Comedy from our house

~ My favorite memory from Christmas this year: Sweetheart was opening a present, which was toys in the store's packaging. Even though he could see the toys in the box, he jumped up and down shrieking, "A BOX! A BOX!" He was so giddy over a box. Too cute.

~ Sunshine said of her daddy when he was goofing around with a lampshade on his head: "Look, Mom! Daddy's lightbulb is burned out!"

~ And when Sunshine was asked why she was picking at her food, didn't she like it, she replied with, "Not excessively."

Whew, dodged a bullet this year

My shopping was done about a week ago. Got it all done in a couple hours.

Now before you turn green with envy, let me say that I only had to buy for my kids this year. Hubby and I are not exchanging gifts, nor are we giving gifts to extended family. It's just a rough year financially, so we are keeping it simple.

And may I confess a guilty secret? I am relieved that I don't have to buy a gift for hubby. Okay, do you think I'm totally awful?

It just that the man is horrible to buy for. Horrible. The only things he would be thrilled with would be waaaaaay outta our price range - expensive man toys, you know. Like firearms. Seriously. Even my sisters and parents struggle with buying for him.

One year I just said straight out for him to tell me what he wanted for Christmas that we could actually afford. So he picked an electronic gadget that he said he would get lots of use out of. Perfect. Only he never used it. Not once. It has long-since disappeared.

I used to get super stressed over his gifts, planning even sometimes a few months ahead to find the gift he would surely like. Other years I procrastinated in dread of the whole thing. Either way, it has turned out the same. He is neither impressed nor depressed over his gifts. It's just something he opens and then simply says, "thank you." That's it. And then he never uses them. LOL

So the last year or two I gave up. I started just walking through a store and if I see something that seems decent and might get used, I get it. I think the most successful gift I've given him is an insulated coffee mug. LOL

So does this make me a horrible person? I hope not. Because we're still young, and I have lot of Christmases and birthdays to shop for!

"When I was your age"

We all heard lots of those sorts of things from our parents and grandparents when we were growing up, right?

Well, in my house, you get to hear it from your older sister, who is a mere 6 years old. LOL

The fun of pretending with Sweetheart

When I was growing up, Dad said he loved to sit and listen to us pretend. I have only sisters, and Dad says that none of us ever wanted to be the daddy when we played house. It made him laugh, but I'm sure part of him would have loved to hear one of us be excited - or at least willing - to be the daddy.

Well, it has been more of the same around here, until very recently (the last week or so) when Sweetheart started being willing to pretend with his sisters.

The first time he was pretending to be Daddy, complete with a military outfit. He was actually lowering his voice a bit to be Daddy! He walked around holding Sunshine's hand as they pretended to be married.

And today, he was pretending to be "Papa" as he calls my dad. I just had to call Dad to tell him. As you can guess, he found that pretty cool. This new little "Papa" was reading books to his "granddaughters" and tucking them in. Pretty sweet.

Update on why I'm not here much lately

We finally got my computer back from the Geek Squad a few days ago, and they found absolutely no problems. I have no idea how they did that considering it is still crashing! So we will be taking it back again and telling them to look again. The beef I have with them at the moment is that when we picked it up, they said, "Well, you should be able to get on the internet now. We fixed blahblah setting." Um, I could get on the internet before. That wasn't the problem, folks! Did they write down ANYTHING I told them?

Anyway, so with the crashing and absentee computer, I'm limited to dh's laptop, which means I'm limited in how often I can get on here. The man lives on his computer, and even takes it with him at times, so that is why I just am not posting much. But I promise... we get that computer fixed, I'm back, baby!

Hope to see you SOON. *mumbles under breath about the mixed blessings of computers*

To those whose blogs I frequent

I'm sorry I haven't read anyone's blog lately... which means I haven't commented, either. See, my computer has been with the Geek Squad for about 3 weeks now, and all my favorites are in that computer. I'm using hubby's laptop, so the links to your blogs are lost to me right now.

Just wanted you to know that I'm not being rude, lazy, or neglectful. Just not able to get to most blogs now.

Hugs to all... and you could say a prayer for my computer! Sniff.

Sleeping... Beefcake?

Last night, our two girls (ages 5 and 4) decided to put on a play for us. This was their first time, and I knew it was likely to be comical, but it was beyond hilarious.

First, they each took a part - one took Sleeping Beauty and the other took Snow White. Snow White had her turn first. She was to sit down and scrub the steps and sing. Well, the scrubbing lasted 2.4 seconds, and then she was off singing and just kept walking until she completely left the room... and never came back. (Snow White is our 4 year old.) This frustrated Sleeping Beauty very much!

Well, then it was Sleeping Beauty's turn, and she enlisted the help of her 2 yr old brother to be the Prince who kisses her - but she insisted it be on the cheek, thank you very much. He walked over to her, looked down at her and said, "No kiss," and walked out. More frustration from Sleeping Beauty.

So Sleeping Beauty asked her daddy (who was in the audience) to be her prince. He walked over, kissed her on the cheek, and then proceeded to fall over limply next to her.

"Daddy, what are you doing? Are you dead?"

And Daddy, keeping his eyes closed says, "No, I caught it from you and now I'm Sleeping Beefcake."

I think I might have found a groove

The routine that has turned out to be working isn't one I'd choose. But if it works, you go with it, right?

• More serious homeschooling on 3 days a week, with a laid-back fun art and music day on Saturday
• Tuesday is library and errand day (full day! includes taking all the children grocery shopping)
• Cleaning marathon on Friday

Also, I'm sad to say I've discovered that having an actual school room doesn't work for us! GASP! At least, not now with so many other tiny ones about. Surely one day it will, right...? I do so love the idea of having an entire room dedicated to school - bulletin boards, charts and dry erase boards, etc. Ahhh, one day when they are older.

