Finally, more pictures of the house...

This weekend, my family requested that I update my house pictures. Here you go. Enjoy. Only one of the windows is entirely finished and there are still many touchups left on the posts, but you get the idea.

bad news

Last Saturday, after a very busy and hectic weekend, I got a call from my mom at about 10:30, just after Matt walked out the door to go to Infradig's last show. She called to tell me that my uncle Richard died earlier in the evening (Sept. 22, 6:10pm). Most people ask me, "Were you close to him?" It's a complicated answer. He was my mom's older brother and I spent a lot of time with his family when I was little and we still see them at least once a year. His sons are like my older brothers, pranks and all. Some of my best memories were made in his company. My aunt Sally, his wife, was probably the aunt that I'm closest to. Both of them loved the arts. Aunt Sally plays the cello and the piano and Uncle Richard was an amazing baritone. Holidays always included Uncle Rich's booming voice, my cousin Charlie's violin, and Aunt Sally's talents on the piano. Everyone else sang along and savored every minute. My uncle Rich was also an amazing cook. He was the first person to introduce me to mojo criollo (sp?). My apologies to those of you who've never tasted it on your thanksgiving turkey. When Uncle Richard was in a room, he filled it, and yet, he was gentle enough that my children snuggled up in his lap to hear him read to them. I write this, the evening after his funeral. I'm in shock. Rich's death was so sudden. Squinting into the glare of the evening sun, a 17-year-old boy pulled out in front of Rich's motorcycle and Rich died instantly. This isn't to say, that his death was an accident as far as it concerns God's sovereignty. God took him home, regardless of how. Still, my grandparents are without their only son, my aunt is a widow, my three cousins have lost their father, and countless others of us who loved him dearly are suffering. I don't pretend to feel the depths of hurt that my mother or my grandmother feel, but when someone you love dies it's hard not to feel sucker-punched. Of course, the comfort is in knowing that Rich is in Heaven, happier than we know. We love a God who understands the pain of death, who lessened it's sting. I'll probably post more later. Right now, my benadryl is kicking my mental butt and I think I'll head to bed. Please pray for our family and sorry for the stream of consciousness blog. I'm too tired to be organized or well spoken.

First Curves Report

Yesterday was my first weigh-in since I joined Curves at the end of May. As I said before, the weight hasn't really changed
(-.5lbs). I did lose 5.5 inches all over and I lost 1.7% of my body fat. My arm measurement gained an inch, which is interesting, because the kids have made a big deal about my "big muscles" everyday that I go to Curves. They always want to see them and they always think my biceps are a little bit bigger than they were an hour earlier. It's pretty cute. I love my little peanut gallery. Matt's been super supportive too. He's the one who has to manage pirana hour at our house while I dash out the door twice a week and he's been very encouraging and quick to compliment. All in all, this has been very good for our family. It's forced us to be more organized and it's helped to reinforce the importance of staying healthy with the kids. I don't think you have to spend the money and do Curves to accomplish that, but this has worked well for us and I'm thankful for the option.

Janie at her best ;)

Janie started doing this when Clara was tiny. She's definitely a Monahan!

because it was cooler today...

I made a whopper of a dinner: roast beef, potatoes, gravy, peach pie. I should have made carrots too, but I ran out of time. I have been really down lately, but I was pleasantly reminded why I love to cook. It gives me such joy. I feel like what an artist feels like when they finish a beautiful painting. Beautiful, yummy goodness to eat and enjoy, because I labored in the kitchen... It's so fruitful (pardon the pun) and so rewarding to see my little brood smile with full drippy mouths.

If you're at all interested, I found a really yummy way to make roast beef. Buy a bottom round roast or a top sirloin roast (less fat) and put it in a crock pot. Pour a can of beer on it. Then top it with cracked pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, and onions. Let it slow cook all day (hi-4 or 5 hours/low-8 hours). When it's done it should be very tender. You can take the broth and shake 2T of it up in a small jar with 2T of flour. Then put it in a small pan and add more broth. Stir over low heat until thick and add salt and pepper to taste. Voila! You have easy delicious gravy. It's not so scary after all.

