Ah, The Wonder Of Randomness

February 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I got coordinated cheers from three happy boys at dinner-time this evening. “Mom-my Rocks! Mom-my Rocks! Mom-My Rocks” Why the cheer you ask? I fed them crispy chicken salad for dinner. SALAD! Someone has replaced my very young children with Pod People!

I can’t quite explain it but something makes my heart swell 10 times over when I see things like this:

I know every mom thinks their kids are awesome, but this kid is awesome! I’m happy he’s mine. :-)
I’m doing a huge re-organization, room-moving, drag everything from one place and put it back somewhere else, overhaul to my house….namely the school space. It’s driving me nuts. The furniture I’m using in the new school space is in various stages of NOT being finished in the garage. I can’t find the time or the drive to get it done myself and my husband probably wants to divorce me after all the pressure I’m putting on him to get it done. This might be the project that kills our whole “DIY, build-your-own-furniture, be frugal and self-sufficient wood-working” pipe dream. I’ll let you know how it pans out…but that’s how it’s looking now. Ugh!
But, really, this needs help…..like, pronto!
A friend and I took up the Bible in 90 Days Challenge nearly 45 days ago. We’re at the halfway point. Well, at least we’re supposed to be, lol! She sent me a message on Facebook this morning that she’s officially too far behind to catch up and finish with the rest of the group. I am too. Neither of us are giving up, but it probably won’t happen in 90 days like we’d hoped. I can tell you it’s been a 45 days FULL of revelations. Most importantly, I now enjoy and even crave that few minutes I spend completely alone with God’s Word. I’ve always done studies, been in small groups for years, I’ve heard and known God’s desire was for me to be in daily conversation and communion with Him. But I still wasn’t. Too busy, too many distractions, too tired, and (let’s be honest here) too many things I’d rather do then read tiny words in a book with no pictures. But man, oh man, I am but in the book of 2 Chronicles and I have gleaned so much knowledge and wisdom and understanding from even a speedy read through the “drier” parts of the bible! I am excited to keep reading to see what else God has for me in HIS book of tiny words. Many kudos to those of you still hanging in there….it’s no easy feat!!
Over the last few months I’ve been getting acquainted with some wonderful women at a weekly bible study I attend. All in various stages of life and different places along their walk with Christ. One lady in particular has been so sweet and loving and encouraging, a real blessing to my life! We were talking after bible study today and she told me she’d love to get together one day because she just adores kids and cleaning and talking and cooking and fellowship. She would love to come to my home and spend time with me, getting to know each other amidst the daily responsibilities that come with being a stay-at-home homeschooling wife and mom. I’ve seen her friendship with another lady about my age that has a few more children than I do and I wholeheartedly believe that she would feel as blessed from the time we spent together as I know I would. Outwardly we probably don’t look like we have much in common. But she is a wealth of wisdom and love and encouragement and understanding and compassion and, my goodness, I feel so blessed she enjoys my company and wants to be my friend! It’s a phone call I probably would not have been brave enough to make even just a few months ago, but I can’t wait to set up a day for her to spend with us!! Praise God!
I took this little dude, my middle guy Devin, on a coffee date a couple of weeks ago. He ordered a “fancy cup of hot chocolate”. It is impossible to NOT smile when you’re around him. I’ve said it before, he both gives me intense joy and intense frustration but he’s irreplaceable. It was VERY cold that day, -20′s with wind-chill I believe. But it was sunny and clear and beautiful so we still drove down to the river to check out what 50 some odd degrees below freezing does to water…it was fun. We were only out about 5 minutes though, probably because it was -20, duh!
And finally, my littlest, I took this picture after he ate a Skittle off the ground at his oldest brother’s basketball game. ::sigh:: I did try to stop him, but I saw the person that dropped it, knew how long it had been there, and after a solid 20 minutes of hearing “Mommy is the game over now?!?” I just decided to avoid the fight and let him eat the darn Skittle.
Hehe, I do give them sugar from time to time….apparently this tiny morsel packed an extra punch. :-)
At least he sat with me at the game, Devin was across the gym striking up a conversation with someone I’ve never met before.
Who knew 6-year-olds were so independent?? That’s Devin for you. :-)
Goodnight bloggy-land!
Filed Under: Boys, Faith, My So-Called Life

