Awkward Silence

It's been a while since my last post!  In fact, if you were a regular follower, you probably thought that Kindergarten killed me!  Surprise... I survived.  I'm not going to lie... it was a HUGE transition for this mama that likes everyone home, but it has given us opportunities to be a blessing and to be blessed.  I needed some time away to process and journal through that season... some time away just to do life.  I'll share about that in the next few days... some pictures... and randomness, I'm sure!  Thanks for waiting on me!

14 summers...

Earlier today I was thinking about how much I'm enjoying the summer routine... or lack-there-of.  The kids have been getting along particularly well this week.  We've had fun outside.  We've painted.  Been to the park.  The library.  I really love summer break. 

As I was pondering all this, I suddenly had one of my weird mom moments.  I try not to be the weird mom, but let's be honest - sometimes, I just am.  Anyway... in my weird mom moment, I realized that I only have 14 summers left with Sadie.  14.  Seriously.  I kinda wanted to cry.  More like I really wanted to cry.  So, I quickly had a discussion with myself and decided to get a grip. 

Fast forward to tonight.  I've been clicking around checking in on the blogs I love to read and came across this. Really?!  What are the odds that The Nester would actually count up how many summers she has left with her kids and blog about it today???  So now, I want to cry again.  I would like to personally thank The Nester for thinking like me.  You may be my long lost sister.  AND, as The Nester so eloquently put it, "May this summer be slow and full of wonder."

I think my break is over...

Wow!  It's been 21 days since I last posted... May always does me in.  Life in May seems to overtake me... and just when I think it is getting back to normal... we.go.several.unplanned. days.without.any.internet.  Insane.  It's been crazy for me to be without internet... but a good lesson that many days I need to turn this thing off for a bit and tune into life... real.life.

Anyway... hopefully I can establish a healthy routine again and get back on here...

Our week

I haven't been around this last week!  Sorry to those of you who check back daily for all kinds of fun and excitement... I just didn't have it in me!

Last weekend I got to have a quick visit with my sister-in-law and my niece, Katelyn.  My brother is one lucky guy to have these precious girls in his life.  I love them and I love time with them... rich conversation and sweet cuddles (with the baby girl, of course)... doesn't get much better.  Here are Sadie and Cole with their cousin...

Two of the greatest jobs in the world are getting to be a Mommy and an Aunt... love, love love.

After our visit this weekend, we launched Operation Potty Training. We trudged through the first day and a half and then finally started making progress.  Let's just say I've had ALL my laundry caught up ALL week trying to keep 9 pairs of undies clean.  :)  He is getting there... even woke up in the night to go potty.

 Potty training a cowboy is hard work!  :)

Thursday night Eric and I went to a fund-raising banquet for a place we volunteer... we had our friend, Lauren, come over to watch Sadie and Cole.  I found several pics of them on my camera this morning... so fun!  I'm not sure what they were up to, but the kids look happy!  :)  We are blessed to have such great friendships in this city. 

I hope you had a good week!  I'm going to try to jump back on the bandwagon this next week... if it's not moving too fast, that is!  Thanks for checking in!

I'll be back soon...

Hey everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Just wanted to let you know that I'm still eating ridiculous amounts of food and just now getting a chance to be with my extended family... I'll be back in a few days with new posts... but for now, I gotta get back to the chocolate. Happy New Year to you and yours! :)

Just a bunch of random thoughts...

Here are a bunch of random thoughts that aren't nearly beefy enough for a post of their own. :) Welcome to my brain.

• When we were a double income family, I had a method of Christmas shopping that would drive Dave Ramsey crazy. It was the BOGO approach and went something like this... buy a gift for my mom, buy something for me, buy a gift for Eric, buy something for me, buy a gift for my brother, buy something for me... this method kept me motivated through the mall. Now my motivation is to stick to the list, use as many coupons as possible and try to get most of my shopping done online.
• Oak Ridge Boys is my all time favorite Christmas Album. I have not listened to it once this season. That needs to change.
• When we were doing advent last night, we were reviewing all the alphabet. We were on the letter P and were reviewing that Jesus was the only perfect person to walk the earth. Cole strongly disagreed with, "No! I perfect, I perfect." We tried to explain otherwise, but gave up to avoid a major meltdown.
  
• Today is Sadie's first school program. I nearly booked myself to substitute today... that would have been terrible. Can't wait to see the adorableness that oozes from her little class. So thankful for her incredible teacher.
• My favorite dessert right now - s'mores... I make them in the oven and they are oh.so.good.... with a Dr. Pepper, of course.
  
• Today I need to clean my bathroom, dust the floors, vacuum and wrap packages... I wonder how much of that will be accomplished??!! Bathroom must be done - hands down.
• Tomorrow two of my besties are coming for a visit!!! I can hardly wait! They are each bringing their three kids... how did I get so far behind on the child production??? Hmmm... anyway, I am praying that all of us wake up healthy in the morning so our wonderful day together can actually happen!!!

