Along came a spider

I'm not sure when it first appeared. It was just a tiny red dot, then it grew a few veiney red legs. By the time Kolby was four it resembled a tiny spider and was about half the size ofa pencil eraser located just underneath her right eye. Over the years it has grown, getting darker and more defined.

It isn't really that noticeable. People who have noticed thought it was a bug bite. I took Kolby to a Dermatologist when she was five. The doctor told us it was a spider vein that might go away on it's own...or we could "zap it" a time or two and it would most likely disappear in a few weeks. (Eveidentally "zap it "is a medical term becasue both dermatologgists used it!:) At the time Kolby didn't want to be "zapped" and I didn't think it bothered her that much . As she has grown older, it has bothered her more and more.

Towards the middle of Kindergarten, Kolby started asking to put concealer on her "spider" for dance recitals and pictures. She started talking about MAYBE getting it zapped. This last year, in first grade, the concealer was requested more and more as the spider seemed to grow a bit. Once I found Kolby trying to scrape"her spider"off with a butter knife. She only likes pictures of herself if the spider doesn't show. Around Christmas she said she was ready to have the spider zapped. We waited until this summer, mainly because it was hard to get in with a dermatologist. Yesterday was the day.

The whole way to Temple (no Waco dermatologists take insurance) Kolby was upbeat, though she admitted being a little nervous. When the nurse asked why we were there, Kolby told her "I want to get my spider zapped." We have changed insurances and had never seen Dr Barton before. He was very nice, and good with Kolby. He too said we could leave the spider alone and it would most likely be gone by the time Kolby is 12 or we could "zap" it. He said he was comfortable with whatever choice we made, but he did describe the "zap" procedure to Kolby and stressed that she would have to be still as a statue as there would be a little spark, and it would hurt like an ant bite.

Kolby freaked. She was suddenly terrified at the thought of a "spark" and pain. TERRIFIED! Like a cat trying to escape a bath, Kolby practically climbed me saying she wanted to go home. I felt sorry for her but, UUGGHH! I don't know why this frustrated me so. Maybe it was the fact that we were there and she had talked about it so long. Maybe it was the fact that I knew she would be better off having a minute of pain rather than trying to sneak concealer in her back pack for the next five years. Maybe it was that I didn't want my daughter to bow to her fear. Some of the people I love most in the world are known for letting fear paralyze them and keep them from a better life. Kolby sometimes shows these signs and I tend to over react to it....

But I stayed cool. I told Kolby it was her decision but if she decided not to zap the spider that was it... No more concealer. No more paying $50 to have it air-brushed off portraits because she didn't like it. No more trips out of town to the doctor. I told her once we got home, we would not come back until she was twelve. Yes, I was trying to get her to face her fear. But, she insisted that she didn't care about the spider being there anymore and could wait for five years or so for it to go away...so we left. The nurse told us that she would keep our chart out and that they would be there another hour if she changed her mind.

As I slowly headed home we talked about fear. Kolby talked to her Daddy on the cell phone. Still no dice. We talked about times I have had to do things I was afraid of. We talked about other fears she has faced (like swimming and stage fright) and come away so happy and proud when she didn't let feaar stop her. Kolby had been crying but she quit. Finally, I pulled over on the side of the road and said "Kolby you have wanted to do this for a year and a half. I know you are scared, but I also know you are strong and brave and I know you can do this." Amazingly, she agreed. We said a prayer as I drove back to the Doctor's office asking for courage.

I was so proud of her! She rehearsed what she was going to say to the nurse as we walked in. As we walked the long hall to the doctors office she kept saying "I can do this, I can do this." The Doctor and his staff were wonderful! They kept telling Kolby how proud they were of her. The doctor suggested I leave the room but, I let Kolby decide. She wanted me to hold her hand,so I did. She was so incredibly brave! I have never been more proud of her. As it turns out Kolby's spider was much deeper than the doctor expected. He zapped it several times. Kolby had huge tears running down her face, but she didn't move. I had a few tears too but I didn't let her see!

