Thankful Twednesday

Yesterday was Thankful Tuesday but I was so worn out I just couldn't make it.  It's okay.

Here's my thankful list this week:

1.  Presents that are nearly priceless
Last week my friend Mary Annelle alerted me to a way to get a new board game for $1.  I got two.  I also used my $10 Kohl's coupon to buy Adam a Christmas present.  This morning I started my vistaprint.com holiday shopping.  I ordered notecards, postcards, notepads, a mousepad, and magnets, all with my kids' pictures on them, all for the cost of shipping only.  We're doing Christmas on a budget.

2.  Just Between Friends Consignment Sale
This sale is where I purchase most of my kids' clothing.  If you ever see Claire in a gorgeous, expensive looking dress, you know where I got it.  I take the kids twice a year and basically say, "Whatever you want, you can have."  They love it just as much as I do.

3.  Day in the District
Last Saturday, every museum in Fort Worth had free admission.  We were able to take the kids to two art museums and teach them art appreciation in the process.  Each kid was thoughtful with their comments, telling why they did or didn't like a work of art.  I was impressed at the depth of thought they put into it. 

4.  Last minute babysitters
We had a friend having a birthday party on Saturday.  We were going back and forth on whether we wanted to go, but when we finally decided, we were able to secure a great babysitter.  The kids played in their tent and didn't even miss us.

5.  Trips down memory lane
Before we went to the party on Saturday, we stopped by the Half Price Bookstore that I used to work at.  One of my friends was still there and caught me up to speed on the latest news.  Then Adam and I drove around UTA and reminisced about our college days. 

6.  Calm
Yesterday we had a busy day.  This morning Paul and I rode the Forest Park mini train together, snuggling, half-dozing, and just enjoying not having to be anywhere but where we were.

7.  Reconnecting with an old friend
My friend Jo is elderly and dying.  I have taken the kids to see her several times lately but her nurse said it was a bad time. Finally on a whim on Saturday, the whole family rang her doorbell.  Success!  We all got to give her the hug we've been wanting to give her for a while.

8.  Empty laundry hampers
They mean I at least have all the clothes washed.

9.  A computer found
Yesterday I was so proud of Paul's cowboy outfit, I was showing him off.  Unfortunately, my focus was on him and now carrying my computer to the car.  I got home and was afraid I had lost my laptop.  Thankfully, I just left it in my office and it is locked up until I can retrieve it.

10.  Swings in the backyard
Nothing makes the kids happier than me to push them as high as possible on their swing set.  Nothing makes me happier, either.

Thankful Twednesday

Yesterday was a full day from the time I got up at 5 until my head hit the pillow at 10:30.  I absolutely didn't have time to type this up, but that doesn't mean I wasn't thankful!  I almost wrote this on Monday, and actually restrained myself to wait.

Here's my thankful list today:

1.  Rain
There was actually wetness from the sky more than once in the last week. 

2.  Flowers that say "Thank you."
The morning after the rain, I was pushing Paul in the swing and I noticed several flowers in our yard that weren't there the previous day.  We have blooms on several plants in the yard, one of which I didn't even realized bloomed.  Also, an indoor plant bloomed for the first time ever that day.  It was as if all the flowers reached up to the sky to offer their gratitude.

3. The ability to turn a bad day into a good one.
Last Wednesday I sitting in the recliner at 5 a.m., drinking my coffee, praying and journaling.  Paul woke up and wanted to snuggle, so he snored on my lap as I continued.  Then he had an accident in his sleep.  Normally that would make me grouchy and set off a chain of events for the whole day.  This time, I decided to bite my tongue and carry on.  By intentionally not being grouchy, I was able to have a great day.

4.  A tongue that is slower than my brain.
My Bible study assignment last week was to find five different ways to pray.  One day I attempted to pray aloud.  Something I discovered during this exercise is that my brain works twice as fast as my tongue.  I am grateful for this because I hadn't realized I did have that much time to filter my words.  I'd hate to listen to myself if I actually voiced every thought. 

5.  A truck that keeps on going.
Adam's Toyota Tacoma crossed over the 200,000 mile mark this week and he is still proudly driving it with no problems.  We have taken that truck to Key West, Niagara Falls, the U.S./Mexico border and seemingly everywhere in between. 

6.  Being at the right place at the right time.
Sunday morning, I was in a bit of a rush.  I was going to drive my friend Ann-Marie to Dallas to go to her daughter's baby shower.  We were trying to leave church, but we just couldn't get out.  Every time I thought we could leave, I was approached by another friend that needed a hug or wanted to talk.  I finally got free and went to the bathroom only to run into another friend who just received bad news and was crying.  Had I been 30 seconds earlier or 30 seconds later, I would have been unable to give her the hug she needed at that moment.  I was at the right place at the right time.

7.  Parades
When I was driving Ann-Marie back to Fort Worth, we stopped for coffee.  We were getting frustrated because we were having a hard time finding coffee in downtown Dallas.  We waited in line at Whataburger, only to get to the window and hear that even though we ordered it, they couldn't give us any coffee.  However, as we were leaving Whataburger, we ran into a Gay Pride parade.  It was fantastic and totally worth the Whataburger disappointment.

8.  Freedom for flexibility
Yesterday when Claire came home from school, she wanted to play with Paul.  Every day I document her school story, but yesterday she wanted to put on a birthday party for her baby doll instead of writing.  I was happy to oblige and happy that my kids get along so well and that we have the freedom to be flexible.  I've got freedom of flexibility, too...I'm writing my Tuesday entry on Wednesday.

9.  Cooler temperatures and open windows
The weather has been so beautiful this week that I've driven everywhere with the windows down.  This results in a giant frizz ball head, but I don't mind.  Adam has also been opening our windows at night and I've been enjoying the nighttime sounds of the neighborhood.

10.  Productive play dates
On Monday, my friend Mary Annelle asked me if Paul wanted to come to her house to play.  I dropped him off at 9:52 and was able to do all my shopping at Costco and Wal-Mart and be back at her house at 11.  It was amazing how fast I can shop when there is no one underfoot.  I was so productive that I wanted to return the favor.  I brought her son over here and was able to do my laundry and work around the house while he and Paul played happily.  The boys had fun and the moms got our work done.  I am grateful.

Thankful Tuesday

Hello!  I am writing in a cushy chair in an air-conditioned house in the best state of the best country in the world.  If that wasn't enough to be thankful for, here's more:

1.  Clean Public Restrooms
I've always been grateful for the opportunity to use a clean public facility, but when I had kids, my gratitude multiplied.  You never know what the little hands will touch next, so I am grateful when that surface is clean.

2.  My live-in copy editor
Besides my blog, Adam edits nearly everything I put my pen to.  I always have issues with commas, and he gets his red pen and stops any errors from leaving the house.

3.  Meaningful memorials
Sunday was the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.  Instead of going to early service at church, we opted to go to the Museum of Science and History to be a part of the Fort Worth memorial service of the tragedy.  Everyone in the crowd had a flag, and another giant flag was suspended from two fire truck ladders.  The crowd was sprinkled with uniformed soldiers, police officers, and firemen.  Inside the museum is a steel beam from the World Trade Center.  It was an easy way to explain to the kids the importance of the tragedy and its aftermath as well as personally thank those who risk their lives daily to protect us.

4.  Having a platform for our voices
If you don't know yet, Claire has a blog.  Every day when she gets home from school and changes her clothes, we sit at the computer and she dictates to me her adventures of the day.  I type word for word what she says.  It's been an entertaining and informative way for her to express herself.

5.  Meerkat Peekaboo
Yesterday I took Paul to the zoo.  We were talking to the meerkats and they appeared to be listening.  When one went in a hole, I told Paul, "He's trying to play hide and seek with you!"  So Paul would cover his eyes and say, "1-2-3-4 Ready or not, here I come!"  It was hilarious.

6.  Easy volunteering
Yesterday morning Paul and I spent about an hour and a half at Claire's school volunteering in the library.  It was a breeze.  He played on the computer while I shelved and labeled books.  We actually finished all our work in time to be at the zoo for opening.

