Wapiti Weekend

We had a great time this weekend. Saturday morning we got up and loaded the car, grabbed a quick breakfast at Perkins, stopped by K-Mart for skewers, and headed on our way. We drove and we drove and we drove and twelve minutes later we arrived at our campground. :)

Let me backtrack here and give a little bit of history. A few years ago we went camping at our favorite campground, Hume Lake, in the Sequoias. We were fairly seasoned campers and had reserved our stay in the campground for several days. However, the prime spot was already reserved halfway through our planned trip, and another spot would be available for the remainder of our stay, but we would have to move at that point.

So we set up our tent in Prime Location, unloaded all the stuff that goes with tent camping ~ ice chest, food bins, sleeping bags, lanterns ~ you got it. We had an awesome time for several days, and then it was time to move.

Changing campsites when you are tent camping is quite the bummer. We basically had to repack everything, including the tents, move 1/4 mile away, and unpack everything again. It unfortunately wasted half the day.

I'd been tent camping with Ro since before we were married. We both loved it. But suddenly, as we looked at others camping in tent trailers, regular trailers, and motorhomes, we realized that if we'd had one of those fun little self-contained bundles of joy, our move to the second campsite would have been completed in just minutes.

So anyway... the following year an opportunity arose and we were able to partner with some others in purchasing a motorhome. It wasn't the coolest of rides, but man, we fell in love with the RV option immediately. Not only were all of our supplies handily stored away, but we learned (by experience) that we could camp in the rain (although it did leak some!). There are lots of advantages to an RV ~ all of which appealed to Ro and I, aging by the day. ;)

Unfortunately the joint owners all lived quite far from each other and Miss G came along so we couldn't camp last year anyway, and the mutual decision was made to sell the camper. When we decided to move to Colorado, Ro and I prayed diligently for God to open up another opportunity for us to purchase perhaps another travel trailer. We really were hoping that we would be able to, but nothing ever panned out, even though we kept looking even shortly after we made the move!

So, now here we are, and C asked one day not too long ago if we could go camping before summer was over. We haven't been as a family in two years, and Miss G has never been. Of course I wanted to go. But, we had no motorhome... we could stay in a tent but Ro would only have Saturday and Sunday off and it is getting a little cooler... and then I remembered an RV park not far from here that actually offered sleeper cabins to rent by the night... and we had a solution.

We learned awhile back that the nearby town at the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, celebrates Elk Fest at the end of September. I have been looking forward to going since we first moved here. So I was able to coordinate the Elk Fest and camping trip and ~ bada bing ~ we had our first Colorado camping trip in the bag. :)

So anyway, back to the story... (I didn't write yesterday so I have twice as much to say today I guess) We arrived at our campground, got our cabin key, and unloaded our stuff before heading on up the highway along Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park. The drive itself is gorgeous with beautiful canyon rock walls on both sides and the river winding along the way. Once we got into town, however... there were zillions of people. Literally, zillions. ;)

Driving into town though I looked out to the left and saw, scattered on the golf course, about two dozen elk. I couldn't believe it. Sure, they'd told us that elk come into the town for their rut season, but I still didn't think we'd see it. We pulled into the parking lot and hiked a short distance, and wow - elk right there in front of us, about thirty feet from me, docile and regal, and... amorous. ;) It was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen.

We stayed and watched for awhile and thought we'd head into town for the Fest, but the traffic... wow... we decided to take another road and ended up at Fall River, where there is another entrance to RMNP. We stopped for awhile at their wonderful visitor center, marveled at the gorgeous color of the aspens in the mountains, and got back in the car to head back to Estes Park.

Unfortunately, there were just too many people. We couldn't even find a place to park and we searched for quite awhile. We ended up just returning to the campground.* We explored a little ~ saw the nearby river, played at the playground, and played some family games. We really enjoyed just hanging out together. In fact, when another little boy came to ask J to play, he said, "No thanks, I want to do some family activities." :) Awwww...

*I forgot to mention we saw some bighorn sheep up in the rocky canyon ravines on the way back to the campground! Cool!

We barbecued burgers, played more games, and of course roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. After a short walk to just marvel at all the glorious stars, we turned in for an early night.

We had planned to just head home this morning after a leisurely time at the park but we (well, Ro and I at least) were so disappointed to miss the Fest yesterday that we headed back up to Estes Park early. This time we had no trouble finding parking, and in fact, the crowds were much, much thinner. We spent a couple of hours browsing the vendor booths, learning about elk and other wildlife, and then we browsed some shops before having a great lunch at a local burger place.

After lunch we headed on home, stopping again at the golf course to see more elk. We had such a wonderful time. The kids were so great and they even thanked us for a great trip. It was a short trip, but truthfully it was kind of nice to get home early, too. Ro and I managed to clean out the garage (I can park in there already!) and get some other things done around here. It was a great weekend!

Prayer Needs:

• My friend C is having her liver biopsy tomorrow. Her husband T has been sick and she needs to be healthy enough to take it, and her daughter J is having a rough time with the whole thing. Please pray for their whole family. Thank you.

Friday!

So Miss G seems to think that anything that is round is a ball, and, ergo, her toy. I thought it was cute the other day when I was unloading groceries, and having found a cantaloupe in the bag on the floor, she proceeded to get it out and roll it across the room.

But then she discovered the tomatoes.

Now there are small red splats on my floor that I need to go scrub. Not only that, but there's a red splat in the window sill and on the window screen where evidently she thought she could throw it / smash it / push it through. :: sigh ::

So if you wondered where I was yesterday, I was simply tired. (After reading about Miss G, can you blame me?) Tired and a little overwhelmed. Just one of those days, you know? But thanks for missing me, those of you who did. :)

Did you know that 111,111,111 times 111,111,111 is 12,345,678,987,654,321? I know, pretty useless fact, but if you like numbers (like me) you still might find it interesting. :)

I'm very excited that it's Friday. This week has been busy and yet I don't have a lot to show for it. I haven't done much on the house other than maintain it, but I've been busy with some financial matters, grading papers, helping Ro with an assignment, etc. I'm glad we're at the end of the week!

But the best part of today is that I get to start packing and shopping for our weekend. We are going camping tomorrow! Just a quick trip and we will be staying in a sleeper cabin, but we are all pretty excited about it. We haven't gotten to go camping as a family since the summer of 2005! Isn't that sad, for a family who enjoys camping? But in 06 Miss G came along and we didn't get out, and then of course, this past summer we've been busy with the house stuff. So now, fall is coming, and there's cool stuff going on, so we're headed out tomorrow for a quick trip. Yay!

