Bad Hair Day

I am so thankful that Brian is being intentional about coming home so I can get out alone. We have found that I do better in general when I get some alone time. And he's seeing how much it helps when I'm "better." So he's come home the last 2 Thursdays so I can escape for an hour or so.

And today was one of those days. :)

And I decided this morning I was going to use some of the money my parents shared with us when they left on Monday to go get a haircut. It's been a year and a half since I've paid for a haircut. My sister (a hair diva) has trimmed it for me. I have trimmed it for me. But it's been that long since I've had a real cut. Needless to say I was pretty pumped all day.

Unfortunately it's a bad cut. :( I mean, a really bad cut. You're not living up to your name, Great Clips, lol.

I think Brian can trim the rat tail off. And I know I have never been attractive because of my hair. Anyway, isn't it supposed to be that true beauty comes from the inside? That what attracts others to me is that I love them as Jesus would (as best I can)? I can do that with bad hair. In fact, if I do that well, they shouldn't notice my hair at all.

Now, I admit it would be nice to feel cute. At least it can still be pulled back into a pony-tail, and I feel like I pull that look off pretty well...I wonder what "cute" looks like in heaven? What does a heavenly haircut look like? Because bad hair is NOT the way it's supposed to be! :/

new idea

I'm trying somthing new this morning. I just lined all 4 of them up, Sound of Music style, and told them I was setting the timer for 10 minutes. During that 10 minutes they are all to brush their teeth, brush their hair, and make their beds. If they finish before the timer goes off, they come ask what more they can do. If, at the end of the 10 minutes, all 4 of them have not done all 3 things, they will *all 4* have consequences, so help each other out.

We'll see how this goes. I think I like it! And I'm going to make coffee and empty the dishwasher. :)

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

So we've been reading this book, chapter by chapter, for weeks. The words are pretty "high," but Sarah Frances is able to follow well. If Catherine would sit still she'd hear more, lol. But the other night we read this. I thought it was worth sharing.


Rebecca said, "Look at the pebbles in the bottom of the pool, Miss Emily, so round and smooth and shining."

"Yes, but where did they get that beautiful polish, that satin skin, that lovely shape, Rebecca? Not in the still pool lying on the sands. It was never there that their angles were rubbed off and their rough surfaces poilshed, but in the strife and warfare of running waters. They have jostled against other pebbles, dashed against sharp rocks, and now we look at them and call them beautiful."


I am hopeful that I will be more beautiful for having been through "the strife and warfare of running waters" and not just look haggard and washed-up. :)

Personal Training

So I got a call last week from a girl wanting to hire me as her personal trainer. First time for this. And I admit I sounded very unprofessional--thinking out loud about when I could meet her because of childcare for my four kids, etc., and admitting to her that I haven't done any personal training before and needing to talk to my husband about how much I'd charge. Yuck! Now that I think about it, I'd not trust myself if this were my first impression of me.

But I took her info, and we agreed on a time and place. I sent her an email with details, encouraging her that I am excited to write the high-intensity workout that she asked for, plus all the other logistics, yadda, yadda, yadda. She didn't reply to the email. Sent her another, double-checking that I have the correct address. No reply. Called her, saying I have another appointment for Sat. morning (true, although not for personal training) and wanted to confirm our appointment, to please let me know if she'll be unable to make it. No call back.

I've written the workout. I have my gear ready. I'll be there at 6am to meet her. Think she'll be there?

Keep on trying

Ever put yourself out there, to serve as God prompts? You get a nudge to offer yourself up in some way or another--time, words, possessions, money, prayers--so you...no, I sometimes skiddishly step out there in obedience. And I am very often skiddish and hesitant, even scared because I might be rejected. And often I am.

But guess what? Jesus was more rejected than I could ever be. And who am I to keep the goods to myself? If I'm not serving and putting myself out there, my friends and acquaintances are missing out and so am I. We all need the grace Christ offers us THROUGH THE BODY. And even though I am scared, as I serve, I learn (again) that his grace is sufficient and calms my fears. And (in theory) I should have more confidence next time I stick my neck out there. And they receive a blessing from God through me. It's a win-win.

So get involved. Let others be involved in your life. Love well. Let others love you well. And fear not. Stick your neck on out there. For me. For others. For you. For Jesus.

swimteam

When we signed up for swimteam, we chose our team because their practice was in the morning and not late afternoon. I liked that it was the same coaches as the bigger team but on a smaller scale (stated max of 50). I even liked that there wasn't a team suit to buy!

Well, guess why? Because this is not a real swimteam! This is not club swimming! At the meets (term used loosely) there are no heats or timers or points, and it lasts just over an hour because we have to be out of the pool at a certain time. The kids line up by ages and genders, one team on each side of the pool, and we fill the empty lanes on our side of the pool while they fill theirs as they come available. The man on the diving board says, "Swimmer's take your mark. Go!" Each swimmer gets a place ribbon as they exit the pool.

Our first meet we showed up with 2 big bags of towels, colors, NDS's, Little People firetruck, etc., all geared up for a 3 hour event with lots of waiting between races. LOL! The coach looked at me and explained the situation. So disappointing!

But now I think I'm glad. It suits for us to keep things laid back as much as possible this summer. And they're getting FANTASTIC instruction. The coach really knows what she's doing. So the emphasis has been on stroke improvement vs. time improvement. Works for me; just a shift in thinking.

I wish I knew how to add a pic to this blog. I'd show you how cute our swimmers are! Any suggestions on how to do that?

