Sams=BIG

So, maybe I am a little too excited about the new Sams that just opened. What can I say? There's something about buying 4 bottles of Clorox wipes and 60 Eggo waffles that just thrills me. Yesterday, after I got the kids from school, I told them that we needed to run by Sams. I told L (who is addicted to Eggo waffles) that they have a box of 60 waffles there. Her reply (in her most excited voice) - "Momma, CAN WE GET IT?" She's a girl after my own heart. Then, on the way there, she saw an airplane that apparently had just taken off. She said, "Wow, look at that airplane. That's the biggest airplane I've ever seen! I bet they got it at SAMS!!!!"
The look on her face when we got to Sams was pretty much the same as mine - pure joy. Laundry detergent in 110-load size, 55 packets of oatmeal, 48 Nutri Grain bars, 16 bars of Lever soap, 36 frozen Pillsbury biscuits, and 3 lbs of Cheez It crackers. When we get moved into our new house, that pantry won't know what hit it. This Sams Club membership is going to be so much fun (and so expensive! :)

Eating Toothpaste?

K has become quite obsessed lately with brushing his teeth. He has decided that he can do it all by himself (don't worry, I still help him some) and loves toothbrushes and toothpaste. Gran bought him a Tigger spinbrush this week, and now if I can't find little man, I can walk by the bathroom and hear his little spinbrush and know exactly where he is. Today, he came out of the bathroom with toothpaste all over his face. I said, "what's on your face?" and he told me that he had been eating toothpaste. I said, "No! Don't eat toothpaste!", to which he replied, "Momma, don't come in the bathroom while I'm eating toothpaste." I guess that is his way of saying "What you don't know won't hurt you." Sneaky little thing. Then he told me that he "wasn't finished eating toothpaste yet." I guess I can just put my dinner plans on hold - I'm sure his belly is full of flouride, and surely, Aquafresh for Kids has plenty of vitamins in it, right?

Chatterbox

K has become quite the little chatterbox and even realizes now when he is saying something funny. I can remember about 18 months ago when I was seriously concerned about his speech. All his peers seemed way ahead of him in their speech, especially stringing words together to make sentences. Well, I should have known that my little man just wasn't going to do it until he could do it right. He talks ALL the time now - yesterday, he was sick (poor thing) - L and I went to church and then went to see a movie (the day-before-school-starts fun treat). Hubby stayed home with K all day - when I got home, he said, "You're going to have to talk to him for a little while. I've been talking to him all day!" Yes, he is a little chatterbox. Last weekend, we left for the beach for a few days. The night before we left, I was tucking the kids in - it was like tucking in two little sticks of dynamite. We were singing "Jesus Loves Me" and K was singing with a crazy voice. L said "K, sing it right!" He thought for a minute (which is what makes it really funny) and then said, "No, I want to sing it left." He knows exactly what to say now to aggravate his sister (and us). He will ask a question, we'll answer, and then he will ask it again and again - while he is laughing hysterically. What a boy.

1st Grade!

I cannot believe I have a first grader now. We went to her school Friday to meet her teacher. She reminds me a lot of L's Kindergarten teacher - young, fun, and energetic. This morning, L was in our room at 5:20 ready to get dressed for school! I hope this enthusiasm continues. :) By 6:15 we were both dressed, fed, and ready to go. I took a few pictures, drove her to school, and walked her into her classroom. She was smiling when I left - she was so excited that she has her very own desk this year (all the desks are pulled together to make small tables in the classroom, but it is a desk nonetheless). She told me on the way to school that she was a little nervous because she doesn't know anyone yet, but that she was also very excited. I think she is going to have a great year!

Where Did the Summer Go?

I don't know why the date and time stamp aren't right. This is Tuesday, July 21.

I registered L for school yesterday and can't believe the summer is almost over! Three words to describe our summer would be: busy, busy, busy. We sold our house in May and moved in with my mother-in-law while we are building a house. The kids have absolutely loved being in the country, and I must say that I have become quite a country girl at heart too. I have learned the meaning of "going to town", and my children use this phrase quite frequently too. I also can't believe I haven't blogged in three months. I had such great intentions when I started this blog. For the last several weeks, every time I've thought about blogging, something else has quickly moved in to take the place of the time I would spend doing this. Oh well, that's life, and I am so thankful for the little cries of "Mommy, mommy!" that take up my time.

