Changes

This is Leila's favorite shirt. Everytime she sees it, she insists on wearing it. It doesn't matter what she wears it with, this day a diaper was all she needed, as long as she has on the puppy shirt. I love it when it comes through the wash, which sometimes takes a little while, because she gets so excited when I pull it out. It really is about the simple things in life, isn't it She's almost seven and just started losing teeth this summer. I was beginning to wonder if the bottom two would rot out before they fell out. Once the concern started to mount, I decided to investigate the matter and found the grown up teeth making an appearance before the bottom rotters even considered making a move. Which brought us to threats of a trip to the dentist if she didn't start working them a little. She got to wiggling them and before we knew it they were both gone. Then she lost the top one. That big boy was coming through already too! She's still got one baby tooth up front, hanging on for dear life, but if I have anything to do with it, we'll be sending it home with the forgetful fairy that steals the tooth in the middle of the morning when no one's looking, very, very soon. I had to show Bud in a feat of strength- or rather, a display of strength. He's trimmed down so much since football started, it cracks me up. He is a big kid and built like a linebacker ever since he started wearing 6x, but not he's a lean, mean, snapping machine. He is still wrestling with the moral dilema of hitting boys that he has nothing against, I think, which is why the coach gave him the important responsibility of snapping the ball the quarterback. And he takes it very seriously. Now, after that is a little different story, but he looks like a pro. Isn't that what bantam league is all about? I'm gonna have to say yes.
I went in to check on the girls one night and found this little number sprawled out completely across both girls. Once I got the camera and snapped the picture, he had actually pulled his legs in a little. But the first scene entailed Max with arms and legs stretched out full length across both girls. He's so funny. He has no idea that he's a huge dog yet. This morning he jumped up beside me on the couch and curled up into a tiny little ball in the crack of the couch cushions. He's in for a real surprise in the next few months. He doesn't look very tall, but his face is just about as big as Leila's head and his paws I cannot fit my hand completely around, which both tell us that a beast will emerge from this sweet puppy. Maybe we're the ones that are in for a real surprise!

California Dreamin'

We love our neighborhood because it's far enough from town to be secluded, but still in the city limits, and before school started there were usually kids everywhere. When we realized this move would be a reality, it was heartbreaking for the kids, who had real friends that they couldn't even think of moving away from. So we prayed and God answered. This is one of several of Kennedy's best friends.
We live at the open end of a culda sac which makes us the final boundary of the dead end before going out onto the main road of our complex. I love that the kids can ride their bikes up and down the street without constant supervision because the traffic is very minimal and generally limited to the residents of the community. I don't worry about someone sticking them in their car down the street and taking off. *I still keep one eye on them whenever they are outside.*
These boys have finally come to accept one another. Max still pounces Scooder, but Scooder tolerates him and looks sad when I lock Max up in his kennel. I didn't realize until just now how much Max has grown since I took this photo. His front legs seem to be almost twice as long now. It will be interesting to see how things change between them once he outgrowns Scooder by three times his height!

I think this game they play is so cute. I don't exactly understand what it is that they're doing, but it looks like some kind of repair shop. They use leaves and grass for something. I just think it's cute.
They live outside. We are still sitting hours on the football field everynight, so with that and running the street all day, they have gotten pretty tan, which is funny to me. I never thought my kids would tan, I just assumed we'd have to buy stock in sunblock and load them up everyday. They've burned a couple of times, but it didn't keep them in the house, so I just let it go.
And here they all are... Leila is always in the middle of the action trying to mimick whatever is going on. She still thinks she's a grown-up kid. It's hard to believe she'll be two in a few days. I guess life really does go on.

Football, Baby!

I've promised these pictures to so many people. Here they are! Dun da DUN! Isn't he adorable? The kid is fast, he's got good form, he's ready for a half hour before we leave the house every day, and he respects each coach and whatever they say...
But he won't hit. He gets out there lookin like a pro and won't hurt a fly. Other moms keep telling me that it will come, he'll get hit hard and it'll make him mad which will push him to another level. I'm telling you, he's getting pummelled and there's no wrath in him. I want to just cheer him on to victory, but the coach is holding him back because he's holding back.
I know he can hit, I've seen it plenty of times. SO, being the type of mother that I am, I'm paying him. *I learned this trick from my mom who paid my little sister a quarter for every full day she stayed in school all day.* A quarter for every time he gets somebody on the ground. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing by saying, "I don't care who it is, as long as he's on the other side, get 'em down and you're getting paid, Bud!"

