The Milk Shake King

Yesterday’s Orthodontist’s visit went so much better than I thought it possibly could! 

I had my doubts when we arrived at the office.  My son was nearly beside himself with dread, and ooooozing with bad attitude.

When we were called back, the staff was so incredibly “cheery” I thought he might actually come unglued.  Poor guy.

The very-happy-lady polished his teeth and inserted the cheek retractors, and I had the fleeting thought that perhaps my husband should have accompanied him. 

Oh. My. GOODNESS.  His little cheeks were stretched beyond what any mom should have to see.  And all the while, the very-happy-lady asked him questions he couldn’t possible answer. 

I (instead) answered kindly, all the while hoping she wasn’t noticing the huge rolling his eyes were doing.  Completely around the top of his eye sockets. 

To have him knock it off, I had to give him a look of my own.  Which brought only another roll of his eyes.

By the time the Orthodontist came to set the braces, I was pretty certain my son was at the end of his good humor (as if he had started out with much to begin with). 

That is, until I noticed his tongue doing a little open air dance in the middle of his ridiculously wide lips--for the benefit of the little mirror he held in his hands.  I about snorted right there in the middle of my conversation with the staff.  It was just so absurd looking, which apparently was something that appealed to the boy in my boy.

That’s when I knew he was going to be O.K.   

Although he worried at first about what his friends would say, I think he is past that now.  Our pool party (see the picture above) was the best thing in the world for him.  It not only distracted him from the pain, it gave him the chance to see that his friends had nothing but compassion for him.  They actually thought it was pretty cool!

It will be a while before he is ready to venture off his soft diet (of mostly milk shakes).  And we are alternating between Tylenol and Advil to keep the pain at a minimum.  But his attitude has improved tremendously. 

I’m SO proud of him! 

We actually dissolved into giggles tonight as I attempted to help him with the twenty minute cleaning routine.  I think he is going to be just fine.  :)  Thank you, Lord! 

 And thank all of you for praying!

Once the pain isn’t so fresh, maybe the Milk Shake King will feel comfortable enough to let me post a better picture.

Tissues, Party Hats, and Milk Shakes

Isn’t this lily beautiful?  We brought her with us from Pa when we moved to the Midwest 6 years ago.  She is evidently liking her new home.

I’m feeling kind of sentimental this morning.  Just shy of a basket case, actually.  My boys are at school finishing up their final day for the year. 

For my oldest, it is his FINAL day of elementary school.  For my middle son, he will officially become a fifth grader. 

Whew!  There are so many mixed feelings swirling around inside me.  I can’t decide whether to  take a box of tissues or a party hat to their talent show this afternoon.  Maybe both?  Definitely my camera!  Lol!

Yet, as happy a day as today is for the boys, tomorrow’s orthodontist visit is standing like a shadow in the back of our minds.

By this time tomorrow morning, my oldest will have his herbst and top braces in place.  His teeth have been very sensitive because of the spacers.  So I have no doubt that tomorrow will begin a very painful and trying couple of weeks of adjustment for him. 

The herbst appliance will force his bottom jaw forward as he grows. 

If you are new to my blog, this is what the appliance looks like, along with the top braces:

Rather intimidating…

I would SO very much appreciate your prayers for him.  That he will adjust quickly.  That he would be patient with himself as he figures out how to speak with it, and chew, etc. 

He will be on a soft diet for a week or two.  So I’ll be buying stock in the ice cream industry to keep him fed.  He has already been practicing his technique for making the best shakes, which his brothers are happy to taste test for him.  Naturally.

The treatment coordinator encouraged us to keep Tylenol and Advil on board, and to keep him busy.  To distract him as much as possible. 

So we are keeping our plans to attend a celebration party with a few of his friends and their families tomorrow night.  And taking tubs of ice cream, of course!

If you have any other ideas for distractions, I would SO love to hear them.  I have a feeling, I’ll be scrounging for ideas.

Thanks for being such a supportive group of readers!   You guys are the best, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  I may not be able to post an update tomorrow.  But I will try to let you know how things are going over the weekend.

