Don't Make Me Call You a D**** H***!

Eating cold pizza, still in my jammies, one's in bed and the other's watching Sesame Street, and it's after 9am...I LOVE SUMMER! The relaxed schedule, the laid back nature of the world...it's wonderful. I say that and instantly feel a little pang of guilt because this is the time of year my husband's blood pressure and anxiety go way up. I just do my best to keep the girls preoccupied, the home calm and my schedule open and accommodating for ways we can help him. This week has been the first week of Summer and everyday, we've had someone drop in for us to watch for a few hours. The girls have enjoyed having visitors and I enjoy our home being a place where people know they're welcome. Last Friday, we went to Beatle's awards assembly. Thank the Lord for the Good Citizenship Award! It gets us through every time. :) Last Wednesday, at gymnastics, they were giving out trophies and certificates to everyone. They were doing a fantastic job of assigning specific awards to kids to highlight their strengths. They got to stand on a platform, just like at the Olympics. Everyone had received their award when the instructor said, "Last, but not least...Sarah So-and-So." There I was with video camera in hand, puzzled. Oh, man. They forgot B. I knew they'd make it right afterwards but she wouldn't get her moment in the sun. Beatle held it together, she didn't get pouty or upset even though she later admitted all that was running through her head at the time was, "Oh man, I must have been a really bad student if everyone else got an award but I didn't." They were lining the kids up for a group picture when the instructor noticed Beatle didn't have anything. It wasn't too late! They sat everyone back down and made it right and she got the Awesome Attitude Award. Now, like I told her later, wouldn't have that been interesting if she had just thrown a ring-tailed fit because she was overlooked just to jump up there and get the Awesome Attitude Award??? Awkward! I'm proud that she's received awards that relate to her good character; those can translate well into life. Changing the subject, but you can't tell because my browser no longer supports the new Blogger and I can't create a new paragraph... :) On the evening of last Friday night, we threw a killer end-of-the-school-year party for these little First Graders. Brent was going to be on a retreat but it got canceled and Zac and Suz came to visit so I had a crew of WONDERFUL helpers. I had fully intended to do it on my own but it would have been a stressful nightmare. Having the adequate help I needed, the School's Out Sligh-ma-thon was a BLAST! We played messy games and it ended with an Oatmeal fight--students vs. the teacher and her family. We had a jam-packed weekend with Zac and Suzy but it was so fun having them here all to ourselves! Last story of this blog, I have a friend here who teaches Beatle sometimes and I teach her son in one of my classes. I've found that a wedge is coming into the relationship because she insists on telling me everytime that Beatle steps over the line or pushes boundaries in her class. To me, your job as the present adult is to reel them in and if it is consistently happening and they have a flagrant disregard for the teacher's instructions, then yes, talk to the parents but it's hurtful having all of these weird little conversations when, being ugly here, there's a lot of conversations we could be having about her son too! But the other day, when she was gone and a sub was in place, I realized that there's something else that we're being robbed of while she's tattling on Beatle--the ability for the Holy Spirit to work. If these children are Christians, they have the same Holy Spirit we have and we need to give It some room to work instead of smothering them with virtue and manner teachings. We were riding in the car home from the church activity with the sub and out of nowhere Beatle says that she needs to tell me something because she's feeling really guilty. There was a new boy there and he was taunting Beatle and she started calling him bad names back. I wanted to cringe but I was so excited to see the Spirit working and I want to encourage honesty--and c'mon! We all do crap like that and admitting that we did something wrong is hard! So, I was listening (so proud that I wasn't lecturing this time) when she was rattling off names like "sissy" and "fancy pants" but she was hemming and hawing about the last one. I was a nervous wreck as she was working up the nerve to tell me the last and most horrible name...finally..."Mom, I called him...a...dream head. I know! I know, it's bad!" I wanted so desperately to giggle with relief at this most ridiculous of accusations. Thank the Lord it was just Dream Head and thank you Lord for your power of conviction; may she always be sensitive to that feeling.

