Finally I have pictures of Rebecca and Mark's August 9th wedding to post. It was a beautiful event.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Becky's Wedding
Finally I have pictures of Rebecca and Mark's August 9th wedding to post. It was a beautiful event.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Spirit Spooktacular
B was my photographer for the day and I think she did an awesome job. The week leading up to the first competition of the season was crazy. They practiced every night and I really had little hope of things not falling completely apart. As usual I under estimated what sheer will power can achieve. It was a solid routine with only a minor end stunt problem. We got second and we can definitely live with that. Not a bad way to start the cheerleading year.
Eating an Elephant
I have debated on when to post or if ever to post this kind of information. I am well aware that most people are quite overwhelmed by their own lives and certainly do not need to feel weighed down by the challenges of someone else's. If you are like us, by the time you leave church on any given Sunday, you are so inundated with prayer requests that the bulletin, or list often gets little more attention than the momentary pray said over the trash compactor while cleaning out the church bag. That being said, I promised myself before beginning this little venture that the primary purpose of the blog was to record our family details for us to look back on and this certainly meets that promise.
We knew L had long term health issues before she came home. We received a firm diagnosis of cerebral palsey in April. This was of course expected, but we were then, and continue now to sort out what are the effects of CP and what are the results of being placed in a room for disabled children in an orphanage and barely talked to or worked with the first 2 years of her life. We know without a doubt that God placed her in our family. When asked if we could deal with what lay ahead, we have truthfully answered "we can just take one day at a time." If I spent much time looking at how tall the mountain is we still need to climb, or how hard the trail will be, I would certainly melt into a puddle of tears. We plain and simply do not have time for that. And thus our approach, so far, has been much as it would be when confronted with the challege of eating an elephant, or running a marathon, or reaching the world for Christ. We take one bite at a time. We put one foot in front of the other. We focus on the opportunity or challenge directly in front of us.
She has made great strides. From the first evaluations that placed her as a 1-3 month old despite being 24 months, she has moved to a solid 9-12 month old in most areas of development. Initially, there were concerns that she would be nonverbal. She is now babbling and has a 2 or 3 words. She is more likely to use her speech when she is angry, but we will take what we can get. She is still unable to sit up unassisted or transition from one position to another, but she can now sit up in a grocery cart, or in your lap. She can tall kneel when placed in the position and is moving towards W sitting. (yes, we know W sitting is a bad thing). She can seem to "fall" out a W position with less trauma than some of her transitions. She is very mobile in a baby walker, but she is outgrowing it and every therapist in the world is unhappy about her using it. It does not promote the kind of walking that will eventually be helpful to her, but we can't bring ourselves to take away the only form of mobility she currently has. When L is in the walker, she gets to be a 2 year old. She empties cabinets and clears book shelves. She dumps trash cans and runs over her sisters. She has moved from choking on a liquid diet to being able to finger feed anything. Intentional grasp and release is a huge struggle so you can only give her a few pieces at a time, but it is all table food. She has even learned to eat french fries in the car. ( L absolutley loves grease and salt!) We are currently working on holding a sippy cup.
Everything L does is a challenge as well as an opportunity for a huge reward. She shows delight in a way that makes your whole day, and a simple smile lights up her face. Chaos, loud noises and change are hard for her, but that has just made us pull closer as a family and spend more time in our own house and yard. I rarely hear B complain how unfair it is that she has to work so hard in school. What can you really complain about when your sister is struggling to walk and talk. Is your spelling struggle really that bad? I think we have a much better perspective on what really matters. I still struggle with priorities. We spend roughly 5 hours a week in formal therapy, drive to Vandy every other week, and spend 2 mornings a week at WKU for speech. In addition, we do daily physical therapy as well as ongoing speech and OT work. I have considered hanging a sign on the front door- "We have decided that L will walk and talk. We will work on the house when that task is complete." Do you think anyone would really understand?
This last week we spent two hours at Vandy trying on and fitting braces that will help her seperate her legs and build trunk strength. She also had casts made of her feet in order to have additional braces designed that will go on her feet and force them to be flat. She currently walks (in the walker) and stands on her toes. L is very small so everything is being custom made. We have also experimented with walkers. Our initial excitement has been slightly dampened as the therapists have decided L needs to practice in several different items before determining what will be best for her. We simply want to see her moving. She handled all of this like a champ. What a trooper. I described it as the hardest two hours of work I have done in a long time, and J, who has no choice but to attend therapy along side me and L, was a raving mad man.
