Lullaby

photo © 2007 Doug McCaughan | more info (via: Wylio)


Every family has their night time ritual with their kids, and with each child it has been a little different in our house. For the third child, things have gotten more complicated, rather than being simplified. I suppose it's because there's a nine year gap between this child and the first, and since she's the last, we do it RIGHT.


There are a few things in this house that are required. D is turning two next month, so when I say required, I mean, "for the love of all things holy, get the child what she needs before mommy implodes, or explodes, which quite frankly is just much more messy."

• Blankey- it is brown, not made for a child, but is soft, and a throw size, so it's works. All pink, plush, lovely blankies intended for this purpose were not deemed suitable by said child.

• Pah-Pah- your child may call it a bink, binkey, passey, or if they are just way too old to have one, pacifier.

• Moon! It is a song. It goes like this. I'm not sure how this got started, but eyes will not close without it being sung.

• Elephant- this is a video, but the watching of said video is not required, so long as the song is sung. It is important that all these requirements be met.

• Then prayers are said, and I mean every word when I pray for a good night's sleep, and then she gives a big, "AAAAAAAMEN!" and that make it all worth every hoop we just jumped through.

Valentine

photo © 2010 Karen Horton | more info (via: Wylio)

My 8 year old just brought me this note that was supposed to be my valentine, but she forgot she'd written it. It made me laugh so hard I CRIED, and it's pretty sweet too. No, I didn't laugh in front of her. This spelling is all her.

Dear Mom & Dad,

You have tacon good care of me my holl life. Now I am old enof so no I will do my chors.

I love you becaus you gave me berth to me. I appreciate your love for me. I will obay you with my hart and I love you for ever. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox, you are the best.

Weighty Issues

photo © 2009 Alan Cleaver | more info (via: Wylio)

I have lived in the same town my entire life. The same people have seen me through many life stages, and sometimes that's good. This particular example is perhaps one that's bad.

I went with the kids to collect money for a jump rope fundraiser around the neighborhood. After some polite conversation, things took a sudden turn. My neighbor looks at me and says, "Oh my, Melissa (not my name). You sure have packed on the pounds!"

I blush, say, "Uh, well thanks."

"No, really, I've never seen you look this bad."

"Yeah, I know," I said, because, really, what do you say to that?

So, here is the thing. I've walked now twice in the last twenty-four hours. I know I just have to kind of laugh this off, but I've been feeling self-conscious and fat for a while anyway. Here's what I don't want; I don't want to go all crazy and half kill myself trying to look good.

I was the girl in high school who ate no breakfast, ate a half of a turkey sandwich with no cheese on whole wheat bread, with raw carrots and water every day for years, because I was afraid of being fat. In college, I ran every day until I was a size 0, and at 5'7", that was probably not a good thing.

This is what I know. I've gotten a little thick, but I didn't die. I'm still me, totally accepted and loved by my husband who likes the way I look. God doesn't love me less just because there's more of me, and one day, I'll loose the baby weight I gained, bringing three lovely girls into this world. Right now, the baby's second birthday is just around the corner. I'm going to aim for 10- 15 pounds lost by April.

Then I'm going to go back to that neighbor, and pour blessings on her head.

Funny Kids

My youngest has a birthday coming up, and the big two were asking about her birth date. D was born on Easter Sunday two years ago, so I was explaining that just because it was Easter that year, does not mean that her birthday will be on Easter every year.

I went on to give examples of holidays that rotate days, like Thanksgiving, and Easter versus the holidays that are fixed on a certain date, like Christmas, and Valentine's at which point, the middle child pipes up. "What about the 4th of July? Is it always on the 4th of July."

I love the funny things kids say!

Waterfall

photo © 2009 Ruthanne Reid | more info (via: Wylio)

I have not blogged for a LONG time, but this occasion warranted the full blown story being documented. 1:20 A.M. My daughter wakes me saying something about water, an emergency, and come quick. I really thought she must have had a bad dream because water coming through the ceiling like she was describing could only happen in a hurricane, and it wasn't even sprinkling outside.

I got up upon her insistence, and found that she was indeed correct. There was water pouring through the light fixture. My other daughter kept her wits about her, and emptied a 3 drawer Rubbermaid container on her desk and positioned them to catch the flow. I love that child! I ran to wake my husband who can sleep through anything, including a flood. He's been very sick, so it was taking him a minute to process. I ran up the soggy stairs, which really did look like a waterfall rolling down. In the upstairs bathroom, I find where the pool had started, and waded in to the water heater in the closet, which was spewing faster than all our towels could soak.

We knew we could turn off the water at the street, but really just wanted to turn off supply to that one water heater. We weren't having any luck. So, I called the previous home owner/builder, which happens to be my Dad! Everyone loves a call at 2 A.M., right?

No matter what we did, we just had to keep the water off at the street valve because that was our only real solution. It's a big mess, but I know it rains on the righteous and the unrighteous alike, even though it does seem to be our turn a lot...

"I'd have thought by now, that you would have reached down and wiped our tears away. Stepped in and saved the day, but once again I say Amen, and it's still raining." -Casting Crowns