Eggstravaganza in the backyard

We've done the Egg Dash - our city's annual Easter activity - a few hundred kids line different ball fields strewn with eggs and toys and the entire event is over in about 2 minutes.

It's not that great in my opinion - not for the amount of time you spend in line versus the time dashing for eggs.

So instead of dealing with the craziness this year I decided to host a small egg hunt in my back yard - with one special addition: The Easter Bunny!

It's been a few years since Angel has donned her Easter Bunny costume for us - and I'm so glad she agreed to dress up for us this year!

We had a blast - the kids had to actually hunt for the eggs versus finding them scattered out on the ground for them - it took them a while to find them all and even then I still found a few at the end of the day!

Another special treat for the kids were our two bitty baby chicks - they tolerated the holding and petting so well!

Here are some pictures:

A new style

When I was a little girl - probably about 5 years old - I had beautiful hair.

It was long and golden and well - from the pictures I've seen - it was just gorgeous.

My kindergarten pictures show a little girl (who decidedly looks like a boy). 

Those locks were cut off in a terrible boy-cut. My mother - probably sleep deprived and desperately seeking some area of her life to control with a preschooler and newborn - decided that she was tired of listening to me whine and complain about having my hair brushed.

So she went a little off the deep end.

I think part of me still holds a grudge to this day (sorry, mom - but you already know this!).

I hated it! Not only was it short, but it was a terrible cut - millions of layers that required agonizing months if not years to grow back.

Twenty-five years later my hair has yet to recover - I blame this one cut on my inability to ever successfully grow my hair to a longer than shoulder length.

Where am I going with all of this you might wonder?

Well you see - I have a daughter - with the most brilliant blue eyes and beautiful golden, blonde hair that has been growing for more than 4 years. I suffered through the in-her-eyes-and-face-all-the-time phase when she was a toddler - resolving never to cut her bangs short. I invested an obscene amount of money on bows and hair do-dads in an attempt to help her look cute when she was in that awkward growing out stage.

We've cut her hair three times in her short lifetime. Once when she was 2 years old - just to clean up the ends and even things a bit. A short trim again about six months after that and then just a few weeks ago we cut a whopping 4 inches off her hair because she had been begging me for months to get her hair cut short.

It was at this last hair cut that we discovered her hair is actually wavy, perchance even curly. The stylist explained that some kids' hair actually changes around their fourth year - as she showed me how my normally stick-straight hair daughter had hair growing out spiral from the roots.

So tonight I was in the bathtub with Master Wyatt - who has had a terrible fever all day long. He was happy for the moment pouring water all over the bathroom floor (why should it stay in the tub, he wonders?). 

Mike walked in with a section of hair - Maddie's hair undoubtedly. It was LONG. He'd seen it on the floor or maybe on her bed.

I think I said something about going to look for the scissors to put them up - but instead he returned with substantially more hair. 

"MADDIE!" I yelled from the bathtub.

What I saw made my stomach lurch and I asked myself how I missed this and when did she commit this atrocity? I recalled how she had "locked" herself in her room and I'd discovered that she'd eaten all her Easter candy from her class party. I am usually a detail person but I totally missed the hair laying on the floor. 

It looked like she'd grabbed handfuls all over her head and held them up and cut them off. There was no rhyme or reason - some was the top layer, some the middle and bottom - several large sections were all the layers. 

There's one particular section where she cut it all - leaving about 2 inches to her scalp - it encompasses one whole side of her face.

At first she refused to divulge where the scissors were, "I don't know," she tried to tell us.

But after a little prompting (threats?) she said they were behind her baby crib.

Mike found the scissors - but he also found a good bit more hair. 

After things died down a bit - there was some screaming and crying and lecturing and yelling and all sorts of hullabaloo - I called her preschool teacher - who I love dearly.

She reassured me that despite her deviousness at hiding the scissors and hair that my daughter was not a psychopath! She did in fact have a conscious and she knew she'd done something wrong. 

Apparently no matter how frustrating it is to me her behavior is normal for her age. Ms. LaVina told me she loved me and sent me back to the terrible trenches of parenting - with a few suggestions for disciplining my dear daughter's deceitfulness.

I made her vacuum her room - which she protested terribly - but ended up deciding she kind of liked.

