Kids

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First Day of School 2010

August 25, 2010 in Family, Kids, Time Goes By by Sara | 2 comments

Another year begins. Am I the only one who thinks that time is galloping by at an alarming rate? How is it that we have been here a year. That the girls are starting their second school year here in Dayton. That they are no longer the new kids on the block or in the classroom.

The start of school brings a lot of excitement to our household. The girls could hardly sleep the night before and woke up like a shot with the alarm. Before I had myself half way awake they were dressed and downstairs eating breakfast.

Oh the joy of children that can make their own food.

There have been a few changes over the summer. My oldest, who I have spent the last 11 years begging to brush her hair at least once a day and to please at least wear something that comes to close to matching, has been transformed. That third grader that started the school year out in a shirt with a hole in it, has disappeared. In her place there is now a girl who spent a considerable amount of time picking out the right outfit for the first day, complete with accessories. The other night she actually asked me to blow dry her hair.

I think there might have even bit a bit of lip gloss worn.

I’ve been warned that the girl drama would probably start up this year and seems like that is also coming true. There is already a little break in a relationship that is causing a bit of angst. Mostly on my part. It’s hard not to want to jump in and fix everything. But these are valuable lessons they need to learn on their own. Opportunities to both extend and accept grace abound even at this age.

It’s going to be another great year. In all kinds of ways I can’t even imagine.

Am I wrong to hope that they’ll still be holding hands like this when they walk into high school?

End of Summer 2010

August 20, 2010 in Family, Kids by Sara | No comments

We are coming to the close of summer here in Ohio. You’d never know it by the temps around here lately, but fall is just around the corner and the girls start school next Tuesday. Hooray!

Poor dears. I guess you really can get tired of sleeping til ten and watching iCarly all day.

We went to school to meet the teachers last night. I shook my head at all the parents lugging tote bags full of school supplies up the hill to school. Did they miss the part where you write a check to the PTO and your school supplies appear neatly packaged and complete on back to school night?

One parent said, “Oh but my kids think they can get cooler stuff if we go get it ourselves.”

Cooler stuff vs My Sanity.

No contest.

That’s why they make magic markers and stickers.

PS: Happy Birthday, Little Brother. That sweet 6lb gift you got a few weeks ago must make this one of the best birthdays ever, huh? XOXOXO

Finding Her Courage

August 6, 2010 in Family, Kids by Sara | 3 comments

Last week on a day that it was over 95 degrees outside….

Oh wait. That would have been EVERY day……

we took the kids to the swimming hole at Fall Creek Falls.

All the cousins decided to scale the rock wall and jump into the water below. One by one they got in line, screwed up their courage, jumped (scaring their mamas and aunts to death) and were just pleased as punch with themselves.

One of them needed just a little encouragement.

Elena getting into position

Then changing her mind

Getting encouragement from Allie

Maybe this time........

Maybe if Mama is down below......

There she goes!!!

Hitting the water.

Happy Girl.

Sometimes when you are jumping into the unknown, you just need to know someone is there to catch you.

Out of Control: Part 2

July 15, 2010 in Family, Home, Kids, Mothering by Sara | 1 comment

The first lesson?

Little boys are not like little girls.

Little boys have lots of energy and it needs to go somewhere. And it needs to go there fast. And furious.

Little boys have some sort of magic power that enables them to produce rocks and sticks and dirt and bits of everything else from what seems like right out of thin air. And they stick all of it in their pockets.

I learned to check those pockets right quick before throwing them in the washing machine.

My bathrooms needed cleaning more often. Little boys do not have good aim. Nor do they always remember to put the seat up.

Or down.

I also learned that our house was a nice place with some of that little boy energy in it. Even if we didn’t always know what to do with it or it sometimes needed to be redirected or harnesses in a little bit.

Yeah. That harnessing bit?

The lessons were about to get harder.

Out of Control: Part 1

July 12, 2010 in Faith, Family, Kids, Mothering by Sara | 2 comments

I like being in control.

(That wild cackling you hear? That would be my family laughing their heads off at that little bit of understatement.)

