Saturday was PERFECT!! Beautiful Fall day, perfect temperature for this time of year and we had the best activity planned. Our church sunday school class planned an afternoon/evening hayride party at a farm in Scandia. My kids had a great time riding a 4 wheeler, a Ranger and on a flatbed for a hayride. There was also a really cool swing that had all the kids in lines, politely (most of the time)working out turns and equal time. The grown-ups enjoyed conversation and some pretty intense full-contact touch football. I heard lots of happy chattering, cheering and laughter. Food was excellent and there was a nice toasty bonfire.
I had to practically drag my kids to the car in order to leave, even though it was pitch black and everyone else was leaving too. After pulling out of the driveway at the farm and out onto the road, I passed the turn I needed.
No problem, I figured. I would find another way out to the main road. I followed a windy road through the country, past farms backlit by the quickly retreating sunset, along a lakeshore and finally came out to a road that I figured was a main road, although not the one I wanted. I think I have a pretty good sense of direction. I figured I had been heading west, towards the sunset and so I turned onto the road, figuring I was now going to head south and then get back onto familiar ground. But I just kept driving and driving...the road was so dark and nothing looked remotely familiar, so I turned around and figured I would head back and retrace my steps. But I found myself unable to remember what road I had been on, even if the wrong one.
So, I started to pray and asked for calmness, patience and a way home. As I continued driving, I began to feel or sense I should turn this way... and then this way. Next thing I knew, I was back next to the farm we had been at and I was able to go out the RIGHT way and get back on track.
I was tempted to keep this to myself. I was embarrassed that I had gotten so lost as well as ashamed of my arrogance to think that I could find my way home in an area I had never been and to not turn around when it would have been easy to fix my mistake. But I realized I had an opportunity to share with my daughter (the only one awake)what had been an answer to my prayer.
So I told her that I had been praying that God would show me how to get us home and then here we were, back where we started and now we were back where we started adn could find the way home. And then I told her how glad I was that God heard our prayer, even the smallest of things like getting unlost.
Then she told me how she had been praying too, that God would show me how to get us home. I was so touched by that. And I think I needed to hear that and for that reason, I needed to be Lost.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Key to Happiness is New Shoes, When you are 6
My oldest two boys needed new shoes. Peanut got his a few weeks ago when his shoes could not be located. I suspect they are buried in the mud of the creek in our backyard. Banana Boy showed me his shoes the other day and he has air conditioning. He remembered tonight that he has had those shoes since Kindergarten. I started thinking back and realized he is probably pretty close. It might have been 1st grade but since he is in 3rd grade now, the point is that he has had those shoes for a long, long time. And I gleefully told him to "Throw them away!!!" when we got home from the store.
The shoe shopping experience with boys is very different than shoe shopping for girls. For one thing, boys have a much more limited selection and for my boys at least, they know what they like and they find it quickly. After measuring their feet and realizing that both boys have stretched their feet this past year, perhaps even since the summer, we found the aisle that had their sizes. BB found a pair he liked immediately and have no laces. Pumpkin-head found his pair instantly too. They have Batman on them. And when we got out to the car and he was admiring them in the box and holding them up for inspection and study, he discovered that they light up when stepped on. Major COOL factor for him! He was giddy with excitement adn couldn't wait to put them on when we got home.
It has been a VERY long day for me and going shopping was not really on my agenda but when I saw the sorry state of BB's shoes, and the realization the PH has been wearing borrowed shoes all week from the nurses office because one of his shoes has gone AWOl....it had to be done tonight. So, it is 8:30pm when we finally get home. The kids have homework to do and I promised them a snack. Peanut is so OVER-tired that he is being obnoxious. As I set about to get the snack, do the dishes, answer homework questions, read the mail, feed the cat and so forth, I head this thunderous pounding which on my wood floors just reverberated through out the kitchen. I looked around to see what all the ruckous was and saw that it was PH. He was running around the kitchen-diningroom-livingroom as fast as he could whiles stomping and looking backward to watch his shoes light up. It's a wonder that he didn't collide with anyone.