Oh, and here's a little, very uninteresting Curves update...
I haven't lost a pound yet, and maybe I never will. As long as I feel healthier, I won't worry about that. I do think my posture is much improved and my insomnia is almost non-existant. My clothes are fitting better and they don't feel so uncomfortable, which is a huge relief. It's hard to be chipper when your pants are riding up, know what I mean? ;) I'm also really starting to love the little high I get after a workout. I come back home ready to work and pumped about my life--funny, huh?

General update...
I'm on the warpath with discipline. Ooo that sounded so bad. I mean I'm on the offensive. I made up a bad @#! behavior chart and the kids are getting stickers for all kinds of things that I have to nag them to do: brushing teeth, washing hands, putting dishes in the sink, picking up toys, using manners, making beds, etc. They get stickers for everything on the chart, when they do it, which has been very motivating. At the end of the week, if they have "Lots of Stickers" (which is enough for them now), they get 10 pennies for allowance. One penny goes in the offering plate (which they're excited about) and 9 pennies go into their piggy banks. So far, they're really excited and in two days the behavior is much better than it was before. Way less whining, very few spankings... All in all, it feels like a whole lot of progress.

spend your money in a way that helps the helpless

Keri posted a link to Rahab Ministries on her blog. I've never heard of it before today. Evidently, it's a ministry to women who are prostitutes and/or sex slaves in Thailand. Rahab Ministries takes them in and teaches them about Jesus, while building their job-skills and helping them to be independent. The women are taught to make jewelry and you can support the ministry by buying this jewelry (it's very inexpensive) online. Here's the address. They also sell handmade cards ($1.50/ea).

http://www.rahabministriesthailand.org/bazaar.htm

Fun in Blue Ridge

Apple Picking and fun in Blue Ridge

Copied from Willa, Contemporary Segregation

I just learned about a case of segregation-era oppression happening today in Jena, Louisiana. I signed onto ColorOfChange.org's campaign for justice in Jena, and wanted to invite you to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=1945-260306

Last fall in Jena, the day after two Black high school students sat beneath the "white tree" on their campus, nooses were hung from the tree. When the superintendent dismissed the nooses as a "prank," more Black students sat under the tree in protest. The District Attorney then came to the school accompanied by the town's police and demanded that the students end their protest, telling them, "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy... I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen."

A series of white-on-black incidents of violence followed, and the DA did nothing. But when a white student was beaten up in a schoolyard fight, the DA responded by charging six black students with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

It's a story that reads like one from the Jim Crow era, when judges, lawyers and all-white juries used the justice system to keep blacks in "their place." But it's happening today. The families of these young men are fighting back, but the story has gotten minimal press. Together, we can make sure their story is told and that the Governor of Louisiana intervenes and provides justice for the Jena 6. It starts now. Please join me:

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=1945-260306

The noose-hanging incident and the DA's visit to the school set the stage for everything that followed. Racial tension escalated over the next couple of months, and on November 30, the main academic building of Jena High School was burned down in an unsolved fire. Later the same weekend, a black student was beaten up by white students at a party. The next day, black students at a convenience store were threatened by a young white man with a shotgun. They wrestled the gun from him and ran away. While no charges were filed against the white man, the students were later arrested for the theft of the gun.

That Monday at school, a white student, who had been a vocal supporter of the students who hung the nooses, taunted the black student who was beaten up at the off-campus party and allegedly called several black students "nigger." After lunch, he was knocked down, punched and kicked by black students. He was taken to the hospital, but was released and was well enough to go to a social event that evening.

