The Secret of Happiness

long time...

2011-08-31T21:17:00.002-04:00

it's been almost a year since I wrote in this thing. i've spent the majority of that time learning about myself. no joke. i'll have to write about it soon...

Perhaps I am capable of a perfect score

2010-12-15T13:04:00.002-05:00

I remember sitting down for a job review that was based on a point system. When my boss handed me back my review, the only "perfect" score was "dresses appropriately." What? I had been working so hard at this job and NOTHING I had done was honestly the best it could be at that point? He began by saying something like, "Now, don't get the wrong idea about the scores. We are very pleased with the work you do. But no one is perfect, and there is always room for improvement." Really. Forgive me sir, but by your standards then, I will never be able to say that my best is really by best.
That memory never came into my mind until recently when I've been wondering why my assignments and projects I had worked so hard on were received with such delight and enthusiasm. Based on my previous experience, I have assumed that "there is always room for improvement" and have sometimes interpreted my scores as "the professor just likes me" or "she was just grading on the curve and I got lucky."
It will take some time for me to redirect this boss' comment as I am realizing it's profound effect on how I value my performance. Perhaps I can do perfect work sometimes...

Spiritual Maturity

2010-11-01T02:22:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking about what it means to be spiritually mature. I've also been coming back to the word "unearthed" tonight. I wonder if the two are related...
Initially I thought that spiritual maturity for me would be found in putting myself out there, going out on a limb, baring my feelings, thoughts, and questions. I think that maturity can still be found in doing this, but I feel like there is more.
Maturity is found in change.
What are the things that I allow to change in order to allow myself to mature?
I keep coming back to myself as the thing that needs to mature and I keep thinking about how when I get to know myself better, I change and therefore I mature. I ask myself a lot of questions: why are you doing that? why do you feel that way? when did you start feeling this way? what's really going on here? are you really upset about that or is it something else?
Sometimes I drive myself crazy and my brain needs to take a break from the rest of my body.
But sometimes, my brain and body have a conversation, an analysis, a heart to heart and we all emerge slightly closer with each other and more in tune with what the other needs.

Miss Invisible

2010-02-07T15:15:00.002-05:00

This is my new favorite sad song. You gotta have those sometimes right?? It's by Marie Digby

Theres a girl
Who sits under the bleachers
Just another day eating alone
And though she smiles
There is something just hiding
And she cant find a way to relate
She just goes unnoticed
As the crowd passes by
And she'll pretend to be busy
When inside she just wants to cry
She'll say...

Chorus

Take a little look at the life of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little closer, I really really want you to put yourself in her shoes
Take another look at the face of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little harder and maybe then you will see why she waits for the day
When you'll ask her her name

The begining, in the first weeks of class
She did everything to try and fit in
But the others they couldnt seem to get past all the things that mismatched on the surface
And she would close her eyes when they left and she fell down the stairs
And the more that they joked
And the more that they screamed
She retreated to where she is now
And she'll sing...

Chorus

Take a little look at the life of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little harder I really really want you to put yourself in her shoes
Take a little look at the face of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little closer and maybe then you will see why she waits for the day that you will ask her...her name

And one day just the same as the last
Just the days been in counting the time
Came a boy that sat under the bleachers just a little bit further behind...

Questions about the world

2009-10-31T00:51:00.002-04:00

Miss Kristy: Can you fly?
Kid: No
Miss Kristy: Why?
Kid: Because I don't have wings
Miss Kristy: What can fly?
Kid: Unicorns
Miss Kristy: How?
Kid: Because they have smart brains and wings
Miss Kristy: If you had wings, could you fly?
Kid: Yes
Miss Kristy: Can you grow wings?
Kid: No
Miss Kristy: Why?
Kid: Because I don't have sprouts and seeds in my back
Miss Kristy: If you had sprouts and seeds in your back, could you grow wings?
Kid: Yes

Miss Kristy: What makes a rainbow?
Kid: Water
Miss Kristy: Where does the water come from?
Kid: The rain
Miss Kristy: Can you touch a rainbow?
Kid: No. Because they are too far
Miss Kristy: If you were close to a rainbow, could you touch it?
Kid: Yes
Miss Kristy: What would it feel like?
Kid: A mommy

Miss Kristy: How do you buy things at the store?
Kid: Using your hands
Miss Kristy: How do your hands help you buy things?
Kid: By moving

Kid: Miss Kristy, can you get the duck tape so I can tape these straws together?
Miss Kristy: Sure, can you answer some questions while you tape the straws together?
Kid: Sure...ummm duck tape helps us.
Miss Kristy: Do you have a brother?
Kid: Yes
Miss Kristy: Are you a brother or a sister?
Kid: A sister
Miss Kristy: What are mommy and daddy, are they brother and sister?
Kid: Ummm...no
Miss Kristy: What are they?
Kid: They're just...ok ready for the duck tape?

Miss Kristy: Can you touch the air?
Kid: Yes
Miss Kristy: How?
Kid: With my fingers

Miss Kristy: If you close your eyes, can you still listen?
Kid: Yes
Miss Kristy: Why?
Kid: Because I have good ears

Miss Kristy: What makes the leaves fall?
Kid: The wind
Miss Kristy: Where does the wind come from?
Kid: The clouds
Miss Kristy: Where do the clouds come from?
Kid: The fog

Miss Kristy: What makes a shadow?
Kid: Stuff
Miss Kristy: What kind of stuff?
Kid: Toys make shadows...and myself
Miss Kristy: How?
Kid: By using a flashlight

Just a pile of muck

2009-10-13T15:35:00.002-04:00

I have been dabbling in pottery for the past few months and thoroughly enjoy sitting at the wheel with my hands mucky and coming out with something that's a sorry excuse for a bowl, cup, or what have you.
Pottery for me has been that hobby that is unlike anything else I've done before. Scrapping is fun but expensive. Photography is good too but I'm only good with kids. Quilting is rewarding but it takes so long to get the finished product that I lose patience. Then there came pottery. Something I have always been interested in but never took the time or seized the opportunity to explore. Since I've started pottery, there have just been a miss mash of philosophical awakenings each time I go. Largely they are of the spiritual kind.
"You have to listen" my instructor explained. "If you don't listen you'll get frustrated with yourself and with me. In order for you to do this you have to listen to what I say and try not to get ahead of where I'm telling you to go." Right.
"Put your hands together. Your hands are stronger when they're together than when they're apart." Right.
"You can reuse anything you think is a mistake." Right.
"You might think something is a mistake or it doesn't turn out how you imagined it, but sometimes they're your best pieces or they're the ones that turn out even better than you thought." Right.
"Sometimes when something isn't working you need to stop and come back to it later." Right.
"When you wedge the clay (kneed it) you wear your muscles down so you're not as likely to fight the clay when you get it on the wheel." Right.
"When you feel friction between your hands and the clay your piece will start to come apart." Right.

If I go and get nothing that I can physically hold in my hand, I walk away with an experience unlike anything else I've done before.

Sin Boldly

2009-08-26T09:09:00.001-04:00

“If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true and not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin. This life is not the dwelling place of righteousness, but, as Peter says, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. It is enough that by the riches of God’s glory we have come to know the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day. Do you think that the purchase price that was paid for the redemption of our sins by so great a Lamb is too small? Pray boldly—you too are a mighty sinner.”

Then I'm gonna wait right here

2009-08-21T09:46:00.002-04:00

While taking a stroll yesterday, Sarah was looking up at the big dark rain clouds overhead and asked, "Miss Kristy, what will we do if it starts to rain on us." I said, "I guess we'll just have to take off our shoes and dance in the rain." Surprised by my response she smiled and said, "Then I'm gonna wait right here!" After a few minutes she followed it up with, "I wish it would really do that, dancing in the rain would be fun!"

I wonder why we're so afraid of the rain sometimes. At the Jason Mraz concert during the opening act when the Heaven's opened above us and rain pelted every fiber of our clothing, Mr. Opening Act said, "Come on people, it's just rain. It makes things grow." Quickly they changed up their set list and began to sing an African song about the rain falling while the people started to dance around us.

The sunshine is beautiful but the rain is more freeing.

I love to watch the rain. I love the sound of the rain. I love what the rain teaches us. I love that (to steal a quote from Bruce Almighty) no matter how dirty something gets you can always clean it right up.

I've embraced a thought again, a mantra if you will, that God is preparing me for something. Seeing the rain in my life as preparation for something bigger makes me embrace those showers and see them as opportunities to be content whatever the circumstance. I like this new thought, as it forces me to not be anxious and driven to get to the next stage of my life.

One Christmas, Stephanie and Tilden gave us a frame with a blessing painted around it. It's big enough that when I lie in bed I can still read the words. When I can't get to sleep, I'll read these words over and over again and fall asleep reciting a blessing on my life:

May the sun bring you new energy by day
May the moon softly restore you by night
May the rain wash away your worries
May the breeze blow new strength into your being
May you walk gently through the world and know it's beauty
all the days of your life.

Amen.

What do I know?