A Black-Eyed Birdie

I had resolved not to tell Beatle when she was released from the doctor to do cartwheels or handstands and just wait until she felt the urge again...and it happened two days ago, right on schedule with his orders. I guess, as much as it is annoying to have her flipping all over the place, I did miss it and was a little nervous that the stage was officially over. But now we are back to our house feeling much like Shawn Johnson's Bounty commercials. Do you ever forget God's in control? I do! As much as I love what Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace has done for us, we still are living solely on a minister's budget with a wife that loves travelling and a husband that has things that follow him home from unsupervised trips to the store. ("How did that get in here?") :) And, I don't know about you, but I have alligator arms that find it hard to reach in my pockets when it comes to boring, necessary, grown-up purchases (tires, air conditioning filters, appliance repairs). I only share these things because I often need the reminder that He's in control. Every summer, our AC is like the Little Air Conditioner that Could. We hold our breath and try not to work it too hard. Last year, we got a part replaced and he said, "It could last 2 months or another 10 years." Well, in April, on a trial run, it wasn't working--just blowing but not cold. We shut it off and spent the month of April with windows open. I was just sick about it. I really was contemplating going without an AC for the summer...I mean, it IS a luxury for most of the world and a relatively new invention! Brent wasn't really on board with that notion (probably because he knows how hysterical I get when I'm hot). Well, I tried it again the other day and it worked! It's been working beautifully ever since. Could it break in a week? Probably but what a blessing! Then, Brent's jeep has been acting all screwy but we both know nothing when it comes to cars. Our minds were going to a dark place--a new transmission?? Yesterday, he called to have them tow it to the shop and the lady over the phone diagnosed it for him (we love our mechanic shop!!!) as being low on clutch fluid (Brent was leary that she was just setting him up to check for something that didn't exist, like blinker fluid). But, using the same fluid they had given us for the van two years ago, Brent was able to fix the jeep! Again, these things could all give out tomorrow but but knowing that He provided for yesterday, reminds me that he will provide for tomorrow. Birdie's eye has been horrible ever since her stumble last week. It was completely black but it's finally fading a little. These two scraggly men at Wal-Mart (give me two scraggly men any day over little, old know-it-all ladies!) were remarking to one another, "She's got a shiner." "Yeah, but I'd hate to see the other kid." Love it! Last night, I was looking for my keys. I had really been willy-nilly with my stuff a few months ago so I had resolved to be better and was truly puzzled that I had misplaced my keys. I told Brent about it and he said, "Oh, you probably left them in the key basket on the fitness ministry desk." "Wait...what? I NEVER put them in the basket." Then he sheepishly realized that not only did HE leave MY keys in the fitness ministry basket at church but he gave it away to me. He said I left them in the jeep but I reminded him that I stayed behind at the jeep (because I was feverishly looking for my keys!) and he went in first to the church. I never left them anywhere! He stole them! Don't you just love it when you win a playful and rousing game of "Who's right and who's wrong?" I know I do! :) So, two life dreams accomplished in two weeks! I got to use a zero-turn radius lawn mower to mow a yard. SO MUCH FUN! I was cheesing the whole time. And a picture of the girls is now hanging in a portrait studio. I walked in to pick up my picture order and said, "Hey, I know those girls!" That was beyond cool. There's just nothing that endears yourself to someone as when they cherish your kids or think they are as beautiful and wonderful as you do!

