Jesus loves....

Our little trip to Walmart was a success this morning!
I came out with what I went for and only the donuts (Stoney picked yellow this time),
and Lays Dill potatoe chips fell into the cart.


I unfortunately did not think ahead and bring Lucy's juice for the ride home. She was upset and kept saying "juice, please" over and over. (At least she is polite) No matter how many times I said we don't have it, or it's at home she pressed on and with growing ferocity. I go to plan B....distraction. We were just passing the 100 crosses abortion memorial and yelled out..."Look there is Jesus (big picture of him), and a flag (Stone likes flag, so she must too). And Stone says, "yeah, JESUS!" with excitement. I am proud. It is common for me to tell the kids that Jesus loves them and me and dad and their brothers and sisters and ....
So, I press my luck and ask him, "Who does Jesus love?". He replies without hesitation and with great confidence.....GYMNASTICS!
But the episode did quiet Lucy down!


And a little plug for a great new magazine. It just premiered March 28th and I found mine at Walmart. I LOVE IT!!! Go buy one for you, a friend, your mom, her friend....

Here is the post I had on one of my boards I like to visit that introduced me to Lily.

Subject: new magazine!

Dear friends,In two weeks, on March 28, a new magazine will appear on newsstands across the country. It is called "Lily."Lily, published by Meredith Corporation, is a Christian lifestyle magazine that encourages and inspires readers with relevant information geared to meet the spiritual and practical needs of today's Christian women and their families. Lily's beautiful photography, practical tips, and entertaining and instructional content uplift and nurture the Christian woman and offer hundreds of ideas for using creative gifts and talents.Publication features: Bible-based lessons and advice from respected Christian leaders and authors, such as James Dobson, Janet Paschal, Joyce Meyer, and many others....... Solutions for streamlining and simplifying home life..... Recipes and tips to bring the family back to the dinner table......Answers to health, fitness, relationship, finance, and stewardship issues....... Instructions for creating a nurturing and beautiful home and garden....... Inspirational looks at Christian families, leaders, speakers, and musicians at home.......Beautiful, flavorful, and creative ideas for gatherings of friends, family, and community.......Inspiring stories of believers who overcome adversity, use their gifts and talents to worship God, and strive to impact the world for good.......Practical ways to share the Bible with children and establish a legacy of faith.God has blessed me (a garden writer!) with the opportunity to write three feature stories in this issue. The cover story features a family (just like yours!) here in Central Iowa. The other stories I did feature interior designer Laurie Smith (from TLC's "Trading Spaces") and a St. Louis mom with 10 children who is super-duper beautiful and fit.
Meredith needs to know this magazine has a vital market of people who want to read it. What I would ask each of you to do is 4 things:
(1) Look for the magazine---in grocery stores, home improvement centers, bookstores, Walmart, etc. This will not just be in Christian stores. If you can't find Lily, call one of these two numbers and ask how to find it:
>>>> Meredith Corporation 800-284-4236
>>>> Bethanie Wright 515-284-3206
The cover features a lime green old-timey pick-up truck with a mom, some kids, and brightly colored flowers.
(2) Buy the issues, if you are able to. We need this issue to sell out at the newsstands.
(3) Share this email with your friends! Lily is relying upon a grassroots effort to promote this issue.
(4) Pray that God will bless this magazine! It has tremendous potential to touch unbelievers' lives. It's very different from other Christian women's magazines.....Thank you for your interest, your prayer, and your friendship!!!!

Park meditation and hat day!

Finally some warmer weather. I walked in the morning after Stone went to school. Lucy and I headed to the park and did 2 (wow) miles. I was really tempted to go three and actually thought it's one mile closer to Kate, but then we'd have to pass the 3 playground areas and I would have to hear Lucy scream to go weeeee again. Which I don't understand because she only climbs a couple steps and then shakes says " I scared" and then comes down. WEEEEEE!?????

So, to get her to leave, I promise to return after we get Stone. It was 45 minutes of meditation. I have stay-at-home mom, dad's away on business syndrome. I lack intelletual conversation so, spending endless time at the park, watching my kids and analyzing life fits into my schedule. People driving by on their lunch hour break look at me and think...drugs.

