We are weird people

Empowering My Firstborn

April 24, 2013

She is a beautiful combination of take charge and tenderness. Depending on her mood (or her agenda), one or the other will be her dominate personality each day. She is her father’s daughter, and most importantly, she has his eyes…dark brown and determined. All girls should have their daddy’s eyes. She says hysterical things to me like “those kids are getting on my nerves” when referring to her brother and sister; yet also begs me daily to have another child. She promises she would do all the work ,”Mommy, all you have to do is birth it.” And honestly, I believe her. She wakes up early in the morning to come down and make her brother and sister Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes…I promise I’m not making this up. She cuts fruit, organizes a buffet, and then calls them in when it’s ready. I’m not sure what I would do without her.

My Ella Grace is a nurturer, she is most alive when she is serving. What a Jesus gift of grace she is to me. So when my husband had the brilliant idea of giving over the grocery shopping to my oldest child, I was annoyed I had not thought of the idea first. I mean seriously, what in the world took us so long? She wants more responsibility, she is totally responsible and trustworthy, she is more organized than I am (and has been since she was 4), I despise grocery shopping, and she loves to be in charge of a project. We showed her how to place an order online, and 20 minutes later she said, “Mommy, it’s done, the groceries can be picked up at 5:30″. Am I the only person who hears the sound of angels singing? I kind of feel like it was one of those parenting moments I will remember the rest of my life; and now all I’m thinking is, what else can I give over to her? I love that kid.

In completely unrelated news, my husband convinced me to run one of those ridiculous mud races with him. This was the speech I heard: “I have walked through many art museums with you for hours on end. Looking at Monet’s Waterlilies was one of the most painful ways I have ever spent a day (by the way, I’m still trying to catch my breath from the outrage I experienced when those words left his lips). I think I have earned you running in a mud race with me.” Have you ever in your life heard anyone equate experiencing the beauty of Monet’s Waterlilies, to running in the Rugged Maniac? I am beside myself…the audacity. Despite his ridiculous comparison, I love the man fiercely, so I agreed. And yes, that is me, the one whose appendages seem to be flailing about as if they are unattached from my body. And yes, that is my husband, the one about to land on top of me in a mud pit. He said, “Amy, I think this has made our marriage stronger.” Please, would someone tell me why that is so.

Filed UnderA mother's heart, Ella, We are weird people 1 Comment

Why I like Pinterest

March 18, 2013

I am not very educated about personality types, but whatever the personality type is that needs to sometimes be alone…I’m that one. My husband is the opposite of whatever I am. He decompresses amongst activity, sport, and friends. I decompress on Pinterest. Do you know what I mean? Television is not really my thing, and I do love to read, but I only read what challenges and stretches me, which usually means decompressing is not happening while I have a book in my hands. I have one friend that folds laundry…simple and brainless. I have another friend that sweeps…again, it’s an activity that allows her mind to rest. For me…I pin stuff. I have heard Pinterest called out a time or two in criticism. It’s critics say it’s evidence of a culture that is never satisfied, always seeking something better, a sickening display of materialism, or one more way our culture says to us “see, this person is better than you”. I suppose I see what they are saying, and certainly there is a soul out there somewhere pinning her little heart out trying to find satisfaction. I suppose. But as for me and my little heart, I just want to look at pretty things and feed this hidden part of my soul that loves all things creative and lovely.

I have been teaching a small group of woman on Sunday mornings, and I have loved everything about, but it has also challenged me all the way down to my bones. Even this small group of woman has stretched me shockingly far outside of my comfort zone. It has put me on my face before the Lord, and He has blessed through the experience. I’m so grateful. But last night I was so tired. I tucked my kids in bed, Kevin and I tried to get caught up with the Bible series on TV; but at the point that Samson was getting his eyes gouged out, I knew it was too much for me that late at night. So Pinterest came out, and somehow my brain was able to finally turn off while learning that there is a place in Australia that rescues and nurses back to health baby bats.

It is both the cutest and most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life. And do you know what they do with them to put them to sleep? They hang them out on clothes lines. Tell me that this information is not the exact thing you needed to hear today?!?! Thank you Pinterest, who knew that disgusting rodents wrapped in tiny blankets would be the exact mental therapy this over-worked mind needed. Happy Monday to you all, and if you would like to join me in therapy, you can click here to follow my Pinterest page.

