2008/07/29

Dropping Eaves

There are certain privileges that come with being mom, one of which is being able to drop eaves on the conversations of my children. Sometimes this can back fire as what you hear may need to be addressed and the mother must be able to maintain composure to get through such a time..

Mom and I were knitting yesterday and chatting when a conversation in the living room, which in dad and mom's house is near to the knitting room aka female room, most comfortable room in the house, Meme's room. It was Ben and Lou, so we thought. We hear Louisa blurt out, "do, do not say that to me Benjamin!" Ben responds, "I didn't say that, Connor did." If you don't know Connor, than read a different blog entry. So, I called Ben and Connor to the knitting room and asked Ben what Connor said, and I told him he shouldn't teach Connor to talk mean to Louisa, that Ben and Louisa are best friends and Connor shouldn't come in the middle of that special friendship. Ben agreed, Connor went to time out, and Ben apologized on Connor's behalf of course to Louisa.

So funny.

The Geo-Bachelor Life



Here is a "taste" of my world since Christie and the kids left 10 days ago; potato chips instead of french fries (b/c that would take too long to cook), lots of fresh tomatoes from  the garden and a little white doggie "by my side" at all times when I am in the house.  I can't wait to come get you Christie!!

2008/07/28

Happy Birthday Grandma!!



Happy Birthday Grandma. We love you and know your day will be blessed.


Silas says happy birthday too, he was napping during the outakes...

2008/07/26

An Interview with Louisa



Mom: Louisa, what did you do today?

Louisa: What?, What did I do today? I just readed my bible, I playded house, and after that I saw outside the door, there was a black cat that was at a house.

Mom: Okay Louisa, what happened at the pool today?

Louisa: I jumpded.

Mom: What else Lou?

Louisa: I Goed unda the water and swimded and swimded.


If you can't interpret the interview, Louisa learned to swim today. She was yelling at my dad to get him to look at her. When he did, she took off swimming. Once she realized she could do it, there was no stopping her. She's officially a little fish. She and Ben spent a lot of time jumping from the side of the pool together as well. It was a sweet time.

And of course Silas spent more time in the hammock, this time with his Poppy.

2008/07/24

Moments with Ben

Look mom it's a cowboy and I see another one too! Yes Ben, we're in Texas now and there are people who think they are cowboys.

2008/07/23

Vacation Pictures






Here's Silas chillin on the hammock. I put him in there and swing him back and forth as if it were a real swing. He's really into diving sticks too... not quite sure what to do with them. hmmmm.
Libby carries around a water pistol and shoots anyone or anything-the dogs- that might cross her path. Sometimes you'll see her with a water pistol in each hand!

2008/07/22

So it's a bit crazy here... that's okay


Swimming is going very well. Ben is a little fish. Louisa is now putting her head under water without being told to do so. Libby floats with such great ease that I am taking lessons from her. Colby and Jackie have learned the thrill of Marco? Polo...... We are having a great time and are tired, at least I am. The kids go to bed exhausted and wake up refreshed, ready for more swimming. We've all had a bit of sun damage, so our swim times have been moved to early morning or late afternoon. I find that once the kids are asleep, or at least in the bed, my vacation begins, though all I have been doing is knitting or sitting in a daze. My brother Justin came by today and the kids were thrilled. He played with them in the water for some time, giving them rides back and forth under and over.
You'd think on vacation that parenting would be easy, I've found it's more difficult. I am to blame as I am selfish. I want to have fun and play without giving instruction, correction. When it comes to the point where it's needed, as it always is needed, I am offended that I've been offended. Isn't that ridiculous? I was feeling rather bothered tonight over a particular incident and when I went to go pray over my frustrations, the Lord revealed that I am placing too much value in how I think the kids perceive me.

i.e. if they disobey my instruction, that must mean they don't like me. i deserve to be liked, after all I adore them, there's nothing I wouldn't do for them. i should be respected for all I do for these children, don't they realize how good they have it?

