The Best Birthday EVER (JOIN ME!)

In just a few days I will turn 39, but I've already begun to celebrate! (And I hope you'll celebrate with me!) After reading this blog post a few weeks ago, I decided that I would do the same sort of thing, except spread my acts of kindness over the entire week! This started yesterday.

My oldest had an Orthodontist appointment yesterday morning, so on our way we went through the McDonald's drive thru and we paid for the gentleman's breakfast in the car behind us. I'm quite sure that was the most fun I've had in the McDonalds Drive-thru.  Ever. And it might have slightly reminded me of TP'ing houses in my high school days...it might have, you know, if I ever did that sort of rebellious thing, which of course I assure you I would never ever admit to. (Surely none of my high school coaches read this blog...)

So anyway, this week I will be completing 39 random acts of kindness (or more) in celebration of my Birthday. I've already completed 4 and it has been a blast! Would you like to join me? I'm inviting my friends and family to help me celebrate by doing something simple, kind, and random in honor of my Birthday! I would LOVE it if you would! If you're game, read on!

In case you need some ideas, I'll list some below, but please feel free to do something as circumstances present themselves, or as God leads. And I've found people are more receptive to kindness if you tell them it is in honor of your (or your friends') birthday. (Sad how we've become so cynical to kindness...but that is another blog post for another time...) In fact, some of the ideas listed below should be accompanied by a note of some sort. This is a business card I've printed to help me:

Lastly, if you wouldn't mind leaving a comment here (or on my facebook post) about what you did, that would make this my most amazing Birthday ever. I'm so excited!

Now, on to the ideas....although some of these require money and some of them time, some require very little of either. Be creative, be generous, and have fun!!

• give away balloons
• tape some quarters to a vending machine
• buy some fresh flowers at the grocery store and then turn around and hand them to the person in line behind you
• donate blood
• help someone at the grocery store load their groceries into their car (although don't freak them out)
• tape microwave popcorn to a redbox machine
• pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru
• put dollar bills in a few library books
• give away hot chocolate or coffee to people working outside (utility/street departments, etc.)
• read children a book at a bookstore or the library
• leave change on the ground or at a playground for the children to find
• hand out bottled water to someone who never gets appreciated (nurses at the hospital, security guard at the mall, etc.)
• hand out suckers to children at the mall (ask parent's permission first, of course) OR
• hand out stickers to children at the mall (or offer both--gives an option to parents who are hesitant to accept candy from a complete stranger!)
• buy a small gift card and immediately give it to someone in that establishment, like the person in line behind you or (if in a restaurant) someone at a table. This is a fun one at department stores where most people are grumpy....no names, but you know....
• deliver a hand-written note and snacks to a local police/fire station
• take needed items to a homeless shelter
• pay for someone else's coffee at Starbucks
• tuck happy notes on car windshields wishing people a good day full of God's blessings
• take art supplies to waiting rooms (hospitals/Dr.'s offices, etc....would be a good idea to ask them first)
• leave quarters at a laundromat
• give a phone card to someone in need
• give coffee to a toll-booth worker and pay for someone else's toll
• deliver candy bars (or something else) to workers in a local business you believe in (like a Crisis Pregnancy Center)
• give a car wash token to someone who looks like they need it. :)
• Do you know a business that keeps their bathroom really clean? Write a thank-you note and give it to the person in charge of that.
• pump someone else's gas at the gas station
• feed busy parking meters
• let someone else in front of you in line

The fam

Here we are....new family pic, such as it is. Hey, it's a miracle I made it in FRONT of the camera, and you want all of us to actually be looking AT the camera?? Maybe in about 5 years.

This was taken on the old man's my sweet husband's 40th Birthday. I shouldn't poke fun because I'm not too far behind...but I'M NOT THERE YET....

This was a fun day (despite the depressed husband) and a beautiful day, which you can't always guarantee in mid-October.

Irony

Going swimming while preparing for a flood. There just seems to be something wrong about that.

Of course Baby doesn't seem too bothered by it.

What On Earth Were You Thinking??

Since stepping on a nail in the barn, Brother has been taking oral antibiotics--thick, cold, pink stuff that apparently doesn't taste real great. He takes this nasty dose 3 times a day, so he's getting pretty tired of it.

Yesterday, I handed him a syringe of the delightful stuff and he acted like I just handed him a syringe full of pond slime. So I told him if he plugged his nose, he wouldn't taste it.