I really had to laugh, it was so cute! After a few more laps, I asked him to quiet down and get ready for bed. He then announced that he would take his shoes off for now but "I can't wait to wear them to school tomorrow! They are SO COOL!!" and they are now set neatly on the bottom step, waiting for his feet.
I love boys!
I remember when I was in 5th grade, and this will date me a bit, but these shoes called Kangaroos were all the rage. They had this really cool zipper pocket on the side. I begged my mom for a pair and she finally gave in. I remember putting them on, standing up and running down the block and I was sure that my new shoes had given me new powers to run faster and jump higher than I had ever been able to before. It was a great feeling.
So watching my son, racing around and enjoying his new powers brought back memories for me that were so sweet. Who knows, this may be a sweet memory for him one day!
The shoe shopping experience with boys is very different than shoe shopping for girls. For one thing, boys have a much more limited selection and for my boys at least, they know what they like and they find it quickly. After measuring their feet and realizing that both boys have stretched their feet this past year, perhaps even since the summer, we found the aisle that had their sizes. BB found a pair he liked immediately and have no laces. Pumpkin-head found his pair instantly too. They have Batman on them. And when we got out to the car and he was admiring them in the box and holding them up for inspection and study, he discovered that they light up when stepped on. Major COOL factor for him! He was giddy with excitement adn couldn't wait to put them on when we got home.
It has been a VERY long day for me and going shopping was not really on my agenda but when I saw the sorry state of BB's shoes, and the realization the PH has been wearing borrowed shoes all week from the nurses office because one of his shoes has gone AWOl....it had to be done tonight. So, it is 8:30pm when we finally get home. The kids have homework to do and I promised them a snack. Peanut is so OVER-tired that he is being obnoxious. As I set about to get the snack, do the dishes, answer homework questions, read the mail, feed the cat and so forth, I head this thunderous pounding which on my wood floors just reverberated through out the kitchen. I looked around to see what all the ruckous was and saw that it was PH. He was running around the kitchen-diningroom-livingroom as fast as he could whiles stomping and looking backward to watch his shoes light up. It's a wonder that he didn't collide with anyone.
I really had to laugh, it was so cute! After a few more laps, I asked him to quiet down and get ready for bed. He then announced that he would take his shoes off for now but "I can't wait to wear them to school tomorrow! They are SO COOL!!" and they are now set neatly on the bottom step, waiting for his feet.
I love boys!
I remember when I was in 5th grade, and this will date me a bit, but these shoes called Kangaroos were all the rage. They had this really cool zipper pocket on the side. I begged my mom for a pair and she finally gave in. I remember putting them on, standing up and running down the block and I was sure that my new shoes had given me new powers to run faster and jump higher than I had ever been able to before. It was a great feeling.
So watching my son, racing around and enjoying his new powers brought back memories for me that were so sweet. Who knows, this may be a sweet memory for him one day!
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Just another average Saturday
This is the day I wait for all week. For one morning out of 7, I can actually catch a couple extra hours of sleep.
Or so I would like to think.
Peanut, who informed me today that he would now like to be called Olive, snuck into bed with me sometime during my coma and took over the bed. He's not even 4 feet tall but he can sprawl and he is stubborn too...I can't just gently roll him or push him over because he just springs right back like a boomerang. So, I lay on my sliver of the queen sized bed and try to drift off again.
CRASH!!! followed by lots of yelling. I try to ignore it. Then Banana Boy bursts through my door and says, "I'm hungry. When's breakfast?"
Do I dare to look at the clock? Perhaps it is later than I think.
It isn't. It's 7:30.
"Kids!! Let me sleep. I get one day, ONE day to rest a little more. Could you PLEASE, PLEASE, PPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEE, yes I am begging you, keep the noise and chaos down to a minimum for at least another hour???"
Except I think I only said that in my head. What actually came out verbally was something akin to the growl of a bear woken up early from hibernation, complete with with swatting at the air and a slam of the door.