Isn't that sinful? Now, I am not thinking these things during the process of their misbehaviour, however after examining why I am so offended, that's basically what it boils down to. I have got to remind myself that they are sinful beings, just like their mother. I am to shepherd their heart in a loving, gentle manner, and they are to honor me. If they don't honor, than discipline them and point them to God's word and his standard for their living. Really it's quite simple. It's a simple math equation. I just put a bunch of emotions around it and take offense, when really I should expect sinful behaviour and call it what it is. The Lord Christ was sinned against, and in that suffering, He loved. He never once said, I don't deserve this!
Lord, forgive me for thinking higher of myself than I ought too.

2008/07/20

Arrival

We decided at 9:00 am Saturday that we should drive all the way through to Texas instead of stopping overnight in Jackson, MS. We arrived at about 10pm and went for a quick swim. It was the wise choice to make coming straight through as we've already spent 3 hours in the pool this morning. Ben has learned to swim in that time and is jumping off the side in the deep end and swimming to the other side, about 16 feet. Louisa is proving to be a bit more challenging. I'm not surprised by this as I was anticipating some resistance from her. Lib on the other hand may just be swimming by the time we leave. She's figured out the feet kicking part and loves jumping in the water over her head. Bizarre huh? I hope you are all well!!

2008/07/17

Too cute not to post


Can You Feel It?


It's excitement in the air over here at Magnolia Mill Place. We've got the Thule on the rack of the truck and we're loading it with all of our toys. The kids are excited and have set a new record in chore completion for the day. Libby persistently asks me, "are we goin to Meme's house?" We will be gone for a short stint in the grand perspective of things, but long enough, Lord willing, to get in some fine swim instruction for the middle ones. Pray for me to be wise and thorough with my training and watch over the children. Realizing of course I spent a half year alone with them, however we'll be in a different environment and I don't want to get too relaxed and actually take a vacation for myself....

2008/07/15

Ben at age 1

This is Benjamin on his first birthday. Many folks try to determine who Silas looks most like. Personally I think Colby at age 1. I'll have to dig up some photos of him to scan.


2008/07/14

Silas is 1


It's hard to believe, but it's true.  Silas is 1.  The year went so quickly.  We celebrated his birthday after church yesterday.  He had a nap and was confused, to say the least, about all the hu-bub.  He cried when we sang to him.  He was actually afraid of the cake and the candle.  We laughed a good bit as we all know that from the next birthday on there will be expectations over this big day... not fear and confusion.  He enjoyed his cake once he realized it was sweet to the taste.  All in all the celebration only took about 20 minutes.  We had decided earlier in the week to go the movies with the kids on base.  So, he had to sit in the theater for 2 hours and 20 minutes and watch Prince Caspian with us.  He was a good little lad.

2008/07/10

Blueberries 101


Growing up in Maine, I have several fond memories.  One of the sweetest, both mentally and taste-wise, would be the blueberries.  Blueberries were the epitome of Summer for me.  The reason being would be the countless time we'd spend picking them.  They grew in the wild up and down the country roads where we lived and in the woods behind my Grandmothers home.  I distinctly remember picking with my Great Grandmother, Mamie. She holds a dear place in my heart, in fact Her first name was Louisa. Now you know.  Back to my story, by her side I'd walk and we would have little mesh strainers we'd hold just for picking. Sometimes I'd bring along a paper cup so that I could fill it up with the berries and then pour them in Mamie's larger mesh basket.  The berries were the sweetest thing you'd know.  Perfectly ripe and you would literally squat and pick as the bushes lay so near to the ground, think "Blueberries for Sal."  Those Maine blueberries were merely a memory as they don't grow blueberries the same down in the south.  The further south you go, the bigger and the paler the berries are.  They still taste good but are a milder, more spread out flavor.  The little berries up north taste blue and the sweetness is so centralized in the mouth that you have to have another and another. It's like comparing a period to an exclamation point, both command a purpose, one is just more exciting! This leads to my story, today we went berry picking and wouldn't you know that we discovered a bush that was putting out Maine blueberries.  Jackie was convinced a seed meant for a baby bird was somehow dropped by its' mother down here in North Carolina.  However it happened we were so pleased.  We robbed that bush of all its' berries.  What a treat.

2008/07/08

The Real Deal!