We found a great playground that fit both "no-fear, likes to be called spiderman-boy", and "I scared, I cried-girl". While he jumped off the ladder she pretended to jump off a little step almost ground level, but she was proud. It is hard to copy when you don't have the nerve. Her poor green shoes have given her some pretty bad blisters, so she took them off. Of course guess who had to try to get her toes? I am soooo glad this game did not last! For those who don't know, Stone has a thing for toes. We have had to leave the McDonald's playland because barefoot kids were being stalked and tormented by him.






Back to the park. Lucy actually made it up all 3 steps and then slowly went into a tunnel! I was floored. Of course, she goes straight for the holes and says, CHHEEEESSEEE, before I even have the camera out. (That's bad!)








Then the water called! Stone threw sticks and rocks in the small creek as Lucy threw in small blades of grass. I just sat in complete amazement of the joy one gets in throwing things into water. With a smile on my face, because I am completely satisfied and happy with life, I carried one (Lucy) kicking and screaming to the car (asleep before we got out of the park) and pretended to leave one (Stone), as the lunch break passer-byers now have DCFS hit on the speed-dial.








Dante is no-doubt ready for his MAP testing thanks to "wear a hat to school day"!

INVESTMENTS!!!!

Yesterday was a GREAT day! At first I was very scared because I went shopping and that sometimes is not good on Bart's mood. I spend too much on the kids, always! I made an INVESTMENT on a couple dry-erase books and markers. They are for learning to write. INVESTMENT well spent. Stone wrote in his book all afternoon, and asked to do it again in the evening. Buying two was also sooooo smart. Lucy loved to draw in the other book and then erase and then draw and erase. Little on the table....comes off easy. I did have a complete laughing fit when Stone kept drawing on his hand, shirt, me...when trying to turn a page. He freaked out and had to have it off before he could do anything else. He kept yelling get it with your finger....Because I did the (Mom thing) lick your finger to get it off. As I type now...he is writing away and Lucy is copying. And can you believe Scooby-doo is still playing it's little song on the gamecube unoccupied! INVESTMENT!!!!

And the gates were open!!!!!!!!! Of, course butterflies were fluttering in my stomach as we drove down the hill to the campsite! We did miss out again on our pad! Since we did not pay a deposit, someone else got our spot for memorial weekend. We either have to park it in the "too-sunny-nobody-wants-it" spot until after memorial weekend and then move it or just wait til after to camp at all. Either way, I paid a deposit to save our B34 from Memorial weekend on. INVESTMENT.















And this was a result of my shopping as well.... It is really hard to tell from this picture, but his pants are skater design. Dante had pajama day at school today. He was very sad, because he did not have any to wear. That is what sent me out to shop in the first place. I wouldn't want him running around in what he really wears to bed, this might just ruin his self-confidence and self-esteem. I saw it as.... you guessed it an INVESTMENT in my child's future.
In an attempt to get the kids excited for the state testing... they have a week of dress up.
I think it is insane. He has already expressed a lot of anxioty about the testing. It is in his nature to be the best and not fail (wonder where he gets that).




Now, my definition of INVESTMENT in this post is not the same as my husband's. I wanted to make this very clear! He is truely trying to teach me liability, asset, investment, and all that. All I know is I try to ease the pain and make INVESTMENTS out of my little spending sprees in hopes he will not cut me off AGAIN!

Stop and smell the ....weeds(?)!

Dante came running back inside yesterday as he was headed to the bus stop. I thought he forgot something, but instead he was just filled with excitement. He told me he had to come back in to tell me I had flowers in the yard, and the one by the mailbox was really pretty.





How lucky I am to have both such a beautiful "flower" (especially since I planted none), and a 9 year old boy who thinks such things are a beauty and joy.

When in reality I did try to mow, but couldn't get the mower started. (surprise...). Bart should feel blessed to be needed!

Beacause look what I did (with a little help) without him!











Old broken thermostat.
















New thermostat.