He didn't believe me.

So I reached up and pinched his nose shut and encouraged him to "just do it." After a little arguing about it, I pinched his nose and said, "Ok, get it done, ready? 1.....2.......3....."

And at that point, he pushed the medicine out of the syringe as fast as he could. He just forgot one thing. HE FORGOT TO PUT THE SYRINGE IN HIS MOUTH.

He has it pointed at himself, but holding it about 8 inches from his face.

He shot it out with so much force it splattered off of his neck and shoulder onto a sizable portion of the floor and THREE walls.  I just stood there, baffled by what just happened.  He looked up at me, shocked by what just happened.

And although I didn't find the humor of it at the time, now I see...IT WAS REALLY FUNNY!!

Let's just hope he doesn't have aspirations to become a doctor someday....

MAY-HEM

What did we do in the month of May?

The kids started to mow the yard this year, and although they are doing a great job, it did engulf in flames....ok, not really, but the clutch did burn up and bunches of white smoke started coming out of the back of it while Brother was mowing. That prompted a discussion about fire safety that started like this:

ME: Brother, do you know what to do if your clothing would catch on fire?

BROTHER: (with an "I can't believe you don't know the answer to this question, Mom" look on his face) Uh, take them off?

The discussion didn't get much better when he decided it would be best to run as fast as you can because everyone knows when you blow on a candle really hard it puts the flame out....

We've been going on whole-family bike rides lately, but DH thought the best place for Baby would be in the backpack carrier. I'm not too thrilled about it, but I must say she sure did enjoy herself. (And we have another child bike seat now.) 

 

We (ok, not me) added another swing to the swingset so all 4 kids can go at the same time. There's officially no more room on the swingset, so I guess no more children for us.

The kids had been studying about the Underground Railroad, and earned a trip to the Mayhew Cabin, a stop on the Underground Railroad. We went with some other homeschooler friends and they all had a blast playing there and going thru the tunnel a gazillion times that afternoon.

We saw this brilliant rainbow just to the East of us and the kids wanted to go find the pot of gold. For a while there were 2 rainbows, but of course I wasn't fast enough to catch that on film.

How do you know when you've put off doing the laundry too long? When your children are buried alive by it. Seriously. Drama Queen fell asleep on the floor next to the hamper in our bedroom, and apparently the mountain toppled over on top of her. (She didn't even wake up...although we didn't want her to smother so she got pulled out in short order. Just imagine that coroner's report, "Victim was smothered by a pile of dirty laundry...")

If the kids wake up before me, they will climb into bed with me and I will read them a book. On this morning, I had to get out, but Brother decided he could read one to Baby. Aren't they precious?

How do you know when Chatterbox is driving us all crazy with her non-stop talking?? When your 4-year-old comes to supper like this. Yes, she enjoyed her entire meal in silence...a rare occasion at our house.

The weather was barely 80 and the kids couldn't wait a second longer to get out the Slip and Slide. They played all afternoon and came in with a S-U-N-B-U-R-N.  Oops. I suppose any responsible Mother would have thought about sunscreen. 

One of the highlights of the end of the school year for our kids is our Homeschool Track and Field Day. This year was no exception. For some reason my kids seem to be particularly skilled in the Sack Jump. Do you supposed there's some life-skill that will translate into??

Officially, my parents are now empty-nesters as my youngest sister got married. Boy does that make me feel old--she was my flower-girl...she was 2 and a half. Yes, I got married when I was 12. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

I got a good picture of my kids at the wedding...I just don't know why people say all of my kids look alike........lol

DH is finally seeing his dream of building a shop become a reality this summer. But he's finding out even when you hire most of it done, there's still a lot of managing that needs to be done.

Brother is playing T-ball again this summer, and loving it. They won their first game, and when I told him it doesn't matter who wins, it's just about having fun, he responded with, "Well, Mom, the other team can just have fun, but I want to win."

And last but not least, our most exciting event of May was when Brother stepped on a nail in the barn and nearly drove it thru his foot. Of course this happened on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, so on Sunday when it kept swelling and the top of his foot felt hot, we took him to the ER. I think he's on the mend now, but he has enjoyed milking the attention for all it's worth. (And yes, this is the nail, although that is NOT blood, it's actually red paint. Looks pretty realistic though, doesn't it!) 

