"Train a Child in the Way He Should Go..."

My baby girl turned 10 today...in her words, "Good-bye to the days of single digits. Forever!" She's a little dramatic...it's her dad in her. I cannot believe she's 10. I thought about it a lot last night lying in bed with her, saying prayers and then just snuggling. She told me she would always be my baby girl. I told her I wish I had a time machine so I could go back to when she was 3. I can't believe it. Where did all the time go? In half the time, she'll be learning to drive a car. In another 10 years she won't even live at home anymore. Have I been a good mom? Have I done my best? Ten years gone...have I trained her up in the way she should go? Yes. I've made mistakes, plenty to be totally honest. And I know there have been days that I know I could have done better. But, this I know is true. Katie loves Jesus. She trusts him. She believes that what he says is truth. She desires to study His Word. And her fruits of the Spirit are amazing to behold! I worry about her teenage years, broken hearts, girlfriend drama, term papers and prom...but I do believe that when she is older, she will not depart from her faith! That is what I'm holding onto today. That is what is comforting me when I think about rocking her in my arms and miss her being a baby girl so much it's making me cry. God is holding her in the palm of His mighty hand; and nothing can take her out of it. Happy Birthday Katie-bug!

~J

Proverbs 22:6

WHAT?

I get the feeling that many blogs this year will revolve around middle school drama... at least for 2 of the 3 chix.

Do you remember when you first shaved your legs? Of course you do! What I don't remember is thinking it was the greatest moment of my short life. Well, my 11 year old was as giddy as I have ever seen her, smiling from ear to ear. She walked around for 2 days saying, "Feel my legs, aren't they smooth?"

However, the best part was the 3rd day when they were nasty and prickly. You would think it would send her mood down from the high she had been on, but No! She was so excited to do the process all over again.

Wonders never cease with hormonal preteens... she hates her wardrobe, shoes, hair, basically her life, but shaving makes her giddy and beside herself for days. Could someone please explain this to me because I have a headache. I think it may last for several years! HELP!

~A

Mom of a Middle School Girl

YIKES! That seems like the most honest way to start this blog! There are all these thoughts, and opinions, and Clean & Clear skin treatment, and attitudes, and entitlement, and giddy laughter, and silliness, and hormones running rampant in our home. I've read a book this summer by Vicki Courtney called "5 Conversations you MUST have with your daughter"...and I find it baffling that none of these conversations are the ones I've been having with my new 6th grader this summer! My conversations have been: 1- I don't care if it's not yours, pick it up and put it away. 2- If you don't like your teeth, don't take care of them...they'll go away. 3 - No, not just one more second...right NOW! 4 - You'll get your own cell phone whenever you're in a position that you'll need your own cell phone. 5 - If you've got a bunch of crap shoved under your bed, your rooms not clean. And a bonus conversation entitled...IT's NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! Publishable material...probably not! But at the end of the day, she still wants me to lay down with her to say prayers...wakes me up when she's had a bad dream...cries when she knows she's disappointed me and writes me letters of apologies to make sure everything is okay between us. She hugs me fiercely...tells me she loves me...and is in love with Jesus. I guess all of our other conversations become less and less important.

~J

Have You Given up On Us?

OK...for all you people that keep asking us to blog again (AON)...this one's for you.

A brief synopsis of the last 2 1/2 months of my life: Life-changing mission trip, trying to effectively parent S, cancellation of event involving over 1000 people due to swine-flu scare, end-of-school activites, watching a dear friend and friend of my child's move away, missing my husband as his job now involves weekly out-of-town travel, trying to adjust to new family dynamic as a single parent for most of the week, trying to effectively parent S, E's first boyfriend, P's birthday, starting new Bible Study with fabulous friends, life-changing mission trip #2, beach, trying to effectively parent S, learning so much every day from God that it is mind-boggling, trying to excercise and failing miserably, trying to effectively parent S, being called to a new, terrifying, wonderful adventure and trying to follow in obedience, trying to effectively parent S, realizing for the 100th time that I am not in control of a single thing in my life (which is all tied in with trying to effectively parent S), growing more in love with Jesus every day and wondering when there will be a day I don't learn something new, hanging at the pool with my kids enjoying a beautiful summer, watching people I love struggle with marital problems, breast cancer, caring for aging parents and rebellious children, learning to recognize the graciousness of God, sharing with my Bible Study friends that if I didn't have Jesus in my heart I might've thrown S into moving traffic due to yesterday's behavior......

