just a little thought

Reflections

2009-03-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

I have just finished my spring conferences. I was not looking forward to this. Report cards and conferences are just busy and stressful.

As the end of the first 12 hour conference day wound down, even my more delicate conferences went ok. The most greatful and appreciative family was the family that just immigrated from Kenya. They were very respectful and gave great compliments. Really good boost for my ego.

This round of report cards and conferences was not as overwhelming. I am finding that the more I get comfortable with the curriculum and know my students the less stressful things have become.

I love to see students with their parents. It either answers the why question about some behaviors or shows a side of them that I don't get to see. I always walk away with a greater sense of compassion and care for them.

I feel good about teaching today. I have the next school week planned and materials copied. I am starting two new novel groups, which I love. I had my meeting with the principal about my evaluation. Also a good ego booster. I am finding that I feel better when I get to take some time to reflect on my teaching and have some uninterrupted work time.

thought you might want to know

2009-01-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

I think January is my least favorite month. All the excitement is gone and its back to school with no break in sight. and state testing...yuck. I think i'd like to skip this month in the future.

Early

2008-12-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

Moriyah has continued to wake up before 7am even though we have stayed up late the last couple nights. I think it was yesterday morning she flung the door open and proudly proclaimed, "Hey Guys!" My 6 am response was not as enthusiastic.

I think that if you stay up past your bedtime it should correlate into an equally, if not longer, sleeping in. Now, how to teach that to my children?

Wowza

2008-12-12T23:00:00.000-08:00

Apparently I don't have time to blog while I teach! It has sure been forever since I have posted.

I am loving teaching the fourth grade. I had a bit of a rocky start as I learned to set up the community of my class and got to know the kids. I am truly enjoying teaching my class. It was music to my ears today when several kids commented that they wanted to stay and finish what we were working on rather than go home for the weekend! I was all for going home though.

The transition for our family to Portland and to new roles of working mom and stay at home dad has been much different than I thought it would be. We were gone from Portland longer than I realized and it wasn't that we could just pick up where we left off. Also I miss my big house with a big back yard. I am soooo spoiled by my husband. he takes the best care of me. It is the little things that he does, like buying me my favorite candy to take to work on Monday because I have to stay late for a staff meeting. Honestly who thought Monday after school was a good time for a staff meeting! The only worse time would probably be Friday.

Another amazing thing my husband just did for me: I just accidentally erased my whole blog post. while I initially thought of throwing the computer across the room, my husband just said hit control z. Guess what? It all came back! What a renaissance man.

I love Christmas. I love decorating, I love buying presents, I love turkey, I love ham, I love cold weather, I love Christmas break. 5 more teaching days! If I am lucky it could be less...LET IT SNOW!

Blessed

2008-10-12T22:04:00.001-07:00

I had the privilege of taking my two nieces to church last Sunday. Lilly loved church. She was thrilled that she knew the songs and sang at the top of her lungs. Moriyah did to. We got done with a song and Mo said, "I sing to Jesus!!"

Lilly sat next to me and drew pictures to Hannah, all of which said I love you. Then she started a new one and leaned over and said, "I don't know how to spell God." I looked down and she had written I Love and then God.

Those were the two moments that I cried in church last Sunday. I cannot explain the difference I feel in hearing the faith of a child in song and in their trust. That faith often brings tears to my eyes. I love hearing how my children love God. Today I was blessed by a young girl who sat behind me and sang with gusto. She doesn't even know it but her worship was encouraging to me.

As a parent I have had the unfortunate experience of my kids saying something so embarrassing in public. They did not mean to offend anyone they just said what they had noticed. They have not yet learned how to filter their thoughts to be polite. Because of this I often think that compliments from young children feel more true. They don't know the social rules yet. I feel a little like that with faith too. They don't have to be excited or happy to be up early on Sunday at church, but they are. They don't have to write love notes to God or sing at the top of their lungs, but they do. Seeing that faith touches me, it seems incredibly genuine. I have been blessed these past two Sundays by children. Thank you Father.

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS!!!

2008-09-01T21:21:00.001-07:00

Well it has been a while since I have posted. Since then our family has moved to Portland. We are staying with some friends because it is taking forever to get all the paperwork completed and verified so we can move into our town home.

I was having terrible luck finding a teaching job. So I had an interview on Monday afternoon. I got a call Monday night and was offered a fourth grade teaching job at Gilbert Heights Elementary school. I started work the very next day. Tomorrow is the first day of school! I have a huge list of emotions about it. I just can't wait to get past the first few weeks and settle in with the students.

craigslist

2008-07-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

I love craigslist. We have purchased several things from there but this past week I have discovered the joy of selling things on craigslist! It has been so much fun to put up the post and wait. I have collected money on one item, have someone coming to get another item and a third person who just emailed to set up a time to get another item. I think i might be addicted. It both clears out clutter and provides income! Genius.

blue

2008-07-23T00:27:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when you are feeling down?

Poverty

2008-07-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

I just gave up my current read for a book about poverty. Ruby Payne wrote the book a framework for understanding poverty. Truthfully I have been meaning to read this book for several years. Its only now that I laid my hands on it. My head is spinning with the implications that this has on my life as a teacher, minster, follow of jesus, neighbor...

Has anyone read this?

Here is the question that is spinning around my head tonight:

Most church people who start a program or outreach come from middle class cultures, How effective has that been at reaching people who live in poverty? Why do we continue to try to fit people into our models of thinking and behaving? When it doesn't work out how we thought it would do we try something different or just the same thing yet again?

A penny for your thoughts...

Cape Look Out

2008-06-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

We are leaving today just as soon as Adam gets off of work for a trip to the beach! I am so excited. The beach is one of my favorite places to go. But it will be hard to top my last beach trip as it was on my anniversary and only adam and I got to go! This time we are going with a couple that we hang out with here in Redmond. They have four kids between them and our kids get along very well. I am hoping it can be an annual event.

Among the list of things I hope to get to do are:
*watching the sunset with my love
*seeing my daughters face when she gets her first look at the ocean
*watching Mo's reaction to the feel of sand
*smores
*sitting around the campfire and talking
*relaxing

Sister

2008-06-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

I love this new toy I found. Enjoy!

Morgan Freeman

2008-06-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

So he is in a lot of my favorite movies. The newest of which is The Bucket List. Shawshank Redemption has been a long time favorite of mine. There is something about Morgan Freeman that resonates with me. But I must admit I haven't seen everything that he has been in, nor liked it all. For a girl who has a hard time remembering the real names of actors, its funny to have a favorite one.

There were so many things that I liked about the bucket list. I love a movie that leaves me with something to think about or the feeling of being convicted. This movie did both.

Adam and I both recently realized that we are very nearing 30. An age we previously thought of as old. Upon second thought it is clearly not old. Along those same lines I am not going to live forever. My recent, although not deadly, health issues have reminded me that I am certainly not immortal.

This movie speaks about a life well lived and full of love. It shows a couple that are completely dedicated to each other but not the hokey over the top never had a problem kind. I realized that I have spent so much time dedicated to finishing something in order to do the next thing, ie school, potty training... I need to spend more time in the now. I need to think about how I can more truly love those around me, even when they are difficult. When it comes down to it I want to have lived life well and to have it full of love.

On to the conviction. I will not go into many details but I am estranged from my father. It also seems that for whatever reason I seem to cycle through dealing with the lack of relationship. I think there are certain things (movies for instance) or events that cause me to need to revisit it. I am not sure I will ever come away with a satisfying result.

I have not really digested this completely. It will take me more time and thought. As it turns out raising 4 kids and babysitting 2 demands most of my thought and time.

the beginning of the end

2008-06-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

I officially have two days of school left. Well to teach that is, then report cards and conferences. The end of the year is such a odd time. There is so much anxiety on the part of teachers because changes are happening; New staff, staff moving grade levels or schools, having to place kids into their next year classes.

I find myself reflecting on this year of teaching. It has been quite the learning experience. I have two classes that are vastly different in dynamic. I have muddled my way through the curriculum, figured out how to manage a whole room of 5 year olds by myself. I am still a firm believer that children learn through discovery and play. I am glad that I allowed for there to be times of unstructured play. I saw some of the most amazing insight into children and their thinking when I played with them or observed them playing.

The place that I would like to improve in is art. I realize that I need to know more craft projects and I would also like to incorporate more art literacy. I think that it is a powerful way for students to learn and express themselves. Plus it is relaxing and a good open ended activity.

I love teaching science. I really didn't expect to have a strong reaction one way or another to science. But I found that it is engaging, demands higher level thinking, incorporates many different learning styles, and can easily be integrated with math and literacy. When I talked about what they will remember most about kindergarten about half the answers were either PE or recess and the rest were some of the science and art we have done. Not one child said the testing or the alphabet. Now don't get me wrong those are important and the children need to know their letters and sounds to be ready to move to first grade but the learning that is making lasting impressions on the students is definitely not the alphafriends!

I was not a perfect teacher this year, but not a total failure. I love that teaching will never be stagnant. I have the opportunity again next year to learn two new classrooms. See what they know are interested in and to learn and grow professionally. I will continuously be stretched and though it can be painful and cumbersome, I wouldn't want it any other way!

WooHoo!

2008-05-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

I got a new computer! Well its a laptop and I love it. I know next to nothing about it, except that it is mine and has a 17 inch screen and vista. It shares the file on the desktop that has my pictures in it and I can access scrapblog. sorry all you tech savvy readers, send my husband an email, he knows.

