The Nose Knows again...

My Mackenzie's nose knows how to do a pretty creative "trick" if you ask me...

I have yet to find another individual who can do this...although Kylie comes about the closest!

It is not like I am going around asking everyone on the street or anything. But, I AM going to ask YOU...does YOUR nose know how to do this?

Curious minds want to know... :-)

If the cereal fits, strum it...

To Caleb, ANYthing and EVERYthing can be turned into a guitar or something to do with drums! He is constantly banging, singing, and strumming...whether he has some sort of "prop" or even just an "air-guitar" or an "air-drum set"!!!

But, this morning, he surprised us a bit with his latest "creative instrument"!!

While this may LOOK like two frosted shredded wheat stuck together to most people, to Caleb it was much more than that.

It was much more than just his breakfast. It was much more than just some cereal.

You guessed it...it was his new "guitar" for the moment!!!!

Shout it from the mountain tops...

Well, IF we had any mountains (or even hills for that matter), I am sure that Kylie WOULD have been shouting her big news from today from the mountain tops...she was telling EVERYONE we saw at church this morning...

What is her big news, you may ask? Well...I will let her tell you (although she did get a little "shy" for the camera!)!!!

Kylie has been waiting to turn 5 1/2...so she was so excited to FINALLY be there today!!!

So, to "celebrate" her today, I thought that I would let you "into" the mind of my five-year old as I ask her some questions here...plus, it is fun to see how answers change to the same questions over the years...

Me: What is your favorite thing about being 5 1/2 now?

Kylie: I get to do stuff that Chloe does. (Chloe is her 4-month older best buddy!)

Me: What is your favorite Bible story?

Kylie: Moses because God told him not to touch the burning bush. And, I like the story when Jesus dies on the cross for our sins.

Me: What is your favorite thing to do in school?

Kylie: I like to write in my journal.

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up? Why?

Kylie: A doctor because I like to help people.

Me: What is your favorite thing to play/do?

Kylie: I like to play pet store, play Little House on the Prairie, color, play doctor, and draw pictures.

Me: What are you most thankful for?

Kylie: My Heavenly Father and that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

Me: Who is your favorite Mom??

Kylie: YOU!

What else is she supposed to say to that???

Happy 5 1/2 birthday, Kylie Joy!!! Although we always tell you that you can't keep growing up and getting bigger, it still happens!!! You will always be my "baby girl" though!!! We love you lots!

He is ALIVE!!!

Happy Easter from our family to yours!!

Wishing you all a very blessed and joyous Easter today with your families celebrating that our Savior LIVES!

Luke 24:6-7

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 11:25-26

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

Deck the Eggs with lots of fun things...

Fa la la la la, la la la la

With lots of accessories that Grandma brings...

Fa la la la la, la la la la

Get the glue sticks, paint, and stickers...

Fa la la la la la la la la

And some candy for the finger-lickers...

Fa la la la la, la la la la

:-)

Thought that I would throw in some Christmas tunes since it is SNOWING here today...two days before Easter!!! ARGH!

Anyway, as you can tell, the kids had a WONDERFUL time going over to Grandma's today to do some fun egg-decorating! She had everything all ready and prepared for a very enjoyable morning for all!

Here is what each of the kids said was there FAVORITE thing about the egg-decorating fun they had today!

Mackenzie: "Putting the sequence on the eggs."

Kylie: "Just coloring them and spending time with Grandma."

Caleb: "Putting the sprinkles on...and eating the sprinkles too."

Thanks, Mom, for taking the time to have the kids over to do this today!!! They had a blast...and always love spending time with you! Thanks for being such a loving, fun, creative, and relational Grandma...I am so thankful for you and all that you do!

So, from all of us...We love you!!!

Bringing up Boys...

A little while back, Kylie and Caleb were playing together fairly nicely when I went in to "check on" what they were doing.

Kylie informed me that they were playing when Jesus died on the cross. She was "Jesus" and Caleb was the "bad guy" who was putting "Jesus" on the cross. They were talking about how Caleb was putting the nails in "Jesus'" hands and tying "him" up on the cross.

Caleb then said with much expression and joy in his face, "And, then I shooted Kylie...it was SO funny."

