Cool things I found for Christmas

I did quite a few personalized gifts this year for Christmas. Thanks to Karenee I discovered Blurb.com. It is a POD(print on demand) publisher. Several years ago my father-in-law gave me a copy of his brother's testimony, which he gave about a year before he passsed away. He wanted me to clean it up a bit, so I have been working on it slowly over the years and my dream was to have it put into a book form, but I didn't even know where to begin. So one day last month I found the link to Blurb on one of Karen's blogs, and knew I had found what I was looking for. The nice thing is you can order just one copy. So I also made a book for splitcat of some of his photography and his old poetry. I never surprise him at Christmas, but I did this year. Both books turned out beautifully. You can choose between softcover and hardcover and you can put your book up for sale at the Blurb bookstore. If I had been thinking straight, I also would have done books for my mom and mil of photos of the kids from the past year, but I missed the deadline and instead ordered photobooks from CVS photo online. They also turned out well.

Another good thing I discovered is a musician named JJ Heller. I saw her in the Family bookstore catalog where it said something like if you like Over the Rhine...so I found some audio clips online and thought splitcat might enjoy it, so after some digging, the nice folks at FBS found the one copy they had for me. I don't know about splitcat, but I really like it.

Oh, and my sister-in-law got my name for our Christmas exchange. She got me this (look for the one called Pirates of the Caribbean 3). When I pulled it out, I started laughing. I just told everyone it was a skin for my phone, so splitcat, who can't see it, says, so who is it? Johnny Depp? She got me the grey one so splitcat wouldn't be too embarrassed to use my phone. It blends right in with my phone so it isn't too noticeable at first glance(I also have a small phone). I also got a USB cord and a mini-sd card(from splitcat) for my phone so I can finally load music on it. I have a Sony-Ericcson Walkman phone, I can listen to fm radio or load music on to it and use it as an mp3 player. My sil gave it to me when she got a new phone.

Overall, a good Christmas was had by all.

Now I am working on getting back into real life mode. I took the tree down the day after Christmas. I usually leave it till after New Years, but I was tired of trying to keep the twins away from it. Yesterday I finally got my room totally cleaned up. I am now going to implement my no folding laundry in my bedroom plan(unless it is the laundry that belongs in there). I end up with stacks of folded laundry all over the place because while I do derive a certain pleasure from folding laundry(especially towels) I absolutely loathe putting it all away. So my new rule is to try and do at least one load per day and it all has to be put away before another load comes out of the dryer. So as soon as my mom brings splitcats camera back(we left it there on Christmas) and I fix a couple of spots, I'll finally put up the pictures of my redone room.

A totally random post on Christmas Eve Morning

I've been up since 5:30, so you're getting a random post. As many of you know, I have very fine, limp hair. It's one redeeming quality is that it is thick. I have spent much of my life looking for that perfect hair product(aside from a perm, of which I have had many) that would allow my hair to hold a curl. So here lately I have been experimenting. I have done a modified pin-curl, which requires sleeping with a head full of bobby pins/clips. It worked pretty well. So I looked up home made setting lotions on the internet, wondering what people used a long time ago. I had heard of using sugar water, but with our ant problem, I didn't think that was a good idea. And I came across a site that suggested boiling some flaxseeds in water, then straining the liquid out and saving it and using it as a gel/setting lotion. I happened to have an unopened bag of flaxseeds, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. At first it wasn't very exciting, but then I noticed the water getting a frothy look that was different from a normal boil/simmer. So I scooped out some of the liquid, and sure enough, it was sticky. When it was done, it was almost gelatinous. Someone had likened it to mucilage glue, and yeah, I've seen similarly textured stuff running out of my kids nose. It was odorless and clear. It took some work to strain it through a mesh colander to separate the seeds out. I put half that was somewhat diluted into an old shampoo bottle I found. I diluted the other half by quite a bit and put it in a spray bottle. So after I showered I put some in my hair and began doing my pin curls. As my hair dried, I would use the spray bottle to wet it down. Well, When I unwrapped my hair and finger combed my curls out, I practically had an afro. I don't know that I've ever had such good curls. But I kinda looked like I stepped out of the 80's. So I used hot rollers to tame it a little. I went to a party that night and my hair was still curly. Everyone seemed to like it. I have never had curls last that long without a perm.
So yesterday, as I was getting ready to go to the Nutcracker at the Atlanta Ballet, I thought I'd put my homemade concotion to the ultimate test. It was raining, and I had freshly washed and conditioned hair. Usually if the humidity is over 10% I can forget curls. They are gone by the time I get from my front door to my car. So I put in the gel and blew my hair dry and put in hot rollers. I still have some curl left this morning. Even after a pony-tail, walking through the wind-tunnel that was yesterday in Atlanta, and high humidity. My mom said when she was little her mother would use beer in my mom's hair as a setting lotion. I just can't do it though. I have such a strong aversion to beer I think I would be embarrassed to buy any. So I'll stick to my flaxseed gel. I also like that it doesn't leave my hands at all sticky, but kind of soaks in and makes my fingers really soft. It also seems to leave my hair soft and shiny. Just don't eat it. Flaxseeds do not hold up in an edible form under high heat.

Another good hair trick I have learned recently is oiling your hair. I know, it seems a little counter-intuitive. But in my setting gel search I came across a forum for people with super long hair-or who are trying to grow their hair long, and they had all sorts of good advice. So I've been using a very mild shampoo and conditioner then using coconut oil(from the organic cooking section of the grocery store--there is also a type in the African American hair care section) on my length(but not near my scalp). I'm rather stunned at the difference in my hair in the 2 weeks I've been trying this. Even splitcat noticed and told me that my hair looked really shiny. It's also gotten really soft. I've also decided to stop coloring my hair. It's going to be a pain to get rid of the color I have, I'll be a little two-toned for a while. But I think that I will probably be almost completely grey by the time I am forty and I am tired of the bother and expense of hair coloring. And I decided that I should just accept that I will go grey at a young age, my mother did also. So I want to enjoy what's left of my natural mousy brown while I still have it.

Also, I had a very good time at the Nutcracker. It is always fun to go to the Fox Theatre. It is a beautiful building, but a little creepy, too. Since it was once used as a Shriner Mosque, there are lots and lots of masonic images all over--the carpet, the carvings, the furniture. For my out of state readers, it is built to have kind an Islamic and Egyptian feel. The coolest thing though, is the theatre ceiling is painted to look like a night sky, and the clouds move across the sky. All the girls from splitcats family and my family attended. So thanks Grandma--we had a great time.

And since I probably won't post for a few days--Merry Christmas.

If I May...

Brag for a moment.

P. has been accepted into the target program at school!!. He and the other first graders who passed all the tests will go to a separate classroom once a week to do more advanced work. They only test in first, third, and fifth grades, so I am glad he was able to get in now. He needs to be pushed academically so he doesn't start taking his intelligence for granted(like I did as a child). His teacher was very proud.

Well, they both had sinus infections, so hopefully we will ward off the ear infections with our antibiotics. My mom called as I was walking out the door because she was able to meet me at the dr. office to help out. Thanks mom. Miraculously, the office was practically empty so we didn't have to wait.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Back to the Dr. we go

Well, the twins are sick again with a cold. I given them a few days to get better, but they have only gotten worse, so I am going to try to get them to the dr. today. I also have to attend the girl's Christmas program at school. It was really cute last year, so it should be fun. My mom is going to take her lunch break early to come and watch and help me with the twins.