Tomorrow we are going back to the stylist - and she is getting a much shorter hair cut - to try and "fix" what is left of her hair. She's not happy about this - in fact she wants to leave it the way it is, but I can't do it. 

She will not watch TV tomorrow and she's not allowed to have a treat after the hair cut.

And hopefully she won't put me through this ever again. I vowed never to cut my daughter's hair short like what my mom did when I was a child - but she's already got it started and the job needs to be finished now. 

Holy Week - a time to reflect

Here I am again - surprised to see me? I'm sure you're starting to think that I might never write again!

Last night I had the joy and privilege of participating in a church-wide performance called "Yahweh." It was a compilation of songs - chronically the journey of Jesus as he arrived on Palm Sunday - through his crucifixion and resurrection. More than 100 voices, instrumentalists and other support people (like our wonderful AV team) worked hours to deliver this performance. 

Now as we are in the midst of Holy Week - I am reflecting and pondering on just how great and awesome these events truly are - in my own personal life and that of the world. 

One of my girlfriend's recently sent me a link to a video on YouTube. It's a skit done to Lifehouse's song, "Everything." It moves me to tears - as it chronicles the life of a young girl - searching for Jesus and then being swayed by the devil and finally fighting her way back. It makes me think about all the little things that can get in front of my relationship with Jesus and is making me seriously reconsider the priorities in my life. 

I really hope that you will take a moment to watch it - and have a tissue handy because I've watched it maybe 5 times now and it's brought me to tears each time. 

Kids and Easter...

No matter what the holiday - and I'm talking about the big ones - you know the two times a year people are more likely to go to church - Christmas and Easter... I want my children to know the real reason we celebrate. It's not about the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus - but about an event crucial to our heritage as Christians.

I'm so thankful for my church's strong commitment to children. We are fortunate (although it's really been a struggle) to have Madeleine in preschool at the Wesley Academy where she is getting a good start in how much God loves her. She also adores her Sunday School teacher Miss Sophie - who is a high school student volunteering her time to teach the three-year-olds!

Yesterday was a long day and Maddie took a very needed, but late nap - hence the almost midnight bedtime after a very long day for Mommy. We were laying in bed together talking at who knows what hour and she was telling me how much she loved the concert and started telling me all the components of the story of Jesus - from his ride into town on a donkey and the palms to his crucifixion, and that the angel's name was Gabriel - she had all the details down perfectly!

I stand amazed that a four-year-old little girl can tell me perfectly this story. I know she doesn't yet truly understand the significance, but it's a very promising start. 

Her enthusiasm inspires me to be a better Christian - so often I am caught up in the little things of life that I don't take the time I should for Christ. 

On Good Friday our church will be having a special service. We missed it last year, but I'm not missing it this year (I hope they have nursery!). It's called "Passion Poured Out" and if you're local - it's well worth attending.

Here's some information:

Our 2009 Good Friday Service is “Passion Poured Out”

 Friday, April 10, 2009, 7:00 p.m.

Nestled between the joyful days of Palm Sunday and Easter are days that, in the last week of Christ’s life, were full of suffering, grief, and sacrifice. Join us as we gather together and, through communion, song, and symbol, experience.

I hope no matter where you are that you take Easter beyond the bunny and remember the true reason we celebrate - that God sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. It's hard to stand by and watch what is going on in the world today and not see the many prophecies coming to light. We need Jesus now more than ever!

The sky is falling...

Really that is how I feel right now.

It's been raining a lot - and I got up this morning to a wet stove - water dripping out of the microwave hood. The recessed top of my new gas oven was full of water. At first I thought it was a bad seal on the new hood we had installed, but later inspection showed it's coming from behind the vent - 

I fell apart. 

I am so scared of mold.

I called Mike to ask him what to do and he said he had no idea. All I wanted was for him to tell me what to do - for once in my life to not have to handle everything on my own. Even just a simple - call a roofer and ask them or call the insurance company and ask them would have been fine - a little guidance.

Frustrated with his lack of leadership in our "home" life I got mad and hung up - instead calling one of our friends to ask them if they knew a roofer who could come look. Our roof is only 4 years old - so it should be under some kind of warranty.