When it was over she was all smiles and said it wasn't that bad. Dr Barton told her that she might have to come back one more time before school starts to finish the ole spider off. She didn't even hesitate before agreeing! The best part of it all was that she was so proud of herself. She just beamed with confidence! Kolby could not wait to call her Dad and let him know that she had done it. It was a happy trip home!

I told Kolby I would buy her one treat for being so brave. She picked a dairy from the dollar store that has a lock and key. Last night after I tucked her in, I went back in her room to put up some laundry. She had fallen asleep writing in her diary.... Though diaries are secret, I don't think she would mind me telling what her first entry said...

Deer Diary
Today I got my spider zapd.
It didn't hert to bad.
I am brav. By by spider!

I feel like my little girl took an important step towards growing up yesterday! It was a very good day.

Just a side note... Rob took the kids to his parents in Denison today. I decided to stay behind and clean out the guest bedroom closet, and if I have time, my desk. If I am going to expect Kolby to face her fears, I am going to have to start facing a few more of my own. ..and believe me this is one of them!

The meaning of ...

Rhett playing with his star wars toys at the kitchen table one day recently....

"What was Anikin's Mom's name?"
"Shimi Skywalker " I answer not really paying to much attention but proud of my Star Wars wisdom. I'm a cool Mom!
"Anikin's Mom died in Episode two, didn't she?"
"Yes she did and Anikin was very sad."
"What is died?"
"What does "died" mean?" I ask for clarification and paying more attention now.
He nods his head and asks again "What does died mean?"
I drew a blank. "DON"T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SLEEP!" I think as I remember my Mom saying I didn't sleep for weeks at age 3 because someone told me dieing was going to sleep and never waking up.
"UH ...UH..... Uhhhhhh" think think think.....
"Dieing is when your body stops living."
He looks at me like I am speaking in Hebrew.
OK Try again.
"Dieing is what happens when all the muscles in your body stop working and you aren't awake anymore. Your spirit is still alive but your body is dead. You spirit keeps living. Because Jesus died on the cross, our spirit, or our souls, can live in Heaven when our bodies die." OH NO! I said something about not being awake...I didn't mention Hell, Does he understand???Yikes!
Rhett gives me an expressionless stare.
"What does died mean?" he asked again, slower this time as he isn't sure I speak English.
"Dieing is what happens when you get shot and you fall down and don't get up" Kolby pipes in.
"Oh, like when you get killed?" Rhett asks.
"Yeah, like when you get killed," his older sister answers.

Here I thought Rhett was asking me to explain death, and all it's deeper far reaching meanings. I was trying to answer the question of heaven, where souls go, and whether someone is really dead when they die. But that is not what Rhett wanted or needed to know. Sometimes I make this Mom thing harder than it has to be. Rhett just wanted to know that "died" means that you get killed. Does he know what getting killed means? I am not sure. But one thing I am sure of, if he asks me, I will be ready....

"What does getting killed mean Mommy?"
"It means she died."

Happy Blog-a-versary!

I began blogging one year ago today. WOW! This morning I went back and read over that first post. It seems so much longer than a year ago. So many things have happened in our little world over the last year...And blogging has been a big part of it all!

This morning I also read over some of my blogs about the kids... So glad I wrote some of those things down! I had completely forgotten the Cheetoes incident last summer! Kids grow so fast! Until I stop and look back I sometimes don't realize how precious these days and moments are! Blogging has helped me with that. In fact I hope become better at blogging about these precious moments.

Blogging has also allowed me to vent and express my feelings on current events and topics of the day. As much as I love my kids, they aren't quite up to speed on politics and such, so it is nice to have a place where I can talk about grown up things in the midst of my mommy days.

I am still amazed and feel incredibly blessed by the little band of bloggers I consider my blog family! Being able to reconnect with old friends and make so many new ones is hands down the biggest blessing blogging has brought into my life...But not the only blessing. There have been so many!