Forgive the randomness of this post - it will be an attempt at summing up our summer. First, our house - it should be ready in 8 or 9 weeks now! It is fully sheetrocked and about half bricked. It is really coming along nicely, and building has not been the headache that we were afraid it would be. It's actually been fun.

We've discovered the local library here, and L has spent almost all her time this summer reading. If she's not reading, she's asking me to get on the computer so we can request more books at the library (this online request thing is the best invention ever, by the way). She has read all the Junie B. books and most of the Magic Tree House books this summer. That girl LOVES to read!

K has spent most of his time here in the country playing with the dogs and just being a little boy. Right before we moved out here, Gran got a Golden Retriever puppy (68 pounds, but a puppy nonetheless). She also already had one of our Springer Spaniels that came to live out here about five years ago. K and the dogs love each other. He goes outside and yells, "Bridgett! Maggie!" and they come running. Gran says that every boy needs a dog, and every dog needs a boy. I agree. K has also become quite fearless in the water this summer. We have made a few trips to the pool, but the kids also love to swim in the pond here with Gran. I must say, the idea completely grossed me out at first and I still bathe (more like sanitize) them as soon as they come in from the pond, but seeing the joy on their faces is worth it. And, I even jumped in once this summer. Anything for my children. It wasn't too bad, except that when I jumped off the dock, my feet touched the bottom of the pond. Ever felt the bottom of a pond? Try not to. K will jump off the dock now with his floaties on and "swim" to Gran. L is swimming like a fish and has even learned how to dive off the dock this summer.

We made a trip to the beach with my mom, my sister, and her two boys at the beginning of the summer. A great time was had by all. The children always have so much fun playing together, and though L is the only girl, she can get in there and roughhouse just as well as the boys can. It was great to see them all enjoy each other so much. We went to Geyser Falls, and K is still talking about the waterfalls. That boy can pick out a waterfall from a mile away. We went to Dallas recently and visited the zoo, a waterpark, and the aquarium. We saw a ton of great things, but guess what K remembers most? You got it - the waterfalls. If there is one other thing in the world he likes as much as waterfalls, I guess it would be Home Depot (he's just a man in a little body). Every store we go in now, whether it's Hobby Lobby, Bed Bath and Beyond, or just about anywhere else, he says, "Momma, this is kinda like Home Depot."

All in all, we've had a good summer. But moving is hard. We know that this is where God led us, and we are excited about being closer to family but it has still been difficult. I have always been a "city girl", and learning to consolidate errands "to town" has not come easily. I'll probably get it figured out just about the time our house is built and we move back into town. The most difficult part of moving has been the realization that our lives are changing. We have an amazing group of friends in Clinton and an even more amazing church home. Neither can be replaced in our hearts, and though we know that God will provide friends and a church home here, the process is still not an easy one.

Let me leave you with a funny story before I sign out. I would promise to post pictures later, but let's be honest - I blog once every three months now, so pictures probably won't happen. :) The other night L got in trouble for arguing with us. We sent her to her room, where she proceeded to pitch an all-out fit, the likes of which we haven't seen from her in about three years. It warranted a spanking from Hubby. After he spanked her, he asked her if she knew why she had been punished. She replied that she had argued and then threw a fit and that's why she got punished. He then asked her why she had done this and she replied, "I don't know. But I do know one thing...the Bible says God is slow to anger and slow to punish, and y'all should be more like Jesus!" My hubby, always quick to respond, said "Yes sweetie you are right, but the Bible also says, 'Fathers, discipline your children. Children, OBEY your parents.'" We do sometimes try to use Scripture to discipline her (guide her, I should say), but I must say this was the first time she used Scripture to try to discipline us!

