a suburban housewife

What God Did....

2010-03-20T23:05:00.003-04:00

also entitled, "Why I'm Not Mad at John Piper Anymore." Well, there's a catchy turn of phrase, right? But I can't start en medias res, because as with all good tales, this one has an interesting background.

We moved to famous-college-town, Georgia in the fall of '05. This was a purposeful move away from vocational ministry for Rob, and our family quickly settled into "non-pastor's family life" quite comfortably. God led us to an amazing group of believers who cared for and befriended us, and each month that passed seemed to make our lives a little bit richer.

While we all enjoyed our life in that place, Rob and I both felt strongly that it wouldn't be our forever home; but I honestly tried very hard to ignore that feeling. I tried so hard that I became irritated with Rob when he would share with me how challenged he felt listening to John Piper's "Wartime Mentality" sermons. Now I love listening to Piper's sermons as much as the next guy, or gal, but really. John, can't you just let me be comfortable and enjoy my life IN PEACE??? Could you lay off the we're-in-a-war-and-this-is-not-the-time-to-settle-in-kick-back-and-enjoy-life speak for just a little bit? Clearly John Piper was not set on upsetting the suburban housewife's comfortable life. But God was. And I don't mean that in a God-is-a-cosmic-KillJoy way. I just mean that I had become content to watch from the sidelines. Oh, I would certainly jump up and be the water girl every now and again, but actually get in and play? No way. I might sweat.

So God brought a young college student into our lives. He lived in not-as-famous-college-town, Georgia, and he worshipped with a group of people who were wondering if God would be calling them to start a church plant.

I should have seen the writing on the wall....

Urban scavenger hunt....

2009-11-17T22:38:00.005-05:00

or, "Friday Night Fun in the 'Hood." So every other Friday night is Family Night for us. Usually it involves some sort of fun food (a k a, no vegetables) and a movie. But the urban (nee suburban) family is on a bit of a media fast until the new year, so Rob and I wanted to do something other than the norm. Enter our great idea to have a scavenger hunt.

We were blindsided by inspiration around 8:00 pm.....waaaaaay before the night life cranks up on our end of town...and decided to split up three ways: Team 1- Rob and Kirk; Team 2- Harrison and me; Team 3- Eli and Sophia. The list went as follows:

tire
beer bottle
beer can
potato chip bag
piece of old wood
oyster shell
kudzu leaf
colored leaf
old shoe

Rob briefly thought of two additional items, namely a crack pipe and roach clip, but wisely decided against it. For obvious reasons, duh!

So off we went in search of treasure, sort of. Loving my family as I do, it is very difficult to say what I am about to say: SOME people are cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eaters!!! Rob, dearest, you cannot "borrow" a shoe from a friend's front porch to qualify as your old shoe item. Eli and Sophia, a moldy odor-eater (ironic, huh?) does not qualify either. But I'm not bitter. Anymore.

We had a blast. I think the best thing about being a parent is convincing your child/teammate that it is more fun to be the one to run and roll the old tire.

Where, oh where, has my little blog gone...

2009-11-09T16:22:00.003-05:00

Oh, wait. It's right here. I've been away for quite some time....life just takes over sometimes, yes? Things have changed in the suburban, er, urban household. We now have an 8th grader, a 5th grader, a 2nd grader, and a 1st grader. Whew! Talk about ch-ch-ch-changes! God has met us at each challenge with a mirror of our own hearts, so lots of growth has taken place around here.

I really want to share the story of how God moved us from comfortable suburbia to our own little patch of urban concrete smack in the middle of a south Georgia college town....it is not for the faint of heart!

Stay tuned...

Humility from an unexpected source...

2009-01-29T08:27:00.005-05:00

Facebook is all the rage these days. Provided it doesn't become a time vampire that sucks every available (and unavailable) minute out of your day, it is quite fun- hilarious, actually. There are so many people whom I haven't kept up with by virtue of geographical distance or just plain losing touch; but with FB, they are just a search away.

Now the "friends" part is interesting: apparently, and I don't know if this is just Urban Legend, FB has a limit of 5,000 friends per person. I doubt I'm in danger of exceeding this!! But every once in a while, I am caught completely off guard by a friend request. This happens when I read a name and think, "Why would _________ want to be my FB friend?" I either totally ignored the person because he/she wasn't "cool" enough, or I just didn't make the effort to be friends.

So I am humbled by these requests. It makes me pause and wonder, even though (thank God) I don't act quite as immaturely as I did in high school, are there people around me today whom I judge as just a little "different" or "weird" and don't pursue as friends? Shouldn't Christ's love compel me to reach out to everyone in my sphere of acquaintances? Just a thought. Or two.

Thankfulness...

2008-11-29T22:09:00.004-05:00

I've been scarce in Bloggetyville lately. Our life is very full with two children in traditional school, two whom I homeschool, Scouts (girl and boy), wrestling (Harrison, not me and Rob), church plant, learning and growing in my roles as wife and mother, etc., etc., etc. It certainly isn't that I have nothing to say, or that I don't want to blog, but I've had to make choices with my time, just as we all do.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving, and I'll let y'all in on a little secret: I like Thanksgiving better than Christmas. Really. I like Christmas- don't get me wrong; I just like Thanksgiving more. I think there's less pressure or something. At any rate, I thought it would be good for me to enumerate some reasons for thankfulness this year. The list is by no means exhaustive.

our new (to us) home
sweet fellowship of believers in the church plant
Harrison
Eli
Sophia
Kirk
Rob- you're the best, and I love you. But you get your own post on our anniversary.
friends
family
salvation
growth
debt-free living within reach in 2009
contentment

I'd love to read some of your reasons for being thankful.

Rainy Day Fun and Reminiscing...

2008-10-08T21:58:00.005-04:00

I was watching some littles on the playground today, and one little girl, Maggie, came up to me and my friend to tell us something. What she said I really don't remember, but HOW she said it- oh my! Hilarious. So that led me to thinking about the many things my kids did/do that are so funny. Rob's Nanny told me one time that I really should write those things down. I was in my early 20's when she said that, so naturally I thought, "Why would I need to do that? I'll never forget these things." Well, guess what? I have forgotten a lot of things. But a coupon for pantyliners and a forecast for a rainy day made me remember...

Once upon a time, long, long ago, we lived in the Mojave Desert in the uppermost corner of LA county. There were only four of us in those days: Rob, me, Harrison, and Eli. Our kitchen floor was that 13x13 glossy ceramic tile. You know- real uptown but hard to keep clean. Anyway. Rain in SoCal (southern CA for those who've never lived there) is not like what we folks in the good 'ole South experience. See, it doesn't rain for MONTHS there. And when it does start, like in October or November, it's a big deal.

It had been raining off and on for about a week that fall. I had taken the boys to the library and the park already that week, so I decided they could have some indoor fun at home. I put some toys out in the living room and some music in the CD player and told the boys I would be folding laundry in my room. Eli was around 14 months old, and Harrison was 4 (almost 5). As I was folding the second load of laundry, I began to hear hysterical giggling- the kind that gives kids hiccups because they can't catch their breath. I remember thinking to myself, "What's so funny about Legos and 'The Wheels on the Bus'?" I walked into the living room, but the boys weren't there. I went on into the kitchen where I beheld my offspring having the time of their short lives. "Momma! We're skating!" Harrison told me. "But y'all don't have on socks," was my last thought before Harrison demonstrated what he found. "Look, Momma! Skates that stick to your feet." Sure enough, he had found a box of pantyliners, peeled off the backing, and stuck them to the bottoms of his feet. And since he was nothing if not a helpful brother, he rigged Eli- who couldn't walk yet- by sticking them to the palms of his hands and his knees.

So now it's written.

And so it begins...

2008-10-02T21:20:00.006-04:00

The weather here in south GA was wonderful today: sunny, breezy, and warm. This morning I told the kids we would go to their favorite park later in the afternoon, after homework. (This, by the way, is a great motivator) I so enjoy watching my four play and interact with other children. Initially they all stay together, then "fan out" after 10 minutes or so.

I was sitting on a nearby bench when I looked up to see Kirk perched on top of the monkey bars. He was casually telling a group of three girls, "Yeah. I can pretty much do a backflip off these monkey bars." The girls, of course, were suitably impressed. With a 6-year-old. Unfortunately for him, the girlies wanted to see some action. I thought Kirk would start backpedaling, but it was not to be. "Well, y'all have to see that some other time. It makes mommies nervous when I do stuff like that."

Impressing the ladies. Holla.

WFMW: Repair wood scratches...

2008-09-24T10:46:00.003-04:00

Got kids or pets? Then you "got" scratches on your wood furniture- I don't care who you are. The wood crayons have never really worked for me; I don't know if I had the wrong color or what. But here's what to do. Take an oily nut (filbert, Brazil nut, macadamia) and bit it in half. Eat the half that is in your mouth. Take the other half and rub with the grain of the wood across the scratch(es) on the furniture. The natural oils in the nut will fill in the cracks. No kidding! Want more great ideas? Then go see what works for everyone else!

And now for Part II: the spawn and a rat....

2008-09-23T16:59:00.005-04:00

Remember our Roachityville Horror? My guess is that y'all are dying to know the continuing saga...and so I shall indulge you. To be honest, we haven't seen the first big live cockroach in our home since that dreaded Monday night two weeks ago. Did you catch the big and the live part? Carrying on...See, turns out that roach poison doesn't kill roach eggs (apparently), so now we have little cockroach spawn. The good news is they can't fly- yet. The bad news is WE STILL SEE ROACHES. My friend Susan called them, let's see if I can get this just right, "sad little orphans." Excuse me?!

Moving along.

The mouse problem I mentioned? As luck would have it, there was not a mouse. There was a rat. Two of them. The good news is they are both dead (and were before I ever laid eyes on them). The bad news is that when I did lay eyes on them they were a maggot-infested stench. Ahem.

We still love our house. Really, we do. It's quaint and quirky, complete with some crooked inside windows. And not a wall or doorway is square, level, plumb- whatever. It's ours, and it's affordable (less than affordable, actually). It just happens to carry extra tenants- temporarily.

He loves me...

2008-09-19T13:21:00.004-04:00

So here's the man- complete with headphones and towel on the bridge over Tallulah Gorge! Fun times!

WFMW: Scrubbing Bubbles Gel Stamp Toilet Cleaner

2008-09-17T21:43:00.004-04:00

This is GOOD, girls, so listen up! You must go buy this incredibly wonderful product as soon as possible. I cannot stress enough how this will revolutionize your bathroom cleaning. Really, you just press the tool against the inside of your toilet bowl until it clicks; it releases a "stamp" of gel cleaner that lasts (approximately) a week. Y'all, I have three boys, and my toilets smell nice now. 'Nuff said.

Check out all the other great ideas this week.

Creepy...

2008-09-15T22:14:00.006-04:00

Remember we bought a new house and moved to another city? Well, technically the house is only "new" in the sense that it is "new to us." In every other aspect this home is 45+ years old. Uh huh, go ahead and let all those stereotypes filter on through, because they're probably pretty accurate.

So the house had been unoccupied for over a year. Apparently other people enjoyed having such a nice, empty backyard in which to hang. I can only surmise this from the silent testimony of broken beer bottles and ground out cigarette butts (can I say butts on a family-friendly blog?), er, cigarette hineys that littered our backyard. But there were also non-people thingies that enjoyed the uninhabited state of our home/yard. Thingies like mice and roaches (Rob says I'm only fooling myself to call them Palmetto bugs). And since our "new" house was built by "old" standards, we can't seem to find a pest control company that will service our 16" crawl space (now it has to be 18").

Anyway.

We found a company to come service the exterior of our home and the whole of our yard. I'm not really into the whole spray-bug-poison-inside-my-house treatment. The gentleman explained we should see a dramatic decrease within two weeks (not sooner, since I wouldn't let him spray inside). Fine. We've dealt with it for a month, so what's two more weeks, right?

That was a week ago Monday. On that same night, at precisely 9:00 PM, all cockroach h*ll broke loose in our home. These things were literally crawling out of the woodwork in a staggering, poisoned-to-death sort of way. It never occured to me that they would try to come inside the house to escape the chemicals outside. What followed can only be described as a comedy of errors as all six of us scurried around with a flip-flop on each hand, or a flyswatter- sometimes both. Basically Rob and I were on stun/kill duty, and Harrison and Eli were on the pick-it-up-with-toilet-paper-and-flush-down-the-toilet patrol. Sophia and Kirk just ran around screaming, "Here's another one!" When the count got to 35, Eli started declaring, "That's it! We're going to the Ramanda (Ramada)." I told him, "Don't be ridicul- HOLY SMOKES! Is that one FLYING?!?! Get your clothes together, we're going to the Ramada!!"

