Preferred Clothing

So today we went to the salon so Baby and I could get our hair cut. Little Boy "got to" come along. Little Boy and I finished up our lessons, and we all rushed to get dressed and out the door - I almost forgot the snacks! Yikes! That would have been a huge mistake! How else do you control two kids who are sitting across the room while you get your hair cut?

We grabbed lunch and got home in time to watch an episode of Maggie and the Ferocious Beast just before nap time. Both kids decided that they wanted to put their jammies back on. They are so much like me it scares me sometimes.

If only I could wear my jammies all day long. Alas, I have found that people tend to come to our house if I do that.

I've got a Frounder

Baby found a hair clip today that she got for her birthday. She was all excited, but wasn't sure what it was. I looked at it and told her it was Flounder, from the Little Mermaid. She ran around chanting, "I've got a Frounder, I've got a Frounder." DH and I just laughed. It's the little things.

Monday morning trip

Little Boy woke up this morning and crawled into bed with me. I was so tired; I was awake half the night coughing and sneezing. I figured that would be the case so I slept on the couch and told DH to wake me when he got up at 5 and send me to bed. I'm still feeling less than wonderful.

So, Little Boy crawled in with me and did pretty well letting me rest a bit longer. We watched a little Fox and Friends and got Baby out of bed. While I was changing her diaper, he happened to look in the full-length mirror on her door. He got all upset and said he had spots on his face. When I got a chance to look at him, sure enough, he did. Poor little guy. He asked me if they were "dying spots." Such a hypocondriac like his mom. So I made an appt. for him, and we all got ready to go. He flopped down on the bed and sighed. "These spots are making me tired." Children.

The nurse practioner we saw thinks it's roseola, or something similar. That's what Baby had last winter. For whatever reason, roseola is rarely passed to a sibling. What is up with that? It would have been easier if they both had it at the same time. I think they work together to make me worry as much as possible. So he got a dose of Benadryl (psycho meds for him), and they are going down for a nap. I think I'm going to get a nappie, too!

Green Bay Packers

The Packers are doing an unexpectedly awesome job. I didn't expect that Aaron Rodgers would step in and be so effective! Last Monday, I was surprised that the Packers did so well against the Vikings, and today they steamrolled the Lions. Double Whammy, Gina! LOL.

So, the game wasn't televised here so I was reduced to watching the scores and digital plays on ESPN. As the time kept ticking away in the 4th quarter, and the Packers' score kept getting higher, I wish I had been able to watch! Grrr. Little Boy kept asking, "What? What?" as I was getting excited.

Now that the game is over, I'm back to watching the race.

Go Biffle! Go Edwards! Go Kenseth!

Unions and Factory Closures

The company DH works for has closed a couple of plants recently, and there are so many issues involved. My heart goes out to the people who have lost their jobs; I have had anxiety that one day we will be in the same situation. I am not sure why this particular plant was chosen to be shut down. And the parent organization has chosen to not sell it. From a business standpoint, there are benefits to not selling it. The new owners would be competition. They may re-open it some time in the future. They may be able to write it off as a loss.

From a community perspective, it is devastating. To lose 400 jobs in any area is hard to comprehend. To lose 400 jobs in a smaller city is just disastrous. The people have to find work somewhere. Even if they can find a job, they will not be able to find work that will replace their lost wages. They may have to relocate, but will have a difficult time selling their homes. The value of their homes will deflate considerably.

Understandably, the workers are doing everything they can to reverse the decision. It is possible that the people who made the final decision did so with only the bottom line in mind and it was an uncomplicated decision to them. It is likely that they were given the objective of reaching a certain financial goal and had to figure out which location to close. I would absolutely hate to be the people who had to make that decision.

I know that situation; I've lived it. When I worked for a folding carton company based out of Chicago as the HR/Accounting Coordinator, I watched our division president languish over the decision of who to keep and who to let go when the plant was downsizing. Eventually it closed completely. He was given a certain number of employees he could keep, and he had to decide who stayed and who went. I saw our president give the owner heck. One day in particular, the owner, LF, called about 20 times in a row trying to get my boss on the phone. The three of us who were expected to answer the phone were about to walk out. LF was so angry, understandably, I guess, that the boss wouldn't talk to him. My boss was furious that LF wouldn't let him do his job. Try being the one who tells the owner that your boss is in his office, but will not pick up the phone to speak to him! Yikes. I do have to say, that our boss was the best boss I have ever worked for - in a Christian or secular job. The owner was in our building in about an hour and a half. That was a loud office day.

So, I've seen the process from the inside. I was one of those salaried people who was expected to lie outright or by omission. The decision was made in January to close the plant, but it wasn't announced until the end of February. There were rumors and fears swirling around and they were coming to me as the HR person for any answers I could give them.

DH is a union member. I see firsthand how the union benefits the workers, especially in the area of pay. However, the union often does not operate with the best interest of the local worker in mind. So many of the decisions seem to ignore the needs of the local plant. And how on earth could a union of an industry support the Dems? The same people who are more concerned about emissions than keeping plants like ours up and running? DH gets so angry that his union dues are going to support the democRATS. The party that got us going down the NAFTA path, and all that that entails.