One more...we ate lunch at Cracker Barrel the other day. We ordered chicken tenders and mac-n-cheese for K. When his lunch came, he didn't really want to eat. I ate a small bite of his mac-n-cheese to show him how good it was. This was a mistake. He said (rather loudly), "NO MOMMY, DON'T EAT MY MAC-N-CHEESE!!!" He then spent the rest of lunch eating (a little) with his left hand and holding his right hand up to stop me if I tried to get any more of his lunch. What a boy.

Hope everyone has had a good summer and is ready for school. L says she is ready for 1st grade, but K thinks he is not going to school this year - what a surprise he's going to get the day after Labor Day...

Random Ramblings

I have been terrible at keeping up with this blog thing over the last few weeks. Things have been pretty busy as of late. We sold our house, which we didn't think would happen in six weeks, and we are awaiting God's direction for our next step. School is almost out, which is very hard to believe. I am having a hard time with the fact that L is finishing Kindergarten and K will start Preschool next year. Where has the time gone?

I wanted to share a few funny stories before I leave blogger world (probably for several weeks again!) Last week, I was tucking L in and I heard K saying something from his room. My husband went in to check on him, and K was saying (loudly, but as calm as could be) "I'm scared. I'm scared." My husband asked what was wrong, and again K said (calm as ever) "I'm scared." I guess he hasn't learned yet that if he is going to fake it, he needs to put some emotion into it. :)

I went to L's school several weeks ago to help with her class Easter party. Her teacher told me that L is very good at raising her hand when she needs something, but if they don't get to her right away, she starts trying to get their attention by clearing her throat and fake coughing. I guess I won't have to ever worry about her getting overlooked by not speaking up.

K calls the lawnmower the "wawnmower" (he can't pronounce his L's) and he loves to sit on it and pretend he is driving. We went to WalMart the other day and now for some reason he calls the lawnmower the "walmart".

L's new love language with Hubby is hitting him. Anytime he says something funny, she stops whatever she is doing, goes over to him, and hits him. That's our sweet little girl.

I guess that's it for now. I'll return to blogger world in a few weeks.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. When I was little, I often wondered why we called it "Good" Friday - I mean it is the day that Jesus died, after all. But as I got older it became clear to me - it was "Good" Friday because by His death and, more importantly, His resurrection, He brought salvation! We were doomed to an eternity apart from God because of our sins. But, praise God, He made a way for us! The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) That "falling short of the glory of God" is what dooms us to an eternity without Him. But, that's not the end of the story - Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." "While we were still sinners" - can you imagine dying for someone so unlovely as us? That's exactly what Jesus did - the Son of God, perfect in every way, CHOSE to die for us...so that we could spend eternity with God. We also learn in Romans "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). "Saved" - what a beautiful word - saved from an eternity separated from the love of God. I praise God that at the age of 12, He called my name and I asked Him to be my Savior. All we must do is confess with our mouth and BELIEVE in our hearts, and He will save us. I thank God that He has made a way! Do you know Him?

Funny Stuff...

This week, we have pretty much been stuck inside because little man has had pneumonia. My mom came Tuesday to help rescue me, so I was able to get out of the house for church Wednesday night and WalMart yesterday. Honestly though, the week inside hasn't been that bad. I've really enjoyed spending some good snuggle time with my sick little boy and getting a few things done around the house. I had to post a few funny things that my kids have done this week to keep me laughing. Bear with me - since I no longer have the will to scrapbook, this blogging thing is my scrapbook of sorts. One day I am going to print all my posts and make a book with it.

When I picked L up from school Monday, I told her K was sick with pneumonia. The obvious question then: "Mom, what is pneumonia?" I told her it was when you have "stuff" down in your lungs. The next obvious question: "What kind of stuff?" "Mucous", I replied (couldn't think of a better word). And, you guessed it, another question: "Momma, what is mucous?" So I told her. The next morning, my sweet friend Tania came to pick L up for school. She called me right after dropping L and her little girl off at school to tell me what L had said. Oh no. She said she asked how K was doing and L said, "He has pneumonia." Then she leaned over to Tania's daughter, like she was going to tell her a secret and said, "Hey, do you know what mucous is?" I'm sure my adorable little girl has told everyone she knows what "mucous" is.

