Trip Highlights

This is kinda how our vacation went:

Saturday 9/9 finally left the house at around 10am. Squeezed a 6.5 hour trip into 9 hours (too many pit stops). Arrived at Nana and Grandpa's house at about 7pm. Had dinner, watched a little TV and went to bed.

Sunday 9/10 got up and went to church with Nana and Grandpa. Spent the afternoon resting and watching TV. Went to see a movie with Grandpa that evening instead of going back to church. (Shame on us!)

Monday 9/11 everybody was at work, so the boys and I slept late, laid around watching TV, had a late lunch out, then went to the Mall of Georgia after we picked Lilly up from school. That evening we had dinner at the house and watched MORE TV.

Tuesday 9/12 we got up a little earlier and did some schoolwork, then ran some errands. After we picked up Lilly, we went to an indoor swimming park, but thunder closed it down after a half hour, so we got a pass to go back. We spent the evening . . . guess what! Watching TV and playing PlayStation. (Hey! We were on vacation, right?)

Wednesday 9/13 we did a little more schoolwork, then went back to the mall. After we picked up Lilly we went swimming again, but got home in time for Nana, Lilly, and Josh to go to church. The other boys played PS2, while Mom worked on laundry and packing herself for a conference.

Thursday 9/14 we did some schoolwork, and Mom worked on picking up our stuff and finishing laundry. After we picked up laundry we ran to Walmart for a few things, then to the playground to take pictures of Lilly and her boys (which I, of course, later DELETED!!!). Then we returned to Nana's house where the boys would stay while Mom went to a Presbyterian Women's Conference. I left about 6pm, but got lost in downtown Atlanta, finally arriving at my hotel at about 9pm. After a quick bite to eat and a little TV, I went to bed. The boys mostly played PS2 and watched TV. (Are you noticing a theme yet?)

Friday 9/15 Mom attended the pre-conference sessions, enjoyed her hotel room overlooking Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, and then went to the opening session. The boys spent the day with Grandpa. I'm not really sure what they did. About all I've gotten out of them is something about PS2 and that they went to the mall and bought stuff.

Saturday 9/16 Mom continued with her conference. The boys were with Grandpa in the morning, then went with Aunt Donna to a nearby park-festival kind of thing (You just don't get many details with boys!), where they drank at least two cokes each and got wet (I got at least THAT out of them!) They spent the evening with Nana. Betcha can't guess what they did.

Sunday 9/17 Mom attended worship service at the conference while the boys went with Nana and Grandpa. After the conference, Mom headed back to the house where she began packing stuff up and loading the car. We left Atlanta around 8pm, and settled into a motel room in Macon around 11pm.

Monday 9/18 Got up and had breakfast at the hotel. The boys swam while Mom had quiet time. Then we loaded up the car and hit the road around 11:30. We got home about 5:30pm after picking up the dog at the kennel where she was boarded.

We didn't do anything too exciting, but we got a lot of rest, spent a lot of money, and even got a little school done. It was a great trip!

A Loss Caused by Ignorance

I had it all planned out. We have been on vacation to Atlanta the last nine or so days. I was taking pictured like crazy . . . planning, of course, to post them on my blog so I could prove we had taken a vacation. And then, one afternoon, as I showed all these gorgeous photos to my sister-in-law . . . I got stupid. I decided to delete one very bad photo of the ground. Without really paying attention to what the super-smart camera was asking me . . . I DELETED THEM ALL!!! Yes all my wonderful pictures of the water playground and of cousin Lilly and her boys at the park and who-know-what-else are gone . . . forever. Guess I'm kind of wishing I had read that camera manual instead of jumping in and playing with the camera. Alas, I did not.

Fortunately for me, the blog police took my boys to play on Saturday while I was at the convention, and she took tons of pictures. So you will have the proof eventually. Right blog police?

A Profitable Loss

Just in time to remind me that big kid firsts aren't the only important firsts in the family--AJ lost his first tooth! He was SOOOOO excited, even though the whole prospect of losing it has filled him with anxiety (over the possibility of pain). He just HAD to call someone to tell them (Who does THAT sound like?. Thanks Mr. Mike! He's decided to wait to put it under his pillow because he wants to show Nana and Grandpa and his daddy. That's a relief, since with both of his brothers Mommy has made a small Tooth Fairy pillow, and his is not yet made. Guess I know one thing I'll be doing this weekend!

Reminder!!! I'm NOT YET FORTY!!!!

Yesterday we ate out to celebrate selling our van. We went to this wonderful little hamburger place, and while we were ordering, I heard "Footloose." It reminded me of my great high school years, and I said, "Wow! I haven't heard this song in a long time."

The young girl taking our order responded to me, "Oh, yeah. They play these REALLY old songs here!"

I looked at her funny, laughed, stopped and tried to calculate exactly how old I am, then picked up my cane and hobbled to the table.

