What time is it?

Lucas and Noah have been hard to settle down tonight.



After putting them back in the bed for the 2nd time, I heard familiar sounds of electronic toys playing music. I walked down the hallway to see a glow of light coming from their room.



Peeking in confirmed my suspicions. Lucas had turned on the light and both boys were in the floor playing.



Of course, as soon as they saw me, they quickly jumped back into their beds.



I stood beside Lucas and said, "Lucas, what time is it?" expecting a reply of 'night-time' or 'time to go to sleep' or 'bedtime'.



" I don't know," he said.



"Yes, you do. Tell me what time it is," I demanded.



"Ummmm.....3:30?"



The firm discipline flew right out the window as I began to laugh.



I couldn't even finish the discussion.

Giants in the land

Lucas is supposed to be taking a nap when I hear strange sounds coming from his room.



A few seconds later I hear



"Mommy, what do you think I'm dressed up like?"



"Lucas, why aren't you in your bed taking a nap?"



"I want to know what you think I'm dressed up like."



"I don't know. Why don't you tell me."



"I'm dressed up like King Saul in his army" (translated, I have on King Saul's armor.)



Curiously, I walk back to his room to see him standing at the baby gate that blocks his escape from his room, dressed in pull ups. He had gotten into a box of pull-ups that were in his closet waiting to be used by Noah.



He had one on his head....a helmet I was told.........and several others wherever he could get them.



"King Saul is just letting me use this while I fight Golaith," he said.



"Okay, Lucas, you go fight Goliath then you must take a nap," I told him.



"It'll only take a minute. I'm going to do it real quick," he said and off he went to fight imaginary giants.

Birthdays and Batteries

I've been talking about it for sometime now, but today is Noah's birthday!



We had his party Saturday night. It seems like Christmas has already come to our house because there are new toys crowding up the family room.



speaking of new toys: Kyle has a theory that the major toy companies have deals with battery manufacturers. Every toy Noah got for his birthday requires batteries. Not just one battery, but more like 3 or 6 batteries per toy. And there is no off switch. The toys are made to "automatically turn off after 2 hours of non-use." Which means, "We want the batteries to work overtime even when your child is not actually benefitting from their source of energy."



So, until some bright person develops a way for modern toys to run without batteries, we'll just keep on stocking up whenever there's a sale.

A laugh

I laughed this morning when I looked at the ads atop my page:



HotMommies



Maybe "they" should look at my content a little more closely! :)

To be a Mary

I've been thinking a lot this Christmas season about Mary. Having 3 little boys now, I can't imagine what went through her mind as the angel told her that she was going to have the son of God. What an awesome responsibility!



Did she fully understand what it would entail? Did she realize exactly who she carried in her womb? Did she know as he grew that he was God in human flesh?



What was it like to watch Jesus, all God yet all human, learn to sit up, crawl, walk, and talk? Did he have a smile that captured the hearts of everyone who saw him? What was his laugh like? Was it contagious?



Did Mary ever stop to think why she was chosen? I know she must have thought, "Why me, Lord? Who am I to be mother to the son of God?"



Did she ever second guess her decision? After all, so much was at stake. She could lose Joseph, her fiance. And her reputation.......well, that was certainly down the tubes.



Did she ever think she wasn't good enough? Did she think it seemed to be an impossible task to be mother to Jesus?



Yet she accepted the task with a willing heart.



"I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. " (Luke 1:38 NLT)



Lord, may I be like Mary. Willing to accept whatever it is you ask of me, no matter how much I don't understand or how great the task may seem.

Today

Well, the recital went off wonderfully. It was so short, though. One of the dad's told us after it was over that he brought a book in case it got too long! It's not going to be a long recital if there are only 3 students playing and 2 of them have only been taking for 2 months. Just not much you can do with that. It was very nice, though, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.



I have spent the day cleaning my boys' rooms. They were in dire need of it, though it doesn't do a whole lot of good. 15 minutes later and there are toys all over the floor again! I'm teaching Lucas to clean up, and he does a decent job, but Noah comes right behind him pulling things out again, so Lucas doesn't really get motivated to clean anything. Guess I wouldn't either.