Six Black Jena High students, Robert Bailey (17), Theo Shaw (17), Carwin Jones (18), Bryant Purvis (17), Mychal Bell (16) and an unidentified minor, were expelled from school, arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder. The first trial ended last month, and Mychal Bell, who has been in prison since December, was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery (both felonies) by an all-white jury in a trial where his public defender called no witnesses. During his trial, Mychal's parents were ordered not to speak to the media and the court prohibited protests from taking place near the courtroom or where the judge could see them.

Mychal is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31st, and could go to jail for 22 years. Theo Shaw's trial is next. He will finally make bail this week.

The Jena Six are lucky to have parents and loved ones who are fighting tooth and nail to free them. They have been threatened but they are standing strong. We know that if the families have to go it alone, their sons will be a long time coming home. But if we act now, we can make a difference.

Join me in demanding that Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco get involved to make sure that justice is served for Mychal Bell, and that DA Reed Walters drop the charges against the 5 boys who have not yet gone to trial.

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=1945-260306

Thanks.

Please pray

You may not know them, but Paul and Rachel Michal just had a baby boy a two weeks ago. He was born without the left side of his heart and although his surgery went well, he flatlined yesterday evening for a brief period of time. Their treatment solutions are limited and he isn't doing well. This is their first child, the result of years of trying. Please lift them up in prayer today and pray that God would heal this little baby boy. They are in Egleston (sp?) Hospital in Atlanta.

Then... dog update

So far so good with the new doggy. Clara and Bailey are best friends and double trouble. Clara loves to boss her around, pretend to take her for walks, sit on her head, and hook her up with forbidden goodies. Bailey very patiently puts up with all of the above, I guess in the hopes that she'll eventually get hooked up with the forbidden goodies. We really need to fence in the yard so she can run around and spend some puppy energy, but for now all is well. We love having her with us.

Life with Bailey

First... house progress

Despite many exhausting trips to Porter Paint with kids in tow, this week has been very encouraging. Every day the house looks better than it did the day before. If we finish this soon, this project will be the first project on our house that has ever been finished. Every other job we've done has some annoying details left hanging. We're hoping to see this one through.

Here is the house as it is this morning. I'll post another picture or two later today. The railings, pictured are the railings that Matt built, using salvaged wood from the old porch. They'll be pretty swanky looking when they're painted. The pillars will eventually (today?) all be the white/blue combo that you see below. What do you think?

Another Bailey

God seems to have a sense of humor about all of this. I've been searching for another dog each morning, knowing the chances are slim and knowing that after what we spent last week, our options are limited. I found another chocolate labradoodle named Bailey. She's in Kentucky, not so far away and she's exactly what we're looking for. When we pick her up on Saturday she will be spayed (neutered?), microchipped, dewormed, treated for fleas and ticks, and up to date on her shots--all for only $85, less than the cost to do all of that. Even if we got a free dog, we'd pay more than that just for the first vet visit.

Bailey was a stray, who a very nice lady took in. The lady who took her in said that Bailey is a very sweet dog and she's almost completely trained already. She's 6 months old and very smart and obedient. I wish I had been more patient last week. I would have adopted this Bailey in the first place. What's the saying about experience being a hard teacher?

Anyway, here she is. We'll pick her up on Saturday and we'll make a much-needed family trip out of it. We all need a small break from the house and this will accomplish that too.



Thanks to all of you for your prayers, emails, and phone calls. Yesterday was simultaneously my worst and best day in awhile. Your encouragement means so much to me and to Matt.

bad news

The vet's office called tonight, as I was putting the kids to bed. Bailey died tonight. So I paid my bill over the phone and cried, and I feel very foolish.

Lessons:

1- don't drive 6 hours away for a puppy again
2- don't buy a puppy without it's shots
3- don't get attached to puppy with parvo and no shots
4- don't do any of the above while already stressed out

Bailey

I did something crazy last Friday. I loaded the kids up at 4am on Friday morning and we drove to Bishopville, SC to get a labradoodle puppy at a shelter there. I don't even have the emotional energy to relay all of the details, but here are the pluses and minuses.

