Just Another Manic Thursday

Part Uno

I chose the most humid, windy day to get my driver's license renewed.

Incidentally, when did they start calling organ donation an "anatomical gift?" Creepy.

After spending some extra time getting ready because, you know, these things are part of your life for six whole years, I walked out of the house to about the thickest humidity and wind combination you can imagine for October.

I'm still trying to figure out this concept called "plan ahead."

I have a feeling I'm going to regret my lack of foresight when I get my new dl in about six weeks and I look like Nick Nolte's long lost love child.

For the next six years. Awesome.

Little known fact that he got passed up for the role of Han Solo. That went to Harrison Ford instead. But maybe he was the hair inspiration for Chewbacca, so I guess he didn't really lose out in the end. Chewbacca rocks.

Anyway, I walked in to the DMV to find that, GLORY BE, I was first in line. I'm not sure what was the greater shock: that the DMV was line-free or that I got somewhere before anyone else did.

As I stood at the front of the line, I glanced around and noticed a bathroom. I then had to wrestle with the question of whether one last mirror check was worth risking my place in line. Since no one else followed me in, I decided to tempt fate and walked into the bathroom to see about a mirror.

And one glance in that mirror affirmed my decision to check things out. Glory be, it is amazing what walking through a blanket of humidity will do to your hair.

It was then that I saw in the reflection a hand dryer...

The fates then turned the tables and decided to tempt me. And, I, the girl who is lucky to walk out of the house with matching shoes and, I, the girl who applies make up at stoplights, found myself feeling a little self conscious about being hair twins with Chewbacca the next six years.

So, I eyed the faucet, then eyed the dryer and then the faucet again.

Well, you know what I did.

Oh yes I did.

I took that glorious stream of water and ran my fingers through my hair to get it just damp enough to work with. It was like my own little Regis Salon, only with a commode just feet from me. And the possibility of being caught in my embarrassing state of vanity if another person walked in.

But, there turned out to be enough risk taker in me and, after some hurried primping, I walked out to find that in about two short minutes, I was suddenly the third person in line. And, though there were employees buzzing all around, that is one place where a lot seems to be going on, but nothing productive appears to be happening.

Sort of like my daily routine as a Mom. Sometimes I feel like I couldn't be busier, but then I look around and wonder what the heck I've accomplished.

Anyway, who knows what my hair did before I actually got to the front of the line and had my picture snapped. We'll see in a few weeks, I guess.

Well, I will. There's a high probability you never will.

Unless we are trying to one-up each other in who looks most like a Star Wars character in their ID.

In which case I win. And I have the photo to prove it.

Part Dos

I had it in my mind that I had some shopping to do that same day. Thursdays are my best errand days since the boys are in school. I had a couple of stops to make before going to a local grocery store's going out of business sale. I was tempted to go home, though, when the downpour that brought on all that humidity finally arrived mid-morning and left me with little ability to see very far. Once I made the mad dash to my car, I hurried to roll down my windows to clear them, wiped my mirrors and used the back of my hand to wipe my windshield so I could see through the fogged up window. I nearly re-parked, though, when I realized I could barely see. I had never seen it rain so hard I couldn't even see the road right in front of me. Glory be, it was bad.

It was then that I finally realized I didn't have my wipers on.

You know, the things you turn on FIRST when trying to see through rain.

I think the fates came back and taunted me for giving in to their earlier temptation at the DMV.

Nonetheless, I made it to the grocery store, where I saved 71%, but also stocked up on things I am not sure I would normally buy.

I was, however, excited to score a great deal on some dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc.) Until I noticed the Use By date was January.

2009.

Nine months ago.

Glory be. I think I see why they went out of business.

Part Tres

Picked the boys up from school only to learn that Tyler had found other "activities" to pursue during nap time. His teacher told me four of the kids, Tyler and three girls, were placed in one area for nap time. Somehow, all four ended up with their heads in the same corner where all their nap mats met. His teacher then noticed that Tyler was stroking all three of the girls' hair and giving kisses to one little classmate, Julia. It's like he has a harem now.

And when I think harem, I no longer think "Casanova."

I think..."Hugh Hefner."

Glory be.

Father/Son Campout & Mother/Son Girls' Night Out

Our church had a father/son campout Friday night in Van Alstyne. Tyler was supposed to go, too, but he's had some snotty nose thing going on and I didn't want him to get worse in the 40 degree weather. It might just be allergies since he has nothing else going on, but I wasn't willing to risk pneumonia or swine flu to test his immune system.

Ah, swine flu, how you have slowly sucked the fun out of life.

