My hamper floweth over

I give thanks for the ridiculously nice weather we had this holiday! On turkey day, my kids raked a big pile of leaves in their grandpa's yard for the sole purpose of jumping in. OnFriday, it was so nice that they actually waded in th creak at Dwight! (Don't be too jealous, Elena, the water was freezing, my kids are a little nutty). It was warm enough to be almost uncomfortable in long sleeves, though.

I give thanks for friends who stick around no matter what the weather is like.



I give thanks for my husband, whom without I would be in a straight jacket. Whil at times his calm nature can have quite the opposite affect on me, without it I would be lost.



i give thanks for healthy, happy children. That my major concerns are but fevers and bad manners.


Happy Holidays

Post a rare, candid, semi-decent family pic.





Nothing nice to say; bad day at work, whiney, sick kids, headache, sleep deprivation, not looking forward to the trip to McAlester. Cry me a river....

Thanks for making feel like I am not alone in my putzy little world. While I still win the record (I did lose my own keys in the vaccuum at the car wash, after all), there are some amateur putzes, and that gives me comfort.

Max went to the doctor yesterday; no strep, but he was tested for RSV and the flu. I haven't heard anything yet; no news is good news, right? He is feeling a little better today, and his fever is not nearly as high.


I thought I would share with you my latest letter:


Dear McDonald's,

Yesterday I noticed you had posted a condiment price sheet at the drivethru. We visit your establishment about twice a month, and usually order 3 chicken nugget happy meals. We never get "nugget sauce". At 25 cents a piece, I figure you owe me at least $200 retroactively from the past 10 years. If you could please send my reimbursement check ASAP, it would be nice to have it before Christmas.



Sincerely,
Mom to many

I never think of myself as a "soccer mom" or a "chauffeur", it just doesn't seem to me we spend that much time in the car. My schedule feel very manageable UNTIL....

Someone has to go to the doctor. Then I realize just how full of pick-up and drop-off times.

Everyday, the older kids have to be at school by 8:00. I have to be at work between 8:30 and 8:45 with the 2 youngest in tow. Pierce has to be picked up by 11:00, I get off work at 2:45 and the girls have to be picked up at 3:00.

Unless it's Thursday. Then they are picked up at 3:45 after chess club.

Tuesdays, Ashton has acting from 4:30 to 7:00, Wednesday, Jordan has choir from 4:30 to 5:30, (except on the days she has voice lessons, then she gets out at 6:30)


And those are just the basics. Sooo, there is never a window large enough to schedule a doctor or dentist appointment without the aid of my husband.

Must go pack up Max to go to the doctor with daddy, he has by my best guess strep throat? (Threw up once, no appetite, high fever). Hope you have a healthy weekend!

I am a putz. I admit it. I have blogged about it. You think that would help. The awareness that I tend to do putzy things should help me prevent repeatedly making the same mistakes. But no.


This weekend, I hit my head so hard coming out of the girls' closet that I thought I was going to pass out. I have hit my head coming out of the girls' closet approximately 257 times since we moved into this house 5 years ago. I always warn Chad that if he is not nice to me, I will go have a CAT scan and, when they find the obvious brain damage, claim that he beats me. I mean, really, do you think that they will believe anyone would hit their head in the EXACT SAME SPOT 257 times?


Every time I use the microwave to defrost pork chops, the same ridiculous thought creeps into my head. I know it is going to creep into my head, I say to myself "don't think that ridiculous thought, DON'T!" But I think it nonetheless. The thought, you ask? "Do I press defrost 1 or 2?" Defrost 1 being meat, defrost 2 being poultry. Yes, I have to think, "Are pork chops, meat, or poultry?" Laugh if you must, but when pigs fly...,



I like to keep hard boiled eggs around for the kids to have as snacks. EVERY time I make them, I forget I am making them, and let them boil for 15 to 20 minutes. If my children ever have to answer what color the yolk of an egg is on a test, they will answer "green on the outside and yellow on the inside."


Feel free to share embarrassing stories about yourself, make me feel better, PLEASE tell me I am not alone!


I leave you with my kids school pics....

Just thought I would give a few updates on the clan....

Jordan



She was elected vice president of the student counsel, had great grades this semester, and is singing in both the Honors choir at school and a small girls' choir. She has one of only 2 solos this Thursday for the honors choir fall program.

