Christmas: The Not-So-Short Version

Our December was as busy as ever, and alas, my blog has suffered. So, without further ado, here is my attempt to condense the whole month into one post.

Kate rocked her "Santa dress."The kids sang in the annual Christmas program at church. Will and Kate especially loved singing in it this year.

We celebrated Tim's birthday.

Here's a random picture just because I thought it was cute.

The kids missed a week's worth of school because of snow, snow, and more snow. This coincided with the arrival of Uncle Jacob and Aunt Alison for Christmas, and we even got Uncle Jacob snowed-in at our house one night!

We had multiple celebrations with my side of the family, including parties at Aunt Sally's, my mom's, and my dad's. We woke up on Thursday and opened presents at my mom's. Will calls that day Thanks Day. He even made Arlie write it on his calendar.

The kids decorated the tree this year, and I was so impressed I will let them do it again next year.

(Not-so) Wide-eyed children woke up before their bleary-eyed parents on Christmas morning .

Many presents were opened. Some favorites included a remote control R2D2, the Trio wizard's castle, Star Wars action figures galore, ZhuZhu pets, and finger nail polish (for Kate NaNa, of course).

We went to Tim's parents, where we forced the kids to take the annual cousins-on-the-stairs picture. Basically a stall tactic before the adults are ready to open presents.

My sister-in-law taught my kids how to play Angry Birds. Much laughter ensued.

My brother-in-law let his wife put his hair in a faux hawk. More laughter ensued. I only wish that I had a pic when he was also wearing the skinny jeans and Rob Bell glasses too. That would make my day complete:)

Hope your celebrations were joyous too! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Gifts

I know that all of you out there in Blog-Land are totally done Christmas shopping, but just in case you are still looking for the perfect gift that is maybe just a little bit different (or maybe just an organization to give an end-of-year donation to), I thought I would share some ideas.

I love shopping with organizations that are fair trade. I recently discovered Heavenly Treasures Handicrafts. It is a Christian micro-enterprise company that features items made around the world. Sales support a variety of causes, including orphanages, pastors, and even just people trying to make a living and support their families (ahem, family preservation). They also work with World Vision and have some really cool items, including bags, jewelry, kitchen items, and more. Very fun stuff. (**Update: I just got a package in the mail full of goodies from HT Handicrafts, and I love them even more now! - Quality stuff, quick delivery!)

Another place I like to go to ooh and ahh is Scarlet Threads. Based in China, they make oh-so-pretty handmade items. I am currently in love with the red and black tree skirt. (**Update: The dh just ordered me one:) Can't wait to get it!)

Or maybe you are considering making a charitable donation in someone's name? Honestly, I think this is an awesome way to honor someone. Check out the sites below.

Organizations that provide orphan care (all of which offer opportunities to sponsor children in China, donate to surgeries, special projects like formula, facilities, etc.):
Pearl River Outreach
New Day Foster Homes
Starfish Foster Homes
Love Without Boundaries
An Orphan's Wish
Half the Sky

Another wonderful way to give is to fund organizations that support family preservation. Simply put, if we care about orphans, we have to care about the causes of abandonment. Some of the main causes are poverty and disease, so by helping fight poverty and disease, we are helping to keep families together.

A lot of organizations have gift catalogues where you can purchase things like goats and wells for families/communities in need. Here are a few cool ones:
Heifer International
Samaritan's Purse
World Vision

Another organization I learned about a few months ago is Kiva. They provide small business loans to people in developing countries. You can loan someone as little as $25, and then when it is repaid you can reinvest in another small business. This is another great way to empower women to support and preserve their families. I also think this would be an awesome Christmas gift to someone, because they could watch what happens to the money, and when it is repaid, they can loan it out again and again.

And don't forget charity: water! This is an organization that got the attention of my 6 year old, and I recently mentioned it here. Will came downstairs one day holding his birthday money and announced he wanted to give it to people who needed it more than him. Charity: water is who he chose. They build wells for communities that need clean water. (And it isn't too late to donate to the birthday fund either, so go check it out!)

Edge Outreach is one of only 2 organizations in the world who teach people how to repair the hand pumps that go on wells in developing countries. They also are hard at work in Haiti, fighting for clean water.

Heartline Ministries works in Haiti to support women and their families. They provide prenatal support, deliver babies in a safe and clean environment, and provide parenting and nutrition classes. They are currently working to build a women's hospital so they can help women with more complicated deliveries/pregnancies. In other words, they are fighting to help moms keep their babies, so poverty doesn't lead to abandonment. You can read more about their work on this blog or this one.

And I have a feeling that you all have some of your own favorite places to shop and/or give. So, please drop a comment and tell us what organizations you love!

