Happy 3rd Birthday Ian!!!

But didn't I just bring him home yesterday?

Man... my "baby" boy isn't much of a baby anymore... and he reminds me on a regular basis that he is a "big boy" now... but if I really beg him, he'll still admit that he is my baby...

We try so hard to make sure that Ian doesn't get jipped on his birthday. It's tough having a birthday the day after Christmas, ya know... This year was a little overwhelming for him, because there was so much fast traveling, and so many presents, and by the end of it all, I think we were all a little wiped out, and he was just... well... like I said, overwhelmed! By the end of his birthday present opening, he was tearing open packages two at a time and tossing things on the floor! It was kind of funny, but kind of sad, too. He was exhausted! We didn't even make it to Chuck-E-Cheese until close to 8pm, and we had to wake him up from a nap in the van when we got there. Ian was super pouty for the first half hour or so but then had some fun.

Last year, Ian had a Nemo and Squirt cake for his birthday, and he wanted more Nemo this year, so to make things a little different I made "Mr. Ray":

Ian also wanted orange ice cream... of which he ate about three bites, but he's not a real ice cream fan anyway! (Mommy will enjoy it in the days to come)...

We got some great b-day pics... even though I found it necessary to throw Ian out in the snow for about 10 minutes to get the outdoor ones taken care of (we almost never have outdoor b-day pics. of Ian for obvious reasons... the mail lady laughed at me, as she was delivering at the same time as I was freezing my toddler)!

Oh, how I love my little guy! Happy Birthday Ian!

Lisa

On Being Five...

Today we went to "Last Minute Madness II"... a shopping and laser tag trip with our youth group...

Since Caleb and Ian are both too young and too short to play laser tag, and I'm not all that good at it anyway (but with baby, I surely would have been super slow and continually getting shot), I decided to take my little guys to the mall while everyone else played...

I thought we were having fun, but not long into our trip, Caleb said, "Mommy... being 5 is no fun at all... I'm almost too little to do anything!" I hadn't realized until that point how badly he wanted to play laser tag...

So...

$60... trip to Build-A-Bear workshop...
$8... ice cream (and a raspberry lemonade julius for Mom)...
$5... ride on the second level of the mall carousel...

Having your five year old snuggle up close to you on an bench at the mall and say, "Mommy... I don't ever want to grow up"... priceless...

I only wish I had brought my camera to photo document our trip... Then again... It probably wouldn't have been the same if Caleb had stopped to pose every few minutes...

There are a couple of things about the mall that baffle me, though, such as...

What do Amish people do with the many bags of things they purchase at stores like Hollister and Aeropostale?

And do I really want to know why the very elderly man with a walker had a HUGE Victoria's Secret bag? Actually... that was kinda cute... I really wish I'd had the camera for that moment...

Lisa

PS... Our family had lunch at Cheddars, too... and I was wearing my sweats again... Yummy... but not so fashionable... L.

"The Princess And The Frog"...

... My take.

It's actually been kind of funny to watch and listen to the reviews rolling in about, "The Princess and the Frog". My hope was that I would read the review at www.pluggedinonline.com, find that it was unquestionably squeaky clean, and have a "girls night out" with Grace shortly thereafter. Not so on the plugged in review, so instead I got a date night with my husband, which is rare and always very welcome! We stuffed ourselves silly at Texas Road House and then headed to the theater to see if the alleged voo-doo and spiritual themes were really as bad as they sounded... And here's what we thought... (Spoilers throughout, so really don't read this if you don't want to know)...

First of all, I was a little concerned about the return to 2-D animation. I was afraid that it would make the quality of the film sub par to recent shows. However, this concern was very quickly dissipated (within the first minute of the movie), because the 2-D animation was, in fact, breathtaking! It was a return to classic Disney in which the fairy tale reigned supreme as entertainment. Visually, I was just as "wowed" as I was when I first saw Aladdin in the theater (17 years ago) with the new 3-D animation that blew me away...

I have to admit, I was also initially a little disappointed with the storyline. Here Disney takes their first animated African American leading lady ever and: #1 She'd not even a princess, #2 They set her in New Orleans, and #3 They turn her into a frog for the majority of the film. Somehow that didn't sit real well with me. Again, however, the story telling ended up being masterful... one of the best stories that Disney has produced in a long time... just amazing, really...

"The Shadowman" (main villain) was undoubtedly very evil. The use of voo-doo practices (including taking blood from the victim to create a spell and calling dead spirits) was quite authentic and frankly frightening (especially for young children). But it wasn't over the top, because the difference between good and evil was so stark. In fact, I was highly impressed by just how evil the Shadowman was, because it presented the opportunity to talk with children about the choices they make and how very important it is to avoid evil. I might make a comparison here to "Sleeping Beauty", in which Maleficent (classic Disney villain if ever there was one) invokes "all the powers of Hell" and is then defeated by the "Sword of Truth". Intense? Yes. Appropriate for small children? Absolutely not! A fantastic teaching tool for older children? You bet. In the end, the Shadowman meets his demise when the spirits pull him into the grave (pretty accurate when you mess with that kind of "magic"). But again, not for little kids...

There is also a good "witch doctor" of sorts, Mama Odie. In reality, she does little more magic than to look into a pot of Cajun gumbo and show Tiana and Naveen the importance of deciphering between their wants and their needs. She is about as "evil" as Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas) and looks a great deal like her, too. I was not disturbed by the role she played in the story.

Of great concern to some other reviewers has been the spiritual message that is conveyed by fervent wishing on a star. Uh... I kind of had to laugh about this. I mean, I did, indeed, pay careful attention to this theme, since other reviewers had found it so inappropriate, but my feeling on this particular point is that if you can't wish upon a star anymore, you really can't appreciate Disney magic. Further, directing the wishing (or even praying) heavenward seemed to make a meaningful parallel to the power that God holds. And I'm not saying that the star in the story was in any way worshipped as God. I'm just saying that it made for a reasonable comparison when discussing the importance of prayer with children.

