First Day at the Pool!

Last year at this time,  I was about to enter one of the hottest Summer's on record in North Carolina.  And I was 7 month's pregnant.   Yeah - it was not my favorite Summer.  But I was anticipating the arrival of our sweet boy.

I truly did not know how much this little guy would bless our life.  "They" all say that, don't they?

He is sweet, funny, calm, easy-going and just plain fun.   I'm glad I to call him mine.

Here we are enjoying the start of this Summer with his first trip to the neighborhood pool.   Remember what it was like to have a baby at the pool?!?!?  I quickly remembered yesterday the work involved in getting a wee one ready for a swim.  We lasted about an hour.    It's all fine, though - I'm just enjoying him.  This time around I am smart enough to know how fast it really goes. 

Happy 10 months,  Baby T.  You have been the light of our lives for 2011 for sure! 

Watching

I can spend a lot of time just watching him.

Maybe it's that he is teetering at the place somewhere between baby and boy.

Maybe I just am fascinated by his boy antics.

Maybe it's just because he's mine.

Whatever the reason, I'll just keep watchin'.

Electronic Hypnotism - Wordless Wednesday

Once I found my photos from last Christmas, I stumbled on this one which was taken just a few hours after all the excitement of opening gifts died down.    Here are my kids and my niece with what appears to be their favorite gifts - electronics.   Apparently, things that beep are still king in the toy department.   Look how hypnotized each of them seem on their respective games and phone. 

Blue Hairs

This is what we do when school is tracked out!  Colored Hair.

Today, just for today - I am officially a cool mom.  

Vacation Bible School thoughts

The kids have been in VBS all week. I have to admit that the two hour break each evening was a treat for me AND them. They had a blast coming home each night with crafts and sing songy hearts.

When I was a kid, I would visit my aunt in St. Louis each summer for a few weeks. She had 7 kids and would take on me and my 2 brothers to give my single mom a break. She also babysat for a living. Her house was a zoo. I am not even sure where I slept most of the time but I am sure of the fact that I had fun!

For one week of our visit she would always send us to Vacation Bible School. I am sure that this was a strategic move on her part to get rid of the school age kids for a few hours of peace each day.

Anyway, my fondest memory of VBS other than making a matchstick cross and macaroni necklaces, was the feel of the Sunday school classrooms. It was the feeling of community and and joy of learning about Jesus. It was most likely some of the first memories I have about my God and many of them would carry me through until I found my way back to Him years later. It was definitely one of first associations with church - thankfully, it was positive.

So, I always send my kids. I think it is a good experience for them.

My 8 year old daughter seems to have a pretty firm grasp on God so far. She decided to be baptized a year or so ago to make an outward showing of her love for Jesus. For her, any time to worship God is a good time. She knows all the songs and moves by heart and could probably teach some of the lessons. Seriously.

My 5 year old thinks of God as the ultimate super hero. He imagines him as a flying, bigger than life man that can turn into a fireball in a second flat. It's been more difficult for him to get the concept of who God is. Well yeah - he's 5.

I had a lot of fun watching him this week in particular.

Early in the week they made prayer journals. On the front he drew a picture of a man. He said,

" Mom, I drew God on the front of my prayer book. I gave him brown hair. Kinda crazy brown hair. Is that okay? Do you think that is what God looks like?"

The next night I came into his room to see him madly "writing" in his journal. He can't spell more than his name right now. I asked what he was doing.

"Writing to God, Mom."

I asked what he was writing.

"Oh, how I love Him. How we are friends. Stuff like that."

Then yesterday we were listening to the CD of music from VBS and I looked in my rearview mirror to find him signing and singing to a song called, I am a Friend of God. Yes, I quietly cried right there in my car. It was beyond sweet watching a boy who wasn't even sure he wanted to go to see him now singing the songs by heart.

The biggest serious question came one night before bed when he pointed to his chest and asked me if his soul was in there.

Wow.

