Lance will do a great job of getting everyone where they need to go on time and with a little help from a friend, even soccer practice is covered. They will have a good time doing things "daddy's way" and I'll enjoy some solitude. It's a win-win, but I can't wait to walk back in the door and be mobbed, 'cause there is nothing like feeling like a rockstar to your family!

So, I won't be around this week. Can't wait to read all your blogs when I return. And if you think of it, say a prayer for Lance!

Brush like the Dentist

2009-02-27T10:00:00.002-06:00

L had a visitor to her school yesterday. It happened to be Mrs. Danielle, one of our neighbors, who is a dental hygenist. She talked to the kids about brushing, nutrition, etc. And she brought a bag of samples. L couldn't wait to show the entire family her SpongeBob toothpaste. I'm not a fan of SpongeBob, but I guess toothpaste is okay!

L told us all about the right way to brush and she even got a little timer so that she'll know how long to brush. And then she said the words I didn't want to hear...."Momma, you aren't supposed to drink Dr. Pepper". Yep, she's right, I shouldn't. Nothing like a 3 yo telling you!

So last night, she brushed and was showing me her "shiny, clean" teeth. And then she says, "I need to look in the mirror at my baby teeth." She starts pulling her gums back, and says, "Wow, I have a whole bunch of baby teeth. Why do I have so many baby teeth? I'm not a baby." Hmmmm...I tried to explain to her that when she is between about 5-7 years old, she'll start losing her baby teeth and get "big kid" teeth like her brother. This then leads into the question, "When I turn 4, will I be as big as bubba?" Uh, no.... my sweet girl, you will probably never be as big as bubba. He's 3 1/2 years older and quite the tall boy himself. Ahh!

The signs of growing up are all around us now. She outgrew her ballet slippers that we bought in August and we had to buy new ones on the fly before her class this week. She is now wearing a size 12 shoe! Size 12?!? Her brother is only wearing a 1 1/2!!! I can't believe it! And when we looked at her old slippers, she told me she would have to give them to a baby now. A baby? But, L, you were just wearing these a week ago. Were you a baby then? It's funny to me, but anyone smaller than her or anyone wearing diapers is a baby even if they are her age.

Her last question last night before falling asleep...."Why did God give us hair on our arms? Good question, my gal, good question.

I love this girl. And my oh my, she has grown up so much this year of being 3. I'll tell you, my girl is not the same as she was a year ago. I'm so proud of how far she has come. It has been a struggle and some days Lance and I didn't know if we'd make it, but the hard work has paid off. She is a joy.

helpful hints

2009-02-22T12:33:00.002-06:00

I'm hosting Bunco at my house this month. This Tuesday to be exact. And considering, both L and I've been sick the past week and now N is home sick from church today, I'm a little behind in the keeping of the house, if ya know what I mean. Plus...I am really feeling the need to scrub these germies outta the house.

So, while N sleeps and watches cartoons, I've been busy scrubbing this morning! I found this advice - FlyLady about making your sink shine. So, I've tried it this morning and it works! My stainless sink looks great! I'm not a fan of the stainless sink, but since the porcelain ones are in the neighborhood of $1,000...stainless is what this gal has.

Fly Lady has other helpful hints as well that I will be trying to sanitize this house!

Another birthday and the winner

2009-02-20T09:40:00.005-06:00

Today is my mom's birthday. I'll not announce her age on this ole blog.

My mom is such an awesome person! Along with Lance and my dad, she is my biggest cheerleader. She is an encourager and great advice giver (even if I don't always follow it, I always listen and take it under advisement)

I'm thankful for all the help she has given me when I've had sick kiddos. She is extremely talented at all things homemaking -- cooking, sewing, decorating! I got my love of homes from her --- just wish I would have gotten the cooking and sewing!!!

My mom is loyal and has sacrificed so much for her family. She has nursed all of us thru surgeries, illness, and hard times.