Instead, Tyler got to hang out with a bunch of women at girls' night at the Andersons' house. Thankfully, there was another little preschooler there for T to play with. (Girls' night outs have changed over the years. We bring our kids, wear pj's, drink hot tea and leave by 10 p.m. Before we know it, they'll consist of bingo, knitting, conversations about cold cream and a 7:30 bedtime.).

Anyway, I think he was impressed with Maggie's train playing skills. They played so well together and kept themselves entertained while the mommies played games and talked. After we got home, Tyler looked deep into my eyes and declared, "Maggie is so pretty." What can I say? He has a heart for girls. It's like I'm raising Casanova.

As for our camping men, they had a blast. This is Noah jumping around in the tent once it was erected. Pitched. Whatever.
This is the guys eating dinner (weiners and chips). After raining all of Wednesday, the ground was still muddy. I'm having such a blast getting the mud out of those jeans. Clorox 2...I heart you.
This is Noah making a smiley face out of chips. I'm wondering if they also served some "special" brownies...Noah thought it would be fun to make a bunk bed out of their cots. Not sure it worked out very well.Brian noticed stadium lights not too far from their camp site (it's like he has an internal GPS for anything sports related), so they hopped in the car to watch some Van Alstyne football. Brian got to see several kids he used to coach and Noah scored a ring pop and some hot cocoa.

Back at the tent, there were a couple of card sharks playing Rummy and Old Maid. Looks like Brian is going down. And even though they had extra blankets, thick sleeping bags, sweatshirts and knit caps on, Brian got very little sleep from being cold and hearing people snore. Somewhere in the night, there was a thief who stole his extra blanket. We are not sure, but we suspect it was a five year old thief, judging by they muddy tracks he left behind. The next morning, they awoke to some kids using their tent as third base.

This next pic is with one of the boys' buddies, Grant. I just love the mud splatters on his face. I'm sure his Daddy did, too. Poor guy ran out of clothes from all the falling in the mud!

Despite cold weather, stolen blankets, mud, special brownies and all, they still had a blast and Noah spent Saturday night seriously wailing about wanting to go camping again. THAT night. I mean, it was the ugly cry. For over 20 minutes. Or 30, I don't remember which. But, it was sincere and that's what counts.

I get it, though. The smell and warmth of a campfire, marshmellows roasting, sleeping outdoors, solitude, relating to each other with a lack of distractions, crisp air...I get it.

There is just something special about getting back to the simple things of life.

So, if the weather cooperates, I think the four of us will find ourselves on our own camping trip and dancing in a tent in a couple of weeks. Looks like I'll be buying some more Clorox 2. Oh, how I heart the Clorox 2.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Tyler surprised us when he said something about his son the other day. When we looked to see what he was talking about, we saw that he had declared his stuffed monkey his son. He named him Cracks.

A couple days later, he again said something about his son. When I looked over to see what he meant, I learned that he has another son, a stuffed tiger. The tiger is named Tiger.

Cracks and Tiger. How appropriate that Tyler's sons are a monkey and a tiger.

The evidence of monkey DNA is clear in this picture.

As for his tiger DNA, one of his favorite games to play is actually called "Tiger." We take turns pretending to be tigers as we growl at and then pounce on each other. Who needs a Wii when you've got his imagination?

As for Cracks, I don't know where he got that. There is no evidence of looney behavior in this family.

None at all.

Educatin' & Indoctrinatin' & Goofinatin'

This video is for family, Old Glory lovers across the United States of de America and for those who need a refresher on our solar system. Also people who don't mind spending 4 minutes of their life watching other people's kids' shenanigans.

This is not for people who actually know what Galatians 5:13 says or those who get grossed out by spit. Clearly we have some work to do.


This video is a public service announcement for MISD parents - this man is teaching your kids. At least we can be thankful Brian is an (amazing) engineering teacher and not an earth science teacher. I apologize in advance for our irreverent mockery of global warming. I blame our behavior on global warming.



Noah has clearly been studying the solar system at school. Today, he announced that Uranus is his favorite planet. Logic told me Noah is too young for little boy jokes about Uranus, but I still nervously braced myself as I replied, "Oh yeah? Why is that?" To which he said, "Because Uranus is blue and blue is suh-weeeet!"

Suh-weeeet sigh of relief.

Tech vs. Fuzzy

Brian was an architecture major, taught math for eight years and is now teaching engineering design.

I was a business major.

We played Old Maid during family game night a couple nights ago.

I don't know how much our degrees are an indication of our personalities, but the following made me laugh aloud when I noticed it. Here are our two piles of matching cards. I think they are very indicative of our personalities. Given what you know about our degrees, I'll let you decide which pile was Brian's and which was mine.

Roses Are Red...And Too Darn Expensive!

Brian has been married long enough to know I don't like having flowers ordered for me. Even buying them at the store is kind of questionable.

This is weird, I acknowledge.

