New Year's Resolutions

I recently read an article that suggested making New Year's Resolutions that you can keep instead of unattainable (and thus, discouraging) goals of perfections.

Saja and Kora have done just that.

Once we explained to them what a resolution was, they caught on quickly and wrote things like:
1. Read Bible every day.
2. Eat Candy.
3. Watch T.V. every day.
4. Be nice.

These are resolutions... if not in the grain we normally associate with New Year's Resolutions and becoming a better person.

It's Jan. 2, and so far, so good.

Wardrobe Malfunction

Tobias and Tyler wore underwear today. They eagerly put them on, and they just as eagerly take them off. Today, Tobias went upstairs into Chris' office wearing them, and then he took them off. As if to see how proud Daddy would be, he began the tedious process of putting his Elmo underwear back on... both legs in the same hole.

Then he tried to walk.

Then he fell over.

Then he cried.

You can guess what Daddy did...

Laughed.

And then repeated the tale so the rest of us could enjoy it.

Santnigalas and other little-known Christmas Carols

Saja wrote a list of Christmas carols to sing while we cleaned up yesterday. Mondays are our new "Scrub the House" cleaning days. It's exhausting. I didn't find the list until dinner, and it gave me a much needed laugh. Included are the following:

Joy to the world
Hart the hrrld
Jingrldells
DingDong meralion hie
Gotell it on the mountin
SiLinnight
O Chrismas tree
Old Santnigalis

Oh how I love this age... the beauty and delight of a 6-year-old mind thrills my heart.

Potty training or potty playing?

So, I tried potty training the twins in July at 18 months, then again in September at 20 months, but after seeing how incredibly difficult it was, I decided against becoming a walking mop and waiting until they were more ready. I have left the little potties out, and I let them get on the toilet for fun. I think it's adorable to see them fight over who gets to sit on the toilet. Tobias has always been able to pee on command, but he doesn't go when he has to go. Tyler has not once, in this entire 6 months, actually done anything in the toilet.

Until today.

Tyler took his own clothes off, retrieved the little potty, sat on it, and did his business without any adult attention whatsoever.

Praise God, I hope it's this easy. Maybe we'll try again in January after things settle down a bit from the holidays. I would love to make you all jealous with my incredibly easy potty training stories. =)

Unscathed escape

David always makes me wonder, "How do we ever make it to adulthood?"

Last night, my household helper took a leave of absence. This morning, the kids and I spent three hours cleaning various parts of the house. We had just finished the girls' bedroom when I decided I should start making sandwiches for lunch. As I sliced the hoagie in half to share with Chris, I heard the most enormous crash from the living room. Rushing in, my mind raced with speculation as to what could cause such a loud, long, tinkling, lingering crash. All the lamps tied up together and dragged across the ground? A baseball through the window? The television pulled to the floor?

Alas, the real culprit actually never entered my mind. There David sat, on the loveseat, somewhat in shock I think, staring at what used to be our glass-top coffee table... in shards... all over the floor. When I say "shards," that's exactly what I mean! Large, long, lean, pointy pieces of glass scattered across the floor, and some lay caught in the decorative metal on the table, pointing straight up.

I had no idea what to do except what any good wife would do. I yelled (some might use the word "screamed"), "CHRIS!" To my amusement, he came rushing out of the restroom, zipping on the run. He guided David to safety and coralled the kids into the playroom. When he returned, I asked for a cardboard box to put the pieces into. He retrieved one for me, then suggested I go find some work gloves (which I was unable to find), and then retreated to his office.

While I feel emotionally drained and sad to have lost my nice coffee table, I am relieved that David survived unscathed. I think a little scratch might have done him good, because he's showing very little remorse, or even the ability to put the cause and effect together. None-the-less, I firmly believe that God works all things together for the good for those who love him, and I'm eager to see how wonderfully God will use this in our lives. I believe angels were guarding my sweet boy today, and I thank God that the only thing we lost was our table.