Ironically (and let me take a step away from the review for just a minute), Grace asked me the other day if wishing on a star really works. And I told her that sometimes what we wish for comes true, and sometimes it doesn't. I told her that if she really felt strongly about something she desires that she should pray about it. And she told me that she does (which I knew) and even gave me the example of how hard she has been praying for a baby sister for years. I told her that when we pray, God will answer those prayers according to what He wants for us, and when we wish, some of those things come true, too, because that's what He wanted. And in the end, Grace let me know that she was going to keep praying... and that she was going to keep wishing on stars, too. And I told her that that's OK... I mean, what else could I say? I cry when the wishes music plays at Disney World, and I still believe in fairies...

But back to the review...

Overall, I felt that the lessons taught were phenomenal! Hard work is important... but it's not everything... What you want might not really be what you need... And personal sacrifice is worthwhile when it helps a friend...

When I take my children to see a movie, I want it to mean something. I am not interested in sitting them in front of an hour and a half of meaningless drivel that they do not understand to keep them quiet for a while. And I am certainly not interested in showing them something far beyond their understanding and losing the opportunity to view the film in a fresh, educational, inspiring way when they are old enough to take something from it. I also don't care to scare them half to death. For these reasons, "The Princess and the Frog" is a "big kid movie" at this house. I am pretty sure that Seth and Grace are ready to grasp the themes and discuss the meaning behind what I saw tonight. They may get to see the movie in the theater, or we may wait until it comes out on DVD. Caleb and Ian can wait. There's no sense "wasting" a good movie before it's time...

Lisa

Ian's 1st Haircut...

... Oh, my baby boy is getting big!

Well... now that Ian is almost 3, it seemed an appropriate time for a first haircut (particularly because strangers had started to comment on how cute "she" is)! It really just about broke my heart to cut those little curls off (which is why I put them in a ponytail first)... I am amazed at how much Ian looks like Seth with his new "big boy" haircut! Here's the pics:

Lisa

You Cannot Be Serious...

... I thought yesterday was bad?

I'm on a roll this week...

So, tonight was the last Legacy of Love performance. Dress rehearsal almost killed me, but the actual performance went quite well, although not highly attended. I had a wonderful time working with the kids, and they did such a good job, overall...

It is interesting to me, but tonight I realized something... Seth is a really good actor. It's not that I hadn't noticed, before, that he does a good job, but he's not an in your face, spotlight hogging kind of kid... like someone else I know... ahem... oldest daughter of mine... Grace is always in the spotlight... the center of attention... and she is very, very talented, so people are constantly remarking about how amazing she is. But tonight as I was watching Seth play his role, I thought to myself, "Gosh... he's really good at this (and forgive me for this next point)... even better than his sister is!" Don't worry, though, I won't tell Grace (and still, no one holds a candle to her musical ability)...

After the performance, we cleaned up (a lot) and then the plan was that I would run by the house so that Robert and Amber could pick up a few things for Avalyn's birthday party, and then I would grab some fast food for myself and the kids, since it was after 8pm and we hadn't had dinner.

I checked for what I needed in the garage first, and when I couldn't find it, Amber and I went into the house. As I was crossing the living room, Amber said in a kind of shaky voice, "What just went across your house?" And I thought, "Oh brother... another mouse," until she added, "It wasn't on the floor!" At which point I kind of flipped and asked (voice getting louder), "What are you, an idiot? Nothing flew across my house... Tell me that you did not just see something fly across my house!"

That is the moment at which a bat began flying toward us, and this 23 1/2 week pregnant woman took off running... assuming that my 21 1/2 week pregnant friend was behind me, which she wasn't! When I got to the back door, I turned around and started shouting for her to hurry up and get out, but I didn't see her for a moment... until a blanket from my living room came crawling toward me and I realized that Amber was under it!

We emerged on the back deck, slamming the door behind us, and although I felt like crying I figured there was no point, so I started laughing hysterically and ranting about the $1,000.00 bat exclusion we did this summer... And, oh yeah... we screamed for Robert to get inside and capture the bat...

I called Phil at this point, who was still working, and his reaction was about as good as mine. He promised to come home as soon as possible, and Amber and I proceeded to watch Robert pretend he was Batman (through the window, of course, while standing outside in the snow)...

Robert quickly discovered that there were, in fact, two bats, and I screamed to him that they'd better not be having sex, because I didn't need a whole bat family... and then I remembered how many church members live in my backyard and wondered if maybe that wasn't the best thing to be yelling about in the middle of the night...

There are so many great details to this story, but for the sake of time...

Phil got home and he and Robert managed to knock the bats unconscious with cardboard boxes and paper towel holders (gosh, I wish I had a video)... Then we used duct tape to keep them from escaping when they wake up (although I am pretty sure that one of them was dead). Phil checked the rest of the house and assures me that there are no more bats... and he'd better be right, because as I type this my children are sleeping and Phil is not home yet (still working), and if I have to evacuate with four children in their pajamas, it is not going to be pretty!

The bat guy is coming next week. And if he has to come back 1,000 times, he's gonna get this right, let me tell ya!

There's never a dull moment... That's for sure...

Lisa

It Could Only Happen To Me...

... I think!

Yesterday was an interesting day of sorts, from start to finish. I found myself alone with my "little guys" (Caleb and Ian) around 12:30, and after Caleb's music class we decided to make a trip to finish up some Christmas shopping and pick up groceries (for which we were long overdue because of our outrageous schedule as of late).

So we arrived at Wal-Mart around 3:30 and proceeded to spend the next three hours picking up the things we needed. Our cart was packed, and we were all rather tired and hungry when we stepped into line at the checkout lane...