And with contract negotiations approaching, the thought that the parent company could just close our division rather than be influenced by the union... That is a bit unsettling. Some of the decision-makers in the company have worked in our plant at one point or another. And some of them are horse's rear ends. So that makes things complicated, too. How do you respectfully deal with someone who did their darndest to close your plant - even if it meant fabricating records and numbers? Hopefully, that HRE won't be involved in contract negotiations.

So, while my heart breaks for those people who are out of work, I can see the point of the owners, too. I don't know the details of why that particular plant was chosen to close. I can only breathe a sigh of relief that for the time being, it wasn't ours.

Feeling Cruddy

So, I don't know what "it" is, but I'm feeling pretty rotten. Allergies or cold? Doesn't much matter - my throat is raw, and post nasal drainage is killing me.

Baby and Little Boy both started feeling badly yesterday. Didn't take me long, did it?

So what do you cook when you feel so horrible? Last night we had bacon, pancakes and eggs.

Tonight I thawed a turkey breast, warmed some pasta from the other day, and fixed some brocolli. I even skipped the ice cream afterwards; didn't think it would help my problem.

We didn't even do any schoolwork today. Little Boy asked me about it tonight; if we feel well enough, we'll do it in the morning. Hope I feel better.

Funny Girl

So Baby woke up today with a full-blown head cold. Or allergies. I’m not sure which. Daddy and I got her up, and she was feeling pretty miserable. I gave her some medicine and got her settled on the couch with a pillow and a blanket. She looked like a little zombie. Out of nowhere, she burped. And never blinked. I asked her if she could say, “Excuse me.” She said, “I can’t say it.” A couple minutes later, she saw the yard workers at the neighbors and asked me who a guy was. I said his name is, “Excuse Me,” and asked her if she could say his name. She said it. I don’t think she blinked the whole time we were talking. I told her I tricked her into saying, “Excuse me.” No reaction.

Poor Baby.

September 11th

It does not seem possible that it has already been 7 years since the terrorist attacks. I was at school and someone came in between classes and said a plane had hit a building in New York. Then as we were dismissed for lunch, a crowd was gathered in the media room watching TV. It was just so surreal. I remember driving home that day watching the skyline for crashing planes, because no one knew what was going on. Mike was at work and so I went to the lake so I wasn't at home alone.

My sister was worried about me because of the plane that crashed in Shanksville being close to where I live. I was worried about her because I wasn't sure when she was supposed to be flying.

The last couple days, I have remembered that the 11th was coming, but I didn't think of it this morning until I turned on Fox & Friends. I could only watch a couple minutes of it. Little Boy was running around, and I just get too emotional. I remember how helpless I felt at the time; I felt like *I* should be there to help - doing anything. I don't know why I felt that way. I remember hoping there would be more survivors found than there were. And I was so thankful for the brave people on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania; they were such heroes. I cannot imagine having been on any of those planes. I don't even like to let my mind go there because I have such a vivid imagination and it actually causes me to feel anxiety.

I don't know how old my kids will be before we talk about what happened in 2001. My kids don't understand that there is such evil in our world. I wish they could grow up that way, but that isn't wise on my part. And how do I explain to my children why people would want to kill innocent people in our country when I can't fully comprehend it myself?

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ok - this is not an original recipe, and I cannot remember exactly on which recipe site I found it. Taste of Home, I think. But it is a tested recipe and it was a huge hit at the teen cookout. I have written the directions from the notes I scribbled, so if the wording is odd, that is why. This isn't my picture, either, but it looked just like this before it was consumed!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 pie crust, baked
6 c. sliced strawberries
1 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
Whipped topping

First layer:
Pie crust
2 c. sliced strawberries

Second layer:
2 c. halved strawberries, mashed
1 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch

Third layer:
2 c. halved strawberries
Whipped topping

Directions:
Bake the pie crust according to the directions on the package, or bake it for about 15 minutes @ 425 degrees. Prick the bottom of the crust before baking or use weights.

After the crust is cooled, place the sliced strawberries in the crust.

Combine the mashed strawberries, sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let cook for about 2 minutes – stir constantly. Cool filling in a bowl for about 15 minutes. Pour over sliced strawberries.

Place the halved strawberries on top of the filling.

Serve with whipped topping.

Baby in the Bed

So today before I started teaching Little Boy, I set Baby up in the living room with a bucket of foam beads and a plastic needle and "thread." She seemed pretty happy. I got out the books and Little Boy and I started our lesson. Part of the way through, I looked over at Baby and she had the whole container spilled out on the floor and asked me when she could start to do her schoolwork. I told her as soon as she picked up the stuff on the floor, I would give her something to do. She stood up in the middle, kicked the beads, and spit at me. So I swatted her little butt and told her to pick up the stuff. She used her hand and swiped them farther across the room with a growl. So I picked her up and put her in her bed.

Apparently, she was making quite a racket - DH was attempting to sleep in the adjoining room. She threw everything out of her bed, and he said there was a lot of banging going on in there. Thankfully, the bed held together. When I finished with Little Boy, I went to get her. She was very contrite and behaved fairly well after that. Tomorrow is another day.

Cactus Fight

Well, today I got in a fight with a cactus, and I guess I lost. LOL. See the picture in the slideshow below. I went for allergy testing today, and I found out that I am allergic to dust, two types of dust mites, two types of mold, sycamore and oak trees, and pigweed and goldenrod. So basically, I'm fighting allergens just about all year round. I am going to forego shots. I feel like I can basically control symptoms with over the counter meds for now.

