Friday, May 30, 2008
Blast off
The boys found a bag of chess and checkers pieces today. Doug was lining up the chess pieces on the squares of the board and I started naming pieces as he asked me about them. Well...apparently "bishop" sounds enough like "spaceship" that after he found one he was saying "2...1...blast-off" and making the piece fly into the air.
Giving Smiles
We made a lot of people smile today. Well...it really wasn't "we" because it was all Doug.
This morning he spilled water on his PJ's and of course came to tell me he needed a shirt while I was sitting on the toilet. So I took off his pajamma shirt and told him to go pick out some clothes.
Well...you know three year olds...he came back with a set of pajamas. I was afraid that he was going to be hot (they were long sleeve) but he was insistent and he was a trooper about it because he wore them the entire day. In fact we had to change them for bed because he was sweaty from running around in them.
The kids helped me pick up some things on campus and so Doug got to go along wearing his pj's (dark blue with police cars and "night patrol" printed all over them...thanks Aunt Ann) and also a white visor decorated with blue and red stars that the kids made at church. It was quite the sight...I should have taken a picture.
This morning he spilled water on his PJ's and of course came to tell me he needed a shirt while I was sitting on the toilet. So I took off his pajamma shirt and told him to go pick out some clothes.
Well...you know three year olds...he came back with a set of pajamas. I was afraid that he was going to be hot (they were long sleeve) but he was insistent and he was a trooper about it because he wore them the entire day. In fact we had to change them for bed because he was sweaty from running around in them.
The kids helped me pick up some things on campus and so Doug got to go along wearing his pj's (dark blue with police cars and "night patrol" printed all over them...thanks Aunt Ann) and also a white visor decorated with blue and red stars that the kids made at church. It was quite the sight...I should have taken a picture.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Fun in the Sun
The church had their kick-off picnic for Vacation Bible School tonight. They had inflatable bouncy things and bubbles and all sorts of other fun. I also got to talk with one of the older church members and in the process of him trying to tell me how long he had attended the church (since before it moved to its present site) I learned a lot about him. I have decided that most people just want someone to listen to them (this is definitely true with children too) and that quote about "God gave you two ears to listen with and one mouth for talking because he wants you to do twice as much listening as talking" is definitely true. Oh, and I blew off choir practice to be outside with my kids having fun...and I don't regret it at all.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Super Heroes!
What better use for a random roll of painter's tape then to create some super heroes! We even had capes at the back (tape stick on only at the top). Josie was trying to make the tape stick to her but every time I stuck some to her she would pull it off in curiosity and then of course it wouldn't stick again. They (Doug & Andy) had something about sticking pieces of the tape to the wall (thank goodness it was tape that was MEANT to be stuck to a wall) to make a doorbell that was for a door to keep monsters out.
The red marks on the kids from pulling the tape off quickly faded....
The red marks on the kids from pulling the tape off quickly faded....
Monday, May 26, 2008
Growth!
When you are around your children all of the time you sometimes don't notice things that appear tremendously different to people that only see the kids once a week or once a month. I remember when the boys had turned one and we went down to visit Nana and Pop. At Nana's and Pop's house there are lever handles on most of the doors. During our Memorial Day weekend visit the boys could just barely touch the door handles. Then we went back for a visit a month later, for July 4th, and all of a sudden both Doug & Andy could get their little hands all the way around the lever door handles and I knew that we had grown.
.
I notice today that Josie has had a growth spurt. We have been trying to do more snacks since the doctor commented on her weight, but she was a good eater before the doctor started trying to double up her calories. We have a refrigerator that has the freezer on the bottom. Even as of a day or two ago Josie could stand at the fridge and you could swing the door above her head and it would just glide right over her. Well...today she had to tilt her head for Jim to close the fridge door. I guess we are growing.
It really makes me wonder, however, when we go in for our "weight check" if they will also check her length. They will be happy if her weight has gone up...but what if her length also has gone up and she still has the same discrepancy ....hmmmmm.
.
I notice today that Josie has had a growth spurt. We have been trying to do more snacks since the doctor commented on her weight, but she was a good eater before the doctor started trying to double up her calories. We have a refrigerator that has the freezer on the bottom. Even as of a day or two ago Josie could stand at the fridge and you could swing the door above her head and it would just glide right over her. Well...today she had to tilt her head for Jim to close the fridge door. I guess we are growing.
It really makes me wonder, however, when we go in for our "weight check" if they will also check her length. They will be happy if her weight has gone up...but what if her length also has gone up and she still has the same discrepancy ....hmmmmm.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Perspective
I once read a quote that said something about you haven't been put in your place until you have been adored by a dog and ignored by a cat.
So here is my current thinking about how to gain perpective on your "stuff"...as in your possessions.
If you want to appreciate what you have...don't go without...go with less. Live for months (like 5 months in a trailer) with a third (or less) of what you own. Then when you do have access to all the stuff again it will feel like you are really blessed with what you have.