I am still trying to finish up my Christmas shopping. I went out Monday when the older kids were at their Grandmas, but the babies were in no mood for shopping, so I didn't get much done. I'm trying to be excited. Baby M. ended up having diarrhea for 2 weeks. I felt really bad for him. So I've been more concentrated on getting my family well than thinking about Christmas. I did take the time to redo my Christmas tree. I had rearranged and messed it up, plus I didn't put enough lights on it, so it looks much much better now. Last night splitcat asked me why I had been angry the past couple of weeks. I was completely surprised. I had been thinking how nice it was that I hadn't been angry for a couple of weeks. But I think I have been very quiet, which could easily be seen as anger. I have been thinking about Christmas presents and other stuff.

I have been able to get out a couple of times. My boss from my last job had a reunion dinner last week, even though I wasn't there at the end when the program was shut down, she still wanted me to come. So I was able to spend some time with my sister(without 8-10 children running amuck) and some old friends. I was somewhat startled to realize how much I have changed in the past 2 years. It was also very weird to be without the twins. It was the first time I had really been alone since October(except for a few late night trips to walmart). Then on Sunday we went to the 4Boydad's house for our semi-annual get together. I left the twins with my mom, I wanted to be able to talk to people without having to chase down a baby. A good time was had by all. A friend I hadn't seen in about 5 years also came, so it was nice to catch up with everyone. I still felt weird without the twins. It's like I don't know what to do with myself when they are not around. My life would be very very different without them around, but I am so glad they joined our family. I do enjoy them.

Speaking of the twins, splicat wanted me to post about all the things people say to me at the mall. Since they look totally different now, and M weighs a good five lbs more than W, I am no longer asked "Are they twins?" I am asked (usually in a little bit disapproving voice by older women) "How far apart are they?" I love to reply in a totally deapan and serious voice, "4 minutes." I've had some women be very visibly taken aback. I can hear them thinking things like, "doesn' t she know how that happens" and they have to rethink their thoughts when they find out they are twins. Some people do ask very tentatively if they are twins or just close together. It's pretty amusing sometimes. But I get stopped at least 3-5 times at the mall. At joann's the other day a lady said, "oh, that was me a few years ago."(as I negotiated the double stroller through the aisles). "You have twins?" I asked. She stared at me for a couple of seconds, "oh, they're twins?" was her reply(we chatted for a few minutes, she was really very nice). So life is never dull. If I need to talk to someone, I jsut have to go to the mall or Kroger on Wednesday(it's senior citizen day, and the grandmas can't resist talking to the babies) .

Well, it's time to get the girl dressed for school, so please pray for the twins if you have a moment to spare.

Taking a trip

Down Memory Lane.

I just went shopping for Christmas stuff. I Had a 20% coupon for Family Bookstore, and wanted to get P a new Bible, and I found.......THE MUSIC MACHINE!!!!!!! ON CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They also had Bullfrogs and Butterflies. I got both for the Girl. She loves to sing and dance so I got her a cd player/karoake player that's portable. My sister and I sang songs from the Music Machine for years. I still sing some of them. So I opened her cd and am listening to it. I was kinda shocked at how much I remembered.

Now I just need to get Sir Oliver's Song. It was my most favorite ever. If anyone is looking for a Christmas present to give me, this would be nice, if you can find it.

I also loved the Psalty series. What great songs. This has been a pleasant trip. Thanks for sharing it with me.

FYI

The International House of Prayer is broadcasting for free this week as part of their Global Bridegroom Fast. Here is the Link if you are interested in checking it out. If you have DirecTV you can also watch the daily devotional from IHOP on GODtv(or at god.tv) or if you are up in the middle of the night they also broadcast live in the wee hours of the morning on GODtv. It saved my sanity many a time I was up in the middle of the night with the twins. Normally you have to subscribe to get the webcast of the prayer room, so I am taking full advantage of the free week. My favorite worship band--Merchant Band--leads one of the early morning sets, so I am watching/listening to them as I write. It's a lovely way to start the day, with praise and prayer.

Sorry I haven't been posting. Baby M came down with a stomach bug last week, and W. and I succumbed to it in the past few days. I spent as much of yesterday in bed as I possibly could. I feel much better today. W and I seemed to have gotten it to a lesser degree than M.

In other news: My FIL is now resting comfortably at home.

I finally was able to get a little Christmas shopping done. I still have lots to do, though. We did get our tree up and we've been doing our advent readings. P and E. have the Lego advent Calendars. One for boys, one for girls. Splitcat got a reusable advent calendar for me, it is wooden and has doors to open. I get chocolate. So far I've gotten kisses, peanut butter cups, and peppermint patties. I think P. has a better understanding of the religious aspect of Christmas this year. My MIL called today and she is taking all the girls to see the Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker this year. She was hoping to get the group rate and needed at least three more people, so my mom, sister, and 2 nieces are going, too. I have never been and am looking forward to it. I love an excuse to dress up.

I've been doing a lot of studying of biblical womanhood this week. It is interesting, the wide range of beliefs out there. But now I finally understand why some denominations have such strict dress codes. I haven't drawn any particular conclusions at this point, but it has been interesting. I've read some helpful things and some disturbing things. I may eventually post more about it on my other blog.

Update: My FIL is doing well. They moved him into a regular room this morning, and my bil said he was walking around and in good spirits. Apparently he had some sort of robotic surgery. It was a miracle that his surgery was able to be performed by one of the few Doctors around who can do this surgery. So, Praise the Lord! Thanks for all your prayers.

My FIL is having his valve repair surgery this morning at 9:30. So any prayers are greatly appreciated. Fortunately, they are not going to have to do open heart surgery, but are going in through his veins/arteries. Hopefully this means a much quicker recovery time. Thanks for all your prayers this week.

I just wanted to ask for everyone to keep praying for my FIL. The surgery went well, but afterwards they found one of the valves in his heart isn't working properly, so he will have to undergo more surgery. He's doing well, but he has to stay in the hospital a while longer.

Prayer Request

My father-in-law is having gall-bladder surgery as I write, so if you feel so led, please lift him and my mil in prayer. He's been in the hospital since Monday night, but has been waiting for test results, etc. Splitcat has gone to the hospital to sit with his mom. Thanks!


I forgot to add to my last post that W weighs a little over 22 lbs, and M weighs 28.7 lbs. They are feeling better now since the antibiotics have kicked in.

We have our first official illnesses of the season. W. has a sinus infection and M has an ear infection. I am praying that this is the first and the last of the season.

The boy and the Girl are both well.

I put the babies in their pen for a few minutes before we left for the store this morning. Baby M fussed for a minute then it got really quiet. When I got up to look he was sound asleep. This is unusual for my children. They usually will only fall asleep in their bed or carseat.

I'm not sure what to post, but I am on a serious caffeine high, so I figured I could think of something. I haven't felt this hyper in some time.

Today was my last day of bible study. I really enjoyed the ladies at my table. We had a good time.

I really can't think of anything else to write about. My mind is whirling too fast.

The kids are good. Baby M. is having some reflux again, so any prayer is appreciated.