Ho Ho Ho

We have had an interesting Santa dynamic around here the last couple of years. You see, when Ben was little, neither of us cared to encourage the Santa story, largely because we felt it was about the gifts rather than the "magic." At the same time, when he came home excitedly telling us what other people had told him about Santa, we didn't have the heart to tell him that Santa wasn't real. And the same story continued with Will. We never told them anything about Santa because we didn't want to lie, but we didn't discourage it either.

Kate, on the other hand, has known for a long time that Santa isn't real. When she was two, she didn't understand anything going on, as she had only been home a couple of months. Then, last year at age three, every time she saw Santa, she would start screaming and crying, begging me, "Don't let Mrs. Claus get me!" I have no idea where her fear of Mrs. Claus came from, or if she was confused about who that was since we never bumped into the lady, but regardless, she did that several times last year. One morning after I had sent the boys off to school I sat her down and explained that Santa wasn't real and Daddy and I brought the presents. (And, yes, I also explained that this was a big secret, and to my knowledge she never spilled the beans.) She was relieved, and she thankfully stopped crying at every shopping mall we went into.

Fast forward to this year, and I thought we would play this out the same way. A month or so ago, Ben (age 8) started asking the typical figuring-it-out questions. He finally asked me point blank if Santa was real or not. I said, "What do you think?" He replied, "I think that if he was you would just say yes." But then a few days later, he was back to adamantly insisting that Santa was real. I knew that meant he knew but wanted to pretend, so I dropped it.

Then on Wednesday, Will (age 6) was in a bookstore with Mimi when they ran into the Big Guy shopping. Santa started talking to Will, but Will was dumbstruck. (Wouldn't you be, too?) Tonight we were in the van, just me and the three kids, and the boys started drilling me with questions about all things Santa. (Personally, I blame Michael Jackson's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," which was on the radio, but it probably would've come up sooner or later anyway.)

Will: I know that Santa isn't real.
Me: And why do you think that?
Will: Because the other day when I saw him at the bookstore, he had a wallet and was shopping. Everybody knows that Santa makes presents, not buys them. And why would he be here in this town anyway?
Me: Hmmm.
Will: And there were three of them.
Me: Three of what?
Will: Three Santas. One was ringing a Salvation Army bell. One was shopping and talked to me. And one was asking kids what they wanted for Christmas.
Me: You mean he was sitting in a big chair and kids were in his lap?
Will: Yes. So either they were following me around or Santa's not real.
Me: Hmmm.
Will: And once, I looked in front of me, and there was Santa talking to kids, and I looked behind me, and Santa was buying something. Definitely not Santa.
Ben: Well, I think Santa is in the North Pole with his elves making toys right now in his workshop anyway.
Will: And you know that Elf on the Shelf thing? He is definitely not real. There might really be elves, but the Elf on the Shelf is not.
Ben: How do you know?
Will: I felt of him once. He isn't real.
Ben: I think he is.
Will: The others might be, but not him. He is a toy.
Kate: Can we play Guess Who now?
Me: Umm, not right now, darling, the boys and I are talking.
Ben: Mom, is he real or not?

Will: Just tell us!

Me: What do you think, sweetheart?
Will: I don't think he is, but everyone in my class thinks he is real.
Ben: But what do they know? They're only kindergartners.
Will: That is true. They are kindergartners, and I am the smartest one.
Ben: How do you know?
Will: Because Mrs. T. says that my class is the best class of kindergartners, and I am the smartest in my class, so I must be the smartest kindergartner.

The conversation then devolved into an argument between the boys about whether Will's logic and evidence were faulty or not.

Once home, Will and I were alone, and the conversation began again. He reiterated that he did not believe in Santa. I said that was fine, but it was important that he not tell other kids that because it would hurt their feelings and make them sad.

And what is the first thing he does? The first thing he does with every single shred of information he ever has. He told Ben.

I went in to tuck Ben into bed, and he said, "Will told me you told him the truth."
Me: What I told Will is that if he doesn't want to believe, that is fine, but he shouldn't ruin the fun for others.
Ben: But that is pretty much the same thing as telling him Santa isn't real.
Me: I am sorry. Are you sad?
Ben: Disappointed. I was hoping it was real.
Me: I understand. I was really sad when I found out. I cried a lot. And I was really mad at Daddy John.
Ben: (Laughs at first, then gets serious) But why would grown-ups make this stuff up?
Me: I think they want to believe in magic because it is fun to think that Santa is real. It is exciting to think that presents will magically appear under your tree. And presents will still magically appear under your tree.
Ben: (Grins) But now I know where they really come from.

