Looking forward to...

visitors!!! Or should I say victims??? ***see previous post!*** My sister...oh, and our cousins... are due in a few hours...plans are being made for what to do first, bathrooms are cleaned, counters wiped off, floors cleaned, beds made, towels fluffed, Pepsi and coffee stocked, and alarm clocks smashed! We are launching into summer in as much chaos as we can muster!!! Two chattering sisters and six goofy kid...our poor husbands...it is a good thing they have to work!Have a good week! I am not sure if I will have time to stop by here...oh sigh.

Hey...come for a visit...

just be careful where you sit! I could use some more people around here...as I seem to be the "butt of alot of jokes" lately. Another part of mothering a little man...loss of pride, loss of dignity, lots of humor, and a heart to play along!
Hope your Saturday is filled with lots of...giggles!

Happy Birthday to you!

"Thanks, Dad!!! It is so cool! I needed a new bike!"

A little seat adjustment...

A little test drive......and he is ready to roll!
"When I am six and a half, I will be able to reach the ground all the way with my feet...it's ok, I can touch with my toes."

Once again...another woman's junk is our treasure! We found the bike at a garage sale last week and it was in good condition. The woman selling it told me her son had grown out of it. I told her my son grew out of his bike and this was a perfect fit! Teddy doesn't care about the name of the bike or where we got the bike...he is just glad it is red and his knees don't bump the handlebars and the tires aren't flat!

Six years ago...today...this little boy came to live at our house!

What a special surprise the Lord sent us! I am thankful for this little boy who is quickly growing into a big boy! Happy Birthday, Son!

Ok...now I am feeling old!

Another of my former students is getting married! That makes...uh, several now...I can't be that old yet...I just taught them in Third and Fourth grade (and Seventh...refer to earlier post) about um, SIXTEEN YEARS AGO! YIKES...what is happening to me?!

Never...say never...

because God will change circumstances and He will change your heart!
I have said the word "Never" in many different scenarios...

As a mother, I have used never in sentences about where not to use pens and markers, how not to speak to me, when rules of safety are being imparted, and in times of disbelief.
You know what I mean..."Never, ever write on anything but paper!", "You are to never raise your voice or roll your eyes at me.", "Don't you ever run out without looking both ways...never, never, never!", and "Never in all my born days...what would possess you to do that...?"

...and I am continuing to learn there are sometimes when I should not have said it! I am not the author of my life...God is!
Thankfully, He is not the author of confusion...but of power, of love, and of a sound mind!

As a teacher, I said, "I will never teach a grade higher than elementary." The very next year, I taught seventh grade!
As a mother, I said, "I will never have another baby this close...it is too much...I am too tired. Surely God understands that." Nine months later, Teddy was born.

God has been working on "a couple other nevers" I have uttered. And He has changed the circumstances and He has changed my heart to where I have had to be willing to say, "Lord, whatever You want me to do because You know what is best and I will do my very best!"
I will be forty years old this summer...old enough to know better than to say "Never!"

Hats...

I usually don't wear them...they mess up my hair or I look like a dork.
But, figuratively, I do wear many different hats throughout the day...
chef
maid
purchasing agent
nurse
babysitter
beautician
firefighter
lawyer
judge and jury
policewoman
fashion coordinator
manager
baker
exterminator
gardener
taxi driver
janitor
secretary
dishwasher
launderer
activities director
...to name a few...and I am going to be adding a couple more! It is a good thing I don't have to take each one off and find a place to store it! They will just pile up on top of each other...just like the old book Caps For Sale. I can't sell my hats...nor do I want to...at least for today!

Summer has officially started at our house!

The proof is in the bowl! We had a breakfast party in our pjs yesterday morning with our friends to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer.

Then we played and played and played outside the entire day...we had "ten little Indians" living in a teepee, a fire in the firepit to make smores, sidewalk chalk pictures, trampoline jumping, and lots of chattering! The Lord was good to us...He held off the rain till suppertime...a true blessing!