Real life survivor

2008-05-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago the talk started. People quietly whispering in the hall way. Others openly speculating for all to hear while people look at them like they are nuts. Some people talking about others behind their backs. As time has marched on relationships have become more tense. Emotions are running high and all eagerly wait to see what will go down at tribal council...or staff meeting. Thats right this is all happening at my school. Teachers have no idea what they are teaching next year and I think people are going to start losing it if we don't find out soon. My teaching partner and I have joked about people trying to make alliances as they decide who they'll be teaching with.

The tension has spread to the kids. Poor kids I think they're getting it from both the teachers and the parents. I have fielded several phone calls from parents that are just as anxious as the teachers. They have heard it through the grapevine. What they think they know is always pretty interesting.

I had no idea what the end of the school year was really like from the teacher side of things. So many things have to be prepared for the next year and I'm trying to wind up this year at the same time. It is a crazy, hectic time of year. People are unpredictable and more last minute things keep cropping up!

I have 9 more teaching days!!! Then a work day and a few conferences. I can hardly believe that my first year of teaching is almost over. It is a little bittersweet. In some ways I am very ready and in others I need a little more time. The first year is supposed to be the hardest and double session kinder is apparently the worst assignment ever, so if I teach again next year hopefully I will be a more effective and less stressed teacher. Or maybe I'll be off on another adventure, only time can tell.

of tread mills, frogs and ice cream

2008-05-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

Adam and I joined anytime fitness on friday. I have been three times to exercise. My legs hurt. My arms hurt and I have slept really well the last couple of nights despite our frog problem. Our house has three "water features" that are doubling as frog breading grounds. The noise that a tiny frog can put out is simply amazing. I decided one night that i wanted to see these blessed creatures. I stood on the deck and used adams mag lite to look out toward the ponds. as soon as I had the flashlight on dead silence. flashlight off, ruckus, on silence, off ruckus. They were mocking me!

As i sit here blogging i am eating left over birthday ice cream. the dreyers slow churned with half the fat means you can eat twice as much right?

Betcha haven't done this!

2008-04-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

So today i saw poop come out of a caterpillar butt (if they have butts). We have 31 caterpillars in my classroom. They are much more disgusting than I thought that they'd be. For a week they have been doing nothing but appearing bigger each morning. They have hardly even moved. Then today clearly pooping right in front of our eyes. I was surprised that the little boys in my class who giggle when someone says fart, poop or butt were so disgusted to see the caterpillar poop. They just like to talk the talk, deep down inside they are still little boys.

My beautiful girl

2008-04-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

My daughter is so amazing. Sometimes so frustrating, but mainly amazing. She is beautiful, kind, tenderhearted and loves to sing.

Today she came in the house and her and Moriyah sat on the couch and she read a story to her. Then they went upstairs to get on dress up clothes. Hannah held moriyah's hand all the way down and as they walked off to play Hannah said, "Daddy, she is my best friend forever!"

Melts my heart. I pray they will always have a close and tender relationship.

Not again

2008-04-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

There are several things i have never wanted to do or really ever entertained in my mind. Among those are bungie jumping, eating something that once produced slime and having surgery.

I have recently reconsidered the last of the never to do activities. I always said i never want to be in a hospital for a reason other than having a baby. I have been feeling so miserable lately despite the new medicine they gave me. At my appointment yesterday he went from, " well you seem to be having symptoms even though you're on the medication' (Um duh, I just said that) to 'the surgery would be a good option if we did this test. You could have (tuned out due to overuse of medical jargon) CANCER' (tuned back in due to the use of the word CANCER!) did I hear him right? The truth is i don't have cancer and at this point he doesn't think that right now i'm a good candidate for cancer, (I imagined people running for the cancer election when he said this), it is however a possibility if we can't find a way to manage these symptoms. So lucky me i feel crappy and i get to continue to feel crappy for some undetermined amount of time. Once they decide when to have me do the next round of testing I have to stop taking my pills for a week before hand. His advice for when doing the test is to do all the things that really make me feel horrible. That way they'll get a good handle for how bad it is. My poor family, my poor husband. I am going to be such a happy camper for a while. I am hoping that whatever this next test reveals it is difinitive. I would like one extreme or the other. Surgery is the only option or we can't even consider the surgery. None of this middle ground having to make a decision of wether or not to have a surgery. Cause frankly I'm not sure what I'd pick.

because its so fun

2008-04-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Yes I was tagged as well.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Kindergarten teacher
2. work study in presidents office at cascade
3. mervyns
4. olympic gym childcare

Four movies I've watched more than once:
1. finding forrester
2. cinderella
3. a walk to remember
4. shrek

Four places I have lived:
1. Portland OR
2. Gresham, OR
3. Troutdale, OR
4. Redmond, OR

Four TV Shows that I watch
1. Survivor
2. the office
3. Good Eats
4. iron chef america

Four places I have been:
1. Anchorage alaska
2. Various places in CA
3. Prescott AZ
4. Boise, ID

Four people who e-mail me (regularly):
1. Erinn Lakey, my teaching partner
2. Redmond moms club
3. deschutes public library
4. Ms. Dunsomeones class even though I don't have a child in their class and I keep asking them to take me off the stupid mailing list.

Four of my favorite foods:
1. chocolate
2. sweet corn tamales, authentically made
3. chunky chips with malt vinegar on them
4. everything that my wonderful husband makes!

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Somewhere in Mexico
2. Hawaii
3. bed
4. a greek island

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year (next 12 months):
1. financial peace university
2. my first summer break as a teacher
3. celebrating my tenth anniversary with my hubby at the beach
4. no longer having a "baby"

Four significant/memorable gifts I have received:
1. my kids
2. baby bassinet for andrew
3. flowers
4. a new ring, that came with a romantic proposal

Four Books that have impacted me the greatest:
1. ok so you'd think that i could answer this question being that i love reading, have a degree to teach it, sit on a committee...
2. But i am struggling to come up with books that impact me.
3. mostly i just like books.
4. i usually find something redeeming in anything that i read.
mosaic of thought
gospel of john
esperanza rising

Four People who have changed my thinking and continue to do so:
1. Jesus
2. Adam
3. kevin reed
4. ummm....

Its been awhile!

2008-03-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Well it has been an incredibly long time since I blogged. I feel like an entirely different person since that blog posting. I have grown and changed much since that time. Teaching has its ups and downs. Thankfully I'm in an up motion now. I have had horrible health issues that were solved, after much testing and worry, with a pill. As we come up to our tenth wedding anniversary adam and i are still learning what it means to live sacrificially and to choose love each day.

Here's the story that brought me to this computer as I wait for my toe nail polish to dry.

This morning the girls woke up bright and early at 6:45. Which is the regular time for them, they still haven't caught on to saturday and sundays schedule yet. Adam and I each got a girl and brought them back to bed with us. I had Hannah he had Moriyah. We laid quietly for 1.2 seconds then the talking, giggling and general awakeness began. Mo, thats what we call Moriyah, crawled over adam and Hannah to come find me. she put her face right between mine and Hannah's. I thought Hannah was going to have a cow but instead she looked at me and said as if introducing us, "This is my friend Moriyah." Those were the most precious words to hear. I have been a little worried about the girls because they seem to like to pick at each other even though they're so little. I guess all siblings are going to fight sometimes. I just don't remember the boys doing it this much.

I am so excited because my husband is the bomb. He earned some sort of award for something at work. (I think he had to be in the top 10% in the NATION for something). We are going to a banquet tonight. I started asking a girl friend that works at tmobile what it would be like, what i should wear, etc. The best way to describe her responses is a high school formal. I had to go buy a dress and everything. The funny part of that was there were five high school girls trying on formals at the same time i was. I'm pretty sure they thought I was in high school to. So I'm waiting for my toes to dry so I can get dressed and all dolled up. Hopefully have a great time!

Do I really sound like that?

2007-11-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

Well tonight we got home and the boys went to playing. Hannah went upstairs and Moriyah and I started to cook dinner. I have been doing the evening shift alone this week as adam has had to work until after midnight. I make a terrible single parent!! On to the story. I heard Hannah say Mommy I need your help. I was very impressed because she has taken to talking like a baby lately. She is the oldest one at the daycare. I wonder if she thinks she'll get more attention if she does. I quickly headed upstairs to praise her big girl words and see what she wanted. When I got to the top of the stairs I saw her standing there with her arms on her hips. at her feet was a bed she'd made from burp rags and a baby doll all swaddled. She said "Get in there and clean your room then put away the dish washer" All the while wagging her finger at me. My immediate thought was "do i sound and look like this" obvious answer YES! Those are the only two regular chores our boys have. Funny thing is both my room and the dishes did need my attention. Oh two year olds can speak much truth without even trying!

ugh

2007-09-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

I made it through my first full week of teaching kindergarten...kind of. I left Friday sick and then Saturday went to the walk in clinic in desperate need of antibiotics. They always act like they have news to tell me when they come back with the strep test as positive. I already knew. I just wanted the antibiotics. Ooh and they gave me tylenol with codeine. That is some great stuff. I didn't realize it until it wore off. I went in desperate search for the bottle. thankfully my mom took my kids and I got to spend the majority of Satuday in bed. This is the second bout of strep I've had in the last 3-4 months. If I get it again in the next year they are going to send me to a specialist and probably take out my tonsils. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I never ever want to have strep again and if that means no tonsils, well then lets do it. But does it really mean that I have to have surgery. Its a little scary. I have a hard time believing that there are body parts I don't really need. Apparently there are quite a few you can live without.