He was OK when I said goodnight, but I am more sad about all of this than I thought I would be. Don't get me wrong. I don't regret any of what I said (although some of the grandparents are probably really mad at me right now). Part of it is that it takes me back to the day I found out, and how devastated I was. I don't think Ben is as sad as I was. And Will just seems satisfied that he was right about something.

There is more to it. Tonight my boys lost a little bit of their innocence. A little bit of magic is gone, and they won't get it back. Growing up is hard work, and I want them to be kids for as long as possible. All of this makes me realize how quickly they are growing up. I hugged them just a little longer, cuddled them a little closer, while they still want me to. Someday I will blink, and it will be gone.

Birthday Gifts

In October, Will got some cash as a late birthday gift. Now, you need to understand that he has very little concept of money, but he still likes to hoard it. If he finds a coin, it automatically gets put in his piggy bank, even if it probably doesn't belong to him. His philosophy is Finders Keepers. He doesn't really like to spend it either. Back in September I took him on a "date" to the bookstore. I told him I would buy him one book, but if he wanted another one, he would have to pay for it out of his piggy bank stash. He picked out a comic book that he wanted me to buy him, and then he headed straight for the discount section. He would pick up a book and say, "How much is this?"
Me: $6.50.
Will: Too much. How about this one?
Me: $3.50 -You can afford that one.
Will: Still too much. What about this?
Me: $1.99.
Will: This is the one!

Anyway, back to the birthday cash. He came down the stairs holding the $20 and announced to Tim and I that he wanted to give his money to someone who needed it more than he did. I got a big lump in my throat and a tear in my eye, and thought I had never been more proud. Tim agreed to help him choose how to give his money away. He had recently learned about an organization called charity: water. From their website, "charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations." Dirty water kills more people every year than anything else. After looking at the photos of dirty water on the website, and learning how some people have to walk miles to get water that comes from ponds and streams that are contaminated, Will decided to donate his $20 to charity: water.


Tim's birthday is coming up soon - next weekend, in fact. And for his birthday this year, he isn't asking for gifts. Honestly, he has a warm home, clean food, a good job, a healthy family. What else do we really need? What he would like is for others to be able to feed their children without worrying about cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, or the many other diseases that can pass through water and steal health and life.


So I am asking you to get involved too. It would make Tim's birthday even more fabulous if a lot of people would donate to charity: water. Simply go to his my charity: water page (*update-now closed*) and make a donation. You can even do it anonymously if you want:)

Come on, change a child's life and make my husband's birthday awesome! Doesn't that sound like fun?

See what cool things I find when I catch up on blog reading...

I found this on a friend's blog (thanks, Radicchis!). Have you ever pondered what impact your Christmas could have? I have no idea who made it, but completely agree with every word and am thankful for the reminder. Amen and amen.

Getting Started Again...

Before I do get started, let me just say, yes, I know I haven't blogged in almost four weeks. I was most certainly reminded of this during Thanksgiving. And I also realize that most of you aren't even still reading because you have stopped checking in to see if there are any new posts up. (I know some of you are "followers" and can just check your "dashboard," but some of my former readers were friends and family who just drop by every now and then.) But I digress...

What was I saying? Oh yes. Getting started. I seem to have forgotten how to do that. How to think of an idea and then write about it. You see, the reason that I haven't been around is that I spent the last month doing proofs #6,7,8,9,10, &11 on the church history book. (OK, so I don't actually know how many times I proofed the daggone thing, but it feels like twice that many.) And by the time we sent it to the printer last week, I couldn't stand the sight of my laptop. I was interested in what was going on with all of my favorite blogs, but I couldn't bear to stare at the screen for One. More. Second! So I turned it off. Admittedly, I occasionally checked my email, but I didn't read a blog or write a word or even look at the pics of my kids that I was sent on a CD (sorry, TD).

I broke my computer fast on Sunday, deciding that I hated Wally World and malls and Black Friday worse than I hated my computer. So, with Cyber Monday approaching, I shopped my heart out. Within 24 hours I had most of the kids' presents, along with several parents and teachers crossed off the list. And I didn't have to leave my house or push a cart full of kids playing cheese touch through crowded stores, which was totally awesome.

And I decided if I could cyber-shop, I could read blogs. And then I decided that if I could read blogs, I could start writing again. If only I could come up with something to write about. Cause let me tell you, a month ago, I had about a half dozen things I wanted to write about, but I don't remember what they were. And when you don't do something very often, you forget how to do it. Or at least that is how it worked with me. And now the well is dried up. Yep. Dry.

Today I decided that if I didn't get started again, I would become one of those blogs that people stumble onto and the blogger hasn't posted since like, 2006 or something, and you roll your eyes and move on. Which disgusted me.