Kora's new game

Kora is a big ham. Not literally, of course, but in her personality. She's started doing the Mwah-ha-ha laugh when she's picking on her siblings. I thought she invented it all by herself, but today at breakfast, I heard her daddy do the exact same thing! Kora really gets Chris' sense of humor, and she plays along with him a lot. Saja just calls him on his teasing with a "get-real" attitude.

It's fun to play with Kora.

Mwah-ha-ha!

When did this happen??

Saja turned six last week, and something happened. She's talking about b-o-y-s!

We were invited to a birthday party for an 8-year-old neighbor boy named Mason. On the way there, Saja said this:

"Mom, do you know what I said to myself in the mirror? I said, 'Maybe Mason will see me and think I'm the prettiest girl at the party and fall in love with me and want to kiss me!'"

After I laughed hysterically, I asked her not to kiss Mason, to which she replied, "Okay, but what if he wants to kiss me? What do I do?"

Sigh. If only it would be this easy when she's a teenager.

David's thought processes

I love age 3. The kids start talking. They start understanding the world. They process their thoughts so differently than adults. And they believe everything we tell them so literally.

The other day, we left the kids with Grandma and Mimi for the weekend. When we got back, David just looked so much more mature than when we had left him! I think it was due, in part, to the fact that he was the oldest child in the household. We left the girls with Mimi and the boys with Grandma.

So, I praised him, "David, you look so big and grown-up!"

He responded, matter-of-factly, "That's because I eat meat."

He's wonderful.

Funny lines from growing girls

So, today I found out some candy recipes call for paraffin wax. "Paraffin wax!" I exclaimed at the dinner table. "That's like eating a candle!"

Chris replied, "Well, would you prefer beeswax?"

"Yes!" I said, thinking that its relation to honey made it more edible.

Saja piped up with her own suggestion. "How about earwax?!"

Can we just say... YUMMY!

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The other day, the kids were in the car watching a DVD cartoon about Jesus' death and resurrection. I, of course, couldn't see the movie, because I was driving. I actually wasn't even really listening to the movie either.

Kora yelled from the back, "Mom! I thought Jesus was strong!"

I said, "He was strong, dear."

She said, "Then why didn't he just break the rope and run away?"

I discerned she was questioning the part where the Roman soldiers carry Jesus away from the Garden of Gethsemane after Judas' kiss... and then I bumbled around. "Um, ah, because he... Um. Kora, he chose to be born as a baby so he could die for our sins."

She said, "You mean he WANTED to die?!"

"Yes," I said, "because he wants us to live with him forever in Heaven, and that was the only way to make it happen. He loves us that much!"

Kora replied, "I don't like to die. I would have broken the rope and run away."

Well, at least we're not in danger of her helping herself get to Heaven sooner than she's meant to!

Wings and Wet Pants

Yesterday, we drove to Cleveland to visit Chris' sister at a McDonald's for the specific purpose of letting the children play while we visited relatively uninterrupted. Although it had rained, I thought the outdoor playground would be somewhat dry because the slides were tubes. It wasn't.

The kids played anyway. They soaked themselves gleefully.

Later, I overheard this conversation:

Kora: "I wish I had wings."

Saja: "Why?"

Kora: "Because my pants are wet."

Saja: "What?"

Kora: "So then I could fly home and change."

Saja: "Why don't you just wish for dry pants?"

Hell... and the path thereto

Today, I spotted Kora and David hovering over the floor vent in the dining room. David had removed the massive, unsecured vent cover, revealing the cold, gray tube snaking down into the basement. (This, of course, is against the rules.) As I walked by, Kora looked up, not with ashamed repentance, but with true bewilderment. "Mom," she asked, puzzled, looking down the vent, "is this the path to, um, Hell?"

Excuse me while I stifle a laugh.

Pregnant again??! NOT ME!

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

David's Bible lessons

Tonight, at bedtime:

David: "Mom, will we see God in Heaven?"

Mom: "Yes, honey."

David: "Mom, will we see Moses in Hell?"

Mom: "No, baby, Moses is in Heaven. God buried his body."

