God is Stretching Me

And I am resisting...big time. I am so very tired from all that has been going on for the past - well for the past month really. All the kids need attention, the house needs lots of attention, work stuff is hanging together by quite a weak and thin thread it seems - we need more consistent volunteers for Sunday classes, a summer curriculum will need to be put together in another week or so, plus my office looks worse than my house. All of this is looming over my head or its throwing temper tantrums in my face and all I want to do is slip a the kids a sleep-aid, turn off the world and go crawl into bed.

I need to teach Isaiah school stuff, I need to teach Huston how to stand up to his younger brother, I need to teach Avery how to not act like a two year old, and I need to hold and talk to Lillie cause that's what she wants and it feels like forever since I have been able to give her that time. And all I have done this morning is busy them outside so that I could sit in the house and have some down time.

While sitting in here all I see that the house needs picked up, swept out, wiped down, washed and dried and here I sit writing you about how everything needs to be done, but I'm not getting up to do it. God says that he will give me the strength that I need to face every circumstance in life, but I think I will start facing these circumstances by putting clean sheets on my bed and convincing my kids that is it time for a nap...

Another blogger mom with multiple small children experienced this same condition lately and described it as being underwater. I thought that is such a great description - I feel like I am drowning and that each movement is not only taking such effort but it is happening in slow motion.

So, today I am being stretched and I feel like an old brittle rubber band - maybe that nap will bring back some elasticity or maybe I shouldn't even attempt it cause if I am unexpectedly awakened from that nap this brittle old rubber band might just snap.

Here are some pictures from the past week though - even though it took a lot out of me, it put a lot into the kiddos.

pheww...

VBS is over - I am exhausted - kids had fun, many people helped greatly, and a few people complained about stuff - there's always a few. The tipping point yesterday for me was when the recreation leader came to me looking for a bandanna of his - we had a tug-of-war game with the kids and I had cleaned up all of the recreation stuff - there was this box of wet ropes and pieces of material tied to them - I simply removed the material and threw it in the trash. Turns out one of those pieces of material left tied to a wet dirty rope was a special bandanna this guy had received from Lance Armstrong when he participated in Ragbrai! I mean what the heck are you thinking! I had plenty of material he could have used and he decides to use this special bandanna at a VBS event to tie on a tug-of-war rope and leave in a bucket after the event is over! So I went through bags of trash until I found it. What a crazy end to a crazy week!

Wordless Wednesday

(Posted a few hours early...)

A Donkey, Some Goats and Kids - Oh My!

Well the long awaited VBS kicked off last night and unfortunately it was met with much rain. So the first night we had to scrap the original plan of all around outside fun and drag everything into the classrooms - I think about every room of our church building was being used. I printed a list of where everything was located and gave it to the teachers and I still got a multitude of questions. After the first rotation I was ready to call it a night and leave town. But it all settled down, the kids had fun and we made it through.

Tonight was a zillion times better. The weather was gorgeous. High 70s to low 80s, low humidity and a gentle breeze. We were able to use the tents we have spent well over a week building and rebuilding because the gale force winds we had for a couple of days (actually more like 4-5 days) kept knocking them over. The goats and the donkey came (the sheep were AWOL - those pesky shepherds). So even though some parts of the yard were a bit sloppy and soggy, everything was outside, everything was beautiful, all the kids were having so much fun enjoying the evening and doing their crafts and activities - it was almost relaxing. I still got a few silly questions - but not to the point that I was ready to change my name and hide somewhere.

Here are a few pictures...most of the kids and workers are dressing up in their bible times costumes...I just realized I haven't taken pictures of my boys in their costumes - guess I have had other things on my mind!

Here is a bit of our marketplace, where the kids go to learn about how people lived and what they used in the time of Christ...we have a lamp shop where they can make oil lamps, grain shop where they make mosaic tiles using different colors of grain, a carpentry shop where they can make a driedel, an apothecary where they explore different spices and herbs, a weaving shop where they can weave a basket, a bakery, a clothing store where they make sandals and head coverings, a money changer where they create their own coins, a fishing shop where they paint little fish, and the pottery shop where they try their hand at a potters wheel and make a coil pot. Each shop is in its own little open canopy or tent. A lot of the parents are sticking around and going to everything with their kids which is really nice to see.















