He doesn't sleep, but...

Zane just asked me to take off his diaper, saying "tee tee tee tee..." so to humor him, I took off his diaper. He made me take him to the big boy potty, and I sat him on it. He promptly tee teed in it. We all 3 clapped for him, he wiped himself and flushed the potty. Flushing the potty is a huge treat, you know.

He started saying, "more more" and made me put him back on the potty. I did and he tee teed again. We all 3 clapped and he wiped himself again and flushed the potty again.

So he doesn't sleep, but he trains himself to go to the potty at 22 months.

No wonder parents are confused all the time. The kids make them that way...

Happy beginning of Summer

Although it's still Spring, the house is hot, the tap water is hot and the temps are reaching 90's this week. That's summer. Plus, we're done with school! So we decided to combine our Memorial Day celebration with an end of school celebration.




Saturday we hit the "Y" for the first swim of the Summer. It took Zane a little while to get what was going on, but soon enough he was splashing and having a ball. Laney and Jude had a blast. We ran into lots of friends, and the Smith's were there, and Laney and Jude had fun playing with their friends. We went for ice cream after that and then went home and grilled turkey burgers on the grill. It was a great day!




Sunday we went to church and then Laney and Daddy went on a "secret mission." The mission was buying Mommy and thank you present for being a "great teacher" (as she put it)!! Lol.... It was sweet, and Laney chose me a "Mom" locket and she asked that I put pictures of her and me in it. I love it and have worn it every day! We just played around the rest of Sunday, and I actually tried to take a nap! Maybe I was coming down with something?




Monday was end of school celebration extravaganza. We started out at Chuck E. Cheese with Mimi. We played and ate and Laney got some of her favorite books from Mimi. Fancy Nancy is what they're called, and they fit Laney and Mimi to a "t"!




After all that fun, we headed to the Galleria. There Laney, Jude and Daddy rode carousel. Jude proudly rode the bench. He and Daddy took silly pictures of each other while Laney rode her tiger. Zane conked out in the backpack while Mom and I actually ventured into a store that didn't have any cartoon stuff in it. A real grown up store! I was astounded at how much real clothes cost, though, and was immediately thankful for the trusty old thrift store, yard sales, and generous kind hearted friends with kids just bigger than mine. Whew.




After the carousel rides, we ate cookies at the Cookie Co. Then we hit our two favorite stores. The Disney Store, where thank goodness bathing suits were on sale, since Laney seems to be growing at a previously unparalleled rate, and "Builder Bear" where Jude choose a tiny puppy and Laney got a new out fit for her many Build A Bear friends at home. (We had found some at a garage sale this year. :) )




After all that fun, we came home and Allen filled the kids' sandbox with sand for the first time in years. They played out there for hours. I thought the kids would have dropped in the bed at bedtime, but they actually weren't that tired. It took them a while to unwind. I need their energy! Ha.




It was such a great weekend, and the 3 days with Daddy/Allen were great. We didn't get much rest, but now that school is over (did I say that again?) our schedule is wide open. Not one thing we have to do each week. Until August 7th. It's a count down already! lol..




My house needs my attention now. Whew. It's really bad. I'm not going to post pictures though!!!

This is the way we roll...

That has to be a song, or some silly phrase I picked up somewhere, but it's been stuck in my head for the last couple of days.

I finally had it with Zane and his (lack of) sleep issues. One night, after having already gone downstairs to rock him back to sleep at 11-I went to bed at 10, so you know how good that felt-he woke back up at 1. I just lost it. Crazy lost it. I resolved and swore and pledged not to rock that child ever again.

So the plan is to lay down with him to get him to sleep and hopefully teach him how to get himself back to sleep. I know he can do it. He would go 9 days or so without having to go downstairs in the middle of the night, but then he'd go two weeks of getting up at least once a night.

I was going to night wean him, but this comes first. It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to get him to sleep the first night. 1 hour and 30 minutes the next night. Naps are pretty easy since he's so tired from not sleeping at night.

We were up from 2 until 5 this morning, NOT ROCKING. Just laying on the couch. Ugh.

