Mood Rings and Giant Squids

One of my favorite bands, Relient K, wrote a song about mood rings. The chorus goes a little like this-

"And i've contrived some sort of a plan to help my fellow man
Let's get emotional girls to all wear mood rings
So we'll be tipped off to when they're ticked off
Cause we'll know just what they're thinking, just what they're thinking"

As funny as that is, it occured to me this afternoon how much easier life would be if we all wore giant signs around our necks proclaiming to the world how we were feeling. Just think about how much heartache (or headaches) we would save ourselves from if people had signs that said things like "Does not play well with others" (inspired by my mother-in-law), "GOSSIP" or "Talks for hours about themselves." Our kids would stand in the pick up lines after school with signs that read things like, "Needs 15 minutes to unwind before initiating conversaion," "CAUTION- low blood sugar" or "HUG ME!" How much easier would life be if we didn't have to do the after-school-moody-kid-dance and were just able to provide our babies with exactly what they need?! Marriages would be a breeze if wives wore signs like "needs flowers," "break needed," or "if you love me, you will clean the house and watch the children." I was thinking about what my sign would say. Unsurprising, my sign changed quite frequently throughout the day. I came up with everything from "if you'd just stop crying and do your homework, we'd be done by now" to "NEEDS chocolate/candy corn/Sonic/coffeeeee" to "single mom, needs (MY) hubby," but my sign kept coming back to the same thing, "very tired, very, very discouraged super mom in great need of Starbucks and a chance to just sit in two minutes of childless quiet."

Update- Steve got his car back (PRAISE GOD!!!). Steve told the car people our story and they fixed our car and are allowing us to pay how ever much we can when we can. God was really in that entire situation.
Nathan is really struggling with his faith. He thinks that because God did not answer our prayers on our timing that He does not exist. I am really trying to work with him to help him understand that God's timing is perfect timing.
Kalea has been very grumpy. Her teachers are even starting to notice a change in her demeanor. If I can just get her to sleep a little more at night without fear of monsters, then I think she might feel a little better. Ironically, the monsters only come when Steve is gone.
As for me, I sought out a job in Arlington that as it turns out, was posted on the internet in DECEMBER 2004 and the page was never changed!!!! Boy, is my face red.

Secrets From a Work-a-holic

So now I am officially working for ALL of the ministries preschool has to offer with the exception of children's choir. MDO took me on last Wednesday to 'float' for two hours on Mondays and Wednesdays. I am quite sad to give up my only two hours of quiet a week, but even sadder when those two hours were filled with the frantic-scurry-no-money-dance. I am going to think of it as an extra opportunity to plant seeds of faith for a future relationship with God, because the thing is, no matter how cool, bouncy, funny or creative you are in the preschool department, in a few years when the kids are off doing big kid things, they aren't going to have any clue who you are, but they WILL remember the things you said and the seeds you have planted inside their hearts. Isn't that what it's all about?! It's super-cool to think that one day, one of my Cubbie lessons or Wiggle Worship crafts will be remembered by someone once small, and will be a part of what will eventually lead them to Christ.

K-Mad just ran into a wall. It's nice to see that she inherited all of her grace from me. :oP

Update- My adventurous husband went to Mansfield last night with no car and no place to stay. He ended up at the Minister of Music guy's house from the church he helps lead worship at. We're still working on the car-side of life, but once that is fixed, he will go back to his cousin's house in North Richland Hills and commute from there to school each day. I realized that the reason why we love the "Vacation" movies, and "Little Miss Sunshine" so much is because the randomness and unpredictability of it all is totally what would happen to my family. Can't you just see us driving around in a yellow van with a broken horn and a door that keeps falling off, with the entire family having to push it to get a running start with Kalea at the wheel?! Such is the Saenz family and that is the very reason why we rawk. :o)

The Drama Queen

Yesterday we were eating dinner when Kalea yells "OH NO!!" all eyes turn towards her....she jumps up in her chair and yells "I feel a song coming on!!!"

Here is a tribute to her...

All things are Popsicle

Nathan's song quote for the day!