And that's been our May. Hopefully June will be a nice, quiet month....although around here the chances of that are highly unlikely. And with the threat of widespread flooding here looming again this year, I'm betting June will be interesting one way or another.

A Happy Home (and Mama)

Last weekend I went to homeschool conference. This is like the 4th time I've gone and each year I love it more. It is so refreshing to spend two days with some of my best friends, with no children, and learn something in the process! I always glean at least a few new ideas to try either in our homeschool process, or my home. This year, I came home with a whole BUCKETFUL of ideas, thanks to Carol Barnier.  And the most brilliant in the bucket is this...... (That's ok, click on it for a closer look if you need to.)

Yes, TIE the scissors TO the spot they are supposed to stay. Nothing makes me more frustrated than when my son cannot find his scissors....and in Kindergarten, you need your scissors A-LOT.  So, THANK YOU, Carol Barnier. And not just thank you, but rise-up-and-call-you-blessed thank you!  You have made our home and this Mama much happier!

PS: Yes, I have threatened his life if he EVER cuts that ribbon. And we all know how well he likes to cut stuff....

One Year Anniversary

We are getting close to THE one-year anniversary. WHAT? You don't remember?? Here, let me refresh your memory...

Oh yeah. Remember now? Uh huh.

April 6th of last year was the day my heart nearly stopped when Drama Queen bounded down the stairs with Big Brother sportin' her new haircut.....read about it here if you need a good laugh.

On a side note, sometimes I have to laugh when I think about the things that have NOT freaked me out as much as that one incident.....like Emergency Room visits and massive widespread flooding a half a mile from our home....

Anyway, I recently found this old photo

and had to laugh. I had forgotten about the whole hair-cutting thing that happened when he was like 2, with my sister. Obviously he didn't get to cut it ALL off, but HELLO, this should have been some sort of sign or something! And look, he used school scissors in both incidents....aren't they supposed to ONLY cut paper??

On a brighter note, Drama Queen's hair has grown out nicely, and no one has developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or anything! Just take a look...

And believe me when I tell you, when someone shares their own hair-cutting story with me, I just laugh and say, "Don't worry, one thing is for sure, it WILL grow back."

Why Moms Need A Vacation

Reason #1: Death-defying acrobatics from a swingset that nearly cause your observing Mama to pass out.
Every family has to have one. You know, the child that keeps the Dr.'s Office in business. I just didn't think it would be our girly-girl, the one who can't leave the house without a skirt on.

Reason #2: Brainy ideas that come from the King of the family.
You know, things like hanging my children over a 20-foot deep cistern so they could see the kind of thing Joseph (of the Bible) was thrown into....or....

 ....the suggestion that we could save $300 a year on toilet paper if we would buy the cheapy-cheap-o stuff. The stuff that doesn't really qualify as toilet paper.  (Tracing paper, maybe. Toilet paper, no.) Don't worry, I checked--we don't even spend $300 a year on toilet paper.

Reason #3: Household messes
I should probably be thinking this is really cute and creative. But this is the phrase that keeps repeating in my head, "Exactly who is going to pick up this mess?"


Reason #4: (Slightly Different) Household Messes
In answer to that last question, I know exactly who is going to be cleaning up this mess.

Reason #5:  Not ever being able to leave the house (without the circus.)

I have 4 children. Only 3 can dress themselves, but those 3 insist on dressing like this...

To say the circus has nothin' on us would be a grave understatement...in so many ways.

Reason #6: Dieting.
No photo.
'Nuff said.

You Are Special

I've realized I don't read enough TO my kids. They have been begging me to do just that. So I've started to read a little to them while they eat breakfast. One time I tried to read to them while I ate breakfast, too....that didn't work.

Anyway, we started with Nate the Great (what? you thought we'd tackle classical literature first??) and I read just until Nate says he figured out the mystery. Then I'd close the book and let them finish the rest in their reading time. I did NOT have to convince them to read on "Nate the Great" days!

This morning we read You Are Special by Max Lucado. I own a lot of children's books by Lucado, but I purchased them before I had kids, had tucked them away, and honestly kinda forgot about them. I think God reminded me they were there. I had forgotten how special his kids books are.

There are books that are good. And there are books that are really good. And then there are books that are really good.  You Are Special falls into that category. If you haven't read it, please do. And if you haven't read it to your kids, start. And do it often. Yes, its just that really good.