One time in particular that will always stay with me is when N was only 4 months old. N had a TERRIBLE stomach virus which then Lance got as well. I was running back and forth trying to take care of them both, and trying to work and of course N is getting first shot. My mom came to stay with us and risk getting this terrible virus herself. She stayed up all hours with me caring for these guys. On the last day, she fell into bed at 4pm with her blue jeans on and slept until the next morning. That is tired!

I'm so thankful for my mom. She has made my life better.

Happy Birthday Mom - I love you!

And the winner of the drawing contest.... it's Lacey
Lacey, I'll bring your gift card to the luncheon tomorrow! Congrats!

Can you name this guy? and HB SIL

2009-02-18T11:41:00.005-06:00

This is a picture that N drew at school this week. I thought it looked really good and I could immediately tell who it was even though it's not labeled and he didn't tell me who it was. He scoffed at me and said, "I did that in about 10 seconds, I wasn't even trying."

This kid has an artistic touch. I think he's good. 'Course he is my child, so I may be a little biased. Or ALOT.

So, can you name who this drawing is of? I'm sorry for the poor quality - it was drawn on construction paper and I scanned it in.

Everyone who comments and gives the correct answer will be entered to win a $10 gift card. You have until noon on Thursday (2/19) to comment.

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday. She is 30-something today. As we would say in my family, she is in her young 30's!

M --- mother of 4
I --- incredible seamstress
N --- nine plus years being married to my brother
D --- decorator of cakes
Y --- young

Happy Birthday Mindy! Hope it's a great day for you!

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

2009-02-17T12:56:00.002-06:00

Two miracles occured in our family last night and they were both HUGE!

The first involved N. He had decided last fall that he in fact no longer liked soccer. Despite the fact that we had already paid for the entire year and HELLO, Lance is the coach! So, we told him, too bad, you will finish out the year. Next year, you can pick another sport or activity, but this year it's soccer. Well, last night was the 1st practice of the spring semester and I was a wee bit nervous. But! He ran in the front door after practice last night and he had a good time. No, not good, GREAT! He scored goals, ran fast, and most importantly listened to the coach (aka Dad) Yippee N!

The second miracle involved L. She succesfully took her bath and got into bed. Not only without screaming, but with a great big hug for me and a great attitude for Lance! I'm so proud of her! So, tonight, I promised her that I would read her story and tuck her in. We'll see if she is able to maintain her sweetness for me.

Today a woman who has already raised 3 children told me, "Being the parent of small children is an extremely tough job. It's exhausting, and stressful and you think it will break you. Hang in there, you are doing a good job. Someday, you will look around and realize that you are no longer disciplining your children every 5 seconds, you will get to enjoy the fruits of all the discipline you are doing now." I needed to hear that. I think all parents need to hear that from time to time. Being a good parent is hard work and sometimes it's tempting to give in. But a good parent won't give in, they'll keep working and trying their best. Our children deserve our best. So, to all you parents of young children (and not so young!) hang in there! We can do it! And if you ever need a break, call me and let's commiserate!

I heart houses!

2009-02-12T13:08:00.002-06:00

One of my passions in life is Interior Design. Duh, that's why I went to school got my degree and became a designer. What you may not know is that I don't feel like my expertise is in the "decorating" portion of design. I feel way more gifted in the space-planning and functional layout portion of the process. This is why I work in commercial design instead of residential. But even with this love of design, I don't have a budget to match my love. Thankfully, design has evolved and changed and you don't have to be a multi-millionaire to have a nice home and sometimes the simple, small home is actually more welcoming than the huge one!

This post is an excellent one about just that. I love how she shows what her family chose to do and the result is beautiful and warm and cozy.

Our house doesn't have a 2-story living room, but it does have a 2-story entry and it is a bit overwhelming. I know when the time to paint comes, we will have to hire professionals. So, lesson learned...if we ever buy another home, we'll think carefully before having 2-story rooms. And, I truly believe you could build a new house every year and still not get it "right". There are always things you love about a home and always things you would change. And some of the things you love right now, you might not be able to stand in 10 years. It's a process and the most welcoming homes are those that slowly morph and transform over time. Not those that are instantly "decorated" the moment they are moved into.