I took today, my birthday, off. It was a little scary to write sub plans. I don't think I did a good job. I'm sorry poor unnamed sub.

On Friday as I was getting the kindergarteners ready to go my principle stopped by to let me know that I needed to pack "the essentials" for teaching on monday in another room. Aparently they decided to clean the gross mold that is growing in the storage room adjoining my room and she was afraid of bleach fumes and the kids. I have no idea how to pack 'the essentials' I mean I use everything that is out. I just looked around the room thinking right. Because I was sick I decided to deal with it on Monday. And then I got a sub. Poor sub. It must have been an awful day. New room, new teacher, no routine. Those five year olds were probably a mess. I am a little concerned that when i go back tomorrow it will be like cleaning up after a large explosive has gone off.

What have I gotten myself into?

2007-09-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am a little over halfway through my home visits. It has been very interesting. Tuesday was off with a bang when I couldn't find the house I was going to, only to discover the student showed up at school. The next three conferences were with spanish speaking families and the district had so graciously told me too bad no interpreter for you. Later that day I managed to lock myself out of the house and had to drive to adams work to get a key. We were 15 minutes late for soccer practice and still did not have any dinner. My first day was a doozy.

It has gotten better. I showed up at one house today and found a place set for me at the table. It consisted of a large pitcher full of ice water, a wine glass and a bottle of liptons green tea with citrus. The mother walked around the whole time I was there drinking water out of a wine glass. I felt terribly underdressed.

My room is put together but I am so not ready to actually teach. I have not prepared a single lesson plan or any materials. AHHHHHHH! I'm sure it will work out fine. I had no idea that when I signed up for this job I was also signing up for a weight loss program. Stress has always really "helped" me loose weight and I'm down 5 pounds since tuesday!

Me too!

2007-08-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

Tag...you're it!
I've been tagged...here's the rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.

2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

3. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (If you don’t have a blog, email me)

4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here goes:
1 I love books and it is painful to think about getting rid of them.

2. I now have an office the size of a bedroom. I never thought I'd have an office.

3. I love blue raspberry slurpies or white cherry. But the 7-11 near our home never has those flavors so I end up mixing coke and regular cherry.

4. I have always wanted to travel, especially to mexico or spain.

5. I have attended a meeting called The BOB SQUAD. I really thought we were all in trouble but Bob turned out to be a man who really resembled Santa Clause.

6. I love to play soccer but don't particularly like watching it.

7. One of my favorite vegetables is brussel sprouts.

8. I have always wanted to learn how to ride horses.

Steve, Kristi B, Emily W.---TAG YOU'RE IT

Extra Extra, Read all about it!

2007-08-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

I am a KINDERGARTEN teacher at Evergreen Elementary! I can't tell you how excited, nervous, overwhelmed, joyful I am. It's sinking in. I got my keys today and went to MY classroom. I have no idea what I'm doing or what half the crap thats in there is. But its mine. As well as about 50 little 5 year olds. I think I ought to start praying now!

Our church

2007-08-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

We do not meet with an established church. Instead we have been meeting with several couples and working on planting a church. This past week has brought a lot of change to our little meetings. We said goodbye to one couple and welcomed two new couples. Our new friends each have 6 kids so we no longer hold the record in our church!! We do still have the youngest kids which makes things interesting. Stuart and Diesta Love have been here the last couple of weeks and I have really enjoyed hearing them speak. Adam thinks he's like Dumbledore in his calm speaking presence. Its amazing to see the room quiet down and sit with rapt attention with just a word in his calm voice.

We have been able to sing songs this past week because we have more voices. We sang before but it was really pathetic if you ask me!! I still miss the voices from my family. Nothing can beat sitting around singing with the Wilsons and the Wolfgangs. Although I don't add much musical talent to the group I really enjoy listening and trying to keep up.

I am so thankful that we have found people to meet with and to begin the dream of planting a church. We have much work to do but it is good work. I know that Redmond will be blessed by the efforts of this new church to show people Jesus.

Little Mo

2007-07-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

I think that Moriyah might be the most uniquely funny infant we have had. Here are some of her funnies:

She ROARS. Seriously just like a lion. If she hears someone roar she is compelled to roar as well.
She used to growl, thankfully I haven't heard her do that lately. It was this deep raspy i'm possessed kind of growl. I found it to be a bit creepy.
She loves to eat, not so unique, but she will eat anything we give her. Pickles, blueberries, olives, whatever. But please don't give her baby food. She hates it.
She waves good bye the right way. Most babies wave backward. Oh not Moriyah.
For many months now Moriyah has swirled her foot around. You know how you can make a circle with your toes. Well she does that when she is excited, tired, intrigued...whenever
She gets genuinely angry and yells at whatever has made her angry. IE her shirt, the table, a toy.
she moo's but only with Adam. I think she is going to be a daddy's girl. I tried to get her to moo with me. No dice, just daddy.
She thinks I'm a rock star. At least thats what i call it. Every time she sees me she screams for me. She my entourage. Every mother needs one.
She is so fat she has tan lines on her rolly arms.

She brings us such joy and laughter. Little Mo we love you.

Is it REALLY still 2007?

2007-07-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

Things I recently overheard...

"Well we were down by the river and there were "beaners" everywhere. Playing their damn (really bad impersonation of latino music) everywhere."

"Have you noticed all the black people that moved in down the street."

"Well you know how black people are..."

"We could tell by their language that they weren't saved. But we decided not to tell them about Jesus" (that second part was paraphrased from a much larger conversation)

"The school population is changing, hardly anyone can speak English now. My job is getting a lot harder"

"They are diverting so many resources into families that don't speak English its ridiculous"

"Well those immigrants...(roll of the eyes)"

As I have had conversations with neighbors and fellow church members there have been little snipits of racism thrown in the mix. I have been taken aback by them and the frequency with which they came the last three days.

Am I the only one whose been hearing this or maybe its just being in central oregon. Truly their is very little diversity here. Perhaps its that I am so accustomed to the diversity that I've always lived with. One thing that we noticed that is extremely odd here is there are hardly any asian people. I didn't realize it until we went back to Portland.

what is in a theme

2007-07-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

"Get your biscuits in the oven and your buns to the fair" is the theme for the 2007 Deschutes county fair. I'm not sure who comes up with these or why. I think the theme should be come have fun and spend an arm and a leg. Thats basically my fair experience. But not this year. We have discovered a loop hole. If we enter something into the fair we get free admission all week! How glorious! We told the boys that if they wanted to go to the fair this year they had to enter something and then we'd buy them one of those ride bracelets. So...
Andrew has entered a crayon drawing.
Isaac has entered a picture of the black bear he took while at the zoo in portland
I have entered a sunset picture I took while camping this spring.

Adam wanted someone to enter him into the fair. No takers so far.

So if your biscuits are in the oven you should get your buns to the fair. I wonder if they realized that the biscuits would then burn. I mean its pretty dangerous to leave something like that in the oven.

kodak moment

2007-07-04T10:47:00.001-07:00

VBS in Portland

2007-07-01T21:58:00.001-07:00

This past week we headed up to portland so that adam and isaac could be in the vbs at pump church. We left sunday morning and got to gresham right about when church started at East county church of christ. We headed in and as we walked in the door, being about 15 minutes late, one of the members looked at us and said, "Welcome home sarah." Thats what it felt like. It was so good to get to see and talk to old friends. East county will always feel like my spiritual home no matter where my physical home may be. I love Redmond but it has felt like a spiritual wilderness for this past year. I really miss being a part of a faith community.

Beautiful

2007-06-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you Father for all the beautiful things you have placed in my life.

The Wizard of Oz

2007-06-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Isaac had the privelage of being one of the munchkins in the high schools performance of the wizard of oz. They did a great job. But the highlight of the show was the munchkins. Isaac was not just a munchkin, oh no, he was a city father. Thats him in the blue suit. He's quite the cutie, but don't tell him.

On Parenting and police

2007-06-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

So Moriyah is the worst infant of all my kids. Isaac was a quick second. followed by Hannah and then Andrew. This ranking is according to sleep. Moriyah is nearly eight months old and still doesn't sleep through the night. She has a hand ful of times slept most of the night. This means that it has been over two years since I regularly got to sleep at night.

Some nights are better than others. Moriyah is the most clingly of all my kids. she screams if she sees me and I do not pick her up immediately. It is such a blood curdling scream that one day our neighbor poked her head out to see if she was ok. I had just put her down to help hannah with something. I was right there. She was fine.

If I am holding Moriyah and I don't feed her when she thinks that I should, which is every two to three hours, she begins to claw at me and even tries to rip the neckline of my shirt off. It has gotten so i can hardly rock her to sleep. She just screams because I am not feeding her. I can't tell you just how frustrating this is.

We have tried things that have worked in the past to get our dear children to sleep through the night. We moved moriyahs bed down stairs so that she could cry. When we did this with andrew it took all of a week and he was sleeping like the best of them. Moriyahs bed was in the living room for several months. We gave up. No amount of letting her cry it out seemed to help her sleep. Maybe I have been too inconsistent with her. I have no idea. I'm just exhausted and frustrated and nearing the end of my sanity.