Because so many of you are my brothers and sisters in the Kingdom, and most of you hail from the same little "tribe" as me, reading your blogs touches me on a spiritual level. I am so impressed with you guys. When you share your "God" thoughts and your spiritual challenges, I am challenged, encouraged, comforted and sometimes kicked in spiritual pants! You all have prayed for me as I have prayed for you. We have shared joy at births, travels,and milestones (such as potty training), recipes and great triumphs. We have shared challenges, tragedies, fear, and great sorrow. More than anything we share a love for Christ and his sacrifice. We share a heritage of grace and the promise of Heaven. We share the joy and the charge to be Jesus and show Jesus to those around us. We serve a perfect Savior through imperfect means with imperfect brothers and sisters. We share a part our lives through a keyboard! Amazing!

I dream of a day when I get to meet all of you who have come to mean so much to me. It is fun to think about a blog reunion. But if I never meet you in person, I have a very strong feeling we will meet somewhere beyond this life. What an amazing thought that is!!

In the mean time, thanks for keeping up with me. Thanks for all the comments and e-mails. Each has been an encouragement to me in one way or another.

And if there is someone reading this who doesn't know Christ, who isn't a part of our little tribe, or who thinks this all sounds too polished and Pollyanna-ish... I am very honored that you stopped by!

If you read this blog of random wonderings for very long you will discover that I am a very flawed person. Not only can I not spell, sometimes I use bad grammar and I am grumpy. Sometimes I can be mean. Sometimes I make mountains out of tiny little things ignoring the truly important things that are right in front of my face. I procrastinate. I am slow to commit. I am overwhelmed easily. Sometimes I put my foot so far down my throat that it takes days to dig out! Sometimes I am ungrateful and selfish. I am in no way an ideal anything...mother, wife, friend, blogger and most of all Christian.... BUT God loves me, forgives me, blesses me, challenges me and most of all, he claims me as his own. If you read this regularly you may know what a testament to grace that is! I serve an amazing God.

I want to thank you for joining me in this journey. I hope to be blogging along with all of you for the next 365 days and beyond!
Love you guys!
Happy Blog-a-versary!

Happy Birthday Sari!

It is late in the evening but I just had to say Happy Birthday to my little sister!

ALL ABOARD!

We had a great time in Palestine and Rusk, Texas. None of us had ever been to Palestine. (pop. 17,398 SSSAALLUUTTEEE!) It was only two hours from Waco. We even stayed a day longer than planned. The train was fun! But in all honesty I think that a good hotel room and a pool are all it takes to keep my two kids (and me) happy, no matter where it is! No really, we had fun in the big town of Palestine and met some really nice people. We also saw some beautiful old homes and buildings. I loved the trees! Palestine is a nice size small town...It had a Wal Mart and Applebees but no Target. I have never lived in a town smaller than San Angelo, population 100,000 +, (though it was more in the 75,000- 85,000 range most of the time I was there.) My grandparents hailed from Coleman (pop 4,000) and Colorado City (pop 3,500) respectively, so I know a thing or two about small towns. I think I could live comfortably in a 17,000 + town, but that is as small as I want to ever go!

Must catch up with Rob and do laundry! Happy Weekend blog world! More pictures below...can you tell I just learned how to download pictures from the camera this week? :)

The Train!

Papa & Rhett share a love for Steam Engines!

The AIR-CONDITIONED "45" Car ~ Glory Glory Halelujah!

Rhett and Sari chilling on the train!

Moonlight dip with Mama K!

Can we just watch TV today?

Happy to be Home in Hewitt!

YEAH!

We got the call today that Kolby made it off the waiting list and into Camp Success! That is a huge answer to prayers! I can not tell you how pumped and relieved we are! Kolby thinks she is hot stuff going to Baylor and all. Just wanted to let you guys know and thanks for the prayers! RUSK or BUST!

This and That

(This post will be a bit long because I'm catching up from last week and won't be blogging again until Thursday!) PICTURES BELOW!!!

It's the third week of summer and we are loving it! This is the first summer both my kids sleep late...Therefore we have been sleeping in almost every morning. I could get used to waking at 8:30 all the time! But I feel guilty sleeping in when Rob gets up and heads out at 7:30. (after throwing papers from 3-5 AM every morning might I add!) So, starting tomorrow, I am setting the alarm for 7:45 ! Big sacrifice, I know! :) I have never been a morning person!