Fun, fun, fun, we're gonna have family fun...

A Fun Weekend...

started with the Awards Chapel at school on Friday. Here is Ashlynn's class minus two students.

Alisa was so serious while waiting for her bag of awards. They had a picnic on the grounds with their friends and then we took off...

for the lakehouse! It was a cool, beautiful day! On Saturday morning, it rained for a couple hours...and then cleared up. The rest of the family made their way up and we enjoyed fun on the water, yummy food, golf-cart rides, and a toasty fire.

This year, the campground is heating the pool! The water was 80...but the air was chilly. The kids took a dip on Monday before we headed home. I sat wrapped in a towel...brrrr!

The lake water was tolerable...well, sort of! The water is starting to recede and give some beach area back. The docks have not been marked off yet...our pieces are still floating on their leashes...maybe next week they will go in? or maybe not? It is raining again.

Teddy liked Uncle Paul and Aunt Carma's dog. The mosquitoes liked all of us!

Ashlynn is working hard to perfect her hula-hoop skills.

The highlight...Uncle James was able to take some time and come home for a surprise visit! Teddy spent Saturday afternoon on the jet ski with Uncle James! After the wave, they swapped seats and roared away..."Go faster, Uncle James, go faster!" Thank you to Uncle James and Lindsey for sharing that special treat with the kids!

We'd rather be there...now...than here

Two half days has been a little more than the girls would like...why not just have one whole day and get it over with?! The anticipation is building for the drive up to the lake tomorrow. My list is still not checked off...so it is a good thing that our friends asked the girls to go out and play in the water! They definitely need to do something to get rid of the aggravation they are feeling...I don't remember having to deal with them with this before...or maybe it is just that I feel that way too?! HMMM.
Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

This was a fun baby BOY shower!

One of the girls suggested we go "Cowboy"!

We got creative with the Cricut machine again. Julie made the cowboy's lasso out out of raffia. It was as long as the baby was at birth...and we had to guess or remember!

Cast iron skillets and a stock pot for the punch. We all love the Dollar Store! "If you can't find it there...it isn't worth getting!" declared Amy!

We all had fun planning. We all had fun gathering. We all had fun eating. We are thankful for babies! and their mommies!

Another K5 Grad!

"I'm free as a bird...whooppee! Happy as a lark...in America, my home sweet home!" He is taking after his Daddy and Mommy...singing!

Now...what to do...what to do...I'm a First grader!

Hey, Cade, come see us!

We've been down this road before...

and are ready to go again and again and again!
Today, we had an adventure! Grandma, Teddy, Little M, and I took a load up to the lake in preparation for this holiday weekend.
MMMM, it was so calming to drive to the lake and hear the waves lapping on the shore. The water is still high and over the road that goes to the dock in places...the dock most likely will not be put in this weekend...but the boat probably will go in...the guys found a trailer (that is now ours) for the boat. It will make their lives much easier...I hope!
It was a beautiful day!
We aired everything out, mowed the grass, re-stocked the kitchen, and enjoyed a golf-cart ride. Teddy was pouting as we pulled away..."but I want to stay over night!" I am thinking this boy needs a healthy dose of fresh air and male influence!
***This picture is of the road down to where the docks are on the lake. The lake is on the right and docks line the shore. It reminds me of the road into the cabin on Lake Nebagamon...and it smells just the same! Funny how I can remember that after all these years!***
***Ohhh, and so sorry about the spelling error and bad sentence construction...never post in a hurry and without re-reading things twice...Yikes!***

Several conversations of late, preparation for a baby shower, and vague memories of years gone by have brought me to this realization.

