Muddy Matters

Last Friday I took the boys to the public library for International Mud Day.  Who knew there was such a thing right?  Needless to say the awesome library employees outdid themselves with this program - there was a pool of mud, tubs of dirt, bowls of mud...mud everywhere!  And I let Logan and Gavin dig in without any reservations!  (Hey, I came prepared:  clean clothes, underwear, diapers, and a bag for the dirty ones!)  The boys had so much fun...in fact, they shut the place down by being the last ones to leave!  Here's the high lights:

THE BIG POOL FULL OF MUD:

 

THE TUB OF DIRT FOR DIGGING OUT TREASURE:

 

MUD PAINTING:

 

A SMALLER POOL OF MUD...perfect for mud pies according to Logan:

 

CLEAN MUD...which ironically both boys declared "gross":

 

 

There was also a table for building clay sculptures, but niether Logan or Gavin made it past the pools and bowls of mud before all the clay was used up...  Mud wins over clay I guess - the messier the better!

 

They also had a hose and a bucket of water for cleaning up.  Gavin, being a big fan of water and hoses, considered this just another fun activity!

 

 

 

I took this last picture of Logan thinking we were done and that he couldn't get any muddier...

 

 

 

...I was WAY wrong on both counts!  Niether boy was done playing...and Logan DID get dirtier.  I wish I had a picture, but I'd already put the camera away and was working on cleaning up Gavin when Logan decided to dump a bucket of mud down the front of his shirt.  On purpose of course!  Vanessa, the librarian, and I had to tag team Logan's clean up.  She hosed out his clothes while I scrubbed him down with water from the bucket!

 

I never knew there was an International Mud Day, but I'm glad I do now!  I'd love to celebrate it again the next time it rolls around...but I'm not sure if our fearless librarians will ever be daring enough to tackle that project again!  And I wouldn't blame them!  So, I'm sending out a big thank you to everyone who pulled this fun experience off - what a perfect opportunity to let boys be boys!







time to bloom!

Yesterday was the last day of school, and Logan has officially finished kindergarten!  To celebrate the end of the year, the school held a "Blooming Night" - a time to congratulate each little kindergartner for their successful year and celebrate moving on to first grade. 

Logan's night included not only his class, but also three other kindergarten classes.  Each class walked out on to the stage and filled up the risers, and then they waited while the teachers got set and introduced the group.  Logan was wearing his "Tony Stark" shirt (meaning a button down over a T-shirt like Tony in Iron Man).  He had told me he was going out on stage with it all buttoned up, and up there he would unbutton it...and sure enough he did!

And once the shirt was unbuttoned, he had to button it right up again.  He struggled with this, and even though the little girl next to him tried to lend him a hand, he still didn't quite get the buttons lined up right.  It sure was cute to watch him and his little friend try to figure it out though!

Next up on the program...Singing!  And little poems!  And of course actions to go with each performance!

After the singing, each teacher stood up and listed off all of the students in the class.  Logan's class was last, and when his name was called, he gave me a big wave!

After the program, we got to go over to a table and look at all of the special work of Logan's that had been collected and put into a binder throughout the school year.  It was amazing to see how far he had come in just one school year!

Kindergarten hasn't been a smooth journey for Logan (or me for that matter), but we made it!  There is no doubt in my mind - or his teacher's - that Logan is ready for first grade this fall in all ways!  I'm so proud of my little man!  Way to go, Logan!

Joy Dare ~ May

So...this whole counting gifts idea isn't my idea.  It's hers.  She's pretty awesome in my opinion.  And so is her idea to count 1000 gifts.  I've been working on it since last fall.  And, when my small group at church decided to do her 1000 gifts study, I really gained some momentum on it.

And then the study was done.

And life got busy with the end of the school year approaching, and I just kinda stopped paying attention.  April's gift list was pretty short in fact.

