The power to be thankful

That's right kids, it's VBS week. I return this year as my sister's sidekick/helper for the opening & closing, only this year that makes me Professor Sarah. Rock on. We're doing Power Lab, which apparently makes us all crazy scientists. Not my forte, but I can adapt to an elementary level.

Today I learned that Jesus gave us the power to be thankful (AHA!). So here's my list of what I'm thankful for, here on a Monday afternoon (aside from the obvious like my family, etc):

• A fabulous InterVarsity reunion! It was really, really great to see everybody. I hope it becomes an annual get together, because it seems a shame to let it go longer.
• Going to the Game Stop at just the right time to score a Wii Fit. (2 had just arrived, and he had to unpack it for me)
• Working from home so I can be a VBS helper.
• Having children old enough to both be in VBS.
• Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
• The blogs of strangers (I am so hooked).
• Summer clearance clothing and shoes, now that summer is here.
• 5 p.m.

What are you thankful for right now?

Ugh. *moan* *sniff* I love summer.

I don't know what happened. Last week I got up and went on a couple mile walk everyday. I felt great. Yesterday I did the same. Feeling good! Did some gardening last night. Maybe that was the problem. I'm a sensitive girl.

Last night post-gardening I had the sneaking suspicion I could use a little Claritan. And I felt like I couldn't drink enough water to make my throat feel good (rare for me to want water). Overnight it got ugly. U-G-L-Y, people. By morning my whole face and teeth hurt with sinus pain. My throat is so sore from whatever that I drank an entire pot (3 cups) of my fancy tea this morning before I could even attempt swallowing the Sudafed.

I think I have brought myself up to functional. But just barely. And I'm going to make another pot of tea. Maybe read some more stranger's blogs.

Stupid summer and your moldy pollen. I'll miss you when you're gone...

I am: Tagged.

Aimee over at Libbyland tagged me on this one:

I
(verb)

I am: loved.
I think: I am very blessed.
I know: God is my alpha and omega.
I want: progress.
I have: a beautiful family.
I wish: I took more time to play.
I hate: baked beans.
I miss: friends from college!
I fear: heights.
I feel: pretty good.
I hear: my girls watching a movie.
I smell: lotion.
I search: maybe not as often as I should.
I wonder: what God's plan for us is.
I regret: not much -- it's all made me who I am. Although I do wish I would have taken a couple weeks off between college and working full-time :)
I ache: a little -- I've actually exercised 3 days in a row.
I care: about a lot of things.
I always: procrastinate.
I am not: the same.
I believe: in Jesus Christ.
I dance: with the girls in the kitchen. Maybe a little faux swing with the hubby (we should really take a class).
I sing: whenever I can. On a Sunday at church. In the car. Shower. At the computer. I make a conscious effort not to sing while on my walks.
I cry: a lot more now that I'm a mom -- doesn't even have to be a Hallmark commercial.
I don’t always: prioritize well.
I fight: fire with fire. Ok, maybe not.
I write: less often than I should.
I win: sometimes.
I lose: sometimes.
I never: meet up with friends as often as I'd like.
I confuse: people.
I listen: pretty well but not perfectly.
I can usually be found: on the computer.
I am afraid of: heights -- did I not mention that?
I need: a pedicure.
I am happy about: the way life has unfolded thus far.


Thanks Aimee! Not going to tag anyone, but if you're looking for a blog topic do this one. Post a link in the comments that you did it, because I'd love to read it.

And the award goes to...

Welcome to my travel awards. I'm sure I've forgotten most of it by now. It's been a month since our trip.

Best pizza: Mackenzie River (I think that's what it was called) in Billings, MT

Best morning beverage: Starbuck's chai in Bismarck, ND

Most comfortable bed: Best Western Sunset Inn, Cody, WY

Best pool for small children: Country Inn & Suites, Bismarck

Best candy: Candy Emporium, Red Lodge, MT

Best wildlife: Yellowstone National Park (such a given)

Best treat: Cotton Candy at the Rodeo in Cody

Best pulled pork: Clarks Fork and Spoon, Clark's Fork (MT or WY -- not sure -- came with sweet potato fries. YUM)

Best Small Town connection: Sunset Inn Restaurant, Cody, WY (Our waitress was an adorable girl from Verndale, MN. She's in Cody participating in the rodeo. She rode in the MN rodeo with a guy I graduated from HS with.)

Best restaurant service: Again with the Mackenzie River Pizza Co. Our waiter took our order without writing it down, or messing it up. Including Shelby's broccoli & bacon pizza. We're talking about a party of 9.

Best rest area: Between Jamestown, ND and Fargo, ND. Didn't see any rest areas in Wyoming. The Montana ones have no vending. This one had a line of roughly one billion pop machines. It was like an oasis. And the bathrooms were nice.

Best continental breakfast: Probably Country Inn & Suites in Bismarck. Although Holiday Inn Express in Dickinson, ND was good too. I just want a bagel myself, but I like some juice options and snack opportunities for the road. CI&S in Bismarck had cheese sticks. We cleaned them out.

It was a great trip, had a great time. So fun to travel!

Buffalo, elk, and bears...OH MY!

