dog stories

Well, it’s been a month since we “adopted” the newest member of our family…the little Yorkie that has invaded our home! I have to tell you that although I am so grateful to have her because my girls adore her, and even though Anthony pretends to NOT like her, I can tell that he likes it when she chooses to “relax” on his chest late at night while we’re just veggin’ in front of the TV…anyway, I say again: although I am grateful, it has been a little challenge for me…

You see, I AM the Alpha dog in this house…(bear with me here…hear me out) You see, Macie has that little dog mentality…the one where she feels like SHE rules the roost. And that is NOT okay for me…needless to say, Macie and I have had quite a few little run ins to say the least! Let me give you some examples:

~”Oh my, it’s raining outside, even though I haven’t peed in 5 hours, I do NOT want to get my little paws damp, so NO I will NOT be going outside before bed…I would rather pee on your floor and you can just wipe it up for me.”

~”When I growl at you, I EXPECT you to be at my beckon call…if I want to play, GET UP and play with me…otherwise, I am going to sit here and growl at you until I drive you crazy, however, when I’m done…I’m done.”

~“If you are going to put me in the laundry room instead of your own bed at night, well then I’m going to bark and whine at you so that you can’t sleep and then when you come and get me in the morning, watch out…I’m going to make a beeline for UNDER your bed and don’t you dare follow because I’ll get so far under that you can’t ever reach me!”

Many of you are probably laughing or saying, “duh, this is what a puppy does…” the thing is…she’s not a puppy…she almost 7 years old. The “other” thing is, she misses her family. We are not the same…I think I’ve said that a lot, that Sara and I have polar opposite personalities..so I’m sure that I irritate Macie beyond belief!

All in all, it’s not really bad! I just laugh and think it’s funny that this little 5 lbs. dog thinks she’s all that! I’m looking forward to spring when we can all hang outside and play together.

My Blessings

I started doing a new Bible study recently. I may have mentioned it before, The Esther series by Beth Moore. Now, I do not feel qualified to pontificate my own sermons on the things I've learned by any means...but I will say that I do believe God is using his history book to teach me some lessons.

This past week's study was something along the lines of it's hard living in a mean world, where live mean people...this includes myself at times too! It's funny how when I learn something and know I need to apply it, God gives me some "situation" in which to "practice".

Sometimes I find it incredibly overwhelming being a mom to 3 daughters...although they are young, it is a houseful of hormones and screechy voices and DRAMA...pretty much 24/7. There are times I feel bombarded by all the questions, whines, hurt feelings, giggles, etc. etc...but, I have realized many a time that I have pushed through in order to 'get the day done'. I have missed some pretty important opportunities...so, after the past week's study, realizing that my daughters live in this same world with me...I am trying to slow down and find those teachable moments...this one happened yesterday and I hope you'll forgive me for not being specific...even at 7, she's more "private" than I am, and so I just want to honor that...

Basically I heard her talking/playing with her sister and then on the phone with a cousin...I kept hearing this same "tone"...all I can say is that it felt like she was not only "defending" herself, but trying to "prove" something...I had the opportunity to sit her down on the steps and share with her how Mommy struggles with not feeling as pretty as someone else sometimes, and sometimes I feel like I may not be good enough at making dinners like a neighbor, etc etc...but that Daddy always reminds me that God loves me and made me just the way I am...I don't have to prove to someone else that I am good enough...the long and short of it, is that she had tears in her eyes when she realized that not only Mommy struggles too, but that the pressure can really come off to try to "be" like someone else in order to be accepted.

I think those of us that are prone to people-pleasing, really struggle with those issues and the sooner we can grasp that God made us for specific purpose and LOVES the way he made us, we may be able to be sincerely encouraging to others instead of degrading ourselves because we don't think we measure up to them.

All 3 of my girls struggle and excel in different areas...but I love how the 3 of them LOVE each other too...on the way home from a little first grade play we went to tonight (to see and encourage our neighborhood friends)...they were all in the back giggling like nothing else...E turns and looks at her older sister and says, " You and C___ are the bestest sisters I could ever have!"

Oh Lord...may it always be so!!! While living in a sometimes mean world...may they have each other to lean on...to have one small haven.

When my Baby is sick...make that BabIES

My youngest got the "cold" that has been going around. Her eyes are watery, her nose is running, she has a fever on and off. She tries so hard to smile as the tears stream out of those eyes. I just want to cuddle her all day...

and then...my oldest got it...bless her little heart, she tries to act like she perfectly fine...but her cheeks are on fire and she can't stop sneezing. Being the Over achiever that I try to be, I kept trying to figure how I was going to accomplish all the things I wanted to get done today...even, to my own horror, to the point of how I could get her to get at least some schoolwork done, so that we just "stay on track"...

I think it's days like these that God just uses the circumstances to FORCE me to just stop! Get a reality check, and just BE...I curled up on the couch with my sicky girls and we read the entire first book of the Boxcar Children that my brother recommended to us. I had to stop every once in awhile to refill water cups and get more tissue...but I just had the opportunity to BABY my babies! And boy, it just felt good!

Middle child helped me make homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs while the other two rested at one point...it was so neat...she was sittin' on the counter, stirring the sauce while I kept adding spices, and "stuff"...she was quiet and thoughtful...

"Mommy...I'm gonna be a Mommy someday too I think!"
"Baby, you will make a great mommy!" I replied.
"I think I'll have 3 kids too"
"Sounds good to me kiddo and you can teach your kids how to make sauce" I said with a smile!