And maybe it's because the room is in the basement right now. But I'm chasing my tiny ones up and down the stairs and can't see what they are getting into, etc. No real way to gate off the stairs, you see. So it will wait.

Also, our daily routine is looking different than I thought. But it is flowing and that is the important thing!

Now, if I can just figure out a magic solution to all this laundry...

Twins? Update

I won't keep you in huge suspense... only ONE baby in there. Whew! The thought of twins was so overwhelming to me, so I'm relieved.

Dh said he wasn't nervous or scared, but when I came home grinning, his eyes got HUGE and the look on his face was saying otherwise. His shoulders dropped in relief when I said, "Just one!"

It's not that we don't know that twins would be loads of fun in some ways and two babies - why, that's twice the blessing that one is! It's the knowledge that twins are also a lot of work and take real adjusting, at least by watching the few other people we know with twins, anyway. My father is a twin, and my grandma has some stories, I tell you!

Anyway, I had joked with the tech that my theory was that my muscles were just waving the white flag, and she laughed in agreement. Turns out, it is my uterus itself that is larger this go around. It is just already "in the groove" and knows what it is doing! So that is why I'm showing earlier, etc. I truly am bigger, but not because of fluid or two babies, or anything. My body is just a pro at this.

I do have one funny for you - *embarrassed cough*

There was a second sac-looking thing next to the sac the baby is in, and when it wasn't in focus, the different markings I was seeing DID give me a bit of a shock, and I did ask her, "was it that?" Thinking, oh my... there IS a second baby. She just waved it aside and said, "Oh, that's gas." Well, it didn't LOOK like it! LOL

I got the usual picture to take home, and it is a good shot (I think) - you can see the baby's face and a little hand. I had told the children before I left for the appt that I'd have a surprise for them when I got home. (Even though I'm showing already, they did not figure out yet I'm pg.) So they were very excited, jumping around me, "What is it? What is it?" I showed them the face and the tiny hand and the baby's body, and my 4 yr old did not make the connection even after I giving her some clues, but my 5 yr old did right away! She started grinning and looking "knowing" if you know what I mean by that. She touched my belly, hugged it and said, "But I wanted TWO babies!" (She has been saying for weeks that the next time we have a baby, she wanted twins.) We laughed and told her sorry, God only sent us one this time. I'd share the u/s pic, but my computer is in the shop, and dh's laptop won't work with my scanner. Sorry!

YAY!!

I went this morning and bought a dryer! And they are delivering it today!! I expected to have to wait a couple days - not a couple hours! Praise the Lord!

I don't think I've ever been happy to do laundry before... LOL!

Things are a little off-kilter here

My dryer is no longer usable, and we have no laundromat in town, according to the phone book. Can you believe that? What town has no laundromat? So limping along until this weekend when we can hopefully find a cheap dryer.

I'm trying to find a good groove for us, and it is still eluding me. So I think we will stay home today from our library plans and just work on stuff here. Gotta try to get some stuff under control in the housekeeping department.

Also, I had all but decided to get rid of 90% of the kids toys. They just don't play with them. They have their favorites and that is all they play with. But dh wants me to just pack them up and stick them in the garage. So, that is what I will do. I'm hoping to do that today...

We are down to a very little tiny bit of food in the house, lol. It's comical when I go to the kitchen to fix a meal. I need to go to the store, just haven't made it yet. Maybe this afternoon...?

Oh yeah - and my computer is down, so I'm using hubby's laptop. As I sit here at the table, my youngest (14 months old) is eating toast and making a fiiiiiiiine mess of herself and the toast. She is cracking me up - letting the whole piece of toast hang from her clenched teeth while she growls. What a NUT.

Got a giggle for you!

While at my appointment the other day, I saw this hanging on the door:

When I was a kid, I went skinny dipping, but now that I'm older, it's called chunky dunk.

News on the pregnancy front

Am I carrying one baby... or TWO?

I'm 14 weeks at this point, and at my appointment a couple days ago, I was measuring nearly 18 weeks. Also, I typically do not gain any weight at all until a bit into my 2nd trimester. Um, I've already gained 5 pounds. And dh says I'm already showing. Also not normal for me.

So... I have an ultrasound on the 10th to find out what exactly is going on. If it isn't twins...?
Honestly, I'm just hoping it's a lot of fluid or that this pregnancy is different. I'm overwhelmed at the thought of twins...!

Some "chinese" funnies

For some reason, Sunshine is a bit preoccupied with the Chinese. I am not sure where it came from, but it sure is giving us some laughs!

First, she keeps leaving the final "z" sound off the word. Pronouncing it "Chinee." Giving us lots of giggles.

Yesterday, I was dressing her little brother for church, and she bounces over, "Hey! He looks kinda Chinee in that outfit!" LOL, which he did NOT. I'm really not sure what her line of thinking was there. He was wearing navy pants and a light blue dress shirt...? But - this made her little brother pipe up indignantly, "I not Tinese!" Well, Mommy begs to differ. While he may not be Chinese, he certainly IS Tinese! (If you are having trouble seeing the humor, think "tiny" in association with Tinese. He is a wee boy.)