Tea…For your Roses

Have you ever wondered why English homes in the movies have such beautiful rose gardens?  Maybe it has to do with their love for tea!

I read recently that roses (and other plants) love the tannic acid found in tea. 

(Unlike my red roses, this is the one and only bloom I have among several small sickly yellow roses.)

To encourage lush healthy growth in roses ( or ferns, etc), I read, try sprinkling some tea leaves around the base and then water.  Or, brew up a batch of weak tepid tea and use in place of water to water your plants. 

Sprinkle with tea once a week until the plant is brought back to health.  Then, continue your watering schedule as normal, serving tea as an occasional treat! 

Wow, how easy is that??  And all for the price of some tea bags!

I’m off to have a long overdue Tea Party with some of my more sickly roses.  Only it is incredibly warm and humid out there, so I think I (personally) will stick to iced tea!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

For more great tips, visit Works for Me Wednesday at We are That Family.

A Beautiful Thing

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

1 Timothy 1:15-17

Visit Wordless Wednesday

Memorial Day Weekend

For us here, Sunday looked like the better day weather-wise.  It was to be hot and humid, but mostly sunny.  So we planned our outdoor activities for that day. 

After church, the boys went out and had a major hose war washed the car.  It really needed it and what better way to get cooled off??

Some water even got on the car!  And lest you feel pity for the the youngest water rat, don’t.  He was having the time of his life drawing out hose fire!

After drying off, we played several games of croquet.  It is a game we used to play often at family gatherings growing up. 

So a few years ago, we picked up two sets off EBay and now enjoy playing with our own kids.  It is a fun game which doesn’t take a crowd of people.  :)

By the time our corn and burgers were done, it had started to rain.  So to complete our cookout, we moved our little table from the back patio area to our small front porch.

It turned out to be a really relaxing day, which we ended with a movie.  We all need those here and there. 

Yesterday was even more-so relaxing.  Our internet connection was down, it was raining outside, and I was FORCED to get lost in a good book.  Lol! 

What fun activities did your family enjoy? 

Mission Accomplished

Yesterday, we had a visitor come down our chimney, and it wasn’t Santa.

My little guy and I have become quite practiced at getting wayward  birds back into the great outdoors. 

Blue Birds, especially, are frequent chimney guests at our house in the spring.  I guess they are exploring nesting locations and can’t get back up the narrow pipe.  He’s fluttering against the glass stove door in the above picture.

Our Bird Rescue Plan

My son (who is usually beside himself with excitement) closes all the curtains and doors to the rest of the house, while I darken all the lights.  If I can’t nab a bird, and it escapes the firebox, it generally flies towards the only source of light—the open front door.

Oh, we also feed the cats on the front porch, to keep them occupied.  We’ve had some near CATastrophes on these missions that probably shouldn’t be detailed.

This was one of those times the bird got away from me.  (Drat!)

He fluttered against the ceiling before finally getting lodged behind the microwave, then flying off again.

After ten minutes of trying to corral him towards the open door, he finally landed between the pillows on my window seat.   

I guess he had exhausted himself, because I was able to creep up and nab him.

On the way to the door, my little guy begged to take a picture, and although I had reservations (remember he is four), I said O.K.

That was pretty interesting, actually.  He’s never touched the camera before and  so I had to coach him through how to hold and it, and which buttons to push, etc .  All the while trying to hold on to the squirming, chirping, CAT-attracting little bird.

After several pictures of my elbow, and one of my knee, he captured the picture above.  Not bad!!  Maybe he’ll be a professional photographer one day!

Once the bird flew into the wild blue yonder, my little guy settled into his favorite Editor-In-Chief perch.  On my shoulders.  And we loaded his pictures.

I’m thinking I should list him as a team member on my blogger profile! 

If you are interested in other Creature related posts, or you want to play along, visit Camera Critters!

Have a Wonderful Weekend!!

Hooked on Clematis

I’m not sure a picture can do these vines justice.  But they have absolutely blessed my socks off.  The wonder and beauty of God’s creation is strikingly evident in their rich display. 

