You Don't See That Every Day

Ever had day when the hair just wouldn't work? When the clothes just didn't fit right?  Maybe it's been more than a day.  Maybe it feels like months, or years.  For some reason ladies seem to deal with this a lot more than men. I know, men do have their days too, but we all know a lot of social media is focused on how the girl appears. Yesterday evening a family member was lamenting her hair. She was close to wailing. She just "want(ed) it to be normal". Sound like something you've said, or heard? Thankfully my husband was right there and could talk to this distraught person about how beautiful she is and how wonderfully made she is. God doesn't make junk. But Satan would sure love to distort that. Oh and this family member ....she's only 9. Yeah, it starts at a young age, this desire to be like others, to be 'beautiful' as the world sees beautiful. Her dilemma made me stop and think about how I talk about myself, and how I deal with th...

In my corner of the world this week: I have seen a number of ballerinas in the house. The girls have unearthed their tutus and leotards, and have been dancing to George Winston's "December" album. Although wearing a tutu to the store, or anywhere, is normal for my year old, it has been an exercise in exercising for my older girls -ie. keeping warm in the winter while wearing tutus. We also managed to have picnic this week. My Little K asks nearly every day to eat lunch outside. As she puts it, "I really like to be outside!" Unfortunately Oregon winters are not so conducive to outdoor picnics. We had to improvise. Basketball is in full swing for my son - and so is the laundry that comes with it. Her my little helper is trying on her big brother's shorts.

I dislike calling people on the phone. I don't even like answering the phone unless it's a family member. Just a quirk about me. (It's ironic that I was a secretary/phone answerer as a job back in the day.) Although in college and high school, I spent hours on the phone - with certain people. All this to say, I have a hang-up (ha ha) with the phone that most of my children do not. My middle child has been begging to call into a radio station that we listen to. They have a joke of the day for kids. We looked it up online and they had something about calling at 5.50 am. Phew - I thought I was off the hook on that one. But no, my girl kept researching it, and got the phone number for the radio station. And asked me politely if SHE could call. My brain said, Why on earth would you want to do that? But my mouth said, "Well, OK, but what are you going to say?" So we practiced a little bit. And she went off to call the radio station. And she did fine. Of course. ...

This girl of mine, she's only 12 ("and a half"). But sometimes I feel like she is light years ahead. a little 'broom' guitar And some days not so much. Every time we go to the farm no, she asks to drive Grandpa's tractor. One of these days, he's going to let her. This week while we were there, she asked to drive ... the pickup. I just shook my head. But then, I surprised her. On the way out the long (straight) driveway, I stopped the pickup, climbed out and shooshed her over into the driver's seat. Yeah, she was beaming by then. We went over the foot pedals and what they did. And she drove. About 500 feet or so. There was minor whiplash when she stopped. But not enough to send me to a doctor. Today she took another big step. I was probably more nervous and worried than she was - or appeared to be. She went off on her very first weekend-long church retreat. She was excited to go. And here's the thing - she didn't think any of her buddi...

I was raised with boys. I lived in a neighborhood filled with mainly boys. I fought my mom on dressing like a girl. You know, the whole dresses and pretty hair and white socks thing. My best friend(s) when I was young were boys - There was one girl, a sister a boy I played with; and my cousin, who is a girl. I remember asking my mom for a baby brother when I was a kid too. She laughed at that. (Now that I am a mom I can see why she, as a mom to ten by age 38, laughed.) My husband was raised in a house of boys. No sisters. So I figured I would have boys when I got married. That was the plan anyway. But God had other plans for me. We have one son, and 4 daughters. Even our dogs are female. But I am still trying to figure out this whole raising girls thing. My poor eldest girl - she's the guinea pig for it all. She is 12 years old, and although she has zero interest in boys (phew!) I know the day is coming. That's why when I read this post on a friends facebook, I loved it! ...