But the main motivation was that this is my one creative outlet. I may have started writing so that Jacob and Alison could see pictures of my kids and our trip to China, but now I write because I enjoy it.

So I am getting started again. I don't know what kind of stuff I will write about, but I am going to go back to my goal of posting at least once a week, preferably twice (you people who blog daily make me roll my eyes, too - but in jealousy, not disgust). We will see how that works out.

I know there isn't much substance to this post, but I gotta start somewhere.

Fall Soccer

I am still amazed at how much I enjoy watching the kids' soccer games. I know absolutely nothing about the game, but it is a game with very little down time, which is where other sports sometimes lose me. What can I say? I have an almost infinite attention span for books and many movies and tv shows, but in sports I get incredibly bored if there are only 14 minutes of action in a 3 hour game.

And I am waaaaay off topic.

Anyway, the kids had fun playing too. Will liked to play any position where he got to run. Even when he was on the sidelines, his full attention was on the game. Yet, when the season ended, he was very happy to put his cleats away for the winter. And so was his mama.

Ben missed several of his games, but still got to play quite a lot. The field at his age is much larger, and my camera is not that fast, nor does it get good close-ups, so I don't have any action shots to share. Ben prefers to play defense, where he can focus on keeping the ball out of the goal. He had a lot of great blocks this year, and his favorite game was the last one, when he got to play goalie for most of a quarter.

He is signed up to play again in the spring, but I think he will enjoy the break too.

That is the great thing about soccer. You have fun while it is going on, and then you are happy when it's over. Perfect.

Kate, of course, spent most of the season complaining that she wasn't allowed to play yet. Next spring, baby girl, I promise.

The Annual Halloween Post

The boys designed the pumpkins this year, while their daddy did the carving.

Ben's is Yoda (note the ears)...And Will's has crooked buckteeth. (I'm trying really hard not to make a snarky tooth comment here.)Kate was completely disinterested, but was happy to pose for a photo.

For Halloween, we had a knight, Captain Rex, and Darth Vader, all of whom have acted like the sugared-up heathens that they are for the past several days..
While we were out, we also saw Michael Phelps (who thankfully had his shirt on, this time), Ms. Pac-Man, and Pinky.

Good times.

And what am I supposed to do with that?

So I haven't been keeping up with my daily Bible reading lately.

And when I say lately, I mean for the last 5 years or so. Basically since Will started walking, I can't seem to find five minutes to myself. That's not to say I never read my Bible, but it would be untruthful to say that I do well in this area. Usually it is more of a check-that-off-my-list kind of activity that I perform sporadically.

(I know, not very spiritual, but I'm trying to be real here.)

S0 I was taken by surprise last week when I was reading in Luke, and the text pretty much jumped up, grabbed me by the collar, and said, "Pay attention!"

Luke 11:39-42 (Bold-type added by me for emphasis): "Then the Lord said to him, 'Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
'Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.' "

Did you hear that? I mean, how many times have I said to myself - I already tithe and sponsor children (ok, one child) and stuff like that. How much more do I have to give?

I have probably read this chapter dozens of times in my life, but I never heard what Jesus was saying right here. He is telling the Pharisees that even though they tithe, they are still missing the point because they aren't generous to the poor and they neglect justice and the love of God.

I think part of the reason I haven't noticed this passage before is because I have always thought of myself as just. To me, justice has always meant fairness. I try to be fair to everyone. But last week it dawned on me that fairness isn't what he is talking about here, because he specifically refers to the poor.

As I have posted before, I believe strongly in taking care of the poor, if for no other reason than I don't want to see children abandoned simply because of poverty. (Yes, I hate abandonment in all cases, but I am specifically talking about poverty right now.) But lately I have also been learning about organizations like International Justice Mission, which works to free modern-day slaves.

I mean, did you even know that there were modern-day slaves?

And then a few days ago, I came across this blog post, which I am pretty sure you don't even want to know about. (You don't have to click on the post, but you will probably not really understand what I am saying if you don't.) In fact, I am positive that you don't want to know. Because I mean, what are we supposed to do with that information? The answer is right there on the blog, and it is hard.

If justice is more than tithing and giving other money and being fair to people, then am I living a just life? I have such a cushy American life it's ridiculous. Even as I clip coupons and complain about my healthy children whining, how can I not be aware that in another place, there is a mom who has no food to buy, and children who can't cry because the dysentery has sucked the life out of them, and young girls who have been trafficked for sex.

When we think of all of the problems of the world, it seems incredibly overwhelming. But I don't think that verse got my attention because God wanted me to get bogged down in guilt. He got my attention because he wants me to act on the things that I am capable of acting on. Even the things that are incredibly hard.