For the last week, I’ve been Hooked On enjoying them every chance I get!

Operation Aborted Issue With Internet Explorer

Many blogs are having this problem. If you pull up my blog and get a box that says "Operation Aborted" and it cancels loading my blog, just click okay and then hit the back arrow. You may have to do this twice, (or more) but then my blog may remain up.

Blogger is looking into the problem.

It appears that blogs with the gadget "Google Followers" have this issue right now. If it isn't resolved by tomorrow, as much as I hate to do it, I will remove the gadget and see if it helps. 

Thanks for your patience!

Update:  I removed the Google Friends Gadget and it seems to have solved my problem.  I’m hoping Blogger is able to correct the issue quickly so I can reinstall it.

A Tween in My Kitchen

These ham and cheese omelets are special.  They mark a change of enormous proportions in our house.

Because, they were made by my 11 (and 3/4’s)  year old  SON.  All on his own.  To share with me.  Just because.

I’m thinking someone snuck in when I wasn’t looking and swapped my first little baby boy for this…this…what?  That is both the question of the day, and the heart of the change.

• My oldest son is not really a child any longer.  But he isn’t an adult yet, either.  And technically, he isn’t a teen.
• He doesn’t shave.  But he needs deodorant.
• He helps run the bath for his little brother.  But he hates to brush his own teeth.
• He wears my shoes.  But he doesn’t like to take the trash out after dark.
• He’ll gladly help a stranger.  But he moans and groans at helping his parents.
• He’ll wear only certain clothes.  But he could care less if he combs his hair.

In short, on any given day, he randomly acts in such a way as to make me wonder just how I should be parenting him.

I’m trying to develop a habit of looking him straight in the eye, keeping my mouth closed, and waiting.

Waiting for him to either make the right choice.  Or correct a bad one.

I do realize that I could be waiting FOR-EVER.  But somehow, I think the rules are changing on me.  I can’t simply pull out a spoon and threaten his little behind anymore.

Tonight is the Fifth Grade Graduation Program.  I’ve known it was coming all year.  But the significance of this year’s end didn’t hit me until I saw him.  In the kitchen.  Making eggs.  Not looking like a child at all.

I’m really and truly about to become the mother of a Junior High School Student.  Aren’t I?!  (Ready, or not.) 

I’ll let you in on a secret.  I’ve always shied away from working with the Junior High groups because they make me strangely uncomfortable.  Yet, this boy is mine.  And I’m pretty sure God isn’t going to step in and save me from the next few years of craziness. 

I am INCREDIBLY THANKFUL to have God on this ride.  Thankful that He already knows the new rules.  And that He’ll be patient when I mess them up. 

My son is teaching me, as much as I am teaching him.  We are both being stretched, and I have a feeling there’ll be lots more stretching! 

Because, (Lord have mercy!) there’s a tween in my kitchen!

    

Like Hotdogs??

Oscar Mayer is mailing out coupons good for a free pack of Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks! Go here, and enter your email address and mailing address and that’s it!

It took me less than a minute. I don’t know how long the offer will be posted. Thank you Budget Helpers for the heads up!!

Update: It looks like this deal ended at midnight last night. Thanks, Candace, for letting me know.

All in a Day…The Faces Of My Little Boy

 

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit Five Minutes for Mom.

Make a BIG Statement with this Birthday Decorating Idea!

We recently celebrated our middle son’s Tenth Birthday.  Sigh.  How could that be?

Anyways, he is one who craves the fuss.  Without family in the state, that isn’t always possible every year.  This was one of those years.  And since the birthday fell in the middle of the week, it made it even tougher to make the actual day special.

So after he went to school, I was racking my brain trying to think of what we could do that would make a statement to him that he was loved and important.  (Nothing like procrastination.) 

Balloons always pop before the party can begin.  Note:  There were four balloons attached to the light post, and five to the mailbox.  You just can’t depend on them…or maybe they just don’t like ME!

What I came up with spoke to the entire neighborhood!!

I took different colored electrical tape (yes, they make it in all kinds of wonderful colors!) and transformed my garage doors into a giant sign for all the world!  (I smudged out his name to post this picture)  You should have seen his face when he got home from school!  It was priceless!!!