All Kinds of Love

February 14, 2011 by 7 Comments
What a great day this has been!!
I have to come clean and admit that Valentine’s Day is probably my least favorite holiday. I don’t want chocolates, I pray every year Nate makes it through the temptation to buy me huge and expensive flower arrangements (hey, I love flowers as much as the next girl but a random, thoughtfully chosen, single flower at surprising times throughout the year means so much more to me and my man has that one down to an art!). I can’t stand walking through the store feeling like I have to buy cute pink and white and red towels and sprinkles and cake mixes and plates and M&M;’s and art and pens and books and and and and and! My kids aren’t in public schools so we thankfully get to avoid all the little paper Valentine’s and cupcakes and cookies and candy and all that jazz. I remember it being such a big deal to me as a kid, both in school and at home. My mom was amazing at making every holiday special in our home. I want it to be special for my kids too, but not for the same reasons that I took away from my childhood. I don’t want the love and adoration I feel for my family and friends to be limited to one day in the middle of February. I have my moments and stressors and short-comings but I hope my family feels loved and appreciated all year long. That being said I had really been thinking a month or so ago and still wanted to make the day memorable. Most importantly, I wanted the kids…and really all 5 of us, to make sure Christ’s love was at the center of the holiday for us. He’s blessed us as a family, given Nate and I three beautiful boys, brought us to a community and a church we love, given Nate a job he shouldn’t have been able to get. He’s grown me up and taught and matured and carried us along and it would be empty and sad to let the pink and hearts and lace and candy push the ultimate love of Christ right on out of the day. If we were going to “do” Valentine’s Day this year, I decided we were going to do it “right”.
I was searching for and praying about a way to show love to the people around us this Valentine’s Day. In year’s past I’ve been very bad at proactively searching for ways to serve…especially in visible ways that stretch my comfort zones and carefully drawn boundaries. You know, in any way that refined me and made me an effective servant. As a result I’ve definitely felt, well……ineffective…imagine that?!?! So I called our local nursing home and asked if it would be okay for us to come visit on Valentine’s Day and bring crafts and cards to the residents. The idea started because I wanted to boys to have a chance to do a craft because crafts are their favorite part of school. I literally felt God grab ahold of the thought and turn it into a way for us as a family to show God’s love to people in our community, and maybe brighten someone’s day in the process.
I gotta tell you, I wasn’t even sure I should write about this. You always here that you serve not to be recognized but to SERVE because of the love of the One in us. I’m only writing about it because I can’t describe the JOY our entire family RECEIVED by visiting with those elderly folks this morning. I had to share that joy with anyone who might be reading.
My oldest is the most like me, the good and the bad unfortunately, and he had talked himself into being scared and nervous about the whole thing before we ever set foot on the grounds. But he did it and afterward barreled to the car running and jumping and asking if we could go back again. Two of the gentlemen gave the boys candy and one of them gave me a red beaded necklace he had gotten from one of the staff ladies. One of the ladies gave us hugs and kissed my boys on the head. Another lady had a bird in her room and we all got a kick out of that. One of the gentlemen started talking to Nate about what he does for work, another talked to him about the Wii and said he played Wii baseball all the time in the common room and would love to have one right in his room. Generations of men united in that moment over the love of a gaming console, lol! So many smiles and the sincerest of thanks for a simple card and little token. It was heart-warming.

