All Thumbs?

Okay, don't ever take your thumb for granted. It's amazing how many little things you will find almost impossible without the use of that stubby little guy. Examples: putting your hair in a ponytail, hooking your bra, washing your face... Yeah. It's an endless list.

My poor little thumb is healing, but it's still pretty tender. I don't think I'm going to lose my nail, which is good news, but half of it is an interesting magenta color. I took off the wrapping and splint last night so I could take a shower, and I discovered that it's much more comfortable to leave it on. I also discovered that the bottom of the splint rubbed a blister on my hand. Oh, well.

I think (hope) I'll be almost back to normal by the end of the week. It'll be nice to have the full use of my left hand again. The kids are taking full advantage of my handicap.

In other news, Nathan went to the doctor yesterday. Poor guy has bronchitis, an ear infection, and some kind of nasty infection in his throat. Maybe now that he has antibiotics he'll start getting better. He's been pretty miserable, but he goes to work every day and busts his booty in the hot sun. Makes me look like a weenie in comparison. I can't decide if I need to go to the doctor as well. It's very possible that I've got a sinus infection, and I'm worried about my ears. I don't really feel that horrible, but I don't feel great, either. It'd be nice to be able to breathe normally again, but the thought of yet another medical bill makes me cringe.

Fun times at our house, let me tell you. Hope you guys are having a good week! :)

Monday Funday

Yeah, today was anything but fun. It all began when Mommy had the brilliant idea of taking the kids shoe shopping. Nicholas has decent shoes already, but they're looking a little snug, so I thought it might be time to measure his feet. Also, I had a few things to get at the store, so I was planning to stop by Wal-Mart as well. We all got ready and piled into the car.

Shoe shopping was...interesting. The boys were semi-well-behaved, but not enough to suit me, so we decided they didn't need new shoes today (although, sure enough, Nicholas has outgrown his). We'll go back another time with reinforcements. The Wal-Mart trip was also cut very short. My oldest child decided to issue an order for Mommy to go buy him some toys. Mommy informed him that we weren't there to buy toys, and that it wasn't his place to tell Mommy what to do. "We don't speak to grown-ups that way, son." He continued the whining, so we all left without buying anything (and without picking up my paid-for pictures that have been sitting there since Saturday). Sorry, but I'm not going to allow my children to act that way.

As if I weren't in a bad enough mood already, I decided that today would be a good day for a minor emergency. Don't stress...the kids are fine. After I got the munchkins all situated in their seats and everyone was buckled in, I climbed out of the back of the Suburban and slammed the door...right on my thumb. HARD. I had to re-open the door to get my thumb out. I can't even describe the pain that shot through my hand and up my arm. I got into my seat, closed the door and started crying. Of course, the boys were freaking out. "What happened, Mama?! What's wrong?!" I held up my arm for them to see, and blood was running down to my elbow. I was afraid to look, so I just started driving home. I'm glad I didn't have a wreck, because I was crying so hard I couldn't see, and I was hurting so badly I couldn't think.

Once I got home, I realized that there was a good possibility that my thumb was broken. It was swollen to twice its normal size, and my nail and the back of my thumb were turning purple. I washed off the blood and saw that my nail had split from my finger at the top. It hurt like crazy. I called Nathan, who came home to watch the kids, and I went to the ER.

Luckily for me, no one else decided to have an emergency today, so I had the place to myself. After three x-rays (triple ouch) and a little poking and prodding, it was determined that my thumb is not broken. I was relieved. However, because of the swelling, additional examination wasn't possible, so the doctor wasn't sure of the extent of injury to the soft tissue. He said that it was very possible that I could have some ligament damage, but we'll just have to wait and see. A nurse came in to splint my thumb and wrap my hand (more ouch), and they sent me home with drugs.

Now I have The Incredible Hulk's thumb:

Cute, huh?

Good thing I'm already married.

Yeah, so I'm supposed to "completely rest" my hand and "take it easy" for a couple of days. I started snickering while they were giving the discharge instructions, because the doctor obviously hasn't visited my house. I'm really wondering how I'm going to lift and carry my daughter, wash dishes, fold laundry, and break up fights between two redheaded toddlers (and this is not a complete list) with only one usable hand. I also can't take the pain pills they gave me unless someone else is here to supervise the goobers. Oh, well...this should all provide some entertainment this week, anyway.