7.  Happy endings
This past Lent, we raised some ducks.  Adam bought them at a feed store when they were three days old and we raised them in a coop in our kitchen.  We did the best we could for them, and then when they were too big for us, we took them to the local pond.  The problem was, we didn't realize that even though there were a variety of ducks there, our ducks were still outsiders and wouldn't be accepted.  We came back the next day and they were gone.  We saw a few that we speculated were ours, but we weren't sure.  Recently on a trip to the duck park, we talked to a lady who lives across the street.  She found our ducks the night we released them and took them home to live with her.  They currently are fat and happy swimming in their own private pool and pond.  Every night they sleep on a raft.  We were delighted they were rescued and not, we feared, eaten by a fox.

8.  Quiet time that's quiet
A few mornings this week I was able to crawl out of bed without alerting anyone but the dogs.  I was able to drink my coffee in peace and read my Bible and journal.  I do this every morning, but I am grateful for the mornings I'm able to do this without a kid in my lap.

9.  Quiet time that's not so quiet
For every day that I get a quiet quiet time, I also have one that is interrupted by a tired kid who wants to snuggle.  I know the kids won't want to snuggle for long, so I just scoot my books over and try to soak up the love.

10.  Craft drawers
We have two drawers at our house that are crammed full of craft supplies.  I never know what will be created.  Yesterday I asked Claire to get Paul a pair of socks, so she got in the craft drawer and made him a pair from construction paper.  Currently the kids are making me "gifts" that consist of homemade cards and wrapped up Hot Wheels.  I am grateful.

An Evening in Sundance Square

Last night we didn't have plans and Adam had to work, so the kids and I went to downtown Fort Worth to see what kind of adventures we could find.  We found a lot, mostly expressed in pictures below.

First we went to the Central Public Library.  We stayed until closing and checked out many books.  We kept hearing closing announcements over the PA system, to which Paul kept saying, "We're going to get trapped in here!"

Then we stopped to look at a partially demolished building, shown below.

We found this interesting because it seemed incomplete.  It looked like the demolition company started their job and then punched out at 5 p.m. on Friday, regardless of whether or not they were finished.

After staring at the building for a while, we rode Molly the Trolley, a free shuttle around downtown.  We met many interesting people, all with wineglasses in their hands, all celebrating one gentleman's birthday.  We also sidled up next to a car of newlyweds, still in their gown and tuxedo.  They waved cheerfully and we clapped for them.

We got off the trolley and started walking around downtown, looking for more adventure.  We met this lady below, who had a bad day and decided to reverse her mood by standing at a street corner with a sign.  We gave her several hugs throughout the evening.  As we toured around, we kept ending up at her street corner to give her more hugs.  She said she turned out to have a great day.

After hugs, we enjoyed some gelato before returning for more hugs.  I warned the kids that their gelato might get on her pristine white outfit, so in this photo, they are keeping their distance.

We saw several people marching in protest of Palestine's lack of recognition as a country.  I didn't explain all that to the kids, but Claire recognized the word Obama, so I said they didn't like his job.  We called this a parade...These people were marching through downtown with their banner, singing, "Give Peace a Chance."  We only saw them for about ten minutes and then they disappeared, so I wonder if they didn't have parade permit.

There were many carriages downtown, but Paul's favorite was the one pulled by Michelle, shown here.  The horse owners were friendly and let us stand talking to and petting their horses for a while.  Claire pet a horse named Bucky.  The kids were also highly entertained that behind the horses was a special sack to hold their poop. 

After all this excitement, we headed home, but not before riding an escalator and waving and folks from a sky bridge.  The entire evening cost me $17, but the fun we had was priceless.

Thankful TWednesday

I know I'm a day late, but I absolutely did not have time to post yesterday.  I'm still thankful and I'll be back on schedule next week.

Here's my thankful TWednesday list today:

1.  Loose teeth
Claire has a loose tooth and it's a hot topic at our house.  Every little bit she says, "Is my tooth still there?" 

2.  Open and honest conversations
On Sunday Paul rode to church with Adam so Claire and I rode in my car and talked.  She told me all about her fear of the cafeteria monitor at her school.  We talked for a while about what she doesn't like at school and I was proud that she was willing to tell me.  I hope I was able to ease some anxiety and put some light on some situations.  Right now her worries are small, but I hope that she continues to feel she can share them with me.

3.  Beautiful Weather
Just when it was so hot for so long that even the lovers of summer were giving up, we got some cool weather.  Yesterday Paul told me he thought it would definitely snow.  I doubt that, but we are loving the lower temperatures.

4.  Family Uno games
Both kids love to play Uno Attack and are pretty good at it.  Saturday we had family over and the kids showed no mercy in playing Uno.

5.  Good teachers
Paul started preschool yesterday.  Last week when we went to church to meet his new teacher, several of the boys started to make a huge mess with some dried beans.  I asked her if that bothered her and she said, "No, it's developmentally appropriate.  When they develop their motor skills more, they'll stop doing that."  I would like to now label my house as developmentally appropriately messy.

6.  Storytime in the recliner
I can still (barely) fit both kids in my lap at one time to read a book.  Nothing makes me happier than sharing a good book with them while they snuggle down and listen.

7.  Compliments about my kids
At Claire's open house, her teacher said that she was a pleasure to have in class.  She said Claire is very "intuitive, caring, and mature."  She also said she was proud of how smart she was.  I'm grateful.

8.  Tag team parenting
Often when Adam and I are at church or another large, busy place, we have to tag-team with the kids.  It's easier to keep up with one in a crowd than two.  Whenever we get in a situation where that's appropriate, we don't have a discussion, we just tell one another which kid we have and move on.  It's so nice to just know the drill and do it.

9.  Color Blindness
Claire kept coming home from school talking about her friend Bailey.  I kept hearing about Bailey's birthday and how every time Bailey spoke in class, Claire would say "Birthday girl."  When we went to open house, we got to meet the infamous Bailey and found out she was African-American.  That's not a big deal.  What was a big deal to me was that didn't even occur to Claire to tell me.  I was amazed and pleased that her friend's race was so little on the scale of importance that it didn't even bear mentioning as a descriptor.

10.  A life saved
Last week we were riding our bikes home from school and Claire almost got hit by a car speeding through the school zone.  Claire swerved and kept honking her bike horn, but I honestly don't know how she didn't get hit.  I'm working on pulling some political strings to get a speed bump put in there, but that won't lessen my gratitude for her escape from a speeding car.  She could have been killed or confined to a wheelchair.  Every time we cross that street now, I saw a prayer of thanks for her survival.

Tuesday Thankfulness

Hello!  Welcome to Thankful Tuesday.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Time to catch up.
Nearly the entire church staff was elsewhere today, so I actually had several quiet hours alone in my office.  I got so much work done, I was able to get a jump on my work for next week.

2.  Compliments when you need them.
Last week was difficult for many reasons.  Claire started back to school, and Paul only had me to play with.  The entire family was exhausted, and I somehow pulled together a church newsletter.  Right after sending it out, I received a compliment on a job well done.  Considering I felt like I was barely concious and stressed out, those kind words meant a great deal to me.

3.  Shopping tips
Recently my friend Mary Annelle shared yet another great way to save money on groceries.  She reads all the sales papers and simply types up the bargains she wants.  Then she goes to Wal-Mart and requests price matches on those items on sale at other stores.  She only has to go to one store, and she gets all the bargains.  Considering we are on a strict budget around here, that news is worth rejoicing over.

4.  Time to sit and think.
Yesterday morning was cloudy and cool, so I took Paul to the park.  Even though I kept running through my to-do list in my head, I made myself sit there and watch him play and join in where appropriate.  We got to focus on feeding the ducks with one piece of bread at a time, and we made several discoveries.  We never noticed the giant, nearly three-feet long fish in the pond, or the way they steal the bread from the big turtles.  We also got to pet a duck which we have tentatively identified as Claire's duck from Lent.