Now I’ve lived long enough and had enough things happen that I know that control is merely an illusion and that we all live right on the razor’s edge of chaos at any given moment. But still, most of the time I still operate under the illusion that given the right tools and circumstances I can make most things turn out right.

So it appears that God is feeling the need to teach me some lessons in this area.

JD has been involved on and off before and in the early years of our marriage with a national mentoring program. Once we were here and settled in and knew that we’d be sticking around for the long haul he felt nudged to get involved with this program again. After a long application process he was matched up with a little 7 year old boy.

In the interest of protecting his privacy, I’m not going to go into all the details of his story. But the short version is that he lost both parents in a very horrific way on his fourth day of kindergarten. This left him in the care of his very loving but devastated grandmother who suddenly found herself not only grieving the loss of her only child and daughter but suddenly being the full time parent to a 5 year old. Add to the picture that she also suffers from a physical ailment which keeps her from moving very quickly or easily.

And they have no one else.

No one.

No family.

For several months we have been having “Sam” at our house. He’s been hanging out with us and we’ve been getting to know him. The girls have been so good at welcoming him into our home and our family.

So when his grandmother needed some medical procedures performed we were happy to offer to have him for the time she would need help. She thought it would be about 4-5 days. I knew it would be longer and we were fine with that.

We had him for two weeks. It was both two of the most rewarding and challenging weeks of our lives.

The lessons we learned? Stay tuned.

Gentle Reminder

June 28, 2010 in Faith, Family, Kids, Mothering by Sara | 3 comments

Oh my, I was so whiny last week

Going on about my plans getting changed and things not going my way.

Boo Hoo on me.

It’s a wonder I could stop feeling sorry for myself long enough to welcome our dear Olivia June to the family (by the way, Mike. You should get something in the mail on Tuesday or Wednesday that will totally make me your favorite sister. Don’t tell Ann, though.)

Several things have happened lately that let me know that God is determined to teach me about selflessness. I’ll be right up front with all of you. Dying so self is not my strong suit. I may have mentioned that one or a thousand times. I am so quick to forget that it’s just not all about me.

Really? It’s not?

Dadgum.

Tonight our house church was privileged to serve a meal to some 100 folks who have little to call their own. You want your heart to break? Try looking at hungry children in the face. Look at people who are probably 10 years younger than you but look 20 years older.

Here’s the shameful thing. I tried several times to get out of doing this. It just seemed like one more thing on the already rather large list of things to do this week.

And yet, it turns out that it was probably the most important thing of all.

A gentle reminder of what it’s really all about.

SHE’S HERE!!!!

June 24, 2010 in Bloggable Moments, Family, Kids by Sara | 4 comments

At 3pm on Tuesday I got a text from my mother saying,

“The Baby Is Coming!”

By 5:30pm Michelle was 6cm and walking around.

She’s a wonder woman.

By 6:30 she STILL had not had her epidural or any pain medicine of any kind.

At this point I offered her a dollar if she would go the whole way natural.

She said “you can keep your dollar”

Now that’s talent. To be able to be funny even though you are entering transition.

And even though I upped it to 100 dollars she declined my offer.

Imagine that.

And just about 3 hours later (after her epidural at 7 CM!!)

she pushed this new little life into our world.

6lb 10 ounces

20 inches

Olivia June

The newest member of our family.

Welcome Olivia.

We already love you like crazy.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

June 22, 2010 in Books, Kids, Mothering by Sara | 2 comments

I will always remember two of the best days of motherhood as the days that Katie fell in love with the Little House on the Prairie series of books and with the books of James Herriot.

I remember reading his tales of veterinary medicine in the England country side and wishing with all my heart that I was right there with him while he pulled that calf out or took care of the fussy old lady’s poofy little dog. I liked the way he mixed in the nitty gritty with the picturesque. I remember reading about him putting his arm all the way up to his armpit inside a laboring cow to pull the calf’s nose around and I was both completely grossed out and completely fascinated by the whole thing.

I think Katie is having the same experience.

I just walked by her room and she looked up from “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and said “Ooooh Mama, he’s talking about a sheep’s prolapsed uterus! That’s DISGUSTING!”

And she went right back to reading.