The lesson for all of you is that you definitely shouldn't slam the car door on your hand or any other body part. Heed my warning...it took a long time to type this. :)

The Creeping Crud

Okay, so now that I've had a chance to sit down and "relax" a little (whatever that means), I'm realizing that I did way too much this week! I shouldn't have been running around the way I was, because I am really regretting it! I am feeling pretty darn awful.

So, this morning, after two saline nasal flushes and a ton of boiling hot coffee, I can get very small amounts of air in through my left nostril (I'm also really jumpy). Now that's what I call progress! Also, I think I have a really good shot at doing voice-over work for James Earl Jones.

Unfortunately, I can feel that I probably have a sinus infection, and my chest is starting to feel tight and congested, which means that bronchitis is right around the corner. I'm having flashbacks to high school, when I had this junk once a month. Yuck. I suppose that means I'm going to have to visit my doctor this week, which is not going to be pleasant for a lot of reasons. The last time I saw him I was pregnant, and I haven't told him that we lost the baby yet. Nothing like adding a little depression to an illness, is there?

Maybe I should just learn how to do this...

Moo.

Saddle Ridge Ranch: Day Five

Yay! We survived! It was a fun week, but I am so tired. Now I can sit back, relax and wait for all this sickness to morph into bronchitis and a sinus infection. I think I'm on my way! Yee-Haw!

Today was good. The kids made picture frames so they could take home the photos we took earlier in the week, and they were pretty cute. I spent a lot of time on the floor during craft time, Cinderella-style, scrubbing up the encrusted paint from yesterday. Let me tell you, my right arm is going to be sore tomorrow! I just wanted to get it done, because I knew we wouldn't be able to stay up at the church all afternoon. My kids were in desperate need of naps, and I had to go pretty quickly after VBS was over. Luckily, we were able to get the room cleaned up, tear the decorations down, and walk out of the building before 1:30!

There is a really sweet family in our church that has horses, and they were nice enough to bring them to the church today for the kids to ride! Talk about adorable! 

Check out the horse.

I guess it doesn't like Nicholas much.

He wasn't scared at all!

Once Ethan saw that Nicky didn't die, he decided to go for a ride.

Turns out, he really liked it!

I think this year's VBS was awesome! Total offerings from the kids were over $650...wow! Because of this (and the offering competition between the boys and the girls), our pastor and associate pastor ended the day by getting "pie" in their faces! The fact that the "pies" were made of beans, mashed potatoes, and who knows what else only made this event more disgusting. I'm guessing the kitchen staff was trying to use up the leftover food? (Hurl.)

Of course, the embarrassment of our church leadership wouldn't be complete without some photographic evidence! Heehee...

Bro. (Dr.) Bill and Dr. Edge

Check out those cocky smiles.

Yeah, those will disappear...

Oh, yeah!

Nice throw, Cole!

That's nasty.

Hope you guys didn't eat dinner prior to viewing this.

So, Saddle Ridge Ranch is over. I'm glad, because I'm tired, but I love working with the kids at VBS, so I'm already looking forward to next year! Whether I'll be brave enough to actually volunteer to work is still up in the air. Talk to me next week, when my arms aren't sore anymore and I'm feeling better. :)

Saddle Ridge Ranch: Day Four

Just in case I never mentioned this before: I love my husband!! He is the best! The poor guy gave up a money-making day of work to stay home with two sick munchkins so Mommy could go and splatter paint all over the FBC fellowship hall with a bunch of kids. So sweet! :)

I'm still feeling awful, but I made it! I'm so glad I was able to get through the day, because we were very busy. The kids painted bandannas, and they all turned out to be really cute! It was messy and hectic, but so much fun!

He was so proud of his work.

Kathleen told me that we had 162 kids today. Awesome! Also, we had 161 yesterday, I think...I didn't get those numbers until after I already published my post.

I hope we can make it tomorrow, and I really hope that we're all feeling lots better. Day Five, here we come! I love VBS, but I'm looking forward to getting back to our normal routine. This week is killing me.

Hope you all have a great night!

Saddle Ridge Ranch: Day Three

Oh, boy. Today was a difficult one. Not only were we insanely busy in the craft room, but I had some drama with my kiddos that threw me for a loop.

The boys went home with my mother in-law yesterday to spend the night, so it was just me and Miss Zoe this morning. When she woke up, I noticed that her nose was running like a faucet and she had the cough of a an emphysema patient. Lovely. I took her temperature, and she didn't have a fever, so I wasn't sure what to do. After an hour of indecision, I finally called my mother to see if she could watch her while I went to VBS. I didn't want to risk spreading the plague to the other children, because I don't know if she's contagious.

