Tales From The First Grade

“Mom, somebody kissed someutherbody in school, today,” my seven-year-old said as he closed the car door.

“Oh, really?”  I said, turning to look at him.  “That’s not good.” 

“No it isn’t,”  he said emphatically.

“Kids in your class?” I asked.

“M-hm,” he replied.

“Did you see it happen?”  I pulled out of my parking place.

“No, they were in the tunnel slide.”

“Oh.”  I said glancing in the rearview mirror.

“No one should be kissing anybody else in school,” I said, hoping he would agree.

“Yeah, I know.  It’s gross… blehk!  And its DAAN-gerous,” he said in a grave voice, “

I stifled a laugh and made eye-contact in the mirror.  “Yes it is,”  I agreed.

Panning For Gold

My fourteen year old son would rather I didn’t hug him in public .  In fact, if I forget and reach for him, he’ll duck or wiggle or otherwise slink just out of reach (sniff, sniff). 

He’s at the age where independence is in, family affection is out, and mom and dad are mostly clueless. 

So, when he makes that rare (albeit unintentional) comment,  which reveals some facet of appreciation, it totally shocks my socks off makes my day!   

One such comment came last week.   We were discussing the dangers of posting personal information on facebook. 

He said to me, “Mom, some people are stupid.  They don’t think like you.” 

Did you catch that?  Not the part where he called people stupid.  But the part where I think he implied that I’m not one of them. 

Be still my heart. 

Savor the moment.  

File that comment!

Then it happened again the other day as the east coast prepared for Hurricane Irene.  We were saying how great it was that his uncle would be staying with Mom-Mom during the storm.  Her area would be hit hard.

Thinking out loud, my son said, “Yeah, that is good.  If my mom was alone, and a hurricane was coming, I’d come and stay with her, too.” 

Awwe, really?  Seriously?  Does anybody have a tissue?  What a sweet thing to say!

I think he forgot he was talking to me, his mom.  Lol!

But finders keepers!  Once those little gold nuggets leave his mouth, they’re mine to keep and tuck in my heart.  :) 

I’m proud of the young man my son is becoming.  I probably don’t say it nearly enough. 

Some Things Don’t Change

In 2009 I posted a beautiful poem called “Big Brother” along with this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The poem talked about how much a little brother looks up to his big brother.

BIG BROTHER

My little eyes are watching

All you say and do

And when I grow up big and tall

I want to be like you

My little ears are listening

To everything you say

I am learning how to grow up

To be like you someday.

So, be careful how you teach me

To be the person that you are.

You're a night in shining armor

You are my shining star.

-Author Unknown

Why am I reposting this? 

A few weeks ago, we took a hike at a local park, and I snapped this grainy picture with my cell phone.  I saved it because of the eyes.  Look at those little eyes, still watching. 

I think it will always be this way.  No matter what the age.  Big brothers carry a huge amount of responsibility simply because of the birth order God has placed them in.  Fair or not, it’s just the way it is.

I’m super thankful that my little guy has such awesome big brothers to look up to!  Even if those big brothers no longer like having their pictures taken.  :)

A Beautiful Song

Genny of My Cup 2 yours posted this Monday and hearing it was just what I needed.  I hope it blesses you, too.  Enjoy!

You are beautiful!

What Shall I Cook???

Do you ever go into Goodwill looking for something specific and come out with something totally different?  To me, that’s the joy and bane of Goodwill Shopping.  You never know what they’ll have on any given day.

I went into Goodwill yesterday looking for a particular book, and came out with this George Foreman Jumbo Grill.  I felt like a total thief!  Lol!  You can’t see the price, but it says $5.99.  Do you know how long I’ve been scouring Craigslist looking for one of these?? 

When I saw that thing on the shelf, I went into crazy shopper mode.  I immediately plugged it into the test outlets and parked my cart in front of the shelf.  No way was I letting someone else snatch it up!  I stood right there and almost (almost, mind you) giggled when I saw the display light up and felt the heat pouring on.  :)

And this one is huge!

I’ll be able to cook at least eight decent size burgers on this thing if I place them just right.  But even if I need more, it will only take minutes.  right?

Last night I cooked steak on it and was tickled with how evenly it cooked them.