My time table is always faster than anyone else working with L. I see all the therapies and constantly want to interject. " If you will just articulate more, we can get a little speech in with this PT. If you will help her sit this way, she can stretch her hip muscles while you sort those beads. If you will just let her scream while you are doing therapy, we can get another hour of eye patch time in." I want everyone to be everything. I may have set my standards a little high. Every night I pray "Lord, just give me grace for the day." In other words, remind me I only have to eat the elephant one bite at a time. The good news is, that every once in awhile, it tastes like creme brulee.
We knew L had long term health issues before she came home. We received a firm diagnosis of cerebral palsey in April. This was of course expected, but we were then, and continue now to sort out what are the effects of CP and what are the results of being placed in a room for disabled children in an orphanage and barely talked to or worked with the first 2 years of her life. We know without a doubt that God placed her in our family. When asked if we could deal with what lay ahead, we have truthfully answered "we can just take one day at a time." If I spent much time looking at how tall the mountain is we still need to climb, or how hard the trail will be, I would certainly melt into a puddle of tears. We plain and simply do not have time for that. And thus our approach, so far, has been much as it would be when confronted with the challege of eating an elephant, or running a marathon, or reaching the world for Christ. We take one bite at a time. We put one foot in front of the other. We focus on the opportunity or challenge directly in front of us.
She has made great strides. From the first evaluations that placed her as a 1-3 month old despite being 24 months, she has moved to a solid 9-12 month old in most areas of development. Initially, there were concerns that she would be nonverbal. She is now babbling and has a 2 or 3 words. She is more likely to use her speech when she is angry, but we will take what we can get. She is still unable to sit up unassisted or transition from one position to another, but she can now sit up in a grocery cart, or in your lap. She can tall kneel when placed in the position and is moving towards W sitting. (yes, we know W sitting is a bad thing). She can seem to "fall" out a W position with less trauma than some of her transitions. She is very mobile in a baby walker, but she is outgrowing it and every therapist in the world is unhappy about her using it. It does not promote the kind of walking that will eventually be helpful to her, but we can't bring ourselves to take away the only form of mobility she currently has. When L is in the walker, she gets to be a 2 year old. She empties cabinets and clears book shelves. She dumps trash cans and runs over her sisters. She has moved from choking on a liquid diet to being able to finger feed anything. Intentional grasp and release is a huge struggle so you can only give her a few pieces at a time, but it is all table food. She has even learned to eat french fries in the car. ( L absolutley loves grease and salt!) We are currently working on holding a sippy cup.
Everything L does is a challenge as well as an opportunity for a huge reward. She shows delight in a way that makes your whole day, and a simple smile lights up her face. Chaos, loud noises and change are hard for her, but that has just made us pull closer as a family and spend more time in our own house and yard. I rarely hear B complain how unfair it is that she has to work so hard in school. What can you really complain about when your sister is struggling to walk and talk. Is your spelling struggle really that bad? I think we have a much better perspective on what really matters. I still struggle with priorities. We spend roughly 5 hours a week in formal therapy, drive to Vandy every other week, and spend 2 mornings a week at WKU for speech. In addition, we do daily physical therapy as well as ongoing speech and OT work. I have considered hanging a sign on the front door- "We have decided that L will walk and talk. We will work on the house when that task is complete." Do you think anyone would really understand?
This last week we spent two hours at Vandy trying on and fitting braces that will help her seperate her legs and build trunk strength. She also had casts made of her feet in order to have additional braces designed that will go on her feet and force them to be flat. She currently walks (in the walker) and stands on her toes. L is very small so everything is being custom made. We have also experimented with walkers. Our initial excitement has been slightly dampened as the therapists have decided L needs to practice in several different items before determining what will be best for her. We simply want to see her moving. She handled all of this like a champ. What a trooper. I described it as the hardest two hours of work I have done in a long time, and J, who has no choice but to attend therapy along side me and L, was a raving mad man.
