The Thing About Texas, Day #19

Today my children once again proved that they are autonomous: they threw about 70 fire pit lava rocks into the pool at the house where we are staying, while I was getting ready to swim with them. When I came out and saw the pool, I had no words! Mortified, I marched them inside to apologize to our host and in the middle of Sparrow's confession, Golden pipes up, "My nail just came off! I need a band-aid!" Sure enough, the nail she had slammed in the car door 13 days ago finally came all the way off and her pinkie was stark nekked! Our poor hosts have been so kind  and so generous, and this situation embarrassed me deeply, but I had to calm down and remember that they are only children, and while Sparrow certainly knew better, she wasn't really trying to be rebellious. She was just—not thinking. She made a childish mistake, imagine that! So I said, "No more playing outside by yourselves," (besides a volley of other admonishing and teaching words), and they had to help me get all the rocks out, but since it was not a malicious crime, there was not much more I could do. Believe ME, I need to look more at families who have been able to raise children who treat people and things with respect, and see what they did. I am already getting really re-inspired by this book by Trumbull that I picked up at the Vaughns' house.

One thing I've gleaned from this book is to always give them a choice, even if it is, "Do what I say or get a spanking." You should never BREAK their will by saying "Do what I say and if not, then you will get a spanking UNTIL you do what I say." They choose obedience, or punishment. But it is laid out in advance, and they can choose, they are not left without any choice whatever. They are being pressured to choose good, over and over, until it becomes habit, and that is the difference between that and modern parenting tactics, where they are hardly "pressured" at all, but rather are praised to the roof for breathing, and left alone even when making very bad choices that will shape their view of the world in a wrong way, at a time when the parent should actually still be there, shaping the view. The leaving alone part can come later, if you ask me.

Thomas just came home from the store, and Silas was excited to tell me, "Daddy got diapers for Pippa." I said, "Isn't he sweet? Are you going to do helpful things for your wife when you get married?" He said, "Yeah, when I grow up like a motorcycle rider." ...Of course. It's all about the motorcycle.

Besides the lava rock/ fingernail fiasco of today, I also had this emotional realization that Sparrow has surpassed me in swimming skills! OK, I was never that hard to surpass in that area anyways, but seriously, she is SEVEN, and I think that was a first in our relationship. Milestone! I have tried over and over to learn how to go underwater without manually plugging my nose, but I am starting to suspect a nasal passage problem of sorts, because I have NEVER been able to succeed, no matter what method I used. And yet Sparrow is out there swimming around like a little dolphin underwater. It was pretty crazy to watch, knowing that she had outswum me. Good for her. My ceiling is her floor. Hahaha!

Anyways, I have been reflecting much over the last couple of months, and there are some new things to break into, break out of, and activate in my life that will make a huge difference toward kingdom destiny. I've been thinking a lot about identity and destiny, actually, these subjects are nearly endless in depth, and as for destiny, I believe that God does choose a destiny for us, (a path we should take on this earth, besides our eternal resting place), but then He leaves it up to us whether we will we will find that destiny, take it seriously, and go get it; or whether we will just sleep and be comfortable in the reality that we see. So more on that later, but this vacation has been really good for reflection and remembering who I am.

Our first weekend in Texas we drove to Brenham and spent time with my college roommate and her family. It was very relaxing and so good to laugh with her in the late hours again. The children and I stayed through Wednesday to spend more time with her while Thomas went back to Feldenkrais classes on Monday morning.  We even got to go to the fair with our Brenham friends and tour the Blue Bell ice cream factory!

The 2nd weekend, we drove to Austin to visit more friends from back in the day—their daughter was our flower girl 8 years ago, and now she is eleven! That was relaxing and fun as well. Besides Pippa screaming til 2 AM because her nose was clogged. When we got back to the Houston area and she did it again the next night, Thomas and I just had to put in earplugs, we were so exhausted! About an hour later, I woke up and realized she had managed to go to sleep after all. I couldn't believe I had slept through the screaming right next to me—I am now a truly a seasoned parent.

So much more to say--it's been wonderful here. We love the people we are staying with. They are clowns, yes clowns! And they have a pet pig, yes, pig! Jesus is all over them. That is the most beautiful thing, though there are MANY beautiful things about their home. It's just lovely. But now it is 10, and time to work! Two more days here, then back to taking the LAND in my real life! Bring it!

The thing about Texas, Day #6

Our 6th day away from home and I am feeling beautiful! Here are my FB posts, to give a little taste of our day.



10:02 AM--I got 8 hours of sleep last night--for the first time in probably a year! Now I am enjoying extended quiet time while my children run around in the back yard catching teeny tiny frogs and minnows with newfound friends. I wholly repent for any and all negative things I have ever spoken about the great state of Texas.