The first week of June, we loaded up the van, stocked it full of movies and headed west. By "we", I mean me and the girls. And a borrowed Shelby. Brennan had to stay and work on The Project. It was a trip to celebrate Mom & Dad's 40th anniversary. Mom and Dad shot off ahead of us so Dad could get in a few rounds of golf (and probably the idea of poking along didn't appeal to him). So our caravan was Brent, Lisa, Jeremy, Colin & Daniel in the Tahoe and me, Shelby, Ella and Natalie in the van. With walkie talkies. Roger that.

We spent a night in Bismarck and then Billings. Then we met up with our parents in Red Lodge (after a quick stop at the Candy Emporium), and headed into Yellowstone hoping to see a little wildlife. All I can say is:

Coyote

Wolf

Elk

Moose

Buffalo/Bison

All in all, we saw hundreds of buffalo, some elk, a black bear (spotted by Ella first - she was SO proud), 2 grizzlies, big horn sheep, a coyote, and a wolf. It was the most wildlife my parents had ever seen in the many years they've been going. We had a great trip!

Howdy!

I know better than to write a real blog right now, as I am fresh off vacation and freshly WAY behind in work. I just wanted to check in. Soon to follow (maybe) is a travel award blog, and perhaps an animal sighting blog.

It's over

Yesterday we had the "end of the year picnic" for Ella's preschool. I'm so grateful to them for not calling it "graduation." I'm weepy enough. I admitted to one of the other moms that I had been avoiding her, because I can count on her to be crying at any given moment and I didn't need any help.

It was nice and informal, and it was fun to see Ella singing along to her favorite songs. They showed a slideshow of the past year. And then the teacher talked about how much she was going to miss the kids who were going on to kindergarten (*sniff*).

Perhaps it was particularly in light of what happened to Steven Curtis Chapman's 5 year old Wednesday, but I just wanted to hug Ella a little tighter, and hold her a little closer. And keep her at home forever. Although I know that doesn't make her "safe" either.

So I will spend the summer preparing to let go enough for kindergarten. I can actually see the kindergarten rooms from my living room, and I will also work on my promise to not sit with binoculars in the window all day. Or I will work on my set up, and buy some new binoculars. We'll see.

Gross

I have never been a big bologna eater myself. At least not in the last 20 years or so. Today as I was getting out the bologna for Natalie, I noticed the first ingredient is "mechanically separated chicken."
No thanks.

Tea anyone?

Today was Mother's Day Tea at Ella's preschool. We went for the whole day. First Ella painted a paper cut out teapot. Then we read books. We played Dora Chutes & Ladders (she was Boots, I was Dora). We did a teapot matching game, matching letters. We counted out the number of buttons, and put them on paper teapots. We did puzzles. We did patterns. We made bologna & cheese sandwiches, and cut them into shapes. We played with a tea set & water, pouring and stirring. The moms left the room, and the kids set the tables with table clothes they had decorated, placemats they made, paper candles and little butterfly napkin rings. What a precious, precious day of memories...

Like the one during dancing, when Ella whined, "I don't wanna dance....I'm too tired...noooooooooo......" and when I told her we were going to have fun dancing, she said, "I just want Daaaaaadddddddyyyyyyy..." Nice.

Ella ate her little sandwiches and had some juice, and perked up quite a bit. Me too. They sang us some sweet little songs, and we read a book, and everyone said what they love about their mom. Precious, precious memories.

And then we went outside to play on the playground. They have playground gravel, and Ella manages to get so dirty that there is a dust imprint on her car seat when she gets out after every day of preschool. It's time to go home. "Ella, time to go." "Ok, Ella, we need to go get Natalie." "Alright, Ella, let's get going." "Ella. Come here now." I finally have to go get her and carry her dirty self to the car.

Precious memories.

Don't get me wrong, aside from those two dark spots it was a nice day. It's fun to have the one on one time with Ella, and she thought it was cool to have me there. But I'm really discovering that no mothering moment is picture book pretty. There's always a little something on the side. Like a really great hug and "I love you Mommy" that is so sweet & genuine you fall to pieces, but it leaves a grape jelly smear on your new sweater. It's worth it and wonderful, but it's not completely peaches & gravy, as my husband would say.

So Happy Mother's Day. Grape jelly and all.

I need a road map

Do you ever have those moments where you wonder, "how on earth did I end up here?"

Last night I asked Ella if she'd remembered to wash her hands because I didn't remember hearing the water run. "Yes, I washed them quickly and quietly." "Really?" "Yes." So I used my cracker-jack investigative skills, and saw the sink was dry and so was the towel. "I don't think you washed your hands. The water didn't run." Yeah, busted.

Up until now, we'd really just been working on it from the When a Joke Isn't a Joke It's a Lie standpoint. This was both a blatant lie AND it had a story. Flawlessly given except that I was so positive I hadn't heard the water run. She didn't even crack a smile.

Every once and a while in these parenting moments I have a tiny panic -- what now?? What is the proper response?? I mean, saying you washed your hands when you didn't isn't exactly earth shattering, but it flash it forward a dozen years and it's, "Where were you?" "I was at Susie's house (only no one is named Susie anymore, it's much more complicated)." Really?? Is that where you were??

And this is why I would like to keep her 4 forever, because I want all the lies/omissions/halftruths/mistruths/misrepresentations/fabrications to be about things like handwashing.