A Prayer from Beans:
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for the food. Thank you for church that we don’t be lonely.
Amen.
Archive for August, 2008
I’m not a big goal setter. I have vague ideas of what I’d like to accomplish and then I just go for it. This year I’ve decided to set 33 goals that I would like to accomplish by this time next year. Turns out it’s not easy for a non-goal-setter to pick 33 goals. I have a couple of goals and some other vague ideas and then I just sort of run out of ideas. So I’m turning to y’all… any ideas of fun or serious or all-out-wacky goals that I should shoot for? I’m thinking of things like habits to break or good habits to start, activities to try, things to see or do, something new to start…
The trip home only took 18 1/2 hours!
This week long trip has been a whirlwind of fun! It has been so great spending time with my family and visiting with friends. I have (literally) hundreds of pictures from all of the things we’ve been doing. I’ll share a few of my favorites.
TWENTY-ONE hours. From the time we woke up on Monday morning until we finally crashed into bed. All three kids did manage some short naps on the planes or in the airports but they were still pretty tired and cranky by the time we arrived. Turns out that Chickie was right…. we shouldn’t have travelled on Monday…. Tuesday would’ve been better!
We’re here. We’re alive. We’re sunburned already!
We woke up at 4:30, arrived at the airport at 5:30, boarded the plane at 6:30, de-boarded the plane AT THE SAME AIRPORT at 7:30, stood in line for 90 minutes to find that our flight had been cancelled. We got rebooked on a flight leaving at 2:15 for Atlanta (w/a three hour layover) where we were put on stand-by for the flight to Phx arriving at 7:51pm. So much for having most of today to enjoy the pool!
It’s now 2:21pm and we’re sitting at the gate where the just announced there is a rogue aircraft in our airspace so our flight has been delayed at least an hour. Thank goodness for our three hour layover!
Looks like Chickie might be right…. maybe we aren’t supposed to fly today.
The kids found out yesterday about our trip to Phoenix. I’m not sure that my eardrums have completely recovered. We were on a video chat with my parents when my mother asked the kids to come to Phoenix next week for her birthday. After I agreed that they could go and we would leave on Monday they proceeded to scream so loudly that they blew the speakers on my computer. Ok, not really, but almost!
Our flight leaves at 6:35 a.m. I’m thinking about just sleeping in the parking lot of the airport. Luckily the airport is 10 minutes away – if we hit a red light. I plan on sleeping until the last possible moment, grabbing the bags and racing to the airport. We have a short layover in Cincinnati and we’ll hit Phoenix by 10:00 a.m. There’s no food being served on either flight so I have goodies stashed in my carry-on. Along with movies, gum, paper, pens, books, magazines and a laptop. The kids are usually good travellers and hopefully tomorrow won’t be an exception.
The only shadow of a cloud hanging over this trip is that inexplicably Chickie came to me and said, “I don’t think we’re supposed to go tomorrow.” What?? “I don’t know. Something just makes me feel like we aren’t supposed to go tomorrow.” When are we supposed to go? “I don’t know. Maybe the day after. But not tomorrow.” And then she started crying. Very, very odd. I’m not superstitious, I’m not afraid of black cats, broken mirrors or walking under ladders. But I have to admit that this creeps me out a little. Extra prayers people!!
See you soon!
The excitement is finally starting to sink in. I can’t wait to get to Phoenix. (well, except for the 100+ heat. that part i can wait and wait and wait.) I’d say the kids are excited to go too except they don’t know yet! I didn’t really want to hear weeks of “Is it time to go?” and “When are we going? How many more days?” so we’ve kept the trip a secret from them. They will find out this weekend. I’d rather not tell them until we’re at the airport but I think they’ll be suspicious when they see me packing. I guess I can handle a day or two of “Really?! We’re going?? You’re the best mommy ever!”
I’m really looking forward to seeing my family. I have a few family members that aren’t in the greatest of health and it’s been hard being so far away. I’m also excited about hanging out with my brother and sister. We don’t talk on the phone that much (okay, I don’t talk on the phone that much) and the emails have been pretty sparse too. I always have a blast with my two nieces. Both of them assured me they would be out to visit this summer and neither one has made good on their promises. I might have to squeeze them into my suitcase and bring them home with me.
And of course there are the friends. I can’t wait to see everyone’s babies and a few bellies too! I’m not sure how I’m going to squeeze in all the visiting so my plan is to hit up a waterpark and let them all come to me. If I miss anyone there I’m sure to see them at Genesis on Sunday. There have been so many changes @ Genesis that I’m wondering if it’s going to be the same. I know it’s not and that makes me kinda sad.
See you all SOON!
Sorry for lack of posting lately. My usual herd of 3 children has grown to 5 recently and it’s been a little hectic. We’ve made friends with another couple at our church that, like us, don’t have any family in the vicinity. Their oldest child is the same age as our youngest and they have one more that’s 18 months old. Regardless of the age span they all get along great. We swap babysitting and help each other out with appointments and errands. Recently my friend has had a turn for the worse with her two herniated discs and is now confined to the couch. Her hubby is a local truck driver that works 10-12 hour days. I adore her boys and have happily added them to my brood. I’m not sure if I’m going to give them back or not. Maybe if they get cranky.
I need help!! I am just about out of ideas to help my 9 year old Chickie…
She is so much like me. At times that can make it very difficult to parent her. I see her struggle with many of the same things I struggled with as a child. It gives me compassion and understanding but it comes with a load of frustration as well.
See, Chickie and I suffer from PackRatitis. It’s all in good intention… let’s save that because we’ll need it again someday. But clutter drives me insane. I get stressed and overwhelmed by piles of stuff everywhere. I cannot work in a messy environment. My desk and my half of the office is just about spotless. Unfortunately that “Office OCD” doesn’t translate well to homelife. I share my home with three kids, a hubby, two dogs and two cats. And none of them have OCD. In fact, my hubby has Obliviousitis – a trait that he has passed to Chickie. So not only is she a packrat – she oblivious to it.
I was raised in a home where my room had to be clean 24/7. If things got out of control then my mother would clean it up and give away my clothes or toys. Or if I was lucky she would box it up for a year and I’d eventually get it back. I don’t want that for Chickie. I want her to respect herself, her room, her sister (who shares her room), our home and her belongings.
So far that isn’t going so well. At 9 years of age she is expected to do her own laundry (which by the way she loves to do at other people’s houses). Failing that she’s out of clean clothes. I’ve gone so far as to ”take away” her clothes and allow her one outfit until she earned back more clothes. No lesson learned.
The kids have a huge playroom in the basement where most of their toys are supposed to stay. I’m not a huge stickler about having toys in their rooms but when there’s more toys shoved under her bed than in the playroom…. I also feel it isn’t fair to Beans to have to share a room with Chickie. Our home has three bedrooms. The Boy has his own room – which he keeps very clean. Beans and Chickie share the larger bedroom. I don’t want to reward Chickie by giving her her own room and making The Boy share his room with Beans.
Any ideas for helping Chickie learn about respecting her living environment? It’s more of a two-fold request… She needs to learn and I need to teach. And. There needs to be a stiff consequence when/if she doesn’t maintain some level of cleanliness in her room.