As it turned out, the death toll only rose to 48. Yeah, I know. We didn't go to the Ramanda, or anywhere else, but sleep was a looooong time coming that night. I think in (many) years to come this will be hilarious. For now, I'm just thankful it wasn't the mice (however many there are) that came pouring into the house. Although, I have noticed a rather unsavory odor when I step out the front door...

My flower girl just had a baby...

2008-09-14T16:37:00.002-04:00

Oh dear...excuse me while I go buy some Geritol...

WFMW: Help! Mice!

2008-09-03T11:55:00.006-04:00

So this week is a "Backward" edition, and it works like this: instead of giving a tip, I want (hope) to get tips from y'all.

In a nutshell- we have a mouse. Let me interject here and say I fervently hope it is a mouse (singular) and not a RAT. At any rate, this guy is good- a little too good, if you know what I mean. He eats my tomatoes sunning on my windowsill; he eats my bananas hanging on the banana tree; he eats the mozzarella cheese RIGHT OUT OF THE TRAPS (3 of them).

Can someone pleeeeeease help? Leave a comment here with your suggestions, and then go see who else you can help today!

Frugal Friday: Last bit of jam...

2008-08-29T16:58:00.004-04:00

So it's a good thing my children don't read my blog, because I've been getting away with something for a while now, and I really don't want them to know about it!

When I buy jam, I only buy the "all fruit" varieties, so it is a bit more pricey than regular jam. When the jar is almost empty, I add some plain or vanilla yogurt and a bit of milk. Then I cap the jar and give it a good shake. This mix goes into popsicle molds and Presto! My kids think I've slaved bigtime!

You could also throw the mixture into a smoothie concoction. At any rate, check out the other great frugal tips!

WFMW: Diaper wipes stash

2008-08-27T10:19:00.005-04:00

After 10 1/2 years of changing diapers and having to buy diapers and wipes, you can bet your bottom dollar (pun intended) I was singing "Hallelujah!" to be able to sail right past that aisle in the grocery store. Until I remembered that panicky feeling I would get when I would reach into the diaper bag only to discover I was out of wipes. Nooooooo!

So now I keep a tub or two on hand for my friends who still change diapers. Their relief is almost a tangible thing. It is such a small thing, really, to serve others in this way. Be sure to check out what else works.

Can you believe...

2008-08-22T15:30:00.004-04:00

That something like this could cause so much excitement? We had 4 windows replaced in the front of our home yesterday. One window is a huge 9 foot wide picture window. The old one was uuuuuuuuugly; but the new one is simply beautiful. We also got a new front door. It will be painted red next week! Yay!

Homeschooling: Raw and Uncut...

2008-08-20T10:37:00.005-04:00

One part of change in our family is that I am homeschooling two of our children this year. For various reasons, Rob and I chose to keep Harrison (oldest) and Kirk (youngest) at home for me to teach. I have read lots of "homeschool" blogs and honestly, I get irritated/frustrated with the ones that come off as homeschool-is-perfect-and-nothing-ever-goes-wrong-and-we-finish-by-noon-at-the-latest.

Let me tell you: my 7th grader has picked up on this mentality, and we have had some significant conversations on why it isn't practical to expect that he will be done with his work everyday by noon. Moreover, we have had to deal with his feelings of how unfair it is that his brother, who is in kindergarten, does finish by noon everyday!

Some of my friends have asked me, "Isn't it easier to homeschool when you have taught school before?" I think the answer is "NO!" The explanation is simple, really. When I taught at a day school, my class periods were definitive: 45 minutes from bell to bell. There was no phone ringing, no potty help required of me, no FedEx man at the door...you get the idea. In addition to that, I could wax philosophical and assign work. End of story, homework due next day. Homeschooling my own children is a lesson in daily dependence on the Lord. Not that I didn't have to depend on the Lord when I taught for pay, but now my attitude must be "Help me not be frustrated at the interruptions. Let me enjoy this time at home and take advantage of the ond-on-one time with my children."

*any encouragement/advice will be much appreciated!!

I love this pic...

2008-08-18T16:03:00.004-04:00

I was browsing through some old family pics when I came across this one of Sophia's birthday in January (note my turtleneck and her sleeveless summer dress). She had told me not 30 minutes before that she hoped someone got her a baby doll for one of her gifts! Surprise!

Frugal Friday: Saving Broccoli

2008-08-15T13:29:00.004-04:00

Ummmm....yeah. So how does one save broccoli? Well in our house, my kids actually like broccoli- the tops, that is. They claim that it reminds them of little green bushes. Fine. Whatever they want to think. But then I'm left with the woody stem parts. Now what? Well, I julienne them and toss them in a big salad. I suppose you could also eat it crudite style on a platter with other raw veggies as well.

What are you waiting for? Go save some broccoli!

Head this way for more Frugal Friday tips.

Back...

2008-08-14T23:24:00.007-04:00

in the saddle again. I hope. So much has happened in what I used to call Suburbia. I think, technically, I am just "urbia" now, but I'll have to look it up to make sure.

So we moved, but that wasn't really a surprise though. We are in a small, southeast Georgia college town (emphasis on small and south), and we came here to work with a church plant. Beginning last September, Rob and I (kids too) came down every other weekend to work with a small group of 12 or so who wanted to be a church plant. This group has steadily, by God's grace, grown to average between 40-50, and they asked us around the first of the year if we would consider moving down so Rob could pastor them.

Wow.

There really is more to the story, such as how God changed my heart and my children's hearts as well. There's also the one about how God, in His sovereignty, decided my heart needed a major renovation. Or maybe a demolition.

But it's late, and morning comes pretty early around these parts. I sincerely hope to write more regularly (I could be sarcastic and say, "I regularly write when I get around to it...") and share just what has been going on here with The Suburban/Urban/Whatever I am Housewife if for nothing else but to reflect a little glimmer of God's glory.

WFMW: Rawberry pie...

2008-07-02T10:01:00.005-04:00

So, five ingredients, huh? Well, this one is easy-peazy-lemon-squeezy. Really. And although you could easily say "strawberry," the truth is you could use whatver berry suits your fancy! Another beauty of this recipe is that you don't have to cook anything! Here goes:

Ingredients

Walnuts (or nut of choice)
Butter
Strawberries
Sugar
Whipping Cream

Finely chop 1 C nuts in food processor (but not so finely that you end up with nut butter). Melt 4 T butter and mix with ground nuts. Press into pie plate (not deepdish). Slice strawberries and layer over crust, as much as you like. Whip cream with 1/3 C sugar periodically sprinkled during mixing. Spoon gorgeous mounds of white, fluffy yumminess over (and over) the strawberries. If you can make it to this point without serving right away, chill for one hour. Enjoy!

There many more "Five or fewer" recipes here, so go have a look.

One of the first things...

2008-06-19T09:33:00.003-04:00

we want to do when we move is install a new front door- a red one. I know I've read somewhere that a red door means welcome, and we definitely want to be a welcoming presence in our new neighborhood. The only problem we foresee is that our home is white with black trim. A red door would most assuredly add to the Georgia bulldog look, which wouldn't be so bad, except we will be living in a different university town- one whose mascot is NOT compatible with a bulldog!

Moving...

2008-06-17T13:25:00.005-04:00

So we're moving in a few weeks....Ha! No really, there were times in our housing search that I told Rob I wished we could just physically move our home to the new location instead of trying to find a different one.

I'm almost ready to share all that God has done for, with, and to us in the last year, but here's a hint: I might change the name of this blog to An Urban Housewife....

WFMW: I'm bored!!

2008-06-04T08:41:00.005-04:00

"Mom, I'm bored!" Oh, don't get me started. But it's inevitable, right? Most kids are used to the structure of every day school, whether homeschool or dayschool, so when vacation rolls around, it's easy to become bored with the lack of activity.

So here's what works for me: I plan certain activities for certain days. A week or so before school is out, I go the the local library and check out their scheduled events for the summer. Ours offers several things a week, but I choose the ones that all four of my kids can enjoy. For instance, yesterday we went to see a magician- hilarious! I also know that one of our local theaters offers $1 movies in the summer on Tuesday and Thursday, so the kids choose which movie they want to see, and we plan for that particular day.

I don't book up every day of the week, but this is helpful in scheduling certain chores too. If the kids know we are leaving on Tuesday at 10:00 am, then they also know they must get up and straighten their rooms and put away toys before we leave. See? It's a win/win situation!

Guess what we made...

2008-06-02T18:08:00.005-04:00

So, school's out, and what do I want to do? COOK!!! Ironic, huh? I know the weather is hot, humid, and hazy here in Suburbia, but I've been cooped up in a classroom for the better part of 9 and 1/2 months. When the kids got up this morning, I told them we were meeting another family at the strawberry farm (which will be the blueberry farm in two weeks) to pick some berries. They asked, "Are we making jam?" And even though I have never, in the history of my culinary experience, made jam, I responded with a confident, "YES!"

Then we got home with the berries, hulled and washed them, and I looked up the recipe: FOUR CUPS OF SUGAR?!?!?!?! You've got to be kidding me. There must be a better way, I told myself. So I called Taylor, and she calmly assured me that I could substitute that garbage for two cups of Sucanat with honey (just Google it; I don't have a link).

So we did, and now I have sparkling jars of jam on my kitchen counter and WAAAAAAY too many berries left over, even after we have all been popping them all day long. Now I'm thinking strawberry/blueberry jam for tomorrow. Yeah, blueberries are on sale at Publix this week, but I'm sure we'll be out there in two weeks, picking again. Ooh! I have a great blueberry-pear bread recipe to share with y'all. Stay tuned....

Finally...

2008-05-23T13:44:00.004-04:00

First things first: that is not me. I know, shocking. But it so obviously isn't me, because my hair is much darker. Aside from that...let's move on, shall we?

The 07-08 school year is over! A few days of post-planning is all that is left. The end of the schoolyear is always bitter-sweet for me. I am glad to be done with planning and grading for a while; however, I really do enjoy my students and miss seeing them on a day-to-day basis.

BUT. Better things await for the Suburban household, and although I can't quite give away everything, I can say that it looks a lot like "not going back to teach next fall." There. Was I too obvious?

WFMW: Bathrooms

2008-04-30T17:07:00.004-04:00

If you have at least one boy, then bathroom cleaning can be, um, challenging. I cannot stand dirty bathrooms, but I especially dislike dirty, smelly ones. And the once-a-week cleaning routine just doesn't cut it at the Suburban household, because I have (count 'em) three boys- and one girl- who share a bathroom.

Enter Lysol cleaning wipes. If you follow this advice, I promise you that it will revolutionize your bathroom cleaning habits forever. Really. Every evening, after the baths, teethbrushing, etc., I pull two wipes from the container under the sink. One wipe is for the countertop and sink bowl. I generally rinse it out once and swipe again. The other wipe is for the toilet seat, under the seat, and behind the seat. *If you have girls only, this piece of advice is utterly meaningless* On Saturday, all I have to do is spritz and wipe the mirror, swish out the toilet bowl, and quick mop the floor. But that's another tip altogether! Sound simple? It really works for me.

WFMW: Online Banking

2008-04-23T20:47:00.005-04:00

I'm going to take a poll, and I want to see a show of cyber-hands. How many times have you slipped your shoes on to take paid bills to the mailbox? Just as you grab those envelopes, you realize you did put the cute little personalized address labels in the left-hand corner, but you didn't put stamps on them yet. While you begin searching for the sheet of stamps (because you swear they were right here), your sweet chubby-cheeked toddler proudly shows you his latest masterpiece: "A fwag paper, Mommy!" You frantically think, "Oh my goodness! Did he just say 'flag'?" And, sure enough, there are the remainder of your 13 stamps, plastered to black construction paper, and crumpled beyond all recognition.

"Maybe I can gently peel them off," you think to yourself. "Or, if I use the tip of a steak knife, I could slide it under and...." Oh, for the love of Pete, STOP!!!!! Just stop, okay? Step away from the steak knife, give your toddler a big smooch and "thank you", and log in to your bank's website.

Online banking is sooooo easy. I set up our online account myself. And, if you know me, you know that's saying a lot! Online billpay is practically a cinch. Really. It works for me, and it will work for you too.

Guess what we're doing...

2008-04-21T22:02:00.005-04:00

This week at school, we are in the throes of standardized testing. My feelings about them are a bit ambivalent, even for an educator! Nevertheless, it is a task we must accomplish, and to the glory of God we shall endeavor.

As a teacher, it is frustrating to walk that tightrope of shedding a bit more light on the question at hand and not "giving away" too much information. I am administering the test to 22 sixth graders; I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that!