Shortly after setting up in the church, I got a message from Nathan. Apparently, Nicholas started running a low-grade fever, and my brother and sister in-law were going to watch him so my mother in-law could come work at VBS. Ethan was the only child with me at the church today, and that was so strange. I'd forgotten what it was like to have only one kid! It's EASY!

Anyway, we made it through the day. Lots of painting, bolo-making and picture-taking went on, and we managed to surface at the end. I'll have to ask Kathleen how many kids we had today; I didn't get the official count. I would share some more pictures, but my memory card is out of commission at the moment, as we are having photos of all the VBS kids developed to send home with them. I hope I get my card back! There are some cute pictures of the boys on there, too!

Unfortunately, I'm still feeling extremely icky...fever, sore throat, stuffy nose, etc. I'm planning to try to be there tomorrow, depending on how the munchkins are doing. We're painting bandanas, and it should be really fun (and really messy)! A room full of young, hyperactive kiddos + fabric paint = interesting stories to tell parents. Fun times. :)

Saddle Ridge Ranch: Day Two

Oh, boy...today was a long day. I'm sure the number of hours were the same as any other day, but it just felt longer, okay? I woke up this morning and was not feeling well, and it's only gotten worse as time went on. I cannot afford to get sick right now, so I'm praying that a good night's sleep will help and I'll be back to 100% by tomorrow. If not, I'm just going to hope that I can survive for the rest of the week!

VBS was great! Our attendance went from 154 to 163, and I know we're going to keep adding to that. We have some incredible people working with the kids, and I know everyone is having a fabulous time! I didn't post pictures yesterday, so I'll share a few now:

Check out our mini stalls! Aren't they cute?

(Way to go, honey!)

My home for the week.

Check out this awesome covered wagon!

Stuart Baker built it just for us (or because Kathleen told him to).

Cathy Sizemore's Bible study bunkhouse.

The other Blazing Star Stables...upstairs...for the old people. :)

Okay, I'm just jealous because they actually have horses.

Aren't the decorations awesome? I thought so. Anyway, I am having a blast, and I know the kids are, too! Check out my kiddos:

Awww...

I would like to take a moment to mention that the closest I've ever been to a saddle is while I was shooting pictures today. See? I'm getting in touch with my inner cowgirl. Or something.

Well, folks, I'm feeling pretty crummy about now. I'm going to my room to drift off into a coma and hope that some miraculous healing takes place overnight. Hope you all have a wonderful evening!

Saddle Ridge Ranch: Day One

Wow! Today was CRAZY, but awesome! There were 154 kids at VBS for the first day, and that number is only going to get bigger as the week goes on. 

The church looks really good. Everyone did such a great job decorating! We spent about 11 hours up there on Saturday, trying to transform our fellowship hall into "Blazing Star Stables." Nathan came up and built the coolest horse stalls using just foam and cardboard! (Note: They weren't as "cool" once we remembered we had to paint them. Boo.) On Sunday afternoon, we went back and finished the room. Boy, do I have a lot of laundry and cleaning to do around here now! I don't really think about how much I do around the house during the day until I'm gone for a while and have to play catch-up.

Anyway, the first day was a big success, I think. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, and I know it's going to be great! 

Pictures to come!

Things I've learned

A friend of mine now has three children under the age of three living in her house (Stacy, you are AWESOME!). I've been there, and I feel her pain! Thinking about what she's experiencing right now caused me to reflect on all the things I've figured out since my kids were born. I know I still have lots to learn, but I have some things I can share right now that might help another mom (or even a daddy...I'm not sexist!) reduce her stress level a little. Reduced stress is a good thing.