5.  Grace
Several times in the last week I needed grace and received it abundantly.  No one was upset that my work was a day late, and Adam forgave a brief temper explosion.  Also, I had to step down from a volunteer position that I hadn't started yet.  I had offered to coordinate communications for the Benbrook Early Childhood PTA, and the closer we got to kickoff, the more I realized I was in over my head.  I stepped down with fear that I would have to leave the group.  Every member met me with understanding and grace.  No one was upset that I had overcommitted and I am grateful.

6.  Long hugs
Last week was the last week of our summer season of helping homeless ladies.  One of the ladies has been working hard by taking classes at the community college.  She told me she's not likely to see me again because she will transfer to a four year college in the spring.  She gave me one of the best hugs I've received.  When I kept thinking it was over, she kept on hugging.  It was humbling.

7.  Creative kids
Claire has figured out how to make penguins with construction paper and glue.  She has made an entire flock, but I love it.  I am always proud of items that she creates successfully, and of her own volition.  Right this second, Paul is tearing xerox paper and setting it on my shoulders so I can have wings.

8.  Sermons that make you think later on
We have a new senior pastor at church, and she preached an excellent sermon on Sunday.  I won't do it justice by summarizing it, but what I took from it is that every day you should be concious of where you saw God that day.  I sat in the pew and made a list right there, and I'm still thinking.

9.  Kids that take pride in their work.
I have been noticing that Claire's schoolwork has a lot of pencil checkmarks on it.  Yesterday I asked her who did that, and she said, "I put check marks on there so you know I did a fantastic job."  Why yes, she did.

10.  Creative pet names
You might already know our two dogs are named "Wesley Eugene Boyette" and "Capt. Midnight Sugar Dot Express Boyette."  What you don't know is that Paul's favorite stuffed dog animal is named "Wind The Bobbin Ding Dong" and Claire's pig is named "Piggie-Pig Pig."  I named Wesley, but everything else around here is named by the kids.  I even get new names, and often am forced to answer to the name "Mommy Dog."

Thankful Tuesday Aug. 23, 2011

Hello!  It's time for Thankful Tuesday, when I record my gratitude for the small and the big.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Sardine Sandwiches
Today at the Hemminger home, Clyde fed Paul a sardine sandwich.  He enjoyed it and washed it down with a Coca-Cola.  I have never given Paul either one of those, but am happy for him to experience new tastes.  I'm not going to buy him sodas or sardines, so I'm glad he enjoyed them while he had them.

2.  Useful advice
When we registered Claire for school in June, the school secretary told me to go to the store immediately and buy all the uniforms I could find.  I did, and when the crowds started hitting the shops, we were done.  I was grateful that we knew to shop early, thanks to that advice.

3.  Family walks
So far we've all four walked Claire to school both mornings of kindergarten.  I hope to have everyone out of bed and ready to go so we can do this every morning.  Nothing is cuter than Claire walking in her uniform with her backpack on, right next to Adam in his business attire, and Paul and I bringing up the rear in whatever fashion we please.

4.  Early bedtimes
Getting up early means getting to bed earlier.  I am savoring nights when both kids are in bed by 7:15 p.m.  I feel like I have an entire evening ahead of me, even though I am hitting the pillow earlier as well.

5.  Family field trips
Adam took off half a day on Friday and we went to the Museum of Science and History.  We were able to talk the kids into watching the 3D video about gas drilling that they had been too scared to do before.  Saturday, we rode the TRE to the Nasher Sculpture Museum and had a fantastic time spending 30 minutes walking through the balloon room.  It was so nice going out as a family all weekend.

6.  Drinking water
Because we rode the TRE on Saturday, we did a lot of trekking around downtown Dallas.  We walked to the West End for lunch and then the downtown library to see the Declaration of Independence.  We were hot, but thankful that I had packed four bottles of water that were disappearing as fast as we could drink them.  Twice that day, I saw men going through the trash, looking for a drop to drink.  One man was pouring empty soda cans into his bottle, trying to get the last drop.  Another was sucking on straws of discarded cups, trying to get a drink from used McDonald's cups.  We were able to give one of them a bottle of water, but it broke my heart to see how some suffer in the heat.  I am grateful that not only do we have bottles of water to refill or discard, we also have a tap that is solely for our use. 

7.  Experienced teachers
Claire had a lot of anxiety about school starting, and we were able to fineagle a tour from the secretary.  I kept saying that she was anxious and everyone was so nice and caring.  When we left, Adam told me that Claire wasn't the one with anxiety.  Obviously, it was me.  I am glad, though, that her teacher has been teaching 29 years and I'm sure I'm not the first mom who's off her rocker.  Claire is now adjusting well and has a blog to prove it.  Read it at http://clairegoestoschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/kindergarten-day-2.html.

8.  Church choices
Last week, I took the kids to visit my grandmother.  I was talking about church and our new senior pastor, who happens to be female.  My grandmother let me know that she felt that was only a man's job, and I replied, "Well, thankfully, you don't go to my church."  Her Southern Baptist church suits her just as well as my Methodist church suits me.  I'm glad that we do have options and in the United States, you can go to whatever church suits your fancy.

9.  Love notes
At least four times a week I get a craft that says something about "I love Mommy."  I am blessed, even by the ones that are illegible.

10.  Wildflowers
Today when I was driving to church, I noticed a patch of wildflowers growing in the median of a busy street.  In these 100 + degree days, it's nearly impossible to keep anything alive.  It was refreshing to see that somethings apparently survive on their own.

Thankful Tuesday...under the wire!

Today's been quite a busy day.  I started early; right at 5 a.m., followed by getting the troops up in time for our "back to school drill."  We get ready as if it's a school day and walk to the school to see the playground and then back home.  I also worked today, took the kids to the Kimbell Art Museum, went to Wal-Mart, and made a home-cooked meal.  I'm worn out, but couldn't go to bed without letting my readers know what I'm thankful for this week.

1.  Rain
Last Friday the sky darkened and everyone rejoiced.  I had told the kids that since it's been so long since we've seen rain, we would go dance in it the first chance we got.  The kids grabbed their umbrellas and we waited, ready to dance.  And we waited some more.  A few drops came down, but not enough to be conducive to a rain celebration dance.  The next morning the rain was coming steadier, so I took the kids with their galoshes and umbrellas on a walk.  We're all thankful for the brief respite from the heat, which also allowed for a glorious day at the zoo.

2.  Rainy days at the zoo
If you ask me, a zoo regular, when the best time to go, I will tell you to never go on a Wednesday.  (Yes, it's half price day, but there's double the crowd.)  I'll also tell you to head to the zoo whenever precipitation is falling from the sky.  Not only does rain clear the crowds out, the animals are more active and mischeivious.  It makes for a better experience all around.

3.  Two vehicles with working air-conditioners
It has been so hot; today my car said it was 109.  I am so grateful that not just one, but both of our cars have great air conditioners.  Daily, I am also grateful that Adam and I bought a new air conditioner for our home last summer.

4.  Trivial Trivia
The kids eat off of educational placemats.  We've got an international map, where yesterday we pointed out Libya and discussed war there.  We've also got a map of the United States, where we showed Paul that Rick Perry lives in the same state as us.  Today we were working on the presidential placemat.  I was doing well teaching Claire and Paul the names of the presidents, but Adam gave us all sorts of entertaining points to help remember them with.  Apparently Zachary Taylor died of gastroenteritis, which means he was going to the restroom a lot just before his death.  The kids thought that was funny.

5.  Flashing school zone lights
There's a new school zone on Hulen Street, and I am thankful every time I drive through it, because I wouldn't notice it if it weren't for the flashing lights.  I love that not only do we have school zones, we have lights that flash at you and say, "Hey you!  It's a school zone!  Slow down!"