And a final funny, Sunshine was acting out some scene in her imagination with a bunch of animals, one of which was a moose. Her daddy was sitting close by, and after she had said something apparently in her own little form of Chinese, Daddy said, "I didn't know you knew Chinese!" Her reply was, "Oh no. That wasn't me. That was [insert name of moose, which I can't remember], because he is a moose." Ahhhh. Because, all moose naturally speak Chinese, right? LOL

Had to expand modesty discussion with my oldest

We were reading yet again the story of creation. And of course, there was the pic of Adam and Eve naked. Well, we've pushed modesty so much here at home with the girls that she was appalled that they were naked together. She has always pointed out the fact that they are naked, and I'd always sidestepped the issue.

But today she pushed it, so I just took a deep breath and told her that it's ok for husbands and wives to be naked together. Which led to the *very simple* discussion that God says husbands and wives are one, so it's ok. She asks if she can be naked with her husband one day, and I say yes. She had a bit of trouble understanding, but the simple answer seemed to suffice her, anyway... it's just that these sorts of things tend to come out in her play, so I know I'll be hearing her say to her little sister, "You be the naked husband, and I'll be the naked wife." I know I'll deal with it when it comes up, but goodness.

"If I've told you once,

I've told you a thousand times...!"

We probably heard that a time or two growing up. We might have even said it to our kids. I personally haven't yet, but then, my oldest is only 5. Give me time.

But the thought occurred to me today: what if God were to say that to me? How would He finish that sentence?

Hmm. So here is my list, in no particular order. I'm sure it would be even longer if I mulled over it for a few days.

"If I've told you once, Lily, I've told you a thousand times; _______________ !"

1. Meditate on Me, not those things around you like inconvenient circumstances, annoying people, and wrongs done.
2. Stop lecturing people in your head. Let Me deal with them in My time, My way. You mind your own problems. You've got enough of your own sins to be concerned about.
3. Talk to Me first, before friends and family. You'd be surprised with how fully I can satisfy your need to "get it out." Release it to Me. Let Me be your everything.
4. Live in the present. Remember you don't know how many days I will give you.
5. Be patient with your children like I am patient with you.

So how about you ladies? What would your list look like?

Happy update on the vacuum!

Well, I'm not so incompetent after all.

It took 3 men and a half hour to figure out how to put my vacuum back together! They had trouble getting the panel back on, too, and finally wound up replacing two of the screws with better alternatives. And... the best part?

It didn't cost me one red cent. They didn't even charge me for the screws they used. Happy day!

And, my pride is fully intact. No wonder I struggled - 3 men who are handy at this sort of thing had trouble, too!

Errands and vacuums: someone rescue me!

I'm so tired of errands!

First it started with Sunday - HAD to go grocery shopping, no choice. Was also out of important stuff that had to be gotten at our little town's version of Walmart. (That's right - no Walmart/Target/Kmart in my town. Gotta drive for that.)

Then yesterday I had other business that had to be taken care of on yesterday, no other choices. And today? The same.

I also have vacuum woes. The belt on the brush broke, so I took the vacuum apart to replace it. No big deal - only 4 screws to remove and one panel. Very easy. But to put back together? Night.mare. It will NOT go back as it came off, and while putting it together again, I lost one of the screws. I was so careful to keep track of it, but somehow it is gone. I have searched the floor like a crazy woman, and even looked inside the vacuum. No luck.

So guess what one of my errands will include today? Taking my vacuum to our local friendly hardware store, so one of the fellas there can be my hero.

Have my hubby fix it you say? Well, I would, except the man is out of town on a mission, as the military calls it. And I need to vacuum. Badly.

The cute thing is I called the hardware store and talked to one of the guys there, and I admitted that I felt very foolish for not being able to put the stupid thing back together. When I asked him how much they charged for that sort of thing, he said, "Oh, it should be less than $200." LOL - I told him I should hope so, or I could just buy another vacuum. He did assure me it couldn't possibly cost me much for putting in 4 screws... but I have a sneaking suspicion that it will cost me a bit of my pride.

"Hello, I'm a mother of 4 who daily navigates the complexities of rearing children and managing a household. I can follow a recipe and solve the world's problems with a kiss - but I can't put a few screws back in an appliance."

MIA no longer

Since hubby was home recovering from surgery, I didn't blog at all. It was a lovely time, once the first few days of recovery were behind him. Thank you for all the prayers!

Stuff is gonna get busy around here soon... my parents will be visiting the first weekend in September. We're starting school Sept 5th, or at least some day that first full week of September. And then the last week of Sept, my inlaws will be here for a week.

Prayers would be appreciated for Hubby

He had eye surgery yesterday and the pain is supposed to be bad today, but then horrible tomorrow. He has very strong meds right now, but they've been wearing off before he can take another, so he is in lots of pain. And, too, last night he got a tiny fiber or eyelash or something in his eye, and it was even more painful, of course.

Could you please keep his pain level and recovery in your prayers? He's around the house for at least a week to recover. (And pray for no more things to get into his eye!)

Did she redeem the earlier comment?

Sugar-n-Spice told me tonight:

Mom, you are a strong lady. You are a beautiful lady.

I'd much rather hear that stuff, lol.

Yet another blow to my self-image

Says Sugar-n-Spice to me tonight:

Mom, your butt is huuuuuge! It's the biggest I've ever seen!

Hmm. Perhaps I can hang my hopes on the fact that she just hasn't seen that many derrieres, at the ripe old age of 3?

It's ok. Revoke my membership.

I think I must be a freak of girlish nature. At least when it comes to movies, anyway.

I prefer comedies and drama. There are a few rare romance movies that I like; although, of course, most movies have some level of romance in them because... well, that's life. Right?

Take last night. I went out with a new friend to a movie. The only real choices (in our opinions) were The Bourne Ultimatum and No Reservations. She was completely up for either one... I was not so much. Though I would have watched No Reservations if that is what she really wanted. Thankfully, we watched the Bourne movie.

