I do not have a good idea on what to write for this post. Hope had a funny comment this morning, so I thought I'd post that.
This morning, as I was waking Elizabeth, Hope woke up. I wished her a good morning, quietly. She responded with,
"I'm Thumbalina!"
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Deep thoughts, brought on by Max Lucado
I'm working through Max Lucado's study on "Experiencing the Words of Jesus". It's very insightful and thought provoking, as well as inspiring to action! This past week one of the studies jumped out at me. I love the "That's interesting, I wonder" moments I often get while studying the Bible. I get them often. What is rare, for me, is to have a "blow my socks off, knock me on my rear" moments. I enjoy those too, but they often come with a price - an action required on my part.
This time it was on service. I know the whole we are servants to each other and performing service for God. Been there, done that. Max looked at Jesus, washing the disciples feet, just hours before he was crucified.
Point 1 - He knew he was going to die and how he was going to die and everything that entails. I certainly wouldn't have been washing someone else's feet at that point in time. I'd probably be worriedly focused on what was to come and how to get through it. Jesus didn't, instead he chose to take on the role of the lowest of the low servant and wash his disciples feet. The amount of love he had for them, to be able to focus on them and not himself.
Point 2 - He washed Judas' feet. The Judas, who was going to betray Him in a matter of hours! Jesus knew what Judas was going to do. He knew that Judas had sold his life for 20 pieces of silver. And yet, Jesus washed his feet with the same love he showed the other 11 disciples. That just blew me away! First, it showed how much God loves the "unlovable" and unworthy, namely me. Second, this was Jesus' example of how we are to treat all other people. He didn't even have to grit His teeth when he touched Judas' feet. He had such love for Judas, and it shows, even knowing what he knew.
Now comes the struggle. I've seen the example. Been blown away by the implications. Next step, implementing. This will be the hard part. This kind of service does not come naturally for me, especially when it involves people I actively don't like or I know don't like me. It's one thing to serve my family, who I love. To serve strangers. But, it's a whole 'nother ball game to serve someone I know is "bad" or mean to me or has betrayed me, etc. etc.
What am I going to do? I'm going to pray, a lot. That God will fill me with this kind of love, b/c it's going to have to come from Him, since I don't posses even the ability to love like this. That God will bring opportunities to me to show this kind of love, hopefully in small increments. That I'll recognize the opportunity when it comes, what needs to be done, and that I will show it with the same grace as Jesus and not gritting my teeth.
This time it was on service. I know the whole we are servants to each other and performing service for God. Been there, done that. Max looked at Jesus, washing the disciples feet, just hours before he was crucified.
Point 1 - He knew he was going to die and how he was going to die and everything that entails. I certainly wouldn't have been washing someone else's feet at that point in time. I'd probably be worriedly focused on what was to come and how to get through it. Jesus didn't, instead he chose to take on the role of the lowest of the low servant and wash his disciples feet. The amount of love he had for them, to be able to focus on them and not himself.
Point 2 - He washed Judas' feet. The Judas, who was going to betray Him in a matter of hours! Jesus knew what Judas was going to do. He knew that Judas had sold his life for 20 pieces of silver. And yet, Jesus washed his feet with the same love he showed the other 11 disciples. That just blew me away! First, it showed how much God loves the "unlovable" and unworthy, namely me. Second, this was Jesus' example of how we are to treat all other people. He didn't even have to grit His teeth when he touched Judas' feet. He had such love for Judas, and it shows, even knowing what he knew.
Now comes the struggle. I've seen the example. Been blown away by the implications. Next step, implementing. This will be the hard part. This kind of service does not come naturally for me, especially when it involves people I actively don't like or I know don't like me. It's one thing to serve my family, who I love. To serve strangers. But, it's a whole 'nother ball game to serve someone I know is "bad" or mean to me or has betrayed me, etc. etc.