My arm hurts, but it could be worse. Much worse. I could be allergic to the other twenty seven things they injected me with.

Recent pics

Teen Cookout

What I like about Sarah Palin

Ok. I know my previous post said I'm sick of politics. And I am. I am tired of all the junk that comes with a voting year.

That said, I have been thinking about politics in the last couple days, because THAT'S ALL THAT'S ON TV ANYMORE. LOL. Actually, because I've been following Gov. Palin, like most conservative Republicans, and I get more excited each day.

Like I said in the last post, I am sure Gov. Palin is not perfect. And I am sure there are many things she and I would not agree upon. However, there are some very important issues that she and I completely agree upon - important issues - moral, critical issues.

I recently received a bulletin on myspace warning people about how "dangerous" Sarah Palin is. I guess that makes me, my husband, my sister, my brother, his wife, my adopted parents, my best friends, etc. ... it makes us all DANGEROUS! LOL.

Here are some of the reasons she is dangerous. (I've changed the negative terminology; I'm sure you can tell!)

1. Palin is pro-life. She rejects rape and incest as reasons to end a life that God created.
2. Palin supported Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. Gasp! Dangerous!
3. Palin believes in Creation, and thinks the theory of Intelligent Design should be given the same value weight as the theory of Evolution in classrooms.
4. Palin hasn't been suckered into believing in Global Warming by Al Gore who rakes in the dough from people purchasing carbon credits from companies in which he has heavily invested.
5. Palin is in favor of drilling for oil in Alaska to use our own oil, instead of being owned by Arabic nations by way of their oil supplies. She even believes - hold on to your hat - that we shouldn't avoid drilling because we might upset the . . . polar bears! OH MY! This chart shows the cyclical nature of the Arctic temperature - does not support the global warming theory - even though it was used in a report by the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment to support their theory.
6. Palin could not possibly have been investigated (vetted) fully, because John McCain only met her in person twice before announcing she was his pick. Unlike Obama and Biden, who met numerous times and WERE OPPONENTS IN THEIR RUN FOR THEIR NOMINATION, and didn't have very nice things to say about each other!
7. Palin doesn't fare well in the opinion of members of Alaska's Move On Organization. Don't need to say any more here.

So I guess I'm a threat to the public. Be afraid - be very afraid! Wha-ha-ha!

Getting Sick of Politics

Ok. I'm a Republican. I really like Sarah Palin so far. And I like McCain way more than I will ever like Obama. I think Palin is a breath of fresh air, but I am sure there will be things brought to light about her that I don't like. No one is perfect. But there are aspects of the political arena that make me really tired.

Like scrutinizing every part of a candidate's personal life. I don't need to know their daily schedule, I don't need to know what their driving record is, or their medical record. I don't need to know what designer they wear, because I will never run out and buy something just because I saw one of them wear it. I don't need to know what kind of perfume they wear. I really don't care.

I think Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain are both beautiful women. I think one of them is more loud-mouthed and brassy than the other. I think both of them dress impeccably, in a always-on-stage, need-to-impress sort of way. I think the report that Cindy McCain's outfit cost over $300,000 was a surprise, to say the least. Until I started reading the fine print.

There are people who are all in a tizzy over this. And there is no way on earth I would ever even have that kind of money, much less spend it on an outfit. But the accusation that she spent that much money on her "outfit" is quite misleading. "Vanity Fair editors estimated that McCain’s fierce saffron shirt dress with the popped collar, diamond earrings, four-strand pearl necklace, white Chanel watch and strappy shoes totaled up to $313,100."

So, take out the cost for the diamond earrings, pearl necklace, Chanel watch. These are items that she may have already owned; they could have been gifts. Or they could have been on loan to her. In any case, I don't think it's completely honest to include them in her "outfit." When I think outfit, I think of the clothes. So how much was the dress and shoes? About $3600. That is still way too extravagant on my budget, but she is a millionaire. I don't think anyone would even blink an eye if Oprah, or any other Hollywood big-wig, said she spent that on an outfit. She wore a $5000+ gown to an awards show, and everyone praised her taste.

I think Sarah Palin has the opportunity to bring some sanity back to the White House. Let's hope she gets the opportunity.

2 whole months left of this junk. Joy, joy.

Hopping Mad

Baby was quite confused and frustrated the other day. She received a costume for her birthday. I think it's a fairy costume. It has wings attached to the back.

Baby wanted to wear it; she said she wanted to fly. So I put it on her and she bent over and was looking back over her shoulder at the wings. Then she started hopping up and down. I started to laugh, but she was angry. I asked her what she was doing.

"I CAN'T FLY! THESE WINGS AREN'T WORKING!"

I wanted to fall on the floor laughing; she was still hopping and looking at the wings. I explained to her that the wings were pretend, and that she could pretend to fly.

She gave me a look that said, "Get this thing off me if I can't fly!"

If only I had captured it on video. I would be sending it to AFV.

Sprinkler Day

Princess Birthday Party

So Baby turned 3 last Friday. How is that even possible? She is the funniest, cutest, sweetest, sassiest little thing.

