My Dad

My Dad is one of my heroes.

He is a great man.
He is humble.
He is kind.
He loves people with a Christ-like love.
He is warm.
He is trustworthy.
He loves God.
He is faithful to God.
He is honest.
He is meek.

He is such a great man. I am grateful to have him as my Dad. I am grateful for his example in my life; for his goodness.

Sometimes it is said women marry men like their fathers. I think so. I think I recognized these great qualities in my husband. I had seen them before...in someone else wonderful. My Dad. Grateful for that. Grateful for great men in my life. Happy Birthday Dad. The big 65!!! You are the best!

Clever Marketing

Who could make a baby doll that poops seem desirable? Seriously? Isn't that the one part of parenting we would delete if we could? Baby poop? To think that people would purchase a doll that poops. Utter insanity. Really? You don't have enough to do in your life than clean up fake baby poop? Really?

OK. So they have done it. With clever marketing, they have created a doll: Real Surprises Baby Alive.

I thought that was so clever. Rather than call this doll, Annoying Pooping Doll, or Oh, I pooped again Baby, they have called the doll "Real Surprises". Are you kidding me?

OK. I have to admit. I am one of those foolish people who has purchased one. Shhhh. Maddie has been wanting a baby alive doll. So, we will be in for a few "real surprises". Not to be gross but I am a little curious what fake baby poop looks like. Hopefully it has a limited quantity of "real surprises". We shall see. I know you are dying for the update.

Benjamin's VIP day!

Benjamin had his VIP day at preschool today. Miss Theresa is the cutest teacher and the children just LOVE her. She knows how to make them feel so special. They sing a song, bring treats, get a special bag of treats (which includes microwave popcorn------which is the bomb for my kids). Anyway, we made a special poster for Benjamin that his class will have there this week. I love my baby Benjamin. Can't believe my baby is going to be five SOOO soon. Where does the time go? He is so precious to my heart. It was so cute. When he came home, Benjamin said this was "the best day ever."

 
 
 
 

The recession is so bad.............

I'm back to drinking water. Boo-hoo! That's when you know it's bad. Just kidding.

Human pain. Emotional pain. There is so much out there. Makes me so sad. Wish I could just envelop that pain and take it all away. So many choices available, so many ways to go. One choice happy for one, so sad for another/others. Complexity of life and human involvement. The human spirit is strong. God is looking out for each of us and loves each of us. He will find us in our pain if we reach out toward Him.

I am grateful for my job and all it teaches me.

So, I was out and about today with the three toddlers; 3, 4, and 4 years old. It is such a challenge, which is why I usually stay indoors at home these days. But we were out and about and this sweet, older woman saw them struggling and me struggling, and handed Benjamin a little Jesus doll. Tiny and cute. Then Dylan saw the action and requested a Jesus doll, too. Maddie saw what was going on, and also asked for one. The lady kindly pulled out one more little Jesus doll from her pocket. She said they (I am assuming at church) had been challenged to put Jesus back into the season more, and this is her way of doing it. How sweet is that! What a great reminder for our family. I appreciated this sweet older woman and her kind actions today.

And goodness knows we needed a little Jesus after enduring a long wait at the post office with the darlings!!!

3 Year Olds

are so freakin' adorable. We know what Dylan wants for Christmas. He told me he was getting me a big car (meaning a big car to speed across the floor) for Christmas and he told his Dad he was giving him a big, bouncy ball. How cute is that!!! Love my babies.

Kohls, Walmart, Target, and the gun store.

Would I have ever seen myself in a gun store? No. Would I have ever seen myself buying a gun? No. Well, I had my first buying a gun experience today. I had to fill out paperwork----stating I wasn't a felon, stating I was not a perpetrator of domestic violence, getting a background check. I passed---just so you know!!! The lady selling me the gun was having fun with me and told me I hadn't passed the BCI. Luckily, she was kidding. Anyway, the experience of buying a gun was sort of amusing in it's own weird way---and more than anything, I made a certain man I love very much VERY happy. YAY! The dreams black friday are made of! Kohls, Walmart, Target, AND the gun store. Who woulda' thunk. Laura in a gun store. If someone had told me this in 1990, I would've never believed them. Ever.

Ethan's bad luck day!

So, yesterday was a rough day for Ethan. He woke up, and before school, was sad about an incident that had happened in the past. I guess a while back, on the way home from school, a girl had run up to him and kissed him. He had no time to anticipate or deal with it. After the kiss, all the kids teased and made fun of him----including brother Brandon. Anyway, Ethan is sorta' an internal child and doesn't often complain, whine, or get upset. So when he does, you know it is serious for him.

Anyway, we talked through the situation, got him in a better place before school started and he went to school.

Well, I was shopping for Thanksgiving at the Smith's---after school. We (all five kids and I) were getting out of the car in the Smith's parking lot. All of a sudden, I hear this high-pitched voice screaming, "Ethan, Ethan....." We are not even all out of the car yet, so I get out, and am looking for who would be calling my Ethan. I look through the parking lot and spot a red-haired little girl. Ethan sees who it is and runs back into the car and hides.

I bet you can guess who was calling him. Yep, the girl who he had gotten tearful about in the morning. I mean, really, what are the odds of this happening. It is that same little girl who kissed him. Poor kid was absolutely mortified. I mean, full on mortification station. You should have seen his face.

So, it took a couple seconds to convince him to come out. He did, thankfully, as the three toddlers weren't about to stand patiently outside waiting for us.
So, we left and I was purposely trying to stay away from where this girl and her family might be. Of course, we missed the mark, and she comes up and greets Ethan. Luckily, he handled it with grace and we were able to move away quickly.

I had to laugh, the child has my bad luck. That would have been something to happen to me. I mean, of all days to run into this little girl at a store, that would be the day.

One day Ethan will be glad to have the girls chasing. But until then, if you see him hiding in the car, know there may be a little girl outside waiting to kiss him.

"You can't use the Noah/Riley trick on me!"

For years, as I am shopping and happen to come upon a Christmas gift for the kids that they want (and they are with me) I will put it in the cart to buy it. The kids assume it is for them, and I always correct them and say, "these are for your cousins Noah and Riley" (who are similar ages to Brandon and Ethan---so the gifts are gifts that would be appropriate for both groups).

This year, they are all on to me. Little Brandon (9) and Ethan (7) have both told me, "You can't use the Noah/Riley trick on me." Good thing I am still using it for Benjamin (4)! Ethan was snickering saying that Benjamin believes my "trick". I had to use the tricks on the robot trucks I bought for Benjamin and Dylan (which they found). Of course, I had bought them for Riley and Noah. Thank goodness there are still some "believers" in the house.