Plus- kids did well on the trip, beautiful chocolate labradoodle with sweet temperment (temperament?) named Bailey, I had no allergies to her whatsoever, we absolutely adore her, she's very smart and has good instincts about where to go potty (training should be easy)

Minus- she was in a nasty shelter, she has parvo, she's been hospitalized at the vet for two days, she's coming home tomorrow even if she's not better b/c of $, she has worms, we really really don't want her to die

All by itself, this whole experience would have been hard enough, but as it is, this is just the capstone to a lousy summer. I'm really venting. I'm sorry for being so negative. There's just a very long, whiny list of things that are weighing me down and I don't see an end in sight yet. I keep saying, "Once we get through _____________, everything will be fine." The truth is that sometimes, this life just stinks and that's where the Gospel really begins to sink in. I know that for the next month, life is probably going to be hard (still), but I'm hoping and praying that in my weakness, I'll see my God's strength more clearly. Please pray for us. It's not just a dog-thing. Matt and I are both very discouraged.

I love Craigslist!

Tonight Matt is going to Knoxville to pick up a washer and dryer that I found on Craigslist. I just happened to check it yesterday, just to see if anything else was available and I found a Bosch front-loading, stackable washer/dryer pair for sale for $400. They're like-new, in great shape, but the lady's moving and needs them out of there. Afte emailing her yesterday, she lowered her price to $350, because we are driving from Chattanooga to pick it up. I'm so excited. Matt's mom has this same set and she loves them. They're super fast, quiet, and water and energy efficient, and in our case they're cheap too.

I'll have to post a picture soon. For now, you can see them at Boschappliances.com. They're the axxis model. ;)

Washers and dryers

Our washing machine isn't at it's best right now. It isn't totally broken, but we know it's a matter of time before it's unusable. It appears to be rusting from the inside out and the agitator is clinging on for dear life. This is no surprise, because every washer and dryer we've ever owned were used and ancient-looking, but I am curious to see what you all know about certain brands and types.

I looked at some really cool, all-in-one machines that wash and dry in the same drum. They're supposedly very popular in Europe and they're developed enough now to be reliable. They run about $500 to $1600, depending on the brand and size. Most of them are fairly small, but water and energy efficient.



I have always liked the front loading stackers too, but they are even more expensive and I don't even begin to know what brand is the best.



There is also the smaller, stacked unit, made by several companies, with a top-loading washer on the bottom, and a front-loading dryer on top. They're a little awkward, but cheaper and they can be energy efficient.

I want to figure out what will be the best option for us, and either save to buy later or watch the paper and craigslist to find one sooner.

Any opinions?

Recent pictures

Day by day, we're starting to feel more settled after all of the tumult. My sister has requested some recent pictures, so here they are. I'll post more as I go. We (royal we) are making lots of progress on the outside of the house and are looking forward to seeing new paint very soon! In the meantime, we're staying indoors or away from the house and trying to keep surfaces clean. The kids are doing well and still growing like weeds, Janie especially. I apologize for any out of focus pictures or goofs, because I haven't had time to sort them yet.

Work on the house and time at Grami and Papi's condo

Visit with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma

Great News!

Everything's fine! Dr. Spraggins called me today from home (she's on vacation) and said that we should trust the second test results. I still don't know Matt's test results, but the kids are all well within what's considered normal and she said she'd call me to let me know his results. Whatever lead was picked up on the first test was just skin deep, maybe from putting their shoes on before leaving the house... I don't know. I feel sheepish about all of the help we've received, especially now that we know the kids have been fine the whole time, but I think we did the right thing.