She opened a present Friday morning and blew out a candle in a muffin at breakfast. She was a bit confused why we weren't having a party yet. I was up until 3:30 am that night - decorating her birthday cake. I used frosting from a can - I thought I had two cans. But when I pulled out the frosting, one can was vanilla and one was cream

cheese. Great. So I frosted the whole cake from one can. Pretty good, if you ask me.

So Saturday we had her party. Grandma and Granddad, Cathy and Jim and his daughter came. She had a huge pile of gifts. She also got a two-wheel bike and helmet from G& G. All I could think was, "Where am I going to put all this stuff?" Thankfully, packaging accounted for half the pile. She likes everything she was given and now bounces from gift to gift, not sure what to play with. Little Boy got a present from G & G - glad they thought of it, because I didn't. I usually try to do that as well. They are too little to understand why they aren't getting a gift. I don't remember what Baby got at his party, though. I'll have to look at the pics.

We had baked chicken, parmesan pasta, salad, green beans, and cantaloupe. Baby did pretty well in the midst of all the chaos. We had cake and it was the quietest it had been all morning! LOL. Remember, I had very few hours of sleep and I was biting my tongue and keeping check on my temper. There were a few times when I had to leave the room just to be nice.

So she finished her cake and we took her out to sit on her bike. She can reach the pedals, but she has no clue how to pedal. So she sits with her feet on the pedals, and expects someone to push her around. She has fun, but my back is about to fall off.

Happy Birthday, Chickie Boo!

Kippy-i-aye!

My kids had their stick horses out today and were tearing through the house. Little Boy was shooting his six-shooter many more times than six. Baby was following after, swinging a long string of plastic beads as her lasso, shouting, "Kippy-i-aye! Here we come!"

At one point DH noticed she had a runny nose and told her she needed to blow her nose. She stopped, looked at him, flipped her hair back with one hand, and ... sniffed. It was quite sassy, but DH couldn't help but laugh. He wrangled her and made her blow her nose.

She has become quite sassy, and I am constantly dealing with her. Hopefully this is a short phase, right?

Do you speak to God in KJV?

I am sorry - I don't want to post all his videos, but this one is pretty funny, too.

I had to laugh about speaking to God in King James, so He'll understand me. LOL.

Mom's antibacterial wipes

This is just too funny! My new favorite comedian is Brad Stine.

Have I ruined him?

Last night, Little Boy and I slept out in the playhouse. It was a cool evening, and the bugs never bothered us, even though the house isn't air-tight. Baby didn't get to sleep out with us because she refused to eat the 6 miniscule pieces of pork chop on her plate for dinner. Sigh.

So we were lying there listening to the frogs and crickets and occasional vehicles, and he sighed. "I should have brought my sound spa." I laughed and told him God gave us the frogs and crickets for our sound spa. He laughed at me and told me I was "so silly". The sad thing was, after lying there awake for a very long time, I started to think maybe I SHOULD have brought one out.

I never do sleep very soundly when we sleep in the back yard. I don't tell Little Boy, but now I don't worry about animals attacking us through the walls of the tent. I lay there and worry about someone peeking through the windows of the playhouse. Pretty silly.

Kindergarten Countdown

So my Little Boy starts kindergarten in 17 days. Since he's being homeschooled, I was able to pick our own date. Daddy will start back to school on the same day. I'm not quite as thrilled with that, but I know he is working for a better education and job opportunity. And his dedication is quite admirable.

I've decided to use My Father's World (MFW) for our curriculum. There are a couple different reasons. First, my son has been able to "say" his alphabet since he was 18 months old, but can only recognize a handful of letters by sight. He also has not grasped the concept that the letters make specific sounds. And I think he is a very tactile learner.

I also want the curriculum to completely revolve around the Bible. It seems there are not as many curriculum choices that do that. Even ABeka, which I taught from in a combined classroom for 4 years, doesn't tie in Biblical concepts as much as I would like. I also wanted a more gentle curriculum for Little Boy. I don't think most boys do as well if they feel pressure in the lower grades. I want school for my children to be about the adventure of learning and the excitement of mastering a new concept. I'm sure there will be many days when he'd rather watch Tom and Jerry or run trains, but I'm hoping he'll be interested enough to keep his attention for the 60-90 minutes we'll need.

I also picked MFW because it will allow opportunities to include Baby. And that will be even more applicable as she gets a little older and I can combine classes.

I'm sure part of my desire to homeschool is my reluctance to let my child go off into the world already. I remember seeing the kindergarten children in the schools where I have taught and feeling a pang. They still looked like babies, who needed to be home in the loving company of their mommies, taking afternoon naps.

Public school really isn't an option for us. The schools in our area keep consolidating and there are more kids, fewer teachers and longer drives. The Christian school is a 40 minute drive away (and that was if I drove fast!) I don't want my son's school day to be that long! That is just ridiculous. We will accomplish as much or more and he'll actually have a life, still!

Then there's the issue of behavior. My son comes home with enough exposure to naughtiness from Sunday School and his little group of about 5 kids. He has repeated, said and done things he learned there that make my blood pressure top off. So just imagine what he would come home with after a whole day with 25 kids! YIKES!