We made beaded hearts like the ones I found here at LivingMontessoriNow.com. This was a real treat! We all had fun creating these, and really ended up with a beautiful product. Each of the boys will be picking out beads to make one of their own the next time we’re at the store. I think I might make one for me as well. :-)

We also made cards for each one of the residents with construction paper and felt hearts. They turned out cuter then I would have imagined but I didn’t take a picture….bad blogger, bad!
We didn’t have enough hearts to give to everyone so I made those SO stinkin’ adorable silk flower pens that I am sure every one of you has seen somewhere. I made enough for me to keep one of each of the kinds of flowers I picked up because I loved them so much. This is the cutest and easiest way to make a beautiful and FUNCTIONAL gift I think I’ve ever come across. And with the glorious invention of dollar stores, it cost me a whopping $15 to make 30 or so of these…you KNOW you know someone who would love them!
I also made special Valentine’s Day breakfast for everyone, inspired by THIS post by the Happy Housewife. I never make these but “toads-in-the-hole” are one of my husband’s all-time favorite breakfast food so I’ll have to make them more!
And my boys are on board with anything that involves a smoothie. I never get tired of how thrilled they are when I make something as simple as blended fruit, yogurt and milk for breakfast.
I mentioned here that I was blessed with a date-night for Valentine’s Day last week since Nate had to work tonight and we did pick up a gift for each of the boys.
They were very happy with their new outfits. It makes me happy to see them happy. I’m all mom-like that way. :-)
Can I encourage you to think about someone in your life or in your community that needs you? Someone lonely, someone hurting, a friend who’s overwhelmed, a family dealing with hard times. Psalms tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. That His strength is refuge and restoration and provision. We also know that God works most often through the PEOPLE that love and follow Him. You don’t know what effect a simple call or note or meal or visit or other act of kindness will have on someone’s life. It’s not always the most comfortable or natural thing, serving others, but it’s our call as Christ-followers and I promise God has a precious gift for YOU when you engage in showing His love to others.
Happiest of Valentine’s Days to you all!!
Filed Under: Boys, Crafts, Faith

Irrationality……

January 28, 2011 by 2 Comments

….it’s the only name I can come up with a fear so silly. But I’m not making it up. I have an uncontrollable physical response. My hands get sweaty, everything feels hot and stuffy, my chest and neck turn bright red, I am incapable of putting sentences together, my thoughts just leave my brain, sometimes…when the reality of how dumb I look really hits me, the whole world starts to go orange and I’ve once had a full-scale panic attack and another time passed right out cold.

I have a serious fear of talking in front of people. I started to write large groups of people, but that’s not true…even having the focus of small groups of people for any length of time freaks me out. The last group I talked to was MAYBE 6 or 7 other moms, I don’t remember a word of what I said and I can’t imagine anything halfway intelligible came out for their benefit. In years past I’ve just decided it was better to avoid these types of instances at all costs. I’ve never been baptized in water because I used to attend a very large church and it would have required being on stage in front of probably more than a thousand people…..and that just wont happen. But I live in a small town now and am part of a smaller community, much less room to hide. Much harder to explain years of mounting anxiety over relatively simple things, like being a passenger in a car….but that’s a whole other post for a whole other day.

A couple of months ago I was asked to share a devotion with a group of people….a whole church gym full of people…..very scary people….

LITTLE people……..and their families and coaches and a whole gaggle of people I go to church with every weekend. Kids don’t laugh when jokes aren’t funny and kids can’t be sympathetic when a grown woman stumbles all over words and stammers unintelligibly. Have you ever been to or been a part of an Upward Basketball League? It’s a wonderful organization, focusing on God and sportsmanship and fun and growth in addition to and interwoven with the game of basketball. This is our first year and I’ve really enjoyed it, my son isn’t going anywhere far with his mad basketball skills but he LOVES playing and learning the game and going to practice and putting on his uniform and getting new shoes and making new friends. We love Upward! At the halftime of each game an adult shares a devotion with the kids and everyone in the gym. I have to admit I’ve been oddly obsessed with the devotions we’ve had so far because I knew that, in just a few short weeks, that would be me. I can’t quite explain how much this whole thing has consumed my thoughts…but only when I’ve been unsuccessful at putting it out of my mind completely. It’s my turn this Saturday and I can ignore it no longer. Nate asked me tonight how I was doing with it all and I quickly commenced trying to convince him to take the day off so he could do it for me, begging, pleading, bribing, whining and just generally carrying on in a variety of unattractive attitudes.
And then my husband had to go and get all wise on me. Don’t you hate when that happens? He said something like “I would love to do it Danielle, I think it would be a lot of fun, but I wasn’t chosen to do it, you were. You have an opportunity to teach those kids something about God and life, to make an impression they might not ever forget, you should feel honored, and it will be good for you.” I’m paraphrasing, but that was the general effect. Talk about a wake up call, right from God, through the mouth of my husband. I know he’s been praying for me, I know the woman who asked me to give the devotion has been praying for me, why haven’t I been praying for me? Why have I made it all about me…..my insecurities, my fears, my anxiety, my reactions??? If it’s about me, and all I focus on is me, it’s likely it will be just as bad as I imagine. But the Lord is STRONG in my weakness, HE has something He wants those people to hear and I’m going to start praying right this moment for Him to take over, to be the words and the influence on that day. I don’t want them to see ME, I want to share something God has laid on my heart.
Because really, I see now the real irrationality is in doubting the Holy Spirit’s ability to give me what I need in that moment then to be so afraid of a small gym full of kids and their families!
Filed Under: Boys, Faith, My Man <3, My So-Called Life