• Kids are going to get sick. It's just a fact of life. They will also pass the illnesses around to the other kids within 48 hours. The probability that the doctors will actually be able to help you is minimal ("It's just a virus and it has to run its course. That will be $75, please."), so your best bet is just to keep your stressed booty at home and give them Tylenol and Motrin.
• An occasional Happy Meal is not going to cause a three year-old to have a heart attack. Sometimes mothers just don't want to make lunch. You're having a bad day, the kids are being brats, and you all need to get out of the house before someone is murdered. Go for it. They call them "Happy Meals" for a reason.
• Diapers are a good thing. Whoever tells you that potty-training your child is a great thing probably has only one child, or their kids are many years apart in age (and they don't count). Yes, it's nice...sometimes. When you're trying to nurse a baby and your three year-old suddenly needs your help in the bathroom, it's not nice (only two hands...count 'em!). Or when you have all three kids with you in a crowded store and someone urgently needs to go potty, it's not nice. You start to wish you had left all your kids in diapers so you could just finish what you were doing before the milk spoils.
• Being a "stay -at-home mom"  doesn't necessarily mean you should always stay at home. It's so much easier to be a recluse with all these goobers running around, but they need to get out, too! Also, kids need to be around other kids. You'll be glad you left the house, even if it seems like more trouble than it's worth (and sometimes it is!).
• Never pass up free child care. This goes with the above statement. I cannot tell you how nice it is to go to my ladies' Bible study on Fridays and be alone with other adults for a couple of hours, knowing that my kids are being cared for and I don't have to worry about them. I will forever be grateful to the Methodist church for allowing me to have that small stress-free moment each week.
• Coordinate nap times. Every afternoon, at about 2:00, all three of my kids take a nap. This gives Mommy about two hours (usually) of peace and quiet. Yay! I am a huge nap time advocate.
• Teach your kids to fight their own battles. At least five times a day (minimum), one of the kids comes up to me, crying, because one of the others pestered/hit/bit/pushed/kicked/poked/pinched/stole from them. I will usually go and deal with the aggressor and dole out appropriate punishment, but I try to get them to work it out themselves. It doesn't always go smoothly, but they're going to have to learn to fix their own issues at some point.
• Bribes work. Yes, I know...it's mean. Hey! Sometimes reminding the kids that if they're good they'll get to go to Grammy's house and swim is the only way to ensure good behavior for the next thirty seconds. Or less.
• Do laundry every day. (Note: this only applies when you have more than four people in your house.) Otherwise, it will multiply and come to get you while you're sleeping. Beware.
• Shop at consignment and thrift stores, go to pawn shops, and check out garage sales. You have no idea how much awesome stuff I've managed to get for very little money! Toys are the best - just clean them really well before you let the kids have them. Clothes are also a good deal, because kids grow super fast and that stuff gets so expensive!
• Kids need to learn to clean up after themselves. I am a huge neat-freak, as most of you already know, so I like my house clean. Some people don't care as much. I personally think that it's about more than just a clean house...it's about character. I'm trying to teach my kids to take care of the things they're given and to be grateful. So many people take things for granted these days, and I don't want my children to be like that.
• Don't use baby talk. Speak to your children as if they were adults, and encourage them to explain things to you. And use big words. They understand more than you think they do. It will improve their vocabularies and increase their ability to express themselves. I've seen an exponential increase in vocabulary knowledge in each of my children by their first birthday. Ethan knew a lot of words, Nicholas knew more than Ethan, but Zoe knew the most. As kids hear more conversations, they'll pick up words, obviously. If you only have one child, talk to them all the time, about everything. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes.
• Ask for stories and songs. Ethan makes up things on the fly, and they're so fun to hear! He makes me laugh. I know his imagination works, that's for sure! I get him to "read books" to me as well, even though he can't read yet. There's always an interesting story to be told.

I could go on forever, but this is getting long now. I hope something in here is helpful to another parent in some way. Having kids is an adventure!

Screwed

Okay, maybe that's not really an "appropriate, family-friendly" title for this post, but I think it really captures the whole subject fairly well. You'll just have to excuse me. Politeness and tact have completely gone out the window at this point.

Last week was horrible. This week is worse. Everything seems to be going wrong, and I've encountered some strange, unexpected things. I really believe it's because I decided to do another Bible study. I remember this happening with the last study I chose to do. Anything that could happen to discourage me from studying, completing my homework, or even attending the study was happening. And, here we go again. I know it's an attack, but I don't know if I have the strength or energy to stand up under it right now. I already have too much going on. It's so tempting to just admit defeat.

Yesterday is a good example of how this week has been. The boys were at my in-laws' house, and when I went to go and pick them up, Ethan was acting a little droopy. I checked to see if he felt warm, but I didn't think he had a temperature and neither did my mother in-law. As we were driving home, he told me that he felt sick to his stomach. I quickly crossed two lanes of traffic, jerked the car into the vacant parking lot of our newly-constructed CVS Pharmacy, and grabbed him out of his car seat. I knew he probably wasn't sick (he had been eating and drinking just fine the whole day), but I didn't feel like scrubbing throw-up out of my vehicle in 100-degree heat. Anyway, he seemed to be fine, so we got back into the car and went home.