Tender Hearted

June 21, 2010 in Faith, Family, Home, Kids by Sara | 2 comments

As I mentioned before, our church is studying the book of James this summer. It’s been convicting on many, many levels but never so much as today.

Today we were looking at the final verses in Chapter one. Basically, James tells us to put some legs on our faith. To be selfless. To look after the unfortunate. And by doing these things, we will know that our faith is true.

²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Ironically enough, this week poses some of the biggest challenges I have had in this area in a long time. Things have transpired that are calling me (in the smallest of ways) to die to myself and my desires. And let me tell you that I am not dying a pretty death. In fact, I think that I am fighting it tooth and nail.

You see, I had an agenda for the week. The details were already worked out in my head. The plans were laid. The timing of things I had to do and when I needed to do them set firmly down.

And then everything changed.

I did not like it one little bit.

These new developments did not fit in with my plans. They will require changes and modifications and yes, even some sacrifice (again, embarrassingly small).

All of which, if I am truly trying to live out my faith in any real way, I should have just accepted as His plan for this week and gone about being joyful.

I will admit that I have failed miserably in that department. I instead have allowed myself to feel frustrated and angry and even a little bit bitter.

Perhaps I have become a bit polluted by the world. Or a bit jaded or calloused by the needs I see around me. I was reminded of this yesterday afternoon.

We were on our way to the movies yesterday when we passed a homeless guy at the entrance to the interstate. There is always someone there and I have, on occasion, given them something. But this day, JD and I were talking about something and while I noticed him, that is all I did.

Several minutes later I heard some sniffling coming from the back seat. I turned around to find big fat tears running down Elena’s face. I initially thought she had read something upsetting in the book she held in her hands. Turns out she was crying about the homeless man. She cried for the entire 20 minutes we were in the car and there was just no consoling her.

Oh that my heart was still as tender. Because we are not commanded to take care of the orphans and widows just when we feel like it or when it is convenient.

The lessons I’ve still to learn?

They are never ending.

Life Lessons From The Ballfield

June 17, 2010 in Kids by Sara | 8 comments

Have I mentioned how softball is running our lives? Like how I left my house at 5pm yesterday and got back at 9:30pm because of softball? How I found myself crouching in the dirt and catching for my daughter while she pitched balls that sometimes were a bit low and hit me in the shins causing me to have to utter bad words under my breath?

Totally worth it.

Because this is putting experiences into my girl’s life that are going to serve her SO well in the years to come. Sometimes several lessons all in the same day.

She has been trying out pitching this year. Now pitching a ball for slow pitch is one thing, but hurling it across the plate at the velocity it needs to go, all while maintaining some sort of control on where it goes (hopefully not at the batter’s head) in fast pitch is a totally different thing. She’s been practicing with her coaches and with her daddy but we’ve been kind of scared for her to pitch in a game because what if she did really bad and it totally scarred her for life?

Okay, so you guys know that was me and not her daddy talking, right? Yeah, I thought so.

But at the end of a rather abysmal game on Tuesday where our pitching had not been our strongest suit, I looked up to see Katie headed to the mound. Gulp. The first base ump had been having me help him keep an eye on the clock and he said to me as the inning was starting, “You know, they only need one more run and we’ll have to call the game.”

And I replied, “Well, since that’s my daughter on the pitcher’s mound and this is the first time she’s ever pitched in a game, that might not take too long.”

Encouragement is a gift of mine, don’t you think?

Imagine my surprise when she struck out the first batter.

Imagine my shock when the second batter also fell to her pitching.

Imagine my total amazement when the third batter never stood a chance.

Also picture, if you will, me watching this and jumping up and down and trying to text her daddy who was in D.C. and was missing the whole thing. It was so crazy.

While her mother was losing her mind, Katie was standing up there cool as a cucumber. These are the times when I’m so glad she gets the vast majority of her personality from her laid back daddy.

(No, she doesn’t pitch barefoot, but the ability to only wear shoes when you absolutely must is a trait I think she got from my side of the family). And no, I didn’t have my camera at the actual event. Of course I didn’t.

She knows it probably won’t always be that easy. Three up and three down doesn’t happen very often. But now she knows that hard work does indeed pay off.

Sometimes in spades.

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