After what seemed like an eternity (at the time), everything was scanned, and I swiped my credit card to take care of the "damage"... and the cash register beeped and spit out this little receipt that said my credit was denied... Since I was using a card that had no balance whatsoever until I purchased twenty bucks worth of gas earlier in the day, I figured this must be a mistake, and I ran it again... beep... silly little piece of paper denying my credit again... Now, this would ordinarily not be an issue, because I almost always carry several cards with me, and in the event that something is wrong with one of them, I just switch cards. I usually carry my bank card with me too, and most of the time there is enough money in my checking account to cover such a purchase. Unfortunately, the reimbursement checks that had been deposited earlier in the day hadn't yet cleared, and Phil had my other card, so neither of those two options existed...

Clearly frustrated... and embarrassed at this point... I told the cashier that I would have to call my credit card company... at which point everyone else in line kind of snickered and retreated to different checkout lanes... (I could just hear them thinking nasty things about the poor, fraudulent, pregnant lady with two little kids who couldn't afford her groceries)...

After working with two customer service representatives who couldn't speak English fluently (and let me just take a little rabbit trail here to say that I am not one of those people who hates immigrants or anything, and I don't feel like people should have to learn English to become citizens, either, but I do not understand why someone would be hired in communications if they cannot speak English), I was assured that they had thought that my card was stolen (apparently a $20.00 charge for gas was outside of my normal spending habits), and that I would need to provide my social security number, mother's maiden name, and rights to marry my firstborn child before they could unsuspend my credit card (with no balance and plenty of credit limit). I, of course, granted them this information and was assured that my card could be used immediately.

And so I hung up the phone and swiped my card, resulting in another (now irritating) little "beep" and a stupid little slip of paper, again denying my credit...

At this point, I am certain the cashier thought I was just talking into the air and making up a ridiculous story in an attempt to get out of the store with free merchandise. Of course, this is outrageous, because I am not so stupid as to think that Wal-Mart would ever let anyone out of one of their facilities without charging them an arm and a leg (which I might have offered at this point if I thought it would help)...

Tried the card again, just for kicks... "beep"...

And so now my only option was to suspend my order and try again in 5 minutes, hoping that the transaction would go through...

Pulled Ian (surrounded by Wal-Mart bags in the cart and now screaming), and Caleb (who had been taking a little ride on the spinning bagging area thing) to the back of the line and waited, only to find that 5 minutes later the freaking card still wouldn't work, and to top it off, they couldn't suspend the order a second time, so now I either had to leave the store without anything or come up with another plan. I decided it was worth holding up the line (which, of course, quickly dispersed for a second time) and called the credit card company again...

This time the customer service rep. did speak English, and I didn't let him off the phone until the order cleared... which it did... provided that I could offer some photo evidence of my identity... which you would think I could... if only I could find my driver's license... which, of course, I couldn't...

After searching through everything in my purse and wallet... twice... my license finally appeared, and I was released with my two wiggly children and my $400.00 worth of Wal-Mart crap...

As I neared the exit, I though to myself, "If the security alarm goes off, I am going to scream!" And wouldn't you know it, as I walked through the door I heard in a lovely, computerized, tone something to the effect of, "Please step back... we think you have stolen items in your cart"... (OK, so that's an exaggeration), but the alarm really did go off, and I really did have to go back inside. I did not, however, scream, as I thought I would...

Ian, who had stopped screaming, started again almost immediately...

I was asked if I had any electronics, DVDs, etc. and the answer was no. I didn't. Ya know, except for the dozen or so Wii systems I had stuffed in my shoes... (I didn't say that... wanted to, but didn't)... Usually they just let you go at this point, but oh, no... Instead this man took my receipt and started going through it, looking for what might have set off the alarm. It was at this point that a nice lady pointed out to me that our package of pull-ups was dragging underneath the cart (I had put them there after they were scanned at the checkout lane), and I thanked her and returned them to their original place. Then another customer comes up to me, gets in my face, and asks (in an accusatory, whiny sort of voice) if the pull-ups had gotten stuck under the cart before I went through the checkout. The evil Lisa wanted to take her by her throat and shake her, assuring her that it was worth my time and effort to steal a fifteen dollar package of nighttime diapers after paying for the rest of my merchandise... The nice Lisa said, "No, I put them down there after they were scanned." The she left...

Finally, the Wal-Mart greeter guy found the ten dollar Dora the Explorer watch (a birthday present) that was setting off the alarm. He deactivated it, and we were finally free to go out into the cold, dark night... (Caleb and I had not yet put on our new, really ugly coats that cost $7.00 apiece, but that is a lovely story for another time)...

As I exited the store, I thought, "Ya know... I will probably pop the trunk to put these bags in and find a dead body... It just would have topped it all off... All I found was a dozen basketballs from the church league practice...

The boys and I then made a valiant effort to eat at Texas Roadhouse, but decided that the wait was far too long for one crabby pregnant lady and two sleepy kids... We ended up at Chili's, where Ian ate virtually nothing and Caleb enjoyed pizza. I don't know why, but a couple of times a year I forget how sick I get every time I eat at Chili's and I give in to the temptation. I should have taken Caleb's suggestion and split a chicken basket with him at DQ...

We finally got home, put our things away, and went to bed...

Please, can't someone come up with a realistic way to do grocery shopping on-line...

Lisa

At This Moment...

... It's almost 7:30pm on a Thursday.

Seth and Grace are tucked in their rooms, both awaiting the opening theme song for Adventures in Odyssey before they fall asleep. Caleb and Ian have enjoyed a bedtime story and are also tucked away, headed to dreamland. Phil is out working to finish up his last week of class before Christmas break.

And here I sit...

I am eating a bowl of Extreme Moose Tracks ice cream and thinking about the 3 discussion boards, 1 assignment, midterm exam, and paper that I really need to complete in the next 4 1/2 hours. But mostly I am pondering about people...

And overall... tonight... I am sort of sick of people...

Now, to be fair, I have never been a real "people person"... certainly never a "people pleaser"... but tonight I just have that weary to the bones kind of tired that comes from dealing with people...

I feel a little bit lost... and I feel a little bit frustrated...