I feel so violated

My mother called me Monday morning. She said she had to tell me something, and she hoped I wouldn't be so mad I never talked to her again. She said I would probably be mad and then laugh. I said, okay, what did you do.

Well, she says. I was getting ready for bible study yesterday, and I felt like it was time to walk through some change again. As soon as she said that, I knew exactly what she had done.

Did you open Snoopy? I accused.

Yes, I did.

She was right, I was a little mad(I told her I felt violated), but it was really pretty funny. You see, Snoopy was an integral part of my childhood. Snoopy is a 2 ft high plastic bank. I don't know where it came from, it just always was. We dressed snoopy up, I am sure I often anointed him with my tinkerbell perfume, we hauled him around. And we put our spare change in him. We would peek down the slot to see how much money we had saved and try to guess how much was in it. We would plot and plan how we would spend the money when our mom finally cut open the little hole on the bottom and let the change out. I asked her how many hair clips were in it. She said she was surprised that there were only 2, so was I.

But here's the cool part. Walking though change requires, well, change. So she took the change from Snoopy, which was mostly pennies, and made a pile. Then she made another pile with mostly quarters and dimes that she had been saving from her spending money. Then people would choose which pile to start in. So what ended up happening is that the pile from Snoopy ended up representing all our childhood dreams and provision(which it was in fact my sister and I's childhood dreams to spend that change), and the other pile represented the changes and provisions of adulthood. So in walking from the Snoopy pile to the other pile, some were declaring the change from childhood to adulthood, or from believing for a little to believing for a lot. Yet some were compelled to go the other way, recapturing lost childhood dreams. She said she was stunned at how deeply the women in her group were impacted by this simple prophetic act. Then they all remembered the time they had to throw their shoes and begged to do that next week. Bible study with my mom is never dull.

So I had to forgive her for opening Snoopy. She never had a good reason for not opening him before. Even though we pleaded and begged. But Snoopy was opened at just the right time. Thankfully the damage is not irreparable. Because our children play with Snoopy the exact same way we did as children. And I would hate to deprive them of such a valuable childhood experience as dressing up a plastic Snoopy.

Fall Fun

Well, my children managed to have fun despite the fact that I refuse to let them trick or treat. Personally, I would prefer to pretend that Halloween is just another night. But if I stay home I have to deal with doorbell ringers, so we take our kids to a local "do" at a church. It'a free, so that's a plus. The kids came home with plenty of candy. I was going to stay home with all the lights off and the twins, but when I saw those costumes at the Disney Store, and they were a little less then $10 each I simply couldn't resist. So we all went. The twins had a good time looking at everyone, plus there are carnival rides, so they enjoyed watching those. Pooh was good at keeping his costume hat on, Tigger left his on for about half the time, which was longer than I expected. But Pooh kept trying to pull Tiggers head off(he sits behind him in the stroller) and was strangling his brother, so I thought it best to remove the temptation. I think Baby M liked being his own stuffed animal. The girl wore her Aurora Dress from last year, and I think I may get one more years wear out of it. I bought the boy a Captain Hook costume from the Disney store. He wasn't thrilled, he had told everyon he was going to be a ghost(which is against my rules) so he had no choice. Lots of people complimented him on his costume, but he still wasn't thrilled. It should fit at least one more year, also. I believe in getting my money's worth. I realized on Tuesday that P. still didn't have a costume, so I went first to party city. Do not go to party city the night before halloween. It was like a toy store on christmas eve. I left very quickly. I don't like their costumes much anyway, they are expensive and cheap looking. So I went to the disney store. They were having a sale. So I got a good deal for really nice costumes.

You may be asking yourself why I am subjecting you to a video of Baby M crying. Well, I thought you might like to enjoy a little bit of my life. In his defense, he's been really gassy and is cutting like 6 teeth at once. But. He cries. All the time. Loudly. In the middle of the night. Did I mention it was loud? And it's not the help I'm hurt, or I'm sad kind of crying. It's the "I want my mom and I want her now!" kind of crying. Which I have less sympathy for. For instance, he refused to go to bed last night. If he were alone, I would have let him cry. But his brother really wanted to be asleep. I had already gotten both of them up once or twice when I decided to let W. sleep. So I finally get M to bed after 9:30. Then he decides he's just taking a nap and is awake from 2-4:30. I can't leave him in his room to cry because of his brother. So he plays very happily until I just can't stay awake any longer and he's had a light snack and cup of milk. And while he slept in, W. was wide awake at 6 am.

In other baby news, they are babies no longer. I officially took away their bottles. I let them go longer than I let P or E. Mostly because it was easier. But the time had come. It is sad and good at the same time. Sad because my babies are growing up and I will miss them being babies, but good because all things must grow and change and it is so much fun to discover these little people as their personalities begin to really blossom.

Baby M has two volumes--happy or screaming. When he is happy he can be really funny. He absolutely loves stuffed animals. I will try to get his reaction on film, because you can't describe it.

Baby W has a range of volumes. He was experimenting with anger at my parents the other night. He tried to stomp off and fell flat on his face on their travertine floor. Someone told him "No" and he didn't like it. He had earlier expressed his frustration with the limits imposed on him with a heartfelt half grunt-half scream. He tries on expressions to see your reaction. And as soon as he figures out how to swing a leg over the top of his crib or playpen, I am in trouble.

Hallelujah!!! It's been raining for three days. My out of state readers may not know that Georgia is in the midst of a severe drought. All outdoor watering has been restricted for some time now. Now there's quite a brouhaha developing between the state and the corps of engineers. Apparently quite a bit of water is released daily from Lake Lanier(our water source) and sent to Florida to protect an endangered species of mussels. Yeah, mussels.

Hmmm, I seem to recall a time in Georgia's past where state's rights were an issue. That didn't end so well.


A few people have made it over to my "me" blog. (Here's a hint if you don't know how to find it--click on my profile). So far it's pretty random. And my goal is to keep this as my family/general blog and the other as my more personal blog. Sometimes it may be a little shallow, sometimes a little deep. It will probably depend on how much sleep I've had.

Yesterday at the park

A Man who's not afraid of his emotions :)

Oops, this is from Saturday at the in-laws. Sorry it's blurry, but it's the best one of them together
This one is hard to keep up with. He has a mind of his own

A peaceful sibling moment--it's always good to capture those because sometimes they are few and far between

In other things: I've restarted my other blog. It will not be about my family, but a place for my thoughts. If you can find it you are welcome to read it :)

Random things

I haven't posted in a while. so I thought I'd give it a try. I've been avoiding the internet the last week or so. I can't pinpoint a real reason, maybe I've been spending too much time on it, I don't know. Since my Sorting post, I've been thinking alot about alot of things. I decided what I am looking for is a life of simplicity. I know that Life will never be simple, but I can simplify the trappings of life. In my baby-step mode, I decided the first thing I would simplify is how many dishes were in my cupboard. So I am down to 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, and 4 bowls. Next I will clean out the utensil drawer and keep 4 sets of silverware. Then I will move on to the glasses. Then the childrens cups. Partly it will force me to wash dishes, and partly it should keep my tiny counter space from being cluttered with dirty dishes. The old me would have kept the 12 place settings in the cabinet, just in case(of what? exactly).


