Zing Zang Zoom!

Wednesday night, Nathan and I took the boys to the circus. We had such a good time! Actually, I think the adults enjoyed it more than the kids. It was the first time I had been to the circus since I was pretty young, and it was a lot like I remembered it. Although, I would swear that it used to be a lot bigger. Maybe it just seemed that way because I was small. I don't know. Anyway...

This year, the Ringling Bros. that came to Austin had the "Zing Zang Zoom" theme, which included a lot of magic acts and illusions. They even made an elephant disappear! I'm still trying to figure that one out. :) 
 
I got some semi-decent pictures. Keep in mind that my big zoom lens is on its last legs (one day I'll get around to buying a new one) and it was extremely dark. Enjoy!

The opening.

Clowns!

Tightrope walkers.

These guys were seriously talented.

Watching them made me nervous and dizzy!

Begging elephants?

That's not as impressive as...

I would love for someone to explain how you can train an elephant to stand on its head/trunk. If anyone knows, please tell me!

Mad kitty!

I don't think I'd want to be inside that enclosure.

This made me dizzy, too.

Especially when they were on top, doing flips, while it was spinning around.

Yikes.

 

There were some pretty amazing things done by some seriously talented people. I can't even imagine the training and physical demands that those tricks require.

We had couple of problems with going to see the circus Wednesday night. First, we chose to go on opening night, when the show was extra late (7:30 start time) so we could get cheaper tickets. This was a problem because we had to leave the house at dinnertime, and we were just getting into the show during the boys' bedtime. Considering that they were both really hungry and very tired, they actually behaved well. I don't think we'll do that again, because $4.00 hot dogs aren't worth it (I could hear Nathan's wallet whimpering). Another big problem was that the show was over two hours long. That's a long time for two little boys to sit still and watch something. It was pretty overwhelming for them, because there are always so many things happening at once, so they weren't sure what they were supposed to be watching. Ethan kept wanting to leave (got a little bored, I think), so Nathan took him out a couple of times. Taking all this into consideration, I think they still had a good time, and didn't really give us any trouble.

Maybe next year we'll just go by ourselves and enjoy it, minus the kids. All in all, it was a fun night, but I don't think we'll go to a late show next time. We're too old to stay up that late. :)

Progress

Things are going, going, going over here. It's amazing how quickly everything changes, isn't it?

Zoe finally figured out the walking thing a couple of months ago, and now she's unstoppable. She's practically sprinting across the house, keeping up with her overactive brothers and holding her own in fights. That's my girl! She's become very articulate over the last few weeks, and is able to communicate her needs (mostly wants) pretty well. I've heard her constructing sentences lately...up to three words! Such a little chatterbox! She comes by this honestly, because her mother has a big mouth. :)

 See? She's yelling at her artwork.

Our middle child is very...different. Nathan and I are both firstborn children, so understanding someone without the same character traits is difficult and frustrating for us both. Nicholas just does his own thing, and doesn't seem interested in a lot of things the other two kids find important. We've talked to him about potty training, and he's pretty apathetic. He'll use the potty if we take him to the bathroom, but isn't self-motivated to be diaper free (even if we bribe him with a big reward). I'm not going to push the issue, because he's the type of child that will end up having lots of accidents. We'll just see what happens over the next six months or so. I will say this about our Nick-Nick: he's very imaginative and he's a hard worker. He finds lots of little things to do by himself that he takes very seriously, like constructing an elaborate building out of blocks. He's got that engineering blood, I think. That must be an Alexander trait; they seem to breed those kind.

He cracks me up.

Ethan took a big step yesterday, without any help or prompting from me. I was washing dishes, and he came running up to me, yelling "I wrote my name!" Sure enough, he had - legibly and with all the letters in the correct order. This was a huge deal, because he had been practicing for weeks, and it was the first time he got the letters in order without having someone spell them out for him. Yay for Ethan!

Good job, buddy!

He's not even four years old yet!

At least I know he'll be able to write his name by the time we start him in a Pre-K/Kinder curriculum. Check one thing off my list!