SIGNS

So things around here are down to the days of the week song that Stone sings at school... I honestly can't think of what tune it it sung to. But we go from Monday to Saturday and then DADDY'S HOME. I always have counted down the last week by saying to myself ...."this is the last Saturday night I will be by myself...this is the last Sunday morning to get everyone to church by myself. " and so on until he is home. It isn't that it is too difficult, because really things are going great....We just like having him with us.

I decided not to show off my kids today. It is getting that time ..... CAMPING. As you saw, we were itching and tried to go out to our little piece of heaven and the gates were closed. It made the day seem not so bright...but we did get to visit with the great grandparents and well, they haven't changed. They loved the kids.

I found out that I am finally back to a one piece suit. I am not saying you won't catch me when I think I am alone in my two piece, but for your own sake...don't go trying. This "little" number is my choice! I just hope it looks as "cute" on me as it does on the white backdrop.

I also found this picture just amazing. It is a swimming pool in China. Makes me really appreciate the seclusion of "my lake" no matter how many campers there are.




I saw Signs again this weekend. It has always been a favorite. I was able to watch it on a different level. As always, watching M. Night Shyamalan's movies a second, third, even a fourth time is neccessary to catch all his amazing details. Our church had a Sunday morning Bible study based on movies and picked this as one to look at. Even though I did not attend it, I really got a lot of insight in Mel Gibbson's character and a great story about faith. If you haven't and can stand a bit of suspense and some fear, mixed in with some laughs ...check it out. Besides the cast is super.

Making the newspaper is always cool!

Dante is still a champion!

Closed

This picture completely tells you what kind of day I had. 

A lot of kids in a BIG tin shed!

Two hours in a morton building (gymnastics company in the backwoods) with 90+ kids of all levels of special needs is truely an experience. I am torn whether to joke and heartily explain the chaos, or tell it in the true humbling way it makes a person feel.

There were 5 stations of trampolines, activity center, slide, cube pit, and mats. We hit the trampolene first with our group. Ms. Karen and Ms. Mary Ann are blessings to these children and their parents. Lucy made 11 in our class. I jumped with Lucy as she told you yesterday and did get motion sickness something terrible. It was all I could do to make it through the rest of the morning. The kids had a little too much time at each station. Towards the end of each one we all were directing them back to where they were and not the next one.
The cubes were a hit. Stone loved them and almost lost his socks in there along with a lot of other socks. Some parents are going to wonder... Ms. Mary Ann was in with the kids and had the unpleasant experience of getting wet socks from water at the bottom of the pit. This does not sit easy with me. Things grow in standing water.
Lucy was petrified of most everything. She pretends she'd like it and then chicken out. I would try to help her and she would tense up and shake with fear. There is a little girl in the class that is exactly like her, but 3 years older. Her mom was there and also saw the similarity. She is the mom bouncing all the kids on the trampoline by jumping with them in the picture. That was a riot to watch. Better her then me. She is younger!

There was the most precious down syndrom boy, that really loved the big slide and all teachers, and parents decided he should be allowed to keep going up and down it all morning. His dad was there (who was also an on duty perimedic. Score!) and brought tears to my eyes how he interacted with his son. He was so proud and patient. A lesson learned about the many forms of a blessing!!



I can't say I was sad when we had to leave. These kids thrive on schedules and order. This was just maddness, I tell you. Some kids wondering into other areas, some were scared, others had no fear! And all were so excited! The faces were PRICLESS.

But even though my kids had a blast as they jumped and ran and screamed and climbed and screamed and ran... They both still did not sleep through the night, and motion sickness on a trampoline? Who knew?

Addicted? ME?

Remember back when I thought the pacie was cute and a phase and then said it was not....

IT HAS GOTTEN EVEN WORSE!

Check in soon for great stuff about Stone's fieldtrip! And Dante made the paper, for basketball.

twenty words and one day

This is what Lucy told me last night:

Strawberry, jump, weee, scared, cried, daddy work, airplane, walk, puppy, red eyes, beans, bath all gone, cold, juice, pacie, and blue.

This was her day in her own words.