But now I need ideas.  Lots more ideas!  What would be good to cook on my new grill? 

Tire Swings!

When I was a little girl, I spent hours on our tire swing.  It hung from a branch about half-way up on the old gnarly walnut tree by the crick. 

With a of couple hefty pushes, dad could have me sailing out over the crick in a lazy twist that had me whooping with delight.  Most little girls might giggle or squeal.  But I was more of a tom-boy.  :)

I can remember spending hours on that swing with the little boy my mom babysat.  One of us would be on the swing.  And the other would be pushing, or throwing walnuts into the pond on the other side of the crick.  We had so much fun!

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I shared with you a picture of my youngest son in a friend’s tire swing.  My boys all thought that swing was awesome and it brought back tons of fond memories.  So I asked my girlfriend where she got the tire, and she offered us one just like it that they weren’t using.  How awesome was that?

My husband and I walked the yard, looking for a good spot, and settled on a young oak in the back yard.

Then we went to Lowes and found a rope with the kind of braid that doesn’t come apart when twisted.  My husband called it a Sampson braid. 

When I did a search on what kind of rope to use on a tire swing, many sites said to use a thick rope (obviously!).  But none addressed what kind of braid to look for—and what not to use. 

And to us, the kind of braid is just as important as the strength of the rope.  You DON’T want a braid (like the one on the left) that can come apart or untwisted as the swing spins, leaving gaps.  A child could get part of his body caught in the loops--which could be serious—or even deadly.  I know of a young family who lost a son because he became entrapped in his tire swing.  And it will always break my heart to think about.

The rope on the right is what we chose. 

Since it stays nice and shady where we hung the swing, the boys and their friends can enjoy it even when it’s steaming hot.  Sometimes two at a time!  :) 

They love to spin. 

Sometimes they get to spinning so fast I don’t know how they can stand it! 

They are busy making memories.  :)

What is something you have fond childhood memories of doing when you were little?

The Grace Card DVD Winner

Congratulations to Miss Sarah!  You have won the DVD Grace Card!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

Mob Mowing

We’ve been cracking up our neighbors lately.  (Probably over more than we know!!)  However, those neighbors freely admit that they’re jealous.  :) 

Over what? 

Our mob-mowing.  The two older boys and I all head out at the same time to tackle the lawn.  A job that used to take me 5 hours to do alone--takes just over an hour with all of us working together!  

It gets a little crazy when we all converge in the front yard.  But it makes it that much more interesting trying to find the last patches of tall grass without running into someone.  Or something.  :)

Sometimes, my husband even gets on his mower to join us. 

No wonder people laugh.  WHO has FOUR lawn mowers?  ALL mowing at the same time?  Our redneck addiction to lawn mowers is showing, isn’t it?

The only casualties of our mowing-mayhem have been several flowers, one small evergreen (don’t tell my husband) and a slithering snake who slithers no more. 

But seriously, the boys may not always feel like going out and helping, but they have done a great job!  And I really, REALLY appreciate it.  

Mowed-down flowers and all. 

There is something very rewarding about working together as a family.  Sure it’s helpful to us.  But it builds and reinforces a good work ethic in them as well.  What better way to learn responsibility than to work side by side?  Plus, these guys can be a hoot.  Incidentally, don’t they look like twins in this picture?  My middle man in the back even said, “Hey, how did you get two B---’s in the picture?” -–referring to his brother.  Lol!   

‘The Grace Card’ DVD Review And GIVEAWAY!!!

This is one of the most powerful movies I’ve seen in years!  It is both deeply touching, and inspiring.

It’s the story of two men and their families.  One man’s tragedy drives him to fill his heart with rage and hatred, causing his family to fall apart.  The other man’s calling asks that he offer grace and forgiveness to someone who hates him—something he struggles to do.

Although there are several intense scenes (it is PG13), I didn’t feel it was too much for my 7 year old.  In fact, it has given my husband and I a great opportunity to talk about the importance of offering grace to those around us—even those who hurt us.  Not because they deserve it. 

But because God offers it to us and it is the right thing to do.

