Easter 2010

Another family fantastic, Jesus celebrating Easter is in the books.  We have never done much for Easter in terms of the "bunny" route.  In fact, I don't think the kids even know to consider that their little piles of goodies come from anywhere other than from us.  And, when I mean little, I mean little. The kids usually get a chocolate bunny and 3-4 other small pieces of candies (surprise, they are often my favorites), and then some clothing item that they needed for the season.  This year, Sadie and Lily got flip flops which I have to return for larger sizes and Ethan got pajamas. For their little fun thing, the girls got little garden aprons because we have started our garden and Ethan received what might be the smallest lego set ever manufactured. I had forwarned the kids that we were going to start downplaying Easter as a gift-giving season because that portion of it has nothing to do with Jesus. If someone knows differently, let me know.  Imagine tonight, when Ethan donned his new pajamas how appreciative he was of them.  "Mom, I love them. They are so soft.  Thanks!"  I just wasn't expecting that from a 9 year old boy.  It was nice to go very simply and think next year we might try to pare down even more.

We had the usual spats over what to wear with Sadie.  This, despite carefully preplanning and discussing it the day before.  It all revolved around her dress.  I told her that Easter would be my choice and Sundays after would be hers. Yeah, I know.  Probably a bad decision on my part.  The only area where we agreed was her shoes.  We had purchased her first pair of "heels" the day before.  When I say heels, I am talking about an inch.  That child tip-tapped her way through the entire day with the happiest, danciest feet I have ever seen.  Oh, and let me say "thanks" to her swim team, because nothing says "Easter's finest" like a temporary tattoo on your arm sporting the Star logo. 

Church was especially uplifting.  Our church became command central for the tornado recovery efforts that effected the surrounding neighborhoods.  We fed some 1,800 people over this past week.  Crazy.  I don't know how all that food and all those people came, got fed, coordinated, organized, etc.  But, it did!  As our pastor said today, "What a real way to put into practice service.  What an incredible opportunity God provided for us to love our community."  The music just rocked and well, it was teary for me.

Lunch was at my mom's and then the kids had an egg hunt.  They were limited to "29" eggs.  Yes.  Not the 4 or 5 I was always limited to, but 29.  They were all empty, but the kids had a lot of fun trying to find them all.  I loved having my niece and nephew with us, too.  Sadie wrote letters and drew pictures for everyone on that side of the family.  That is definitely her gift - encouragement.  Her letter to Gray was so sweet that it brought tears to my eyes.  It made me realize how precious that relationship is to her.  Praise God it appears there will be more time for that now.

After arriving home, Jay and I decided we would take a nap.  The kids went outside to play.  About an hour later, I got up.  Ethan and Sadie had changed into bathing suits and were playing with the hose.  Sadie found the biggest mud puddle, of course, and I am sure the bathing suit she was sporting is ruined.  I looked around for Lily and didn't see her.  I started to get a little concerned when I saw her asleep on the trampoline, or champoline as she calls it.  Ahhh, the joys of living on 10 acres and not having to worry about neighbors who think you have abandoned your kids and who might call DSS.

Dinner was spent with my dad and stepmom.  It was a little challenging as the kids were still pretty hyped up on sugar.  However, nothing beats being able to sit outside for dinner in April when your kids are climbing the walls, spilling their waters and trying to show off their moves for an upcoming Grandparent's Day program at school.

My beautiful blessings! 

Oh! Happy Day!

The greatest day in history, Death is beaten

You have rescued me

Sing it out, Jesus is alive

The empty cross, The empty grave

Life eternal You have won the day

Shout it out Jesus is alive

He's alive!

April Fool's Day

Another April Fool's Day in the books.  This year, I brought "grilled cheese sandwiches" to all the kids' classes.  It was actually toasted angel food cake with colored frosting.  I can't claim credit for this creative idea.  I am a huge fan of Family Fun and they always have amazing ideas. 

Anyway, I told the kids that I brought a Dutch treat called toasties and asked if they wanted to try.  Funny how some of the kids turned up their noses at first.  Then, when the gag was announced, those same kids scampered to get a little piece of cake and icing.  All the kids thought it was funny, but I would say that the kindergarteners really loved it.  Yeah, it took a bit of effort to make that many "grilled cheese" treats, but I love being known as the April Fool's Day Mom.  I love how my kids think I am pretty cool, too.

"Yellow and green are a hit, Mom." Sadie says to me this morning. I commented that her tied-dyed lime green shorts may not be the perfect match to her bright yellow Toby Mac t-shirt with black and pink logo. Does it matter for me to say something? No.