As for Mom...I'm making progress, too. :) No, I'm really fine! Emotionally and physically, I'm doing really well. Without too much information, I had my annual well-woman appointment and everything was totally normal, and my doctor even did another ultrasound just to put my mind at ease (again). Everything looks perfect! He still maintains that there isn't a thing wrong with me, so I'm happy with that. On that note, my goal for the week was to get a new calendar. I keep a small one in my purse to write down birthdays, doctor's appointments, etc., to help maintain some kind of schedule. I had written a lot of information about past pregnancies and OB appointments in there, and it struck a nerve every time I opened it. Soooo, I bought a new one so I (we) can start over! Moving on...feeling good!

Spiritual Gifts Assessment

A few weeks ago, our Sunday school class took a spiritual gifts assessment. It was 140 questions to help determine which of the 28 spiritual gifts an individual has been given. I had always wanted to take one of these tests; I was curious to see what it might reveal about my personality. I had some preconceived ideas about which gift or gifts I might have, but was open to learning more about myself and the areas in which I should be concentrating and serving.

My top three (actually, four):
1. Discernment/Distinguishing Spirits (score: 25)
2. Teaching (score: 20)
3. Helps/Service and Administration (score: 19 on both)

Okay, so this basically means that I'm a nosy, bossy teacher. I already knew that! Okay, that's being a little too harsh, but it made me laugh. Seriously, let's look at this... (Note: I'm taking the analysis from the same website that offers the assessment. I would recommend that you all go and take the test, because it offers a lot of insight and will allow you to check out your gifted areas in more detail.)

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Discernment/Distinguishing Spirits:

The special ability God gives to some to know with assurance whether certain behavior or teaching is from God, Satan, human error, or human power. The divine enablement to distinguish between truth and error, to discern the spirits, differentiating between good and evil, right and wrong.

People with this gift:
- distinguish truth from error, right from wrong, pure motives from impure
- identify deception in others with accuracy and appropriateness
- determine whether a word attributed to God is authentic
- recognize inconsistencies in a teaching, prophetic message, or interpretation
- are able to sense the presence of evil. 

Teaching:

The special ability God gives to some to explain the truths of the Word of God clearly and to apply them effectively so that those taught understand and learn. To instruct others in the Bible in a logical and systematic way so as to communicate pertinent information for true understanding and growth. The divine enablement to understand, clearly explain, and apply the word of God causing greater Christ-likeness in the lives of listeners.

People with this gift:
- communicate Biblical truth that inspires greater obedience to the word
- challenge listeners simply and practically with the truths of scripture
- focus on changing lives by helping others understand the Bible better
- give attention to detail and accuracy
- prepare through extended times of study and reflection.

Helps/Service:

The gift that enables a believer to work gladly behind the scenes in order that God's work is fulfilled. The special ability God gives to some to serve the church in a supporting role or to invest their talents in the life and ministry of other members of the body enabling them to increase their effectiveness. The divine enablement to accomplish practical and necessary tasks which free-up, support, and meet the needs of others.

People with this gift:
- serve behind the scenes whenever needed to support the gifts and ministries of others (without having to be asked)
- see the tangible and practical things to be done and enjoy doing them
- sense God's purpose and pleasure in meeting every day responsibilities
- attach spiritual value to practical service
- enjoy knowing that they are freeing up others to do what God has called them to do.
- would rather do a job than find someone else to do it.

Administration:

The special ability God gives to some to steer the body toward the accomplishment of God-given goals and directives by planning, organizing, and supervising others. The divine enablement to understand what makes an organization function and the special ability to plan and execute procedures that accomplish the goals of the ministry.

People with this gift:
- develop strategies or plans to reach identified goals
- assist ministries to become more effective and efficient
- create order out of organizational chaos
- manage or coordinate a variety of responsibilities to accomplish a task
- organize people, tasks, or events.

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It's interesting to see that my highest score was discernment, because I wouldn't have guessed that about myself. Then again, I have a tendency to be judgmental, which isn't always a good thing, but there might be some truth at the heart of it, I suppose. I can usually peg a person pretty well based on initial impressions, and I am able to figure out their intentions pretty easily. My new personal goal is to try to use that gift in a good way, and to be careful not to judge. It's that whole finger-pointing thing. You know, the one where you need to be careful when you point your finger at someone, because there are three fingers pointing back at you? Yeah, that's Biblical. "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." - Luke 6:42  OUCH.