This has been a really tough experience and I wouldn't care to repeat it. That aside, I've been so amazed by God's provision for us, through the prayers and fellowship of our friends and family. Thank you to all of you who have fed Matt and labored beside him over the past week. Thank you too for your words of encouragement and your shared experience. I feel like I have a moderate case of emotional whiplash, but all in all we're doing just fine. ;)

Confusing News

After a lot of calling and confusion today, here's the info. Dana and Janie's bloodwork came back and somehow it's clear of lead. Our pediatrician and her nurse are on vacation until next week, so all of this is coming second hand through another doctor in the practice. Second hand, she told me that the kids are fine and to take them home. I don't know whether to be excited or upset. I called a second time at lunch time and I've asked the nurse to call me back, so I can ask her more questions. A friend of ours, who is a doctor, recommended that we take new samples here in Atlanta in order to confirm the other samples. Obviously, one of the tests was wrong and I want to be sure that the kids are safe before I take them home. I wish Dr. Spraggins was in town, because she would take time to explain everything and I know she would be very thorough.

Anyway, due to the confusion, we will stay in Atlanta until we know more. If I can get the other doctor to order more blood samples for an Atlanta children's hospital, then we'll go down tomorrow morning and have blood drawn again. Hopefully, the blood will confirm the good results of the second test, in which case, we'll go home or at least back to Chattanooga. I'm still hesitant to stay in the house until the first coat of primer is up.

Thank you all for your prayers. This has been incredibly trying and exhausting, and yet the past few days have been strangely relaxing. I know God is answering your prayers for our comfort, because my normal hyperbolic (borrowed from Josh Green) anxiety has been hushed and quieted amidst all of the tumult. I'll update as soon as I know more.

kind of an update

I still don't have test results. I know that Dana and Jane, at least, will have to have chelation. Chelation is a process where the doctor introduces certain compounds into their blood that the lead will stick to and then the lead flushes out of their system with the compounds. I don't know much more about it, but I'm guessing that they will have to be hospitalized for at least part of this. Clara will stay with friends if that happens. In the meantime, we will be going back to Chattanooga on Monday, after a trip to Trader Joe's. We've been making use of their wholesome goodness in an attempt to detoxify the kids and me. They sell a 64 oz. bottle of juice similar to Odwalla's Superfood juice. They love it and it's jammed with fiber and vitamin C, both of which are great for lead poisoning. Lots of fruit and greens right now.

As for where we will stay, I have had multiple offers, but I just don't know what will be best for our family yet. Thank you all for your hospitality and generosity and thank you for your prayers. Our first day here was very trying, but yesterday was much better. God is at work in me and in our kids. Thanks for your faithfulness in prayer.

He Leadeth Me...

I haven't posted this yet, due to being completely overwhelmed, but we need your prayers. I'll explain more later, when and if I get the time, but our kids have lead poisoning. I asked our pediatrician to run a lead test on them at Clara's 18 month check up and all three tested positive. Clara has tested positive before for low amounts (not dangerous) and her levels haven't changed. However, Janie (who has never been tested) had such high levels that the nurse who ran the test ran it twice. Dana's lead levels were much higher, so high that his numbers were off of the scale they were measuring by. Our pediatrician tested me too and my levels are ever so slightly in the danger zone, much less than Dana and Jane. Dr. Spraggins sent us to T.C. Thompson's to have blood drawn and to get a more accurate look at the amounts of lead. Immediately after the trip to the hospital, I packed up our stuff at home and my mom and I took the kids to stay with my parents in Atlanta. We can't stay in our house until we know it's clear of lead, which may be a difficult thing. We need to get the last 10% of paint off of the house, put a coat of primer on, clean up the yard, filter the water, and wash the inside of the house and probably all of the linens and laundry too. Right now I am very impatiently waiting for the results of our blood tests, hoping that Matt's levels are low so he can continue to finish the house. The kids may be treated this next week, but more on that later. I am too emotionally exhausted to explain it all and I don't know how to spell most of it yet. So many of our friends and family have taken care of us and offered places for us to stay and we are so very thankful for your service to us and our Heavenly Father. What we need most are your prayers for our family. We know that in our weakness, He shows His strength and we learn to let Him lead and comfort us.

