So, every year for the past decade my mother-in-law has been buying me scarves for Christmas. What does this mean? I have a lot of scarves and am now, apparently, a scarf lady.
I've never been a scarf lady, so it baffles me, but they're functional and sometimes pretty, so it's all good.
I will say that the scarves have gotten better over the years. I kid you not, that first Christmas I got a tan felt scarf with various cat heads on it. Creepiest thing ever. Ever ever. Still not sure what I did or said that made her connect those dots.
This year she got her sisters in on it so I got multiple scarves. To my astonishment, one was very Tom Baker-y! Not an exact replica. But one of similar pattern and colors. They didn't get the significance, but even B said "Hey, Fourth Doctor!" When I opened it.
I now believe I am all set for a winter in the Arctic. At least they serve for fashion since its not that cold here. And the really odd ones ( like one with multicolored hearts or purple paw prints) make great dress up accessories for the kids. ;)
Friday, December 27, 2013
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Christmas at the Zoo
Our annual tradition since Auds was born has been to go to the zoo for the light display. This year was slightly disappointing because they didn't do the nativity (Auds and Tony were so upset) and the train was not working. Those are the primary reasons we go every year. But, regardless, we had a nice time. It was our first year as a family of five with three outside babies.
Auds insisted on taking pictures by nearly every light display we passed - which is another yearly tradition. It's crazy to see how big our kids have gotten year after year next to the same displays. They grow so fast!
Auds insisted on taking pictures by nearly every light display we passed - which is another yearly tradition. It's crazy to see how big our kids have gotten year after year next to the same displays. They grow so fast!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Blessed
So we're the kind of people who use it up. Everything. Wear it out until it can't be used any more. That's how we roll.
Our couch was gifted to us almost a decade ago right before we got married by my husband's best friend's grandmother (say that five times fast) before she moved to a retirement center. At that point it was 40 years old, but we were just starting out and appeciated every bit of the brown tweed. It is STILL our couch, but I've made a nice slipcover from some canvas drop cloth to make it look nicer. Everyone always comments on how comfortable our couch is - perfect for napping- with no idea how old it is.
I love a good thrift store find. If it's still got life in it, we'll use it to the fullest.
So I was all too happy when my husband's accountant asked him "need a bed for one of your kids?" It was her daughter's, but now that she's 30 and out of the house with a family of her own it was just taking up space.
Now Auds has a big girl bed. She was previously sleeping on a mattress on the floor because the antique iron beds I bought the kids hadn't been refinished since I bought them a year ago. *ahem, husband of my youth and love of my life*
Needless to say, she was thrilled! And it's got a trundle for sleepovers.
We are just so blessed by the generosity of others!
Our couch was gifted to us almost a decade ago right before we got married by my husband's best friend's grandmother (say that five times fast) before she moved to a retirement center. At that point it was 40 years old, but we were just starting out and appeciated every bit of the brown tweed. It is STILL our couch, but I've made a nice slipcover from some canvas drop cloth to make it look nicer. Everyone always comments on how comfortable our couch is - perfect for napping- with no idea how old it is.
I love a good thrift store find. If it's still got life in it, we'll use it to the fullest.
So I was all too happy when my husband's accountant asked him "need a bed for one of your kids?" It was her daughter's, but now that she's 30 and out of the house with a family of her own it was just taking up space.
Now Auds has a big girl bed. She was previously sleeping on a mattress on the floor because the antique iron beds I bought the kids hadn't been refinished since I bought them a year ago. *ahem, husband of my youth and love of my life*
Needless to say, she was thrilled! And it's got a trundle for sleepovers.
We are just so blessed by the generosity of others!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
What? And Hmm...
I've had other posts that I thought I published ( Auds' first love letters to and from a boy!) but are now gone. Sad. I'll have to retype them if I can remember all I tried to convey. I hope this one posts!
So, I'm still not feeling complete peace with Auds' school. I wish it were just financial -although it ain't cheap.
It's run by a little nondenom church. Okay, first off, I don't get just up and starting a church with no spiritual headship. The early church was very organized and there was accountability. How can you just up and run a church without accountability of a pastor (most pastors have their own pastors) or governing board to make sure you're not making stuff up.
Beau and I have to read doctrinal books, thoroughly study the Bible, take classes, tests, interview with our state licensing board, and keep working under our pastor to be licensed ministry - the whole "Rev." Before his name and whatnot.
I'm not saying that's required to be a Christian. But if you're called to lead a church, there's gotta be some authority to protect the saints of God from any misdoings (we are all human after all).
Off of soap box.
The more I deal with these people, the more I feel and fear they are really confused. Example, a youth from their school - not their church - wanted to come to our church and reached out to my husband and I. We made arrangements with his host family (he's an exchange student) and would pick him up and drop him off and take great care of him. One of the church administrators chewed me out for this. And then changed the terms of his exchange student contract to state that he must be a member of their church. When he would still contact us for prayer and to talk he was then told he can't have contact with us or anyone at our church.
