Happy Birthday to our oldest. How we've enjoyed watching you grow. The most tumultuous waters are still ahead, but we think you'll come through just fine.
Isaiah Luke joined us 5:30ish in the afternoon. He was a happy, mellow, low maintenance baby. He's still a happy,mellow, low maintenance kid. A book and a flashlight and he's pretty much set. Some things about people never change.
But other things do.
Our oldest isn't as video game obsessed as he was a year ago. No, his new techno obsession is cell phones...especially texting. He celebrated my announcement of adding unlimited text to our plan by sending 150+ texts over that first weekend.
And his view of girls is morphing too. In years past he's had a very much "people are people, who cares about parts?" point of view. (He thankfully skipped the ew gross stage when he was younger.) Now he's very aware there's something "different" about girls, and that maybe he likes it. He's even flirting a bit, but I don't think he realizes that's what it is. After all, he's the kid who told me recently "I don't want to kiss a girl until I'm married." Pretty sure that will change in the next few years too.
Sometime over the course of this last year he's really become a pretty good companion too. He's starting to "get" parts of real world, and think his decisions through more. He asks good questions, and sometimes comes up with amazing answers on his own. I've always been fond of kid lit, and he's sharing his library books with me. We even want to see the same movies, well mosty. He is still a boy...and some movies he finds funny I just find, well gross. In other words, all is progressing normally.
Perhaps the best thing we've done together recently was attend KC's Ren Fest. We spent the day shopping, watching a joust, and throwing things, some of them shiny, sharp and pointy. His favorite part of the day was the bungee jump. I just stood back and watched him jump above the treetops, feeling a bit sick to my stomach. Yet that's what the future holds. Letting go, and watching him reach for the sky.
,
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
environmentalist health nut, me? (Part 1, )
Um no. Anyone who's seen my cuddly form would know that. However, some aspects of our life certainly look that way on paper. I've always been fond of the mantra reduce, reuse, recycle.
Reducing and reusing just make good economic sense.
If you don't use something, you're not spending money on it. Buying larger packages and portioning into smaller ones reduces the price of some foods immensely. For $5 I can buy a can of nuts with 16 servings, or 6 "packets." Single serve does have it's place, but I didn't cave until I hit kid 5. My friend J warned me about this. Her mom always told her, "there's something about the 5th one". She was right.
That's really where reusing comes in. I've seen purses made out of Capri Sun pouches and plarn (plastic yarn made from shopping bags) is the "in" mommy craft right now. Grandma's drawer full of margarine tubs and Dad's babyfood jar screw sorting all fall into this category. Kids are experts at this. Who hasn't seen a shoe-box car or a toilet paper roll telescope or a wrapping paper roll light sabre?
Once they've beaten the cardboard to a bloody pulp, that's where recycling comes in.
Recycling is easier than ever. Most of us have curbside bins we don't even have to sort. There's a Ripple glass bin in the parking lots of local grocery stores. No sorting there either. Recycling is just like exercise. As Nike put it, "just do it."
Thanks to our fair city recycling is an economical measure too. Every item we're too lazy to rinse out and recycle draws us closer to the dreaded 1.50 "trash overage" bag. I confess to using about two of these bags a month, usually when we clean out the van...but in our defense, the trash bins are meant for four people and we have eight.
Recycling is also just a nice "thank you." to the earth and it's resources. Sure the earth is going to wear out, but why should we help it along? We shouldn't. We're stewards. See Genesis for the command, the gospels for what happens to stewards who don't take their stewardship seriously.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Be green to save green. It's just common sense.
Reducing and reusing just make good economic sense.
If you don't use something, you're not spending money on it. Buying larger packages and portioning into smaller ones reduces the price of some foods immensely. For $5 I can buy a can of nuts with 16 servings, or 6 "packets." Single serve does have it's place, but I didn't cave until I hit kid 5. My friend J warned me about this. Her mom always told her, "there's something about the 5th one". She was right.
That's really where reusing comes in. I've seen purses made out of Capri Sun pouches and plarn (plastic yarn made from shopping bags) is the "in" mommy craft right now. Grandma's drawer full of margarine tubs and Dad's babyfood jar screw sorting all fall into this category. Kids are experts at this. Who hasn't seen a shoe-box car or a toilet paper roll telescope or a wrapping paper roll light sabre?
Once they've beaten the cardboard to a bloody pulp, that's where recycling comes in.
Recycling is easier than ever. Most of us have curbside bins we don't even have to sort. There's a Ripple glass bin in the parking lots of local grocery stores. No sorting there either. Recycling is just like exercise. As Nike put it, "just do it."
Thanks to our fair city recycling is an economical measure too. Every item we're too lazy to rinse out and recycle draws us closer to the dreaded 1.50 "trash overage" bag. I confess to using about two of these bags a month, usually when we clean out the van...but in our defense, the trash bins are meant for four people and we have eight.