I went to a tea party today. It was held at a very lovely house and I only knew a few people. I sat with the hostess and 2 other girls my age. They are getting ready to read the book Captivating and have a bible study. So we talked about Romance and being a woman. It was very interesting, because even though we were the same age, we were at different places in life. There's me, then one of the girls lost her husband in a car accident last spring and is pregnant with her 5th child, and the other girl is unmarried and about to complete her MBA. So it made for interesting conversation. What is interesting is how similar at core we all were in our desires in life. One of the things I've been thinking about in the last few days is Romance. Not as in romance novels or soap operas, but a mixture of the Divine Romance and it's shadows and types on earth. I have considered the question(hypothetically)--if I told my husband I needed more Romance in my life, what would I mean by that. Would it mean I want him to bring me flowers, or take me out, or buy me furs, or just spend time listening to me. I haven't reached a conclusion yet. I think that there is a myth that can be perpetuated that women should consider it romantic if their husband does something around the house for them, or keeps the children, or etc. But that isn't romance. It is certainly a way to show love to your spouse, but it is not romance. I guess I have been thinking more about what Romance is not. And if we have love, do we still need romance?(I think yes). The world seems to equate romance with sex. I definitely don't agree with that.
I think for true romance to occur there has to be an intimacy involved-not physical, but more of a mental/spiritual. My husband has to know me well enough to know what I consider romantic, just as I have to know him well enough. Where I might find a candlelit dinner on my finest china romantic, he might think a picnic lunch on a mountain more romantic. So if I plan a romantic evening and plan it around my likes and ignore what he likes, then am I romancing him or myself?
How does the Lord romance and woo us to Him? By ministering to our individuality. Some may be wooed by God the Father, because they have never known a father's love and that is their deepest desire. Some may be wooed by the sacrifice of Jesus, because the thought that someone loved them enough to die for them stirs their heart. Others may be stirred by the power of the Holy Spirit and be wooed by the adventure His presence in our life promises. Then, after their hearts are stirred towards God there will come a moment when they accept the love He is offering and turn their hearts to Him through salvation. While the reality of who He is and Christ's sacrifice never wavers, every one has their own story of how God wooed them. There is no ritual or formula that God performs to win hearts, because no two hearts are alike. He meets us where we need Him most. And he continues to woo us even after we are His. He sends me thunderstorms to say He loves me because He knows how much I enjoy them and he knows they stir my heart towards Him. To some he sends beautiful sunsets, or the sound of crashing waves. I imagine there is something that each of you can think of that stirs your heart again to where you remember that first rush of love you had towards him. Just as a married couple, past the early days of being in love, have some memory of those heady days that can be stirred by a song, or a smell, or just the sight of their beloved across the room.
These are the memories that can keep us going through the hard times. When we feel that God has forgotten us in the midst of our trials, or when we aren't getting along with our spouse and we wonder what we saw in them in the first place, we have those memories to remind us of how our hearts were once romanced. And in considering that love our hearts can be stirred again.
So think about what things remind you of God's love for you, whether it be something natural or man made, then keep an eye out and watch for it. And the next time you see your spouse, remember what made you fall in love with them and give them a hug(or kiss, whichever you prefer).

Mornings and skies

I am not a morning person. Some people just need a cup of coffee or other stimulating beverage to get their mornings going. I need 10 am. But I have almost come to enjoy the mornings this past week. The weather has finally changed. When the boy and I leave for the bus stop in the mornings it is a little bit chilly, the sky is dark, and there are still a few stars shining, and the moon is still out. We set off, hand in hand in the dim light, watching his new shoes spark with each step, talking of random and sometimes silly things. This morning we talked about astronauts and satellites. I had pointed out the clouds that stood out in the moonlit sky, and told him how the sky and the clouds are my favorites things because they are never the same. Every day there is some new beauty to discover.



Some days the sky is tall and reminds me that I am but a speck on this great planet. Some days the clouds press down heavily, weighted with their unshed tears, and I am reminded that no matter how heavy the rain, the sun will come again. Some days the wind blows down and teases me into laughing at myself as it blows my hair into a whirling dance. Some days the sky is filled with sparks and rumbles and the electric wind makes me feel alive. Some days the sky is quiet, and it reminds me to be still.



As a child I was not a nature lover. When we lived in Florida, I spent many hours playing outside, but the idea of nature never occurred to me. I began to understand a little better when we lived in New Jersey and for the first time experienced the four seasons in all their glory. Then one day in high school, we had been in Georgia for several years, I remember stepping off the school bus and being suddenly assaulted by nature. It was like a veil had been removed from my eyes. I heard all the birds singing, every rustle of the leaves in the wind. And all the colors practically shouted at me. From that point onward I began to take notice of the world around me. When I moved to the mountains to attend college, I practically lived outside. I would take a blanket to the front lawn and nap or hang out with friends. My roommate and I would walk around campus singing hymns. After I was married and attending a different school, I still went outside at every opportunity. When I worked at the college, I would volunteer to run errands as much as possible. My office was an interior one and had no views of the outside. If the secretary across the hall had her blinds open, I could almost see a tree. And now, I sneak outside with a bag of garbage in hand, and take my time walking back to the front door. If I see a storm brewing I linger even longer in the wind. I have seen my love of the wind in Baby W. He giggles and tries to grab that thing that is blowing his curling(!) hair around and taking his breath away.



We went to the park again this past sunday. I put the babies in the grass. W.(in the blue) had a wonderful time walking in circles, while his brother(in the red shirt) tentatively touched the grass like it was some alien going to devour him.

Baby M is walking now, when he doesn't know he's doing it. I wanted to get some video of him walking at the park, but he wouldn't walk on the grass. His sister used to have the same aversion to grass, so I know he will grow out of it.

Well, the morning has progressed, and I must go grocery shopping. Woohoo. Have a beautiful day.

Oh yeah, my mom has started a blog. If you are interested she can be found at Patti's Ponderings(no, her name isn't patti, my husband suggested the name and it stuck).

Sorting

I am tired of sorting. I feel like my life has become an endless pile to sort. Maybe I'm just feeling pessimistic because my children have far too many toys. Last Christmas my sister in law gave them each a toy organizer which has small boxes. The kids have had a lot of fun with those boxes. They like to dump the toys on the floor and build walls with the boxes. They like to dump out the toys and make soccer goals. Then I get to sort all the dumped out toys and put them away. P. is good at helping me sort. He's a sorter, too. Like his mother, he sees a pile of toys on the floor and feels mostly panic. But if you assign him one specific item, like pick up the lincoln logs, he happily complies. His sister just flat out refuses to help and when threatened with toy removal, happily quips that she'll just get more for Christmas and her birthday(I've had the majority of her toys bagged up for over a month now, she hasn't missed them. Now they just might disappear.)

So as I was sorting toys this morning, I had an epiphany of sorts, or maybe it was just a realization. I am tired of sorting. I dream of a day when everything has a place to be put away. When there are no superfluous boxes of random items one of us is holding on to just because. I dream of a day when my mind only has one thought at a time so I don't have to sort through all the noise to find the thought which is most pertinent for the moment.

I have been seriously pondering the idea of living only with essentials. But that begs the question, other than food, shelter and clothing, what is essential?

What do you think is essential for our modern life? What do you think you couldn't live without?