So...when we moved into May I decided to do something to give myself a jump start, to get back into it.  Because, really, I'm a lot happier when I'm focused on counting gifts each day.  Turns out it really is the little things in life that bring joy.  And though big things are very nice, in the end, it's the little things that sustain us.  To do this, I decided to use her Joy Dare challenge.  She outlines things to look for each day of each month.  I used the month of May's list, but I didn't do it day by day.  I just counted my gifts and put them where they fit.  This left me unable to fill a few categories though, and also left me with a list of gifts that didn't seem to really fit anywhere (or just overfilled the three "requirement").  In the end, I didn't so much care about "getting it all done right," but just about getting back into the habit. 

I think it worked.

And I think next month I'll try her June list, and see what happens!

But for now, here's May:

3 gifts tasted

• coffee black first thing in the morning
• cool water sipped through a straw
• strawberry, sweet and blended up...money for a good cause

3 gifts flat

• late night movie on the flat screen TV

• Boys sprawled flat across the rug taking in a new show

• a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip for a picture perfect find

3 2 gifts found in difficult people

• Logan's kindergarten teacher who stuck with us and despite all we got him through kindergarten happy and excited to move on to first grade!
• A good conversation with a friend who hasn't been easy to connect with lately

3 gifts before 9am

• Great big good morning hugs from my house of boys
• My first run after recovering from an injury!

• Seeing the sun rise

a gift in a sign, a smile, a snack

• "Jealousy is counting someone elses blessing" - literally a sign created outside of a church in town.  Love that!
• Big smiles from my boys after the first run through the sprinkler!

• caramel ribbon frappuccino and blueberry scone...yum!

3 2 gifts found in Christ

• The Holy Spirit given to us on Pentacost
• His words read in church while sharing a Bible with Justin

3 gifts about your home

• New furniture delivered right on time

• spare room, clean and everything in it's place
• A back patio big enough for a table full of food and extended family gathered around to eat

3 one gifts inside a closet dresser

• New, SMALLER workout clothes (okay, actually they are in my dresser.  Same difference)

3 gifts found in the dark

• A hug to comfort my oldest after a nightmare
• Iron Man 3 at the movie theater with my boys
• Lightning bright across a night sky

a gift outside, inside, upside down

• a bird's nest tiny, eggs hatched, babies flown away
• A new garbage disposal installed and running beautifully - all by Justin!
• Trees reflected upside down in the still water of a pond

3 gifts about your parents

• Always a phone call away...no matter what
• Their absalute love and devotion to their grandchildren
• All the help they have given us in all ways through the last difficult year and a half

3 gifts held in hand today

• A tiny fish painted by Gavin for Mother's Day

• A handcrafted card made by Logan

• Logan's hand in mine as we took a nature walk on our Logan/Mommy day

3 gifts found in your mother

• Mom's successful hand surgery!
• A source of good advice ("Why don't you use that gauze that sticks to itself to wrap up Gavin's foot blister since band-aids don't stick?" - GENIUS!)
• A great place to get a good hug

a gift picked up, put away, put back

3 gifts about you

• My body - the one that has conceived, grown, and nourished to beautiful children
• A double ear piercing...proof of my success in getting healthier and growing stronger
• My newfound independence and confidence in who I am as a person, a wife, and a mother

3 gifts found in His word  (Proof I didn't really read my Bible this month.  At all.  Ooops!)

a gift in a box, a bag, a book

• A puzzle, bright and colorful

• Presents from Mimi and Papa's trip to the beach (cups for the boys, shirts for the grown-ups)
• Love Wins by Rob Bell...a picture of heaven so beautiful

3 gifts unexpected

• A friendly neighbor's help mowing the lawn
• Mud squished up between my toes at the park

• Flowers sitting on the front porch from my in-laws - Happy Mother's Day!

