Settling In

So after a few months of not having a computer, waiting on Matt to have Internet access, and feeling semi-in the dark ages. I am pleased to have a new computerized friend to resume my “little world” here.

And as most of you have known from experience, thus begins the few hours of “getting it the way I like it” in the world of putting my files/settings on this wonderful little tool.

One thing I had not anticipated was how silent not having a computer has made life. I am not a tech-savvy person, so a computer primarily functions in online and file storage uses in our household. But one thing I really missed in the past 6 months of non-computer use during Matt’s working hours was music. Having most of our music stored on Matt’s computer, made “random playlist” options impossible. I’ve missed my ‘Christian music genera” catch-all playlist that has proven to be a background to the chores and play around the house.

So after I get the music downloaded to this computer you had better believe you will find my house back from the silent age and returning to the normal pep in our steps.

sigh… how lovely it is to be spoiled by convenience.

– grateful.

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Back Again

Well I’m back, with the darkage of computerlessness still ongoing, but finding refuge in “stealing” hubby’s work computer in the mornings and evenings. Christmas was wonderful, I’ll drop in a post specific to it’s wonders in a while. And New Years was…. well, normal for our little family of small children. We certainly weren’t staying up since our bunch would be up at regular time. And we figured our morning gales coming over the monitor would sound more like crows cutting into our beauty rest should we have chosen to stay up til the wee hours of the morning. So we grannied it. =)

I am quite happy to have visited with my dear friend, Theresa, as in “THE Will and Theresa” my missionary friends over in Jos, Nigeria. They visited back for “the holidays” and I got to steal me some time of “tell me about your world.” I’m sure they only had to explain their little world once or twice during their visit back to the States (wink, wink). It was so nice to talk about Jos as if it was in my backyard and also drill her about Jos life (sorry Theresa, hehe) without having to wait for an emailed reply.

Rachael’s 3rd birthday was January 5, which felt like an extension of the holiday called Christmas-New-Years. Funny how those seem to come back to back, as if the week between them just vanishes. I’ll post about Rachael’s birthday in another post. Afterall, the firstborn deserves her own post. 😉

But nonetheless, we are just started to get back to normal things here (minus Abi’s recent oogies). I have washed all the dolls, stuffed toys, doll accessories, and dress-up clothes in attempt to clear off some of the “to do” list before homeschool starts back up again. I also got Rachael’s bedding done and my pillow case and blanket. Now all I have to wash are Matt’s blankets/pillow case, our sheets, and Abi’s jumble of blanket heaven. I feel all accomplished because I tackled the pileS of baby/toddler clothes that needed organized into their appropriate storage bins and got the house nicely organized, putting up all the old baby toys and cleaning out the playroom over the “holiday season” as well.

So, alas, here we are at the tale end of cleaning frenzy and almost ready to swing back into homeschool mania! (By the way, I just LOVE the flexibility of homeschool!!!) WOOT!

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Oh to be the baby!