My time table is always faster than anyone else working with L. I see all the therapies and constantly want to interject. " If you will just articulate more, we can get a little speech in with this PT. If you will help her sit this way, she can stretch her hip muscles while you sort those beads. If you will just let her scream while you are doing therapy, we can get another hour of eye patch time in." I want everyone to be everything. I may have set my standards a little high. Every night I pray "Lord, just give me grace for the day." In other words, remind me I only have to eat the elephant one bite at a time. The good news is, that every once in awhile, it tastes like creme brulee.
Stirred but not Shaken
I know that my foundation is Jesus Christ the Lord and for that reason can not be shaken or broken or destroyed. My very human emotions can be stirred around and that is exactly what this week has been. I am not sure why the struggles of life seem to fall at once, but I am not sorry to mark this last week off the calendar and move forward.
Despite the best care we could give the dog, the tissue around her knee joint did not heal correctly and we had to make the decision to amputate her leg. Any other option would leave her with a lifetime struggle with some kind of pain and this seemed the best option to allow her to get on with living the good dog's life. I know, some of you are saying these people are animal lunatics, but compared to some of my family we are really pretty sane.
More upsetting than the dog, a long time employee of B's family business committed suicide after a long battle with cancer. I can not imagine the things this poor man has endured during this battle, but this seemed the ultimate cruel ending.
On Wednesday, my little world got stirred even more. I was headed to school shortly before one o'clock to pick up the girls and then take all four kids to get their flu shots. Afterwards, I planned to drop B and H back off at school and then take J and L to speech therapy at WKU. I turned onto Nashville Rd to see it blocked with police cars that surrounded south campus and saw the SWAT team in bullet proof vests and sharp shooters draped across cars. My heart turned over. My children's school sits between south and central campus of WKU. The entire campus as well as our school had been put under lock down. I could hear the outdoor warning sirens going off on campus. The radio was reporting potential gunshots and telling students on campus to take cover immediately. I am not a WKU alumnus, but the longer I have lived in the area, the more attached I have become. The proximity of the university to my children's school has provided them with many opportunities and resources. Most recently, J and L have been able to receive 2 hours each of speech therapy each week through the Clinical Education Complex. This is a huge help to us. Most importantly, our beloved babysitter is a student at WKU. Before I could help myself, I began to cry. This simply was not supposed to happen in my town. I did not feel better till Brian had received word from our babysitter that she was locked in at the student center and was fine.
I am trying to take comfort in God's message... " in this world you will have troubles, but I have overcome the world." Aren't you glad that as Christians we can always look to a brighter tomorrow?
Despite the best care we could give the dog, the tissue around her knee joint did not heal correctly and we had to make the decision to amputate her leg. Any other option would leave her with a lifetime struggle with some kind of pain and this seemed the best option to allow her to get on with living the good dog's life. I know, some of you are saying these people are animal lunatics, but compared to some of my family we are really pretty sane.
More upsetting than the dog, a long time employee of B's family business committed suicide after a long battle with cancer. I can not imagine the things this poor man has endured during this battle, but this seemed the ultimate cruel ending.
On Wednesday, my little world got stirred even more. I was headed to school shortly before one o'clock to pick up the girls and then take all four kids to get their flu shots. Afterwards, I planned to drop B and H back off at school and then take J and L to speech therapy at WKU. I turned onto Nashville Rd to see it blocked with police cars that surrounded south campus and saw the SWAT team in bullet proof vests and sharp shooters draped across cars. My heart turned over. My children's school sits between south and central campus of WKU. The entire campus as well as our school had been put under lock down. I could hear the outdoor warning sirens going off on campus. The radio was reporting potential gunshots and telling students on campus to take cover immediately. I am not a WKU alumnus, but the longer I have lived in the area, the more attached I have become. The proximity of the university to my children's school has provided them with many opportunities and resources. Most recently, J and L have been able to receive 2 hours each of speech therapy each week through the Clinical Education Complex. This is a huge help to us. Most importantly, our beloved babysitter is a student at WKU. Before I could help myself, I began to cry. This simply was not supposed to happen in my town. I did not feel better till Brian had received word from our babysitter that she was locked in at the student center and was fine.