Ashton


She is practicing earnestly for her upcoming starring role in Annie. Alright, so she's not THE star, but Annie wouldn't be much without, Molly, right? She also had fabulous grades, and is finally starting to realize that reading fiction is fun (or at least she is humoring me). We just finished Edward Tulane, great book!


Pierce


He is really growing up! The reading is going great, and so is school in general. He is "a joy to have in class": music to my ears!


Lillian


I promise I am proud of her, but right now what I appreciate most about her is the comic relief.
Conversation the day after Halloween, Pierce and Lillian on the couch in the living room, mom in the bathroom getting ready for work:
"Yes It IS Pierce! I KNOW what it is called! I am going to ask mommy."
She marches assuredly into the bathroom.
"Mom, when you have a bunch of candy, and you give a few pieces away (Pierce wanted to bring some candy for his teacher), isn't that called wasting?"
"no, Lillian, it's called sharing."
"(long sigh) Okaayyyy."

One evening, she was trying to convince me to let her watch a movie.
"Please mommy? Pleaseee Mommy? Please? (folds arms bats eyelashes)
"Mommy, I pinky promise you I'll be good. PINKY promise."
"Mommy? You're so pretty."
(no, I didn't cave)

Max



Ahhh Max. How can you not be proud of someone so set in their convictions? Who knows what they want and will stop at nothing to get it? (that something by the way, candy)
Last week, before school, I saw him in the hall with a sucker. I took it away, and 5 minutes later he had another. I take it, and follow him as he marches defiantly into my directors office, and pulls another from a basket on her desk. I take it away, put the basket up high, and turn around to talk to a co-worker. A minute later, her face goes white, she starts pointing her finger and muttering unintelligibly. I turn around, and he is about to put a screwdriver in an electric pencil sharpener. His motto in life: "GIVE ME CANDY, OR GIVE ME DEATH"

I take my class to chapel once a week, and this week they sang "oh be careful little eyes what you see." In case you are unfamiliar with this children's hymn, it reminds children to be careful what they see, do, where they go, because God is always watching.

Of course this is a good rule of thumb to follow for adults, as well. Christianity, as well as many other religions, believe in an ominous creator, who is able to see our every move and even know our every thought.

Although this should be enough to keep any believer in line most of the time, it is easy to ignore the all seeing eyes of God because we cannot see them ourselves.


The good thing is that this song reminds us that "the Father up above, He is looking down in LOVE......"


However, what has been motivating me to be a better person lately are not the eyes that are looking down on me, but rather the eyes that are looking up at me, and there are 10 of them.

Although I don't doubt my children's' love, their eyes are not looking up in love, but looking for guidance, an example to follow.

And they see virtually every move I make. Hear every word I say, and know what is in my heart by my facial expressions.

Unlike the unchanging eyes of God, these eyes are very impressionable. Luckily, we don't have to worry about influencing God with our bad behaviors. God will never take up smoking because He thinks we look so cool doing it, or talk disrespectful to His siblings/friends because that's how mommy and daddy talk to each other.

When we err in the eyes of God, we know that our remorse will grant us absolute forgiveness. While our children can be very forgiving, they don't forget so easily.


It really quite overwhelming. Questions like "If breakfast is so important, mommy, why are you only having coffee? Or not having it at all?"
"If those words are bad to say, why do you mumble them sometimes when you are in traffic?"
"You looked bored in church today. Do you think church is boring?"

And on, and on..... Behaviors that we have never given much thought to as being negative can seem so obviously that when mimicked by our children.

It seems more and more important to me to share my faith with my children. We are never going to be able to be a perfect example for our children, and we are certain to pass along a few of our least desirable qualities. But what a relief to be able to pass along a perfect and infallible example as well. I believe in a God whose love cannot be lost, who is slow to anger, quick to forgive, and who wants nothing more than for us to know true happiness.

I hope that when my children look back on their childhood, that they don't just remember a mom who was buried in laundry, forever stuck in traffic, and exhausted by the end of the day. I hope to have taught them acceptance, love, and forgiveness.

No one ever says "remember that time, mom, when you were folding our socks and zoning off in to space, counting the hours until bedtime?"

I am going to go make brownies with my kids now, throw caution to the wind, and let them lick the beaters, a memory no child should be denied....