ARCHIVES December 16-October 9

Saturday December 16, 2006
Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
Tonight as the sun when down and the twinkle stars of night began to wake up, Nathan, Kalea, Steve and I played outside in our drive way enjoying the mosquito free dusk. Nathan and Kalea concentrated very hard on a giant mural they were creating of Nathan and me. As the light faded, Nathan began to draw "tallys" on the ground beside his mural. "They come in groups of five" he began explaining to me. As he drew he placed numbers under each group. "The first group is five," he said in his serious teacher-like voice, "and the next is 10." As Nathan progressed, his numbers grew larger and soon I realized that he was counting by 5's. My baby five year old was on the ground counting by fives. I thought of my Kindergarten education about how the pentulate moment was at the end of the year when we counted to 100, and here Nathan is, halfway into the year and not only can he count to 100, but he can do it in English and Spanish. He is reading, and counting by fives, and displaying an education that would make my five year old private school Kindergarten self blush. Nathan's teachers are amazing and I can tell that they love him almost as much as I do. It's awesome that after five years of praying, God has not only blessed us with great teachers, but given us the gift of a good education for our baby.
Posted by at 19:56 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Monday December 04, 2006
A Little Too Country
I think we officially kicked off our Advent Season with our visit to the tractor store this past Saturday. We've been planning this weekend for months. December 1st kicks off with a snow hill (yes, I know it's hokey but us Texans have to create our own snow!) and sleigh rides in the park. After planning for weeks, we decided to play a show Friday afternoon and then take the kids for the Holiday kick off at the park and from there we planned to party hop all over the city from free celebration to free celebration in a 'snow' filled Christmas extravaganza.....but we hit a snag. In all of our holiday planning, we failed to realize that Advent is about preparing ourselves for the birth of Jesus and for spending time in quiet and in peace, for in peace is our strength and in peace lies our ability to hear the soft whispers of Christ in our lives. I knew this for a while, but it didn't click until I received and e-mail from Nathan's teacher on Friday. The letter pretty much broke my heart. Nathan the tired had a really bad experience on Thursday where he and a bunch of pals were all doing something really bad, but only Nathan got caught and sent to the office for his first office referral. So on Friday, it clicked in his head that his friends are the ones who helped him get into trouble, so he completely alienated everyone in his class and became the sad and alone. He needed some serious family time. So after our show, we cancelled pretty much all of our plans except for a few important ones.
We knew about the Christmas party at the Coufal-Prater Tractor company, but opted not to stop by so that we can spend some time in quiet as a family. The quiet was broken at about 11AM with sounds of hungary children and the realization that we had no food. The Coufal-Prater flyer was still lying on the table and the words "free food" popped out at us, so we reluctantly went just for the free food. What turned into a free food run turned into a day of fun. Nathan the non-participater participated in a Tractor race (he won 3rd place!), we ate hot dogs and sausages and then the kids stuffed themselves with free oreos. We rode a tractor train that went really slow while in sight of others and then blasted off up and down hills and around curves. It was so excited that we ended up having a flat tire. Steve told Nathan it was because Nathan was so fat and Nathan erupted in giggles. The kids ran, bounced, petted, and played the entire day away. It was our first tear-less day in a long time. As evening came, we drove to the Christmas tree farm to pick out the most perfect tree ever and then decorated it while listening to a "Very Veggie Christmas." We finished off the night with a hayride, and some hot chocolate and cookies. It was a perfect day.
Posted by at 17:28 Permanent Link Comments (1)
Monday November 27, 2006
Thankfulness
I am so thankful for the life I have and the beautiful babies that God has blessed me with. I am thankful that Kalea enjoys the soft caress of wind on her face as we spend the day at the park. I am thankful that her eyes saw and her legs rejoiced in the flutter of leaves that drifted past her feet as the wind blew that day. I am thankful that my husband was there to play the monster that ate the unsuspecting kids as they slid quickly down the funnel slide. I am thankful that Nathan isn't yet too old or too mature to enjoy monsters at the end of the slide. I am thankful for his arms and legs that wiggle in perpetual motion and of the delicate feelings he wears on the ends of the sleeves that cover those wiggly arms. I am so thankful for the life that God has given us to live and to learn and most importantly, to honor Him. Thanksgiving may be a time for thankfulness, but I am so thankful year round for what God has given us. He is a good God.