School, Home-Style!

January 17, 2011 by 2 Comments

We didn’t take the day off for MLK Jr. Day, we just got off a HUGE Christmas break and it’s just too darn soon to take time off. I was looking through a website of his more famous and memorable quotes. Reading through them it struck me that, while I don’t agree with a lot of the things he had to say, he brought a lot of wisdom and respectful thought-provocation to the world. I shudder to think of living here in a time where the color of one’s skin made them less than a person. There are definitely some problems that transcend political ideals and preferences….I’m thankful for him and the people like him who helped effect such massive change!

Here are some of my favorites:

“Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control.”

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

That all said, our school day was sublime. Simple in it’s perfection, but one of those days that reminds you why you decided to follow God’s leading and embark down this path that is homeschooling.

We did a little Explode The Code work in the morning and then the older boys came out into the garage and helped Nate and I with our latest project.

(This is all I’m gonna show you for now…..it’s hard to believe this will all turn into massive fabulousness but, I assure you, it will!!)
We did math after dad left for work and I jokingly asked my oldest what he was going to make for dinner. His eyes lit up at the idea of making his own food so I just decided to let everyone choose whatever they wanted for dinner. After a lengthy decision making process between the kid-food staples, cereal and PB & J….they all chose the sandwiches. And the older two HAD to make their own. :-)
After dinner we watched a little TV together, my middle guy did a puzzle, Caleb and Devin read a book on the couch, Andrew played with cars and Legos…..looking back I don’t think I raised my voice ONCE today, which is newsworthy in itself!
I’m a part of the fantastic group of ladies that are taking part of the Bible in 90 Days reading challenge at MomsToolbox.com I’m a little behind but have been so blessed by the experience! I was taking some time this morning to get caught up (thanks babe, for letting me stay in bed a little longer to get some reading in!!). I was in Deuteronomy and I happened upon a little study devotional titled: Home Schooling: A Place of Learning. If you have a little time, check it out below!!
God has given to His people commands that are to be passed along to their children so they “may fear in the Lord” and keep His commandments that their “days may be prolonged.”

As the children of Israel trekked from Egypt to the Promised Land, the teaching of children was not an activity isolated to a particular location or a limited time of day. Rather, it was instruction interwoven with all the activities of life. The teaching was to be while they were sitting, walking, lying down, and rising up (Deut. 6:1-7).

Home schooling is one way many families are fulfilling this command to pass on godly values and to instruct their children about life from a godly perspective. Even though they want their children to be exposed to other people and other ideas, most home schooling parents feel that they have the primary responsibility for influencing the lives of their children. Home schooling allows them the opportunity to present information in the context of values.

Home schooling families have many reasons for educating their children at home:

  • Children are encouraged to grow in all areas at their own pace – emotionally, spiritually, socially, and mentally. This education accommodates the uniqueness of each child, including physiological and neurological differences.
  • Many of the negative effects of peer pressure are minimized.
  • An opportunity for children to pursue their respective interests in particular subjects is provided. In a relaxed home atmosphere, the child’s natural curiosity can lead to learning experiences.
  • A unique family bond is created since parents and children are together many hours each day. Much home schooling involves a one-to-one tutorial approach, considered the finest method ever devised for formal instruction.