Last week was our VBS. The kids loved it. Our children's ministers, Jan and Dana, do a great job every year. This year was no exception! The decorations in the rooms and halls were amazing! And boy, do they know how to carry out a theme! They even had a live Zebra the last night at the Safari Party! As I mentioned before, I volunteered Rob to tie balloon animals during that last night. My plan was to help him set up and then go around to all the different stations with the kids. Our children's ministry intern Ashley was also helping.

At the beginning there was such a rush that I sat down to tie a few balloons to help get started. Two hours later, I was still sitting there twisting balloons. My sister Sari, who came to watch the kids, was even tying balloons with us. There were still kids wanting more when we quit at 9 PM. Rob and I had lots of fun doing the animals even though we were sweaty and had very sore fingers! Not sure it fit with the animal theme, but I completely mastered making a balloon light saber (sword) by the end of the night. I can do a decent giraffe, flower, and zebra too! Rob is more advanced and can do lions, cats, monkeys, alligators, and parrots. Kolby has even learned to make a giraffe and loves to "practice." I think we might start hiring out! :)

Other big things that happened last week... Both kids got their summer hair cuts. Rhett is just a tad longer than a buzz so his little head doesn't get sun burned. Kolby, who was growing her hair out, had a total change of heart when she got in Ms. Debbie's chair. She told Debbie she wanted her hair above her ears! Debbie and I talked Kolby into just cutting it chin length for now. It looks so cute and is really easy to do. Kolby absolutely loves getting her hair cut! She also wanted to get her nails done. Have I created a monster? :)

Last week I met with the very sweet lady who has evaluated Kolby for dyslexia over the last few weeks. Kolby tests out to be a very smart girl! She also, as we know, is reading way below where she should be based on her intelligence. Is it dyslexia? I am learning that dyslexia is not just reversing letters. These days dyslexia covers a wide variety of reading disorders. Kolby has a reading disorder. She is considered "at risk". We are just not sure that the "dyslexia" label, and all that goes with it, fits Kolby.

Kolby did qualify for the Scottish Rite's Dyslexia reading camp at Baylor this summer. We are waiting for a call to hear that Kolby has made it off the waiting list and into Camp Success. The camp starts July 5th. I was told they would start calling this week. Kolby is very close to getting in from what I have been told. God is probably tired of hearing me pray that this camp works out for Kolby, but I so hope it does!! From what the people at Baylor tell me, Kolby is an ideal candidate for this camp. They think it would give her the reading confidence boost and skills she so desperately needs. We just have to make it off the waiting list! If this doesn't work out, we have other options, but they are not as good and are very, very expensive. Any prayers on our behalf towards this matter would be greatly appreciated!

We ended the week, or started this one, with a great Fathers Day! Rhett took Rob golfing last Friday for an early Fathers day gift. I was worried about Rhett in the heat as he just hasn't been the same since having shigella a few weeks ago. But, he loved every minute of his 18 holes with Dad! It amazes me that Rhett can go golfing at the tender age of three. He watches the Golf channel and talks about "Tiger and Phil" like they are his playmates, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised! Sunday we ate lunch out with my family (just Mom, Dad & Sari) then did presents and ice cream at my parent's house afterwards. It was our first homemade ice cream of the summer! Strawberry sherbert! YUM! It was a quiet, restful, Fathers day!

Since today is "Monday Movie Day" we are gearing up to see Rookie of the Year or The Pacifier. The kids can't wait for Mother's Day Out tomorrow, especially Kolby! She is packing her bag as I type. Wednesday and Thursday we are going to Rusk, Texas with my parents to ride an antique steam engine in the State park. Not sure how this will go, but the kids are really excited!

Have a great week blog world!

P.S. GO BAYLOR! The Baylor Baseball team is in Omaha, Nebraska at the college World Series! They lost the first game but still have a chance to come back! GOOOOOO BBBEEEAAARRRSSS! ( I am slowly becoming a Baylor-ite!)

Happy Papa's Day!