Should that make me afraid?? :-)

Where does this "boy" fascination with shooting and swords come from? We are not hunters and have no guns in the house...nor have we ever talked about shooting others (in fact, I don't like guns AT ALL). I really don't think that Caleb really knows what shooting even means...but, it is amazing how poles, blocks, lego creations, (you name it) can become some sort of "shooter." Of course we don't encourage that (shooting in general)...but, I can't believe how it just is such a "boy thing"!!

It is just so interesting the difference between girls and boys. The girls never ever were intrigued by shooting, swords, or guns. They never picked up a random toy and turned it into something that shoots or pokes like a sword. Not that they play with every toy the way it "should" be played with (they are good at being creative and having toys be played with in different ways...just not "shooters")! And, in true boy-fashion, Caleb loves to wrestle, loves to bang on any and everything, and just loves to be loud!! He is just SOOOOOOOOO "boy"!!!

I am reading "Bringing up Boys" by James Dobson right now. And, I have so much to learn about raising a son!! It has been a great book and has been an encouragement to me (he talks about how it is normal for boys to play swords/guns and want to be the "protectors"!) and a challenge to me as well as I try to connect and relate to my son! What a great calling and responsibility we have as mothers and fathers of young boys to raise them up and train them to be solid, responsible, caring, strong MEN of God. Not something that I take lightly!!!

Oh, Caleb...you bring so much joy to our lives!! But, buddy, please just try not to do your "stunts" (AKA jumping) off of your dresser anymore, OK?

:-)

What happened???

I USED to be such a "morning person." I would get up early...maybe even work out or go for a run.

I USED to always get up before Pat. He was more the "lay-in-bed" type...getting up last minute; where I would be the one to get up earlier than him.

Then...something happened.

I am trying to remember exactly WHEN everything changed. But, I can't quite put my finger on it. It just happened.

Now, Pat gets up EVERY morning before me. I am the one laying in bed...trying to get that last minute "shut-eye" before the kiddos wake up and my day is filled with three little people of which NO ONE takes naps anymore. I usually don't sleep much at all once I hear Pat's alarm go off. But, I still lay there with the HOPES that maybe I will get some more sleep. And, honestly, I am just too darn tired to get up!!!

I think that since having kids, my sleep patterns have been some what disturbed. I can't remember the LAST time I slept through the night. And, it is not because of my kids. My kids are really great sleepers now...they hardly EVER wake up in the middle of the night. However, after years of being used to waking up with young ones and babies, my body still just wakes up. And more often than not, I have trouble falling back to sleep (which also happened when I would wake up with my kids!)...

So, I like to "blame" my need to lay in bed on the mere fact that I just don't sleep that great at night sometimes.

And, I also know that after having Caleb (and having three kids in three in a half years), my body has just been tired. And, I can't seem to get my FULL energy back!!!

BUT, I also know that there is just some lacking "self discipline" as well...I really COULD get myself out of bed if I really WANTED to!

And, I know that I COULD go to bed earlier as well...and that would probably help!

So, although I don't really know WHEN this all changed in my life, what I DO know is that I really would like some of that old "morning-person" gal to come prancing her way back into my life.

I am working at it...

But, sometimes, bed is just SO comfortable...

:-)

How about YOU?

Are you a "morning person" who bounces out of bed, ready with a big "to-do list" checked off before any one else in the house even wakes up? Or do you like to linger in bed until the last minute or until you hear the footsteps of your kids down the hall??

Teacher-We-See

Last night, at church, my kids (along with their best buddies) had their first, real "celebrity-sighting"...

Did Bob the Builder make an appearance? Dora and Diego? Strawberry Shortcake? The Disney Princesses?

Although all of those famous TV characters would be true "celebrities" in the minds of my children, they got to meet a different TV-character in their lives!!

They got to meet their "math teacher."

I know, I know, I homeschool...so, aren't I supposed to be their math teacher??? Well, technically, I am...I DO teach my kiddos math. And, unfortunately, since my kids see me every day, I am NOT the "celebrity" that they got to meet.

They got to meet Mr. Steve Demme, the founder and creator of a math curriculum called Math-U-See. And, why he was such a "celebrity" to my kiddos and their good buddies is because with this curriculum comes a DVD that the kids get to watch at the beginning of each new lesson. The DVD shows Mr. Demme teaching their new math lesson to a group of students. So, since Mr. Demme is seen ON the TV, he has become a true "TV-celebrity" over here!!!