And lastly, and probably the most convincing, legitimate reason is that no one else knows my kids, loves my kids or desires more for and from my kids than I do. I believe I suffered through 4 years of Bible college for a teaching degree, and and then did 7 years of classroom "time" for a reason. I don't believe anyone is more qualified to meet the spiritual, emotional, educational needs of my children than I am.

I know I'm not the world's best teacher. I know there are many smarter, more creative, enthusiastic people out there. But I also know that they are my kids and I want to be there to see their little eyes light up when they finally understand a new concept. And I want to be sure they know that everything in this beautiful, crazy, delightful, precise world was given to them as a gift from our Father.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our anniversary. It's been 8 years already! It really doesn't seem that long, until you start thinking of all the things that have happened in the last 8 years.

I received 6 red roses from my husband - they are very pretty. And we had a nice dinner tonight - country style ribs, grilled potatoes and salad. And itty, bitty ice cream cones for dessert. Last time I was shopping, I looked at ice cream cones and thought they looked good. So I picked up a box. Well, I didn't really read the label, b/c they are tiny! I opened the box and pulled them out and I laughed! They are kids' cones. I laughed the whole time I was fixing cones for the kids. They just cracked me up. I think you have to use a melon baller to scoop the ice cream! On the positive side, our container of ice cream is going to last FOREVER! LOL

Baby fell down some of the concrete steps in front of our house this evening. I was outside about to start the grill and I looked at her and Little Boy to check on them. As soon as I turned my back, she tumbled. She was ok, but I was pretty upset.

At dinner tonight, Baby started crying that she wasn't at our wedding. I told her maybe one of these years we would renew our vows and she could be there. I got a strange look from my DH. Apparently, that's not really on his list of important events in our life. Sigh. Oh well. I got him the first time, didn't I?

Funny faces

Italian Ice!

That funny face, again!

Little Boy's invention - too bad the umbrella broke.

TV Gluttons

I don't know why, but my kids LOVE Maggie and the Ferocious Beast. It's really the only show that mesmerizes them like this:

Baby's Hand

Just thought I'd share how well her hand has healed!

Indiana Trip 2008

Little Mermaid Undies

So, we've started potty training with Baby finally. She turns 3 in a couple weeks and I thought we'd give it a shot. So yesterday, I picked out 3 packages of cute cartoon character undies. She's had them on for about an hour and a half and we're already on pair #2. And I had to clean up the drippy trail through the hallway. And the puddle half on the rug - half on the hardwood floor. And the little girl.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem too upset by the whole thing. I told her if she gets a second pair wet, we're back to didies - at least for today.

Grandpa Lowell, I need you!

Those were Baby's words to Grandpa Lowell while we were on vacation. I was sitting near the window, and I knew what she had done, so I was already laughing.

"Grandpa Lowell, I neeeeeed you! I pooped outside!"

We were all laughing, except for Grandpa Lowell!

*Just a note - she usually doesn't poop anywhere but in her crib in private.

Too much excitement

Well, when we were in Indiana, Baby decided to check if the iron was on. And she has 2nd degree burns on her palm and fingers. We took her to see the doctor to be sure we were doing things correctly. She is doing very well, and we were told to remove the dead skin when the blister finally broke. "Just use a tweezers or your fingers and just peel it off; it's already dead." Yeah. Right.

I had to pin her hand down and keep her head facing away by using my head. That meant my head was close to Baby's hand. It also meant that before DH was done, I was in the bedroom lying down to avoid passing out. He had to use small nail scissors to cut away the thick, dead skin. Her poor little hand was beef red underneath - that is what the doctor told us it would look like, and she was right!

Now we just have to keep putting prescription cream on it for a couple days and then follow that up with some over the counter stuff followed up by vitamin E to avoid scarring.

I think we've had enough excitement for a while!

The Mystery of Fire Island

I just realized I posted before VBS and after and there's no info about the in-between.





So. The hundreds of hours of prep were well worth the time. 6 children made a profession of faith. Here is our VBS in review:

All our stories integrated fire.


Monday - Our character trait was courage. The Bible story was the Three Hebrew Children, and the application part of the lesson for the younger children was about Lions, and the older children learned about George Washington.

Tuesday - Our character trait was teamwork. The Bible story was about Gideon. The application part of the lesson for the younger children was about Honey Bees, and the older children learned about Thomas Jefferson.

Wednesday - Our character trait was Discovery. The Bible story was Moses and the Burning Bush. The application part of the lesson for the younger children was about Monkeys, and for the older children was George Washington Carver.

Thursday - Our character trait was Following. The Bible story was Moses and the Pillar of Fire. The app. part for the younger kids was about elephants, and for the older kids was about Fanny Crosby.

Friday - Our character trait was Deliverance. The Bible story was Elijah and the Chariot of Fire. The app. part for the younger kids was about dolphins, and for the older kids was about Rick Husband.

The Mystery of Fire Island - This is the basic idea of the skits used in the opening assembly time. Our youth pastor wanted a take on Gilligan's Island. So he took these basic ideas and ran with them. He was the first mate - Come-Again (Gilligan).

Day one – Courage

Boat passengers straggle in “wet,” gasping, afraid, confused, concerned.

Captain gets them all organized and calmed down. Then there is a flash of fire in the distance and they are all scared.

They finally get calmed down again and Captain talks to them about courage. He talks about what they need to do to camp out for the night and they go off together. Come-Again is panicking.