I used to dream about the days I'd have a son playing football. I love football season and now, being in the lovely, tropical Lompoc Valley, sitting through practices is hardly a chore at sixty-five degrees. I pity my friends suffering heat stroke in the midwest. It's always a source of amazement to me the things God cares about and brings to life.

Perspective

I have been trudging through How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth for a very, very long time now. I read it way back in my nocturnal days working as a CNA, but it was difficult to process just reading, which is what inspired the study guides. Now I've completed the careful combing of information and collecting the points that were more difficult to grasp in a study guide. Dun dun DONE!!!! With the reading it helps to punch the intent of each point and makes this seemingly difficult information more attainable. I know this because I've read it with, and I've read it without. And I didn't remember anything from it when I read it without. But now I have PERSPECTIVE. Yes... perspective. The overachiever in me wants to read it again and read each book of the Bible alongside each chapter of the coinciding book, which I will probably do eventually. But for now I am joining up with the ladies' Bible study at church and I need to focus some of my energy there.

I haven't been in a Bible study like this for a long time- not since the womens Bible study in the A-Frame. I loved that Bible study. I was shaped by that Bible study in so many ways. What's funny is that I don't remember what we studied, but the body of Christ was built in those hours of pouring our hearts out on the table and bearing each others' burdens and praying dilligently for each other. One of the ladies had a son that wouldn't eat anything but chicken nuggets and I used to tag all of my prayers- all of them- with "and please make Michael eat!" That still echoes in my head sometimes.

It's hard not to have high expectations when that is my point of reference. I've done Bible studies since, but there's really no comparrison, the situations were so different. There, there was a core of a lot of women that were committed to each other and to the church and to that Bible study. Everybody showed up; everybody spilled their guts. And when everybody's putting in 100%, there's no room for it to fail.

I don't expect to find myself in that situation again because my expectations have gotten me in trouble too many times to be that naive. But I think it will be a good experience and I will enjoy getting to know some people. I won't be teaching. I was asked to teach, but at that time I was still unsure of my committment because of other pressing schedule conficts, so I decided not to. I miss teaching, but I will enjoy listening more.

Perspective. It's an amazing catalyst.

Kingdom Thoughts

I can't get away from these thoughts about the kingdom of God; it's led me into some serious soul-searching. Every morning I get up and pray that I will be what I'm supposed to be, and most nights I go to bed and pray that I will not fail as miserably tomorrow as I did today. It has brought me to a crossroad of sorts. Not that I haven't been here before, but with a little knowledge this time I have found some reprieve in what I've discovered.

The kingdom of God is a complex topic of discussion and despite my search I haven't been able to define it for most of my life. Something that I read shed a little light, but there are aspects of the kingdom that perplex way smarted people than me, so I choose to tuck that part away and focus on the simple understanding that I have gleaned. In the gospels, some people believe that Jesus' intent in telling parables was to directly point people into the kingdom of God, which is exactly that, His kingdom. The confusion I always had with the term was where it was and what it entailed. Jesus said, in Matthew 12:28 *But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.* Obviously He did cast them out so the kingdom of God was there, and is here. Also, He said in Mark 1:15, *The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.*

I am a little out of my league here, so correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I understand at this point is that Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God. Now, with His coming, it is here on earth for those who are born again. The completion will come with His return at the end of the age. Here is an interesting definition of the Kingdom of God that we are members of, citizens of, and patriots to.