I think this mostly happens to me when: #1 I am overloaded (which I am right now) and #2 I feel the need to hit the "fake it button" in which I go into PR mode for the sake of survival (which I do right now). And let me tell ya... I can do a pretty good snow job and if people knew what I was really thinking... well... people do read this, you know, so I'd better not go on about it...

I will say this, however... If there is one thing that bothers me more than anything else about people it is the tendency to be selfish. I am sick of selfish. Selfish comes in many forms... and although it is easy for a lot of people to claim that they aren't selfish because they don't hoard possessions and they sometimes give gifts, that's not what I'm talking about. Shirking responsibility... breaking commitments... not following through... that's selfish.

And I might add that I am sometimes selfish, too. I am, after all, a person, although there are many others out there who don't treat me as if I am.

Tonight a song came to mind. There is probably only one other person in the world who will understand why it is relevant to this post. It has nothing to do with physical possessions, so please don't anybody panic that someone is threatening to throw our stuff out on the street... again... Those days seem to be long gone (and it's funny how you always want what you don't have)...

Lisa

You Did Not Have A Home lyrics

Rich Mullins
Oh, You did not have a home
There were places You visited frequently
You took off Your shoes and scratched Your feet
'Cause you knew that the whole world belongs to the meek
But You did not have a home
No, You did not have a home

And You did not take a wife
There were pretty maids all in a row
Who lined up to touch the hem of Your robe
But You had no place to take them, so
You did not take a wife
No, You did not take a wife

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
No, You did not have a home

Well you had no stones to throw
You came without an ax to grind
You did not tow the party line
No wonder sight came to the blind
You had no stones to throw
You had no stones to throw

And You rode an ass' foal
They spread their coats and cut down palms
For You and Your donkey to walk upon
But the world won't find what it thinks it wants
On the back of an ass' foal
So I guess You had to get sold

'Cause the world can't stand what it can't own
And it can't own You
'Cause You did not have a home

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
No, You did not have a

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man

And the world can't stand what it can't own
And it can't own You
'Cause You did not have a home

An Assessment...

... Of Black Friday...

So, I am kind of tired of hearing people talk about how evil it is to go shopping on Black Friday. I mean... really... shame on all of us who hit the stores yesterday at 3am. Clearly, all we were thinking about was our need for more and more stuff and how the best way to pursue the American Dream is by diving in... head first... to consumerism and greed! Yeah... that's definitely what I was concerned about when the alarm went off after my luxurious THREE hours of sleep!

Ya know what I was really thinking about? A couple of things...

First, I was excited to have a whole day to spend with my family. It doesn't happen nearly as often as we might like. When my 8 year old daughter greeted me... fully awake... when I came to her door at 2am, I knew she was excited, too. When my 9 year old son (who usually takes hours to get dressed in the morning) followed us down the stairs, fully clothed and ready to go, it hit me that he was looking forward to the day. And when my sleepy 5 year old son finally opened his eyes and processed what was going on, he shouted, "Yeah! it's Black Friday". They were all, of course, thinking about the hundreds upon hundreds of dollars that they had in their little pockets to spend on themselves, right?

Also... I love giving gifts. I am well aware of the true meaning of Christmas. I'm not in it to get everything I can out of it. But come on... let's not be so pious that we forget that Christmas is about God's gift to us and that we can celebrate that gift by sharing with others. We can celebrate it in a whole lot of other ways too... and our family does... but we like to give gifts! We, however, are not made of money. Black Friday sales are most often very, very good. I have actually read different things that people have written this week about how you can get the same deals for weeks on end. Although some stores offer the same deals, most do not. Further the deals that these people are talking about usually involve the high ticket items, and we don't exactly have the cash flow to buy big screen TVs and laptops for everyone on our list. The $5.00 kind of deals... those you basically only get on Black Friday (with a couple of notable exceptions). So if you have a lot of family who you want to send gifts to, Black Friday is just economically smart.

We stood in line at Meijer for two hours (basically without complaint) to purchase Wii systems. I would like to mention that as far as our children know, we just purchased a Wii for the firehouse. They were willing to stand there (or sit in shopping carts as the case may be) for the right to purchase something for someone else. In the end, Phil got his Wii, and I picked mine up behind him (for our family), but the kids had no idea that this happened. I would say that's pretty selfless on their part. However, their extreme cuteness, and Seth's ingenuity (he found a way to sit kinda underneath the cart) did earn Seth and Caleb a photo spot on the front page of our local paper! I think the experience taught them something about the virtue of patience, the willingness to do something that doesn't benefit us directly, and the reward that is often a nice surprise at the end.

Were there nasty people out yesterday morning, pushing and shoving and taking things out of other people's hands and carts? Uh-huh... Were there irritable store team members and rude customers? Uh-huh... But come on... These people are everywhere, all the time! Mostly I observed friendly people looking to catch a break at the holidays and capable staff, taking pride in their jobs!

So are Black Friday... or it's participants... worthy of reprimand? I guess you can be the judge on that one to your heart's content. As for me... shopping till you drop isn't all that bad. Especially when everyone in the house is asleep for the night by 5:30!

Lisa

It's A...

... Baby Princess!

I am late in getting this up, so I have backdated it...

Baby #5 will be another little princess, for which we are very excited (except for Caleb, who really wanted another little brother, but the idea of a baby sister has grown on him since we first found out, and he talks to her and tells her how cute she is, already, on most days)... Grace jumped up and down for probably a full three minutes and has told everyone she can think of about our baby girl! Here's her first pic:

Can't wait to meet her...

Lisa

I Feel Disturbed Tonight...

This week I have heard several variations on the thought that people cannot be your friends if they do not support all of the decisions you make, and if people disagree with things you hold to be true, they should keep quiet, because that is common courtesy...

I am finding this to be almost frightening, to tell you the truth. What is the world coming to if it is inappropriate to express our opinions? And should we allow our friends to travel down a road to destruction in order to be deemed supportive?

