Tuesday, December 28, 2010

OK, so...

...this is easily the busiest time of the year.  Most wonderful, yes.  But busy.  Yesterday our company arrived and played with Hannah and Seth for quite a long time.  I made Pioneer Woman's mini meatball sandwiches for supper (oh my goodness great!), and then I made turtles after the kids went to bed.  This morning I got up with the intention of making two items, and made three, but it took me all day.  No really.  All. Day.  I made 160 something cream wafer sandwiches, which means I made over 320 little wafer cookies and the filling.  One of our guests helped me with the dipping of sugar and pricking of the wafers with a fork while I was rolling out the dough and cutting them.  Then I made 44 Santa Clause cookies, which is the size of two sugar cookies in one with chocolate chip eyes, red hot mouth and nose, red sugar cheeks and hat and icing beard and hat trim.  I also made 33 chocolate caramel cupcakes.  Dusty took pictures of everything, so I'll post them some other time.  Right now I'm going to begin readying for bed, so I can rise to whip the world once again tomorrow.

Oh...yes.  Last night Dusty was sitting on the couch and he saw something move.  It was a mouse.  It ran out of our bedroom and when he yelled it was a mouse, it ran back in. We spent almost 2 hours looking for that stupid mouse.  Neither of us were mean [brave] enough to kill it when we had it cornered at one point, which was tragic because it was another 30-45 minutes before we saw it again.  It was just so cute and had little round ears!  And now I smell mouse, I hear mouse scratches, I see little movements out of the corner of my eye.  Ugh.  I'm totally paranoid.  Never again, though, will I leave the door to the garage open accidentally when I leave the house!  I will [hopefully] always make sure it's closed!

And I think Seth has croup, and we're supposed to be visiting people with small children tomorrow.  Wonderful.  Please pray he wakes up perfectly fine.  I only remember this because he just barked at me while sleeping.  Poor baby.

There will most likely be no posts for a couple of days, so we can celebrate our third and final Christmas of 2010.

I also need to add that without my incredible husband I would never have been able to accomplish all I have done this week.  He had taken so much care of the kids (before Christmas), and has handled so many other tasks I've needed him to do, all with a servant's heart and with love.  He's the most wonderful person I could have ever imagined marrying.  :)
OK, it's a night.  I called it.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Wow.

That was a long two days, and today we didn't even leave our house.

Yesterday, we went to Dusty's parents' house to get bombarded by presents.  We got there before 9 yesterday morning, and didn't leave out there until after 7 that night.  It was a long day, but a really great day.  Dusty got a camera that I knew he was getting, but he didn't.  He thought he was going to get a camera, perhaps, but not THIS camera!  He's very excited.

He and I exchanged presents last night, which means he gave me mine, and he got his stocking.  He bought a handgun in November, so that was his Christmas present, unfortunately.  I managed to squeeze in some decent stocking stuffers though, so he wasn't without.  I got a bike from him, which will be extremely convenient on those getaway days, and also when the kids incessantly ask to go ride bikes, and I can't keep up with them anymore on foot.  I'm foreseeing this happening this spring.

The kids were very excited to get to open presents again this morning.  While I said we were only getting them one big present, we wound up splitting the money over more than just one present.  We knew that they'd get bigger more expensive present from Dusty's parents, so we got less expensive presents.  I was really worried that they wouldn't care about our presents that we got them, since they got so many cool things yesterday, but they actually played with ours a lot.  Makes a mommy feel good. :)

Yesterday we had such a great day, and then last night Seth ran in with Lemon Meringue (a Strawberry Shortcake friend), who he carried around all day long, tripped on my leg, and hit his mouth against the toilet.  He stuck three teeth into his lip.  Poor baby.  I felt so badly for him!  It was still hurting him this morning, but he didn't complain about it much.

My kids are the cutest people ever.  Want to see?
She's waiting patiently for a peppermint patty.

He's juicing oranges with Daddy.
Yeah, definite cuties. :)


We got them a basketball goal too.  Wanna see that?  Here's Hannah:







And Seth:




Yeah, I think they're going to be good.
It also shows off some mad coolness of Dusty's new camera.
I'm ready for a couple of days of break now that we've had this break.  Too bad Dusty has work on Monday and Tuesday.  Maybe we'll get some break on those days after all.  I'm praying everyone stays well!

We had a small bit of snow today.  Not too much, but just enough we could see its beauty.  Wanna see that?  (And some more cool photography?)  Yeah, I know you do.
The snow outside the back of our house, through the blinds in the kitchen.  So cool.
Merry Christmas, everyone!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Day before the Day Before Christmas

So I've been busy Christmasing.  :)  Let me tell you some things that have gone on.

Today I got out a new box of Chocolate Cheerios for my breakfast and there was a coupon for $10 off a Leapster Explorer.  Jayne and Tom got Seth and Hannah one of those each for Christmas, and they're going to be beyond excited.  Anyway, Hannah gasped and said, "MOMMY!  I can save up 10 of my monies and buy one of those video games!"  I told her that wasn't the price of the game, only a coupon.  She was a little disappointed, but she understood.  I told her she could save up more money and buy one.  Little does she know...

OK, so my children are learning resourcefulness, which I think is great.  I realized tonight where some of that resourcefulness comes from.  I used parchment paper for some of the turtles I made this week, and when packing them, I'd cut off a piece of parchment paper and put it in the bag, so they wouldn't stick.  I continued doing that until I was finished, and thought that I needed to save the remaining piece because I'll be doing the same thing this coming week for more turtles.  I believe they learned their resourcefulness (which I see as frugality meets stinginess) from their influential mother.