So what am I going to do? What changes will I make in my life? I honestly don't know. But I have always tried to be real here, so I am giving it my best. I have been writing this post for several days now, but I haven't been able to finish it. I wanted to tie it up with a nice pretty bow, but I don't have one. I am still a non-committal, selfish, tither who is fair to others and occasionally donates money to good causes. And what am I supposed to do with that? What does God want me to do with that?

Happy Birthday, Kate NaNa!

For a week and a half in October, we have what seems like a 10 day Kate-fest, because ten days after we met her, she turned 2.

Which also means that it has been 10 days since my last post. So much for keeping up with things here...

So, first, pictures from our NaNa day celebration, which we actually celebrated a day late.

We went out for Chinese food, and gave Kate her gift from China. This year it was a Chinese drum.

Doesn't that smile just steal your heart?

Moving right along...

Today the fam came over for the backyard birthday bash. Which was partially held inside because it was too windy for candles.Two of her cousins, Bri and Danielle, were able to come this year, which made it even better.

And then the grandparents took the kids to the pumpkin farm, and I got a moment to myself. How 'bout that?

I'm still a little giddy from the chocolate and quiet.

Happy Kate NaNa Day!

Today is the two year anniversary of the day I first met my daughter. She is now so completely a mama's girl, that it is hard to imagine that she ever pushed me away. But in those first few days, she was grieving hard, and when she cried for Mama, I was not the mama she wanted.

You can see Tim's post (with video of our first meeting and later bonding over chocolate) of that first day together here. And you can see my version of it all here. (If you want to read about the whole trip, you can pull up October 2008 from the archives on the sidebar.)

Kate NaNa, you are the most wonderful, resilient, amazing, strong, beautiful daughter in the world. I cannot imagine my life without you. I love you to the moon and back.

Honk!

This past weekend was extremely busy with soccer games, a local festival, church, and four performances of Honk!, (a musical based on the Ugly Duckling). Ben was a frog, a fish, and a "snow spirit" (which was basically a glorified snowflake). Tim played the part of the rooster, Father Swan, and a half dozen off-stage sound effects.

My rooster and fish

Father Swan

Finger-poppin' Hippie Frog

Both of them performed well, and had a whole lot of fun. And now, maybe some normalcy might start to return to my house? Eh, probably not. Ben is still singing the songs and telling the jokes from the play. But that is pretty normal for us.

Poker Face

One of the kids I babysit is O. She is two years old and one of Kate's best buddies. She is an independent little firecracker, and I am constantly left laughing or rolling my eyes.

Her mom is a good friend of mine, and she is a huge Glee fan. (For the uninitiated Glee is a tv show about a high school choir with lots of angst, and they often break into song and dance.) She often listens to the sound track, and so O knows a lot of the songs. One of her favorites is a song called "Poker Face".

Last week, O comes in the room and says, "Hey, Kate! Let's do 'Poker Face'! Come on! Poker Face!" And she starts to sing a tune that I can only assume sounds like "Poker Face" to her, repeating Poker Face over and over.

Kate, who has never heard that song before (at least to my knowledge), gets a look of panic on her face, covers her eyes, and screams, "NO! Don't poke my face! Don't poke my face!"

They had this exact same conversation all day long.

At some point, I should've pulled Kate aside and explained to her what O was talking about, but honestly, I was laughing way too hard.

How did we get here?

Seriously. We have been having that kind of month. I mean season. (Please don't tell me it's that kind of year.) The kind where you find yourself over-extended, exhausted, and de-centered. That's me and my family right now.

You see, Tim and I pretty much see eye-to-eye on this kind of stuff. Priorities are: family, church, and school. That means dinner together at night, church activities, and homework. If the soccer/play/music lesson/birthday party/play date/committee/extra job conflicts with one of the above, we usually say no. We have gotten pretty good at finding that balance for our family.

Until now.

Last summer, I asked Ben if he wanted to play soccer. He really enjoys it, but he has aged out of our regular league (apparently 8 is soooo old), so we asked him if he was interested in this other league in town. He really wanted to play, so we signed up in June, so that he could play fall soccer. (Don't ask me why they need two months notice. That is a whole 'nother rant.) And then we forgot about it.

Fast forward to August, and Tim is trying out for community theater. When we lived in our previous town, he was in several plays, but the ones here always seem to conflict with our schedules (see above priorities), so he hasn't done it. On a whim, he asked Ben if he wanted to go and try out too. I saw no problem with that, and off they went.