I am trying to take comfort in God's message... " in this world you will have troubles, but I have overcome the world." Aren't you glad that as Christians we can always look to a brighter tomorrow?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Sick Bay on Noah's Ark
By now many of you have probably read of my animal woes in an earlier post. As luck would have it, the kittens finally were deemed old enough and liked by the dogs enough to move outside. Personally, I think J continues to be far more dangerous to the lives of kittens than the dogs ever were. I celebrated by spending two hours cleaning and disinfecting the basement. The girls had of course promised they would do their part to keep the mess to a minimum, but at some point they began cleaning up cat poop by laying down a towel over it. Not the best for smell and germs but I will give them points for efficiency. Brian suggested shoveling the whole thing out and then bleaching it down. This is what I did (and cleaned cat food out of the sink etc etc). Meanwhile, I kept B and 2 of her cousins occupied in the kitchen decorating Halloween cookie castles. Let it be noted that unattended children with icing may be quiet, but they are certainly not clean or tidy.
Feeling good about my accomplishments, I went to bed to watch a little post debate review and listen for Brian's return. About 10:30 I heard a yelp as he pulled down the driveway. One of the dogs had darted in front of him. He knew he had hit her but was unsure of the damage as she ran off. I found her the next morning waiting on the front porch. It appeared the tire had caught skin and she was basically a skinned animal on that quarter of her body. I loaded her up in the van and headed for the vets. The good news is they were able to save her leg she had enough skin to stitch around the gaping wounds. The bad news is I have a new animal living in my basement. She will not be allowed outside for sometime as she has drains stitched into the wounds and is wearing a satellite dish collar. We have been cautioned that she must remain in a sterile environment so we fired the girls and Brian is doing a daily bleach job on the basement.
It is our hope to some day use our basement for human activities, but I am not holding my breath. Hold the bathroom expansion or new washer and dryer. I am asking Santa for a dog run and full time vet tech.
Feeling good about my accomplishments, I went to bed to watch a little post debate review and listen for Brian's return. About 10:30 I heard a yelp as he pulled down the driveway. One of the dogs had darted in front of him. He knew he had hit her but was unsure of the damage as she ran off. I found her the next morning waiting on the front porch. It appeared the tire had caught skin and she was basically a skinned animal on that quarter of her body. I loaded her up in the van and headed for the vets. The good news is they were able to save her leg she had enough skin to stitch around the gaping wounds. The bad news is I have a new animal living in my basement. She will not be allowed outside for sometime as she has drains stitched into the wounds and is wearing a satellite dish collar. We have been cautioned that she must remain in a sterile environment so we fired the girls and Brian is doing a daily bleach job on the basement.
It is our hope to some day use our basement for human activities, but I am not holding my breath. Hold the bathroom expansion or new washer and dryer. I am asking Santa for a dog run and full time vet tech.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Great Wolf 2
Jackson's Orchard
We made a very wise decision to visit Jackson's on beautiful Friday afternoon. Almost no crowds and we still got to do all the fun things. L, especially hates commotion so she was just fine. J showed his all boy side by pulling the loaded wagon everywhere we went!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Leftovers
I have decided that families fall into two basic camps: those who eat leftovers and those who don't. I don't think I completely realized this until a friend who is a professional organizer did a kitchen organization job. My friend is a definite leftover person. She is very frugal and is quick to save even the extras from the Wednesday night church suppers. I have never dropped by her house at lunch time and been unable to find something to munch. Her client it turns out had no need for Tupperware because she said they never saved food.
Brian and I both grew up in leftover eating families. My sister's friend once commented that we were the only family she knew who could eat leftovers more than regular food. I am not sure this is a distiction most families are striving for. Some of our leftover eating came from necessity. It just wasn't feasible to throw out perfectly good food. Some of our habits were for logistical reasons. Both of us grew up in farm families where at least in the summer there was a bigger meal at lunch and then the leftovers from that were served at supper. There were also no fast food or other eating establishments and leftovers were an easy way to get supper on the table quickly. Remember this is the same small town where the grocer explained to me (when I asked for a boneless chicken breast after eating one at college) that " all chickens have a bone in their breasts!" and then walked off shaking his head at my ludicrous request.
