Life Is Beautiful

My son brought home an ideal today that he brought to me, not because he didn't understand it, but because he didn't understand why the teacher said it. My 10 year old son fully understood what had been told to him and his fellow classmates, but knew that it wasn't quite right. Again, it's the gifted coordinator (let's call her Mrs. H) that this is coming from. I have had some interesting exchanges with her, and it looks like things are going to heat up. Liam said "Mom, Mrs. H told us something today that I don't understand. She told us that we need to keep learning and learning until we are so smart that our parents and teachers are worthless and we can just teach ourselves". As my internal organs became lava like and threatened to come blasting out the top of my head, God's divine intervention took over and prevented me from hollering "What?!!" Okay, must use patience, must ask more questions... I asked Liam what part of what Mrs. H tol...

It is now 3 degrees here in the lovely state of Nebraska. No, no, I thank you for the suggestion, but I really didn't forget a number when I typed that first sentence - really, 3 - just 3. They say that there's some wind chill factor in there making the "real feel" a chilly 19 below due to some fantastic wintry winds, but I don't buy it. Can my face "really feel" the difference between 3 and minus 19? Fortunate for me I don't have to stay out there long enough to find out! We had another fantastic Sunday today. The kids sang at church, I got to be in the Nursery and chat with a new acquaintance, Sunday school was a blast, I was able to get some groceries and we got to go to a fantastic Christmas party. All said, a great day - Oh yeah AND I didn't have to cook or wash dishes today, so woohoo! But back to the cold... Even the coat I was wearing was crackling and acting frozen by the time we got in the car after the party tonight. My family and I a...

If there is any doubt in your mind that man is evil and prone to sin, then just take care of a couple of toddlers for an afternoon. Babies are so sweet. They need you and just lie stationary and wait to be entertained. Then they learn to crawl and are sometimes disappointed when things roll out of their reach. I think it’s when they learn to walk that things really heat up. Lately I’ve seen the sweetest, cherub faced babies turn into Little Chuckies when they don’t get their way. Hair is pulled, faces scratched, and the seam that holds together the fabric of the universe is split by ear piercing screams of “No! Mine!”. It occurred to me the other day as I watched my 17 month old slap my 6 year old square in the face that she really was born that way. There is no way that she learned this behavior. We don’t slap the children, they don’t even get spanked (although they might need it sometimes), and we don’t slap each other. She doesn’t go to daycare and I’m fairly certain she did...

I love to laugh. I really love stand-up comedy and there is still alot of good stand up out there, even if you can't stomach the F word used every other minute - Chonda Pierce makes me laugh, Anita Renfroe is a crazy woman, and of course the classics - Bill Cosby (before the "show" days), okay, okay, I'll even cop to liking the recently deceased George Carlin. It seems I am partial to sarcasm... So - here goes, things that crack me up: 1. Scrubs - this is a TV show that I am (un)fortunate enough to see in syndication on channel 10 before the kids get home. Some of it is really stupid and most is wholly inappropriate, but who can keep from laughing when Dr. Cox is chewing out "Newbie" and then takes off his gloves and shoots them at his head, huh? 2. www.heateatreview.com - this website is devoted to reviews on frozen microwavable foods. Click on the 0 stars and 1 star reviews to see true biting sarcasm in action... "Hot Pockets should be renamed Scald P...

Most people don't really want to take the steps to make changes in thier lives. Most of the time, they just want to complain about thier situation and obtain pity from those in similar situations. First let me clear the air here and say that I am certainly not excluding myself in this group. I am guilty of the same thing in certain areas of my life. After three years of sobriety, I still hold out hope that someday "they" will make a pill to make me a normal drinker so that I will be able to have a glass of wine with dinner. I ran a daily email thread for nearly a year. It was focused on nutrition and exercise. I started it with a small group of relatives and it eventually branched out to some co-workers and thier sisters, etc. Everyday I would start it out by talking about what exercise I had done or planned to do that day, what the day's attack plan looked like for getting my fruits and veggies in and what was stopping me from sticking to it. The thread was de...