I also put tens on everything from the mailbox, to the basketball hoops.  I even decorated our benches and shed doors. 

He was wildly excited.  And he felt special.  Sigh.  Job accomplished.

My only caution if you do this would be to not leave it on for too long.  Some of the tape goo may choose to stick.

But a little Goo Gone will make short work of it if it does.  However, if your mailbox has old paint, don’t tape it.  We now have silver tens waiting to be painted.  Oops!!

Making stand-out birthday wishes is just plain fun!  Perhaps a little TOO much fun…Lol!  My husband asked if he had any tape left…:)

Now, don’t forget to head on over to We Are That Family to get your fill of other Works For Me Wednesday tips!

Edit:  I forgot one more tip!

The Sunday before the big day, we picked up this CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE (OH MY GOODNESS RICH) cake from the Walmart bakery case and they decorated it for free.  The soccer balls got a little smashed by the lid.   But it beat a sheet cake hands down—both in price and taste!!!  

(I smudged his name with photo shop to post a picture.) 

He absolutely loved it!!  And so did I, naturally.  :)

Rust Reformer

Maybe I’m the last person in the world to realize the existence of a product like this.  But just in case I’m not…

Rust-oleum makes a product called Rust Reformer that does wonders for your rusty junk—if you have any, that is!  WE have plenty.

This rusty old umbrella stand was one of the things I used it on.

All you do is remove flaky paint, wipe off dirt and grit, and spray it on.  It goes on black.  

As it says on the can, Rust Reformer converts the rusty surface to “a protected, painted surface!”  Then you can paint it like normal with whatever color you want!  My husband said it actually causes a chemical reaction.  Cool, eh?

I can attest that it doesn’t just cover the rust.  It does, indeed, stop it! 

And, no, I’m not getting paid to promote this product.  However, if a Rust-oleum representative were to thank me with a free can, I would probably do a little dance!!

One can goes a long way since you only need one coat for it to do its magic.

The partial can I found in the garage (left-over from refinishing the tractor and mower deck last year) treated:

1. the umbrella stand,
2. two full-sized basket ball goal poles and their hardware,
3. a three-seater metal lawn swing AND it’s frame,
4. and a five and a half year old dent on my right front car fender (which always seems to be on the bottom of our priority list to fix.) 

And it still has a fair amount left in the can!  I can’t say enough to the credit of this product.  It’s a frugal-minded, rusty junk keeper’s very best buddy.

I believe we purchased our can up at ACE Hardware (for around 7 or 11 dollars??)  But you can probably find it anywhere they sell paint.  I’m sure Lowes has a version of it.

It sure beats buying new stuff—or spending gobs of time sanding and cleaning rusty stuff to paint! 

If you are looking for more great ideas, don’t forget to check out these meme’s today.  If you have a tip or idea you want to share, why not join in the fun and leave your link there, as well?

 

Happy Tuesday!

Soccer Scenes …and a Confession

With two weeknight practices, and two Saturday games (all a 35 minute drive away), soccer has been playing piggy-wiggy with our time.  Sometimes finding time for homework and meals is a challenge!  

This is their 3v3 team.  Three boys and two girls.  My two are up on their knees.

It’s funny, I don’t know if I told you this, but the first time my boys laid eyes on the two small girls joining their team, they looked at me with that look.  You know,the look that says, …aw no, girls??

However, those girls have some serious foot skills and my boys quickly changed their attitude, if not their tune.  In fact, those girls have been prolific scorers in the games so far!  Lol!

Here’s a fun picture of my middle guy taking a shot on goal.  You can just make out the blue ball under Number 3’s left arm pit.  I can’t remember if this shot was a goal or not.  (My oldest is playing defense in the background.)

Through it all, my youngest has become a reluctant soccer fan.  Although excited and attentive at first, I think the sheer volume of time we spend at the field has taken its toll. 

This is the little guy.  Can you guess what he’s doing?  He’s playing Mario Kart on his DS.  I say, whatever keeps him close-by and out of trouble is just fine with me!!! 

