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
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
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
~J
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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
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
Monday, April 13, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, April 3, 2009
He's Not Going to Win!!
Hey Friends-
It's been forever since I've blogged and I have tons of blogs in my brain, but today I just had to sit down and write about the week I've had.
Monday, I asked some friends to pray for me this week. I knew it would be a stressful week and I knew I needed extra prayers. Today I leave for a Mission Project weekend with 95 preteens, my husband has been out of town all week, and I knew I would be under a lot of pressure. Every year, this week is always tough and I have learned to ask for prayer covering before the battle begins!
"When you are important to God, you become important to Satan." I firmly believe this (and if you haven't read the book "Same Kind of Different As Me" I HIGHLY recommend it..this quote is in the book) As soon as those prayers were offered up, the battle began. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!
Tuesday (the day after I knew that people were fervently praying) I went downtown to one of our minsitry locations to drop off some flyers. When I returned to the car in the middle of a thunderstorm, my car wouldn't start. I am in the middle of downtown in a storm with a three-year-old in the back and a husband out of town. I called AAA, and they came out and checked the car. Not only did I need a jump start, the battery needed replacing. Two hours and $125 later, we pulled away just in time for the bus to arrive home with my other daughters. No other work on the mission trip was able to happen that day.
Wednesday, as I was driving home from picking up S from preschool my car started shifting into overdrive and it felt like I was losing control of the vehicle. I pulled into the car dealership and had them look at the car. After getting S a sprite and bag of M and M's (because everything with her is all about a snack), we sat down to await the verdict. "It's definitely the transmission- could be bad. Why don't you rent a car and we'll keep it a few days, see what's wrong and then you can decide whether or not you want to trade it in." (WHAT??????????) Hubby is still out of town, the bus is coming soon and after-school activities await me. So, after renting a car, transferring all of our "stuff", and putting a $100 deposit plus the cost of the car on my credit card, I again arrive home just in time for the bus to arrive. No other work on the mission trip was able to happen that day either!
Thursday, as I sit in the carpool line waiting to pick up the girls from school to take P to piano, I feel a big bump. The lady behind me in carpool hit my RENTAL car from behind. Are you kidding me???? So we pull to the side after getting our kids and exchange insurance info, etc. WHILE I am out of the car talking to the lady who hit me, S is happily inside coloring with orange crayon all over the seats of the RENTAL car. The plan was to return the car as soon as I dropped P at piano, but instead I spent an hour scrubbing the seats with wet paper towels from a local restaurant bathroom.
I could go on, because there's more. But some of the drama that ensued is not bloggable. Suffice it to say that when you get 95 preteens together you also get 95 phone calls, questions and issues. But that's OK..because God is on His throne.
If you are reading this and you do not believe in spiritual warfare, I encourage you to read what scripture has to say about it. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."- Ephesians 6:12. Satan is real. He is active. He lurks about and he seeks to kill and destroy. If you feel like you are in a spiritual battle and that the more you pray about a situation, the more opposition you feel, then you are more than likely smack dab in the center of God's will. Satan does NOT want God's Word to go forth. He will lie and make us feel defeated every single time. But the condemning voices that we hear in our heads are NOT from God. You know the ones I mean..."you're a bad mother, a bad wife, your life is unorganized and a mess and there is no way you can lead anybody to go anywhere"....and they go on and on. But here's the wonderful TRUTH- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"- Romans 8:1.
The Bible does not promise this life will be easy. We live in a sinful world. But praise God that He is "able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever."- Ephesians 3:20-21.
My dear friends, service for the Lord is not easy. There will be a zillion roadblocks aong the way. But the blessings this weekend are MINE. God will teach me much more through these precious preteens than I will ever teach them.
So keep praying for us. Satan is NOT going to win!
Even if I did eat two snickers easter eggs and a diet coke for breakfast. I'm just hangin' on however I can!
L
It's been forever since I've blogged and I have tons of blogs in my brain, but today I just had to sit down and write about the week I've had.
Monday, I asked some friends to pray for me this week. I knew it would be a stressful week and I knew I needed extra prayers. Today I leave for a Mission Project weekend with 95 preteens, my husband has been out of town all week, and I knew I would be under a lot of pressure. Every year, this week is always tough and I have learned to ask for prayer covering before the battle begins!
"When you are important to God, you become important to Satan." I firmly believe this (and if you haven't read the book "Same Kind of Different As Me" I HIGHLY recommend it..this quote is in the book) As soon as those prayers were offered up, the battle began. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!
Tuesday (the day after I knew that people were fervently praying) I went downtown to one of our minsitry locations to drop off some flyers. When I returned to the car in the middle of a thunderstorm, my car wouldn't start. I am in the middle of downtown in a storm with a three-year-old in the back and a husband out of town. I called AAA, and they came out and checked the car. Not only did I need a jump start, the battery needed replacing. Two hours and $125 later, we pulled away just in time for the bus to arrive home with my other daughters. No other work on the mission trip was able to happen that day.
Wednesday, as I was driving home from picking up S from preschool my car started shifting into overdrive and it felt like I was losing control of the vehicle. I pulled into the car dealership and had them look at the car. After getting S a sprite and bag of M and M's (because everything with her is all about a snack), we sat down to await the verdict. "It's definitely the transmission- could be bad. Why don't you rent a car and we'll keep it a few days, see what's wrong and then you can decide whether or not you want to trade it in." (WHAT??????????) Hubby is still out of town, the bus is coming soon and after-school activities await me. So, after renting a car, transferring all of our "stuff", and putting a $100 deposit plus the cost of the car on my credit card, I again arrive home just in time for the bus to arrive. No other work on the mission trip was able to happen that day either!
Thursday, as I sit in the carpool line waiting to pick up the girls from school to take P to piano, I feel a big bump. The lady behind me in carpool hit my RENTAL car from behind. Are you kidding me???? So we pull to the side after getting our kids and exchange insurance info, etc. WHILE I am out of the car talking to the lady who hit me, S is happily inside coloring with orange crayon all over the seats of the RENTAL car. The plan was to return the car as soon as I dropped P at piano, but instead I spent an hour scrubbing the seats with wet paper towels from a local restaurant bathroom.
I could go on, because there's more. But some of the drama that ensued is not bloggable. Suffice it to say that when you get 95 preteens together you also get 95 phone calls, questions and issues. But that's OK..because God is on His throne.
If you are reading this and you do not believe in spiritual warfare, I encourage you to read what scripture has to say about it. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."- Ephesians 6:12. Satan is real. He is active. He lurks about and he seeks to kill and destroy. If you feel like you are in a spiritual battle and that the more you pray about a situation, the more opposition you feel, then you are more than likely smack dab in the center of God's will. Satan does NOT want God's Word to go forth. He will lie and make us feel defeated every single time. But the condemning voices that we hear in our heads are NOT from God. You know the ones I mean..."you're a bad mother, a bad wife, your life is unorganized and a mess and there is no way you can lead anybody to go anywhere"....and they go on and on. But here's the wonderful TRUTH- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"- Romans 8:1.
The Bible does not promise this life will be easy. We live in a sinful world. But praise God that He is "able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever."- Ephesians 3:20-21.
My dear friends, service for the Lord is not easy. There will be a zillion roadblocks aong the way. But the blessings this weekend are MINE. God will teach me much more through these precious preteens than I will ever teach them.
So keep praying for us. Satan is NOT going to win!
Even if I did eat two snickers easter eggs and a diet coke for breakfast. I'm just hangin' on however I can!
L
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