Filed UnderI was just thinking, We are weird people 8 Comments

Giveaway winner and Disney detox

September 26, 2012

I have to admit, this stencil giveaway was much more fun then I thought it would be. There are a few reasons for this, but honestly I think mainly it’s because I was able to hear from you! I felt like I had a tiny window that if I stood on my tiptoes I could peak into your life for a quick minute. Does that sound weird and stalkerish? I don’t mean it that way. I loved hearing things like “I would use this stencil for a future nursery”, or “I am supposed to be researching adoption, but instead I am looking through stencil designs”, or even “If I won I would finish the walls in my son and daughters bathroom that they share”. Most people do not comment on blogs, I’m one of them! Due to a lack of time, I literally read only 2 blogs, and I almost never, ever comment. So I get it, but this post forced you to have to talk to me whether you liked it or not…and I loved it. OK, now that just sounded weird and desperatish. I’m going to stop talking now.

As random number generator would have it, the lucky winner is commenter number 29, AKA: Melissa P, who said, ”I would choose the Casablanca Trellis Moroccan stencil for my little girls shared bathroom.” Yay Melissa! I like you. You have two little girls and you are going to stencil their bathroom walls…you are a girl after my own heart.

Moving onto other things now. We have been in Disney World for the past 8 days. It might have been the longest 8 days of my life, and somehow at the same time, it seemed like the shortest. You have never done Disney until you do it with my husband. He is a wild man that cannot be held back. We were up by 6:00 am each day and not permitted to be in bed until fireworks were over. Some afternoons, the children were barely able to keep their eyes open and put one foot in front of the other. Through their tears, they would beg for relief, but the only mercy they were offered by their father was a Red Bull. Seriously people, he wanted to put Red Bull in poor Thomas’s sippy cup to help him stay awake and keep up. I drew the line.

It is though what I love about that man of mine, and if I can survive him, I will be a better woman for having experienced life with him. There is never a dull moment. We saw everything there was to see at the four Disney parks, and then we threw in Sea World and Discovery Cove for added fun. I have wanted to swim with a dolphin since the second grade, even as an adult I would dream about it. So as we approached the swim tank at Discovery Cove, I was beside myself. I had each of my girls on either side of me, Thomas in the arms of his daddy, and I had to pause and take a moment. It was just too much.

Ella kept saying “Stop crying mom”, but I couldn’t, we were swimming with dolphins!

The rest of that park was great too. There were a plethora of birds to feed and hold.

We all five snorkled in a coral reef with stingrays and fish. Thomas put on his snorkel and dove in like he had been doing it his whole life, what a little man he is.

And then there was Sea World. More awesomeness there too. The killer whale and dolphin shows were phenomenal, and I couldnt help but think when God told Adam to rule over the animals, this is what he had in mind. I was speechless, and thought how creative of a God we have!

Thomas grinned from ear to ear watching the sea lion show. As the first enormous sea lion entered the stage by sliding out the front door barking, he laughed out loud. Priceless.

The other parks were a lot more of the same thing each day. Rides, princesses, and tons of junk food. I would prefer to never see another funnel cake as long as I live.

Then we learned that before Mickey Mouse comes out to join you for a meal, everyone temporarily looses their mind and begins frantically waving their napkin in the air. It’s exciting and kind of cute at first, but now Thomas believes that the magical napkin can summon Mickey through the door at any moment. He’s been flailing a lot of napkins through the air.

Our last night was dinner with the Princesses. Thomas was awkwardly shy around all the pretty ladies, and Caroline was beside herself to meet Ariel. She is our favorite and we all began trying to fix our hair as she approached our table. Even Ella who is too big and too cool to like princesses couldn’t really help herself.
So now we are home and exhausted and I have enrolled each of the children into our own Disney detox program. It’s back to the real world, where everything isn’t about them all the time, and every meal doesn’t include chicken fingers, a character meeting, and fireworks. We are back to home and reality, where the air is cooler and cooler each morning, and I’m grateful for it. Because life is not one long endless summer. Thank goodness.

Filed UnderStuff to paint, Vacations, We are weird people 5 Comments

A Mother’s Day Tradition

May 15, 2012

Who needs a fancy brunch on Mother’s Day when you can do this??? This is quickly becoming a tradition for us, Busch Gardens on Mother’s Day. There are no lines and it is completely awesome in every way. My dear mother and step-dad are troopers and meet us there each year. My younger sister and brother come too with all their little people, and our kids have great fun with all their cousins.

I should clarify, most of us have great fun. My very edible nephew Asher gets quite nervous if we make him ride the really crazy rides…like the baby swings. He is forced to cover his eyes, as he simply cannot bear the terror of it all. Sweet baby.

And then in beautiful irony, as we were walking through the streets of Italy in Busch Gardens; my Dad and older sister were texting us pictures of the real thing. They were literally in Italy walking through the actual ruins themselves:

But do they have a water slide flowing from their ruins???? I think not. I’m pretty sure that means that our trip was better. I think.

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Filed UnderVacations, We are weird people 2 Comments