2009-07-13T09:04:00.004-04:00

I woke up this morning with a sigh. We probably slept most of yesterday waking up long enough to eat and then pass out again. Coming back to Charlotte was definitely different this time. Normally I am satisfied after a two week vacation filled with multiple destinations around Newfoundland, long chats around the kitchen table, endless cups of tea, and more food than a bear can store up for the winter. At the end of every trip when the inevitable goodbyes come, you hug your loved ones especially the ones who are more over the hill and the thought will always cross you mind that this may very well be the last time you get to hold them, say I love you, and then good bye.
Our first week was relaxing and went at what seemed like a snail's pace. We did not complain. My grandmother (Nan) has been sick for the past month and doctor's could not quite figure out what the problem was. On Friday, her CT scan showed her cancer is back and there is a mass attached to her abdominal wall. She was admitted Friday evening. On Monday, Des and I were in St. John's (about an hour from our hometowns) to do some visiting and were just getting things together to have dinner with my cousin and his new fiancee when the phone rang and it was mom saying they had taken Nan to ICU. Her breathing had become labored and she was on oxygen. Shortly after my sister got home mom called again and said Nan had been moved to palliative care, we had to move fast. We got to the hospital and I thought Nan had hours to live. The doctor said she may not make it through the night. Late that evening, the minister was called. He arrived with his wife shortly after. The room was packed with family and we all fell silent when the ministers came in the room. He waited for a while before reading Psalm 23 and then his wife prayed. After she prayed Nan made a grunt and we asked if she had heard the prayer, she grunted again. Within that next hour, Nan was asking for water. In the wee hours of the morning, she drank two cups of tea. By the morning, she was lifting a cup to her mouth unassisted. The doctor came in the next morning and was totally baffled at what he saw. She asked why he had moved her to palliative care and he told her point blank, "because we thought you weren't going to make it." She tutted. She asked when she could eat again. The doctor convinced her to take it slow as he was not prepared for this turn of events. You have to understand, she was supposed to die that night. There is a mottling of the skin that occurs just before death and Nan had that. This rash is irreversible once it occurs, and the doctor said her blood pH was at a level that was incompatible with life. By the morning her rash was gone.
That night, we stayed at the hospital. Trying to take her mind off of things I grabbed the Bible and asked if there was a favorite passage she would like me to read to her. She said, "I like it all." I thought so. I told her it was a New Testament copy so what in the New Testament do you like and warned her not to say, "I like it all." She chuckled and said, "What about something in Philippians." I turned to Philippians 4 and read the chapter. Side note: Gideons, please place updated versions of the bible in hospital rooms. Thank you.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

The week that followed was a double edged sword to be a part of. On the one hand, I was so blessed to be in the room that night to witness this incredible will to live. To come back from the very edge of death and want nothing more than a good cup of tea should give you an indication of how good tea tastes in Newfoundland. On the other hand, as Walter Scheles put it, death is hard work. And although she is getting stronger every day, gone are the days of walking into her house and hearing her voice say, "Hello?" While I am able to get on a plane and have my last memories be good, my family has to stay behind and see it to the end.
Leaving the hospital on Saturday evening was possibly leaving Nan for the last time. I kissed her forehead and told her I loved her and took in one last gulp of the smell of her hair. She sighed and said "love you too." What a wonderful thing to know you are loved.
For the past week the song "What Do I Know" has been going through my head. I chose not to listen to it while at home. So yesterday while floating above the clouds, I found the track and turned it up.

I have a friend who just turned eighty-eight
and she just shared with me that she's afraid of dying.
I sit here years from her experience
and try to bring her comfort.
I try to bring her comfort
But what do I know? What do I know?
She grew up singing about the glory land,
and she would testify how Jesus changed her life.
It was easy to have faith when she was thirty-four,
but now her friends are dying, and death is at her door.
And what do I know? What do I know?

Well,I don't know that there are harps in heaven,
Or the process for earning your wings.
I don't know of bright lights at the ends of tunnels,
Or any of these things.

She lost her husband after sixty years,
and as he slipped away she still had things to say.
Death can be so inconvenient.
You try to live and love. It comes and interrupts.
And what do I know? What do I know?

Well,I don't know that there are harps in heaven,
Or the process for earning your wings.
And I don't know of bright lights at the ends of tunnels,
Or any of these things.

But I know to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord,
and from what I know of him, that must be pretty good.
Oh, I know to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord,
and from what I know of him, that must be very good.

If you look for it you'll find it

2009-06-24T23:06:00.003-04:00

Kid: Miss Kristy, there are paper plates in that cupboard, can you get one for me?

(Miss Kristy opens the cupboard, looks inside)

Miss Kristy: Sorry, I don't see any plates

Kid: Okay...now I want you to look REALLY hard. Do you see them now?

Good tune

2009-06-21T09:46:00.001-04:00

“i think that possibly, maybe i’m falling for you
yes theres a chance that i’ve fallen quite hard over you.
i’ve seen the paths that your eyes wander down
i want to come to

i think that possibly, maybe i’m falling for you

no one understands me quite like you do
through all of the shadowy corners of me

if i didn’t know you, i’d rather not know
if i couldn’t have you, i’d rather be alone."

Good tune.

Boring

2009-06-11T23:56:00.002-04:00

Miss Kristy: Ok we're gonna go though your sight words, read two books, and then we'll go for a walk.

Kid: Miss Kristy this is boring!

Miss Kristy: No, it's reading - it's FUN! Once you know your sight words you can read all kinds of stuff. Come on, let's just work really hard to get this done and then we can go for our walk.

Kid: No, it's boring.

Miss Kristy: Well then we'll have to make it fun!

Kid: You can stop - that would make it fun.

Good colon

2009-06-06T10:02:00.000-04:00

Just in case you were wondering...9 signs of a good colon are:

* Clear skin without blemishes
* Daily elimination
* Mild-smelling breath
* No mucous, partially digested food, or blood in your stools
* Elimination time between 18 and 24 hours
* A big bowel movement in the morning
* A smaller bowel movement later in the day
* Stools expelled effortlessly
* Soft, well formed stools, often in a long tube shape

Change the weather

2009-06-06T09:49:00.002-04:00

Miss Kristy: Looks like it's going to rain today, we may have to stay inside.

Kid: That's ok Miss Kristy

Miss Kristy: Thanks for having a good attitude

Kid: When you go home, you can just change the weather, ok?

Miss Kristy: I'll see what I can do...

Duet

2009-05-30T09:49:00.003-04:00

Kid: Miss Kristy I'm sick today

Kristy: Oh really?

Kid: Yeah, I had a big poop

Kristy: Nice

Kid: It was so much it cracked into two pieces!

Kristy: Sweet

Kid: Yeah, that's called a duet.

Kristy: Of course

Mary's apple pie

2009-04-25T08:30:00.004-04:00

For whatever reason, last night as I was driving home from Target where I purchased my umpteenth black ink cartridge for the semester, I started thinking about Mary. Mary is a lady I met many years ago when I was a young college kid and she was a very kind lady who would open her house to us on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evenings so we could all hang out and eat...boy did we eat. She was a spunky kind of lady who never acted like a "senior" which made her able to identify with the naive 20 something-year-olds who came her way. Her favorite color was blue and she had this bright blue sweater that used to make her eyes radiant. Mary was lovely.
I never met William, but I'd heard about him. William was Mary's husband and he had passed away before mine and Mary's paths crossed. I heard about how handsome he was and what a gentleman he was and oh his voice, he had this beautiful voice. I could tell that Mary was still madly in love with her beloved William and she missed him dearly.
One weekend evening, all the college gang was gathered at Mary's and of course I was in the kitchen chatting with her watching her cook. That evening she decided to serve us all pie for dessert. There were a few different kinds I think they was blueberry, cherry, and apple. The apple pie was the last one to come out of the oven. I told her it smelled delicious. While we were waiting for the pie to finish I made mention of the fact that I had never made a pie before and wouldn't know where to begin. She began to tell me about when her and William got married, she learned that he loved apple pie. So of course being the wife who wanted to appease her husband's stomach where every man's heart is, she would bake him his favorite pie. She said she made so many pies for him that he started to get a little tired of eating the pie that used to be his weakness. She chuckled and said she held off for a while before baking him another one and then only baked them for special occasions.
She went on to say that after William died it was a long time before she made apple pie again. She said her first pie had so many tears in it, it was probably more tears than apples.
And there we were standing in her kitchen with pies cooling on the counter while the sacred apple pie was coming out of the oven.
I learned in class the other day that the most stressful life event experienced by adults is the death of a spouse. I believe it. After the death of a spouse, even pies bring you grief. But the point is, Mary went on. She didn't stay in her grief and have it carry her through, she carried it. I don't think anyone ever grieves and then leaves their grief behind and never grieves for that person again, we love these people. Sometimes it's okay to bring your grief out of hiding for a moment so you don't forget as a lot of people fear they will.
I learned a lot from Mary's pie. I learned that the grave cannot stop true love. I learned that you have to go on. And I learned that pie is a lot sweeter when there's love (or tears) in it.