My love of houses has been a life-long one. My parents took me with them to look at model homes and that is when I fell in love. I began drawing floorplans in 4th grade and looking back I can tell they were not good design at all. It was a straight hallway from the front door to the back door. But, as time went by, my skills improved. The childhood love turned into a career and a passion.

Makes me wonder....will N's passion for volcanos, trains, and earthquakes and his skill at building and design lead him into becoming an amusement park ride designer? You never know!!!

Will L's passion for cooking and animals lead her into developing gourmet canned food for animals? Or leadchef at a pet spa? Or maybe if you add in her daredevil skills she could be part-time stunt woman/part-time chef to the animals in movies.

I can't wait to see where God leads their passions. And it may be that they have a "desk job" during the week and follow their passion on the weekend and that's okay too!

Date night!

2009-02-11T05:30:00.000-06:00

Friday night Lance took L on her first date. Originally they were going to attend the Daddy/Daughter dance at the Children's Museam. But, evidently, this is the social event of the year for the 3-6 y.o. set and he didn't get a reservation soon enough.

So...instead Lance let L select where she would like to go. And her choice? a little mouse place - Chuck E. Cheese.

Here is a pic of them in the photo booth:

This was a fun time for them and N and I enjoyed our time together Friday night as well. I love it when all of us are together, but sometimes it's fun to enjoy the one-on-one time and get to create special memories that are all their own.

We are realizing more and more everyday that even though these two are only 3 years apart they are interested in very different things. N has moved on to more "mature" things like burping his ABCs and watching America's Funniest Home Videos while L still likes watching Dora and playing Hungry, Hungry, Hippos 15 times in a row.

Fun times!

Victory!

2009-02-10T09:06:00.002-06:00

If you've read this blog anytime in the last 6 months, you've noticed a pattern. We have sleep issues at our house.

These sleep issues were brought on by a certain little girl giving up her cassie (pacificer). Once the cassie was gone, she didn't have her comfort item any longer. We offered to buy her a lovey, a special blanket or anything for nighttime sleepiness. Oh no, she wouldn't have any of it. She didn't need those things, 'cause she had me.

I have become the cassie. She doesn't suck on me, but she uses me to pat her, sing to her, etc. In short, I've become captive to a 3 y.o.

This is my own fault. I've failed as a mother in this area. Despite my best intentions, I've become an enabler. My name is MommaJen and I am a 3 y.o.'s nighttime crutch. There, I've said it, my secret is out.

But...we've had an intervention at our house. Momma is no longer providing bedtime assistance for this gal. Daddy is now the one and Daddy is much more firm. And the results......

screaming, fussing, etc, but eventually.....SLEEP! All night, no getting up, no playing musical beds...just sleep, glorious sleep. And this momma has needed it, 'cause there's nothing like walking around in a newborn-momma stupor when you in fact DO NOT HAVE A NEWBORN!!

Here's to many more nights of sleep and less and less screaming! Oh please, oh please! Oh, Please!

Fact or Fiction?

2009-02-06T10:16:00.003-06:00

I've always enjoyed writing. It's fun, it's enjoyable, I even like the grammar and sentence structure parts. I was taught well in my early years. I don't worry about grammer, etc on the blog, 'cause really who cares? But resumes, business letters, the like? oh yeah, I'm picky.

So....the 1st grader has writers workshop at school everyday. And he enjoys it too. He's a writer and getting quite good at it. There is only one problem. The boy doesn't want to write about the "small, true moments" like his teacher has requested. Oh no...who wants to write about getting dressed for the day or cleaning the room or other such BORING topics.

His preferred topics include volcanos, earthquakes and other such natural disasters. These are much more exciting! And you know, I think his kindergarten teacher would welcome these topics since last year all he wrote about were TRAINS. She had to tell us to please ask him to not write about trains ever.again. AMEN.