  • Climb in and out of the Lego toy bin for 6 minutes.
  • Wander the house.
  • Find paci – the long-lost friend- amid the nursery pile of baby blankets that are supposed to go there and certainly not in the crib where Mommy puts them with me to sleep. 
  • Talk to paci, reciting his name affectionately a handful of times before putting him in his right place – where he fits so well. Paci remains in my mouth for the next 24 minutes. 
  • Immediate hand to rub that one comfortable place on my belly. It always happens that way when paci is in place.
  • More hallway walking.
  • Climb up on the couch – oh the effort- and bang the blinds a while – what a joyful event!
  • Talk to ride-on cow about the latest happenings.
  • Throw all the blankets off the couch Rachael put up there for her babies earlier this morning.
  • Drag one of the blankets back over to share with cow, resuming our intimate meeting by the cat tree.
  • More hallway wandering.
  • Drag the play guitar on the kitchen floor. It sounds so funny that it makes me smile.
  • Roll on the living room floor while kicking my legs in the air.
  • Try to ride the cat carrier.
  • Eyeballs peeking up over the table edge and putting an arm up there in hopes of finding treasure.
  • Smack a few magnets off the fridge as I walk by.
  • Wooden puzzle time- putting all the circle piece on their pegs. Dumping over my head and redoing.
  • Abandon puzzle.
  • OOOOOH look! Mommy caught a meow! – HURRY! Hurry!
  • Calling “Meow’s!” and confusion why they run when I just want to give them big hugs while squealing.
  • Wander around looking for Rachael.
  • Observe Rachael’s play.
  • Show Daddy the necklaces Rachael dropped.
  • Laugh and flap my arms in excitement that he might put them on me.
  • Wear necklaces with pride – parading through the playroom.
  • Turn a few nearby toys in my hands to inspect them.
  • Join in Rachael’s marching-band parade with the addition of jingle bells.
  • Oh look! Books!
  • Abandon parade route and instrument.
  • Commence edible book review.
  • Talk to Daddy on play phone, then give Mommy a turn.
  • Run to Mommy saying, “neigh, neigh” and flapping my arms so she’ll put me on the rocking horse.
  • “Down” gets me off.
  • Laughing that “down” worked. 
  • Ooooh! Daddy’s putting Rachael in her food chair! How exciting! RUN!

This has been a 35 minute walk in her little shoes.

– love her.

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A Little Lull

Just letting you all know, there may be a lull for a little while in my posting. A good while ago my computer’s mother-board bit the dust. I had borrowed a computer for a little while, but we’re still looking for a permanent fix to this situation. The computer I borrowed needed to be returned before we were able to fix the situation. So for the next little while, Matt and I will be sharing his work computer (which is only available to me when he’s home). This really isn’t a big deal, people, because the emails and posts can wait – they’re not life-sustaining. =) 
But I will miss the fun as we continue to figure this puzzle piece out. =) 
So know I still love you all, even if I am quiet for a while. =)
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The Romance of a Place

We loaded up and headed to a small-town church this morning. The Pastor was away for the holiday and asked Matt to fill-in preaching. There were ten people total in the congregation. Matt, I and the girls made up four. Then there was a 7 or 8 year old grandson. So once the children were dismissed and I got settled back down after changing baby’s diaper, there were a whoppin’ five in the service, including me.

The service began at 10:30a. Matt and I got delayed in our commute due to me forgetting my guitar in the shovel out the door, but ended up being the first people there at 10:20a. At 10:27a, a local attendee arrived, followed by the music leader and his grandson at 10:28a, who was able to let us into the building. At 10:32a, there were still us seven. Matt asked if we should start, smiling at the fact that our family outnumbered the attendees. We were informed to wait for more. Two more came in together, one of which was the Sunday School teacher. After introducing my girls to the nursery toy stash (praise the Lord!) the final congregation member arrived.

No one minded the toddler “praise” occurring in our row as the first 6 (seriously, SIX) hymns were sung (at least 3-4 verses a piece). And pacing in the side row with a baby on your hip didn’t even bat an eye. I was still grateful to have remembered to put away the walking toy Abi had found so amusing before the start of church. All we needed to complete the service was a melt-down over who would push the walking toy back to the nursery before the sermon. I’m not even sure if anyone would have noticed a good ole fashioned toddler fall-out tantrum. Graciousness poured from the small bunch.

No one payed any mind to the “Jesus loves me” chorus from the nearby Sunday school room amid Matt’s sermon. Rachael’s voice sailing in competition of the microphone. Giggles and running feet from the other room were merely a part of Matt’s sermon.

We ate at a local diner after church, slightly annoyed by the girls’ sugar high post snack cookies. Rachael explained how she learned about Tangled at Sunday School and that Jesus healed someone at a hospital and “another guy was forgived by Jesus because he was a bad guy”. I still have no idea what the lesson was, but the butter-rolls were a hit. The grilled-cheese sandwich partial-crusts proved their toddler success.