I used to envy stay at home moms. I guess I figured that the only way they could stay home was if thier husband had some fabulous paying job that allowed them to live as if they had two incomes. I would see Mom's at Wal-Mart over my lunch break and think "gee, must be nice". Never seeing them check out with a fistfull of coupons and load it up in to their barely-still-running minivan. All I could think of was myself and my desires. Somehow I couldn't see all of thier sacrifice. When I returned home from taking the kids to school yesterday, one of the neighbors was outside smoking a grit and waved from his front porch. I automatically decided that he was probably judging me and mentaly started to defend myself. Then the walls came down. I finally realized the error I had been making all this time. While I'm sure that some single income families are quite comfortable on one income, there are likely more like us. It's definitely a sacrifice financially - ...

I really feel like walking the short distance up to the grade school and going toe to toe with the Differentiated Educator up there. This woman has just sort of lifted the skin on my body once before, but today she got right underneath it. So far this year I have been to the school twice with "issues". Inappropriate material has being given to my 5th grader. Once it was a book he checked out from the library that detailed medieval torture techniques (complete with color illustrations). The next time was an exercise on paradoxes entitled "The Unfortunate Hanging" which chronicled the sentencing and execution of a murderer who the judge deemed had committed crimes which were so heinous that he warranted a fate worse than death. That last assignment was given to him by the Diff Ed teacher. She called me with a rather terse apology and promptly hung up. Recently our 5th grader was tested for Highly Giftedness. This Diff Ed teacher perpetuated all of this and really want...

This morning we taught our little Sunday school class on the continuing story of the Exodus. Last week we talked about God parting the Red Sea, this week we were on to God providing in the desert. Kids are so great. They really have a fantastic little outlooks on life. We started the class by using our artistic skills to draw pictures of what the kids told us were things that God provides. There was rain and food, family and church, video games and money. They got pretty detailed and enjoyed seeing Dave and I draw on the board. Then we asked them to choose which ones were needs as opposed to wants. It was interesting the perspective that these kids already have. They know that money is needed, but understand that you don't necessarily need lots and lots of it. They understand that you need a safe, warm home - but know that you don't need the biggest house on the block. It was a nice time to plant the seed of contentment in their little hearts. Lots and lots of people rush aroun...

I used to drink alot. By the grace of God, I quit and haven't had a drop since summer of 2005. Though something happened to my sleep patterns soon thereafter that has yet to resolve. I dream. Yes, everyone dreams but I remember them. I don't remember remembering my nightly dreaming like that when I was soaking myself to sleep. When I had the Saga of the Hand going and was taking narcotic pain relievers, I didn't remember my dreams like this either. It's getting disturbing. I am running around like a commando, jumping out of airplanes, saving the world, driving a truck over the road, doing 25 loads of laundry in individual washers in my basement, correcting my children, driving a house, doing drugs, going to lunch, seeing a movie, watching tv and smooching my husband. It ranges from the bizarre to the mundane and just goes on ALL NIGHT. I'm getting to the point (okay I was there a year ago) where I don't want to go to sleep. The lines between reality and dreaming...

I love a good hero story. My favorite show is choc full of them. Every episode, they save the world and humbly return home to have another medal pinned on their uniforms. Plenty of heroes in my own life. My husband qualifies on a daily basis by putting up with me. I'm a bit opinionated and stubborn and... He is a very patient man. God gave him the gift of making peace. He can take any situation and moderate the opposing parties so that they are hugging and singing Kumbiyah at the end of it. One thing I don't want to be anymore is my own personal hero. I used to try my hardest to do everything better than everyone else. I didn't see any merit in second place and wouldn't even attempt something that I knew I wouldn't be just fantastic at. I stressed and strained and pushed and pulled and climbed and scrambled so that everyone would see that Andrea is The Best at _________. I decided this summer that I needed to try to be Just Me and made a conscious effort to stop pus...

