Oxymorons - Gratituesday 12

It's time for a little shout out to the Lord, so you know that it must be Gratituesday, where one can be vocally thankful for something in life.

Let me honest: I love that the kids are away at Grandma's all summer. It's a joy to us for so many more reasons than sleeping naked again.

Mr. Right and I have had opportunities to laugh, cry, play, and work in situations that may not have been possible were the kids here. It's like a two month long date that doesn't have to end at the stroke of midnight. It's down right fabulous and a blessing that we know not every parent has. Having a chance to reconnect now gives us a treasure to look forward to having when the kids leave not for Grandma's house, but for life.

On the other hand, I have to be honest: I miss the kids like crazy. I miss their hugs, their tears, their arguing, their laughter, the essence that makes them them. I miss their innocence and wonder. I miss them. Absence does make my heart grow fonder for them (if that's even possible.)

One thing that I love about their being gone is that we actually do a lot more talking when they're away (or so it seems). We talk on the phone, packages are sent and we email each other, which gives us opportunities to bond (that might not happen were they to be here.) The Girl sent me a meme-type of email where she answers questions about herself. I loved it! It was telling of who I think she is and, more importantly, who she thinks she is.

And my favorite answer she gave is this one:

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? i don't like bugs and stones would hurt

I'd like to say that she makes me feel young, but that's not always the case... I think I need to give The Girl a music lesson or two.

Head on over to Laura at Heavenly Homemakers to see some other ways that people are thankful for their not-so-little things.

And So It Goes

Last night I calmed an entire set of hoodlums who were really good kids in disguise, I picked up my Honey Baked Ham from a Baskin Robbins and I invited Bruce Willis over for Christmas, ending the conversation with him with "Don't worry. My kids won't pepper you with a million questions. They have no idea who you are because we don't have tv. I can't speak for the rest of the family though." Oh, and Bruce said yes.

Either I've moved to Hollywood over the weekend, the weekend was more intense than I thought or else that Wok Roasted Chicken we had for dinner was making me way more creative in my dreams than normal.

I'm going for the last one. But man, it sure hit the spot after this weekend and all the "festivities" involved.

First, thank you again for your prayers. You have no idea what a comfort they were to the entire family. Not once was I sitting in the waiting room, writhing with fear or stress. It was very good.

So here's the run-down since last we've talked.

• As the family was tootling around town on Thursday night, we ran into several friends at the farmer's market. One of them offered to keep The Girl that night and all day Friday so that she wouldn't be bored out of her gourd at the hospital the next day. The Girl quickly thanked the family for letting her avoid that entire prospect.
• We all went to bed Thursday night to sleep only to find out on Friday that none of us really did.
• We finally got up around 4 AM to get ready for the hour drive to the hospital. The heart institute that Ron was going to use just "happens" to be one of the top three heart hospitals in the country. (That God is so good.)
• We arrived at 6 AM for check-in. We found out later that Ron's surgery wouldn't be until 10:30(ish).
• At least 3 nurses came in and asked many of the same questions over and over again.
• We did lots and lots of waiting.
• We discovered that there is such a thing as "hospital time". If a nurse says, "In about 30 minutes...", then you can bet your bottom dollar it will be at least an hour. (It was a nurse who told us about "hospital time." She would know since she's actually there all the time.)
• While we were waiting for the procedure to start, we also discovered that Larry, one of our good friends, was also in this hospital. He was rushed in the day before with heart issues. Finding nothing, our friends thought the hospital was going to send Larry home after a night of observation. But no, by his wife Kareen returned, Larry had a pacemaker installed. Surprise! We hated to see Larry there, but we were thrilled to visit with them after not seeing them in so long. We've also promised to come up for a Ucher night. (I bet they whip our tails. It's been soooo long since we've played.)
• Ron's surgery finally happened. It took three hours and he did have to have a quadrupal bypass. Avon, Ron's wife, did remarkable well for all the situation. I could see her lips moving in prayer often and I know she was being bathed in prayers from friends around the world.
• The hard part of the entire event came after the very successful surgery. Ron was having a hard time coming off the anesthesia. An hour recovery time turned into 8 hours with a heart that wouldn't get the proper rhythm. Every time Avon walked back to Ron's room, there were several doctors and nurses hovering over Ron. I think it was then that her nerves started to feel the effects of the day. But she was a trooper!
• Some friends came by to visit Ron and Avon. That's such a wonder comfort to not only know that others are praying, but that some would take the time to drive an hour to sit and hold hands for a few minutes or for hours. Kareen was in and out all day giving Avon hugs and telling us that Larry was demanding updates on his good friend Ron. (They were both elders at church. They've really gotten to know each other throughout the years.)
• We convinced Avon to finally leave for a little bit for a spot of dinner. That poor woman needed some nourishment. IHOP never tasted so good.
• Around 10:30 PM the doctors said that Ron was finally in a great position. His heart was doing much better and that he would get the much needed good night's sleep. We finally felt comfortable enough to go home. We were all exhausted after that 20 hour day, longer if you factor in the fact that none of us really slept the night before.
• Avon and Alan (Mr. Right's brother) went to the hospital. We stayed home to get The Girl, to pick up The Boy from camp and to do a lot of things for Ron and Avon around the house: mow, clean bathrooms, vacuum, laundry, cook meals. We knew that Avon would have enough to do without needing to worry about that aspect of life when Ron came home.
• Sunday we finished up some tasks that Avon needed done and then we visited with Ron and other family members for the afternoon. Then we headed home and had much needed Chinese food. There's something about Chinese food that just says relax to us. So we did.