I'm just not up for the average chick-flicks. The sappy, real-life-isn't-like-this stuff just irritates me. Makes me roll my eyes. Now... I do love Pride and Prejudice in just about any rendition, which seems to violate my rules, doesn't it? I don't know... it is somehow different. Maybe because most of the movie they hate each other, LOL! But this latest version that was out a couple years ago, with what's-her-name who always sits around with her mouth open... oh, what IS her name??? Keira Knightley! (Why do they insist on so many shots with her mouth slightly open??? Doesn't matter what movie she is in... ok, I'm digressing.) Anyway, this last version I liked until the very end. Kissing her fingers, Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy... ad nauseum for moments almost unending. I think I remember saying something like, "Oh hurl." Yes, I'm 10 years old sometimes, I think. LOL

I know I will forever ostracize myself with the following statements, but... *deep breath**... here goes anyway. I do not ever want to watch Steel Magnolias again. Nor Forever Young. Nor Stepmom. Nor Beaches. Nor Always. I think there are a few more, but you get the idea. And some of you are lying panting on the floor right now, gripping your chests, not even reading this sentence because I've just sent you into cardiac arrest. I'm sorry. I'm sure I just broke some horrible code of womanhood or... something.

It's not that I can't see they are fantastic movies. They ARE. Some are classics. Some are just so doggone funny! Like Steel Magnolias... so many great lines have come from that movie. And yet, I despise how hard it makes me sob at the end. I'll never watch it again.

So, I suppose this is where I turn in my membership card to the Normal Women Society? I promise, I won't reveal the secret handshake.

New blessings, new beginnings!

I am very happy to announce to you gals that I'm expecting another wee blessing. According to every due date calculator I can get my grubby fingers on says that the due date is March 22, 2008. My first spring baby!! No going through a hot summer while sporting my best hippo look! LOL

This baby is a baby of new beginnings, new promises, new hopes. Isn't God GOOD?

Inexcusable vs Unforgivable

"You can't forgive him! If you do, he's getting away with it!"

That's what I heard every time I felt convicted about forgiving someone who hurt me. It's certainly what it felt like. But thankfully, as a wise friend once told me, emotions are not truth. Just because my feelings tell me he gets away with something if I forgive him doesn't mean I have to believe it. Because it's not true.

Really think about those words: inexcusable... unforgivable. Are those words interchangeable? Well, some people use them as synonyms, but they aren't. Inexcusable means there is no excuse, that it can't be waved away as if it were nothing.

Forgiveness does not magically turn their sin into something that was alright to do. Is that God's attitude when He forgives us? That it's only a sin until you're forgiven, and then it's just unfortunate? No. It's a sin before and after the forgiveness. The difference... is in the forgiveness.

The first thing I did, when I realized that forgiveness wasn't making those sins against me "ok" was I said it out loud. It was so freeing to do that! I said it over and over. It was WRONG. Inexcusable!

"But not unforgivable!" says another voice.

To forgive someone is to not punish them for their wrong. To allow them the grace and room to change. And if I didn't forgive him because I thought he shouldn't be let off the hook, well, then whose place was I in?

Punishing his sin isn't my job. It's God's. Those who wrong us aren't getting away with it; He knows, is watching, and is working, though we may not see it.

Forgiving someone isn't easy, especially the deeper the hurts go. But it isn't impossible. It starts as an act of the will. "I choose to forgive him. I choose to lay down my anger, and I will not punish him, not even in my mind." And at first it has to be done at least once a day. In cases like mine where that person is such a basic part of your life, it has to be done many times a day. Oooh, that just was hard.

But soon God begins to soften our hearts. The anger and hurt begin to fade, and eventually those painful memories become facts, not open wounds.

Forgiving isn't easy. But who wants to shrivel up into a bitter old woman? And if I want to be a sweet old lady someday, I gotta start being a sweet young woman today.

How it went: entertaining

It went really well!!

Of course, things went wrong (don't they always), but I found a way around it. I had baked banana bread, but it didn't cook all the way through. The center was still pretty raw. It's a new oven to us, so I have some tweaking to do. I just ran to the store and picked up a cheesecake and topping. Wala!

She arrived at 1:00 on the dot, with beautiful flowers in hand. She had done her hair up in rollers and was just a cute curly guest! But her hubby wouldn't come - said it was a "woman thing." LOL So when the afternoon was over, I sent some cheesecake home with her for him. Turns out the kind I served is his favorite and the only kind he will eat. (smile)

We chatted nonstop for 3 hours! We laughed and laughed, and laughed some more. It really was fun. And she read books to my kidlets, which I wondered who it was more fun for - her or the kids? Her grandkids live far away, and she just ate up my little crew.

When she was leaving, she kept saying again and again how we have to do this again because it was so much fun. And it was! I'm very happy with how things went... just really enjoyable and relaxing.

Entertaining tomorrow...!

It's been on my heart a lot lately to be hospitable. I came upon a verse about hospitality in the Bible that just really grabbed me. It is a simple verse, and the wording doesn't seem to be something that would convict a person, but it convicted me. "Use hospitality one to another without grudging." - 1 Peter 4:9

Within days of feeling the pull from that verse to entertain, I found the blog 4 Reluctant Entertainers, written by Sandy, a fellow Christian woman. Her blog is just loaded with examples of being a hostess and full of lots of encouragement. It will be a long time before I can aspire to her level of hostessing, but after this post especially (on Irish hospitality and pride), I was encouraged to just jump in, with SIMPLE being the thing. We're finally settled in our new home, so now is a good time, right?

