Howl-o-ween pt. 2

To expound on my last blog, we did a big Trunk-or-Treat and tons of families from the community came. And as the Children's Minister, Brent had a rainout plan but he did not, however, have one for if someone was wearing a black t-shirt with white lettering spelling "F@$& YOU". So awkward! I felt so bad for Brent. He made a judgement call to let her go through the trunk-or-treat but some people didn't agree with his call, others thought he was doing nothing so someone approached her at the end with the police officer with them and asked her to change shirts or leave. He even said he had a shirt she could borrow. But the whole situation was so awkward! The pastor thought Brent should have given her a choir robe to wear! I just can't believe someone would think they could throw on a shirt like that and hit the town! I can see both sides, honestly. It was a community event and I don't think we should go out and ask others to change before we get to know who they are. But, at the same time, it's within our right to have wholesome standards for a kids' event. Who knew he needed to have a plan for that??? We'll add that to the list. Brent's in Africa for about 10 days! I can't believe he beat me to the Motherland! I hope and pray he has a life changing experience! Sometimes I need a distance-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder trip. And I know we will be so excited to see him and we still have a week left! It's been awesome tho having a free expression weekend with no one questioning why I'm spray painting, cutting up (his) t-shirts, or buying an old ladder. Sometimes you lose something in the explanation. But, as we resume our regular schedule, we are going to miss going to his office or seeing him at lunch. We'll be brave tho! :)

Howl-o-ween

I find that any holiday is high pressure for a mom, including Halloween. I was a ball of stress the night before and the day of. First off, how awkward was it that it was a Wednesday? So awkward! Because of the placement, it was necessary to do something at church. We did a trunk or treat...easy and gets the candy job done. It was well attended by lots and lots of people from the community by far outnumbering our church folks. But we had just gotten a baby the night before (sweet, sweet baby...still glad he went home to momma but I'm trying to push that one down) and Beatle had her afternoon gymnastics. It was just a tight afternoon/evening getting everywhere we usually needed to be as we'll as remembering all of the girls' costumes, cameras, candy bags, etc. Anyone feeling me? Plus, I don't just take my children, no we have a minibus now so I've gotta fill it up with neighborhood kids and siblings. I tried to be present in the moment and not spaz. I did a decent job. Beatle's best friend lives on the most trick-or-treated route in Hot Springs and I know it's completely self-serving but do you know how much fun it is to bypass the huge line outside their spooky Victorian house and go behind the velvet rope. For one night a year, it makes me feel like somebody. Isn't that so childish?!? I try hard to be humble the other 364 days of the year so let me have my stupid moment. We painted a giant box to look like a Candyland board game and it turned out really well. Beatle was quite memorable, I think. And little Birdie was a pink crayon that we checked out from the library. Does yours clean and display old costumes for families to check out at Halloween? Our library started two years ago and it's great for the second borns that you don't put as much effort into. HA! That was naughty. Sorry! I just wasn't in the groove this year for Lottie and she isn't old enough yet to have a consistent opinion. Beatle and Birdie are starting to play quite nicely together, tho. That's AMAZING! And, Brent and I have been able to sleep in for a few weekends now and the girls are getting up and turning on Netflix. What a wonderful stage the Roberts Family is entering!

Fell off the Wagon

I fell off the blogging wagon a few towns back but I'm scrambling to catch up! So sorry for all the readers...it's a disappointing thing to follow an inconsistent blog! Since school's started I have felt full to capacity. I have accepted a job at FBC Preschool, or "friends school" as Birdie has dubbed it, as the part time music teacher. Adding that to fitness instructor, after-school tutor, Sunday School teacher, respite foster mom and of course Beatle's primary educator, I felt like I was drinking out of a firehose. Things have been coming at me so quickly but I think I've finally found my footing. Maybe? :) Needless to say, I pushed pause on blogging. But even if I can't do much, I'm going to try to blog a little. We are loving homeschooling overall but I definitely have my days where I question what I'm doing. We've completed two units so far: Endangered Animals and Arkansas History. She's doing her presentation over AR History tonight. It's usually a ramble fest but I hope we're working toward better public speaking, she is after all a second grader though. Birdie loves her Friends School! We're seeing a very sweet side of her since she's been going there. I'm so glad other people can teach my children kindness! :)