I can't find my cat. I think she may have gone outside. I've been through the yard a couple of times and through the house lots, but no kitty. please pray for her, she's an indoor cat, so I'm guessing she's pretty freaked out if she is outside. Plus splitcat is away at a school function until tomorrow. It will be very sad if I have to sleep tonight without Kitty. She's slept at my feet for the last 9 yrs.

Update: I found my cat. I Was working and thought I heard a meow, so I muted the tv and called for her. She was in the closet under the stairs. She must have gotten in when I was putting some boxes away. I have no idea how long she was in there--I can't remember when I opened it last. Poor baby. I'll have to be extra nice to her.

Anniversary

Today is our 12th anniversary. Since we forgot to find a babysitter, and half our babysitting team is in Europe at the moment anyway, we celebrated by taking the kids to the park. We went through the McDonald's drive-thru and took it with us. A good time was had by all. It is a beautiful day today. It is one of the first days that has felt like Autumn is on its way. There was a wonderful cool breeze playing in the trees. The only bad thing was someone was having a birthday party and had set up one of those jumpy things, and the motor was really loud.

We also got some footage of Baby W. walking. He's getting pretty good.

Baby M just cried when we tried to get some video of him.

Chapter Books

Everyday P. is sent home with a book from school, they call them baggie books, because they are in a ziploc baggie. Yesterday he graduated to Chapter Books. I have no idea if this is unusual for a first grader, but I was very proud. He's rereading his Bible, too. E. has started "reading" her books at the table, too. She seems to be doing well at school so far. But she is still writing backwards--from right to left instead of left to right. P. went through a phase at this age where he wrote his letters backwards, but in the right order. She writes the whole thing backwards(i suppose it's actually a mirror image). I am guessing she does this because she is left-handed. Anyone have advice on how to help her? She doesn't seem to realize they are backwards, it all looks the same to her. Or should I not worry about it till she is in kindergarten.

I made it to Bible study again. I didn't really want to go, but I did. The boys had a good time, but were ready for a nap when I picked them up. I am going to try to do better about doing my homework this week. But 32 yrs of procrastinating is a hard habit to overcome. Sometimes I wish the Lord would work on one fault of mine at a time. I suppose a lot of them are connected, though. So here's what going to bible study is working on(other than the actual study): My commitment to a group issues(showing up), my fear of groups(I either don't say anything, or feel like a jerk or idiot because I might have said something stupid-which has been known to give me small anxiety attacks.) My dislike of hanging out with a bunch of women I don't know, procrastination(doing the homework earlier than the night before or the morning of), food choices(will I eat the pastries or the fruit?), there's probably more, but those are the big ones. I have also joined some small online forums and am trying to leave more comments on blogs in an effort to overcome my feelings of stupidity. 4 kids in 5 yrs has pretty much eradicated all my critical thinking skills. My brain is a mush pile. But I know the only way to make it better is to use it.
Right now I am trying to learn not to obsess over comments I make. It can take me an hour to write 3 sentences, and half the time I erase what i've written and don't leave anything. If I do post, I spend the next 24-48 hours fending off an anxiety attack. Basically all the classic signs of OCD are there. But I have mental hand-washing instead of physical hand washing. I discovered a few years ago that my obsession with reading was the ritual I use to clear my mind of the distracting and intrusive thoughts. So I guess I am doing my own cognitive behavioral therapy by forcing myself to participate.

It's about time to take the girl to school, so I will push the post button and try not worry that I've offended anyone. :)

Out to Lunch

Taking lunch to school is no longer the simple process it once was. My biggest struggle every morning, other than getting people to put their shoes on, is what to send for lunch. P. will not eat the school lunch, so I'd rather not waste my money. E. has to bring her lunch because there is no cafeteria. And unless you have a child in school you are probably wondering, what's wrong with a pb&j? Well, it could kill somebody. There were two incidences at P.'s school in the first week where paramedics had to be called and it was a life-threatening situation. Why are peanut allergies suddenly on the rise? It's an interesting question that I have no answer for. But I don't want to take the risk of having my child's lunch kill one of their friends. Plus P. won't eat peanut butter sandwiches. He doesn't like much in the way of food. When he turned 2 he stopped eating good food. I do take partial blame. I was pregnant with E. and nearly threw up everytime I opened the refrigerator, so we opted for foods that had low odor. Every year he adds one or two new foods to his repertoire. Here are the foods he will eat regularly:

Most cold cereals--this is how we sneak fiber in his diet.
Cheese
Milk
Water
pop-tarts
Pizza--cheese only
chips and crackers
granola bars-the chewy kind
waffles/pancakes
bread
pretzels
ice cream

You can probably see the theme--carbs.

When he's in the mood he will also eat:

watermelon
grapes
apples
carrots
bagels

Very rarely he will eat:
lunch meat
oranges

So packing a lunch for him is a nightmare. I try to vary it from week to week, switching out pretzels for chips, etc. But basically it's the same everyday. I tried sending him carrots last year. He didn't like that. I keep waiting for someone to call and tell me how unnutritious my sons lunch is and maybe I should send better food. But I decided somewhere along the way I would rather him eat something than nothing. And, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I was told that for years his father would only eat fries, ketchup and coke when they went out. His food preferences have expanded over the years, but there is still a rather limited pool to select from. And now Baby M is exhibiting all the classic signs of carb dependence. As with P. when he was a baby, I think it has to do a lot with texture and temperature. They will not touch anything wet, cold, or hot. Their food tends to be orange or brown. M. will fortunately still eat baby food, so I try to get him some greens that way. I have snuck in chunks of real food, and he will eat a few spoonfuls, then start batting the spoon away. Baby W, on the other hand, will eat whatever you put on his plate. Occasionally he will refuse something, but it is rare. He eats with quiet deliberation, delicately picking up his food one piece at a time, while his brother shovels his food in by the handful. E. will eat most things, too. My secret hope is that we will all one day sit down to a meal and everyone is eating the same thing. And it includes vegetables.

Questions

This morning my daughter asked me

why don't do anything?
I said what do you mean?
She said, Why are you just a grown-up. Why don't you have a job.
I explained how my job was being her mother.
What did you want to be when you were little? she asked.
A mom. I said.

She seemed disappointed in my answer. But it is true. I have never desired a career. When I explained that if I had a job I wouldn't be home to take care of her and her brothers, she seemed to understand a little more. So I asked her, would you like it if I was only home in time for dinner? And she decided it was okay that I didn't have a job.

I guess I should stop letting her watch the Barney video about you can be anything. I've noticed that housewife and mother are never included in the list of things you can be when you grow up.

In other news, I think I broke my little toe on Sunday. It hurts.

I am getting ready to send Val a rough draft of my novel. I know I still have a long way to go with it, but I am anxious to see what she thinks so far. I'm up to about 40,000 words. I'd like to make it to 70-80,000.

The girl started school yesterday. I did something I've rarely done and joined a women's bible study at a nearby church. My mother-in-law works there, so now she'll like seeing the twins more often. I'm not usually much of a joiner. I've done a few women's bible studies, but I knew everyone. I know one person at this one. We are doing a Beth Moore study on the Tabernacle. Apparently it was the first study she did and it has been updated. There is free childcare. The twins had a great time. Socializing can be stressful for me. But I had to get out of the house. The twins have gotten so attached to me that they cry when I walk IN the room as well as OUT of the room.