So, this year, the teacher has had to ask us to remind N about writing TRUE stories, not CREATIVE writing which is much more his forte. So, as much as I would like to read the last of the Trilogy entitled THE HUT by NCM (his initials), we will now be forced to read, "I brushed my teeth" and other such mundane writings.

I know it's important to follow directions at school, but wow, is it a struggle for this uber-creative boy. Lance and I are much more the "rule-following", by the book people, and this boy he challenges us each day. But also, he makes our days richer. He sees life in technicolor with a twinkle in his eye and I thank God for that!

The Night Sky- a Reminder

2009-01-30T12:02:00.005-06:00

Last night as I was driving home from Bunco, I saw two amazing things in the night sky. One of them is hard to see well in pics... a beautiful shooting star!

The other was a beautiful orange moon.

It's so amazing to see these wonderful sights and to know our Creator gave us these beautiful things to delight us.

I needed a delight this week. Things have been discouraging for me. My old friend, anxiety, has made a return this week. Not a glaring panic-attack return, but a quiet, depressing, negative-feeling return nonetheless. I'm hoping he will leave me soon. I don't like when he visits.

I almost didn't go to Bunco last night. I wasn't in the mood, but Lance encouraged me to go and I'm glad he did. Sometimes he can push me to do things that I really NEED to do, but wouldn't if it was up to me. But, I had a wonderful time! It was good to catch up with friends and hear about their kiddos and things going on in their lives. I was uplifted. And then I saw the sky and realized God always loves me even when I'm unloveable. Which quite frankly, I have been a couple of times this week. I'm thankful for a husband that can overlook those moments and love me through them. He has definitely taken on more than his share this week.

Here's to a fabulous weekend even though it does include Football! :)

No really, I'm excited, because we are having a Super Bowl Party at our house and I know my house will be really clean. At least until the doorbell rings! :)

The night, it was a long one

2009-01-28T14:08:00.003-06:00

Don't be fooled by the sweet girl above, we've had some sleeping issues at our house this week. And by "We", I really mean L and as a result, me. The boys, not so much.

Monday night was the worst, L could not get comfortable. With the coughing and hacking and squirming and what not, it was a very.very.long.night. I went to sleep somewhere in the vicinity of 3-4am and I'll tell you, it's surprising what you hear at that hour. L's bedroom is at the front of the house and I was surprised at all the activity on our street. Apparently, the middle of the night is primetime for some folks.

But anyway...last night was shaping up to be just.like.Monday and fear, loathing and depression were hanging over my head at thoughts of the night to come. When suddenly, we realized what the source of all the squirming and thrashing was....an itching boo boo. This boo boo was itching so bad, sleep could not happen. So, I'm extremly thankful for the 24 hour drug store where Lance was able to obtain a lovely anti-itch med also known for helping to induce a sleep-coma. Within 20 minutes, the gal was sacked out and I could stop hyperventilating.

So at this point, Lance and I decided to watch our DVR recording of American Idol. I know many of you don't watch, but there was one classic part last night, I just have to share...

There was a geeky-type guy (freshman in college) who was trying out. He couldn't sing. So, Simon asks him, "where do you see yourself in 10 years? If the sky is the limit, where do you want to be?" And I kid you not, he said, "Living in a simple house with some nice floors, perhaps marble, I really like those." Insert laughter here. We really shouldn't be laughing at this. There are far worse ambitions in life, but it just sounded so funny. So, today, I asked Lance-- What is your dream in life if the sky's the limit? And the answer was not marble floors.

Sleep ---it is my goal for tonight. Otherwise, it's quite possible everything will become funny to me.

Bury me in the backyard

2009-01-27T11:22:00.002-06:00

N's birth great-uncle passed away this week. Tonight we are going to the funeral home and tomorrow Lance and I will be going to the funeral.

N has lost other members of his birth-family but we haven't lost any of our family since he was 6 months old, so I thought a conversation about death would be a good one to have. A simple explanation and a reminder that some of the people he loves the most (birth grandparents) would be very sad. I let him know that we could give them a hug and tell them we were sorry and just act calm and quiet. I wanted him to know this is not an occasion for silliness. So, when we finished with that brief, conversation, he said....

