Story time

I love childrens books! I always have, they are fun and have lots of cool pictures. I have been collecting books for years, long before I had children. I guess it comes with the teritory of working with pre-schoolers.

I was out garage sale hunting today and I like to look for childrens books at a much lower price that are in good condition, and I found one that was brand new. The mom looked at me and said " It's brand new from Christmas, I just got tired of reading it to my daughter" I laughed, and then she said "It is just to long."

As I looked thru the book I thought yes it is a little wordy and when her daughter wants her to read it over and over again, it can get a little old. I bought the book and put it in my bag and we went on our merry way.

But it got me thinking "yes I have books that I hate to read to Nancy because they are long and wordy and really not all that interesting" and then I realized that is the book that she always chooses. When I sit down to read her a story she pickes out the ones that I could care less for, and I think that she has a radar that tells her "Mom is tired pick out this one SHE HATES IT" and she brings it over to me and I sigh and then look at her blue eyes looking at me and start reading it.

One day my Aunt was over visiting and Nancy brought her that book, and my aunt being the great person that she is said "oh a story, oh it has lots of stories in one book. How fun" and as she turned the pages she didn't read the story, she made up her own. She put my kids names in there and then talked about the pictures and since that day I have done the same thing with that book that I don't enjoy, yet now can find some humor in.

Kids are fun and reading is so important but why? Why can't they like the books that you think are the funniest, or the most fun, or have the catchy tune that goes with it? I think it is the radar that goes with the child "well mom enjoys this book way to much pick out another one" I don't know, I guess I just enjoy different things. I could go on and on about the different books I enjoy and now Nancy is begining to enjoy some of the same ones I enjoy! We laugh and have fun with our books! You wanna be her best friend? Read her a story!

What are some of your favorite childrens books? I would love to hear

That Darn Cat

So I love cats. I don't love, love them but I love my cat. I have almost always had one growing up. My first cat was Snoopy. He was a big fat orange cat that was just the best. He would just plod along at his own pace and have fun. He passsed on when I was in 8th grade.

My sophmore year I got another cat and named her Marble. She was a cat with attitude. She just wanted to be fed and occasionaly she would let you pet her. She really didn't care for people and liked me, because I fed her and took care of her. She passed away shortly after I got married.

We finally moved into a house after we were married and I said I really wanted to get a cat. So we adopted from the humane society and got Gus. He was a big fat orange tabby cat. Gus was a cuddler. He would crawl up on my lap and sleep next to me all night long. I think that Gus may have caught one bird and that was it that I know of. Gus had siezures and we didn't put him on medication but just let him live. He died just before Ron was born. I was sad and missed my little guy.

Well my sister's cat had just had kittens and she asked if I wanted on and I said sure so she drove up with my mom and her girls from Portland with a kitten and gave it to me. I was quite surprised to see that the cat was all black. I have never really been a fan of black cats but she was free and what could I say? She was a barn cat and so she lived outdoors and we were not quite sure how she woud adjust to being an indoor/outdoor cat. Well she did just great and she took to Nancy quite well. Nancy loved her and they would play together for a long time chasing all over the house and when Nancy fell asleep the cat slept right next to her. I had to name this cat and wasn't sure what to name it so I choose Lucy. I choose this name because it was short for Lucifer in case I needed a cause to get mad at the cat I could say her whole name. I know I have a warped sence of humor and that is just how I roll.

Well we had, had this cat for a few weeks and soon the cat was bringing me presents. One morning I am sitting at the table with my back to the window and I hear a bang I turn and say "oh a bird must have hit the window" I had no more than turned around again and here comes Lucy jumping up to look out the window. Suddenly I look down and see this little bird flapping all over the place, Lucy sees it at the same time and grabs it and takes it down to the floor and starts playing with it. I picked up the bird and put it outside, and closed the door. A few minutes later the cat comes running up with the same bird and starts playing with it, I pick it up again and throw it out and close off the cat door.

Since then we have had several of these episodes. She has caught rats and birds, I am still waiting on the goffers that I have in my yard. But the thing that never fails is that she always does this right after I have cleaned my floors. Last night I had the same thing.