  • Domestic skills, hobbies, earning and managing money, responding to the needs of others, and other practical areas of life are included in the training.
Home schooling is a big responsibility, but many parents are discovering the enriching rewards of teaching their own children, and they take it seriously enough to make the investment of time it requires. Home schoolers have a great deal in common with the early Hebrews, as well as with many parents who have instructed their children at home throughout history.

Filed Under: Boys, Homeschool

My Middle Boy & Random Thoughts

November 28, 2010 by 4 Comments

My momma never told me it was so hard to get back in a blogging kind of groove after a holiday!! And what a great, low-key, but fun and perfect holiday it was!

What I Made:

The BEST turkey I’ve ever done!
A life-changing apple, sausage, & cranberry dressing
Mommaskindacrafty’s Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
Green-bean casserole
Creamy garlic mashed taters
Pan gravy
and Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie (I have to admit, I wasn’t a fan…but all the boys in my house were so it’s all good!)

It was just the 5 of us but it really was the least amount of stress I’ve ever felt on a Thanksgiving holiday! My hubby put up the Christmas lights on the warmest day we’ve had in the last week or so (30′s) and today was church (we had a potluck so we got ANOTHER round of Thanksgiving, LOVE!) and football and a constant but light snow that’s been falling all day. We’re having friends over for dinner tomorrow night and I’m wishing it could be “the holiday’s” all year-round!

That does it for random thoughts…maybe…there might be more. :-)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my middle guy, Devin. He just turned 6 years old last week and he really is a challenging, perplexing, but altogether smart, fun, and tenderhearted little dude.

If you’ve ever read anything about birth-order personalities, my kids all pretty much fit them to a T. (I really like Dr. Kevin Leman’s The Birth Order Book but I found this little site that lists some of the characteristics of first, middle & last-born children…they can be fun to read about and a neat tool to really understand your kids!)
It’s always been like pulling teeth to get this kid to cuddle or hug for no reason and I think the only kisses I ever get are at bedtime. He’s happy enough and content to play on his own but him and his older brother are the best of friends.
When you remove Caleb (the oldest) from the picture, Dev’s such a sweet and thoughtful big-brother…when no one’s looking of course. I’m a first-born myself, and it was just me and my one younger sister, so this whole middle-child thing fascinates me. He’s SO smart and creative and quick and a little odd sometimes, but I love his laugh….and my heart is overwhelmed with joy to listen to him talk and work things out that are running through his head.
He’s so much like his dad. Nate’s an only child so they’re personalities are quite a bit different, but their brains are pretty much one in the same. That analytical, detail-oriented, think-about-the-things-that-no-one-else-cares-about, mechanically inclined, infuriatingly obnoxious and complex kind of brain that I both love about his dad and want to smack him upside the head for. :-)
I pray for his future wife every day. She’ll need to be a patient woman.
I couldn’t let his birthday pass any longer without taking a moment to say how thankful I am this little boy lives in my house. I walked out of my bathroom this morning to find him dancing in my room to some oldies song playing on Nate’s phone. He’s the kind of kid that thinks about building snow castles and spends all day outside helping his dad put up Christmas lights and burn the trash, all while eating chunks of old snow like they’re pieces of pizza and sporting a bike helmet and Spider-Man sunglasses. The kind of kid that will stare at me with a mad face for 20 minutes at the church potluck because I won’t let him go play in the nursery down stairs, or cries and hides behind the basketball hoop because his friend can’t come over to play that afternoon (even though they’re coming over TOMORROW night!!). The boy that swore he was “unsleepable” when we told him his crankiness meant he needed to take a nap and then sacked out less than 10 minutes later. My easiest labor, my greatest challenge since then, the source of so many of my laughs….my Devin….it’s such a privilege to be his mom!!
Filed Under: Boys, Recipes