K's favorite saying comes from Charlie Brown, and it's "Hey, what's going on here?" Surprisingly, he knows exactly when this saying is appropriate. The other night I was bathing the kids and the bathtub drain popped up just a little, which makes this horrible moaning noise. K turned around quickly in the tub and said, "HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" He has also learned a new saying. His new favorite movie is "Madagascar 2". Let me warn you before you buy the movie, there are a few questionable things about it, though it is not the worst kids' movie I have ever seen. Since his favorite movie was "Barbie and the Diamond Castle" (thanks to his sister), we are pretty happy that "Madagascar 2" has taken reign as his favorite now. Anyway, in the movie one of the animals says, "What the heck is going on?" You know where this is going, right? Out of all the lines in the movie, that's the one my son picked up on. While my mom was here helping me this week, Hubby, L and I went to church Wednesday night. K and Nana were sitting at the table eating supper when we left. We walked out the door, he turned around and looked at the door and then said, "What the heck is going on here?" Oh, the things they pick up... I'm not even sure how to end this post (I'm sure I'm supposed to end it by trying to rationalize or justify why we have let him watch this movie over and over again, but I won't). I'll just say that he definitely won't be watching the first Madagascar movie anytime soon. Somehow I don't think I want him going to school, church, the grocery store, and anywhere else where other people are, saying, "Darn you all! Darn you all to heck!" (Yes, they really say that in the first Madagascar)...

My Expensive Lapse of Sanity

My last post detailed our most recent doctor's office visit - a check-up for Lindsey last week. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought, "Hmmmm....going to the doctor's office with all these germs floating around is probably not the best idea." What did I do? You guessed it...completely ignored the voice of reason trying to talk to me. I knew I had made a serious mistake when K decided to lick the side of the bathroom sink at Children's Medical - nice. I knew I would be paying for my "lapse of sanity", as I am now calling it. Well, today the bill came for this temporary insanity. I took K to the dr. today, fully convinced he had the flu. Nope, I was wrong. His flu test was negative. Instead, he has pneumonia. So Dr. Myers sent us home with an antibiotic and instructions to call her in a few days if he is not doing much better. My lapse of sanity cost a total of $134, plus all the time we'll be stuck inside all week. So, if you're ever thinking of taking your children to the doctor for check-ups in the WINTER (I am so dumb!), please call me first so I can bring you back to your senses. One positive aspect of this - K is too little to understand that it's really my fault that he is sick. And none of my friends reading this will ever tell him....right? :)

Calling ALL Germs!!!

Attention, attention! Calling all germs! If you are a nasty germ at Children's Medical Group, our son would just LOVE to meet you. Okay, I guess I'll back up here. Today, I made a very amateur mommy mistake, one that I am quite sure I'll be paying for later. I took my very healthy children to the doctor's office for routine check-ups. This would not normally be a problem, but the flu has been ravaging our town (and everyone else's from what I understand) for several weeks. For those of you who know me, you know that I am **somewhat** of a germaphobe. I keep my bottle of hand sanitizer with me all the time, especially in the winter, and I usually have Wet One antibacterial wipes with me too. I thought I was going to lose it in the doctor's office today. Every time I turned around, K was sticking his fingers in his mouth, in his eyes, or up his nose. If there was any chance of us getting out of there without some dread disease, he blew that chance when we went to the bathroom to get a urine sample from L. As I held the cup under her, (sorry for the mental picture, but that's mommyhood) trying very gently to say "HURRY PLEASE!!", he decided the most productive use of his time would be to put his mouth all over the side of the bathroom sink. I was so proud of this creative use of time. When I checked out I told the sweet receptionist that we would be seeing them again in 7-10 days. I can only imagine the little germs breeding in his little body. Oh, and I cancelled his check-up appointment for tomorrow (as if he hasn't been exposed already to EVERY germ in this city!!)