For some time now it has been apparent to me that a new generation has sprung up. As irritated as I was with my own generation at times... and with our push for tolerance in everything except religious freedom... and with our seeming inability to find reason as an acceptable filter for truth... I think this is more dangerous...

It is like mass groupthink...

I haven't completely wrapped my mind around it just yet, but I believe that when we come to a point where it is deemed unacceptable to intelligently debate ideas, we are going to see some catastrophic results. I don't have to win all the time (although I do like to)... and I realize that my opinion may not always be the most popular... or the most productive... or even the most right! But I do not think that my opinion should be stripped from me if it is expressed in a respectful way that creates thoughtful interaction with others...

In fact, I was involved, just this week, in a pretty good, sometimes heated discussion about health care reform. I'm sure that no one walked away with a new view on the health care bill, but it was still valuable time spent discussing options and preferences with friends. We do not have to agree in the end to be friends. We do have to interact in a way that is respectful and allows for differences in worldview. If we lose that ability, what's left to talk about?

Lisa

Pumpkin Patch Fun...

... At it's best!

The kids and I finally made it to the pumpkin patch today! It has been a long time coming... and we already canceled twice due to being sick... but I figured today was really our last shot if we wanted pumpkins before Halloween!

I hate driving in Indy! I got pretty severely lost, per normal, as every road in Indy has at least 17 different names, and the name on the map might not be the name on the directions, and even if it is, it might not be the name on the street sign! But I digress... I am thankful for my GPS (AKA Phil, who talked me through the whole reroute over the phone)...

We picked Spencer Farm, because we wanted a pumpkin patch experience in which the kids could actually go to the pumpkin patch and pick their pumpkins (novel idea, I know). They also offer free hay rides on Saturdays in October, and even though I am severely allergic to hay, I took the kids anyway... perhaps not smart, but fun!


The pumpkins were very reasonably priced (I told the kids if they could carry it, Mommy could buy it), and we also picked up some cinnamon coffee cake mix, cherry jelly, fudge, taffy, and a caramel apple (for the baby, of course). This is likely going to become a yearly tradition!

Since the kids love Old Country Buffet, we ate there afterward. I got mashed potatoes in my hair... a fact that I am only willing to share with you, my faithful readers, and anyone who googled, "mashed potatoes in my hair", because if you googled that, you deserve to know!

Of course, it was very difficult for me to deal with the fact that Chick-Fil-A shares a parking lot with Old Country Buffet. So... I bought my lunch for tomorrow...

When we got back to town, we took some Fall pictures in the beautiful fallen leaves! Actually, we tried to do this in the morning... in the wind and rain... but really, I should know better than that. Take two was much more productive!


Great day... Great kids... I love fall!

Lisa

Happy 8th Birthday Grace!

Somehow, it just amazes me that my only (well, maybe not... we'll see) princess is eight! Of course, she's eight goin' on eighteen and even had a few moments in which she informed us that she is not a little kid anymore, today, but it's still just crazy when I think about how quickly the time goes!

Grace has grown up so much, but she is still not too big to choose the Rat Infested Cardboard Pizza Palace for her birthday dinner! In combination with a "flower cake" and chocolate AND vanilla ice cream, it made for a pretty good birthday celebration!

Present time remains an absolute favorite for Grace... but a picture is worth more than any words I can come up with here. This was the reaction to the Lego Agents set that she has had on her "list" for over a year:
And so here she is... My baby doll... Age 8!



Lisa

Too Funny...

Quote of the day (already) by Caleb, who was frustrated... struggling to bring me a full half gallon of skim milk (which is not typical for "Bam Bam"... I think he's wiped out):

"Since it's called skim milk, it's not supposed to be heavy!"

Cracked me up!

Lisa

One More Collage...

... Thought this was worth posting! Seth in the leaves... on his birthdays... through the years...

Lisa

Happy Birthday Seth!!!

Wow... 9 years ago today I gave birth to my first child. Nine... Gosh it goes fast...

Seth had a great birthday! It was sort of unconventional in that we had to do a lot of the every day kind of stuff that just makes up life, but he still had fun!

Of course, he chose to celebrate at "The Rat Place". I used to have high hopes that he would outgrow this, but I am adjusting to the fact that Chuck-E-Cheese is just a staple birthday "item" around here! This was actually preceded by funfetti cake topped with chocolate frosting and Super Mario Bros. characters with mint chocolate chip ice cream!

This is the first time that I noticed that Seth's enthusiasm was sort of subdued at present time... not that he didn't love what he got... and not that he didn't rake it in... because he did... on both accounts. But he was thankful in a more mature, nine year old sort of way!

Here are the b-day pics. of my growing up way too fast kid, who will always be my baby:





Lisa

Being Sick Just Sucks...

... I have had a "stomach virus"... apparently... for goin' on a week now.

After 3 days of vomiting and diarrhea, I decided a trip to Redi-Med was probably a good plan. This is saying something, because I do not go to the doctor unless I am really, really sick. Well... after sitting in the Redi-Med waiting room for 45 minutes, a nurse pops out and says, "Just go to the ER. If you're dehydrated, they'll give you an IV." Oh... lovely... but I can't say I was surprised. I mean, after all, that's pretty much why I came in the first place.

So I wait in the ER waiting room for another hour + (minus the few minutes in which the way too fresh, potty mouthed, EMT took me back to take my temperature and blood pressure while he acted like an idiot). Seriously, if the guy called me "sweetheart" one more time, I was gonna deck him, and he was gonna need an empty bed in the ER. (This says nothing of what Phil might have done...)

Finally, they take me back to the ER, where I wait... again... A nurse from our church sees us and takes me to a different room and apparently lights a fire under the rear of the ER doctor, because he shows up! Thank you, Lynn!

After giving plenty of blood and enduring two bags of some sort of IV fluid, I am told that I have slightly low potassium, given four nasty potassium pills to swallow (which I thankfully do not throw up), informed that I must be getting better since I haven't thrown up in a couple of hours (uh... hadn't eaten anything, either, but I guess that's beside the point), and sent home...