Please pray that God would give me strength to be a single mom while Matt and I are separated, that I would be patient and loving, despite being emotionally spent, that Matt would be able to do all of the work before him, that the inspection of our home would go well, that God would protect my children from the lead in their bodies, that God would heal them and help their bodies to filter this out, that I would get good sleep and preach the Gospel to myself instead of blaming the whole thing on me, and that above all else, we would praise our Heavenly Father and He would be glorified in all of this.

I will post more later. I'm sorry this isn't very lovely or well-spoken. Please pray.

He's all grown up

In March, Matt brought home about 50 or more frog eggs that he found in a pond, while he was fishing. We eagerly watched them as they doubled in size and popped out of their jelly eggs. Every day they grew bigger. The kids loved it. A month ago, Matt and the kids returned all but two of them to the pond. Now, four months after the eggs came home, we have our first frog. The other tadpole is pretty fat, but still no legs. This week Matt will take them to the pond to join the other froggies. Our froglet isn't eating well and he'll probably do better there. We didn't take as many pictures as we should have, but here are a few.

trying out a new look

Tell me what you think. Matt has trouble reading the white letters, so we'll try this for a week and see how we like it.

my fisher-man strikes again

Matt brought home the biggest bass he's ever caught the other day. He and Pam (mother-in-law) took the kids fishing up at a pond on Lookout and caught about 15 fish. Dana even caught two all by himself--casting, reeling and all. The big one was so big, Matt could fit his fist in it. I don't think they were all that big. Some of them were probably crappie and small "smallies". We should try to set up some group family fishing for those of you who are close by and like to fish. It's cheap, clean food and lots of fun. ;)

I feel like I'm...

sinking into myself today. I started the day pumped, because after gaining weight and feeling depressed, I've joined Curves. Gasp. I know. I'm against this stuff. Why pay someone for the privilege of wearing yourself out, when we chose to pay extra for our chores not to wear us out. Our society is so backwards. This is one reason why I bake bread and use cloth diapers (1/2 of the time at least). Yes, aren't I perceptive and good at sensing foolishness? The problem is that I'm putting on weight and I'm tired and grumpy most of the time, so although I would like to give gym mega-chains the finger, I'm joining with a 2-YEAR CONTRACT!!!!

This isn't why I'm sinking into myself though. It's like 6th grade, when book reports were due, and everyone else had their book report done and in, but I was sinking into my chair. Why? If I happened to remember to do it, it was at home buried under my junk on the floor of my room, or it was fully written in my head and forgotten about. Today is a day when I feel that way, only this time I'm disappointing my husband, and making stupid financial brain farts that make me want to dig a hole and hide in it. BTW- the financial brain farts have nothing to do with Curves. The hard part is that this isn't just one isolated incident. It's a chain of stupid moves and forgotten responsibilities that makes my stomach sick and gives me a headache. I'm clinging to the cross, thankful for grace, and begging for change in me. As a people pleaser, it's really stinking hard to make a post like this. It's hard to call your sin for what it is and do it out in the open. I don't even know why I'm doing this. If you think of me, will you pray for my humility and diligence?

porch pics

porch rebuild

playground conversation

Setting: St. Elmo Playground, under the rings
Characters: 4 1/2 year old Dana Flynn Monahan, 3 year old Jane Elizabeth Monahan, and 2(?)year old Fuller Crumley

Dana: Hey, what's your name? I'm Dana.

Fuller: (looking at his shoes) I'm Fuwer.

Jane: (in a singsongy voice reminiscent of G.G.'s Minnesota accent) O, that's nice. My brother Dana is four too! What's your name?

Fuller: (perplexed) I'm Fuwer.