Therefore I probably won't post again until Sunday night or Monday, but I'm sure I'll have lots to say then!

Before I close for today, my aunt sent me this. I've read it before, but I still enjoy it and it's a good reminder, I think, about perspective! I hope it brings a smile to your face.

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today!" So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "Hmm," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today!" So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

:) Gotta love it.

Prayer Needs:

• Safe trip.
• C's biopsy on Monday. Pray also that both she and husband T will be feeling healthy for the procedure. T's sick right now.
• K's pregnancy.

A Good Morning

I got up this morning to the sound of the alarm clock going off in J's room. It's all new, you know, this alarm clock thing, but we've never had to get up quite so early for school before. So when school started in August we gave C her own alarm clock after being chastised one morning for not getting her up in time. She sets it every night and gets up on her own and is usually mostly ready for school before I even see her.

And then last night J came out with an alarm clock (still not sure where he found it) and asked Ro to set it for him. So at 6:30 this morning I heard his alarm going on and on and on and I asked Ro, "Have you showed him how to turn it off?" :)

So I got up, threw on a pair of shorts and slippers, and went downstairs. I was a little groggy. I offered C breakfast, but she already ate, and I made her a quick lunch. It was time to take her to school, and since Ro took her yesterday, I figured it was my turn. I grabbed my hoodie (That's what they're called now; did you know that? We used to call them hooded sweatshirts.) and headed to the car. It was pretty brisk out, 44 in fact. C was complaining about the cold while I defrosted the windshield, making a mental note to have Ro get that garage door opener thing going soon.

"I like mornings like this," I said to her. "Don't they help wake you up?"

"Yes!" C exclaimed. "But I don't want to be awake!" :)

So anyway, we drove on to school. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was approaching a sight that's one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. We got closer to the drop-off point, and I could see a gathering of students...

Standing in a circle.

Holding hands.

Around the flagpole.

With their heads bowed in prayer.

Wow! See You at the Pole! I knew instantly what I was seeing, but I still couldn't believe it. In my two previous churches where I served as a youth leader I'd always promoted SYATP but the students had always reported back that there were only a couple of students there. It was always a very poor-attended, unpopular event, at least as described by my public-school students. But wow - I saw at least 50 students gathered around the flagpole at C's school, and possibly a couple of adults. It really blessed my heart to see it.