And now, before I say one thing more, I have a confession of bad mothering to lay out before you.  (As if you weren’t already doubting my mothering skills for letting my four-year-old submerse himself in a video game.)

This past Saturday, our games were an hour and a half apart and it was rainy and yucky.  So sitting in the car between games, I caved to the back seat masses crying for food and we headed to McDonalds for a quick bite of lunch. 

Do you know where this is going?  Of course you do, because you would have been much wiser than I.

The second game was a killer.  They faced players on the team heading to nationals and were forced to sprint back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth.

My oldest stayed on defense, fairly well  planted by our goal.  But my middle boy was running his heart out. 

Then I saw him put his hand on his stomach and begin to show signs of trouble.

About 4 minutes into the second half, he just barely made it to the side of the field before he unloaded his lunch at the coaches feet.

Oh goodness!

What was I thinking???   Why did I cave to those cries for fries?  I felt like a bad mom who should have seen this coming. 

My son was embarrassed and felt like the whole crowd was watching him.  But I knew better.  They were all watching ME and wondering what kind of mother stuffs her boy with fries right before a game.   

But it was too late.  Live and learn, I did, as I led him to the bathroom facilities.

And pray for a cleansing rain before the next teams played!

On a positive note, the remaining players only lost by one goal.  A real accomplishment, if you ask me. 

Haikus For the Day…

For over a week, computer problems have plagued me and taken me utterly and completely off line (gasp).  First it was ISP troubles, and then our own server crashed. 

Thanks to my husband’s hard work and long hours, our server is once again breathing, albeit still on life support, and awaiting further surgery from the doctor. 

Three hard drives have been toasted, the network cards are confused, and my passwords are no longer remembered. 

Ooooooh, the cruelty of it all!

Sadly, the  latest version of my favorites has also vanished.  Have you ever been through this headache? 

As I type, my computer is enjoying a tenuous link to limited information and a very slow connection.  Sounds like how my brain functions most days!  Lol!

Seriously, though.  My Favorites are my lifeline, and I count on this here machine to remember all kinds of things for me.

My Favorites file is the map for both my cyber and real life travels…The connection to many friends…  The “go-to” source for everything from severe weather alerts to soccer practice announcements. 

I feel like I’ve broken down along the road and forgot my cell  phone—along with all the numbers I ought to memorize or write down!

I dare say I’m a mom who leans (too) heavily (perhaps) on this all too fallible connection to so many helps.  It makes me mighty glad our prayers can bypass technology and fly straight to a Help that never crashes!  YES??

Still, my mood is kind of like the soggy day. 

And I wanted to show you just how soggy things actually are around here.  So I walked out into the icy cold water (in my bare feet, no less) to take a picture a basket ball which is lying in the three inches of rain water still blanketing a third of our yard. 

But you’ll have to imagine it, because it seems my computer can’t yet remember how to communicate with the portable card reader.

On the positive side, my husband was able to retrieve my photo files!  So, although I can’t yet get pictures from my camera to my computer, I haven’t lost priceless family photos, and I can still share pictures I had already uploaded and planned to share, like this white iris which started her show last week. Anyway, I’m reminding myself that it could be far worse!  Just the fact that my husband can work at getting things back online is a blessing.

Starting all over is no fun, though.  Simply no fun at all.

So while I am sorting through files, searching for links, and trying to pull myself and my machine back together, I thought I would share these haikus with you.

On this side of the crash, I can appreciate their rye humor.

And be amused that they, of all things, survived the major memory dump I’m now realizing.

 

Windows NT crashed.

I am the Blue Screen of Death.

No one hears your screams.

Yesterday it worked.

Today it is not working.

Windows is like that.

Serious error.

All shortcuts have disappeared.

Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

A crash reduces

Your expensive computer

To a simple stone.

Three things are certain:

Death, taxes, and lost data.

Guess which has occurred.

Stay the patient course.

Of little worth is your ire.

The network is down.

If you’ve wondered what was up, now you know.  I’ve missed you guys and will be busy trying to repopulate (and back up!!!) my favorites once again.  I hope to find and visit you all again soon!