6.  Trashmen
This morning we walked to Claire's school and were captivated by the trashman.  Apparently the teachers have been throwing out shelves as well as acres of paper, and the dumpster was weighed down.  It took several minutes for the trashman to configure the prongs on his truck to lift up the heavy dumpster.  After he dumped it, he had to get out of his truck and climb up a ladder on his windshield so he could get to the top to make sure it all cleared the opening.  We were excited to watch the prongs on the truck lift the 1,000+ pound dumpster as well as the guy climb up his windshield on a ladder.  So often I take it for granted that after I push it to the curb, the trash doesn't disappear on its own.  I'm thankful for our sanitation engineers.

7.  Church Staff Meetings
Once a week I get to participate in a productive, thoughtful meeting full of intelligent and caring people.  I'm the communications coordinator at our church, so I go to staff meetings, and I just get so excited about the adult conversation.  This is the one time during the week in which one of my conversations has nothing to do with chores or child-rearing and I actually feel like a productive member of society and not just a mom.

8.  Roads paved with bricks
Our church, Arlington Heights United Methodist, is located on Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth.  Camp Bowie is one of the few roads in the area that is still paved with bricks.  After the Depression, under the direction of President Roosevelt, Camp Bowie Boulevard, and other streets like it across the United States, were paved with bricks, giving local people jobs.  I'm thankful that that thread of the past is still something that I drive on regularly.

9.  Lydia the Literary Ladybug
On Sunday, Claire caught a ladybug in our pool.  It is still alive, living in a Mason jar in the kitchen.  The kids take that jar on errands with us.  Just today Lydia went to Ann-Marie's house, Wal-Mart, and the Kimbell Art Museum.  She's a well-travelled ladybug and I am grateful that she is still alive, for the moment.  The kids are so proud of Lydia the Literary Ladybug.

10.  Dancing in the kitchen
We have a large, long kitchen.  Several times last week when I was cooking dinner, the kids and I cranked up the music and just danced to our hearts' content.  During moments like that, I want to freeze time and savor it.  Dancing carefree to Madonna is an event to be savored.

11.  Free stuff
Today I was given a new Bible and a calendar for free.  The Common English Bible is barely in print, it's so new, and I now have a copy.  I also have an official Methodist Calendar for 2012.  So yes, while I usally stop at 10, I got free stuff today, so I had to add it.  I am excited and grateful.  Excuse me while I go read my brand new Bible.

Thankful Tuesday

Hello!  Here's another edition of Thankful Tuesday.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  The pause button on the remote
I just taught Claire how to use that yesterday.  I love fast-forwarding through commercials and pausing action to go run to the kitchen or the bathroom.

2.  Balloon animals
Friday was our big grocery day.  When we walked into Wal-Mart, we noticed a man crafting balloon animals.  Then we noticed our friend Caitlyn, the cashier from Aldi.  She generously told the kids to pick out what they wanted and she would pay for it.  A few minutes later we were walking away with a dinosaur and turtle.  Then we went to get our free cookie stickers (they were out) but a gentleman on a bench gave the kids pocket change so they could put it in the MDA donation bin.  We were doubly grateful.

3.  Politeness at Chuck E. Cheese
We took Claire and Paul to Chuck E. Cheese the other night where we met the most polite kids I have ever seen.  The daughter was running around like a crazy loon, enjoying all the place has to offer.  Her dad stopped her and said, "Are you having fun?"  "Yes, sir!" she replied with glee.  I was amazed.  When I asked him about it, he said, "Ain't no other way."  I had been a little lax on enforcing it at our house, but I was convinced.  We're yes sir and yes ma'am 100 percent of the time now.

4.  Laughter
Today I am thankful for having the opportunity to make my children laugh so hard they can't breathe.  That is true joy, and whether it comes from tickling or acting silly, I am grateful.

5.  My parents
Yes, I said it.  I disagree with them on 99.999999999% of things in this world, but my mom gave birth to me and with my father, raised me with love.  I am grateful.

6.  Conversation with homeless ladies
Weekly, we are grateful to have the opportunity to visit with the homeless ladies that come to spend Thursday nights at our church.  Talking to them puts my problems in perspective.  It always makes me chuckle, too, to learn how much we have in common.  Last week I was telling one how great the Wal-Mart optometrist is and that he actually was the best eye doctor Adam had ever seen.  We were comparing prices on eye exams and hair conditioner.  There's no pretension with these ladies.  The kids and I both look forward to seeing them.

7.  The love of reading
I LOVE to read.  Yes, I know that all caps means I'm yelling, but it's true.  I read voraciously from a wide range of subjects.  Right now I am reading simultaneously Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Death of a Celebrity.  I read my Bible every morning.  In the last two years, Adam has caught the reading bug and I'm happy to say that both kids love reading.  Claire is beginning to read on her own and I'm so proud of her.

8. Generous kids
Nearly every store is collecting money at the register now for their selected charity.  We're on a budget, so I don't even think about it and just say no thanks.  On Monday we were at Tom Thumb and Claire saw a poster of kids with Muscular Dystrophy.  She asked about it and I explained that the kids had a muscle disease and the grocery store was collecting money for their doctor's bills.  "Oh," she said.  "I wish I had some money and I'd give it to them. Even if it was a dollar."  Of course you know I looked in my wallet and pulled out a dollar bill.

9. A sense of wonder
The kids and I often take detours to explore new construction or other exciting sites on our way to a destination.  I am grateful that they do have strong sense of wonder and that they mostly absorb what I teach them.  I'm pouring information in them non-stop and I'm so grateful that most of it sticks.

10.  My locket
Before she died, my grandmother gave me a locket that my grandfather had given her on Valentine's Day in 1947.  In this gold heart, they are forever preserved in their youth.  I wear it often and treasure it.

Thankful Tuesday number trillion

Aloha!  From the sweltering heat in Texas, here is today's Thankful Tuesday list!

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Cupcakes
Claire came to me on Sunday and said that she wanted to make cupcakes.  I was happy to oblige and proud of her that with supervision, she made them herself.  We weren't making cupcakes, we were making memories.  (yes, that's cheesy, but true.)

2.  My granddad's jokes
Two weeks ago I asked my granddad to start writing down the punch line to all his favorite jokes.  Last week I returned with my computer to type them up.  He had a list of funnies, some of which were funny and others which were cryptic.  For all of them, he was laughing as he told me.  He was in better spirits that day than I've seen  him in a long time. 

3.  Okra
My paternal grandparents used to raise a large garden in their backyard.  Every year they would pickle and fry okra and do anything else with okra they could think of.  I remember several summers when I was a teacher, coming over to their house to help my grandmother, who was ill, to wash, cut, and prepare the okra.  She used to crack jokes the whole time.  Last week my granddad was waiting for me with his own batch of store-bought okra.  We carefully battered and fried it for a long time while we reminisced about my grandmother.  It was tasty fun.

4.  Golf courses with brown grass
I remember growing up during the hot Texas summers and noticing all the brown, dead grass.  I also remember passing golf courses with pristine green grass and thinking how unfair it was that most people couldn't afford the water bill to keep their grass green in the heat.  Last week I noticed at least one local golf course has brown grass, and oddly, that made me happy.  Suffering through the heat has been a great equalizer. 

5.  Yellow lights
Wouldn't it be terrible if we didn't have them?  If lights went straight from green to red, there would be countless wrecks, and I for one, would be receiving many, many tickets in the mail.  I appreciate the warning.  "If you don't stop soon, you'll get a ticket in the mail!"

6.  Hole in the wall restaurants
Nothing is more exciting to Adam and I than to find a new locally owned restaurant.  While the quality of a locally owned restaurant depends on the owner, each one overwhelms  you with character.

7.  Signs that make me laugh
There's a vaccuum store near our house that's having a "Summer Sucks Sale."  I laugh every time I think about it.

8.  Planned goodbyes
I have a dear friend who will die soon.  I value her friendship for countless reasons, one of which is that she's been preparing me for her death for years.  When Claire was a baby, she started liquidating her possessions and passing on items that others can use.  Even though I am sad about it, we know that each time we talk might be the last and therefore we appreciate each other all the more.  I am confident that she knows that I love her and I know she loves me.  It's a lot easier to let her go when I'm prepared.