The Girl-catchers

I love picking L up from school and hearing all about her day. Yesterday, she got in the car all sweaty and I asked I they had gotten to play outside (duh, of course they had, but I wanted her to tell me about it). She told me that she and two of her friends had to run from "The Girl Catchers". When I inquired further about this, she told me that there were a group of boys on the playground chasing and catching some of the little girls and that the girls had to work so hard to fight them off. How funny! Today, she was helping me cook supper and I inquired if the "Girl Catchers" had been back in action today. She said no and then said, "Hard times only come around every now and then." I asked her what she meant and she said (in her most dramatic voice), "It was terrible being chased by those Girl Catchers. I don't think I'll have to go through anything that terrible again for a while." I hope not (and I'm sure her Daddy does too!!)

It Won't Be Like This For Long

I just heard a new song on the radio - Darius Rucker's "It Won't Be Like This for Long" - it's now the first song on our playlist (turn up your speakers and get out your Kleenex). Although I haven't quite gotten used to Hootie and the Blowfish's lead singer now singing country music, this is a great song. I guess it's the new version of "Butterfly Kisses". The song chronicles the life of a little girl and her daddy, and it could just as easily chronicle a mom/daughter or a father/son or a mother/son relationship. So sweet. The point of the song is just how fast they grow up. If you've read some of my previous posts, you know we just celebrated our daughter's sixth birthday and our son's third birthday. I cannot believe what a whirlwind it has all been. I feel like I am in a car going ninety miles per hour and all I can see out the windows is one big blur - I want to scream "STOP!!! SLOW DOWN!!!" but I know it won't do any good. Time is flying by, and the best we parents can do is hang on and enjoy every second of it. This song reminds me of bringing our own baby girl home and being up all night, many nights - it won't be like this for long. Or dropping our son off at Mom's Morning Out, where he cried the entire time, two days every week, for six weeks - it won't be like this for long. Or the fight L and I had yesterday because apparently I bought the wrong kind of crayons (yes, that's right, the wrong kind of crayons) - it won't be like this for long. Pretty soon that baby girl and baby boy will be all grown up and gone - it won't be like this for long...

Sorry to be such a downer today - the weather outside is yucky, I just heard this super-sappy song, you get the picture. What a precious gift God has given us in our children - try to enjoy every day!!

In Honor of President's Day

This week at school, L's class is learning about Valentine's Day and President's Day. Along with their study of President's Day, they have studied some of our country's early presidents. Here is the picture she drew of Abraham Lincoln:




Last night, we were saying prayers before bedtime. In my prayer, I said "Please be with our city leaders, our state leaders, and our country's leaders. Please help our President to follow Your will as He leads our country." L interjected with, "Momma, he's not alive anymore." Since they are studying early presidents, I guess she thought they were all deceased. I told her no, that we do have a President. She said, "I think a President is someone who wears black all the time, a very uncolorful man. And he probably has long curly gray hair." I can only assume that this picture of a president she has conjured up in her head is from the pictures she has seen of Abraham Lincoln (wearing all black, as in her picture) and George Washington (the long curly gray hair). No sweetie, all Presidents don't look like our founding fathers, but we should pray that our country would return to the godly principles upon which it was founded...

Oh, To See the World Through a Child's Eyes

Those of you with children (young or old) know all the ways a child can remind you how life from their perspective is just a little different. K reminded me of that tonight. We were eating at Chick-Fil-A, and he asked for ice cream. We took his kid's meal toy to the counter to exchange it for ice cream. I hardly noticed the man who was in front of us in line. But K noticed him right away and said (rather loudly), "Wook, it's Santa Cwas". I had to giggle a little to myself. In his eyes, this man with a red shirt, long white hair and a long white beard was, in fact, Santa Claus. And as he walked out the door, K yelled after him, "Bye, Santa Cwas!!" I don't know if the man ever heard him or not, but he didn't ask K for his Wish List.

I Feel Like a Thief!!

Today, my friend Courtney and I went shoppping at the outlet mall in Vicksburg. Really, we were both going "just to see what they had", and maybe find some deals on spring clothes for our boys (our girls are the same age and our boys are the same age). I don't know what it is about the two of us going to Vicksburg, but every time we do we end up finding the most outrageous bargains. The last time we went, the salesperson in the Carter's outlet gave us a discount just because it was storming outside and we had braved the weather to shop. The salesperson in OshKosh added up our coupons incorrectly, and we tried to tell her it was wrong (I'm not kidding, we really did try to tell her). She ended up letting us have $50 worth of clothes for somewhere in the neighborhood of $10. We couldn't argue her out of it, though we did try. We left feeling like common theives.