So that's the run down. We're back to the scheduled program around here. Last we talked to Avon, Ron had a GREAT night. He was sitting up in his chair and taking his prescribed walk. The kids are set to be Grandma's and Grandpa's helpers over the next couple of weeks, and we all feel really good about the way God handled everything. We had all decided that even if God had taken Ron home this weekend, He was still very good. And He is.

Since I'm way out of the loop, would y'all please tell me something that's going on with y'all? I especially want to hear about She Speaks if you attended. I couldn't be jealous during the weekend, so I'll take the time to be jealous now when you tell me about the wonderful time you had with all the our blogging friends. :o)

Another Reason For God Not Letting Me Attend She Speaks

I find that I’m wimbly-wambly sometimes. I want what I want, and it’s usually well after not getting a “Yes” from God that I find out the reasons he said “No.”

I thought I knew the soul reason for my not attending She Speaks: We’re buying a house and the money that would have been used for travel is being used for down payment.

But it seems that God has another reason too.

We’ve just found out that my father-in-awe will have an unexpected heart bypass at 6 AM on Friday morning. We’re packing now to make the run back up to their house so that we can be there for the surgery and to take care of the kids. I foresee a weekend of cooking and cleaning to help make this time as easy as possible for them all. I think another cooking class or two for The Girl is in perfect order too.

See? If I had been at She Speaks, I either would have had my thoughts divided between the sessions and this surgery (and guilt over not going to be with them) or I would have lost all the money invested because I did decide to stay home. That’s a lose-lose situation by all accounts. So God, in his infinite wisdom, yet again proved why Father knows best.

I know that many of you will be gone, but would you mind saying some prayers for us? Please pray for our safety in travels and also for my father-in-awe to come through the surgery with flying colors. The doctors are giving a survival rate in the high 90’s%, but I’d rather have 100% from the one who made his sweet heart in the first place.

Oh, and would you mind throwing in a prayer of praise on my behalf as well? Today I also received a call from my doctor who told me that it’s official: I don’t have cervical cancer. (I didn’t think I did, but it’s nice to know that modern technology is backing me up.) So WOO HOO! It’s nice to have that off my plate. I’m just really happy that God let me know quickly the answer that prayer.

Thank you so much in advance.

Gratituesday 4

It's time for a little shout out to the Lord, so you know that it must be Gratituesday, where one can be vocally thankful for something in life.

I'm so grateful that there is an entire family of believers around the world.



You don't have to live next door to someone to be a member, nor do you have to look remotely the same or even speak the same language. All that's needed is to have the belief in Christ. God, who is Love, will take care of the rest.



I find that simply, utterly, beautifully amazing.

The Run Down

One man who's been hit with a head cold for over a week

One girl who is on the cusp of adolescence

One boy who, at times, can talk non-stop like Goob in Meet the Robinsons

One boss gone for most of the week

One house still for sale

One cat who is being missed

One stack of books read

One movie watched - Enchanted (I liked it!)

One day is begging to have someone (me) play hooky to go play with Jeana in London

Sigh.

I really wouldn't want it any other way.

(Well except for that house still for sale and that head cold thing. It's totally leaving Mr. Right exhausted by 8 PM and messing with my ideas of a good time. *ahem*)

Role Reversals

I don't know why, but I'm just so tired. Around 3 PM, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Unfortunately, I was at my desk at work, so no nap for the weary. I don't feel sick. I don't think I'm coming down with anything. I'm just tired, which is odd considering that I've had great, uninterrupted sleep for the last several days.