Well everyonce in awhile I would hear this lullaby music that would be playing and I would just think that it was one of the kids toys and ignore it. Well today I was sitting downstairs and we are playing and I hear the music again but it is upstairs in the bedroom, I look up to see Lucy on Nancy's bed and trying to get comfortable has pushed the fish mobile button and is watching the fish and listening to the music. Now I have seen it all. She is a fun cat but boy does she have some strange habits. I spend a lot of time laughing at her and her funny ways.

Just like our kids God has created all living creatures with a different personality

Making My Mother Cringe

Because we just celebrated Mother's day and all I thought I would share some humourous insights from my childhood/adulthood of things my mom never knew but would cringe if she had known.

When I was in camp at a young age I would sneek off and just hide and be by myself for no reason other than making people look for me. I was truly a counselor's worst nightmare. I would cry and complain, and I got my payback during all my years as a counselor.

When I decided to go to Moody Bible Institute (I was only there one semester) I got a job working for a family down on the waterfront at their apartment, babysitting. If you know anything about where Moody is, it is down town Chicago, next to Cabrina Green project. There was a police station right across the street from the school, and I would walk home the 10 blocks by myself at 1o:oo pm. I was crazy, but I figured I stayed on the streets with all the bars I could just run in if I ran into problems. Not exactly the smartest move.

Then my favorite story that I love to tell is when I lived in Boston and I had just bought my first car. I was so excited and after youth group I was able to pick it up. My pastor said that I could leave my car at their house, and then I would be able to get a ride the next day to pick it up. Well I didn't want to wait to drive my new car, so I went and picked it up at 11pm and drove both cars about 15 miles. I would drive a couple blocks and then walk back and get the other car and then drive the car a few more blocks and then go back and get the other car. I think I finally got to my pastor's house about 1 am. I was so tired but it was so fun and I felt like I was on this great adventure and I laughed and said to myself "This will be a great story".

Now that I am a mom I look at these of many instances that make me cringe and hope that my children have a little more common sense and I will just have to keep praying for them continuously knowing God is in controll.


To all of you moms Happy Late Mothers day

Getting the job done

So being a neat freak I like to have a clean house and I want everything to be in its place and so I try to keep it up. I feel that it is very important to show my children that we put things away when we are done with them.

I got the biggest smile the other day when Nancy was not feeling well at all and she was walking around with her sippy cup and just trying to get comfortable and try to feel better. I was on the phone and I had some peeps for dessert (an Easter favorite) and I had left the box on the table with every intention of throwing the box away as soon as I was done with my phone call. I looked over and there is Nancy walking over to the recycling bag putting my box away. Oh the joy that I felt that all those times of putting stuff away was not wasted (in more ways than one)

I am waiting for the day that she looks at her daddy and says "ummm dad you need to pick up your stuff"

I try really hard not to complain and lead by example and just clean up and have the kids clean up when they are done with something. Perhaps this will rub off to daddy and then I will be able to relax!

For now I am just happy with the small little examples that my children show me that they really do listen to what I say and see my example!

Sickies

So when you have two children one of them is bound to be sick, be it a runny nose, the runs, or what ever comes down the pike. I have spent the weekend with my daughter Nancy who has been to the doctor for most of Saturday trying to figure out why she has a fever, only to discover that she has Pneonomia. We caught it early and so she is doing well, but it made me really start to wonder why should I plan anything?

This is the week that I am doing a garage sale for our AWANA program and am needing to be at the church getting stuff set up and organized and all that goes with it. I feel that God is trying to teach me several lessons thru my children always being ill. One that I need to ask for help and that it is not a bad thing to need help. The other is that sometimes things don't work out as planned.

Sometimes I don't stop the scheduled activity; a runny nose ok we can keep going, high fever well..... I guess we have to reschedule. Sometimes this is so hard because I plan stuff for my kids but also for me so I can get out as well. I know my children don't plan getting sick like they plan poopy diapers to make me late but times it really feels that way.

Nancy says to Ron "mommy is planning an outing at the mall and that is so boring looking at stuff, so you want to get sick or me?"
Ron replies with "I don't know it is not so bad to just sit in a stroller and be pushed around and look at all the different things, beats sitting on the floor looking at you"
"fine I guess I will take matters into my own hands!"
and then she starts sniffeling.

Well I guess I will take advantage of the low energy children and relax maybe do a little scrapbooking during the really really long naps and get caught up on some stuff.