Here is the invitation I made to a sweet couple who live two doors down. They are a retired military couple (well, he was the soldier, but hey, we wives are "in" the military, too!), and I simply invited them over for goodies in the afternoon. I think I said, "cookies and milk." Although we are also gonna have banana bread. Also on the invitation, I invited them to "chat the afternoon away" with us. It'll be my kiddos, the neighboring couple, and myself. Hubby will still be at work.

After making the invitation, the kids and I walked to their house and personally delivered it. Since then, we've seen the wife out in the yard, and she was so excited! I've never seen anyone in their 60s so giggly before! It was the sweetest and most wonderful reaction. I never would have thought that cookies, milk, and conversation would bring such a response. She said she "can't wait!" I can't wait, either, and I will definitely let you know how it goes!

Wordless Wednesday

How a boy plays house...

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click on the button to the left. It's lots of fun! And you just might find a few cool blogs to enjoy.

A little note about posts and pictures

I have hundreds of adorable pics of my kids and even a couple of me and the kids, but... I don't post them for privacy reasons.

One, I have posted about our marriage issues, and very few people in our families and face-to-face friends know. I'd like to keep it that way. If I post pics that are easily recognizable as my family, then the cat is outta the bag.

Two, I am leary about having too much info out there about my kids and their identities. We live in a small town right now, and with my dh often gone, it seems wise to not put ourselves out there. I try to be vague about our location anyway in posts. I don't even post about the weather because it could lead to someone pinpointing the area I'm in.

Of course, this significantly narrows down my Wordless Wednesday selections. Or adding cute little photos to add "awww" value to my posts on what the kids are doing lately. But I'd rather be safe and less exciting than sorry.

Just FYI.

Growing up is so much fun!

Shortcake now drinks from both a sippy and a straw. She learned both skills in the last few days. Man, does it make things easier. Now when we are out, I don't always have to nurse her, if it's not a good time. Sometimes she still insists, but often she is content with the other options.

Goodness, I just can't believe how big she is getting! She walks pretty quickly now. And she loves to play chase. I chase her by crawling behind her, slapping the ground behind her really loudly, which makes her shriek in glee, while growling at her. She loves it. She gets so excited that she'll get all tangled up in her own legs and crash. Then I attack her and tickle. I do SO love that belly laugh!

A first for me: being tagged

I was tagged by Christi at Jealous Hands for this, my very first meme. Like Christi, I'd seen it around. And now, it has come to me.

Four jobs I’ve held: (How far back are we going here...?)

1. High school - Wendy's
2. College - various positions in the distribution center for A Beka Book
3. 1st grade teacher
4. Camp counsellor

Four movies I can watch over and over again: Ok, I know that there are a TON I could watch over and over, so just picking what pops into my mind first...

1. Man from Snowy River (and it's sequel, Return to Snowy River)
2. Kate and Leopold
3. Topper Returns
4. Philadelphia Story

Four places I have lived:

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Maryland
4. Missouri

Four tv shows I watch: (well, we don't have tv right now, but when we did...)

1. Gilmore Girls (I was an addict!!!)
2. The Unit
3. Everybody Hates Chris
4. Whose Line is it Anyway? (Love, love, love those reruns!)

Four places I’ve been on vacation: You know, I can't truly answer this as others have done. I've never been on a true vacation. Didn't even have a honeymoon. Shocking, I know. So, when we got small amounts of time off or a bit of money, we...

1. Went canoeing for a day
2. Went camping for a night or two
3. Visited family

Four of my favorite foods:

1. cheesecake, plain or fruit topping - but fave topping is fresh blueberries!
2. brownies
3. mashed potatoes
4. french toast

Four websites I visit:

1. Amazon
2. Land's End
3. Truth for Life
4. Old Fashioned Christian Music Radio - disclaimer: I don't agree with the man's viewpoint on music, but I enjoy the stuff he plays. If you love old hymns, this is a good site.

I'm tagging Michelle, Melissa, Debi, and Kugoi. No worries, though. Participate if you wish; sit this one out if you like.

Did I ever tell you about the time...

WARNING: The end of the story is not for the squeamish, although I'll try to not be too gross. So if you're pregnant... maybe skip this post.

Rewind my life a few years - back to when I was pregnant with our first baby, and we lived in Florida.

One night, I came home from work (I was a first grade teacher) and was soooo exhausted that I went to bed right after dinner. Not long after, hubby is shaking me hard and telling me to get up because he needs my help. I'm thinking that this had better be doggone good to interrupt this pregnant woman's sleep!

He takes me into the kitchen and asks me to help him look for a possum he just scared.

A what???

Yes, a possum. Aka the opossum. (And did you know it's the only marsupial in North America? Just some trivia for ya.)

He had heard some knocking around in the cabinet that held our pots and pans and had immediately thought, "Great, we've got a mouse." He opened the door, to find a possum sitting right up against the cabinet door, staring at him. It was so NOT what he expected that he slammed the door shut. So now he needed me to help find it.

Well, we "chased" the thing around the hiding places and crevices of our kitchen. I say "chased" because he'd run in and around the cabinets, finding places to get through that we didn't know existed, and at one point, he was behind the stove, climbing up the mechanical whatsits of it. Somehow, hubby hooked its tail and tried to pull it off the stove, but this thing had more of a tenacious grip than two desperate women fighting over a blouse on sale. We couldn't nab him and soon he disappeared into the cabinets for the rest of the night.

It didn't appear to be full-grown, so hubby and I figured that after that scary experience, the little guy wouldn't be back.

We figured wrong.