My School's Dis-Stricter Than Your School

My old computer is not handling these Blogger updates well. One of the things it won't do is separate my paragraphs so it just looks like I've typed a running stream of consciousness. Sorry! Beatle did great on her solo. She was praying the night before, "God, I need your help to do this. It's not like I can just go up to Mrs. Edgin now and tell her I can't do my solo. There's no turning back and I'm so scared." But on the day of the program, she did great! She went to the crystal mines yesterday with her class and came home absolutely filthy but proudly hauling a bag of crystals she found. She's been scrubbing and scrubbing those things on the backporch to make them shine. She estimates that it will take about three days total to get them ship-shape. :) Yesterday, at Game Night, one of the girls was talking about how strict her school is and Beatle said, "Yes, that's why they call it 'our school dis-strict'." Bahaha! We all just laughed and laughed. We are just days away from summer! Yay! Can't wait to have Beatle at home. Poor Birdie busted her face this morning. She was being my "friend" in the bathroom and didn't give enough room for the step out of our tub and she stumbled into it, cracking the side of her face on the tub. This is her worst boo-boo to date. Her eye is almost swollen shut and it's cut a little on the side. It is awful! I feel so bad for her! Thinking about last weekend in Oklahoma, she kept my dad busy swinging her outside. That girl can log some hours in the swing! We had such a wonderful trip to OK--visiting with family, celebrating Dad's retirement, Becky's birthday and Zac being home. It was laid-back and truly enjoyable. Last night, I had a life-changing moment. I'm not going to spend too much time talking about it because I don't want to cheapen what I experienced and I don't think you can truly understand unless you go through it--I know I didn't. I was asked to wear full Muslim garb (burka/imbya) for the 3rd and 4th grade girls class. I thought, "No big deal. I'll help out and play dress up." I was fine but when she put the veil on me--the full, black veil--I really almost lost it. I never saw that emotion coming! The only thing showing were the top two joints on my fingers. It wasn't so much pity for the women that have to wear that daily, I mean, that was there but it was extreme appreciation for the fact that I can be ME! I can wear what I want, I can do what I want, I can vote, I have a college education and my girls can do all of those things too. I always thought I was thankful...and I think I was, but it was without understanding what life really could be like.

I love YOU, baby!

We're having an identity crisis. I feel assured that Birdie will be my last "baby" so sometimes I call her Baby but she wants to be a big girl ("big burl") sometimes and a baby other times. So last week, when I said, "I love you, Baby." She said back, "I love YOU, baby!" :) Her ability to effectively communicate has grown by leaps and bounds in just two weeks. She's adding extra syllables to longer words and getting it closer to the correct sound. I was a little nervous about her ability to communicate last year. When we had Nadya, who was three months younger, Nadya was making sounds and babbling but Birdie didn't. Beatle's such a big talker so I was hoping that Birdie wouldn't be overshadowed but once she made up her mind to talk, there's no stopping her. Some of her favorite responses are "Heck, no!" and "Shoot!" :) I don't remember Beatle parroting us as closely as Birdie does. Scaryville! But by far the cutest thing she says is, "Yes...ma'am." And when she says that to Brent, Beatle loses it. (I saw Nadya on Easter at church. I literally gasped and said "Nadya!" and then instantly reeled it in when I remembered that her new family renamed her and she wouldn't remember me anyways. It was really emotional for me; she looked so big and pretty. But as her new big brother marched her by the hand down the hall, she turned back to look at me again. I felt like God gave me that moment.) Go on a feeling journey with me. Sometimes I get these feelings that something epic is around the bend. It could be superstition, the Holy Spirit or just weird ju-ju but whatever it is, I like to have my eyes wide open for the next two weeks or so. Well, a week ago, I had that feeling. Every phone call Brent got, I perked up a little more but alas, nothing. Yesterday, I was getting the girls ready for church and as I was sheparding Birdie to the car, I felt this huge knot on the base of her head/top of her neck. Really bizarre. She indicated that it was tender to touch. I got to church and the message was about grieving well. I was trying to suppress my weird feelings about the knot. After church, I told Brent and when he felt it, he got really nervous. I was going to watch it for a day or two but he wanted to call one of our doctor friends because although we never came out and said it, our minds were going to a really dark place. We needed some other potential explanations to help us reason this out in our heads. Our friend eased our minds by suggesting that it could be a infected lymph node (I didn't realize that we had them on the back of our heads). We're still going to be watching it but we feel more comfortable now. Uncle Zac is back from Afghanistan! Hooray! We got to watch him coming home over the Internet on a live streaming video. It was way more emotional than I expected it to be. We're so glad he's back! We got to FaceTime with him and Suzy on Saturday morning and will get to see them in person this weekend! Yay! I am ecstatic to announce that after much eager anticipation, we found out that Beatle got Spider Solo #1 in the spring musical!!! :) She was SO hopeful that she would land it. We just squealed when she told me she got the part. She's going to do great! We're going to the Orthopedic doctor today to see if her hand has healed from her fall from the monkey bars. She's ready to get her splint off and get back to cartwheeling! Couponing Crisis: I have really tried to devote myself to couponing the last two months to save us some money at the store. The first time I did great but the last three trips I've made to the store, I haven't felt that successful. Of course the receipt says that I am, but balancing what we need with what's on sale with what's healthy for us with meal planning with our grocery budget with comparing it to the store brand prices is about to drive me crazy! There are so many things to factor in!!! Plus, crunching numbers does NOT play to my strong suits. I think you can really cash in if you devote lots of time to it but I'm not willing for that to be my part time job. I think it's definitely a balancing act but I'm getting close to waving the white flag once and for all and resign myself to buying store brands for the rest of my life. Justin and Jessica, our dear Seminary friends who live in KY now, had a conference last week in Dallas so we met in Memphis for lunch (We were in the area for a VBS clinic) and caravaned to our house. They stayed the night with us and then, after the conference on their way back to KY, they stopped back in for another night. We had such a fabulous time with them. It just seems like the longer I know someone, the harder I laugh. I don't laugh like that with new friends. We had such a great time!! We got to meet their baby girl, Katherine! One thing that they've taught me in the last 6 years is how to love other people's kids--the way they talk to our girls, send them things and just genuinely seem to appreciate them for who they are is inspiring and endearing. We just love those McDonalds! Thanks for making time to see us while yall were passing through. We're looking forward to Summer! Only 19 more days! Whoop, whoop!