The hour of fulfillment has come; that is the keynote of them all. The strong man is disarmed, the powers of evil have to yield, the physician has come to the sick, the lepers are cleansed, the heavy burden of guilt is removed, the lost sheep is brought home, the door of the Father's house is opened, the poor and the beggars are summoned to the banquet, a master whose kindness is undeserved pays wages in full, a great joy fills all hearts. God's acceptable year has come. For there has appeared the one whose veiled majesty shines through every word and every parable- the Saviour. From George Ladd's THE PRESENCE OF THE FUTURE

My problem here is that I fall so short. Even when I am praying and seeking God's strength, I narily meet the expectations I have for followers of Christ. This perspective gives me a goal, a hope of the life to come, and the inspiration to LIVE this life in the Kingdom, despite the fallenness of this present age.

Here's another thing that occurred to me this weekend in dealing with the difficulties of children's interactions with each other and feelings getting hurt. Our worldview, in a nutshell, is that we're all in this thing together. I keep thinking of that line from the 80's rap song COLORS, *We're all in the same gang*. We as the body of Christ universal should have this in mind all the time, with our goal set to win the lost; to WIN THEM, not to shield ourselves against the world. I am talking philosophically here, not that we should lay down and let wicked men tear us to shreds. The world lives as every man for himself. The Survivor alliances that are so volitile and such a lie are a perfect depiction of life in this world- every man has allegiance to himself and that's it. It's so simple and yet gave me such clarity. Pray for me to win them and to consistently live the love of Christ every minute of every day.

Daily Bread

One of the things I try to do everyday in my study time is to work on a few pages of the How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth study guide. I had high aspirations to finish this thing when I was in Nebraska, but my life starting changing and so did my priorities. I wish I could control that but I am still so weak in these things... which also explains the ten pounds I put on during those weeks of chaos!

I've been working through the Wisdom books and this morning something really caught my attention, something I want to remember and put into practice. *I do not retain knowledge easily, which is why instead of continually reading this book, I have decided to pick it apart, piece by piece, so that I can digest it and hopefully retain some of the important pieces of knowledge long term.

One thing that is important to understand about Proverbs is that these little bits of wisdom were written to be memorable rather than to establish doctrine or understood literally. It's simple, it seems to make sense. These verses about prosperity offer wisdom for living, not a recipe for worldly gain.

With that said, consider this verse:

Proverbs 22:11 Whoever loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have a king for a friend.

The explaination that followed, written by the authors of How to Read, said this "The specific paraboloic language of the proverb is inteded to point beyond itself to the truth that leaders and responsible persons are generally impressed both by honesty and by careful discourse. "

This struck me because every time we move, I get a new start, another chance to be the person I wish I could be all the time. Usually this failure is a direct result of talking too much, and I determine in my heart to choose my words rather than spill my guts to whomever would listen. It's a terrible struggle for me, but I am learning to keep what I think I know to myself and offer what I do know only when it's necessary. In theory, this works for me; in practice, I have not mastered it. Dale would quickly attest to the fact.

The other night I was positioned on the football field between a talker and a listener. There was such a dramatic distinction that it further encouraged my pursuit of being a listener. Lord, help me to take these bits of practical wisdom to heart and put them into practice!

The Inauguration of Five

One of the first thoughts I had when Dale told me we were moving thirty hours from home was, "Who will come to our birthday parties?" Usually we pack the house with blood relatives and a neighborhood kid or two. This year we had some kids I'd never met or even seen before that night- and a mom, too. I never cease to be amazed at the attentativeness of our God to the teensy details in our lives.
The Spiderman party hat/masks were a huge hit, especially for this guy who sang, ate cake, and played tag in his mask all night. Tre was thrilled to have some boys to wrestle with, while the girls bounced and flipped in the front yard. It was thrilling and chaotic.
Exibit A: Heelys. I don't know why I bought them, I guess it was what he really wanted and I didn't think past that thought. But everytime this kid tries to mimic his sister and glide through the grocery store he ends up wailing and screaming on his back. So, mostly he trots around on them, clicking along, complaining that his toes hurt. And they to, they're crowded into the front of the shoes because of the high heel sticking out the back. An ER doctor said there was a 60% increase in head injuries since the conception of these little numbers. Tre has not adjusted to being five yet; as a matter of fact he just came in and told me that he hated five. I'm not sure if I am using it against him when I say, "You're five now, no more crying." If you this kid, you'd know why I'm saying it. Earlier this week a teenager in our neighborhood lifted him up by the shirt and said, "'Lil boy, you got to quit screamin like a girl!" And he's right. This kid is like a tornado siren every fifteen minutes.
He's a treasure; a little too smart for me to manage sometimes, but a treasure. My brother was a bawler when we were kids, had a little trouble finding his place; he was number four too, following a sister. My little brother was also the light in my universe for most of my high school years; he got me through some rough stuff just by being himself. He grew into the shoes that never seemed to fit when we were kids. He gives me hope for this wild child. Happy Birthday, Tru Dog. *whew* until next year...