Confidence

2009-04-21T23:13:00.000-04:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

Is Jesus there?

2009-04-15T16:49:00.003-04:00

Miss Kristy: Ok boys and girls when we go to the bathroom we have to be extra quiet because they're having a special meeting (funeral) in the church.

Kid 1: Is Jesus there?

Miss Kristy: Yes, Jesus is always there. He's always with us.

Kid 1: Where?

Miss Kristy: Well, Jesus can be in your heart if you ask Him.

Kid 2: Miss Kristy I don't have Jesus in my heart, I have Mary.

Playing dead

2009-04-02T22:56:00.002-04:00

Picture it:

A child lying on the floor, tongue stuck out pretending to be dead.

Miss Kristy says, "Cora, what are you doing?"

Cora says, "Miss Kristy I dead."

To which Miss Kristy responds, "Well that's fine but can you be dead somewhere where the kids won't step on you?"

Did I really just say that?

All My Life - Rosie Thomas

2009-02-27T22:15:00.001-05:00

I've been waiting all my life
I've been waiting for you to come
I've been traveling and wandering
Alone on my own for too long
I swear I tried to convince myself
It would be much easier being alone
But after running circle after circle
I'm tired of being on my own
I've been waiting all my life
I've been waiting for you to come
I've been traveling and wandering
Alone on my own for too long
I wish I could have met your brother
I would tell him how much I am in love
I swear I'll ask him question after question
Confessions about you growing up
I thank God for blessing me
Well beyond I could have thought
And reminding me of how good life can be
When you let yourself fall into his love
Cuz I've been waiting all my life
I've been waiting for you to come

Few things in life...

2009-02-23T16:19:00.002-05:00

Sitting in a coffee shop carries with it a calming nature that allows me to stop and reflect, take in my surroundings, and just be. I suppose the gut wrenching sounds of a cello on my ipod are contributing somewhat to my pensive state. There's just something about a cello that just takes you there you know? Few things in life do that.
I'm sitting at the Cafe Ritazza "where friendships are confirmed, relationships started, and sometimes finished. But where warmth, excitement and a positive outlook remain ever-present."

Big muscles

2009-02-12T23:02:00.003-05:00

It's been rather warm in Charlotte the past few days so today I was wearing a t-shirt when one of the 4 year olds pointed to my arms and said, "Miss Kristy, I want to ask you a question. Where did you get those big muscles?"

Umm....

2009-02-11T20:02:00.001-05:00

"Umm...Miss Kristy? I think I broke my bottom!"

"Uh-oh, let's get the glue and stick it back together"

"Oh it's okay, I just fixed it."

Life is Wonderful

2009-01-31T12:52:00.001-05:00

I have always been a fan of Jason Mraz. I love the way he writes and especially his one liners that just seem to make sense and carry with them so much weight of thought. ..

It takes a crane to build a crane
It takes two floors to make a story
It takes an egg to make a hen
It takes a hen to make an egg
There is no end to what I'm saying

It takes a thought to make a word
And it takes some words to make an action
And it takes some work to make it work
It takes some good to make it hurt
It takes some bad for satisfaction

Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la

It takes a night to make it dawn
And it takes a day to make you yawn brother
And it takes some old to make you young
It takes some cold to know the sun
It takes the one to have the other

And it takes no time to fall in love
But it takes you years to know what love is
And it takes some fears to make you trust
It takes some tears to make it rust
It takes the rust to HAVE it polished

Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la

It takes some silence to make sound
And it takes a loss before you found it
And it takes a road to go nowhere
It takes a toll to make you care
It takes a hole to MAKE a mountain

Ah la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la la life is full of
Ah la la la la la life is so full of love
Ah la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la life is full of
Ah la la la la la life is so full of love

The Soft Goodbye

2009-01-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

when the light begins to fade
and shadows fall across the sea,
one bright star in the evening sky.
your love's light leads me on my way.

there's a dream that will not sleep,
a burning hope that will not die.
so I must go now with the wind,
and leave you waiting on the tide.

time to fly, time to touch the sky.
one voice alone, a haunting cry.
one song, one star burning bright,
may it carry me through darkest night.

rain comes over the gray hills,
and on the air, a soft goodbye.
hear the song that I sing to you
when the time has come to fly.

when I leave and take the wind
and find the land that faith will bring,
the brightest star in the evening sky
is yours to find for me.

is yours to find for me.

The Way I See It #76

2009-01-23T22:12:00.002-05:00

The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.

Anne Morriss

Playing House in the White House

2009-01-22T23:16:00.002-05:00

Bush Girls give advice to Obama girls

Hero - Jill Banfield

2009-01-17T20:36:00.003-05:00

I cannot tell you how stinkin' proud I am of this girl who came into my life when she was in middle school. We shared many conversations and heartfelt discussions and when I needed someone at the last minute to play piano at our wedding, she came. She has so much talent and it was so awesome to see how God helped her sort out how to use her talents and gifts. These are the lyrics from her first recording! The song is called Hero.

He sits in the sand box discovers the treasure
He’s saved the day
Honored, respected, this is it
– he’s finally arrived

She cradles her softly, sings to her sweetly
Imagines the day when her greatest dream comes true
She’ll be a mom too
And dolly sleeps peacefully

Am I strong enough?
Do you think I’m beautiful?
Am I needed? Wanted? Irreplaceable?
All I ever wanted was to be someone’s hero

They sit in the schoolyard and watch from the sidelines
The kids point the finger and whisper
Yet in each of their hearts burns a question
They think they’re the only one

The town’s gathered ‘round for the great speech
White collars and skeptics; the young and the old
He speaks unfailing love and bottomless grace
Once a child in a sandbox, divinely purposed
Is my greatest Hero

He says…

You are strong enough
And I think You’re beautiful
You are needed and wanted, You are irreplaceable
So follow my lead, through You I do great things
And that makes You a hero

This is why I will not be posting much this semester...

2009-01-14T19:54:00.002-05:00

two paragraphs from my philosophy reading "The Global Justice Reader..."

"A Law of Nature (Lex Naturalis) is a Precept, or generall Rule, found out by Reason, by which a man is forbidden to do, that, which is destructive of his life, or taketh away that means of preserving the same; and to omit, that, by which he thinketh it may be best preserved. For though they that speak of this subject, use to confound Jus, and Kex, Right and Law; yet they ought to be distinguished; because Right, consisteth in liberty to do, or to forbeare; Whereas Law, determineth, and bindeth to one of them: so that Law, and Right, differ as much as Obligation, and Liberty; which in one and the same matter are inconsistent."

See you in April.

You just don't know

2008-12-19T23:19:00.003-05:00

One of the best pieces of advice I've learned from this semester in school came from my Special Education professor. She said that when people "over react" in a situation, she tried to remember that she has no idea what this individual has been through up to this point. This person has come through any set of circumstances that she may or may not be able to identify with and they may not react the way she would in the same set of circumstances, but it is their reaction. So when parents of students don't react the way you want them to, or when students are not responding how you would expect, there are years of circumstances and situations you have no idea about and may change how you interpret a situation.
Thought this was insightful.

Counting My Blessings

2008-12-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

Gratitude

2008-12-18T09:29:00.002-05:00

With all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, this song was in my head today. Experiencing true gratitude is not for the faint of heart.

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

Grace

2008-11-22T23:12:00.001-05:00

Grace, she takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace...
It's a name for a girl
It's also a thought that, changed the world
And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace, she's got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She's got the time to talk
She travels outside of karma, karma
She travels outside... of karma

When she goes to work, you can hear the strings
Grace finds beauty in everything

Grace...
She carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips
She carries a pearl in perfect condition

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings...
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace finds beauty in everything

Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.”[a]

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Special Moments

2008-11-14T12:16:00.002-05:00

Sometimes the pictures just fall into place...

Rainy Days

2008-11-14T08:55:00.002-05:00

A rainy day, a dry place to live, Missy Higgins and friends, cup of coffee, a cuddly doggie, and no commitments. Lovely day.

loaded Question...

2008-11-06T22:37:00.000-05:00

"Miss Kristy, why did God send Jesus?"

Funny teacher

2008-11-05T23:01:00.002-05:00

Grant: Miss Kristy, you're a funny teacher.

Miss Kristy: Oh really? Why is that?

Grant: Because you mess up.

Laughter in the morning

2008-11-01T09:27:00.001-04:00

I like that I am sitting on my bedroom floor browsing the internet, listening to Christmas music (preview weekend) and there is this kid outside in stitches laughing at his friend.

Good Saturday morning.

Keep your comments to yourself

2008-10-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

In light of all the election talk going on, I heard someone say that people should keep their political views to themselves.

My question is: why?

That's like telling someone to keep their religious views to themselves. Why on earth would you not want to converse with people about things that make such a difference to the future of your country? Why would you not want to involve yourself in conversations with people who think differently than you and possibly learn something in the process? Why are people so afraid of telling other people how they feel about things?