It occurred to me to day that I am more well rested and less stressed than I have been in probably all of my adult life. I was reading my book during Nap Time and had dozed for a few minutes. My mind was wandering and contemplating meals for next week, Thanksgiving and what we are bringing to the church pot-luck and dessert auction. I was floating through my mind, thinking of recipes and friends, family and good times. I snapped-to and realized that I should probably get a little housework done before the house came alive again. I folded the warm blanket laid accross my lap and put my bookmark back in the book. All at once I thought of my blog and the fact that I hadn't for a while. I also thought of this topic and that in a few short months I will be longing for a nice rest on the couch during nap time, and the feeling that I am well rested. So why is it, that we can't somehow store the extra rest we get. I guess maybe the rest I have been so blessedly afforded lately i...

I hate to say this about myself, but I like to fight. Nothing satisfies that sinful urge to bicker like a good debate over something really volitile like abortion or the election, or spanking children, or home schooling or vegetarianism, or Christmas. Christmas? I have been showing my claws a little lately. And much like a cat that can't decide if they are being stroked the right or wrong way, those talons have been out and retracted so much I just want to let loose. In the last 5 years I have done a complete and total 180. I accepted Chirst as my Lord in 2005 and then my whole world got blasted into a million pieces and slung out into the stratosphere where I am now using The Guidebook to find each piece and put it where God intended it to be. This is a process that has caused much a raised eyebrow to the people that have known me all this time - and before. My Mom isn't real sure what to say to me sometimes and sometimes she is sure that she needs to intervene. So tha...

Well, today I just haven't felt like eating right. I have a good dinner planned, a Moraccan Vegetable Stew over Whole Wheat Couscous. But at this point I need someone to help me clear my arteries out first. It all started this morning when we didn't have any eggs. Normally, I make a couple of scrambled eggs in a whole wheat tortilla with a little salsa. It's a great breakfast that keeps me going until lunch time. We were out of milk as well, so cereal was out of the question. And...I ate my weight in peanut butter the night before. So... I ended up at McDonalds for breakfast. Yuck. The last time I was pregnant, McD's was the ticket for my morning sickness cure. This time it's not working. About the time I realized that the undercooked hash brown was doing me more harm than good, I also realized that I forgot my lunch on the kitchen counter. Which brings me to the Whopper. I can't say the last time I have consumed an entire Whopper sandwich. I am full...

This morning I had one of my classic bouts with exhaustion. I went to bed plenty early last night - but this week I have really expended extra energy with deep house cleaning and home made food (mmmm pasta and fresh gargonzola sauce!). I got up to walk and pulled down the treadmill and bent over to grab my shoes when I just felt really dizzy. Getting up at 5 is hard sometimes so I normally just push through it - but today it was clear I needed to go back to bed. So blessed be the digital age where I can just open up my laptop and send an email to the people that need to know at my work. I went back to bed and was awakened by the sweet sound of a 16 month old jumping up and down in her crib literally squealing "Hiiiiiii!!!". It was really nice to make breakfast for the kids (oatmeal with real maple and dark brown sugar!) and see them off to school. I braided Alahnnah's hair for her and got to pick what Susan wore today. Daddy does fine, but opts for the sweatpants an...

I went home after work yesterday and simply attacked my son's room. He has a room in our finished attic. He actually has two beds up there and more space that any kid needs. Consequently, it gets cluttered. Little boys bring home all sorts of sticks, rocks and broken items that sit as revered treasure for a time and then fall off the dresser and litter the floor. More than that is the issue of one terribly ignored parakeet whose cage has been in desperate need of cleaning – causing feathers and seeds to be strewn about. Those little feathers just stick to everything! I take full responsibility for this. I have not shown him how to clean the cage, each time it has been done because it had gone to long and I have just done it myself. I started with the clothes on the floor. Liam did a good job of getting rid of things that he didn't love of play with anymore. I am a FlyLady lover and use her approach to my cleaning. Although, if I had used her system all along with his ...