A few nights later, I was sitting on the floor, watching my hubby play a computer game. Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw some movement. When I turned, there was the possum. Sitting in the middle of my living room, about a foot or so from my knee (I was sitting somewhat Indian style). Looking at me. With those big, black eyes. Just looking at me.

Normally, I'm not a screamer. If you come up behind me and grab my sides, hoping to get a girly scream, you'll be disappointed. I might yell. Or jump. But no screaming.

Until that possum was that close to my knee! I mean, come on. How often does a wild animal do that in your living room? Hubby was a bit peeved with me, because that possum turned tail (groan, pun police are arriving) and ran down the hallway and into our bedroom.

Oh.great.

Hubby cornered the wee fella in the closet... but NOW what? How do we get rid of this thing? We had no guns at the time, and even if we HAD, do you know what a gun of any sort would do to a small possum at that close of range? Then hubby says, "Remember those homemade arrows your dad bought in Uganda?"

Uh oh. You know what's coming next, don'tcha? *gross alert*

Yes, he stabbed the possum a few times, because folks, we had no other choice. It was around midnight, and no conservation agent is gonna come save you that late at night from a young possum. Then he took it outside. I don't know how, because to be honest, I was hiding in another room, covering my ears and squeezing my eyes really tight. But he took it outside and beat it to death. Not pretty. Hubby came in with ... stuff on him, shall we say.

Now, hubby is a hunter. So he's done his share of killing an animal and cleaning it. But there is a world of difference between killing an animal quickly with a gun yards away and then what happened to that poor possum. Hubby was very grossed out about every part of it - the arrow, the beating.

We had wanted to let the fella go, but he obviously wasn't scared of US. He came back, even after we showed we were a threat to him. And we didn't know if he had a disease or what. I was pregnant, and when you know a wild animal isn't scared of you and you have a child to protect (born or unborn), you do what you gotta do.

Wordless Wednesday

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Gentleness

I've not been very patient with the kids lately, as you know. I'd love to say that after I wrote that post that everything righted itself, but it did not. That fix was a temporary one. I'm still hormonal and grumpy. And tired. And short-tempered. And tired. And hormonal. And tired. LOL

But as I was having my time with the Lord this morning (a challenge for me, but I can't keep my evening routine of studying because with dh here at night now, it isn't working out), my attention was caught by this phrase in Psalm 18:35 - "thy gentleness hath made me great." David was speaking of God's gentleness. That's a rather unique phrase in scripture, isn't it? And it caught my attention. I mulled over it awhile, thinking how did God's gentleness make David great?

Hmmm, well, David (and I, for that matter) did not deserve God's gentleness. What we all deserve is God's immediate judgment for the sins we commit, right? But He is gentle with us. Long suffering. Patient.

God was gentle with David, instead of harsh, and through time and patience on God's part, David slowly became what he was.

Hmmm. This is what my children need of me. Gentleness. Not snapping at them when I've told them 100 times... or on my snippy days, told them twice and now have no tolerance. They need from me a lifetime of gentleness, mercy, discipline, and love to mold them into what God would have them be.

That brings up a question: how is discipline gentle? What is the alternative? With God, discipline is the gentle option. Loving guidance that, yes, sometimes is SO upleasant and painful. Is it fun when He brings us through difficult trials to bring us back to Him? Nope. Unpleasant and painful. But what is the alternative? Do you know where I'd be without Him? Do you know how horrible my life would be without Him? And my ETERNITY without Him? *shudder* Oh, His discipline IS the gentle option.

So it is with us as parents. Our discipline is the gentle option, or else our children will grow to be unruly, disrespectful, disobedient... and unhappy adults. But also, practically speaking... if I'm being harsh, I'm getting in the way of my children actually seeing where they were wrong. If their eyes are HUGE because I'm wigging out over their 300th argument of the day, how can they see anything but my hissy fit and frustration? How can I ever get them to focus on their part in it all if they are just intimidated by Mom and thinking they don't want to cross me again?

I do think it is ok for our children to see us angry over their sin. God gets angry with us. But my discipline and my treatment of them should never be in the heat of my irritation or anger.

Sigh. I've failed miserably lately. Yeah, I know, the hormones aren't my fault and make things harder. I know you've all been there. But it doesn't excuse being a shrew. My hormones aren't their problem. It is mine.

Military Mommy has a great post that is along these lines, too. Her prayer at the end is so right on. It is wonderfully convicting and encouraging, all at the same time. Take the time to check it out.

Ahhh, the power of love and chocolate

For the past 2 or 3 days, I've not quite been myself. I've been really on edge with the kids, been having to force myself to talk, and very, very restless.

Hubby has commented several times about how "odd" I've been, and am I depressed? Nope, just in some kind of weird funk. A funk that I'd really like to get out of.

So tonight, after a few days of this, he was giving little affectionate touches as he'd walk past - a squeeze on the shoulder, a quick rub of the back, etc. Then he later put the kids in front of a Veggie Tales video and gave me some real 1:1 quality time as only a hubby can do. And then - he bought me some chocolate chip cookies.

And I tell you, after our quality time, I did feel a bit better. The funk started to lift, but would hit in waves. Very odd. I'm so weird! But then - about a half hour after the chocolate, wow, was the funk GONE.

I told dh that it is amazing what a little lovin' from the hubs and chocolate will do for a girl! And a little thought occurred to me... I'm due for my period in the next few days. So THAT'S what's wrong with me and why those things helped!

Sometimes, being a girl is just so... (what would you put in this blank?)

A little exercise in counting

As we were sitting at the table today over lunch, Sweetheart began picking up his pieces of food and counting them. Then we played a counting game that went like this:

Sweetheart: One!