How do I respond to THIS!?

S: "Mom! I have an idea...we can put my 4 year old fingernail in a baggie and you can put it in my book."

Me: Really? I don't think that would be a very good idea.

S: Why?

Me: It just sounds kinda gross.

S: Oh, you just know, chicken roll?!

Me: Yeah, I just know.

*and WHAT is a chicken roll? and why am I being referred to one???*

Just my luck...

Last week I spent a couple days cleaning the windows inside and out... they were so shiny and clean... and then look what happened today...



Dumb bird.

So long Halloween Candy!

So... I may be a little guilty of sneaking Halloween goodies out of my children's trick-r-treat buckets... but I think those days are done. I only like the good stuff... the stuff that starts with the /ch/ sound and ends in /ocolate/. Not only is that stuff about gone, but it's been hanging out with the cheap fruity stuff too long and is beginning to smell and taste a little bit, um... fruity. I don't like my chocolate and fruit to mix. Nasty (unless of course we are talking chocolate dipped fresh strawberries... then, mix on). Just sayin'.

A song that takes me right to my happy place...

So... before you think I have some great new worship song that takes me right to my happy place, I have a confession to make... I love country music. It started in high school with a little Deana Carter's "Did I Shave My Legs For This." My greatest memories of that song are cruising, windows down, with my friend Jenny in her Geo Metro... that girl... her and I could sing it... and I'm pretty sure you couldn't get much cooler than us back in '99. Anyway, I'm not the classic country type, but I love the country with a groovy beat that makes you want to bust out your best moves.

I love this song... and for the record... I'm stuck on my husband... through the ups and downs... stuck like glue.

So... here ya go... getcha groove on! :)

Just a bunch of random thoughts...

• Sadie is in her second week of Preschool and loves it. I'm so thankful. Today her favorite thing at school was, "EVERYTHING." The worst thing... "taking my backpack out of my cubby and dropping it on some toys." Oh, to have the worries of a preschooler again.
  
  I pray that she is a blessing to her teachers and her friends. I pray that in some small way this little journey to preschool will give us yet another opportunity to change the world for Christ.
  
  
• My Grandpa has been gone almost a year now. Some days it seems like yesterday that I was sipping Coca-Cola and playing Old Maid with him. I want to be as generous as he was... the man loved delivering homemade bread or doughnuts to hardware stores and doctor's offices. He even traded bread for pill samples. Too cute. Maybe I could start by taking some cookies to our neighbor lady next week... because I don't need any pills. :)
  
  
• I was so blessed yesterday by a virtual conference called JustONE for pastor's wives and women in leadership. It's a FREE conference going on every Tuesday for the next six weeks. It was just what I've been needing to get me out of an attitude funk... some days (or weeks... or *ahem* months) are just a little funkier than others. I'm thankful for this opportunity!
  
  
• Our church has been given a building in the last month... a 10,000 square foot building in an area of town that is ripe for ministry! Can we say incredible??? While the building had been left in tip top condition, we are making some changes to adapt it for the ministry we've been called to. This week we've started working on the nursery and children's areas... lots of wallpaper stripping, priming and painting going on... it is so exciting! Seriously.
  
  
• I need to do a 30 B4 30 blog update soon... BUT I will tell you I have one quick read left on my summer reading list and have started putting together my fall reading list that I will share soon, also.
  
  
• "Let your passion become a passionate pursuit of Christ. And as you follow, the sheep will follow." - Charles Swindoll
  
  
• I have seriously ridiculous amounts of housework that I should be doing today... do you think it would be okay to go make an ice cream chocolate crunch cake instead??? I mean, the laundry and smashed goldfish on the carpet aren't going to be going anywhere...
  
  
• I hope that you are having a super lovely day! Post one of your random thoughts today! :)
  

Taking our Pic in the Downtown Door Reflection

... because we are just that fun!

Dealing with my Adversions

When I was pregnant with Sadie I craved chicken from Long John Silvers. We went a couple times a week so I could satisfy my longing for the breaded goodness... UNTIL, one day I bit into a perfectly breaded outside into a raw inside. I thought I was going to puke... and to make it better, they wanted to give me MORE chicken! For about a year after that I would not eat chicken in any form.

I've been able to avoid LJS for 4 years now... until today when hubby suggested it for lunch. So, I took a deep breath, checked the inside of my chicken and partook of the greasy goodness. I think I'm finally dealing with LJS.

I'm Baaaaacccccccccccck! :)

Well, it would appear that I have taken somewhat of a bloggy break... sorry for sneaking away without any notice! It's hard to believe that July is almost over... here's what's been going on here this month:

- We celebrated the 4th with Eric's family at our house! Eric's mom made some ridiculously good BBQ chicken and we roasted smores over the Sterno in the garage. Does it get any better than that??? Good memories.