We're making videos for the kids from Santa.  I do not want to do this.  The only reason we began it was because our niece is getting one from Santa at Dusty's parents' tomorrow, and we don't want Hannah to feel left out.  So here we are, at 11 pm, entering the information for the videos.  Dusty said we can have them, and if we feel that it's necessary to eliminate any feelings of sadness, then we can "check our email" and find one for each of them.  It's a great strategy.  I hope it's not necessary.  Hannah wants a doll house and a Dairy Queen.  Now, mind you, she doesn't want a Dairy Queen building, but she does want a Dairy Queen Blizzard maker, which I looked at getting her, but it was a HUGE amount of effort for soft serve ice cream with toppings.  I can do that, for much cheaper, and have it be just as good (better).  As for the doll house, we bought one at a garage sale, but it doesn't have anything in it.  Now, she played with it with some of her dolls she already has, but I think her biggest hangup with it is it doesn't have stairs.  How can her dolls go from downstairs to upstairs if there are no stairs.  Seems logical to me, I just don't want to pay for a new doll house.  (Resourcefulness leaning more toward stinginess.)  Actually, I just don't want her to think it's OK to upgrade to something brand spanking new when she already has something perfectly useful. I must remember she's four, and life lessons have yet to sink in (or even begin to be understood).

Tomorrow we Christmas.  And away we go...

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Santa

We did it!  We saw Santa with no crying!  Every year we have taken our kids to see Santa, they have cried.  Well, Seth didn't his first year, but he was only 3 months old, so that doesn't really count.  They even told him what they wanted for Christmas.  Hannah said she wanted a doll house and a Dairy Queen.  Seth said he wanted a toy.  Then we went to Chick-fil-A and the kids got their own kid's meals.  Hannah smiled excitedly in the picture, and Seth "smiled" tolerantly.  See?




Seriously, I think this is one of the greatest Santa's I've ever seen.  Of course, I know that the real Santa is in the Dekalb County Mall in Dekalb County, Georgia...or at least, that's what I've been told.

Dusty is now off work for a few days.  His bosses are wonderful, and on the day before a holiday they usually allow their workers to go home at lunch.  It is so nice.  He got to meet us at the mall, and then come home with us!  YEA!  We've had a very festive day.  In addition to the Santa activities, we went to the library and I got some Christmas books for Hannah.  They went to story time and heard some Christmas stories, and then got to decorate cookies.  I think we may decorate a gingerbread house tonight.

Yesterday was a very busy day for me.  I made peppermint patties before lunch.  (Mary, if you read this, it's a recipe you gave me almost eight years ago at my wedding shower.  Tricia, if she doesn't read this, then please let her know. :) )  Then during naps I made cinnamon roasted almonds, and started some peanut brittle.  I finished the peanut brittle after naps, and toasted some pecans for another candy.  After my piano lesson, and a left over supper, I made some caramel to put on those pecans.  While that was hardening we bathed and bedded the kids.  After bed for them, I melted some chocolate and put that on top of the caramel.  They resemble the spiders I made for Dusty's birthday, only not as extensive because of the lack of legs (thank GOODNESS!!!).  I also made dough for bread in the morning, and put them in loaf pans yesterday evening.  It was a busy day.  It was worth it though.  Most of it went to people at Dusty's work, mainly his boss.  We love that man and appreciate him greatly.  He doesn't read this, so I'm not trying to suck up.

Dusty just showed me a video of a scanner playing Spring from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi.  Someone (not anyone we know) programmed a scanner to play it with its moving back and forth.  Dusty said that's what you get when you cross a computer geek with a music nerd.  This will be our kids one day.

OK, apparently it's almost supper time because my kids are chomping at the bit.  Um, not literally.  Just getting a little edgy.  Better go heat up some food.  Left overs again!  WOO!

So I posted this, and then went back to reread it, and Hannah read it with me, I guess. She burst out with "a gingerbread house!" I guess it's not really an option now of whether or not we make one. :)

Monday, December 20, 2010

How funny

OK, I just read Tommy's comment on my last post, and it's so interesting because that comment follows a couple of conversations that I've had with Becky.  She and I JUST talked this morning about it being in our nature to want to do things and check things off our check list of good things, or works, to earn our salvation.  It's our nature as rule following humans.

Also, she and I were chatting just a couple of days ago, and she typed :p) and I said maybe it was tongue in cheek. Weird.

So today has started out not good.  Not good at all.  I got so angry over trivial situations.  I just couldn't diffuse my anger before another thing would happen that would stoke it.  It was one thing after another.  The two things that pushed me to my breaking point were when Seth got in our bed, with his Pop-Tart, and got crumbs all in our bed causing me to have to wash my sheets.  I started to take off my sheets, so Hannah started getting off the bed to get out of my way, except she got off too high up on my side of the bed, and kicked over my water.  It went EVERYWHERE.  Now, the space is not big, but there are so many things there to cover with water.  It was unfun to clean it up.  However, before I went to clean it up, I screamed because I was so angry, and I said, "I am so angry!!!"  This startled my kids and made them cry.  I asked them to go to the living room and play.  They did and were happily playing while I was trying to figure out how I was going to get over my anger, cleaning up the water.  I really thought there were pictures on the floor over there, and I was wrong, thankfully.  There were a couple of things over there that are keepsakes for me, that I would be so sad if they got wet, but they didn't.  Once I was able to compose myself and I got everything cleaned up and got my bed stuff ready to get washed, I went in and apologized to them for screaming, and I told them that I was not angry with them because neither of them did the things on purpose.  They forgave me, and sweet Hannah asked me to forgive her.  There are just some days when I think if DCS knew about me, they'd come and get my kids.

Everything was fine.  I just have been having such a volatile day.  I'm trying really hard to get things back under control.  Ah, control.  Dusty asked me why it was that I felt that I got angry about these situations.  I hadn't put it in that perspective yet, so that was interesting.  I think it was the loss of control.  I could have controlled Seth eating on my bed, but I didn't know about it.  I didn't realize he had food in my bed, and then after I found out, it was done and I was angry.  Then when I was regaining control, the water got knocked over, and I lost all control of what would get hit with water and how the situation would get remedied.  I hate losing control.  It is impossible for me to maintain my composure when control is lost.  Perhaps I should work on this.  Obviously, I should since my children are being emotionally wounded by me. 