C went to join in but I had to leave. I was so moved by these students praying that I bawled all the way home. :) What a goober I am, huh?

~~~~~
Updates:

My friend K's ultrasound went well yesterday. She could still use prayer for a healthy baby and for to feel better, though, but I'm very excited for her. :)

Ro was feeling better by the time he got home from work.

My friend C will need a biopsy on her liver on the 1st. Please continue to pray for her.

And I'm still working on the video of the house floorplan. Sorry for the delay. I've finally been ready to do it but things (like G) have gotten in the way. :) Today? Tomorrow? Soon.

I hope!

If I Had a Million Dollars...

Sorry, but I just can't get that song out of my head. I don't even know the whole song. In fact, I only know that part of it, truthfully, from a ringtone on my sister's phone. Grrr...

I just brought C home from school. She ran into the house yelling, "I'm going to go ride my bike!" I love that she loves riding. She rode it yesterday for a bit before I had to pick up J, and then she got upset, because later, when she had time to ride again, it was raining pretty hard. I never thought I'd hear her upset because she couldn't go do an athletic activity outside. Pretty cool. :)

Do you know what a yurt is? I'd never heard the word before I read an article about them in the local paper a couple of weeks ago. In fact, it struck me when I read it because it's a simple four-letter word, and being a native English speaker and, in fact, having a college degree in English, I'd never heard of the word before. (Now I'll be embarassed if all of you have.) Well, it's not like I have something profound to say about them at the moment. It's just that on Bob the Builder right now they are building one. So preschoolers everywhere will know about yurts. Hmmm...

So I pick Joshua up from school and he is excited as he gets into the car, waving the latest fundraising papers in his hands. (I do, in fact, grimace inwardly as I see them.) He says, "Mom! I need to sell $50 worth so I can get this silver scan radio!" (pause) "Mom? What's a silver scan radio?"

I hate these fundraising endeavors. I would so much rather donate money to the schools directly than buy crap that I won't use so my kids can earn more crap that won't last through the weekend. I know the schools need money, but really, do we really have to do this all the time? I'd rather support the old-fashioned walk-a-thons or read-a-thons or save Box Tops or any other number of things than buy magazines and low-quality gifts from these things. And I hate that they take time from school to have an assembly to get the kids all excited to sell their garbage. It's not just taking the time from school, but also the way they get them all pumped up to go home to their parents, who either suck it up and give in and buy the stuff, or have to break it to their kids that it's just not happening. Ugh. I hate it.

On another note, if your child's teacher sent a note home (generic note to all parents) detailing how certain things will be done in the classroom, specifically, say, underlining misspelled words with a pink highlighter, and you found, say, a misspelling in the note, would you underline it with a pink highlighter and send it back? Not in a spirit of disrespect, of course.

I even included a pink smiley face. :)

Prayer Needs:

• K's ultrasound today.
• My friend C's health involving her liver.
• My aunt G's work / retirement situation.
• Ro may have caught my bug. :( He called from work a bit ago saying he's not feeling so hot.

Rainy Days and Ro's Chili

What can get better than that?

What a keeper I have for my husband. He worked all day, then went by the store, then came home and spent a lot of time in the kitchen creating his awesome chili. It came out great, and this time he didn't have to use habanero sauce. He got a couple of chili peppers from work last week and cooked them briefly with the meat... and briefly was all it needed. It came out spicy enough! But mmmm... over some cornbread with some shredded cheese on top... yum diggity!

I woke up this morning to the steady rain outside. Normally it doesn't last long but it rained most of the day. I loved it, except it always makes me want to stay in bed with a good book. Unfortunately family demands don't allow that! Still, it was a lovely day with the steady drizzle outside.

G has learned "duck" and says it often. That and "up" seem to be her favorite words. She can say "down" but prefers "up" and uses it also to mean "out." She fell out of her chair again today. Hmmm... Maybe I should pick her up a helmet next time I'm out...

'Tis the First Day of Fall

... and the weather is changing. It was quite a bit cooler today than it was yesterday. Leaves falling here and there, a slight breeze mixing them up on the sidewalk. Beautiful day. I love this time of year.

We visited C's teacher's church this morning and we really enjoyed it. Interesting order of worship, great message, good music. We'll probably make it back there sometime. Afterwards we went to lunch with their family and their friends, and enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with them. They're all really neat people.

Then this afternoon I took a major nap while J went to his friend's and C rode her bike. She rode around the block 19 times! Getting pretty good at it, I must say.

But sadly I'm not feeling well today, so this update has to be brief. It's not even 7 and I think I have to go to bed, even after taking that nap. My stomach is just not right, that's the main thing... and my cold. Anyway... I'm sure I'll live, so don't you worry your little pea-pickin' hearts. ;)

Missed a Day

Yep, missed a day. Sorry about that. I'm fine, although I have a slight cold and I'm tired. I've just been busy. I've been working on the house, trying to get things in place and organized. The challenge is doing that without spending a lot of money. It's hard not to dip into savings to buy everything this house needs. Hard, but not impossible. We're trying to be disciplined! Think I can get everything unpacked by Christmas?

I'm working on getting a video uploaded that shows the inside of the house. I made one when we first moved in but I'd like to re-do it. So, if you're interested, stay tuned. Hopefully it'll be on my blog by tomorrow or Monday.

Meantime, all is fairly well.

C is enjoying some extra-curricular activities at school. I'm glad she's getting so involved, and I hope it helps her to make some more friends. Her friend E, the one I previously mentioned, is actually moving to another town this weekend. I'm both glad and a little concerned for C, since she doesn't make friends all that easily. But, I digress. She's joined the cooking club, and this week she auditioned for the school play. She thinks she did great, and I'm really hoping she'll get a good part. I think it would really help her self-confidence. We also went to an event at a bookstore today and I think she enjoyed that as well. (And, she is able to ride her bike completely on her own now, too!)

J is doing fine. He had another sleepover at his friend T's last night and they had a ball. He is doing well in school and is currently reading Bridge to Terebithia for a project in school. His relationship with Hamy is a little awkward; Hamy is still getting used to his new home and it will take some time to get him socialized, but I think J is a little frustrated with how slow it is going. He's also frustrated with his bike riding. I'm not sure why; he's doing fine. He can ride by himself for parts, but then seems to lose confidence in himself, wobbles, and falls. He came home tonight pretty frustrated and upset. :(

Miss G... well, Miss G... boy, if any of you knew my sister as a little girl and I tell you that Miss G seems to be just like her, you'll understand that I've got my hands full. She is frequently climbing and falling, climbing and falling. The other day she even fell without climbing, and busted up her lip. It's a little swollen and ugly. Today we bought her a mini-recliner from a garage sale. She came home, excited to sit in her chair, pushed the other kids away, stood up, and promptly fell over the side onto her head and neck. ::: sigh ::: Well I guess at least she hasn't stuck an M&M in her nose, like some people I've heard about... ;)

(I'm sure her day is coming, though...)

~~ Okay, not five minutes after I finished writing this blog she was bending over to pick something up and knocked her cheek on the corner of a chair, knocking her on her tail ~ again. That poor kid. ~~

She learned how to open doors this weekend, too. Lovely. ::: sigh :::

Ro and I watched Gridiron Gang last night. If you can tolerate the language, I think it's a pretty good flick.

We're looking forward to visiting the church of C's teacher tomorrow...

And that's all, folks.

Prayer Needs:

• My friend K had elevated results from her recent AFP test. She is going for another ultrasound next week. Please pray for a healthy baby and a safe pregnancy.
• My friend C is having trouble with iron in her liver. This is a further complication of her already serious health issues. Please pray for her healing.
• Christianne's need to make some new friends.
• J to not be discouraged as he experiences new things, whether on a bike or with a pet.
• Us to find a church home.

"Cheese!"

International Talk Like a Pirate Day ~ Arrrr!

Have you ever read the book of Job? I think most of us, even if you haven't read the book, know the story ~ poor, righteous Job was allowed to be afflicted by Satan as a test to his faithfulness to God. The book itself can be tedious, I think, and if you read it, I'm sure there are times you'd like to smack a few people (such as Job's friends) upside the head. However, although they didn't understand the way God was using the trials in Job's life to test him, they did still have some valid points of view. In fact, I love this particular piece of Scripture that is nestled in the speech of Job's friend Eliphaz. It certainly has application for all of us, I think:

Submit to God and be at peace with Him;

in this way prosperity will come to you.

Accept instruction from His mouth and lay up His Words in your heart.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:

if you remove wickedness far from your tent

and assign your nuggets to the dust,

your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,

then the Almighty will be Your gold, the choicest silver for you.

Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty

and lift up your face to God.

-- Job 22:21-26

Of course prosperity and restoration do not necessarily mean money! But as we submit to God and obey His Word, as we seek to lay our earthly treasures in the dust and make Him our treasure, He will restore us and heal us and prosper us deep down within, and we will know true satisfaction and delight in Him. I love that passage; don't you?

~~~~~
Welcome home,

Hamy Snickerdoodle!