3 gifts from your childhood

• Friday nights, family sprawled all together for TV
• Nights gazing out an open window counting fireflies in the park
• Rides on the riding lawn mower around my grandparent's farm

a gift sweet, sour, salty

• A Hershey bar wrapped up to show teacher appreciation
• The first Starbucks strawberry lemonade of the season!
• French fries...fresh and hot with a salty bite on the tongue

3 gifts found in little people

• "Motorcycle" sounds created by Gavin

• "Underdogs" on the swings for Logan
• "Knock-Knock" jokes told by both boys at dinner time

3 gifts that made you laugh

• Corny jokes shared by a student
• Logan and Gavin's knock-knock jokes during a long car ride
• An ecard shared on facebook by a friend

3 gifts found in community

• Stories and laughter shared over cinnamon rolls at small group
• Coupons passed among friends

• Friends gathering together to take a walk

a gift in a plate, pot, package

3 gifts hard giving thanks for

• Roller coasters ridden in the rain
• A chiropractor (many visits and lots of $) to fix my aching back and hip
• A dishwasher back from the dead (maybe, HOPEFULLY) - why did it have to break in the first place and NOW of all times???  (Thanks again, handy husband!)

a gift worn, white, whispered

• Summer dresses, light and cool
• White flowers discovered on a nature walk with Logan

3 gifts found in church

• fellowship - a taco party - for Cinco de Mayo
• Hanging out and discussing our individual "quirks" before taking Communion
• Friendships

3 gifts in today's work

• A senior party with subs and cake to celebrate success!

• A competitive game of Clue with my 5th block students (I won!)

• Flexible schedule allowing me to go to Logan's last day of school picnic

a gift at 8am, 12pm, 8pm

3 gifts blue

• Playground equipment, blue paint chipped

• Tic-Tac-Toe for Gavin

• Blue jay outside my bathroom window

3 gifts you gave today

• Baby things packed up and mailed out to a friend
• An end of the year gift to Logan's kindergarten teacher
• A picnic lunch for Logan on his last day of kindergarten!

All the gifts that didn't land in a category:

• Logan singing praise songs ("Our God is greater, Our God is better...") on the patio.  (Yes, it was a conglomeration of lyrics and made up stuff, but so awesome!)
• My little boys singing along joyfully during praise and worship (Logan even knows a lot of the words now (see above gift) and Gavin just sings nonsense, but he does it with gusto!)
• A family first:  a Springfield Cardinals ball game!

• Introducing Cold Stone Creamery to my kiddos for the first time - Yum!
• Hiking out to "Logan Lake" on April & Phil's new land to watch Logan fishing
• Logan casting his very own fishing pole with expertise...
• ...and cheering Logan on for catching the biggest fish in the cooler...and then catching SIX more!
• Logan teaching ME how to cast a fishing pole  ("No, Mom!  Like this!  There you go!  You got it, Mom!  It's okay that you didn't catch a fish though.")
• Painting on the patio with my boys - Happy Memorial Day!
• Crayola Paint that washes right off - and out of clothing (mine) - with water!
• Journaling outside with the breeze rustling through the trees
• Steaks, medium-rare, fresh off the grill (yes, I like my meat that way.  So do my boys!)
• Rain falling in the sunshine while the boys run around in it with glee
• A date to the movies with my Logan on another Logan/Mommy day (we saw "Epic" - good flick)
• First swim of the summer in our backyard swimming pool
• The weightlessness of swinging back and forth, higher and higer.  I still love the swings at the park!

(92 gifts in May!  Woohoo!  Thank you for all of it, God!)

Holy Week ~ How we're celebrating/How we spent our spring break

Spring break and Holy Week converged this year, giving me a chance to spend the entire week leading up to Easter at home with my kiddos.  My goal was to spend some time each day talking about the purpose of Easter and working through many of the Live Life, Love Lent activities that we had missed over the past weeks.  Here's what we spent a lot of our time doing!

SLOW DOWN

'O taste and see that the LORD is good...'

Psalm 34.8

 

"We live in a world which whirls by at even increasing speeds.  Not only do we travel quickly, we do everything else quickly too.  There is nothing inherently wrong with this but it can mean that we go at such a speed that we forget to savour the good things that we have.  The ability to savour is a frame of mind, and if we become better at tasting our cornflakes we might discover that we get better at savouring other good things too, so...slow down."

 

Activity:  Take longer over breakfast and really taste your cornflakes (or whatever else you have!)