I cannot vote in this country, and frankly that's starting to bother me. But because of that, I am even MORE interested in knowing what people think about the election because their vote affects me and I am annoyed when people don't take that seriously. From the perspective of someone who is not allowed to vote, it is unsettling when some people who belong to this country don't take it upon themselves to be educated about the candidates.

I learn so much from people who wholeheartedly support McCain and I learn so much from people who wholeheartedly support Obama. It makes me learn what's important to different people. And even though personally I support one candidate over the other, I want to know what other people think.

There IS a way to discuss politics without being emotionally involved. If you think Obama is inexperienced, find facts to support that thought. If you think Sarah Palin is hurting McCain's campaign, find facts besides SNL spoofs to support that idea.

There are only 10 days left.

Use this time to read all you can, educate yourself, talk with people who can handle mature conversation, and trust that your vote DOES count.

You and me

2008-10-23T11:20:00.003-04:00

Rosie Thomas

You and me, me and you
There’s so much that we’ve been through,
through it all I’ve come to understand Gods love.
And if tomorrow never comes
know this twice, just know this once.
Knowing you has made me able to go on.

You and me, me and you
There couldn’t be a better two,
to be blessed and know the meaning of true love.
And if you leave me I feel scared,
fall apart so unprepared.
But I dare to make it through all on my own.
Yes I dare to make it through on my own.

Four years ago I stood before my family, friends, and even strangers and told Desmond Smith I would love him for the rest of my life. Four years later, I still love him.
I remember learning in psychology class that love changes over time from passionate love to compassionate love and although I can see areas of our lives where this is true, I feel in other ways our love is still innocent and naive overlooking faults to see the good.
One of the things I appreciate about marriage is how the things around you can change so often and so much, but at the heart of each person is the heart of the other.
October is a month of so many changes. Des moved to America in October. I moved to America the following October. We were married the following October. The next October, we spent a few days in the mountains wondering if that would be our next next move. Nearly two years later, in October, we came back to Charlotte and began new jobs. Today, I am packing up our lives again and moving down the street. Our lives seem to change with the seasons and yet we change and stay the same along with them.
I feel like my marriage has made me a better person. I want to be the best person I can be.
My favorite time of the day is the time I spend with my husband. I love coming home to him. I love how he plays with the dog. I love his encouragement. I love his cooking. I love his talents. I love his passions. I love how he says his favorite time of the day is when he wakes up in the morning and Brody cuddles with him. I love how he tells football players to "kick him in the bum!" I love the way he folds towels - it's perfect. I love how his hands are always warm. I love how he asks me to watch Apple keynotes with him. I love how he's honest. I love how he's helpful. I love his patience. I love his new haircut.
I just love him.

Waffle House

2008-10-18T16:29:00.002-04:00

We went to Waffle House last night.

I had a lovely waffle.

Here's what I like about Waffle House:

Our server's name was Lenny.
He has been a Waffle House employee for 36 years.
He was even married in a Waffle House!
He cooked our food himself.
Lenny called me beautiful and it wasn't a come on.
Lenny has been married for over 50 years.
Lenny gets frustrated when the waitress Juanita takes a long time to get people's order.
Juanita is a smoker.
Juanita is very helpful with customers who come through the doors looking for directions.
Even though Juanita and Lenny disagree on which way to direct the customer, Juanita is cordial towards Lenny.
Some of the customers who came in knew Lenny by name and asked him how his wife is feeling.
Another customer said to both Lenny and Juanita while pointing to her dinner mate, "You've heard me talk about Laura, well this is her."

My company consisted of two lovely men and we debated politics, life, and what it means to be in the body of Christ.

Why not make your next meal a Waffle House meal and see what kind of experiences you have?

Thanksgiving

2008-10-16T23:14:00.002-04:00

So, Monday was "Canadian Thanksgiving." We had our thanksgiving dinner on Sunday afternoon and of course it was turkey.
As we were eating Des kept saying, "Kris, this is good."
Which made me chuckle.
I had always assumed that our Thanksgiving was a holiday the we "borrowed" from America - any excuse to eat and have a day off of work.
According to Wikipedia (take it for what it's worth) this is how it all began:

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. The feast was one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in North America, although celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops had been a long-standing tradition throughout North America by various First Nations and Native American groups. First Nations and Native Americans throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Cree and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America [7]. Frobisher was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him — Frobisher Bay.

At the same time, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed 'The Order of Good Cheer' and gladly shared their food with their First Nations neighbours.

After the Seven Years' War ended in 1763 handing over New France to the British, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving days were observed beginning in 1799 but did not occur every year. After the American Revolution, American refugees who remained loyal to Great Britain moved from the United States and came to Canada. They brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. The first Thanksgiving Day after Canadian Confederation was observed as a civic holiday on April 5, 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.

Starting in 1879 Thanksgiving Day was observed every year but the date was proclaimed annually and changed year to year. The theme of the Thanksgiving holiday also changed year to year to reflect an important event to be thankful for. In the early years it was for an abundant harvest and occasionally for a special anniversary.

After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11 occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays, and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.

On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed:
“ A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed … to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.

Sugar Cane

2008-10-06T15:12:00.001-04:00

I love love love this song...I enjoy me some Missy Higgins.

Baby ballerina's hiding somewhere in the corner,
where the shadow wraps around her
and our torches cannot find her,
she will stay there 'til the morning,
crawl behind us as we are yawning,
and she will leave our games to never be the same.

So Grow Tall Sugar Cane.
Eat that Soil, Drink the Rain.
But know they'll chase you if you play their little games.
So run, run fast Sugar Cane.

You see my peep show booth is handy.
There's a one way only mirror,
so I can dance here with my hair down,
but i don't see if you get bitter.
and there's a button right beside me
if i happen to want a wall to hide me,
if only the ballerina had one too.

So Grow Tall Sugar Cane.
Eat that Soil, Drink the Rain.
But know they'll chase you if you play their little games.
So run, run fast Sugar Cane.
And she said, "always, be afraid".
Yeah she said, "always, be afraid".

To Grow Tall Sugar Cane.
Eat that Soil, Drink the Rain.
But know they'll chase you if you play their little games.
So run, run fast Sugar Cane.
yeah you'd better run, run fast Sugar Cane.
yeah you'd better run, run fast Sugar Cane.

look!

2008-09-30T20:28:00.000-04:00

Look Miss Kristy!

My penis is sticking out!

(oh dear)

What did Goldilocks eat?

2008-09-26T15:57:00.003-04:00

So, last week was teddy bear theme in our class. We made bear ears, bear art projects, sang songs about bears, brought teddy bears for show and tell, etc.

So one day I'm telling them the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and we're at the part where "Goldilocks goes into the kitchen and sitting on the table are three bowls of..."

"GRITS!"

What?!

Mantra

2008-09-14T15:49:00.003-04:00

I heard this mantra a couple of days ago:

Empty me of me Lord, fill me with You.

It came out of a conversation we were having about worry and feeling like we have to carry the weight of our world on our shoulders. Sometimes our busyness can overtake us. It can leave us feeling like we have to take care of it all. Sometimes in the midst of giving to all these other things, we don't have time to be given to, to be filled up, and energized.

I have many things on my mind. Things that I have control over and things that I don't. It is difficult to know which is which. Sometimes to try and gain control over the things I have no control over, I end up taking from the things within my control.

I am learning there is a balance between taking from one to give to the other. Sometimes you have to do that. Sometimes you have to trust.

Empty me of me Lord, fill me with You.

ER

2008-09-12T11:09:00.002-04:00

So I went to the emergency room a couple of weeks ago and we recently got the bill for it. It turns out, I either had a virus or salmonella. I paid $150 deductible.

The bill without insurance: $788.00

How do people do it?

Not sure why...

2008-09-10T19:57:00.001-04:00

...but these words kept creeping into my mind today:

"In A Bleak Midwinter"

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him... give my heart.

Dear God...

2008-09-08T20:40:00.003-04:00

Every day we have 3 different helpers. We have a schedule of names that we rotate around the jobs: Line Leader, Rhyme Time, and Say Blessing.

Today it was Aubrey's turn to say the blessing. When I told her what her job was, she said, "so I'm the blessinger?"

Then when snack time came, she prayed, "Dear God, thank for you this snack. Thank you for my peanuts at home, and thank you for being a good listener. Amen"

Feel My Muscle

2008-09-06T22:39:00.003-04:00

The kids were lined up for bathroom break the other day and I guess to make the time more interesting while they were waiting their turn, they started showing each other their muscles.
One kid showed me his biceps, scrunched up his face and said, "Feel my muscles."

Then he said, "Feel my back muscles."

Then I guess he started running out of things to flex so he said, "Feel my elbows!"

Great Day

2008-09-03T21:02:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow will mark the first week of preschool. It's been fun so far. I have a great group of kids who say funny things and are excited to come to school every day. Of course I was nervous about it all wondering what the parents would think of me and worrying about my lesson plans and if the kids would get bored, etc.
So far, they and I are settling in a routine. We are learning how to be effective preschoolers together.