Once I parked the car and we all got out, I noticed a strange noise. A hissing sound. A LOUD hissing sound. When I realized where it was coming from, my heart just sank. I discovered the following object embedded in the tread of my right rear tire, buried all the way to the head.

A nice, big drywall screw.

Lovely, isn't it? I'd like to take a moment to thank the construction crew that worked on our new CVS for their negligence in cleaning up their own mess. A warning to everyone else: if you plan to visit the pharmacy when it opens, you might want to make sure you're prepared to buy new tires, just in case. It would be one thing if they were still in some phase of construction, and I might be a little more understanding, but the building has been finished for a long time, and they should be opening soon. Perhaps a gigantic screw is just not that easy to see. I am, after all, almost legally blind. Okay, I'll end my ranting here.

Ethan does, in fact, have a fever. After the tire fiasco, we went into the house and took his temperature, and it was about 102. As long as he's medicated, he's fine; he's running around and playing with his siblings. My kids do this a lot: run a random, elevated temperature with no other observable symptoms. A day or two later, you would never know there was anything wrong with them.

The part that really sucks is that I won't be able to go to my Bible study this week because of the fevers. My mother in-law says that I'm under attack because I'm trying to strengthen my relationship with God and be in His Word. The devil doesn't like that. Well, I guess he got what he wanted: I'm not going to Bible study.

YOU WON! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!! 

Maybe next week will be better. It's Vacation Bible School, though, so I'm guessing that if I try to show up every day that a tree is going to fall on my house or something. Spontaneous combustion? Carbon monoxide poisoning? Ebola virus?

Obsessive-Compulsive Sarah

Some of you are already nodding or shaking your head. Yes, I know. It's bad. I can't help it! It's been bred into me, I swear! Allow me to explain.

My father cracks me up. The best example of the obsessive-compulsive nature of my dad has to do with "The Godfather" films. (Dad, if you're reading this, I love you so much! You are truly an inspiration to me, and your quirks only make you more wonderful!)

When my Dad decides to watch "The Godfather" films, he has to watch them in order. Not just in the normal order, like film #1, film #2, then film #3, but in chronological story order. He starts with "The Godfather: Part Two," and watches the story from the beginning of the flashbacks (when Vito Corleone was young). He will watch only the flashback chapters, and then will continue to skip around and flip discs until he's watched the entire trilogy in order. Once, when I was at my parents' house, I witnessed this. My thoughts were, "What in the world is that man doing? Is something wrong with the DVD? Why is he turning it on and off?" I looked at my mother with raised eyebrows, and she rolled her eyes as she explained, "Your dad HAS to watch the movies in chronological order."

I can't say a word, and neither can my mother, because we have the same tendencies. For my part, I don't usually eat M&M's unless I've put them into color groups first, I prefer to have things in even numbers, I have an alphabetized (and numbered) list of all the movies I own, and I get twitchy if my kids' toys aren't grouped/put away in exactly the same spot every single day. These are just a few examples...there are lots and lots (and lots and lots) more.

Stay away from me. I'm dangerously freakish.

The chopping block

No, I did not lose my head today. Well, not physically, anyway! :) I did, however, lose about nine inches of hair. Good riddance, and I am so happy to be free! Unfortunately, my hair grows super fast, so this will only last a couple of months. Oh, well...I'll enjoy it while I can.

An extremely long week

This week has not been a good one. I just couldn't seem to keep my head screwed on, and every time I turned around there was something new going on. Needless to say, I did not manage to accomplish all the things I needed/wanted to, so now I'm just irritated. Maybe I'll find some extra time (ha!) this coming week.

Random updates:

- Went to the church on Thursday to check out everything that's been ordered for the VBS younger kids' craft time. All the crafts are really cute! Once I got home and started messing with a few of them, I encountered some obstacles. I'm hoping that we won't hit too many snags when the kids are trying to make them! I'm so glad I'm working with Kim Deviney...she's way more calm and optimistic than I am (not to mention artistic)! VBS starts on the 21st! Bring your munchkins, and keep all the kiddos and workers in prayer!

- While we were at the church on Thursday, Zoe managed to touch/eat/roll in something that made her break out in head-to-toe hives. I have no clue what it was. She was fine, once the Benadryl kicked in, but I am SO tired of NOT knowing what's going on with my child! We will be taking her to the allergist so we can try to get a handle on whatever is happening. I'm just hoping that it won't cost an obscene fortune and we'll actually get some answers.