It was 95 degrees today. Naturally everyone has their windows open. It gets really cool at night so we put our box fan in our window before we went to bed. The fan was on low. It creates this great white noise as well. Seems to help me sleep, aparently too well. At 3:30 I heard Moriyah and got up and got her. She was sitting up in her bed, which is unusual. I thought that she must have been crying longer than i heard her. Hannah was awake too, the girls share a room now. I said good night to hannah and took moriyah in my room. I was feeding moriyah when i heard our door bell ring. then a series of loud bangs on the door. I was trying to rouse adam to answer. next thing i know i see a flash light and an officer walking through my hallway. He went into each of the kids rooms then left. Aparently one of our neighbors called the police because moriyah was crying.

Thank you oh wonderful neighbors for calling the police for my crying infant. I hope you are so diligent in your vigilence for child abuse when it comes to actual abuse. I am so frustrated and tired and now angry. I am the only parent who ever goes outside with my kids. In fact all the kids in our neighborhood end up in our driveway to play with adam and i. I could tell you the names of all the kids in our neighborhood and what is happening in their lives. I feel like i've been parenting about 10 kids in the last two weeks. But thanks again wonderful neighbors for noticing my daughters crying. I am never going to sleep at night. How will moriyah ever learn if i can't even let her cry once in a while? I bet someone just wanted her to be quiet so they could get back to sleep. Jerks.

black sheep

2007-05-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Every family has one. Someone who is just different, who doesn't seem to fit, the black sheep if you will. I am that sheep in my family, the black one. I realize that this has a negative connotation to it but bear with me. This weekend Adam and i went camping. We invited my mom and her family. We left friday set up camp then picked the boys and my sister up from school and headed out. My mom had to work saturday so her husband was going to come out and set up the tent saturday morning then they would all come out after she got off work at 7. They were bringing more fire wood. This is important. So 9 o'clock rolls around, then 10 o'clock. The kids give up and go to bed. Adam had a headache and went to bed. So there I was sitting around a pathetic onelogkindasmoldering camp fire by myself. I went to bed. As soon as I got all snuggled into the covers I saw headlights and heard my moms voice. Up I got. Here comes the black sheep part.

She is by herself, no husband, no son, no son's creepy friend. There was a fight with inevitably no winner just hurt all around. Next pulls up Jed, step dads best friend, a very drunk step dad, another friend of theirs and my brother. They pile out and from that moment on the weekend was just pretty sucky. The weather even got worse. There were many drunk men, much discussion about sex, both persuasions, more drugs and just plain stupidity. I love my family but I just don't know how I came from them. I have never felt like I fit in. Being different is hard.

I guess it boils down to being in the world but not of it. I have been struggling with this concept since forever. How do i have meaningful relationships with my family but not get inmeshed in the drama and other stuff? I have not been good at it and I don't know that I ever will be. My current dilema is that now my kids are exposed to it. Is that good bad indifferent? I can't decide. I know that they are aware of more than i probably give them credit for, especially isaac. How do I deal with that? I don't want them to get the idea that their grandparents and stuff are bad. I definately don't want them to ever say anything along those lines to their relatives. I know that there must be other people who deal with this. I am in need of good sound wisdom, more patience and a large billy club.

Congrats on making it through my rambling thoughts tonight. i am still chewing on the situation and how i should respond. My mom and I have an odd relationship in that she asks me for advice on what to do in certain situations. I never know what to say. I always feel a bit akward.

We lost

2007-05-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

for all four of my faithful blog readers we lost our house. although this house had been on the market for nearly a year in the same weekend some other more fortunate person put on offer on it to. And we lost. No walk in closet, fenced front yard, built in hutch, island with pot hanging from the ceiling thingy. Nope none of that for me, at least not yet. We are still looking. We found another couple options so if you would keep us in your prayers that would be wonderful! Losing sucks.

wooohooo

2007-05-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

i coached Andrews soccer team this spring. I enjoyed definately learned a ton and would enjoy doing it again. Of course we had our ups and downs. one kid i suspect has a mild form of autism such as asbergers. he would always say see ya later gator. to which i was to respond after a while crocodile and he would say toodles noodles and run to his dad. if i didn't we would have to say goodbye again.

today was our last game and our party. each kiddo got a trophy and i got a huge water bottle. the kind thats in the shape of one of those water cooler jugs. i also got chocolate covered coffee beans and a $40 gift certificate to starbucks. just incase you didn't catch that i said $40. I couldn't believe it! Woohoo.

it was such a great surprise gift. We're waiting to hear but if all goes well i'm getting a house on mothers day! i've never been so impatient in my life. Call already and accept our offer!!

The research says what?

2007-04-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well it has taken me quite some time, and i'm still not completely done, but i feel much more educated about the issue of homework than i did before. I read two books. The Case Against Homework by sara bennet and Nancy kalisch. I also read, well almost, the homework myth by alphie kohn. Both were very interesting.

The case against homework
The book by bennet is much more user friendly. it is basically a how to guide to reduce or stop homework overload. it had a section detailing the research that has been done on homework, a section that seeks to inform parents on what homework has the most value and what is just busy work. What follows is a section on how to write notes or otherwise communicate with the teacher in order to reduce the amount of homework for your child. the last section of the book explains how to organize other parents to lobby for a more lasting change in policy for homework in your district. It is filled with real life examples from many different parents, including the authors who followed this strategy in their east coast private school.

the homework myth
The homework myth is a little more scholarly. It looks at homework from many different angles. Much of the same research is cited in both books. Kohn looks at teacher prep, misconceptions about learning, current trends within education and how those effect homework. Not sure whats at the end seeing as I haven't made it there yet. This book was harder to read, I got bogged down when he just wouldn't stop talking about the many and varied reasons its difficult to research the benefits of homework.

What I think...
I will be very hesistant to assign homework. I think that reading is probably the most valuable homework but I never enjoyed reading something that I HAD to read. I also see that one of my darling kids feels the same way.

I had no idea that the research on homework showed that there was no benefit for elementary kids. Are you kidding me. According to Kohn that old 'ten minutes per grade level' was just invented by Harris Cooper, a homework researcher. Apparently Cooper did a metanalysis of like 140 studies on homework and decided that 10 minutes was a good rule of thumb but that the research didn't actually address that issue. In fact the research showed only a small correlation between homework and achievement in high school. Of course i didn't go and check Kohn's work. I have no interest in pouring over data and reading a research report. I'll just take his word.

I got the feeling while reading these books that people think kids should have homework and lots of it because they'll just watch tv if they don't. its like people don't trust parents to raise their own kids. I have strong feelings about this but for now I'll just say, so what if they do. Its not the schools job to raise the kids but the parents. I'm a bit tired of everyone dumping more and more parental responsibilities onto the school.

Its just so fun!

2007-03-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

i got my camera, I love my camera, i want a new lens! Here are some good pics so far. I'm still learning how to use some of the functions. I never took a photography class or anything so its all new. Enjoy!

i cant wait!

2007-02-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

Well Moriyah definately has whatever stomach bug we all had. Which translates into being awake much of the night. Yuk! She is now sleeping and i have tried to lay her down four times but she just wont stay asleep. i have given in and am just holding her. i started surfing the web and was looking at my new camera! Its the canon rebel xti, the digital slr! it was ordered last week and i keep thinking that i'm going to get a knock on the door and it'll be here. no such luck yet. im just sooo excited. this is what i remember feeling like for the couple weeks before christmas as a kid. my poor kids are going to hate me for the first couple weeks but i'll have to get some practice in. hee hee hee!

HELP!

2007-02-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is the life of a mother. So far this week i've had 3 kids with diarrhea, 2 vomitting (with horrible aim i might add), two fevers, several upset stomachs, a runny nose and i think Hannah woke up this morning with the flu. All she's done today is sleep. Moriyah just got 3 shots, so i've ruined the only well kid. i don't want to have to deal with anymore bodily fluids, please just keep them to yourself.

I can feel myself starting to succumb to whatever has been floating around my house and all i want to do is go to bed. Sadly that is not a luxury a mommy gets when she is sick. Lucky for my kids that our screen restrictions will be very loosely enforced while i fight this bug.

We need a time out

2007-02-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

This past Friday I substitute taught at the boys school for PE. I ended up having both the boys classes during the day. Here are a few things that I learned...

1. Every third grade girl will cry no matter what.

2. Boys need far less encouragement to play basketball.

3. Even if a game is not about scoring points kids will figure out a way to create a point system and therefore a winner.

4. When there is irrational crying nothing really helps, so just pray the forty minutes ends quickly.

5. Every kid wants to offer helpful advice about what is going on, even though you clearly have two perfectly good eyes and ears.

6. It really sucks when the teacher doesn't leave plans for you to follow.

7.Whistles are very commanding.

8. Blood gets everywhere and very quickly.

9. I have two of the best boys ever, and they're both good at basketball.

10. I never want to teach PE again.

This and That

2007-02-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

My boys have been blogging lately. Many of you know of their old site, scurvy. They decided to go solo and get their own blogs. Isaac kept Scurvy and Andrew created a new blog called Meme. Check it out and look at the world through the eyes of two little boys. Please leave them a comment. they had come home everyday and checked their blog for comments. Only to be disappointed. I made a mental note to leave them one. Andrew checked his blog and said, "Yes! I got a comment!" Then I heard, "Oh, it was only mom."

Moriyah is seriously chubby. and we love it! I think that she's going to catch up to Hannah any moment. Hannah feels like you might break her if you squueze too tight. She just now weighs over 22 lbs. They are both darling and i love them very much. I would like to stop having the opportunity to love on them from the hours of 10 pm and 7 am. Hannah has very rarely slept through the night since september. Most nights Moriyah does better than her. I would love prayers for long uninterupted sleep.

