Kidspeak again

Jaxon: Mommy why are you running?

Me: Because I like too

Jaxon: I don't like running I just like "slowing"

(To put this in perspective- I was running up the steps trying to get him to hurry up and get up stairs because it was bedtime.  Oh we have our work cut out for us with this one!)

kid speak

As I have before and will try to remember to do often- I like to post what I hear kids say:

Friday night:  Jaxon- Mommy does Papa Jommies deliver pizza to lifetime?

Sunday afternoon: Henry (2)- MarMar are there breakables in this house?

Sunday evening: Cooper- Mommy I want to eat at Taco Cavana

Sunday evening: Jaxon has really started pulling out all the stops when it comes to bedtime- Mommy your so pretty wif u quowes.  (thank you go to sleep) Mommy your so pretty wif u hair. (thank you son, it's time to sleep)  Mommy you so pretty wif u feet.  I wuv you soo very very much!  (thank you son, now stop talking.)  I never get tired of hear little people learning to talk : )

You say tomato I say...

You remember that song... the different ways to say potato and tomato?  Well thanks to different interpretations of how the law is written with regards to drop in daycare facilities I will be losing my job at Lifetime Fitness effective 4/23/09.  I don't know all the details and the club manager is just following what the head guys are saying out of our big offices.  What I do know is that those of us who have children will no longer be able to bring our kids to work with us.  That was one of the reasons I went to work there in the first place.  I can honestly say I have never lost a job before- never been really forced out.  I have always left for whatever reason I needed to leave.  I am bummed about losing this one because we (family) love it there and because I have up until now enjoyed the idea behind the company.  It is a very positive company to work for.  Early last week I received an email from a first grade teacher at the school where Mason and Cooper attend asking if I would be interested in keeping her daughter next year.  At the time I laughed and told Jeff I thought it was the devil putting into my brain the opportunity to make a little more money- that seemed to be the temptation (I really wasn't making that much money and was only working a few days a week anyway)-Then the announcement was made about us not being able to take our kids to work.  So I stop to say...God are you providing...am I listening?  Because the company and the law do not pronounce the law the same way is God providing...?  I think so!  I don't know what my future holds but I will not worry because as He always has in the past... God will provide!  I hope you will be able to see God providing in your life this week as well!

Blessed

I was reminded last night as I did my weekly shopping how richly blessed we are!  For several months now I have struggled within the depths of a deep swing of depression.  It is a clinical diagnosis that I received in college and I have taken medication for years for it.  I have not found myself this far in since college.  During these times I spend a lot of time in self analyzation.  I am not feeling sorry for myself- actually just the opposite.  I pull away both socially and emotionally from lots of people and activities.  During down times I think about all that is around me.  I spend lots of time in pray.  Sometimes I don't even know what to pray but I know the Holy Spirit intercedes on my behalf.  I draw my family closer.  I have kids this time and have spent much time just holding and hugging on them.  In college I spent time with my dad.  I didn't date - I went to school, came home, worked some, but just hung out with dad.  Over the last week I have seen a turn in my mood and can feel the sunlight on my face again.  I feel like I am coming out of the deep dark hole.  Last night while doing my weekly grocery shopping I found myself more aware of the people around me and witnessed something that not only broke my heart but also made me stop and offer a prayer of gratefulness and thankfulness.  I watched two women pull money out of their purses and count it.  Then I watched as they returned items that were in their basket.  Now maybe they were on the Dave Ramsey cash thing and they didn't want to go over their budget.  But I suspect they just didn't have the money to get all they had put in their basket.  They didn't have much by the time they were done, but they had their essentials.  I was struck by the immediate need to thank God for what I had in my basket, for what I was going to put in, and for the car that I would load them into as well as the home I had to take them to.  If you are wondering why I did not offer to help- 2 reasons-1 they were too far into the check out process for me to jump in and go "oh here I'll help and 2- dignity- the "save face" kind.  There were many around, they had what they needed and I didn't want to embarrass them.  Jeff and I had also just give a large amount to a missionary group that morning to help sponsor a child's education, clothes, and food for a year.  I figured by that time I had done what I could for the day and would look for a place to help all week.  So I extend this challenge to all who read this blog.  1st stop what you are doing and get on your knees and thank God for his goodness.  2nd find some way to help someone less fortunate than you this week.  Pray for the person you help and others in the same situation.   If you are a random reader whom I don't know- thanks for reading!  If you are a friend or family member who reads my blog, I am thankful you are in my life!!  Have a blessed day!