- My Bible study is...weird. No, it's really good! This particular study is very, very different from the other Beth Moore studies I've done, and I'm not really that great with change. I need to pray that God helps me step out of my comfort zone (a big deal for me) so I can truly benefit from this time. God wants to teach me something, and I need to listen! I also need prayer about having time during the week to complete my homework assignments. I did not get the first week done, and now I'm behind, which is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I will desperately try to get this week's work done, because I know I won't want to go to meet with the group if it's not finished. I need time and motivation!! The one thing that is most likely to keep me from benefiting: getting in my own way. I don't want it to happen.

- On a really personal note, the end of this week has been extremely rough for me, emotionally. **If you're not interested in reading about womens' problems, I'd advise you to stop reading right now.** Every month, I get a really (emotionally and physically) painful reminder that I am definitely NOT pregnant, which causes me to flash back to the memory of the babies I lost. I spent most of yesterday in tears. If that isn't bad enough, we got two medical bills in the mail pertaining to my D&C in April. Also, I got a phone call about another bill from the pathology lab. You can only hear the terms "products of conception," "aborted fetus," "uterine tissue," and "contents of the uterus" so many times before you realize that no one else cares about what you're going through. This particular bill is a huge struggle right now, because someone screwed up and did something that is costing us a fortune, and I'm trying to track down the person that made the mistake. I know it wasn't me, because I was under anesthesia while this was going on. They're all blame-shifting, so I've spent hours on the phone, talking about something that breaks my heart. Honestly, I'm thinking that we just won't pay the bill at this point. I'm tired of fighting with medical institutions about it, and no one is going to help me. I'll bet they can live without $1,000 from us. They just might have to.

- I am in serious need of a vacation. I can't really elaborate on this one; I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Hope I didn't bore you all. Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you made it this far). I swear I'm not this much of a downer all the time. It's been a long week, and I am so glad it's over. I'm going to try to get five minutes of time for myself today, if I can pull it off. I need some alone time.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and I'll see you next week!

Shhhhh!

I decided to take the kids to the Bastrop Public Library today. I don't think I've actually checked out a book from our library in over twenty years, and I've only been inside twice since they remodeled it a few years ago. It's nice! 

The kids weren't horrible, although they couldn't understand the concept of getting one book at a time and sitting down with it. They're still really young, and I'm sure it will get better as they get older. I read to them for a little while, but Nicholas can't sit still for more than ten seconds without spazzing out, so we walked around a lot. I found a few books that the boys were really excited about, and managed to sneak a quick look around the grown-up sections before I completely lost this kids' attention. We checked out five books, piled back into "Mommy's bus," (named by Ethan) and went to Sonic for slushes. :)

 I found a cookbook that I'm actually really excited about. It's 8 Degrees of Ingredients by Melisa Prie, and all the recipes inside (over 250!) are completely free of the eight most common allergens: wheat, egg, soy, milk, fish, peanuts, shellfish and tree nuts. My kids don't have issues with food allergies, other than Zoe's allergy to milk, so I can adapt most of the recipes to fit our entire family without having to buy weird ingredients, like xanthan gum and amaranth flour. Strange, and probably pretty pricey once you add up all the different things mentioned in the book. We'll see if it turns out to be a good find. 

It would be so much fun to be able to take the kids on this type of outing pretty often, but I'll just have to watch their behavior. The library has a lot of different events we want to try, so we'll just give it a shot, take it slowly and see what happens.

Baby Steps

I have photographic proof that Zoe is almost a walker! I finally managed to capture a shot of her standing independently.

I am also very proud to announce that she took FIVE STEPS toward me on Thursday! She's getting a lot braver, and she's starting to understand that she can be mobile while upright. It's only a matter of time, and I'll have three munchkins running around this house!

Perseverance

per-se-ver-ance [pur-suh-veer-uhns]

-noun

1. the act of persevering; continued, patient effort
2. the quality of one who perseveres; persistence

3. steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.

We have a bird feeder directly in front of our living room windows, about ten feet away. The kids love to watch the birds come and go, and I try to make sure it's always well-stocked with birdseed. When we purchased the feeder, I made sure to get one of the more expensive, "squirrel-proof" models, because we do have quite a few of the furry critters out here and I didn't want them stealing all the seed. Also, we have lots of those giant horse-sized birds that would probably chase away all the smaller, prettier ones if they discovered they could get to the food.