Happy Fathers Day!

My favorite Balloon Guy

My part of the decor!

The Zebra

Saying good bye to the Zebra!

Duro's

We discovered a great new snack this week. Pasta para duros are these little wagon wheels that can be found in the dried area of our produce section. (This may just be a Hispanic thing unique to Texas, I don't know.) ANYWAY you pop a dozen or so of these in the microwave on a paper towel and heat on high for about 30 seconds. They puff up and become these cool chip like things. My kids love them! If you by the package on line it list 3 for $9.50. I bought a package in the grocery store for $2 something. If you can find them in bins like we did at HEB and WalMart, they are just 99cents a pound. We bought a huge bag full the other day for under a $1. Can't beat that! Just felt like sharing! Go see if you can find them in your produce section and tell me what you think! :)

In a galaxy far, far away...

The Force is with us!


The Collection

Leap of Faith

I was reading an article about a Pennsylvania high school teacher who had been supplementing his biology class Evolution lessons with Creationism for the last decade or so. He was ordered by the school board to stop and has agreed to comply. To the side of the article was a message board. The post below caught my eye for some reason.

fromoz 6/11/2005 3:13:42 PM In my mind Evolution will stand more rigorously against scientific enquiry, Creationism and the Bible won't.What sort of a God would deliberately create a World based on a "food chain" where life for one depends on the death and suffering of others? While I can accept such an outcome from Evolution I can't accept such an outcome from any loving God.God would be redundant without sin, so he made people prone to sin and then murdered his own son so those who believe this tale would be "saved"? Give me a break! I'll stick with Evolution; keep your hocus-pocus to yourself.
I can not address this person from Oz because I am not a member of the message board. But his statements got me thinking. Christianity makes no sense to those who do not believe in Jesus, God, and eternal life. Christians must seem crazy to those outside of faith... Living for a life and a Kingdom we can not physically prove exists. Believing a God who created the world and everything in it has time to commune, and listen to the prayers of each insignificant person who calls on his name. Ludicrous. Illogical. Can't be scientifically proven. What a stretch... Or is it?

Are humans by nature logical beings or beings of faith? Honestly as far fetched as Christianity is, there are other things that all humans buy into that seem just as hard to swallow at face value. For instance ...Parenthood. Who in their right mind chooses to be responsible for another helpless human being? Knowing the emotional, physical, not to mention financial toll brought on by reproducing and bringing a baby into this world, it is a wonder that any of us procreate! Parenthood is completely irrational. It is painful. Draining. Hard. There is no promise of success no matter how much you give. Someone once said "Becoming a parent is like choosing to let your heart live outside your self?" Who logically and knowingly would give their heart away with no assurance that it wouldn't be crushed? It makes no sense. Still 2.5 out of every 4 humans on this planet will venture into the irrational world of parenthood and procreation. Crazy!

Then there is love. Now love has to be the most irrational force on earth. Love can not be manufactured in a lab. It is hard to prove scientifically. Love is at times irrational and unpredictable while at times sure and steady. Love enables people to do amazing things and is blamed for many a downfall. Love is a decision and a feeling, It is a noun and a verb. It is healthy and deadly. Love is irrational, unfair, unstable and yet most of us pursue love for the greater part of our lives.

So really, is belief in a God we can not prove with science and can not fully fathom such a stretch? Is there anything in this universe that can be proved without some degree of faith? Faith in a theory? Faith that the universe has always followed the same laws of nature it follows now? Faith in Science and mans ability to reason? Seems to me all beliefs, proven or otherwise are based on a gamble of a faith .

Truly, I can not explain to the person from OZ why the world is based on a food chain. I don't think that was the intention in the Garden of Eden but then Satan and man got together and messed that up. And would God be redundant without sin? Who gets to define redundant? I sometimes wonder if unbelievers have a harder time believing that there is a God or that there is a devil?If you accept the existence of one, on some level you have to accept the existence of the other.