Have a great Thursday!

One Step Closer

Last week, the orthodontist took molds of my oldest son’s teeth.  Then they installed spacers to make room for the caps.

The Herbst will eventually be attached to the caps.

For the first three days of having the spacers, his teeth were sensitive and he avoided chewing.  But by the 4th day, he was back to eating what he wanted, and the pain had all but disappeared.

Things he found easy to eat were:  Yogurt, applesauce, pudding (lots of pudding), scrambled eggs, shakes, and ice cream. 

We were told to be careful about hot or cold extremes, though.  Sometimes teeth become sensitive to temperature extremes during adjustment periods. 

Later, once he has appliances glued to his teeth, he will have to avoid icy cold things (like popsicles) because we are told it can cause the glue to fail.

This morning, he had the spacers removed, and his teeth were fitted for the right size caps.  The lady had a tray of caps, and she simply tried on a bunch till she found the right fit.

Then she took more molds of his mouth with the caps on.  My son found this to be a pain, his words, and uncomfortable.  He has a really strong gag reflex. 

He says having things put in his mouth is as awful as writing(something which he absolutely loathes to do!).

He will be free of things in his mouth for two weeks.  Two more glorious weeks. 

Then, the day after school leaves out, we will go back to have the Herbst fully installed.  I don’t know if installed is the right word, or not.  But he will come home with it on.  Then the fun begins…

What Says “I Love You”…

…better than a black snake with red eyes??

Nothing, when it’s your ten-year-old son doing the giving!

To join in the fun, visit  A Thousand Words Thursday!

Ten Years Ago…

I’m thankful, this Thursday, to be a Mom.  A mom to three children, two of which have reached double-digit age.  Holy Cow!

So this post is for my middle child, who just turned ten.  TEN!

I remember the day you were born as though it were yesterday…

Nearly two weeks late, I was (way) more than ready to meet you.   

I awoke from a restless sleep, having tossed and turned with sporadic contractions, and wondered if today would be your birthday.

Half-way through a shower, our sewer began backing up, and your father called for service.  Since the tank lid was buried and he wasn’t sure where it was, he began to dig in the back yard, in hopes of having it exposed by the time the truck arrived.

By 10:30, your dad was covered in mud, knee deep in a pit.  And I was pretty sure today was indeed going to be your birthday. 

When I asked him how much longer, he offered me a shovel to speed up the process.  Sweet.  That would have been cute, if I could have seen the ground beneath my belly!

My bag was already packed.  It had been for a week.  Since both the doctor, and a technician, had confirmed you were a girl, I had a tiny pink outfit tucked in the top.

While your father continued to dig, your brother (20 months old) and I walked the yard, watering the flowers. 

The pains in my belly continued.

By 11:30, the sewer truck had arrived. 

I had my bag in the car, and Grandmom and Grandpop were on standby to receive your brother. 

Although the pains were still sporadic, they had begun packing a punch and I was ready to offer the sewer guy whatEVER help he needed to wrap things up.

It was 12:30, before I finally had your dad showered, in the car, and headed for Grandmom’s.  In spite of the fact I was practicing my breathing with a white-knuckle grip on the door handle, your father had to stop at Nuse’s Deli.

“You know, once you get to the hospital, they aren’t going to let you eat, and it could be hours,” he said.   “I feel like a chicken sandwich.”

With that, he parked and helped me (literally) into the deli, allowing me to pause on the sidewalk for a contraction.  Chicken sandwiches it would be. 

By 1:30, we dropped your brother off at Grandmom’s, drove to the hospital and had barely gotten checked in before the nurses were scrambling to find a stand-in doctor.  Lol!  Hours, my foot.

Imagine our surprise when the doctor announced, “Congratulations, you have a baby…boy!”

I looked at your dad and laughed, “No WAY!  Let me see!”

Sure enough, you were ALL BOY!

God loves surprises and you were the best gift he could have given our family.  We just needed to find a blue outfit…

…and a boy’s name, of course.  Lol!