The rest of today is devoted to folding laundry. Yes, folding. It's all been washed, and is lying in big piles on the floor. So, now it's folding time! Whoo Hooo!

And your name is????

The other day while dropping off a prescription to the pharmacy we use, I had the following conversation.



Pharmacist at drive thru window: Can I help you?

Me: Yes, I need to drop off these prescriptions.

Pharmacist: Noah *******. The ******* boys. You've been here before.

Me: Yes, quite a bit.



Now, is it just me or is it a bad sign that the pharmacist remembers us out of the hundreds of prescriptions he fills a day.



We've been there WAY too much, I think!

Recoveries and Recitals

Seems as if everyone in our house is feeling better. The coughing has quieted down quite a bit and I'm keeping everyone in for a few more days. If we can keep the flu away from our household, especially Jacob...the only non-vaccinated family member....we'll be doing great. By the time he was old enough for a flu shot, he had pneumonia, and now that's he's well enough to get one, they're all gone. C'est la vie.



My house is a wreck today, and it HAS to be cleaned. I teach piano to 3 little girls and tonight is their first piano recital. The entire recital will probably last all of 3 minutes, but they are excited about it. Actually, I think mommys and daddys are more excited than they are, but isn't it usually that way?



So, tonight, we will cram 20 extra people into our very small dining area. I say area because it flows openly into the family room, so it's not technically a dining ROOM, just a dining AREA. And it's not used for dining, just for a piano.



Anyway, I'm sure it will be a fun night for everyone involved. Expect to see more about it tomorrow!

God's timing

One week from today, my little Noah will turn 2. I should be saving this blog for his birthday I guess, but I've been thinking so much about it, I'll go ahead and do it now.



I don't have favorites with my kids, but there is just something special about little Noah. God's got big plans for him, and I can't wait to see what they are. God is teaching me all about HIS timing through Noah.



Noah surprised US (not God) 2 years ago by entering the world 6 weeks early. Not due until the end of January, I was shocked to wake up December 14, 2001 with contractions. After spending several late night hours in the hospital, they succeeded in stopping the labor and sent me home. 2 hours later, we returned and Noah made his entrance into the world at 9:56 am on December 15.



To the surprise of everyone, except our mighty God, Noah came out screaming and needed no stay in the NICU.



From then on, Noah has brought delight to us all. He is full of mischievousness and you can see the sparkle in his eye when he has done something out of his boundaries. Yet he also has the tenderest heart imaginable. One disappointed look from his dad or my eyes will bring him to tears. Don't think for a minute that this stops him from getting into things that his older brother has never thought twice about. Noah receives his share of disciplining in our house!



Because he was 6 weeks early, Noah has been a late bloomer. He crawled late, walked late, and we're still waiting on the talking part. His vocabulary consists of about 10 words, only 2 of which a bystander would be able to understand. His understanding of language, however, is not lacking, as he makes up signs for words that he cannot yet pronounce.



This lack of vocabulary has left me helpless. Expecting him to be a carbon copy of his brother was the first thing I had to ask forgiveness for. God has helped me see how unique each one of my children are. But his speech is something I continually have to turn over to God.



The other day, we received a Focus on the Family publication. There was an article in it that caught my eye, and I know God placed it in there especially for me. The article spoke of a little boy, who, like Noah, was late speaking. He finally began speaking in his own time. At the end of the article, his mother stated:



"All those months, while I waited and worried, he was developing just as God intended. While I quietly doubted God's timing, my son listened, learned and grew according to the clock God gave him. That's how it is with God. He has good plans for us, but seldom do they fit our self-created timelines."



Thank you, Lord, for the reminder that Noah is your child and you have created him in your image and with a great plan for his life.

I was frightened today by a trip to my local grocery store.



After retrieving all the items on my list I headed for a check out. With only 2 to choose from, I took the one with the lesser line.



As I made my way closer to the conveyer belt (is that what those things are called?), I was distracted from events taking place in front of me by magazines and tabloids planted purposefully in my view.