This week's testing takes away three whole academic instruction days. Yay! for the kids, but Boo! for the teachers. It seems that everything competes for attention in these last nine weeks. I'm as eager as the next guy/gal for school to be over, but there are things that must be covered!! If I am a bit scarce the next few weeks (as if I'm not scarce enough already), it's not that I don't love you all (five people, including my parents and sister). Just know I'm trying to model what I am pushing for my own children and students- perseverance. Perseverance and faith.

*Contrary to what the comic indicates, I am not a public school educator; but it is funny still!

So pitiful...

2008-04-17T16:24:00.005-04:00

Long streak of un-injured limbs parenting: BROKEN. (Pun intended)

*Note: This is not actually his arm or his cast. He will be "casted" tomorrow morning.

WFMW: Sleep!

2008-04-16T10:21:00.005-04:00

I guess the title says it all, right? The Suburban household is in a Spring Break slump- that's the place where you wish it were still Spring Break and it's not. The end of the school year is in sight; just ask the students! Twenty-eight days and counting. But we have much to do in those 28 days in order to finish well. This is where sleep comes in.

Personally, I'm tempted to scrimp on sleep near the end of a task, especially now that we are moving away and all that entails. But this is not working for me; just ask my husband! So my advice to all of you, and myself, is make time for adequate sleep!

Here are more great tips.

Free Stuff...

2008-04-10T09:50:00.004-04:00

Have you heard of this product? I haven't actually tried it, but I know some (pretty picky) people who have!! Those friends have raved about it. My problem with usual lemonade is that I can't actually taste much lemon. It's generally just sweet yellowish water. Gross.

But this, I hear, is great. So why not try it out for free? Follow this link and give your name and address. Also, if you are a blogger and would like 15 free samples, just jot a post with the link and e-mail them at customercare AT truelemon DOT com to let them know.

Enjoy!

WFMW: Progressive Packing...

2008-04-09T10:30:00.004-04:00

The Suburban household will be moving in a little over 2 months to another suburban location. The task of packing up an entire house can seem daunting, at best. Here is the best advice I can give on the task, as we have had a little experience in this area!

Designate a room for each upcoming weekend. Take two hours (sometimes it will be less) and a large garbage sack and begin to go through that particular room. Trash is trash, people. Get rid of it!! If the room happens to be a bedroom, go ahead and sort through the clothing for a giveaway pile. Since we are in the spring season here, now would be a great time for me to pack up the winter clothes.

This "progressive packing" will make your actual packing time much easier, and it really works for me. Trust me! There is nothing worse than having to sort and pack at the same time.

Spring Break...

2008-04-04T09:53:00.004-04:00

Aaaah! Hear that? Of course you don't, but I'll tell you. It's the sound of my washer and dryer running at 9:54 in the morning. What's this? The Suburban Housewife is online at 9:54 in the morning. Her children are in sweats and blankets, listening to a Junie B. Jones CD and playing with Legos and Polly Pockets.

It is Spring Break, my friends, and I don't even care that it's 55 degrees and misting on this first day of our mini-vacation from school. After school yesterday, we stopped by the library to load up on books for our upcoming week. Yay!! My children are at the age now where they disperse to their own favorite parts of the library and come find and consult with me when they are ready to checkout. And, BONUS, they've learned that the librarians actually GET PAID to answer their questions and help them locate items! Shhhhhh! Don't let that one get out!

Works for Me Rerun Edition...

2008-04-02T19:26:00.003-04:00

Do you- and by "you" I mean "your children"- misplace library books? Do you ever get that Overdue Notice in your e-mail inbox? Do you have to play "last minute mad-scramble" before heading to the library? Let me be the first to say that all of the above have happened to me. Sometimes I want to avoid the library altogether, but that's not a smart move. So what's my solution? The Library Laundry Basket! It's easy: just designate a small to medium-sized (remember, you have to carry it full of books) laundry basket for library use. Take it into the library with you and tell your children to choose their 5 (or however many books they check out on a weekly basis) books, movies, books on tape, etc. and put them in the basket. I promise you that you will become a favorite with the nearly-retired librarians! After checking out, remind your children that all library items must stay in the basket unless being used. This way, the library things don't get absorbed into your children's things. Imagine: your local library will be FREE again without the hassle of overdue fines from lost books!!

Shannon has some more great reruns over at her place!

Please, please tell me now...

2008-03-31T22:15:00.004-04:00

While this isn't a post on great music from the 20th century (can anyone name the group?), it is an honest plea for wisdom, insight, caution, and/or affirmation. Remember the changes I mentioned a couple of posts ago?
Although I'm not ready to unveil all the goings on here in Suburbia (yet), I will tell you that Rob and I have decided that I will homeschool our oldest and youngest children next year.

So. Our youngest lovey will be in Kindergarten, and I'm very drawn to this curriculum for him. I have used this particular provider once before with just a single subject and was quite pleased. I don't know if it is the English teacher in me or what, but I really do appreciate the premise of a literature-based instruction.

If any of y'all (yes, the three of you in your bathrobe and slippers) have experience with this company, please alert me. Please, please tell me now; is there something I should know?

Happy Birthday...

2008-03-30T21:21:00.003-04:00

to my baby sister. Now that her age has two digits (and starts with a "3"), the bib motif might be a smidge unneccessary! Love you.

He's mine...

2008-03-13T16:39:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I get caught up in the day-to-day living. Sound familiar? Then I forget to appreciate the man I married; I forget why I loved him in the first place. He is, quite possibly, the most unselfish person I know.

I've been dealing with an outer-ear infection this week. It made friends with a head cold. And I have parent/teacher conferences for two days. So when I got home yesterday afternoon, Rob met me at the door with a packed bag and a hotel reservation to this swanky joint. Muy impressivo! He also informed me that he would be teaching my classes for me this morning so that I could sleep in. He didn't care what I did for the evening, but I had to promise him I would be in bed by 9:00 PM. No problem!

I had a gloriously boring night, complete with bubble bath and chick-flick. My head cold is actually a bit worse now, but since I got so much rest, I'm not nearly as bothered by it.

Yes, he has a brother. He's married too.

Finally...

2008-03-11T17:11:00.005-04:00

got one! I know, I'm sooooo behind the times! But who cares? The best part of all? It was FREE! Really. I won it at a vendor's booth at a trade show. Granted, I have no clue whatsoever how to load my own music (thanks, Rob), but I do know how to turn it on and re-charge it. Baby steps, people. Here's to joining the 21st century!

Curriculum mapping, the nature of change, and the Holy Spirit...

2008-03-10T20:58:00.003-04:00

At the school where I work, the faculty and staff are in the process (tedious but necessary) of SACS accreditation. One component of that process is curriculum mapping, and the teachers are all abuzz with questions (mostly) and good ideas. Much has been written about curriculum mapping, but in a nutshell, it is exactly what it sounds like: a map of your (my) curriculum. I look at my plan book and map out what I have done, say, for the past nine weeks. This serves two purposes: it tells me what I actually teach, and it shows me where (if any) there is overlap with instruction. For instance, if I spend seven days teaching about active and passive voice in the 8th grade, I don't need to do that again in the 9th grade. You can see where this is absolutely crucial in the elementary grades.

One component of curriculum mapping is essential questions. We teachers are learning to formulate essential questions in such a way as to lead to further discussion, not just to be answered with a "yes" or "no." For instance, and I'm giving a word-for-word example here, instead of asking, "What is change?" I might ask instead, "What is the nature of change?" With the second question the students might think about catalysts, conditions, components, etc. Cool, right?

So that provoked my own thought process about the nature of change in my own life. Here in Suburbia there are lots of changes going on- changes that I didn't bring about on my own. As a matter of fact, if left to me, the changes wouldn't have even been initiated, let alone culminated. But being led by the Spirit is uncomfortable at times, and growing pains are definitely a component of change. I know as believers we are not called to a life of comfort and ease, but honestly, sometimes my initial reaction is "Why me?" instead of "Here am I: send me."

I don't like this about myself, but I can see bits and pieces of me that have been chipped away in the past year. And that is encouraging. Because when I really get right down to it, I want the Holy Spirit to be what brings about change in my life.

WFMW: Sharing a meal...

2008-01-23T09:18:00.001-05:00

Money is tight, but the need for some "alone time" with hubby is greater. Does that sound like a familiar scenario? Well, here in the Suburban household we have stumbled upon a solution: share a meal.

We choose a restaurant that serves complimentary items (salad, bread, chips and salsa, etc.) before the entree, and we look for an entree that offers a good amount of food. When we order, we simply ask for an extra plate. Some places will even split the food for you in the kitchen. Doing this accomplishes several things: a fun date, a more economical dining cheque, and the opportunity to exercise self-control in eating!

There are more great ideas here; go. Read!

Snow Ice Cream...

2008-01-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, all you people in the frosty states who get snow all the time are probably thinking, "Gee! She just found out about this?" But give us southerners a break- snow is a BIG deal to us! And it looks like we'll be getting some more this weekend!

Actually, I have lived in a very cold climate (West Michigan), and I do know a few things about cold-weather survival. Enter snow ice cream.

This is quite easy and inexpensive to make, not to mention the cool factor (pun intended). Take your largest plastic bowl and fill it with mounds of CLEAN (can I emphasize this enough?) snow. Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk on top and stir it up. Voila! An instant treat for the kiddos!

For more Frugal Friday tips, go here.

Snow Day, Interrupted...

2008-01-17T10:03:00.001-05:00

Bummer. It was so beautiful last night. Around 5:45 in Suburbia big, fluffy, white stuff began to fall from the sky. We happened to be at our son's wrestling match and had just started rolling up the mats and collecting gear. "SNOW!!! There's snow outside. I mean, it's snowing!!!" The funniest thing was that all the wrestlers ran outside in their singlets to confirm this!

So we headed home and played outside, frantically scraping snow together for a snowball fight. Everyone was convinced today would be a snow day. The disappointment of finding out otherwise was palpable. The kids were disappointed too. If there are any school-aged people reading this blog, lean in closely to hear what I am about to say (because we can't let this get out): TEACHERS WANT A SNOW DAY MORE THAN STUDENTS DO!!!!

And that's a fact.

But, I am thankful for God's kindness to show us here in the South another gorgeous facet of his creation.

Don't you forget about me....

2008-01-14T16:47:00.000-05:00

If you don't have an appreciation for 80's music, then the title will mean nothing...oh, well! Anywho, it's been a while, I know. And though I'm tempted to feel shamed for such a long absence, well, it isn't as though I haven't been doing anything, for Pete's sake!

Anniversary trip (no, NOT Asheville, but Charleston- pictures soon), holidays (and all the many gatherings that implies), readying for semester 2 of the school year, starting semester 2, etc., etc., etc.

So things got a little hairy there before Thanksgiving- as in, I didn't do a whole lot of cooking supper. I would just throw together whatever and hope it satisfied. We all felt the effects of that after a while. Now I just feel more resolved to do the normal thing and plan/prepare to cook.

And what is the Suburban household eating for supper tonight? Well, I will be serving Roma salad, roasted chicken breasts, garlic and sundried tomato couscous, and steamed green beans. Shall I set an extra place?

Still here...

2007-12-20T15:49:00.000-05:00

It has been a while, I know. After Thanksgiving break, we only had 4 weeks until Christmas break. Since only 2 of those were actually academic weeks, there was much to be done on my part to get ready for exams and vacation. But at long last, Christmas vacation is upon us, and I for one eagerly await it.

Our anniversary was last week- 14 years! We are going away for our anniversary tomorrow. The kids are at their respective places of care, and Rob and I will be driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Asheville, NC.

Be kind while you are Christmas shopping!

Thanksgiving...

2007-11-23T20:37:00.000-05:00

Friends. Just one of the things on my "grateful for" list. And look who made our Thanksgiving extra special this year...

WFMW: Keep those potatoes warm!

2007-11-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

If you live in America, you know that tomorrow is perhaps the biggest cooking day of the year. I know some will argue that Christmas is, but around these Suburban parts, Thanksgiving is all about family, good food, and- well- thankfulness.

But there does seem to be a problem I run into every single time: what can I cook/bake ahead of time to free up some oven/stove space? Now I have at least one solution- I make my mashed potatoes ahead of time. For instance, if we plan to eat at 3:00, I would make my mashed potatoes around noon time, get them seasoned and creamy, just the way we like them, and put them in my crockpot on LOW (this is important, people- do NOT set it on HIGH). Before putting on the lid, I drizzle just a bit of either cream or chicken broth on the top surface so I don't have little crispy peaks when all is said and done.

You know where the other great tips are- go, go, go! And Happy Thanksgiving.