11:30 PM--My children kept averring that Houston was not really a very big city. So today I drove them to the smack dab middle of downtown and took them in the glass elevator all the way up to the 32nd floor! Hah! That showed THEM!

I guess I really have missed big cities. I really wanted to go downtown. I knew one of those big buildings had to be a really fancy hotel! Sure enough, just driving around in between skyscrapers, we found a Hyatt, and parking right next to it, too! OK, it cost me $5 for an hour, but the whole experience was awesome. The concierge at the front asked me if we wanted to ride the elevators, and I said, "Can we?" "Yes! You can go all the way up!" Was his reply. He was so nice and friendly even though it was clear we were not staying there. Silas saw the glass elevators going up and down and became timid, and kept telling me, "I don't want to go in the alligator!" But after the bathroom (yes, we used the bathroom for free too!) I told him we would go in, and he could close his eyes. I ended up having to hold him, but I thought it was super fun! You could choose the elevator facing the street or the one facing the lobby. Sparrow discovered she is afraid of heights. Golden is not.

Then I got a vat of beef at Freebirds for lunch and took--it--to--Chick-Fil-A to eat while my children ate their fare. Halfway through, I realized I was committing a chick-fil-a crime: eating beef on the premises. So I had Sparrow take a picture. 

I can't post pictures yet because I need a cable or a card reader!

Later we went to Trader Joe's and I ran into Kerry Sawyer and all her children. We were going to hang out tomorrow anyways, how funny! Then I cooked dinner for the Vaughns. Have I mentioned that they are awesome?

Golden had a hard day. She slammed her pinkie in the car door and the nail turned all purple. Then she kept hurting herself in other little ways. Poor girl.

Sparrow is fast friends with Lana, age 8. Love to see them run around together.

The Thing About Anita Go'dabed

My friend's mom told me this joke about a lady named Anita who married someone whose last name sounded like "go to bed." Anita Go'dabed. Yeah, that's how a linguist's daughter would spell it. And, see, that is just the essence of my life right now. I mean, here it is, after midnight—but when was the last time I went to bed before midnight? I don't know—and I have worked as wife and homeschooling mother, worked as Head Chef for Elite Eldercare, and worked as freelance Administrative Assistant all morning, all afternoon, and all evening, and that brings me to tomorrow, but I feel incomplete going to bed without doing ONE thing dream-related, ykwim?

I am beginning to come into a season of my life where I am believing that crazy big dreams CAN be achieved. I have had amazing fulfillment in marriage, and am flourishing in all of the wonders of being a Titus 2 woman, and in the unparallelled miracle of being a mother of children. It is my all-time favorite job. But I am realizing that 1) God has placed even more dreams in my heart! 2) We need to eat and sleep someplace, and it is (can it be?) within God's heart and purpose for us that we turn our dreams and greatest strengths into bread and butter. NOT doing so would be "burying the talents" and wasting life to some degree. 3) We have benefited so much from the help of others. Now it's time to step up and become leaders, believing in our ability to help others instead of staying in the "takers" realm. 4) I am created to be my husband's help-meet. What have I done lately to move my husband's dreams forward and further HIS career and loves? God obviously put us together for amazing reasons of multiplication and kingdom-impact. I know He is the author of our marriage. So if we are not doing amazing things together--kingdom and big-dream-things we could not do on our own, then we are falling short of our united potential. We cannot allow the One Who Casts-Between to hamper our creative together-powers. I mean, we have the two matching rings! 

All that to say—I have to sit down and write, do something, every day, and though Anita Go'dabed is becoming my very best friend, here's to late nights of waking-dreams, here's to all my friends who are sitting up in the wee hours DOING SOMETHING. Believe your King, daughter. The land is there for the taking for those who are not afraid of big grapes. Er, I mean, giants. Hehe. Yup. With an Ally such as ours, victory is guaranteed—to—those—who—fight.

July quotes

Golden: "We know how to make crackers! You get a piece of cheese, and you put it in your car until tomorrow, and it turns crunchy!" -July 2
(Yeah. side note, I found a crunchy half of a cheese stick in my bag the other day...)