Today, one of the mom's came to me and said, "Kristy I have to tell you, when Anderson got in the van yesterday he said, "I had a GREAT day."

Best compliment for the first week of school.

Like I'm 18 all over again

2008-08-25T21:50:00.002-04:00

Well, first day down...I don't want to count how many left to go.

I felt like I was 18 all over again. Walking around with my book bag on my shoulders gripping my map and trying to find my way around.

My wrist hurts from taking notes. Not used to writing that much anymore.

Day 2 tomorrow. I have a couple of hours at the preschool for a staff meeting, etc.

Life is clipping along.

Let's Do This

2008-08-24T20:18:00.002-04:00

Well, tomorrow I'm off to school!
I can't believe I'm going back. Should be fun times. It's now or never. Do or die! These are the little pep talks I've been giving myself for the past oh 5 months...
First class of the semester - Algebra!
Lovely.
I also start my new job on Tuesday. Teaching preschool will be added to the smorgasbord of crafts I will one day write on a resume. Good times.

Life is interesting to say the least.

Wish me luck.

Guess who we're going to sea...

2008-07-19T10:21:00.002-04:00

2008-07-17T12:20:00.001-04:00

These are YUMMY!

No job

2008-07-17T11:43:00.004-04:00

I have not posted in a LONG time. At least not posted anything I would deem valuable reading material. I can't promise the following will deliver any better.
I am still looking for a job. Way back in February I decided to return to school in the fall which led to months of uncertainty with a job for me. Being a nanny and understanding the need for consistency in a kids life, it was very difficult for me to tell my nanny family I was leaving. They were very supportive and proud of me.
Which leads me to my present state of pickleness. I am trying to secure a job for the fall before I head to Newfoundland for vacation. I think I will look forward to my vacation if I have something in place before I leave. I know that may or may not be the case but here's hoping.
I've had a few interviews for various positions. Some of them were a definite no, some I think I would enjoy. I had an interview yesterday for a children's ministry director position. It seemed like a good fit but there was just something inside me that knew it wasn't right. For one, I would have to leave my current church, not something I'm prepared to do right now. For another, I don't think I'm ready to have my job be my church and my church be my job again. For a third and final reason, I understand a little bit about what building a children's ministry looks like and it's more than a part time 2 days a week job. I cannot make that kind of investment right now.
So here we are. I have been home with Brody for the last 2 weeks. Staying at home is highly overrated unless there is something/someone to care for. Brody can feed himself and knows what he should and shouldn't chew on for the most part.
So today, my big plans are household duties - laundry, tidying up, and I'll stop at that. I don't want to overexert myself!

I have an interview tomorrow, wish me luck.

Challah Bread

2008-07-02T12:21:00.001-04:00

If you happen to come across a loaf of challah bread, buy it and make french toast the next morning. You will never use another bread again for french toast.

Delicious.

The Best Kids

2008-07-01T08:20:00.002-04:00

Des and I had the privilege of going to Charleston, SC with the conservatory kids this past weekend. It always amazes me how good those kids are. It has never felt like a chore to sit and talk with them because they are so much fun to hang out with and they LIKE to hang out with you - yes, 40 teenagers in one room and they want to hang out with adults. Believe it parents.
And they're not the "okay I've come to camp now you have to entertain me" kind. They don't really care WHAT you do, they just want to be with you and they enjoy knowing you like hanging out with them.
They love making memories. They remember stuff that happened years ago at camp that I have a hard time remembering now and they talk like it was last summer.
There was a scene on Army Wives last night where Sterling Brown (the psychiatrist) wants to be a high school counselor. He's explaining this change of heart to his wife and he said there's something about working with kids - they're not as scarred by the things they've experienced and they are willing to change.
I love those kids.

Brunch anyone??

2008-06-07T12:52:00.001-04:00

So, just watched Tyler's Ultimate and he made an Upside Down Apple French Toast with Dried Cranberries and Pecans.

Anyone up for some brunch?

Boom boom boom

2008-05-25T12:12:00.002-04:00

little monkeys beating drums all around me...

i wish they were monkeys, then I could just call animal control.

alas, they are humans, and I hate subwoofers.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

2008-05-09T23:42:00.001-04:00

There's a tear in your eye and I'm wondering why
For it never should be there at all
With such power in your smile, sure a stone you'd beguile
So there's never a teardrop should fall
When your sweet lilting laughter's like some fairy song
And your eyes twinkle bright as can be
You should laugh all the while, and all other times smile
And now smile a smile for me

When Irish eyes are smiling, sure it's like a morning Spring
In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing
When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay
And when Irish eyes are smiling, sure they steal your heart away

For your smile is a part of the love in your heart
And it makes even sunshine more bright
Like the linnet's sweet song, crooning all the day long
Comes your laughter so tender and light
For the spring-time of life is the sweetest of all
There is ne'er a real care or regret
And while spring-time is ours, throughout all of youth's hours
Let us smile each chance we get

When Irish eyes are smiling, sure it's like a morning Spring
In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing
When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay
And when Irish eyes are smiling, sure they steal your heart away

September Sky

2008-05-06T19:10:00.004-04:00

I don't know that I have even posted the lyrics for this song but I thought of it tonight and started to yet again look for the music online. That's one downfall of local Newfoundland music, you can't get it just anywhere. Perhaps they should develop a itunes Newfoundland edition.

I love this song.

This video is the only thing I've been able to find:

Bathtime Fart

2008-05-05T22:29:00.001-04:00

So I'm giving the girls a bath last week and G is lying on her stomach butt exposed in the air when all of a sudden, she farts.

J is at the other end of the tub and after I say, "that's gross" she stands up and starts to cry saying, "I want to get out, I want to get out!!"

Ha ha...gotta love bodily function malfunction.

Life will change

2008-04-30T18:00:00.003-04:00

Soon, my life will change yet again. It's now or never.

This change is different because it will affect people. I don't know that any of my life changes have affected anyone but me before.

Praying for the right words, and the right timing to drop the bad news.

Pray with me.

Turning into someone else

2008-04-29T21:42:00.002-04:00

I've always been a believer in staying at home when/if kiddies come along.

I'm starting to think I will not like the person I may become if that should happen...

We'll see.

People in your life

2008-04-19T10:38:00.002-04:00

I just added Gridview on my Facebook profile and wow, when you see the mosaic of people who have come and gone throughout my life, it's pretty incredible to think of all the stories and experiences that came and went with those meetings. Makes me very thankful for each of them!

I want...

2008-04-17T21:02:00.002-04:00

I have great empathy for moms and the constant demand children place on you. It's so hard to keep a level head when you are trying to keep things in order and take care of people's needs and then as soon as you take care of one need another need arises that only you can fix. Some days it's just draining and I've had to realize that kids can't think about anyone but themselves. They have no idea that you are multi-tasking folding laundry, fixing dinner, changing babies, and they ask for a drink, or a snack, or a piece of tape. And they want it NOW!
So after having a few of those days in a row where I feel like it's all I can do to make it all happen just under the wire, of course one of them asks something that just made me laugh.
After bath time, we're coming down the stairs and J has to take one step at a time because you know, she's only 2. So she's coming down the stairs one at a time, and she looks at me and says, "Can you get my booger?"

"Of course I can get your booger"

Whew!

2008-04-12T09:04:00.003-04:00

Feeling much better today. No aches.

Made french toast for us this morning with strawberries on the stem, and yogurt on the side.

Good way to start the weekend.

Expectations

2008-04-11T19:58:00.003-04:00

People's expectations can be incredibly difficult to live up to. Especially when it's your job and you don't really have the liberty to say "oh I didn't have time to get that done." If someone piles on the list of things to get done, you get it done. Having to juggle 3 kids into the mix while you're fulfilling the expectations is even more difficult. What I wouldn't give for a lunch break. 1 hour where I can go somewhere and eat in peace and not have anyone want anything from me for 60 minutes would be heaven.

My feet have been suffering for the past few months. I am literally on my feet the whole day and my feet are paying the price. I need to invest in a pair of shoes I can wear inside.

My latest temperature tonight was 100.6. I've been feeling pretty miserable the past two days. I ache all over and I don't have an appetite (not like me at all).

Wow. Pretty crappy post tonight.

Poetry

2008-04-06T09:37:00.002-04:00

I was at the mall yesterday for an hour or so and it was really just an excuse to get out of the apartment. I love the days when there is absolutely nothing on the agenda however that's when I end up spending the whole day inside. Not good.

So browsing through the children's section of Barnes and Noble last night I picked up A Child's Book of Poems. It's a fairly large book and I love the old school illustrations.

I've been thumbing through the poems and found:

THE SUGAR-PLUM TREE

by: Eugene Field (1850-1895)

AVE you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?
'Tis a marvel of great renown!
It blooms on the shore of the Lollipop sea
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town;
The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet
(As those who have tasted it say)
That good little children have only to eat
Of that fruit to be happy next day.