Where I continue to vomit and have diarrhea for the next 2 days...

As of this morning (although I am going to "back date" this post for yesterday to make room for Seth's b-day post later), I am living on Saltines and water, with a few bites of soup here and there. Ugh... This has to give...

Lisa

First Day Of School 2009...

Among other things... it was the first day of school around here! Pretty basic kind of school day for a homeschooling family with a 4th grader, a 3rd grader, a Kindergartner, and a 2 year old:

Can't even begin to count how many times I sung the "Mr. Ray Song" or said, "First Day of School, First Day of School" in Nemo style today... hehehe...

Lisa

The Obama Education Speech...

Following are my thoughts on President Obama's education speech (that is to air tomorrow at schools around the country) and the "I pledge" video (that I assume is also to air). I have simply copied this from my facebook page, so it's not great writing... just a few opinions...

I just finished reading the transcript for President Obama's speech tomorrow and viewing the "I pledge" video. If you want to know what I think (which, I can't really figure why anyone would, but ya know...) read my comments to this status update...

In my opinion, President Obama's speech, itself, had VERY LITTLE to object to. I find it perfectly acceptable that the President of the United States would want to address school children to encourage them to continue their education, to find their talents, and to do their best. I felt that President Obama said many of the same things that I say, myself, to youth when I am trying to teach responsibility. I thought that some of the content was a little over the heads of young children (for example, Caleb, who starts Kindergarten tomorrow, is not going to "get it" all). My only real concern beyond that was that there was no obvious connection to faith, but I don't expect that from something that will be shown in public schools. It is my job, as a parent, to make those connections for my kids.

The "I Pledge" video had a few positive moments, but for the most part it was pretty stupid and highly political. Mostly it made me think of a campaign ad. I thought they went a little over the top encouraging kids to pledge to serve President Obama, specifically. However, I do not think it is a bad concept to teach our children to be servants to others (although I don't believe this video really did that). My concern about the conservative commentary that went with the video is that it is assumed that children of all ages know who all of these celebrities are and respect them. Frankly, not a single one of my children would recognize even one of their faces or care in the least what they have to say (minus maybe Seth recognizing the team logo for the athlete who was featured). To be honest, I couldn't have named a single one.

I have to assume that a lot of these celebrities are associated with what I would consider trash in the entertainment world. If parents are allowing their kids to be influenced by these kinds of people, on a regular basis, to begin with, then we have a parental problem more than an extreme issue with a 2 minute video clip. I would have been a lot more concerned if the celebrities in question were Mickey Mouse and Corbin Bleu.

Final assessment... If we can find a way to watch only President Obama's speech, without the fluff of the video or commentary, we probably will. I haven't looked at the "lesson plans", but there are enough concepts in the speech, itself, that we will have our own responsible discussion about the importance of education and becoming the people that God has created us to be. Although I am not a huge supporter of President Obama (though I did like many of his ideas during the campaign), I will always teach my children to respect the President of the United States of America. Respect for authority is Biblical, and we don't always get to pick and choose just what we want that to mean...

Life Lessons From Aladdin...

I always remember being rather disappointed with, "The Return of Jafar", as far as sequels go. I mean... come on... let's face it... sequels are rarely as good as the first, but, "The Return of Jafar" was just rather pathetic. It has probably been at least 8 or 9 years since I have watched this movie. I know that I have never watched it at a time when any of my children would have been old enough to remember it... until today...

It's still a pathetic movie. There is really no plot development, and of course there are the obvious issues of changing vocal talents and second rate songs. But there was also an underlying theme that I just loved. THREE separate times in the movie a line is used that says something to this effect: "Genies can't kill anyone... but you'd be surprised what you can live through"...

Now backtrack with me here. In, "Aladdin," we meet Jafar... evil advisor to the Sultan. Jafar is power hungry. Through a series of events he goes as far as to make multiple attempts to kill Aladdin in order to secure the lamp, and consequently, the Genie... Although Jafar does not succeed in his attempts on Aladdin's life (remember the line, "How many times do I have to kill you, boy?"), he does eventually gain control of the lamp, making him the master of the Genie... and now the wishing begins...

Number 1: Jafar wishes to rule Agraba, on high. In essence, Jafar wishes to become Sultan, which has been his goal all along. Genie grants his wish, and there stands Jafar... powerful Sultan... but still unhappy, because Jasmine... and her father... and Aladdin... refuse to bow to him. So...

Number 2: Jafar wishes to be the greatest sorcerer in the world. Now he is bestowed with the power to force them to bow. He causes great havoc and destruction, until he is reminded by Aladdin that he is still not the most powerful being in the world, because Genie gave Jafar his power. And so...

Number 3: Jafar wishes to be the most powerful genie in the world. And at this point, we are a little concerned about this nearly unlimited power, until the lamp appears and Jafar is reminded that with such power comes... well... "itty, bitty living space".

Jafar reminds me a lot of people. Please, please read that right. I did not say that Jafar reminds me of specific, individual people. I did not even say that Jafar reminds me of a lot of people. What I said, exactly, is that Jafar reminds me a lot of people. People are often power hungry with no regard to the great responsibility that comes with leadership. They wish... and when they get what they want... they wish for more... and more... and more... until they have everything in the world and are so confined by it that they can do nothing but spew hatred toward others. Jesus compares this to murder. But in the end, people do not ultimately control the power of life and death. Although I would still say that you'd be surprised what you can live through.

A final thought... There was also another very teachable line in the film. I absolutely loved the concept that doing the right thing is hard, because you often have to do it alone...

Lisa

Unhappy Anniversary...

Man, oh man... Six years goes fast, but people don't really change...

Lisa

Must Start School...

... Is it that time again already?

Ah... yes it is. My classes actually started on Monday, but I have avoided them like the plague, since nothing was due until today. I am taking a total of 12 credit hours (4 classes), but half of them do not begin until October (yeah). My plan is to do as much work as possible in the ones that have started now before the others begin. I think it's actually going to be pretty manageable!