I remember some of these conversations with my daughter and I am excited to be having them with him. The open heart of a child to God is inspiring to me.

So, how about you? Anyone else have VBS this week?

So It Begins

Conversation with Bubby this morning about his future in Kindergarten.

Me: "I think you are going to do just fine in Kindergarten. Yesterday was just a trial run and it was too crowded. "

Bubby: "Yeah, I'll be fine if I make new friends. Do you think Ian and Ethan will be in my class?" (kids from preschool that are also assigned to our elementary school)

Me: "Maybe."

Bubby: "Oh, I saw Lily there, too. Maybe she will be in my class. You know mom, Lily, from my preschool?" He chuckles a little shyly. "She kind of ignores me."

And so it begins...

Finally Friday

Ahhhhh, it's Finally Friday. I love the end to a busy week. Looking back on the week it is a wonder I didn't forget a kid somewhere. Or a dog. Mostly just my mind!

No big plans for the weekend here. I plan to hopefully spend some time with my mom tomorrow maybe for lunch and scouring the flea market. Church on Sunday and some time in our yard. Sounds like heaven to me!

So, how about you? How are you spending your Mother's Day weekend?

I also want to know...

What is your favorite thing about being a mom?

Go ahead and grab the button above and link up if you want. Let me know in the comments if you do so.

My favorite thing is when I see my kids do something GOOD that I have taught them. I love it when they make a good decision and it reflects back to a talk we had or a lesson learned. It is incredibly rewarding. Oh, and their cheeks, ears, toes, eyes, hands, chubby arms, the cute things they say, the way they smell after a bath, snuggling with them...

Oh, who am I kidding - it's all good. Well, mostly all good. Being a mom really does rock.

Okay, your turn. Favorite thing.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. Please be praying for little Stellan

So, it's Not Me that in the last 3 days has had either one of my two dogs or children throwing up and/or diarrhea. I have Not become best friends with my carpet shampooer and It's definitely Not Me that IS. DONE. with sickness and running the mammals, that live in my home, to their appropriate doctors.

It's Not Me that has nothing planned for our Spring Break. Well, I have plenty of stuff planned that my kids are not thrilled about. So, I tweaked the week a bit and hopefully have a couple days open for nothing but fun! Just. As. Soon. As. B Stops Throwing up.

It was Not Me that got to work in my yard all weekend. It was not a GLORIOUS weekend here. Aside from all the stuff floating around in the air that causes my family to have wicked allergies, the weather was splendid. Have you ever heard the saying Carolina Blue Skies? Yeah, this past weekend is why.

It definitely was not me that had some time to re-pot some plants inside and divide some plants outside. It was not me that got to garden all day and did not buy a single plant! I also started some plants from seed a few weeks ago and they are coming in nicely. I can't wait to get those in pots and beds. I really hope they do well. If I could be successful bringing seeds to plants - the world of gardening would be a whole new place!

And it's Not Me that is working through a meaty issue going on between some people I care about. It's not totally settled but I can say that I see some light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, you just have to realize that people are making the best decisions they can and are not intentionally meaning to hurt anyone. I absolutely cannot live in a negative place for long. I don't enjoy the darkness of that at all. So, I'm glad to see healing begin and people moving on for the best. I am starting to learn that the process of healing and working through situations is often more important than the end result.


No, it was Not Me who just revised this post so I could link up with Not Me Monday and did it too late and could not link up. Such a typical thing for me. Sigh

Jesus and Jedi

Every night I pray with my kids as I tuck them in.

My 8 year old has chosen for a couple years now to pray privately on her own. I usually just say a prayer about her before bed.

But, my son who is 4 has just not been that active in the bedtime prayer scene. So, normally, I pray and he repeats.

But last night, he finally asked the words I have longed to hear.

"Mom, can I pray tonight?"

Definitely!

Dear God,
When I go away to become a Jedi, I will miss my family. And my dog and my house and my bed. Keep me safe. I love you Jesus. Amen.

Okay, then.