Baby W can climb up the couch. The other day I was at the computer and turned to check on the babies, who were playing in their little section of the living room, and W. was perched on the arm of the couch, looking over the back trying to decide if he could reach the floor from there. He's also getting pretty good at walking. He keeps me very busy.

Mothers

My mother told me a funny story I had to share. She was grocery shopping at a store near her work when a man approached her and asked if she knew where something was. She gave him a polite answer, and to thank her he gave her a squeeze on the shoulder and tried to draw her into deeper conversation. If you know my mother, you don't touch her without permission. Partly because she has fibromyalgia and it hurts and partly because she is a big fan of personal space.

Anyway, this man began to complement her on how beautiful her hair was and was trying to pick her up. When she told me what she was wearing I had to laugh. She was wearing casual capris and a t-shirt and had her hair down, which is waist length and almost completely gray. I told her he must of thought she was a hippie and into free love.

So for those of you who know my mother, I thought you might find this humorous, too.

I just remembered another time someone tried to pick her up. My sister and I were in elementary school and we went to dinner with my mom and grandmother. Our waiter started trying to pick up my mom. He thought she and me and my sister were all my grandmothers children. She finally had to pull out her drivers license to prove how old she was.

Gifts from the Lord

I was just reading Karenee's response to a comment I left on her blog and felt that her answer deserved a wider audience. She had written a post about someone giving her furniture for her girls and how she appreciated the Lord meeting her need and giving her nicer furniture than she had expected. Here's the post. I commented on how I loved to give the Lord credit for all the small things he does. Just last week when I was at the thrift store I found a book I'd been wanting to read, There is Always Enough, by Rolland and Heidi Baker. As most of you know, I don't like to pay full price for books, and I wasn't sure if I could find this book at the bookstore. It was really just a passing thought that I wanted to read it. Yet there it was, for $1.48. And as the title of the book suggests, it is about how the Lord has provided over the years as they have been missionaries to the poorest of the poor. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in missions. Anyway, Karen wrote this response to my comment:

Isn't it wonderful how, in every aspect of life, God surprises us by His consideration of the little details? I feel sorry for those who prefer to attribute these things to mere chance. They lose out on the realization of a gift, making even the ordinary joy extraordinary.
Saturday, August 25, 2007 8:16:00 PM

I have found myself lately looking for the Lord in everything that happens in my day. It is truly a joy to see Him work out the smallest details. Even on my darkest days He sends me a reminder of His presence, even if it is just a cool wind on a hot day, or a smile on one of my children's faces.

I just thought Karen's response much too beautiful to lay fallow. I hope it encourages you to look for God in the small details of your life as well as the big.

Change

Please disregard my previous post about my new blog. I had to change back to blogger, so the new link is HERE. This is my Blog for reviewing and highlighting new Christian Fiction.

Thanks

Debbie

A Meme I forgot to respond to

Tina tagged me a couple of weeks ago and I forgot to post. So here it is.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My mother had several friends with my name

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?A couple of days ago watching the Discovery Health Channel

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I like my handwriting, but no one else does because they can't read it.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?Boars Head Black Forest Ham

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Four.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? No. I'm a terrible friend. I don't call, I forget to write, I'm absent-minded and I have a short attention span.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Not anymore

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Maybe if my children's lives depended on it. Otherwise no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't really like cereal, but if I have to choose I will sometimes eat Frosted Flakes

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?No

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mayfield Moose Tracks

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their hair

15. RED OR PINK? Blue

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?I'm not sure there is room here, but I'm working on myself

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?My friends from high school and college

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO LINK THIS BACK TO YOU?If they want

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS (Or Kilt) AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?I'm wearing a pair of my husbands blue shorts, one of his polo shirts that is striped with green, black and tan, and knee high red and black striped socks.

20. WHAT WAS The LAST THING YOU ATE? A Debbie Snack-the peanut butter and chocolate kind(nutty bar?).

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?The computer, the static from the baby monitor and silence

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?Cornflower Blue

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? fresh cut grass. honeysuckle, spring

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? A lady from church

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO LINKED THIS TO YOU?Very much and I miss reading her fiction

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? None

27. HAIR COLOR? Brown

28. EYE COLOR?Green

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope

30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?Steak and potatoes

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?Happy endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I can't remember

3. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?Green, black, and tan horizontal striped

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?Winter

35. HUGS OR KISSES?Both

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?Angel Food Cake with Seven Minute Frosting
.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?no one

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? everyone

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?I am actually between books.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?burgandy fabric

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?Antiques Roadshow

.42. FAVORITE SOUND?My children laughing, the french horn, the wind in the trees

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?Neither

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?Missouri

5. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I play the flute

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?Pensacola Florida

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?Anyone who responds.

So now you know that much more about me! I won't tag anyone.

I am now going to attempt to go to bed. If you hear screaming in the next 15 minutes, that means as soon as I fell asleep a baby started crying.

CSFF Blog Tour

Unbeknownst to most of my readers, I am a member of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour. I just haven't participated yet. So in an attempt to get my blogging in order, I am going to start a new separate blog about writing and books. This blog(the one you are reading now) will continue to chronicle my exciting and adventurous life and my beautiful children.

To follow the rabbit to my new blog click HERE. You may notice that this is not a Blogspot address. I feel a little like a backstabber, but there are some features over at wordpress I'd like to explore. So if you are only interested in my everyday life, I won't be offended if you don't stop by. I decided it is too confusing to jumble up everything on one blog.

Twins First Birthday

My Boys turn 1 today. I am much too busy to be too nostalgic, but it is definitely a sort of sad time. I'll miss my babies, but it is very fun watching the twins learn new things. Just this week Baby M starting waving bye-bye and sort of clapping--he claps when he is mad, it's really cute. Baby W starting pretending to talk on the phone. There is one particular toy that talks and is about the size of a remote that he slings over his shoulder and says "Dat." W. has taken one or two tentative steps, but he has the balance and strength to walk, he just hasn't figured out he can yet. M. is slowly catching up. He's starting to balance really well and to stand without holding on to anything. I put them in the walker while we were on vacation and M really loved being able to get around. He could run in the walker. It was really funny to watch and it gave him a lot of confidence in himself. Splitcat has a breakdown of their personalities on his Blog and some still photos of the birthday cupcake. Our first official party is Sat as we celebrate with my family. My mother's birthday is the day before the twins, so we have a lot of celebrating to do. The party w/ splitcat's family is still undetermined, but there will be a party eventually. I haven't gotten my phot retrospective organized yet, but I will post it soon. Instead, here is some video of the birthday cupcake. I took off most of the icing because I didn't feel like cleaning up the mess. This clip is from the end of the cupcake, the other video was too large to put on youtube. But notice the difference in their size and body types when the camera pans back. M is all relaxed, fat, and happy, and W is intense and all curled up. Make sure you have your sound turned up so you can hear all the smacking going on.

First Day of School

Well, I managed to oversleep the first day of school. We missed the bus. I told P. the wrong bus number. And I almost couldn't find my keys. I emailed P's teacher with the correct bus number, hopefully she'll read it. I think he'll recognize his bus driver, though. So now I get to try not to worry all day that he'll miss the bus. I'm glad he's a smart kid. Otherwise I'd worry a lot more.