We hope you'll like it here. :)
~~~~~

Yes, it really is Talk Like a Pirate Day, arrrr! So surrender ye booty er I'll make ye walk the plank!

My Bikers

"Mom, can I go out and ride my bike?"

Ah, music to my ears. The kids are really coming along and picking up their new bike skills well. Ro took them out for the second time yesterday afternoon, and they were both really getting it. C was even able to turn around and stop on her own. I think J forgets he has brakes; he panics whenever he needs to stop. He munched it a couple of times, but he didn't even skin his knee, and he climbed right back on his bike. Sweet!

Yesterday while I was typing on the computer about what a monkey G can be, she climbed up two boxes. When I turned around she was standing on the top (the height was about to my mid-thigh). I said, "Don't fall!" and, of course, she did. :( She's okay and I haven't found any marks or anything, but I think it scared her pretty well. She's stayed away from those boxes since.

However, this morning she fell again - twice! The first time nose-first off the couch. Nice little scrape on her nose. And then, within an hour, she toppled off the chaise. Rough morning.

The most frustrating thing is that I was holding the memory card for my camera the first time she fell and I set it somewhere when I went to get her and now I can't find it. I hate not having my camera available when I might need it. I'm sure Miss G probably picked it up and if so, there's no telling when or where we'll find it. She loves to be helpful by dropping things into open boxes, open toilets, trash cans... especially with something as small as my memory card, I'm not sure we'll find it. At least there weren't any pictures on it, I guess.

C had her first field trip today with her school. They went to CSU in Fort Collins and did a bunch of outdoors team-building exercises and games. She had a blast. Yesterday she met with her cooking club and they made creme brulee, and they were even able to bring some home. Mmmm... We're hoping to make it again this weekend.

J is doing well and is excited to meet his new furry friend soon. We hope to go tomorrow to find a hamster, christen him Hamy Snickerdoodle, and bring him home. J has completely read three books on hamster care, and I'm pretty proud of how seriously he's taking this. He even took notes on one section!

C is wanting a dog or a cat, and she's already chosen the name Velcro. We are leaning toward a small dog, but we have to be patient until the right one comes along. It might be awhile! :)

Meanwhile, the weather has been beautiful and I've been getting a bit done on the house here and there. It's a good feeling but I sure wish it would go faster.

Thanks to those who have prayed for my friends as they deal with the anniversary of their son's death, and to those of you who sent me e-mail comments and posted comments to the blog. It was a rough day for them, so if the Lord brings them to mind, would you please continue to lift them up in prayer?

Now go love on your kids. There are no guarantees how long you'll have them here.

If I Could Write You a Letter

Dear Kyle,

I miss you. I can't believe it's been exactly a year since I last saw you. Exactly a year since we chatted, since you leaned across Sara in her car to say, "Bye, Beth - I'll see you later," as you left the church parking lot to go home.

I was excited that day because Joann's was having a sale and I could spend some of my birthday money on some storage pieces for my scrapbooking. We had lunch at Pop's and Ro took the kids home and Mom and I went shopping, much like any other Sunday.

Except that when I got to youth group that night everything had changed. I could tell something was horribly, terribly wrong just by the look on Sarah's face when she opened the door and called Chad down to me. I don't want to recount those moments here, although I'll never forget it. I can vivdly recall every heartbreaking moment when I got the news that, no, you wouldn't be seeing me later. At least not on this earth. I imagine everyone else who knew you will never forget it, either.

What an impact you made on people's lives, Kyle. Was there no one you didn't touch? I don't know of anyone who knew you who didn't think you were one of the greatest people to walk this planet. Everyone loved you. Sure, you drove us all nuts from time to time, but man, I miss it. I miss your silly pranks and your laugh and your cocky attitude. I miss your sense of humor and flippant comments. I miss you sharing what God has been doing in your life (I can only imagine now!), and I miss watching you grow into a wonderful man of God. What a privilege it has been to know you, Kyle.

The day of your funeral, Kyle, I saw people who loved you stand tall and silent in their grief. I saw others, too, strong men who I've never seen without a smile, broken and distraught. Together we could all smile as we reflected on some of our best memories with you ~ toilet papering your car, playing ball, "OOOOGA BOOOGA," bootleggers, and more ~ and together we grieved because you're not with us here any more.

It's been a year, and I still think of you constantly. I see guys with similar haircuts or gathering shopping carts at Target, or I hear from our friends, or I'm just reminded of other little things. And I wonder, as much as my heart hurts, how can your family even bear it? How can a mother function after losing her son? How can a father, a brother?

By God's grace they continue, and I know He comforts them as they slowly heal. I know they are secure in the fact that they'll (we'll) all be seeing you in heaven again. They know that there, you are whole and perfect and wonderful and praising our Father Who has brought you home. They know that, and I know that, and still our hearts ache because you were such a precious part of our lives.

You are missed, my friend. Much more than you know.

Love,
Queen B

It's Somebody's Birthday Today :)

Last night we grabbed another redbox rental and had Family Movie Night. We watched Firehouse Dog and we all really enjoyed it. Sure, it bordered on cheesy in spots, but in all it was great family fun. We laughed out loud and it was a good story. Good stuff. :)

Guess what? We got fed this morning. :) Our neighbor is a Director of Missions (I think) in the Southern Baptist Convention and he was preaching at his local church in Fort Collins and they invited us to come along. I enjoyed this service today more than any I have in a long time. The worship, although musically imperfect, was spot-on in turning my heart to worship. Singing the familiar songs like "Blessed Be Your Name" and "Be Thou My Vision" and "How Great the Father's Love For Us" really blessed me and moved me this morning. The worship team wasn't as "tight" (I guess that's the word Ro might use) as the others we've heard recently, but there was just a depth to it that I really needed. Maybe my heart was just hungry, or maybe it's just that the songs were more familiar, I don't know... I do know it did my heart good.

And then the meat... yes, the speaker (our neighbor) actually preached from the Word, Ephesians 4 in fact. It was quite yummy.

There was no fluff here... no fancy schmancy video outtakes or effects or even a fancy building, although it was nice. But it was just good. You know? Kind of like home-cooked meatloaf when you're hungry. Not fancy, but filling. And that was exactly what we needed today.

Plus it reminded me of home.

(We'll likely visit again to hear the regular pastor... but next week we're planning to visit the church of C's teacher.)

We got a pretty good thunderstorm today. Haven't had one of those in awhile, actually. It came up fairly quickly with loud thunder and bright lightning, poured for a bit, stopped, and came back. Love that.

Took the kids for a bike riding lesson for awhile after it stopped raining. They're getting it. Yes, I know, you're shocked that at 8 and 11 they don't already know how to ride a bike. I don't know what to say except better late than never...?!?! :) They did pretty well, despite some initial reservations (read: trepidation). I think they'll be riding completely on their own soon.

J spent some more time at his new friend T's house. This morning T's mom was telling me how T has never had a friend like J before, describing to me the way they play together so well. She said that J is creative and T is more logical and they complement each other well, and that they play together and interact well rather than the way T has played parallel to his other friends. I thought of how good God is... you know? We've asked Him to answer certain prayers in our move here and yet He is so... God... that He moves even beyond what we can ask for. Does that make sense? Perhaps God directed us (in addition to the many other reasons I've previously discussed) so that J could meet a need in T's life...? Or maybe T is going to meet a need for J? I don't know. I just know that they seem to be thrilled to have J here. And I am thrilled at the way God works. :)

Incidentally, they also gave J a hamster cage tonight. He is driving us nuts with all his excitement over getting one. He has come up with a new name; C suggested Snickerdoodle, and because he still likes Hamy, he wants to call his new friend Hamy Snickerdoodle. He is in the process of reading some library books on hamster care (our requirement) and when he is done, if he feels he's up to the responsibility, I imagine we will have to go shopping for the furry little critter. :)

Quotable:

• "I can't help it; I have this international fear..." (J, explaining his nervousness before we began our bike lessons.)

Prayer Needs:

• Tomorrow is the anniversary of Kyle's death. His family needs your prayers.
• My pregger friend K is still not feeling well, dealing with headaches and nausea and stress.
• Please pray that the kids will learn how to ride their bikes without any traumatic injuries!

We Feel Like Real Residents Now

We got library cards yesterday afternoon. :) C and I took the baby and went up to the public library and checked it out. (Get it, checked it out? Man, I crack myself up sometimes.) It's a beautiful library, fairly big, with a wing to the left for youth and a wing on the right for adults (isn't that where you can usually find me, on the right wing? bada-bing I'm on a roll!). We were pretty impressed with it, not to mention the surrounding grounds which held a little waterway with a fountain, a number of benches, a small playground, the city rec and senior center with full gym facilities, and a retirement center. We didn't have much time before closing but C found an American Girl book and I grabbed a couple of books for J on hamsters before we got our library card paperwork taken care of. It's even Library Card Month, so we got free pens! :)

J had his first sleepover last night at the neighbor boy's house. I think it's great how well they're getting along. His friend, T, is a year younger and actually has autism, but I sure wouldn't know it, and I don't think J has noticed anything different about him either. This morning they took both C and J to the park, too. Very nice family!

We did a little bit of garage saling today. I haven't done that in a long time. Even garage sales are different here. They're well-organized, neat, actually in the garages oftentimes, rarely occur on Sundays, and I didn't see or hear any haggling over prices. I mean, it's one thing to try to get a price down on a bigger ticket item, but when we had yard sales at home people would offer me a nickel on something that was marked a dime. Silly to me... but anyway... I got the kids a few books and another stuffed animal and I found a little hand vac that should come in handy. No loft furniture, unfortunately, so we'll have to stick to the beanbag chairs for now.

Went to K-Mart and scored a cabinet for my scrapbook studio. I just love the way scrapbook studio sounds, don't you? I'm so jazzed to have a space dedicated to that rather than pulling out a card table and taking up three-quarters of the living room with all my photos, scissors, and scraps. I am really looking forward to getting down there (hopefully next week) and getting my scrap stuff organized and ready to go, but the floor needs to be scrubbed first. Grrrrr... since my poor flabby arms are still sore from the last scrub-down, you can imagine I'm in no hurry to do it again. On a positive note, it's just linoleum, so it won't take near as long with no grout to tackle.

And then we spent this afternoon in Fort Collins. We went to Toys R Us and Target looking at bikes for the kids, and we went to Pet Smart and PetCo to check out... pets, duh! LOL We looked at some pets from the shelters that need good homes as well as potential hamsters for J. All that looking today without a lot to show for it, but that's okay. All in good time. :)

Got a Bee in My Bonnet

First of all, thanks to all the people who e-mailed me with tips on the grout. I've saved them and I'll take them into consideration for the next time... if there's a next time! :)

I've got the proverbial hair up my butt (or bee in my bonnet, as the more refined might say) and I'd like to start a project. The problem is that I'm not particularly talented in this area, so perhaps someone reading this could offer direction and input.

A couple of weeks ago I went into Target and saw a big banner for an ad promoting dorm supplies. In the picture was a desk similar to the one I've pictured here at right. I think something like this would be perfect for Christianne's room. The trouble is, to buy the desk as pictured (which is actually two file cabinets and a desk top) at Target would be over $450 ~ before tax!

So I've spent some time on the internet and haven't been able to find anything comparable, although I did come across a mention of making your own with two file cabinets and a door. Granted it might not be as pretty, but it would be a whole lot cheaper, so I've been thinking about attempting to make my own version of the file cabinet desk.

Anyone out there ever made one?

My questions:

• Is the top secured to the cabinets, and if so, how?


• Any other ideas (better looking, more cost efficient) for the top rather than a door? The top is available through Target for $120, but I'd prefer to spend $100 or less for the whole set-up, if possible.


• Do you think I could use two cheaper metal file cabinets, possibly spray-painting them with gloss to add some more color to her room?

Any other thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