Director's note: Coversation goes on like this for awhile, but eventually names don't matter and they just play ;)

ode to Matt

This won't be poetry. I'm not that brave, but I do need to speak out in honor of my incredibly wonderful hubby. He gave me the weekend off and I went to Atlanta to be with my parents for the weekend and to get away. It felt weird to be alone with my parents again, but it was so nice to sleep past 6:30am and putz around with my mom, without worrying about potty stops or naptimes. I got to go to Trader Joe's, Ikea, and Tuesday Morning. I'm not normally a shopping nut, but I had so much fun picking up things that we needed (groceries, summer blankets, etc). I wasn't stressed out or worried about anyone or anything, especially because Matt was doing such a great job at home. He took them out in the Jeep to do all kinds of fun things together and when they were home, he even managed to keep the dishes done and the house clean. He's wiped out and so are the kids, but I'm so thankful that they sacrificed so I could get a break. Below are a few pictures of the weekend.

I is for...

Impetigo. It's pretty gross. Clara has a crater on her nose from it, as well as an ear infection (not related). She had it for a week before I took her in. I tried really hard not to be a paranoid mama, but by yesterday I was freaking out and so was she. Matt had to come home from work, because we are down to one car this week. Then Clara and I loaded up in the jeep and went to see Dr. Spraggins. Now we're washing everything and pumping her with meds. Poor thing. Apparently, impetigo is pretty contagious, as is pink eye, which Matt is suffering from. He's also got a wicked sore throat, and interestingly, impetigo can be caused by strep, so Dr. Spraggins ran a culture on Clara. If it comes back positive, she's going to treat all of us. This has really enforced the importance of washing hands. All of these things are hygiene-related illnesses, so I'm now the hand-washing nazi at our house. I know, I know. A little germs and bacteria can be a good thing, but when we're sick all the time, something's gotta change.

Here's my little cutie with her blight.

Playdough!

Thank you Lord for the wonderful gift of homemade playdough after a cooped up, bad behavior spell. We made playdough this morning right after breakfast and the fruit of this five minute effort was peace and happy children for over an hour! It's been rough going for a few days and I had just about given up on joyful children. Even Clara played with it, and she loved it. We made birds and eggs and elephants. Fun. ;)

For those of you who are interested, here's the recipe. We made our playdough yellow, but you can add any color to the water.

1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 t. cream of tartar
1t. oil
1 c. water (with food coloring added)

Stir the dry ingredients in a medium sized pot then add the wet ingredients and stir. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring the whole time. It may look funny, but when you take it out, knead it around a bit. Let it cool and play.

feeling convicted

So today I watched a few extra kids for an hour or two. About half way through I thought, "Man, this is going really well and this is really fun. My normal day, with 3 kids, isn't this fun. Hmmm." I started thinking and then I realized that the difference was that I was really playing with the kids and giving them all of my attention. I enjoyed it and they did too. The tone of the day was so much more cheerful. I feel so horribly guilty. This is why I chose to stay home, because I wanted it to be me who played with them and shared their day. Three kids later, I've lost that attitude. I know I have more work than I could ever do in a day, but I need to play more with my kids. Even if I set a time just for playing, when I don't answer the phone or sit at the computer, or do housework, I think we would all function better. The reason I usually don't do this is that my pride takes too big a hit when someone pops in and the dishes are piled up, or my laundry is all over the place. If you think of me, will you pray that God would give me the humility to let go of what other people think of me and to play with a free conscience? Over and over again, God keeps gently telling me that I need to rest in who He is, know that He loves me, and watch to see what He will do in me, in spite of my messy house and my tendency to forget everything important. ;)