I think it's this crazy weather. It's a beautiful 74° one day; then a cold 50° the next. My body keeps thinking that winter may be back upon us soon and it's trying to thicken up my blood. Who knows. I just know that I'm cold and tired today.

Praise be to God that I made dinner yesterday morning. Ham and bean soup in the crockpot. Yum! It was delicious, not to mention perfect for the cooler day. Plus, it was a great way to use some of our leftover Easter ham. All but The Boy had seconds. That's a good sign in our house. (And as usual, The Girl stated for the record, "Mom, this is now my favorite soup!" If you haven't noticed, everything is her favorite. I love cooking for her. The Boy? Well, let's just say that he has lots of meals that he wouldn't always request to have again. But he's not suffering at all. He's still growing like Jack's beanstalk!)

Here's what the kids did with Mr. Right last night. They invited a new type of basketball. I have a feeling that if they play it often, Mr. Right will be back in shape in no time.


























































































(I love this picture! This totally captures the spirit of The Boy.)


They kids came inside and warmed their feet in a bath. Afterwards, we had our Bible reading time. Normally we read two chapters and move on to something else, but this time, they both uttered words that made my heart melt. "Just one more, Mom!" they pleaded in unison. What a delight to hear! So we read one more chapter as requested.

After the reading, Mr. Right came up with the most brilliant idea. He turned to the kids and said, "I think that you guys should tuck us into bed tonight!" The kids, struck speechless momentarily, quickly agreed to this change in plan. Mr. Right and I acted like their kids, with all the requests for water and the little things done to keep us up just a few minutes more. The kids laughed and then became quite strict with us. (It was amazing to hear how they think that we are on a nightly basis. I need to lighten up some!)

Finally the songs were sang, the prayer was said and we were kissed good night. They went off to their rooms to go to bed as well. Mr. Right and I stayed up to make sure that The Girl quit reading at a decent time. The Boy came into our room and ever so sweetly asked if he could turn off my side table lamp. I asked if it was bothering him and he said yes. Y'all, my lamp couldn't have bugged him at all seeing that he couldn't even see it from his room! But I let him turn it off and he went on his merry way back to bed. We all promptly fell asleep.

It was 8:30 PM for goodness' sake! I'm telling you, we were all tired!

So here I am, awake and full of life, having the pure joy of knowing that I had about 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep again. Today is going to be a great day. I can just feel it!

(Someone just sent flowers to the office for our move. I love that they get to sit on MY desk! Mmmm, smell that scent of spring!)

Even If You Don't Love Me...

Would you mind spending a couple of minutes running through this quick survey?















It will help Blogher know what kinds of ads appeal to my readers. I'm all for putting ads up that won't offend others...

Now just so we can get on with real life, we're going to pick up the kids tonight. Can I just share with you HOW EXCITED I am to get those hoodlums back? I have to say, I'm just a teensy bit ready to have them back in the house, even if they'll mess it up and make me have to clean it much more than I did the week they were gone. Somehow, it will be worth it.

 This car shopping stuff is hard when you're on a budget, y'all. Mr. Right has seen several used 4Runners that would have made him happy, but unfortunately - they were about $2,000 above what we said we could spend. (Well there was that one on ebay for $3500, but we would have to get to Cleveland, TN to get it. Somehow, I don't want to go that far to get a car... Call me crazy, but, ummm, no.)

So although it's not a 4Runner, he has to handle having a Rav4 instead.  What?  It has a 4 in it... doesn't that count for something?  Meet the newest member of our family!

Isn't she a pretty little thing?  She's a great blessing from God.  (Sorry about the dark picture.  I took it this morning when I stopped for coffee at Panera.)

Juan, the man who sold it, seemed really nice, like someone we would have wanted to be friends with if we had known him earlier.  He worked as an Activities Director at a Senior Citizens facility.  How cool is that?!  He too was a Christian, as evident from all the CDs in his vehicle and from the decorations in his house.  The only reason that he was selling the vehicle was that his wife was expecting their first child and she wanted to get a minivan.  

Remember that we asked you to pray that we could get one at a great price?  Well this seller was willing to come down a little bit, so we got our "new" car for under what we had budgeted.  Woo hoo!  God has been so very, very good to us in so many ways.  Thank you for bringing our car matter before the Lord.  It makes me weep to know that there are others out there who will pray for someone who just needs help.

