GPS for Heaven?

3 yo: "Mommy, where's Jesus?"

Me: (Knowing there are several possible answers here, none of which are easy to explain, I opt for the ever-easy...) "In Heaven."

3 yo: "Where's Heaven?"

Me: "Well, we can't see it right now, but it's where you go after you die." (Yes, I know there's more to it.)

3 yo: "But where is it?"

Me: "It's not on this earth, honey. We can't see it."

3 yo: "But WHERE IS IT?"

Me: "We don't really know exactly."

3 yo: "Can we drive there?"

Me: "No, we can't drive there."

3 yo: "So why don't you know where it is?"

Me: "Want to watch a movie?"

Latest Happenings

• I made it through the big chili feed and birthday party and spent last week getting ready for parent-teacher conferences.
• I survived two days of conferences in a very cold auditorium. The first day I froze. The second day I wore two pairs of socks, long johns under my pants (yes, I really did), three shirts, and a sweater. And I had a space heater by my feet. NO exaggeration. I did take off my gloves when a parent came to talk to me.
• We went to see my sister-in-law, nephew, and niece in Beauty and the Beast on Saturday night. It amazed me. There are some really talented people around here who disguise themselves as social workers, teachers, and insurance agents.
• Today I was a true mom. I babysat, glued puzzles together, organized coupons, took my child to the doctor for a well-check, finished grading papers, and remembered at 7:00 tonight that I had to bake two pies for the school fundraiser tomorrow. Ugh.
• My sister-in-law called at 7:20 and said, "You should have called me. I have pies in the freezer!" Pies in the freezer? Who does that? Oh yeah, she and her mom both do that. WHY did I not think to call one of them?
• At 7:25 I realized I didn't have enough flour to finish both pies. I nearly called pie 911, but I didn't need one more reason for them to laugh at me. I sent my husband to the store.
• My house does have a nice pie aroma at the moment.
• I could have lit a candle for the same effect.

Happy Birthday!

My baby turned three this week. THREE!! I'm not sure yet where those three years flew off to, but when I find them I'll let you know. Here are my two favorite pics from the day --getting ready to blow out the candles...


and lovin' on his new lion, Rory.

Good Night

Sometimes I wish I had video cameras in my boys' rooms to see what goes on between the time I tuck them in and the time they actually fall asleep. 'Cause I'm pretty sure he didn't look like this when I said good night.

And I know this herd of dinosaurs had not arrived yet while I was still in the room.

This morning when I asked him why he got up and brought all his dinosaurs to bed, he said, "I don't know...well, they were VERY tired."

Hard to Understand

Everywhere I look there is bad news. Turn on the TV and you hear about the economy. Read the newspaper and you see articles about crime, unemployment, and America in crisis. Everyone wonders if their job will be next, and what the future might hold in the next one, two, or even ten years.

This pales in comparision, though, to the stories of heartache that have been shared around the surrounding communities in the past couple of weeks. One local family put their 6 month old baby girl down for a nap last Wednesday and she never woke up. Another young couple took their only child, a 10 month old, in for a routine ear infection check, and left the doctor's office with the knowledge that their baby had cancer spread throughout her entire body. Two short weeks they knew and fought, and today they laid their little girl to rest.

I don't claim to have any understanding of why these things happen. Was it really God's will for these two baby girls to die? Or was it just because we live in a fallen, sinful world? I'm struggling to wrap my mind around it. I know that good can come of it... there will be many people touched through their stories, and maybe people will hear the gospel for the first time. But wouldn't people have been touched if they would have been stories of survival? How they beat the odds? A story of how our great and powerful God was able to heal, despite what medical science said?

God did not answer the prayers like everyone wanted Him to, but it doesn't shake my faith. In spite of the difficult situations, God is a good God. I don't understand why these things happen. I may never understand. But I know that God is good. My Bible class just presented a chapel for the elementary kids this morning all about Jesus' miracles and His amazing power. They taught about trusting Jesus, having faith in Him, and being obedient.