Just for the record, this isn't a source of pride for me.  I am exposing myself with the details of this story so that maybe I can move past these situations.  I honestly do not know how to control this type of anger.  No praying could've helped at this point, no counting, no leaving the situation.  Maybe I could've left, but I needed to clean up the water as quickly as I could.  Had I not, then there would have been much damage to almost everything on my side of the room.  Those that do not have anger, do not know how to handle the anger I feel.  Those that do have anger, do not have solutions to fix the anger, or they would not have it.  This is my hypothesis.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Importance of Me

Today our pastor preached on Matthew 1.  Yes.  One.  The genealogy of Christ.  He went through the significance of those people, and how they played a role in the coming of Christ.  Not every single one, but he pointed out that the only mention of some of those people was that they were in the lineage of Christ.  (He named Shealtiel, which is one of the names I suggested for Seth, only Dusty doesn't seem to remember that.  I think I said Shealtiel Zephaniah Hughes, or something like that.)  Anyway, his point was that the significance of these people has nothing to do with their accomplishments, just that they lived, and fulfilled their Godly purpose. 

Now, some of these people we know well, and not for great reasons.  This also strikes me as interesting because I am shocked to see some of the names there.  I mean, even David, for goodness sake.  Could he have been farther from a Godly role model?  Bathsheba isn't mentioned except as being previously Uriah's wife, but still, she's in there.  Tamar, Rahab, Abraham?  These people are not exceptional people...well, OK they're significant, but each was a sinner JUST LIKE ME!!!  Abraham made stupid mistakes and terrible judgment calls JUST LIKE ME!!!  Tamar and Rahab...yeah, I'm not getting into that.  But it brings me to my point.  I'm important.  I don't always believe it, and I certainly don't always feel it, but I am.  I'm important, not just to the people who love me, but to God.  He thinks I'm perfect.  He sees me as righteous because I'm washed in Jesus' blood, and that leads Him to see me that way.  I don't have to be perfect.  I will (and definitely do) make mistakes, but I'm forgiven. 

Do you know who Kay Arthur is?  Well, she's one of the leading Southern Baptist women speakers.  Look her up, and you'll know she's big stuff.  Do you know her past?  Did you know that she cheated on her husband?  A total Gomer style, from what I understand.  God uses her daily to speak to women.  He uses her past to shape who she is now.  She isn't perfect, but she's forgiven, so she can lead women to good relationships with their husbands.  I just think this is interesting.

I wonder how God is going to move me beyond my mistakes.  I know I just typed all this like I'm super excited about where my life is going, but to be perfectly honest, I'm quite discontent.  I'm searching for another something to divert my attention.  I'm not sure why I'm looking for a diversion, but I am.  A diversion away from my daily life.  I wish I could be content with my daily stuff.  That every day I could wake up fresh and ready to impact my kids and others that are around us.  I suppose for that to happen...the freshness, I mean, 11:15 isn't really the time to be going to bed.  Better now than later, I suppose, so I'm done.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Events of the Day

Not much of anything.

Seriously, my mind is so far out of gear that it took me literally 30-45 seconds to recall what today's events were, after I typed that title.

My parents were here this weekend.  They came for Hannah's birthday.  She was overjoyed.  They played babies until my mom just about went crazy.  Oh, the joy of having a grandma around that will play whatever game you want until your heart's content.  Mom and Dad left, and we allowed the kids to watch something.  After the show was over, Seth said, "Mommy, where are Grandma and Grandpa?"  "Oh, honey, they left."  "Are they coming back here?"  "No, they went to their house." "Ohhhh... I miss Grandma and Grandpa!!"  Sweet boy.  The only person he prefers over Mommy is Grandma...but I think Grandpa is edging his way up in the rankings rather quickly. 

I'm so thankful we'll see them soon.  I haven't told the kids when yet because I don't want an incessant barrage of questions from now until then. 

Hannah got scared of one of her toys today.  Unfortunately, it's a very cool toy that she LOVED up until the point that it got too far away and wouldn't stop running.  Grandma and Grandpa got her a Strawberry Shortcake remote control car.  When it gets about 10-15 feet away, the remote doesn't work accurately, and this happened, and the car wouldn't stop.  Hannah FREAKED OUT and ran away crying.  It was making the clicking noise that some toys make when they're doing something they're not supposed to, like an rc car running into something and being unable to go around or over.  Yeah, she didn't like that sound.  For the rest of the afternoon, she would stay far away from it.  She'll warm back up to it eventually, and Seth LOVES it, so all will be well one day.  I did get her to play with it again though.  I told her that I had not seen her drive it, and Daddy had said she was VERY good at driving it.  Flattery gets you everywhere with that girl.  Her love language is most definitely words of affirmation (sounds familiar to me).  She drove it around for a few minutes, and then stopped and said, "Is that good, Mommy?"  "Yes, Hannah, that's sufficient." :)  People pleaser.

My mind is kind of whirring because I feel like I have so much to do, but really I don't.  I expect to be frazzled at this time of year, but I'm simply not this year.  All of the presents are wrapped, except one, and life is pretty easy from now until Christmas Eve.  I need to start making things this week though because my present for my father-in-law will be some sweet things that I make.  I'm wondering how this will work though because I don't usually make whole batches for him, I just divide up what I'm making anyway and give him a good portion.  This time, I'm not making things until after Christmas.  Maybe I can make special things for him.  Well, there's a thought.  Genius.

I finished a poor excuse for a book today.  Oh, it had all the makings of an interesting plot, and it was getting so good!  Then I turned the page.  Epilogue.  WHAT?!?  Already?!?  Where'd the rest of the story go?  Someone PLEASE Paul Harvey me!!!  I guess they can't all be best sellers, can they?  It would be nice if they could though.  Robin Cook's Intervention, if you're wondering what to avoid.  Sometimes his books are fantastic, others are TERRIBLE, others are mediocre, like this one.

My dad's reading Radical now.  (Tricia, you'll have to get his opinions on it.)  I'm glad to know that he feels similarly to me.  I don't feel like I'm an outcast in my own religion when my dad feels the same way.  I know that millions of people share the opinions, but it's different when it's your own dad.  Let's just go off on this tangent, shall we?  I'm so thankful to have Godly parents.  I'm absolutely 100% certain that I would be a complete 180 of who I am now, were it not for that guidance in my life.  I learn so much of who I am, and who I want to be when watching them.  It's a relief watching them.  Weird wording, I know.  It's hard to describe.  There's no pretense, no unusual expectations, no concerns that something will be said around my kids that is unacceptable.  (Although Seth did say Okie-dokie, yet again after this visit...not that that's bad, just funny.)  It's just nice.  I'd like to have nice a couple of times a week.

