Minivan Moments

Here it is, the day before the BIG day, the eve of the day we all actually plan to eat far too much food and lie around on the softest pieces of furniture we own, all while watching grown men in tight pants beat each other up on fake grass to get a pigskin ball. Oh, and the parade ! Let's not forget that we also watch giant "balloons" and floating stages in a parade with too much commentary. And why do we do this every year? Got a minute? Okay, so a very long time ago, some oddly-dressed ancestors who had come to this slab of land we call America in a big boat (or several) decided for one day after the Autumn harvest to practice what they preached - and they put aside their differences with the Indigenous Americans (they weren't in India, by the way) and shared a day of "Thanks Giving" for all their God (or Spirits, if you are one of the Indigenous Americans) had blessed them with to survive the coming winter months. Just gives us the warm, fuzzy feelin...

Dania got her very first haircut yesterday! Mommy was playing beauty shop with Dania and noticed how ragged some of the shorter hairs were on Dania's head. Mommy asked, "Do you want a real haircut?" Dania said, "Yeah." Mommy trimmed a bit off the lengthy back layers, then shortened up some bangs in the front (Dania hates having her hair in her face!), and Viola! first haircut! From Fall2008 By two years of age, the other two had already had several haircuts, but Dania's hair is just different - much like the child, herself. So it strikes me a bit odd to get excited about her first haircut when she is talking up a storm and using the potty! Oh, well, there are certainly no two alike! Makes me think... The Bible says God knows the number of hairs on our heads...Does He also keep track of when they get a trim? (and was He more aware of my daughter's hair condition than even I was?) Does He know how many times that number changes, like when you have ...

...the remnants of Autumn... ...a layer of dust that had settled upon the earth... ...and my energy. There is nothing quite like a cloudy, rainy day; but it takes its toll on my perkiness. My eyes want to drift close, my mouth is in constant YAWN, and my brain feels sluggish. Oh, to have nothing to do on a day of rain! Too bad it didn't work out like that for me.... The laundry needs doing, the children need teaching, the dishes need washing and putting away. The toddler needs watching, the floors need a sweeping, and I'd rather watch movies all day! The rain is the cold kind, the drizzle-all-day kind, and that kind of rain is just so draining. I wish I could spend the whole day in pajamas, but then I'd have to do some 'splaining! Hope your day is filled with all the energy mine is lacking!

Oh, barnacles, the Little One has discovered Dora The Explorer ! Rats! My sweet Puddin' walks around asking to " watta Dowa " on the " teedee " daily. She is adorable with it, though, because, unlike my anti-social older offspring, she actually interacts with the program! Isn't that the whole point of the obnoxious show? (actually, the older children recently informed me that they do not like the way Dora talks to them - I think they feel insulted!) Anyway, though Dora the Explorer is not my favorite children's program, it is cute to watch Dania clap her hands with Dora, call out the Spanish words, and sing the songs! And let's not forget that during the episode, she is not climbing Mount Mommy to fiddle with my earlobe or scaling the pantry shelves in search of a " nack ." Ah, well, could be worse. She could be addicted to The Wiggles . {shudder} I never could get into that group. Have a fabulous weekend!

One thing I have learned after having my third child: when kids come over to play, we hardly feel the addition of another person! There must be some magical chaotic setting that the third child initiates that just doesn't go away, because when other children are added to the mix, the chaos factor hardly rises at all. Yesterday, we were blessed with a playdate with a friend as well as a playdate with a cousin - at the same time! The friend is 8 and the cousin is 1, but we all had fun, and the house was good and full! We played dress-up and "house," because naturally, when two little girls get together in a house with dress-up clothes and toddlers, "house" is the required game of the day! Plus, there was a tea party!! During the upstairs tea party, the little ones stayed downstairs with me, where I gave the 2-year-old a bowl of Sponge Bob Cheezits and bid her "share" - which she did, quite happily! (I have already learned that the 1-year-old cannot...

Okay, Christmas is coming... and the goose is too skinny this year. Seems like every where I turn, a family is struggling to put food on the table. Every other person I talk to is looking toward a meager Christmas. Maybe the focus is all wrong.... I am not trying to diminish anyone's anguish over financial struggle; I do know what they are feeling. However, I wonder if all this struggling could be a symptom of something bigger.... Faith is bigger than finances. Family is better than bow-topped presents. Hope is fancier than a fully-trimmed Christmas tree. Love is richer than Santa. And Jesus is the reason for the season, anyway. "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed...." Jesus, too, had financial woes. "The first noel, the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay...." Poverty doesn't remove you from God's sight, neither does it keep you from His blessings. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of...

Time to break out the bread bowls of stew, the lib balm, the fuzzy slippers and cozy fleece robes, and the throw blankets for the sofas! This morning, the weather turned colder - much more in keeping with the season, for sure. The snap in the air, the take-your-breath wind, and the gray skies tell me Ol' Man Winter is on his way. The poor toddler braved the dropping temps with Mommy this morning, and she was having difficulty covering her face and holding onto her blowing hair! Yup, it was sure "win-ny!" Yesterday, my daughters and I went to see High School Musical 3 with some close friends, and we were all alone in the theatre! I LOVE HOMESCHOOLING! Heehee! It was a good movie, another wholesome family film, and we happened to take in the "sing-along" version, which displays the lyrics for every song on the bottom of the screen. My only complaint in this film was that Gabriella's dresses sure got dangerously short since the last two! But, overall,...

Oh, may the Good Lord help us, I think we are entering the pre-pubescent years! Calysta started needing deodorant under her arms about 2 weeks ago, and last weekend she had mood swings from - that other place - and YESTERDAY , she developed a not-so-subtle zit on her face! Where did my child go??? The teen years are bearing down on us!! Aaak, puberty, here we come! After the mood swings, we promptly purchased a parenting series that we had known we wanted to try when the kids got to this level. Now, we are impatiently awaiting that package in the mail while we deal with zits ! I have to buy my child/preteen a book about the changes her body is going through, and that book is going to talk about s-e-x and where babies come from! ... and believe it or not, Calysta still believes the simple answer from when she was 3: that a Mommy and Daddy pray to God for a baby, and He can give it to them!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?!?!? Okay, deep breath, calm down.... If anyone has any advice on ...

Yep, I'm goin' there. Buckle your seatbelts, folks, here we go.... Americans in general seem to be remarkably undereducated about the structure and function of our government. The United States President is an individual who is in the forefront of our minds, so he makes a convenient scapegoat for all of our problems and gets credit for the good times. I am here to tell each of you that there are three branches of government in our great country: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Each branch has equal weight in the running of the country, but each has a different role. Allow me to inform you: The Executive Branch of the government consists of the President and Vice President, as well as other executive departments and independent agencies. This branch of the Federal Government is responsible for enforcing the laws of our nation. Did you catch that?? They ENFORCE the laws. Okay, the Legislative Branch, also called Congress, consists of the Senate and the House of Repr...