- I met with MOPS steering team as we planned for the 2009-2010 year!!! It's gonna be a good year, girls!
- Eric and I have spent endless hours being consistent with our little friend, Sadie. Consistency may be the death of me with that girl. We.will.get.that.girls.personality.channeled.in.the.
right.direction!!! Lord, help us.
- Cole has begun scooting all over the place. If I were smart enough to put video on here, I could show you. He sits on his bottom, digs his feet into the ground and pulls himself along with his arms. He can now move from room to room to find me. :)
- At the beginning of the month Cole started wearing his helmet only at night... more on the rest of the story later!!!
- Eric spent last week at Super Summer. Two of our boys came to know the Lord as their personal Savior... we rejoice over that.
- The kids and I spent a week away also... a quick trip through Salina and then on to see my family in Topeka.

Right now...
-I'm gearing up for Sadie's Birthday celebration. She turned three yesterday (I'm fairly certain that three is the new two) and we will celebrate with our family with a Strawberry Shortcake party on Friday!
- I'm trying to decide how to decorate my classroom for VBS Boomerang Express. We will be doing the VBS thing next week... I'm teaching preschool and Eric's teaching preschool recreation... it will be a good week! :)

Augusta Strikes AGAIN!

You may remember my recent post on the Augusta Water Report... you know, the one about us having the "Best Tasting Water in Kansas???" I tell you... this city never ceases to amaze me. This week we received a "Sewer Cleaning Notification."

Eric and I have been homeowners for a little over six years and have never heard of a city sewer cleaning - so this is either something special that Augusta does or our previous community never informed us of such an exciting event. The notification shared that "sometime this week" our sewers would be cleaned and that we should know that the sewer lines can develop pressure during the cleaning process that is supposed to dissipate through your plumbing vents (wherever those are) BUT if there is an inadequate venting, the pressure could escape through your sinks, toilets, showers etc. Doesn't that sound lovely??? So to keep this from happening we are to cover floor drains with plastic and weights, cover toilets with plastic and close toilet lids and if you smell an "unpleasant odor" you are to run water to refill the traps.

I guess the moral of this great story is...
- My sewer system is gonna be "so fresh and so clean, clean" by Friday
- AND that if you need to potty at my house, be sure to pull back the plastic before doing your business. HA! Like I'm going to cover my toilet when I have a potty-trainer... we're lucky to make it in time to get the lid up, let alone plastic! :)

FLASHBACK

Today as I was clipping coupons I stumbled upon a coupon that caused me to have a flashback to my preteen/teen years... remember "Teen Spirit"... the deodorant that YOU HAD TO HAVE???

"Teen Spirit" is apparently no longer cool (although after some research they still carry it in Sweet Strawberry, Berry Blossom, Pink Crush, and NEW Pop Star). This deodorant better be steppin' over and making room for THE NEW Hannah Montana Anti-Perspirant by Secret.

Oh, and if that's not enough for you, they also are making Hannah Montana tooth paste, nail polish, lip gloss, body wash... and my personal favorite... Hannah Montana Drama Clean Shampoo and Conditioner. Sounds like drama to me, alright.

I'll save the coupon for you... I won't be using it.

Neglected you like a dog....

Eric informed me today that I've been neglecting my bloggy buddies. He told me that blogging is like caring for an animal and I haven't fed you or watered you for 9 days. I'm terribly sorry... but you should just be happy that I don't kennel you while I'm away. :)

sock it to me... or not

I LOVE the warmer months of the year... summer camp, swimming pools, fireflies, ball games, my birthday (and Sadie's & Cole's birthday, too)... but best of all... I'm ALWAYS WARM and I get to wear my fav... the flip flop... allowing the 'ol socks to be put to rest for awhile!

You see, I have nothing against the beauty of socks. In fact, I have a whole drawer full of argyle, striped, and polka dotted socks (which I've been trying to figure out how these fit into my wardrobe being that the new shoes of the season do not support sock wearing)... along with the plain jane footies that always slide off my foot when I'm sportin' my kicks.

It seems that we need to discuss the FUNCTION of socks, however. You see, socks seem to work just fine as long as they are accompanied by a pair of shoes... but I would like to say that socks don't have a chance at standing alone. Remember this.... "Well, put on some socks if your feet are cold!"... but seriously, does that warm any one's feet up wearing socks???!!! Not mine!

I think Eric is starting to believe my theory that socks only trap in the cold... after all, he gets to live with the test sample to this theory... and I must say, that at the end of the day, it's not a pair of socks that warm up these tootsies... it's him... and thank you Lord that you made one of us warm blooded!