"Why don't they just bury him in their backyard?" I told him that that wouldn't work because if they sold their house and moved, other people wouldn't want someone else's family member buried in the backyard. At which point, he said, "Well, they could just dig him up and put his skeleton back together, move him to the new house and bury him again." Wow, 7 y.o.s definitely have an interesting perspective.

N also wanted to know who the oldest person in our family was because he wanted to know who would die next. I explained that it's not necessarily the oldest person who dies first. He thought for a minute and said well, I think Grandpa is the oldest because Nana is only 10. What?!? I explained that actually Grandma Stone and Granny were the oldest and then Grandad, Nana, Grandpa, and Grandmommy. But I couldn't convince him that Nana is not 10. So, there you have it. A nana who is only 3 years older than her grandson!

A little later he brought up the subject again and we talked about how Mrs. Ruby (his birth-great-grandmother) would probably be very sad because her son died. And N's response....I'll just climb up in her lap and cuddle with her. He's so sweet and of course, we won't really let that happen, because HELLO, she is turning 86 years old in February!

But, I'm so glad he wants to love on her. She is always loving on us as is the rest of his birthfamily. We are truly so blessed to have them in our lives. They not only love N, they love Lance, L, and me too! They never forget a birthday or Christmas and they always include us in their family celebrations and losses. And that's what family is all about. So, today we mourn the passing of Grammy's brother. He was a father of 3 and grandfather of 6 - today his family is hurting and we will join together to love on them.

The bullies strike again

2009-01-26T11:43:00.004-06:00

We have some bullies on our street. Not cool. Not nice, and quite frankly, the parents are bullies too. The apple doesn't far from the tree. Or something like that.

The kids and I rode our bikes to the park yesterday and spent some time there playing with Max, one of N's friends from school. While Max and N played, L loved on their two puppies, and I chatted with Max's parents.

Pretty soon, another neighbor boy showed up and proceeded to march up to us and let us know that the bullies had beat him up and the momma saw everything and didn't say a word. Oh yeah, same circumstance as us. And even though this is not my child, it riled me up! I'm sooooo tired of this bully house running our neighborhood. They have now officially terrorized every child on our block and they do not discriminate based on age, gender, or nationality. Oh no, they are equal opportunity bullies. So, do you think this would be effective?

Now, I will have to say, that even though N knows these kids are bullies, he still wants to be their friend. He told me the other day that he feels sorry for them and he wants to help them be nicer. Now, this warms my heart and makes me thankful for my sweet tender-hearted boy, but I confess, I still want to beat up the bullies and their mom. He is willing to "turn the other cheek", me --not so much. I need to work on this.

So, do any of you have any advice? Ever encountered a bully personally or with your children? Did you just stay inside 24/7? Did you "call them out"? 'Cause if you don't have any advice for me, I may just have to resort to this:

Oh, who am I kidding? We wouldn't resort to that. We would just talk about it---come to think of it, maybe that's what the bullies realize. They can "smell" our weakness and they prey on us. Or maybe, they are just having a bad day. or 2 or 5,000.

Momtivities

2009-01-23T11:31:00.003-06:00

Last night was the 2nd half of the card extravagance at Jennifer's house. Check out what we made here

It was fun to chat with the gals and make some really cute cards too!

I've enjoyed having more friend time the last year. When N was small, I never left him. I felt guilty. I felt like I needed to always be with him. When L came along, I had the same feeling and so I rarely spent time away from my children except for work.

I've found that getting out and doing things that fulfill me actually makes me a better mom. I wish I had figured this out sooner. Now, I enjoy the time away and I enjoy the time together more too!

