This is My Shy One

Those of you who think Big Sissy is so quiet and shy...well, you've never seen her sugared up at a ballerina tea party. Notice she's the only one dancing and she doesn't really even care.

The party was adorable: teapot cake, teacup cupcakes, sparkly lotion, activities, dance party. It was a girly girl's dream come true.

Good Day Sunshine

The long awaited day has arrived..and has passed. Sunshine married the man of her dreams. It was beautiful, and I had no idea how it would affect me to see my little girl walk up the aisle. I know, I know-she was just the flower girl, but I'm the mama who cried when she rode the school bus around the parking lot on the kindergarten preview day. I just don't want to let go of anyone yet. I hope when the time comes, though, she is as smart and beautiful and discerning as Little Miss Sunshine. I'm so proud of her!

Big Sissy and the ring bearer. They were maybe the two quietest children I've ever met, but they became fast friends.

Big Sissy's fancy box with her name engraved on it.

Big princess/Little princess

She dropped those petals like it was her job--very focused.

I think this is the part where I stopped breathing for a moment. It will happen all too soon!

Mr. & Mrs. Sunshine

Enraptured by his new bride

Let forever begin!

Genogram Week

I have had an emotional, fun, busy, exciting, exhausting, family-filled week. Seriously, I don't remember the last time I spent this much time with my extended family. Christmas doesn't really count because all the time is spent with food preparation and gift opening. This week was different: Thursday, Grant's Farm with about 14 of us; Friday, wedding rehearsal with some of us; Saturday, wedding with almost ALL of us; Sunday, church and Father's Day dinner with many of us, with a visit to my aunt and uncle on Mom's side of the family sandwiched in; Monday, tea party and swimming with my cousin from Malaysia and her 2 little girls; Tuesday, Magic House with the same cousin and family.

I have laughed, cried, analyzed, processed, lamented, speculated, and dreamed. First I got teary watching Big Sissy walk up the aisle with the sweetest little boy and realizing that all too soon it will be for real and my little girl will leave me to spend her life with a BOY (who I hope is as sweet as the ring bearer). Again on Sunday as my uncle was preaching I was able to glance to my left and see my grandparents worshipping, then about 20 of the family gathered around a cousin when she went forward to pray. It just felt so natural to be worshipping with my family. As I watched my grandpa cry I realized that he is where I get my tendency to get teary at church. As I watched my dad pour our chai tea lattes I realized that he is where I get my love for coffee. I watched my mom take care of me and the children and realized she is where I learned to nurture my family. So many people have influenced who I have become.

A genogram is a counseling tool that looks much like a family tree except it also describes relationships among the individuals in the family. It is helpful to see patterns emerging and figure out one's own place in the family. I have been doing this mentally all week. My final conclusion is that though we have our issues I am so thankful for my family. My heart breaks for those who have made choices that have alienated them from this group which is designed to bring us comfort, help meet our needs, give us a sense of belonging, and show us what it looks like to be in the next phase of life.

Now I'm back to doing laundry and picking up toys--just me and the kids again during the days. I forgot how much I needed the family connection to figure out who I am, why I am the way that I am, and how I can work to make things better for the next generations.

How Hot Was It?

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that I wore my pajama shirt because it's the only tank top I own that doesn't make me look like a street walker (this is true).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the elephants were begging to go back to Africa where it is cool.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the Baptists were drinking the complimentary "adult beverages" from the hospitality room just to stay cool (this is not true--well, it might be).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the Clydesdales were putting their manes in pony tails.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the policeman pulled me over, not for speeding but because he delusionally thought we were the ice cream truck (this is not true--well, not all of it).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that the sprinklers were more exciting than the animals--even to the adults.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that Little Sissy started to drink the baby goats' bottle to quench her thirst (this is true).

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that my cousin wore her swimsuit coverup instead of a shirt.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that my cousin who lives in Malaysia was complaining of the heat.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that I let the kids run through the sprinklers again 5 minutes before we left, knowing that they would be mostly dry before we got to the van.

It was so hot at Grant's Farm today that I got sunburned even with 2 rounds of sunscreen.

It WAS hot, but I would do it again.

Nature Craft

Doing this MOPS newsletter is going to force me to try some activities with my own children. They need to be "field tested," right? This is a good thing--forcing me to get creative (although this idea came from someone else's website). This is the craft we did to get a picture for the first issue. It is made of leaves, flower petals, a stick, a rock, and "weed tops" for the eyes. It turned out so cute--except I couldn't find a glue strong enough to hold the stick on. Maybe I'll be a crafting mom after all.