Last time I posted pictures of our slip and slide we were using our tarp.  Well that all changed when we were in Target and Jake spotted one for $10.  We bought the thing and had a blast using it on the 4th.  This time we didn't send Silas down the thing.  We let him nap instead.  Salt went OCD over it.  He kept yapping at the water shooting out of the sides and went absolutely nuts when we would crash into the pillow at the end.  He was successful in attacking and deflating the end half. What else is a Westie for anyway?

                 

2008/07/07

Isms

Choke UP!
Eat It, Eat It!
OH Blue!
WHEEL!  WHEEL!
Now you've seen it!
SLIIIIDE!
Put on your "Rally Caps!"
a little d, a little d!
Hey badda, hey badda, heyyyy!

For the past few months these words have been repeated over and over again.  I have decoded what most of them mean and yes, I've even said, "Oh Blue!"  These are the baseball isms.  Some of them I still don't get and tell me, why would you turn your baseball hat inside out?  Is it really going to help the batter?  
Colby finished up the season yesterday.  The all star game was a double elimination tournament and we lost the first 2 games.  Colby played his best and didn't give up, pitch a fit, or cry.  We haven't seen him do any of those, but that doesn't mean they are unfamiliar to a baseball game at any given time.  Jake and I are looking forward to having a little time off in the evenings, and from the words of Ben last night, "Dad do you think we can go to the field tomorrow and hit some balls, so I can start getting ready for next season?"

2008/07/05

7 minutes

Yesterday was the 4th and I do hope that everyone celebrated in a God-Glorifying manner.  We had a sweet time together as a family.  

I am going to meet 2 of my dear friends for breakfast this morning to talk about a chapter on parenting in a book that we have been reading and meeting about.  It's a pretty looking morning and I have just enough time to update this blog, 7 minutes in fact.  

Colby has his first All-Star game of the year today.  It's 2:30 this afternoon. He's excited and thinks that maybe he'll hit his first home run ever today.  If the team loses, they will play again tomorrow.  If they win, then we'll be going back to the city on Monday night.  Pray for us all to be God centered in our actions!  

Have a sweet weekend.

2008/07/03

More on the joys of adulthood..


Maybe I'll start a series on all of the joys. Benjamin and Louisa were invited to a birthday party today.  The theme of the party was a 4th of July blowout.  I think I was just as excited as they were about it.  They can go to the party and play and enjoy their little lives and I'll have fun putting their costumes together.  Together it was with Louisa the Star and Ben the Stripes of the flag.  We embellished some plain white t-shirts with quirky sayings, but for me painting their soft little faces was the delight.  Little freckles, blue eyes, and pug noses, what more could a mom ask for on a hot July afternoon?    

Another Reason I love being an Adult

There are numerous reasons being an adult is such a blast.  One of my favorites is the appreciation of certain foods.  As a child I was never very fond of nuts, coconut, dried fruit, etc.   For some strange reason, be it adulthood or my aging body needs nutrients aside from what a bag of cheetos and coca cola can give you,  I thoroughly enjoy many things now that I never did as a youngster.  With that comes  a recipe.  This is from my mom.  Poor mom, each time she comes to town she forced into submitting all of her newest recipes to the Reynolds Cook Library.  A majority of my favorite things to eat come from a list of about 5 people, mom being one of them.  

With that, here it is:  High Octane Cookies

1 cup flour
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup golden raisins/cranberries/cherries... whatever you have on hand
1/2 cup chocolate chips
6 T butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1 very ripe b-nana (Lou)
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325
Use a baking stone or silpat on a cookie sheet, or just grease your pans
Stir together flour, coconut, oats, baking soda, and salt with fork.  Add dried fruit, pecans, and chocolate chips and mix well.  In another bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy.  Add egg, banana, and vanilla, beat til smooth.  Poor over dry ingredients and combine until just mixed.

Using a 1/4 measuring cup scoop dough on pan a few inches apart.  Bake for about 18 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on racks.  Store in air tight container until they are all gone.  

These are great for breakfast and pick me up snacks, or nursing mothers, or the hard working men in our life who don't have time to slow down...