On with it...

Lisa

Predators and Idiots...

It occurred to me, this morning, that perhaps I am just a little bit on the slow side... when it comes to certain things... In the two years that we have been here, it has become painfully obvious to me that there is a serious sexual problem in this town. It encompasses many teenagers, and it encompasses many adults. It's almost as if the rules don't apply here...

Due to the nature of my work here, I come into contact with teenagers on a fairly regular basis. It is not unusual to have to make a run to Kroger on any given night to buy a pregnancy test for one kid or another. In fact, I've asked to just have them stocked, because it's a pretty good waste of my time to always be running to the store. To this point, none of those tests have come out positive. In my opinion, this is just further proof that the kids who are having sex have absolutely no idea what they're doing.

They don't know when they had their last period. I have never met so many girls who tell me that their periods are completely irregular (but is it really any surprise). I have even had kids tell me that they don't know if they could be pregnant or not, and when asked if they've had sex they also sometimes reply, "I don't know!" Now somebody tell me... unless you are drunk off your rocker or drugged, how do you "not know" if you've had sex? Perhaps... and this is truly not outside the realm of possibility... they don't even really know what sex is!

Phil did a series at the firehouse last school year entitled "Sex 501". When asked how they learned about sex, many of the teens responded that a friend had told them... not surprising... but then the answers ranged from, "I learned about it in a magazine (porn)," to, "I learned about it by having it." If my memory serves me correctly, I think two of them (girls) said that their moms were the first to tell them about sex, and one said that his dad had provided the magazine. This was not a group of 8-10 kids... It was more like 50+!

And I just sit here wondering how in the world we expect these kids to understand what sex is, or certainly why it was created, and within what context it is appropriate!

But here's the deal. If I had to make an educated guess, I'd say that most of the girls I talk to about sex have their first intercourse experience around age 14. This makes me rather sick, but I didn't fully understand how serious this age thing is until this morning. In this state, age 14 is a golden opportunity for 18 year old men to prey on young girls. At age 14 our laws move from child molestation to sexual misconduct with a minor, dropping the crime to a class C felony (which could still land you in prison for 15 years, but probably won't). Further, the sexual offender can use as his (or her, but I'm seeing that more rarely) offense that they thought the child was over age 16, that they are less than a full four years older than the child, and that they had an ongoing "personal relationship" with the child, and hey... they're pretty much off the hook...

Now, give me a break! I'm starting to see it now. These 18 year old guys make sure they are having sex with girls who are almost 15. In our town, the average age of kids per grade is pretty high, so they can reasonably say, "Gosh, I knew she was in high school, so I figured she was at least 16". They "befriend" these girls and hang out for weeks or even months before they strike (hence, a personal relationship). And then... when these little girls are at their lowest possible point thinking that nobody likes them or they aren't pretty enough or thin enough or whatever, these guys say, "Hey... let's go for a ride in my car". And the rest is history, because the girls consent (even though they are technically too young), since they are desperate for attention and think this is the way to finally get it. This, of course, eliminates the need for the guy to worry that the girl will say that sex was forced... puts all the responsibility on her (which, some of it is her responsibility... I am not excusing this, at all)...

In the previous months, I thought these guys were pretty stupid. But I was wrong. They know the laws. They're pretty smart... at least in that sense...

So I've watched parents, siblings, and other family members and friends call these guys in. What usually happens is the offender gets picked up, and that night or the next morning someone comes up with an outrageous amount of money to post for bail (drugs, maybe?). By the time it goes to court, he has another little girl (14 or 15 years old) in which he is in a "serious" relationship, but nobody ever catches it... no matter that they are traipsing all around town in broad daylight! He gets off because of some aforementioned defense, so nothing sticks on his record, and next time he's caught, his record is still squeaky clean. And on and on it goes...

I am going to blame parents now (and maybe particularly moms)... so get ready...

I can't even begin to count how many kids in this town have told me about the the numerous people that their parents are sleeping with. Hello... if your child regularly comes home to find you in bed with someone that is not your spouse... not their father or mother... not the father or mother of their siblings... is your child not going to begin to think this is normal and acceptable behavior?

I have had conversations with adults who have told me that people in churches are judgemental and have no right telling them who to sleep with. Well, you know what? They're right. It is really none of my business to say who they should or shouldn't be sleeping with. However, when they come to me and want to know why their kids are sleeping around and site that they have told them not to, it is kinda hard to look them in the face and take them seriously. Children learn by observation. It doesn't work to say, "Do as I say, not as I do!"

I have watched parents drop charges against men who assault their kids, because... well... their daughter really likes him and doesn't want him to get in trouble! Let me tell ya something... if a man ever... ever... ever lays a hand on my daughter, I don't care if she thinks he's a saint! He's going to prison for the maximum amount of time possible if I have to carry him there on my back!

Further... these parents are allowing their children to spend the night, co-ed, with no supervision! They are allowing weekend camping trips in which they don't even really know where their kids are. And these are some of the same parents who will ground their children for months if they are down the road past 9pm talking to their pastor's wife! Hello... again! The same parents who won't let their kids come to youth group if their homework isn't done or who complain that the kids at our events are too rowdy! Hello... again... again! I'm sorry, but this is just irresponsible parenting!

Look... I know that I am getting kind of old, but the world and the life of teenagers has not changed so much since I was in middle school and high school that I can't still relate. I had every opportunity imaginable when I was an early teenager. I could have drank... or done drugs... or had as much sex as I would have liked. (Or not liked, by the way, because it's not like these kids are great at having sex. They regularly tell me how it wasn't what they expected or hoped for.) But here's the thing. I chose NOT to do these things. And let me mention here that when I was in 8th grade and then 9th grade, I wasn't exactly "Super Christian Kid" or anything. In fact, I was further from a relationship with God than I had ever been, and I knew it, but I wanted to fit in, and I had a very low self image, so it didn't really matter to me. I did some stupid stuff. But something obviously did matter, because I was not willing to lose all of my integrity for a few fleeting moments that I somehow knew weren't going to satisfy the longing I had.