Well...then it bubbled up and burned her and she started to cry...so much for my GREAT mother moment! FYI: she's okay...all is well, meatballs and sauce are simmering on the stove and smell delicious! Can't wait for dinner around the table tonight! Maybe they'll all be on the mend by the morning!

It's a Solid...It's a Liquid...NO...it's OOBLIK

I'm not sure how I taught all those years, through all grades K-5 and did NOT encounter OOBLIK before this...but, today that changed...for today, we made: OOBLIK...

OOBLIK? You ask? Well, if you were like me, you would have no idea what I am talking about...is it a drink? a dog breed? a bad word? nope...none of the above...it's basically just corn starch and water (and we threw in some food coloring for fun!)

The day started out ordinary: Doin' their seat work, reading, working on the computer...but then came time for experiments!!! They had been waiting all weekend (I kinda played it up I hate to admit...fortunately, it was worth it!)

Here are a few pictures of their reactions...we played with it forever...it is the weirdest stuff ever.

Princessed Out? Maybe not...

If any hosuehold has had their fill of "princesses" it has to be ours...Just thinking back, the whole princess thing started when my eldest turned 2...that was over 5 years ago...it's been nonstop princess ever since...and every 2 years, it starts all over again...

Cinderella, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle...as they get older, we get into the "Queens of Narnia" and then into Princess Diaries, Enchanted, Ella Enchanted...and again, we start back at the beginning with the dress up dresses, the plastic shoes, the wand, the crowns...dancing with the "prince" (aka Daddy)...sometimes I feel like I'll never get my living room back...it's filled with all that princess paraphenalia...and I think if/when I have to sit through the umpteenth viewing of Cinderella when my youngest starts, I don't know what I'll do...

Soooooo, it surprised me when I was drawn to a book at Barnes N Noble entitled Princess Academy...it was a newbery Honor book, but the title itself should have made me want to turn my head and run...but no, I wrote down that title and went searching for it at my local library.

Maybe it was in an effort to read something other than Disney to my children...maybe I just had a mental lapse...but whatever it was, I started to peruse the book...I only read the first couple chapters to my eldest and we got sidetracked...but something had me hooked.

I just sat here and read that whole thing in the past 2 hours...It had me on the edge of the couch, reading as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen next! It was predictable towards the end, but oh refreshingly so...not your run of the mill Princess story...I can't even put into words how fun this book was to read...now I need to determine whether my first grader will really "get" what I got out of it, or if I should wait a year or two to finish it with her...

So, I guess I'm not through with princesses yet...and I suppose that's okay...

He's Bonding with the Dog

He tries to put on the "air" that he doesn't care. He "acts" like he could just take or leave that little ball of fur that is now running around our house. But, I know differently...He's got all 4, and now 5 little ladies in this house wrapped around his finger!

My Italian Stallion loves all his girls and when we added little Macie to the group...well, it's no different. I come home from worship practice or bible study and she's up on his chest just sleepin' peacefully. She doesn't even bother gettin' up and welcoming me home anymore...and it's only been ONE WEEK!

He likes to say that she doesn't like him...but she'll follow him around...she knows him already! It just cracks me up...I love to see my husband's gentle side...it's always evident with his interactions with our girls...he is just the perfect "daddy" for little girls, that's for sure!

And so, I'm back to #2 again...I have no doubt that my girls love me...but if given a choice, it's usually Daddy they want...and that's okay with me...it makes my heart so glad!

Are we back to normal yet?

It's been a crazy few weeks in our house hold. What with my crazy projects laying around the house, 2 of the girls getting the pukies AND the poopies, saying goodbye to close friends, "adopting" a new dog, on top of all the regular everyday stuff...well, I've at times lost my center.

I think I'm a person who thrives on being busy: I always have something going...at times this is so much fun...but other times, I feel like my brain is constantly flopping from one topic to the next. For example, at worship practice last night we went around and kinda told everyone what was up in our lives...as our drummer said that he leaves for Honduras in a couple weeks, I pipe up: "Oh, that reminds me, we got a dog!"...They all looked at me blankly...like, what in the world does Honduras have to do with getting a dog...good grief...What they didn't know and what I had to explain is that as he was talking, my mind was reeling in all sorts of directions just off of his one topic...it's hard for me to concentrate...I went from Honduras to mission trip to Kenya to the Austins to their visit to.."Oh, we got a dog!"

Anyway, (crazy story for no reason...see what I mean?) I'm thankful that we are beginning the 40 days...Lenten season...a time to slow down and reflect...we start our women's bible study on Monday with a Beth Moore study on Esther...I am SO looking forward to this. I have needed to have a constant, disciplined study for awhile now. I just purchased the workbook the other day and perused it...OH, I'm just so excited...one of the "side notes" in the magins read, "Those of us who know Jesus personally live under divine rule where all us girls get to be princesses" Now that is just music to my ears living in our all girlie household!

So, as the pukies have ended, and projects are finished...we go back to routine...there are still concerns and "craziness" as I try to "do it all" with regards to schooling and family activities, but I'm learning to take more time to be still these days...God please pull me towards you and let the things that don't matter that much, fall away...give me a heart that sees...REALLY sees and hears my children when they need me, that is my husband's biggest cheerleader, and that concerns itself with things that matter, even if the dishes aren't done and I haven't had my "workout" for the day!