Finally, I do wake up fully and they are happily watching a movie we rented last night. There is no big mess waiting...no bigger than what there was when I fell asleep at 9:30 last night. They were hungry but not obnoxiously bugging me for food. Whew.
So, I decided to make pancakes. I searched the cupboard only to realize that I did not have any Bisquick. So, my "quick" and fun breakfast was going to change. I had to find a recipe for pancakes. And I found that I actually have Buttermilk and ALL the ingredients for Buttermilk pancakes! Hooray! And it took longer to make than Bisquick pancakes but the effort was greeted with silence as 4 hungry mouths gobbled every pancake up.
The kids cleaned up their bedrooms. Princess did a really nice job. I will have to comment to her later when I get the chance. Pumpkin head did a nice job on his room too. I did the dishes with the help of Banana Boy. He offered so I figured I better take him up on it! The house is not spotless but it isn't bad. So, I felt I could go and spend some time scrapbooking while the kids headed out doors to enjoy a gorgeous day.
Because of all the rain we got over the last several days, our little creek is spilling out over it's banks. Next thing I know, Princess is asking me if they can put on their swimsuits and play in the creek. It's hard to resist...mud and water. The best playground in the universe. It has been an enjoyable afternoon with only a few skirmishes involving shared flotation devices/boats (aka the plastic peices of a play set they have all outgrown). My only instruction was that they come in through the laundry room and shed their wet muddy clothes by the washing machine and be willing to take a shower when asked to do so by mom.
We won't have many more days like this, so soak it up and relax. I guess it really isn't an average Saturday.
Or so I would like to think.
Peanut, who informed me today that he would now like to be called Olive, snuck into bed with me sometime during my coma and took over the bed. He's not even 4 feet tall but he can sprawl and he is stubborn too...I can't just gently roll him or push him over because he just springs right back like a boomerang. So, I lay on my sliver of the queen sized bed and try to drift off again.
CRASH!!! followed by lots of yelling. I try to ignore it. Then Banana Boy bursts through my door and says, "I'm hungry. When's breakfast?"
Do I dare to look at the clock? Perhaps it is later than I think.
It isn't. It's 7:30.
"Kids!! Let me sleep. I get one day, ONE day to rest a little more. Could you PLEASE, PLEASE, PPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEE, yes I am begging you, keep the noise and chaos down to a minimum for at least another hour???"
Except I think I only said that in my head. What actually came out verbally was something akin to the growl of a bear woken up early from hibernation, complete with with swatting at the air and a slam of the door.
Finally, I do wake up fully and they are happily watching a movie we rented last night. There is no big mess waiting...no bigger than what there was when I fell asleep at 9:30 last night. They were hungry but not obnoxiously bugging me for food. Whew.
So, I decided to make pancakes. I searched the cupboard only to realize that I did not have any Bisquick. So, my "quick" and fun breakfast was going to change. I had to find a recipe for pancakes. And I found that I actually have Buttermilk and ALL the ingredients for Buttermilk pancakes! Hooray! And it took longer to make than Bisquick pancakes but the effort was greeted with silence as 4 hungry mouths gobbled every pancake up.
The kids cleaned up their bedrooms. Princess did a really nice job. I will have to comment to her later when I get the chance. Pumpkin head did a nice job on his room too. I did the dishes with the help of Banana Boy. He offered so I figured I better take him up on it! The house is not spotless but it isn't bad. So, I felt I could go and spend some time scrapbooking while the kids headed out doors to enjoy a gorgeous day.
Because of all the rain we got over the last several days, our little creek is spilling out over it's banks. Next thing I know, Princess is asking me if they can put on their swimsuits and play in the creek. It's hard to resist...mud and water. The best playground in the universe. It has been an enjoyable afternoon with only a few skirmishes involving shared flotation devices/boats (aka the plastic peices of a play set they have all outgrown). My only instruction was that they come in through the laundry room and shed their wet muddy clothes by the washing machine and be willing to take a shower when asked to do so by mom.
We won't have many more days like this, so soak it up and relax. I guess it really isn't an average Saturday.
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