Conference

And the correct guesser was (drum roll please....) My mom! (She commented on Facebook in case you were wondering.)

My conference this morning was for Josiah. Mrs. Phelps, his teacher, is a doll! And she really cares about her students. I am so glad that Josiah has her as a teacher. I requested the conference because I, if you'll excuse me while a brag, because Josiah is just to darn smart. The little guy taught himself to read while he was in preschool. (Of course it was because he wanted to be able to play on the computer without needing help. But that is besides the point.)

Now, I didn't want to come off as one of those parents. Remember I used to be a teacher. Those parents are the ones that think their child is the smartest child since Einstein. (Yeah, right, Einstein didn't speak until he was three or four, Josiah was reading by then . Just kidding!!) I just wanted to make sure that he was being challenged so he wasn't becoming a disruption or distraction for the rest of the kids. Have I mentioned how much he loves to talk? I had visions of him finishing work and then talking to his neighbors.

But, thankfully, Mrs. Phelps has it all under control! Yay for good teachers!!!

First Parent Teacher Conference of the Year

Tomorrow 9:00. Any guesses as to which child it is for??

check out this blog!

LOVE IT!!!!!!

Disappointment

I don't usually post here about political things or television. But I am greatly bothered by a new show on F0x. It is a show that I really really wanted to like. You have to know that I am pretty much a geek and LOVE music. I love singing. Any guesses? (And I am really excited about the new Fame* movie coming out this week.)

I really really wanted to like Glee*. REALLY! I'm married to a music teacher! And I look just like the actress who plays the wife of the show choir director on the program. (Okay, not really.) The first episode I liked a lot. I thought the Celibacy Club thing was little tasteless, but that's okay. Something I could overlook.

I've been so saddened by the turn the show has taken the last two weeks. I don't need to watch teenagers singing about sex, engaged in sex, etc. Okay, yes, I know that lots of teenagers have sex. That doesn't mean I need to watch it. I am even more saddened that we, as a society, have condoned this behavior by turning it into entertainment. I am angry that the target audience of the this show is obviously, as evidenced by it's 9:00 time slot, teenagers. I am angry that the teenager girls in the "Celibacy Club" use sex to control the behavior of the teenage boys. I am angry that praying to Jesus (in the first episode) to remain celibate is seen as a joke. I am angry that what could be a wholesome family show is what it is.

I am saddened that some Christians I know think that this is wonderfully written and funny. I personally think that a teenage boy 'servicing' adult women that he works for is not original or funny. I am saddened that the network thinks that we (the general public) are not smart enough to enjoy a funny, well written show that isn't smothered in gratuitous sex.

Maybe I have offended you, or made you think. All I know is that this is not what I would allow my children to watch at any age if they are living in my home. Because I don't want them to find it funny or to think that this behavior is okay. And it is not what I want on my television if Jesus should come back tonight.

7 Years Ago...

A Princess joined our family!

Not Again!

Remember Barf Fest a few weeks ago? Well, other than Ella having a cold a last week, we've been pretty healthy.

But then, last night Charis started running a fever. Yes, Charis. The one who never gets sick! I should have seen it coming when she came home from school, turned down a snack and took a nap in the middle of the living room floor. NOT the safest place to lie down in our circus. The kids kept running through, narrowly missing her head while I cringed and cried out warnings.

She skipped dinner, but by about 7:00 the Tylenol/Advil cocktail she was on kicked in and she was feeling well enough to start to pick on the other kids. (I wonder if it is considered child abuse to NOT medicate your child for a fever?)

So, once again, my grand plans for today are rearranged. But that is okay.

AND on the good side, I found my keys!! Of course they were in a place I had looked at least two other times. I think the kids were moving them around just to drive me crazy and I finally just lucked out and came across them before they moved them again. I am sure that several of you were up all night wondering about my keys, so I thought I would put your mind at rest so you can sleep tonight!

Things I Have Found While Looking For My Keys

1. The missing umbrellas
2. An attachment to the vacuum cleaner (one is still missing)
3. The floor of the closet
4. A lot of dust.
5. Missing books.
6. A diaper bag (haven't had anyone in diapers in a couple of years.)
7. The missing hair brushes (a blog entry unto itself.)
8. Glow in the dark bracelets
9. 5 headbands, so far....
10. Where one of my precious children wrote on the kitchen table WITH MARKER!!
11. The USB cord for my digital camera (didn't know that was missing.)
12. Olivia's library card
13. The bandages (always a necessity around here)
14. My scissors
15. Scotch tape (which is like finding gold in our house)
16. My kitchen counter (I'll bet my hubby doesn't believe that!)
17. The missing Littlest Pet Sh0p monkey

Is anyone else noticing what I haven't found????????

If You Want to Make God Laugh....

Tell him your plans!!

I had such grandiose plans of what things I would get done once school started. You know, four kids in school all day. The baby in preschool four half days a week. Wow, time to do what I want to do! And that is when God started laughing!