We now seem to have a family that does not do leftovers- at least not for supper. We both claim the other is at fault for this perceived character flaw. I personally think the kids are to blame. Why not, they are not reading this and can't defend themselves. The reality is, that I can not seem to find a way to present leftovers in a way that brings the whole clan to the table. We seldom seem to have enough of one item to all sit down to meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans a second time. Leftover night is more likely: enough meat for 2 tacos (but no tortillas), one serving of peas, 1 chicken breast, a half a steak and 4 potato patties. When I try to add a fruit salad or bread, it seems we all enjoy a light meal of fruit and bread and the rest still sits where I placed it. Brian is more likely on leftover night to comment on the size of his lunch and opt for midnight yogurt. Now that B can boil water, she offers to fix Ramen noodles.
What does all this mean? A recent study shows that brown bagging is at the highest it has been in decades. Brian, in an attempt to eat a little healthier is trying to join those ranks. As for the rest of the food, we don't have that many leftovers. The few we do can be well enjoyed by the dogs. I think the time we spend lingering over the table when it is a meal we all enjoy is worth far more than the cost of a few leftovers.
Brian and I both grew up in leftover eating families. My sister's friend once commented that we were the only family she knew who could eat leftovers more than regular food. I am not sure this is a distiction most families are striving for. Some of our leftover eating came from necessity. It just wasn't feasible to throw out perfectly good food. Some of our habits were for logistical reasons. Both of us grew up in farm families where at least in the summer there was a bigger meal at lunch and then the leftovers from that were served at supper. There were also no fast food or other eating establishments and leftovers were an easy way to get supper on the table quickly. Remember this is the same small town where the grocer explained to me (when I asked for a boneless chicken breast after eating one at college) that " all chickens have a bone in their breasts!" and then walked off shaking his head at my ludicrous request.
We now seem to have a family that does not do leftovers- at least not for supper. We both claim the other is at fault for this perceived character flaw. I personally think the kids are to blame. Why not, they are not reading this and can't defend themselves. The reality is, that I can not seem to find a way to present leftovers in a way that brings the whole clan to the table. We seldom seem to have enough of one item to all sit down to meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans a second time. Leftover night is more likely: enough meat for 2 tacos (but no tortillas), one serving of peas, 1 chicken breast, a half a steak and 4 potato patties. When I try to add a fruit salad or bread, it seems we all enjoy a light meal of fruit and bread and the rest still sits where I placed it. Brian is more likely on leftover night to comment on the size of his lunch and opt for midnight yogurt. Now that B can boil water, she offers to fix Ramen noodles.
What does all this mean? A recent study shows that brown bagging is at the highest it has been in decades. Brian, in an attempt to eat a little healthier is trying to join those ranks. As for the rest of the food, we don't have that many leftovers. The few we do can be well enjoyed by the dogs. I think the time we spend lingering over the table when it is a meal we all enjoy is worth far more than the cost of a few leftovers.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Bedtime Reading
Like most parents, we have been reading to our children before bed from the time they became ours. I even took books to Russia to read on the plane. I am an avid reader and have desperately wanted to plant that same love in my children. B enjoyed many books, but quickly settled on My Great Aunt Arizona as her personal favorite. We read it in soft back until it fell apart and then replaced it with a hardback copy. B is a struggling reader on her own, but she still loves to be read to and as you can tell from my personal reading list, we continue our nightly reading adventures. Her new favorite is Ruby Holler.
Perhaps because I was occupied with B, who was unwilling to share me, Brian became H's reading partner. We tried reading as a family, but H is very active and her insistence on turning flips during the story made B crazy. Brian does not love to read and their time together quickly became about action books and finally Eye Spies. They spend hours pouring over the pages trying to find all the hidden items. Both of them still claim their favorite family Christmas card as the Eye Spy from several years ago.
J is all about the animals. We jumped around a little but it now seems we will not be able to end our evening without a reading of Margaret Wise Brown's classic, The Big Red Barn. I guess I should not complain as it is classic children's literature at it's best.
L is another story. She continues to struggle with eye focus and for that reason seems to have been captured by music instead of the written word. She is a huge fan of the Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas. Her second would be 40's big band swing. She drifts off each evening to her mama's very bad renditions of Favorite Things, Edelweiss, and Amazing Grace.