I know it will get better. I'm not giving up. At this age, I can reason with him, and tell him what's going on. That's what I've been waiting for. So the first night, I said, "We aren't going to rock anymore. We are going to lay in Mommy's bed and go to sleep. This is the way we roll now..."

I laughed at myself, and wondered where the heck that came from. Oh well. It stuck and I'm still using it. "This is the way we roll now."

I waited until school was out to deal with this, and I'm glad I did. I want to have all sleep issues resolved by the time school starts back in August. It may take that long. I do not ever want to have to do school in a sleep deprived induced fog again.That really stunk.

Poor thing. I do feel for him. I'm praying for him, and I'm absolutely sure that he will be just fine!!! I'm going to be fine too... I'll be sleeping soon. I'll be sleeping soon. I'll be sleeping soon. Speaking out in faith. I'll be sleeping soon.

Memorial Day

I dated a sweet boy in college that was in the Army reserves. He had joined to get money for college, and was considering a full time enlistment after graduation. It didn't require a whole lot - one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer.

This was 1991, and things soon changed. The Gulf War started, and my boyfriend's regiment went on standby. This was before cell phones, so his mom or dad had to know where he was at all times, so he could be quickly located. It was hard. We'd watch the war on television at night, trying to comprehend that the Atari-like green streaks across the screen were real, and not some video game. Real people were dying and it was a real war.

His nerves were on edge, and the prospect of going to war loomed on the horizon like a huge storm. I was a mess, and being young and sheltered didn't help the situation any. I just didn't know how to feel or act. I'm sure I didn't help his nerves any!

The war ended, just as his troop was the next up to go. It didn't escape us that he came close to going. Very close.

It was then that I decided that a life with a military man was not something I could do. He did end up joining the military full time and lived in Germany for awhile. I always prayed for him, and it made me much more aware of what those boys and girls go through.

Then I met Jackie. She is the embodiment of all military wives. She's done it all on her own. I watched her be the husband and the wife for the long, long time that Will was in Afghanistan, and for all the times he was in Egypt or on a training mission or on drill . I couldn't believe her strength and her fortitude. There were nights with sick kids, decisions to be made, financial issues to be dealt with, house situations to be remedied and all with no help or input from the person closest to her. I was so amazed at how well she handled it all, and knew full well I'd not do near as good a job that she did. There was no husband walking in the door at night, or on the weekends. He was gone for months and months and months. The adjustment when he came home was a hard one too, for them all.

What blew my mind the most was how many wives and husbands are doing this every day. There are men who are serving their THIRD tour of Iraq. 18 months tours. I cannot fathom how those wives and mothers do it.

There are currently 2,475,967 members of the military today. Can you imagine how many families have members serving in some way right now? I can't even wrap my mind around that number.

There is a little girl in Zane's class in church that I met last week named Grace. Grace has had two open heart surgeries and will have one more for a congenital heart defect. She's on oxygen constantly and has a feeding tube. After playing with her and learning about her situation, my heart just went out to her and her mom. Then Ms. Martha, Zane's teacher, mentioned that her Daddy is on a tour. I almost cried. I don't know much about their situation, but I do not know how that sweet Mama does it with her husband so far away.

I've thought a lot about those families today, and about my own great-grandfather, Alexander, who served in WWII and was a prisoner of war. I've thought about my great-grandmother who went to work at Stockholm to work in the factory to make money to support her 4 kids all the while not knowing if her husband was dead or alive.

The sacrifices that these men, women and their families make is so huge and far surpasses my ability to find words to describe them. I am so in debt to these people, from long ago and those today. I have tried to honor them today by thanking the Lord for them. It seems like such a small thing to do for the enormous sacrifice they make.

Laney's end of the year interviews

**Edited to add: I think I have resolved my You (stink) Tube issues. Sorry for the glitches.**





I had this whole idea in my head of having a little gathering of family to celebrate the end of Laney's first year of homeschooling. You know, just grandparents and who ever else wanted to come, having snacks and letting her share some of her favorite things from the past year. She also worked SO hard last year, and I wanted to celebrate that. I don't know what I was thinking. She absolutely started shaking when I mentioned it and said a resounding, "NO."


Oh well.