Today, we went to the Gymboree outlet (Gymboree is my weakness!) When we walked in, the saleslady told us there were a couple of racks in the front of the store marked down to $1.99. Of course, we quickly began perusing the racks and picking up a few things - winter items that were marked down. Then, while holding an email from the corporate office, she began going around the store and marking TONS of stuff down to $1.99!! It was all girls' stuff, sizes 4-10 mostly. She kept holding up things and saying, "This is $1.99 too." I honestly asked her if she had been drinking. I ended up with a 2 dresses, a skirt and sweater set, 2 pair of jeans, 3 long-sleeve tops, 2 sweaters, a raincoat, a windbreaker, a heavier coat, 3 polo-style shirts for K, and 4jackets for friends (I love to give gifts, and at $1.99 who can resist?)....for just over $50! While I was checking out, I commented that I didn't think this was legal and Courtney said she felt like she was stealing. The saleslady said they were having a big promotion this weekend to boost sales. So, if you live close to Vicksburg and have a little girl anywhere from 4 to 10 years old (baby stuff is not on sale, and very few boys' clothes are on sale), I would go to Gymboree this weekend. For $50, you could outfit your little girl for next fall.

25 Random Things About Me

Well, Missy tagged me to post 25 things about myself that you may not know. This is a daunting task; I'm not sure I can come up with 25 factoids, but here goes:

1 - I wear one contact, in my left eye. I had no idea I couldn't see until I was 15 and went to take my learner's permit test. I failed the eye exam miserably.
2 - More "left eye" problems - any time the barometric pressure changes rapidly, I get an enormous headache behind my left eye.
3 - I LOVE Six Flags (or any amusement park for that matter!) I turn into a kid the minute I walk through the gates.
4 - I honestly like to clean my house. Some days while K is at school, I come home and clean the house to a sparkle and then just sit and admire it for a little while. I'm sick, I know.
5 - I met my husband at a wedding - his 1st cousin married my 3rd cousin - when their first daughter was born, we figured out that she was my husband's 2nd cousin by blood and my 4th cousin by blood (on different sides of the family of course - don't start playing the "Dueling Banjos" song from "Deliverance" in your head - it's not like that).
6 - The first couple of years after I got my driver's license, I had several run-ins with stationary objects like gas pumps and parked cars. I have become a better driver, although I did rear-end a friend after dropping L off at school one day a few months ago. Oh yeah, and I was in my pajamas. Nice.
7 - After rear-ending someone in my pj's, I made a vow to never again leave the house like that. Now, I get dressed before taking L to school every morning. Make-up is still optional most days, but I do not leave the house in my pajamas.
8 - I must say something to redeem my driving record: I have never had a speeding ticket.
9 - Like my sister, I do not understand why I have to show my ID anytime I buy cough or sinus medication. Do I look like I have a meth lab?
10 - My middle name, "Melissa", was the middle name of my great-grandmother. I only found out I was named after my great-grandmother about 10 years ago. I guess my family assumed that I knew her middle name was "Melissa". :)
11 - My husband and I picked two names for our children to honor both sides of our family. Our daughter's middle name, "Ellen", is my mother's first name and my mother-in-law's middle name. Our son's middle name, "Douglas", was my brother's middle name and my husband's grandfather's first name. We thought it was so neat that we had a girl name and a boy name that came from both our families. We have one more girl name that honors both sides, "Melissa", but we don't think we'll need another name.
12 - I have one of the best groups of girlfriends anyone could wish for.
13 - I love cheesy 80's music - pop rock, punk rock, glam rock, monster ballads, you name it. Don't laugh - you know you sing along to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" too. I'm just brave enough to admit it.
14 - I would be perfectly content to curl up on the couch with a good book and not move for 2 or 3 days.
15 - I find it almost impossible to leave my house in the morning at 7:15 without first making up the bed, unloading the dishwasher, straigtening up the house, and starting a load of clothes in the washer. Like I said before, I'm sick.
16 - When I went for my physical this year, my doctor told me my cholesterol is slightly high. I'm trying to work on this, but I am getting tired of Cheerios every morning.
17 - I am sooooo not athletic. In junior high, walking into the gym on a day when we were participating in competitive sports was my worst nightmare. I clearly remember one day in 7th grade when the girls' PE class joined the boys' PE class for volleyball. I was picked as a Team Captain (my gym teacher must have really hated me), which meant I got to pick my team. I picked all the terrible players, because I had so much in common with them. Then, I picked one guy who was somewhat athletic and super-competitive just because he was cute. He was less than impressed with our pitiful team. I wonder if he is still mad at me....
18 - Speaking of teachers that clearly didn't like some students, I will never forget the name of my 6th grade homeroom teacher. She despised me, though I can't remember ever doing anything to her or misbehaving in her class. I would look up from my desk sometimes to see her sitting at her desk staring holes through me. She spoke my name with a particular contempt in her voice that was only reserved for me. My only saving grace in her class was that it was homeroom and I was only in there 50minutes every day. She was the only teacher who ever really disliked me...
19 - I rarely watch TV. I can't even tell you what comes on which network on any night. The only show that I ever watch is "NCIS" - I used to like "CSI", but it got a little too scary sometimes. I like "NCIS" because it's still a crime show but the characters are funny.
20 - My baby will start Preschool in August, and I'm surprised about how sad that makes me. I cannot believe my children are growing up so fast.
21 - The most rewarding job I've ever had is being a wife to a wonderful husband and a mother to two amazing kids. Not only did God give me the free gift of salvation, but He has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined.
22 - I have very little sense of direction. The first time I went home from college (it's a straight shot on I-20, mind you), I got lost and ended up in Gluckstadt (I was trying to go to Meridian). Mapquest is my best friend.
23 - Like Missy said of herself, I am certainly no decorator. I often say that I know just enough to make a room look really bad. Don't ever ask me to help you pick out paint colors or anything of the sort. I can't even find the motivation to try most of the time. Maybe when my children are older and I have more free time, I'll get in touch with the "designer" that has to be somewhere deep inside me.
24 - My husband and I are 2 of the 10 people in the country that have not yet seen "Fireproof". I bought it Tuesday, and we plan to watch it this weekend.
25 - As a child, I went through a phase when I was completely obsessive-compulsive about washing my hands. Almost drove my poor mother crazy.