WFMW: Time to make the sandwiches...

2007-11-14T19:04:00.001-05:00

You know I've talked about the making lunches routine before. Well, once again, the freezer saves my day- day after day.

My children do not all like the same kind of sandwiches- shocker! Two like mustard; two do not. One likes salami; three do not. One likes PBJ; one just likes PB; and two have grown tired of it altogether. You can see how this might become time consuming on a rushed morning, right? Well, I tried something during the summer. I made several meat and cheese sandwiches, cut them in half, sealed them in a sandwich bag, and shoved them in the freezer. I packed a picnic lunch one day soon after with the frozen sandwiches, and, to my utter delight, they were perfectly fine when thawed.

Then I moved on to PBJ experimentation. I figured if grocery stores could charge $2.50 for four PBJ's in cute little tart shapes (with no crusts), then I could stick one measly PBJ sandwich in the freezer. So I did. Fine again. I even found a tart maker in my bag of tricks.

Now I will use a whole loaf of bread to make one kind of sandwich and place them all in a large sealed container in the freezer. Lather, rinse, repeat with other varieties of sandwiches. In the morning I just select the appropriate sandwich for the appropriate child, pop it in a sandwich container and into the lunchbox!

Go on over and find out what other great tips await!

WFMW: Homemade Pasta Sauce...

2007-10-31T06:31:00.001-04:00

Thankfully, my children don't read this blog (yet), because if they did, my secret would be out. What's the secret? Oh, just that I sneak in about seven day's worth of vegetable servings to my homemade pasta sauce!!

It's easy: I just get some carrots, zucchini, and sometimes squash. You have to be careful with yellow squash, though, because too much of it will turn your pasta sauce a suspicious pale color, and we don't want anyone (especially kids) asking questions, right?

Cut up your veggies and steam until fork-tender. Then put all into a blender or food processor and puree. Simply add to the simmering pot of pasta sauce and, voila! Vitamins A galore!

Head on over to see other great tips!

100th post...

2007-10-28T16:28:00.000-04:00

So, this is my 100th post. It has taken me quite some time to reach this milestone, unlike some of my friends! But you can't say I didn't warn you. I just don't post everyday. I'm not that interesting, and neither is my family (though they are dearly loved).

Our Suburban family has gone through many changes in these (almost) two years. We no longer homeschool- that isn't to say we won't again- I am teaching school again, Rob has a different employer, I have a child in Middle School (gulp!), and we are closer to being debt-free.

But those are just the outward changes. Hopefully, there are things in my heart that "look" a little different than this time two years ago. When I first started blogging, we had come fresh from a war zone (figurative, not literal). We were bruised, throbbing, bandaged, and probably bleeding in some places. But God, as always, has been at work! Hurts (and hearts) have been mended; bruises, cuts, and bandages have been replaced by scar tissue. That's a good thing, I think. Scar tissue tends to be a bit more tender than other skin, and that's what I want to be: tender. I want to be tender toward those who have experienced great hurt. We live in a fallen world, so we are all bound to encounter these people- we may even BE these people. I want to share God's work in our lives and extend hope to those who are crawling off the battlefield, so to speak.

Just ramblings here, I know. But I will keep blogging and, hopefully, encouraging.

Standing in the need of prayer...

2007-10-24T16:21:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard/sung this old spiritual? It's simple, but powerful. Do me a favor, will y'all? Go here and offer a prayer, scripture, or general encouragement to this young mom who realizes she can't do "it all." And who of us can do anything without the grace of God?

WFMW: Holiday Baking Prep...

2007-10-24T09:19:00.000-04:00

You know what it's like: butter and sugars creamed; eggs beaten; flour, salt, and baking soda combined- WHAT??!! No baking soda? Did I really use all of it last time? How could I forget to put that on my list?

Sound familiar? Well, there is a way to avoid that scenario. Starting this week, add two holiday baking items to your grocery list. All the stores are setting up "baking centers" even now. These areas usually have all the necessary ingredients for baking. I started this just recently. I bought two bags of mini chocolate chips and some canned pumpkin. Next week I'll grab some baking soda and baking powder. That way, I (hopefully) won't be caught in an unexpected shortage in an inconvenient time!!

For other great tips, go on over. Really. Go on!

Catchin' up...

2007-10-22T17:20:00.000-04:00

Imagine this (times five). Add a white ceramic tile floor, a mounted clothes rod, a washer and dryer, and some storage cabinets, and you have a mental picture of my laundry room. We went out of town this weekend, so I didn't have the weekend to catch up on all the bits and pieces of laundry flotsam and jetsam. But now I am, and the sweet hum of the washer fills the kitchen. Ahhhh!

Waste not...

2007-10-19T12:56:00.001-04:00

Here in the Suburban household, we do not use commercial shampoos and conditioners. Based on what I've read about sodium laurel/laureth sulfate (SLS), I really don't want to put that onto my scalp (or any other family member's) multiple times a week. So, I save coupons and buy Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner. If you compare them dollar for dollar to "salon style" products, they aren't too pricey, but they generally retail for $7.99 per bottle. Enter frugality tip: I slightly water down my conditioner. Really, I do. I keep the previous empty bottle and add about 1/4 cup water to the bottom and shake it up. This also helps grab that extra amount left in the bottle. Then I take the new bottle of conditioner and squirt it into the bottle with the water and shake to mix. It's a great trick that gives me approximately 10-12 more uses per bottle- not bad!

Singin' in the rain...

2007-10-15T21:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, show of hands. How many of you have stayed overnight in a hotel or inn that had a fantastic shower head? You know the kind I'm talking about. The kind that makes you rationalize, "What the heck? I'm not paying the water bill. What's 10 more minutes?" Personally, I tend to tell myself how nice it would be if only I had one of those in my own bathroom at home. So then I find this sight that makes me think, "Well, why not?"

There are so many shower faucets available here. Of course, there are the luxurious rainfall ones, but I'm also partial to the hand-held ones too. So I say, if you have more than one bathroom then get one of each!

Go on! Get a fancy one and then see if you don't enjoy your shower more!

WFMW: Set that timer!

2007-10-10T16:58:00.000-04:00

We all know that any given task will expand to fit the time alloted for it. For example, it really only takes me 5 minutes to unload my dishwasher, but if I dawdle, I can sure stretch that out to 15 minutes or so. The same is especially true for children's chores. A request of "Let's clean up our rooms" can fill up the better part of an hour, especially after a full day of school.

So here's what works for me: I tell the kids, "I'm giving you 15 minutes to clean your room to the glory of God. Ready, set, GO!!!!" Ooooh, you should see them scramble to beat the timer. However many minutes they save is the amount I add onto bedtime reading.

So, head on over- you know you want to!!

Let's talk spatulas...

2007-10-09T20:00:00.000-04:00

Ya know, diehard "foodies" can be pretty fierce when it comes to the subject of spatulas. Which is best for sauteeing? Which is best for scrambling eggs? How about for stirfry cooking? Speaking for myself only, I have several types of spatulas that I use on a regular basis- for cooking.

Disclaimer- My husband is a wonderful man of whom I am unworthy. But in this one particular area I'm about to share, well, let's just say we don't see eye to eye.

I contend spatulas should only be used for cooking. My husband- not so much. I have seen him use my cooking utensils for outdoor projects, indoor projects, and for scooping up newborn baby bunnies that didn't live for more than an hour (don't ask). "Don't you understand those are for cooking?" I have urged. I have even tried to set up an analogy: would I use one of your theology books as a coaster or a stepladder? Would I rip the pages out of a rare commentary to use for cleaning mirrors and windows? Wanna lay bets at his response? "Apples and oranges, babe, apples and oranges." Yeah, it sounds funny now.

But I think that almost 14 years of marriage have affected my brain in this area. Because at the tender hour of 3:00 am there I was, in the kitchen, using a spatula to scrape off vomit from a pillow case. You know I couldn't put that thing in the washing machine chunks and all. I had two very sick boys in the wee hours of the morning, and we all know what throw-up sheets smell like after a few hours. But here's a warning: a nylon spatula (which is great for non-stick cookware) has a little too much...spring, shall we say, for this job. Because theoretically, one could use just a bit too much forward motion (in one's haste to rid the pillowcase of offending substance so as not to gag), resulting in small splatters landing on both lenses of one's glasses. Next time, I'll go for the metal one.

I used to say...

2007-10-02T20:03:00.000-04:00

"I never win anything." Well, I can't say that anymore. It seems I have won for my daughter a hand-sewn princess cape. In the land of princesses and fairies, a cape is the perfect accessory. I'm so excited I might go buy a lottery ticket- KIDDING!

Ready for a change?

2007-09-24T21:47:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I walk through particular rooms in my home and think, "I've put it off long enough. We need to talk about new furniture." And as much as I love the idea of new furniture, I loathe the idea of going to a furniture showroom. With our four children, the problem isn't them rolling all over the furniture (much), but rather them exclaiming (loudly), "I LOVE this bed!!! This would look GREAT in my room!" And guess who is close by? Right. The sales associate. Looking at my kids and seeing dollar signs.

But here is an online site where you can look at bedroom furniture, kid furniture, and child furniture in the privacy of your home and at your own leisure. Apparently, in the world of furnishings, "kid" is slightly older than "child," and you can see the difference in the more mature look of "kid" furniture.The king beds section is another great spot.

So go take a look. There are plenty of styles for all tastes.

Fall...

2007-09-21T16:11:00.000-04:00

I'm a spring kind of gal. I think living in Michigan for two and a half years did this to me. The seasons are so sharply contrasted in that region of the country. But now that we are back in the Motherland (kidding- sort of), I find that there is really no definitive spring here. It's cold and rainy one week, and the next week the temperature shoots up to 80 degrees- only to plunge back down to mid-50's the week after that.

So.

I have slowly begun to turn my affections toward a different season- fall. (Students of mine: did you remember we do not capitalize seasons? Except when they are used as titles...) After the severe drought we had/are having this year, I don't expect vivid colors. But that's okay, because it isn't necessarily the colors that I love about this time of year. I really enjoy the crisp coffee-on-the-front-porch mornings. And because I am such a foodie, I love that I can make soup and fresh bread during the week and not pass out from heat exhaustion. And if I can let you in on a little secret, I like that I can "fudge" on the kids' bedtime after the time change every once in a while. They are more likely to go to bed earlier during the fall and winter months, and that helps facilitate week night home dates!!

There is one danger for me during this time: I am tempted to "hibernate" spiritually. I can get so busy with the holiday, school, and family schedules that I neglect the better thing of seeking after the Lord. I don't want that to happen this year. I want to be purposeful to pursue sanctification. And when spring comes, by God's grace I will see the fruit of spiritual growth.

WFMW: Unique placemats

2007-09-19T08:03:00.001-04:00

My two youngest children are in kindergarten and pre-k. Ask any mom, and she will tell you that artwork gets backed up quickly. What to do? Well, last year about this time, I stumbled upon this idea for original place mats. My kiddos will bring home finger painted pictures, and I will smooth them out and store them flat. Then, when Christmas time rolls around (or birthdays, etc.) I take them to Office Max where a kind assistant cuts thems to the same size and laminates them. Voila! Instant placemats!

For other great tips, head over to Shannon's place.

Love bein' a "Postie"...

2007-09-13T16:24:00.000-04:00

So I mentioned my new money-making venture with PayPerPost, right? Well, I know how easy it is to become all excited about something only to find out that the whole "deal" just isn't as thrilling as I thought it would be. So I wrote my first post and waited. Then I got feedback telling me there were a few things I needed to tweak. I made the corrections, re-submitted the post, and was later notified that my post was accepted!! FYI, the "rush" from getting that first post accepted really fuels the confidence to go for another post.

I really understand the need for the "bottom line" information. In short, I have been a "Postie" since the beginning of August and have submitted three posts (not counting this one). I have earned $35.00. I don't post every day, or even every week for that matter, but you can do the math and see the enormous potential for earning. The beautiful thing is that I can scroll through a list of available oppotunities. If I don't see anything of interest, I just check back another day.

We are slowly paying off debt and building up our emergency fund- I love contributing in this way!

traffic generation

Complete healing...

2007-09-10T20:49:00.000-04:00

Amy Wilhoite was completely healed from her battle with leukemia this afternoon. She is with her Savior. Please pray for Brandon, her husband, and Gary, her 21 month old son, as well as her parents and siblings. Amy's amazing grasp of God's sovereignty built my faith because she saw her battle with this sickness as a win/win situation: either she would be given more years with her family, or she would be with Jesus.

Show me the money...

