10-10-15 Touch a Truck

Today was Touch a Truck Day! The local fire department and EMS brought out their trucks for the kids to get the chance to see them up close and play inside them. The kids had seen a fire truck at Maryland Day this past year, but we're too timid to get too close, so I wasn't sure how this would go. C  jumped in feet first, but it took Big E a little while to get over his trepidation. When he finally did, he had a blast! 

Look how big those wheels are!

C- My favorite truck was the blue one (the ambulance) because of the pretty lady that worked in it! 

Still nervous about getting in a truck, but we convinced him to get in the big tanker.

He finally agreed when C said she would get in with him. 

After that he was hooked and wanted to sit in every truck!

He liked this one because they let him pull the chain and blow the horn!

What a great chance to introduce the kids to such an important resource in our community. Thanks for the folks that put that together!

Baby's first Panera! He likes their bread.

This afternoon/evening we got to spend some time with the cousins. My sister in law had an unfortunate run in with her finger and a knife this afternoon and had to get stitches, so we watched the kids. 

I love C's expression in this picture! 

What a crazy busy day, but it was wonderful!

10-09-15 Baby's first hotdog bun

Sorry, nothing more exciting in this post than a baby eating his very first hotdog bun. 

He devoured it! 

Oh wait...  Here's a picture of baby trying to climb the stairs. Yikes! We need gates pronto! 

And here's a picture of my best friend! 

Ha ha! Can you tell it's Friday and I'm tired? I'll do better tomorrow! 

Big E- What is that on your arm?!?

Me- Hair. Everyone has hair on their arms.

Big E- I like to eat mine, it's tasty. (He then proceeds to suck on his arm.)

10-08-15 Goodnight Little One

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  (Psalm 139:13-16)

10-07-15 Please Just Sleep

After months and months of middle of the night feelings, Baby E finally started sleeping through the night a few weeks ago. I was really excited. The prospect of more than 3-4 hours straight of sleep was beginning to seem like a mythical creature. And then one night he slept, all night long. What a glorious night! Afraid it was a fluke, I dreaded the next night. However to my delight he did it again. And again. And again! Blessed freedom!! Finally!

But then one night not long after, it began... The big kids started getting up. Every night, multiple times a night. It was mostly Big E calling us in for ridiculous things like I'm hot, can you take off my blanket... Or... I want a drink! (His cup is literally six inches from his bed.) Then C stated school and everyone started getting sick with runny noses and coughs and no one was sleeping well. But even as they have gotten better, Big E is not sleeping through the night, 

I remember when C went through this stage. It was horrible. We were living in the farmhouse and the kids were in separate rooms. Her room was right next to ours and she would get up and wander into our room and refuse to go back to bed. Or she would scream for us in the middle of the night. 3-4 times a night. We tried everything... Discipline, a reward chart. We even let her sleep with us for a bit before putting her back in her room, but she would throw a fit. We were so tired!

One day we had some construction done in Big E's room so he had to spend the night in C's room. I was dreading it because I just knew she would be waking him up all night long. But you know what happened? Nothing. She slept. All night. After that night we moved her into Big E's room and we had less problems with her sleeping. 

But here we are with Big E doing the same thing, (He has come down twice to use the bathroom while I have been typing this.) I'm praying this phase doesn't last long! In the meantime, coffee will have to do!

I got to do some homework with C tonight!

C- Grownups sometimes have to tell you to stop, they aren't being mean, they just don't want you to wake someone up... Or get hurt.... Or get killed. 

10-06-15 Eleven Months

Dearest Goobs,

I can't believe that you turned eleven months today. It is unfathonable to me that it has been almost a year since we first met face to face. You are an interesting little fellow, whose personality falls smack dab between your sister and your brother. You have your C's strong will combined Big E's happy nature. You look like them both as well; C's cheeks and Big E's eyes. 