Tramping and Stamping

Late Breaking News...we suffered a monkey bar trauma during after-school tutoring on Thursday. (Funny, I thought she was staying after for tutoring, not extra recess but that is a small side note.) I got a call to come get Beatle. I decided to take her straight to Urgent Care even though I thought it might just be a sprain but she actually did fracture it! :( They put it in a hard splint and we will have to have it casted some time this week. For someone like Beatle, who's temperament already bends the melancholy way, the first 24 hours were very tearful. These moments of sadness would wash over her when she realized yet another limitation she would have to face being a temporary one-armed person. "No swimming! No gymnastics! No cartwheels!!!" (Cartwheels are her life! If you have the privelege to be around her much, you've probably had a swift kick to the gut or at least a close call. She can't help herself. She can go into a cartwheel trance anyplace, anytime. Beware!) Her mental state is much better now but she's been so clumsy this weekend and has fallen at least a half-dozen times; it's made me a nervous wreck. It's like she's bound and determined to break both arms!

Yesterday for Easter, I had the girls' matching dresses all laid out with their headbands but it wasn't until Saturday night that I realized that they had completely outgrown their white shoes and they had nothing but tennis shoes or black dress shoes to wear! haha! I can't believe I overlooked that! Thankfully, I'm getting ready for a consignment sale so I dug out some shabby white shoes for them to wear. (Beatle crammed into some 2 sizes too small!) The girls looked fantastic from the knees up. :) I'll have to pick some new ones up for them soon.

Birdie is just talking away. After they hunted eggs, we gave them some gifts; of which, Beatle got some earrings. Birdie just announced, "Dolphins!" We were all stunned. She nailed it. Dolphins aren't animals that are often in animal board books or anything so we were shocked. About 10 minutes later, Beatle said, "La-la, say 'Beatle, I forgive you.'" Birdie said, "Heck no!!!". She's a mess. Poor thing, she couldn't make a good choice to save her life on Saturday. I'm so glad Brent was home too that day; she wore me smooth out. We are trying so hard to celebrate her good choices because she could give a flying flip about the negative consequences. Yesterday, she had a great day and before bed we each grabbed a limb and hoisted her up and down cheering for her. That was fun. :) We're doing lots of hand stamps and praising.