I love flowers...love, love, love them. Fresh flowers brighten up a home so much. But, paying for those fresh flowers is not worth it to me. Reason tells me that money could be put into something that is going to be with you more than four days. I happen to like reason.

So, 13 years into this, I get flowers occasionally, but not enough times to make me worry about our bank balance over them.

Tonight, Noah ran to the store with Brian to get some chili and s'more ingredients. As they passed the flowers, Noah excitedly said, "Oooh, Daddy! I want to buy some flowers for Mommy!"

(Noah gets so excited anytime he finds a flower for me. On our walks, he can usually spot a dandelion or two and he totally delights in surprising me with them. It's those kinds of flowers any Mommy loves best.)

Brian hesitated, trying to decide how to break the news of his Mommy's abnormal resistance to receiving flowers to him gently. He then looked up to lock eyes with a woman smiling and nodding to tell him that, yes, he was indeed going to make it home with flowers tonight. Or risk looking like a jerk in front of her. Still, he stayed strong and told Noah, "No, buddy, not tonight."

But as they walked off, Brian said he felt like an ogre and changed his mind. So, Noah happily walked alongside the floral selection and sniffed until he found the perfect bouquet.

He sniffed to find what he deemed the most fragrant ones. I think that is sweet.

And I do think he found the perfect bunch.


Really, what's a few dollars when you get such tangible thoughtfulness? I can look at these for at least four days and be reminded Noah loves me. And his Daddy does, too. There will come a day when our boy is more worried about getting flowers for another girl. So, I'll take them while I can.

Sometimes you've just gotta be a little unreasonable.

And, anyway, this girl Noah meets might turn out to be the kind of girl who likes getting flowers that aren't of the yard picked dandelion variety.

Reason tells me this is good practice.

Work With Me

Hey Barkley, remember that time I vacuumed your fur off our couch? Remember how I painstakingly ran that Dirt Devil over and over our couch, carefully going over each crease to remove all bits of you from it? Remember how I laid your cozy bed next to the couch so you could still be near us? Remember that?

As in, an hour ago?

Apparently not.

$7 for South Africa

A.P. English was my favorite subject in high school. I loved digging deeper and finding meaning behind an author's words. The characters took on greater depth when there was symbolism and meaning behind the words used. The challenge of interpretation and not just reading for pleasure made books come more alive for me.

I am so much better at interpreting words than art, it seems.

I still love symbolism today, but I'll explain more later.

In January, I will return to South Africa for the third time.

Okay, let me rephrase that...

In JaNuArY (84 days!), I wIll (hip hip hooray!) ReTuRn tO (fist bump!) SOUTH AFRICAAAAAAAAA (glory be!) fOr ThE tHiRd TiMe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(turning cartwheels)

There is no way to describe how excited I am at this unexpected trip, so I hope the obnoxious overuse of exclamation points, capitalization and colors conveys some of it. When my plane landed back in Dallas last October, I really thought it would be the end of trips for me for awhile. We had hoped to have a third child by now and I just figured it would be at least three years before I could go back to this country I love so much. I had settled it in my heart that it would be a long time.

A few weeks ago, Kim, who talked me into going on the first two trips with her, told me she was going back to SA. Later, she sent me details on an upcoming info meeting. I ignored the email, figuring I wasn't going back anytime soon anyway. Well, days after she sent that, I re-read her blog entry about going back to SA.

Which got me thinking.

And thinking is what got me to South Africa the first two times!

Darn Kim.

I pulled up the email I'd overlooked days before and re-read it, this time with some "what if" in my mind. As I read, something in me asked for some confirmation, just something to let me know if I was supposed to be on this trip.

SECONDS later, I got a pop up sound on my computer, signaling that someone wanted to chat with me on Facebook. I clicked over to FB, blown away to find that it was Kim trying to chat.

As far as I remember, Kim and I had NEVER chatted on FB before then. So, after all the "holy cows!" and "no stinkin' way(s)!," I finally got it all out to Kim that I had just asked God to help me figure out if I'm supposed to go in January and then I get a chat message from the very girl that convince me to go the first two times. Confirmation #1.

Now, Gideon and I are the kind that turn a skeptical eye to reading too much into "signs," except I don't have wool lying around, so it appears God had to hit me upside the head with a few more confirmations over the coming days...

1. I was hit with immediate opposition, which always comes when you're striving to follow God. Satan tries to work weaknesses and make us stumble so we doubt ourselves. But I see that opposition = confirmation.

2. Within days, Habakkuk 1:5 was presented to me twice within 24 hours (thanks to Ryan Pitts and Scott Rhoades). It deserves its own paragraph, it's so beautiful...

Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Now how often does Habakkuk come up in everyday circumstances? Confirmation x 2 in 24 hours = powerful stuff.