9.  Listening friends
Yes, I made a list today, of issues I had. (Nerd Alert!)  Fortunately I found an empathetic pair of listening ears.  (Thank you, Nancy.)  People are so busy today that it's hard to find people that will just let you read off a list of your personal problems.  I am blessed to have a couple in my life.

10.  Storytime
Every Wednesday, for the last three years, with few exceptions, we have been found at the Wedgwood Branch of the Fort Worth Public Library at 10:30 a.m.  We started when Paul was firstborn and I took him in the Baby Bjorn.  Now Claire is about to head off to kindergarten and we're still going.  The librarians are just like family and I thank them for all the cute crafts, songs, and stories they have taught my children.

Thankful Tuesday

Welcome to another edition of Thankful Tuesday!

Today I am thankful for:
1.  Homeless Christmas Tree
There is a tree on a  hill east of Beach and I-30 that was planted as a Christmas tree for homeless people in Fort Worth.  It is decorated year round for all the homeless in the area to have a tree they call their own.  We have the benefit of driving by it every week on our way to my granddad's house.  It's a great tree and a great story.

2.  Bumper stickers
Instead of staring at the redlight I am stopped at, I like to entertain myself at intersections by reading the bumper stickers on the cars around me.  Bumper stickers are like tattoos for cars.  They are almost always worth the read.

3.  Exciting detours.
Recently we were on the way to somewhere and had to turn around to see an exciting site.  There are two fields in our neighborhood that were the site of recent apartment demolition (another detour event).  We got to see a water truck park in the street between the two fields and a man watered both fields from one spot in the middle of the road.  He had a firetruck hose and a pivoting stand where he kept rotating and watering.  He watered two entire fields just from one spot.  It was really interesting, and I'm afraid that we creeped him out just slightly because we were so excited that we actually followed him to watch him refill his truck at a fire hydrant.

4.  Trees on the horizon
I drive to Irving once a week to go visit my grandfather.  Last week I was driving and thinking and realized how much more interesting trees make the drive.  I can't imagine how boring the drive would be with no trees to look at as I whiz by.  Of course I don't recommend only staring at the trees, but they are nice.

5.  Shade tree escapes
We have a giant shade tree in our front yard.  I think it's an oak, but you should really ask Adam because he knows for sure.  Twice this summer we've looked out our window to see an exciting site under our shade tree.  One time a limo was parked in front of our house.  I got out to offer the guy a bottle of water, and he said he was waiting to go to a wedding at the church down the street and just wanted to sit in his limo in the shade for a while.  I told him to stay as long as he wanted and to take us with him, but alas, he didn't.  Last week a trash truck parked under our shade tree so the driver could get out and take a break visiting with his girlfriend in the car behind, also under the tree.  Who knows who will park under our tree this week....I guarantee it will be exciting!

6.  !!!!!!!
I have recently been informed that I am an exclamation point abuser.  I have since calmed down my exclamations in professional writing, but at home, I am showing my true enthusiasm for life.  !!!!!!!  I am now super concious of how much I use these !!!! but also how much they usually truly reflect how I feel when I write the sentence that ends with !!!!!

7.  Cute kid crafts
Part of being active at church is that the kids bring home cute darn crafts every week.  Paul brought home a shoebox shaped like a whale last week and the week before that he brought home a water bottle with blue water and a balloon floating in it, both illustrating the Jonah and the Whale story.  Claire has painted two flowerpots this summer and made an awesome rock cross.  I love decorating our house with kid crafts!  (Yes, that exclamation point was purposely used.)

8.  Hope
I love surprises as much as I love mysteries.  I haven't checked the weather report today, but I look outside and see rainclouds that I hope to bring forth rain.  I have already been informed that these clouds won't bring rain today, but if you already know what's going to happen, do you really pay attention to the shapes and colors of the clouds and hope?  I don't prefer ignorance, but I do prefer hope.  The weathermen aren't always right and that cloud over our house is pretty dark.  With some events, I just find it better not to know what's going to happen.

9.  Connections to the outside world
Last week I took our laptop to my granddad's house and began interviewing him again about his personal history.  I have done this in several different formats through the years.  I have cassette tapes of me interviewing him, I have a journal of questions and answers, and now I'm typing his answers.  He is 86 and full of exciting stories that will die with him if I don't get them recorded.  Last week we talked about his job as a lineman for the electric company.  He taught me about wire insulators and that they really aren't much different today than the first ones he installed in 1949.  Since then, the kids and I have been looking out the car windows spotting wire insulators on the electrical poles.  It's exciting to look at those and know that they are tied to our family history.

10.  Kids pushing me to be better
Somedays I wake up and decide, "Today, I am grouchy."  Yes, I know this is ridiculous, and it rarely happens.  Sometimes, though, I forget to set the coffee up at nighttime, or I don't get to have my personal quiet time, or I'm woken up because Paul has just wet the bed.  On days like that, I get frustrated and I just say to myself, "I'm grouchy or I'm tired."  Fortunately for me, the kids never let me stay that way long.  They will unknowingly say something hilarious or ask me to do something that makes me feel better.  Recently I was exhausted on a Thursday afternoon.  I was ready to pack it in and head home, but then I told the kids that our church was hosting homeless ladies that night.  "We have to go!"  Claire said.  Tired or not, I turned around and took us to church.  We were blessed and I wasn't grouchy any more.  Darn those kids always making me a better person!  (intentional exclamation point.)

Thankful Tuesday July 19, 2011

Good morning to cyberspace!  Today is Tuesday, when I count 10 of my blessings.  If I counted all my blessings, you would literally be reading this all day, so I limit it to ten a week.

This week I am thankful for:

1.  Electricity
Adam's cousin John came and worked on our electricity on Saturday.  He's a master electrician, so he rewired part of the house and installed a new circuit breaker box.  Apparently the box we had could have been featured on Antiques Roadshow.  Because he and Adam were working on the electricity all day on Saturday, we didn't have any power for most of the day.  When the air conditioner came back on, I sent up a prayer of thanks that we have lights and air conditioning that work.

2.  No electricity
Yes, while I am very grateful for the prescence of electricity, I was also glad that we didn't have it for almost a whole day.  No dishwasher, computer, or lights.  I had no choice but to ignore all my chores and play with the kids.  I couldn't clean house so we had to go swimming.  Poor us.

3.  Cloud formations
The sky always holds a new and exciting shape.  I love staring at the sky and drawing pictures in my mind of what the clouds represent.

4.  Family games
Our family, even little Paul, loves to play UNO.  We have this awesome version called UNO Attack! where the cards shoot out you instead of drawing from a stack.  The entire family loves strategizing against each other.  Paul gets so excited when he can skip one of us.  Claire loves the "trade hands" card.

5.  Wal-Mart as a Spiritual Practice
I just finished re-reading An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.  It is a beautifully written book about becoming concious of God in your everyday life.  She discusses spiritual practices that remind us that we are human.  I was spurred to begin viewing Wal-Mart shopping as a spiritual practice. 
When I shop at Wal-Mart, I am reminded that I am no better than the toothless cashier or the woman with her underwear hanging out the bottom of her shorts.  I, too, am a Wal-Mart shopper and a human and we are all equal.  On Friday, I was delighted that the Wal-Mart cashier was able to fill in the missing lyrics to the "Dear Liza" song.  I'm fairly certain that a Target cashier won't hold up her line to sing you five verses of "There's a hole in my bucket, Dear Liza."

6.  Postal Workers
It is humbling to me to see our postlady walking in pants through our yard with a towel on her shoulder to wipe her forehead and a smile on her face as she brings us mostly junkmail.  She is walking and walking in 100+ degree heat to bring us junkmail.  God bless her.

7.  Good neighbors
Yesterday morning the doorbell rang at 7:45 a.m.  It was our neighbor from down the street, Loretta, who was going out of town and didn't want her fruit to spoil.  She brought us her fruit and leftover donuts from her church instead of just pitching them.  Later that day, Paul fell on his bicycle and another neighbor ran out with an icepack for  his injured hand.