Teenager - Mary Belle - rolls her eyes and drags her feet.

As they go out the door, there is another flash and a man peeks out and follows them.

Day two – Teamwork

The passengers get organized. They discuss where to sleep, find water and food, gather stuff from the boat washed up on the shore. Come-Again finds a box of food – pulls out rubber chicken, lobsters, etc.

Captain directs the group to do certain chores. Mary Belle pouts b/c she doesn’t like her assignment. While they go off to find firewood, branches to make shelter and find food and water, there is another flash of fire. The mystery man brings some food and water and rope. He leaves the stuff at the campsite and leaves. There’s another flash.

Day three – Discover

Group comes back and finds the supplies. In the bag of food, Captain finds a map. Come-Again wants to hold the map and be the leader. Everyone starts grabbing for the map. Captain finally gets order and gives directions and they all follow. MB has a bad attitude. Flash. Man follows them out.

Day four – Follow

Group continues to follow Captain and has to keep getting MB back on the path – she keeps following butterflies and birds, etc. They come around the corner and find the man and the fire. He’s been waiting for them. They are asking about the fire, when there is a flash. They run away. Man shakes his head and goes after them.

Day five – Delivered

Man brings the group back to the fire and explains that the fire is going to supply the way for them to be delivered. He pulls a patch for their boat out of the fire. Explains that the fire made the metal stronger. Shares plan of Salvation. MB gets saved. The Captain wants to bring the man along, but he stays to keep the fire for anyone else who needs the salvation message.

I think I survived

I’m sitting here trying to block out the pounding pain in my feet, ankles, hips, back… VBS week is over. I have one tiny, I mean – major – project left. I’m going to go through the hundreds of pictures my husband took this week and put together a slide show for Sunday night. Between now and then I need to sleep. And clean up a huge mess at church. And sleep. And write up evaluation forms. And sleep!

The carnival tonight about did me in. I had about 14 games set up and like, 3 people who were helping. The teachers had to go around with the kids and help the kids play the games. I guess that was ok. But my son came home with no prizes and no candy. That isn’t actually feasible, since each kid was given a piece of candy for playing the games and a small prize for partially winning and a large prize for completing the task. I had put together some prize bags for the youngest kids to ensure that didn’t happen to anyone, so I’ll have to get one for him.

The worst part of the whole thing? Bringing home all the things I loaned to the church. I have no idea where to put it all.

I’m off to bed.

Count Down

I am counting down the hours until VBS ends. LOL. Actually, when I think of the few hours I have until Monday 6 PM, I panic.

Fourth of July Flare-up

DH ended up only having to work one shift for the 4th. We were actually a bit disappointed, but these things happen.

I decided to be "brave" (stupid) and took the kids to the lake to see G & G. That's not the stupid part. I decided to take them up in the morning and let them nap there. HA HA HA HA

Little Boy crawled into G&G's bed and was off to sleep quite quickly. Baby on the other hand... She was in and out of the toddler bed, and got swatted repeatedly. Then I put her in the "big" bed with me and she hit, kicked, slapped, scratched, pinched...it was like trying to sleep with a squirrel. Only I've never heard a squirrel yell, "LEEEEEET MEEEEEE GOOOOOO!" I finally told her that if she didn't settle down and nap, I was taking her home. She sat up and said, "I wanna go home." So, little sassy pants got her wish.

Grandma kept saying she wished we wouldn't go. I kept explaining that empty threats are worse than useless. Little Boy got to spend the night at the lake; Baby went home. It's about a 40 minute drive and she stayed awake until we turned onto our street. Of course. She was still a pill about napping, but eventually she slept for about 40 minutes. She was not nice all night, but when it was time for bed, she very obediently got her jammies on and she climbed into her crib, gave me kisses and said good-night.

Little Boy got to see fireworks off the front porch. I watched a couple minutes from Boston on TV. Hopefully Baby had sweet dreams.

Bab-y-bonics

Have to share what Baby said tonight. Little Boy and I were both laughing!


Yesterday, she got an owie on her foot when Daddy accidentally closed the front door on her. She was being silly and pointed to it and said, "I have a boo-boo there." Only in her baby language and silliness, she said, "I have a boo-bah dare from the ding-dong-door." And from there she went into pretending to be a puppy.


Thankfully, when she starts into that, she is much easier to corral into her crib if I just keep playing along.


So, now it's 9:10 and DH is at work til 11 so I have the house to myself! It's nice and quiet. I should get some stuff done, but I'll probably do some stupid surfing and watch a little TV.

Our latest rainbow

This is looking up our road - if you look closely, you can see the second rainbow above the bright one. Baby is the one who spotted it first. It was just beautiful!

Earlier this summer, our neighbor across the street passed away. Baby still asks where "Melie" is. Her passing made us all very sad; she would have loved to see this.

Playhouse Update

DH started building this on Friday, June 20th. This is how the supplies arrived. When I saw the truck, I kept thinking, "Wow! DH sure ordered a LOT of stuff!" (Ours was not the only delivery he was making - duh.) Here are a couple pics.

I have to pick a paint color and he needs to put in the floor in the loft, the front door and do the trimwork. I'm so proud of him. He has done a great job.

