How we will spend Thursday nights for a few weeks!

We began a new era in our family life...SOCCER!  I don't know who is more excited...Dad, Teddy, Mom, or the girls!?!  We got to the fields and found our meeting place.  The guys warmed up a bit and then checked out the field.  "The blue lines are..." and then they moved out of earshot.  Someone had to tell Teddy...the coach didn't have a practice to do some basic instruction...maybe everyone else has played for years already?  They have teams for three year olds!  Yikes! 

They watched a game that was finishing up...perfect way to answer some questions and point out what they were doing!  "Dad, what if I am the smallest one out there?" he asked.  "You might be...Dad was too!  Small guys can go faster!  You will do fine!" Dad encouraged!

Sportscore is a huge complex!

The girls enjoyed themselves!  They brought their supper and had a picnic!

Here it is...for my Dad...the official soccer Mom picture!  However...I will say...I AM NOT THE TYPICAL soccer Mom!  I took pics and sat and watched and cheered...from the opposite side of the field!  I did not interfere...nor will I!  Dad is in charge here.  We, girls, are the silent observers!  There were too many other Moms hovering...and no Dads present for any of the players on our team.  I found that dreadfully sad!  I keep hoping the males in these boy's lives were watching other siblings or had to work late?!

When the coach (third woman from the left...whose son plays on this team) got to the field and finally handed out jerseys, Teddy (He was number 5 tonight.) came over to get his water bottle, "Mom, we have to wear purple shirts!"  He was not impressed! 

We asked him if we could cheer for the Purple-People-Eaters on the drive home...NO!  The coach had better pick out the team name and soon...or we just may be forced to use it! 

My friend asked me the other night how I was doing...

HMMM!  Good question!  I still feel like my brain is lost in time...somewhere... 

It is a good thing the label on this package reads "50 calories per cake"!  I found comfort in a good afternoon snack.  It was a fight to the end of the day on Monday!  Beautiful weather...children who don't want to do schoolwork anymore...and a Mom who was tired of being the one in charge!  "Mom is just being mean...why can't we just play outside and be done with school?"

I have piles around the house that need to be taken care of...yet...I continue to walk around them...or move them out of the way.  Our room seems to be the catch-all place...so if I close the door...we can't see it!

While trying to make a rice-sock to relieve Ted's sore neck, the rice spilled everywhere.  "That didn't sound good!" he chuckled.  So...there I stood with rice all over the floor...and those words came back to me..."how are you doing these days?" 

 HA! 

Not very good from the look and sound of things! 

And since my husband laughed at me...I figured my other friends could use a good laugh...at my expense also!  "If you ain't laughing...you're crying!"

My heart is full...of thankfulness...and our house full of laughter!

 

"Mom...my game is today!" he whispered.

He is excited...and still wondering..."How can we play a game when we never even practiced once?" 
Ted and I wonder too!  Ted has played, refed, and coached in the AYSO organization before and he says chaos was the norm...and still sounds like it is now too.  It happens when people are volunteers.  It makes me wonder how a coach can corral a bunch of 6-7 year olds (after just meeting them), get them to put a shirt on, point them in the direction of the goal, and teach them to kick a ball in a net.  Maybe we are to learn something through this too!
We are wondering about the whole coach thing...we heard from her this morning via a late night email for the first time...after being signed up for almost a month...hmmmm?!  Still don't know a time and field to meet at...and can't figure it out...'cause we don't know a team name.  Ted didn't think he should call at 6:30am...so we will wait till later on to call.  We are wondering about Teddy's response to a "girl coach" too.  I think we may save that little piece of information...who knows...she may be a world class soccer player! 
Good thing our Daddy took some time to explain to Teddy some basics.  He at least knows a little of what to expect.  It is going to be an evening of surprises!
So...sometime tonight (there is still a bit of a discrepancy as to what time even this morning)...Teddy will get to find out what it is like to play soccer.  His only concern...that there aren't any girls on his team...oh, and that his sisters don't cheer for him!

"Dad, I'm glad we don't live in Chicago! Look at all these cars and trucks!"

We all agreed on this point as we headed home after playing hookey yesterday!  This week is a free week at the Museum of Science and Industry...so we headed into the big city for a field trip!

Dad had a good idea!  The day was beautiful!

"Is that the ocean?"  No...it is one of the Great Lakes!  Ash, you are learning about the Great Lakes...this is Lake Michigan!  Uncle Sean and Aunt Mari live on the other side...you just can't see the other side!

Their eyes were huge with wonder at the size of this museum and all the people!

We found the Idea Factory and they enjoyed the hands-on parts!  We think...in a couple years...they will enjoy some of the other parts even more.  It is a little overwhelming to see all the interesting things!  "Dad, what are all these little signs for?" asked Teddy.  "They are so you can read and learn about the different displays," explained Ted.  "They want you to read all this stuff and learn about it all..." he was not impressed by this!

One of the kid's favorite parts...watching the demonstration in the rotunda about making explosions.  Bigger is better, ya know...and louder!!!

We learned about many things!  It was a good day...a fun day...together as a family!  AND AFFORDABLE...because it was "a free week"!  We took a picnic lunch and paid for gas to drive into Chicago and paid to park.  We have made a list of more sites to see in the future.  This was a fun place to start!

"Mom, is it the twenty-oneth today?" he asked.

Yes, it is!  And it is the perfect day for a puffed pancake with strawberries...don't you think?  I thought so too!

