Growing Things

Wish I'd Done That: Ace and I always measured our kids on their birthdays. We had a really cute growth chart with Scripture that we put on the back of the kids' bathroom door. When they got taller, we moved the measurements to the kitchen door frame. If we ever move from this place, I'm taking the door trim with me!

For Christmas, one of my favorites is this herb garden. LA knows how I love to use fresh herbs, so she gave me this:

The set included seeds for: lemon basil (yum!), Italian parsley and marjoram. I'm excited to watch the herbs grow. It's so cold and brown outside, it's great to have something green and growing on the inside.

The real challenge will be keeping them alive until harvest time. I'll post periodic pics to see how things are growing.

Thanks, kid!

Remember to pray for our country and our new president. He will needs the prayers of God's people.

Return to "Normal"

Wish I'd Done That: As you are moving in all the new Christmas toys, put the same number of old toys away, or better yet, donate them to Goodwill. You'll keep organized, and you won't be overrun with more "stuff".


We just took LEA to the airport to return to Chicago for another round of grad school fun. We've loved having her at home since Thanksgiving, but I know she's looking forward to getting back to her friends and life up North.

We did lots of fun stuff while she was here, but I had more things I wanted to do. Time together is precious, and so I wanted to do all I could.

My house is a wreck! Is yours?

I feel very "undone" the day after Christmas with all the boxes, gifts and stuff lying around the house. I feel ready to put everything away right this minute, but some of us here like to enjoy the mess for a while longer. I try to curb my anxieties for a few days, but I feel like this afternoon might be a good day to sort, or something.

Before the kids went out last night, I caught them for a picture. My hair needed some attention (as always), but I seized the moment to be immortalized with the two I treasure most.

They are such great people, I can't believe God gave them to us.

AA had a mess coming home for Christmas. He was coming on the 23rd, but the roads around Fayetteville were bad, so he waited for Christmas Eve. His Jeep broke down in Tulsa, and had to be towed to B'ville, so he and Ace missed the Christmas Eve service at church. We've never not gone, so I was very sad.

LA and I went, and God was so clearly present. He spoke to the lowly shepherds about the birth of His Son. I'd never before thought about why He did. He uses the most common circumstance to speak to us. As we sang the familiar carols, He reminded me of how He uses the "lowly" to do His work. He uses even someone like me to minister and bless others. Awesome!

As you "clean up" after Christmas, be blessed by His gift to us that never wears out, or is the wrong size.

Happy New Year!

Aloysius

Wish I'd Done That: When my oldest, Wordgirl, was about 2 or 3, she began to be afraid to go to bed. She thought there were monsters or "bad guys" hanging around. We weren't sure what to do, but one day Ace brought home this guy:

Wordgirl named him Aloysius. We weren't sure where she got this, but when she was older, she said it was Snuffleupagus's name (from Sesame Street).

Aloysius was a Super guy. He could look in the closet for the bad guys, he could see under the bed. Mostly, he protected a little girl who had a fabulous imagination. Imaginations are great in the daytime, but at night, they can be the enemy.

I thought Ace was a genius for coming up with a wonderful solution. Wordgirl had Aloysius for a few months or a year; just enough time to get through that stage.

He's a little worse for the wear, but if you were a 20 year old dinosaur, you might look rough too!

Try this idea if your little ones are having trouble at night, or any time. Aloysius travelled with us in the car, but mainly, he protected our house.

Nanni

Wish I'd Done That: While cooking, make two. If you are making chicken tetrazzini, just make an extra one and freeze it for a day you are too busy to cook. If you have casseroles in the freezer, you are always ready to minister to someone who needs love and care. It's marvelous for your children to see you ministering to God's children. Nothing feels better after a busy day than to know dinner is already finished!



As my bio says, my kids have escaped home to continue their lives and education. Here they are with "Nanni", my mom. Mom is the most creative person I know. She is never bored (I get in trouble if I ever say that word), and she's always making something. My girl is just like her. The two of them discovered a quilt shop/fabric store in a small town north of here, and spent the whole afternoon there planning projects and looking at fabric. When I go there, I like to look for 5 minutes, and then I find a chair to wait for them.


My son is also like his Nanni. (Not the fabric store, you nut!) While a girl in school, Mom was the fastest, most athletic kid in town. The Razorback kid is like her, and has enjoyed sports all his life. He also has Mom's easy way with people.

Mom has a great relationship with my kids, and since my dad has died, this is so important to both my kids and to me. She always knows the right things to say, and loves them unconditionally. I've always felt sorry for my kids that they didn't get to grow up around either set of their grandparents.

If God has blessed you to be able to be near your parents, get together often to build those memories and traditions. Time is short.

He said What?!?!

Wish I'd Done That - When your kids reach a milestone, say something cute, or you just want to record what happened, don't bother dragging out the journal. You won't do it; you just don't have that kind of time. (You won't remember it later, trust me.) Grab a pen and scribble it down on the calendar hanging in your kitchen. Make sure the boxes on your calendar are large, and you'll have a space to quickly jot down the info. Keep your calendars, and you'll have a wonderful record of family events.

Speaking of remembering stuff kids say....

Guess which one is mine....

When our second kid learned to talk, it was the beginning of the real fun and games at our house. He said the funniest stuff. Our daughter complained at dinner one night that the neighborhood boys wouldn't let her play with them - just because she was a girl. (There weren't very many girls in the neighborhood)

The kids' dad was trying to explain to Son that he was responsible for making sure his friends included his sister in their fun. Dad told him to let her play with them.

"I don't have control over all the boys in the neighborhood, but I do have control over one of them."

Our son replied, "Who's that, Dad?"

He really didn't know. At age 7, he was curious to see who Dad controlled in the neighborhood. We laughed and went on. I ask you, what would you say to that?

Oh, well. I struggle.