I Am A Mom!
My nails are hardly ever painted and jewelry is for special occasions and church!
My bed is the last one made every day…if I ever make it back into my bedroom!
I get crumbs on the bottom of my feet.
Artwork and school papers cover my fridge.
I have names scratched into my furniture.
Heirlooms are broken.
I’ll take out the garbage in my bathrobe just to make sure it all goes…so there is room for present garbage.
I have bare patches of dirt in the middle of my lawn.
Dandelions fill my vases.
My carpets tell the history of family illnesses.
Tear-free shampoo sits on the tub shelf. Salon products are too expensive to be emptied into bath water on a regular basis.
I have to remove boats, rubber ducks, and plastic cups filled with old bath water when I have time to take a shower.
I cry hard, I cry often…and sometimes for no reason other than I am just tired!
Laundry completed the same day makes me giddy.
I always revert back to the hairstyle where my hair is long enough to go up in a clip or pony.
Eyeliner and lipstick are my must-have make-up tools. I have been known to venture out of the house with neither in desperation of milk for breakfast.
Glue sticks and batteries are always on my grocery list.
I only serve and drink half-glass servings and have been known to start cutting meat for my husband.
Flowers in the yard are fair game for weddings, soups, and hair adornment.
Baby wipes can be very useful for many emergencies and accidents…not always of the child-type.
Slippers are considered shoes. Slip-on shoes are wonderful…and it is ok to wear socks if your feet are cold…but not in public!
Doctor appointments help fill in my social calendar…they are an outing and it is a chance to speak with adults.
Juice bags fill the fruit/vegetable drawer of my fridge.
My baseboards are dusty and are scratched and nicked from walkers, doll strollers, and monster truck crashes.
There are always dishes in the sink.
I know all the silly songs, Patch the Pirate, and Barney songs by heart and often wake up singing one of them. I could recreate many videos in play form with my daughters.
My just-cleaned bathroom rug is often sopping wet with a blob of toothpaste on it…and let’s not forget the toothpaste in the sink, splatters on the mirrors, and unflushed toilet.
My emotions travel at high rates of speed in short increments of time and are very intense.

It makes me laugh to think back to "my single teacher days", college days, and even high-school days. All the time and effort and the money that was put into each day's look. My priorities have changed! Lest you think I have fallen completely apart...I still have some pride...I never forget my deoderant or perfume! Who wants to hug or cuddle with a stinky mom?

I have found now...there is more joy in seeing the kids come at me with sticky hands for a hug, complements about my "being the best cooker", eyes lighting up over fresh cookies, imploring words "to come sit and watch a movie with us", hearing children sing at the top of their lungs while soaring on the swings, watching repeatedly in response to "look at this, watch me...", hearing the giggles of healthy, contented children, watching them interact with other families and friends, and seeing their love reach out to others.

God has blessed me with a wonderful "job"...but it is more than that...it is my greatest ministry. And when I view my family as my ministry...my job then has a greater purpose...for "this world is not our home, we're just passing through...our treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue..." All the things that were once "so important" to have in place or protected...are just that...things...and I can't take those with me!

So I will enjoy this fact...I am a Mom...and I will strive to please the One who chose to bless me with that title!

Today...we are recovering...

from a very busy week of many different activities...one of which was graduation from K5. Teddy is now home keeping me company. The girls are done with school on Friday following their Awards Chapel. We are ready for summertime schedules! It seems like every year, May gets busier and busier.
**You know he has had too much, when a little boy is in tears because his Lego car broke and he "can't do it". We need a hug and a nap...and a look at the direction book!**

Growing up...

We have now grown into the next phase of Legos! Forget the big, clunky Duplo blocks!

Teddy and Daddy worked together to finish one of the books that came with the set of Legos he got for graduation from Uncle Kenny. Teddy had a good start...and then he and his Daddy spent time together finishing it.

A job well done...and time well spent! The saying Like Father, Like Son couldn't be truer...even down to their sunburned cheeks from an afternoon at the dragstrip...oops, maybe it should read "even up to their sunburned cheeks"...oh well!

"What are you doing?"