Okay, I guess that's it. I really didn't think I could come up with 25 things, but there they are. Now, the instructions were for me to tag 25 people. I'm not sure I even know 25 people, and I'm certain that I don't know 25 bloggers :) So, how about this? If you have read this and want to participate, go right ahead. Post a list of 25 Random Things about yourself on your blog.

Organized! (well, sort of)

A few weeks ago, I started looking around the house and thinking, "Wow, this place needs some organization!" Not that there is stuff sitting around everywhere, but it seems that our closets, kitchen cabinets and drawers have gotten somewhat "cluttered" through the years (I'm sure nobody else has that problem!) So, I have set out on a mission to attack and kill the clutter! Last week, I made a $16 investment in some baskets from Big Lots. It took me about an hour then to get the kitchen cabinets organized - a basket for medicines, a basket of "rainy day" activities for the kids, and so on. Today, while K was napping, I decided to attack the stack of pictures in the bedroom entertainment armoire. The armoire, since we took the TV out, has been devoted to my scrapbooking stuff. Finally realizing that the scrapbooking is on hold for now, I decided to get some photo boxes and at least organize the pictures. Now the pictures are organized into 2 boxes - one for 2003-2006 (most of which has been scrapbooked already - yippee!) and one for 2007-2008 (most of which has not been scrapbooked, sadly). One day, I'll get back around to the scrapbooking that I really enjoy doing (it may be when the kids are grown!) Until then, I pledge to do my best at organizing in such a way that scrapbooking will even be possible. Now.....if I could only find time to get the rest of our 2008 pictures off the computer and actually printed. And there's always the cluttered closets. Another task for another day...