The Shirt

November 17, 2010 by 10 Comments
I was folding laundry tonight and I folded this shirt for what must have been the three-thousandth time:
And I started thinking that this particular shirt was going to have to be retired soon, it’s getting too small for my youngest son and we aren’t going to need it anymore. It’s just a shirt, an inexpensive Wal-Mart shirt my husband bought years ago because it had the number 27 on the front and that’s always been his favorite number. But this shirt holds more memories then I can even begin to tell you.
This is my oldest son, Caleb. He’s almost 3 in this picture and I imagine it’s about the time Nate bought the shirt and gave it to him. He’ll be 9 this upcoming May…..
It’s a piece of fabric, but it’s been through so much with us:
My drop-dead gorgeous sister helped teach Caleb how to ride a bike in this shirt:
He had his first fishing trip in this shirt:
And then he got too big for it and it became Devin’s shirt. I am positive Dev wore this shirt more than the one time, but I only have one picture. He and Caleb were being silly in the garage. This is when it was just the two of them, two brothers….best of friends and inseparable to this day. We were cleaning out the garage because that same beautiful sister of mine was coming to stay with us after she graduated college and before she bought a house. She got married shortly after :-) :
Another reason I probably only have the one picture of my Devers wearing the shirt is because Andrew, before he was even two years old, decided that the football shirt was HIS shirt, his all-time favorite shirt…to this day, a month before his 4th birthday, it’s still his favorite shirt. The one shirt he would wear every day if I was that awesome at having laundry washed and folded.
Obviously only a part of our lives are captured on camera, but Andrew’s joy has NEVER diminished at putting it on. His ‘football’ shirt:
This was our first fishing trip once we moved to Montana. How fitting that the shirt was there that day:
Baking cookies with Dad once we moved to the other side of Montana:
He’s getting so big, my last baby…my youngest boy….he’s a baby no more and I’m feeling so sad to see this shirt getting smaller and smaller, because it just means he grows bigger and bigger. It means they’re all getting bigger.
He’s stayed the smallest the longest of all my kids, and I know it’s a gift from my Heavenly Father. A chance to hold on just a little longer to the days of my boys being babies and toddlers. They’re turning into these thoughtful, polite, loyal and caring young MEN! It’s both exciting and a little heart-wrenching. Granted, they’re still young, but time just passes so stinkin’ fast!! I don’t know how many more wears ‘the shirt’ has left for my boy, but I know I’ll cherish every last one.
I hope you’ll take some time this week leading up to Thanksgiving to really spend a few quiet moments appreciating the blessings the Lord has granted you. Experiences past, and present, and future; the good, bad, scary, sad, mundane, and indifferent; the hard times and times of intense joy. They’re all gifts, the things that shape us into who we are. The life and breath of our testimonies here on earth. The best and most powerful tools with which we can reflect Christ. Be THANKFUL for them, WHATEVER they are!! I know I am!
All the thanks and glory to You, My Lord!

 

Filed Under: Boys, Faith, My So-Called Life

Ronald McDonald House Charities

November 11, 2010 by 3 Comments

The sickies are passing their way around my house right now. Nate and Devin (my middle guy, whose birthday is next week!) have some sort of cold/flu thing right now and it seems like my youngest is headed that way. I’m feeling more tired and achy than usual so I fear I might not be far behind. And either my oldest has an immune system of steel or he’ll follow in our footsteps shortly thereafter. Not fun, but I’m reminded as we head into the holiday season that we have it easy. I have cough medicine to ease the coughs, Tylenol to suppress the fever, soup and toast to calm the tummies and warm blankets to comfort the chills. It’s an unpleasant part of changing weather, but they will be just fine. They’ll have full stomachs and warm beds and comfortable clothes. My heart breaks when I think about the children who are dealing with serious illnesses or injuries and their families who only have so much within their power to comfort and restore their kids back to health. It’s with those thoughts on my heart that I want to write about a cause that is very near and dear to my heart and the heart of my family, The Ronald MCDonald House Charities.