Tomorrow is another day at church.  I'm anxious to see how the week pans out.  I'm praying our kids don't catch something from the nursery this week.  The last two we've been blessed.  We're praying for yet another blessing this week and next.  Next week, I may actually have them come with us since we'll see other little kids later on that week.  I'll cross that bridge when I come to it though.

Now, what book to read?  I've read the three I've been wanting to read.  I'll start on another soon.

OH, a college friend of mine was in a flash mob today in Dallas!  Here's a link where you can see it on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM4SXgWpJ34
Then you can see her in this one, but the person next to the phone is a LOUUUUUD alto, and the kids that it mainly films are obnoxious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI2vVyN9Rt0  She's at 1:55, but it's just the top of her brown hair head, with a white flower in it.  (The flower looks quite similar to one my mom would make, if you're familiar with those.)  She said there were 400ish people there to sing.  Not too flash mobby if you ask me.  Basically everyone there was in the mob, but still really cool.  In my opinion, if you listen to the part, in the second link, where they modulate King of Kings...and Lord of Lords...to the super soprano notes, you can hear my friend pretty well.  She was a beautiful soprano in college.  Now, whether or not it really is her, or someone else, I'm not sure.  We'll just pretend that the lovely soprano voice is hers. :)

OK, now I'm done.  Good night.  Oh wait, tonight we let the kids have a bubble bath.  They would rub bubbles on their heads and say, "There.  Now I'm all shiny and blue."  Now I'm done. :)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Chuck E. Cheese

If only I had come up with the concept of advertising and huge, big headed, SCARY looking rat as a symbol of "come and eat horrible pizza that costs your left arm and games that your kids love that give you tickets where you can get toys that cost us next to nothing."  Man, I missed my opportunity.

Oh well.  The kids could not have had more fun playing.  Pappy (Dusty's dad) bought birthday hats and pizza and balloons and tokens.  I think that Seth had more fun putting in the tokens than he did anything else.  He wanted to play with the picture taking machine the whole time.  Vanity, thy name is two year old.

Hannah had her 4 year check today.  She's right around or above the 75 percentile in height and between the 50-75 in weight.  That means she's very tall and thin. :)

OK, I can't focus enough to type anymore...I'll have to do this tomorrow.  It was a long night last night waiting for travelers to be safely landed at their destination. 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

It's almost here...

Hannah's birthday has come and gone this year.  She got her Easy Bake Oven, and LOVED it.  She and Seth made sugar cookies today.  She also got her Jessie and Bullseye cake. 
She ate a piece after supper, and wanted another one.  We gave her another one, since it's her birthday, and she ate half of it.  When she got down she said, "That was a great cake, Mommy!  Thank you for making it!"  She was beyond welcome.  :)  That comment was mimicked by Seth, the parrot, when he got down after eating his cake. 

It was a great day.  I made the cake for most of it, and they played happily together. 

It's only about 25 minutes until Hannah was born.  11:13 pm.  It was a long laborious day.  It was well worth it.  Here would be a good place to put a picture of the newly born Hannah, but I don't have one on this computer.  Oh well.  Maybe some day.  Tomorrow will be another great day.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Is this Labor?

Around this time 4 years ago, I was trying desperately to go to sleep.  I was hearing the exact same sound that I am right now, Dusty trying to go to sleep, and me waking him up every so often.  In about an hour, I went in and started looking up the difference between false labor and real labor.  I knew I was in real labor.  It was getting worse, I just wanted proof.  My mom got me a bowl of cereal, in about an hour, because she had seen that I was awake.  She didn't want me to be hungry, if we went to the hospital.

In about 2 hours, we made the call to my dad to come down, in the middle of the night, because I was in labor and about to go to the hospital.

In about 2 1/2 hours we made our second of three trips to the hospital.  The first was for a non-stress test on the 14th around noon because they wanted to be sure the baby's oxygen level was returning to normal after the contractions because the NST they gave at the clinic was inconclusive.  They sent me home after 4 hours and only progressing 1/2 cm....even though they said if I was still laboring after the administering of the medicine they'd keep me...but whatever, I'm not bitter much.  Seriously though, there were just too many babies being born.  So many, that when we went back for the final trip, I was placed in a "room" which was a big room divided into three with curtains.  I was LABORING with a person 3 feet from me separated by a strip of cloth.  Ah, well, it makes for a great story.  Oh, but on a side note, the baby boom is totally legit.  Try finding a 4 candle around here.  Impossible.  It's OK because she already said she wants 4 candles.  Problem solved.

I can not believe we put our little girl to bed as a three year old for the last time tonight.  Crazy, crazy stuff.  None of Hannah's or Seth's birthdays have been as surprising to me as this one is.  She's so big.

She didn't want to go to sleep tonight.  She didn't want to be four.  She liked being three.  Maybe if I don't go to sleep, then she won't woke up and be any older tomorrow.  Of course, she also wanted to know how old she'd be when her head touched the ceiling.  :)

Little smartie...the other thing I wanted to say in my last post.  We went to Sam's today and I had only a few necessary items to buy.  I was thinking out loud and said, "OK, tomato sauce...what was that other thing?"  She said, "Bread flour." YES!!  That was exactly it!  Now, I would've remembered, mind you, but it would've been about 30 more seconds.  Oh, she has my brain 25 years ago.

We skipped through the Walmart parking lot the other day.  It was one of the happiest joining of memories in my head ever.  My dad and I used to skip in the parking lot at Kroger.

What a great life.
Hannah's asking me about going to school.  I told her that she'll do school at home with me.  Hannah said that when she gets bigger she'll go to school.  Then she told me when she gets bigger she needs to teach school to Seth.  I said that I thought I'd teach school to Seth.  She laughed at me.  "No, Mommy, I will teach school to Seth."