8.  Memberships
Last week I was trying to let the kids pick whatever they wanted to do.  They wanted to go to the zoo.  At noon.  On a day I was wearing pants.  In 106 degree heat.  We went, but we only lasted 45 minutes.  I was so grateful that the trip wasn't a waste of money since we have a membership.  The next day we went to the museum and used another membership where we could enjoy air-conditioned entertainment.

9.  Educational placemats
We recently got Claire a placemat that was a map of the United States.  (Paul's hasn't arrived yet.)  Every meal she reviews what states she knows the names and locations of.  I might not be able to list all 50 states and place them on a map, but I'm going to make sure my children don't have the same problem.

10.  Post-It notes and flags
There are few books that I read that don't have a Post-It note in them where I have taken notes or marked a meaningful passage.  When I plan my meals, I put Post-Its on the recipes in the cookbooks I will use.  Post-Its really make my life easier.

Thankful Tuesday

Good morning!  It's Tuesday again and time to count my blessings.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Synchronized wakeups
This morning I had planned on trying to get up at 5, but both dogs and Paul started making noise at 4:45 a.m.  A little early, but I was very appreciative that they did it at the same time and I was able to sleep uninterrupted until then.

2.  The excitement of small wonders
A couple of days ago, Paul asked about the washing machine, so I held him up and put a screwdriver in a hole to trick the machine to start working without the lid.  We stood there for almost 10 minutes just watching it fill up with water and rotate.  He was captivated and I was aware, once again, of what a miracle it is that we have a machine that washes our clothes for us.

3.  Xerox machines
File this under the small wonders category.  Claire was asking what they do the other day and I spent some time explaining it.  This caused me to think and appreciate what a miracle it is that you put one paper on top and then identical papers come out of the machine.

4.  Free activities
There are many free activities in our area for kids and we are thankful.  The kids even get excited when they hear the word "free" because they know it's something I won't say no to.  We've visited the Kimbell Art Museum's permanent collection several times this summer.  The kids like to talk about what is happening in the paintings.  It's air-conditioned and it's FREE!

5.  Mouse cars
Claire has requested that we attach ears and a tail to my Jetta, but it wouldn't quite be as cool as the Truly Nolen exterminator cars that look like mice.

6.  Songs that bring you back
For every season of my life, there is a song that reminds me of it.  Hearing the Dire Straits or the Eagles reminds me of quiet nights of dinner and playing cards with my family growing up.  Hearing the Toadies reminds me of the college nights Adam and I attempted to play pool at Gilligan's.

7.  The power to limit quantity and still be satisfied
On Saturday, we took the kids to Lone Star Park to see the horseraces.  We stayed for about two hours in the sweltering heat.  The horse races continued, but we were beat, so we went home and were satisfied.  Last night we introduced the kids to Slurpees with their own individual cups filled halfway.  Sure we could have stayed for every horse race and filled the kids' cups up to the brim, but then we would have had exhausted and cranky kids one day and hyper kids another.  Instead we had perfectly content children.  It's about quality, not quantity.

8.  Staying home
Yesterday we stayed home all day.  We took the dogs for a walk, played at the park, splashed in the kiddie pool, I scraped paint, we all went swimming in the big pool, painted our toes, read books, took a short nap, and a few other activities.  When it's so easy to be busy, it's also a blessing to be able to be at home.

9.  Sprinkler systems
This weekend our neighbor was watering his grass by hand.  I'm sure he was doing it for hours, but I didn't stay to watch the entire event.  I am thankful for our sprinkler system.  While it's fun to water my special plants, it's also nice to have green grass without labor on my part.  (Of course, Adam will argue that the green grass is plenty of labor on his part, but he's not writing this blog.)

10.   The power to say yes
We're certainly not lottery winners, but it makes me happy to be able to buy the children items they need and sometimes items they just want.  Claire had been asking for a tutu for about a month.  As a rule, I don't just buy her what she asks for every time because she often changes her mind and I don't want to waste money.  Last week I got her a bright yellow and pink tutu from Costco and she was tickled pink.  It makes me happy that Adam and I are able to purchase some items for the kids that they really want and all the items they really need.  When I was buying school uniforms last week, I said a prayer of thanks that we had the ability to get those, because they are not cheap.  Many families will struggle this school year with keeping their kids clothed in uniforms and we are blessed to not have that problem.

What I've learned recently

It is said that you learn something new everyday.  Usually, that's true for me.  Here are some things I have learned in the past few days.

1.  South Sudan is now its own country.
Since Sudan won its independence from Britain more than 50 years ago, there's been strife between the North and South, revolving around religious beliefs and natural resources.  There has been lots of bloodshed and tragedies amidst several peace declarations.  Finally the northern and southern parts of the country have officially separated, hopefully, leading to peace.

2.  Burnett Park has an awesome spiderweb climby thing.
Recently we were downtown and noticed this park.  Since the kids are into Parkour and Ninja Warrior, they especially liked the spider web you can climb in the middle of downtown.  We have now made two special trips to this park and then rode the free trolley around as well.  I don't think the trolley goes to the park, but if it's not too hot, you can walk to the nearest stop.

3.  You can buy individual serving packages of blueberries at Costco. 
Each pack contains only delicious blueberries, and for on the go in the heat, it's perfect.

4.  Kids' agendas are not the same as adults.
I took the kids to the zoo last week and asked them what they wanted to see.  Claire requested elephants and Paul requested a train ride.  From where we were standing, we started with the elephants.  I thought that would lead us through a trip through the entire zoo and then a ride back on the train.  Nope, just the elephants was all that was needed for Claire.  So we saw the elephants and then walked over to the train and then played at the indoor zoo playground in Texas Wild.  Both kids were completely satisfied and not concerned that we skipped the lions, tigers, bears, and nearly every other animal at the zoo.  I was dreading all that hiking in the heat, and we didn't even do it.  I often forget that their standards and agendas are different than mine.  They think outside of the box much easier than I do.

5.  The Wal-Mart greeters have free cookie stickers.
Yep, that cute senior citizen at the front door of Wal-Mart is holding out on you if they are not giving your kids the little blue stickers that say "free cookie."  If they don't offer, ask. 

6.  Buy school uniforms now.
When we registered Claire for school two weeks ago, the secretary said, "I'm going to give you some advice."  I was expecting something educational about how to prepare my daughter for kindergarten.  I nearly told her I knew it all because I was a teacher just a few years ago.  Thank goodness I kept my trap shut and listened because she told me not to wait to buy uniforms.  She said that if you don't buy them as soon as you see them, they sell out and are not restocked due to season changes.  The other day we grabbed some skirts at Wal-Mart and debated buying more.  When we went back to the rack five minutes later, they were gone.  Apparently if parents wait until the tax-free weekend in August, they're out of luck.

Thankful Tuesday

It's Tuesday again and it's time to count my blessings!

Today I am thankful for:
1.  Clerks that meet you at the door.
Standing halfway in the heat of the summer and halfway in the air conditioning, I am thanikful today for these people who greet you as soon as you walk in the door.  At Wal-Mart, few things are as exciting for the kids as the door greeter who sings to them and offers stickers worth free cookies.  At Costco, the kids fight over who gets to show the membership card to the door greeter.  At church, the kids can't wait to race to hug the senior citizen who is greeting that week.  Today I am thankful for the cheery door greeters that set the tone of entering a place with joy.

2.  Freedom for limiting social schedules.
Each day I make specific decisions about the kids schedules.  We could go to the zoo, the museum, the library, a friend's house, or 1,000 other possibilities.  With so many options at our disposal, I rejoice in the fact that we can set our own schedules and that we can say no when we don't want to do something or become overwhelmed.  Yesterday for the Fourth of July, our family stayed home together and started working on getting the house ready to paint.  The kids were in bed by 7:30 and I followed at 10.  We did fireworks on Saturday and I rejoiced that yesterday we had the freedom to stay home.

3.  Sharing clothes
Adam's godmother brought a sack of clothing that she couldn't wear anymore.  I love it when someone hands down clothes to me or the kids or when I am able to pass something along that someone else can wear.  It's like shopping for free.