The Mold You Choose

My 9-year-old daughter has been asking if she can watch a certain (seemingly harmless and quite common) TV show. We don't have cable or satellite, or even an antennae for that matter, but we do have Netflix and they offer the first season of this particular show as one of their choices. Now, I'm a firm believer that what you put into your mind will eventually come out in your actions, so we try to be very careful what we let our kids watch and listen to. I didn't know much about this show, other than it seemed age-appropriate for my pre-adolescent (or at least it was marketed that way), but decided rather than just telling her "no you can't watch it", the time had come for me to start making a diligent effort to teach my daughter how to evaluate the things she allows into her mind. So we picked an episode and decided we would watch it together, carefully, evaluating the show in the areas of modesty/purity, personal responsibility (taking responsibility for your own actions), respect for authority, treating peers with respect, and if the characters acted in a way that would please God, or not. Neither one of us knew what we might discover, good or bad, but decided we would keep track of both the bad and the good points of the show.

Wow.

The good points? Well, seriously the only good thing was the characters were not immodest, at least in this one episode. I've seen promotional images for this show, and can't exactly say those are the ideal in the area of modesty, but at least this episode posed no problems in that area. That one area. And that's pretty much the extent of the "good" list. And I was even looking for good areas.

The bad? Probably the worst issue was in the area of respect for authority. The show portrays authority figures as idiots who don't need to be respected or listened to, but are disrespected at every turn. Two examples: one of the characters throws a football and hits a teacher in the face (and of course the entire crowd of kids laugh because it is the "disliked" teacher.) Another character grabs the principal's cell phone while he is talking on it, and throws it onto the floor in hopes of breaking it, all in an effort to GET detention. (Yes, you read that right--to GET detention.) Students are disrespecting the authority of their teachers, and teachers are disrespecting the authority of their Principal. Nice.

Continuing with the "bad" list, we witnessed lying, cheating, bullying of other students, a teacher saying he hated his wife (and the students), a girl fighting her conscience (meaning she was trying to FORCE herself to do the wrong thing--pull the fire alarm), and constant "sneaking around" to get done what they wanted to get done. Wholesome.

But probably the biggest red flag of the whole show is the attitude that all of the above is...funny.

Lying? Funny. Bullying? Funny. Hearing a guy say he hates his wife? Funny. Disrespect? Really funny.

Now I know you're thinking I must have watched something like Bart Simpson or South Park, right? Nope--we watched iCarly. Surprised? Maybe. But before you write me off and tell yourself, "Oh, it isn't that bad...." take some time to watch it and really evaluate the subtle themes and messages of the show.

I'd  be willing to admit we may have gotten a particularly bad episode, but not out of the ballpark. I doubt I'll watch another just to find out.

Sometimes we forget that the things we watch, listen to, or read actually mold our thinking and our actions. Is iCarly the mold I want my children or myself to come out of? Are there no other choices??

Well....we evaluated another show right after iCarly--Little House on the Prairie. Talk about contrast. In the episode we watched, it was Christmastime and every member of the Ingalls family personally sacrificed for someone else in the family.  Mary worked 3 weeks on a shirt for her Pa. Charles slaved away on a difficult project just to make enough money to buy Caroline her present. Laura traded her dearly loved horse with Mr. Olson for a stove for Caroline. And when Pa gave Laura a saddle, she cried. But not because she no longer had the horse to use it on, but because she felt bad her Pa had went to such work for her. SelfLESSness. Now that's the kind of theme I want my kids to absorb.

So you've probably guessed what my kids will be watching at our house. And what your kids watch at yours is completely up to you. Just be informed. Pay attention. Don't assume anything, good or bad. Evaluate for yourself. Please. This is important stuff.  

A Good Thing

This is our first night home in 4 nights. We all went on vacation--the kids "vacationed" at Grandma's house, and DH and I went by ourselves to Hermann, Missouri. You might be asking, "What is in Hermann, Missouri??" Nothing, really. Just some super sweet accommodations (here), but really not much else in the middle of February. And that's exactly what we needed.

Every year we try to take two vacations--one that includes our whole family, the other just DH and myself. I've noticed not many married couples really do this, but boy do I ever recommend it! It is our time to reconnect, to remember why we married each other, to be able to talk without constant interruption, without having to fill a sippy cup, change a diaper, answer 1000 questions. To remember that we were a married couple before we were parents.