~~~~~
Last night we had Jerry, our realtor, and his wife, Donna, over for dinner. What a great time we had. They have been so good to us, that it was such a pleasure to have them over for food and fellowship. These people are seriously two of the most thoughtful, God-focused, loving, giving people we know - and we've only known them a couple of months. What an impression they've made, huh? Never a negative word, always considering others above themselves, frequently asking us what we need so that they can pray for us. What a blessing they've been to us in such a short time, and what an example for us as well.

The menu? Poppyseed chicken, of course. ;)

My, isn't she growing up? It overwhelms me sometimes.

J is obsessed with wanting a hamster. A hamster!?! He has been asking us daily, and last night he spent a chunk of time on the internet doing "research" for his anticipated pet, who he as already named Hamy. He has added 31 links related to hamsters to my web favorites.

He is, in fact, so serious about this new pet, that he told us that he only wants two things for Christmas. What?!?! J?!? He said he only wants Hamy (although he wants it now) and he wants a Pokemon game for his Game Boy Advance. I have to admit, I'm impressed at his level of commitment, but I can't believe that list won't grow hundredfold by December.

Ah, Christmas... can you believe it's only 102 days away?

Owww

Another tardy post... my bad.

Boy, am I ever sore today. I couldn't even finish the floors yesterday because I was so tired and hurting so much. To clarify, it wasn't just a scrub of the floors; that would have taken maybe an hour tops. I was really trying to scrub the grout in an effort to get it all one shade. Some places were whitish, and others were jet black. I worked until about 8:30 when the kids went to bed and Ro took over for me in the last spot in the kitchen. I still have a corner to do in the dining room and the downstairs bathroom, but they'll have to wait until my body heals! How sad is that?

It's been so beautiful here. Today it got up to about 72 I believe. I drove in to Fort Collins to replace some broken chairs and I took my time seeing what's out there. On the way home I loved seeing the wide, open spaces of just land. Open lands on both sides and the Rocky Mountains just to my right. Beautiful.

J finished another novel yesterday (Superfudge). Is it our new incentive, you think, or just a sudden interest in Judy Blume's humorous tomes? Doesn't matter to me; the kid's reading. In fact he's been reading since I picked him up from school almost 40 minutes ago.

C's new friend... the one I mentioned before... she is apparently quite boy-crazy. In the course of three weeks she's broken up with her boyfriend, reunited with him, broken up again, and is now, according to C, searching for a date to the dance coming up in November. I am gently encouraging C to broaden her horizons and seek out other friends. I'm not so excited about her linked up with this girl who's got boys on her mind all the time.

Miss G... let's see, what has she been up to? I'm having an increasingly hard time restraining her, be it in a shopping cart, her carseat, or my arms. :( Except for when she's being tied down, she's pretty good-natured, though. She still waves at everyone who passes by, occasionally punctuating it with a cheerful, "Hi!" She seems to me like she's gone through a recent growth spurt. She seems so long and tall suddenly.