Then she said, "Grandma is the coolest. She is the coolest ever. And she loves to play. Every day I play with her."
 
She makes me laugh. 

Proud Mommy

I love when Hannah helps me.  Today I was changing Seth upstairs and needed something from downstairs.  She was still down there putting in the last three letters of her letter puzzle.  I told her she could do N, O, and P and then she needed to come up for a nap.  She did precisely those three letters, no more.  That's not why I'm proud though.  I called to her, and asked her to get something out of our bedroom.  Then I changed what I wanted and asked her to "go in my bathroom, and get the special lotion out of the second drawer."  She repeated it as she was walking, and came upstairs with exactly the item I needed.  I know this isn't a huge thing, and normally it wouldn't have been noteworthy because she's very good at following directions, but after I'd changed my mind after she'd gone to get the first thing, and then accurately bring me the second.  I was so impressed.  And thankful.

This is the last day that I will ever have a 2 year old and a 3 year old.  Tomorrow I will have a 2 year old and a FOUR year old!!!  She'll be 4!  It makes me all verklempt.  I'm not a naturally verklempt person either.

I'm going to make her a cake (actually starting it in just a few minutes).  Dusty's taking off a couple of hours tomorrow morning to make her whatever she wants for breakfast (a ham, egg and cheese sandwich and possibly bacon...after her cereal because she's a HUGE creature of habit).  Then we'll go take lunch to Dusty's work to eat with him, then have a good supper of whatever she wants.  She'll open her birthday present from us tomorrow night.  Then Thursday Dusty's taking 2 hours in the afternoon, and we're going to Chuck E. Cheese.  She's going to be ecstatic.  I'm debating whether to invite Dusty's siblings.  We can't afford pizza for everyone, but we'd love for them to come if they wanted.  Maybe if we started off with that, then people won't feel offended.  Also, they don't have to bring presents because the Chuck E. Cheese experience will be enough present for her.  Plus, we'll have cupcakes.  Who doesn't love cupcakes?

I had something else that I was proud about, but I can't remember what it was.  Man, I have to stop forgetting these things!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Quotes

Yesterday Hannah was reading a Berenstain Bears book and Seth kept asking if she had read these, which means the paragraph of words.  She read something about, "'The space monsters,' Brother said."  Seth asked again, "Did you read these?"  She said, "YES, I DID, Seth said.  Or, um, I mean, Yes, I did."

I nearly collapsed with laughter.

There are more, and I can't remember them now.  I really wish I'd write these things down immediately.  One day I'll learn.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Whew what a weekend

I'm exhausted.  I have a few high points I'd like to hit, and then I'm going to go to bed.

I find it amazing that, though Dusty has a degree in computer science, and works at an IT job working directly WITH computers all the live long day, his relatives are baffled that he can get a slideshow going on a computer.  A slideshow.  Really.  Also, for those relatives whose laptop it was, he closed all the directories that had some strange pictures on them.  Not bad, just odd.  You're welcome.  I'm so thankful our immediate families understand his gift and appreciate him for it.  I will say, one of his uncles told him he was impressed, and this was the uncle whose son was "helping" Dusty by giving him "pointers" for things that Dusty was already in the process of doing.  Seriously.  Learn when to step back and let the man work.  Whatever.  He's a one-upper.

When a person dies, they don't automatically go to heaven, as was implied by the Methodist minister who preached the funeral today.  In the beginning, he noted how many children (6), grandchildren (10) and great-grandchildren (9) she had, then at the end he said it will be a glorious reunion, "Can you imagine all those grandchildren and great-grandchildren reuniting?!" IF YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN!!!  You left out THE most important part of the WHOLE MESSAGE!!!  No, no one wants to believe that their descendants aren't going to heaven, but wouldn't you want them to know it's not a free ride?  You have to actually believe and serve the Living God in order to get to go there?  You can't just live your life however you please, and expect to deserve to go there!  UGH! 

I really feel like a Radical with this.  He said that statement, and I literally stuck my finger in the air and whispered, "IF YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN!"  Maybe out of line, but it's the Truth, people!  (No one even heard me, not even Dusty sitting next to me, if you were wondering.)  But I feel like that was a shame.  It was a sorely missed opportunity, and if I die, I expect there to not be a missed opportunity like that.  Take note.  I expect everyone there to know that they're not all getting in, unless they do the life altering commitment.  Die daily!  Hannah's already beginning to get it.  She's (almost) 4.  She grasps that if she goes to heaven, then she'll see Mimi, Gran and Grandpa Lundemo there.  But I emphasize to her that if she died NOW, she'd go to heaven because she's still very little, but when she grows up, the only guarantee she will have is if she lives her life for Jesus.  Giving to others, helping others, being and living in Jesus' name. 

I know there are some of Dusty's cousins that know the Truth, but don't believe it.  Wait, even the demons and Satan, himself, believe.  They don't have the relationship with Christ that is necessary.  Ugh, it just made me irritated with the misleading.

I'm thankful for the time though.  There was a lot of peace, which is really good for this family.  There was shown emotion, which is unusual for this family, but SO essential for bonding together.  There was a lot of food.  And there was an opportunity that Dusty had with his niece to express a little bit of Truth in nothing more than a simple explanation about what everyone was saying, and that the reason everyone knew all the words was because it was something called the Lord's Prayer.  Maybe that little piece of information can stir some curiosity, and I pray that curiosity flourishes and finds answers.

This weekend left me with something that I've been left with after my grandparents died, but for different reasons.  It's something unusual for me.

Hope.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Upcoming Weekend

Well, Dusty's grandmother died last night, which wasn't very unexpected.  It was actually welcomed.  She was so miserable, and now she's gloriously happy.  We have the visitation tomorrow and the funeral on Sunday.  We bought a black dress for Hannah, and black shoes for both of our kids.  Seth already has a tux that he'll wear, minus the bow tie.  Either that or a dark blue suit.  We're not sure if we're going to take the kids to the funeral, although, Dusty would like them to go for the experience.  We'll have to figure out how it'll all go down.  Our weekend of no plans just got busy, but it'll be good because we'll get to see family, and the kids will get to have fun away from home.