What am I going to do? I'm going to pray, a lot. That God will fill me with this kind of love, b/c it's going to have to come from Him, since I don't posses even the ability to love like this. That God will bring opportunities to me to show this kind of love, hopefully in small increments. That I'll recognize the opportunity when it comes, what needs to be done, and that I will show it with the same grace as Jesus and not gritting my teeth.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Thumbalina, et al
While out grocery shopping this morning with Amelia and Hope, every time I spoke to Hope, using her name or not, she would respond to me, "I not Hope, I Thumbalina!" I spent the day calling her by her current chosen name.
Shortly before supper, Hope was looking at books. I went over to talk to her, calling her by her chosen name. She showed me some of the pictures that she looking at. In one Princess Jasmine and her father were locked in prison. Pointing to it, she said, "That's me. I locked in jail. What's her name?" I told her, and called her Thumbalina. To which she replied, "I not Thumbalina, I Jasmine!"
Taking on different persona's through out the day is not unusual for my three older children. Not only do they pick a person for themselves, but for everyone else. This can ensure fighting if the others don't agree on their new name. Then, for a period of time, they are that person.
I enjoy watching them try on different people. I watch as they see what personality traits and attitudes they like and want to adopt as their own. Of course, some of those traits and attitudes are not what I want them to pick out, so power struggles happen while I try to excise the bad traits. They have such active imaginations. It is fun to watch them imagine and dream.
Shortly before supper, Hope was looking at books. I went over to talk to her, calling her by her chosen name. She showed me some of the pictures that she looking at. In one Princess Jasmine and her father were locked in prison. Pointing to it, she said, "That's me. I locked in jail. What's her name?" I told her, and called her Thumbalina. To which she replied, "I not Thumbalina, I Jasmine!"
Taking on different persona's through out the day is not unusual for my three older children. Not only do they pick a person for themselves, but for everyone else. This can ensure fighting if the others don't agree on their new name. Then, for a period of time, they are that person.
I enjoy watching them try on different people. I watch as they see what personality traits and attitudes they like and want to adopt as their own. Of course, some of those traits and attitudes are not what I want them to pick out, so power struggles happen while I try to excise the bad traits. They have such active imaginations. It is fun to watch them imagine and dream.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Waging War
I feel as if my body and I are waging a war against my baby belly. As I try to watch what I eat and strengthen and tone my body, my belly continues to attempt to fend us off. Starting from my toes, my fingers, and my head, fat layers are slowly being whittled away. Waves of fat reduction travel from the outside in towards my belly. As each successive wave reaches my baby belly, it fights back, holding tighter and tighter onto it's fat. It is fighting a, mostly, loosing battle. I watch as the waves encroach upon the fat stores and nibbles away at the edges. My belly will never win, but I doubt it will ever return to it's pre-4 pregnancy size, but it will decrease in size.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tea Parties and Pooping Incidents
I had a bi-polar day today, the day, not me. It started out wonderful. Sam and Elizabeth we are my parents house overnight; the had gone to see a play with my Mom and then to spend the night. I got up at 6 am for prayer and meditation moments with Max Lucado. As always, he opened my eyes to something in God's Word I never noticed. I so love learning something new about God everyday!
I had a quiet breakfast, since no one else in the house was up. I did some dishes, folded some laundry, and picked up a little bit before Hope awoke and came down for breakfast. She ate waffles and had just finished when Matt brought Amy down for waffles. Despite having them both up I was still having a great morning. Matt helped me finish getting the house ready for Elizabeth's Birthday Tea.
Elizabeth and Sam arrived home. Sam, Hope, Amy, and Matt left for his parent's and Elizabeth dressed in her princess dress. 6 little girls arrived for tea and cake, ate, opened presents, and ran wild through the house. When they all left, except for my niece who was staying until her parents arrived home from a conference, I was ready for some more quiet time.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Matt arrived home with the other three and then headed out to play a little football with friends. Amy needed to eat and the others watched a movie. Things were still going well, if a bit more than I wanted to do.
Made a quick supper for the kids, mac and cheese. As I was placing the plates on the table and calling the kids, I realized I didn't see Hope. She had been reading books, but she was gone. I set the other 4 kids up with their suppers and told them to be good while I searched for Hope.