It's been a few days

It's been a few days since I stood on my soap box- I'm off now and in the words of Forrest Gump

"that's all I've got to say about that."  

I have something to say...

I can't hold my tongue any longer.  I promised I would not get up on a political soap box or anything but I am struggling today as I have for many days in a row and now I must speak! (ok type)  I read lots of blogs and FB and I get lots of email.  These days the contents of these items that I read are politically laced with critical jargon of our President.  Yes he is new and yes he is different but I don't believe he is as evil as some would make him out to be.  I am tired of being told how bad he is.  I am tired of sitting in my nice (albeit messy home) and being told that I need to prepare for the worst.  We have soo many clothes in this house that we can't put them all away when they are clean.  We have yet to borrow money to make a house payment.  We have yet to not eat a meal. (ok maybe we skip breakfast but it isn't because we have to it is because the morning gets away from us).  We have health care and our children are drinking clean water and getting shots to help with diseases that in other countries are running amok and killing precious little ones.  I was married for 3-4 years before I realized that what I was donating (junk to me but precious to others) could be written off as an expense on my taxes.  I always thought you were supposed to give just because it was the right thing to do not because you could make money off of it.  Yet today I was reminded by a dear friend of her frustration of the changes that are being made in the ability to write off certain monetary donations and other things thanks to the new leader of our country.  (Yes, my friend I do understand your frustration that we must must must find a cure)  But right after reading her thoughts I logged on to my email and get to emails re: Obama's closure of Guantanamo Bay.  I was reminded that his first interview in office was with Al-Arabiya.  That he called for an ending to a CIA program that was "crucial" to interrogating terrorists.    I was also reminded about an enormous amount of money that our president 20.3 million according to the email that will be allotted to Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza.  It was stated that these refugees have ties to Hamas and will be allowed to resettle in the US if they chose.  Ok so this info while public record is something that we are worrying about right now at this very moment while we have families who are losing their loved ones on a daily basis?  While we have homeless in the city of SA that need to be cared for.  We are concerned about what we are reading while there are teenagers giving birth to preemie babies with no idea of how to care for them and no idea of where they will get clothes or money to take care of them?  Do we miss some of the news and pay attention only to what we want to get a rise out of others or is it because he is our new president?  Are we aware that President Bush gave 27 million from the US Emergency Refugee and migration assistance fund to refugees from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, and Afghanistan.  In 2007 he gave almost 30 million to Samalia, Sudan, Chad and Gaza (no connections in these countries I'm certain right?!)  Are we aware that the reason the first interview given to Al-Arabiya was to try and consolidate the cease fire and that Obama has extensive experience in the area of diplomatic peace talks.  Are we aware that the CIA was on board with ending the program that kept terrorism suspects in secret custody for months or years all the while being under fire from foreign governments and human rights activists.  By putting an end to these programs it forces the CIA to have to follow the same process used by the military in questioning these suspects.  I have to say if we are going to believe what we hear and see we must make sure we know all sides of everything before we live in fear of our country being turned completely upside down by one man.  Besides all this why are we living in fear if we call ourselves Christians?  Maybe I have a different perspective because I have lived in a 3rd world country and burned nay etched into my heart and my brain are those who wear the same tattered cloth around their bodies day after day- sleep on a mat on the dirt of their tin/grass hut and beg for money on the street corner.  Or maybe I think and feel differently because I have gone to bed at night scared to death that something might happen to a family member because they were out after curfew in a country that was in the middle of a coup.  Or maybe just maybe it is because I know that when the Holy Spirit descended upon me at baptism that I knew then and there that the promise of eternal life would far outweigh the light and momentary struggles that occur today.  When I say light and momentary I am speaking of my trivial struggles that I think I am having on a day by day basis.  This morning I felt like the Grinch with all "the noise noise noise noise".  I just thought I would get some of that out of my head.  Feel free to leave a comment if you would like : )

Rude Awakening

This morning we were soo careful to get the kids ready for school and Jeff was quiet as he got ready for work.  Zoe and Jaxon slept soundly and I was excited that I might get to watch a little of the Today show or maybe even dare to crawl back in bed for a few more winks before getting my day started.  Unfortunately we forgot to disarm the alarm to the house and at 6:58 it went off.  My poor sleeping children had quite the awakening!  Jaxon said, "Mommy I don't like that scary noise!"  He was crawling up in my lap as he was saying this just shaking.  Zoe of course was bawling.  When I went into her room she was sitting but bent in half with her head buried in her blanket.  Bless their hearts!