He was in town for our state Homeschool Convention...and was the speaker at an event geared for Dad's last night at our church (Pat attended and said that it was great). So, before the event started, Lori and I brought the kids over to meet Mr. Demme and take some pictures of the kids with him!

The kids were SO excited...they had spent part of the afternoon making him cards. And, how sweet he was to them!!! He took the time to read each card, meet each kid and chat with us as well. What a great guy...and really, what a great math curriculum...both Lori and I have loved it!!!

Here he is drawing the kids a map of where he lives...

Giving Chloe and Kylie a "horsey-ride"...

All six kids with Mr. Demme...

How fun it was! :-)

OUCH!!!!!!!!!

Last night at church on our way out, Kylie had a little "run-in" with a corner of a wall. And, not just ANY wall, but a BRICK wall.

Never in my life have I seen a bump turn blue SO fast. It was actually kind of scary to me. And believe me...Kylie has had many bumps and bruises in her day! I am so surprised that we haven't had to go to the ER with this girl in the past five years of her life! In all of her "zest" she sometimes gets ahead of herself without fully watching where she is going (which is what happened last night...she was busy watching some other kids and turned right into the wall!).

The poor thing was in so much pain!!! There were lots of tears on the way home from church.

And then, after looking the mirror before bath time, the tears started again. Only this time for a different reason. Kylie SAW the big black and blue bump on her head. And, through the tears, I found out WHY she was so sad. She said sobbingly, "I don't want to have this bump on my head when I wear my Easter dress!!"

She is a true "girl" isn't she???

It looks a bit better today, but here is the little "reminder" that we have of Kylie's "meeting" with the wall...

Fighting off STRESS with a capital "S"...

Stress is SO real...but, sometimes I wonder WHAT it really is!!! It is such an intangible thing... and so different for each person it seems. So, I looked it up...

"Stress" (as defined by dictionary.com) is "physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension."

I don't know about you, but for me, when I look at that definition, there is no "OR" in my definition of stress!!! When I am stressed, it affects me physically AND emotionally AND mentally!!!

And, lately, I have been feeling some "stress."

Now, nothing terrible is happening in our lives. But, there are just lots of "little things" that just add up and build up - enough to create some real feeling of STRESS!!!

Work is crazy for my hubby...there are major transitions taking place at church (Pat is the youth pastor there) and we are losing half of our pastoral staff (2 pastors are leaving/retiring) come May. So, that means MUCH more work (including preaching) will be put on his plate. Heaped on top of the busyness he already has with work and going to school (he is taking Seminary classes through Moody Bible Institute). Busy stuff. And, busy husband, means busy family at home too.

I have been concerned about my Kylie...and that always brings me stress. I just love her so much!! We have started her on a new medication/supplement that is supposed to help give her body a substance that it is depleted by one of the medications that she is on. We are almost a week into it, and it seems to be helping a bit in giving her energy and more "life" that usually is so "her"...so, we are thankful for that!

Homeschooling really has been kind of tough lately. I think that I am just feeling a bit "burnt out". It could be "spring fever" and is probably a combination of many things. But, nonetheless, it has been tough in some different ways. So, thinking, praying, and trying to decide for next year has really been on my heart and mind...and creating some STRESS as well!!

Anyway...all of these little things just really "add up"!

What do you do when the stresses of life "build up" and you are feeling overwhelmed???

Sometimes, I just don't know what to do...but, here is a list of some things that I found "helpful" today as I was fighting off some "STRESS"...with a capital "S"!!!

Scripture - God's Word is always a necessity for all of my life's situations! I don't know what I would do without the comfort and peace that His Word brings!

SUN - Isn't it always refreshing to have the sun out??

SPRING - It has been so nice to FEEL the warmer weather and see some of the snow melting away!!

Sweats, Sweatshirt, Socks, and Shoes - There is nothing like a revitalizing RUN...outside!!

Shedding tears - Yes, something that I am good at!!! :-)

Space - Having a little "break" from the kids this afternoon (thanks, Lori, for taking them) and having some time to just be refreshed!

Shock-a-Cone Cold Stone Ice Cream - Enough said. Nummy stuff...I just had some a bit ago...it truly is the BEST! :-) If you have never had this ice cream found in their pint size containers, I would HIGHLY recommend it.