Just sorta rolls off your tongue, huh? Girl talk... no one ever says Boy Talk, okay maybe some people do - but not the people I know. Ha! I have a 6 1/2 year old daughter that honestly never shuts up. Several times a day I have to say "Alahnnah, please stop" And I'm not being ugly, it's just when she gets on a roll. She will be playing with dolls or shoot - today she was pretending - and just yammer on and on and on... It's a constant dialogue that sounds like a movie - a movie where the actors talk constantly. And if there is no talking, there's singing, and the songs go on for 5 minutes or more. Seriously, I taped her one time. My son could go all day without saying any more than "What's to eat, Mom?" He is 10 and gets a little chatty about science or rocks or the book he's reading, but by and large he could easily go without talking. I have found that it is indeed gender specific. Our 15 month old daughter just chatters and chat...

Husband and I recently started taking a class on the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. I really signed up because of the social aspect. I thought it would be something good for us to do without the kids and that we could maybe learn something from it. David is such a good student. He does his homework and pays attention in class. I don’t do so well in a classroom setting. I really try to do my homework and can’t sit still in class. Most of the time I read our study book with a certain amount of skepticism. This author definitely has Scripture to back up the 7 principles that he is trying to get across. But some of his underlying assertions I read and say “how do you know?” I have the old “what makes you know how to tell me what God wants” thing going on. And like I said, if you can back it up with solid Biblical proof – I’m all about it. But most of it just seems like self help ho-ha. Well, last night I actually was doing my homework when I came across this statement ...

I have heard it said over and over that exercise during pregnancy will lead to healthier baby (duh) and easier deliveries. While I grudgingly do my time on the treadmill most mornings, lately I have seen it as my maternal duty to the baby that I have the privilege to be a part of creating. So I have been faithfully rising at 5am, lacing up my Asics and walking at a pace that keeps my heart rate in that 75 - 80% range. Fast enough to benefit, but not to fast to cause fatigue. Normally I would try to run some, but last time I was pregnant I gave up the running. It just didn’t feel right. I’m not that coordinated as it is, and I think that says enough. Also, I waited to loose my extra weight that I found with the last baby, so we get to start with that hanging over my head this time. Running is hard enough, but when you put some extra poundage on there it gets downright impossible. NO weight gain till after Thanksgiving, seriously. I have a detailed plan to only put on 15 pounds t...

Sometimes I get pretty cocky. My life goes along real good, I'm blessed beyond anything I deserve, and I get to thinking that I know what's up. That's when The Big Guy puts the smack down on me. This weekend we went to see the fam. We did the tour – my Mom's on Saturday, his family on Sunday. We got home last night around 6, so it wasn't bad. I always get so grumpy because nothing is where it's supposed to be when you get back and the place is just a mess – suitcases, crap we drug home from grandmas… Not to mention that there is nothing clean to wear to work on Monday and nothing to take in my lunch because we were gone all weekend and didn't go shopping or wash clothes. But I digress. My mom took care of the kids while we went out for ice cream on Saturday night. Before we left I had made a grand proclamation of this: "Well, at least we don't have to worry about running into The Kids' Bio Dad this trip. He moved and is working on a road...

I love music. Anything, really. I can groove on some hip-hop, twang to some country, kick back to some easy listening. My favorite is good old Rock and Roll! When I became a Christian a few years ago, the music was what really grabbed me. The lyrics and the feeling that is in those tunes really brought a relationship with Christ into focus for me. I used to be really afraid of people. I wouldn't even get out of my car to pay for gasoline if I could possibly use the pay at the pump option. It was hard for me to call the utilities to ask for an extension or anything like that! I had this "damn the Man" attitude. I had been in a relationship where he had beat me down emotionally and physically for so long that I thought that everyone was out to get me. After all that's what the person that was supposed to love and protect me and my children told me. I wasn't allowed out much or to drive myself anywhere – unless it served his purposes. And I scarcely even ha...