Mommy: Two

Sweetheart: Three!

Mommy: Four

Sweetheart: Five!

Mommy: Six

Sweetheart: (paused, looked up at the ceiling in thought...) APPLE!!

Wordless Wednesday

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Shortcake's busy week!

The biggest news is that she is now ONE YEAR OLD!!! She had her birthday July 5th. Poor girl was too tired to enjoy her cake. So I forsee a reinactment one of these days. I want some good pics of her digging in!

She also experienced her first fireworks display. She sat on Grandpa's lap and STARED. She occasionally clapped and shrieked in delight. Very.cute. Boy, did it bring back memories of last year's experience at the fireworks show. I was doing my best impression of a hippo. I'm short - between 5'3" and 5'4", carrying my babies straight out front. People stared at me as I'd work my way up and down the concrete steps. The next day she was born, weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces. See what I mean when I say hippo impression?

As if a birthday and your first fireworks weren't enough, she also started giving us kisses, saying "uh oh" and cut her 6th tooth. Oh yeah, and walking more and more. The week before, her walking to crawling ratio was probably 50:50. This week, we're looking at 75:25.

Dad affectionately calls her "Sookie," which you Gilmore Girl fans will recognize instantly. He says it in this special tone of voice that makes her grin. And although we hadn't seen my parents in about two weeks which made her look at him like... "I think I know you," she instantly threw herself at him when he did the "Sookie" thing. You could just see her little light bulb turn on.

And here I will leave you with a picture of Grandpa (my dad) and his "Sookie."

Friendly customer relations

Don't you just love it when a company goes the extra mile to be friendly and personable? It makes you feel so much less like just another number or another dollar sign, doesn't it? Takes you back to the good ol' days when people not only did business together, but also took care of each other. Ahhhh, the good ol' days.

But sometimes, you can try too hard. Like when I received this in the mail today...

"Welcome to your monthly mortgage statement."

Hmmm, if that were in a list of top ten least-likely-events-to-welcome-someone-to (this being number 10), what else would be in there?

9 Welcome to going to the prom with your first cousin.
8. Welcome to your first eye-gouging.
7. Welcome to totalling your car.
6. Welcome to stretch marks.
5. Welcome to identity theft.
4. Welcome to losing the superbowl. (Not a sports fan, but I hear that's awful.)
3. Welcome to bankruptcy.
2. Welcome to gray hair.
1. Welcome to root canals.

Dh re-enlisted yesterday

For another four years. I knew it was coming, so there is no sadness or being upset. I was fully prepared.

Besides... at the moment, I have this huge peace about it all. I've been asking God to change my heart regarding the whole military thing. I believe He's begun doing that. Some of it, too, is that He has blessed me with a wonderful home in a great little area, and that certainly helps the emotions, lol. But beyond that I feel a peace that THIS is where God wants me NOW.

I don't know how to put this into words... but I almost feel an impression on my heart each time I pray that God has some sort of ministry for me somehow in this. Oh, not officially, of course. I keep getting this (I hate to say "feeling"...) feeling that He wants me to be ready for something.

I think it was confirmed since we arrived here. My hubby came to me, saying he has a soldier whose wife is really really struggling and she needs someone. He asked me to call her and reach out to her. Well what do you know? Turns out... he just joined and she strongly didn't want him to (does that sound like me??), she is pregnant and she has 3 very small children (Uh, I think I've been there, lol), and is a sahm for the first time (well, I'm not new at that part). Poor woman; she got hit from all sides, didn't she? Now, I'm not super wise or anything, but I've got ears to listen and I can understand her feelings without condemning her, you know? So maybe God has this sort of thing in mind for me. To help other military wives who just really feel alone, like I did and sometimes still do?

Our men will be deploying in the future... we got a tentative date. Nothing too soon yet, but our turn is coming. Again, it's tentative, so it could be put back or it could be moved forward. Who knows? But we'll likely be needing to lean on each other when that time comes. What's even better... she's a Christian. Now is that a God-thing or what?

Praises and progress!

ETA: My lovely daughter made me accidently post too soon, so I've added to this post.

Thank you to all who prayed and sent well wishes for our move! God has been soooo gracious to us!

Our funds for moving were not what we had hoped they were, and I had a pretty strong feeling that it wasn't going to be enough. But there was nothing I could do about it. So I just asked God to make our funds sufficient, no matter how small they were for all the planned expenses. And we all know that there are always UNplanned expenses, no?

Well, He was good, once again, as He made our money stretch. We were also blessed by the kindness of others. I'm quite sure He had a hand in that, too. *wink*

Here are some examples: a company refunded us some money after overcharging us, my mom surprised us with a whole pantry-worth of groceries, and when we had to call a plumber right away, he shocked us with two little words: "No charge." Not to mention, I had a friend mention something to me about moving, which saved us about $400 just by her comment. Thanks, kugoi!

The kids were really quite good. Of course, they've been more hyper, but that is completely understandable, considering all the stress and excitement they've had. We all also got the obligatory "new move sickness." If you've not moved very often, perhaps you don't notice it when you move. But every time we move, we all get sick. New germies and whatnot, plus the stress. I've still got one with a nasty cough that is breaking up, and one with a gooey nose. It's on its way out.

Pets... we ended up with only one of the kittens - Theo. My sister decided to keep Callie. Theo is a cute little guy. Black and white and mischievious! He loves to attack toes, especially when you are sleeping. And his favorite spot to sleep on is my neck. Which is fine now... but wait til he weighs a bit more, lol. And the poor guy is being loved to death by Shortcake and Sweetheart. We have to regulate their time with "kitty."