They've scheduled things during our church services that are mandatory for parents knowing that a lot of the kids from our church that go there are preacher's kids and forcing us to miss church when these appointments could easily be done at another time. I'm not saying that they should change everything for us. But when the school only has 80 kids, and 10 of them are from our church they know what they're doing, if that makes sense.
Their pastor had also reached out to our pastor wanting some help studying the Bible. The two were even thinking of a joint service. The administration flipped out. Needless to say their friendship has been forced to an end.
A couple I know just pulled their kid out of the school because the teacher had been mentioning non-Biblical doctrine in class and refusing to help their kid with class work.
I deal with them as the school photographer and the more I deal with them the more I just think that something is off. They're...weird.
We'll keep her there this year to finish it out, and next year because we know the teacher personally and know she's sane (lol). Also to give me more time to figure out what to do.
Do I send her to another private school? Do I homeschool her? For a girl who thrives on structure at school, how do I homeschool without having a designated space? How do I stay disciplined enough to make sure I don't let them fall behind?
Jess, I'm gonna need some help here.
So, I'm praying about it. A lot. And thanking God for intuition and trusting him to help me make the right decision.
So, I'm still not feeling complete peace with Auds' school. I wish it were just financial -although it ain't cheap.
It's run by a little nondenom church. Okay, first off, I don't get just up and starting a church with no spiritual headship. The early church was very organized and there was accountability. How can you just up and run a church without accountability of a pastor (most pastors have their own pastors) or governing board to make sure you're not making stuff up.
Beau and I have to read doctrinal books, thoroughly study the Bible, take classes, tests, interview with our state licensing board, and keep working under our pastor to be licensed ministry - the whole "Rev." Before his name and whatnot.
I'm not saying that's required to be a Christian. But if you're called to lead a church, there's gotta be some authority to protect the saints of God from any misdoings (we are all human after all).
Off of soap box.
The more I deal with these people, the more I feel and fear they are really confused. Example, a youth from their school - not their church - wanted to come to our church and reached out to my husband and I. We made arrangements with his host family (he's an exchange student) and would pick him up and drop him off and take great care of him. One of the church administrators chewed me out for this. And then changed the terms of his exchange student contract to state that he must be a member of their church. When he would still contact us for prayer and to talk he was then told he can't have contact with us or anyone at our church.
They've scheduled things during our church services that are mandatory for parents knowing that a lot of the kids from our church that go there are preacher's kids and forcing us to miss church when these appointments could easily be done at another time. I'm not saying that they should change everything for us. But when the school only has 80 kids, and 10 of them are from our church they know what they're doing, if that makes sense.
Their pastor had also reached out to our pastor wanting some help studying the Bible. The two were even thinking of a joint service. The administration flipped out. Needless to say their friendship has been forced to an end.
A couple I know just pulled their kid out of the school because the teacher had been mentioning non-Biblical doctrine in class and refusing to help their kid with class work.
I deal with them as the school photographer and the more I deal with them the more I just think that something is off. They're...weird.
We'll keep her there this year to finish it out, and next year because we know the teacher personally and know she's sane (lol). Also to give me more time to figure out what to do.
Do I send her to another private school? Do I homeschool her? For a girl who thrives on structure at school, how do I homeschool without having a designated space? How do I stay disciplined enough to make sure I don't let them fall behind?
Jess, I'm gonna need some help here.
So, I'm praying about it. A lot. And thanking God for intuition and trusting him to help me make the right decision.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Advanced?
I know as moms, we tend to think our kids are amazing and advanced and beyond their years and so talented. We love our babies and it's natural. But do you ever wonder if they really are advanced?
With the ever-prevailing Mommy Wars, it's hard to really wonder if your kid is really advanced or if you're just inflating their accomplishments and shoving them in others' faces. It's wonderful to believe in your kid, but I think we often times compare too much just for the sake of validating our jobs as mothers.
Of course, I'm proud of Auds and her efforts and love her unconditionally. But it's come to pass lately that everyone who helps her - teacher, Sunday School teachers, children's pastor - has been raving about how amazing she is and how she's excelling and how special and different she is.
At first, I thought it was just them being polite. No one really wants to tell a parent that their kid is a bad egg or falling behind.
But I saw something yesterday that made me wonder if they're onto something. Auds goes to a very small private Christian academy and the teachers and administrators and parents keep up with each other on Facebook. I was tagged in a turkey that Auds colored in class. The class entered all of the students in a coloring contest.
Me being proud, I took a screen shot and emailed my husband. The screen shot included all of the pages from the class. He replied back that he agrees her Turkey is beautiful, but he kind of felt bad for he others. At first I thought he was downplaying her abilities, but then he said that the other kids' work looks years behind. No coloring in the lines, etc.