You love to eat constantly. When we don't feed you quickly enough you scream at us. I'm pretty sure that you will be the teenager that eats us out of house and home! You just learned to crawl last week, but you are already pulling yourself up on anything within reach, and I can tell you are aching to walk. You get annoyed when the big kids try to love on you and you always squeal at them and swat them away. You are starting to give kisses on command. Your eyes nearly disappear when you smile. You still talk like a gremlin. You say mama and dada. 

I asked the big kids some questions about you this evening. 

1. What is your favorite thing about Baby E?

C- That Baby E's cute and he sleeps so cute and he makes a funny face!

Big E- I don't know. 

2. How old is baby E?

C- Twelve... No! I mean 8 months. 

Big E- 1,000

3. What do you think is cute about Baby E?

C- That he makes cute faces. 

Big E- When he sleeps and cries. 

4. What do you want to teach Baby E when he gets older?

C- How to be kind to other people when he grows up.

Big E- I don't know. 

5. What is Baby E's favorite thing to do?

C- Screaming! When we do raspberries. 

Big E- Screaming! 

So there you have it buddy, that's what the big kids think of you! The truth is they adore you, they just don't know how handle you gently. You always think you are under attack, but lately you have been fighting back where you can and I'm convinced you will be able to hold your own, 

By the way, thanks for the cuddles tonight. They were awesome! 

Love, Mommy

10-05-15 Grandma

My last living biological grandparent passed away less than a year before Tim and I got married. My grandmother had been sick on and off again towards the end. One day we got a call that she was in the hospital and so we travelled the 6+ hours to see her. I brought Tim with me to meet her and when I introduced them she smiled. A few weeks later she was gone.  

She was never the doting, affectionate type. She didn't bake us cookies or knit us blankets. But when we were little, she made the best scrambled eggs. We used to run in the field around her house and suck on the honeysuckles that grew up the trellis next to her house. She had a large cat named John Kitty, and later one named Molly. She got remarried the summer before my eighth grade year and for the first time I got to know a grandfather. She was a godly woman that loved the Lord, and I know she loved us too. 

I wish she had lived longer. I wish she had seen me get married. I wish she could have blessed my children. But my timing isn't God's timing and she was ready to go. 

I see her sometimes, in the face of my oldest. It's the way C purses her lips when she is in deep concentration. It's a flicker, so brief I almost miss it. But it's there. I see her in Baby E as well, in the way his lips form when he is eating. I'm sure she is in my face too. 

And though this side of heaven we won't meet again, it is comforting to know her smile will live on for generations to come. 

10-04-15 The Seafood Department

If you happened to be shopping in Giant this evening, and you just happened to be in the seafood department you would have heard a very, very excited little boy. You see, the kids noticed the lobster tank at the grocery store a few weeks ago and now when we go to the store they want to make a beeline to the seafood department to watch the lobsters crawling around. (Big E keeps calling them hermit crabs.)

Well this evening, after scoping out the lobsters, Big E let out a loud squeal and ran to the seafood counter. "Hey guys, come here!!!!" Among the cuts of fish there was a whole salmon laying on its side in the ice. "Look!!! IT'S A DEAD WHALE!!!"

This kid cracks me up! 

Being away at the ladies retreat this weekend was such a huge blessing! I'm definitely feeling convicted about some areas in my life, and I really enjoyed the chance to connect with other women. This morning over breakfast I asked the kids what they did while I was at the retreat. I knew they had visited their grandparents, so i figured they would fill me in on that. Big E's eyes got large as he proclaimed, "Daddy, and baby E, and C, and me... we all went.... Upstairs!!!" Well alright, then. 

So, Tim and I aren't big alcohol drinkers. In fact, we probably only drink a couple of times a year. I don't have anything against it, I'm just not a huge fan of the flavor. Also it makes me really really sleepy. When Tim and I were dating we ordered wine at a restaurant one evening and afterwards, I proceeded to fall asleep in the car as he drove me home. So if we are looking for a fun evening, alcohol is not involved. 