A Fly on the Wall in My House

"That's it! You're fired!" I heard Stephen announce this to AJ for some reason (it had to do with a new double-barrelled sticky-dart shotgun Stephen just got).

"No, I'm not." AJ answered calmly.

OK. I waited.

"You are too!" Stephen said firmly.

"No, I'm not. You can't fire me," AJ said as clamly as before.

So I sat thinking: if a boss came in to fire an employee, and the employee didn't get mad or upset, but just said, "No," what would the employer do? Hmmmm . . . . Of course, AJ isn't making much money at this, so he's not going to miss the paycheck.

And if you're worried about AJ being unemployed, his brother rehired him a few minutes later.

"Andrew, you're hired again. I need you to be my target!"

Not much room for advancement, but it might be a fun job . . . if you're fast . . . and camouflaged well!

One thing I LIKE about my boys growing up . . .

. . . all the hot, stinky, dirty, heavy, tiring, boring, repetitive, exhausting, loud, icky jobs I hate doing! Isn't that why you have kids?

No, I Haven't Fallen Off . . .

. . . the face of the earth! I'm sick. I've been sick for weeks. Ok,not really, just for days--FOUR days, to be exact(but it feels like weeks!). And are there any signs of it going away? Nope. I'm tired of being sick. Know what I've learned from being sick?

• You can spend too much time in bed (or on the couch--it's all the same thing!). My neck and shoulders hurt from laying down too much.


• Even though you're only supposed to take Ibuprofen every eight hours, it only works for six.


• Kids really stink at givng neck rubs. (They're cute trying, but when your sick, you're not looking for cute!)


• They can't go grocery shopping, and somehow you always get sick when the groceries are low.


• You can get stinky doing nothing.


• If you sleep all day, it's hard to sleep at night--even when you're sick.


• When you need help, people really can't read your mind. (Figured if I was married, I'd be blaming my husband for that; instead I was blaming the rest of the world!)


• While I work hard to get my kids well when they're sick, I think they are deliberately trying to keep me down. After all, it's like a holiday. Hmmmm. . . maybe I need to make them work really hard tomorrow!


• My family targets holidays and holiday weekends for crises!


• Chicken soup, applesauce, and toast are comforting even when you don't have a stomach bug. (Mine is just fever, aches, congestion, and sore throat . . . and I'm thankin' the Lord for that!)


• God's plan is VERY different than mine!

Ok, I'm whining. I'm going back to bed. (Ouch!)

HB JB!

Dear Josh,

Today you are twelve-years-old. I am amazed that it has been that long. Everyone I have ever known who has been a parent has told me that the time flies by, but only now am I really starting to understand what they mean. I am so proud of the young man you are becoming--frustrated and concerned some days--but for the most part pleased with who you are. I guess I am especially surprised with the way you are just naturally easing into being a responsible, contributing part of the family. Growing up has brought with it many new responsibilities. Because you tend to be so laid back (OK, maybe just a tad lazy!), I was sure it would be a fight to get you to take out the trash, or mow, or keep up with your own online classes, but you seem to thrive on the honor these harder tasks bring. I hear very few complaints, and you do chores without much nagging.



Your latest "passion" is superheroes. Now while I realize that every boy needs heroes, and the "super" kind fit nicely into that need, I feel I have done you a disservice by introducing some heroes who really aren't, and although I know you intellectually understand their shortcomings, I still see some hero worship that makes me uncomfortable. I'm claiming a lot of God's grace to cover over my mistakes. In spite of this, I love the fleeting glimpses of "little boy" I still get in your superhero play. I dread the day when you are through with childish things altogether.



Spiritually, you always impress and amaze me. You have so much knowledge and understanding packed in that 12-year-old head of yours. I'm constantly astonished at what you are able to understand, and what you seem to believe. Of course, my big worry is that all that understanding will fuel a huge pride, which the Lord will have to break in the coming years. I often get frustrated that I don't seem to see your faith translated into action, but then again, I have struggled with that myself. It comforts me a great deal to know that God covers you with His grace. I know it is all by God's grace that you have been given so much of His truth. HE has made it possible for me to be so involved in teaching and training you. HE has made you able to learn. And HE has put His Holy Spirit in you to help you to understand. Even though I know all this, it makes me proud to be your mom.



Josh, there are so many things I like about you. I LOVE your sense of humor. You have your daddy's wit, and that makes life with you so much fun. Even though your almost always a little rough on your brothers, you have a very tender heart. I love to watch you with little ones--you are so gentle and can just talk to them. You can converse with older kids and adults too. You have always amazed me with your extroverted personality which enables you to make friends with just about anyone. Even though I think you hate to hear it, you have a real talent for writing and telling stories. (Writing involves too much work for you.) What an imagination! And with your humor, you rarely compose anything dull! You are a loyal friend. It seems the boys with whom you are friends have been your friends forever, and you stay faithful to them in spite of their quirks and annoying habits.