Posted by at 14:31 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Tuesday November 21, 2006
Man Should Not Be Alone
In the book of Genesis, the Bible states that man should not be alone, and this is why. I leave my poor misinformed hubby with Nathan and this is the conversation they had.
Steve and Nathan were walking across the church on Sunday and Nathan spotted the big Christmas tree with Angel Tree Ministry Gifts under it. Curious about the presents, Nathan asked STeve what they were for. Steve answered that they were presents for kids who didn't have families. Nathan looked up at Steve with wide eyes and asked him if those were the kids who got lost at the mall. Steve said, "yes." Nathan pondered on this for quite a while. After successfully walking across the church, they arrieved at the preschool ministry area where they start looking for me in the hustle and bustle of people getting out of church. Nathan asked Steve where I was and STeve answered, "I don't know, Nathan, Mommy's lost." With worried eyes, Nathan looked up at Steve and asked him if that meant that I was going to get a Angel Tree present too.
Posted by at 12:43 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Wednesday November 01, 2006
All Hallows Eve
I was thinking that those of you living in far off lands might want to hear about our Halloween, so I thought I'd spill the beans while it is still fresh on my mind. We started of Halloween festivities a few weeks ago. Living in a town that is so kid focused is such a blessing to our family! We attended lots of area festivals where the kids can play games and win prizes and just enjoy being outside and playing in our town. On Halloween, Kalea was allowed wear her costume to school. I put her in her costume thinking we could go up to the church and have people oo and ahhh over her and then have her teachers change her when she got hot and tired. Boy did I underestimate girl-hood. Kalea refused to leave her costume until 9:00 that night when I had to quickly pull it off like a bandaid and then I had to hide it so she wouldn't ask to wear it this morning. It needs a good washing before it spends 14 more hours on her little body.
So you're probably wondering what my babies were? Nathan was a pirate and Kalea was a damsel in distress. Their costumes even matched, dispite my lack of good planning. I made Nathan's costume after we researched on the internet exactly what a pirate looked like and what elements Nathan wanted to focus on. His shirt turned out really cool with ripped sleeves and thick brown thread peeping out of predetermined slashes and tears in the fabric from sword fights no less. He had a home made blue vest, also torn from pirate life, a stripped cloth belt tied to the side, and some torn blue jeans underneith. The only thing we did buy was a sword that he broke the first day we had it, then I fixed it, then Kalea broke it, then I fixed it again and then Nathan broke it again. (That's one thing I won't buy cheap next year!!!) The last time it broke was during Halloween pictures, so there is one with a broken hearted pirate in it. It was very sad. HOWEVER, Nathan did meet a lot of other swordless pirates at the Halloween party, so I think it didn't completely ruin his knife. Nathan's costume looked a little too good, because after I did his final fitting, I realized how store bought it actually looked. He loved it though, so that's all that matters.
Kalea's damsel costume, was actually a ren-a-saw-sense costume that we bought equipt with soft velvet and gold trim. She wore her Christmas dress under it to give it lots of floof and to make it really puffy. She LOVED it!!! Everytime she fell, there was a mess of dress that would engulf her. After a really good fit, I looked over at her and didn't even recognize her as a child, she just looked like a ball of clothing, draped on the floor in front of the couch.
On Halloween night, we took the kids over to an SOS Ministries Festival. Our band was playing for them that night, and my mommy guilt kicked in when I heard that there wasn't much for the kids to do. I was afraid that they wouldn't have fun or get very much candy to counter act the lack of fun. Boy was I wrong!!! The first thing Nathan did was go straight to the Joy Jump where he jumped the night away. After we finally made him get off, the man attending the booth gave Nathan three giant handfuls of candy that practically filled up Nathan's entire bag. Then we watched a man make kettle corn in a cauldren, went trunk or treating, played a few games, ate some candy and then went back to the Joy Jump where Nathan finished off his night. We played our show while Nathan jummped and Kalea danced and cheered and just had a blast watching us play. Over all it was a great night! I think I broke camera number 2, so the pictures might not turn out well, but I will send them out if they do!