David: "Mom, did God send Moses back to Peru?"

???

PERU?!

Mom: "Moses was in Egypt and in Israel."

David: "Oh, I thought he was in Peru."

Well, we either need to spend a bit more time on Bible, or a bit more time on geography.

The highlight of the game

Tennessee Temple University has an athletic department--they even have girls' volleyball. Chris and I took the kids to the game tonight, somewhat hesitantly because as bedtime approaches, the kids become more easily irritable and less able to obey the rules. Can you imagine the embarrassment of the poor mother of the child who runs out onto the court during play? It's not rec-ball, folks, it's college-level! (Interesting fact: Christian colleges have their own division of sports: NCCAA. I'm guessing it's NOT a notch above NCAA. Just a thought. =)

So, the twins spent the evening content to watch the game bouncing on our laps. Fabulous! They, of course, were the ones I envisioned shooting out into the court before I found a free hand to stop them dead in their tracks. The older three, however, found complete bliss in climbing under and clambering over the bleachers, as well as tormenting the hideous and somewhat rag-tag would-be mascot who appeared during the second game.

Tennessee Temple Crusaders... or Cavaliers? Either way, it is most definitely not a wolf. This wolf had an enormous head with huge, yellowed, enameled teeth. They were awesome. If I were not a mother of small children who have nightmares, I would really love those teeth. Kora thought it would be really cool to jump up and nail Wolfie on his head a billion times until the head fell off. I think she succeeded once. I was doing my best to bounce Tyler on my knee, look occupied, and ignore the situation. Meanwhile, David got it on his mind that Wolfie needed to show his true colors, so he pantsed him.

That's right, my children were simultaneously beheading and exposing the sort-of mascot of a Christian university.

Chris and I could no longer live in the land of the apathetic. Action had to be taken. Chris chose to confront the situation head-on. (Pun intended.) Wolfie was put back together, our children were chastised and instructed on proper college-level girls' volleyball etiquette, and we went about our merry way.

I am sad to say the girls lost, but truth be told, who could watch the game when the entertainment stole the show?

What Saja wants to be

Today, Saja told me what she wanted to be when she grows up: an art-girl. I asked, "Do you mean, an artist?" She said, "Yes, I want to sell my painting and get money for them."

Hmmm... I think this is one of those occupations that really builds your faith in God with regards to regular income.

But I like art. If my daughter can decorate my walls for free with her uber-fabulous art, I am ALL FOR IT.

Birthdays, by David

Our children have no problem talking to strangers. They do it all the time, they do it well, and they do it extensively. I overheard Saja today telling a grown man how best to potty-train his 2-year-old. "I know," she said, "because my twins are potty-training."

The other day, someone came to visit, and they asked David how old he was. Instead of the standard answer, "Three {or 'free' as the case may be]," accompanied by the appropriate amount of fingers, David said, "On my next birthday, I'll be four... and on my next birthday, I'll be five... and on my next birthday, I'll be six..." By this time, we smiled and tuned him out. Faintly, in the background, I heard, "And on my next birthday, I'll be seven." I thought, Shees, this could go on forever!

To my surprise, his next words were, "And on my next birthday, I'll be forty."

And that was the end of it.

Living in Highland Park

I started a new blog to journal our Chattanooga Adventures:

LivingInHighlandPark.blogspot.com

I hate to double-post, so I won't. You just have to go read it yourself.

No Coincidences

This story starts 18 years and 11 months ago, when Chris' mother discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child. Chris was 14 when Josh was born.

Chris graduated seminary this year and felt led to follow Dr. Jim O'Neill for a year in preparation for our missions. Dr. Jim O'Neill felt God lead him to leave Philadelphia to work in Chattanooga. For that reason, we live in Chattanooga.

...which happens to be merely 2 hours away from the Braves, who are playing the Phillies, of all teams, tonight in Atlanta. Chris and Dr. O'Neill and his daughter bought tickets this week for the Sunday night game.