 

Slowing down is good!  I'm particularly enjoying the fact that during this Holy Week, the boys and I are also on spring break from school/work - allowing us all to slow down and really enjoy everything going on around us!  This morning we made an extra effort to do just that.  Instead of hopping out of bed at the last minute and sprinting off to the gym, I got up earlier, had a protein drink over my daily Bible reading (turns out today's reading was from Mark and talked of the Last Supper.  Coincidence?  I think not!).  After I got back, I stayed stinky for awhile so I could enjoy time with Justin before he headed off to work.  Then, I got cleaned up, and the boys and I worked together to whip up a new pancake recipe!  It was fun to take our time and cook together - no rush, no fighting, no yelling.  It made it so much nicer to sit down to breakfast together, say our prayer, and dig in!  I love getting to slow down...and so do they!

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BE MORE PEACEFUL

'And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4.7

 

"Peace is not something that can be instilled by command.  Indeed, it is often the case that the more that people tell you to be calm and relaxed, the more agitated and stressed you feel.  The peace that Paul talks about in Philippians is not the kind you need to work to achieve, it is God's and it will guard us.  We do not need to strive after it so much as to allow it to encompass us, so...be more peaceful."

 

Action:  Listen to a piece of music that makes you feel relaxed.

 

Ha!  Getting a five year old and a two year old to relax and listen to an entire song?  Not going to happen!  But we tried, and it turned out better than I could have imagined.  Sure, they wiggled.  And talked.  And poked each other.  But they did it all while sitting on my lap, and I loved getting to be so close to my kiddos.  We listened to a song called You Make Everything Beautiful by Rebecca St. James (one of my all time favorite singers).  I love the message behind this song and getting to share that with my boys!

 

In my weakness You can shine

In Your strength I can fly and

You make everything, everything beautiful

You make everything, everything new

You make everything, everything beautiful

In its time, in Your time

It's beautiful

 

 



BE MORE OPEN

'See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare...'

Isaiah 42.9

 

"One of the characteristics of human beings is that we often like things to be the same as they've always been.  Just think about how outraged you feel when they move the supermarket shelves around or change something you love.  Although we don't like it, change is important for us, because it stops us becoming stagnant and inert.  God is always doing something new, so...be more open."

 

Activity:  Try something new, for example a different food or a new experience

 

So far, this entire week has been an experiment in trying something new.  First of all, it's spring break and my day care is closed giving me the opportunity to play stay at home mom all week (a new experience for ALL of us!).  There have been all these opportunities to do new things (crafting at the Artsy Cafe) and making new dinners and desserts.  Today, the boys and I tried our hands at a new cake recipe with homemade frosting.  Logan turned his nose up at the frosting at first.  I finally got him to take a lick, and I then had the opportunity to watch his face light up in amazement - it was good!  This week has been an amazing experience so far - I'm so looking forward to summer vacation now!

 

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DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT
'For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do."
Romans 7.19

"Evil may be putting it a bit strongly, but so often we end up by accident doing things other than the good we intended to do.  It is so easy to get side-tracked, pulled into watching that bit more telly or to spend that bit more time on the computer.  We don't intend to, it just happens.  Sometimes all we need to do is to make the decision to do something different, some good that we meant to do but haven't, so...do something different."

 

Activity:  Outside of work, have a screen-free day and do something different.

 

Today was one heck of a screen free day for us!  Well, the boys got a little TV this morning while I got ready, but we were out of the house by 9:30 and on our way to lunch, shoe shopping, and the zoo! 

 

 

After three hours walking around the zoo, we headed back home.  There was a quick stop at Subway for dinner, and then we were on to the church for our very first Maundy Thursday foot washing service!  I didn't know what to expect having never even really heard of people doing a foot washing before, but it was pretty okay.  Our church is laid back, so there's no pressure.  And they were very accommodating with my children...meaning they let them wash feet with the grown-ups and thought it was cute.  Oh, and they didn't complain when they ran around like heathens during Communion (oh boy). 

 

All in all, it was a great day to be away from the "screen" for a good chunk of time!

 

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REMEMBER MORE

'[Jesus] said,..."Do this in remembrance of me."'

