T.G.I.F.

We were driving home from Target with the windows down since it was so nice out. As we were going slowly through the neighborhood, we could hear the evening songbirds. I asked the boys if they could hear them. "Yes!" Judah suggested that maybe they were looking for their family. I said maybe they were looking for dinner. Elijah? "Yeah, they're having chicken nuggets for dinner!"

There's something about picturing a songbird dining on chicken nuggets that just seems...wrong.

Thursday TOPS

I would never feed us poop.

Tippy Tuesday: Pockets 'n Pants

Could someone please explain to me why infant (or even young toddler) pants have real pockets? Really...what infant is going to stick their hands in their pockets while they lay around? All the pockets do is bunch up and get in the way. So I decided to remedy this non-necessity on Eden's jeans. It's very simple to do and can be done with or without a sewing machine!

First, turn the jeans inside out. Smooth the denim and pocket as best you can and pin through the layers to make sure it will stay flat on the right side when you are finished. Snip the pocket away from the side seam, but do NOT cut through the manufactured curved line of stitching that attaches the pocket to the denim.

Next, whether by hand or machine, sew a curved line ONLY through the two pocket layers and below the manufactured curved stitching. If you sew through the denim, you will see the stitching on the right side of the jeans. Cut off the excess pocket fabric (pinking sheers help with fraying).

Repeat on the other pocket. When you turn the jeans right side out, you will have nice, smooth FAKE pockets. Now when I put Eden's jeans on her, there's no digging down inside tiny pockets to smooth them down her legs. No bunching -- just quick cuteness!

T.G.I.F.

Judah, from the living room, "Are these Eden's socks? No, these are her kankee pants." Then he walked into the room holding the "kankee pants" mid-air by the toe. They were tights. I have no idea where he got "kankee pants" out of tights.

Elijah to Nurse Elaina, "Do I get a shot today?" He really wanted a lollipop. "No, no shot today. Do you WANT one?" Elijah nodded his head yes and had a very thoughtful look on his face. "In my bones. Because they are tight and won't hurt. My knees are bones. But I don't want a shot in my knee. I want one here." as he pointed to the front of his shin. Uh, I think a shot in your bone would hurt MUCH worse than in your muscle! But Elaina affirmed his thought process as creative. :-)

I told Judah to go upstairs and get dressed while I finished feeding Eden her breakfast. He called down from the top of the stairs, "Mommy, I don't think I can wear this guinea pig shirt. It's too small." My mind raced through his wardrobe, wondering what on earth he meant by guinea pig. I asked him to clarify. "I can't wear this guinea pig shirt because I think it's too small." I told him I couldn't think of any shirt that had a guinea pig on it. Maybe he meant size? We did watch G-Force a while back. Maybe he was trying to be cute saying a guinea pig sized shirt would be too small for him. Then it hit me and made me chuckle. "OH! You mean your Razorback shirt?" He said yeah, and I assured him it would fit. That's for all you Arkansans! Woooooo, guinea pigs!

Thursday TOPS

Remember, TOPS stands for Things Only Parents Say.

Please pull your underwear up so your wee-wee is covered.

Don't lick the packing paper.

Get your legs out of the cereal box.

Oops...I just stepped on the cheeseburger. (on the bathroom floor)

Stop laying on that shelf. (I should have finished with "You are not a Zelf!" Anyone know the reference?) ;-)

Wordless Wednesday: The Latest Style in Decor

Monday Meditations: Thoughts of Home

As our move gets closer, I'm starting to see various emotions quietly rising within myself. I'm thankful that they are not strong enough to appear outwardly but are more for my personal reflection and dealing. Sometimes it's nice to have private moments with my heart as I process this huge transition in my family's life.

And here I am sharing those private moments. :-) I feel that I've kept them to myself for a sufficient time.

Things I will miss that I never thought I would miss this much...

-Seeing bunny rabbits and all kinds of birds (with an occasional groundhog or deer) romping through the backyard. It has been so sweet to be so close to God's creation in this way. Especially those bunnies in the spring. I don't think I would ever tire of seeing them!

-The neighborhood kids, though even if we stayed here, I think others are moving soon anyway.

-The neighborhood adults. This is the first place we've lived where we've gotten to know our neighbors. Not on a hugely personal level, but I could tell you about the families in 10 homes around us. (Maybe I'll profile them in a future post for posterity.) One of our prayers when we moved here was that God would give us opportunity to get to know even just our next door neighbors. He answered...and exceeded. (Please pray with us for the same to happen in our new neighborhood!)

-I must give a special shout out to missing my Home Boy Jamie -- a fellow stay-at-home (dad) Arkansan across from our house. He and his family have been fun to know and good for our boys to play with for the exposure to inter-racial friendship as well as interacting with someone who has a speech impediment. They sure do love 10 yr old Dante and have not a care in the world that he is hard to understand. If only we all could learn from children and their ability to overlook differences. ::tries to stay off soapbox and keep focused::

-The quietness.