When you've got to the tree, you would have a hard time
To capture the fruit which I sing;
The tree is so tall that no person could climb
To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing!
But up in that tree sits a chocolate cat,
And a gingerbread dog prowls below--
And this is the way you contrive to get at
Those sugar-plums tempting you so:

You say but the word to that gingerbread dog
And he barks with such terrible zest
That the chocolate cat is at once all agog,
As her swelling proportions attest.
And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around
From this leafy limb unto that,
And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground--
Hurrah for that chocolate cat!

There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes,
With stripings of scarlet or gold,
And you carry away of the treasure that rains
As much as your apron can hold!
So come, little child, cuddle closer to me
In your dainty white nightcap and gown,
And I 'll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town.

8 Qulaities of A Wealthy Woman

2008-03-23T22:36:00.003-04:00

I was watching a public television broadcast of a Suzy Orman conference. Fascinating. The woman is incredibly confident and rich in encouraging words and wisdom.
Here are the 8 qualities of a wealthy woman she spoke about:

Qualities 1 and 2: Harmony and Balance

Harmony is an agreement in feeling, approach, and sympathy. It is the pleasing interaction between what you think, feel, say, and do.Balance is a state of emotional and rational stability in which you are calm and able to make sound decisions and judgments.Harmony and balance are perhaps the most important qualities of all, for they serve as the foundation for the remaining qualities. When you possess true inner harmony, what you think, say, feel, and do is one. We are so accustomed to this split-screen state of mind in which we think one thing, say another, feel something else, and act in a way that has nothing to do with what we just thought, said, or felt. When your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions are not in harmony, it shows up as an imbalance -- you feel agitated, uncomfortable, you sense something is off, so you find it difficult to make rational, calm decisions. This is why these two qualities are a pair.

Quality 3: Courage

Courage is the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action. Courage gives harmony expression. When your thoughts and feelings are one, courage helps you manifest them in the form of words and actions. When you are afraid to speak or act, courage helps you overcome your fear. Courage gives you the ability to speak your truth, even when it is not what others may want to hear. Fear is usually what stands between us and our courage. But if we are to embrace this quality of courage to its fullest, we can no longer allow ourselves to hide behind fear. You can meditate on your fear and think about it rationally and try to will it away, but in the end, if fear is preventing you from acting, you must find your courage and act to overcome your fear.

Quality 4: Generosity

Generosity is when you give the right thing to the right person at the right time -- and it benefits both of you. Generosity is a quality that most women can tap into very easily -- maybe too easily. As women, we tend to be overly generous with our time, support, love, and money -- but giving simply for the sake of giving does not match the definition of true generosity.True generosity goes far beyond what you give to others. In giving there is a power, an understanding that you are just the vessel that wealth or energy flows through. You allow money to come in through your hands and out through your heart. To be empowered to give, to be moved to give straight from the heart, is a feeling that all the money in the world could never buy. So let me ask you: Is that how you feel when you constantly give of yourself? Do you feel enhanced or do you feel diminished? You think of yourself as a giver, as generous with your time, your talent, your money. Others probably describe you as a generous woman, but if I were to look at you, I might think you give for the wrong reasons. Do you give because you feel that you should? Do you give out of guilt or embarrassment? Understand that true generosity is as much about the one who gives as it is about the one who receives. If an act of generosity benefits the receiver but saps the giver, then it is not true generosity.

Quality 5: Happiness

Happiness is a state of well-being and contentment. When you find the courage to live your life in harmony and balance, when you understand and practice generosity in the truest sense, happiness spontaneously appears. When you are happy, you are open and accessible. When you are happy, you tend to be more optimistic. You approach new challenges with a clear mind that seeks positive solutions. You see possibilities rather than problems. Happiness is not a luxury. It is a necessity for true wealth. When you are happy, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your actions come from a place of purity and balance, that they are correct and generous and kind. There are no regrets in this state of happiness -- and that's a goal worth striving for in all areas of your life.

Quality 6: Wisdom

Wisdom is the knowledge and experience needed to make sensible decisions and judgments, or the good sense shown by the decisions and judgments made from an accumulated knowledge of life that has been gained through experience.The quality of wisdom is more than intellectual, and it is in no way related to how much schooling you have. Exercising wisdom requires cutting through the noise of life and tapping into your core beliefs to make thoughtful decisions. Wisdom results from inhabiting all the qualities that came before it. A wise woman recognizes when her life is out of balance and summons the courage to act to correct it. A wise woman knows the meaning of true generosity. A wise woman knows happiness is the reward for a life lived in harmony, with courage and grace. A wise woman knows how to summon her courage and do what is right, rather than what is easy.

Quality 7: Cleanliness

Cleanliness is a state of purity, clarity, and precision. Cleanliness is about respecting the importance of order and organization. When you don't know where your money is, when you have no filing system for your important documents, when you dive into your pocketbook to pull out crumpled bills, when your car looks like a garbage can, when your closets are filled with junk and clutter -- you cannot possibly be a wealthy woman. You need to clean up your act -- quite literally -- to bring true wealth into your life. In India, women sweep the front entrance to their home each morning as a way of welcoming Lakshmi, the goddess of material and spiritual abundance, into their home, for there is a belief that she resides at the threshold of every house. In order for her to enter, she must have a clear path. You might be reading this and thinking that cleanliness is nice but not essential to your financial well-being. I am here to tell you that if this quality is not up front and center, wealth will elude you and you will be left with the mess that you created. Respect the power of this quality of cleanliness. Tell the universe that you have cleared the path for wealth and abundance to enter.

Quality 8: Beauty

Beauty is the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit. Beauty is what you create when you incorporate the other seven qualities into your life. When you take the steps to have harmony, balance, courage, generosity, happiness, wisdom, cleanliness, and beauty in your life, you will exude confidence in who you are. And there is nothing more beautiful than a confident woman. Remember, when you are confident you feel secure, and when you feel secure you have no fear. And when you have no fear, you have the courage to say what you think and feel in a calm and wise way. And when you are calm, you make wise decisions with your money, which then allows you to be truly generous to others as well as yourself, which, in turn, makes you a happy, powerful, and beautiful woman. Do you see how all of these qualities work together to help you arrive at the goal of being a woman in control of her destiny?

Summoning the 8 Qualities

I've noticed, in my own life and in others', that the more you summon these qualities, the easier they are to access. Harmony yearns for more harmony, and balance abhors imbalance. Courage begets greater courage. Once you are generous in the right way, a lesser form of generosity will feel inferior to you. True happiness will never permit you to settle for a lesser form of happiness. Cleanliness recoils at disorder. Wisdom, once achieved, is with you forever, and beauty inspires beauty in all things. Carry these qualities with you throughout your life. Write them on a notecard and keep them close at hand -- in your wallet or in your pocket. Make it into a talisman to guide you every day as you make your way through life and all its impossible demands. These qualities will keep you focused and tranquil. Let them and they will offer you constant reassurance that you are acting powerfully and correctly, with love in your heart and the purest intentions, to realize your goals of security and comfort for yourself and all you love.

Enchanted

2008-03-23T21:03:00.000-04:00

Enchanted
Aaron Niequist

This world is enchanted
Lean closer to see it
This world is enchanted
Dare to breathe it in

This world is enchanted
Lean closer to see it
This world is enchanted
Dare to breathe it in
Dare to breathe it in

O God. . .
Give us new eyes to see
Give us new skin to feel
Give us new lungs to breathe
The wonder underneath

Faith like a mustard seed
Holy naivete’
To swim in Your mystery
We need to be free
Free to breathe it in
Free to breathe it in
Born and born again

This world is transcendent
Lean closer to see it
This world is resplendent
Dare to breathe it in
Dare to breathe it in

A Different Kind of Romance

2008-03-19T20:30:00.002-04:00

I was at Room At the Inn on Monday morning to serve breakfast to the neighbors who spent the night. I brought some sausage biscuits and after everyone finished and we were packing up I was packing up the extra food for the neighbors to take with them. One man came up to me and I asked him if he wanted some biscuits to take with him and he said, "No, if I could just take the sausage. It's for my wife, she'll love it."

I could imagine the conversation after spending the night away from your wife, you see her the next day and offer her 3 sausage patties, "Here honey, I brought you these and I knew you would love it."

Sure puts romance on a different level.

Misty Mornings

2008-03-15T08:04:00.002-04:00

I guess we don't really get "misty mornings" just foggy mornings. But calling them misty makes me think I'm by the ocean.

I took Brody out this morning around 7:30 and it was beautiful. Foggy, wet, and all I could hear were the birds. There were a couple of Canada geese flying overhead honking and a few loons in the distance.

Being in the city, I think it was the first time I've been outside and didn't hear any cars, or even another person.

Lovely morning!

Saturdays

2008-03-01T11:51:00.002-05:00

I have come to love Saturdays.

I covet sleeping in (till 7:30) and making a big breakfast.

Saturdays were not as free before we moved back to Charlotte and our weekdays are so hectic now that we want to keep Saturday free for anything or nothing.