On Friday, we went "tramping". Brent projected a movie onto the building behind our house and we ate Little Debbies and slept on the trampoline. He has lots of great ides. The difference between him and myself is that he can make them happen. I just dream it but don't understand what I'd need to make it happen. I'm like an ape banging tech things together with my guttural cries.

After we hunted eggs, I thought it would be fun before we pitched them into the canyon to throw them like pop-flies in the air and try to catch them with a butterfly net. Then, Brent couldn't resist and tried to nail Beatle with one. (He said that it was all broken up but we just saw it whiz by her head.) That turned into war! Birdie was walking around shaking her finger at us saying, "No fight!" Then, Beatle tried to get me and cracked poor Birdie in the back of the head. So then, Beatle was public enemy number one! Even though our Easter was a little different this year, we still had a great time and Samson loved the backyard clean-up duty.

Thank you, God. Amen. Konichiwa.

Beatle's been ending her prayers with the Japanese word "Konichiwa." Haha! Not sure...

Yesterday morning, we (Brent, Beatle and myself--Birdie actually slept in. Gasp!) groggily came to the table and despondently stirred our oatmeal. With our hands wrapped tightly around our coffee mugs like that sweet elixir was our only hope to help us start our day, we didn't have a whole lot to say to each other. After whining about starting a new week, I realized that we were moping around like a group of whooped dogs. I had never watched Pollyanna as a child but during the winter we had checked it out from the library. To remedy our case of the Mondays, I decided that we would play the "Glad Game" from Pollyanna to pep us up right before we went our separate ways "because we know that this is the day that the Lord has made and we should rejoice and be glad in it." Quite honestly, I don't even remember what Brent and Beatle said they were glad for. (I was exhausted, people!) But I do know that I actually had a fabulous day and so did Beatle and so did Brent. I know it had everything to do with focusing on the good because it definitely could have been a bad one.

"My brothers (and soul sisters!), count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." James 1:2-3 (Sidenote shoutout: Never had I done a Beth Moore study. Never understood what the hubub was all about but just finished her study over James--it will change you! I looked forward to it every week and cried when it was over. Baby, weirdo, call me what you want but it was fantastic!)

Last night, I had finished my Monday night fitness classes and was feeling good. I was headed home when Brent called asking if I wanted to go to Larry's--the ridiculous pizza buffet that we always binge at. I didn't want to. I was feeling good. I had my Fitness Staff shirt on. I was ready to go home and cook a delicious meal of cabbage. What? Oh...no, nothing else with it just tender, delicious cabbage. I knew it was going to be a tough sell to my family on any night but this night with Brent already turning on me and Beatle, the ever present eavesdropper, getting ramped for Larry's, I figured that they could possibly stage a coup or a walk-out if I told them cabbage was waiting for them. So, I reluctantly acquiesced but I had to run in and change shirts first. We pulled up to Larry's and saw a terrible sight--the lights were off. For two Sunday evenings, we've fought the urge to go, knowing they are closed Sunday nights but when we showed up this Monday, we saw on the door that their night off had changed to Mondays. Whaaa! Ok, staying positive. Just swallow all of the drool that was already pooling in your mouth and pick a different place. We could not agree! That was not like us. We usually always can agree. So, I forced their hand and said that if we couldn't figure anything out, we might as well save our money and go home to cabbage. They quickly chose Appleby's (we're not normally Appleby's people so again, weird). The parking lot was empty and it was raining. I usually always wait for Brent to get Birdie out but Beatle and I ran on ahead to get out of the rain. They seated us right under a blaring TV so we just asked to move where it was quieter. The whole night, it just felt off, like we couldn't get situated. The girls had to pee twice after our food got there. (Twice??? Really???) Brent volunteered to drive across the street to Kroger to get some decaf coffee and cookie dough to take back to the house while Beatle pumped her dollar (that she brought for Larry's arcade area) into the new fangled juke box. He came back in the restaurant while we were listening to "Billionaire" and desperately implored, "Please tell me you have your keys." "I do but they're in the car." We locked not one but two sets of keys in our car (not the record, mind you, the locksmith said he's seen three. Whew, we squeaked out of holding a shameful record.) Seriously, I had a mystifying calm that Brent wasn't sure to even trust for awhile. :) Brent called the locksmith and we kept the dollars flowing into that jukebox and turned Appleby's and its two other occupied tables into a dance club. Of course Beatle rarely needs an invitation to bust a move and Birdie's growing into her moves like Jagger. I spared the 6 people mine but it was somewhere during Beatle's rendition of "Crocodile Rock" and Birdie running barefoot back and forth saying, "wheeeee!" that I saw that God had given our family the ability to choose joy during our funky night. I felt honored that our faith was being tested and I really think for once I might have passed one of those tests!