Ro is doing fine at work. It's work. There are pros and cons to this job, I guess just like any other job. The biggest adjustment is the schedule. I'm still happy to have him home evenings and weekends, though. I know a lot of wives out there don't even get that.

And me... I'm good. Just sore and tired. My yuckies are apparently all gone, so that's a good thing. I've been keeping my lists going and staying productive; the unpacking is slow-going but I'll blame that on G. ;) We're having company for dinner tonight so I should go get going (go get going? is that proper English?) on that. It just feels so good to stop and sit awhile, know what I mean?

Quotable:

• "Okay, I'm going to go toot for a little bit." (C, just before practicing her trumpet.)

Prayer Needs:

• My friends who are grieving the loss of their son a year ago this week.
• My pregnant friend K who has been struggling with a nasty headache since Monday.
• C to make more friends (less boy-crazy friends!).

Burn, Baby, Burn

No disco inferno here, but my shoulders and arms are feeling the burn. Instead of blogging this morning during G's nap, I thought I should take advantage of the time and start scrubbing the tile downstairs. Wow, what a chore. I scrubbed through most of her nap - nearly 2 hours - and got about 1/3 done. When the kids got home from school, I got started again and put in another hour. I might be about halfway done now. It sure is taking a lot longer than I thought it would.

The problem is that when you stop, it's harder to start again, and it hurts more. But such is life. I have kids, and I'm a stay-at-home mom, so I have to stop here and there to take care of them. I sure hope I can finish it today, though. I've mopped it (once) since we moved in, but it really needed an old-fashioned, on-yer-hands-and-knees scrubbing. Man, it was filthy. Even with the scrubbing there are parts of the grout that just aren't the same color as the other parts, but I guess I can't do anything about that right now. Most of it though is looking great.

Tomorrow we are having our first dinner guests, our realtor and his wife. Thus the need for clean, at least downstairs. :) I'm looking forward to it. It's just a very small token of thanks for all they have done for us since we've moved in ~ they paid to have our door re-keyed, watched the kids during our closing, invited us to church, had us over for dinner, and loaned us their car, not to mention all the prayer and support they've given. Good folk, and I'm thankful Ro met Jerry when he was out here in July.

I'm tired, but if I sit for long I'll never get that floor done.

Praises:

• I have been feeling MUCH better today. Thanks for praying!
• My cousin's son D is doing great after his bike accident. Again, thanks for praying!

C's Teacher

Yesterday when I picked C up from school she jumped in the car and said, "Bad news, Mom. The Cooking Club starts... in 4 minutes."

"So go," I said. She looked at me in surprise. I guess even my young daughter has figured out I'm not a very spur-of-the-moment person. She hesitated, and I said, "Just go!" And she went. She had a great time and she's looking forward to the meeting next week, where they plan to make creme brulee!

Later in the day I got an e-mail from C's homeroom and literacy teacher. It told me that she has enjoyed having C in class, but more than that... well... I guess I should back up. C had to give an oral presentation about herself in class last week. I didn't know too much about it, just the general assignment, and that C was a little nervous, but that it went pretty well.

So Mrs. H sent me this e-mail yesterday to tell me that our family has really been on her heart. She told me that C shared that her favorite book is the Bible, and that a classmate asked where we attended church. C said we haven't found one yet, and Mrs H took the time to write me and tell me not only about the exchange, but also to invite us to her church.

Maybe it doesn't sound like much when I try to relate it to you, but it really blessed my heart in a special way yesterday. First of all, my daughter had the courage, in a new school setting, to stand up and share in front of everyone that her favorite book is the Bible. I mean, really, being a new kid, that involved a lot of risk. She could have easily said something "cooler," you know? So the fact that she did that was a very, very cool thing.

But secondly, that her teacher would take the time to let me know that and invite us to their church, sharing a little of her experiences with the church-search thing... that really touched me as well. And then... now here's the good part... to consider that God opened these doors and brought us to this place, and even directed what team C would be on at school and thus what teacher she would have... a loving, Christian teacher who already has gone above and beyond her duties as a public school educator to be welcoming and helpful and reach out to us...

Isn't He good? Wow.

A couple of other Kidlet notes:

We have begun offering some incentives to the kids to read. C doesn't need any but J does. J enjoys reading, if you can get him to stop playing Pokemon or video games or Legos long enough to do it. So we offered an incentive program similar to one my friend uses, to encourage them to read as well as provide "book credits" for them to purchase other books, whether through the school's Scholastic program or a regular retail store. Anyway, it's working. J sat down yesterday and read a Judy Blume novel (Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing - remember that?) cover-to-cover. And, he liked it! :)

Well, at 15 months, G has been given her first regular chore: she feeds the Diaper Eater. She's quite obsessive about it, actually, usually grabbing up the dirty diaper before I can wrap the clean one around her squirmy little butt. Upstairs, we ask the Diaper Eater if he's hungry, I help him open his mouth, she feeds him, and then we turn the crank saying, "Eat 'em up, eat 'em up, eat 'em up!" Downstairs she just tosses it (and anything else she can find, incidentally) into the trash. She's pretty proud of herself.

~~~~~
Today is the 6th anniversary of 9/11. Gosh, it doesn't feel like it's been six years to me, and yet in some ways it seems like forever. C was in kindergarten. I remember watching the plane crashes on the morning news and taking C to school, mentioning it to her teacher. At that point it wasn't clear that it was a deliberate attack. How surreal.

~~~~~
I have a couple of prayer needs:

• We need to find a church home.
• I haven't been feeling well this week at all.
• My friends are grieving as the one-year anniversary of their son's death is this weekend. It's been a rough, rough year for them. As hard as it has been on us, it's been a nightmare for them.
• My auntie G is traveling to the state of the same name. ;) Please pray for safe travel.
  

Furnace Update

So, I'm sure you'll recall my experience a couple of weeks ago (has it been that long?) with a local furnace company trying to scam us out of several thousand dollars. I know you've been dying to ask, but have just been too timid to, what the latest news is. Never fear, I'm here to indulge you. :) Here's the latest in a nutshell.