2007-09-09T20:46:00.000-04:00

The "money," you say? Yes, the money!!! I have discovered, through the aid of a dear friend, a money-saving little gem called The Grocery Game. This is such a cool site! So, you go to their website and find the spot where you can enter your zip code. Once you do this, a screen pops up with all the stores (grocery and drug) in your area that are a part of this network. For instance, when I entered my zip code, up popped Publix, Kroger, Ingles, Food Lion, Walgreens, CVS, RiteAid, and Eckerd.

Let me back up a bit and explain the principle behind this. The people at The Grocery Game search grocery (and drug) store ads by region. Their goal is to find the rock bottom price of an item, pair it with a store and/or manufacturer's coupon, and give you the super-low price. The list also gives the store's sale items as well. This "game" works in conjunction with the coupon inserts in the Sunday paper. The Grocery Game will even tell you which edition of the Sunday paper the coupon was in. Example: In today's paper, there was a General Mills coupon for $1 off 3 boxes of General Mills cereal. The list told me that Publix had General Mills cereals on sale Buy One Get One Free (limit two deals). It instructed me buy both deals and use the 9/9 coupon. The cool thing is, the list will also tell you the final price you will pay!!

This is not a free site, but the fee is minimal, and since I consider that my time is money too, this fee is way worth it for me. The fee is $1 for the first 4 weeks. This gives you unlimited access to every store in your area, so that you can decide which one will give you the best return. I chose Publix as my main store, not because I don't like Kroger or Ingles- I do- but primarily because Publix is about 2 miles from my house. Here is the important part: after 4 weeks, the charge is $10 for the first store and $5 for each additional store thereafter, but the billing cycle is every 8 weeks. So, basically, I am paying $1.25 per week for someone else to comb through the sales and combine those sales with coupons. Not a bad deal, eh?

The operating principle for this "game" is that you stockpile sale items and plan your weekly menus from your stockpile. Eventually, your "needs" list grows shorter each week because your stockpile will grow.

Now if you are like me- at least in this way- you might think, "This sounds all well and good, but I want to see some PROOF!!!" I'm glad you think that way, because I will give you exact totals from my receipts.

Kroger Dollar amount of groceries- $87.19 I spent- $61.66
Publix Dollar amount of groceries- $83.26 I spent- $47.05
Publix Dollar amount of groceries- $160.15 I spent- $106.44
Publix Dollar amount of groceries- $160.82 I spent- $132.61
Publix Dollar amount of groceries- $128.51 I spent- $96.22
Publix Dollar amount of groceries- $167.31 I spent- $102.45

So, you can see how "real" the savings are!!! You can earn free weeks on this site, too. Just tell a friend to try it out, and make sure that friend enters your e-mail address (the same one you will enter when you sign up). If any of you decide to give it a try, would you be so kind as to enter my e-mail address? It is sdwilkersonATjunoDOTcom and y'all know to replace the words with cyber symbols!!

Happy shopping! Please drop back in to let me know if you tried it!

Golden Rule Travel

2007-09-03T20:02:00.001-04:00

I have to admit, this is just about the coolest thing I've seen in a while. This travel company, Golden rule, specializes in (but not limited to) missionary travel, adoption travel, and travel arrangements for humanitarian aid. This is a great site that offers airfare quotes, testimonials, and bio information to explain exactly why this company is in business.

Haven't we all known people who desire to share God's Word with others, or couples who long to adopt children from foreign countries? Sometimes the travel is cost-prohibitive, leaving these dear people frustrated and without resources. How kind of God to lead people to create such a business as this! Golden Rule Travel meets a legitimate need for pastors, missionaries, and adoptive couples.

Stripping is FUN...

2007-08-20T18:25:00.000-04:00

stripping wallpaper, that is! We have a very small master bath in our house- just a vanity, toilet, and shower stall. It suits our needs fine for now, although there are times I wish for a large garden tub!

The previous owners papered this bathroom (sidenote- I despise wallpaper pretty generally, but especially in a bathroom) with a pattern that wasn't something I would have chosen, but certainly something I could live with. And they also did a very good job of hanging the paper itself. The seams were even, and the pattern matched up in all the right places. I told myself when we moved in that I would leave it alone unless necessity called for removal. Well, she called. And loudly. In the form of mold- entire colonies of it.

So a couple of Saturdays ago, I was cleaning the bathroom and decided to "test" a spot to see if the paper would come off. Actually, I don't remove paper in the traditional way with scorers and fancy brand name wallpaper taker-offers. I just peel off the top print layer, then fill a generic spray bottle with water as hot as I can stand it. Next, I spray down one section at a time. Within minutes whole sections come off, sometimes with the help of a little nylon scraper. Anyway, to my delight, the top layer came off beautifully, and I got a bit carried away. I stripped the whole wall. Then Sophia came in and gave me a look that said, "Wait till Dad sees this!!" I hurried to invite her to join me. She was perfect for the job. Her tiny fingers were able to get into crevices mine couldn't. She was quickly hooked!

We continued to strip for an hour or so, and she turned to me and said, "I like us being teamwork, Mom. It makes us feel like we love each other more." Now, she may not have used correct grammar or descriptive phrases to convey her meaning, but my heart sure got the message!

Garage: For Men Only?

2007-08-17T18:18:00.000-04:00

In our society, no matter how politically correct we strive to be, there are certain places in the house that are considered "male" and "female." Admit it! In our house, the garage or storage shed is generally considered to be the man's domain. But Car Guy Garage has some pretty snazzy items that just might make us women rethink the whole "his" and "her" thing.

One item of particular interest is the pressure washer. What makes this one so cool is that it's electric- no bulky motor to lug around! When I think of pressure washers, the possibilities of use are endless. The obvious one is for car washing. A pressure washer would almost make that chore fun. But let's broaden the scope. Is your deck looking dingy and washed out? Does your driveway have oakleaf stains? Do you need to prep the exterior of your home before painting? You see where I'm going with this. If any of these chores resonate with you, check out Car Guy Garage and see how it can meet your need.

WFMW: Intensely Chocolate Brownies

2007-08-08T19:55:00.000-04:00

It's no secret here in Suburbia how much this suburban household loves chocolate- dark chocolate, specifically, for the suburban housewife! So here lately I have found a way to really "rev up" the taste of brownies. When you have leftover coffee in your pot, let it cool and save it in a jar in the fridge. Then, later in the day, whip up some brownies, because this tip works for boxed brownies and brownies from scratch. Substitute the coffee for the water called for in the recipe. Now, don't worry: this won't give you "Coffee Brownies"; but it will intensify the chocolate flavor. What's not to LOVE about that?

So go make those brownies then browse through more great tips here!

Coming very soon...

2007-08-07T07:52:00.000-04:00

Please join me in prayer- Life Abundant's baby is coming!!! This baby, like all others, is very special, but this one has been a long time coming and is the answer to many prayers. Pray that Coralie will be able to rest; she awoke with contractions at 3 AM....yikes!

Reflections of a 5-year old...

2007-08-05T17:07:00.000-04:00

So Kirk is a deep thinker. If you spend any length of time with him it is easy to tell when those moments "come upon" him. Because he gets quiet. And that is a rare thing. Unless he's sleeping!

Anyway.

The other night I was tucking him in for bed, giving out the usual hugs and kisses. He asked, "Momma, why can't I just always kiss you on the lips?"

"Because my lips are for Daddy. You can kiss my cheek, nose, or any other part of my face."

---Long pause. Quiet pause---

"So, Momma, when I grow up do I get to kiss Daddy on the lips?"

"No, sweetie. When you grow up, you get to kiss your wife on the lips."

"OH!"

---Long pause. Quiet pause---

"Well, you and Daddy will help me find a wife, right?"

"That's right."

"Well, she will be beautiful. And love Jesus. And she has to wear lipstick."

And there you have it- the sum of all things important for a future wife!!

A new opportunity...

2007-08-04T11:17:00.000-04:00

So I'm trying a new thing. I found out about this opportunity through another blog, and I have been thinking about it for a while. The company, PayPerPost, does just what it sounds like- it pays you to write. There are many different categories offered, from parenting/family issues to business issues and lots of other things in between. The minimum pay is $5.00 per post, and so far I've seen as high as $20.00 per post. The cool thing is that you can select which things you want to write about. Now some might argue, "Five dollars for a post? I'm worth more than that!" But think about this: if it takes you, say, fifteen minutes to write a blog post, then you are actually getting paid $20.00 an hour. Or, if you choose an opportunity that pays $7.00, then that is $28.00 per hour. How many opportunities do you find like that, and all from the comfort of your own home/laptop? There is a process where Pay Per Post must approve your post, and there are minimum word guidelines to follow. But frankly, I'm excited to see what happens.

As a family, we have been trying to build up an "emergency fund" for things like car repairs, accidents, medical needs, braces, etc. But the amount we have budgeted for that means a very slow growth for that fund. And you know the story: just as you are making headway in building up this fund your mechanic asks, "Did you know your brakes need to be replaced?" or something else just as serious. My hope is that with Pay Per Post we might be able to build up that fund at a quicker pace!!

If this sounds interesting to you, then click on the purple Pay Per Post link to the left on my sidebar. That will take you directly to their website where you can read all about this opportunity in greater detail. If you like to write, and I suspect you do if you have your own blog, then why not check it out?

Hospitality, Take Four

2007-07-31T17:53:00.000-04:00

"....and a lovely time was had by all" when a young family joined us for the Sabbath afternoon. This particular couple just moved to our area and has been visiting our church fellowship for a month or so. They have a beautiful baby girl and are expecting a son in September. Boy, that sure takes me back...

Anyway, I haven't cooked on a Sunday afternoon in quite some time, unless I have been here tending a sick child with homemade chicken noodle soup!! So for our dining pleasure I prepared Roasted Cornish Hens, Garlic Lentils, Steamed Green and Yellow Beans, fresh French Bread. Green Salad, and Chocolate Chip Banana Cake.

Everything was delicious, or so I was told, but it was the fellowship that brought it all together. We got to peek into the lives of this couple and were humbled as they asked for our advice/opinion on certain topics.

I'm not sure if we have anyone else on the docket for the month of July, but please feel free to ask for any recipes!

Hospitality, Take Three

2007-07-29T19:19:00.001-04:00

Remember the gals I mentioned? Well, our time together was a blast. For our tummies there was Roma salad (very simple, but very tasty), Lemon Chicken Pasta, homemade French bread, and my special Intensely Chocolate Brownies. Everything looks much more important when it's capitalized, right? Again, nothing elaborate, but it has been our experience that most people just want an opportunity to sit down together and talk about life whether it be with pizza and coke or steak tartare.

One thing we try to focus on during these times is asking key questions (open-ended ones) that allow our guests to share with us however much they wish. For example, instead of asking, "So, are you enjoying Crossway Fellowship?" we would ask, "What is it about Crossway that you enjoy?" A yes or no would answer the first question, but the second begs for elaboration. When guests perceive that you really want to know what is going on in their hearts, they will open up and allow you to minister to them and find out practical ways to serve them.

I didn't intend for this to turn into a series, per se, but we had guests in our home again after church today, so I will post that menu soon. Things around the Suburban Household are gearing up for the beginning of school, and that means posting might become even more infrequent than it already is, if that's possible!

Blessings to all y'all cybergals!

Hospitality, Take Two

2007-07-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

So someone asked me to post the menus for our hospitality nights. But being the non-technically gifted person that I am (and I'm not bitter about that), I accidentally rejected the comment. Sorry, anonymous!

Two weeks ago we hosted another delightful couple from our church. They have two daughters, one a toddler and the other an infant- precious! Earlier that morning, I set out the chicken to thaw, so I figured on making a casserole of some sort. Then it got cloudy and rainy and cozy. Soup's on! I have a great chicken stew recipe that is filling and pretty, so I started that, along with some freshly baked yeast rolls and a green salad with lots of colorful veggies. My friend (one of our guests) called and said she would bring a chocolate cake for dessert- perfecto! The great thing about soup/stew is that it is a natural home deodorizer. When you cook that and yeast rolls, you'd better be close to serving it all up when the guests walk through the door!

So we ate. And talked. Then ate some more. And talked even more. The night was such a blessing to us. This couple was able to give us insight on a particular area of ministry where we serve in our church because they have served in that capacity in another church. It was an edifying, encouraging evening (aren't I good with alliteration?).

And now tonight we are hosting two gals from our church. One is a college student that we don't know very well (we hope to say differently after tonight), and the other is a post-college woman who is like another member of our family! I will try to post tonight's menu tomorrow. Now get up from the computer and go invite someone over to your house!

Hospitality...