Further, I met Phil when I was 14 (almost 15) and he was 18. This resonates pretty well with this post, as it is EXACTLY the ages of children I am referring to. But he never, ever took advantage of me in any way. I look back on that and I think about how we could have been just like these kids if we chose to be. There was really nothing at all to stop us from doing whatever we wanted... except at this point our own faith and integrity (which many of these kids also claim to have). We dated for 3+ years before getting married and having sex for the first time ever (both of us) on our wedding night. We have shared this story with kids here, and they have honestly laughed until they took a good look at our faces and realized we were completely serious.

Somehow, the kids in this place don't understand that the possibility actually exists that you can wait for sex until marriage. Even the ones who are the most receptive will often tell me that they are waiting until they have a good job, or finish high school, or know they are in love. To even suggest waiting for marriage seems almost laughable... literally...

I think, this morning, I am tired of dealing with little girls who are afraid to become mommies and haven't even thought about the fact that they could very well have AIDS. I am tired of adult parents who are in the same situation but yell at their kids because they're following in their footsteps. I am tired of sexual sin being so pervasive that kids can't even keep their hands off one another long enough to think about what they're doing and how their lives might be better if they'd stop.

Step down from soapbox...

Lisa

Welcome Home...

... Who knew, but this week was simply necessary. What began as an unplanned, purely fun, spontaneous road trip of sorts ended, for me, as... well... to be honest I can't explain how it ended... but it is very, very good... and I wasn't even looking for it.

Old memories are good. Old friends are better. When you can go years without talking to someone and feel as if there was no lapse in time when you pick up the phone, that's a real friend. I love the reminder that life goes on... and God provides...

New memories are good. New friends are better. Especially the ones that take care of your fish and trash cans and hang rubber bats in your kitchen window while you are on vacation! Yet another reminder that life goes on... and God provides...

Old ministry is good. May we never, ever forget it. May we never, ever forget the people God placed in our paths for a time, and may we always be just a phone call or a chat message away (but forget the texting, I am hopeless)...

New ministry is good. May we never, ever forget it. May we embrace the people that God has placed in our paths now, and may we open the door when they knock (even at midnight)...

Faith My Eyes
by: Caedmon's Call

As I survey the ground for ants
Looking for a place to sit and read
I'm reminded of the streets of my hometown
And how they're much like this concrete
That's warm beneath my feet
And how I'm all wrapped up in my mother's face
With a touch of my father just up around the eyes
And the sound of my brother's laugh
But more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives

But if I must go
Things I trust will be better off without me
But I don't want to know
Life is better off a mystery

So keep'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

Hometown weather is on TV
I imagine the lives of the people living there
And I'm curious if they imagine me
They just wanna leave
I wish that I could stay

And to visit places from my past
But only for an hour or so
Which is long enough to smell the air
To tell the tale and find the door
*I am completely confused about the above verse. I don't ever remember seeing it before
tonight, and I certainly can't find anywhere on-line to hear it. There is no way to possibly
explain how bizarre this is, but I am not surprised... just amazed*

But I get turned around
I mistake my happiness for blessing
But I'm blessed as the poor
Still I judge success by how I'm dressing

So keep'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

So I'll sing a song of my hometown
I'll breathe the air and walk the streets
Maybe find a place to sit and read
With these ants as welcome company

So keep'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

For the very first time, this is home to me...

Lisa

Mystery Trip, Day 4...

Happy 12th anniversary to us!

... Started the day with a fine breakfast at Holiday Inn Express. Met a nice old guy who commented on our nice family and asked if we had all girls... Uh... time for haircuts, maybe?

Went swimming... Underwater pics are fun:

Headed to Iowa City where we ate lunch at the Pizza Ranch, which was not as good as the one in Pella, but yummy, nonetheless. Then went over to the Iowa Children's Museum and played for several hours:

Grocery Shoppin' (Ian bought almost all of the fruit!)

Those are some scary teeth!

Caleb could have raced for hours... Go yellow striped car!

Thomas!!!

Driving the Tractor...

Gone Fishin'

Worn out at the end of the day!

Drove to Peru, Illinois (how ironic) and stopped for dinner at Culvers (for me) and Wendy's for everybody else).

Kids are sleepin'... I am tired and ready to make the trek home tomorrow!

Lisa

Mystery Trip, Day 3...

... We drove a lot. I cried a lot. But it's all good...

I love Casey's chicken and potato wedges... dilapidated church buildings that are restored... shiny BNSF engines... small, old houses that used to look like mansions... more softball diamonds than you can count... Little Debbie brownies and cherry 7-up... new bridges... scoopin' the loop... fields of dreams... old memories... and hope for the future... a place I call home...

Lisa

Mystery Trip, Day 2...

... Deep River Waterpark

Since we are a family who loves waterparks, we thought, "Hey... why not go to one today in the freezin' temperatures?" Not the first time we've done such a thing, and probably won't be the last! This takes the kids' waterpark count to 12, I think, and it was a nice perk to pretty much have the whole park to ourselves!

Here's a pic. of the kids sporting their new towels (since, duh, we forgot ours at home)! They were very useful as blankets, as well:

Some Slide Pics:

Caleb and Me on the Funnel Slide

Seth and Grace Exiting the Funnel Slide

Phil and Grace on a Tube Slide

Seth and Grace on a Tube Slide

Caleb and Me (or at least my feet) on a Tube Slide

And what would a day at the waterpark be without some funny faces from Ian, who enjoyed the lazy river very much (once he knew there were no snakes in it), and who also enjoyed sitting in a chair by the wave pool and pretending he was in a boat:

Overall, it was a very fun time, although I did just realize we are sunburned, because I never can understand why sunscreen is important when it is cloudy...

Lisa