Oh, the stresses of life!! They are just inevitable while we are here on this earth...aren't they? I am sure glad that we have a Heavenly Father to cling to through life's challenges and trials...and a promise that He will carry us through with His strength...

Isaiah 40:28-31,

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Mirror Image...

While we were driving along as a family the other night, Caleb, out of the blue, started this little conversation...

Caleb : "Daddy, when I get bigger, then I am going to have your gloves."

Pat : "Oh, you are, huh, buddy?"

Caleb : "And, I am going to have you coat and your hat too. And, when I get bigger, then I am going to have your hair too, Daddy."

(Little chuckle from the front seat)

Caleb : "I am going to have your eyes too, Daddy. And I am going to have your nose. And I am going to have your mouth. And, then I am going to have your ears. And I am going to have your arms and your legs..."

Me : "Caleb, do you really think that you are going to be just like Daddy when you grow up?"

Caleb : "Yep...I want to be JUST like my Daddy."

And, he truly, truly does. He so loves his daddy and so looks up to him in EVERY way. It is so sweet!! And, because of this great love he has for his dad, most of the time when Pat is home, it means that Caleb wants not much to do with me. His mom. His ONLY mom. The woman that carried him for nine months and the one that spends all day loving him and caring for him...

*Sigh*

But, that is OK...I have cried my tears at his "rejection" and I really am OK with it!!! :-) No, really, it warms my heart to see my son SOOOOO loving his dad and wanting to be like him!

Thank you, Pat, for being a WONDERFUL father and a great example for our son to look up to! I pray that Caleb DOES turn out to be just like his daddy. He will make one girl very blessed one day - just like you have blessed MY life!!!

Daylight's "Deception"...

I don't know about you, but I really love Daylight's Saving. Not because I enjoy getting an hour LESS of sleep, but more because I love more sunlight into the evening...I love that longer days are eventually coming...I mean, this DOES mean that spring is coming SOON, doesn't it?? (Although, with all of the snow that we got here today, it certainly doesn't feel like it, unfortunately!!)

However, I don't always love transitioning my kids' schedules to the new time change!!! I will admit that as they get older, it has gotten easier. But, I will also admit that I am not very laid back when it comes to my kids' schedules. I like them to get to sleep at the same time each night (other than Wednesday nights when we have church activities)..only because we have found that if they DON'T, they are huge CRABS the next day and I "pay" for it!!! So, getting to bed at a good time is a high priority over here...because my kids NEED their sleep!

Anyway...being that we have been run-down lately, and not really wanting my kids to "lose" an hour of sleep, we did what we do every year in the spring at Daylight's Savings. We turn our clocks ahead in the evening at supper time. So, what was really 5:30, was 6:30 on our clocks...

Mackenzie, who is my "stickler" for routine and never likes to venture too far on the early end of her typical bedtime (around 8:00), would not have been excited about going to bed at 7:15 tonight (to try and counteract the "loss" of the hour - plus, everyone is just a bit run-down over here!).

So, what was REALLY 7:15, LOOKED like 8:15 to her. And her comment was, "Wow, we are going to bed a bit later tonight, huh?"

Hmmmmmm...something like that...

:-)

Sisterly Love...

Sometimes "sisterly love" manifests itself like this...

"MOM!!! Kylie is trying to climb up on my bed again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

As scripted, I come into the girls' bedroom only to see Kylie standing on the ladder of the bunk bed with a little smirk on her face. She knows JUST how to "push buttons" to get under Mackenzie's skin.

Or this...

"MOM! Mackenzie's foot is on MY half of the couch!!!!!!!!"

Now this time I come in only to find two sisters having a kicking match. Yes, dangerous, I know. But it happens sometimes.

Siblings sure learn very quickly what it takes to "get under each other's skin," don't they?

However, in the midst of the sibling rivalry, there are some moments when I see "sisterly love" manifest itself like this...

Although it might be hard to tell exactly from the pictures what is going on here, as you can see, my Mackenzie is laying on the couch. Yes, she was sick. We were "hit" with an interesting "bug" this week. I had it Monday night/Tuesday. Kylie fell prey to it on Wednesday and Thursday. Mackenzie had it yesterday.