Bloggity, Blog, Blog

Beatle finally learned to ride her bike without training wheels last night! She's been super motivated to because she found out that in her age division for a triathlon she's wanting to do if she uses them, she won't qualify for a medal. Plus, some boys in the neighborhood have been riding in circles around her. It was cool because one of the boys came with us to a parking lot and was helping to coach her. The only downside was that our new van was the only vehicle in the parking lot and she slammed into the back of it twice. The last time I got it on video...it was hilarious! Beatle just interrupted my thoughts with, "Hey, Bloggy McGee! How do you spell school?" Homeschooling is going well. We're both learning things everyday. She's learning place value and spelling; I'm learning patience and time management. But, already I'm LOVING the flexibility! Last week, Brent brought a band in for a back to school bash and I took Bailey home after it was over and we went back up to church. We got some time together as a family breaking down the equipment and Beatle got some one on one time with the band. Best part--I wasn't stroking out that it was 9 on a school night. Don't get me wrong, there have already been things that we feel like we've missed out on not going to school but when we went camping last Thursday and Friday, it reminded us that it's a trade that we're happy to make. Birdie is loving school. She has a great time and feels all big. She's only going part-time so she's not getting too burnt out. She's saying all kinds of sentences now. One time we sprayed some perfume that had gone bad and she said, "Yuck! I'm getting out of here!" that was her first big sentence and she hasn't looked back since.

Blogging in the Back

Birdie's got a new pet...a dead cicada named "Scooby". We told her that she needs to take good care of it so it won't die. :) She's been taking it everywhere and "feeding" it raisins. We've been enjoying our time at home before we leave again next Monday. We had a great time in Arlington, TX with our preteens doing missions. I went as a cook. I enjoyed it but it was really physically demanding. All of the plumbing and cooking equipment was on the first floor. I was climbing about 15 flights a day with ice chests, grocery bags, crock pots, etc. I made up for it though and ate my weight in Little Debbie's!!! For a few quiet hours everyday, I was left alone with the bevy of Little Debbie's the other cook would buy. It was like a buffet from hell! It's absolutely my weakness so I don't know if being left in a cabin to sneak eat is my calling; I don't have enough self-control to just play cards or something normal. We've ruined my parents from ever taking Suzy's children to Six Flags. They brought ours down to join us on our Six Flags day so they could hitch a ride back to AR on the church bus. My parents said that they would be happy to bring the girls to us again next year but they WILL NEVER go to Six Flags again! Poor guys! Sorry! I'm placing my last few orders for Beatle's curriculum. I got further confirmation just today that I'm making the right decision for Beatle. I'll spare you the story but I just have a peace about it. At the present time, I'm sitting in the back of children's church listening to this goofy dinosaur/creation video Brent is having the kids watch. I feel guilty that these kids have to suffer through this and I'm blogging by the glow of the iPad so I guess I'll join them. TaTa

Noodlin' and Doodlin' (in my drawers!)