Jamee lent me her truck so I thought I'd post a picture of it. :o) Just kidding....but seriously....On Sunday afternoon, Steve and I were scurring to get everything taken care of that we possibly could to prevent further bus riding. We did all of the grocery shopping, book returning and all of the extra stuff that usually gets done during the week. As we drove around, Steve said that we won't sell our house until we have completely hit rock bottom. The entire time my head was thinking, "YES! The kids are healthy, we both still have jobs, one of the cars works, we have some food to eat......" But my heart was the still small polar bear. In my heart, we not only fell into the bottom most depths of the well, but we were quickly sinking into the mud. I cried most of the day and sucked it in long enough to say goodbye to Steve and then cried some more. I wasn't planning on going to Cubbies, but D.H wasn't letting me out that easy, she drove way out to the ghetto to pick me up. It was at Cubbies that an angel in the form of Momma Brick offered me her husband's truck. I would have cried if I wasn't so happy. Steve sounded on the verge of tears when I told him over the phone. Her family's generosity was our saving grace for the week and we are so very thankful!!!!! So here are the reasons why we love the Bricks.
1. For lending us their truck for the week.
2. For always making us laugh. i.e. clothes pens on the pants.
3. For their funny spawn- the midde Brick told me that a good place to scream is in Mexico.
4. For their Momma Brick's blogs.
5. For kicking me off the link list for not writing. :o)
6. For Art Camp inspiration....
7. For introducing me to Angel Food
8. For splash pad parties.

I could go on, but Nathan has 24 spelling works to work on. 24!!!!!!...as if I don't have enough stress.....

Thanks so much for all of you who offered us a ride. You are all a blessing to our famly.

Car update- Steve's car needs a new fuel pump which will be $450. We don't have it and won't have it until we sell our house or get our tax return.....I wonder how much children are worth nowadays.... Anywho, if you could pray for us. I am so stressed that I popped a blood vessel in my hand.

A "Real" Blog :o)

My new favorite past time.

Normally my Fall is filled with making teacher gifts to sell at Steve's school and playing shows on the weekends, but this Fall, I am as upside down and backwards as Nathan's bat mobile. Yes, we are big Halloween folks. Not for it's normal connotation, but for the whole idea that for one night, you get to dress up as someone else, and everyone gives you free candy for it. How cool is that?!!! This year however, between the crazed rush trying to keep the house clean, and keeping my kids feeling loved and valued, I just don't have any time to do some things that I really love....thus the creature sandwiches. One of Kalea's teachers said that she really enjoyed lunch because it was so exciting for her to see what shape Kalea's sandwich would be that day.

As far as our family goes.....wow. We are so thankful that we are all healthy and that Steve has been safe driving to Mansfield and back each weekend. His new job is awesome and he is really having a great time at it. They are going on a really cool field trip in charter buses and each child has to pay $67 to come!!!! Nathan made a 100 on his first spelling test and a 110 on his second one. He refuses to study, but I think my annoying spell-chanting over breakfast and in the car makes it's way into his head somehow. Kalea was potty trained for a WHOLE WEEK, but then it seemed to leave her like the small puddle on the floor. Arg. the bad news? Steve's car kicked the bucket and went to car heaven on Wednesday night. We don't have the money to fix it, or even get it looked at....seriously. Steve is taking our family car to Mansfield for the week, so Kalea, Nathan and I will become official bus riders. I am going to tell the kids that it's our own new and exciting adventure. Nathan will take a school bus and Kalea and I will be off on the city bus. The bus will only take us as far as the Physician's Center, but hopefully we will find a car pooler with an extra car-seat to help us get the rest of the way. I get very panic-y on buses, so if I look green and disheveled at work, it's not my costume. :o) We are thiking about turning off our internet/cable so that we can use the much needed $60 per month on things like food and gas, but we'll see. Steve is pretty against it. Yep, so that's our update. I really wanted to wait and write about great and wonderful things, but that seems to be a much longer wait than anticipated. Someone is looking at our house tomorrow from Assist to Sell, so send out a big prayer for us!!!!!

Music of My Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

The soundtrack of my life....