Recycling is also just a nice "thank you." to the earth and it's resources. Sure the earth is going to wear out, but why should we help it along? We shouldn't. We're stewards. See Genesis for the command, the gospels for what happens to stewards who don't take their stewardship seriously.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Be green to save green. It's just common sense.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Super Saturday.
Last Saturday was indeed super, with different parts of the day focused on each of the three musketeers.
At a bright, early, 7:30ish we were at a local racetrack sweeping the stands and picking up trash as a fundraiser for E2's football team. It took until about 9am for our "team" to complete the task. The boys had a good time and learned the association between work and reward. Certainly beats selling stuff in my opinion. My kids got a glimpse of how the "world" lives.
"Mom, I don't think I want to come here to watch races."
"Why not?"
"Look at all these beer cans. They must drink A LOT of beer!"
Ewwwww.
"And all those cigarettes. gross."
I'm glad my kids think beer and cigarettes are gross.
For the next phase of the day I took our almost 12-year-old son to Ren fest for his "birthday". Spot on perfect weather! He leaped lizards, bungee jumped, threw sharp and pointy things (okay I threw them too), and won an oriental dragon for his little brother. I window shopped extensively and watched him on well muscled-sweaty- shirtless man powered rides. We both had a great time. We brought home trinkets from the games for his siblings, so they didn't feel too left out.
In the evening I took E1 coat shopping, and came home with two shirts for our oldest. I promised him we'd try again, and really enjoyed having his critical eye along going through the clothing stores. Poor kid has taste. Better start saving his pennies now.
All in all it was a fantastic day: time alone with any of my kids is hard to come by.
At a bright, early, 7:30ish we were at a local racetrack sweeping the stands and picking up trash as a fundraiser for E2's football team. It took until about 9am for our "team" to complete the task. The boys had a good time and learned the association between work and reward. Certainly beats selling stuff in my opinion. My kids got a glimpse of how the "world" lives.
"Mom, I don't think I want to come here to watch races."
"Why not?"
"Look at all these beer cans. They must drink A LOT of beer!"
Ewwwww.
"And all those cigarettes. gross."
I'm glad my kids think beer and cigarettes are gross.
For the next phase of the day I took our almost 12-year-old son to Ren fest for his "birthday". Spot on perfect weather! He leaped lizards, bungee jumped, threw sharp and pointy things (okay I threw them too), and won an oriental dragon for his little brother. I window shopped extensively and watched him on well muscled-sweaty- shirtless man powered rides. We both had a great time. We brought home trinkets from the games for his siblings, so they didn't feel too left out.
In the evening I took E1 coat shopping, and came home with two shirts for our oldest. I promised him we'd try again, and really enjoyed having his critical eye along going through the clothing stores. Poor kid has taste. Better start saving his pennies now.
All in all it was a fantastic day: time alone with any of my kids is hard to come by.
Monday, October 4, 2010
It's so nice when it "feels like" FALL.
There are many ways I can tell fall is really here.
1) I have a deep set desire to clean my house, while I can still do it with the windows open.
2) The air conditioner has been off for several days, and the heat is not on yet.
3) "Pumpkin pumpkin in the patch, pumpkin pumpkin on the vine...."
4) Louisburg Apple Cider abounds in the grocery store.
5) Seasonal clothing rotation has begun. Out with the tanks and sandals. In with the sweatshirts and light jackets.
6) We need to buy Zyrtech in bulk.
7) Winter squash abounds at the farmers market.
8) I'm getting party planning e-mails from PTA.
9) The kids are discussing/arguing/begging about Halloween costumes.
10) Our fair city has deemed it 12 bag of yard waste month. (Oh how I wish this extended into NOVEMBER.)
11) The "it's fine" "i'm hot" "I'm cold" battle is brewing amongst our oldest three sons.
12) The kids are spending more time outdoors than in.
13) Football practice has been moved back 1/2 hour, due to "getting dark earlier."
14) I bought my sport boys long sleeved underarmor.
15) I'm seriously considering hosting a partylite candle party, because well, what's fall without candles, lots of them?!
16) Cinnamon is the "spice of the month."
17) We're going through more cocoa.
18) I'm craving pie. Warm, apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Chicken pot pie. any pie will do. Unless it's sold under a barber shop.
19) Cool room. Warm comforter. mmmm.
20) It just smells good. Crisp air in the morning, outside breezes mixed with cleaning supplies in the afternoon. Hot apple cider or hot chocolate in the evening, especially with popcorn. So many other wonderful autumnlicious smells. So glad that we're just starting to fall into fall.
1) I have a deep set desire to clean my house, while I can still do it with the windows open.
2) The air conditioner has been off for several days, and the heat is not on yet.