Here are a couple of shots of our stableyard...















And this is the synagogue school where they learn about some of the hebrew traditions that Jesus practiced - tonight they learned about the Passover meal and tried some matzo bread.
















There is also a Tribe time where they learn a little more about that night's lesson and refreshments and recreation too. Its a fun time...a different sort of VBS than we have done in past years and I think the kids really enjoy it. I am at the point where I do not want to think about those three little letters for a very long time though.

Yay they're back! It's always nice to have RK throw out some of these random questions cause not only does it give me a topic to discuss, it also is fun to read everyone else's responses too. So go check out her blog and read up on everyone! This round is starting at the beginning again... just plain old random.

1. Are you a snapshot or portrait person? Let's see your current favorite pic!

2. What's the craziest thing you did last month? (You define crazy for yourself.)

3. What is your current must-have food or drink?

4. What is the last movie you saw and what did you think? Give us a review and rating.

I am a snapshot person. I love the casual picture when you just get a slice of life or capture a moment in time. Here's an example...one of my current favorites of Avery cause it totally shows his personality...

Here's a sweet shot of Isaiah comforting his brother, something he's good at...

Anyway, you get the point...I like something that will remind me years later of my kids' personalities or something special that they used to do.

Ok, the craziest thing I did last month...ok, what month is this...I have to really sit and think what I did with my days last month...hmmm...I guess going to that black tie affair/Tony Bennett concert was kind of crazy. It was crazy cause I'm not usually the type that likes to go do stuff like that all by myself - bravery comes in numbers for me, I'm not a mixer. The other crazy part is that I was going to this formal event in non formal type attire - I was really a fish out of water, but I had fun and the music was good!

My must have drink is always a fountain Coke - I will drop everything between 2-4pm, load all the kids up in the car just so we can make the Sonic Drive-In's 1/2 price Happy Hour! And I'm on my Mexican food kick again. I lost my taste for it while I was pregnant with Lillie, but have regained it again. I've eaten it 3 times the last few days!

The last movie I saw was Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed. I liked it. I thought it was pretty interesting and I realize it can be a rather divisive film. I know that there are definite biases against the Christian World-view in many areas of our society - the thing is I don't think anyone acknowledges them or recognized it as a problem unless they are Christian...So many may view this film as either not true or misrepresented. I think it is pretty accurate though and I think it raises some really good foundational problems that are in our society today - not just in the area of science. If you ever get a chance to see it - take note of something that I discovered, but the film never addressed - all the Intelligent Design scientists have really neat and tidy offices and all of the evolutionary scientists have extremely messy chaotic offices....hmmmm....just goes along with their theory that order comes from chaos I guess.

Ok that's it for this round. Can't wait to do it again and can't wait to check out everyone else's answers!

The Countdown is on

I've been up to my neck in VBS (Vacation Bible school for those unfamiliar with the acronym) and it will be here on Monday evening. The week of is pretty smooth sailing - its all the little details and all the frustrations leading up to that week that do me in. Last night I went ahead and stayed at the church to work. Steven's mom was officially done teaching yesterday and was chomping at the bit to take the boys home with her. So they went to grandma's and Lillie and I went to church. When 6:00 rolled around I took Lillie to Steven then returned to church where I stayed until midnight trying to tack all of this fabric to these wooden tent frames we had built in the church yard. I was out there with the stars and my staple gun and it was kind of nice and peaceful - hot, but peaceful.

But by the time I was winding up, the wind was getting crazy and the nice man (I mean that - this man that has helped us put up all these tent frames is extremely nice) but anyway, the nice man built all the tent frames and placed them where they needed to be, but had not yet staked them into the ground. So last night after I finished tacking all of this fabric, a storm blew in and all the tent frames blew over and all the fabric got wet and some got torn - oh well, I will get back at it tomorrow with some help and it will be pretty for Sunday. But right now our Jerusalem Marketplace does not look very inviting.

It's par for the course I guess - this past week has witnessed quite a variety of challenges - Lillie has a cold, I got a tick bite and some tick born disease to go with it - I'm on medication now and feeling much better, the check engine light came on in the van - the a/c is already out in it and we are a one vehicle family, Avery has been such a handful - he is a cute stinker, but a stinker just the same and sometimes I really long for just cute, I haven't even touched my regular responsibilities for church - better get those done tomorrow if the kids are going to have a lesson on Sunday!