Child by child update

Dana is going to be 5 this summer, which he is very excited about. He's been planning and replanning his birthday party in his head over and over again. The last few months he has really crossed the line into big kid territory. He's still pretty squirly, very excitable, and he still spends quite a bit of time in Dana-land, where Jay Jay, Thomas, and Speed the Queen ;) are his heroes. This year, some of his friends are going to start school, but we are going to wait a bit and try out some homeschooling without the pressure of full school and sitting still. The plan is to do lots of outings with the girls in tow and to nurture his curiosity as much as I can. We'll probably spend some time at the Library each week (which we already do anyway), and make frequent trips to the new park (yea!!), the discovery museum, the zoo, and the aquarium, not necessarily all of them every week. The past three weeks, Dana and Jane have been taking swim lessons at the rec center, which I hope to be able to do twice a year (?). The same rec center also offers non-competitive gymnastics for the same low fee as the swim lessons, so I think maybe we'll sign the big kids up for the Fall. To do all of these things, I have to try to be more organized, but the pay-off is that when Dana is busy, he's less moody and more content with everything else.



Janie is 3 and very talkative. She has a very sensitive little heart and she loves to play mommy to everyone in the house. The other day, as I was leaving bible study at church, I asked Jane to hold Clara's hand, but then I got lost in conversation and didn't notice where they went. While I was talking, they climbed up a little grassy hill between two parking lots and Clara started to walk closer and closer to the parking lot and the road. Janie started wailing, but I assumed she was throwing a fit, not knowing what had happened. When I actually got my hands on Clara, Janie told me that she was worried about Clara. She was afraid something was going to happen to her, and she thought it was her fault. Ouch. This was kind of the capstone to a very emotional morning for her, so she slept hard at naptime.

She drew her first self-portrait today and she was very proud of it. It was pretty nice for her age. I'll have to scan it in for you to see it. My favorite thing about Janie right now is her willingness to help me out. She loves to be mommy's little helper, and I really do need the help, so I know it makes her feel needed. I'm looking forward to that girl-kinship as she grows older and we work together more and more.



Clara is sleeping much better now, with a few exceptions. I'm trying to give her as much protein as she'll eat and less milk, so she won't get filled up on that instead of solid food. I'm also giving her a dose of Benadryl at night for her allergies, which helps her to get to sleep better too. She still stirs and cries a little bit, but she settles herself back to sleep, finally. This week, she's taken off with her vocabulary. She can do a lot of animal sounds and she can say dadn (Daddy), dodn (doggy), kuku (cookie), ge dow (get down), bobo (bottle/sippy), da ku (thank you), yay ;), mama, dana, gamma (grandma), uh oh, buhbuh (her blanket), and wassat (what's that). I'm sure I've forgotten some, but those are the ones she says the most. She's also started the temper tantrum phase a little early, but being the third child she already gets the time out concept, which really helps her chill out. Most of the time though, she's very cheerful and happy to play with just about anything, which is why we keep the bathroom door shut. ;) I also forgot that we're back to the Motherease, due to our rising grocery bills. I bought a few rikki wrap covers and I like them much better than the snap ones.

Blue Ridge pics

Okay these are the ridiculously insignificant pictures from our trip to Blue Ridge. I know they're pathetic, but that just shows what a relaxing time we had there. We forgot we even owned a camera. Lots of sweet memories with the kiddies, and lots of talk-time with Matt... all better than the pictures.

Spring Break--Blue Ridge, GA

Tidbits

I don't have the energy to catch you up to speed on everything, but surprise, we've been busy. I feel like I always say that. I do always say that.

We just got back from a very restful, and much needed trip to Blue Ridge over Matt's Spring Break. We had a great time and the kids are already praying that God will get them back there soon, really. I will post some pictures on my picasa site, but we really did a terrible job of taking pictures. We hardly took any at all.

Today Matt took three of our jr. highers to Petty John's Cave at Pigeon Mountain to go caving. Josh Henry led the trip and the kids had a great time, although they're pretty beat. Check out the pictures on my picasa site, if you're interested.

Spelunking at Petty John's Cave with the yg

That's all for now. I promise to update soon, maybe when my laundry is done. O... well, if I never get it done, I promise to update soon anyway. ;)