The Roberts family is sitting all clumped up toether, pillow pets, car seats and giant yo gabba gabba plush toys take over the First Baptist bus seats early this morning. Once again, we are doing one of our from Ok to Ar by way of Tx trips. We have spent the last three weeks running around like crazy! Three weeks ago, we had two foster boys--4 years and almost 2. We really fell in love with them! We were just a stop between a grandfather sending them back into care and a therapeutic foster home. As you can imagine, with 4 kids in the house there was no time for blogging. All four of them got along so well though. It was a simply wonderful week. That weekend, we realized that if we ever wanted to get the boys back on a semi-permanent basis and more presently, just to survive long road trips with two fuss buckets in the backseat, we needed a bigger vehicle. We traded in the Matrix (which we SO loved!) for a Honda Odyessy--same year, same miles. We really like the room and the entertainment package in the back. It's a really smart and well designed car. It was a lovely trip to Ok on the week of the 4th, thanks to our "new to us" car. Brent and I have joked for years that we'd like one of those privacy windows that roll up in limos to separate the back from the front, and the Odyssey is the closest thing we've found to it. When we got to ok, time flew. We relaxed when we could. I got a stomach bug and was down for most of the 4th. We were all scheduled to go noodling with my uncle that morning in a dirty, old ok river. I knew that if I called it off citing tummy troubles they'd think I was chicken and I can't have that. So, I toughed it out, knowing full well that if I did poop my pants in the river, it was already so yucky, no one would be the wiser. Most of the catfish had finished nesting and were headed out to the lakes but with my uncle Joe's help, we hemmed up a 5 lb flathead and he let me pull it out. Brent held the camera bag. :) at one point later in the day, brent admitted looking at me with my feet and body shoved up under a rock and pond scum floating around my face, he thought to himself, "I love that hillbilly woman." I'm a lucky girl to have someone who can look at me with hearts in their eyes at a time when I have the runs and am doing something as goofy as noodling. After our catch, we went to t-town and ate breakfast to celebrate. I ate dry toast and shivered with the chills till I begged my dad to take me home. Once there, I crashed all day. Got up, with the sweaty chills, put on a brave face and made t-shirts with the kids. I was no help to my poor mom that day! To be continued at a later time, we're fixing to make a rest stop.

There's only one way to spell Coke and that's not it.

I'm so thankful that my children don't know yet that they have the meanest mom in the world. Ok, I'm not THE worst but I've been so pumped up by my homeschooling literature that I sprung it on Beatle after a week off of school that we're starting up. She wasn't thrilled but she has hung with me and we have had a great time. On Memorial Day, I realized that her skills are at their peak right now, she doesn't want to go outside because it's so hot, we're already doing the Summer Reading Program at the Library, and I don't want her to lay around watching TV because "she deserves it" so why not go toward more of a year-round schooling format? It's like we're getting a headstart so I already feel successful. We've had a great time; however, it has proved a little tricky with Birdie running around. That girl is fiercely persistent and contrary. I love her so much but sometimes (like today!) the only thing that gets me through is remembering how much I wanted her. We have GOT to point that girl in the right direction and she will be a force to be reckoned with for God and His glory but if not, it could potentially be every parent's worst nightmare. Beatle's a funny lady. I was teaching the kids' Wednesday night class last night and she was busting my chops in all the right ways--so hilarious but not disrespectful. However, we're realizing that Birdie will also do about anything for a laugh. She thinks it's hilarious to pray for poop everynight now. She gets stuck on it like a scratched record...only because big sister thought it was funny two nights ago. Beatle is trying to spell secret messages to me but it's pretty sketchy since she just finished 1st grade! She also likes to try to spell really fast. I can't even begin to think of how many times I've cringed and told her that C-O-C-K does NOT spell Coke!!! Aghhh! We are living in the house of horrors! We have wasps that live in the attic during the summer and sometimes they can drop down through our recessed lighting and buzz our heads. Then, after we came in from the back yard, Birdie had a flea on her leg and later, I had one on my arm. Yesterday, 3 giant waterbugs appeared in 3 different rooms. When I was going to walk around to the front of the house to push the trash to the curb, I saw a huge snakeskin by our back porch and wait...it actually CAN get worse...we have something living in our bedroom wall!!! Hold me! Thank the Lord we bumped it up to a quarterly contract last time our pest control guy was here and he's coming tomorrow. My eyes are constantly sweeping the floors, walls, yard and Brent is sleeping closest to the scary wall as my buffer. Is it any wonder that poor Birdie is having nightmares of "big bugs"???