It is a question I get asked several times a day.
Sometimes...it is a legitimate question.
Sometimes...it is annoying.
Sometimes...it is overwhelming.
Sometimes...it is rewarding.
Sometimes...it is convicting.

It has been that way alot lately!
My poor family is baffled by some of the things I will do or create to save a dollar or two. "Just give me a little time and then you will see what it is supposed to be."

My children tend to ask me this question when I am doing the obvious...like talking on the phone, or say, washing the dishes. I don't always stop to think that they are just talking to talk to me and trying to engage me in a conversation that has nothing to do with my "to do list" for them.

I tend to be a server and often when I am asked this question by others, I will respond, "What do you need?" and then find myself taking on too much. Why does everything tend to fall on the same day or week or...?

I like to be asked this question when it ends up with a pleasant treat! A friend called me this week...she was in town and wanted to stop by! I was up to my elbows in preparations...but had finished the important ones (cake decorated and bathroom cleaned!) and took time to just sit and visit. I know God sent my friend to make me stop and appreciate the important parts of my life...what an encouragement our talk was and focused my attention on the blessings of a friend that is "iron sharpening iron". I missed her even more as she drove away...and mentally added to my "to do list" this summer. I will go see her...I will make that a priority...because she made me one of hers on Thursday! Thank you, sweet friend!

My husband has a way of asking this question sometimes that makes me stop in my tracks. Last night, he called to check on me and get a plan for the evening. He was taking the kids and I had a baby shower that I was trying to get mentally prepared for..."I am sitting at the table trying to collect my thoughts...the kids are outside, little buddy is gone, I have a pile of notes and thoughts..." He then asked if my thoughts were running all through the house or what...I had to laugh..."Yes, they have been all week and I am having trouble now...and oh, it looks like one is smeared on the kitchen floor...eww, yuck!" (drool or snack crumbs...I don't know what!)

Before I do something...there is alot of thought and planning that has to take place...what will we do, how will we do it, what to eat, where to go buy, who will do what, how many stops, what time to go, how long will it take, how much, when, where, how long....

It is part of being a wife and mother...and I go through that thought process every day all day long...because I am the one who is to care for the things at home...special events included. When I have time restrictions and schedules to maintain, I have to have an idea where the day is going...even if it ends up not going where I thought it would go...I knew what had to be part of the route!

Some days and weeks are exhausting...it is life! So when you ask me, "What are you doing?" be prepared...I may just tell you! Do you really want to know?!
Today...I am playing catch up and having another cup of hot-out-of-the-pot-coffee...no warm-ups! Today...we are not doing much...and it is just fine with me!

Bowling Party...makes the end really official!

First time to go bowling...and it was fun!

He has got the moves!

Waiting...patiently...to knock 5 pins down for a free game card!

An Uncle's great gift find...

is a mother's fright...well, sort of...

and a little boy's great delight!

I found the giant remote control tarantula on my bed yesterday morning after the school run. Teddy's greatest desire right now is to try to "get me". Yesterday afternoon he said, "Hey, Mom, don't you need to go change your clothes?" He had the tarantula poised half under the bed with the remote hidden "behind his back".
Uh...my thanks, Uncle James and Lindsay...and creators at Animal Planet...for the perfect gift for a little boy!

It is all about the party, don't ya know!

He kept track of what he was supposed to get for his K5 Graduation! Balloons, graduation dog, presents, party, and cake..."and I want a firetruck cake, Mom."

Family and friends all took time to share with Teddy. Thank you!!! I think sometimes, I take this for granted...and I stopped to enjoy it Thursday and think about it. We are blessed.

Two of Teddy's favorite people...and he loves them and loves to be with them!
I laugh when I looked at this picture...no socks...no tie...I was able to stop him from changing his clothes completely.

The cake...and it tasted good too.

The man behind the boy! We love our Daddy so much...he works so hard to provide for us. Thank you!!! Daddy loves his kids so much too...it makes him crazy...or maybe it's the fact that work was done for the day?!