So, right now, my "mom-tivities" are Card Club (every other month); Bunco (once a month); and a Mom parenting group at church that is once a week while my kiddos are at their activities. It's not a ton of stuff, but it gives me an outlet as well as helps my kiddos see their mom fulfilled in something besides them and gives them an opportunity for some time alone with Lance which I think is a great thing. If we are both at the house, they naturally choose me, but if I'm not there, Lance gets to do things his way and they get to bond with him in a different way. Not better, not worse, just different.

So, if you were asking my advice, this is what I would say...Don't feel guilty about being away from your children. You need that time and they need it too. Now, I'm not advocating being selfish and continuing to live life the same way you did before kids, but really, I think the problem most of us have is the opposite, feeling like a bad mom if you aren't there for every second. So, drop the guilt-feelings and enjoy life! While you're with your kids, don't dream of the things you could be doing without them and while you are away, don't feel guilty about being away!

I think I had a few run-on sentences in this post. Oh well.

When pigs fly?

2009-01-21T12:32:00.004-06:00

If you had ever told me I'd be posting something from ESPN on my blog, I think I would have laughed, and yet today, I am.

This is a story of hope and one that resonates alot with me right now.

You can read it here

As a parent, I obviously want the best for my kiddos. But I also want the best for your kiddos and others that I don't even know. This is a huge burden on my heart right now.

In the next few days, I'll have some more pics on my blog. N is now requesting to have drawings put on my blog and since he is Oh so Talented, I will definitely oblige!

This can't be

2009-01-19T21:20:00.002-06:00

January is usually a very, slow, long, can we say, almost boring month? But, not this year. Oh no...it's more than halfway over and there have not been many quiet moments.

New Years Eve Party, Two Birthday parties, Two Weddings, Business Trip, Disciple Now, Card Club, Stamp Camp, PTA meeting, SL party, Bunco and that's in addition to regular church and dance activities. It's bizarre.

I'm wondering what February will be like. So far, it looks like it will be slower, but there is really no telling. We do start soccer back up in February. And then things really begin to speed up at our house. March thru August is generally a blur.

And of course, I will sound really old, but time seems to be going faster and faster. As a child, it seemed the days went soooo slow, but now, they fly by. I guess this is what happens when you are married to a 40 year old man. And I'm not sure how that happened either, especially when I feel like I just graduated from college---which I did 14 1/2 years ago.

5K

2009-01-16T08:50:00.003-06:00

I hit 5,000 hits today - yippee! This is not nearly as much as some ---some get this many hits a day, but I didn't start this blog for the "hits". I started it mostly for my kids. I want to be able to have something for them to read someday of what our life was like when they were young. I also did it so I wouldn't forget our journey thru this season of life! Sometimes in the "craziness" of life, you forget the cute sayings, the struggles, the joys, etc.

A few years ago when my mom's mom passed away, she was able to get some of her dad's things. There were sermon notes (he was a pastor) and a journal and it was so interesting to read what he had written in his own voice. It makes the stories come alive so much more than just basic history of dates, etc. I want my kids and grandkids to know what their mom felt about things. I want them to know my heart and I want them to learn from my struggles. I want them to do better in life than I've done, but mostly I want them to love Jesus and love others.

And hopefully reading some of this will bring back wonderful memories of their childhood. And some of it will probably have them saying, "huh?"

So, 5000 hits - yippee, but thoughts for my kiddos - priceless.

My friend Becky wrote a beautiful tribute to her husband yesterday. It speaks volumes of their priorities and you can read it here. It brought tears to my eyes.

Life

2009-01-15T11:43:00.002-06:00

Life is hard sometimes. This week is one of those times. This week, Lance and I've watched two young people make some poor decisions. One of them has very drastic consequences for his future. Both of these came from troubled homes. Homes where they weren't really wanted, homes were they were basically on their own. They've both worked hard and tried to do the right thing. Life is hard when you don't start out with a good foundation. My heart has broken over these and Lance and I were ready to welcome one of them into our home. Another place has been found, but we know we are both willing if she needs to come live with us.

It's so hard to understand how a family could not invest in their child. But, maybe, they themselves weren't invested in and so the vicious cycle begins.