But the problem was that all three of us forgot about soccer. Blame it on school starting back or the book or whatever, but we forgot. They both ended up getting multiple parts in Honk!, which means that they both have several practices a week. They are enjoying spending time together, but it is a large commitment.

Because it is the way things work, almost every single soccer practice or game in September conflicts with a Honk rehearsal. The play ends this weekend, and then we will start in again with the soccer. Along with that, we still have our jobs, piano practice, doctor appointments, and did I mention that Will is playing Y soccer?

I'll admit it, it was a whole lot worse two weeks ago when I was still working on the book. And at least Kate isn't involved in any extra-curriculars yet (not that she isn't dying to - she really wants to do gymnastics this winter).

But, in my defense, Ben originally refused to sing in the play, which meant he wouldn't get a part, which was fine with me. Also in my defense, when I called to sign Ben up for soccer, the lady told me there was one practice and one game per week. This is not in any way, shape, or form, true. We are supposed to be there at least three times per week for one or the other. We were also told there would be no Sunday/Wednesday games. Not true. And I didn't even think to ask if there would be out-of-town games (he is 8 for Pete's sake!). There are. So, the frustration is not entirely of my own making.

But enough of it is. And Ben is grumpy. This is a kid who requires about 11 hours of sleep a day, plus 2-3 hours of down time. (He would like nothing better than to play with his brother and sister all day long. He is a homebody like his mama and daddy.) He is definitely not getting that right now. We agreed that from now on, we really need to choose between activities. He was totally in agreement, but I have no idea which one he will choose in the spring. I just know that after October, we are taking some much needed time off!

I know some of you won't believe me, but we are not "keeping up with the Jones" kind of people. You hear about my schedule when I am stressed, but that is not our happy norm. We consider a good weekend one in which we have nothing planned, and we play in the backyard and read on the couch. We hate the stress of schedules and fees and practices. When we are tied up in that, we forget how much we actually like being together because we are rushing around all the time. We enjoy living at a slower pace than everyone around us. We do it intentionally. And now we are being reminded why we are that way.

Sometimes we joke that we are going to quit everything and move to Hawaii. But I hear that if we did that the joke would be on us. One of my dearest friends lives there, and we have talked weekly about how the stress of kindergarten and preschool and swimming lessons and dance and jobs and.... Well, it's killing them too. She is convinced that city life is the problem, but I say we have to intentionally learn to say no. Say, not right now. An eight-year-old doesn't need a 12-game soccer season. A three year-old doesn't need to drive 1/2 an hour one way for gymnastics.

We need to just be. Be a family. Be together. Be with God. And breathe.

I won again!

What's up with that? If this keeps up I am going to have to stop saying that I never win anything.

A few months ago, I won two awesome CDs (which we are thoroughly enjoying, TM) from this momma, and today, I checked my blogfeed and found this! I won a game called Mastermind, or Mastermind Towers. I am not sure which one I won, but they both look great. My kids saw the original post and wanted to know all about this game, so now they will have a chance to play it for themselves. Fun stuff.

Incidentally, Megan's blog is one of my favorites. She writes amazing posts about the Congo, her son's struggles with attachment, and parenting in general. Plus, she is stinkin' hilarious. She makes me laugh out loud all. the. time.

Thanks, Megan!!!

I think I am back...

At least for now.

In case you haven't noticed, I have been rather absent from the blogging world lately. I checked in occasionally, but haven't done much writing, blog-hopping, or commenting in a couple of months. And I have missed it. A lot.

But I think I may be back! And since I like to write, you get to hear about it.

Our church is celebrating 200 years. Last summer, the chairman of the history committee came to me and asked me if I would be willing to be a part of the committee to help plan the celebration. I asked Tim if he could help me think of a good reason not to do it. But apparently pastors think you should serve your church with your talents, or some such.... I even asked God to help me think of a reason. Shockingly, He didn't help me out either....

Anyway, I said yes, with great fear and trepidation, because I had no idea how I could contribute. This past winter, the committe was discussing its plans of a big Bicentennial Banquet and ways we could share with the congregation and get them involved, etc. I had celebrated a bicentennial with another church, so I had some thoughts, but planning events is not really my forte.

So when they started talking about a history book they were writing, I thought maybe I could help. I know how to use a computer, basically, and I can spell and use proper grammar (although I am a bit lazy sometimes), so I thought - hey, this is how I can help. They already had the writers chosen (which was good, because I didn't want that job), so what they needed was a copy-editor. Someone to read over the manuscript and make corrections.

So I agreed to do this, thinking to myself, how easy will this gig be? I will read this stuff (50 pages maybe?), make minor corrections (nothing time consuming), and be done.

And God laughed at me.