How thankful I am for those precious moments each evening. I know they should probably be in bed earlier and B needs to do more personal reading, but for now, while they are still so sweet and snuggly, I think we'll keep on reading, searching and singing.
Perhaps because I was occupied with B, who was unwilling to share me, Brian became H's reading partner. We tried reading as a family, but H is very active and her insistence on turning flips during the story made B crazy. Brian does not love to read and their time together quickly became about action books and finally Eye Spies. They spend hours pouring over the pages trying to find all the hidden items. Both of them still claim their favorite family Christmas card as the Eye Spy from several years ago.
J is all about the animals. We jumped around a little but it now seems we will not be able to end our evening without a reading of Margaret Wise Brown's classic, The Big Red Barn. I guess I should not complain as it is classic children's literature at it's best.
L is another story. She continues to struggle with eye focus and for that reason seems to have been captured by music instead of the written word. She is a huge fan of the Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas. Her second would be 40's big band swing. She drifts off each evening to her mama's very bad renditions of Favorite Things, Edelweiss, and Amazing Grace.
How thankful I am for those precious moments each evening. I know they should probably be in bed earlier and B needs to do more personal reading, but for now, while they are still so sweet and snuggly, I think we'll keep on reading, searching and singing.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Hospitality Pie
One of my favorite authors is Fannie Flagg. I love the depth of characters she creates, plus I also seem to know personally some of the more colorful personalities in her stories. My favorite way to experience a Fannie Flagg novel is audio book. She reads the stories herself and her delightful Southern twang just brings her people to life and pulls me right into the events. I have a particular fondness for Neighbor Dorothy. Neighbor Dorothy was a home economist during the golden age of radio and aired a daily show, sponsored by Golden Flake Flour, right from her living room. Her voice was friendly and helpful and filled the lonely kitchens of rural farm wives. She always had an uplifting word to share as well as lots of useful advice and household hints.
In true Neighbor Dorothy fashion I would love to share a scrumptious recipe I recently enjoyed. The creator called it Hospitality Pie and says she often makes several at a time and freezes them until she needs them for a funeral, or new mother etc.
2 graham cracker crusts
8oz cream cheese
1can sweetened condensed milk
1 small box instant butterscotch pudding
1 12oz container whipped topping
1 jar caramel topping
1 cup chopped pecans (toasted)
Combine the cream cheese, milk and pudding until well blended.
Fold in the whipped topping.
Spoon evenly into 2 crusts.
Sprinkle with toasted pecans and drizzle caramel over top.
Chill until ready to serve.
These can be frozen up to 3 months.
Co
In true Neighbor Dorothy fashion I would love to share a scrumptious recipe I recently enjoyed. The creator called it Hospitality Pie and says she often makes several at a time and freezes them until she needs them for a funeral, or new mother etc.
2 graham cracker crusts
8oz cream cheese
1can sweetened condensed milk
1 small box instant butterscotch pudding
1 12oz container whipped topping
1 jar caramel topping
1 cup chopped pecans (toasted)
Combine the cream cheese, milk and pudding until well blended.
Fold in the whipped topping.
Spoon evenly into 2 crusts.
Sprinkle with toasted pecans and drizzle caramel over top.
Chill until ready to serve.
These can be frozen up to 3 months.
Co
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Noah's Ark
Don't get me wrong. I like animals as much as the average person should. I don't see them as human wanna bes, but I am a firm believer that every family needs its share of animal companions. I should add that I have mild allergies to both dogs and cats. Sounds like we are a good, one dog family right? No such luck.
Before the arrival of our first child, I filled my need to mother with a dog, a cat and an assortment of abandoned calves that had to be bottle fed. My husband once pointed out that I treated calves like pets and they were not cost effective to raise that way. My hormones were on overload due to infertility drugs. Needless to say, I heard no further comments about my expensive calves. The dog was in an accident, the cat was very self sufficient and after B arrived, we felt no need for more animal responsibilities.