The theme of grace and forgiveness is so skillfully and compellingly woven throughout this film, you can’t help but be inspired.  What if we all offered the kind of grace shown in The Grace Card?  --Even to those who hate us?  Or to those who look or act differently than us?  It could literally change lives. 

---

The Grace Card (HD Trailer)
- YouTube

We thought it was a great film!

And the best part?  Leave a comment on this post and you will be eligible to win a FREE copy of the DVD for you and your family to enjoy!  The winner will be chosen (using Random.org) and announced this Friday.

If you are interested in a more detailed review, PluggedIn has a great one posted.  You can also learn more about the film here.

Fine Print:

I received a copy of ‘The Grace Card’ DVD free of charge to review.  However, when I agree to do a review, I give my honest opinions, whether good or bad, no matter the offer.  Because I know you want the truth!  :) I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Beautiful Sight!!!

After 22 straight days of over 90 temps, and not a drop of rain for even longer, you couldn’t cross the yard without stirring up dust.  So when the corner of a storm actually delivered this downpour, we were pretty excited.

In fact, when we heard the rain on the roof, we all bolted to the porch to see if it was really happening.  The boys danced in circles and let it soak them to the bone.  I would have done the same, but someone had to snap a picture!  :)

Rain just isn’t something we take for granted anymore. 

We’re supposed to get storms tomorrow.  In fact, the forecast said we have a 70% chance of strong thunderstorms.  That’s a better percent chance than we’ve had all summer!!  I hope they’re right!  We can use every drop we get.

We won’t be here to see it, though.   We’re taking the boys on one last day trip before School starts next week. 

But I plan to put a bucket out so we can see when we get home if we got any rain.

Is there anything you find that you don’t take for granted anymore?

Have a great weekend, friends!

A Quote For Today

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be
tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to
work, instead of living on public assistance.”

Cicero - 55 BC ( Extremist -- Must be a Tea Party member!)

A friend posted this on her facebook status and I couldn’t resist sharing it!  :)

Have a great Thursday!

Mirror, Mirror…

Our pastor’s sermon this week was entitled “American Idols—Preventing good things from becoming God things.” 

It’s easy to marginalize idolatry.  Since there are no statues in our closets, and our living rooms are alter-free, we’re good, right?

But what about our hearts? 

Unfortunately, forms of idolatry can (and do!) exist today—even in well educated and modern hearts, and we needn’t travel to tribal villages to see it.  We simply need to look in a mirror, and ask ourselves some questions. 

And this is where Pastor Ken challenged us to go beyond the obvious.

What do we run to for refuge?  In what ways to we try to find peace of mind?  And where do we retreat to when we want to feel safe?

Could it be an area of our lives where we feel we do pretty well in?  Where people rarely criticize us?  Where we like to be involved because it’s a “safe” haven for us? 

I hadn’t thought of it like that before.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:2

Have I let talents or gifts become my refuge?  My place of fulfillment?  My means of validation?  Good question.

Dear Children, keep yourselves from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

1 John 5:21 (NLT)

I’m not sure if I conveyed the idea properly.  But what do you think?  Is it possible to use our gifts and talents in such a way that we rely on them for things God wants to provide? 

Obviously, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.  :) 

It’s thought provoking—and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Birthday Fun!

My little guy turned 7 yesterday!  Can you believe it?  Of course you can.  You’re not in denial like me.  :) 

He had his best friend from school over for the afternoon. 

Both boys are shy.  However, I think my guy takes the prize!  For the first hour, trying to get him to show his friend around and play with things together was like trying to stuff a cat in a pet carrier.  His mom and I were cracking up.  We KNOW they were inseparable at school last year.  And they ask to get together ALL the time! 

Too funny!

They were really only just starting to talk and play together three hours later when it was time for him to go!  And, of course, then they begged for more time! 

Later, we had the family birthday party where he got to open his presents.  This poster was a big hit. 

  

And so was a LEGO Star Wars ship which his big brother had preassembled for him.  He was absolutely THRILLED!

For three years, I’ve been referring to him as my “little guy” here in blog land.  But he’s growing so quickly, I may have to come up with a new name! 

Until then, I’ll just have to find ways of making the “little” part work.  :)

Like, posing him strategically.

I think even I would look “little” next to these sunflowers!!