About a month ago, I noticed that there weren't many birds visiting the feeder, but the seed level was still dropping pretty steadily. One morning, Ethan called me into the living room to show me something. "Look, Mama! There's a squirrel on the bird feeder!!" Sure enough, there was a fat, fluffy-tailed creature doing a balancing act and trying to get the seed out of the little holes in the feeder. We watched it for a while, and it seemed like the poor thing was never going to give up! Finally, it ran up into the tree and stared at the feeder with contempt.

We've seen our little friend multiple times over the past few weeks. Just this morning, I walked by the window and noticed that there was a furry tail dangling from one side of the feeder. I grabbed my camera and big zoom lens, and was able to snap a few pictures before the squirrel took off, raced up into a tree and fussed at me from an overhanging branch. Upon closer inspection of the pictures, I realized that my "squirrel-proof" bird feeder is no longer doing its job properly. Our little buddy somehow managed to find a way to attach to the feeder without causing the little open feeding areas to close up. The spring system on the feeder is supposed to be weight-based, and a creature that's heavier than, say, a cardinal is not supposed to be able to get any of the seed out. Somehow, after days and days of plotting and practicing, this squirrel figured out a way to trick the feeder. See for yourself...

Why am I blogging about a stupid squirrel? Well, it made me think. There's a life lesson here for all of us. You don't think so?

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever had a problem? I don't even have to wait to hear the answer to that. We ALL have problems...lots of them sometimes. Those of us who are Christians are never promised that life is going to be easy. In fact, the Bible tells us that we're going to be tested and we're going to experience difficulties, but that we should face them with a positive attitude (James 1:2). That is SO hard (well, for me, anyway). Every little (or huge) thing we go through takes a lot out of us, and sometimes we don't even want to get up and face each day.

There is a reward for us, though! Several, actually. Each trial we face has the potential for strengthening our relationship with God, depending on how we choose to handle the situation. We can let our frustrations overtake us, give in to our human nature and try to change/control it by ourselves, or we can realize that God is bigger than we are (and the problem) and give it to Him. Prayer and humility = a closer walk with God. Hebrews 10:36 tells us that we need to persevere so that when we have "done the will of God," we will "receive what he has promised."

What else do we have to look forward to? How about maturity? That's a good thing, right?

"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

- James 1:4

"...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

- Romans 5:3-4

Character...that's a big one. And hope is always a good thing.

As I said before, God never promised that our lives as Christians would be easy (big, fat bummer). We are targets for persecution, especially today. Putting all that aside, though, life is just hard sometimes. People are, by nature, evil, and sometimes I think we exist just to frustrate others. I know I'm a frustrating person! Just ask my husband! :) Christians are called to a higher standard, and the world is watching us, just waiting for us to screw up. Therefore,

"...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." - Hebrews 12:1  

And just wait until we get to the finish line! WooHoo!!

Let's keep it together, because we have an audience. When it's all said and done, we want them to be saying, "Wow! How can they be so strong and faithful when everything's falling apart? Whatever they've got, I need it!!" What an incredible witness!

So, again...I'm looking at our little squirrel friend. Fuzzy had a problem, and instead of giving up after a few failed attempts and retreating to a tree branch to whine about how unfair life truly is, the little ball of fur kept trying. His ultimate reward: FOOD! 

Perseverance. I think the squirrel definitely has the right idea.

I don't think so

Okay, so I ran out of regular Oreos and I was having a chocolate craving. A couple of weeks ago, I bought some of the new Blizzard 25th birthday Oreos, so I decided to bust them open just now.

Ummmm...NO. Limited edition? Thank God!

The filling reminded me of too-sweet cookie dough, and the aftertaste was like butter or something. Plus, it left a strange oily film on my teeth and tongue that I'm tempted to scrape off with a knife.

My advice? Run away, people...run away.

Back to the routine

My Bible study started back up today! The ladies in my group are wonderful, and I'm so excited to be able to see them every week. I've really missed going to our study, and I'm already looking forward to next Friday!

This summer, we're doing a seven-week study (we have another planned for September). It's Beth Moore's "Stepping Up," and I think it's going to be a great one! So far, it seems very different from the other Beth Moore studies I've done, which could be a good thing. Sometimes change can be nice. :)

I hope that I'll be able to devote some time to the homework assignments each week. Doing the in-depth work between meetings really makes a difference in how much I get out of the study. 