Anyway I think when VBS is over I will be checking myself into a nice hotel where there is no phone call, no kids to wake me up, no bickering to listen to, no crafts or activities to coordinate - just a bed, some mindless television and a bed...did I mention I would really like to sleep?

oh Avery

Avery is driving me crazy - I mean really crazy - no napping, fitful sleeping, total disobeying and over all trouble-making. I'm ready to pull my hair out and squish him like a bug then he looks up at me and smiles in a funny way and then all I want to do is hug the stuffin' out of him.

So, like tonight, the little bugger keeps coming out of his room after I lay him down for naps/bedtimes...so I thought, heh, I'll outsmart him...I am going to put the baby gate in his doorway so the next time he opens it up to leave he will still find himself trapped inside. So, I put him to bed - put up the baby gate and sure enough - 10 minutes pass, the door is opened and uh-oh he's still stuck in his room. He cries, he hangs on the gate, he shakes it like a frustrated prisoner would shake a cell door and I just smile and think to myself "na-na na-na na-na, I win."

Well then I go downstairs to do something and Isaiah comes downstairs...
Me: "Hey, why are you out of your room? It's bedtime."
I: "But mom, I looked and the gate is still up at Avery's door but he is in our room!"

I walked upstairs seething and ready to pounce and I find my little boy in the middle of his brothers' room with a small mirror in his hand, dancing, looking at himself in the mirror and singing "Daby, Daby Cwockett, king of wilb fwont teer."

Now what can you do when you see something like that - well, if your a mom that has been dealing with it all day - you crack an inward smile, but put the little snot back to bed! ;o) Ugh, I hear the jail breaker now...gotta go. Memorize this face, if you see him, he's a wanted man...

Go to Your Corner

We woke up to yet another storm this morning - lots of rain - so another wet (and hot!) day - with more (predicted) occasional rain. Outside time is limited again. poop. We finally put the a/c on yesterday so that has cut out a bit of the tension among us, but I have already separated everyone and sent them to their own corner to play so that everyone can have some alone time. The bickering and constant agitation was getting to be too much.

The only one that was not buying it at first was Avery - he spent a good 1/2 hour crying about having to stay in his room. Which I just don't get cause he has a train table a small simple race track thing and quite a few dinosaur toys to play with...all to himself no less...sounds like kid heaven to me. I think it's the fact that he is being told what to do that he has issue with. I haven't heard a peep out of Huston, he is happily playing with cars on his road rug. Isaiah is fussing a bit on and off, but has finally settled down to a word search book and coloring at the kitchen table...at least at the moment. Lillie and I are here in the living room...so all in all I think this might help us all get some of the relief that we need.

The constant wet weather is adding to my stress level cause this VBS that I have been helping to plan at work is almost 100% outside and I have not yet thought of a good inside alternative in case of bad weather - I guess I have thought that if I just don't think about bad weather will not happen. But now I guess I will have to consider it a possibility and figure out a plan B - plan Bs stink.

So I am off to plan a "B" and hopefully my kids (and me too) will gain some patience after some time alone.

I Surrender

The boys are winning...my scale has dropped to -1.9

Huston and Avery decided to take cups full of water and dump them in various spots all over their floors, clothes and toys...don't ask my why...

Check out the "Brain Damaged Children" clip by Bill Cosby in my play list - you know he's right!

On a Scale from 1-10

Can you guess the degree of difficulty I'm having as a mom today....
* Worked 14 hours yesterday
* Avery has not been sleeping the past two nights
* Lillie has been waking up at 5:30-6
* It is humid, hot, cloudy and rainy today
* The boys are bickering and constantly making noise, yet trapped inside unless I want to deal with mud
* We have a new girl at work (which is a praise) but I need to help train her
* I have my ultimate project due one week from today - preparing VBS for around 200 kids
* It's 3:15pm and I can't swing the happy hour 1/2 price drink special at Sonic -they close out at 4:00

So that I am not a total whiner in this post, I will say that I did slip in a nap this afternoon...but all of that adds up to a 1.7 on my "the day mommy is having" scale - the nap was worth almost 2 points...