There are many things one could ask this person from OZ... But it I think it would take more than questions and arguments to convince this Oz-ite that there is a loving, all powerful God. He or she would have to see God for his or herself. And the most amazingly irrational thing about that is, God trusts us, his crazy, believing, weak, adopted children, to represent Him to our doubting world! It makes me wonder, who has the greater faith ~ us in God or God in us? I wonder if the guy from Oz would ponder that one for a while? I know I will.

Have you hugged a VBS worker lately?

Now I know how the other half lives. For the last two years VBS has been a major event in our lives. I taught 5 and under Bible and went to extravagant lengths to decorate my room. In the past two VBS's I spent many nights at church planning and decorating, many times until 2 or 3 AM. Why so late? It is hard to get much done with Kolby and Rhett in tow, so I would wait until they were in bed and then go work.

Problem was that I was completely worn out by VBS week. I struggled to teach and come up with small illustrations and activities every night. It was exhausting! AND no, I didn't have to go all out on decorations, but I am not good at doing things on a small scale. I just couldn't do it! Even when I thought I was keeping it simple, it was far from simple!

This year I had previously committed to a series of meetings that were scheduled for some of the VBS nights. I volunteered only to decorate this year. As I said in prior posts, I feel a little guilty about that. Although I spent large chunks of time decorating last week, this week Rob and I are free until Thursday night when we will help with the big finale. IT IS SO NICE! Last night we dropped our kids off and went to dinner! Dinner! By our selves! And then we shopped around for a while and just talked. For two hours we were completely kid free! That never happens. As much as I love my kids, it is really good to get a break.

Now I know why parents were so happy when they picked their children up in years past. I wonder if I looked as hot, tired, and frazzled as some of the VBS workers did when I picked the kids up last night? Do they know what a wonderful thing they are doing, not only for the kids, but for many parents? I hope they do! I have a whole new appreciation for VBS.

On top of the free time, I know my kids truly enjoy VBS. This is Rhett's first year. We were afraid he might not go it alone to well because he has had some separation issues in the past, but he is doing great! It is so sweet to hear him talk about the lesson, craft and snack each night on the way home. This is Kolby's first year with the big kids upstairs. She loves to compare what she did with what her brother did. My kids love going to anything at church.

Next year I pledge to be more involved again. I will go back into the trenches. Even if I don't teach, I will do more for those who are teaching. For now however, I am going to enjoy two more nights of freedom! Maybe I will find a way to express my appreciation to all those who are working so hard to make this a very special week for everyone.

Thank you Lord for VBS!

One of those Moms...

OK, I have become "one of those Moms" who gets a little crazy. Today Rhett and I went to two different Burger Kings looking for the R2D2, X-wing fighter, and Millennium Falcon toys. If we had found these three (which we did not) we would have the whole set of 31 toys! CRAZY! That means we have been to Burger King at least 8 -9 times in the last 6 weeks! That is more Burger King than we usually eat in a year! I guess we are one of those "target" families that the people who invented Kids Meal toys are gunning for. It has been really fun to go to BK and see which toy we will get next. Rob and I even order kids meals so we can get 3-4 toys a visit. One of the Burger King employees suggested we go on eBay to get the last three. AS IF! I am not one of those crazy Moms who shells out good money to buy kids meal toys off of eBay...
Do you think they actually sell the toys individually or do you have to get the whole set?

Things to smile about this week...

Opening my eyes one morning to see Rhett making faces an inch away from me... Great way to greet the day!

Rhett telling someone he went to Sunday School all day long after his first day of Mother's Day Out at our church.

The look of shock and joy on Kolby's face after shedding her floaties, jumping in the deep, and discovering she could swim there just as well as she can swim in the shallow!

Rob getting busted by Kolby for playing Zelda after lights out on a no TV/Video games night!

The excitement in my Mom's voice as she shared plans she has made for our upcoming family trip to Rusk, Texas. Yes, really!

Enjoying some good front yard girl talk with my neighbors Kris and Carrie.

Rhett dancing with his cousin Drake.

The goofy lesson about underwear in the VBS curriculum.

The telemarketer who left a message on our answering machine complimenting my "perky" message.

The thrill of finding the long sought after Darth Vader toy in a Burger King Happy Meal!