So tell me something that you're excited about. It can be anything from Spring to how you spent your refund money to painting your nails. Come on... I need some shout outs to celebrate with me. Let's go big! (I'd say "Go big or go home", but in all likelihood, you ARE home already...)

Things You Might Do When Your Kids Are Gone

1. Read a book or four.
2. Watch several episodes of Lost online to catch up with the world.
3. Spend time with your husband without locking the door. (*ahem*)
   
4. Take a long bath.
5. Eat cookie dough without fear of being caught.
6. Take a nap.
   
7. Watch some movies (Inside Man, iRobot, Invincible - so far)
8. Go out for coffee with your sweet man.
   
9. Get all traces of laundry done.
10. Read every post in Bloglines.
    
11. Eat out, thinking that the kids would have loved to eat at that place.
    
12. Sort out clothes to give away from your closet, wondering if The Girl would want any of them for herself.
13. Look for a car to buy, all the time asking if the kids will be comfortable in the back of it.
    
14. Bake a bunch of potatoes only to realize that you've made way too many for two people to eat.
15. Get a craving for snuggle time in the morning time.
16. Call them at Grandma's to make sure that they're behaving and having fun with their cousins. Really, you just want to hear their voices.
    
17. Realize that the house is really quiet when they're not here.
18. Count the days until you can get them back.
    

Where's My Membership to AARP?

This past weekend, God blessed us with fantastic weather - weather that would permit us to finally get some things done around the outside of the house.  Which was really good since we're aiming to get the house on the market this week.

So, taking advantage of the warmer days, I gathered the kids to bag the leaves that I would rake.  (What?  You don't wait until almost Spring to finish raking the leaves?  Oh, well, welcome to the upside down world of Shalee.  We raked all but half of the backyard last fall, then overnight the cold weather came to stay for several months.  This was our first opportunity to take care of it.)

Anyway, after raking a bit, my left foot developed a really painful cramp, one that started by my toes and worked it's way across the bottom of my foot.  It hurt so much that I gasped and my breathing became more labored.  After a couple of moments, the pain receded a bit, but only enough to travel to the other foot too.

"But I'm a mom, and I have to get things done while I can.  I can still do this!" I kept that encouragement running through my head.  Mercy!  It hurt... and I really wish that I had a recording of what I looked like.  I was contorting myself in all sorts of position to ease the pain while still raking.  I would have laughed at myself if I could have seen myself stretched to the max while still gathering leaves together.

My kids, not ones to miss much, inquired what I was doing.  I said, "I don't know what's going on but my foot really hurts!"

And my son, as sweet as could be and with profound wisdom, stated, "That's because you're getting old, Mom."

Man oh man...  if I was having those cramps because I'm getting old, then I don't dare tell him how I feel after shoveling and spreading mulch for 4 hours.  He'll tell me that death's knocking on my door.

It's Official...

We have a momentous day in our house.  

A day that has already been noted on the calendar.

A day that caused much celebration and smiles of glee.

A day that I knew would be here soon enough...

Today is the day that The Girl is taller than me.

I can't tell you how many time she has come up to me doing the hand measure test... or the back-to-back test... or the "Come stand by me in front of this mirror" test.  She's all smiles and happiness right now.

Yeah, well...  She may be taller, but I've still got 20 pounds on her.  Hah!  Beat that, The Girl.

At least I'm still a half a head taller than The Boy, though I know that won't last long either.  (But he too has me beat in one department... I also officially have the smallest feet around here.)

Please send condolences... and chocolate.  I could use both today.

Snippits

Yesterday we ran to H&R Block to have our taxes done.  The kids were so good as they sat in the waiting area; all the tax advisors there even commented on their surprisingly most excellent behavior.  (Evidently our kids'  behavior was the exception, not the norm.)  Our advisor suggested in a joking way that we should take them out for ice cream.

Since we found that we were actually getting money back, we decided that we would treat them to Cold Stone Creamery.  It was to be their first time ever to this heavenly place.  

On the way to the creamery, The Boy asked for a snack when we returned home.  We said he could have a snack, chuckling on the inside because they were about to have the best form of snack ever!  We went, they gasped, oooed and ahhhed over everything, took 5 years to make a decision because there were SO MANY CHOICES!, and then they smiled with realization that God made ice cream and it was good.

With full tummies we made our way home.  The Boy quickly quipped, "Do we still get to have a snack when we get home?"  and then he laughed gleefully.  

