They're Going to Take Me Away!!!!!

I think my children are out to get me.
No, seriously.
I think their goal is to slowly and methodically drive me crazy.
Take today, for example.
Me: Did you brush your teeth? (thinking, do I really need to remind you EVERY day to do this?)
S: Of course
Me: With toothpaste?
S: Ah, oh......well, maybe not. I'll just go check (note: which is code for No, I didn't do whatever you were asking but let me run and go do it now before I have more trouble)
Me: SIGH!!!!
This whole episode was preceeded by an incident last week where, after going into the bathroom to start C's shower, I couldn't find any soap.
Me: S, did you take a shower?
S: Yes.
Me: Did you use soap?
S: Wait, let me check.
Me: SSSSSS!!!!!!!
S: No. Why, is that important?
Lordy, heaven help me stay sane.
So after the toothpase incident, S comes down with a vitamin in his hand. "Mama, I found this on my bed again." We had found one earlier in the weekend and couldn't figure out how this got there. I could only conclude that someone either (a)didn't take their vitamin and tried to hide it or (b)someone got into the vitamins and took an extra one/two/three and dropped one in the process. Neither was a good option.
But, today, I noticed that this vitamin looked suspiciously like the one that C was supposed to take this morning.
So, I put it back down next to her place at the table. When C came down (S was outside riding scooter), we had a little conversation.
Me:C, don't forget to take your vitamin.
C (mouth open, looking totally astonished): Oh.....
Me: I think you forgot to take it this morning.
C: Well, let me check. (see, I told you, it's code)
Me: Let me help you with that. I know you didn't take it this morning and I know that you threw it on top of S's bed. Now, chew it up and have some water to wash it down.
Then, we had a little conversation about how imporant it was to take any medicine that we give her, how it affects our trust in her and how sick Maggie could get if she got hold of the vitamin.
Me: How many time have you done this before? (knowing I can't really believe the little rat,er I mean, girl)
C: Just twice.

So, my morning will now include doing a vitamin check of Simon's room.

See what I mean? They're out to get me, I'm sure of it.

Lenten Update

My mission (and I did choose to accept it) was to get rid of 40 bags of stuff in 40 days.
Update:
 Well, I am cleaning out a lot of stuff. I've gotten rid of 19 bags of clutter. Some of it is going in the garage sale, some is being tossed out, and some is going straight to St. Vinnie's.
I am still demucking and cleaning. It feels really good, almost freeing. I'm still at it and it will continue past Lent. I think this is my new habit.
Tackling the dungeon, er, I mean basement is next on the list. I will post before and after pictures, but don't hold your breath. This one's gonna take a while.

Highway Signs

Went up to my Dad's a few weeks ago. Just me and the kids. But no Maggie, thank goodness. She gets whiney in the car with only the kids for company.
Anyway, we're tooling along the highway, la de da and I come up to a slower moving vehicle. I get into the left hand lane to pass and realize that I need to pass a couple more cars. No problem, I'm kicking right along.  We were on a four lane highway so there was plenty of room to pass.
Suddenly, I look up in the rearview mirror and see this little 2 door car right on my backside. No, seriously, I couldn't see the front 1/3 of the car the guy was going so close. Well, that rather slightly ticks me off. I mean, it's dangerous and stupid so I very, very gently tap my brakes so the lights go on as a "Back off my a**s!" signal to Mr. Driver (who is about 22 and is in the little car with his girlfriend riding next to him).
I actually speed up so that I can move back into the right lane as soon as possible 'cause I'm perfectly okay with Mr. A**hole, er, I mean, Mr. Driver cruisin' right on by me. Go ahead, I think, really, I don't mind, speed along and go far, far ahead of me. And I may have prayed real quick  for a Mr. Policeman to be up ahead with a speedtrap for my new friend. Ahem (or is that Amen?!).
I get back into the right hand lane and I glance over at Mr. Driver. He is now even with me, rolling down the passenger side window, hanging onto the steering wheel with his left hand and leaning out the passenger window with his arm and hand hanging out and he's giving me the one finger salute. Waving it madly around and about. His girlfriend is trying to pull him back into the car and yelling at him to "Knock it off and behave! Watch where you're driving" And, I believe that he may have been saying a naughty word or two directed at me. 'Cause I'm good at reading lips that way, I guess.
Holy moly, that was one nasty case of car rage. Geesh!
Meanwhile, C & S have witnessed Mr. Driver's behavior.
"What is that man doing?" asked C looking very confused by they whole thing.
I qiuckly respond, "Oh, he's just waving hello. Let's all wave back to him and make his day brighter."
I wave (with all fingers not just one), C enthusiastically waves and S half-heartedly waves.
 There was a few second of silence then I hear, "Ah, Mama?" says S.
"Yes?"
"I don't think he was waving hello."