My attic is still a train wreck. I haven't even vacuumed the upstairs! The bathroom floors still need scrubbed. Clothes still need switched over from summer to fall/winter. The ugly wall paper still needs to come off of the upstairs bathroom. The border in the dining room still needs taken off and replaced. I still need to find cheap bedding for our bedroom. And the list goes on and on.

Why? Well, I was blessed with three hair bow parties in the end of August. One of which was huge! And I am still not done making the bows ordered there, although I am close. AND someone has been sick ever since school started, minus a day or two here and there. Ella had a stomach virus that lasted a week. Then less than a week later, most of the rest of us had it, including Ella who had her second bout. My migraines have been out of control. I have started a new Sunday school class for third through sixth graders. (I'll post about that later, I found a great resource on knowing what is in the Bible, how it is structured, who wrote what, etc....)

Have I mentioned how crazy it is to try to keep up with homework for all five kids? Yes, even the preschooler comes home with homework. So three of the kids have it every night. So I have to make sure it gets done. Sign behavior sheets and homework planners. Make sure Grace works on her multiplication fact. Listen to Olivia read for 15 minutes (which includes an additional five to ten minutes for whining.) Help Charis with her alphabet.

Oh, did I mention laundry for seven? And meals?

And did I mention I am babysitting a precious little one two days a week?

It's all good, but, WOW, I am not getting much done...

Thirsty For God

1 O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

Recently, you may remember, we were all sick. I mean really sick. And I was thirsty. Really really thirsty. Dry mouth, dry throat, cracked lips thirsty. And I wanted a drink of water so badly. It was all I could think about. I couldn't drink, or I'd just be sick again. I was so thirsty I was dreaming about drinking water. Not that there was a whole lot of sleep going on that night.

Several years ago, I got into the habit of praying when I cannot sleep. I makes me a whole lot calmer than lying in bed getting upset because I cannot sleep. God and I have lots of really good conversations when I cannot sleep. Sometimes I think he keeps me up just to talk to me.

So, I'm lying in bed talking to God. Mainly telling him how incredibly thirsty I am. And he could have reprimanded me. Reminded me of the 40 days (not hours, DAYS) he spent in the desert without food and water. But he listened to me whine for a while. Then he whispered in my ear, "I wish you were that thirsty for me."

A Clean Kitchen

On Saturday, before the black death settled in and took out 6 of the 7 of us, I spent almost the entire day cleaning my kitchen. (In case you are wondering, Risi is the only one who did not end up sick. According to Sheri, Ris probably scared away the virus....she's probably right.)

So my kitchen looks great, wiped down everything, cleaned up my hair bow stuff, scrubbed the stove. It looks great......unless you open the cupboards or the fridge or the drawers. Didn't make it to cleaning those.

On the outside it looks great, on the inside, not so much.

And that really got me to thinking. I've spent a lot time on my outside recently. In the past year, I've lost a lot of weight. And mostly for health reasons, but, truthfully, I wanted to look better too.

But I got to thinking, what if someone one opened my drawer? Pulled out my silverware drawer? Would they find crumbs? Cupboards that need wiped down?

We are so aware of our appearances. I wonder what life would be like if we spent as much time working on our insides as we do on our outsides. What if I spent as much time in my Bible everyday as I do taking a shower and fixing my hair? What if I spent as much time in prayer as I spend on the computer each day? What if I spent as much time in worship as I spend watching the news each day (and let's face it the news is pretty depressing!)

Just some thoughts, for me and for you.......

How do you look? On the inside??

Welcome To Puke City!

Last week my poor Elliana was sick for several days with a stomach bug. She dehydrated and looked and felt awful. We eventually had to take her to the doctor to get an anti-nausea so we could rehydrate her. If it didn't work she'd have had to be admitted to get IV fluids. Thank God it worked and within 24 hours she was fine.

We all were. For almost a whole week. Then Josiah started in. I don't think he got it from his sister, because, after all, it had been a whole week. He missed his first day of Kindergarten. He wasn't thrilled about that. Within 24 hours he was fine. Up running around as always.

Then this afternoon, Ella started again. Then Josiah. Can I tell you how much fun we are having??

AND we are supposed to go my mom's tomorrow to see her and my sister that I haven't seen for over a year. AND the kids are really excited about going. AND, now, at least one is staying home with Kevin.

So please pray that no one else gets sick. And that everyone feels better. This is just not fun.


Yep, we got it. 6 of the 7 of us. So much for the plans to see my sister and her crew this weekend. THANKFULLY all are well enough to go to school tomorrow! They are way too energenic today. It's kind of a bummer when you still feel rotten and the kids are high energy. Ah well, did I mention they go to school tomorrow??

Ella Starts Preschool

Looks pretty proud doesn't she? I admit, I had a pang I didn't quite expect....