The sight of my husband filling our living room with various mangled and malformed balloon animals in attempt to master "the lion" by next Thursday night.

Rhett!

Kolby!

Rob!

These are precious days! Thank you God for my family!

You say Tomatoe, I say ...perfecto!

During the last two weeks we have harvested about two dozen CHERRY TOMATOES from our tomatoe plants! I love cherry tomatoes! I am very proud that we have tomatoes because I tried to grow them for three years in Ft Worth and it just didn't happen. I thought my thumb would never turn green! You have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to step out the back door and gather some herbs or pick some tomatoes from our little garden!
Have I mentioned that I really like summer? :)

Day 3 of the Summer Schedule

So far so good! We may not get everything in everyday, but because we have a plan we are making good use of our time and becoming more balanced. I think the kids would just sit at home and watch TV all day if I didn't have a plan. Actually, we have spent a little more time in front of the TV and cleaning up than I like, but overall it has been a great start to our summer.

Rhett and Kolby had a blast at Mother's Day Out at church yesterday. Rhett goes to a different MDO during the school year, but I love that he is getting to spend the summer with his church buds! He especially enjoyed being around his cousin Scarlett. Yes, Rhett and Scarlett and no, we don't have a Gone With The Wind thing. :)

Kolby experienced her first sunburn this week. "I forgot my Sun Scream!" she said as I picked her up after swimming at MDO. Kolby is seven years old and I still can't bring my self to tell her that it is called sun SCREEN not scream. We also eat ice-scream. I know one day she'll find out she has been saying it wrong and stop, but I'm not going to be the one who tells her! She is growing up so fast that I relish those cute pronunciations left over from her toddler days.

Speaking of growing up, Kolby has been getting several phone calls a day from school friends. WHAT? Is that normal for seven year olds? I don't like it one bit, but I can't just hang up on her little friends. After much thought I told Kolby she can talk on the phone for seven minutes (a minute per year) once or twice a day. She was thrilled with that and has not asked to make calls herself yet. I know that is coming. Am I right that 7 is a little to young to be chatting with or calling friends on the phone? Tell me blog world...Is this normal?

Back to the mundane... Today we went to the library for the Hansel & Gretel Puppet Show. We were pleasantly surprised to see some cousins, lots of church friends, and a few neighbors there. It was a cute show though the little library reading room was packed! Kids everywhere! Afterwards, we headed to Burger King for lunch as promised because we are still trying to collect the entire set of Burger King Star Wars toys! (We are on a mission to find Darth Vader, R2D2, and two or three others.) There were lots of church friends there too. I felt as if we had a full day by noon!

This afternoon Kolby had her third 3-hour reading evaluation. She has been a trooper but, she is glad it is over. My Mom kept Rhett while I went to church to work on VBS decorations. For the first time in years I am not teaching, just helping decorate. I feel a little guilty about that. This years VBS is an African Safari theme so I volunteered Rob to make balloon animals during the Safari Celebration the last night. Rob is such a kid at heart that he loves this sort of thing and it eased my "not teaching guilt" a bit. VBS is a wonderful program... Next year I will get back on board and do more.

Not much to report from Hewitt these days. Off to dinner at church and more VBS decorating. We are loving summer! Hope all of you are too!

The Summer Plan

WALL PAPER WARNING!!!! (See my comment at the end of yesterdays post!)

Ok It has taken me some time, but I finally put our summer plan down on paper. I feel so much more focused! For those of you who are curious...Here it is!