When our Andrew was brand new, nearly 4 years ago, we were forced to deal with the most difficult set of health circumstances we have had to face to date. Andrew was born on time and was a healthy 8lbs, but I experienced difficulty in labor and my blood pressure plummeted repeatedly and for an extended period of time. Andrew ended up becoming distressed and aspirating meconium as a result.  His case was definitely severe, the first night they were sure he was going to need to be treated with ECMO Therapy, there was even a chance he wasn’t going to survive. The Lord worked a miracle in our little boy and not only did he survive, but he didn’t need the ECMO and was never even intubated. He was on a CPAP machine in the beginning.

And further oxygen after that, along with more wires and tubes and gadgets then I had ever seen!
He had to spend about a week in the NICU before he came home on Christmas Day. :-)
They did warn us that short-term, his lungs were going to be more susceptible to respiratory diseases. They were right! When he was 9 weeks old he came down with a serious case of RSV and had to be treated at a specialized children’s hospital more than 3 hours away from our home. We were transported by ambulance down to the hospital and didn’t get in until 2:30 in the morning. After the initial checking-in process the staff IMMEDIATELY asked what they could do for ME! “Do you want something to eat or drink? Can I bring a pillow and extra blankets so you can get some sleep? Do you need to call anyone?” It was amazing! Later that morning Nate was able to get the older boys situated with friends and join me at the hospital. I don’t even think we had begun to think about the logistics of any length of stay so far away from our home when one of the nurses told us about the Ronald McDonald House. They had an opening at the house that we were able to take advantage of in order to have a personal bedroom and bathroom, a place to do laundry, a kitchen to prepare meals or store food, a hot meal with other families, a peaceful supportive atmosphere, books to read, TV to watch, a van to take us to the store as well as back and forth from the hospital (though I would just walk when it wasn’t raining as it was only a couple of blocks from the hospital). The house is free of charge to the people staying there, I didn’t have to choose between paying hundreds of dollars for a hotel room, living in a hospital room, or being three hours away from my sick baby.
After the first few days we even brought the older boys down to the hospital as well. Andrew was there for 2 solid weeks. We left with a healthy child, a pocketbook that had NOT been severely impacted by his illness and a lifelong love and appreciation for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and The Ronald McDonald House Charities!
My husband took me on a mini coffee-date last night while the kids were at Awana. I’ve mentioned we live in a small town, and that means if you want a cup of coffee with a place to sit down and enjoy it….you go to McDonalds. It was nice, we bought coffee, played a game of Words With Friends on my iPod Touch using McDonalds’ free WiFi and we donated a $1 to The Ronald McDonalds House Charities!
I took this from RMHC’s website:
On November 10, M
cDonald’s U.S.A will celebrate McHappy Day, kicking off the annual Give A Hand® fundraiser from November 10 through November 20, at participating restaurants. One hundred percent of proceeds from the purchase of a $1 paper hand will be donated to RMHC.
McHappy Day continues to be McDonald’s global signature fundraiser benefiting RMHC and other children’s causes around the world. This fundraiser is just one more way McDonald’s, its employees, Owner/Operators, suppliers, and customers demonstrate how small contributions can add up to make a huge difference in the lives of children. Since 2002, countries around the world have raised $170 million during McHappy Day events.
They also donate a portion of the proceeds from Happy Meal and Mighty Kids Meal sales 365 days a year!!
If you’re like us, you don’t love their food…but if you have a minute, why not swing through a drive through an order a soda or a cup of coffee and donate a dollar or two to help support the efforts of a charity that helps real families in a real way….families like MINE!

Filed Under: Boys

Book Club For Kids

November 8, 2010 by 2 Comments

At the beginning of this year a brilliant lady in one of my homeschool co-ops started a book club geared towards kids! She has a 5 year old daughter and an 8 year old son. I have a 5 & an 8 year old as well and I was so excited to see the e-mail post about this club. We live pretty far away from where the group of kids was meeting but we went to our first club this weekend. It was WONDERFUL!