Permullet

What does it say about me that my favorite websites are ones that make fun of things (ie. cakewrecks, fail blog)? Probably that I'm not an intellectual. I just enjoy a good laugh. Now I've been introduced to a new one. Check out http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/ and join me in my tears of laughter. This one is "the permullet," which I finally figured out is 2 words put together. I told you I'm not an intellectual...

Horton Would Be a Great Volunteer

We are in the middle of VBS at church. It's been exhausting, but so fun. My "job" is to direct the games for the preschoolers. It's a little over an hour of nonstop movement while the 4 different groups rotate in. It's good exercise--even for me!

What I'm realizing, though, is that this is so much more than leading games. This is ministry. So the games don't always go as planned with this age, but the important thing to me is that everyone has fun, no one gets hurt, and that they learn a little bit more about God's love. Every stage in life is another building block. More important than explaining rules and directing traffic, I've been comforting the sad, encouraging the shy, cheering on the anxious, listening to the troubled, challenging the weak. You would call this ministry if they were grown, right? As Horton (from Horton Hears a Who) so eloquently stated, "People are people, no matter how small." Well said, Horton.

Chanting our mantra for the week: "Fear Not!"

I included this because she reminds me of me when I was a little girl (and now--who am I kidding)--catching the ball with her eyes closed.

I love her enthusiasm and intensity.

Listening to a rather unbelievable tale.

Everyone "getting it" and playing so well. A proud moment for me.

Miss Maggie in Bible time. She does such a great job.

King Little Buddy

This is what happens when you have girls first, then your boy. I'm not worried, though. My little brother has 3 older sisters and is a healthy, well-rounded man who does not wear makeup, enjoys sports, but is also refreshingly comfortable hearing about breastfeeding, cramps, and eyebrow waxing. I think little brothers make the best husbands!

Stop The Ride

Is there anything you really love, but sometimes you need a break? Like the merry go round at the carnival. What fun to choose your horse, see the sights around the fairgrounds, hear the music playing. After a while, though, you need a break to get your feet on the ground, see another sight, smell another smell, hear another sound. That's how I'm feeling about mothering right now. I love, love, love my kids, but I just needed to step off the ride for a little while and get my feet on the ground. This weekend my sweet sister allowed me to do just that. She kept all 3 kids on Friday night, and then just the girls again on Saturday night. I didn't think I could still sleep in, but YES I CAN. Friday night we went to dinner and a Cardinals game with our friends the Paschals (and a lot of other people from our church). Our Saturday went nothing like we had planned, but it was so nice and relaxing. I feel like a new woman.

Hubby and I at the game

This is Cara, my oldest friend in the whole world. We talked the entire game, but didn't we look cute in our Cardinals shirts? I'm pretty sure we covered all the important topics: Food Network, favorite bras, books we're reading, music we're loving, trips we're planning. Occasionally we did look up to check the score.

Cara and her dear hubby, who I didn't meet until college. We were literally in the top-most seats in the stadium. The good news about bad seats is that you can see the arch in the background of the pictures.

Now the merry go round begins again. Vacation Bible School started tonight, and goes through Thursday night. Then Friday I leave for the MOPS Steering Team retreat, then my cousin comes to visit from Malaysia. It's all good, but I'm thankful for a day to get off the ride so I can enjoy it again.

Good Ideas for Moms

Sorry I've been MIA from the blogosphere. I have been unusually tired for some reason (no, I'm not pregnant) AND I've been trying to get some things together for MOPS next year. I've agreed to be the publicity person for the coming year, so my job is to get flyers out, do the newsletters, and help with the information folders we pass out at the beginning of the year. Next weekend is our steering retreat, so I'm trying to have some flyers ready and a sample newsletter to present. I'm trying to come up with things that moms would find interesting to read about every time, and one thing that keeps coming to mind is "good ideas." This could be anything--organization tips, cleaning tips, discipline tricks, healthy snacks, rainy day activities...

Here are some examples:

Wash each child's socks together in a mesh lingerie bag to make them easier to sort later.

Keep empty cardboard boxes of all sizes for the kids to build with.

Laminate snapshots of family members, attach a magnet, and keep them on the refrigerator to help little ones practice their names.

Keep a basket of "special books" in the bathroom while potty training that are reserved for toilet time only. (Thanks to granny2five for this one)

I'm looking for LOTS of ideas that I can put in newsletters. What are some good ideas that you've come across?