Got Milk?

I love to make seasonal foods; being that it's summer, I have taken every opportunity to make homemade ice cream. It's so fun and yummy, I can't stand it. I got a really good and simple recipe from one of those Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. It uses raw eggs, which eliminates all the cooking and straining and a ton of time. I used to think we were chancing it by eating the ice cream but I used my logic to reason away any bacteria in the freezing process.
Fortunately for all of us, I was watching the The Foods Channel and a pastry chef expained that there is a chemical reaction when you mix eggs and sugar together that makes the eggs safe to eat. You have to mix them for a little while, thank you KitchenAide for the greatest mixer in the universe! But if you take the time to do it, you'll have safe eggs and delicious ice cream in no time.
I love these photographs. Leila's was an accident. That's what she looks like after everything she eats. Jasmine and Kennedy thought it was really funnny though, so they did theirs to match. Jas is going for the Desperado look, while Kennedy was hoping for more of an 80's office guy appeal. Job well done.

Everytime I see Kennedy like this, food on her face, hair wild and unattended, I wonder how much more time we have with this delightful wonder of a child. I can already hear the rummblings of adolescence coming around the bend. It makes me nervous; I was such a trainwreck during those years. But until we are awoken to the realities of the coming era, we will embrace and enjoy the peaceful life of the gradeschool years.

Happy Birthday, Cap'n Jack!

Gotta love this kid!
I mistakenly told him that his birthday was coming up about six weeks ago. Since then it's been the only thing he sees at the end of his tunnel. This is difficult for the poor kid because sometimes it can be so anti-climatic. I don't know what to make of it... do I not tell him and then just surprise him the day of? SURPRISE! This is it! You're five now! I don't think so. Besides, this year he'll learn the calendar and be able to look at it and know.

Anyway, we're planning lots of festivities. This is the cake he requested. I don't know if I posted it before, but the original was quite a fiasco. I agreed to make it today, on the real birhtday, and save a normal cake for the party, just in case it ended up being a second sinker.

As much as he wanted to camp at Pismo beach, we don't have a camper or the money to rent one; and I'll tell you truth, I don't think we're quite ready to sleep on the beach in a tent. No, no, I'm quite certain. Taking five children and a dog and a puppy and trying to sleep and eat and live with no furniture or conventional toiletting facilities within earshot is not really in our league yet. Someday- not this one.

So I got up early with the new baby, six o'clock might as well be four here, and decided I should do some birthday fairy magic before Tre got out of bed. This is a tradition that I started many moons ago; sneaking around after bedtime hanging streamers and balloons and putting out presents. It's very exciting when it works, but sometimes I forget until it's late and then I'm slapping the stuff up anywhere I can reach without even thinking to count the twists in the streamers.

One of the countless things he requested, besides being the KING OF THE HOUSE, was breakfast in bed. So after the puppy went back to bed and the birthday fairy did her gig, I made pancakes and sausage and syrup. I'm waiting until a little bit later to serve him because he came into our room in the night and Dale doesn't work until noon. Showing up with breakfast at seven might have started the day off on the wrong foot. Tre doesn't really have a lot of leaway as it is; it's been a rough week for him.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Tre! If you know us well enough to have our phone number, any of them, please call and wish Tre a happy birthday. It will give him the thrill of a lifetime to have phone calls directed at him. And if you don't, leave a comment with warm birthday wishes to the King of the house (for today).

Got Milk?