They got to play outside today since it was a little warmer.  They dug in the dirt and got only slightly dirty, which was not favored by them, but even still they had a lot of fun. 

Dusty hooked up a camera to take shots of a plant that he has growing to do a time-lapse thing.  It's really cool because in 5 hours he caught a shoot coming up out of the soil and becoming almost taller than any of the other sprouts in the pot.  It is very cool! 

I am getting excited about the upcoming weeks.  I try very hard not to get excited about things because I get hives, but I can't help it.  It's my natural tendency (note: see my daughter when she's excited and you will see my true emotions being played out before your eyes).  Here's the list: this weekend, obviously, won't be a ton of fun, but I know there will be fun moments interspersed; then Wednesday is Hannah's birthday; Thursday we're taking her to Chuck E. Cheese with relatives that will be here til Saturday and with relatives that live close by; the following Friday is Christmas Eve, which is the day that Dusty's family opens presents; Saturday is Christmas; the next Wednesday is when my family is getting together and Dusty has 3 days off then.  HOORAY!!!  This is my favorite time of year, besides February, which dominates as the greatest month. 

Plus we have the date for my dad's treatment, which is good because I feel like there's a deadline now for him to be better.  It just feels strangely relieving.  Hopefully we'll get to go there sometime in February (see...most awesome month) to celebrate the end of cancer and birthdays...ummmm, not the end of birthdays, just a celebration of birthdays.  How about we'll celebrate birthdays and the end of cancer.  There that's better.

My finger is also better.  Still QUITE painful when I use it just right, but if I don't use it like I'm accustomed to (like a pianist), then it does pretty well.  I can't imagine having serious damage to my skin.  I'm such a wuss when it comes to stuff like this.  I mean, this one is pretty bad.  It's the worst all around cut I've had, but still I'm a wuss.  Ah, well, at least I own it.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Typing Handicap

I was chopping lettuce tonight for supper.  Chopped off some of the tip of my left pointer finger.  It creates a real problem typing because I can't use it, and you wouldn't BELIEVE how often you use it in typing!

We stayed home all day and played.  I did house stuff and kid stuff, and the kids just did kid stuff.  It was a very long day, and I'm glad tomorrow is Friday. :)

I'm hoping to regain some ability to press with my finger soon without much pain ensuing.  Perhaps I can blog more then.  For now I will sleep because tomorrow will have an early start.

Good night.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Happy birthday, Jesus

We went to a Happy birthday, Jesus, party that one of Hannah's Sunday school teachers had at her house.  They decorated cake with icing and sprinkles, and then made boxes for the Lottie Moon Offering.  The kids are to put their change they get in them, and then donate it to Lottie Moon.  I LOVE this idea.  She explained who Lottie Moon was.  I'll help reinforce that thought in my kids' heads.  I want them to know the woman behind the offering. 

It was very loud and very chaotic.  I was very glad to be gone.  We went to lunch with Dusty at his work, and then dropped off our toys at the Carl Perkins Center.  The woman said that those toys will go to children who would, otherwise, not have a Christmas at all.  They're mainly used in the relative placement program, where the kids are placed with their grandparents or aunts and uncles, and those relatives can't afford presents.  These children may have been placed mostly because of drug abuse in the parents, or neglect.  Our kids were glad to give their presents, and when I explained to them where they were going, Hannah seemed to understand.  We came home and I realized there was another present we'd forgotten, so I said maybe we could take more.  Hannah said, "Yes!  What about the helicopter?!  Or that piggy bank?!"  Well, those are both Seth's toys, so we'll have to talk to him about them, and he's still at the stage where those toys are fun for him.  She doesn't particularly care about them anymore because they're teaching things she already knows.  I'm happy to clear out a lot of our toys though!  And I'm even happier that Hannah was excited about giving their toys away to children that don't have toys.  I told her that some mommies and daddies aren't nice to their kids, and don't play with them and sometimes don't feed them.  She asked why they were so mean, and of course, I had no answer for that except sometimes people are just mean.  If people follow Jesus' example and do what he did, and act how he acted, then they're very much less likely to act that way.  I hope some of this sinks in...

I think I have more wrapping paper than I will use in about 15 years.  Just saying.

OH! I forgot!  I talked to Kimberley Forsythe about the money I was giving to them to use instead of to my brothers' kids, and she and Travis decided how they will use it.  They're going to buy a bike for a 12 year old boy who runs errands for his family.  He and his little brother live with their aunt because his mother was unable to care for all six of her children because the husband left to live with his second wife (yeah, polygamy rocks).  I'm SO excited that it's going to a child.  I think this will mean a lot to my nieces and nephews because they'll get to see pictures of a child with a useful toy, that they find common, that will be such a gift to him.  I'm so excited that this boy is getting a new bike!  I'm so excited that he'll be able to help his family!  I'm so excited that this money is going to help Travis and Kimberley, too, because they had thought about buying this boy a bike for Christmas, but now won't have to because God provided the money.  They make so many sacrifices, monetarily, that this wouldn't be helpful for their budget.  The budget cuts that the IMB is making is really burdening the missionaries everywhere, and I'm so glad that I can help in an indirect way.  With that said, DONATE TO LOTTIE MOON!!!  The money goes DIRECTLY to missionaries.  Lottie Moon died because she starved to death using her money to help others.  While that wasn't probably the wisest decision...perhaps she could've eaten something and continued her mission.  However, she is an extreme legacy that strikes reverence and respect in many hearts, and is an encouraging role model for others to mimic, and through her death she has inspired so many people.  Amazing how death does that sometimes.

Dusty's grandmother is not doing well.  Her liver is failing, her kidneys are failing, she only had 20% of her lung capacity 2 months ago, so I'm sure it's less now.  They do not give her very much longer to live.  She is in an extreme amount of pain, and they're giving her morphine every 30 minutes.  She claims to be a Christian, and was very active in her church, so if she is a Christian, then going home would be such a welcome relief.  This may sound cold hearted, but I long for her life to be over, so she can be home.  No more pain, no more suffering.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Hmmm...dreaming

My mom and I were talking about her doing duets at special services this time of year.  We began discussing how nice it would be to do duets together, and maybe...just maybe play the piano and organ together at a church some day.  Wouldn't that be nice?