Splitcat also started school today. I wasn't ready for this.

Update: P's teacher emailed me back and I breathed a sigh of relief

Thursday and meet-n-greet

Okay, so here's last Thursday of our vacation. We went to the pool in the morning. Then we met my Uncle Ronnie and his family for lunch at Joe Patti's. We were a little late in getting there. When we went to go down the elevator, It wasn't there. We were on the 7th floor. A nice man tried to go downstairs and bring the elevator up, but it opened on every floor but ours. So Me, my mom and dad, P. and E., the twins, and a stroller, all walked down 7 flights of stairs. Fortunately the repair guy was in the next building over and the problem was resolved when we returned. Then, when we are on our way across town to the restaurant my uncle calls to tell us that a water main had broken and therre was no water at the restaurant. He ordered ice tea for all becaus that's all that was left. they stopped taking customers right after we got there because they were out of tea. It was a very tasty meal.


After lunch we went over to the fish market and looked at the boats.(that's my mom)



We went to Seville Sqaure next, hoping the kids would run off some energy. Instead P had a major meltdown. He and I sat in the car.

I did manage to get this pic of the stained glass windows in the Historic Church(Christ Church?) It's very old.


Next we drove through my old neighborhood to pick up our leftovers from my uncle and to show the kids the house I lived in when I was little. My room was the one all the way to the left. The yard was much different when I lived there. It was full of pine trees. Everything was so much smaller than I remembered even from the last time I was there.



Later that evening there was a massive storm.



In other news. The boy got to meet his new teacher today. She seems very perky and nice. Just what first-graders need. His class is very small. His teacher said they average 12-13 kids per class. Two of his girl friends are in his class, but not his one male friend.

Vacation Days 2-4

This is the longest vacation I've ever been on.

On Monday morning we went back to the beach. Baby W really took to the sand. He was like a little turtle crawling around. Baby M still wasn't feeling so hot, but he liked the water.



Seeing my dad and my daughter together reminded me so much of my childhood. He would often hold me like this so I could practice floating. He also tried to teach me to swim in the Gulf. For someone who doesn't like to get their face wet, this was slightly traumatic, but he meant well. He tried the same tactics with P., pushing you just beyond your comfort level. But P. is much stronger willed than me, and never made it further than the shore.



On Monday afternoon we visited my Grandmother and Uncle Jimmy. She is ill, so it was a little sad, but it was nice to be able to introduce her to the twins.

Tuesday morning was spent at the pool. My mom and dad found these floats for the boys, and they really took to the water. Baby M became totally relaxed every time we put him in. Baby W kept trying to dump himself into the water. He's a splasher.



Tuesday afternoon we went to the Naval Aviation Museum. P. had been before, but he was very little. So now he really enjoyed it. He kept asking when we could come back. The lovely thing about the museum, besides the air-conditioning, is that it is free. I've always enjoyed it, too. The girl got bored after about the 5th plane.





Wednesday we were back at the beach. The Gulf had been really nice. The waves were small and we only saw one jellyfish. We went to the National Seashore portion of the beach this day. It was free when I was little, now you have to get a park pass. This beach is known as Johnson's beach. When my parents were kids this was the "black" beach. My dad said you didn't go to Johnson's beach unless you were looking for a fight. However, they would go further down the beach towards the old Fort. By the time I was little, it was just a local beach. Perdido Key has very beautiful beaches.



Baby M was so relaxed he fell asleep.



a few minutes later his brother was asleep.



Splitcat had to leave that afternoon. We missed him.

We're back from the beach!!! I'm tired, but I know you have all missed me so much so I will blog.

Here is our first day. We traveled from our home to Perdido Key(Pensacola) Florida. It is an approximately 6 hr drive if you don't count stops.

Here's the crew. Baby M was not feeling well. He had been having some diarrhea and allergies.


Alabama is really boring, but the sky was really pretty. The view, or lack thereof, is pretty much what you get through Alabama. Lots of Pine trees. We saw a lot of people with flat tires right outside of Montgomery.



Perdido Key at last!!!!!! We check in around 3 pm. We were on the 7th floor. Here is the view from our front door.



This is the view when you look to the right. (I used the zoom in this one)



The condos are about 1 yr old. And very nice. No peach beach decor here. Granite countertops in the kitchen, a gigantic master bath with a garden tub and huge shower. Even the 2nd bath was big. There were three bedrooms. I'll post more condo pics later.





The back porch was screened in. It was reallly nice to sit out there in the mornings and evenings. There was a ceiling fan to keep a breeze blowing. In the view to the left of this picture you could see the boats passing down the intercoastal waterway.



After unloading we went up to the public beach. It was the girl and the twins first time at the beach.


Splitcat has more photos of our first day at the beach on his blog.

Tomorrow I'll post some more.

Vacation

The Chintzibob family will be leaving for vacation on Sunday. This is a last minute decision, but we are going to Florida with my Mom and Dad. I will be able to visit with some of my extended family who haven't yet met the twins. It's the girl's first time at the beach. The babies', too, but I doubt they will remember it. I am excited. We get to stay in a condo. It's not beachfront, but when you book a place two days before you leave, you can't be too picky. I will post pictures when we get back. So you won't be hearing from either of us until after Wednesday.

Some of you may remember that I started redecorating my bedroom this past spring break. I'm still not done yet, but here is one project I have completed, and I am proud of.

I found a really beautiful tea cloth at the thrift store for under $6.00. I tried it on several tables, and for a while it hung as a sort of valance over my window. Then one day I held it up against the window and realized it was the exact same size as the window. So I took some muslin, a tension rod, and a wooden dowel(all things I had in my sewing room) and transformed it into a shade.

Here are the materials I started with

Here's what I ended up with

I have since changed the side panels to a faux silk(I found some real silk ones for $50, but $15 was a little more palatable, and they look really nice) and added a valance I made from an extra panel. So instead of spending $100 on 2 silk panels, I spent $45 and got 2 panels, a valance, and some extra fabric I will probably use for toss pillows. I'll try to get a better picture soon. But you get the general idea of the light coming through the tablecloth. The really light spots are all openwork with needle weaving. I love using linens in unusual ways.

Adventures in Churchdom

First, My stat counter is about to hit 5000. As I write it hovers at 4999, I feel so loved.

Second.

My sister and I visited the local mega-church this past Sunday. I have been considering leaving my church for some time and finally decided to branch out. Why do I want to leave? Not for any particularly earth shattering reason. I enjoy Sunday mornings, but it's a little too far to get really involved, and there's not much to be involved in. Also, I only started attending there because my parents go there and I knew a lot of people, so it was safe and comfortable. But I think the Lord is leading me elsewhere.