• (Refresher) We saw an ad for Climatech to come out and give our furnace a check-up for $49. While here, we also wanted a quote on the a/c. Long story short, the technicians "found" crackS in the furnace, gave us a quote to replace the furnace and a/c for $6600 (approximately $4000 of it being for the a/c), and put a lot of pressure on us to have the complete job done next day.
• Company #2 came out to give us a quote on the a/c ~ $2400 to $2800 depending on which model we chose. Quite a bit less than $4000, huh?
• Company #3 came out and inspected the furnace with a heavy-duty flashlight and could find no cracks and said the furnace did not need replacing at all. Quote for the a/c ~$3100.
• Company #4 came out and did a visual inspection, also finding no cracks, and told us that even if there were cracks, the unit was still under warranty! Humph! If he did have to replace the furnace and do the a/c as well, the price would be as low as $3400 for both. Even with an upgraded furnace and a/c the most it would be is $4500. He said, "I don't know what I could do to be able to charge you $6000!"
• Company #4 returned today and used a dye kit on the furnace to detect the smallest of cracks. You guessed it: None.

This still infuriates me. I'm not sure what our plan is yet on our systems, other than getting the furnace cleaned correctly now (Climatech didn't bother with that, I guess since they figured they'd be replacing it the next day). We may get the a/c or we may wait on it. It's cooling off here and there's really no immediate need for it.

The only thing around here that's still hot is my temper. I get so angry when I see their ads continuously in the newspaper. Well, the least I can do I guess is report them to the BBB. :( Maybe I'll call that hotline in the paper where people sound off. We'll see.

Lockdown!

One of the several reasons we wanted to leave soCal was because of the growing crime rate in our area, and specifically fearing for our kids' safety even while in school. From time to time our kids' school would go on lockdown for various reasons, usually because police were searching the area for some bad guy. Granted, the kids' school didn't go on lockdown as much as other schools in the district, but it still happened too frequently for my taste.

Yesterday C told me that she found out that her new school here in Colorado went on lockdown once. I tried not to look too surprised. "Do you know why?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "A bear." :)

~~~~~
We had a glorious weekend. We got some things done around the house, but more importantly we had some great family time with the kids. From the picnic, to a walk around the neighborhood, to playing The Bible Game on X-box, to just eating our meals together around the kitchen table and talking, it was just one of those weekends where you really appreciate your family. We are so very, very blessed.

~~~~~
I love the way my G says, "Mom" and "Dad" - just like that. No "Mama" or "Dada" or "Mommy" or "Daddy." I don't know where she got it, but she's always done that. She didn't get it from C or J, either, because they call us "Mommy" and "Daddy." It's too cute. She'll yell, "Daaaaaaad!" or whine, "Mooooom!" No baby talk for her.

Where's the Beef?

We were so excited to attend church this morning. We have only been once since we left soCal, and we have really missed going. We looked forward to attending a large, non-denominational church near us. We got up, made pancakes and eggs for breakfast, got pretty, and headed out.

If first impressions count for much, we were surely impressed. This church was huge compared to what we're used to. It really had a lot to offer, too - an impressive children's and youth program, nursery care, women's ministries (including a Beth Moore study, an upcoming Women of Faith event, and MOPS), men's ministries, as well as a variety of ministries to meet the needs of the community - post-abortion care, divorce care, and more.

We signed G into the nursery and got our pager in return and found our way over to the kids' building for J's class. His area was really impressive; there was a stage area, an area for video games, an area with a video playing, and more. Then we went off to the lobby for some Starbucks and lemonade. Ro looked at me and smiled and said, "I'm excited." I was, too. I have missed church. I've missed the worship and the teaching (and my church family back home). And I was hungry.

We entered the sanctuary and found some seats and began to worship with several hundred people under the leadership of a wonderful worship band. We enjoyed the music quite a bit. There were announcements, a woman spoke briefly, they showed some multimedia vignettes on the overhead projectors, and the sermon began.

Well...

Hmmm... Here's the example I gave my kids at lunch. We've worked all day, worked through lunch, and we're hungry. We gather into the car and go down to McD's only to find that between us we only have enough for one bag of French fries. We get the fries, and split them between the five of us. What happens? We're all still hungry. (Especially, as J said, if you don't even like French fries!)

Unfortunately, we left that church hungry. We were so disappointed because of all this church has to offer, and yet meat apparently wasn't on the menu. I don't mean to sound harsh or judgmental, but it's a trend we are seeing often in churches today, especially churches that seem to be growing large and "rich"; the term we've come to use is "Christianity Lite," watered-down Christianity punctuated with trite, feel-good sermons that are shallow and unfilling.

It's funny... I was telling Ro that about 10 or 12 years ago, we would have loved this church. In fact, we went to a similar one on a smaller scale. And at that time, I think it was fine for where we were at because we weren't very deep in our faiths, despite having been raised in the church, and we didn't know any better. We hadn't been exposed to real meat. But now, you know... when you're grown up, you need food, real food, not French fries. As we drove home, I couldn't help but remember the old commercial catchphrase, "Where's the beef?"

This probably sounds very harsh, doesn't it? I can't help it; we were disappointed. We look forward to finding a church here that is grounded in the Word - and teaches from it. We look forward to being challenged from the pulpit to live a holy life, rather than sprinkling Dr. Phil-type psychology (and don't get me wrong - I love Dr. Phil - but he does not supercede God's Word) with a few Bible verses. We look forward to having a pastor who is passionate about the Word of God, and who isn't afraid to preach it lest someone gets rubbed the wrong way.

I don't want the gospel preached "glad," as the mother of one mega-church pastor has said; I want it preached authentically. And when you really delve into the Word of God there is much there to be broken about; it ain't all glad! Living a life pleasing to God, I believe the Bible says, starts with recognizing our sin. And refusing to address the sin issue, in an effort to "preach it glad" or to not make waves among your congregation or to not make anyone feel bad about themselves ~ wow. That's a gross disservice to the message of the Cross. Because it's only through that "bad" news that the good news is so amazing to embrace... that God could love me, in all my wretchedness, to have His only Son die for me... wow! If that doesn't make you stop and ponder God's amazing love and goodness, I don't know what will.

A friend of mine just commented the other day that God's purpose for our life is not to be happy, but to be holy. Interestingly enough, true soul satisfaction only comes by laying aside the unholy things in our life and drawing near to God. Everything else, as Solomon says, is meaningless.