When it was my turn, I began unloading my groceries from the buggy (I've been told this is a 'cart' but my Southern Mississippi roots refuse to allow me to call it such).



As I was doing this, the cashier asked "Ma'am did you find everything you were looking for?"



I shook my head yes to avoid spitting the peppermint out of my mouth as I spoke.



Obviously she didn't notice the head shaking.



"Ma'am, did you find everything you needed?" she asked again, a little more emphasis in her voice.



This time I shook my head and answered vocally "uh-huh"



Again, she didn't hear me and as I placed the last item down on the belt she said,

"I asked you, Ma'am, did you find everything you needed?



Now, this was a little more than just emphasis on her words. It was the gruffest, strongest vocal empasis that I probably have heard since I was a child and had just shot out my parents camper window with my brother's BB gun.



I felt scolded.



"Yes ma'am. I did find everything I needed. Thank you."



"Good. Have a good day sweetie," she said with a smile.



Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde if you ask me.

Mmmmm

One of those things that i need to get done tonight is finishing decorating my Christmas tree. It is all complete except for one project that i was adament about doing this year. I had the great idea to string popcorn and cranberries for garland on the tree. It does look nice. The problem is I've been working on this for a week now, and only have half the tree done.



The other problem is every time we turn around, Noah is eating the popcorn off the tree!

peace and quiet!

Lucas and Noah are at their Mimi and PawPaw's tonight! It's so quiet around here, I'm almost lost!



I have tons of things that I need to get done while their not around, but I have somehow wasted the night away watching Survivor and eating pizza. What a night!

oh yeah...

I forgot to post that Noah will be celebrating 2 years of life...



for those of you who care. And those who don't, you should! ;)

Happy Birthday

to Noah. Not yet, actually, he has 11 more days. However, I have yet to plan anything. I do know that I'll be baking a Blue's Clue's birthday cake, but beyond that, it's a mystery.



I laugh at the remembrance of Lucas' 1st birthday. I began planning when he was 6 months. And, yes, I took the entire 6 months to plan the monster of all parties. Complete with party hats, blowers, and party favors. What 1 year old needs a party blower or a party favor?



I have since come to realize that until they are older, birthday parties are more for the adults involved since the child will have no recollection of anything that will take place, nor does he care if the party hats are from Birthday Express or the Dollar Tree.



So now my party planning is reduced to the last few days before the actual event. It'll all get done and Noah will never know that his mom forgot to plan his birthday party until 2 weeks before! :)

light at the end of the tunnel

I finally see it! Seems like Jacob is in better spirits today after a few treatments with an albuterol inhaler and an antibiotic for an ear infection. It seems when kids are little (as all 3 of mine still are) that their illnesses are never-ending. Surely it's only a matter of time until their immune systems are tough enough to handle most of what is thrown at them, but until then, I'll spend much of the winter locked inside my house with 3 little boys and their germs.

frustration

Okay. Here's my rant for the day.



This is the 3rd day in a row to take Jacob to the doctor. Something is wrong with this child, and no doctor can tell me what it is. Monday he was there for a nasty nasty cough and a rattle in his chest. Because of his recent pneumonia case, I took him in to make sure all was clear. The doctor told me I was basically paranoid and that he was clear. Bring him back if he develops a fever.



Monday afternoon he awoke with a fever. "No problem" I was told after calling the office. If it last for 2 days, call us back.



Yesterday afternoon, he awoke from a nap, still with fever, and now crying non-stop for over an hour. This is not like him at all. I call the doctor and they tell me there are no appts. left. They also tell me I need to take him to the Children's Healthcare urgent care office. So, off we go.



Chest x-ray is clear. Flu test is negative. It's probably the cough medicine you gave him that's making him cry and fuss, I'm told.



Last night, fever all night, coughing all night, no sleep.



This morning, coughing up green stuff, vomiting, still slight fever. I call back and they tell me to bring him in this afternoon.



Kyle says I need to tell them I'm not paying for this visit. I think I agree with him.

Lazy Day

I'm having one of those days. I have no desire to do anything that is on my "to do" list. I've had the tv on all morning for the boys, which is something I try very hard not to do. I feel guilty, but it hasn't motivated me to get up and turn it off. I did fold a basket of laundry a while ago, but nothing since then.