Then my sister called. It seemed the drama department at the college where she worked had purchased a puppy for a play and not really considered what would happen when it was over. Some one said "hey, take it to Karen's office. She loves dogs." Karen is as unable to say no as I am and agrees to find the dog a home. This is how our blue healer, Janie, came to join our family. She is completely B's dog and woe to the person that tries to come between them. This seemed enough for a while. We had a few fish drift in and out thanks to Sunday school teacher prizes gone out of control and a late night misunderstanding by Grandpa, but all was well.
Then as we prepared to go to Russia on the second of 3 trips to bring the twins home, the neighbor's dog had puppies. While we were gone, Grandma came to stay. B and H's first words to us on the phone while we were still on the plane were "Grandma says we can have 2 puppies if it is okay with you. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE." What do you say at this point? SO with only weeks to go before we brought home two almost 2 year olds, we added 2 Australian shepherd/ border collie mixes to our already crazy house. They chewed screens, chairs, shoes and anything else they could find, but we hoped they were teaching B and H responsibility before the babies arrived. I personally think they were to teach me how to handle all the added messes!
Enough I am thinking, not one more living creature in this house! Not even a needy calf unless it can fix its own bottles! But alas, the best laid plans of mice and men...... I am taking a shower, which always seems to cause trauma in our house. It is just not possible for Mama to disappear for 15 minutes without all you know what breaking loose. B comes into the bathroom holding a very small kitten. B and H have spent the afternoon with Daddy and have come home with two, yes I said two, very small kittens. I am completely shocked (and sneezing). Brian pulls me to the side and explains he overheard them praying God would convict us to let them keep them and he just couldn't say no after that. So, you guessed it. We now have 3 dogs outside and 2 kittens living in our basement. It is of course being heated to a comfort zone appropriate to Hawaii and Mama is feeding the kittens with a syringe. Did I mention the girls want Hamsters for Christmas?
Before the arrival of our first child, I filled my need to mother with a dog, a cat and an assortment of abandoned calves that had to be bottle fed. My husband once pointed out that I treated calves like pets and they were not cost effective to raise that way. My hormones were on overload due to infertility drugs. Needless to say, I heard no further comments about my expensive calves. The dog was in an accident, the cat was very self sufficient and after B arrived, we felt no need for more animal responsibilities.
Then my sister called. It seemed the drama department at the college where she worked had purchased a puppy for a play and not really considered what would happen when it was over. Some one said "hey, take it to Karen's office. She loves dogs." Karen is as unable to say no as I am and agrees to find the dog a home. This is how our blue healer, Janie, came to join our family. She is completely B's dog and woe to the person that tries to come between them. This seemed enough for a while. We had a few fish drift in and out thanks to Sunday school teacher prizes gone out of control and a late night misunderstanding by Grandpa, but all was well.
Then as we prepared to go to Russia on the second of 3 trips to bring the twins home, the neighbor's dog had puppies. While we were gone, Grandma came to stay. B and H's first words to us on the phone while we were still on the plane were "Grandma says we can have 2 puppies if it is okay with you. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE." What do you say at this point? SO with only weeks to go before we brought home two almost 2 year olds, we added 2 Australian shepherd/ border collie mixes to our already crazy house. They chewed screens, chairs, shoes and anything else they could find, but we hoped they were teaching B and H responsibility before the babies arrived. I personally think they were to teach me how to handle all the added messes!
Enough I am thinking, not one more living creature in this house! Not even a needy calf unless it can fix its own bottles! But alas, the best laid plans of mice and men...... I am taking a shower, which always seems to cause trauma in our house. It is just not possible for Mama to disappear for 15 minutes without all you know what breaking loose. B comes into the bathroom holding a very small kitten. B and H have spent the afternoon with Daddy and have come home with two, yes I said two, very small kittens. I am completely shocked (and sneezing). Brian pulls me to the side and explains he overheard them praying God would convict us to let them keep them and he just couldn't say no after that. So, you guessed it. We now have 3 dogs outside and 2 kittens living in our basement. It is of course being heated to a comfort zone appropriate to Hawaii and Mama is feeding the kittens with a syringe. Did I mention the girls want Hamsters for Christmas?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Hamsters on a Wheel
Last week's Sunday school lesson was on the cumulative value of the small details of our lives. For example only ten minutes a day spent in family prayer or Bible study means over 50 hours of family worship by the end of the year. In contrast to that, we were asked to consider how many hours we spend in what seems urgent at the time, but in the long run will have no real value. The lesson was great, we had wonderful discussion. Walked out the door and on to church where my husband passes me a note, mid sermon, reminding me of yet another event we needed to attend that day.