I will translate:
I woke up this morning and just HAD TO put on my new Strawberry Shortcake outfit, then mom made me pose (again) for pictures. We met my brother Stone at the gymnastics fieldtrip with 90+ of his "special" friends. I got to jump with my mom (who got very sick) on big trampoleens, and go weeee down lots of slides. One was huge and filled with air. I was scared and did not do this one along with most everything else there since I don't like to be in motion, upside down, spun around or high up. I cried. Along with a lot of Stone's 90+ friends. When we got home, I kept telling my mom that daddy's at work and took an airplane to get there. I also sign it because she makes me and then gets all happy silly when I do. It is like she doesn't even notice he's been gone for a week and a half. Then to distract me she said "let's go for a walk". And even though she changed her mind, I made sure we did walk. On our trip there is a puppy. Stone keeps talking about a puppy with red eyes, so I say it too, because he is cool and always right. We got home and the cute neighbor boy came over and I fed him beans (skittles) while my mom went to church. I think Dante knew I liked him. At bath time, Mom made the water all gone before I was done and I got cold. But then I was dressed in pj's and I got my juice and pacie and settled in to watch Blue's Clue's. I bet I fall asleep soon after Steve gets the mail.

Lucy's misfortune helps others.

+

=

Baseball and Jibbitz.

We played outside with Grandpa on Saturday. Dante looks alike like the baseball star from the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols.
Stone had a very hard time holding up the heavy bat and held it waist level and waved it like he was going to bunt. Maybe he will gain some atheletic ability with time.


And finally THE SHOES! These are a product of grandpa's spoiling! Well, Lucy's I got at Walmart. At first she had purple, and Stone had green. Stone screamed and kicked with his shoes on. Who knows why...just a glimpse of what I battle on a daily basis. Shoes are a hard thing for him to change. We usually buy the same shoes over and over in a bigger size. Lucy is strange by default and has to be just like Stone. In every way. She screamed with her purple shoes, but took a liking to Stone's green ones that were 4 sizes too big. I ended up back at Walmart returning Stone's and exchanging her's for the green. Happiness was achieved for all parties involved except Bart....I only went to Walmart for milk, bread, and laundry detergent.

The red is from Poppa Scott to Dante. These are not Wal-mart off brand these are the real deal Croc's. Wow was he surprised and HAPPY. The little button things are called a variety of things from shoedoodles, charmettes, and Jibbitz. There are tons of these to personalize your shoes. Check out the link! Lucy got a heart, purple flower, and a L. Dante got a basketball, football, baseball, and a D. Even though it is a meaningless money making scam, I love it! My kids are cute and I am still trying to find some that Stone will not freak out over when he slides them on his feet!

Chopstick master

I can nourish myself and even Lucy using chopsticks.

Bart just called and told me he was a failure with the sticks at the Japanese restaurant he went to last night.

So while in China, I will eat and feed Kate, and he will starve!


Check out the Walk to China link for updated miles!

A few fun moments at the ONE house.

Stone is ready for Ms. Kate (see Links: Kate's Quilt, for more about her name), his sister from CHINA. He now plays his "games" Mario Super Smash Melee in Chinese.



While Dad's away, Mom tries to carrying on the nightly "Here's the mail. It never fails. It makes me want to wag my tail. When it comes, I want to yell....MAAAIIILLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We just got a letter. We just got a letter. We just got a letter. Wonder who it's from. Look....It's a letter from our friends...." That is a lot of pressure on one MOM.




Stone gives his best "Easter Bunny" impression while the boys show off their matching shirts.



Why eat fruit when you can have CAKE!
And yes, we sang Happy Birthday to both Stone and Lucy, with candles...twice, since the first time I sang too fast!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Don't you just love a holiday that takes a Irish Christian Missionary who drove Pageanism out of Ireland and turns it into a reason to get really drunk off green beer? I don't get it!

St Patrick history can be found here. It is the first year I really knew about who this man was. I was just happy enough getting Kisses from all the drunk's drinking green beer thanks to my grandmother's Irish blood. Ha!

when Bart's away...we will play!

Which one of these do you think I did yesterday?