So that's what I hold on to. I know there will be trouble in this world. We were never promised easy, and honestly, life for us has been pretty easy. But in the midst of all the chaos around us, when worry about the unknown threatens to gain control, I will put my hope in the One who created me, saved me, and knows me. I'll release the deep need to understand Him, and rejoice in the fact that I am loved by Him.

writer's block for me too

My friend Steph took the list approach today, and since my already-low creativity has gone on strike, I'm following in her blocked footsteps.

• I am responsible for kindergarten snacks every day this week. I forgot to send them this morning.
• But I did remember the library books that were due today.
• I rejoined Weight Watchers online last night because the scale numbers keep getting bigger and my jeans keep feeling smaller.
• This decision was confirmed just now when my son was driving his car over my legs and proclaiming that I was as big as a mountain.
• I am getting ready for a big chili feed on Saturday.
• And a class Valentine party on Friday.
• And a 3 yo birthday party on Sunday.
• Who's idea was it to make the cake this year? Certainly it could not have been mine.
• Oh, and my class is leading chapel tomorrow. Uh huh, that was my idea too.
• My throat is sore and I'm feeling a little under the weather. I wonder why?
• I wonder what else I will forget this week.
• If it involves or affects you, I am so sorry.

In Need of Some Humor

We are obviously way too serious at this house. Having my son in school this year has made me realize even more how literal my 6 yo is. We joke around here, we really do, but somehow this little guy has not picked up on the magic of sarcasm and humor.

During Wednesday evening church, all the kids go to the gym to play until everyone gets there and they are ready to start. This week, in all the chaos, my son got plowed into by a bigger kid. No one knows exactly what happened, but the result was my child crying hysterically because his leg hurt. Apparently, it was so bad they had to go get my husband from the room he was helping in.

No broken bones, no big bruise, but my son continued to limp for the next day or two. He was very concerned about going to school, because what in the world would he do during recess?? I assured him he would be fine and if it hurt so bad he wanted to stay in the room with his teacher, that would probably be okay too.

Thirty minutes into the school day the athletic director stepped into the kindergarten room to talk to the teacher. One of the students asked him what he was doing in their room, and he jokingly said, "I'm your sub for the day! We're going to have recess ALL DAY!!"

The kids cheered, all except one. Know what my son did? Burst into tears.

New House Rules

It has come to my attention lately that we are in need of a few new rules around here. Some of them benefit me, some of them benefit my kids, and some of them are just necessary no matter whom they benefit.

New Rules:

1) A new load of laundry cannot be started unless the load that is finished is folded and put away. Lest you think this is a slam on my husband, let me make it perfectly clear that this is my issue, not his. I will either conquer this problem of clean laundry everywhere, or no one will have any clothes to wear.

2)The two year old is not allowed to beat his mother at wii games any longer. It just isn't good for my self-esteem.

3) No one is allowed to use the words "don't like", or any similar version of, upon first glance of the food that is set before you at dinner. I'm getting very close to resorting to the phrase, "You want something you 'don't like'? I'll show you something you 'don't like'."

4) The kitchen will be clean before I go to bed. As with the laundry, either I will conquer the dirty dishes issue, or I will be incredibly, insanely tired.

5) Dirty clothes will not be on the floor within 5 feet of anyone's laundry basket. Seriously, why do we do this?

6) Just because the laptop is on does not mean you can use it. You must ask first, and for goodness sake, wash your hands first, and QUIT TOUCHING THE SCREEN!

7) There will not be any candy for breakfast. There has been no candy for breakfast for the 1,084 days you have been on this earth, and there will not be candy for breakfast any time soon. You may stop asking.

8) You may not play baseball in the house. The basement is still in the house.

I can feel things running smooth already...

Mean Mom

I have a feeling this picture is going to come in VERY handy someday...


If it's any consolation, he was being "Deputy Harvey" from this book I now have to read 15 times each day.