Because. I had no. idea. what I was getting myself into.

First of all, we now think the book will be around 250 pages or so. And there were six authors, all with different topics, backgrounds, and styles.

Still, I thought, that's ok. I will do them one at a time, and we will get this thing done by summer.

I know. What was I thinking?

And did I mention the footnotes? Oy! the footnotes! (I never use the word, oy. Where did that come from?)

Honestly, the authors were wonderful, but they each had very different strengths, so every time I was working with a different author, there was a different learning curve (sometimes a very steep one) with what I had to do. One of them is a fabulous writer, but didn't really want to use the footnotes. The committee wanted footnotes (ok, 2 of us really wanted footnotes - ethically and academically it's important!), so I added footnotes. Another author's topic was very sensitive, and so she and I (and several others) worked very hard to address the issue in a respectful way. I could go on and on. And on top of that, I fact-checked. As I was footnoting, I went to the source and made sure the years and the names and the places and everything else was correct. (I am sure I made mistakes, but I don't wanna know about them at this point!)

For months I have had dreams where I was in a room with the authors and we were all going through 200 years of church minutes looking for something! and we just couldn't find it.

Anyway, yesterday at 11:00am, I sat in a room with these people, and I wrote an email to our publisher, attached 25 documents, and hit the send button. And we all clapped and cheered as our book went out from our little group.

Tonight, we held our Bicentennial Celebration Banquet. I haven't had time to look forward to this event, because every. waking. moment. that wasn't spent taking care of children was spent at the library or on the computer, editing, editing, editing. (Will told me a few weeks ago that he calls the book, The Book That Never Ends.) I haven't cooked or cleaned in weeks. (Seriously, don't go into my bathrooms.) But when I got there it felt like a celebration. There were reunions of old friends, a wonderful video about the church that was made by one of our talented committee members, and an amazing singer. Ok, she was totally my favorite part. Anyway, I really enjoyed the party.

And tomorrow, our pastor will talk about beginning our third century of ministry. And it will be good. I have learned so much about how good God has been to us. How we have been through wonderful times and painful division. And I have built wonderful friendships with these people that I sort-kinda knew before. We have argued, compromised, and rejoiced together. And even though I have whined and complained (especially to my husband and GWAC - you know who you are), I have loved it. But don't ask me to do it again anytime soon.

At this moment, I am feeling very blessed... and very tired. And now I need some sleep (before the publisher sends it back for photos and indexing and cover decisions and corrections and...).

Surprise Visit

A few weeks ago (yes, I know this post is very late), my brother-in-law and his wife called out of the blue and said they were coming to visit. The house was a wreck, Tim had meetings, and I was trudging through the church project (which I will tell you about later), but none of us cared because it is always a treat when Brian and Melissa come to town.

Their kids are almost 7 and almost 5, to go with my kids, who are 8, 6, and almost 4.They love to be together, rarely fight, and play, play, play. Michael says that I have the best toys at my house.

I say he has the best pajamas ever.

And Caroline and I got to have important conversations about school lunch boxes and ice cream flavors.

I love those kids.

(And just ignore all the red eyes. I don't have time to fool with that right now.)

They stayed the night, and Uncle Brian and Aunt Melissa took all 5 kids to get donuts, which made them big-time heroes with my crew. Then I got to sit on the couch and have grown-up conversations with two people I don't see often enough. It was really, really good. Did I say really? Really.

So, whenever you're ready to come back and visit again, come on over! (Although now that I think about it, I don't think they read my blog. Oh, well. The rest of the family does, so you come on over, too! :)

Kate's First Day of School

Just to prove to you all that I haven't dropped off of the face of the earth, I thought I would share about Kate's first day of school. As you know, she had been eagerly waiting for September to get here so that she could be a big kid too. So last Wednesday the day finally arrived.

She picked out her own clothes, with matching orange socks and orange bow.

And she and her Daddy headed out on their annual First Day of School Breakfast, where she happily feasted on pancakes and chocolate milk.

When I picked her up, it was obvious that she had had a great morning and was really happy to see her friends and teachers again. She was grinning ear to ear and ran to meet me.

But when I got her in the van and asked her how it went, she put on her pouty face and said, "I didn't get any homework!" Yes, my daughter loves homework. She asks me every night when she will have homework, and doesn't understand why the teacher only assigns it (usually a story book to read together) on Mondays. My mom says I have to remind her of this in about 5 or 6 years.

A few days later I got a call from the special ed coordinator at her school. She didn't personally know Kate, but she was making rounds with Miss Julie, the speech and language pathologist who does know Kate. She said that Miss Julie's reaction to Kate's progress this summer was, "Wow!" You better believe wow! Learning to raise her tongue has only improved her ability to make sounds and words, and we are very excited about her progress.