And those are just the highlights.

Is there any question now concerning my absence from the blogging community????

But here's the thing: I miss blogging because I miss writing out my feelings, sharing my heart, and not taking myself too seriously.

I'm not making any promises....but I might be back. I'm just doing the best I can every day!

L

Fun Times

My sweet OB/GYN has been on me for 3 years to get the dreaded mammogram...
Yeah, Yeah, yadda, yadda. So, I bit the bullet and made the appointment, feeling very responsible and so proud of myself.

Two days before my appointment, I dropped the curling iron on my boob! I can hear you asking... how did you do that? Why would you be curling your hair without a shirt? Whatever...I have no answers for you people, but let me tell you this... my right boob was fried!

I go and get the mammogram, thinking it would be fine. It was on the left side! When she goes to squeeze my right lovee into that contraption, I thought I was going to lose my breakfast. The technician must have heard me cry a little and asked if it hurt because of the procedure or the huge burn mark that she already noticed.
Whatever!!!!

My point is this...if you accidentally drop the curling iron on one of your lovees before your first mammogram, CANCEL THE APPOINTMENT!!!

~A

Did Somebody Hide a Camera???

Thanks for all the prayers last week! The mission trip was great and Satan did NOT win! More on the trip in a later post...

But seriously..I expected to catch a small break this week after last week's car drama.

Sunday night after arriving home from the mission trip, my car was broken into in my driveway and my purse was stolen. The purse had the usual credit cards, drivers license, etc. and also contained the money bag left from the mission trip that had some petty cash and receipts. Yes, I know I should have taken it inside with me. I also know that I shouldn't let S play with markers but somehow she still manages to get ahold of them.

So on Monday I had to explain the fact that I really did use the money the church had given me to buy ice three times on the trip, and that no, I don't still have the receipts and that yes, I am a reasonably responsible adult. Somewhat.

On Tuesday, S came down w/a 102 fever that lasted FIVE days. I missed the Good Friday services at our church and had some serious cabin fever. Meanwhile, I still had to get a replacement driver's license, cancel the credit cards, call the bank, etc. And just so you know, getting a new drivers license when you have absoultely no identification at all except for the new AAA cards that were mailed after your purse was stolen is no easy task. Suffice it to say that it is best to jump through those hoops without a feverish three-year-old in tow.

TODAY, after a trip to the basement to flip the breaker switch for the bathroom outlet that apparently couldn't take two little girls drying their hair simultaneously, I sat down to do my quiet time. But I really couldn't concentrate because all I could see out my window was the bottom of the trampoline that had been thrown over the back fence by last night's storm! Now I have a trampoline sitting high in the tree branches and a hubby who is again out of town.

I am seriously lookikng for the hidden camera....

But on a brighter note, E had her first "gentleman caller" today. The little boy across the street came to the door and asked for E. When I said she wasn't home, he asked if I would give her something from him- a pink flower and a red starburst. Kindergarten love at it's best.

Happy Monday everybody. Continue to celebrate our risen Saviour today. He is risen...even in the midst of everyday chaos.....He is risen indeed.

L

A Match Made in Heaven

Literally...

It is funny to me (and frustrating at times) how totally opposite my husband and I are. Last week I was reassured that it's not all in my head...it's also on iGoogle. Our internet homepage is iGoogle...Paul rarely uses our home computer, he brings his home from the office most nights to work. Whenever I get on the internet, my personal iGoogle page pops up with all of my own settings. I would have never even guessed that Paul would have taken the time to even personalize his iGoogle page, but the other night I got on the computer after Paul (our home one) and he had not logged off of his iGoogle page, so it opened to it when I got on the internet.

Paul's iGoogle page:
His wallpaper is Google Earth
Google Calendar
Weather: Birmingham, AL.
Date/Time
Top News Stories
Google Reader
CNN.com
How To of the Day

My iGoogle page:
My wallpaper is Dynamic Dots (colorful polka dots that change everytime you log on)
You Tube
Movies: 35226
Weather: Birmigham, AL; Orlando, FL (hello...Disney?!?!); Destin, FL (gotta know what's it like at the beach!!!)
3chixandablog comments post
Places to See
Google Map (if you've ever been anywhere with me, you understand!)
Quotes of the Day
Facebook Profile and link

They say, "Opposites Attract"...well, there you have it!