We kept money aside last Christmas and we're taking money out of this coming Christmas to cover the cost. We really wanted a playhouse the kids could play in for years to come. The kids LOVE it.

Little Boy had to get in on the hilarity, too

For some reason, this is funny.

Dinner and a Show

Tonight Baby was in rare form.

"Cooooooome Baaaaaaaack!"

That's what we've been listening to for the last several minutes. Little Boy is sitting in the naughty chair for completely ignoring Daddy and Mommy when we asked him to quit stomping. So a five minute sentence has turned into about 20 minutes of drama. He finally quit fussing and is doing his time.

Baby is sitting in her chair at the table asking for another helping of scrambled eggs. It's one of the few things she really likes to eat. She woke up so sweet this morning. Good thing Daddy's home. I'm of the opinion that a big bowl of Cheerios is quite adequate for breakfast. Daddy likes to make homemade waffles, bacon and eggs for himself and the kids.

I went to church last night to decorate for VBS. The pastor's wife came. She called her daughter and the daughter called her husband. He ended up doing most of the work. I think it looks ok, but I'm glad I have two more packs of green paper to cut some more leaves. It looks a little sparse as it is.

It looks like a gloomy day here. It's cloudy and cool. Good day to go to the grocery store, I think.

The Past Four Days

So Saturday we had Little Boy's birthday party. He is getting so big. I keep telling him he needs to start shrinking so I can hold him and rock him again. He still likes to be held and snuggle, so I'm enjoying it while I can.

He wanted an army birthday party. So we did everything camo and put little army guys on all the cupcakes and DH scattered little army guys and vehicles around the dining room table. I'll have to post some pictures when I can locate the cable for the camera. But that would require getting up, so I'll wait on that. (I'm so tired and lazy) You will notice I added pictures.

So backing up a bit.

Thursday I ran to the printer with my stuff and had to bring it home and make some revisions. That evening was a meeting for VBS - everyone did their homework except Pastor. :0{ I don't know if that's typical of all pastors, but our pastor needs "encouragement" in this area. And I felt out of sorts since I peeled out of our driveway and honked the horn (somewhat angrily) at my husband. He was standing in the driveway talking to his dad and his dad's friend. I couldn't think of a way I could have told him more clearly that I needed to leave than "Supper is on the table and I need to leave for my meeting." I know he was trying to make his way into the house, but I HAD to leave and I only had 7 minutes to drive 15 minutes to church for a meeting I was supposed to help run. AND I was not happy about leaving my 5 and 2 3/4 year old kids in the house alone watching Tom and Jerry. I vented on the way in the direction of the rear-view mirror, and by the time I got there I was feeling much better. A little reminder from the Lord helped too. A song on one of the CDs in my changer - "Whatever I say, whatever I do, may it all be pleasing to You."

Friday I had to make a second trip to the printer's place, run some errands, and swing back to the printer. He was so kind to put a rush order on my stuff so I wouldn't have to make yet another trip. Everything looks really good.

Friday evening, after giving the kids showers and getting them into bed, I started cleaning. And I baked cupcakes. And I did 3 loads of laundry. And I found our dining room table. Who knew it was so big!? I had to box up my sewing mess and figure out what to do with the junk that just multiplies and accumulates around here. All so DHs family would have somewhere to set the huge pile of gifts they brought and so we could all sit down for dinner together. Somewhere around 2 am I started thinking we should have the party next door at his parents' empty house. But I'm stubborn and determined. And not always so bright. Saturday I got up, sent DH to get balloons filled at Walmart, set the table, decorated the dining room, made frosting for the cupcakes with the tiny bit of vanilla I could get out of the little bottle. Then I made a fruit salad (it was sooo good), cut up a cantaloupe, and changed my clothes. DH came back from his grueling trip (Sarcasm!) and found a reason to go hide.

So my kitchen still looked like a bomb went off, but I decided not to worry about it. I cannot kill myself to impress others. My arthritis has been acting up and it is very difficult to stand for long. Even just sitting, my feet are throbbing. I hate to give in and take the meds, but feeling this way isn't good.

The party was very nice. Dinner was a bit late, but I couldn't start stuff until I was sure people were close to being here. Little Boy picked out the menu - I was so proud of him. He chose baked chicken, broccoli, green beans, and parmesan pasta. I added the fruit stuff and made my "famous" cheater lemonade (or as Baby calls it "emmowade"). I slice a lemon, lime and orange and drop it into a pitcher of Crystal Light. (If you try this, do not use the lime without an orange - it gets bitter.) I KNOW. Little Boy was in a strange mood for his party. He was quiet and unenthusiastic about the mountain of presents. He cheered up when he saw the cupcakes, but was so down he didn't really want to go outside.

Yesterday was Sunday. That's about the best thing I can say about the day. So that's all I'll say.

DH is outside working on the playhouse. I am so proud of him. He has done such a great job of tolerating his father's "help" and temper. He has the roof 99% done and has 75% of the siding done; all in a week interrupted many times by rain and kids and birthday parties. I am so looking forward to moving toys out there and reclaiming some of our living room floor again.

So I'm glad to be starting a new week. Tonight we're starting to decorate for VBS. Should be fun. I'm at the point where things are a lot more fun. Writing curriculum was a good challenge, but toward the end I was definitely struggling to finish it up.

Baby is crying for me. Bye.