Have you noticed how parenting is really intense? It never ends, well, at least in a daily kind of way. You can't "check out" at 5pm and come back to work at 8am the next morning. Nope, if you're a parent (ok, a good parent) you're ON DUTY 24-7. And that's exactly why we need a 3-day (or more!) break.

Is it tough to leave them? Oh my, its one of the hardest thing I do every year. But I do it because it is important to us. It is important for Grandma and Grandpa to get to know our kids better. It is important for our kids to see that OUR world does not completely revolve around them.

And when I get home, I am refreshed enough to want to be a better Mom. A better wife. A better person. Would I realize this without our time away? Probably not. We get so caught up in just doing the next thing...or the next 100 things...that I don't take time to just be quiet and think and evaluate. The proof is in the pudding--I can't tell you how many really good ideas have hatched from our times away. Ideas that have stuck and made our family stronger.

So yes, I need this. Even though my stomach hurts when the non-refundable reservations are made. Even though I'm memorizing the baby's features as I'm rocking her to sleep for the last time the night before we leave. Even when I find myself in a state of panic for the first 5 miles after we drop them off. I need this.

Do you need it, too? Are you a parent? Then yes, you need it, too.

(Yes, even you, Denise!) :)

Slobber fountain

My lands, this girl can slobber. Click on the photo to see it larger if you don't believe me. I keep thinking this will eventually stop. I mean really, can you imagine this on a first date?? Hopefully we have a while before that, but really! The slobbering has become so constant that we typically keep bibs on her at all times to soak it up. The water-resistant ones are our favorites!

Slobber or not, she's pretty fun to have around, and we wouldn't trade her for anything. Slobber or not, she's a keeper.

When you don't have cable TV...

...your kids end up doing stuff like this (click on it to see it larger):

Of course a new marker board and new set of markers helped get the creative juices flowing, too.

Hanger Hoarder

Y'all ever seen the show Hoarders? I got to watch it for the first time just a few weeks ago. Wow. Seriously. After the first 10 minutes I wanted to jump up and clean something out. After it was over, I actually DID jump up and clean something out!

And I've been cleaning ever since. I've never been a "sort-organize-categorize-and label" kinda gal, but I AM NOW!! Actually, we do have one of those nifty electronic Dy-mo label machines, but it is my husband who keeps that thing a-humming. But I'm seriously seeing the benefit of labeling where everything is at, especially with 4 kids who are responsible for putting a certain amount of things away.

So the other day I purged a large bookcase, removing about 1/3 of the books, sorting, organizing, and grouping what was left into reasonable categories. Then I got out the nifty label machine and started printing...."Reference, Scrapbooking, Ministry, Photography...etc." In the middle of the process, Chatterbox sees what I'm doing, rolls her eyes and proclaims, "Oh brother, you're becoming just like Daddy." Hey, I don't think that's such a bad thing when it comes to organization! He's one of the most organized, disciplined persons I know!

So anyway, as I purge and clean different areas of my house, I've come to realize I can be a hoarder in certain ways. Kitchen utensils is one of them. (Sorry, I didn't take a picture of that disaster before I "fixed" it.)

Hangers is another.

 

Because I realize you can't really determine scale very well in this photo, the bar those hangers are on is above my washer and dryer, and is probably a good 6-7 feet wide. And it is stuffed full. These are just the hangers that don't have anything on them. I still have a ton of hangers in my closet, in DH's closet, and the kids' closets!! Hanger hoarder, yes, I am.

But not for long.

And if you need a little organizational boost, watch an episode of Hoarders. Guaranteed to motivate you...or make you nauseous. Maybe both.

The January 1 Purge

How does a person accumulate so much junk? They say the average adult moves to a different residence every 7 years. I'm beginning to think a person SHOULD move every 7 years just to purge all of the junk they've accumulated. We've lived here for 18 years, so you can just imagine the amount of junk we have tucked into each and every corner and cranny. Case and point...

New Years Day DH decided it was THE DAY to clean out the entry. Our entry room isn't big, probably about 5' x 8' and contains a large closet with bi-fold doors, a freestanding cabinet and a sink. Here's what we hauled OUT of the entry (including the sink!):

Ok, ok, so the table on the front of the trailer came from the garage. But the rest? Yeah, came from that room. Did I mention it is like 5'x8'?? How does this happen? How is this possible?  Worst part was it took us nearly ALL DAY.

DH mentioned something about tackling the den today.....let's hope not! I'm going to need about a week to prepare for that kind of a project!