-All the trees.

-Easy access to walking trails and "our" park.

Things I never thought I was missing that I realize are going to be wonderful...

-A garage. I have NEVER lived in a house with a garage (that I remember anyway). Won't ever have to bring groceries or kids inside through the rain or snow. Bikes will no longer be in my entryway. No more clearing snow, ice, or pollen off the cars. Which leads to...

-A driveway. We've never had a driveway in our married life. We get to wash our cars in our own driveway! WOW! A place for my kids to ride in circles or play games without being in other people's way on the sidewalk.

-A pool. Seriously...the pool is a mystery to me. I STILL have random moments when I say to myself, "Oh yeah. I forgot. It has a pool. Really??" I'm thankful for those moments because it shows me that the pool was not the selling point for me. But really? I have no idea what it's going to be like to have a pool in MY backyard (or the cost of maintenance for that matter...). I'm so glad I have "lifeguard" under my job belt! At least I'm not totally in the dark about pools. :-)

-A porch. A nice place to sit while my kids play in the fenced in front yard. No more sitting on random railroad ties or standing around.

-A guest suite. I'm still so humbled that the Lord would allow us to have a home that has a guest suite in it. No more moving cribs or beds around to fit an air mattress or telling people they can either sleep on the couch, get a hotel, or stay with our friends.

-Our own mailbox. First time in our marriage to not have one blocked with other people's.

-Non-creaky stairs.

-A laundry room UPSTAIRS. Oh my word. Is it really going to happen??? My Hubz has always been dead set against it for liability reasons. But a couple weeks ago, he all of the sudden asked, "What would you think about moving the laundry upstairs to the small room?" ::picks self up off floor:: He was serious. And tonight he even called our plumber friend from church to talk about the process and when it will happen. ::stunned:: For REAL? No more hauling hampers up and down stairs? Are we really about to mostly remedy the chore that seems to be the number one enemy of my back?? Which leads to...

-New MATTRESS!!!!!! After 7 years of sleeping on a $50 king sized pillow top mattress that the Lord seriously blessed us with by way of a second hand store, He is allowing us to get a new mattress. Are we really about to maybe completely remedy another enemy to my back?? (And, thanks to the Lord's timing, we were able to get a free queen mattress for the guest suite!)

Things I had no idea would cause so much mental strain...

-Choosing a washer and dryer. HAS to be the HARDEST decision in this whole process. Maybe even harder than the house itself. Dumb, right? :-P But really, when you think about it, the washer and dryer are probably my most used and needed electronic servants. So to be the one choosing to spend the money on the two machines I will spend A LOT of time with for hopefully many years...daunting and overwhelming. Especially with the myriad of reviews out there on brand, front loader vs. top loader, drum size, noise level, reliability, etc. etc. ETC. It seriously could drive one's self insane.

-Um, I really think the washer/dryer has been the biggest point of stress for me. Get back to me in a few weeks after we've gone through contracting work at the house as well as the actual move. ;-)

This Monday meditation is meant to be a picture of how we are to give thanks in ALL things. How God cares for the big things AND the small things in our lives. If He cares for every sparrow and lily, how much more does He care for His children? I mean, really, a mailbox? Who cares about a mailbox? But it's just proof that we can and should take delight in the small things just as much as the big things. All that we have is from Him. He has given us an abundant life. We would be remiss if we took advantage of it and did not ponder just how incredible His detailed care is.

Am I scared of moving into this house? Yes. Why? Because this is a HUGE step for our family, especially financially and from a home management perspective. But need I be afraid? No. Why? Because we have prayed for wisdom and guidance time and time again throughout this process and have kept open hands and hearts as best we can tell. And God has promised to give wisdom when we seek it and has promised to guide our steps if we seek His will. His fingerprint is all over this purchase and move. ALL the glory is due to Him. The people involved, the exact timing of every phone call, the babysitters, each home we chose to see...He orchestrated it all. I pray we never forget how much we learned of our Great & Good Provider during this time. And I pray that we will have many years of thanking Him and giving back by way of hospitality to many!

Starting with our out-of-town families in just two weeks! :-D

T.G.I.F.

I overheard Judah and Elijah getting dressed one morning. Often times, they consider things a race with each other. Judah chanted, "I'm the champion!" Elijah, loud and angry, responded, "NO YOU NOT! GOD is the CHAMPION!!" Judah simply said, "No, He's not." Elijah - "YES HE IIIIS!!!" Made me have a little chuckle before addressing each son's issue. :-P

We had cantaloupe with dinner the other night. I think it must be the first time I've purchased one in the boys' "grown-up" life. They enjoyed it, 'Lij more than Judah. Towards the end of dinner, Elijah ever-so-sweetly asked for more "neb-uh-loaf." Still later, he called it meatloaf. SO cute!