Monday: Movie Day
Tuesday: Summer Fun Days (MDO at church)
Wednesday: Library Day
Thursday: Free Choice or Stay Home Day
Friday: Fun Activity Day (Zoo, Museum, Park or Swimming or other)

Here are the other things we are going got incorporate into our daily schedule:
20 m Outside Work : Clean up toys, Pull weeds, Water, Sweep, Garage clean-up, pick vegetables etc.
40 m Outside Play: Walk, Bike, Fort, chalk, ball etc
20 m Inside Work: Vacuum, Sweep, Clean Bathroom, Laundry, Dust
40 m Inside Play: Toys or other (no TV or V-games)
1-3 Hours: Weekday Summer Activity from list
30 m Art: Crayons, markers, paint, play dough, clay
20 m Writing Time: Journal, Letters, Numbers, Cursive
30 m Quiet/ Reading Time: In room, on bed, by self
20- 30 m Read To Time: Read together w/ Mom or Dad
60 m TV Time ~ Can earn more maybe

Both kids have a set of three chores in the morning, afternoon and at night. Our "tidy-up" time is from 5:00 to 5:20pm every day. This is the time when we stop whatever it is we are doing, put everything in it's place, and tidy up all the rooms. I will set the timer to see if we can get it done before the 20 minutes is up. It is more fun if it is a race. We will spend the rest of the weekend trying to tidy up and get ready to start our new schedule come Monday morning!

We also made a "Home repair/ Projects list" for Rob and I to work on this summer. The list is long, but do-able. We still have to decide whether to switch and redo Kolby's room. She really wants to move into our guest room because it is bigger and has high ceilings. She is tired of her garden themed room and wants something a little more pink and prissy. The problem is her room now has an attached bathroom and I love her garden stuff! The guest bathroom is the one closest to the living room and the more formal bathroom. It would be a challenge to keep it "company" clean with Kolby using it as hers. As much I love to paint and decorate, the thought of having to redo two bedrooms and bathrooms this summer makes me swoon! I am going to try to see if I can put Kolby off another year or figure something else out. We'll see!

I think this is going to be a great summer! As impulsive as I can be...I love having a plan! Happy Saturday!

The first week of Summer

It has been quite a week! School was out last Friday. Friday night we went to my aunts house to celebrate her birthday and let all the kids swim. Saturday Rob helped my cousins move and the kids and I did NOTHING! It rained off and on all day. Sunday we woke up bright and early and drove to San Antonio to Sea World.

It was really fun until Rhett started getting sick. We left the park around 8pm with Rhett puking in a cup. Once we got him situated, he feel asleep and stayed that way until we got home. As we approached Temple, the sky opened up and we thought we were going to be washed off the interstate! Big 18 wheelers were pulled over to the side of the road with their hazards flashing. Stalled out cars littered the highway and shoulder. We pressed on at a snails pace of 15 miles per hour and made it home about an hour and a half later! (Temple is only 30 minutes from our house.) When we got home Kolby admitted that she woke up during the storm and couldn't hold it!! Lovely! Nothing like a little puke and pee to make the Van smell oh-so -sweet! The moral of the story? NEVER skip church to go to Sea World!

Memorial day was spent trying to recover and clean up! On Tuesday Rob had work, I had McKenna for the last time, Kolby had the first of a three-part four-hour long reading needs evaluation, and Rhett started getting sick from the other end. YUCK! On Wednesday the sun was out and it was hot so we went swimming most of the day at our neighbors.

Thursday we went to Dr Kempers office twice only to find out that Rhett had a major stomach bacteria. He started antibiotics and he feels much better. Kolby went to the second part of her evaluation and the two of us did a little shopping while my Mom kept Rhett. Kolby had a birthday party till 9pm last night while Rob and Rhett went swimming till dark again with our cousins Robby, Justin, and Whitney.

Today it is cloudy and humid. It looks like it could rain any minute. I love summer rain! I am just now sitting down to work out our summer schedule. I am trying to get a good mix of activities and chores scheduled to make our summer run smoothly. Last year we went to the library on Tuesdays, the movies on Wednesdays and rotated between the museum, the zoo, and swimming on the other days.

This summer is shaping up the same, except I am trying to get a little more structure in our at home time. I hope to incorporate a little more time to help Kolby with her reading, help Rhettt learn to write all his letters and numbers, and get me in more of a work-out routine. My friend Elizabeth inspired me to write all this down and make an "on paper" plan. I'll let you know how that goes!

Reading over this I realize this post is about as interesting as reading wall paper! Sorry guys, I just can't seem to get the blog juices flowing! Maybe if I put blogging on my summer schedule....

I love summer!