That Boy... he's such a kidder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Girl is finding that though she is now a member of the body of Christ, The Boy annoys her just as much as he did before she became a Christian.

She's struggling to find the right reaction to him, but at least she's trying.  Oh girl, this is just the beginning...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was reminded again last night how incredibly blessed I am to be married to Mr. Right.  This realization came as we were watching the fourth hour of Pride and Prejudice, and he was enjoying it as much as I was.  But he likes chick flicks and always has.  We love to watch When Harry Met Sally, Return To Me, While You Were Sleeping, Notting Hill, Always and many more.

Sigh.  I just love that man.

Edited to add:  Mr. Right would also like it pointed out that he likes Enter The Dragon, LOTR series, The Dirty Dozen, Tora Tora Tora, The Matrix, the Die Hard series, Gladiator, Mission Impossible series and many more.   He's not a wuss.  (Lucky for him, I like all those movies too.)

I Call Dibs On Sitting By Her In Heaven...

Guess what family just got a little bigger....

Yours, I hope!

Say hello to your new sister.

There is no greater joy for a mother than this moment!

The angels are rejoicing in Heaven...  What a glorious day Friday turned out to be!

Would you mind saying a salutation to The Girl, your new sister in Christ? (But I wouldn't recommend that you pull the old "Now go around the room and tell everyone's name bit" yet... Give her a week and then pull it on her.)

Love In The Time Of Cholera Colds

The girl stayed home yesterday.  She awoke with a 100.6 fever and she had chills that were multipying...  I told her to shape up, but she just stared at me, slightly glassy-eyed.  

After dosing her with dry toast, a large glass of water and some ibuprofen, she seemed to be better.  You know what she's hoping will happen, don't you?  She has to be back at school for "The Big Handout '08".  She's so ready to pass those little papers with cute dogs and cats on them to her friend.  I'm pretty sure she's thinking that she won't get any if she's not there, too.

She recounted that she missed school the two days before Thanksgiving, she was sick after Christmas and if she's not better by tomorrow, she'll miss out on Valentine's.  Holidays don't fair well for her; however, let the record show that she was right as rain on New Year's Eve/Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Groundhog Day.  And she has a good chance of feeling great by President's Day!

Mr. Right and I tag-teamed today.  He stayed home for half a day in the morning; I wisely took the afternoon shift.  Why wisely?  Oh, because I totally missed out on the traffic coming home and I had the wherewithal to stop by our favorite Chinese restaurant for our traditional sickday fare: hot and sour soup.  And since I was there, I had to get something for me too, right?  Well, I did.  So there.  And I even shared it with Mr. Right.  So we fed three people for the price of one.

With The Girl down for a second nap, I spent my time wisely around the house.  I cleaned out The Boy's closet, cleaned out the game cabinet, dusted (YUCK!), recycled papers and tossed out more junk, compiled more for the donation pile, cleaned up the basement and talked to Jeana.  I always love doing that last one.  I know!  We talked on the phone and I liked it!  Will wonders never cease?

Suffice to say, I kicked cleaning-house tushy today.  It's not completely ready, but we're a lot closer now.

The Boy had a friend come over after school because his parents were going to be at their other son's basketball game.  Ten minutes after the game started, she called to say that her son broke his leg and could I keep him for a while.  Of course I said of course.  But I have to tell you... Five hours with this boy is enough!  I know this next bit was on accident, but he put a huge scrape in my wood floor. Did I mention that WE'RE SELLING THE HOUSE?! He's loud, he doesn't have great manners and he's DRIVING ME CRAZY!   Oh, and he's still here.  I'm wondering if his parents took off for Toledo or something...

Thank you.  I feel better now.

The Girl hit the hay around 7:30, after a warm up in the bath.  She was slightly shivering by the time she got in bed, so I treated her to a warm cocoon.  Do you know that is?  It's where you get your kid all tucked in and then you run a blowdryer under the covers so that it's nice and toasty warm.  Pretty soon her shivers disappeared and a smile replaced them.  Oh, how I love that sweet smile.

With no other fever throughout the day, The Girl is hoping to score big at school tomorrow.  Lord willing, she'll sleep the sleep of the healthy and tired.  And all will be back to normal - whatever that is.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.  If I had enough valentines, I'd stuff one into each of your handmade boxes.  But since I don't, maybe this one will tell you how I feel about you instead.

Click here for your special valentine, Valentines!