I did not have to search far. There she was in front of the upstairs bathroom door, which Elizabeth had locked, holding a pair of poopy stained underwear with no poopy in it. The other hand was held up in the air, covered in poop. I was sent over the deep end. I frantically tried to call Matt to come home and help with the other kids, who I could hear fighting and banging things around, while simultaneously keeping Hope from touching anything with her poopy hand, unlocking the bathroom door, finding where the poopy had ended up, getting the rest of Hope's clothes off, and getting her into the shower.
I could not reach him. After trying him multiple times and calling other people I knew he would be playing football with (it was dark at this point in time so I doubted they were still playing), I finally reached him and told him to come home. Hope was screaming for him in the shower, she hates to get her hair wet.
Matt arrived home and took care of the other 4 kids and their messes from supper. I finished cleaning up Hope, got her into her pjs, and cleaned up the poop (which she had put into the warm mist humidifiers cooling chamber, which parts are soaking in Vinegar in an attempt to remove the rest of the poop, I'm not sure if I'll feel comfortable using it again!)
An hour after the whole pooping incident started, things were mostly clean and back to normal. My niece was picked up by her parents, Hope and Elizabeth were in bed and Sam and Amy were on their way.
I was sitting at my computer, wallowing in pity over my horrible night. Matt encouraged me to head over to a friend's birthday party and have some adult time and chocolate/peanut butter cake. I didn't want to go. I was enjoying my wallow and wanted it to continue. Besides, who wants to be around a wallower. He pushed me out the door, despite my misgivings that I wasn't wanted there in my current state.
He was right. I felt much better after I got there and indulged my need for chocolate and peanut butter. I enjoyed talking with adult friends, especially since the conversation revolved around science and nursing (2 nurses, a PA, vet tech, and radiology assistant will encourage that!).
I never cease to be amazed at how God has things all planned out. He knew the Pooping Incident would occur and how difficult that would be for me after the busy day I'd had. He had a friend plan an early birthday party for their husband, gave Matt the opportunity to get out of the house and play football earlier in the day so he would be willing to let me go out myself. Perfection! (Coicidences orchestrated by God)
I had a quiet breakfast, since no one else in the house was up. I did some dishes, folded some laundry, and picked up a little bit before Hope awoke and came down for breakfast. She ate waffles and had just finished when Matt brought Amy down for waffles. Despite having them both up I was still having a great morning. Matt helped me finish getting the house ready for Elizabeth's Birthday Tea.
Elizabeth and Sam arrived home. Sam, Hope, Amy, and Matt left for his parent's and Elizabeth dressed in her princess dress. 6 little girls arrived for tea and cake, ate, opened presents, and ran wild through the house. When they all left, except for my niece who was staying until her parents arrived home from a conference, I was ready for some more quiet time.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Matt arrived home with the other three and then headed out to play a little football with friends. Amy needed to eat and the others watched a movie. Things were still going well, if a bit more than I wanted to do.
Made a quick supper for the kids, mac and cheese. As I was placing the plates on the table and calling the kids, I realized I didn't see Hope. She had been reading books, but she was gone. I set the other 4 kids up with their suppers and told them to be good while I searched for Hope.
I did not have to search far. There she was in front of the upstairs bathroom door, which Elizabeth had locked, holding a pair of poopy stained underwear with no poopy in it. The other hand was held up in the air, covered in poop. I was sent over the deep end. I frantically tried to call Matt to come home and help with the other kids, who I could hear fighting and banging things around, while simultaneously keeping Hope from touching anything with her poopy hand, unlocking the bathroom door, finding where the poopy had ended up, getting the rest of Hope's clothes off, and getting her into the shower.
I could not reach him. After trying him multiple times and calling other people I knew he would be playing football with (it was dark at this point in time so I doubted they were still playing), I finally reached him and told him to come home. Hope was screaming for him in the shower, she hates to get her hair wet.