I know I'm getting windy and maybe a little too far out there for some of you but this morning as I was flipping on the lights in our laundry room, my eyes scanned the room, looking for...it's hard for me to even type...roaches. Yes, roaches. We've spotted three by our back door this weekend. Yuck! We battled them around Christmas and the buggers look like they are trying to make a reappearance. But, this morning my mind went back to "The Hiding Place" written by my namesake Corrie ten Boom. When her and her sister got to Ravensbruck concentration camp, their barracks were infested with fleas and her sister Betsie told her to give thanks for the fleas for they are one of God's creations. Corrie thought she had lost her mind. But during their time there, they had unimaginable freedom in their barracks to hold Bible studies and prayer times and it was only until years after she had left that she learned from a former guard that no one wanted to enter those barracks for fear of the fleas. God had used those pests for his glory! This morning, I was trying to process why we keep having this problem. I keep a clean home and we have someone who comes and sprays when our problem flares up. Yes, someone who comes to spray...Jesse! Jesse, who initiates spiritual conversation with me every time he enters our home. Jesse, who was raised only knowing the fear and wrath of God, not the love and redemption story. Jesse, who I can't help but enjoy his engaging personality when he comes. This morning, while I was making my beloved coffee, I got misty-eyed with the notion that God is after Jesse to return to his faith and is using our roaches to do it. Some of y'all may think I'm nuts but I beg to differ that our God is just too big to always understand and in that case, I'll just keep trying to blindly give thanks in all things.

Gotcha, God! :)

Beatle's been praying her little heart out again. With all of the household changes, we weren't being very consistent on a bedtime routine but we're getting situated again with Bible reading (thanks Amanda for introducing us to the ZonderKids Bible thru your blog--we love it!) and praying. Last night, Beatle was just chit-chatting with God. I so wish I could take a picture of BR's face while she prays. After a long day, it's a mix of pleasure in listening to his little girl talk to God and "Could ya wrap this thing up, already?!?" Well, last night I was stifling my "church giggles" when she said, "God, you are my real dad. My dad on Earth isn't a real dad." BR and I exchanged glances and I almost lost it. "I mean, of all the dads on Earth, he's the best dad I've ever had." She went on awhile longer and finally was wrapping it up and said, "And God, I just hope you have a great Christmas Eve today. Just kidding! April Fools! Amen." I couldn't help it. I lost it. The three of us both did. That girl's so crazy.

Birdie's been enjoying playing doctor lately. Now that she knows the word "Come" she's running me even more ragged. :) No, I'm truly cherishing this time with just her. Now that the days are nice, we've been spending the mornings outside on our swing set. She loves being outside. She accidentally put her hand down on a caterpillar and it surprised her so that kind of ruined the caterpillar catching for her, for now.