*Ding*

We're watching Glee, and we're on the episode that caught a lot of flak from the AFA and One Million Moms.  They present different viewpoints on Christianity and other religions.  All in all, I don't agree with some of what they said, but they had some really strong Christian viewpoints there.  Obviously, the AFA and OMM only saw the parts they wanted to see, and didn't see the parts that were actual Truth.  Strange.  Most times I know they're doing awesome work, but sometimes I just wonder if they're just searching for reasons to get ticked off at people or programs or companies. I don't think they watched the whole episode either.  Yeah, if you stop half way through, you'll be offended as a Christian because the person who the whole episode is based around is blatantly saying that he believes in no God.  At the end of it, he turns and realizes that he may not believe, but he can't shut out everyone who does, and shut off what they do (pray) for people that are hurting.  In the end, he realized that the friends that he prevented praying for his father who was in a coma, were just doing their part to help and bring his dad back to consciousness.  The other naysayer in the episode, a cheer leading coach, said she didn't believe in God because her older sister with Down's Syndrome wasn't cured and was ridiculed her whole life, and she has prayed for those things when she was young.  Then she talked to her sister, who said that God doesn't make mistakes and offered to pray for her sister.  The coach then had her viewpoint changed too, but only the last minute of the show.  Now.  Tell me this couldn't have had some impact on people?  Yeah, I get that it's "bad" to present the negativity against God, but truly, that's this world.  That's a lot of "Christians" that are walking around playing church.  They may not say they don't believe in God, but they sure do live like they don't, except on Sunday when they put on their church clothes, complete with moral adjustment as an accessory.  Whew...where did all that come from?  I think I've been mulling over things in my head recently, and they just spilled out!  But for now, it's time to sleep.  So we will sleep with our pet, Zeep.  Today is gone.  Today was fun.  Tomorrow...

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Toys and More

We have so many toys.  SO many toys!  I've gone through the kids' toys tonight and gotten over 2-13 gallon garbage bags full of toys to give away.  Hannah gave me the OK on several of them before bed, but I've since collected another entire bag, so I'm going to check with her and Seth tomorrow about whether or not the others are OK.  I would just give them away, but they're not mine to give.  The name on the gift tag didn't say Jennie.  It said either Seth or Hannah.  I can't just go and give away their stuff.  That's not fair to them.  I wouldn't want people picking through my stuff and taking away whatever they want, so I'll have them sort tomorrow, and we'll take them somewhere that can give them away.  (Steps off unintentional soapbox.)  I wonder where I should take them...

There's a homeless shelter for women, but I know they don't do a bunch of toys because the women are only allowed to stay one year, so if they give their kids a big Christmas one year, then the mother will feel obligated to do it again the next year and feel badly when they can't (or so I've been told).  There's a place called WRAP, which is a place for raped and abused women, and occasionally men.  Women go up there for support and advise, and clothes.  They also do give out furnishings, if a woman moves out from an abusive situation and has no means to get anything.  I know they take toys, but I don't know if they'll take THIS many toys.  I may just have to divide them up.  There's also a place called the Carl Perkins Center, but I have no idea what they do, I've just heard of people taking stuff to them.  So I have options, but I don't know which ones will work out.  Guess I'll call and see.

We're going to MOPS tomorrow, and have been assigned a woman, from the Dream Center, and her children to buy gift for.  Well, on the woman's list for our table was size 8 boots, perfume, earrings, necklace, scarf, Girls 2T outfit, and Boys 5T outfit.  Well I was going to email about the girl's outfit, but someone beat me to it.  Then the scarf, same thing, then the perfume, same thing.  I wasn't going to do the boots, but someone took those anyway.  Then yesterday the woman heading it up called me and asked if I'd go buy the Dream Center woman some earrings and a necklace.  I have to admit, I was angry.  I was SO angry.  I mean, you're homeless what do you need with jewelry?  Aren't there a million other things you might need other than a necklace and earrings?  I'm still baffled, but I got them for her anyway.  I found a really great set that is beautiful and was inexpensive, so I got it.  I can't imagine what she feels, and I'm so thankful that I don't have to.  I'm trying to hard to put myself in those shoes, and I'm sure that if I got something beautiful for Christmas, then it would make me feel special.  I'm glad to be doing something for someone else, but I'm dealing with bitterness in my heart about that and a lot of things.  I'm hoping that this all changes, but I feel like I've got some more admitting to do.

I'm angry.  I carry around anger in my heart almost constantly.  I'm always expecting too much of people, and what they do, or don't do, for me.  I feel so bitter when someone shoots down an idea, or opinion, or viewpoint of mine that I've thoroughly researched, and know that my way is best FOR ME.  It may not be for them, but don't make me feel like I'm doing the wrong thing, when I know it isn't.  I think a lot of this is who shoots it down too.  If that person is not educated on the topic and can't form a well structured opinion, then I have no desire to discuss anything with that person, and it irritates me.  When I listen to that person's opinion, they listen to mine, and then they promptly redirect the conversation toward another area without giving any credit, or even acknowledgment to me or my opinion, then it makes me bitter.  I'm dealing with bitterness today.  I was totally shot down in this manner this morning, and who the person is made it worse.  It's not like I hold this person is high regards or anything, but...never mind, it's just frustrating.  The rest are just details. 

Pride, Tricia.  Here's my pride.  I'm an educated person.  I research basically everything.  My kids are the most well-behaved children I have ever encountered.  Why would someone NOT want my advice?  Why?  Because I'm a lowly person, and I have not my experience to account for, and I'm not as great as I like to think I am.  My pride is thinking my opinions and advise should be intensely desired and sought after.  When it's not, I'm offended.  For me this is soul-baring stuff.