Maybe this afternoon will be more produtive than this morning has been.

top to bottom?

Do you put lights on a Christmas tree from the top to the bottom or the bottom to the top?



We've had this "discussion" for 5 years now, and still can't figure it out!

Turkey and Traffic

We had a great Thanksgiving. My grandmother lives in Knoxville, TN so we took the kids up to see her for Thursday and Friday. Of course, after 2 days with us, she was worn out, but she was glad we came.



The biggest surprise of the weekend.....My husband woke up at 5:15 to go shopping with me Friday morning! Now, this is a tradition that I don't usually take part in. However, there were 2 really good deals that I wanted to get too. So, we left our kids sleeping (with my mom) and took off a little before 6am. This being Kyle's first Day-After-Thanksgiving Shopping trip, he was amazed at the number of people already on the road. We were moving at the speed limit, however, until we saw the sign that read "West Hills Exit.....3 miles" The traffic volume suddenly increased by about 200 cars and we realized that the exit 3 miles away was the mall. Luckily, we weren't headed to the mall. No one would be at our stores, we thought.



Kyle dropped me off at the local JoAnn, etc. store while he went next door to Best Buy. I expected him to return in an hour or so, but after 30 minutes he was back.



He told me of the line that wrapped itself around the sidewalk, through the parking lot and over to the next store, in the pouring rain. All people waiting to get into Best Buy.



"I'll just go when we leave here," he decided.



Wrong. 1 1/2 hours later, we left JoAnn's and headed next door. There were still at least 200 people in line waiting to be let in. Still standing in the rain, still cold.



What makes people do this? Granted, I was one of the crazy people up at the break of dawn to get a bargain. But, I would not sleep in my car the night before, or stand in a line that would take longer than a couple of minutes to get through. Is it really worth that to save a few bucks? Guess that's a personal decision, but my thought is, probably not.



Kyle won't be repeating his shopping trip next year. That's one tradition he'd rather not start.

waiting

I took Jacob back to the dr. this morning. He's been very hoarse for a few days now, so I called this morning to check on that. Since he never had a recheck for his pneumonia, they asked me to bring him in today.



No problem, I thought. My mom is here this morning and she can stay with the other 2 while I take Jacob in.



"You'll see the Dr. on call today," I was told.



No problem, I thought. The past couple of times we've done that, we've been in and out in a jiffy.



Upon arrival in the waiting room, I see people waiting outside the door of the office.



No problem, I thought. They're probably waiting on other family members.



As I check in, I realize that all these people are here to see the same doctor. (The on call doctor is up stairs from the main office).



I ask if all these people are in front of us and am assured that though there will be a small wait, most of them have showed up early for their appt.



1 1/2 hours later..........................it is down to me and another family, who has told me that their appt. was 11:15.



No problem, I thought. I'm next.



Wrong again.



2 hours and 15 minutes after arriving for my doctor's appt., the doctor walks in, and with a smile on her face states....



"Sorry for the wait."



And Jacob....



He has a cold.

Last 5

Proud Person	Broken Person
Wants to be sure that no one finds out when they have sinned; their instinct is to cover up	Once broken, doesn't care about who knows or who finds out; are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose.
Has a hard time saying "I was wrong; will you forgive me?" .	Is quick to admit failure and to see forgiveness when necessary
Tends to deal in generalities when confessing sin.	Is grieved over the cause, the root of their sin.
Compares themselves with others and feels worthy of honor.	Compares themselves to the holiness of God and feels a desperate need for His mercy.
Doesn't think they have anything to repent of.	Realizes that they have need of a continual heart attitude of repentance.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Ps. 51:17

Strike 3, You're out

My children are on strike today.



Jacob is on strike from sleeping. He has only had a total of 1 hour of sleep since he woke up this morning. About 2 1/2 hours behind.



Noah is on strike from drinking. He'll eat anything, but try to get him to drink some juice, and it's a no can do. Hope we're not in the dr. office with dehydration tomorrow.



Lucas, well he's not on strike. Yet. Give him time, I'm sure he'll come up with something.