However, when I get sick, all bets are off. Remember last week I wasn't feeling well? Well, I thought I was on the mend until I woke up this morning with a super scratchy throat. I hate getting a sore throat because then it is impossible for me to fall asleep. In fact, I have to be tired enough to fall asleep and then sleep through the pain. If not, I'm up all night. Pain meds don't really work, but you know what does? Yup, a drink.

So tonight after the grocery store I stopped to get something to get me to sleep. But since I'm the kind of person that usually buys alcohol based on how pretty the bottle is, I decided to ask for help. The guy behind the counter pretty much thought I was an idiot because I wanted something tasty, but not too strong flavored. First he suggested something that tastes exactly like a fireball. Um... No thanks. Then he recommended something way out of my price range.

Finally we landed on this...

So, we shall see. Hoping it isn't disgusting! (BTW, if you have any alcohol suggestions that would be great. Then next time I won't have to go in guessing!) 

10-03-15 All things new

We were therefore buried with Jesus through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may have a new life. Romans 6:4

10-02-15 Women's Retreat and an unexpected irony

Upon waking up this morning I got the message that our retreat was being moved from Ocean City to our home church. I have to admit after a long night of tossing and turning, this was welcome news. I was dreading the possibility of getting all the way over there and the bay bridge closing down behind us. Tim noticed as soon as he got up that I had an extra spring in my step. 

With this new development, I couldn't wait to get there this evening! 

It is always refreshing to take time out of our busy schedules and get the chance to come together as a group of believers. I can already tell that this is going to be a powerful weekend in my life and I am looking forward to seeing what is in store! 

When we were done for the evening I stayed late with my sister in law, Jenn. We are leading a portion tomorrow and wanted to run over some things. By the time we walked out it was after 11 and everyone had left. 

Since I was the one that was probably the most excited that we were meeting at the church, it was an unexpected twist of irony that when I got to my car, the battery was dead! And my phone was acting up! And Jenn was on the other side of the building about to drive away! If I didn't catch her before she left, I'd be stuck there! I ran to the other side of the building, through the wind and rain screaming Jenn's name as she was loading her car! Whew! She was still there! 

We decided to jump my car. Something neither of us had ever done before. We consulted both husbands and set to it. Jenn is definitely braver than me and hooked up the car. I started her vehicle while she held the other end of the jumper cables. Her husband was giving me instructions on the phone when somehow Jenn touched the two ends together and sparks started flying! Startled, she tossed the jumper cables away from her (they were pretty close to her face when it happened) right into a puddle!!  Jumper cables attached to a running vehicle sitting in a puddle of water seemed like a step backwards. After much laughing and some shenanigans, and more advice from our husbands, we got everything safely unhooked and then rehooked up. We started my car and it worked.  The entire process took about 25 minutes. Pretty sure it can be done in about three. However, nothing exploded and no one got hurt!

We got in our vans to leave and Jenn noticed that her tire pressure light was on. Thankfully none of her tires appeared flat, or we would have had the poor guys on the phone talking us through changing a tire! 

Certainly not the evening we expected, but thankful we got to spend a little extra time together! 

10-01-15 Maybe Tomorrow

Once again my loves are quietly sleeping behind those doors. They have no idea that maybe tomorrow they will get to see the ocean for the very first time. If they knew, they wouldn't be sleeping so soundly! It's quiet in the house right now. I can hear the rain a bit, but not much. 

The hurricane is now a category 4, but it has stalled a bit and is now generally predicted to stay further off the coast and hit later than initially anticipated. This is good news for my trip this weekend. Having felt sick when I woke up this morning, I took the day off and rested. I also spent a good portion of my day fluctuating between deciding to stay home this weekend or deciding to go. This is par for course at this stage before I travel.  And like Hurricane Joaquin, the journey will be pretty unpredictable from here on out! I may go, I may not, but I am moving ahead like I am.