You and your brother kept me hoppin’ those first couple years.  But, looking back, the time passed in a heartbeat.

I can hardly believe you are ten!

I see God working in your heart every day to make you the young man he wants you to be, and I’m so proud of you.

And thankful He gave you to us.

I love you! 

Happy Birthday!

Connection Woes

For the last few days, our internet connection has been spotty and slow.  I fought it for a while this morning.   But after losing several posts, I finally gave up.

They (IBEC) are working on it, but still aren’t sure what the trouble is.  I’ve spoken to several neighbors and it’s apparent that the entire neighborhood is under the same cloud.  That’s it!  Maybe it’s the rain!  It sure makes me not want to work.  :) 

Maybe I’ll try to start one of the books I got out of the Library two weeks ago (before I have to return or renew them!).

Anyways, I’ll try to catch you up on the happenings around here once I have a more stable connection.

Until then…

Blessings

Mother’s And Father’s Day Gifts They’ll Cherish

Bookmarks, personalized with pictures of the kids or family make wonderful gifts in themselves, tucked in a card. But they also add a personal touch to any books you give as gifts.

I posted this in December as a Christmas Idea.  But if time allows, I’ll also be making a few for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to tuck in cards and books.  They’re inexpensive to make and can be as simple or elaborate as you choose to make them.

We use scrapbooking paper so they won't fade, and then I pick out some fun pictures from the year to print out. I try to pick out pictures that will have significance for the person receiving the bookmark.

For the grandparents, photos of the boys and us are perfect.

For friends, I pick pictures of our families playing together, or photos of places we like to go together.

Scrapbooking tools come in handy, but you don't need them. Plain scissors and glue will do just fine. Stickers, if you have them, are a fun touch.

When I have the bookmarks together, I take them to the library (or UPS Store) to get them laminated. Then, I punch a hole in the top, and make some tassels to loop through, and they're done!

For the tassels, embroidery thread makes them look classy (and I like classy), but you can use yarn, ribbon, or even choose to leave them as is.

Each year, the boys make some for themselves, too. They love having a personalized bookmark to take to school, and if it encourages them to put their nose in a book, I'm all for it.

Last year, my oldest made one with pictures of the family and his favorite place to visit, the Dayton Air Museum. It turned out really cool. He drew pictures of his favorite planes on the back side.

One year, I made one for my husband that had pictures of the boys on the front, and a favorite verse on the back. He still keeps it in his Bible.

I've made a few (O.K…. A LOT of them) for myself, too, of course! But when you are talking about something that combines the joy of reading with pictures of my kids, I simply can't stop!

This year, my four year old got in on the fun and made a Thomas and Friends one using family pictures and Thomas stickers. Once I get them laminated, I'll slip his into the Thomas the Tank activity book I got him for Christmas. He'll love it! He is always looking at the ones I keep in my Bible during church.

If you need a good book idea to tuck them into, Grace For The Moment Morning and Evening Edition, by Max Lucado, or The Purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren, would make beautiful choices! Seriously, Grace for The Moment is a twice daily devotional that I absolutely love. If my certain engineer hasn't yet gotten the hint, I would really, REALLY, love to have a copy of this for my very own...

Check out other frugal ideas this week at Works For Me Wednesday, hosted by We Are That Family!

Need a Long Distance Mother’s Day Gift?

1800Flowers has a large selection of beautiful flowers (and plants) and shipping seems reasonable.  Plus, if you want to purchase two gifts (and the total comes to $59.99 or more), you can get $15 off.  Just use the code MOM at checkout.

But if you want to do it, sooner is better.  If you wait and want to have it shipped Friday or later, you’ll pay handsomely for it.

I fell in love with this little rose and decided it was just what I was looking for!  Both my mom and my mother-in-law will be getting one this Thursday.

It’s a surprise for them, unless they see it here first!  :) 

3v3 Soccer: Our First Two Games

My little guy supplied the resistance for my two older boys as they warmed up Saturday.

Our first two games in the 3v3 club were scheduled for 10:30 and 1:30. 

The rain canceled so many practices and other games, that we had yet had to meet the rest of the team, and the boys were a little apprehensive.