3) "Pumpkin pumpkin in the patch, pumpkin pumpkin on the vine...."
4) Louisburg Apple Cider abounds in the grocery store.
5) Seasonal clothing rotation has begun. Out with the tanks and sandals. In with the sweatshirts and light jackets.
6) We need to buy Zyrtech in bulk.
7) Winter squash abounds at the farmers market.
8) I'm getting party planning e-mails from PTA.
9) The kids are discussing/arguing/begging about Halloween costumes.
10) Our fair city has deemed it 12 bag of yard waste month. (Oh how I wish this extended into NOVEMBER.)
11) The "it's fine" "i'm hot" "I'm cold" battle is brewing amongst our oldest three sons.
12) The kids are spending more time outdoors than in.
13) Football practice has been moved back 1/2 hour, due to "getting dark earlier."
14) I bought my sport boys long sleeved underarmor.
15) I'm seriously considering hosting a partylite candle party, because well, what's fall without candles, lots of them?!
16) Cinnamon is the "spice of the month."
17) We're going through more cocoa.
18) I'm craving pie. Warm, apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Chicken pot pie. any pie will do. Unless it's sold under a barber shop.
19) Cool room. Warm comforter. mmmm.
20) It just smells good. Crisp air in the morning, outside breezes mixed with cleaning supplies in the afternoon. Hot apple cider or hot chocolate in the evening, especially with popcorn. So many other wonderful autumnlicious smells. So glad that we're just starting to fall into fall.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
A heart to God and a hand to man
This is our family mantra.
Matthew 22:36-40 (NASB)
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
..."YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND."
"This is the greatest and foremost commandment.
The second is like it. 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the prophets."
It's all about love people. Love is the basis of well, everything....and it's what we're supposed to be known by.
John 13:35
"By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Oh, and another thing. Real love has legs.
Proof of our love is keeping His commandments. (John 14 :15 and the six other times John repeated this.)
Sometimes I think the church has forgotten that our primary mandate other than loving God is to love and care for our fellow man. Yet my Sunday school class gives me hope that this isn't true.
*There's the guy who's late most mornings because he's giving a newly non-homeless person a ride to work.
*Our teacher, an artist, puts on shows to support "Laundry Love" another homeless ministry.
* A couple that's preparting to go to Jordan as missionaries is actively involved in the international student ministries at UMKC, helping provide household goods, local information, and just plain old fellowship to the international students.
*Almost every person involved in the class serves "somewhere" within our branch of the body.
Our class plea seems to be "Please let us be real servants, not just seat-warming Pharisees."
All I can say is AMEN.
Matthew 22:36-40 (NASB)
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
..."YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND."
"This is the greatest and foremost commandment.
The second is like it. 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the prophets."
It's all about love people. Love is the basis of well, everything....and it's what we're supposed to be known by.
John 13:35
"By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Oh, and another thing. Real love has legs.
Proof of our love is keeping His commandments. (John 14 :15 and the six other times John repeated this.)
Sometimes I think the church has forgotten that our primary mandate other than loving God is to love and care for our fellow man. Yet my Sunday school class gives me hope that this isn't true.
*There's the guy who's late most mornings because he's giving a newly non-homeless person a ride to work.
*Our teacher, an artist, puts on shows to support "Laundry Love" another homeless ministry.
* A couple that's preparting to go to Jordan as missionaries is actively involved in the international student ministries at UMKC, helping provide household goods, local information, and just plain old fellowship to the international students.
*Almost every person involved in the class serves "somewhere" within our branch of the body.
Our class plea seems to be "Please let us be real servants, not just seat-warming Pharisees."
All I can say is AMEN.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
At 3am I will have an eight year old!
E2 has already had most of his "birthday." We bought him a new bike and a new football. He ditched practice Monday night to go to the school skating party. His grandparents came. Tomorrow we're just having his fave, spaghetti, for dinner and I'll bake a cake while he's at school. Maybe buy a book or trinket just so he feels like he has a "real" present. For some reason, to him, the early ones are great but aren't official.
This year E2 has started playing tackle football, and with the addition of helmet and pads, has started paying attention more. His part grizzly bear, part pit bull, part fatherly coach manages him well. He's officially an offensive guard on the line now. They figured out that he needs a definite focal point on the field. Eventually, I hope he'll grow into that in other areas.
Even though Si Guy is younger, E2 has always held the "baby boy" spot in my heart. Now he just shares it. E2 is my "huggy buggy," my "sunshine smiley boy", and my "Odie child." In other words he's affectionate, optimistic, and oblivious to the evil intentions of others around him. It makes him really easy to like.