So we compromised by making a series of videos highlighting some of her favorite things from last school year. She was really sad when we got through with the videos, crying, "But I'm gonna miss kindergarten..." I think she'll be fine when she realizes what fun she's going to have this summer. And anyway, she said after that, "But I'm looking forward to first grade now..."


So we made these videos to mark the passing of her first year. I love that she'll have these to watch when she's older. We'll make them at the end of each year, and you *know* that I'll have to make a compilation video when she graduates from high school. Just because I'm that kind of mom!!

So we're already piecing together her curriculum for next year. I absolutely love Sonlight. I am so thankful for that curriculum and for the chance-no the privilege-of homeschooling my children. We thank God for that every day. We really do!

























>

More than one way to heaven?

I heard a sermon on this topic this week. I've been thinking a lot about it.

John 14:6 (Amplified Bible)

"Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me


"The question is not 'why is there only one way to heaven?' The question is 'Why is there any way at all?'

Why only one way? I'm convinced that if there were 1,000 ways to heaven, we'd want 1,001. The issue is not how many ways there are to heaven, the issue is our autonomy and our pride that says we need to make our own way to God..."

(guess there's no need to tell you from whom this quote came...!)

Whew

(we just finished school)

I want to say it so softly so that some unseen part of the curriculum won't come jumping off the school shelf and lay me out.

I am literally walking around, on air, feeling some sort of glee.

The kids are watching Larry Boy.

All I want to do in the whole world is go to the thrift store.

We are going to have our end of the year celebration starting on Friday.

It culminates on Monday, with a trip to Chuck E. Cheese and the Galleria.

I think that celebration may be more for me than her. I want to twirl around the Galleria, yelling, "WE DID IT!!!!!"

(we really did!)

I love a rainy day

I love a rainy day. More than any other weather-well, I love snow more. But for common weather, I really, really love rain. It's weird. Like my love of winter. I love how cozy the rain makes the house. How we all are so happy to just be at home. I love to watch the rain on the windows. 

(Cue the Kenny G music...) 

We were in the van, running to the bank, and we got stopped by a train. I turned off all the wipers, and I just watched and listened to the rain. It was so relaxing to feel it pouring all around me, running in rivets down the windows. I was feeling sappy, and just then Laney piped up and said, "Mom, this rain is making me feel so cozy and happy in this little van." 

Great, it's genetic. 

We were in the banking drive thru with the windows down, and I said, hoping for more soul connecting, "Laney, can you just smell the rain?" She paused for a second, and did what I believe was a snort, and said, "Mom, the rain doesn't smell..." Oh well. It didn't dampen my spirits. I still love, love, love a rainy day.

One year ago today

One year ago. 

I accidentally stumbled across these pictures tonight, and I was struck by them. One year ago. It seems like yesterday, yet hardly recognizable. Amazing. It reminds me that no matter how hard things are, no matter how difficult, one year later you will look back and say, "Wow. Has it been a year already?"

My favorite picture ever

It's kinda like this blog

"Pooh began to feel a little more comfortable, because when you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out in to the open and has other people looking at it..."
The House at Pooh Corner

Blog please, my dear

I don't think Allen minds too much that I blog. Our house is usually presentable, and he eats a good dinner every night. The kids are happy, we get school done. It doesn't take that much time, really. It's just a place for me to nail down my thoughts, document feelings and events and put things I want to reflect on.

Well, I was up last night with Zane, and on ABC World News tonight, which has saved my nights the last 2 years, there was a story about a lady who blogs, for a living.

It started when she made fun of her boss online. :( She got fired, and then really started blogging a lot. She got lots of hits, and suddenly became sort of an internet sensation. She allows advertising on her blog, and she makes $40,000 a month.

Yes, you read that right. $40,000 a MONTH. No, I didn't add any extra zero's there.

Can you imagine?

Her husband quit work, duh, to "help" her. He "manages the money." I think that means he's sit around and counts it all day.

Now let me first say that I don't have any desire to be that rich. None at all. But I'm just thinking of all the good I could do with all that money.

And I can imagine Allen's surprise. And other people's surprise.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I blog."

"Oh, okaaaay..."