Once the team was gathered, the boys took one look at the size of the three “little kids” that made up the rest of their team and they gave me one of those looks.  Two girls and a boy.  All a good head and shoulders shorter then either of my guys.

But seconds into the game, it was apparent to all that those “little kids” had SKILLS!  Lol!  Their foot skills were phenomenal!  It was a delight to watch them play.

It was also a delight to see our boys glance at us with looks of surprise and admiration. 

Yet another lesson learned in judging others!

Halfway through the second game, our little guy found this bug.

Although he didn’t want to touch it, he was delighted that his daddy picked it up to show me.  Tell me it doesn’t look like a little Soccer Ball!  Lol! 

Anyways, after playing regular soccer for the YMCA, the boys had to work on adjusting to the differences in 3v3.  Here, the focus is on player skills, not the game itself.  So there are differences when it comes to how the game is played. 

First off, the fields are much smaller.  Probably only a third, or half, of the size of regular soccer.

Secondly, the goals are smaller.  VERY small, in fact.  I cringed as the first couple shots on goal made by my guys went sailing over the goal and nailed a talking spectator in the shoulder.  After the second shot, she moved… 

Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt.

Thirdly, all out of bound shots need to be kicked in.  Not thrown. 

And Finally, the goalie is not allowed to use his hands.  That was hard for my guys to remember.

There are probably many other differences that we’ll learn as we go.  But all in all, this first day was a fun one, full of learning and adjustments.

It doesn’t hurt any that they won both games.

Promises and Plans

This pretty rainbow filled our sky a week ago, a reminder of one of God’s many promises.  With all the rain we’ve gotten, and all we are supposed to get, I’m glad for reminders such as this!  Lol!

God never changes, and His promises are as good today as they were when He gave them.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to  harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

My oldest son is finishing up his last year of elementary school.  (How can that be??)  I mentioned that we had middle school orientation, didn’t I? 

While touring the school building in a large group, I sidled up to him and his friends to ask a question.  He stared straight ahead and said, “This is me not seeing you…I don’t see you standing there.”

He’s lucky he saw me giving him a ride home. 

This morning, he had his first real orthodontist appointment in the series that will end with the application of his Herbst, and braces.  He is already feeling a little sore with the spacers in place. We decided to go with an orthodontics office that is closer to home  (than the one we had our first consult with).  I’ll write more about our experience as we go.

It would be easy for me to worry about what the next two months of orthodontic appliance adjustments will entail. 

Or to worry about how he will really fare in the middle school mayhem. But God knows the plans He has for him…

Jeremiah 29:11 is true for him.   

My nine-year-old turns TEN this coming Wednesday.  How can he be hitting the double digits already?  Although he isn’t flapping his wings of independence quite as eagerly, he is still growing up in so many ways. 

Yet, he often lets himself sway with the breezes of peer acceptance, and rejection.  It's easy to worry that he’ll forget that his significance has nothing to do with his friends--and everything to do with being an adopted son of a loving God. 

God will walk us through these shadowy places because Jeremiah 29:11 is true for him, too. 

Even my four year old is growing up fast.  My husband reminded him to be good this morning before he left for work, and the little guy looked him right in the eye and said, “You be good, too.”  Indeed.  Are you being good, Honey? (giggle)

He has one more year at home with me.  Just one?  But then he, too, will head off to school where teachers and friends will surround him.  It’s easy to worry about whether he’ll be ready for school.  (Especially since he is our baby.)  But Jeremiah 29:11 is true for him, too.

Although our roles as parents change with the seasons of our children’s lives, God’s love will remain constant and ever present--even when we are not (present).   He  will continue to work out His plan to prosper them, to give them hope and a future. 

So, they have much more than imperfect parents to see them through the challenges they’ll face.  They have an almighty, loving God.  With Promises and PLANS!  Great plans, Amen?

So instead of worrying about any of my children today, I’m giving them over to Him.  Again. 

And thanking Him for His promises and plans. 

And…

I’m going shopping!  I have a birthday boy to shop for!

Happy Friday, friends!