2007-07-08T22:01:00.000-04:00

So we are back from the west coast...it was great, and I hope to get some photos up here soon. In the meantime, we are trying to get back into the swing of regular hospitality here at home. We had some delightful guests over for supper last night. I cooked for a few hours, but that is not a hardship for me. Truth be told, I can get sucked in to cooking/baking very easily; I'm a "foodie", so I often have to remind myself that indeed, yes, I do have four children and a husband to care for! Food preparation is therapeutic for me (so is ironing, but that is for another post), and I find I am able to think about topics/issues in depth when it's just me, my apron, and some great praise music!

The menu? Oh, of course! I prepared a fresh, green salad with carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, and green onions; next, there was freshly baked french bread~ all soft and yeasty; the main course was fettucine with a meat sauce I made from scratch (it simmered for 3 hours- yum!); and the finishing touch was a chocolate brownie torte (recipe here). Warning: the chocolate brownie torte is very decadent and worth every minute I spent baking it!

It is amazing how simple, good food really does convey warmth, love, and friendship. I didn't make anything elaborate as far as fussiness goes. As a matter of fact, when Rob was in seminary, we would often have friends over and I would make a huge platter of pancakes and set out jugs of ice-cold milk!!

The point is this: whether you are able to serve rack of lamb or Ramen noodles, serve it with love. Not exactly a Hallmark card, but you get my meaning. Sharing the love of Christ through hospitality won't always look the same- I just happen to enjoy doing it with chocolate!

Cover me, I'm goin' in...

2007-06-15T14:51:00.000-04:00

Well, remember all those gowns Rob brought home to me? I told y'all I chose the red gown because of the way it was made, and that is true. But I also chose it for ease of alteration as well. The spaghetti straps should (operative word) be pretty easy to tack up in order to cover everything that should stay covered.

However, during the "fashion show" for the kids, I tried on the gowns in their un-altered state (obviously). When I came out in the red gown, I also had a sheer black shawl/wrap that I accidentally dropped and bent over to pick up. Then I noticed Sophia's eyes. They were as round as saucers. "Momma," she whispered, "I can see your privates." I assured her it wouldn't be like this when I wear it "for real." Then I came out in a navy blue gown that was a bit plunging, to say the least. Eli looked very disturbed. "I don't think that is a proper dress for you to wear, Mom."

Now before y'all get all up in my business about how children shouldn't be telling parents what to wear, understand this: They GET IT. Know what I mean? At their young age, they understand that private parts are exactly that- private. Rob explained to Eli that just because I was trying on the gowns didn't mean I would wear them to the banquet. And since I am his wife, he will protect me by not having me wear something that doesn't honor the Lord. I told the children if a gown couldn't be altered to cover everything then it wouldn't get chosen. They all looked relieved.

I am thankful my children have an awareness of modesty in this show-it-all-to-any-and-everyone culture that is ours. God has sovereignly placed us in a fellowship of believers where young ladies do strive to be both modest and attractive. I love that my children are protective of me in that way and can express concern in a respectful way.

Happy Anniversary...

2007-06-14T16:16:00.000-04:00

to Mom and Dad- it's the BIG "38"! Harrison put it this way, "Whoa, Grandma, you've almost got four decades of marriage." Then he told me, "That's even older than you, mom!" Um, yeah, in the best case scenarios!! Eli proceeded to ask me how old Grandma was when she got married and I replied, "18." His response? "Oh yeah, that's kinda like what they did in ancient Egypt- married young, I mean."

Okay, so my children aren't totally clear on the whole what-age-should-a-person-get-married at this point in their lives, but at least they know they want to get married- someday.

Now for some memories....

*Six Flags every summer. Because what is a summer vacation without a trip to Six Flags? Be assured, Mom and Dad, now that I'm a parent I totally love the whole idea of paying an ungodly amount of money to walk, get nauseous, listen to whining, carrying an extra 40 lbs. of child body, etc.

*Intra-family vacations to Myrtle Beach. What the HECK were you thinking? (And I mean that with the utmost respect)

*Hand-staining every stinkin' piece of baseboard trim in our new (1987) house. Then sanding. Then adding polyeurathane. Then sanding again. Then "one more coat" of poly. Oops, there are some some air bubbles. Let's start over!!

*Trips home for a visit when we (Rob, kids and I) lived in California. Somehow the 4 1/2 hour plane ride was worth it just to relax at your house for a week.

And now we watch you persevere together during this time. What a testimony to us that your security is not in money or possessions, but in Christ, who holds all things together. Much love to you on this day!

He's all mine...

2007-06-07T07:11:00.000-04:00

So we are going here in a few weeks, right? And then two weeks ago Rob called me one day from work to let me know there's going to be an awards banquet one night- black tie required. He said he would have to rent a tux and I would need to get an evening gown- great. He went on to explain that he had recently seen some pictures of the last two years' banquets, complete with floor-length silk and/or sequined gowns- double great. After I made my spiel about how many little silk worms gave up their lives so middle-aged women could pretend to go to the prom again it hit me: I am middle-aged, and I have to find a dress pronto.

Well, I made up my mind I would go to Goodwill and check out the prom/bridesmaid castoffs because, really, I have seen some beautiful gowns in there for very decent prices. I told Rob, who, by the way, is the KING of thrift, and he said, "Good idea, but wait until I can go with you. It will be fun." Okay, no problem.

Now fast forward to the beginning of this week. He had to go out of town for two nights, and when he came home on Tuesday afternoon, he asked me to stay in the back of the house so he could bring in a surprise. I heard the kids ooohing and aaahing and giggling and then- "Come on out honey." When I got into the living room, Rob told me to close my eyes and he would lead me into the bedroom. When I opened my eyes y'all, there were SIX evening gowns hanging up in my room, as well as three different shawls/wraps. "Try them on and choose the one you like the best. We'll take everything else back." The king of thrift had bought over $600.00 worth of evening wear!!! Have I mentioned this man has great taste? Oh, where to begin! So I chose the dress closest to me to start and tried them all on, giving a everyone a little fashion show. I ended up choosing a simple Grecian-style (read: non-constricting) red gown and a sheer black shawl/wrap (it does have a few sequins!!).

After I profusely expressed my thanks to this terrific husband of mine, we began putting the gowns back onto the hangers and into the hanging bags. He turned around and said, "We should probably go shopping for some sandals to go with the dress." I protested. After all, look what he had just done. His reply? "Sweetie, relax. You wouldn't believe the fantastic deals I got on all those gowns."

School's out for summer...

2007-06-01T15:36:00.001-04:00

Yeah, baby!!! Last Friday was cause for much rejoicing in the Suburban household- and at our school. We teachers didn't have the heart to tell the students that we look forward to summer just as much as they do, if not MORE!!!

Then I had to put in three days of post-planning work in which I basically laid out my lesson plans for the whole year. Let me say that again, in case you didn't hear it the first time- FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. That's four classes at 36 weeks each (turning on my math brain) to equal 144 weeks of planning.

So here in Suburbia, we have many things on tap for the summer break, including, but not limited to a trip to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood with the family, and a week-long getaway to Palm Springs, CA for just Rob and me. Woohoo! His company has an annual corporate convention, and this year it is in Palm Springs. You can't imagine how excited I am about that! Although I don't think we will play much golf, the resort where we will stay is (surprise) a golf resort. I'll think of you all while I'm there, I promise!

WFMW: Library Laundry Basket...

2007-05-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Do you- and by "you" I mean "your children"- misplace library books? Do you ever get that Overdue Notice in your

e-mail inbox? Do you have to play "last minute mad-scramble" before heading to the library? Let me be the first to say that all of the above have happened to me. Sometimes I want to avoid the library altogether, but that's not a smart move. So what's my solution? The Library Laundry Basket! It's easy: just designate a small to medium-sized (remember, you have to carry it full of books) laundry basket for library use. Take it into the library with you and tell your children to choose their 5 (or however many books they check out on a weekly basis) books, movies, books on tape, etc. and put them in the basket. I promise you that you will become a favorite with the nearly-retired librarians! After checking out, remind your children that all library items must stay in the basket unless being used. This way, the library things don't get absorbed into your children's things. Imagine: your local library will be FREE again without the hassle of overdue fines from lost books!!

Be sure to scoot over to Shannon's place for more great tips!

Mother's Day...

2007-05-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know. I'm several days late, but I'm slow like that. Mother's Day on the Suburban Housewife homestead was a good one- and busy. Around these parts we like to refer to it as "Mother's Day Weekend." This year we began with an overnighter at Grandma and Grandpa's house. On Saturday, my sister and I took my mom and Grandmother out for a "girl's day"- Sophia came too! We started with a pedicure and then went off in search of food. It was at the lunch table that I realized my throat was hurting badly, so we finished our day and returned to Grandma's house, where I promptly took two Extra Strength Tylenol and slept for two hours.

The ride back to Watkinsville found me feeling even worse, so Rob prescribed a rapid descent into bed for me. I worried about the next day, because I knew the children had been working on a surprise or two for me.

Come Sunday morning, Harrison came in with a cup of hot tea- English Breakfast with cream and sugar- my favorite! The other three soon followed with handmade cards, picutres, and gifts. The gifts included a beautiful necklace, some Dark Chocolate Altoids (who knew?), some Ritter dark chocolate, Choxie dark chocolate truffles (are you sensing a trend?), and four bottles of Starbucks Strawberry Creme. After many kisses and hugs, we got dressed for worship and headed to Panera Bread for our traditional Mother's Day pastry and coffee.

After a wonderful worship service, it was off to Nanna and Papa's house for the afternoon. Amid the grilled hamburgers, kid's table arrangements, admonishments to "sit down and eat", and backyard sprinklers, we actually had a relaxing time. There's just something about watching your children play with cousins that makes you feel old in a satisfied, "God is so good to us" kind of way.

I am so undeserving of the gifts that are my four children. God has been kind, merciful, and lavishly generous to me. My prayer is that I will be found a faithful steward of these precious gifts.

WFMW: Color-coded family members...

2007-05-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

Remember when we heard that it was a good idea to buy a "family calendar"? So we all went out to Sam's Club or Office Depot and bought that large, supercool erasable whiteboard? Yeah, me too. What I didn't realize was that once I put all the commitments and errands for the month on that board I would still be confused! It hurt my eyes to look at it. But I came up with a solution: color-coded family members. I assigned each member of my family a particular color. Then I use the color of the person I am scheduling at the time. For example, Eli is the color RED. When I schedule his karate times for the month, or the birthday party he will attend, I only use the RED marker. See? So when grandparents call and want to know what child A,B,C,or D is doing, all I have to do is look for that person's "color" on the calendar! It works for me!

Hop over to Shannon's to check out the other great tips!

Works for Me...

2007-05-09T14:05:00.000-04:00

This is really a no-brainer, I know, but it is a jewel of a tip that has helped me tremendously this school year. I teach at a small classical Christian school, and there is no "formal" hot lunch program. There is a restaurant that caters daily (to the tune of $4.25 per meal), but that doesn't fit my budget. So in August, when I was staring down the barrel of having to make 720 lunches (180 days x 4 children), I came up with this idea. Basically, when I make cookies, I keep back roughly half the cookie dough and scoop it onto a cookie sheet using my cookie scoop. These go into the freezer for a flash-freeze (about 30 minutes) and then are transferred to a Ziploc freezer bag. On the outside of the bag I write the type of cookie- though at my house it really doesn't deviate from chocolate chip- the baking temperature, and the amount of baking time.

This has saved me oodles of money and has kept me from the temptation of buying pre-packaged, preservative laden snacks (sorry Little Debbie lovers!).

Be sure to stop over here for more WFMW tips!

Even when I am faithless...

2007-05-08T13:56:00.000-04:00

God is still faithful. This is not a new truth, but sometimes God is kind and gracious to apply the truth of His faithfulness to my heart in a new way.

Our extended family has been in the Refiner's fire for quite some time, but most intensively for the last four years. In all honesty, there were times when I despaired of realizing the sweetness of restored relationships this side of heaven. Rob continued to exercise faith in the midst of this very long and draining trial, and he is such a fantastic encouragement to me. It is interesting to note that in our marriage there have been very few times when we have been utterly discouraged at the same time. Generally speaking, one of us would have the gift of encouragement to offer the other one. Rob has definitely been the one heavy on the encouragement end!!

As I reflect over these past years, I wonder at the amount of dross that God has scraped off the surface of my heart- and how much more festers within. I sense a tenderness, a willingness to cry out, "Purge me; cleanse me; search me; know me," that perhaps wasn't there before. I have witnessed the devastation and ravaging effects of sinful deceit. I have seen family members turned against one another out of frustration and pride. But now, on the other side of this heartwrenching divide, I have experienced tenderness and loving restoration. I have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, so to speak, and I have seen God intervene in the lives of His children for the glory of His name.