Our pastor confronted us on this, these things I'm dealing with, today in our worship service.  Our worship leader started playing and singing a hymn after the sermon, I'm sure you know it.  "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne" says in its refrain, "O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee."  Then our pastor admitted that this weekend he confessed to God, with his wife, his bitterness and anger that have been taking up so much space in his heart.  I have that same cohabitation problem.  Bigger problem is, that kind of cohabitation, like almost every other kind, doesn't end well.  I think I know what needs to be done.  Anger, bitterness, pride, selfishness, conceit...yeah I've got a lot of space taken.

On a way different and very much lighter note, I finished a book today I got from my nephew, Caleb. It was SO good.  It's that book that tells a fictional story that involves Greek (and now Roman) mythology.  It's a great story.  Now back to our regularly scheduled Robin Cook book.

Two garbage bags...I wonder how much of my stuff I can get rid of.  It would make the moving process a whole lot easier.  I guess there's always Goodwill, and if not there, then we have a very large trash can. :)

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Shuud-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-der

Spending...money...uh-uh-uh-ugh

I went shopping again today.  Stockings are done (for Dusty too), present for two nieces and a nephew, and my kids have helmets. 

Helmets.  Really?  I'm pretty sure when I fell off my bike, the one time after the day I learned to ride it, I hurt my wrist.  Didn't hurt my head.  Of course, I never rode on very populated streets, and the cars that did drive on it knew to look for kids on bikes, and never went too fast.  Anyway, I guess it's good that our kids are wearing helmets because they'll be riding in the street around here, and it's a through street, so I don't want them to get hurt.  Seth hates it.  We'll see how this goes. 

Now, only my parents left for which to buy.  Dusty's going to do something special for his mom, and I'll cook stuff for Dusty's dad.  I'm pretty sure I've got in mind what I'm going to get my parents. :)

Friday, December 3, 2010

And we're done

We got the easy bake oven and some supplemental mixes for Hannah.  We got a basketball goal for Seth and a small Toy Story car thingy that you shake and it rolls.  We have other smaller toys from Dollar General and Dollar Tree to fill their stockings.  I'm not getting Dusty anything because he bought a very large gift for himself that I told him would be his Christmas, and he was just fine with that.  He went out and bought stuff for me tonight.  Now all that is left is for me to buy stuff for his stocking, and to get presents for our parents and his nieces and nephew.  OK, so maybe I have more to do than I initially thought, but the kids are done.  Also, our kids now have all the shirts they'll need for next winter.  I found a great sale at Old Navy and it's done.  I refuse to pay over a few dollars, and by that I mean these were under $3.50 each, when they'll only wear them for a year and outgrow them.  Usually I get buyer's remorse, but I'm actually remorseful that I didn't search harder to see if they had short sleeved clothes for this summer for them.  Oh well.  Hopefully I'll catch summer stuff on sale sometime. 

I do feel kind of twitchy, like I'm convulsing, about spending the exorbitant amount of money that we did today.  I must clarify that my exorbitant spending is WAY less than most.  I do love a good deal. :)

Christmas: Part 2

Well, I made an online purchase last night, but it's...hmmm...maybe I should put this off until later because I just realized that Hannah may be reading what I'm writing.

OK.  We'll try this.  I made an adjustment to the position of my computer.  I made and online purchase from a used book store.  I got 6 books for her.  She'll get a few for her birthday, and the rest in her stocking.  Also today I got a scooter for her from Toys R Us and an Easy Bake Oven.  Now, I realize the oven may be too advanced for her, but I'd love to help her with it, and she saw it in the toy catalog and really wanted it, once she realized it made real food.  Dusty thinks she really wants to emulate me, since I bake a lot, and this is "her size," which she says a lot about smaller things.  Those things make her very excited. :)  We're going to give her the oven, and some supplements to make other foods, for Christmas, and the scooter for her birthday.

Now I just need to get something for Seth.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to get him some Toy Story toys.  They love that movie, and I think he'd be overjoyed about that.  Target had a pack with several of the toys that didn't get top billing in the movie.  He already has Buzz and Woody, and I happen to know that for Christmas Jessie will be entering our house from another gift giver, so the other toys would make a nice set.  I'm not 100% on this yet.  I'll have to see what's out there, and in stock.

I appreciate the support on the Santa thing and the non-materialistic thing.  I'm thinking about having the kids pick one toy that they like and give it away to someone that doesn't have a lot of toys.  Then they get to get into the spirit of giving, and not just getting.  I'm not sure I'll follow through with this, but I'm considering it.  We'll see...

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Christmas

OK, so while we celebrate Christmas with a different air and meaning than most of this country, I would not want to get nothing for my kids for Christmas.  And right now, I'm frustrated with trying to pick a gift for them.  I'm trying to find one toy for each of them, well, two for Hannah because of her birthday.  We're trying to find the cheapest price for a particular toy, and I don't even know which particular toy that should be.  I'm feeling so much pressure to get the right thing, when my kids would be ecstatic with anything we get them.  I know what my mother-in-law is getting them, and I'm kind of frustrated about that too.  We're trying to teach our kids not to be materialistic, and to focus on the real Meaning.  We do that by getting them one decent toy, and anything else is small and fairly cheap.  All of the toys they get from them are big and expensive.  While I'm very grateful they have the money to spend like that, it's hard to get them to separate the real meaning from what they're getting.  *rolls eyes* 

I roll my eyes not at the presents, just at the recon I'll have to do post-Christmas.  I, literally, said to Hannah tonight that Santa is not real and does not bring presents.  Mommy and Daddy and the people that love them give them presents because we love them.  She was silent.  This is not the first time she has heard this, mind you, so I'm not shattering some supreme idea she had in her head.  I told her that she was welcome to pretend he was real.  She said, "OK!" and went right on talking about Santa bringing presents.  Good news is, she has a book that tells her exactly how Santa came to be, from the beginning.  I just need to press the idea of Jesus' birth, but how many times a day can I say it without it becoming monotonous and losing all of its meaning and effectiveness?  Once?  Twice?  492 times?  Just another day in the life of a mother, I guess.  Trying to figure out the best way to be a parent, while feeling like you're just spinning your wheels.  Maybe tomorrow will appear in a better light.