We are unable to say no. We know that time spent with our immediate family unit or strengthening our own marriage is the best use of our time, but when someone is in our face asking we can't seem to put our tongue to our teeth and blow air. We have even had some rather heated discussions about when choosing "us" becomes selfish and when it is okay. Everyone seems to say cutting back is good, but when push comes to shove they assume you are cutting an activity that doesn't include them. What is the balance? How do we decide? I would love to know the criteria others use. How do we make sure we are going somewhere and not just spinning our wheels?
We are unable to say no. We know that time spent with our immediate family unit or strengthening our own marriage is the best use of our time, but when someone is in our face asking we can't seem to put our tongue to our teeth and blow air. We have even had some rather heated discussions about when choosing "us" becomes selfish and when it is okay. Everyone seems to say cutting back is good, but when push comes to shove they assume you are cutting an activity that doesn't include them. What is the balance? How do we decide? I would love to know the criteria others use. How do we make sure we are going somewhere and not just spinning our wheels?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
PollyAnna and the Presidential Election
I consider myself pretty intelligent. I am reasonably well read, and I try to seek news, advice and opinions from a variety of sources. I am also surrounded by staunch political advocates from both sides. During a governor's election several years ago, my parents were leading the charge in one part of the state for the Republican candidate, while my in laws hosted a fundraiser for the Democratic candidate. My children hear more and know more about all the candidates than most adults. My parents are attending the RNC as I write.
That being said, my husband and I feel we spend most of our time in the middle. We are pro-life voters which means we are against abortion, but we also think we should see that all children have health care, a good education, and enough to eat. Which side does this place us on? We are strong supporters of national defense but think it would best be achieved through making the USA more self sufficient. We favor alternative fuels but feel switch grasses, not corn, are the best answer. Which side does this put us on? We value education and think teachers should be better compensated, but our children attend a private school. Which side does this put us on?
This is where my Pollyanna view of the world comes in. I don't think it is too much to ask for a president that can reach across the aisle and abandon party politics. We are excited to have a campaign that includes such a diverse group of people. It gives me goosebumps to see what is possible in America. Anyone can become president! I want to shut out the raving lunatics (and both sides have a few) and help my children wrap their sweet, innocent minds around the history that will happen with this election. The winner here is America. Healthy competition only makes each individual stronger. The president is a powerful man no doubt, but our founders were smart enough to build in a system of checks and balances. I want to help my children delight in the fact that they live in a country where a free exchange of ideas is encouraged, diversity is valued and the worth of a man or woman is determined not by race, age, gender or parental heritage, but his or her own efforts.
Call me Pollyanna if you choose. I'll proudly take the label as I wave my RED and BLUE flag.
That being said, my husband and I feel we spend most of our time in the middle. We are pro-life voters which means we are against abortion, but we also think we should see that all children have health care, a good education, and enough to eat. Which side does this place us on? We are strong supporters of national defense but think it would best be achieved through making the USA more self sufficient. We favor alternative fuels but feel switch grasses, not corn, are the best answer. Which side does this put us on? We value education and think teachers should be better compensated, but our children attend a private school. Which side does this put us on?
This is where my Pollyanna view of the world comes in. I don't think it is too much to ask for a president that can reach across the aisle and abandon party politics. We are excited to have a campaign that includes such a diverse group of people. It gives me goosebumps to see what is possible in America. Anyone can become president! I want to shut out the raving lunatics (and both sides have a few) and help my children wrap their sweet, innocent minds around the history that will happen with this election. The winner here is America. Healthy competition only makes each individual stronger. The president is a powerful man no doubt, but our founders were smart enough to build in a system of checks and balances. I want to help my children delight in the fact that they live in a country where a free exchange of ideas is encouraged, diversity is valued and the worth of a man or woman is determined not by race, age, gender or parental heritage, but his or her own efforts.
Call me Pollyanna if you choose. I'll proudly take the label as I wave my RED and BLUE flag.
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