It seems if you begin life poor and/or uneducated, there is alot stacked against you. Even if you try your best, there are obstacles at every corner. We've witnessed these first hand this week with these students and yet, I know there are thousands, if not millions more out there in the same situation or worse. I don't understand this. My heart aches over this. I want to fix it, but I'm one person. Lance and I still feel called to love and serve others, particularly young people, but sometimes it's just overwhelming. I know God doesn't expect us to save the world and thankfully there are many others who also feel called to serve and love. Sometimes, you just want to see the "success" stories and see someone overcome. And maybe, that's not for us to see right now. Maybe later.

So, this post is a little down, but quite frankly that's where we are today...a little down. Things will look up soon, they always do, but life is hard. And for many, it's hard most of the time. For us, we really have it pretty awesome most of the time. Some of this is because of parents who gave us a great foundation and are still supporting us when we need advice. Some is because we were able to get an education and provide for our family. But, none of it is because we are better than anyone else. We have to remember that and remember that To Whom much is given, much is Required. We have a responsibility to give back and to give without looking out for ourselves. To give as Christ gave for us.

And now, back to your regularly-scheduled lives...

Today, I am Wise

2009-01-12T16:36:00.002-06:00

Today, I am Wise...Tomorrow, who knows?

When we got home from school today, N had a friend waiting to play with him. But after about 10 minutes outside, he came in and said his friend didn't want to play anymore. Then, he started crying, telling me that his friends at school did the same thing. Hmmm...friends at school and home behaving the same way?!? What is the common link? N.

So, the wise momma that I am today, gave what I thought (hoped) would be good advice and prayed that the boys on the street would respond well to it. You never know if they will be co-conspirators or not! On his way out the door to play again and give it another shot, N said, "Thanks for the advice, Mom" Wow! That made me feel great!

And the best part? It's been over 30 minutes and he hasn't come back! I just peeked out the window and the bike-riding adventures continue. There is homework still to be done, but for today, the playing takes priority for a little boy who needed his friends. We all have days like that don't we?! I'll take friends over housework too!

Mr. Mom

2009-01-09T09:01:00.002-06:00

I had an out of town conference this week. Only 2 days, 1 night, 36 hours total. But....in that 36 hours I was gone, there were some firsts for Lance.

Wednesday night with the kids. For a youth minister with young children this is a bit of a challenge. He had to pick them both up from school, get them fed, entertain them at church until their activities began all while still engaging with the youth and doing his job. This was not easy for him, but he pulled it off! And, I think has a new appreciation for "doing it all."

Thursday morning was the dentist for both kiddos - again, a new experience for him, but by all accounts it went really well.

Those of you who are "old enough" remember the movie Mr. Mom with Michael Keaton - it was hilarious and thankfully, I think dads have come a LONG way since then. Lance truly does alot with the kids and I'm so glad.

Now, a cute video that says it all about moms! Be careful, the song has to be played quite loud to get the full effect!

The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

Ready, Set, Action!

2009-01-07T06:30:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel like I write about N more than L. He's in school and older and doing more things, but the last few days, I've been reminded about what a magical age L is in right now. She will be 4 in a little over 2 months and is constantly saying and doing the funniest things!

Last night as I was reading stories to her (about princesses and animals - her 2 favorite loves) she asked me, "Momma, why don't me and you live on a pirate ship?" Hmmm, let's see, because Momma could never survive for months on a ship!!

Here she is swinging into a giant pile of leaves---this provided hours of entertainment and a girl that smelled like....well, a sweaty boy.

And here is my sweet girl in her dance class. This was at their Christmas dance demonstration for the parents ---her class is 3 and 4 year olds and they don't get to participate in the "big girl" Christmas recitals, but this was fun and simple. She's the one in the blue. She also has a black leotard, but refuses to wear a pink one. It makes her easy to pick out of the group since the rest love their pink ones. She is an independent gal at an early age!

