Where Did The Time Fly?

School doesn't start for 12 more days...not that I'm counting! But today was textbook/laptop day at the junior high. Here she is, all decked out. Spirit shirt, 5 huge textbooks that weigh more than she does, and a new laptop backpack. Each child at her junior high receives a laptop. All textbooks are loaded on, homework is completed on the laptop and then emailed to the teacher. Huh? Really? I still remember my type class on a manual typewriter in junior high. I was a top performer. I had lightning speed with that manual carriage return.

Time flew by somewhere between there and now here. Typewriters to laptops, worlds apart, and yet they somehow look the same. 12 more days...not that I'm counting. But then again, looking at her on the brink of more independence, maybe I am.

Will Never Depart

When you have children, church is an exercise in patience. Longsuffering comes to mind. Some Sundays I feel like I am at battle with untamed lions. Cute ones, with their hair done. I sat in church and pondered this tidbit today. Week after week, I put on a darling skirt, paint my toenails, all in preparation for a faceoff with the lions. I looked around and realized that everyone has their own set of lions to deal with, and in spite of that fact, we were sitting there together. We love the Lord, and so we come. We also dearly love the untamed lions.

I realized today that the inspiration I receive each Sunday usually comes in a small snipet here and there. It comes when the lions are calm for 3.5 seconds, and I can actually hear what is being said. It comes because I want to hear it. In fact, I'm looking for it. Here is what I saw today:

• Three young women sang an amazing song, I could have listened to them sing for days. They repeated a phrase that stuck itself inside my thoughts, "My kindness will not depart". It made me look at all the ways the Lord tells me that He is intimately aware of all I face, and a lot of the time He shows me through the kindness of others. He might not remove my trials, or even make them lighter, but He sends kindess into my life, and it will never depart.
• One of our primary teachers is dying from breast cancer. She has 12 children. Her pain is immense and requires high doses of morphine. And here she sits in primary, with her cute class all around her. She is smiling. Her lesson to me will never depart.

So, the next time you are sitting in church with your untamed lions, just remember to look for those snipets. There they are, just waiting for you to see them. The gospel is true, and the Lord loves us enough to send us His kindness.....and it will never depart.

Two Words

I have two words for you--'School Shopping'. Who knew that two little words could send a shiver a fear through your body? School shopping is a painful experience. I think I'd rather be tasered.

We bought school shoes yesterday. Again, I repeat, I'd rather be tasered. The first problem with school shopping is that it always occurs in August, the month where you have finally reached the peak of your patience with summer vacation. You can feel the tension in the air. I looked at all the other mothers at Target and realized that at any moment, one of us could snap.

Why is it that children argue and fight while you force them to try things on? Good heavens, I'm spending money on you, and I have to fight with you about it!! Hello!? I did have the thought yesterday that we should have been pioneers. They only owned two shirts.

Here is a glimpse of the scene in the shoe isles--Addison is doing cartwheels, Makell is racing with the shopping cart, and Sam is whining that I won't buy her strappy high heeled sandals for school--she adamantly exclaims, "I can totally wear these in gym class." The insanity reached high levels, and I had visions of popping their heads right off. Not all the way off of course. Just like a Pez dispenser. Long enough to find some serenity.

I think I need valium. Buckets of it. I'll share with all the other mothers at Target.

Thinking Outside The Box

I swear she gets her genius from me.....

We're Hunkered

Tropical Storm Eduardo is upon us. He has been nice to us and lowered the temperature to a reasonable level. Thank you Eduardo.

For the last couple of days the news stations have adamantly told me to get prepared. So, I asked around. "What exactly am I supposed to do to be prepared?" I received various responses:

• "Tropical storm winds are only about 60 miles an hour, no big deal. Just make sure you have water and batteries." OK. What exactly are the batteries for? I'm assuming they are for my TV remote. Whew.
• "Bring in everything from outside." "Oh, you mean, my kids bikes?" "No, I mean you're patio furniture." Huh.

I went to the store yesterday to make sure we are stocked with essentials. I picked up an extra large bag of peanut M&Ms, licorice, Hershey bars, toothbrushes, cheeze-its, and bread. Oh, and I grabbed a pack of gatorade on the way to the check out. Once I had all my candy in my cart, I felt secure.

Now we're hunkered down, and I am oh so prepared. Todd's employer told everyone to stay home. It is so fantastic to have someone else referee the craziness around here. There is a downside though, he keeps following me around and turning off the lights in every room I have stepped into. Dang irritating. When I'm hunkered down, I would like some lights on! Within the hour, he and I are going to have a come-to-Jesus discussion.

So, don't fret over us. Wind, rain and peanut M&Ms. All is well....

Obsession

Did you know that there is an 11th commandment? You didn't? It's in the fine print, so it's very hard to see. Those tablets are so difficult to read. I'll list it for you here--"Thou shalt NOT pray for thy spouse to become a vampire." I know, don't be sad. This happens every time I read one of these books--I become obsessed. I find myself saying my prayers at night and asking for Todd to turn into a vampire. When I wake up in the morning...there he is, still farmer Todd who loves expensive shoes. I like farmers, but they're so...you know....mortal.

I know you're obsessed just as much as I am. Admit it. It's unhealthy, but so is eating cake batter for dinner. I know you're reading. You don't want to read too much, because then it will end, but then you can't put it down. It's OK, I understand. So, shew. Go read. Try to forget that 11th commandment, no one ever reads the fine print anyway.

Sister Day

Several years ago, we started a tradition of having 'Sister Day' on August 1. It's a day that I force these girls to celebrate having each other. This morning I told them to hug and kiss each other and they looked repulsed. Ah, such love. On Sister Day we have lots of fun and I tell them that they can't fight with each other (that lasted 0.08 milliseconds today).

We went to a glow-in-the dark miniature golf course. It was serious fun. We had lunch at the mall, bought a few school clothes, and I listened to Samantha ask me over and over again why she can't wear a padded bra. I guess my explanation of "you don't have any boobs", just didn't cut it.


You know, there are those few moments (usually late at night, when they are asleep) that I just look at these 3 faces and realize that I need these little people in my life. I need them just like I need air to breathe. They are the essence of who I am.

***
Before typing this post, I dropped Addie off at a friends house to play. As soon as she stepped out of the car, all the tension just drained right out of my body. I think because I was so relaxed, I was able to really look at these pictures with loving eyes.

Addie just called me on the phone (she has been gone for a total of 18 minutes)-- "Ya, mom. So...like...I'm just really missing you and we are going to come and play at our house."

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY! Are you kidding me? I think this girl has some internal alarm that tells her that I am sitting quietly by myself. How dare she allow that to happen.

For the remainder of Sister Day, I going to rub my genie lamp and try to conjure up my sister to come and watch over my flock so that I can run to a place far, far away.