WFMW - Personal Mailboxes

Since it's the day before Valentine's, I thought I would post a suggestion that would help your kids know that you love them... all year long!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE getting real mail. But with the convenience of email and postage being outrageous, we don't receive much in the way of real mail - only credit card applications, mailers and other stuff. Oh yeah... and bills. Going to the mailbox isn't any fun anymore.

Years ago, my mother-in-awe sent a valentine present to my daughter. It was candy in a metal Snoopy mailbox. It even has a flag on the side. My daughter loved that candy and the container too. Have I mentioned that she also can be a bit of a packrat? Well, she can be.

One day, I left her a note in her mailbox, flipped up the flag and waited to see how long it would take her to discover it when she came home from school.

Not long. That's all I can tell you.

She walked right into her room, saw the flag was up and ran to it. She loved the note. She loved the communication. She loved that it was for her and her alone. She checked that box every day for a week and then some...

I think I'm onto something here.

You know how kids go beserk when they get a letter from someone? It works the same even if it doesn't comes in the "real" mail too. A letter is a letter is a letter to them.

Over the years, I've placed little notes, little gifts, whatever I wanted to put into that box. Sometimes it takes her a while to discover it; other times she finds it right away. She always loves the attention and little nods of love going her way.

My son wants a box of his own too, so I'll have to figure out something that will work for him as well.

So I guess leaving mail for my kids works for me. And so do the hugs and kisses that I get for taking the time to do it in the first place.

Head on over to Chilihead, our lov-er-ly surrogate host for this week for some other great tips.

Originally published May 5, 2007

Prayers Revisited

Just want to give you a quick catch-up regarding the prayers on the behalf of my mom and my grandma.

The prayers are working.

My mom is able to dispense a bit more from her body on her own, although she is still using the catheter.  But the point is that God is healing her body, even if it is slowly, but surely.

My parents were able to get to my grandma the day before the gallbladder surgery, which set my grandma at ease.  She went in for a two-hour surgery, but everything went so well that she was out in 45 minutes.  The doctors believe that they removed all the stones and that her recovery should be swift.

As for the renting of my parents' house:  this request still needs to be done.  I'm not God and I don't know his agenda, but I would really appreciate it if you all would keep this prayer request on your daily talk with God.  Please bring this item before him, asking God to make it happen in the way that he knows best.  My parents are completely strapped, and this relief would be a huge blessing to them.  (And before you think in your head "Well just honor your parents by helping them out, you doofus!", I have strongly offered twice now to send them aid, but they will not take it.  Being that they're no where near me, I can't arm wrestle them into taking anything like I could a close friend and they've already declared that any check I send will be promptly torn into two.  Sheesh.  Parents...  you just can't raise them right anymore.  Now I know where I get my stubbornness in full.  I got a double dose!)

Thanks again for your prayers.  They are comforting to say the least.

Nicknames

The boy yelled to me that he was off to play with his friends.

I yelled, “See you later, Baby!"

The Boy: “Mom?”

Me: “Yeah?”

The Boy: ( Pausing a moment before speaking, then quietly, respectfully) “Would you please not call me Baby anymore?”

Me: "Oh. Sure. Bye The Boy."

The Boy: (With relief) "Okay. Thanks, Mom. See you later!"

And out he goes to his friends.

Sigh. I hate it when they grow up.

Happy Birthday Mr. Right

Today is a special day in the Diner.  Ribbons are flying.  Pies abound.  Balloons glide from stool to stool. Presents are stacked high.

Why you ask?  

Because Mr. Right turns 41 today!! 

So it only seems fitting that for my post I define 41 of the millions of reasons that I love that he’s alive and kicking.