We have been going to a church that is called SNC, it makes me think of SNL, saturday night church. They have a great band, the worship feels a bit like a rock concert. We are trying to get settled in their. the families pastor is very nice and a couple of the boys friends go there. The wolfgangs are doing pretty good over in very sunny and warm Redmond!

What is good for our children? Initial thoughts

2007-01-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well when considering homework there are several components. First that it will help kids learn, or reinforce what is taught at school. Second that it helps them become more responsible. This is what I always thought the purpose of homework was. I guess I never thought about if homework really did do the things I expected it to.

My kids school district has a policy of 20 min a night. When we met with the teachers at the beginning I thought it was a great idea. That's not too long. Well Andrew is in 1st grade, each night he has an Accelerated Reader book he must read three times, a work sheet to do front and back, sometimes two worksheets, vocabulary words, spelling words and theme words for the week. Just recently she sent home books that have been photocopied to be read each night on top of the other stuff. Now any reasonable person can see that this will take a seven year old much longer to do than twenty minutes. Isaac's is not much better, time wise. But we have plodded along because, well i don't know. I guess because responsible parents make sure their kids do their homework.

My concern is that Andrew isn't enjoying any of the reading he's doing. Because his homework takes so long he no longer wants me to read out loud to him. He wants a chance to do other things. If kids spend all days at school then have to work for an hour or more they are going to miss out on some very important experiences. My kids like school and are able to do the work given to them, I can't imagine the home of a student who is strugling. Kids need the opportunity to do creative things that they think of on their own. Schools have been lessoning and lessoning the amount of time spent teaching the "less important" non tested subjects, art, music, pe.

There is a book that I am going to start reading called the homework myth by alphie kohn. Alphie kohn is notorious in the education world for being a bit extreme. He has written many books the only other one I'm familiar with is punished by rewards. He does not believe in any extrinsic rewards for kids. There is an article he wrote about this very subject here.

I'm sure I'll have many more thoughts on the subject as I make my way through the book. So stay tuned

Homework-opinions please

2007-01-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

Well i was just wondering what you think about homework. Did you like to have homework when you were in school? Do you like homework for your kids? Why? Just trying to see what peoples thoughts are so if you ever had homework please leave your thoughts, i'll tell more about my thoughts later.

what i learned today

2007-01-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

i just rediscovered how much i love teaching. i started substitute teaching in december. i just take 1 job a week on adams days off. so far i've been in a 2nd grade, sophomore english, middle school, and kindergarten. it was my latest assignment, kinder, thay reminded me i love teaching. i don't know exactly how to describe why but its challenging and new each day. it demands so much of you, which is good and bad. It has been such a blessing to get out and teach a little. i am hoping that i could work out a job share situation for next year. i guess we'll see how that goes.

My beauties

2007-01-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Moriyah today, what a cutie!

so beautiful princess

Here's my goofball.

what puppydog eyes!

firsts

2006-12-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

Well i have had several firsts this week. So here they go:

1. first day of professional teaching!
So I substituted in the second grade this tuesday. It went great. The kids were great, I made it through the day just fine. I don't by any means think that my actuall lesson teaching was of the highest quality, but hey I'm just a sub right?

2. first day to leave adam with both girls
He was just fine but both girls were coming down with a cold and Isaac was home sick that day. He really got a good first day with the kids! Moriyah did have a little trouble settling down and taking her baba, but in the end she will never refuse food.

3. first days of potty training hannah.
so i know that many people are thinking, isn't she young for that? and yes she is but its her idea. She's been asking for a month for her own potty. I finally got her one and she actually uses it. I thought surely it would just collect dust. We didn't get the boys trained until they were three. this girl is only 19 months. over the past several days she has told me she has to go potty and then gone. Last night she went from dinner to bed time with no accident, only in the potty! HIP HIP HOORAY! I hope she keeps it up. I got her princess pull ups today. Oh and when we were out and about she even told me she had to go. I am simply amazed by this child.

4. first time hannah has been weighed and lost weight.
she only weighs 20 pounds and 12 ounces, down from 21 pounds 4 ounces. this is concerning to the dr because she is now below the growth chart. She is going back in a couple weeks to get weighed and have her well child. since she was sick today they think, and so do i, that she lost that weight due to illness. I'm not really worried about her. she is developmentally just fine. infact she can talk your ear off, is potty trianing and won't let me dress her anymore. two's here we come!

5. first time moriyah played with her toys.
and by play i mean purposefully reach for them repeatedly. It was so cute. she is just adorable. I can't wait to show her off to our friends and family when we're in portland. I have the cutest dress for her.

well i'm sure i forgot something but i want to eat lunch before hannah and moriyah wake up and its a lost cause. I do so enjoy warm meals.

Identity Crisis

2006-12-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well there is a bit of a war going on over the identity of this man:

The older ones call him Santa Clause, while Hannah insists that this is Noah. No amount of telling or reasoning can change her mind. No matter where we are she shouts Noah everytime she sees him. She gets her stubborness from me I must confess.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2006-11-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

Our whole family went up to a snow park just past the Santiam Pass Summit. We had a wintery, windy blast! We're going to go up again when we don't have two little girls with us and we have intertubes.

I hope that we have a white christmas. Just miss having a white thanksgiving! Now that I think about it, we'll be in Portland for Christmas, so probably not.

So Boys Whats on Your Reading List?

2006-11-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

So what do you like to read boys, or I should ask what did you like to read as a young boy? What genre, author...

In doing a little reading online I stumbled accross this article, Matching boys with books.

I thought it was interesting, but I really enjoy educational research stuff. I know its not everyones cup of tea. This aricle is user friendly, not technical. It made me think about my boys, including my husband. I have always loved reading, it helps that I was good at it as a kid. Found it more difficult in recent years. My kids love reading. I have never worried about that. I know from our home that all my kids will be lifelong readers. Andrew complained the other day that I didn't get him a book from the library when I went, like I usually do. I didn't even realize that I did that. Isaac has to be pulled away from the latest Lemony Snicket book, The End, when its time for dinner. It came as such a shock to me that Isaac's teacher told me he has a hard time settling down with a book and reading at school. When wondering why that is I came accross this article.

Here are some quotes I liked from the article "Researchers and educators blame the gap between books and boys on everything from a built-in fidgetiness to low expectations"

Oh come on. Built in fidgetiness. How about unrealistic expectations for sitting still? I confess I am guilty of this, its so much easier to teach kids who sit and listen. But the next paragraph of the article cracked me up.

"But now more are suggesting that the problem may not lie entirely within the boys themselves. Some educators believe that the way schools teach reading tends to favor girls, both in terms of teaching style and reading materials chosen."

I thought it was funny that we would just decide to blame the problem on boys!! Oh that would be letting everyone off easy. "Why can't you read Johnny." "Well if you hadn't noticed I'm a boy."

I think, as an educator, that it is definately true that schools favor girls. Think about it. How many male elementary teachers did you have? I'm guessing you had more female teachers. A teacher naturally teaches to their learning style. Not on purpose but it just happens. So if most teachers are female it stands to reason that more of the time they are teaching a style that is more naturally female oriented.

"But it's not just the books, some insist. The classroom experience needs to be far more interactive...Boys are naturally drawn to action and movement, he points out, and teachers need to find ways of integrating their energy into the reading process."

When my boys were 3-4 they used to act out the story while I read it. They were completely engaged in the story just moving. It does present a management issue in the traditional classroom. When you have 30 kids its hard to read and track what they're doing, be it on task or not. When they're suppossed to be sitting and listening the movement can catch your eye. When I student taught we let everyone draw about the book. I think that is a good strategy but I also think boys need more gross motor movement than drawing provides.

My boys like non-fiction, especially when they were younger. Bugs, dinos, snakes, etc. Anything that is 'bathroom' humor(captain underpants). Adventure is big now. You should check out The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless by ahmet zappa.

To be Valued

2006-11-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking the last few days about how it is people feel valued and what makes them feel not valued. Specifically how this relates to school. I was thinking we make our children go to school. Although my children have good attitudes about school, they are essentially there by force, captives for 6.5 hours. In that time they are forced to sit by people they don't choose, do things they don't want to do and then get scored on it.

I think boys have it worse than girls. Honestly most boys don't naturally fit into classrooms. In classrooms being quiet and still are valued. Boys, at least mine, are loud and never stop moving (even when sitting still my husband has to tap his leg, it drives me nuts when we're watching movies).

On top of all of this we are trying to make boys more neutral, pc or just trying to cover in case something happens. My son is no longer allowed to write in his own journal that everyone gets to write on their own topics about most anything that he is interested in. Nothing that involves violence. Just to let you know that means no: Yugioh, pokemon, star wars, heroscape, pirates...
The teacher then made two comments I found very funny.

1. We're just going to have to get him interested in something else.
Um, so to be in this class he has to completely alter who he is and what he likes. Well no wonder he doesn't like it. Maybe we could just sit down and draw up what it is that would be most convenient for us and let him know what he likes from now on.

2. When given a writing task it is hard to get him to complete it.
Duh! you just told him couldn't ever write about anything he likes. What did you expect?

All sarcasm aside I really am at a loss for how to deal with this whole situation. Its much deeper than what is said here and I feel ill equipped to handle it and make decisions regarding it. Please pray for Adam and I as we parent through this situation and for our children. I feel like this is the beginning of a long road for us and I'm so unsure of where we are headed and how to proceed.