The big plans for today is getting groceries, bringing Brody to the park, and getting an oil change.
Des is taking care of the oil change now and when he gets back we'll take Brody to the park. We might get around to getting groceries...

Three cheers for Saturdays.

Rock a bye baby

2008-02-28T22:02:00.002-05:00

After dropping G off at school, myself, J and D are heading home when D starts to cry. Mad baby I want out of this car sear now crying.
When D cries, J will sing "Rock a Bye Baby" to soothe his little nerves.
So she starts to sing to him softly and sweetly.
He continues his wails.
She starts to ssh him. He continues to cry. She shh's louder. His crying increases.

After a few moments of loud sshing she starts to sing VERY loudly:

"ROCK A BYE BABY ON THE TREE TOP..."

I don't think it stopped him from crying, but it sure was funny to witness.

Look! I don't have to use the potty in the bathroom!

2008-02-24T07:55:00.003-05:00

So...I go upstairs the other day (G and J are playing in their room). G is potty trained, J is not the least bit interested.
I open their bedroom door and lo and behold, G has found the little floor potty in the closet and is sitting on it with her pants down! She looks at me and says, "See Kristy! I don't have to use the potty in the bathroom, I can just use this one in my room!"
"Oh wow...that's great, but you're too big for this little potty anymore. This one is for kids who don't know how to use the big girl potty yet."
She says she was showing J how to use it. And boy it was quite the demonstration - I look in and sure enough, pee AND poop...

Oh bother.

Make Some Noise

2008-02-23T22:08:00.003-05:00

Pop stars come and go all the time. Many of them make their money with their one hit wonders and then they're careers are over. Many of them go beyond just one hit and become such huge stars they can't handle the pressure and their lives spiral downward fast.
I've heard a lot of parents while in support of Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) they are at the same time concerned that she will be "just another Britany Spears."
Des and I took Ainsley to a production of "If You Give A Pig A Party" at the Children's Theater. Hilarious. She pretty much laughed the whole show.
She stayed the night with us last night and we brought her back home this afternoon.
She got a new CD for her birthday courtesy of Aunt Jennifer, so we were listening to Hannah Montana every moment we were near a CD player.
There's a song Miley Cyrus sings called "Make Some Noise" and honestly it is an incredible song. It was amazing to listen to little 6 year old Ainsley sing at the top of her voice "don't let any one tell you that you're not strong enough. There's nothing wrong with just being yourself that's more than enough. So come on speak your mind, raise your voice. Make some noise."
If there was ever any doubt in parents minds that letting their kids listen to Hannah Montana is a sketchy thing, I think she is singing some pretty powerful words into the hearts of the soon to be noise makers of the world.
I'm sold.

"Make Some Noise"

It's easy to feel like
You're all alone
To feel like nobody knows
The great that you are
The good that's inside you
Is trying so hard to break through

Maybe it's your time to lift off and fly
You won't know if you never try
I will be there with you all of the way
You'll be fine

[Chorus]
Don't let anyone
Tell you that you're not strong enough
Don't give up
There's nothing wrong with just being yourself
That's more than enough
So come on and raise your voice
speak your mind and make some noise
And sing
Hey, hey
Make some noise
Hey, hey, yeah

You want to be known
You want to be heard
And know you are beautiful
You have so much to give
Some change you wanna live
So shout it out and let it show

You have a diamond inside of your heart
A light that shines bright as the stars
Don't be afraid to be all that you are
You'll be fine

[Chorus]
Don't let anyone
Tell you that you're not strong enough
Don't give up
There's nothing wrong with just being yourself
That's more than enough
So come on and raise your voice
speak your mind and make some noise
And sing
Hey, hey
Make some noise
Hey, hey, yeah

[Bridge]
You can't just sit back and watch the world change
What matters is what you've got to say
There's no one else who can stand in your place
So come on it's never too late

Maybe it's your time to lift off and fly
You won't know if you never try

[Chorus]
Don't let anyone
Tell you that you're not strong enough
Don't give up
There's nothing wrong with just being yourself
That's more than enough
So come on and raise your voice
speak your mind and make some noise
And sing
Hey, hey
Make some noise
Hey, hey, yeah
Hey, hey
(Make some noise)
speak your mind and make some noise
And sing hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Make some noise
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Make some noise
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Make some noise
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Make some noise

Truck Drawing

2008-02-21T18:55:00.003-05:00

"Hey Kristy, did I tell you I can draw a truck?"

"No, you didn't. How do you draw a truck?"

"I just draw a rectangle and then the wheels and then the driver sitter!"

"Cool."

I'm With You

2008-02-20T21:20:00.001-05:00

Word has it they're doing this song at church on Sunday. I'm pumped.

"I'm With You"

I'm standing on a bridge
I'm waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you

I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know
'Cause nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone

Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you

Oh why is everything so confusing
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yea yea yea

It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you

Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you

Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm with you...

baby blessing

2008-02-19T21:54:00.003-05:00

I was home alone today with D for a few hours and after we had eaten and gotten a fresh diaper, chilling in the rocking chair was in order.
As we were rocking, I got out my Bible and wanted to read some stuff to him to 'see what would happen'.
So I start reading Psalm 139. And for the most part, he's just snoozing away. But when I get to verse 13, he opens his eyes and stares at me with such intensity like he was hanging on every word. So I kept reading these verses over and over to him first of all because it was so amazing to see how he was 'listening' and perhaps even speaking these words to God himself. Secondly, it is incredible to read these verses while holding such a new life in your arms and praying for God to bless that baby.

13You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

Eensy Weensy Spider

2008-01-31T19:57:00.000-05:00

The past few days have just been wearing on me. Getting kicked in the face was probably the low of the week.

I was in the laundry room the other day after yet another battle of will's and for whatever reason when I was putting little bibs and miniature pants and shirts in the washing machine I started humming The Eensy Weensy Spider. Now, as you can imagine, being with little kids all day I get the occasional children's tune stuck in my head and can't get it out. But the Eensy Wensy Spider song was particularly profound to me that moment in the basement.

What happened to the Eensy Weensy spider? He/she was climbing up the waterspout. I suspect to climb up a waterspout is pretty tiring for a little spider, even if you do have the God-given ability to do it. And then what happened? The RAIN. Doesn't it always rain? And just when you're halfway up the waterspout too, and it just washes you out.

So what do you do? You wait for the sun to come out. And some how, some way, it dries up the rain and it gets rid of whatever was keeping you from reaching your goal at the other end of the waterspout. And you just start climbing again believing that this time you'll get there.

So as I'm sorting laundry and going over in my head the battle that just happened between me and a spirited four year old, I can relate to this little spider.

And like the little spider, I'll just have to wait for the sun to come out again.

audio book rental

2008-01-24T20:11:00.000-05:00

So, more and more I am finding the free things you can do with kids. One of them is the public library. There are a lot of programs you can take kids to that the library will sponsor. We go every week to story time, and there are several other programs for kid of all ages like Sit Stay Read, World of Webkins, Family Tales, etc.
I usually skim the parent section before we leave and grab anything that catches my attention. Side note: the book "Getting Your Child From No to Yes" is not worth the read. Bad advice.
I am now listening to an audio book I checked out called "How To Talk So Kids Will Listen How To Listen So Kids Will Talk." I've seen this book before but I lack the time to read so I am listening to it bit by bit on my way to work each morning.

I'm sure I will bestow on you the little nuggets of wisdom I learn.

I like to be reminded of how things OUGHT to be.

Charts Work

2008-01-23T19:03:00.000-05:00

It has been very difficult to put an end to a very bad habit G has demonstrated: hitting. This particular habit drives me CRAZY when it happens. No matter the consequence no matter the disappointment caused, nothing worked. Until now.
We have created a chart. A chart that she made herself with 3 things she consistently makes bad choices about - hitting, snatching, & throwing toys.
We have each offense on one side and each day of the week on the top. Every day she does not hit, she gets to put a sticker in the box. When she DOES hit, snatch, or throw a toy, she gets a privilege taken away. Now, for whatever reason, taking away a privilege away before never seemed to work, but now it does.
So we have been hit free for 3 days. Snatch free for 3 days. And no toys were harmed for 2 days.

Believe me, it might not seem like an improvement, but it is. It is because she reminds us how she has chosen now to not do those things. And every day she can see her chart on the fridge and marvels at the number of stickers she has gotten so far.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Room At the Inn

2008-01-20T20:19:00.000-05:00

I participated in Room At the Inn this evening. Here's what it cost me:

2 hours of my time
10 tilapia fillets: $6.69
5 pks of rice pilaf: $7.40

I fed 10 people including myself, met some guys who call the streets their home, and was reminded yet again of how blessed I truly am.

I think it was time and money well spent.

Bill Nye

2008-01-17T21:38:00.000-05:00

Baking soda+water+vinegar+1 large jar+1 smaller jar+1 straw = a fire extinguisher

rearing together

2008-01-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

Without having children of my own and spending the better part of every day with 3 kids belonging to someone else, I have determined many things and this is one of them:

In a perfect world, I would have children the same time as my best friends who live close to me. I would be a stay at home mom, and have many play dates - like every day dates with my friends kids. That way, my children are socialized and my sanity and adult conversation is upheld.