My precious boy, I look forward to seeing the wonderful things God is going to do with you. Everyone I talk to is so sure He has great plans for you. I am sorry for the many ways I fail to prepare you for His call on your life, but I am so grateful that it does not all depend on me. Even though entering into the "teen years" has thrown me a bit off balance with the ways you are changing, I have found something to love at every age, and I know I will with you at this age too. I am sure of it because of how much I love you. You are a special boy, and I thank God for every day I've had with you. Celebrate my dear son! Today marks an incredible day--the day God brought you into my world!

12 Years Ago Today . . .

I was just settling into bed after dinner and a movie with friends. Little did I know that within a couple hours I'd be experiencing incredible discomfort as I went into labor with my first baby. It was an all-night labor, and Josh was born at around 1pm on August 28. A dozen years ago my life changed. I became a mom for the first time.

Tonight I had to sit up with that same little boy, not so little now, to help him make a grown-up decision. He wants to play an online game, and after much research and prayer I feel like it's inappropriate at best, and potentially dangerous. But he's 12 now, and ready for more than just a no, so we walked through scriptures to base our decision on, and reviews of the game. Growing up is so hard when your heart wants to do something that your head tells you isn't right. And I'm left with a sullen kid because he has to give up something he doesn't want to give up, and he thinks mom is being unfair. Hopefully he'll feel better about it in the morning. Hopefully he'll resist the temptation to play behind my back. Hopefully I will communicate that I do trust him, even though I don't want him in the midst of overwhelming temptation and danger.

Twelve years ago it was about changing diapers and knowing how to feed him. When did it get so hard?

Signs of Teen Years

Is it normal for me to be so shocked everytime I see those hairy man-legs hanging over the top of my son's bunk bed? When do you stop being surprised that his body is now one of a teenager, instead of the fat roly-poly body of the little boy I remember? And the attitude, what is that about? What happened to Mommy's good-natured, agreeable little buddy? Is there any way to stop the hormones?

My One Year Anniversary!

Happy anniversary to me!
Happy anniversary to me!
I've been blogging a whole year!
Happy anniversary to me!

Thanks Erin for getting me into this. I absolutely LOVE it! And I love all my virtual friends in the virtual world (and getting to keep up with a few real ones and some family!) To those of you who read my goofy sentiments regularly--I hope I educate you occasionally (or at least challenge your brains), and entertain you often! Thanks for being my friends!

Wow, did I just accept an Oscar?

Oh Boy! What WAS I Thinking?

What is chaos? A desert social at which two little boys help themselves to as many deserts as they care to eat, followed by the trip home to greet a new pet. Yep! We have a new member of the family, a guinea pig whose name I think is going to be Nibs, although it will probably change several times before we settle on one. (AJ wants to call it Checkers, which I like also.) The boys were so excited when we got home I could barely stand the noise and motion (or perhaps that was the 15 brownies they ate at church tonight!).

And get this! They ARGUED over who was going to get to assume the different chores involved in taking care of the pig! Go figure! How do I get them to argue over who's going to vacuum the carpet? Or clean the bathroom? Better yet, I should take odds on how long it will be before they are arguing about it NOT being their turn to care for the same guinea pig!

All in all . . . he is kind of cute. Guess I better like him since it's probably just a matter of time until he's mine.

The Best Last Day of Summer!

Yes, supposedly we started school three weeks ago, but with friends at our house most of those days, and with all the summer activities our friends were involved in, it has been hard to get the summer out of our system. Monday is the official "We're really starting school" day, complete with a schedule, no TV or PS2, and LOTS of assignments!

So it was a great thing that we were invited to a "Lake Party" at one of the home of a friend of Josh's today. It was even more thoughtful that AJ and Stephen were invited. So today we played . . . in the water . . . at high speeds . . . with gusto! Tomorrow we start getting ready . . . for school. Uuuugggghhhh!

My Goal in Life . . .

My oldest son informed me the other day that his goal in life is to be able to converse with anyone in only lines from movies. Where have I gone wrong?

And on a side note . . . I must remember to be careful what I allow him to watch, now that I know he is burning all of these movie lines to his hard drive. I let him watch Napoleon Dynamite this weekend and he's driving me CRAZY!!! What was I thinking?

Sometimes the Simplest Things . . .

. . . can entertain a boy!

Hello, I am a CD player. I have had a very useful life, playing all kinds of music and stories to my owner. But I'm old now, and I haven't been working right for a long time. Actually I really don't work at all, I just look like I'm working, but I'm not really doing what I'm supposed to do.

This week, it was through my death that I brought the greatest enjoyment. It is hard to believe that all those praise songs I sang weren't as pleasing as having my screws taken out. No one fought over which story to listen to like they fought over who would get my "chips." And nobody cut a rug to my tunes with as much pleasure as they cut my internal wires.

That's OK though. You should see my cousin, the CD boom box . . . they took a hammer to him! Now we are in pieces all over the house, and beyond. Will we ever be useful again? I don't think so.