The drive home included one passed-out baby with head tilted toward the ceiling and a toddler zoning through slit-eyes until her body gave in. Matt chuckled as he heard snoring from the backseat. I pondered the romance of the rural country with a background of AM Radio Sunday afternoon football playing and a husband immersed. Rain fell as thoughts of the romance in working the land with your hands, keeping up with the house chores, and raising the kids consumed me. I remembered the short conversation Matt and I had as we waited outside the church, after walking the small block and looking in all the storefront windows with the girls. “What if a small store-front church called you and asked you to be the Pastor and live above the church, what would you say?” “I’d say yes,” he smiled, “As long as the apartment fit our family.” We both smiled, remembering our family motto to serve the Lord wherever He may call.

And I was reminded again that it is not the place, but the enjoyment of the romance of the place that brings such joy. Seeing the joy and delight in the everyday normals. Finding the bliss in the here and nows, even if the here and nows are drastically different from one day to the next. It’s the reminiscing on the present as if it is told in the future to a circle of grandkids. Enjoying life as it is given to you as a gift from our Father in Heaven.

I wonder if God delights in my delights.

And I know He does.

Enjoy your rainy Sunday, friends.

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Error… Recomputing.

I’m going to have to think/type quick for this post because I only have a half hour until Mike is coming to beat to death a pipe in our wall that keeps spewing forth washer drainage (mmm, yes!)

But I wanted to take a minute to share something with you, reader(s). (If you exist out there.)

Yesterday I went to get my hair trimmed. I like to go to a beauty school for a few reasons 1. Can’t beat $8 for a wash, condition and trim  and 2. Refer to #1.

While sitting and chatting with the student who was trimming my hair (kinda funny to talk with someone who’s squatting on the floor to trim your hair – guess it’s a little long these days), the student, mom of 2 preschool kids, mentioned in an outpouring of how smart kids are “these days” that she believed “parents are better parents these days, then they have been in the past.” I thought that one through for a quick second and replied, “Maybe some,” to which she semi-recanted that she agreed that not all parents were good parents.

Thinking over this concept, I’d have to personally disagree. While some new “technologies” have allowed parents to be more effective *ahem, the cloth diaper*, I personally think that the new wave of “selfish parenting” that is on the rise kind of hurts that theory. Many parents, check out the commercials, are not parenting for the benefit of their children, but instead in order to shape the child to best glorify the parent. Don’t I sound like a conservative crazy?

Just in thinking about it, so many parents dress up their kids for the soul purpose of making them look good. And then there’s the “I don’t care” population that is letting their kids control everything; the child-rearing, the marriage, the schedule.

I can imagine there must have been this same kind of thinking in every generation. But I believe, at least from my current viewpoint, that many parents are getting worse. The concept of family is drifting from “quality time around the table together” to meals in the car on the way to the massively-packed schedule that “must be kept up.”

We all pick our lifestyles. But I just have to say that the more I think about how my mom parented my sister and I, the better Mom I am. Sure she made her mistakes. But her heart was prioritizing our whole good – not just giving in to the moment to get us to shut up (though I could testify to the utter temptation at times). My mom gave up so much to invest in Jes and I. She took the extra time-consuming steps to raise us to the best of her ability. She evaluated herself and tried to leave “the bad” behind in an effort to give us her best. She didn’t idolize us, she didn’t shelter us from all consequences, she didn’t hide us away from reality. But she sure did put her heart and soul into molding us into the people we are today.

I guess if my mom were lazy, disconnected, or self-focused then I could agree with the student’s statement that just maybe my parenting could be better than my mom’s. But looking through the lens I have been so blessed to see through… I disagree. I think the beauty student spoke in error. I don’t think parents are better parents these days, then they have been in the past. I believe it is the job of every parent to submit to Christ and then let your parenting be an outpouring of your heart of service.

Thanks, Mom, for helping me catch that error.

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