1. He’s a great kisser. (He says I taught him well, but I think it’s the other way around.)

2. He’s the world’s best Daddy.

3. He’d rather spend time with his family than do just about anything else.

4. Patience is definitely one of his virtues.

5. He has a funny, dry sense of humor that catches me off guard consistently.

6. He laughs at most of my idiotic moments, of which there are many.

7. He’s dependable, trustworthy and a hard worker.

8. He loves to volunteer when someone needs help.

9. Our lawn looks great because he puts in good time to make it nice.

10. He’s the official bug killer at our house.

11. He volunteers to clean up puke when the kids are sick.

12. He reads with the kids almost every night.

13. He’s not afraid to cry or to let me cry and turn into a big blotchy blowfish.

14. He tells me that he loves and needs me and then his actions back his words.

15. He has warm, wonderful-to-hold hands.

16. Without him, there would be no pie at our house. He’s the crustmaker extraordinaire.

17. He likes to watch chick flicks with me.

18. It’s not uncommon for me to be awakened with a kiss, followed by a nice hot cup of perfectly made coffee.

19. He vacuums… and he LIKES it. (Of course he likes it even more now that we have a Dyson…)

20. He likes to be in the great outdoors with me.

21. He loves God.

22. He does the dishes before he goes to work.

23. He walks our daughter to the bus stop per her request.

24. He plays a mean hand of Spades, a great round of Sorry and his the King of Yatzee.

25. He’s great at *ahem*. (Oooo – am I going to get a talking to for including that one on the blog!)

26. He likes to play with our children – games, sports, pretend.

27. He encourages optimism when things look dire.

28. He loves the beauty of God’s world and His nature.

29. Road trips are fun and lively when he’s in the car. He makes a fantastic traveling companion.

30. Seeking God’s will is a desire that he has everyday.

31. He writes marvelously romantic love letters.

32. He’s not afraid to try new things.

33. When he sees others hurting, he goes to pray with them.

34. He’s not afraid to use his past mistakes to help others avoid making theirs.

35. Dancing together in the living room gives him pleasure.

36. He encourages me in blogging and in meeting my friends.

37. He’s learning to sign with me so that we both can communicate with the deaf.

38. When I cannot sleep, he’ll wake up willingly to massage my back to help me relax.

39. He has the best smile. His entire face lights up when he smiles.

40. He can make fun of himself (but maybe that’s because he knows that if he doesn’t, then I will…)

41. Having an amazingly beautiful relationship with me is one of his primary goals.

Happy Birthday, Baby. You are my greatest blessing. Oh, how I love you so!!  

Life Lesson - Faith Like A Child

Well, for the record, yesterday's post was a bust. For some reason, I could not get the Hoops and Yoyo page to work from the blog. It was really cute too. And it really reeks because I was going to do a whole series on manners using them... Grrr. I'm going to keep trying because I think it would be a fun way to teach us some lessons.

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I don't mind posting these life lessons. It's when they are learned first hand that they're harder to take.


Gulp.


Last week, the kids and I were hurrying so that we could make an appointment on time. As it was, I had already caused tears of heartache just by yelling at the kids, the girl in particular. I did some major backtracking, apologizing to my girl and admitting that I was entirely at fault. She fortunately forgave me quickly.


So then I hurried everyone into the car, speeding down backroads in order to make up lost time. A couple of times I thought of turning up other streets, but I decided to go to the last road to make the best time - only when I got to the last road, I found it closed due to road repairs. Arrrg! You should have heard the grumbling I was voicing in the car. It was loud. It was very complaining. It was gruff.


Out of the backseat, I hear the girl say, "It's okay, Mom. God's just protecting us somehow."


As I bit my tongue to keep from snapping at her, I thought that she was actually right. If I trust God to take care of me in all things, then that would have to include this obstacle. I thanked her for her wisdom and continued with a lighter heart.


Until... I realized we weren't going to make our dinner plans either due to the detour. Then I began grumbling again. I pulled into McDonald's because we had to have some dinner prior to our appointment. Seeing that the drive thru line extended all the way to Texas, I thought I would run into the restaurant to quickly grab the food.


Heh.


I waited ten minutes to get that food. Ten minutes for three hamburgers and two fries. I guess everyone in the drive thru was more important than the customers at the counter. So as I grabbed my food and ran out the door, I entered the car doing what? You got it - complaining. I complained about the wait, about the line, about how late we really were going to be. I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before the girl piped in, "Mom, it's okay! At least we have food to eat and our food is really fresh. God's got it all figured out."


And she was right. Gosh I wish I had a trusting heart like hers.


As we're traveling north, I asked the kids to pray that we would hit all greens, which we did. I gave a prayer of thanks for allowing us to make great time through town.


Until.


I saw the traffic on the interstate. S L O W E R T H A N M O L A S S E S ON A VERY COLD DAY. And guess what I did again? Go on. You'll never guess.


Oh, well. I guess you can.


I started complaining AGAIN. I actually said that I just couldn't catch a break... after making all those lights and having fresh food and having a wonderful Jiminy Cricket in my backseat. I am such an idiot.


Again the girl piped, "Mom, when are you going to get it that God has got everything under control? It's okay that we're here in this traffic. It's okay if we're going to be late. It's just okay."


I looked back at that sincere face which was full of trust and it hit me. I need faith like a child. Or a tweener in this case. To be that trusting and that hope-filled in the face of trials is the essense of perfect peace. And she was absolutely right. Everything was absolutely okay.