Josh graduated high school this year, and chose to attend UT at Knoxville. Freshmen were allowed to move in this weekend, but if they wanted to bring a car, it cost $250/semester, so Josh chose to leave his car at home. So, his parents graciously took him to Knoxville, (and then took him to Walmart to buy stuff he left at home!), and then decided to come visit us, a mere 2 hours away. They planned to stay one night and leave early Sunday morning before church to head back to Memphis.

After they arrived, we received word that Chris' grandmother was admitted to St. Joseph's hospital in Atlanta for heart surgery. She has an atrial valve that apparently has needed replacing for many months, but caused such ill health last night that Grandma had to be admitted.

Chris offered to take his mother with him to Atlanta so she could be with her mother.

So she stayed and attended church with us at Highland Park Baptist Church.

Our associate pastor stopped us before the service and said he just met another family from Bellevue who just moved to our neighborhood to go to UTC. We actually found them and sat with them throughout the service, but Chris' mom and dad didn't sit with us, because they arrived later than we did.

After the service, Chris' mom came to see us, and when our new friend from Bellevue turned around, they realized they knew each other. Chris' mom had been her Sunday School teacher!

Our new friends spent a good portion of the day with us, and we're both thankful for the fast friendship formed from our common denominators, having both just moved here as young mothers. Do you see how many facts had to fall into place at just the right time to work out the way it did?

The longer I live, the more I see God's hand in every aspect and every decision of my life. I like it. It makes me feel loved to know I'm that important to him.

Healthy Eating Habits, by Kora

Today, I treated my family to dried blueberries covered in dark chocolate--a very healthy treat loaded with anti-oxidants and stress-relieving elements. Of course, my children gobbled them down. Saja innocently asked, "May I have more to go give Daddy some?" She really meant that. Some children (ahem, Kora) are devious enough to ask that question and then eat the extra pieces themselves!

As they were eating them, I said, "Isn't this yummy? It's a very healthy snack."

Kora, now 4 years old, replied, "It's healthy??! It doesn't taste so healthy!"

Shining the [brass] sink

FlyLady.net has a great program to get overwhelmed housecleaners (aka "Moms") back into the groove. I feel blessed to have conquered the clutter issue when we packed up to move. It hasn't crept back into my life yet! We do have a few "hot spots" where clutter tends to collect, but we've been wary of bringing clutter back into our lives.

What we do have, however, is a house that was not clean when we moved in. Our bathroom sink looks mottled, like a cheetah, from the toothpaste water spots left on it. It tarnishes. Seriously. Who the heck needs a SINK that tarnishes?! I don't keep anything in the house if it requires me to polish it. I don't care how wealthy it will make me--if I have to polish it, keep it OUT of my house. Oh, except the stinkin' bathroom sink. I kind of need one of those.

So, I googled it. A quarter-cup salt, half-cup vinegar, half-cup flour to make a paste. Rub on sink, water-spots disappear. Note to self: If any toothpaste or shaving cream happens to be hanging out, rinse it off first. Somehow, a certain spot started off as green toothpaste, and after the vinegar treatment, ended up as an unremovable red streak. The sink still looked a bit dark, so I applied a thin layer of toothpaste and, gasp, polished. The tarnish came completely off, and now the sink looks like the brushed brass it was intended to be.

Chris walked in and said, "Boy, I bet the faucet could look like that too." Sigh. Twenty minutes later, the faucet and the sink BOTH blind you as you walk into the bathroom. It's not maintainable. We'll see what happens in a week!

I took the same paste treatment to the kitchen sink to attack the water spots staining the stainless steel sink. I rubbed and rubbed, ignoring the offensive attack on my nose. I rinsed and rinsed, just as I had previously done in the bathroom. Do you know it did not-a-lick-of-good?

That's when I pulled up FlyLady.net. She sure knows how to shine a sink. I have, however, in my dedication to declutter, pitched the bleach. So I cannot shine the sink.

Oh, well, there's always tomorrow.

And if there's not tomorrow, I'll be in Heaven, where no one will need to polish anything to be blinded by its beauty.