The boys have typically had a rough time on the days my group meets, because they don't particularly enjoy the childcare. It has nothing to do with the sweet ladies that are working there or the facility itself, I think they've had a couple of traumatic experiences that have caused them to dread walking in the door. Today, they were great! They didn't seem to mind at all, and it made me feel a lot less guilty. Zoe, on the other hand, was hysterical. I ended up having to go back and get her during the first part of our video, so I missed a lot. She sat with me for a little while, but she's too active and talkative to stay for the whole study. I don't want her to disturb the others that are trying to listen and learn. So, I walked her back over to the nursery and told them to do their best to distract her. She fell asleep about 20 minutes before I went to pick the kids up. Probably wore herself out throwing a fit. 

We'll try again next week.

Story time!

My kids LOVE books. At least twice a day, one (or both) of the boys will request that I read them a story, and Zoe always wants to climb into my lap and listen. I'm happy that they have an early appreciation for reading, because I think it's super important. However, at our house, story time does tend to get a little frustrating for the adult. Allow me to explain.

Today we'll be reading one of the many Disney books we have: The Prince and the Pauper. Quick lesson: The Prince and the Pauper is a novel by Mark Twain. It was first published in the United States in 1882, and it was Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. There. The English teacher within me is satisfied. :)

I'm sure I'll be sued for copyright infringement or something, but I suppose I'll deal with that  later. Do they have story time in prison?

Since there are several people involved, I will be using a different color to represent each person's voice in the dialog to follow. Nathan will be black, Ethan will be blue, Nicholas will be red, and Zoe will be pink. The actual story will be italicized. Keep in mind that this is not verbatim, but is fairly accurate to what I usually hear. All good? Okay, then...story time at our house...

For many years England had a wise and good King. The people were...
Where's Mickey?
We haven't gotten to the part with Mickey yet.

I see Goofy!

Yep, there's Goofy.
The people were happy under his rule. But by and by, the good King fell ill. Soon the greedy...
Dada! Dada! 
...captain of the guard, Captain Pete, saw...
Nicky, don't turn the page. I'm not done reading that part yet. Fine, turn the page.

Where's Captain Pete?

I saw him! Turn the page back! There he is!

There's Pete!!
There he is. Be careful! You're going to rip it!
Without firewood to heat their simple homes and enough food to...
There's Mickey!! I see him now!!
Yep, he's right there.
...enough food to eat, people suffered terribly...
Juice?! Juice! Juice! Waaaaaaah!!
...throughout the land.

Why does that man have a bag?
Where's a bag?

I don't know. Why don't we keep reading the story and find out?

Well, what's in that bag?

I don't know, buddy. Let's keep reading.

Mickey has sticks!

It seemed that no one could save the kingdom from the thieving Captain Pete...

I need a drink. I'm thirsty.

Okay, go get a drink.

...until one day...

I need a drink, too!

Okay, go get your juice.

Juice? Juice? Dada! Dada! Juice!!

Oh, good Lord...

Anyway, you get the idea. Total page count: four. At this point, I'm laughing hysterically because I know it's going to be at least thirty minutes before they actually make it through the story. Also, I know that once the story is over, Ethan will request that Daddy read it again. 

The best part is the stuff that you can't see. Nicholas can't sit still to save his life, so he's climbing all over, chewing on his hands and kicking Daddy in the leg. Zoe starts off in Daddy's lap, but then wants to get down somewhere around the third page. She will then stand next to the couch and try to tear the pages out of the book (or pester her brothers). Ethan is still for the most part, unless he needs a drink or a potty break.

It's a lot easier when they're tired. :)

Zoe at 15 months

Our little ZuZu is 15 months old today! In celebration, I took her to the doctor. :(

It wasn't all bad. We saw a different pediatrician today (obviously...see previous post) and she was really nice. Zoe seemed a little touchy, but was still giving cute smiles and all, so she couldn't have been too irritated. The doctor was impressed with Zoe's vocabulary and ability to express herself, thought she looked just as healthy as could be, and wasn't concerned at all that Zoe hadn't started walking yet. Her best guess: next month Zoe will be a walker. I agree. She's sooooooo close!

She's also gaining weight, and not just because she's getting older - she's actually moved up from the 10th percentile to the 20th, which made me very happy. She's still in the 40th for height, but as Dr. I'mInAHurry so kindly pointed out at the last well-check, she has a very short mother (again, see previous post). 

The worst part of the appointment: three immunizations. Zoe was a little less than thrilled, but she got over it once I bribed her with snacks. :)

Basic synopsis: I have a very smart, happy and healthy baby girl! I already knew that, though.