The Next 5

Here are the next 5 entries in the Proud V. Broken Person

Proud Person	Broken Person
Keeps others at arms' length	Is willing to risk getting close to others and to take risks of loving intimately.
Is quick to blame others.	Accepts personal responsibility and can see where they are wrong in a situation.
Is unapproachable or defensive when criticized	receives a criticism with a humble, open spirit.
Is concerned with being respectable, with what others think; works to protect their own image and reputation.	Is concerned with being real; what matters to them is not what others think but what God knows; is willing to die to their own reputation.
Finds it difficult to share their spiritual need with others.	Is willing to be open and transparent with others as God directs..

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Ps. 51:17

We're Back

Actually, we've been back for a couple of days now. We had a great trip, but I was very much ready to be back at home. While there we visited the local ER and doctor's office! Noah woke up Monday morning with a temp. of 103.8. After a trip to the ER at 3am, it was decided to put him on antibiotics, even though they really couldn't find anything wrong. The next morning, he wasn't eating or drinking, so I was worried that he had strep throat. A trip back to the doctor, a change of medicine, and he was on his way back to normal. It's always nice to get away for a while, but it's always nice to be back home!

Blog Vacation

There will be no more blogging here 'til sometime next week. We are going to Charleston, SC to spend a few days with friends. Have a good one!

What????!!!!!

This morning Good Morning America had a report on a London couple who, in the next few weeks, will be turning their newborn baby over to a gorilla in a zoo. I decided to check it out and here is part of an articleabout this situation.



"He has, he says, consciously decided to be a very different kind of father. He is very hands-on with his four-week-old baby girl, Freya. "I am very happy," he says. "Donna is an amazing woman and a wonderful mother. I wouldn't have bred with her if I didn't think that." Bred? "Can't help it," he says. "I always go back to animal terminology." Within the next few weeks, and with Donna's full approval, he will give the baby to the gorillas. "It's a ritual," he says. "I'll probably give her to the dominant female who will then take her off, sex her, and introduce her to the others. I did this with my other daughters, now it's Freya's turn." That's very trusting of him, I say. He looks startled. "But why would I not trust them?" he says. "I know them. I grew up with them. They are my friends."



Am I the only one who seems disturbed by this?

today's installment

Proud Person	Broken Person
Has a drive to be recognized and appreciated	Has a sense of their own unworthiness; are thrilled that God would use them at all.
Is wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked.	Is eager for others to get the credit and rejoice when others are lifted up.
Has a subconscious feeling, "This ministry/church is privileged to have me and my gifts;" thinks of what they can do for God	Has a heart attitude that says, "I don't deserve to have a part in any ministry;" knows that they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing through their broken life.
Feels confident in how much they know.	Is humbled by how very much they have to learn.
Is self-conscious.	Is not concerned with self at all.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Ps. 51:17

On A Roll

I know I'm a Mommy when I rush to the computer to document that Jacob rolled over from his back to his tummy! And he's not even 6 months yet! What a genius! :)

one more mixture......

My husband reminded me of one more mixture that I use to trick my children.....I put food processed mixed veggies in spaghetti sauce and quesadillas. yummmm!

Mix It Up

My children eat the most disgusting mixtures of food imaginable. Maybe it has something to do with their age, or maybe it has everything to do with them being boys. Here are some of their favorites:



If Lucas is eating yogurt, anything is fair game to be dipped. Some recent victims include, cheese, green beans, and chicken nuggets.



Whenever corn and mashed potatoes are present on the plate together, it is a Lucas Law that they must be "all mixed together" before they will enter his mouth.



Noah will put any combination of foods in his mouth. Currently he is eating a piece of ham and a bite of a bran muffin.



Another Noah favorite: any dessert and any meat available on his plate. (I'd like to thank my mother-in-law for this one. To get my children to eat veggies or meat, she often disguises it under a bite of pie or cake.)



Ketchup is also a universal topping. Lucas dipped his mixed veggies in ketchup a few days ago after realizing he was not getting down from lunch until he ate 2 bites.