I just hope she remembers that the next time she whines that she has a bookbag full of homework.


Oh, and our appointment? Yeah, it started half an hour later than what I thought. If that's not God having a bit of fun with me, then I don't know what it is. That will teach me to think that I've got anything under control.

Monday Manners

I don't know about you, but it seems that manners are missing in many of today's kids. Heck, it's missing from many of today's adults!

So in hopes of educating young and old alike in the ways that they should go, I'd like to introduce some simple, yet effective reminders to aid us all in the was of great manners. And I'm going to use none other that Hoops and Yoyo to make it fun and exciting! Now, let the lessons begin!

Lesson 1

Opening a door

As you go about your day, see if you can put this wonderful lesson into practice with your family or, better yet, with a stranger. Perhaps you can make someone else stop and think about doing a great thing for someone else.

(For this month's manners lesson for my children, we are teaching the boy to get the girl's car door and for her to accept his act of service with grace and thankfulness. As the month has progressed, the boy IS remembering to do it on his own and the girl is learning to wait for him. Such a beautiful thing to see...

And as we were going to lunch yesterday, we had a female friend of the boy's in the car with us. When we were walking into the restaurant, the boy pulled me aside and said with sadness, "Mommy, I forgot to get Rachel's door." I assured him that it was okay, but that maybe this feeling of remorse will help him to remember to get it for her next time. His countenance brightened, and he said, "Yeah! I can get it for her next time!" And then he ran to beat her into the eating establishment. Sigh... Well, it's a start. It's a start.)

Bye Bye Redbird

We finally got our kids back and we did what any American parents who have been separted from their kids for months would do... WE LEAVE TOWN! Because really... WHAT'S ONE MORE DAY AWAY FROM HOME?! Ummm, yeah.

We were blessed with a set of tickets to the Cardinals game again for last Saturday's game which started around 3 PM. So we got up, ate a healthy breakfast of chocolate covered and powdered mini-donuts. (Hey, I woke up at 3:30 am, couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to go Walmarting. Those donuts jumped into my cart by the time I made it out of the store... You try to resist their call at 4:30 in the morning...)

Anyway we decide to leave early enough to hit one of the kids' favorite places which we discovered last year while in St. Louis: the Old Spaghetti Factory. They were excited about the prospect of yummy garlic bread, great food and neat old-time surroundings.

We arrived and our waiter looked like a cross between a classic Italian and this most recent Superman. He was a very handsome young man. But something about him seemed put off or down, I noticed right away. I made sure to thank him for everything and to show appreciation for his service. And I wasn't the only one. Mr. Right, the girl and the boy all chimed in with kindness. I told Mr. Right that our waiter seemed as if he was having a bad day. He agreed with my assessment, and we just tried to not add to his burden.

At the end of the meal, our waiter came to make sure we were all finished. He turned to leave, took five steps and then did a U-turn, arriving back at our table. He said, "I know we're not supposed to talk about our customers, but I have to tell you something. I was having a really bad day, but your family has really been a delight to serve. Thanks for putting back faith in good people."

And that made the entire trip worthwhile... I'll let you use your imagination as to how many good conversations we had with the kids on the way to the game.

We made it to the stadium just in time. Although it was a 100 degree day, the time outside wasn't miserable. We had brought frozen water bottles and a softsided cooler filled with ice to quench our thirst, grapes and cherries to help with hydration and hunger and little fans to cool us off. God provided several soft breezes which went a long way to comfort us. (The only down side was that we sweated in our seats so much, we looked as if we had peed our pants whenever we stood up.)

And God gave us a great seatmate for the duration of the game. She had a water sprayer with a fan and she kept spritzing those around her to let others cool off too. At one point, the boy said quite loudly, "That lady is so kind to do that. She's quite generous." (But when I tried to encourage him to tell her, he clammed up. Well, it's a start.)

We enjoyed our time, fellowship with those around us and the game itself. It helped that they actually had three homeruns which we got to witness first hand. And it really was a blessing to be at a winning game. That always adds to some of the joy in attending a professional game.

And if anyone's keeping track, you may want to invite Mr. Right and I to very important sport games. We've recently realized that almost every profession sports game we've attended resulted in a win. (The two we attended were for the Royals... and really, you can't expect miracles all the time.)

We made it back home that night, safe and sound. Now we have the wonderful task of convincing the kids that they can go to bed at 9 PM and they'll still live. It's good to be together again. It's good to be a family.