Saturday, December 16, 2006

It's getting shorter!
Our Advent Countdown Candle...
I finally gave up on the pillar candle that. I burned that thing for a week, blowing it out only at night, and it never did really BURN.....other than down the middle. LOL Tapers work much better! You can see some of the lines on the candle.
Bedtime conversation

Zander: "Cy went to get Dad and to bring him home."

Me: "No, Cy's at work. Dad won't be home until after Jamin's birthday, remember? But the girls are coming home before the next pizza night!"

Zander: "And we wrapped presents they will really like. So they will be home."

Me: "Yes."

Zander: "Why does dad like the airport?"

::snort:: I really thought he'd understand this by now.....
SATURDAY

~Paintball: The older three boys went with the chapel's youth (and a couple of teachers, a dad, and a chaplain) to play paintball today. They had a blast.

~Pizza Party: I drove Arielle and Nolan to meet up with the older boys and the rest of the chapel children for pizza at the Fellowship Hall. Yumm. (Zander asked for Burger King, so he, Stacia and I headed there).

~Program Practice: The older 5 children had play practice until 3:00.

~Shopping: Zander, Stacia and I headed for the stores. I told Zander he could pick out the stocking stuffers. We went to dollar store type places and he had a blast. We came home and were stuffing stockings when Josiah called to say they were done early and he would drive everyone home.

~MORE SHOPPING!: Earlier in the week, I'd shopped to make sure all the children had nice clothes for this Sunday.....when they came home they said they are to wear jeans and a red or green shirt....oops....back to the store on SATURDAY NIGHT....in DECEMBER to find 5 red or green shirts. Arielle came with me and we had a great time. She voiced what I was thinking, "This is nice, but it would have been nice to know before now that we needed the shirts!" ::snort:: This is fine because I'd begun to realize that if they were their nice clothes this Sunday they'd have nothing for NEXT Sunday. I'm covered.

~Tabitha: We are really enjoying our leisurely reading this year. The children are asking if there are other books like this for throughout the year...but I don't know. We talked about how to do 7 days of reading for the 4th week of advent since Christmas is the day after the 4th Sunday. We are considering reading two nights every night this week...what are some of you doing? I don't think we want to come home from Christmas Eve service and try to read 7 nights of Tabitha....

~More reading: Stacia fell asleep during Advent reading. Nolan and Zander asked for the "dino book" after Tabitha. We read. I got out the packing tape and taped the book once again - that poor thing is barely holding together. I "should" buy a new copy...but this one is special....all since Bre have loved this copy of this book.

~Odds and Ends: I bought a couple of birthday banners today. In the child's name place I wrote Jesus. We hung one on our back fence (alley) and I hope to figure out how to display the other in the front. My celebrate sign and nativity have taken a BEATING from the wind. I don't know that they will live through this season. I bought a sign that says "it's a boy". Seemed like a good idea at the time...but now it seems flippant. They don't make "it's God" signs....or "it's savior". I'll have to think on this.

~Zander went and met some neighbor kids today - and they didn't seem real open to the idea of him joining them...but we'll see. LOL
The Greatest Story Ever Told....

The ministry the boys volunteer with throws a big party (two days) for at risk children in our city. They host the backyard Bible clubs weekly.

Their party this year was great. They bussed the kids into their main building. They had the entire place fixed up. The show resolved around various "story characters" trying to convince everyone that THEIR story was the greatest ever told. Of course the Christmas Story is the winner...and it's the one that hasn't ended....

The children fill out gift requests and gifts are donated from various spots in the community. Thanks to Heather, for taking shots of the event and the boys. I'm thrilled to have photos to share with Mike and keep for those elusive photo albums.

Snow White makes her case...

Jamin was Papa Bear and Jared was the Crocodile Hunter

STACIA FUNNIES
The phone rang EARLY this a.m. I went in search of the cordless, wondering who would be calling so early on a Saturday. Stacia ran up and handed me the phone, face lit with a big smile....I said, "THANK YOU, STACIA!" She was so pleased and proud. I saw it was a chaplain on the phone. I was a bit perplexed.

"Hello?", "hello???"...

"Who is this?"

"M, what's up?"

"I'm returning a missed call."

"Oh NO - Stacia must have hit redial and called you. I'm so sorry we woke you up!"

ARGH - I felt so bad. Poor man....one day to sleep in and awakened by a prank call from a 1 yo.
~*~*~*

This is irritating and funny. Stacia keeps trying to turn off the computers....Today she made it to the crashed computer and hit the button....and one of the working computers.
"Stacia, that is naughty."
Holds up one finger with a smile.....

Ohhhhh.....she's a smart one, this one. I'm wondering about my thought to teach her "one finger touch". This usually satisifies curiousity as they are allowed to touch, but can't grab to break or eat...but THIS one has learned a lot of things that can be done with ONE FINGER.

~*~*~*

This one is GROSS and similar to a story from 6 months ago. Don't read it if your tolerance of gross is low....You are warned!!!






Evidently, she pooped and it fell out of her diaper. She must have picked it up and tasted it. Jamin and I were on the computers and she came running in and threw something on his lap. ::snort:: She also was spitting and blowing raspberries. He said, "Oh no, WHAT is this???" THEN I noticed her mouth and the smell and it was gross and funny. I brushed her teeth, her tongue etc...she kept wanting to kiss us and we were replussed.

Biking Musings....

I'm getting there....I may finish by Christmas...and then I'll have to reset my goal. LOL Maybe I'll have a goal to reach by March or April or Easter or hmmm....Or maybe I should restart at 0 and have a goal for 2007...but ah the pain of seeing 0 after all the work to get to 447.....

Saw this on a bumper today "Love your Loser or Lose your Lover." Hmmm....seems a bit scronful but it did appeal to my funny bone.....and there seems to be some measure of truth in the saying. I am greatful for the times that Mike loved me when I was certainly acting like a loser.....and if we've made that committment to a man before God...then yep...we'd best love the man at this point.....on the other hand...if we aren't married we'd best leave the Loser before we commit.....and I honestly believe that there are a few instances in Scripture where we are told it's not preferrable but would be o.k. to leave a looser....all in all this occupied far to much of my thoughts as I rode and rode and rode this a.m. I'm not sure it's funny at all, now that I consider the implications of the statement. Aren't so many current bumper stickers like this???

The boys were getting concerned that I wasn't back....remember I'm the one who has to carefully watch for renegade sedans while I ride. I wondered today if I could take a walkman with me on the rides...I'd sure like some music or audio books...but then I'd miss my profound thoughts. ::snort::

Oh goodness, I'd not been out by the school in a couple of weeks. Mike you will not believe what they are doing. They have two new roads in....the cleared fields to the west of the school keep spreading.....now they have cleared brush and moved big piles of dirt into the east fields....and the survey stakes go way back...clear to our favorite geocache spot....I feel like I'm LIVING over the hedge....LOTS of skunk smell and armadillos lately...I think they are stirring things up.