The winds of change

Disaster. This is how I can sum up the past few days. It has come in varying forms, too. From the visual to the emotional. What I see in my community is mirroring an entirely different set of circumstances that nearly cracks my heart wide open and raw. All of it incomprehensible. All of it coming from our Father.

Tornados hit my medium-sized southern town Sunday night. The devastation is incredible. It began less than a mile from our house and continued on a northeasterly pattern, destroying the neighborhoods surrounding our church. A whole house...completely gone, only a few boards remaining on the ground. Trees down everywhere, buses strewn about like matchbox cars, an oriental rug slung into a tree, a bathtub thrown outside of a house while a picture in the next room remains on the wall untouched, a single fence board impaled the side of a house, whole roofs completely torn off. The raw power is hard to comprehend. We were spared. We are grateful.

Another set of circumstances has me on my knees in prayer. Like those in our town who have had disintegration thrown in their faces, a few in my circle are facing an emotional turmoil of their own. A symbolic tornado has swept them up, tossed them around and destroyed any stability and security they had. Unfortunately for them this is not a clear case of force majeure; someone can be blamed. More times than I can count this has been their journey and there is nothing about it that is fair. This was never what was supposed to happen. I am scared for them. I am worried for them. There is nothing I can do. This is God's journey for them.

How do you reconcile these "acts of God?" I know that it turns many away from Him as they see Him as cruel, harsh, and unloving. Many like to subdue the emotions by saying, "He allows it" stopping short at saying, "He causes it." But when you understand the sovereignty of God, that everything must pass through his fingers before it arrives on earth, then you understand it is only from Him.

I can't use this small post to try to tackle this topic. It is too great and vast, potentially argumentative and explosive. Some things are just believed out of faith. God says we will not understand His ways because they are not our ways. And though we can't see it now, I know that all things work together for His good. In the end, He will be glorified.  I have to believe that. I must.

The birds and bees

I am in the midst of some serious emotional gunk/turmoil (post in composition mode), and market cleaning (yes, you will hear about this for another week or so), but couldn't let THIS one pass me by. Such a classic.


For those that have been reading my little corner of the blogging world for a while know that "Time for bed" is translated in Ethan's mind to "Time for deep conversations with Mom." Thus follows tonight's very brief conversation:

Ethan: Mom, I have one of those questions for you.

Me: Ok, let's sit down on the sofa.

Ethan: So, how does sex actually start.

Me: Ummm. Ummm. Well, why are you asking that? Did someone say something at school?

Note: I have learned that often something has been said that produces such questions and if I ask what precipitated the question then I can usually come up with a satisfactory answer without giving too much away.

Ethan: No. I have just been thinking.

Me: Well, you know it is between a husband and wife, who are married and well, I guess it begins with kissing. Not that kissing always leads to that. Ummm. Well. (Clearly stalling as I have no idea what the appropriate response is)

Ethan: But is sex just for making babies? Wait, no, ...does that mean...(I can see the wheels turning in his mind)...Do you and Daddy still have sex?

Me: JJJJJJJJAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

I am so not ready for this.

Once again...

Once again, it is time for the great market clean-out for 2010.  It is all great when it is done, but getting there is tough.  Man, the things I find in the kids' rooms!  More blog fodder than I will ever have time to write.  I will, however, create some lists.  To begin with...

1) Bingo dabber in Ethan's room.  Now, this is usually kept in the basement.  I know for a fact that Ethan did not bring this upstairs.  Sadie did.  How it ended up in his nightstand drawer?  I do not know. 

2) Found!  My WOW 2010 hits CD.  Both of them. 

3) Two science cups, dirty with who-knows-what.

As I am cleaning out Ethan's room, it is clear that he is hitting the early teenage years.  His tenth birthday is just a couple of months away and his room is starting to show this change.  Gone are the shelves of toys in his closet.  In their place are baseball hats, car kits, and shoes.  Sad.  We hung a world poster and a poster of Michael Jordan from the Carolina years on his walls.  Just another step in his maturation I suppose.

I shudder at my next cleaning adventure...Sadie's room.  If you don't hear from me by Friday, send a search party!

Ummm, what do you want?

Because every once in a while I revert to a being a teenager with no sense of decorum and complete immarturity, I document this line spoken by my sweet little Lily, age5, who had just finished up her bowl of popcorn.

"MOOOOMMMMM, I want some more cockporn, please."

I just looked at her innocent face and left the room to howl.  At least she used her manners.  I hope I don't start getting a million hits from complete sleezebags because I wrote that word on my blog.