And another plus of preschool, Kate is finding new ways to practice her sounds. Apparently one of Kate's new classmates is named Vanessa. So she spent most of Wednesday afternoon singing, "Banessa Banessa Banessa Banessa..." You get the idea. I asked her if she liked that name, and she giggled and said she did. Then she went back to her song. And the best part is that occasionally you can hear the V sound on the front of Banessa. Because of her under bite, that's a tough one!

Ahh, I love back-to-school time.

A Quick Brag

Will got off the bus today, took one look at the mess the babies had made while I was working on the church project, and started cleaning up without me asking. I think it's safe to say that has never happened before. I knew he would help me entertain them (they adore him and follow him around all afternoon), but this was quite unexpected.

Ahhhhh, some good news.

Kate NaNa had her follow-up appointment at the ENT today. This was for the tubes (set #3) that were put in twelve days ago. I was a bit worried going in because yesterday she complained about one of her ears hurting. Not good. And today, she told me her throat hurt. Also not good. So let's just say I was less than optimistic.

Surprisingly, her tubes looked great. The doc uses cameras to look inside, so I get to see what he sees on the television (which is really way cool, btw). She was a tad waxy, but it wasn't touching the ear tubes, and there was no infection. Can you say Hallelujah? After driving a half an hour to his office every two weeks for the last three months, we are happy to take a little vacation. We don't have to go back for three more months. What will we do with ourselves? Oh yes, next month is the cleft clinic and audiologist, not to mention preschool, and...let's just suffice it to say that I am sure we will come up with something to fill our time.

In other news, I have several posts stewing in my head, but I don't have time to write them because I am in crunch time in this super-big project at church. In fact, I am so busy that I don't even have time to explain it to you. But know that I haven't died. I am just running on no sleep, and almost everything is getting pushed to the back burner. (I am hoping my dear husband will come home soon so he can fold laundry and make this house look like I do something other than lay on the couch all day.

First Day of School

Tuesday was the first day of school in our district, and as a family, we had very mixed feelings about the whole thing. Will and I were super-duper excited about him starting school. He has grown up so much in the last year, and I am confident he is totally going to rock Kindergarten!

Ben and Kate, on the other hand, were not so happy. In Ben's words, "I do not have high hopes for second grade." Basically, he loved first grade so much, that he can't believe that second grade could possibly be as good. Pessimistic much? He has a new teacher (another Mrs. H), and his best buddies are in different classes. I have assured him that the new Mrs. H. is every bit as wonderful, and that he can still see his buddies on the playground, and that he always makes friends easily, and this year will be no exception. But he is nervous, bless his heart.

Kate NaNa is just mad because she can't go with them. All summer long she has told everyone, "I am five, and I am going to Kindergarten," while I shake my head no at the grown-ups and hold up 3 fingers. At bedtime she asks, "How many days until Kindergarten, Mom?" Since she has no concept of numbers or time, she doesn't understand when I explain to her that there are over 700 days until she goes to Ben's school. Unfortunately, her school called last week to tell us that school would be starting later than they thought - September. Ugh.

Those were the expectations for the first day of school. So, you might ask, how did it go?

Well, Will does indeed love Kindergarten. He loves recess and choice time and the gym and the library and his new friends and his teachers and everything about it. The only part he was dreading was the bus, but it turns out that was his favorite part of the whole day.

Ben's day, although not over-the-moon-spectacular, was much better than he thought it would be. It is taking him a few days to make new friends and warm up to his teacher. When I ask him how it is going he says, "It's ok." And Wednesday was better than Tuesday, so I am hoping today will continue on that upward trend.

(Can you see the nervous finger-popping going on?)

Kate, while frequently complaining (insert whiny voice), "I don't know what to do," is adjusting fine. She busies herself telling the kids I babysit what to do and waiting for her brothers to get off the bus.

And, of course, Tim took them out for the annual First Day of School Breakfast.
I think that once we get the kinks worked out (that is, Ben gets used to second grade, and Kate goes to preschool) that everyone will be happy with our new schedule, just like we were last year.

Update on Kate

Pics from before surgery...

Just wanted to update really quick. Kate's surgery yesterday morning was fine. She woke up cranky and screaming, but once the meds wore off her mood improved considerably:) She got to spend the entire day on the couch enjoying a Phineas and Ferb marathon, and right now she is bouncing around and in a great mood. The only part she hates is the ear drops. Which she really hates.

Thanks for the prayers and phone calls. We don't see the doctor for two weeks, at which point we should find out if it all went as well as we think it did.