A Really Important Thought

Yes--Ellen is home!!! I apologize for not updating sooner, but on top of the homecoming activities I also spent two days in bed with the flu and am trying to catch up. I want to post pictures but felt it was more important to share something I heard today rather than to sort and upload photos.

Faith that doesn't change you, doesn't save you.

Say that over and over to yourself. I am.

15 Hours...

...until Ellen and Katie are home from Guyana! We're going to make time fly by doing something fun,... like,... clean carpets.?! Really.

Wisdom from Mom

One of my Mom's favorite sayings concerning child raising was,

"When they're little they're a handful,
When they're bigger they're a headful,
But they're always a heartful."

My load is lighter these days than it once was as I have fewer 'handfuls' and many are past being a 'headful', but I was reminded of the 'heartful' this morning when Chet called me. His first words were,

"Hi Mom, I'm in the Urgent Care Center..."

From hundreds of miles away the bottom dropped out of my stomach as I waited for the details that would tell me if I needed to catch a plane or just listen. Thankfully, I only had to listen--a nail went through his foot.

My Mom lived out her love for me, always listening but coming when she knew I needed her, even when I didn't know I needed her. I hope that I will also prove the Mother-love I confess and will do my best to be there for my children "in a heartbeat".

It Could Be....

I often read from Proverbs in the morning before we begin our school day and the children like it when I leave off the end of a verse and have them fill in the blank.

For example: "Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a .....", and they say "liar" or "fool" or whatever they think fits.

A few days ago I had switched over to Ecclesiastes and I was having them fill in the blanks. We were in chapter 4 and I read,

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
"For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls for he has not another to help him up.
"Again, if two lie together, then they have......(heat)."

Owen immediately blurted out, "Children!"

One-upped by the two-nosed cow

Referring to my previous post, Joey left a comment informing me that the cow received top billing on the web site. I checked, it did. Personally, I thought the cow story was much more interesting and deserved the recognition.

You can see the link to our story at http://www.wjfw.com/stories.html?sku=20090510172139. Note: Gabe is not two, he's "Dwee!".

Small Town

You know you live in a small town when you're the feature Mother's Day story.

You REALLY know you live in a small town when the Mother's Day story has a double billing, because Lucy the Two-Nosed Cow just gave birth this week.

At least I was on BEFORE Lucy.

Great Drum Line Video

My friend Kerri Schmidt sent me this video of her nephew. Matt is a 17 year old with Down syndrome. He attends Appleton West High School and plays in the band and drum line. Kerri told me that the kids all love Matt and that is certainly evident in this video clip. She also told me that it would bring tears to my eyes, it did. (At the beginning you can see Matt against the wall waiting for his entry.)

Funny Book Classics

Last night Bryce was reading "The Funny Book", a book of funny kid sayings and antics that we keep in our kitchen. Anytime someone witnesses something worthy of being added to the book they write it down. I started it in 1992 and the entries still make us laugh.

Here are a few of my favorite kid questions over the years:

"If you run out of tears and get spanked do you just say 'ouchie', 'ouchie', 'ouchie'?" (2001)

"Can I take my tie off? It makes my hands cold." (2001)

"Mama, how come the first baby you had was a biggun and the last one was a weiner?" (2002)

"Wouldn't it be weird if this was all a dream and I woke up and was homeless?." (2007)

Clean--From the Inside Out

Sunday morning Gabe woke up with a blow out diaper to beat all diapers. From chest to knees, inside and out of that diaper it was toxic. I skipped the wet wipes and went straight for the tub. The pajamas got washed out in the toilet although I actually considered throwing them away.

Gabe had spent half the day with Grandma on Saturday so I asked her what he'd eaten! Nothing out of the ordinary, she assured me. We tried to blame it on the milk, but he's had cow's milk before without such results.

This morning Shane asked me, "Did I tell you about Gabe eating half a bar of soap when I gave him a bath Saturday night?"

"No, you didn't." Mystery solved.