In looking for a new church I have a myriad of small dilemmas to overcome. Firstly, I come from a charismatic background, splitcat from a catholic/reformed pres. background. He likes tradition, I like dancing in the aisles. I would like my children to attend a church with an excellent children's program where they are required to memorize scripture and learn how to appropriately behave in a church setting. They are receiving a bit of this where we are, but it is a small church. The church I attended as a child had an incredible children's ministry, so I suppose that colors my view a little. This may seem a small thing, but I need a church that is easily stroller accessible. Since I am usually alone with 4 children, the twins have to ride in the stroller. Also, in researching churches that I would like to attend I have discovered a new trend in the charismatic-type churches. The children stay in the sanctuary for the worship. But the worship is usually of an intense nature, so me alone with 4 children trying to worship is just not a pretty picture. Add on top of that the boys dislike of loud, the girls love of dance, and just the general nature of 1 yr old twins, and I'm tired just thinking about it. I do believe that children should participate in some sort of worship service, but one for them. I still remember how much I loved the worship time in children's church.

So where do I go? I was considering a vineyard church near downtown, but it's still a little too far. There is definitely not a lack of churches around here. I pass something like 17 churches to get to the church I have been attending. There is a reason they call it the bible belt.

So anyway, my sister and I were discussing churches we thought we'd like to visit, and I thought of our local mega-church. It's right between our houses, so no one would have to go out of their way to get there. There was also the appeal of being able to just be part of the crowd, totally uninvolved in any sort of church politics. So we looked into their website and decided it would be worth a try.

We were very much impressed. We parked in the guest parking lot and unloaded our 10 kids(yes, it was just me and my sister with--a 4 month old, my twins, a 16 month old, two 4 yr olds, a 6 yr old, a 7 yr old, a 10 yr old, and a 12 yr old). Unfortunately, the preschool area was on the other side of the church. However, there were lots of friendly faces willing to point us in the right direction. Later I was told that my son made the exclamation that the people here must be really rich when we first walked into the building. It had something of the feel of a mall or airport, it was huge. We approached the preschool department and walked though a pair of automatic doors into a large reception area with chairs and couches and a small saltwater aquarium. The older children thus engaged in talking to Nemo and Dorie, we proceeded to register 6 of our 10 children for the nursery. There were polite people manning computers who entered our information and printed security labels were handed over to us. I also noted a huge room devoted to stroller parking. I dropped off my twins and the two 4 yr old girls. The baby nursery had plenty of cribs and swings and exersaucers and several nursery workers. We head across a small street to drop off my boy in the elementary wing, and a mysterious marking on the map suddenly makes sense. In studying a map of the campus I saw the label--preschool valet parking. And there it was. Under an overpass, you unload your children, hand over your keys, and someone parks your car for you in a nearby lot. And you are right in between the preschool and elementary buildings. I enquired and you do not have to be a member to avail yourself of this service. Just drive up. If you've every hauled ten children though a mega church you will understand the spot of joy this brings to your small existence.

With all the little ones safely tucked into their respective classes, we trek back to the main sanctuary. We missed the worship(we tried to get there 30 minutes early, but someone was late meeting me because her children we uncooperative, but that's okay), but caught the tail end of a special song. It was quite good. The main service is accompanied by a huge choir and orchestra. The main pastor is currently on a sabbatical, so there was a guest speaker. He was a revivalist, so he spoke about getting saved. If I wasn't already I probably would be now. It was by far one of the best sermons on that topic I have heard. We were sitting in the upper balcony so I was intrigued at the altar call to note that the people who came forward were led off to the side doors, where I saw later that there was an altar counseling room. The next service started soon, and as it was advertised to have a praise band instead of the orchestra, we decided to try it out, too. So we made sure the little ones were okay and went to the chapel for the beginning of the second service. It was a typical praise band service, but a little short. So we left and collected all the info we could find on the various ministries. Then we went to pick up the little guys. This time we noticed the glass looking into the nursery rooms, so we looked in on the twins. They were having a great time. Because it was between services, the doors into the nursery wing were locked. One of the funnier things we noted was a man pushing around a gigantic "stroller" that held 6-8 kids. My sister asked about it, and they go around and get the crying babies and push them around the halls until they calm down. There is also an indoor playground, so rain doesn't keep everyone cooped up.

Overall we were very impressed by the efficiency shown by such a large entity. So there were lots of pros and some cons. On the con list is that it is a baptist church. But since I attended a baptist college, I think I can manage to keep my charismatic leanings mostly under wrap. But it being a baptist church is also on the pro list, since that sort of sits in the middle of the splitcat/fiorinda religious continuum. The sheer size is a little daunting, but the church I attended as a child had at least 2ooo members, so it is not unfamiliar territory. The worship is not what I am accustomed to, but I can live with that. Besides, anyone is welcome to join the orchestra. I could be involved in music again. I was very impressed with all that is available for the children. Wed. nights they have Awanna, which focuses on scripture memorization, as well as a children's choir. During the school year the children can attend Sunday school as well as children's church. There is a host of Sunday school classes for adults. One is even taught by a major state politician.

Is it the church of my dreams. Not really. But it does seem to meet the current needs of all my family members. I may visit around to some other churches, and I will definitely visit there a lot more, especially once the pastor comes back. It would be nice to attend church as a family and to meet some people in our basic age group who don't live too far away. I find it completely out of character to myself to even be considering this move, since I have been steadily been moving away from the mainstream of late, but I can't just consider my own needs anymore. I know where I can go to get what I am looking for in books and online. But the really solid foundation I was given as a child really made a difference in my life, and I want that for my children. Unfortunately, a lot of smaller churches simply don't have the manpower or funds. And yes, I do work on teaching my children biblical principles, but sometimes children learn better from other people that aren't me.

Like doing surveys? Here's one for Bethany House Publishers for letting them know which book cover you like out of three, and why you feel that way. It was interesting.

I've been meaning to post some pics of my little escape artist, aka Baby M or Twin A.

Stuck trying to crawl between the furniture

Maybe I can climb over this way
I shouldn't have eaten all that honey
Maybe I should just climb over
He can actually climb halfway up the side of his pack-n-play. I've lost count of how many times I've had to rescue this one from a place he has climbed or gotten himself stuck, trying to escape. Last night they worked together and made enough space to get out. I was with splitcat at the computer and turned because I heard a noise, and there he was, playing happily with the forbidden toys of his elder siblings. Baby M just stood at the opening looking from his brother to me. He wasn't sure if it was worth the risk. None of my other children were this escape oriented. Soon he'll be making his brother get in a crawling position so he can stand on his back. I think it's time to re-childproof.

I suppose I should post something

It's been two weeks since my last post. I feel like I'm confessing or something.

I spent all my evenings last week at a conference. It was good. I really enjoyed the worship band--Dayna Varga. It was kind of a weird week. I had a 1-2 hr drive every night to get to the conference. I took baby W. with me a couple of nights. He liked it.

The summer is rapidly coming to a close. It goes by too fast. We are all finally into some kind of routine. The babies have finally settled into a structured routine, but still wake up in the night sometimes. I suppose I better start planning their 1yr retrospective soon. Has it really been a year?


The boy and girl are both well.


Life's basically boring at the moment. Which is good. I guess.

Here is some twin mayhem for you

Aren't I Cute?

Baby W defeating our defense system around the fireplace Fearless big brother, Curious little brother

Who turned off the lights? Ahh, that's better

As you can see, things can get pretty busy around here. W. can't stop climbing. You can see it in his eyes.....must climb....must climb.....MUST CLIMB!!! Baby M. went through a must eat phase. He stole all my french fries one Sunday at Sonny's BBQ. The next Sunday he tried to eat my burrito. He seems to have calmed down a bit now.