3. I read Jenny Simmons' blog (of Addison Road) because 1) we went to church together in high school and 2) her writing pretty much rocks my socks. She recently wrote about a girl who graduated from high school and then up and moved to Uganda to serve and love on as many children as she can. The girl feeds hundreds of starving, malnourished kids. In Jenny's blog, she wrote, "Just go, Jenny." If you go back and read Kim's blog entry, you will see why this phrase stuck out to me.

4. Noah was messing around on youtube. He likes to find Chipmunk or Dora versions of such musical highlights as 2 Legit To Quit and Crank Dat Soulja Boy. So, as he messed around, I suddenly heard a familiar tune I hadn't heard in a long time. As the notes played out, I realized it was Rhianna's Take A Bow. I got chills as the song took me back to a week last October when a 3rd grade South African girl serenaded me with that song over and over. And, let me tell Rhianna, she has some tough competition in that little girl. Who knew God could speak through R&B? It is 2009 after all.

5. I have until the end of this month to raise $2100 for my trip. I have received, with such blessing, $475 from friends who gave simply when I mentioned I was going back. Again, confirmation.

That leaves $1625 to go and I am not at all daunted. I'm actually kind of excited! Weird, I know.

Which leads me to a segue. And some symbolism.

Because I know this is a hard time for many and because I know many of you are already giving to things you believe in, I want to do something different with my fundraising this time. I think I'll have no trouble reaching $1625 if you and most of my FB friends find that you have $7 you could spare. $7 at a time will get me to South Africa and her people I love and I would really be grateful for your help.

I chose the #7 because numbers have meaning in the Bible. Seven is representative of completion. God made the world in 7 days. I believe God will bring this aspect of my trip to completion by November 1st, when all payment is due.

Trip details: We will be at Fort White, helping local missionaries establish relationships. We will hold VBS for the kids and do some construction around the grounds. The trip is January 1-11. We are hoping to raise $500 to help build a playground as well.

So, friends, I'm asking for a couple of things. If you have $7 to help me get back to Africa, you can send your tax deductible gift to FBC McKinney at 1615 W. Louisiana Street in McKinney, TX (75069). Checks can be made out to FBC McKinney but please be sure to somehow indicate in the envelope that it is for my trip.

Oh, they are going to love me in that finance office with these $7 checks coming in!

In addition, I would love your prayers for our team and for the beautiful people we will meet. Among other things, a few of us have young kids at home. It is never easy to leave people you love for ten days. It is even harder to leave little children who don't quite get why Mommy is flying across the ocean to take care of kids there. Please pray for our kiddos and the people loving on them while we are gone.

Honestly, I thank you that I can even come to you with excitement over something like this and a request like this.

Friends, get ready...look at the nations and watch - you and I are going to be utterly amazed!

P.S. INCIDENTALLY, another number that has meaning in the Bible is 70. It happens to symbolize God's heart for the nations. The NATIONS - how cool is that?!

So, if you've got $70 lying around...

Kidding, of course.

Unless you do.

the Root of all Evil = MATH

Isn't that in the Bible? Or something like that.

Last night, Noah used big, confusing words like "parallelogram, a rhombus is a slanted square, a pentagon has five sides, a hexagon has six and an octagon has eight."

Noah is in preschool. Preschool, people.

I'm beginning to worry I won't be able to help him with homework beyond third grade. Did I even know how to spell my name when I went to kindergarten? There was certainly no talk of rhombus' or hexagons when I was five.

Thank goodness Brian taught math for eight years!

Wait...is that right?

2 years at Anna Middle School
+ 2 years at Faubion Middle School
+ 2 years at Van Alstyne High School
+ 2 years at Boyd
8 years

Whew! At least simple addition hasn't left me!

Wait, they do still teach that through first grade, don't they?

A Day in the Life of Me

The boys all woke up with various icky symptoms today, so they stayed home while I ran to a parenting class at church. Got home to hear Noah enthusiastically announce he had checked the weather. As in weather.com. As in he located it on the internet. He even entered the zip code by himself, which he located on an envelope when he got two of the numbers swapped in his memory. Mr. Al Roker wannabe told me it was going to rain a lot, probably all week. Good to know we'll be hauling around umbrellas and sporting rainboots for the week.

Also good to know A&M has a very good meterology program as it appears we're raising a weather nerd buff.

Later, Tyler was standing about five feet from me. I asked if he had a hug for me. He said, "Yes. Right here," and he stretched his arms out wide to the side. I asked if I could please have it and he said I had to get up and come get it. Good to know I'll have to earn my hugs from here on out.

Also good to know he's learned the value of playing hard to get.

These two fascinate me with their way of thinking. Good to know I get to keep them around for 18 years.