"Get into my Belly"

2006-11-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

Catching up

2006-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

We have been settling in to a family of 6! Oddly enough being a mother of 4 isn't too much different than 3, just a little less sleep than the ideal. My baby girl is simply beautiful. She is doing great. Nurses like a champ, sleeps okay and is generally not fussy. Her siblings just adore her. Hannah's love is a bit squashy and I've had to say things I'd never expected. For example, "We don't lick babies."

I'm doing better than I expected. Physicaly I'm doing great but Adam starts his new schedule next week and I am so nervous about it. I love having him home for dinner each night. By that time of the day I can use the reinforcements. But beginning Wednesday he will be gone from 10-9. Leaving me the dinner hour, homework and putting to bed, plus attending to Hannah who can be an evening grump. I want to be a patient and loving mother and I'm afraid I'm going to be exhausted and get frustrated. It does help to know that it's only temporary, he'll have a new schedule in a few months.

Meet the newest wolfgang

2006-10-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Moriyah Jean
Made her debut into this world on October 5th.
7lbs 2 oz
20 1/4 inches
We are all doing well and came home from an interesting hospital stay today.
Thankfully our kiddo's are all still at their grandmas house and we can quietly get acquainted just mom, dad and Moriyah!

It's time for everyone's favorite game...

2006-09-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

When do you think Moriyah will be born?
Date?
Time?
weight?
Length?

Here's a little info for a more informed guess.
1. I am officially due October 8th.
2. As of Friday I am 3 cm dialated.
3. She has dropped and is engaged at -2.
4. Here is a couple pictures my mom took of me today, 38 weeks pregnant.

5. As for my previous experiences, Isaac was a week early and both Hannah and andrew were a few days past their due dates.

The official Prize: complete bragging rights to being a genius as well as unlimited picture viewings on this very blog of the little darling.

I'm tired. so why don't you sleep? you may ask yourself

2006-09-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

Well who knows. These days there could be lots of reasons. Mostly related to the minute by minute growth of my stomach area.

Tonight however i just can't shut off my brain. Does that ever happen to you? Its usually on a night where i really need some sleep. You know something important happening the next day. I can't think of anything that is out of the ordinary planned for tomorrow. But one never knows.

I am just feeling down today. I hate that I just can't fall asleep and wake up tomorrow feeling refreshed and ready for a new day.

What do you do when you can't sleep? I've run out of things. I've caught up on blog reading, read from my book, surfed a little on the internet... I should probably do some cleaning as I have been neglecting that but nah. Not tonight. Wish me luck I'm off to try again.

Kids say the darndest things...

2006-09-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is a conversation that Andrew and I had the other day...

Me: "Andrew go get your glasses for reading your homework"
Andrew: "where are they?"
M: "on the computer desk"
Andrew runs and gets the glasses.
M: "we should take you to the dr and have your eyes checked to see if you need new glasses."
With a characteristic whine, Andrew: "Nooooooooooooooo"
M: "its not going to hurt. You just cover one eye and then tell them what you see."
A: " oh we just did that at school. The lady said I got 20 right and 30 wrong."

I'm a Big Girl Now!!

2006-09-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Due to some technical difficulties the crib that we got for the new baby didn't work out for her. We were missing some pieces. It was the kind that converts into a toddler bed so we asked Hannah if she wanted a big girl bed. She was thrilled. Ready or not she is turning into a big girl. shes not my baby girl any more. I suppose thats good because we're about to have a baby girl. But just the same its hard to see her change so quickly.

The power of a word

2006-09-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that some words are just way more powerful than others. There are of course lots of factors that can go into it...tone of voice, body language, emotional state...

It doesn't seem to matter how big a word is either. Sometimes the smaller words are actually more powerful. For example my daughter frequently shouts NO, This is the most powerful word that Hannah knows how to say. Well it gets the most reaction maybe. But look its only two letters, N-O. MINE is pretty well used word for her as well, but alas that is another post all together.

Yesterday i found out the power of the word IF. Have you ever thought about that. Lots of people spend time what ifing (sounds better than it looks in print). I had to have an ultrasound this past tuesday because the height of the uterus in my abdomen is measuring small. I wanted to say "have you seen me, how could it get any higher?" but anyway, yesterday i got the results of the ultrasound. they were concerned that the baby is small. I wanted to say "YEAH" but apparently that is not good news, unless you're the one who has to deliver the baby. As it turns out they estimate that as of tuesday she weighs 5lbs 3 oz. I told adam that i am carrying around a bag of sugar. at my appointment the dr checked my progress to find that i was 2cm dialated. She goes on to say that i should make an appointment for next week and IF I'm still pregnant then we'll do another ultrasound. If she has dropped to the 10th percentile in size or there are indications that the placenta is no longer providing enough for the baby, then I will go straight to labor and delivery to be induced.

Did everyone catch the IF's? I mean i have been pregnant a very long time and want it to be over but I was simply astonished. Adam informed me that next week is a very important week of his training at his new job so could I please wait until Friday? We also have the following birthdays coming up:
9/20 my mom
9/21 adam's mom
9/24 ME
9/26 Isaac
9/28 my brother
10/7 Andrew

I would like for this little girl to have her own birthday. But if she must share I only ask that it not be with either of my other children. I guess i need to just trust that God will bring this baby into our arms at just the right time. There is soooo much to do before I will be ready. Perhaps we should choose a name, put up the crib, pack a bag for the hospital, nail down extactly where my other children will go while I'm at the hospital. Think I can get any of that done while I nap?

preggo brain

2006-09-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

so for those of you who have not had the opportunity to experience pregnancy you essential lose your marbles. There are so many varied and interesting stories I could relate to you about this but today i choose this one:

I logged onto google to look at my customized homepage. It has everything...my gmail, the date and time, links to a bunch of blogs and the current post. It was at this point when i lost my marbles. I looked at the title of mine, FINALLY. I thought to myself, " that's not right I just wrote a blog yesterday. " Feeling quite irritated i clicked on my blog link and found to my dismay that there was no other blog just FINALLY. I sat and was angry for a moment. The injustice of it all. It was an absolute wonderful blog about my kids first day of school and Hannah and I playing at home. It had adorable pictures.

Suddenly it hit me that I never wrote that blog. No indeed I sat down to the computer to start and the batteries in the keyboard needed to be changed. Having just recharged a few I ran to get them and put them in the keyboard. I followed the incredibly easy instructions for reconnecting the wireless keyboard. you have to push a couple buttons and voila you're back in business. Works everytime adam does it. For the life of me I could not get it to work. I stopped short of throwing the stupid keyboard out of the sliding glass door.

When adam came home from work i asked him to fix it for me. He tried and nothing. At this point I felt good that at least he was struggling too. He took the batteries out only to find that I had put them in backwards. Man I need a nap.

FINALLY!!

2006-08-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well if you've ever dealt with a government agency, or two, you will know what I'm talking about. In order to get my teaching lisence I had to have my fingerprints cleared with the feds, then my application cleared with the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commision. Needless to say it took months but I am FINALLY A LISENCED TEACHER!!

Not that I'll be coming to a classroom near you. I'm having a baby. No classrooms for me. Just sleepless nights filled with poopy diapers and crying babies. Followed by sleepless days filled with poopy diapers, crying babies and stinky boys. Oh this is the life. I bet everyone wishes they could be me right now. Well maybe not right now as this little girl has herself wedged into my ribs. I really think that I may be too short to bear children. I need a bigger abdomin or to have itty bitty tiny babies. Either way she feels enormous right now. I hope the next 39 days go by fairly quickly...well not too quickly. There's such a tug between wanting to have my body to myself and not being entirely ready to take care of a newborn. Odd huh.

You must have grown up in the 80's and early 90's if:

2006-08-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

I found this on my birth club board. Hope you enjoy.

You must have grown up in the 80's and early 90's if:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE."

2. You watched the Pound Puppies.

3. You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Belair"..and can do the "Carlton"

4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.

5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby Sitters Club and tried to start a club of your own.

6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.

7. You know that "WHOA" comes from Joey on Blossom.

8. Two words: Hammer Pants!!

9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock."

10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars...and "spokey-dokes" or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect.

11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales "

12.When it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

14. You saw the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " on the big screen ... and still know the turtles names.

15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

16. You made your Mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

17. You played the game "MASH" (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)

18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

19. L.A.Gear....need I say more?!

20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM " in Kindergarten.

21. You remember reading "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and all the Ramona books.

22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"

23. You wanted to be a Goonie.

24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing

25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted

26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

27. You took lunch boxes to school ... and traded Garbage Pail Kids

in the schoolyard.

28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.

30. You remember Hypercolor T-shirts.

31. Barbie and The Rockers was your favorite band.

32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.

33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes

35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?" (yes, and you had to say it sounding like pee-wee herman)

36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up" (then the craze of Ive fallen and I cant reach my beer shirts)

37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.

39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.

40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.

41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.

42. You remember Popples..

43. "Don't worry, be happy"

44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.

45. You wore socks scrunched down

46. "Miss MARY MACK MACK MACK, all dressed in BLACK BLACK BLACK"

47. You remember boom boxes.. and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.

48. You remember watching both "Gremlins" movies.

49. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"

50. You remember watching "Rainbow Bright" and "My Little Pony Tales"

51. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

52. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

53. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB". (Danny, Donnie, Joe, Jon, Jordon

54. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By the Bell," the ORIGINAL class.

55. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

56. You just sang those words to yourself.

57. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.