Sunday School Lesson

I teach 4th Grade Sunday school and I love it.
The kids are fun, they can read well and they are beginning to understand some of the deeper meanings behind the stories in the Bible. But they're still not too cool to do some great projects.
We have lots of fun on Sundays.
This last week, though, something happened that has stayed with me all week long.
We were discussing John 3:1-16. Of course, everyone knows John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life." Or something like that, I may have paraphrased a little. :)
We were all done with the lesson when one little boy turned and asked me "Mrs. L, would you sacrafice YOUR son if it was the only way to save the world?"
I was absolutely flummoxed. I opened and shut my mouth a couple times but nothing came out. Multitudes of thoughts raced through my head in about two seconds flat.
I look over and my boy, my lovely boy (who is in my class) was looking up at me with big wide eyes.  "Would you let me die, Mama?"
Gulp.
What an incredible question. I really wanted  my heart to say "Of course I would follow God's direction." But my heart was tugged by looking at this boy, this being that lived  and grew inside me for 9 1/2 months, this little one that I would give my life for in a heartbeat.  I would die for him, but if God asked, would I sacrafice him?

I still don't know my answer. But  this question has definitely given me pause and made me reflect on what obedience really means. It made me keenly aware of what an incredible sacrafice it was for God to give His only Son. I can only imagine what that cost Him.

So, you know that Sunday School lesson? This time, I was the student.

Where's that Lunchbox?

"Where's your lunchbox?" I asked S.
"I don't know, I'll find it" S replied. It's about 5 minutes until the carpool comes.
"Better hurry" I offer my  oh-so-helpful advice.
Mumbling something (I prefer not to know what it was), S looks for the elusive bag that has his lunch inside.
It's now 2 minutes before carpool.
S uses the bathroom. I say (with slightly more emphasis, well, if you count yelling as 'slightly more') "Where's the dang lunchbox? You are NOT ordering school lunch. I packed a perfectly good lunch and you need to find it. It was in your hand not 5 minutes ago, where is it?"
"Mama, I'm in the bathroom, I'll look when I get out" S replies.
I still think it's an avoidance tactic.
By now, I've looked all over the house. S has looked and can't find it and the carpool has arrived.
S hightails it out of the house (I believe he was secretly glad to leave the increasing pressure cooker that was our house with the missing lunchbox).
"Mama, I can't find it. I'll just eat school lunch" S yells as he's getting into the carpool car.
I may or may not have well, not so gently, slammed the front door  all the while muttering "he just wanted school lunch, bet I find the ding dang lunchbag right after he leaves."
I continued to look for it for about 1/2 hour. It remained unfound. I remain convinced that S had hid the lunchbag just so he could have school lunch. Not a happy mama.
Fast forward to the next morning.
"S, where is your lunchbox?" I asked.
"Mama, I looked everywhere, I can't find it?" he said.
"Are you sure you didn't put it somewhere so you could have lunch at school?" I ask.
"NO! I didn't but I'll keep looking even if I can't figure out where it might be" S decides.
I walk over to open the front drapes. Look outside the window, and lo & behold, there's that lunchbox. Outside, on the ground, behind the bushes, next to the house.
Now, why didn't I think of that??!!

The Sacrafices I Make

It's Lent.  A season of preparing, of forgiving, of re-examining, of sacrafice.  A season to talk about what this all means with S & C.
This morning, I asked them "How should we celebrate/remember Lent as a family?"
A couple of blank faces looked back at me. I was thinking 'oh oh, I'm in trouble here' and at the same time thinking 'what can of worms am I opening?'
"Well, we could pick a charity and figure out ways to earn or save money that we would give to them," I said.
 A little interest perked up on their faces. But, they were not totally convinced.
"How about giving up something as a family?" I asked.
Both heads nodded vigorously.
"YES!" they both shouted.
"I know, tv!" spouted S.
"Yeah!" answered C.
"OH Crap!" thought Mama, "why do I do these things to myself???"
Then the  kids said "Mama, I think we should go without tv one night a week. And, spend some time working on something about Lent or doing something special together."
First, I was proud that they agreed on something and something that was such a nice idea. But, second, I really don't want to go a whole night without the television. It's my relaxation and escape after they go to bed. It's my down-time. It's, well, my crutch.
"I think it should be Weds nite" C continued on as if they hadn't noticed my panicked, deer in the headlights look and the thought that they better not pick Tues nite 'cause if this Mama doesn't get her Biggest Loser fix, watch out!
"No, not Weds, it should be Mon or Fri" S replied, "cause those are the two nights we don't have anything else going on. So, it'll be harder not to have tv, more like a real sacrafice and then we have time to do something else. As a family. together."
Well, darnit all anyway, who raised these smart kids who are so responsible????!!

The reality of it is, I am the one who doesn't want to sacrafice. I am the one who is pondering that it's sometimes a looooong time between the end of school and the end of the night. I am the one who is hesitant to do this. I am the one who is making excuses.And, frankly, there's no good reason for it. It's simply my stubbornness, my unwillingness to step out of my comfort zone, my lack of faith. Wow, looking at what I just wrote, this really was all about ME. Completely the opposite message than the one I intended to send.  Ouch.
This tv fast is a small thing to do. It'll last a relatively short amount of time and I know the gains from it will be worth it. This will be a great way to remember a much greater sacrafice that was once made for all of us.

So, Mondays it is. No tv from after school to the end of the night.
It's settled.
Except for one thing.
Now........who's gonna tell the Hubster?!

10 Things I Like About You

I walked by the desk of S and found this note from C:

Here's what it said:

The 10 Things I like about you:
1. your nice
2. you love me
3. your fun to play with
4. I like it when your there with me
5. I like when you hug me
6. your funny
7. your careing
8. you stand up for me
9. I like that you think about me
10. I like you succe (sense) of humor

I like it when they get along.