I think mostly I'm upset because I'm tired of being the one who has to handle and orchestrate everything in the house - bills, groceries, car maintenance, kids dr. appts, - I know it's part of being a stay at home mom, but a little bit of help sometimes would be appreciated.

So this was the last straw to speak - I've been crying for 2 hours straight right now. Originally about the roof, but now for who knows what reason.

We miss you Daddy!

We are really missing you daddy! 

Tonight when Wyatt saw this picture he said "I miss you Daddy."

He keeps running into the living room saying "I think Daddy's home."

Even Maddie misses him - and she's always the one who protests over the hugs!

They both want him home and so do I - we miss you honey :) Come home soon! 

Have Mercy!

The kids and I are still plugging away at our nightly devotions. We've graduated from the Everyday Blessings book to "Devotions for Preschoolers." 

There are days when the only bit of the "Word" I get is at bedtime when we do our devotions and prayers together - but sometimes it's a powerful message that is relayed through the simple pictures and words meant for the very young. 

I always like to share ones that speak specifically to me at a certain point in my life and I've been wanting to share this one for a week or so now...

March 7 - Have Mercy!

Oh, no! The cat was going to eat Zoe's fish. Bad cat! He hopes Zoe will have mercy on him. That means she will keep on loving him, and she won't stay angry. Do you sometimes do things that are bad? We all do. The bad things are called sins. When we tell God we are sorry for our sins, God has mercy on us and gives us his love. God wants us to have mercy on others just like he has mercy on us.

My Bible Verse:

You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry and full of unfailing love and mercy. Nehemiah 9:17

My Prayer:

Dear God, your love is easy to see. Thank you for having mercy on me.

One of the hardest things I've had to learn to accept as a Christian is when other people who profess to be Christians don't offer the same mercy and forgiveness that Christ has given us. It's hard to ask for mercy and not have it given - when God is so free in his mercy and grace when we screw up.

I continue to pray that I will always offer love, grace and mercy to those who come seeking my forgiveness - so that like Christ I will have mercy. He is the God of second and third chances and I am so thankful for his love.

A moment to think..eh. write

My house is quiet - but only because Mike and the kids are at church and I've come back home.

I've been reading this book - Raising Your Spirited Child - and today I read the section about extroverts and introverts. Not speaking really about personality or social skills - but about how you recharge your energy.

I'm definitely an introvert - I need personal space and alone, quiet time to recharge and refresh.

With two toddlers - it's not something I get a whole lot of these days. So when I'm grumpy and sullen - it probably means I haven't gotten any time to myself.

So I asked Mike if he would lead the class and take over all the "Mommy" duties of church and I would come home for some much needed quiet.

Mike is leaving to go out of town in about a week - he'll be gone through the end of the month - so my quiet time is even more important knowing I won't get a break while he's gone!

We're back from our trip to Birmingham. We didn't really get any answers but still I feel a little bit better. The doctor would like to do another CT scan - but this time with Wyatt sedated - and do more views of his sinuses and tonsils and adenoids. We had blood drawn for more immunoglobulin panels - this time also checking the subclasses. He said that Wyatt's tonsils are huge, but it was up to us if we wanted to remove them. Basically he said we could be as aggressive or conservative as we'd like - but that if it was his child he'd err on the side of conservative. We agree - although it's still frustrating having a child who just can't breathe out of his nose because it's so impacted with crud all the time. 

As a small act of mercy - Wyatt slept all night last night - it was the first time in more than 6 months.

So we're waiting for the blood work to come back and we'll see what that says. Right now we're scheduled to return to Birmingham for the CT scan on April 14th, but we have to find out how much money it's going to cost first...deductible's suck!

I'm relieved to say that I'm now officially a La Leche League leader :) It has been a long time coming and I'm happy!

I still need to write Maddie's letter - and I'll get to it soon - I hope.

My garden is starting to take off - I am so excited! My seeds are all sprouted and growing well - I just put little tomato seedlings in the ground this weekend and transplanted some melons and cucumbers. My spinach and chard are up and the peas are starting to climb the fencing!

Even though my intentions were pure - I know I'm still going to buy a few of the "genetically modified" vegetable plants - just to jump start some of our harvesting... I want to try growing sweet potatoes again and I can't start those from seeds!

I'll post pictures one of these days.. another thing on my to-do list.