Teaching was something I expected to see on my list, and I have used that gift. I started when I was young, and always knew that was the career I needed to have. What I should probably be doing is using this gift at church. I'll have to think and pray about that one.

Ha...administration. Yep, this is my first-born nature coming out, that's for sure. I do like to lead and organize, but I need to be careful with this one for a lot of reasons. The most obvious reason: I'm female. Again, something I need to think and pray about.

Wow, this turned into a really long post. Sorry! Hope you guys didn't give up about halfway and close the window. Anyway, the test we took can be found HERE. There are many others out there...let me know if you find one you like better! I hope those of you still reading have a great day! 

Random Sunday

After church on Sunday, Nathan asked if I thought we should all go into Austin "or something." It was totally spur-of-the-moment, and we hadn't even made it home from the service yet. I figured we could use a break from being at home, so we went to the house for a few minutes to grab some kiddo essentials (diapers, bibs, snacks, etc.) and we headed for the highway!

First random stop: Toys 'R' Us. 

That place is so much fun, even if you manage to make it out the door without buying something (we're cheap...er..."thrifty"). The main reason we stopped was to kill some time before we attempted to eat lunch, because Sunday afternoon restaurant crowds are horrible. We had a good time roaming the aisles and trying not to get kicked out for playing with all the toys.

Second stop: Red Robin. 

Yes, we love the "kids eat free" stuff, and the place is very family-friendly. We had some yummy food!

Third stop: Austin Children's Museum. 

We hadn't taken the kids yet, and I really wanted to see if it was worth driving there and paying admission (it's not that cheap). Every Sunday afternoon from 4-5, the museum is free! There are two problems with this. One, it's really crowded! Lots of people take advantage of the free museum time, and lots of people have birthday parties on the weekend, so there were probably 50-60 kids there (or more). Two, the kids only have one hour to play before the museum closes at 5:00. The crowds and the lack of time really limited our ability to see and try everything, so I was a little disappointed. Over all, I think it's a really cool place, and I definitely want to take the kids back when they can have more time and room to play.

Nicholas spying on everyone.

 Waiting for more bolts to drop.

Blocks!

The future engineer, perhaps?

Zoe wanted to take this home.

We had a great day. The kids were extremely well-behaved, and it was awesome to spend some fun time together as a family. It was something I've needed for a while, after so many sad days, and I feel completely recharged. Random Sundays are the way to go!

Time goes by so quickly

Eight years ago today, I married the love of my life. He is my best friend, and I couldn't ask for anything more in a husband.

I love you, Nathan...with all my heart. Always and forever.

Here's to many, many more happy years with my sweetheart!

I'm a...what?!

Sooooo, my oldest is learning to write his name. He can write a ton of different letters, but getting them in order is proving to be a little challenging for him. We're practicing, and he'll get it soon. When I was working at VBS, I noticed that most of the four year-olds that came into our room did not know the difference between their first and last name, nor could they spell or write their names for us. I am determined that my child will know his first name (and be able to write it legibly) and his last name before his fourth birthday in December. We can do it!

This leads to my interesting (and hilarious story). I was passing through the living room yesterday, and Ethan was sitting on the couch, writing on his Magna-Doodle. All of a sudden, he blurts out, "Mama! Look! I wrote your name!" I don't think I've ever showed him how to write my name, so I was interested to see what was on the board. I look over and see...

 H - O - E

At first, I did a double-take to make sure I was really seeing it. Then, I started laughing hysterically. I didn't want Ethan to think I was laughing at him, so I quickly showed him how to correctly write my name and praised his efforts. Oh, how I wish I had taken a picture. Well, you'll just have to take my word for it. It was funny.

In other news, I'm sorry I haven't been updating lately. Things have been a little hectic around here, and I haven't been feeling that well. I have some catching up to do. Hope you are all well!