He's not without flaws, because his head is rarely attatched to his shoulders, he's the child who most often does things "because." Some of those "becauses" have already been described in detail in earlier entries in this blog. His most recent should I laugh/cry/or scold moment was at Wendy's Sunday. After his game, he had to use the restroom. He came back to the table with his bright red athletic cup in hand. "What should I do with this mom?"
Ah, E2, E2. What should I DO with YOU? Just love you.
This year E2 has started playing tackle football, and with the addition of helmet and pads, has started paying attention more. His part grizzly bear, part pit bull, part fatherly coach manages him well. He's officially an offensive guard on the line now. They figured out that he needs a definite focal point on the field. Eventually, I hope he'll grow into that in other areas.
Even though Si Guy is younger, E2 has always held the "baby boy" spot in my heart. Now he just shares it. E2 is my "huggy buggy," my "sunshine smiley boy", and my "Odie child." In other words he's affectionate, optimistic, and oblivious to the evil intentions of others around him. It makes him really easy to like.
He's not without flaws, because his head is rarely attatched to his shoulders, he's the child who most often does things "because." Some of those "becauses" have already been described in detail in earlier entries in this blog. His most recent should I laugh/cry/or scold moment was at Wendy's Sunday. After his game, he had to use the restroom. He came back to the table with his bright red athletic cup in hand. "What should I do with this mom?"
Ah, E2, E2. What should I DO with YOU? Just love you.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Happy Birthday to me!
Rarely, very rarely is my life about me. Ideally it would never be. My focus would be God, family, friends, community. That said, I had a "permission slip" from my loving husband to be horribly selfish this weekend, so I was.
On Friday, I shopped for a washing machine to replace the one we have, because one of the computers in it was permanently disabled by our tile floor. After four hours of childless shopping, I found one that would work, that we could pay for. (Always a bonus for us.)
I called my mother-in-love to get her house number, and she informed me that they decided to give us one they had. So my first birthday present was being able to do laundry at home for free! After spending last Saturday night and $80 at a laundromat w/ my husband and six kids, that a was an appreciated gift indeed.
On Saturday, E2 played in the pre-season football tournament for SMN 2nd grade. He was focused for both games, teachable, and obedient to the coaches. 2 wins later we went home. A rare day alone with one of my kids was my second invaluable gift. Seeing my "danger baby" start to settle down and grow up a bit was my third.
Yesterday I was the comic host for Kidz World at church. I had a blast and the kids were laughing the whole time. Even my son who hates staying for service had a good time.
In the afternoon, our entire family went to the zoo. We managed to get through Africa, see the elephants & the new polar bear, ride the carousel, and see the snakes, so everyone got to do something they wanted. The kids were cooperative and we had an amazingly orderly outing. It was our first trip to the zoo without a stroller or wagon, and it was amazing how less cumbersome the trip was without all the extra "stuff." I'm so thankful for the family I have and the time spent with them.
The afternoon was followed by an evening with friends, fun, and laughter. I've known most of my pals I hung out with last night for 20 years+. It's nice to be so rich in relationships.
Today we're cleaning the house and having cake...but the best is yet to come.
Someday we'll all be done with birthdays, and every day will be a celebration of another day in heaven, another day in love. This weekend I got too see a dim reflection of what that might be. So Happy Birthday to ME!
On Friday, I shopped for a washing machine to replace the one we have, because one of the computers in it was permanently disabled by our tile floor. After four hours of childless shopping, I found one that would work, that we could pay for. (Always a bonus for us.)
I called my mother-in-love to get her house number, and she informed me that they decided to give us one they had. So my first birthday present was being able to do laundry at home for free! After spending last Saturday night and $80 at a laundromat w/ my husband and six kids, that a was an appreciated gift indeed.
On Saturday, E2 played in the pre-season football tournament for SMN 2nd grade. He was focused for both games, teachable, and obedient to the coaches. 2 wins later we went home. A rare day alone with one of my kids was my second invaluable gift. Seeing my "danger baby" start to settle down and grow up a bit was my third.
Yesterday I was the comic host for Kidz World at church. I had a blast and the kids were laughing the whole time. Even my son who hates staying for service had a good time.
In the afternoon, our entire family went to the zoo. We managed to get through Africa, see the elephants & the new polar bear, ride the carousel, and see the snakes, so everyone got to do something they wanted. The kids were cooperative and we had an amazingly orderly outing. It was our first trip to the zoo without a stroller or wagon, and it was amazing how less cumbersome the trip was without all the extra "stuff." I'm so thankful for the family I have and the time spent with them.
The afternoon was followed by an evening with friends, fun, and laughter. I've known most of my pals I hung out with last night for 20 years+. It's nice to be so rich in relationships.
Today we're cleaning the house and having cake...but the best is yet to come.
Someday we'll all be done with birthdays, and every day will be a celebration of another day in heaven, another day in love. This weekend I got too see a dim reflection of what that might be. So Happy Birthday to ME!
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