Where'd my baby go?

Little Boy turned 5 today. It just does not seem right. It was just a short time ago I was strapped to the table and the doctor pulled him out and he peed everywhere. I cried when she said we had a boy. The nurse sitting by me asked if I was ok and asked what we were naming him. I just remember being so happy that I had survived. I went to recovery and slept for a really long time. I think they were starting to worry a bit, b/c there were 3 nurses trying to wake me up and one of them was using smelling salts. Once I was awake, I was impatient. I wanted to go to my room and see my baby. So many sweet memories that were overridden today by SCREAMING AND FIGHTING. My kids need to get a summer job, or something. They are driving me nuts. And if you could see my house right now.... And we're having a party here tomorrow and I need to bake cupcakes, and . . .

BYE.

Oh, and one more Baby-ism

I was changing a horrid didie in the midst of her being sick. She asked, "Where did that icky stuff come from? My BUNS?!"

I couldn't help laughing, so it's ok if you laugh, too.

This is my daughter at supper the other day. She wore Daddy's shades all through dinner.

Baby's take

Baby has said some pretty funny things lately. The other day Little Boy was getting a shower - with Daddy helping - and Baby walked in. She started laughing out loud. I asked her what was so funny. She was still laughing when she told me about Little Boy's "squirter". I guess boys' anatomy IS funny.

We were at the lake and a hummingbird flew up to one of MIL's feeders. Baby asked her grandma what the "picker" was doing.

We were in the yard and I pointed out a mockingbird that was on the very top of the telephone pole. She put her little hand up like a visor and asked, "Where is the honkingbird?"

During the 2 1/2 weeks she was dealing with her bowel problems, we were at the store. I was wandering the aisles with her looking for something she would/could eat. At some point, very loudly, she asked me, "What's wrong with my butt!" She was also pretending to hit people as we walked past. Many men seemed to think that was funny. ? And while we were walking, suddenly she screamed and then laughed. She kept doing this - I guess she likes to hear her echo in the big store.

Right now she is begging me, "I wanna sit on your "wap", Mommy." Guess I better go.

A watched pot never boils...

and a watched child never poops! Well, it took her a long time. Finally, though, she did and I made the mad dash to the hospital lab - I made it to the lab with 12 minutes to spare! I was driving like a crazy person, screaming at people to get out of the way because I had poop in the car! Probably a good thing they couldn't hear me. And I was worried that I'd get pulled over and wouldn't get there in time! Can you imagine me telling the officer, "Sorry, sir, but I am on a poop run!" Let's hope they can figure out why she's sick.

Poop Run

Oh, the joys of being a mommy! I took Baby to the doctor again today. She's been sick for about 3 weeks now. It started as a cold with lots of drainage. Then 2 weeks ago she barfed all morning. Followed by icky didies. And more and more and more. So last week I took her in, and the dr. said that these things usually take care of themselves within the first 2 weeks, but that if she was feeling sick still in 7 days, to bring her back.

So, today we went back. And saw a different doctor. In the course of the exam, I told him she probably picked it up at church. He said preachers don't like him, b/c he says church is the worst about contagious stuff. He said kids get exposed on Sundays and are in to see a doctor on Wednesday. But that since fewer people are going to church, that phenomenon was dwindling. I told him that DH has said we should keep them home.

So, he wants stool cultures. We have one hour from the time she poops until the time I get it to the lab. We live about 45 minutes away from the hospital. You do the math. Scoop the poop, write the time on the containers and papers, and RUN to the car and DRIVE like crazy! DH is working last shift, so if she poops while he's sleeping, add another step - WAKE up, Dear! I'm leaving on a Poop Run!

I had to say it

Didn't I? My last post was about it supposing to be summer. Yesterday and today were well into the 90s. Blah. Not my kind of weather.

Isn't it supposed to be summer?

Or at least late spring? Here in our home, it's more like winter flu season. Baby barfed all morning. A couple times in the kitchen, a couple times in the bathroom, a couple times in the living room (on towels and sheets thankfully!) and a couple times outside on the porch. And she kept begging for something to drink. That was the hardest part, I think.

Just before the kids woke up, I was sitting in the LR and waves of nausea started hitting me. I turned on our (new) ceiling fan and tried to concentrate on not barfing. Of course, Little Boy woke up and wanted to race Mario Wii. Every time he ran into something, the sound about killed me. I kept turning the volume down when he wasn't watching. I was just dreading Baby waking up. She napped well and woke up starving. I tried to pace her.

She did well, and at some point, I felt much better. After she ate, we spent some time on the porch - if she was going to barf red jello, I wanted it to be outside!

They are both in bed and I have some quiet time to myself before DH gets home. He's on 2nd shift; I'm looking forward to sleeping in??? He is just coming off his long weekend - 4 days with him home. I never thought that I would be glad to see him go back. Last week he worked so much overtime, his check was more than doubled. Really good, because Monday I spent alot of $$$ at Sam's on Monday.

Monday, I took Baby to the eye doctor. We've started patching, and it seems to be going well. We alternate eyes for four weeks 2-4 hours a day, and off for 2 weeks. Then we go back to the specialist. She explained that patching is so effective that she expects to see results. If there is no change, she said we would talk about surgery. I have to keep myself from worrying. I just have to make sure I'm consistent.