4.  Surprise showers
Today on my way into church to work, Claire noticed that the sky wasn't as sunny as normal.  I agreed, but dismissed it because it wasn't cloudy, it just wasn't extremely bright.  A few minutes later I drove through a 30 second rain shower.  If I hadn't been paying attention, I might have missed it completely, but I was watching and got to enjoy the blessing of a summer rain, brief as it was.

5.  The power to make home improvements
Yesterday as I stood on a stepladder scraping paint off our house exterior, I was grateful that I had the energy to do it.  I am grateful that my arms can be raised above my head for long periods of time and that Adam and I both have the time and energy to paint the house.  Granted, we have only just started and I might feel differently in a few days.

6.  Sprinklers
While I was sweating it out scraping paint, the kids were in their swimsuits dancing in the sprinkler.  Millions of people around the world struggle with access to fresh water.  We are so blessed to be able to turn on the faucet for a drink, a shower, or even entertainment.

7.  Real life TV
On Sunday night, Adam noticed He-Man was on TV.  He recorded it so the kids could watch it and enjoy his favorite show from childhood.  Knowing that our children are active and hands-on, he had the brilliant idea of bringing the He-Man characters into the living room for the kids to play with while they watched the show.  What ended up happening was the kids tuned out of the show and began to make their own storylines with the He-Man figurines.  I love that our children's imaginations override their desire to watch TV.

8.  Sportsmanship
Last Thursday was Paul's last basketball game.  I was so grateful for the other parents who helped encourage Paul, by far the youngest player on the team.  I was grateful for his teammates who didn't seem to notice that he was a foot shorter than everyone else and not quite as coordinated.  I was grateful for his coach who assigned him playtime on an incoming ball again and again and never lost patience.  I was also grateful for referees who tried to teach the children to play fair and interceded when the ball was stolen from Paul.  Lastly, I was grateful for the single basket shot by my favorite three year old in the last game.

9.  Private fireworks shows
We love fireworks, but I hate crowds.  Several years ago, Adam started shooting fireworks at his uncle's house in Chandler.  It's in the country, so it's legal. As the years have gone by, Adam and his cousin John have gotten close to professional on their fireworks display put on just for the family.  No crowds to fight, and we got to go in the air conditioning as soon as it was over.  It was spectacular.

10.  Carpet cleaners
Last week we had two dogs that had some stomach issues.  When they were finally well, I steam-cleaned the carpet with my own appliance.  For just the cost of detergent, the carpet is fresh and clean.  Everyone in the house is grateful for that.

Thankful Tuesday

Aloha!  Welcome to Tuesday!  I've been up since 4:30 a.m. this morning, so my brain is wide awake and supercharged on caffeine.  From my bed, I was looking forward to coming to the computer to do this.

Today I am thankful for:
1.  Big toes.
My feet aren't very pretty.  They're large I run around the house barefoot, so they're not exactly smooth.  However, today (and yesterday I was thinking about this) I am thankful for big toes.  Not only do they hold me up, they provide a giant canvas for my kids' painting abilities.  Where would I be without my big toes?  Probably sitting down.

2.  Snuggling.
I am blessed to live in a house full of snugglers.  Whether it's a kid that got in bed in the middle of the night, a dog who wants to get close, or my husband, I love it when I'm lying in bed half asleep with someone against me.  This morning I woke up to find Capt. Midnight Sugar Dot Express curled up on my belly.  Snuggling makes me happy.

3.  Birds in the city.
We live in a city, so we've got concrete all around, but we still have tiny sparrows that hop on our driveway and cheep at me.  This morning I was walking Sugar Dot and I saw a male cardinal.  I love that in the midst of the city, there is still wildlife.

4.  Adam's brain.
While I have been eagerly working on teaching the kids to read and write, Adam has recently bought several tools to teach the kids about evolution.  That's something I don't know much about and I'm grateful that his brain can handle all that left-brained stuff.  I'm great at imparting curiousity about the world, and I'm thankful that I can often defer to him for the answers. 

5.  Children's prayers
Of their own accord, the kids stopped saying "God is great" and started making up their own prayers.  There's nothing sweeter than hearing Claire say, "Thank you God for the wonderful world and all our friends and all the food on our table."  or Paul saying, "Thank you God for all my friends that brought me birthday presents."  Yesterday Claire's table blessing included gratitude for her scrapbook kit, which she explained.  "Thank you God, thank you Spirit, for my scrapbook kit that we can stick letters on and order prints from Costco to put in my book with other decorations and bind the entire thing together in a book." 

6.  A healthy body
While I'm not winning any beauty contests, I am grateful that my body is fully functional and I've never had any major health problems. 

7.  Stickers
Last week I took both kids to the doctor for their wellness exams.  Claire had to have four shots and both children had blood drawn for lead testing.  Both kids screamed, but once they had fancy band-aids and a reward sticker, the pain seemed to be over.  Stickers are magic, just as magic as fancy band-aids.

8.  Beating the alarm clock
I can think of few sounds more annoying and dissonant than an alarm clock.  Today I woke up before I had to listen to mine.  It makes for a much more peaceful wakeup time.

9. Success in imparting wonder and appreciation in my kids
When I was growing up, my parents, in particular, my mother, loved to make fun of others.  I don't know how it started or why, but I was a participant for a long time.  As I grew older, though, I realized that I didn't want to be critical of others.  So even though, to this day, I can still hear her in my head laughing at those who are different, the voice stays in my head and doesn't come out my mouth.  What does come out of my mouth, for the most part, is intentional appreciation for those who are different.  For example, at church on Sunday, a lady wore an elaborate bright silver headwrap.  Claire said, "Look at that lady's head."  So instead of laughing about it, I intentionally directed the conversation in another direction.  "That's pretty cool," I said.  "I wish I had a silver headwrap to wear to church."  Claire said, "Yeah, that would be neat, like a princess crown."
Although Claire doesn't recognize that as a victory, I do.

10.  Perfect timing
This week I am thankful for all the times in the past seven days that we have made it on time to an event.  It takes a lot to get the whole family clean, dressed, and fed, and I breathe a sigh of relief and gratitude when we succeed.

Seeing a miracle

I saw a miracle yesterday and it lead to all sorts of theological thoughts and debates.
I was driving to church to take the kids to VBS.  We were about to turn onto Hulen street when I noticed there was a giant tanker truck in the middle of the road, stopped.  The truck looked fine, and I know there is not any road construction at that intersection, so I started paying attention to what was going on.  Then I noticed there was a Grand Prix underneath the tanker truck.  There was a car completely under the wheel well of this giant truck.  We all hear about tragic wrecks like this which usually end in death. 
But as I was looking at the car the miracle happened.  The driver's side door opened and the driver got out of her car and walked safely to the side of the road unharmed.
My mouth hung open and the kids were shouting, "What's going on?"  The Grand Prix was obviously undrivable and the roof had been partly crushed down.  But the lady walked out of the wreck unscathed.  It was a miracle.
So while the kids, in particular Claire, was saying, "Thank God she was okay," I thought about God's role in that drama.
I do believe that the lady should thank God that she is alive.  I'm sure she was.  However, I don't actually believe she is alive because she might have prayed in the accident or was favored by God.  I don't think it works like that.
I believe God has infinite power that he doesn't always use.  I don't believe that he looked at the lady and said, "Oh she's a Jesus lover.  She should live."  I also don't believe that in the same situation God would think, "Oh, she's a hellion.  Death upon her."
I believe that God stays out of the details but comes in with love at every turn.
My thoughts led to a theological discussion with one of my ministers, who told me he is mulling over the phrase "self-limiting."  God has infinite power but values human freedom so much that he chooses to self-limit.  Jesus is the ultimate example of God self-limiting.  The divine came down in human form, self-limiting himself (or herself or itself).
So if God created humans to fellowship with him, it's not really fair if he keeps swooping down to fix the bad stuff.  Instead, I believe he provides healing and love in all situations.  I believe that every time you feel love, you are experiencing God.
I do believe in miracles, and I also believe that in the grand scheme of things, my little brain will never be able to understand all of God's power.  However, humans are always asking why bad things happen to good people and this is one answer.