Shortcake has learned to walk since we moved. Today she took 13 steps in a row! Her first birthday is in less than two weeks!

I managed to get the kitchen COMPLETELY set up in the first two days! Now the house is mostly unpacked (already!!) and it's just working on the odds and ends. But that is gonna take me awhile, as the kids are badly needing us to return to our old routine. So it's back to homeschooling, regular chores, afternoon walks around the neighborhood, etc. I'll just have to work on a box a day from here on out.

How I feel about my new home in a word? Thrilled. We have so much room to breathe! Sunshine said, "Mommy, this house is better than our old house and better than Grandma and Grandpa's house." I agree! It is so much easier to keep things clean now - no clutter because of lack of space is a big help. Ahhh, thank you, Lord!

Getting settled in our new home

and back ONLINE! Whoopee!!!

I'd love to post more, but as it is, the kids are late to getting to bed. Smoochies to you all, and I hope to post more soon - as in, tomorrow, lol.

Here's the week's schedule... and new pets!

Before I start, let me say that I have a little guy hanging on my back at the moment. His arms are resting on my shoulders and his sweet soft cheek is on mine. Doesn't get any better.

Ok, the schedule:
~Monday and Tuesday: packing up our belongings in my parents' home
~Wednesday: loading up the kids and driving to a hotel near our new home
~Thursday: doing the walk-through and signing the papers! Getting the keys!!!! Also setting up our electricity, water, etc.
~Friday: back here again and loading up the truck!

The weekend should be pretty straight-forward. Unloading, unloading, unloading, unpacking, unpacking, unpacking!

Also, we'll be having two additions to our new home: two 9-week-old kittens. They are brother and sister. We are naming them Theo and Callie.

As soon as I'm back online, which will be very soon as we must have the internet with all we do online, I'll post pics of our pretty new kitties!

Got lots of projects lined up!

To start decorating my home, I've been browsing and brainstorming... and I've got some great ideas, if I do say so m'self. All are cross stitch projects, but there is one that is quilted, which means I'm gonna have to learn how to quilt!

MaineMom gave me a quote on joy that was the inspiration for doing "The joy of the Lord is my strength" project. It's framed with cross stitched ivy.

Have you seen word clouds? Well, I'm gonna make my own in cross stitch! I came up with some words that mean home and family to me that will all go into the piece. Thing is... I've gotta design it myself. Eeek! Never done that before, so this will be a creative adventure!

Then I found this beautiful saying online to cross stitch (thank you, Candi!):

Having someone to love is
FAMILY
Having somewhere to go is
HOME
Having both is a
BLESSING

Also to be done:
"Wildflower Trio. " Isn't it wonderful?

This mini quilt - won't it be darling in greens, blues, and yellows?

"Tulip Trio" - another gorgeous picture of flowers

"Peony Blossom" - The peony is my favorite flower in whole world!

And one day, when I've gotten those finished, I hope to do several of these!! Do you think I'll be busy for awhile? LOL!! Not to mention, I've got throw pillows to sew, some curtains to make for the kids' rooms... hmmm, getting rid of the tv is probably wise...

Gals, a bit of creative help?

I'm working on a cross stitch piece to hang in my kitchen. Inside the frame of stitched ivy, there will be some sort of saying - be it scripture, a quote, or a fitting saying. I'd prefer it not be too long, as the space available for the words is roughly 4x6 (inches). Or perhaps just a phrase that conjurs up a feeling in a homey and cozy kitchen?

What would you suggest?

New blogs on sidebar

I've found a few new blogs over the past few months, and they are finally posted on my sidebar. Some are friends in real life that I've met along the way; others are new friends online. But they all have something special about them that I enjoy.

2nd Cup of Coffee - Linda is a hilarious woman who makes me laugh, laugh, laugh. And she is a great encouragment in the Lord, too!

All Day Night - Candi is a very caring woman and great friend. She also posts some great recipes and lets you know how they turned out. And her boys are c-u-t-e.

For Reluctant Entertainers - This site is awesome! I am not a great entertainer (remember, no domestic goddess here!), so I love Sandy's ideas!

Military Mommy - As a fellow military wife, I really enjoy Michelle's blog. Plus, she's a fellow homeschooler and stay-at-home-mom. Her blog offers several things: humor, Godly encouragement, ideas, and touching posts.

Hope there is something in there for you, too!

Sniff... I'll miss you, dear friend!

If you see me hugging the TVs at the nearest electronics store, don't be surprised.

Hubby decided that we are not going to get the cable hooked up at the new house. I haven't told the kids yet, lol. I'm having enough struggles at the thought myself!! How will I get fresh ideas for decorating my new abode if I can't watch those decorating and decluttering shows? *insert ringing of the hands and loud wailing*

Seriously, I have my shows I will greatly miss. (At least Gilmore Girls had their series finale before we cut the tv off!) And it will be requiring some creativity on my part, as now I sometimes use the tv to distract the kids while I do a chore they cannot be a part of. Or if I need to doze on the couch for an hour. Or if I need a shower. LOL

On the flip side, I won't have tv tempting me away from those other projects that I've wanted to do for awhile. Or needed to do, lol.

So I've included a haiku entitled, "Farewell, Boob Tube." Enjoy.

Farewell, Boob Tube.

How I will miss you,
Little box of phosphorus.
Say hi to tivo.

Jeopardy question of the day

Question: What is, "Throbbing?"

Answer:

Sunshine told me, "Mommy, my cheek is breathing." After listening to the story of how she and her little sister had collided, we discovered she was feeling a throbbing in her cheek. Don't you love her attempt at describing the feeling?