Noah has been known to cram grapes, meatloaf, and a drink of milk all at once.



And poor Jacob will eat anything he's given. I make his baby food and am beginning to mix foods together for the sake of saving a few freezable containers. Some his future meals: chicken, peas, and carrots; sweet potatoes and chicken (that's probably not so bad, actually), potatoes, broccoli, and chicken.



Now that you're good and hungry, go try some new mixtures of your own! :)

Proud v Broken cont.

Proud Person	Broken Person
Claims rights; has a demanding spirit	Yields their rights; has a meek spirit.
Is self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation.	Is self-denying.
Desires to be served	Is motivated to serve others.
Desires to be a success.	Is motivated to be faithful and to make others a success.
Desires self-advancement.	Desires to promote others.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Ps. 51:17

Proud v Broken cont.

Proud Person	Broken Person
Claims rights; has a demanding spirit	Yields their rights; has a meek spirit.
Is self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation.	Is self-denying.
Desires to be served	Is motivated to serve others.
Desires to be a success.	Is motivated to be faithful and to make others a success.
Desires self-advancement.	Desires to promote others.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Ps. 51:17

Proud or Broken?

I mentioned earlier about the characteristics of a proud person versus a broken person. There are quite a few of them, so I've decided to post a few at a time.



Here's today's supplement:

Proud Person	Broken Person
Focuses on the failures of others	Overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need.
A critical, fault-finding spirit; looks at everyone else's faults with a microscope, but their own with a telescope.	Compassionate; can forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven
Self-Righteous; looks down on others	Esteem all others better than themselves
Independent, self-sufficient spirit	Have a dependent spirit; recognize their need for others
Have to prove that they are right	Willing to yield the right to be right

the luck of the Irish

No, I'm not Irish, but I am eating a bowl of Lucky Charms.



My children are just now getting into breakfast cereal. Until now, it's been cereal bars (i.e., NutriGrain) or cheese toast.



My problem with kids' cereals is this: as you walk down the cereal isle in the grocery store, every box contains the words "a great source of 10 Vitamins" or something similar. Great, the average consumer thinks. However, when you look at the nutrition facts on the side of the box most of these cereals contain at least 15-20 grams of sugar in a serving. How big is a serving? Usually less than 1/2 cup, which isn't much.



So, my question is this- Do I feed my children the sugar packed cereal because it's something they willingly eat and it does contain small percentages of at least 10 vitamins, or do I forego the cereal and supplement their cheese toast with a vitamin?

Kudos to my husband

I have the most wonderful, God given husband, who will gladly answer his call of duty whenever necessary, and many times when it's not necessary.



Yesterday, even with mounds of work he needed to do at his "income paying job", he was willing to come and sit with his worried wife and fussy 5 month old. On top of pushing everything aside for his family, he took Jacob back for all the testing, shots, and x-rays that I couldn't bear to watch (call me whatever you may, but seeing that done to this precious child who can't defend himself renders me in tears.)



I know today he's working 2 days in one trying to catch up from yesterday and not one complaint has come from his mouth.



A friend of mine always tells me how lucky I am. Her husband rarely gives up his work and activities for his family. I don't think it's luck, though. I believe that it's the natural overflow from a man's heart that loves his Lord more than his life. I owe him more than I'll ever be able to repay.

Prayer Request

Not much blogging today. We've had a stressful day.



Jacob (the 5 1/2 month old) has had a cold for about a week now. Yesterday, we noticed his cough seemed to be a little nastier than it had been. After a night of no sleep with him, I took his temp. about 6am and found it to be 102. I called the dr. and got an appt. for early morning.



Thinking I'd just go in and get a diagnosis of an ear infection, Kyle decided to meet me at the dr. with the other boys and he would go to work from there. What I thought was going to be a quick trip to the dr. turned into a 4 1/2 hour ordeal.



She did all the things drs. do, and still couldn't find the source of his, now,103.5 degree fever. Concerned that this was a tidge high for a small baby, she did a urinary tract infection test and a test to check his white blood cell count. The UTI was clear, but the other was very high. Soooooo, we were sent across the street for more tests......a blood test to check for blood infection and a chest x-ray, just to make sure she didn't miss anything.