Complements...and such

Alisa:  "Thank you, Teddy!  You make great toast!"
Teddy:  "Just so ya know, it's not the toaster, it's the bread that makes it great!"
Alisa:  "It's not how you toast it, it's how you butter it!"
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Alisa:  "Mom, you have good control when you drive!"
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Teddy:  "How come Dad is cranky today?"
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Alisa:  "Mom, you didn't take a shower today?  You look like you should!"

Seeds...seeds...seeds...DIRT!

All the girls said this little poem at the banquet on Saturday.  It was so fun to watch the big girls watch the little girls do the motions.  It is a blessing to see our girls growing each and every day!  They can be so silly as they play and work.  What an amazing creation...the children...God has blessed us with!

"I am a tiny seed, planted in the ground.  I do not move about or make a sound.  Then God sends down the rain and gives me light.  I stretch and reach and grow to an amazing height!"

We transplanted our little sprouts to a bigger pot.  We are hoping to protect our little plants from the naughty squirrels this years!  Maybe we will get to see our pumpkin, watermelon, sunflower, and pepper plants survive!

This little gardener is busy...baking or planting...I am not sure!  But she is never too busy to pose once she notices the camera aimed in her direction!  It is these moments that I love to capture...for memory's sake!

I really do think Alisa will be a gardener someday!  Or maybe a safari guide?  As long as there are no bugs to bother her!!!  That is what they were checking out here.

Ahhh...she has the look down well...and can smudge dirt on her face without even trying!
Happy Monday, all!

The girls' fun day

Care to take a walk in the garden?  It is more fun with a friend!  Or a sister!

Yes, I see it...they look like their mother!  But then again...you can tell who their Daddy is too!

Cute centerpieces...used as prizes.

One of the ladies behind all the neat decorating ideas.  See the birdhouses?  Each little girl picked one out to color at the little art table.

Pole?  What pole?

Little girls love to color...no matter what the object!

Delicious carrot cake for the grown-ups.  How about some dirt with gummy worms and bugs for the girlies?!

Oh...mmmm, bugs!

Our speaker, Mrs. Marriot, talked about the garden of our hearts.  She asked, "How do you respond  to things in your life?  How we respond, will decide what will grow in our life!"  She talked about how Naomi's life was affected by the root of bitterness...a woman who blamed God for her troubles.  She contrasted with Ruth's response...a girl from a pagan country who showed faith in Jehovah...she had a hope.

"Life is hard, but we have God's presence and His power once we have asked Christ to be our Savior.  Later...we have His reward.  Are lives are for His use...for His glory...it will always be for our good!  Do people see God's power in your life?"

What a wonderful challenge today!  Only one life...one garden.  The way to have good soil is to have a saved heart.  Without good soil...the only type of flowers that will grow are the plastic ones that you see people plant in their flower beds.  That is the best we can do on our own...because of our deceitful hearts.  Jeremiah 17:9 

Allow no weeds...they make such a mess!

"You are going to have fun today!" he said to me as we shared our morning cup of coffee.

"You mean you are going to have fun today?!" I asked.  "No, I mean you...you will!" he replied. 
I had to agree.  He knows us!  The sun is shining so brightly...how can you not have a lovely day?  We have slept wonderfully all week!  That in itself is something to shout about!  Alisa is doing so well.  We are so grateful.  How soon we can forget the stormy days when the sun shines so brightly! One thing we have learned...personally...life can be changed in an instant.
"Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not promised, what will you do for Christ today?" 
We enjoy lazy days like this with splashes of fun mixed in to the normal routine.  I am grateful for the activities that come our way.   My guys are able to do something together that they love.  My girls are going to get all dressed up for a Ladies' Banquet, where we will meet up with friends and family.  We have an opportunity to serve the Lord today.  Later on, we get to gather with family to see Uncle James before he heads back to VA Beach, so he can get ready for deployment...soon. 
Today...is another day to be thankful for fun times...and the blessings that the Lord sends.

Happy Friday Morning Noises

The chattering of the birds, the neighbor's table saw, wind in the trees, school drills, and giggling children...

building in volume as the school requirements are checked off one by one and the weekend officially begins!  "We don't have to do school on Saturday!  Right?!" announced Teddy.  "I love Saturdays!"  me too!

A Date to Madison

Alisa had her two week check-up today at AFCH.  Dr. A. and Sue were pleased with how she is healing.  Her reflexes and strength are both good.  We haven't been taking anything for pain for the last two days!!!  She was cleared to ride her bike...with some instruction (more on that later...uh...hmmm).

We emptied our collection of pop can tabs and Box Tops.  We took a treat to the nurses and got to say Hi to a couple of them.  Megan and Mara were on duty today.  Megan had all kinds of questions for Alisa.  We told her of our lunch plans...she told us we "just had to try the deep-fried pickles" at Ella's Deli!We found it! 

We were starving!

What a fun place for a date!The pickles...YUM!  Mom liked them more than Alisa did!  She was focused on ice cream and the carousel.

We made it home by 3:45pm.  Alisa asked me as we were driving, "How many hours have we been gone?"  Five and a half hours...at least half of that was driving.  We still had fun!  We will go back in a month for a MRI with contrast...which means an iv.  So...we will be scheduled for that...with the laughing gas help...again.  We will have to see if the weather will cooperate for a picnic at the zoo this time!