L also got a princess scooter for Christmas so we've been bike riding and scooting all over our neighborhood the last couple of weeks. She is one active girl, which is great since she eats about twice what her big brother does!

The Joy is Gone

2009-01-06T08:56:00.003-06:00

Our family spent Christmas Day out of town and so we didn't go all out with our decorations this year, but when you have kids you have to put a few things up or it's not Christmas.

We spent the last few days of our holiday cleaning up. Ya' know, picking up all the boxes, mega packaging, etc of all the toys. We took down the Christmas tree, nativities, wreaths, etc. I was in the kitchen fixing lunch for us and Lance came in the kitchen. I asked him what he'd been working on and he said, "Taking the joy out of the yard." Huh? I didn't realize we had joy in the yard, pretty much just grass and weeds. And then I remembered....

We did have Joy...Lance made this beautiful piece for our yard this year. He did a really good job on it and it's something we'll be able to use for years to come.

I really love Christmas decorations and how they look. I enjoy putting them up every year, but I do.not.enjoy taking them down. It stinks. Even thinking about it makes me sweat and break out in hives. It's a stressor for me. Someday when I become independently wealthy I will have "my people" take my decorations down. That and fix my hair everyday. A girl can dream.

A new day

2009-01-04T22:46:00.003-06:00

Well, in case you didn't notice, I took at little bloggy vacation. Blogging is something I REALLY enjoy, but I wanted to break free from technology over the holiday break and so, I did. It was nice.

Lots of fun things happened and I will write about some of those here this week.

The one I've chosen to post today was chosen because it was the most emotion-filled for me. The kids and I made a trip to Houston last week to see L's birth-half-sister. I know, it sounds complicated, but it's not. It's beautiful. And it was even more so this time. L's sister is going to be 12 later this month and she's in love with L. She has been since the day L was born. But, this time for the first time, L fell in love with Rachel. And it was glorious to see, but if I'm honest, also a little difficult. Why? Because these girls want to be together. And in a perfect world, they would be. Unfortunately, because of decisions made by their birthmom and her family, they aren't. None of us adoptive parents would change this now, because we each have beautiful girls that we love. But, we would love for them to be together. Their love is pure. Now, I know that if they did live together, they would probably fight and their age difference is large (just over 8 years), but shouldn't sisters be together? Adoption is like the rest of life. It's messy, it's hard, there are struggles, and things aren't perfect. Adoption doesn't end when you hold your precious child in your arms or when the court case is finalized. Adoption is forever. In fact, we are living adoption more in our family right now than we have since the days we were actually waiting or under supervision.

We are so fortunate to have formed a family bond with Rachel and her family. We are so fortunate they live in Houston and not across the country. We are thankful that in the years to come they will be able to help each other thru some difficult days and some joyous ones as well. I'm thankful for a sister for my daughter...I always wanted a sister!

As L cried out to stay longer and Rachel begged us to stay longer, I had tears in my eyes. L has continued to talk about Rachel each day since we've been home and I know we will need to make another trip soon. Maybe just L and I this time.

And now, some of L's favorites of the day:

Playing with the puppy!

a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QM0xRMScpOY/SWGTYKZAwsI/AAAAAAAAALY/2Xtpzi9amBE/s1600-h/leah+and+dog.jpg">

Being treated to a ride to the park!

40!!!!!

2008-12-19T06:44:00.001-06:00

Today is Lance's 40th Birthday! Yippee!

We have some big fun planned for him!

This morning starts with a treat of donuts for breakfast. Tonight will be Texas Roadhouse (his favorite!).

The big surprise which he has just learned about is that he and I will be going to the Cowboys game Saturday night in Dallas. This is the last regular season game to ever be held in Texas Stadium. Should be an exciting night! We are also staying overnight at the Omni Mandalay in Las Colinas Saturday night while his parents keep the kiddos! I've had a hard time keeping this a secret from him until this morning!! This surprise involves us heading to Dallas 2 days earlier than we had planned. He will be busy packing today!

Happy Birthday babe! Hope you have a great day!