Little Ears

I am still cracking up at my kids. So, we are coming home from what proved to be an amazing amazing Thanksgiving. The food was stellar and the family was wonderful. We are all in a great mood so I am flippin through the radio stations when "Sweet Home Alabama" comes on. Singin at the top of my lungs, because I am ancient and know all the words, I heard the kids getting in on the action. After the song was over, Avery said, "So mommy, did they make this song because of the white house?" I was perplexed and said, "I don't know what you mean, baby." She said, "well, the song sings, Sweet home, Obama and I guess that's because he is moving into the nicest house in America, right?" I cracked up and decided to go with it! I bet Obama is pretty pumped about his new address as well, but I doubt if he writes a song about it!

Admittedly, I have been a big slacker on my blog. I am just doing lots of Christmas shopping, decorating, school work and admittedly facebook. EEKS! Now that is an addiction. I have connected with a significant chunk of people in my life and time gets away from me when we start chatting. I think technology is a blessing and a curse! The girls are fine...they are growing up fast. Olivia is SO tall. Anytime I introduce her, the comment is always that in a year or so she will be eye to eye to me. Ya, I know. Avery is a free bird and blissfully enjoying her childhood, as it should be! Frank is doing great but is tired from his new duties at work. We are getting a puppy for the girls for Christmas. Oh, what am I ever signing up for! It will be like having a newborn all over again! So, all is well with us. We are just livin day to day right now.

Time Well Wasted

Today was just one of those days. I was feeling under the weather, wanting to just get by, and lounge the day away. For the most part, I have to say it was a pathetic existence. The girls and I did 4 subjects and called it a day. I pretty much laid around all day and managed to take a shower to switch pajamas. Yeah, I admit, it was ridiculous. The girls kept coming in to check on me, kiss my forehead and tell me they loved me. It was so glorious, I could do it again tomorrow~ hmm... I am grateful for lazy days!

Being A Mommy

Being a mommy means to quietly wake up, in the wee hours of predawn, sneaking to get some quiet/alone/Bible time and smiling when one pitter patters behind you to "join" you. Beng a mommy means to let the cat in, who is "supposed" to be outside at all times just because of that hard belly laugh it brings them. Being a mommy means fixing eggs after they proclaimed they wanted them and not getting upset when they "really" meant to say waffles. Being a mommy means to allow them to procrastinate school until after this next favorite cartoon. Being a mommy means to let them take their scarves, tie them around the banister, lift their feet screaming "weeee!" all the way down. Being a mommy means kissing the little knees that are hurt from free falling down the banister. Being a mommy means caving in to "CAN WE PLEASE DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS!!!OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE!!!! MISS AMY ALREADY DID!" Being a mommy means turning your face away so they can't see you laughing when the most hilarious little voice attempts to recite/sing the Doxology while making up their own words and singing at the top of their voices! Being a mommy means you actually try not to cringe when you hear the words "Don't look mommy, I have made a BEAUTIFUL creation out of your special pretties!" Being a mommy means when you turn around and they yell "Look, I decorated the tree for you!" and all the weight of the ornaments is at the bottom of the tree like an anchor! Being a mommy means you exclaim how beautiful the outdoor tree looks now that it is "choking" from all the tightly wound garland that is supposed to be draped around it but instead is tied up like a kidnapped victim! Being a mommy, means you answer "absolutely" when a little one decides now is the time to make blueberry muffins "all by herself!" Being a mommy means you sometimes give up your quiet bath time to a rush of little ones playing chase and laughing hysterically screaming, "mommy, save me!!" Being a mommy means having the priveledge of hearing "MOOMMMM, we need help!" right in the middle of typing this! Being a mommy means you don't freak out when their room is set up like a UFC fighting ring and they are banging on each other with pillows that later will turn to toys! Being a mommy means "Lord, thank you for this most awesome priveledge and experience. Please help me to keep my patience always, and to focus on the gift you have challenged me with. The gift of being a mommy to two amazing little people. Thank you for giving me a glimpse of how you must feel about us. Most importantly, Lord, help me to lead them to you, to be servants to you all the days of their lives" Oh, ya, and Lord, help keep me sane! For all that I have listed above were all events that happened in only one day....today. Amen.

I have mentioned in the past how much Olivia loves her art. For awhile, we switched to another teacher. Although she was a very sweet and kind lady, there was something missing for Olivia. Her art work in the former class was more inspired. It was all in the teaching style. Avery is now in the class as well. Both girls are THOROUGHLY enjoying it! They love it when Thursday morning rolls around and I am so grateful for their art school. For them, art is such an amazing way to express themselves. I look at their work and I am blown away, my gifts do not lie within abilities to paint or draw! I love all that they are doing!

A Sign of the Times

The girls and I are watching the t.v. as the election process is underway. The girls are all fired up because they got to"vote" at the children's museum today. I was chuckling when Avery told the lady that she wasn't a "dumb-o-crat!" I couldn't have said it better myself! They are both very excited and are watching as things unfold. Olivia said, "Just think about how exciting this would have been if we were watching Abraham Lincoln on TV!" I reminded her that they didn't have tv back then. As a matter of fact, tv wasn't around until great grandma was a girl! So really, tv isn't even 100 years old yet! Wow! And just when I thought they were "in the know" and understood I heard "Then how did they play their Wii?"

In Memory Of.....

• The lessons that life teaches us are great. Someone near us decided that it wasn't worth it anymore and took their own life. She was a teenager and we are profoundly affected by her decision. As I heard the news, it made me nauseaus. I cried and ran to the bathroom to get sick. We were back and forth as to what to tell our children....do we share with them the truth or do we try to be a vague as possible. We chose both. We started out by simply delaying telling them until we could think...then we decided to tell them that Kelly had died. We did not want to tell them the manner in which she went, just that we would all be attending the funeral together. Many questions came from it all...."Is she in heaven?", "Why did she die?", etc. All of the hard questions that are much easier to answer when you have the Bible to fall back on. The truth is we don't know anything other than what God chooses to reveal through His word. Daily readings of the word have been essential in my spiritual growth in order to achieve a greater more personal relationship with Him. I am more than ever convinced that I would really like to work with teenagers in some capacity. They have always scared me but now I am feeling like it is time to face my fears. I can't imagine a harder time in life than being a teenager. I have been there and it was difficult, confusing, and hormonal all at once. I am praying for God to open a door for an opportunity to present itself in this capacity. I know if it is His will, then it will become apparent. For now, I am just stepping back and praying for the families that have been forever changed and impacted. While at the funeral, I couldn't help but think that if Kelly had seen all the people there who loved her and supported her family, that she would have changed her mind and not gone through with it. It seems so light to say that she made a mistake. We all have made many mistakes, some that are with a penalty some without, or seemingly so. Her mistake was permanant. It can't be changed and it wasn't worth it. The profound sadness that is swelling within our circle of love is intense. As a person, I will never be the same. As a parent, I am forever changed.