So, in these pictures, I captured a little "moment" of my Kylie wanting to help "take care" of her big sister. It was really sweet...she was so concerned for her. She went to Mackenzie and kept asking her what she could get her. More blankets? No, she had enough. Something to drink? No, she had some water. She finally got a "yes" when she asked if she could heat Mackenzie's rice pack up.

So, Kylie went over to the microwave (which she had permission to do...I was watching and listening to this conversation), and pushed the time needed to heat up one rice pack, waited patiently, and excitedly brought Mackenzie what she needed.

Although sometimes there can be lots of moments of siblings antagonizing each other and fighting, and I can sometimes wonder if being together all day long, EVERYday really is "good" for any of us, I know that the Lord is using this time together for deep bonds of love and care to form.

My two girls, although as different as night and day, are really such special buds! It warms my heart to see them wanting to care for each other and be there for each other!!!

So, even though sibling rivalry does occur in our household (way more often than I would like!), there is also "sisterly love" that occurs as well...at least sometimes!!! :-)

This is my prayer for my kids as they relate to each other and to the world around them...

1 John 4: 16-18, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

Bang. Bang. Bang.

What I listen to ALL. DAY. LONG.

Banging. Loud singing. More banging. More loud singing.

Non-stop.

Did I mention it is NON-STOP??

OK...maybe that is a bit overboard. It isn't ALL day long, really. But, if we are home, you can bet that Caleb can be found creating this little drum set for himself.

Sure these little "stainless steel" pots and pans were SUPPOSED to be used for culinary play fun. However, they rarely get used for that. Caleb is too busy creating a rock band to let anyone do any "cooking" with those babies!!!

And, screwdrivers...sure they are good for fixing things sometimes...but, most of the time, they just make great drum sticks!!!

What can I say...the love for "rock n' roll" truly lives in his heart.

Oh, how I pray that the Lord uses this love for His glory!!!

"Boy Grandmas"...

This weekend we were at my parents house spending some time with family (my sister and her family were in town briefly...too briefly - it went by too fast!).

At one point, Caleb was acting kind of tired, so my mom said entered into this little conversation with him...

Grandma - "Caleb, why don't you come and cuddle with Grandma for a bit."

Caleb - "No, I want to cuddle with Daddy." (He truly is SUCH a "Daddy's boy"!!)

Grandma - "How about you come and cuddle with your GRANDMA?"

Caleb - "Grandma, I need to cuddle with Daddy because boys cuddle with boys and girls cuddle with girls."

Grandma - "Oh, Caleb, boys can still cuddle with their Grandmas, they can always cuddle with Grandma."

Caleb - "No. Boys can only cuddle with their BOY Grandmas."

Hmmm..."Boy Grandmas"...never heard of THAT before!!! :-) Oh, the things that kids say...

Here is Caleb hanging out with his "Boy Grandma" (AKA, Grandpa) this weekend...

Make a Joyful Noise...

Yesterday, Mackenzie enjoyed the opportunity to perform at church (actually during the morning services) doing a little musical with the Elementary Kid's Choir.

What a great experience being a part of this has been for her! She LOVES to sing and has so loved being able to come together with other kids from church, learn new songs and put actions with these songs, and just have an organized outlet to SING!!!

Each child gets a CD to take home and listen to the songs and practice them...oh how I wish that I had a dollar for EVERY time that we listened to that CD. I am pretty sure that I could pay off our mortgage if that was the case...(OK, maybe a bit of an exaggeration there!). :-)

Anyway...here is a little "clip" and some pictures from her fun time...she even had a little duet with her friend, Madelynne!!! :-)

"Monkey see, Monkey do..."

...or at least "Monkey see, Monkey WANTS to do"!!!

Mackenzie's best little buddy, Madelynne, got glasses a little over a week ago (she looks so adorable in them!).

And, Mackenzie thought that it was so cool. Sooooooooo cool, that she decided that SHE needed to maybe get some herself.

So, last Saturday while I was gone for the day, this was the note that I came home to from my dear daughter...(and btw, this note is SO "Mackenzie")!!!

Never mind the fact that her eyes are great. NO troubles at all. And, she knows that. We have talked about it...done our "at home" eye exams and taken the exams at the doctor's office. Everything is perfect.

But, I guess when one "monkey" needs glasses to see better, the other friend "monkey" wants to as well...even when no glasses are needed!!!