I didn't know what to pray for. I didn't want pneumonia, but I didn't want a blood infection either. So, I prayed that one of these test would give us a result so we wouldn't have to endure another day of this.



I got my answer. When we returned to the dr. we were told that he, indeed, had pneumonia. It was small, they said, so hopefully we caught it early enough. His blood oxygen level was very good, so they gave him a shot of antibiotics, told us to watch him for breathing difficulties tonight, and come back tomorrow.



So, it's 6:30 and his fever seems to be under control. He's playing happily at this moment. Please continue to pray for him that he would have no breathing difficulty tonight, and tomorrow would show dramatic improvement in that lung.



Thanks!

pj day

It's 12:15 and I just now dressed my children.



They are eating their nutritious lunch of chicken nuggets and mac and cheese (which only one child will eat, but I fix it anyway), and Lucas informs me that I am now his waiter at a restaurant.



I feel like that sometimes!

socks

Where do all the socks go that I can't find a match for?



No, seriously.....any ideas? If I could find the matching socks for every single sock I have in our special single sock pile, I could lower our monthly budget by 10%. (Well, maybe by, like, .0008 percent).

el padre

A few months ago, the house across the street was under construction (actually, it still is but that's another story). There were a few hispanic men working on the house, but their work truck was no where in sight. The only evidence that they were even in the house was a blaring hispanic radio station playing the best hits from Mexico. Lucas had been learning Spanish in preschool and was quite familiar with it's sound. As we walked outside to get in the van, Lucas stopped and looked at me quite puzzled.



"Mom" he said with a look only Lucas can give, "I think I hear God singing in Spanish!"

First time for everything

Lucas told us something tonight that hurt my heart . We knew it was only a matter of time until we heard these words, but I wasn't prepared for how hurt I would be when he said them. His words????



"Jesse (a boy at church) is mean to me."



I know, I know......it's not that big of a deal. Every child is teased, every child utters these words at least 1,000 times in their childhood. But this is his very first time to tell us that someone (outside of his brother) is being mean to him. I'm not really sure how Jesse has been mean. Lucas told Kyle that Jesse called his Buzz and Woody (Toy Story) shirt a "girl shirt." He told me Jesse "pokes him on the arm." Whichever it is, I'm sure he won't need years of therapy to get over it.



But I might. :)

Heart Surgery

No, I didn't have heart surgery, at least in the physical sense. However, God did do a number on me this weekend while I was at the Revive Our Hearts conference. I'll no doubt be writing about this for weeks, but here are a few things that God spoke to me specifically about.



I have been trying to satisfy my thirst in wrong places....the main way is through relationships and the approval of others. God showed me that HE wants to satisfy my thirst and deepest longings. No other person nor their approval will be able to fill what only God was designed to fill. I've been so dry lately wondering why God won't meet with me. The problem hasn't been God. The problem has been me. I had junk in my life that hadn't been dealt with and I wasn't broken before Him. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to meet with me, I just was not allowing Him too.



He showed me how prideful I am. I would post the list of characteristics of a proud person and characteristics of a broken person, but it's too long. (If you'd like a copy, post a comment, and I can send you one.) God showed me how critical I am, how much I seek the approval of others, and how hard it is for me to say "I was wrong. Please forgive me."



There were many, many other things that God revealed to me, but I'm still sorting it all out and can't put it all into words yet. I just know that He has broken me and there is such freedom in being broken before Him. The Almighty God of the universe wants to be my Abba, my Daddy. He has chosen me and loves me with a love that I will never be able to figure out. I will always be in wonder and awe at the fact that He has chosen me and loves me.



Lord, make me a reflection of your glory!

What a Day!

Whew. What a day!



I loaded up the boys (who by the way are 3, 22 months, and 5 1/2 months) this morning for at trek to my husband's office. I do this from time to time, though sometimes I'm not sure why. My reasoning today, however, was a flu shot.



Our adventure began at 9:00 when I started loading them in the van. To get ready to go somewhere with my clan, I have to begin gathering them about 30-40 minutes before I need to leave. Here's why....