58. Homemade Levi shorts

59. You remember when mullets were cool!

60. You had a mullet!

61. You still sing "We are the World"

62. You tight rolled your jeans.

63. You owned a banana clip.

64. You remember "Where's the Beef?

65. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' about Willis?"

66. You had big hair and you knew how to use it.

67. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!!!?

68. You were practically raised on Kool-Aid.

So Isaac and Andrew thought that I was so cool because I knew the name AND weapon of each of the ninja turtles.

A dose of familiarity and the fair

2006-08-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Well this past week the boys headed up to Portland with their dad. I joined them a day later after my dr appointment. We were in Portland for several days. It was really strange to drive around and recognize everything we by and to really KNOW where we were going. Church was absolutely fantastic. It felt so good to sing familiar songs with people that we love. In fact it really felt like the only truely fulfilling worship service that I've been to in a long time. It was refreshing, it filled me and made me long for more.

We also went to the Deschutes county fair. I took Isaac, Andrew, Hannah and my sister Hayley by myself! Not sure what I was thinking. It was fun though. Man you could spend a pretty penny at the fair, luckily mom was there and wouldn't let them. We had a great time. The Bend Bulletin had a family fun center with a bunch of stuff the kids could do for free. They participated in the tractor pull, Isaac won! He pulled 275 pounds. Next was the pretend circus. Isaac was the only one who was willing to be a part of it. They got to watch a mini monster truck show, went on a pony ride, rode one of the carnival rides and got to have a sno cone! Next year Adam is going to come with us and I'm sure it will be excellent.

We have been having a fabulous summer. Here are some of the pictures I like so far.

body parts

2006-07-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

so do you really know what all you body parts do? not talking arms legs heart, etc. do you know what your gallbladder, appendix, or spleen do? well i don't care to, i just want them to work properly.

due to the fact that my gallbladder is not functioning properly i now know what it does. i have an ultrasound on tuesday. generally when you hear a pregnant woman say that they are excited. i just can't bring myself to be excited about seeing my gallbladder, kidneys and pancreas.

due to the fact that i couldn't keep down anything on sunday i have been on a clear liquid diet for just over 24 hours. starting tonight at 1am i have to fast, nothing by mouth, not even water. I kept asking if they knew i was pregnant. man i'm starving.

lets go over what i've eaten (i'm using this term losely to mean anything that i put in my mouth. as you'll be able to see almost nothing actually required chewing) in the last 24 hours just for fun.

1. water
2. flavored water--thanks to my wonderful husband who got it for me and then fixed dinner so i didn't have to.
3.popsicles--but not my favorite, no red or purple died anything.
4. beef broth--which is not great on a 100 degree day by the way.
5. ritz crackers--not a good idea made me really sick
6. more water
7. cheerios--again not a good idea
8. lime jello--gross but at least it had flavor
9. another popsicle, orange

i really don't want to have gallbladder surgery. I hope that i don't have to. but from the state of things it may be inevitable. Please pray for me and my family. My husband is going out of town on wednesday for a few days and I will get the results of my ultrasound on thursday. i am dreading having to make a decision. From the little bit of research I've done on the surgery its not advisable in the thrid trimester, which i'm in. It said there was a risk of losing the baby. It also said having gallstones puts you at risk for premature labor. After the surgery you can't lift anything or go up/down the stairs for a week. That would really suck because i have a daughter who loves me and loves me to hold her.

Is your tetnis shot current?

2006-07-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well mine is. I just got one yesterday. Here's how it happened...

The boys were riding bikes outside and hannah went in the garage and climbed in her stroller. She proclaimed, "walk, walk" I said how about the mail. this pleased the little munchkin so I went inside got the keys and slipped on my flip flops.

The mailbox is about twenty feet away from the end of our driveway. Hannah and I embarked on our adventure but just after we turned onto the sidewalk I stopped. I had stepped down and onto something. I thought,"wow that doesn't feel like a rock." I lifted up my foot and pulled the flip flop away from it, only to see that I was also pulling a rusty nail out of my foot. It had gone clean through the flip flop and into my foot. I promptly turned around and hobbled back up the driveway.

At this point in the story I need to make a side note. I have been meaning to write a post about how blessed we are to have the neighbors that moved in next door. I am so thankful that God placed them in our lives.

I sat on our little porch and surveyed the now puddle of blood in my sandle. I called to my neighbor also named sarah. She came out and lept into action. She brought things to clean the wound, checked out the nail and started asking me questions. When was my last tetnis? no idea. is my car unlocked? probably. Call your dr. Okay. In a matter of minutes she had rounded up the kiddos (her two and my three) got them all in her car and was driving me to the ER. When we arrived they looked at it. Cleaned it again. Gave me a wonderful shot and told me not to walk on it for a few days. I wanted to ask if they knew what life with a toddler is like. I have not been able to stay off it and I believe I am paying for it.

After the ER Sarah took us to fred meyers. She told me to go get my antibiotic filled at the pharmacy while she took the kids for ice cream at baskin robins. Not one to argue I went ahead. When we finally got home everyone was exhausted. Hannah had missed her nap and desperately needed one but would not leave my side. After dinner Sarah invited the boys to go to the park with her and her kids for a bike ride. She took them for about an hour and a half. I don't know what I would have done without her help yesterday. I am so greatful that she was around. Not just through this experience but many others I can see what it looks like to love your neighbor as yourself.

I say, "No thank you"

2006-07-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

to instrumental worship, especially when done with a country twang. It has not been until we have attended a church outside the church of christ that I realized what I truly value about that tradition. In the five Sundays we've been here we have tried three churches. None of them felt like home. We are going to a new church next week.

so here we go, reasons why I like acapella worship.

1. you can hear that other people are singing too.

2. It doesn't sound like you're at a concert.

3. It is simple.

4. I know the songs.

5. My husband can stomp to it.

6. It feels like home.

7. I've never had an acapella country worship experience.

8. it doesn't feel like we're singing along with the radio.

9. people can pretend to be various percussion instruments.

10. i just like it better.

truly the worst time of the year

2006-06-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

i have a confession to make. I don't like the fourth of july. Actually it would be more fair to say I hate this holiday. Not only is it hot and hard to sleep, especially while being pregnant, but oh so many lovely neighbors insist on lighting off fireworks for the week before and several weeks after the actual blessed event. I am not interested in hearing your irritating fireworks at all hours of the night and if you wake my daughter who has not been sleeping well since we moved, I just might go insane and come to find whoever you are. I will come prepared with a bucket and my hose. All of those preciously annoying fireworks shall get doused in water. Ha! try lighting them after that.

I apologize to all those who enjoy this holiday, especially my family and children. But the fourth of july and halloween just don't do it for me.

Bics

2006-06-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

My daughter has a new food obsession. She loves bics. (For those of you who don't speak fluent hannah bics=chips).

I like chips. I am not at all oppossed to them. The problem is that Hannah only has 2 teeth. This would be fine if they were opposite each other in her mouth but they are not. They are in fact both on the bottom. After allowing her to eat a few she scared me and choked. I here her little tiny voice carrying around a bag of chips and proclaiming, "Pease" (pease=please) over and over again. It really is a sad sight.

If you're happy and you know it...

2006-06-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

clap your hands.

if you're happy and you know it...

say HOORAY!

Feeling a little homeless

2006-06-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

We have been homeless for two weeks, well not exactly homeless. We still have our wonderful townhouse. We are in need of a church home though. You know that saying you don't know what you had until it was gone, or something like that. Well I had no idea that I felt so comfortable at my church home until it was not my home anymore. We were a part of a community in more ways than I knew. I did not think that I was the most plugged in at PUMP church but it was a bigger part of my life than I realized and now I fell homeless.

Last week we went to the church that is several blocks from our new home and yesterday we went to East County. There is nothing wrong with either of these churchs, they just weren't home. I miss the singing, the clapping, the preaching, knowing the people there and dare I say the tight quarters. I had a hard time being in a super huge complex. I also realized that at PUMP the children may not behave all the time but they are a part of the worship. Many of the times that the children speak out it is in response to the worship. I felt like we were trying to busy our kids with quiet activities rather than worship with them. As I looked around at other families it looked much the same. The children didn't even have any idea when we were praying.

I know that we will not find a church home that is exactly like the one we left. That is not our expectation. But I am coming to see what it was that I loved about my former church home. I hope that we can find a place that we can come to love as our church home as much as the one we are several hours away from. And I hope we do it soon.

connected again

2006-06-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well we moved and had to wait nearly a week to get the internet service started. I had no idea how much I used the internet until I couldn't. I really missed mapquest because I have no idea where anything is. When you talk to people on the phone they tell you an address but guess what... I still have no idea!! I took the long way to some places. I have figured out the main roads out of our neighborhood.

Our neighbors moved out today. It is very quiet now. They had three kids, two girls and a boy. Hannah loved the kids. But they also had a dog. Andrew was playing in the grass on our side of the complex and stepped in their dogs poo. Yesterday when we were all outside they had their garage door open.I was chasing Hannah around and walked near their garage. I suddenly got a huge whiff of dog crap. It was all over their garage. It looked as if it had been stepped on many times. Now I don't have a dog. For many reasons, but among them is the fact that I do not wish to shovel poop. If you have a dog there is no option. You must clean up after it. You chose the dog so you chose to clean up poop. I will not miss that dog.

We are settling in. I have unpacked the kitchen, and all the downstairs boxes accept three. The boys have yet to help me unpack their room and I flatly refuse to do it myself. I don't really care to play with their toys, so if they want to they gotta pitch in and help. Hannah's room is mostly unpacked and adam and my room is a huge disaster! Seems like I just keep dumping stuff in their. Eventually I'll get things put away.