I told him that every kid has different strengths and maybe Auds will be an artist like I am. But then he remembered that she's the only kid in her class that got S+ on all of her criteria (they don't use ABC til later on, it's just not satisfactory, satisfactory, and beyond satisfactory in kindergarten). And she was chosen as the first student of the month for the school.
He said he felt bad because he didn't want the other kids to not feel like they measure up, but didn't want out daughter to think she was better than them.
Right now, we just tell her we're proud of her and love her no matter what. She has no idea of what people say about her and her work. But how do I handle that if she does start noticing? I always tell her that everyone is different and has different strengths, but how do I keep her innocent of being judgmental and the Mommy War competitions that abound?
How sad is it that I'm worried about this in prek? I just want her to learn and grow. Am I perpetuating the MWs by thinking she's advanced?
With the ever-prevailing Mommy Wars, it's hard to really wonder if your kid is really advanced or if you're just inflating their accomplishments and shoving them in others' faces. It's wonderful to believe in your kid, but I think we often times compare too much just for the sake of validating our jobs as mothers.
Of course, I'm proud of Auds and her efforts and love her unconditionally. But it's come to pass lately that everyone who helps her - teacher, Sunday School teachers, children's pastor - has been raving about how amazing she is and how she's excelling and how special and different she is.
At first, I thought it was just them being polite. No one really wants to tell a parent that their kid is a bad egg or falling behind.
But I saw something yesterday that made me wonder if they're onto something. Auds goes to a very small private Christian academy and the teachers and administrators and parents keep up with each other on Facebook. I was tagged in a turkey that Auds colored in class. The class entered all of the students in a coloring contest.
Me being proud, I took a screen shot and emailed my husband. The screen shot included all of the pages from the class. He replied back that he agrees her Turkey is beautiful, but he kind of felt bad for he others. At first I thought he was downplaying her abilities, but then he said that the other kids' work looks years behind. No coloring in the lines, etc.
I told him that every kid has different strengths and maybe Auds will be an artist like I am. But then he remembered that she's the only kid in her class that got S+ on all of her criteria (they don't use ABC til later on, it's just not satisfactory, satisfactory, and beyond satisfactory in kindergarten). And she was chosen as the first student of the month for the school.
He said he felt bad because he didn't want the other kids to not feel like they measure up, but didn't want out daughter to think she was better than them.
Right now, we just tell her we're proud of her and love her no matter what. She has no idea of what people say about her and her work. But how do I handle that if she does start noticing? I always tell her that everyone is different and has different strengths, but how do I keep her innocent of being judgmental and the Mommy War competitions that abound?
How sad is it that I'm worried about this in prek? I just want her to learn and grow. Am I perpetuating the MWs by thinking she's advanced?
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Turned Tables
Last year I had a babysitter/assistant. She would come with me on sessions and help with gear. She'd also watch my kids during studio sessions and help with laundry -a God-send!
Then she got pregnant and had the sweetest little girl. At first the baby daddy didn't want anything to do with them so I was her go-to for answers and advice. Then he decided that he'd try to man -up and they'd make a family. Life was blissful and I was happy for her and prayed or would work out for the better.
After a few months he decided fatherhood wasn't for him and left, leaving mom and baby devastated. My husband became her lawyer for a custody battle and I became a babysitter. We love these girls and want to see the mom succeed. She's a young, single mother trying to work and finish college while nurturing her little angel. And we're here to help her, bless her, and pray for her.
I've now got a little lady at school, a preschooler, a crawler, and a roller and I love it.
So, in the course of a year, I went from having a babysitter who did my laundry to being a babysitter drowning in laundry. And I've never been happier. I feel that I am happiest when I can serve others and that this is the greatest opportunity I've had to show God's love. God requires open hearts, not empty laundry baskets.
But, if you know where the laundry fairy is, send her my way!
Then she got pregnant and had the sweetest little girl. At first the baby daddy didn't want anything to do with them so I was her go-to for answers and advice. Then he decided that he'd try to man -up and they'd make a family. Life was blissful and I was happy for her and prayed or would work out for the better.
After a few months he decided fatherhood wasn't for him and left, leaving mom and baby devastated. My husband became her lawyer for a custody battle and I became a babysitter. We love these girls and want to see the mom succeed. She's a young, single mother trying to work and finish college while nurturing her little angel. And we're here to help her, bless her, and pray for her.
I've now got a little lady at school, a preschooler, a crawler, and a roller and I love it.
So, in the course of a year, I went from having a babysitter who did my laundry to being a babysitter drowning in laundry. And I've never been happier. I feel that I am happiest when I can serve others and that this is the greatest opportunity I've had to show God's love. God requires open hearts, not empty laundry baskets.
But, if you know where the laundry fairy is, send her my way!
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