Tim and the kids are coming this weekend and staying in a hotel about a mile away from where I am staying. I've mentioned before that Tim has really been my champion through this ongoing issue, and once again he is stepping up. (However, I'm pretty sure the plan seemed much more appealing when he was going to be able to take the kids on the beach or walk on the boardwalk. For now it looks like they might be camping out in their hotel room all weekend!) But I feel much more comfortable that  they will be right down the road and I can sneak away and see them if I want! One of Tim's biggest jobs when we travel is to make sure I eat. That seems pretty basic, right?... But it's not... When I am anxious, I don't eat... And when I don't eat, I get more anxious! So he's the one that makes sure I'm taking care of myself. Have I mentioned lately that he is awesome? Well, he is!

So, if I do make it this weekend, and you see me, feel free to give me a smile and maybe a snack!!!

09-30-15 Provision

I've mentioned before that I'm not so good with traveling, right?!

Well, this weekend I am signed up to go on the women's retreat with my church. 

As expected I've hit the pre travel stage where I start to freak out about my upcoming trip. The first stage is denial. I've changed my mind! Nope! I'm not going! You can't make me! 

The second stage is the worst case scenario stage. It's that charming stage where my mind runs endlessly through every worse case scenario it can conceive, and trust me, none of them end well! 

The next stage is acceptance. I'm going. I'm choosing to go. I will go. 

At any moment, I can fluctuate between these stages. 

There are certain things that are trigger points when it comes to traveling. Two of the main ones are how am I feeling physically? And is there going to be bad weather?

Well guess what, I've been feeling sick for the past three days and there is a big fat hurricane heading our way! So there! Let the freakout commence. And that's what I did for most of the day.

But then this evening I got a note from someone and it said exactly everything I needed to hear and a peace washed over me. And someone else stopped me in the hall at church and whispered that they were praying for me. Isn't that one of the greatest responsibilities of the body of Christ? To encourage one another. So thank you to those women that ministered to me this evening in exactly the way I needed to hear. You have blessed me beyond measure. 

Maybe I will be surprised and this weekend will be a breeze. Or maybe it will push me out of my comfort zone in really uncomfortable and unexpected ways, but which ever the case I can say with assurance, God is still good. 

09-29-15 Laws of Parenting

Below you will find a list of parenting laws I have observed to be true during my past five years of eating with savages. This list is by no means comprehensive, and will likely be built upon at a later date. 

1. No one will need a drink until you have a plate of hot food in front of you. 

2. No one will need to use the bathroom until you have a plate of hot food in front of you. 

3. No one will need their bottom wiped until there is a plate of hot food in front of you. 

4. You will never eat hot food again. 

5. If you allow your kids to eat in the car, you will find old food in crevices and corners you never knew existed. 

6. A twenty minute car ride is enough time for a three year old to ask approximately 75 questions. 

7. Your children will repeat you... At the most inappropriate moment. 

8. You will talk about bodily functions... All the time. 

9. You will say ridiculous sentences like, "Please don't lick the bottom of my foot."

10. You will make up answers after the 18th why?? *NOTE*  Make sure they sound legit, because if they don't your children will call you out on it. 

11. There is no torture like a quick trip to Ikea with small children. 

12. There will be meltdowns. A lot of them...They won't all be from the kids.

13. A child's pressing desire to eat something specific is directly proportionate to how much of said item you do not have in your pantry.

14. You will be expected to make lollipops appear out of thin air. No excuses allowed. 

15. Children's voices get exponentially louder when they notice you on the phone... Like "air raid" loud. 

09-28-15 Happy Monday!

C- Why are we talking about that when I don't even know what we're talking about!

Me- Is it hard being three?

Big E- Yeah, it's very hard.

Me- Why?

Big E- Its hard for me to sit in my seat in the car for a long time cause it makes me boring.

I was reading the kids C's new book Splat the cat sings flat. In the book the cat sings very loud and very flat. Thinking this would entertain the kids, I did the first round a little louder and pretty flat. The second time was louder still and more flat. Then the book called for Splat to sing very loud and very flat, so I opened my mouth wide and sang very very loud and very very flat. Well, this totally freaked out Baby E. His face contorted into a look of pure fear and his bottom lip stuck out. Then he started wailing! Poor baby! It took a while to calm him back down! So I guess the next time I will just read the story!