I am shocked at all the details that have to be taken care of when you move. It is so overwhelming. I can't wait for all that to be over. I am glad we aren't planning on moving again until we buy a place.

We're back

2006-05-27T22:18:00.001-07:00

The happiest place on Earth

2006-05-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for the airport in fifteen minutes for what is sure to be an eventful flight. Although I hope it isn't I'm sure my kids will spice up my life in ways I can only imagine. I think that we are bringing everything in the house that I haven't put into a moving box yet. It looks like we're set to move to california. I think hannah leads the pack with stuff shes bringing. Why is it always the smallest ones who need the most? I am so excited I can hardly believe its time to go. Have a great week everyone. I just got a new memory card for my digital camera and it can hold 797 pictures. Any bets on how full I can make it by Saturday? Look forward to sharing our pictures with you when we return! Adios.

IT'S A...

2006-05-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!!!!!

We went to have an ultrasound today and the very first thing that we saw was that she is a girl! We are so excited. Last night when I put the boys to bed I asked them what they think the baby is. Andrew said that he wanted it to be a girl but thought it would be a boy. Isaac thought it would be a boy as well. Andrew was so ecstatic when we got home and told him. Everything else seemed to go well. She had all the right fingers and toes. Trouble was she would not stop moving and wiggling around. She kept putting her hands up by her face. It looked like she was rubbing her eyes.

We had the ultrasound done at the new adventist place kinda near the old navy in Gresham. It was fabulous. They asked us if we wanted to have a picture cd of the ultrasound. well Yeah! It was so easy to upload them and I can email them to my mom and other family. The tech was the nicest one I've ever had.

The only news that was a bit disappointing was that she measures small. Based on the measuremtents I would not be due the 7th of october but the 15th. Andrew's birthday is the 7th and we wanted to have the baby after his birthday but what a bummer to find out I have one more week to be pregnant that I thought.

Here's some more pictures of our new baby girl!

packing woes

2006-05-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

Well we are crazy. We are going to Disneyland!! on May 23rd and coming back the 27th. This is in an of itself a great undertaking but we are also moving on the 30th. My goal is to have our house packed up before we leave for Disneyland. That way I just have to clean when we get back. Right now I have no idea where anything in my house is. Its all just everywhere. There are scattered boxes around the house. Now it seems to me that as I packed up our belongings there would be less things to strewn around but oh was I wrong. The next few weeks are just going to be crazy!!

Redmond Here We Come!!

2006-05-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip over to Remond, Oregon to look for a place to live. I had a backup plan all thought out in case we couldn't find something suitable. I didn't think we were asking for much. We simply wanted three bedrooms and a washer dryer hookup. I can't imagine using a laundry mat with six people in our family, two of them being under two. We finally found a place that we liked. She had several townhomes and she was incredibly nice on the phone. We decided on 3016 SW Juniper Ave. It is close by the elementary school, a huge Baptist church and is in a new subdevelopment. We are going to fill out the application and fax it to her. Once we do that we should hear in about 8 hours. The only hang up could be that we don't quite make 3 times the amount of rent. We're really close and she said if our rental history is good then she'll most likely recommend us to the landlord. Please pray that whatever our previous landlords say it is positive. We have had good experiences and I'm sure Our history will check out. Here are some pictures.
This is the view from the street

Here is the kitchen

This is the living room

This is the dining room

Oh the joys of mothering boys!

2006-03-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

I had asked the boys, Isaac and Andrew, to go and pick up the masive pile of legos on their floor. They obliged and about five minutes later Isaac came out laughing. As a mother of young boys I have learned that laughter followed by "mom look at this" can yield surprising results. Sure enough, Isaac faked a sneeze and a lego flew out of his nose. By the look on his face I could tell he thought that it was so cool and a great idea. I told him gross, don't put things up in your nose. After that he said Andrew tried it but his lego got stuck in his nose. I called Andrew out and performed a small lego removal from his left nostral. The things that you don't realize come with the job!

How wonderful

2006-02-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

I am blessed to have the most wonderful husband. Today at school a large box arrived for me. It was flowers. Adam ordered them and had them delivered to my school. That put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

When I got home today all the boys immediately left to get things from the grocery store. I was a little suspicious but we really need groceries so.. go ahead. When they got home I was told that I needed to remain in Hannah's room or in our room. They made a restaurant for Valentines day! It was so cute. All orchestrated by my wonderful husband.

Christmas to an 8 year old

2005-12-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

Isaac told us a couple weeks ago that he wrote a story that was going to be in the newspaper. Besides that the details were slim. He didn't know the name of the paper, when or what the story was about. Consequently we forgot about it. On the last day of school Isaac came home with a paper called What the Holidays mean to me: a special publication of the Gresham outlook and sandy post. When we finally found his name, which was difficult because pages 11-18 didn't make it home, I was delighted. Here is what the holidays mean to Isaac:

"My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love to decorate the tree. When we get the tree I helped to carry the tree with my dad. We tied it too the top of the car. We bring it home and decorate. First we put on the lights. Then we put on the angel. Speaking of angel. Jesus was born on Christmas. The angel watched over Jesus. The holidays mean to me a king." (edited for the sake of you being able to read it. Page 19).

I just loved it. I hope that the holidays always mean to him a king. This was a good note for me to read as I was contemplating how we honor Jesus with our traditions. It seems that through the hustle and bustle of the season we have conveyed the message that Christmas is more than presents, its about the birth of Jesus our lord and savior. Not once did Isaac mention presents in what Christmas means to him.

Christmas Traditions

2005-12-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas and Christmas traditions. My youngest son is six and I was so happy to see the look of delight on his face as he recounted our families traditions. It just warmed my heart to share in the memories from his young point of view. My husband is also a tradition fanatic, more so than me.

As I reflected on the traditions that are important to me and to my children I began wondering about what the traditions are meant to celebrate. I mean we are remembering Jesus' birthday but most of our traditions focus on us, more specifically presents and a tree. We get together with family and stuff ourselves but is that really how we should remember the birth of Jesus? I want to know how to celebrate and remember the birth of Christ so that He is the center of all our traditions. But I'm not sure how. I also don't want to be extreme and purge every trace of santa.

What traditions do you have? How do make sure to honor and include Jesus in the celebration?

Unforeseen difficulties

2005-12-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine what it is like to live in a country and not know how to speak the language. Our neighbors speak Spanish and the children do a lot of interpreting for the parents. In our community there are many families that speak Spanish and even a little grocery store. In that respect things aren't that difficult. However there are little things that language barriers make impossible. Things that I would never think of. Just the other night the kids showed up at my door with a phone and a coupon. She said can you order pizza for us? It had never dawned on me that simple things I take for granted would be so difficult.

Have you been persecuted?

2005-12-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

I have this class on the Gospel of John. On Thursday my professor asked if we thought we should be persecuted as Christians. Of course immediately everyone's reaction would be no. I mean who wants to be persecuted? But there are the passages where Jesus says that the world first hated him and if we follow him it will hate us as well.

Well if we thought his first question was hard to swallow his second sounded absurd. "Should the church, in America, seek to be persecuted?" I'm not sure I've ever heard seek to be persecuted as a phrase before. I mean as people we seek whatever is comfortable, easy, pleasureable. The idea of seeking pain sounds so foreign.

One person in class said that if the church, all denominations, got together as a unified body and decided to pull out of politics that we would be persecuted. He thought that would be a great stand that the church could make.

During class I was quiet. I wasn't quite sure what I thought yet. As the day went on I realized that I don't think the church should take a stand against politics but against pop culture. I don't think that politics is necessarily oppossed to the christian faith but I am sure that pop culture is. If you listen to the lyrics in songs, see the images displayed in movies and the themes found on primetime its apalling. Not only is the content of this culture opposing my values but it infiltrates my life. If I choose to spend my time investing in pop culture it means i'm not choosing to invest in my faith, my family, my marriage...The time has to come from somewhere and sadly its generally from my marriage because my kids go to bed before primetime. It also has a tendency to take over my thoughts. What am I suppossed to be dwelling on? I'm pretty sure its not desperate housewives or survivor.

Listen to how we even choose to define pop culture. Its a culture. Its a way of life, a way of thinking. I believe however that we are called to be counter cultural. If the church is going to unite to take a stand against something I hope that we could stand against something that is pervasive in everyones life. After all how many people really think about politics each and every day?

Yummmm...

2005-11-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving today. I am so glad that I have such a loving family to be a part of. We all gathered around one big table and had a meal together. It occured to me that during this season of wanting, buying and wrapping material things I am most greatful for the people in my life. Not a new realization, or even unique but simply new each day. It seems like I have to consciously think about having my actions and attitudes reflect the importance that material possesions have in my life. They are not as important to me as my husband and children. It was very hard for me to remember this yesterday when my son inadvertantly broke a tile my older son had made with his hand print on it. I was so upset but in reality I look at that handprint every Christmas when it comes out of the box. Spending my time being upset about it or grumping at my son was not worth the actual value of the tile. I love my son more than that. In the moment it is so hard to remember that.

ready or not here I come!

2005-11-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

Well after reading my husbands blog, my two sons blog and just about every other person's blog that I've ever met, I decided I might want to start my own. No deep thoughts tonight just longing for a little sleep and for the semester to finally end! Not exactly an exciting first posting but I'll try to post earlier in the day next time, Maybe that will find me in a more thought provoking mood.