Olden days

Tonight while Brian has been finishing up his Greek translation of the ENTIRE book of 1 John (pretty cool he can do that now!), I've been looking at pics of old friends on FB. I mean friends from way back. Back when I was in Ruston schools. It's funny what I remember from those days. My memories don't always match reality, I think. Looking back I was so insecure and trying so hard to be a part of a group where I was on the fringe on a good day. But still I have memories of great times with individuals within that group. Why was I so obsessed? Why did I try so hard? I was so concerned with "them" that I hardly remember who I really hung out with. Now that's not really true. What is true is that I can look at group pics and feel like I should be in them, but it's blaringly obvious (to me) that I'm not. In any of them. Real truth is that I shouldn't be in them. I wasn't a part of "them". But oh how I wanted to be.

Silly, isn't it. Now my brother on the other hand has always been secure within himself. He has never (as far as I am aware of) looked outside of himself and his Savior for significance or approval. And he's been that way forever. What a gift.

Catherine, our 6yo, has been a good lesson to me in all this kind of "stuff." She is stinkin' hilarious and came out that way. Catherine will never have to try to be cool--whatever that means at the time--because she is so secure in herself that she can be silly and fun in any situation.

I guess I'm still trying to embrace who I am. There are days I wish I weren't such a thinker or doer. That I could laugh at something more than worry about it. That I could have a conversation that didn't dive into the depths of who you are. That ALL of my significance, security and satisfaction would come from Jesus Christ. Resting in that truth will free me from so much worry about people and circumstances. Whomever/whatever they are. Even when I feel like I did in Jr. High.

Hi

I wish I had something real to say. But I just want to say hi.

Today was my dear friend Rebecca's birthday. Did I call her? No, I spent my day cleaning out the girls' room, even under the bed. And repairing their plastic window that's been busted out some so it will stay cooler up there. But I love her more than I show her.

Which seems to be the case with most people. I miss you all, even though I don't let you know directly. I do pray for you as I know how. Bet your bottom dollar on that one.

I've also come to a tricky place in blogging. Maybe I'm just growing up, learning to keep private things private. But lately there are thought processes and learning experiences I don't feel free to share, although I would have to assume they are common struggles and if someone would just talk about them, we'd all be able to better encourage one another. Still, I'm going to keep my mouth shut for now.

We are considering moving the kids' rooms around. Right now all 4 of them are upstairs. Sarah Frances and Catherine share the room on the front of the house. Lillian (still in her crib although she climbs in and out at will) and Patrick are in the "playroom," tucked on either side of the half-wall that comes up in the middle of the room to protect them from falling down the stairwell. The play area is at the top of the stairs along with a full bath.

So we're thinking of giving up the classroom and moving Patrick downstairs. I don't think he'll like it at first--he's ALWAYS wanting to be with "the geels"--but I'd rather be early than too late on that move. And I expect he'll learn quickly to like having boy-only space. Then we'll move Lillian in with Catherine and put Sarah Frances where Patrick was, giving her a space tucked off to the side all her own to keep as neat and tidy as she likes. That will also free up Lillian's side of the room (a bit wider that P's) to be lined with all-girl stuff like a play kitchen, doll cradle, strollers, etc.

Not sure what that means exactly for school work. Plenty of people we know do it at the dining room table and move it all to eat everyday. We'll see. Just ready to re-organize and clean out again. And get Sarah Frances her own spot without allowing her to be entirely free from interacting with the others. And get Patrick downstairs. Tonight he wanted to read with us--me on the floor in the big girls' room with them in their beds--and I told him his daddy would come read BOY books to him vs. listening to a GIRL book about little girls selling soap. It took some convincing, I'll have to say.

Haven't I said before that the irony of teaching them to want to be together is that they want to be together all the time?? Poor Patrick. He's always the only boy. I'm glad we're finished, medically speaking, with kids b/c these days I'd really, really like him to have a brother.

There is a boy up the street, Sol, who Patrick loves. They are about 2 weeks apart in age and have only played together in our front yard 10 times, MAYBE, when he and his dad, David, walk their dog down the hill and toward our house. Yes, that's David and his son "Sol"oman. And they're practicing Jews. Funny! Anyway...Patrick loves Sol. Anytime we see them coming, Sol is ALWAYS dressed up head to toe as a super hero of sorts. Yesterday he was Buzz Lightyear. He's been Ironman before and Spiderman several times. P. runs to get on his Spidey costume and meets his friend out front to talk. And boy do they talk. About what we're having for dinner. What they played at school. And now about a new baby. WHAT?? Didn't even know they were pregnant (now I know why I haven't met Jen this summer if she's huge pregnant and doesn't want to take the dog and a 4yom for a walk and why we haven't seen them lately.) Keep reading...there's a sweet point coming... So yesterday we find out the baby is about 2 weeks old, and we bake them a banana nut bread. Patrick signed the note, addressed to Sol and family, and while we were waiting for the door to be answered, Jen's father drove up with a key. He said right away, "So this is the Patrick who lives down the street. Sol says that's Patrick's house every time we drive by."

My sweet boy is loved back! I about cried. I am so thankful for Sol. I hope one day I can meet Jen. We've wanted to have them over for dinner but just in the last 3 weeks found out where they lived. They always just appeared in front of the house on random days. No info was ever exchanged so we didn't know how to get in touch with them. It was Sol and his family that P wanted to have over for his bday dinner. But they are very private people. I still don't know if the baby's a boy or girl. Praying for openness and opportunities to love them well.

Which brings me to a closing point. Ever heard of or read Jerram Barr's book Learning Evangelism from Jesus? It's an amazing read. Amazing because so often our evangelism doesn't look like Jesus's did. Anyway...

Enough randomness. Really just wanted to say hi. Hope you're having a good summer too. :)