The book this month was I Love It When You Smile by Sam McBratney. There were 7 or 8 other kiddos there. We met at a park by the river (it was probably the last warm-ish, beautiful day we’ll have until the Spring and it was the perfect way to spend it). The mom who organized the group read the book to the kids and also read another book by the same author following the story of the same characters called Yes We Can!. She really engaged the kids and asked them questions related to the stories. They all participated and seemed so intent on listening and excited to offer answers and opinions. Such a heart-warming thing to see! Afterward the kids all did a few activities that tied in to the stories.
The main characters were kangaroos so they did sack races:
 In one of the stories the characters are playing in the leaves so she brought rakes for the kids to make a great big pile to run and play and jump in, this was a HUGE hit! In another story the mom and son fall into a mud puddle…I’m glad we didn’t reenact THAT particular part of the story. :-)
It didn’t really have anything to do with the stories but after snacks we had to walk over and feed the ducks. :-)
The kids and I had so much fun! And not only the activities, but the reading as well. My middle son has read the story a few more times since then and has even grabbed other books and had some quiet time reading without me assigning it. My older boy and even the little guy have spent a lot more time reading in the last couple of days too….I would LOVE to see them share my love of books and reading and the written word! How thankful I am for groups like this that help encourage them along the way.
Such a wonderful way to spend a brilliant Fall day!

Do any of you have any favorite ways you like to encourage your children to read and enjoy doing it?? I’d LOVE to hear what you think!

 

Filed Under: Books, Boys

Boys In Motion

November 5, 2010 by 2 Comments

Reading one of the blogs in my blog list this morning (Tuckers Take Tennessee), I heard about a neat idea for a link-up! Home With The Boys is hosting a “Boys In Motion” linky party. Being a mom of three boys myself, boy action shots are near and dear to my heart!

Here are a few of my recent favs:

My youngest and oldest playing football with dad!
They were gung-ho when first started the corn maze….it wore off quickly! After being hopelessly lost for about a half-hour, we exited through the rows into the pumpkin patch. Yep, we’re corn maze quitters!
Climbing trees at the park in town.
It feels like their motion never stops, I could post all day! I sure adore these little dudes (and the bigger dude too)!
Happy Friday everyone!!
Filed Under: Boys

The Chipmunks Could Totally Take The Three Musketeers

October 31, 2010 by 2 Comments

Last year I spent about a month making the boys’ Halloween costumes. I bought the pattern, bought the fabric, ordered the buttons, picked the right accessories & embellishments and poured COUNTLESS hours into making their costumes fabulous. Truly, fabulous they were……..

BUT!!!!!!

My sewing machine was a gift for the preceding Mother’s Day and I hadn’t used it for anything except sewing patches on their Awana vests…..I should have picked a smaller project to start out with. In the last year I’ve made curtains for my bedroom and bathroom with my shiny new sewing machine and that’s it…..I think I’m traumatized from the massive of the amount of time I spent hunched over my coffee table making these things.

I vowed right then and there this year would need to be easier……MUCH easier.

And it was. :-)

I bought sweatshirts, black face paint, round plastic glasses, and a pack of iron-on printer paper used for making t-shirts. Cost me about $50 altogether which is a fraction of what the Musketeers set me back and all I had to do was paint their faces, make the A (and a logo that’s on each of their backs) and iron them on. It was great. I still might do really great costumes for them next year, but momma needed this year to recover from last year. :-)

They had a blast. We went out to dinner, drove to one of the churches in the big city that was hosting a Trunk-or-Treat, dropped by a friend’s house and came home to take a few pictures with our pumpkin, Jack.

It was windy and raining when we left for town so we had to take pictures when we got home…in the dark….it wasn’t as hard as I would have thought to get them so smile for the camera….in the dark.
Do you like Jack’s little red stool?? Nate and I made that from reclaimed pallet wood. Jack likes it.
Which reminds me……….
Who doesn’t love a man that thinks any day is a good day for power tools?!? He did a really great job with the pumpkin!!
Altogether a great day! They’re an awesome group of guys, they make me a happy lady.
Make it a wonderful week all!!

Filed Under: Boys, My Man <3, My So-Called Life
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