"Same Kind of Different as Me"

Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and buy this book. A lady I was in Bible Study with last semester put a plug in for the book and I casually jotted down the title, thinking "when do I ever have time to read?" I came across the book months later, bought it, and started reading it about a week ago. It is definitely in the "Best Books I Have Ever Read" category. I don't want to give too much of the story away, so I'll just start by writing the summary on the back cover: "A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it." Denver Moore was a modern-day slave in 1960's Louisiana who hopped the train one day and ended up in Fort Worth, TX. Homeless, unable to read or write, he slept on the streets and survived for many years. Ron Hall is an international art dealer in Fort Worth, a millionaire. His wife, Deborah, had a vision to change the homeless population in Fort Worth. This book, their true story, is written by Denver and Ron. It is the story of an unlikely friendship created by God and nobody but God. It will move you to tears. If I didn't know it was a true story, there's no way I could ever believe it. Now, Denver and Ron have numerous speaking engagements across the country. Ron introduces Denver with the exact words Denver came up with - "Just tell them I'm a nobody that's trying to tell everybody about Somebody who can change anybody." I won't tell you any more of their story, except to say it is
incredible.

100 Sisters and First Loves

Every day, my children do something to make me laugh - sometimes it's just a small chuckle, and sometimes it's a laugh that starts way down deep in your belly and just grows until you are laughing uncontrollably. Yesterday was one of those "big belly laugh" days. I am so thankful that God blessed us with these wonderful little gifts, the gift of children.

L had her 100th day of school yesterday and all (or most) of the classes had "100th Day" parties. In addition to the parties, they talked of course about the number
100. She came home with a worksheet where she had to write what she wished she had 100 of and what she would not want 100 of. She wrote, "I wish I had 100 money. I wish I had 100 friends. I wish I had 100 toys. But, I wouldn't want 100 sisters." I suppose the fact that she wouldn't want 100 brothers goes without saying. That's good news for us, because we certainly don't want to have 100 more babies either.

L also had her friend Abby over to play after school. Well, K has been quite taken with Abby since L and Abby started hanging out together in 3-year-old Preschool. In fact, one of the first words K uttered with any clarity was "Abby". He would say, "Abby, Abby" every day when we pulled up at the preschool to get L. He loves it when Abby comes over to play with L and tries his hardest to get Abby to play with him instead. Yesterday, L and Abby came in the kitchen to get a snack. K walked up beside Abby and said, "I tee tee in the potty, Abby." Then (oh how I wish I had had a camera and could have gotten a picture quick enough), he stood back, cocked his head over to one side, and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. True love. Poor little guy - not only did Abby not think that was the greatest thing she had ever heard, she didn't even acknowledge that he was in the room. She stared straight ahead and never gave him the time of day. She and L ran back to L's room with their Goldfish snacks, and K followed saying, "Abby, Abby come play trains!" I guess he figured if the tee-teeing in the potty didn't win her heart, maybe, just maybe, the trains would win her over.

Like I said, some days bring little chuckles here and there, and some days bring those huge belly laughs. I love these kids.

The Children's Playland

I thought I'd post a few pictures of what the kids got for Christmas. K is completely mesmerized by his GeoTrax trains (he got Grand Central Station last Christmas, and Uncle Scott and Aunt Susan gave him another remote-controlled train to go with it this year). He got all the GeoAir stuff this Christmas. It takes up almost the entire floor in his room (hey, it's less for me to vacuum now!) I have to admit, Hubby and I like to play with all of this too (wow, we are starting to sound like very selfish parents, first the Wii and now the GeoTrax :)



L got lots of Barbies this year. Also, when we were at Nana's house over Thanksgiving, she started playing with the Barbie dreamhouse in Nana's playroom (it was my sister's and then it was passed down to me). I can remember spending hours upon hours as a little girl playing in my room with my Barbies and the Barbie dreamhouse. Long story short, we now have the Barbie dreamhouse. L was very excited to get it and replace the Little People house that she no longer played with. So here are a couple of pictures of Barbie world that now resides in her room (she still spends much more time reading and playing Wii)!