Matt arrived home and took care of the other 4 kids and their messes from supper. I finished cleaning up Hope, got her into her pjs, and cleaned up the poop (which she had put into the warm mist humidifiers cooling chamber, which parts are soaking in Vinegar in an attempt to remove the rest of the poop, I'm not sure if I'll feel comfortable using it again!)
An hour after the whole pooping incident started, things were mostly clean and back to normal. My niece was picked up by her parents, Hope and Elizabeth were in bed and Sam and Amy were on their way.
I was sitting at my computer, wallowing in pity over my horrible night. Matt encouraged me to head over to a friend's birthday party and have some adult time and chocolate/peanut butter cake. I didn't want to go. I was enjoying my wallow and wanted it to continue. Besides, who wants to be around a wallower. He pushed me out the door, despite my misgivings that I wasn't wanted there in my current state.
He was right. I felt much better after I got there and indulged my need for chocolate and peanut butter. I enjoyed talking with adult friends, especially since the conversation revolved around science and nursing (2 nurses, a PA, vet tech, and radiology assistant will encourage that!).
I never cease to be amazed at how God has things all planned out. He knew the Pooping Incident would occur and how difficult that would be for me after the busy day I'd had. He had a friend plan an early birthday party for their husband, gave Matt the opportunity to get out of the house and play football earlier in the day so he would be willing to let me go out myself. Perfection! (Coicidences orchestrated by God)
Friday, November 13, 2009
Is it really November?
We had yet another beautiful day. We've had more sunny days in November than we did all summer! I've enjoyed not having to bundle the kids up when I take them out places. The coats keep them warm, but are a hassle to buckle into the car seats! I hope this weather continues for a few more months. I enjoy the sunny, but cooler weather.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
30-Day Shred, among other things...
Matt pointed out that I haven't blogged, or written, in awhile. I had thought to only write when inspiration hit me, but I never seem to be near my computer when that happens. I'm going to go back to inundating you with daily blogs. Now, aren't you excited?
11 days ago I started the 30-Day Shred. I thought I was going to die at first. It was very hard. 20 minutes of none stop working out. I could barely walk the next day. Here I am at day 11, and level one is actually getting easier. After tomorrow, it's on to level 2! I've tried level 2 a couple of times, with my sister-in-law. She did not like lvl 1, so the past couple of times she worked out with me we did lvl 2. Her husband even tried lvl 1. He said his arms felt like they would fall off the next day!
In other news...
Elizabeth is going to have a tea party this weekend for her birthday. She decided she wanted to invite all the girls in her class. It looks like we will have 9 little girls running around the house on saturday.
Sammy has informed us that he is no longer Sammy, but Sam or Sam C. We try to remember to call him Sam, but he has been Sammy from the day he was born.
Amelia learned to climb the stairs.
Hope tries to take herself to the potty, but never gets there in time... That's a whole 'nother story.
I was in the bookstore the other day and I saw a book written by one of the people I met at the writer's conference this summer. That was really cool.
11 days ago I started the 30-Day Shred. I thought I was going to die at first. It was very hard. 20 minutes of none stop working out. I could barely walk the next day. Here I am at day 11, and level one is actually getting easier. After tomorrow, it's on to level 2! I've tried level 2 a couple of times, with my sister-in-law. She did not like lvl 1, so the past couple of times she worked out with me we did lvl 2. Her husband even tried lvl 1. He said his arms felt like they would fall off the next day!
In other news...
Elizabeth is going to have a tea party this weekend for her birthday. She decided she wanted to invite all the girls in her class. It looks like we will have 9 little girls running around the house on saturday.
Sammy has informed us that he is no longer Sammy, but Sam or Sam C. We try to remember to call him Sam, but he has been Sammy from the day he was born.
Amelia learned to climb the stairs.
Hope tries to take herself to the potty, but never gets there in time... That's a whole 'nother story.
I was in the bookstore the other day and I saw a book written by one of the people I met at the writer's conference this summer. That was really cool.
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