Thankful Tuesday

It's Tuesday again and it's time to be thankful!

Today I'm thankful for:
1.  Random statements of faith
As a person who is often caught saying, "Because I love Jesus" as a motivation, it makes me smile and often laugh to see other wackos who randomly spout their faith.  This weekend I saw a handwritten sign scrawled on notebook paper and scotch-taped to someone's bedroom window that said, "Smile.  God loves you."  I did.  I also giggled at the hotel marquee with the scrolling letters, "Cable TV.  Free continental breakfast.  Pool.  Jesus loves you."

2.  Naptime/downtime
Although we don't get to take a nap daily any more, I cherish the moments when the house is still and calm and everyone is at peace with the world.

3.  Vacation Bible School teachers
This week is Vacation Bible School at our church, which also means that it's the week that our niece Morgan comes to visit.  I've been hiding out in my office working on other things, but outside my door, I can hear the teachers patiently asking each child, "Do you need to go potty?"  One teacher is even working with a leg brace and I heard her shout today, "Slow down!  My runner's broke!"  That's pretty awesome when you can't even walk well and you are devoting your week to teaching children for free.

4.  Accountability friends
Recently I said complained to my friend Stacy about something petty and she said, "Really Sarah?  That's about the third time I heard you talk about that in three days."  Oops.  I am grateful for being surrounded by people that love me and also call me to task when I need it.  Adam is great at doing that.

5.  Mail
I never know what the mailman will bring.  It's always exciting when it's a card from a friend or a coupon to Kohl's.

6.  The easy-going nature of Paul's basketball team
It's Paul's first season in basketball, and I am grateful that every parent and the coach for his team is not competitive.  Obviously at three years old he's not going to be a superstar on the court, but every action on the court is supported with a high five or a "Go Paul!"  None of the parents on our team yell at their kids for not getting the ball or make otherwise negative remarks.  We wanted this to just be a fun time for Paul without any stress and it certainly is.

7.  Lightening
I woke up last night in the middle of the night to let the dogs out and saw a fantastic lightshow in the sky.  It was beautiful and worth losing sleep over.

8.  Hotdogs
They're portable.  They're easy to cook.  They can be eaten outside.  I like the carefree nature of the hotdog.  (I've been grilling a lot lately for all the birthdays we've had around here.)

9.  The end of birthday season
This past weekend was Father's Day and Paul and Adam's birthdays.  A few weeks before that was Claire's, and a few weeks before that was mine.  I am glad that our spring birthday season is over and we don't have any parties to plan for the foreseeable future.

10.  flickr
I'm in charge of maintaining our church's website.  The problem is, when I'm uploading photos, I have to create a new webpage for each image.  It takes FOREVER!  This weekend I noted that our new senior pastor used flickr for her former church.  Now I have created a flickr account for us and can upload all the pictures at once and simply put a link on our website.  It's fantastic!

Going Green with Grandparents

It's now hip to bring your own bags to the grocery store, to recycle, and to repurpose items.  "Going Green" is much in style.  This is not a new concept, however.  I believe that throughout human history, people have been "going green."  I know both sets of my grandparents did as they grew up during the Great Depression.
My maternal grandma has always been a saver and reuser.  She fills up her ketchup bottles with packets from restaurants.  She collects napkins and cuts them in half when she has company for dinner.  She freezes everything, including candy bars and bread.  I have witnessed her more than once dig through her kitchen trash to rescue a piece of plasticware that a careless family member threw away.
My paternal grandfather is also a person who has always been "green."  Recently at his house I saw him spraying nose spray on his eyeglasses.  I asked him about that and he informed me that when he ran out of nosespray he refilled the bottle with windex to clean his eyeglasses.
He doesn't cut napkins in half, but he uses them meal after meal until I sneak and throw them away.  He buys his mops at the dollar store, but still removes the mop heads and washes them rather than buy a new mop.
Everything is repurposed at my granddad's house.  An Ensure can doubles as a spittoon.  An empty juice bottle is refilled with water in case of emergency water cut off.  My deceased grandmother's glasses fit his face just fine.  Expired milk is drank up to a week later.  Frozen dinner trays are washed and kept like fine china.  Clothes are mended again and again rather than buying new ones.  He's always working on a handyman project around the house like using a hairdryer to melt PVC to mold it so it fits on the shelves in the bathroom.
I must say that both sets of my grandparents have rubbed off on me.  At our home, we sometimes have two 60 gallon bins full of recycling.  We repurpose unique packaging for crafts.  If bananas turn brown, I freeze them for muffins.  I have my own chest freezer full of oddities like bread and chocolate chips.  Rather than throw out leftovers, I freeze them before they go bad.
While I must admit I have giggled at my grandparents' ways more than once, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The apple doesn't fall far from the freezer.

Thankful Tuesday

It's Tuesday again, which means it's time to list what I'm thankful for.  What's great about doing this every week is that I start to be more concious of gratitude during the week.  I'll be in the midst of doing something and think, "Man, I have got to put this on my list!"

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Funerals
Yesterday we went to a funeral to say goodbye to Adam's distant aunt, Oma Greer.  This was our third funeral to attend in the last two months.  We love old people, and one of the downsides to being friends with lots of old people is that you have many funerals to attend.  We always make an effort to attend the funeral so we can see friends we haven't seen in a while and offer condolences to the family in person.  While it's great to send a sympathy card, in my opinion, it's better to give a hug in person.  We always take the kids with us, too.  While it is stressful to keep your kid quiet during a funeral, the mourning family always thanks us for bringing them.  It's comforting to them to see cute kids that care about their loved one.  It's good for the kids, too, to learn that death is a fact of life and that we should be grateful for each other while we can.

2.  Good books
This weekend I finished the latest Outlander novel, An Echo in the Bone.  Each book in this series is gigantic--about 600 pages each.  However, the author sucks you in and makes the characters so real that you feel like you know them.  I highly recommend Diana Gabaldon.

3.  Google Calendar
This year Adam and I put all our events on Google Calendar.  This solved many marital disputes about scheduling.  Adam puts his events on there and I put the family events on and we can check it from anywhere.  The paper calendar in the kitchen is now obselete, but we also don't argue about "When were you going to tell me about this party?"

4.  Small wonders
We got Capt. Midnight Sugar Dot Express Boyette his first tag the other day.  Petsmart has a machine at the front of the store that uses a laser to engrave.  All four of us were huddled in front of it, fascinated at the technology.  What I love about kids is that they bring a sense of wonder to everyday activities.  Sometimes we have to make a U-turn just to see road construction.  Other times we have to huddle over a small machine to watch it work. 

5.  Chick-fil-A
If you haven't had a Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit, you are missing out.

6.  Dallas Mavericks
What a fantastic series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.  Adam and I watched each game with excitement.  Yes, he had to wake me up when I fell asleep, but I was still excited.  We love watching sports where both teams are equally good.

7.  Adam's copy-editing skills
Adam reads the paper every day and gets frustrated at errors that the Dallas Morning News copy editors missed.  When he sees enough of them, he writes a letter to the appropriate editor and usually gets an acknowledgement of his correctness.  I am grateful that I have a copy editor that lives with me who can proofread everything I put to print.  (Except this blog, so if you see errors, they are mine.)

8.  Words with Friends
Yes, I'm probably addicted to this game, but it's pretty awesome when you put down two letters and get 30+ points.  Plus, it makes me feel smarter.

9.  Air-conditioning
We replaced our AC last Labor Day weekend, and we are so grateful.  I can't imagine living in a time when there wasn't air-conditioning.  I truly thank God every time I walk in the house and am hit by a burst of cool air.

10.  Cool Band-Aids
Nothing heals an injury as quick as a character band-aid.  Maybe a kiss from Mom, but it might be a tie.  I love giving the kids a band-aid and having them, instead of cry about their injury, start saying, "Awesome!  Lightning McQueen!"