By 9:10 I have Lucas (the oldest) and Jacob (the youngest) in the van. I am chasing Noah (the middle one) who senses that "The Wiggles" are about to be turned off (The Wiggles is a tv show on Disney, that's another blog in itself), and is running to the TV to protect his beloved Wiggles. After catching Noah, I put him in the van with his brothers.



By 9:15, we are all in the van. I reach for the keys......The keys......This, as my husband will tell you, is an everyday occurrence. My keys are in one of four places...the front seat of the van, my purse, the diaper bag, or a basket in the kitchen. I check the first 3 and no luck. Back into the house to fetch my keys.



9:20 I'm back in the van ready to go. One last check to make sure I have everything, and everyONE. And we're off (and in record time, I might add)



After a few errands, we head for Alpharetta. It always amazes me that this less than 30 mile drive takes at least an hour with moderate traffic.



We're not in the car 10 minutes when Lucas starts asking "Are we there yet?" I don't mind answering this once, but it doesn't end there. I believe he is THE most persistent 3 year old on Earth. Every 2 or 3 minutes, Lucas pipes up "Are we there yet?" Which makes for a LONG ride.



An hour later, we pull into the parking lot. I drive to the visitor's parking which is conveniently located right up front. No free spaces. That's okay, surely there is another close one. No such luck. I park in what seems to be the farthest space available, and begin the next leg of the journey, unloading.



I have this down to a science. I won't bore you with the details, but 6 minutes after parking, we are headed into the building.



Once in Kyle's office, I realize his "30 minute meeting" has gone a little over (by almost 30 minutes). My children are destroying everything they can touch. There are candy machines, Beanie Babies, yo-yos, balls, and other play things on everyone's desk. My children think it is the grandest place to visit next to Toys-R-Us.



After a few minutes of chasing them away from valuable items, Kyle emerges from his meeting. We head downstairs and out to the pond for our picnic. Lunch was nice, except for Noah crushing Lucas' pretzels with his feet and digging through the trash. Back inside, Jacob is the topic of conversation, while the other two are into everything. I think I said "No, don't touch" more than I can count. After a few minutes, I can take it no longer and decide it's time to go.



30 minutes later, we are back in the van heading home. I was looking forward to a quiet ride home with my children peacefully sleeping....yeah, right. About 10 minutes from our house, Noah falls asleep. I notice Lucas is asleep as I'm pulling into the driveway. Thinking I'll just transfer them quietly into their beds, I open the door quietly. Lucas pops his head up and says "Are we there yet?"



Now I sit listening to them having a grand ole time in their room. No nap today. Good thing Daddy's got them tonight. I, fortunately, will have a night of adult conversation at a women's Revive Our Hearts conference downtown. I think I need a nap first.



And my whole reason for this crazy day was????? Oh yeah, the flu shot. I think next time, I'll drive the 5 min. to my doctor's office and pay the 8 bucks extra.

My Second Blog

No, my titles will not be in numerical order for every blog.



My oldest son, who is 3, has developed a strong opposition to sleeping in his own bed. A few weeks ago, we took a trip to Michigan to attend "Family Camp." For 7 nights, our entire family slept in the same room. Lucas was thrilled and thought that this tradition should continue as long as he sees fit.



Now I sit at 10:20 (2 hours after putting him in bed) and I'm still listening to "Mommy.....Mommy.......MOMMY...."



Me: What Lucas?

Lucas: I don't like my bed anymore.

Me: I know you don't.

Lucas: But I like your bed.

Me: I'm sure you do.

Lucas: You'll come get me when you go to sleep?

Me: No.

Lucas: Why?

Me: Because you need to sleep in your own bed.

Lucas: But I like sleeping with you and Daddy because it's not scary. (that's his 3 year old way to say he feels safe.)



It's hard to resist that reasoning, but I quickly remember what it feels like to be kicked in the side, head, and stomach repeatedly in the middle of the night, and quickly tell him for the 57th time....



"God can take better care of you than Mommy and Daddy. Good night."

My First Blog

My husband has inspired me to begin my own blog. So here it is.