I have to admit that I'm a little bit afraid to click the PUBLISH POST button at the bottom of this page. I know I sound preachy, and possibly judgmental and harsh. It isn't my intent to step on anyone's toes, so if I have stepped on yours, I do apologize. I'll step down off my soapbox now. :)

Tidbits:

• Miss G's molars are coming in. She's pretty good-natured despite the fact that her gums are very swollen. I can't believe they aren't causing her any pain.
• Ro spent about an hour yesterday installing cabinet locks in the kitchen to prevent lovely Miss G from getting into things. She got up from her nap, went over to the cabinet doors, and promptly opened them anyway.
• I forgot to mention the other day when I got carded for having a strawberry shortcake (the drink; they don't card you for dessert) for my birthday dinner at TGI Friday's that despite being thrilled she checked my ID, I had quite a reality check. Do you know the year they check for now for people to be 21 is 1986? 1986!!! I was a junior in high school! If I had gotten pregnant that young, my kid would be 21 now! Isn't that a disgusting thought? Now that made me feel old. Heck, if that had happened in high school, I could be a grandparent right now. Ayayay.
• Speaking of which, Happy Grandparents Day out there to those of you that applies to. :) My own grandparents have been such an influence on who I am today; may God bless you as you influence your grandkids' lives as well.

Picnic in the Park

One of the things that we really aren't used to here is, as I've mentioned before, the friendliness of folk. Several times I've run into the store for a quick item while Ro waited in the car with the kids, only to take much longer than it should because the checkerperson has been chatty. Last night, for example, the clerk at Target told me all about how she will be going to Tulsa soon to see the band Hansen perform. :) Today a quick deposit at the bank took awhile as the teller asked me all about our move - where we were from, if we'd found jobs yet, what we were doing today, etc. It's just like that. It's odd, because in soCal you could often barely get a hello out of anyone you were dealing with, you know?

It isn't just the people at work who are like that, either, or the neighbors, as I've talked about before. It's also just the everyday people we happen by.

We were very blessed this morning by one such man. We decided to have breakfast out and we were seated near this man dining alone. He was a warm, friendly man, and it sure didn't take long for Grace to fix her big blue/green/gray/whatever-color-they are eyes on him. She'd smile and wave and flirt, and he just loved it. He was friendly and we chatted a little. On his way out he said that Grace absolutely made his morning. What a cool feeling is that!

We ran some errands today and returned Jerry's car. After that we decided to take a picnic in the park. Near our house is a lake, and next to the lake is a park. We drive by it daily, and the other day C and I drove in to check it out and decided we needed to have a picnic here to explore it further. There is a playground, lots and lots of lush grass and picnic tables, the lake of course, and a little miniature train that runs around part of the park.

So I packed my Colonel Sanders picnic basket (despite the criticism of my children for having a basket that isn't real plastered with a picture of "an old man" that I "don't know") and we went over to the park. We had such a great time. It was so relaxing and it's a beautiful park. LHS borders one side of the park and we could hear the marching band practicing while we ate and played and fed the geese. The only bummer is that the train is closed for the rest of the year, so we missed out on that. Still, it was a really good time.

Other tidbits:

• Our lawn is starting to really green up, mostly from the rain, but from watering it this past week as well. Hopefully soon we won't be the worst lawn on the block. :)
• J's new thing is to order a Bud Light at restaurants when the waitress is taking his drink order. I think he loves the attention it gives him. Last night he did it and the waitress asked for ID. C said, "I have one!" and handed her the school ID card C got and is so proud of. :) (God bless this woman; she carded me as well!)
• I did, indeed, make a list yesterday, and had a productive afternoon!
• Madeleine L'Engle passed away. She is surely one of the greatest writers of children's literature. Actually, I read her books when C was a baby, so they're well-loved by adults as well.

TGI Friday

It never fails, does it? You do without something for two to three weeks because you know it's there somewhere, packed away, and it will turn up soon. Finally you decide you can't deal anymore and you go to WalMart where you replace said item. The very next day, you open the right box - finally - and find the item you just replaced.

Is that how it is with you? Because it seems to happen to me all the time. :)

Yesterday when I picked C up from school she told me how her new friend cried all day at school over her boyfriend who broke up with her. Are we really doing this at 11 years old? This is way too soon for this kind of stuff, for all the drama and broken hearts. At least it opened an opportunity to chat with C about it, to remind her that there is lots of time for boys. She said, "I'm not ready for that, Mom. I think I'll wait 'til I'm 13." 13!?! I said, "17." She laughed and said she wouldn't have a serious relationship even then until she was 20. I said, "24."

I told her that I didn't have my first boyfriend until I was 17. She said, "Yeah, I'm not surprised." :: GASP :: LOL Where did my daughter get that sarcastic sense of humor? That's usually J's talent, not C's.

Sadly, J came home upset from school yesterday and asked to be homeschooled again. He hasn't asked that since before we enrolled him in school. He was frustrated because his color changed yesterday (a step down on the behavior chart) and that Mr. G never gives him enough time to finish his work. This is surprising to me. J has always been able to zip through his assignments before and he had plenty of time to do other things. Perhaps this year he's actually being given work that requires him to take more time and he isn't used to that. Perhaps he's not using his time wisely. It'll be interesting to see how that complaint unfolds.

J and I also had a discussion that kind of signifies his maturing as well. Each day after school the kids get about 30 - 40 minutes of down time, and then they are responsible for doing some chores and their homework. Anything beyond that is free time. J likes to do his free time first, of course, and last night he didn't get his homework finished. He was upset about that and this morning kept trying to complete it before school. He almost got it done, but was about 5 minutes shy on his reading assignment and late for school. So the discussion was interesting because I was able to talk to him about responsibility... that he's in 3rd grade now and he has to take responsibility because he is the one who misused his time. I talked to him about working first and playing later to ensure that the work gets done. I was really impressed by his response, actually. He didn't say much but he looked me in the eyes and understood what I was saying. It's hard to explain I guess, but I felt like he got it. I'm sure we'll have our moments of fallibility but it just struck me that he's really growing up. He's ready to be responsible. That's kind of neat.

Well, TGIF. I'm so glad. I've really missed Ro this week, working a regular job with regular hours. I'm looking forward to spending some time with him and the kids this weekend. We have a lot to do around the house but we're planning some family time (a picnic maybe?) as well. And tonight we're going out to dinner! I know, it's funny, but except for when my family was here, we haven't eaten out since we moved in. If you know me at all you know how unusual that is for me! So tonight is a treat. I think we'll go to... TGI Friday's. How appropriate! :)

I can't believe it was a week ago - to the hour, in fact - that Pop, Mom, and Deb showed up, literally, on my doorstep. A quiet week it's been, too! I haven't gotten much done at all this week. I feel a little overwhelmed with it, to be honest. I look around at all that there is to do but Deb isn't here to tell me where to start, so it just sits. ;)

Actually, I don't know, it's just been a weird week. A quiet week. I know what I need: a list. I haven't made a list since we moved in, and without a list I feel, like I said, overwhelmed and like things are chaotic and such. I need order. I need to break things down into manageable tasks. I need a list.

Now where's that pen?