1 Corinthians 11.24

 

"Christians believe that Jesus is present with us when we remember him as he told us to.  This is a little like when we say that we know something 'by heart', it is more than just a memory in our brains, it somehow lives deep within us.  Special words known by heart can inspire, nourish and sustain us when we need them most as we recite them or bring them to mind, so...remember more."

 

Activity:  Learn the words of something by heart, for example a poem a prayer or a song.

 

'Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'

I decided to look up the verse on my coffee cup and memorize it.  I intended to have Logan memorize it, too, but I ended up never really pushing the issue.  I am glad to have this one always with me though.

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR

'Greet one another with a holy kiss.'

Romans 16.20

 

"Well maybe not a kiss - it would certainly surprise your neighbours if you tried to kiss them!  However, the sentiment remais.  So many people live in an isolated and lonely bubbly, with no one to reach out to them and understand who they really are.  Neighbours can be near us physically but a long, long way away in all other senses.  Being a good neighbour involves reaching out and being 'near' in more ways than just living nearby, so...be a good neighbour."

 

Activity:  Say hi to your neighbours today or when you next see them.

 

It was in the mid-sixties Friday afternoon so we spent over three hours that afternoon/evening playing outside on our front porch and driveway.  We ate cupcakes, rode bikes, drew with chalk...and said hello to all of our neighors as we saw them!  I love that I have such open and friendly boys!

 



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMILE MORE

'O that we might see some good!  Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!'

Psalm 4.6

 

"Somewhat intriguingly, in the Old Testament, a phrase that is commonly used to describe the good things we receive from God refers to the light of God's face, as here, or in the well-loved blessing from Numbers 6.25, 'the LORD make is face to shine upon you'.  The phrase ties up blessing with smiling.  While smiling is no subsititute for doing good in the world, smiling communicates things such as warmth, love and joy, which are all part of God's blessing to us, so...smile more."

 

Activity:  Give lots of smiles away today.

 

Today was the perfect day to put into practice this particular activity.  Justin and I took the boys to a huge egg hunt put on by one of the local churches.  The place was complete mad house and, to top it off, it was chilly and rainy.  Generally, this is the perfect scenario to put me in a foul and snarly mood which, of course, always rubs off on the boys making them equally crabby.  But, NOT TODAY!  Sure, I struggle the first few minutes there as I was completely taken off gaurd by the crowd (and the fact that I left the boys' coats at home), but I remebered this activity, remembered that keeping a smile on my face (and my boys' faces) was the goal. 

 

And....it worked!

 

Even when it started to drizzle, and I was feeling overwhelmed, I simply put a smile on my face for everyone I met.  And you know what, I had the boys smiling, too.  And, the more we smiled, the more fun we started to have!  It turned out to be a fun time despite all the chaos and confusion and cold and drizzle.  Proof that smiling goes a long way!

 

 



TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOME

"or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?'

 Luke 15.8

 

"The point in the parable of the lost coin is that the woman cares so deeply for the lost coin that she will stop at nothing until it is found.  Of course in its context this parable is about searching for people that are lost and not just things.  So why not take this parable one step further?  And while you tidy a room or cupboard, pary for someone who is lost or who has lost their way, so...take care of your home."

 

Activity:  Tidy a room or a cupboard in your house.

Today we worked together as a family to clean up our whole house.  Justin and I made the bed and folded laundry (with Gavin's "help") while Logan worked hard to pick up and put away all of his toys.  Then we worked together in the kitchen to make dinner and wash dishes.  It was great to work together as a family to take good care of our home!

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I know the way we tackled our Love Life Live Lent project was supposed to go, but I know after tonight that no matter how we went about it, we arrived at the same end goal:  we were able to focus our hearts and minds on the true purpose of Easter, on the sacrifice of Jesus and the miracle of the empty tomb. 

How do I know?

Tonight we sat down to for a dinner as a family.  Logan asked to say the prayer, and of course, we let him.  His prayer started out as usual.  He thanked God for his family, for the food.  He then went on to pray for the Easter Bunny...and then he thanked God for sending us Jesus.  He thanked  Jesus for rescuing us.  He thanked God for bringing Jesus back to life. 

And my heart nearly exploaded with happiness.  He's getting Easter.  Best Easter gift ever.