Because we're commanded to...

2007-04-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
*Galatians 6:1

The things we do for love...

2007-04-14T16:54:00.000-04:00

Hello. My name is a suburban housewife and I am overweight- by at least 25 pounds. This isn't the "I'm-a-size-2-and-I've-just-gained-half-an-ounce-and-can't-fit-into-my-skinny-tight-ankle-zipper-jeans" overweight either. This is more of the "I-am-35-years-old-and-I-can't-eat-whatever-I-want-to-eat-whenever-I-want-to-eat-it" flavor. Add to that fact that my children aren't toddlers anymore and I don't spend every waking minute chasing after them and you might say my lifestyle is a bit, um, sedentary. I am ashamed to say this, people. The truth of the matter is that I don't really like to sweat. Well, if I'm at the beach or a pool or planting flowers or something like that then I don't mind it so much. But sweating for exercise? That's not very high up on my approval meter.

Lest you get the wrong idea, let me say- in my defense- that I am all for the theory of exercise. Yes, it is beneficial. I've even been known to get up at 6:00 AM to power walk for 45 minutes (right Ruth and Rebecca?). But it is quite cool at that time of the day, so sweat doesn't really factor in that particular equation. (A little known secret about a suburban housewife is that I was a college cheerleader back in the day. I know. Really sweaty at times. But somehow I wasn't bothered by it much way back in feudal times!)

I even recognize the benefits of exercise. When I started teaching school again, I quickly dropped about 8 pounds in the first two months. Why? Mostly because my classroom is up 18 stairs to the second floor, and the bathroom, office, and teacher workroom are all on the other side of the building- down those stairs and sometimes back up another flight. The fun part was that I was able to wear clothes that had taken up residence in the dark spaces of my closet.

But now I have to face the cold, hard facts: heart disease runs in my family. My grandmother died of a heart attack at the age of 62. That's young, y'all. My dad suffered a massive heart attack before he was 50. That's even younger. My dad's siblings have a medical "rap sheet" that is the proverbial mile-long. Add hypertension and diabetes to the mix and I'm starting to think, "Maybe I should look at this health thing a little more seriously." Thankfully, my mother's family tends to have low blood pressure, so I'm a little more balanced on that end of the spectrum. But still.

Well, apparently my sister has decided to help me along in this area. She has lovingly registered me for this. Ambitious, I know. But I'm a Georgia girl, y'all, and this is heritage and tradition. Besides, I found out last week that Tracy, Tom, Andy, and Chris from church are all undertaking the same endeavor. Andy, who are you kidding? After a marathon, this thing will seem like a walk in the park. Oh, wait. It actually is a walk in the park! Well, eventually, anyway.

So, in the words of that famous song:

Like walkin' in the rain (maybe) and the snow (not likely)
When there's nowhere to go
And you're feeling like a part of you is dyin' (most definitely)........
The things we do for love...

I'm 20 on the inside...

2007-02-28T20:43:00.000-05:00

on the outside- not so much. It's like this: when my kids ask me to do things- like cartwheels- for example, I am quick to say, "Oh yeah. I can do that." I am not lying (technically), because in my mind I can totally see myself doing those things.

So let's do take cartwheels as a case in point. Not so long ago, my daughter Sophia was obsessed with learning how to do a cartwheel. We happened to be in my parents' yard one sunny afternoon when she asked me, "Mom, will you please show me how to do a cartwheel?" I never gave a thought before I planted my hands on the ground and propelled myself upward. Now, it is interesting to note (with hindsight) that approximately mid-way through my defiance of aerodynamics or thermodynamics or whatever that I thought, "BIG mistake." Unfortunately for me the law of physics had pretty much sealed my fate. I was able to complete the cartwheel, but my body protested- strongly. My heart was beating at an alarmingly rapid pace- and I have low blood pressure! My legs and thighs, well, honestly? The last time they felt like that was immediately preceded by natural childbirth.

I was stunned. At what point had my body betrayed me? When had it quit going in various directions with nary a twinge? When had I become old? It must have happened when I wasn't looking. But I will say one thing: Sophia was suitably impressed with this "old" momma!

To die is gain...

2007-02-22T15:18:00.000-05:00

If you don't read anything else on the internet today, go here. Amid the papers to grade, lessons to plan, meals to cook, and floors to sweep, suddenly nothing seems as important as hugging my husband and children. Here's a small sample:

We are heartbroken. This is not the news we wanted to hear. We wanted to raise our son, to grow old together, but God has different plans for our family. And as much as we don't understand them right now, we know that He is sovereign over this as well. Please pray for us, and for my family especially. My part in all of this is rather easy. I get to die and be with my Savior in glory. I get to miss out on all the suffering this world holds. It is my family who bear the grief and the pain day in and day out. It is for them that my heart breaks. Hold your loved ones a little closer for me today. Live life a little more -- wear your dressy clothes around the house just because life is really short and stains don't really matter. Don't get impatient about the little things.

Maranatha! Lord, come quickly.

Reason #147...

2007-02-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

why I love being a part of Sovereign Grace Ministries: the great music they produce!

O Great God
Based on The Valley of Vision prayer “Regeneration”

Words and Music by
Bob Kauflin

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life

Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me

2006 Sovereign Grace Music

Go here for a quick listen! But beware- it is entirely possible that you might purchase some great music while there!

My husband made me cry...

2007-02-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

Well, that certainly got your attention, huh? This was a good cry, though. He came in this afternoon, after being out of town for three days, and gave out "valentine" hugs and kisses. Then he said, "Sophia, I have a special surprise for you in the kitchen." Naturally, she was thinking, "SCORE!!! More candy." But it was so much better. Rob presented her with her very first bouquet of roses. Sophia's eyes grew wide. "Oh, Daddy. Are these just for me?"

It's the little things like this that make me think, "Oh yeah. He totally gets it." And then, "How on earth did I merit such a man?"

Not all heroes wear stretchy pants...

2007-02-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

When Harrison was a toddler, he enjoyed playing "super hero." Actually, "enjoy" is quite an understatement. In reality, he would (every morning upon awakening) dress for action, so to speak. The usual uniform involved some sort of sleeveless basketball jersey shirt, pajama pants, and underwear. I know what you're thinking: Underwear? Of course, that just goes without saying. Not quite. For you see, the underwear always had to be on the outside of the pajama pants. And not just any underwear. They had to coincide with whichever superhero Providence deemed he be that day. So for instance, if Harrison were to be Batman, then he had to wear Batman underwear on the outside of his pajama pants- along with Batman cape and mask. And this wasn't an activity confined to the indoors. Oh, no. He wore this in the backyard, in the driveway, and to neighbors' homes. I drew the line at taking him to the grocery store in that getup, however. I know: future therapy because I stifled his creativity. And when asked, "Son, why do you have your underwear on the outside of your dress-up?" he just looked at us like we were poor, uninformed, misfortunate grownups. "Momma/Daddy. All superheroes wear their underwear on the outside." Well. You have to admit he had us there.

But years have passed and he doesn't do that anymore (phew!). He does, however, still have heroes. And while Rob and I are all for truth, justice, and the American way (mostly), we encourage our sons to look for heroes with a bit more substance than stretchy pants and cool gadgets. We want them to have heroes who are known for an unashamed stand for the truth and sufficiency of God's Word. Because when it's all said and done, these are the "heroes" with true kingdom cool-ness. One such man would be A l Mohler. He certainly stands for the truth of Scripture regardless of the politically correct (secular and religious) climate. Although cool dead guys make great heroes too, I kind of like the idea of my sons seeing a modern-day reformer and following his actions and responses. This is not to say that we teach our boys to put such people on a pedestal, but to watch, learn, and imitate Godly behavior.

Wisdom and grace...

2007-01-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

is the name of our daughter, who is more commonly known as Sophia Charis (hard "k"). My beautiful girl turns 6 years old today- unbelievable. Oh, to think back in time to six years ago (minus 8 or so months)...

The spring of 2000 found us in the midst of many changes. Rob had graduated from seminary and accepted a pastoral position, and we were preparing to move to Brentwood, CA. We settled into our home mid-May and jumped headfirst into life and ministry. But my pants were getting tight. Hmmmm. Even with all the running around, half-eaten meals, and crazy schedules, I was gaining weight. And suddenly I didn't love Frappuccinos (should have been a BIG clue).

Sophia was my fourth pregnancy, so I knew how to handle the whole I-am-nauseous-all-day thing pretty well. Oddly, though, she was my absolute worst pregnancy, physically speaking. My bones and joints- well, they did things. Things I'm not sure are anatomically normal. For example, one night (when I was roughly 8 months pregnant) Rob had an elders' meeting at the church, so I planned for a nice long bath after Harrison and Eli went to bed. And it was a nice bath. Vanilla sugar bubbles, candles, a good book, and a sharp razor (for the legs, people). I must have enjoyed that bath for almost an hour when I decided to get out and have a cup of cocoa. I flipped the drain thingy with my toe and started to get up when I couldn't. Get up, that is. My hip joints were literally frozen stiff. I dried my hand on the towel and grabbed the phone that, thankfully, I had taken into the bathroom with me. The following conversation went something like this:

(Ring, ring) Nice, friendly elder man: Hello?

Me: Hi. Can I speak to Rob?

Elder (who I know was thinking, "Um, he's in a meeting.") : Well, okay. Hold on a sec.

Rob: Hey, babe. Is everything all right?

Me: Take me off the speaker phone, please.

Rob: Okay, what's up?

Me: I need you to come home. I can't get out of the tub.

Rob: What? What do you mean?

Me (slightly irritated- because I didn't stutter- and very cold) : I MEAN, I can't get out of the tub. I physically unable to get out of here.

Rob: Well, I guess I will be right there.

*Thankfully we only lived 1.5 miles from the church*
Rob walked in the house and into the bathroom. He took one look at me and burst out laughing. "You really are stuck in there aren't you?" Okay, so he finally got me out of the tub and settled with my mug of cocoa.

Anyway. There were many "false starts" with my dear baby girl. Her due date was February 14, 2001. As you can see from this post's date, that date was not realized! She started trying to come around mid-January and finally arrived at 37 weeks. What a birth! I went to the hospital because something just didn't "feel right," and I discovered I was 4-5 cm. But there were no contractions. I told my midwife I wanted to eat and then I wanted her to break my water. She laughed and said, "Okay." Apparently there were many women giving birth that day, because the anesthesiologist was literally pushing a cart from room-to-room. I looked at Rob and told him I wanted to try one. "One what?" he asked. "An epidural," was my reply. He looked at me like I was crazy and said, "You're not even in pain." I was very patient in my reasoning with him. "Yes, honey, I know that. But by the time I am in pain, it will be too late. I just want to see what it's like." So I did. Long story short- it was great for the actual delivery, but terrible afterward. I couldn't walk for 24 hours. Correction, I probably could have walked, I just couldn't feel my legs. And when the doc pulled that stuff out of my back, well, let's just say if I had seen it before the epidural, I never would have gotten one.

So to my precious baby girl, Happy Birthday.

*You weighed 6 lbs 4 oz at birth and were tiny.
*You nursed like a champ for 2 days and then you completely shut down (probably to save yourself from drowning, but that's another post).
*At 6 weeks of age you began to nurse again, and you wouldn't even look at a bottle without crying.
*"Buddha- girl" pretty much sums up your physical appearance as a baby.
*You were generally in a bad mood for the first 8 weeks of your life. Then something magical happened (I like to think it was answered prayer), and you were transformed into a grinning, spit-blowing rolypoly.
*You didn't (or wouldn't) walk until the ripe old age of 16 and 1/2 months. Exactly 2 weeks before your brother Kirk was born.
*You started taking off your diaper- for fun- in the middle of the night around 18 months old. Now those were some fun (smelling) times. Your daddy solved that by using duct-tape in a horizontal fashion around your midsection on the diaper ;)
*You love pasta. (my "pasta girl")
*You adore your brothers.
*You love shopping and trying on clothes. (How are you my child?)
*You taught yourself- by sheer determination and skinned knees- how to ride a two-wheeler in one afternoon.
*You love school.
*You love "toe polly" (polish).
*One time Grandma called for you and you said, "I can't come right now. I'm looking for God."
*You love to sing praise and worship songs and will frequently tell me, "This is a great song."

There is so much about the mystery that is you, Sophia, that cannot be conveyed on the blogosphere. But your daddy and I pray daily that the Lord will draw you to Himself, and that He will grow you into a wise and gracious woman after His own heart.

You like the WHAT?

2007-01-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

So, I was reading a familiar blog today, and Kathryn asked for some favorite baby mispronunciations. Boy, could I write a book about that!! (So why don't I....) While there are many mis-sayings that are quite funny (remember, 4 kiddos from 11 to 4), there is one in particular that really stands out- but if you are easily offended, stop reading.