I think about Kathy a lot when I am at work and I think how fun and enjoyable it would be if we could hang out during the day. Going to the park, having picnics, and riding bikes in the back yard are all activities I am privileged to call my job, but sometimes it gets lonely and sometimes because I crave company I don't enjoy these things the way I could.

Hmm...maybe some day things will be perfect.

you look beautiful

2008-01-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

so, I was a little ticked that I missed the first episode of How to Look Good Naked with Carson Kressley and am seriously considering staying up until 2:00 AM when it airs again.
But, I DID watch the episode recap on the Lifetime website and cried. It is just such a wonderfully compelling story about a woman who realizes she is beautiful without dieting or altering her body in any way. Watch it!
This girl went from feeling ugly to feeling sexy, confident, and thankful for who she was physically.
It was amazing to watch how throughout the episode you saw how she just transformed because she was shown how to dress her body in a way that complimented it. She stood in front of a mirror in her underwear and said "I feel sexy in this!" In her UNDERWEAR!
It was also amazing to see how her confidence was restored every time Carson told her she was beautiful. Yes she laughed at him and thought it was silly the way he was getting on about it, but after a while she really believed it. And then I started thinking about what confidence is given when someone tells you look good. I went out the door this morning wearing a pair of jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt with another t-shirt over it, and sneakers and my husband said, "you look beautiful honey, have a good day." Not to mention the "you look cute today" comment when I came into the kitchen.

"Is she perfect? No. Is she beautiful? Yes." Carson Kressley

moments

2008-01-04T18:39:00.000-05:00

I took the girls to my favorite Chinese restaurant this afternoon and halfway through the meal, G looks up and says, "Thank you for taking us here today."

Saying thank you is always valuable.

God's Talent

2008-01-02T20:55:00.000-05:00

We were at the YMCA today swimming until we were pruny. We decided to have lunch at the little deli there so we all sat down for peanut butter sandwiches, chips, and chocolate milk. While we were having lunch, an ambulance had to be called because a lady from what I could gather, had hurt her leg and passed out in the gym area. So of course, G is enthralled with all that's going on and the questions start: What happened to the lady? Is she going to be ok? Will she die? What's that big van called?
So I tell her that everything is going to be alright because the right people are here to help the lady. No need to worry.
On the way home, G kept asking questions and talking about what she had seen. So I asked her if she wanted to pray for the lady. So she prayed: Dear God, please help that lady to get her leg better. Help her to eat more fruit so she can be healthy again. Help her sister to help her feel better. Amen.
So after she prayed she said, "I sure hope God can make her leg better."
I say, "Of course He can, God can do anything."
She responds, "Yes, because God is VERY talented."

Christmas Break

2007-12-27T13:38:00.000-05:00

This has been a wonderfully relaxing week. My boss gave me a week off for Christmas which I was SO thankful for. So I have been able to enjoy my husband's company which I feel like I don't get a lot of any more because of my long work hours. So it's been nice.
Christmas was different for us this year because we decided to stay in America and it was also different because we did not give material gifts this Christmas. All our gifts were from World Vision in honor of our family and friends. One of my sisters gave clothes and a stocking filled with girlie stuff to a 13 year old girl in Newfoundland in honor of me - that was a nice gift.
Des and I gave each other a gift of of the season, where every season a different gift is given to someone. The gift of a goat (spring), immunizations for a child in an impoverished community (summer), a school backpack and supplies (fall), and water treatment tablets to provide a year's worth of safe water for a school (winter).
I really like this method of gift giving.
I've been thinking about a version of O Holy Night our church did on Christmas Eve. It was rockish. But it made me think about the complexity that can be there at Christmas and in the midst of all the craziness, we are celebrating a holy night that took place.

Kind of random thoughts today.

Congratulations

2007-12-19T18:54:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Des for completing his web design certification.

Bring on the party.

Mrs. Pelican

2007-12-10T20:19:00.000-05:00

So, for whatever reason, G has an obsession with pelicans. She is always talking to imaginary pelicans and they are constantly invading the kitchen when we eat. They DO however protect us from the sharks that swim about the kitchen and want to bite our feet.

All that to say, there is a certain someone who visits every so often to teach G and J about manners. Her name is Mrs. Pelican and she has a British accent (a very bad one, but it makes them pay better attention). She will usually show up when I am making dinner and will want to teach the kids a good manner for them to practice. We will do a little role play with each other to show how to use the good manner and then just as quick as she came, Mrs. Pelican is gone.

Tonight, Mrs. Pelican revisited a good manner she has already spoke about, "Excuse Me." Mrs. Pelican has already explained that "excuse me" can be used when you want to get someone's attention and they are involved in a conversation with someone else. We now know that "excuse me" can also be used when someone is blocking where you want to go.

Some may think it helps them with imaginative play which I think G is capable of grasping. J however, always looks a little skeptical whenever Mrs. Pelican shows up. I hope I don't give the kids a complex...

God did!

2007-12-07T23:02:00.000-05:00

So, I try to involve God in my conversations with the girls as much as possible. If we're driving and I see a dog I'll ask, "who made that dog?" One of them will respond, "God did." And so we will see different things throughout the day and ask who gave it to us or who made it, and of course because everything comes from God the answer is always, "God did."

So we were in their room today and G was on her rocking horse and I was getting J changed. So I'm having a conversation with G about different things and the conversation turns to her rocking horse. I asked her, "who gave you that rocking horse?" expecting her to say uncle whomever.

J pipes up and says, "God did!"

Can't argue with that.

what's your superpower?

2007-12-06T20:21:00.001-05:00

So, I was at the girls school a few weeks ago for a birthday party. Whichever kid is having a birthday, the parents will bring in cupcakes or a cake or whatever and the kids will enjoy a tasty treat together.
So I'm sitting there at a kids table in a wee little chair when this little guy with freakishly bleach blonde hair whom I have not yet talked to comes up to me as if he's under cover and says, "Um, I have super powers."

So I whisper back, "Really? Wow, what can you do?"

He looks over his shoulder, "I can make everyone in this room disappear."

And then he walked away.

Sisters

2007-12-03T22:26:00.000-05:00

I took this picture of the girls holding hands at the park the other day...

Tantrums

2007-11-27T22:55:00.000-05:00

Praise God for giving me patience and clear thinking through a few tantrums today.

It's always a neat feeling when you can mentally remove yourself from the situation to figure out what to do. It doesn't always happen and it only happens when I choose to listen to what God is telling me. The times I get frustrated is when I want to do it myself and let my own feelings come through instead of listening to God and seeing the situation as He sees it.

All in all, they're pretty cute kids.

Winkin', Blinkin', & Nod

2007-11-24T12:20:00.000-05:00

Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, one night sailed off in a wooden shoe;
Sailed off on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going and what do you wish?" the old moon asked the three.
"We've come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea.
Nets of silver and gold have we," said Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe.
And the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew.
Now the little stars are the herring fish that live in that beautiful sea;
"Cast your nets wherever you wish never afraid are we!"
So cried the stars to the fishermen three - Winkin', and Blinkin', and Nod.

So all night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam.
'Til down from the skies came the wooden shoe bringing the fisherman home.
'Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be.
Some folks say 'twas a dream they dreamed of sailing that misty sea.
But I shall name you the fisherman three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.

Now Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little head.
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle bed.
So close your eyes while mother sings of the wonderful sights that be.
And you shall see those beautiful things as you sail on the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.

Saturday??

2007-11-24T07:22:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been a long week.

But I DO have a cute story at the end of it all.

While we were getting ready the other day, G was telling which words start with which letters. So I was asking her different words and then I asked her what "mommy" starts with.

She said, "number 1."

Cute.

Well I have been busy as heck. Still having fun, and still very much appreciating moms and dads who do this day in day out. I find myself calling moms and either venting or asking their advice a lot. They are really the people who understand.

I wonder sometimes why God would make kids they way He did. Why do you have to think so differently when you talk to them or reason with them? Why don't they just understand what you mean or think about other peoples feelings the way you want them to? Why do they have to learn all of that and why are we the people to teach them? What makes us so capable?

I was watching t.v. a while ago (during a naptime) and came across Montel Williams who had Judge Judy on as a guest. Judge Judy was talking about parenting and what she was saying really made sense to me. She started talking about all these things in life that in order to do you need to have a license - drive a car, get married, serve alcohol, hunt, etc. But with the job of raising the future of the world (i.e. kids) anyone can do it, and she sees case after case of people who are not doing a very good job.

"It's all a rich tapestry" as Des would say.

Funny kids

2007-11-01T21:12:00.000-04:00

Two stories:

1. G opened up the Bible today and said, "Let's see what the word has to say today. Today we're going to learn Spanish!"

2. J was eating her supper last night with her left hand and thumbing through National Geographic Kids with her right hand.