If you feel you probably need to get rid of things because you just have to much clutter but you aren't sure about what you should get rid off....pack all your books, nick knacks, etc. up in boxes. Forget the thing about if you go a year without unpacking something then you probably don't need it...instead stick it all in a storage unit or two. Then sometime before the hottest months of the year add some water (doesn't have to be much) to the storage unit and let it sit for several more months in the heat. Then move them to your basement. For several months let the boxes sit in your basement so that if there are things you want you can find them but wait to unpack a majority of it. Finally, about a year after you first packed it, start unpacking the items and things that are moldy are really easy to throw out. If there is anything that was really important you may take steps to save it. Remember that it is just stuff.... and if you are really trying to be optimistic then also remember that it will be that much less to pack and move next time. I'm trying to stay positive about all this...can you tell?
So here is my current thinking about how to gain perpective on your "stuff"...as in your possessions.
If you want to appreciate what you have...don't go without...go with less. Live for months (like 5 months in a trailer) with a third (or less) of what you own. Then when you do have access to all the stuff again it will feel like you are really blessed with what you have.
If you feel you probably need to get rid of things because you just have to much clutter but you aren't sure about what you should get rid off....pack all your books, nick knacks, etc. up in boxes. Forget the thing about if you go a year without unpacking something then you probably don't need it...instead stick it all in a storage unit or two. Then sometime before the hottest months of the year add some water (doesn't have to be much) to the storage unit and let it sit for several more months in the heat. Then move them to your basement. For several months let the boxes sit in your basement so that if there are things you want you can find them but wait to unpack a majority of it. Finally, about a year after you first packed it, start unpacking the items and things that are moldy are really easy to throw out. If there is anything that was really important you may take steps to save it. Remember that it is just stuff.... and if you are really trying to be optimistic then also remember that it will be that much less to pack and move next time. I'm trying to stay positive about all this...can you tell?
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Progress
While we still have more on the weekend to-do list I feel like we have made significant progress today. Jim got the ceiling fan up in Jo's room so both kids' rooms feel better with the moving air and look significantly updated. He also set up some shelving that we used to have in the garage in our former house. The shelving went in our laundry room so we were able to get all sorts of kitchen appliances off the counter. I got the filters rinsed on our new vacuum, so while we didn't get the floors actually vacuumed we are significantly closer to it. I also mended some clothing, and mended some books.
Ironically I had no idea that this was a holiday weekend because last week was such a blur trying to get the letters out for the enrichment program.
Ironically I had no idea that this was a holiday weekend because last week was such a blur trying to get the letters out for the enrichment program.
Word II
We were watching an episode of Good Eats. Doug was watching also and came to sit on my lap. Alton Brown was discussing cookware and said something about "You can call it retro, but..." So of course Doug looks at me and says "It's retro."
.
.
Hmmmm...now do I explain what it means?
.
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Hmmmm...now do I explain what it means?
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wind
As I was changing Andy's diaper we were having a conversation about the wind and how neither of us could control it...only God can. Andy told me that God was sitting in the trees making the wind blow.
Relief
205 letters will go to local students informing them about their summer camp courses today. Most have their first choices...many have their first and second choices and only one is registered for both of his third choices....but he registered a week after the deadline so there!
It was interesting to see the variety of names, and especially preferred names....like the child that goes by Biz or Bizzy (from Elizabeth) or the child who goes by Honey. There were a lot of people where mom has kept her maiden name...but that may be due to being in a college town. I don't know if it was wrong of me to be skeptical of people who didn't list an email address. There was also the application where the person registering only listed one phone number but had about six phone numbers for the emergency contact. There were the people who listed emergency contacts that did not live locally...it doesn't help if your emergency contact would have to come from two states away. It is obvious that people don't read...because I had several who listed mom or dad as the emergency contact even though it specifically said to list someone else. There was the application where I could tell that grandma and grandpa were divorced because they were both listed as emergency contacts but had different addresses and phone numbers....but their addresses were on the same street. There were also about a third of the applications where they didn't list the zip code even though it said City/State/Zip and I had one mom who just stuck address labels on for that information. There was also the person who when filling out if there were medical issues said just "excellent" and another who said her child was overly dramatic about minor injuries and to tell her to "just suck it up."
It was interesting to see the variety of names, and especially preferred names....like the child that goes by Biz or Bizzy (from Elizabeth) or the child who goes by Honey. There were a lot of people where mom has kept her maiden name...but that may be due to being in a college town. I don't know if it was wrong of me to be skeptical of people who didn't list an email address. There was also the application where the person registering only listed one phone number but had about six phone numbers for the emergency contact. There were the people who listed emergency contacts that did not live locally...it doesn't help if your emergency contact would have to come from two states away. It is obvious that people don't read...because I had several who listed mom or dad as the emergency contact even though it specifically said to list someone else. There was the application where I could tell that grandma and grandpa were divorced because they were both listed as emergency contacts but had different addresses and phone numbers....but their addresses were on the same street. There were also about a third of the applications where they didn't list the zip code even though it said City/State/Zip and I had one mom who just stuck address labels on for that information. There was also the person who when filling out if there were medical issues said just "excellent" and another who said her child was overly dramatic about minor injuries and to tell her to "just suck it up."
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