Still here? Okay, then, let's go down that road known as "Memory Lane".....We were living in Brentwood, CA (not the OJ Simpson neighborhood, but the one in northern CA), and I was pregnant with Sophia. Harrison was 4 and Eli had just turned 2. Now, just as background info, when I am pregnant, sometimes I am bombarded with an overwhelming urge to decorate- or in this particular case, redecorate. And so the urge hit while I was in the boys' bathroom. I noticed how beige everything was. I started thinking toward the next summer when I would begin- hopefully- pottytraining Eli. It's not very exciting to begin one's life-long potty habits in a beige bathroom. Wouldn't it be fun to make it more stimulating? More of a boy-I-just-can't-wait-for-the-next-potty-time sort of room.

Fortunately, Rob and the budget agreed with me, so I left to find that perfect decor. I returned shortly thereafter, armed with all the supplies and accessories for a tropical fish bathroom. There was a great fish-shaped rug, a clear plastic rinse cup imprinted with tropical fish, two bath and hand towels with said fish, and a really cool Martha Stewart blue and white plaid fabric tie-top shower curtain. I found various sizes of tropical fish stencils on clearance, so I bought those, along with some paint. Rob suggested that it would be better for him to take the boys out of the house for about 2 or 3 hours so I could work uninterrupted. Great idea! I started the next morning, and I was pleased with how everything turned out. Rob called and asked if I was ready for him and the boys to come on home and I gave him the "O-kay."

When they came in, Rob had Harrison and Eli cover their eyes and walk into the bathroom for the "unveiling." When they opened their eyes, Harrison just smiled, hugged me, and said, "Thanks Momma. I really like the fish." Eli, on the other hand, was completely speechless. His big blue eyes were the size of saucers. Finally, he looked at me and said, "Oh, Momma. Look at the beautiful b*tches! I REALLY like those b*tches!"

We were completely stupefied. We tried all day to teach him "F-f-f-f-fish"- but to no avail. So, of course, when two elders and wives from church came for supper that night, Eli immediately grabbed their hands, dragging them to the bathroom to see the b*tches that Momma painted!!!

Congratulations to...

2007-01-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

Life abundant and the redneck painter!!! Thank you, Lord, for your blessings. Christmas morning found me sweeping the kitchen floor after breakfast, and I began praying for our friends. I prayed that there would be three of them celebrating Christmas next year. I asked specifically that the Lord would open the womb of my friend, but if not, that He would bless them with a child through adoption. Imagine my surprise when I found out that very day that God had already answered so many prayers!!

So, hop on over to drop a line of encouragement. She's praying for twins, you know.

I thought this was so funny...

2006-12-26T15:28:00.000-05:00

that I just had to share. So sad, but so true of our take-a-pill-for-everything modern times. Pay careful attention to the "fine print" at the end of the song!!!

Is anybody out there...

2006-12-20T17:19:00.000-05:00

Hello? (tap, tap, tap) Testing 1-2-3. Oh, HI! You. Yes, you in the third row with the bathrobe and slippers. Thanks for continuing to visit my blog. You are such a faithful reader of this faithless blogger. I have been around, and I have been head-posting. You know what that is, right? When you start a blog post in your head, but it never quite makes it to cyber-space. At least Rob will actually go to his blogger dashboard and start the draft so that he always has several "in the hopper." (Visit his blog here.)

But as for me, I am happy to report that tomorrow is the last day of school until January 8!!! I give my last two exams in the morning and then it is el fin until "next year." We have much planned for the holiday, including rest, rest, and then some more rest. Actually, Rob has a business trip the week after Christmas, and we will be able to join him. FUN! Can you say "continental breakfast"? And "indoor swimming pool"? Hopefully there will be no repeats of our last family hotel stay (check out the July archives under "Of moonpies, chlorine, and throwup." Yes, it really was that bad). Best of all, we will be at the beach, but I'm not too sure how warm coastal Georgia will be in December. Like my kids will even care that it is winter. For cryin' out loud, Momma, it's the beach!

Ooh! Guess what? Last week Rob and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary! Muy divertido! I wanted to blog about it, but that was the beginning of the Sick Week from the Underworld in our home which included, but was not limited to, scarlet fever, viruses with raging fevers, strep throat, and nasty colds. Happily, we were able to go out to a fancyschmancy restaurant and then to Borders for some coffee and good books. To round out the romantic evening, we strolled down to Radio Shack. I know, I know, but the evening can't be all about us, ladies.

Enjoy this Christmas season. Please don't stress- that isn't what it is all about anyway. Relax. Will anyone really care if that bow isn't perfectly curled? Merry Christmas to all.

A strong, enduring leader

2006-11-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

is the name we gave to our firstborn son on this day 11 years ago. But that doesn't quite roll off the lips very smoothly because, as generally happens, something is lost in translation. So we went with the Anglo-counterpart: Harrison Craig. I know, I know- that's a big name for such a tiny little bundle, right? But somehow it just fit.

So I woke before the alarm around 5:20. I felt funny, but I couldn't place why. I thought about all the stuff I had planned for the day and then noticed a very uncomfortable feeling in the stomach region. "This is the worst gas pain I have ever had," I thought. About five minutes later, another pain came. "Oh, SWELL. I bet my stomach is upset or I have a nasty bug that's been going around the school." After 20 minutes, it occurred to me that these gas pains were happening with regularity- every 5 minutes. So I nudged Rob- firmly :)- and told him. He said, "Do you think you could be in labor?" I looked at him like he was stark-raving mad. "LABOR? Seriously? Didn't you listen in our birthing classes? 90% of all first-time births are AFTER the due date." So smug was I for remembering this information. This smug feeling quickly wore off as another, stronger pain came. Rob said (quite wisely), "You know, if your stomach is upset, you would probably feel the need to pass gas." Oh yes, baby, keep those romantic words a-comin'. So then I remembered that Kay (my midwife) told me to assume any labor was false and go about my normal business. With activity, she said, false labor will dissipate. Okay. So on to the shower to shave (I know, how vain) and shampoo.

For some reason, my mom called at that early hour of 6:15. She didn't really know why she called, but she wanted to know if I was okay. I told her about the possible labor pains and she said, "You know, I never had a lot of advance notice with my babies, so you might not either. You probably want to call your midwife. Don't play around with this." I did not call and proceeded to the shower. Once in there, the pains got worse so that I had to hold onto the washcloth bar and bend over. *But I got those legs shaved*

I decided to call the midwife. Rob talked to her first and she said she wanted to talk to me so she could hear what I sounded like. Typical Southern gal that I am, I was careful not to let any hint of discomfort show in my greeting, because that's just not proper. She told me to call back once the contractions moved to 3 minutes apart. I am not even kidding you that the second I hung up the phone, the contractions started coming at 3 minutes. I called her back. She said, "Where do you live, again?" I said, "Covington." She said, "Go get in the car NOW and come to the hospital. Do not pack a bag. Come now and I will meet you there."

But I had to dry my hair first. My mother's words from my entire life throbbed in my ears: You will catch pneumonia if you go outside with wet hair. So I chose then to heed those words. After all, who needs pneumonia on top of childbirth recovery?

By the time we got into the car, it was 7:00. Just in time for rush hour. And we were going into the city. Rob tried desperately (in vain) to find a police officer. He finally gave up and just drove in the emergency lane. Ya know those grooves cut into the emergency lane? Well, try driving over them at a steady pace of 60 mph. NOT COMFORTABLE. We finally made it to the hospital and signed in about 8:00. My midwife spotted us and whisked us into triage. She told me to get into a hospital gown and up onto the bed. I was overcome with pain and Rob had to help me undress, get dressed, and on the bed. Kay came in and examined me and all I remember hearing was, "Oh my word. You are 9-10 cm dilated. We need to get you upstairs NOW." I was overcome with panic. What happened to 20 minutes in between contractions? What happened to going to the hospital, only to be told to go home? What happened to walking up and down the halls? Apparently, I wasn't to have all those textbooky things.

Long story short (yeah, right) our families arrived and, after 3 and 1/2 hours (yes, hours) of pushing (with no meds), our sweet little man was born to us. He was posterior (ouch), which explained why I pushed so long. He was completely silent, just intently gazing at me. Oh, the breathtaking wonder of a firstborn! My midwife wanted him to cry so she, um, provoked him (we won't go into how she did that- quite rudely though). When Harrison began to cry, he did so with gusto. But one word from Rob and he was instantly quiet again. Rob spent much of my pregnancy talking to my belly, so I guess Harrison was used to Daddy's voice:)

So, to my shining star, Harrison: You have continued to make me marvel at the spectrum of emotions of motherhood. There have been times when I have felt such a fierce love for you I would just go somewhere and cry.
*You were the most mellow baby ever. Everyone used to comment on how good-natured you were as a little guy.
*You loved to SLEEP. You would have slept the first 4 months of your life away if we had let you. Eating was of no importance to you. You ate only enough to last you till the next meal. How frustrating for a breastfeeding mom!!
*Your favorite baby food was spinach and potatoes mixed together- only homemade baby food for your palate!
*Some of your first "babble" was "a-a-a-A-da", which Grandpa swears to this day was, "Grandpa"!!
*You were our joy and entertainment when we moved to California. You were 8 months old then.
*You loved stairs- 'nuff said.
*You slept through every (all 4 of them) earthquake.
*You were Daddy's "study buddy" in seminary. You helped him by learning the Greek and Hebrew alphabet and you would say, "It's an aleph. It's a dalet."
*You were God's grace to us when we lost Owen. Had I not had your sweet face to kiss and chubby little arms to wrap around my neck every day, I fear I would have sunk into a great dark pit.
*You have always had an unexplainable understanding of the things of God.

As you live out this year of your life, my prayer for you is that you would continue to pursue the cross of Christ. It would seem that Christ has captured your gaze, sweet son, so persevere. I pray you will grow into the leader for which we named you and that you would lead others to Christ. You are such a gifted boy, and God has given you many talents. I love you son.

This time 11 years ago...

2006-11-14T19:50:00.000-05:00

I was pregnant. I was the happy, but eager member of a family of 2- just Rob and me. On this date 11 years ago I had finished my last day of teaching and was looking forward to maternity leave. After all, I had so smartly planned my maternity leave to begin a WHOLE WEEK before my actual due date. I had things TO DO! There was a hair appointment, because who knew when the next time would be that I'd be able to do that again. Let's see....oh yeah. There was a "girls only" luncheon planned for my mom, my sister, and me, because who knew when I'd be able to do that again. And there was this pedicure scheduled, because who knew when I'd even CARE about the state of my toenails again!

And so, with all my important activities scheduled for the week, I was feelin' fine. Oh, yes I was. Rob and I had company come over to eat supper with us that night, and they brought their 10 month old baby girl. We oohed and aahed over her and played and thought, "We can hardly even wait." Of course, we had all the answers. Some babies might be cranky and erratic, but ours wouldn't be. He couldn't be. We had read up on THE latest and greatest child-rearing manual. God save the infants from know-it-all parents!!

I remember getting ready for bed that night. While washing my face, I noticed (again) how swollen my face was. I didn't gain a lot of weight, but I'm only 5'3", so there is not a lot of room for extra weight to go!! I looked at my out-to-there tummy and remarked (again) how there was no possible way for Harrison to grow any more. I was eager for the next day, because I was going to the hair salon and to the grocery store. Little did we know the next day would hold much bigger, and better surprises than a trip to the salon and Kroger...

Feelin' the love...

2006-10-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

So you all (I'm assuming) know about our Kirk: precocious, funny, heartbreakingly cute, and most of all, loving. Yesterday he proved it. I went down to his classroom during my free period. All the lights were turned off, so I guessed- correctly- that his class was on the playground. I walked down the hill and stopped just before I reached the "teacher pack" and just stood and watched. You know that funny feeling you get right between your gut and sternum? The feeling that comes when you look at something so incredibly precious and beautiful and it just hurts, but in a good way. Well, that was me yesterday. I watched Kirk run around, chasing his friends, laughing with his usual I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world way. He saw his beloved teacher, Mrs. C (she rocks!), and he stopped and hurled himself at her leg region in a suffocating-if-it-had-been-around-the-neck kind of hug. She lovingly reached down and picked him up in order to return the gesture- only she didn't hug his legs! I walked closer and said in a mock-angry voice, "KIRK! Are you giving away all my lovin'?" He looked at me with those big, brown eyes and held his arms out to me. As he squeezed my neck and kissed me he replied, "Mom. You know I can make more whenever I sit down and get comfortable!!"