 Pre-Holiday weekend This girl got her braces off and is waiting for the retainer coming next week. I think it's safe to say she is thrilled to be able to eat popcorn again, and caramels, and gum.  I think those might show up on her wish list for Christmas. On Friday evening G and the Boy went to see The Hobbit movie. So the girls and I watched a movie at home and had craft time with my sister. We made ornaments. I got to color! That can be SO relaxing! And we used glitter-glue. Normally I hate glitter glue. When I taught 5 year old's, or 3 year old's at church, I was that teacher who hid the glitter-glue when it was craft time. But this time around, I kind of had fun with it. Maybe because I had older children and not as much chance of a mess. Although when Little K got a hold of the glitter glue tube ... I started twitching.     Ice cream was involved. As it should be. And this weekend the girls had their choir performances. They have been working o...

We're watching the Olympics! Oh did I tell you we joined the 21st century, and now have cable TV? For the first time in our married life, we have cable. It has been .. interesting. I wasn't thrilled with the idea initially. After all, we are trying to get away from electronics consuming all our time. But the Olympics! We can't miss those! But, no that is not the why of  why we got cable. That has more to do with lowering our phone and Internet bill. We 'cut a deal' with the provider, and it included cable TV. So anyway, seeing the sites of London on TV has been fun. My dear husband likes to say, "See that bridge? I've been there" or "I was on that bridge." Now it was fun to hear and think of the first time he pointed it out. But now that it has been about 500 times .. the kids groan when pictures of the famous bridges appear. I just laugh. And dream of the day he might take me there ;) This girl. She's my first girl. She ...

How I spent my Saturday. Sitting. Watching. Waiting. I saw two of my girls off at 7:30 this morning, with G. They headed to a swim meet. I got the other girls ready, and we went to Miss M's last basketball game of the season. And she did SO amazingly well! She had her eyes on the ball. She went after it like it was chocolate. She dribbled it down the court and scored a basket! I was so very proud of her and how far she has come since the first game back in January. I sat and watched her game, while hanging out with this sweet face: After a quick lunch, I headed back out to town. This time to sit with my oldest girl in the state playoffs of Awana Bible quizzing. They had 20 multiple choice questions, of which she only missed one: And then on the speed drills she wasn't able to answer in time. There were others there who hit their buzzer much more quickly. Sometimes (often) before the question was even finished being asked., someone would buzz in and answer it! ...

It's that time of year again. When the months of talking and dreaming get to be put into action. The dress-up box gets dragged out, and the imaginations kick in. Tonight was carnival night ('harvest party') at the church for Awana. My three younger ones are still dressing as princesses. My girl M in light purple wore the crown I wore for my wedding. She was pretty thrilled about that. And her sister M in darker purple wore the tiara from a cousin's wedding. The older girl has passed that phase long ago. She tried the ballerina outfit on but had outgrown it, so she went with the basketball outfit. And have you ever seen a cuter Snow White? I didn't think so. (And here's the star princess trying to eat some breakfast while the paparazzi swoops in.)

Give a kid a camera and she'll want to take pictures That have nothing to do with the subject you were hoping to capture. Then she'll want to grow a mustache. Or be an emperor of her own country. Then she'll try to be a supermodel. She might get upset with her sister after that. This is what you get when you give a girl a camera Next she'll try and be a rock star. Give a girl a camera and this is what you'll get. Sisters hugs and cute toes.

I needed a break today. So I went out to the farm with the girls. There has been a lot of stress in the household over the remodel, the roofing, the pending rains. And other stuff. Stuff of life stuff. And I love the farm, for its peacefulness. When I am out there, I feel so relaxed. I don't know how else to explain it, it's almost like a drug for me. Must be the fresh air and dirt. So I loaded up the girls, the dog and the bicycles and went to my peaceful place. Siblings - don't be chagrined - I didn't do any work while there. I picked one cantaloupe - out of the refrigerator. And that was it. Instead I took photos of my girls. They rode their bikes up and down that road, over and over. The youngest, not being much of a cyclist yet, decided to smell, and taste the flowers. I think she decided they don't taste so good. Do you see any girls in this photo above? They wanted to hide in the cornstalks and jump out at me. The pink kind of gives it away...