I don't have any sorts of deluded grandeur that this little tiny spot will ever become that famous. It's not meant for that. I'm not really interested in it becoming that anyway. I don't have that talent in me. Or the desire. I just want to have some record of my life, since I seem to be forgetting things as quickly as they happen.

But I lied in bed, after getting the child back to sleep, and the number $40,000 a month kept bouncing around in my head. I could just hear Allen.

"Honey, did you blog yet today....?" :)

Happy Birthday, Emily!!!

We had the delicious pleasure of going out to eat, just us-the girls-the other night to celebrate Emily's birthday. We laughed and had a blast. They all went on to a movie, but I had to get home to Zane. One day, I'll get to go to the movie too. We had such fun, though. Happy birthday, Emily!!!

Ahhh, the simple life

Things have been crazy around here for weeks. We've been running all over the place, running errands and getting things done. I hit the wall last night. I knew it was time to get back to normal. We had no choice. I couldn't go anymore.

So we're home now. And today has been so wonderful. No crazy running around for. We had time to take silly picture, play with our food and do a complete day of school. Laney even took a picture of me, in which my shiny face shows yet another reason I don't prefer warm weather. And the high was 75 too. Who sweats this much??

My sweet boy gave me a flower. I love to wander around in the yard and take pictures of them. The kids learned how to play Dominoes in school, and they loved that. They played a couple of games and want to play more. (Laney remembered when we ordered pizza the other day that it came from a store called "Domino's" and they had a picture of a Domino on their box! lol) They are sitting now coloring pictures of Speed Racer - Jude (the old cartoons, not the new movie) and pictures from Samson and Delilah - Laney. They have time to chill and be creative.

Zane had his snack outside, much to Lucy's joy. It's so nice to be at home, and I'm so glad we can do this. Be still and quiet and happy. It's the only way I can function. This is all a gentle reminder for me to make things as simple as possible. There will always be weeks that I have a thousand errands to run, but I'm praying for the wisdom to choose ways to do them without making us all crazy. I've done a terrible job of that lately.

The Wizard of Oz

I am scared of so little in life. I decided a while back that fear just wasn't something that I wanted to be a slave to. I let go of my fear of tornadoes, throwing up and getting old. I still struggle with maggots, which suddenly appear on our garbage can from time to time, but now I know of a cavalier steel magnolia who will come riding over on her white horse (tan minivan) and swipe them away with a mere swish of her sword (stick). Oh, anyway, I'm not afraid of much.

That being said, there are two things that strike fear into my heart like a lit dagger. "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice in Wonderland." They send chills up and down my spine like nothing else. After being absolutely fear struck by them in my childhood, I've traveled in wide circles around each of these subjects for years. There was even a store called "Oz" in the old Eastwood mall. It was a music store, but it was a complete tribute to the movie with the flying monkeys, the yellow brick road and murals painted everywhere. They even had a basket attached to a flying monkey suspended on a wire between two pulleys that was strung across the store between the two cash registers. The employees would put items in the basket and fling that monkey across the store and the yellow brick road underneath. One sound of that flying monkey, and I would hit the floor. Going to that store gave me nightmares for a week.

After successfully avoiding all things Oz for my whole life, guess what book pops up on Laney's school read aloud list. Yep. There in all it's freaky glory is "The Wizard of Oz." I dared not tell Laney that I was terrified of this literary work. She would think I was crazy. I've always been able to read just about anything. I went through a Stephen King phase, and while I couldn't watch any of his movies, I really liked his books. Same with the "Red Dragon" series. You know, the Hannibal Lecter books. That was long ago, though. I don't read that stuff anymore. Oh anyway...

So we're reading "Oz" and guess who LOVES it? And guess who's not freaking out? The book is much sweeter than I remember the movie being. Things are different too. The shoes are silver and the road is "the road of yellow brick" not the "yellow brick road." I'm doing fine with it so far, and I'm really glad Laney loves it.

Here she is on her road of yellow brick with her not-so-cowardly-lion.

I am hoping and praying that she never discovers that there is a movie. Isn't there a funky musical version with really cool people in it? I can handle that one. I'll show her that one, and let her discover the horrid flying monkeys and crows and witch and those weird little people who swing from vines that people said one of them died while filming and you can see it.... *shudder.*

:)