Posted by at 09:17 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Thursday October 26, 2006
Sausage on a Stick, Makes Me Sick...
Today Nathan came home from school and proudly told me that he kissed, "Darby, Emma, and Selena." I asked him why and he said "because I am going to marry them!" I began to explain that he can only marry one and he told me that he was going to marry Selena and they were going to make babies and name them "Fenna, and Nathan." It took a lot of prompting for me to find out where he kissed them. After we played 20 questions, he slyly looked at me and told me that he kissed them on their arms and legs. This is where Daddy lost it and our conversation ended with a lecuture about kissing girls.
Posted by at 17:27 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Sunday October 22, 2006
Nathan's Soccer Adventure
On Friday night, Nathan and his soccer team had the privilege of attending a Texas college soccer game for an undefeated team that was ranked 7th in the Nation (hint: it was either UT or A&M). We watched them play an awesome game from the stands and then during half time, Nathan and his teammates made their way down to the field where they had a scrimmage with the "Screaming Geckos." It was hilarious! There were a million kids on the field kicking the ball into unidentified goals while the college kids cheered them on like they were stars. When kids fell, the crowd gasped and when one would, by chance, score a random goal the crowd would cheer them on. After half time, the kids lined up to give the real team high fives as they ran onto the field. It was a girl's team and Nathan, after touching all of their hands, put his hand over his nose and took a deep breath to smell their girly scent. Only my child would do that. I will never forget the thrill of seeing my baby on a real field.
Posted by at 21:25 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Friday October 20, 2006
Jonaahhhh Whereee Areee Yoouuuu Goinnnnggggg?
Nathan and Kalea are currently in Kalea's toddler bed playing 'Jonah.' Nathan jumps from being God to the men on the boat who throw Jonah (played by Kalea) out of the boat (Kalea's bed) and into the water to be eaten by the whale (Nathan). It is HILARIOUS! I don't ever remember acting out Bible stories when I was little, but I am SO EXCITED that my babies are. I hope these stories stick with them in their troubled years as well as the fun ones.
Posted by at 18:26 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Tuesday October 10, 2006
TorMado
Nathan and Steve had to sit in the tornado position for 10 minutes today to await their fate. When I picked up Nathan he said, "MOMMY! Did you die in the tormado? I had to sit like this (curls into ball on the seat of the car) for 56 thousand too many minutes."
Posted by at 23:09 Permanent Link Comments (0)
Monday October 09, 2006
Super Hero Nathan and His Sidekick Kalea
So Nathan found a lavender spa mask that my mom bought me on clearance in the big sales proceeding Christmas last year. It is one of those liquid filled masks that you put over your eyes to relieve stress and uh....yeah....you know I am not very good at being a girl. So anywho, he found it the other day and asked me what it was. How do you explain girly spa things when you yourself have no clue what they do?! In a boggly sort of mindset, I gave him one of those tired mommy answers. I told him that it was a super hero mask not really imaging that there was any way possible that he would believe me.....well he did. "OH REALLY MOMMY?!" he asked me in shocked disbelief mingled with amazement. "Yess......" I said in a 'please don't believe me sort of way.' In excitement, Nathan put them on his eyes and then at the last minute decided to rest them on his eyebrows so that his vision would not be compromised. He flew around the house in them and has worn them for the last four days. On Sunday he wore them all the way to church and was pretty upset when I sequestered them before he went inside. Nathan is way cute when he flies around the house in them, but I just couldn't stand the thought of other kids telling Nathan that his super hero mask was really a spa mask. I think I'll take advantage of Halloween and get Nathan a real super hero mask....soon.
Posted by at 22:21