Sp: "Mom! Why haven't we ever seen a giant stomping by yet? You SAID they were still alive!" -July 3

Sp: "Do people turn into giraffes when they get older, just like tadpoles turn into frogs?"
me: "Well,... is your grandma a giraffe?" -July 8

(talking about one of our friends, who has very simple tastes)
Thomas: "It doesn't take much to float her boat."
G: "Mom, if I were a teenager, I would sneak out, to the park, to the pond, if ------------ was there, and I would float my boat, and surprise her!" -July 10

G, while helping me make muffins,
"Pretend—that you're the mom and I'm the little girl who is being teached how to make muffins."
me: "I am the mom, and you are the little girl being taught how to make muffins."
G: "Oh." -July 17

G, doing a fish drawing,
"what do fish eat?"
me: "Algae."
G: "Oh. I don't know how to draw allergy." -July 17

G, opens her Bible and 'reads,' "The disciples... were going off to play." -July 19

Silas and mommy reading  a book,
Si: "Oh, it's a bird!"
me: "Yes, and that one is called a Cactus Wren."
Si: "No, it's  BIRD!"
me: "Yes, but that bird is called a cactus wren, It's a KIND of bird."
Si: "No, it's  BIRD."
me, thinking of a brilliant way to explain it to him:
"For example, are you a BOY?"
Si: "No, I'm a GARBAGE TRUCK!"
me: smiling, then, "Well, OK. Is mommy a lady?"
Si: "No, you're a GARBAGE TRUCK!"
-July 20

Silas, cutting food in the kitchen with me, cut his thumb, it's gushing blood. he says, calmly to his sisters, "it is ketchup." Then I told him I had to wash the blood off the board. He says, "I'm sorry that I got bloody." -July 21

Sparrow is Seven

My pretty Sparrow turned seven recently! She is so full of ideas, so full of potential, and so smart.

Her heart is full of dreams.

Her birthday came 2 days after we moved houses, so our life was still very crazy at the time and since the move came suddenly, I was unable to plan a party or anything, but we decided to go to the circus. She loved it!!

Here are a few photos of the special day.

Morning of the birthday. Breakfst at Chick fil A!

And yes I DID buy them ice cream at 9 am!

Informal presents on the porch

The next day we had cake at home. 

Sparrow,
You are growing into your destiny. You are getting braver. You are getting stronger. You are getting so thoughtful and conscientious and helpful and I love having you around. I get lesson after lesson when I watch you. The way you play with Golden is amazing--your friendship will last forever. The way you appreciate Silas and love Pippa is beautiful to behold. You are free. You are filled with the songs of God. I love you more dearly every day. You are funny, intelligent, a thinker and a girl who loves to laugh all rolled into one. You love beauty. I love that about you. Your excitement in God's creation. Your sense of justice. Your quickness to obey. Sometimes I give you a lot to handle, firstborn, and you handle it all so gorgeously, I am amazed. May all your paths be love. May you feel God's presence strong this next year. You are beloved. You have nothing to fear. Love, your Mom

Rainy Day Shenanigans

Baby was hot and fussy with a fever all day; I was holding her in the wrap and trying to cook with my little boy clinging to my leg for dear life during today's thunderstorms. He wouldn't let go! ("I'm scared of the blunder.") So there I was like a car with a boot, galumphing around the kitchen while shouting cleaning instructions down the hall to the girls; the lightning was cracking and the lights were flickering threateningly, and the rain was coming down with record speed and fury. And thus I burned the vat of creamed spinach for the elderly. It is now smoked spinach. I wonder if they will notice.

Actually, the little koalas were not at fault for the demise of the spinach. I had decided to take a little break while the frozen spinach cooked down, to watch a rainy-day puppet show that Sparrow and Golden had prepared for me, and I was immensely enjoying myself while the spinach died a miserable death in a fiery inferno. 

Here is that show, for better or worse:

Lives will be changed!

 Here is the project for this afternoon. Which I have wanted to get done for four months.

It is a master schedule for the family. I will be making about 7 of these, one for each day. Just kidding. But probably 2 or 3.

This is the schedule half completed--each color represents a different member of the family--yellow is me, and pink and purple are the older girls. (Most crucial to be scheduled gets scheduled first.)

Note that I bought a neat little foam poster board for this. And the schedule ran way off the board onto the table and down the side of it. That is my baby trying to get her sticky little fingers on my bedtime routine.

 

I eventually transferred it to the wall. It is an ugly wall piece but it is beautiful on the inside. Beautiful. All the possibilities of how it's going to transform our life are going through my brain right now.

Yes, that post-it scrap has a bite out of it. My baby likes to eat paper products. My, look at how dirty my floor is. And I am strangely unembarrassed by that.

Check out what I have in my schedule: Child Training! Most EVERY DAY!!! Update: I have been doing this for one day now and I had an AWESOME day. There was time for everything!!! Cleaning, child training, everything!! Nevermind that it is 2 am now. My computer play time doesn't really count.

 

Later we made these. Twix. Seriously. Without all the preservatives and chemicals. TJ's animal cookies with TJ's fleur de sel caramel and melted tj's semisweet choc chips. Put on a dirty old cookie sheet with a bunch of glitter stuck in the corner, (optional added effects contributed by children), and freeze. You will thank me. I apologize that they are about as ugly as sin, or is that my prehistoric cookie sheet? Thankfully it does not affect their taste either way.