Why My Life is Bad

OK, I'm just kidding. My life is not bad at all. I just thought that might be an attention-getting title for this post.

My life is great! I have three beautiful, healthy children and a loving husband who works hard to take care of us. I enjoy many fulfilling activities during the week (not the least of which is spending time with my family).

But . . . well . . . even though I have a great life, sometimes it gets stressful.

Take potty training, for example. Noodle was going along like gangbusters for awhile, but then she just starting peeing her pants every ten minutes. I was taking her every thirty minutes, and that was working like a charm. But then she started to balk, not wanting to go at the appointed time, then peeing in her pants before I could get to her again. She thinks that all things that come out into her pants are poop, so she comes up and says, "I poop," and I think, "Oh, great," but really it's just pee. Which isn't exactly nice, but better than cleaning out poop-filled training pants.

Which is exactly what I did this morning.

Normally, Noodle will wear pull-ups in the morning. She will pee in the potty, but not poop, so if she poops in her pull-up, it's no big deal. But we are out of pull-ups, so it was training pants or nothing, and I keep hoping against hope that she'll magically poop in the potty. Well, she didn't. After a very successful peeing morning, I smelled the dreaded smell. And this was a bad one. And Banana has a fever today and he was crying, so I'm changing Noodle, trying not to get poop literally everywhere as I'm taking off her training pants, I was thinking some things:

"I have a college degree, and I'm doing this?"

"My house is a wreck - how am I ever going to get everything done today?"

And then, as I'm washing out the training pants in the bathtub and then cleaning out all the poop that didn't go down the drain:

"Did I make the right life choices?"

Yep, staring at a tub-full of poop will do that to you. You'll wonder why you didn't finish those last 30 hours for your master's degree. You'll wonder if you'll ever be worth anything more than just a poop-washer-outer. You'll wonder if what you are doing matters to anyone, anywhere.

And to top it off, I just got a retail job. I'll be starting in a couple of weeks. It won't last forever, and we really need to extra money. I'll be on nights and weekends, and I'm starting just in time for the holiday rush. I worked at the same store a couple of years ago, so they were happy to hire me right back on.

And working retail makes me feel very humble. If you want a lesson in humility, or if you have a problem with pride, working retail will knock all of that right out of you. Already I'm thinking, "what kind of a job is this? how humiliating . . . "

And I can look back at this entire post and see it oozing with counterfeits. You know why? Because all of those thoughts are attacks from the enemy, who wants to steal my joy. And any of Satan's lies are direct counterfeits of God's truths. Do you know what that means?

I really must be doing something special. I am worth much more than I can even fathom. I have made good life choices. And as for the job, it's a great job. You know why? So many reasons. I displayed good work ethic, so was happily rehired. There are many people who can't work. There are many places in the world where someone couldn't just walk in one day and get a job right off the bat. I'm able to help my family. I have the ability and desire to do so.

Thankfully, I am not unaware of Satan's schemes. When I feel the attacks of the enemy this hard, I just start to praise God, because I must be doing something really great, something I don't even know that I'm doing, that Satan wants to stop from happening. Christ through me is doing some amazing things, as long as I don't stand in the way. That's pretty exciting stuff! It may not feel like it, as I stare at a tubful of poop, but it really must be. And anyway, if God is for me, who or what circumstance can be against me? The fruits of my labor are only just budding, and I see them in the faces of my family. God help me just do right by them and to disbelieve the lies of the enemy.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Good Morning!

Cuddle time.
Banana's cheese face!
Sleepy Smiles :o)

Chicken Nugget took this picture!

I was starting to feel bad . . .

. . . because on The View the other day I heard Rosie say that her kids don't watch TV. And then I started to hear that a lot of other people say that it's not good for your kids to watch TV.

But then I stopped feeling so bad, because I realized that all those people who are playing with their kids all day, doing arts and crafts and reading books and all those things, those people who keep their kids from the evil television, those people:

-have housekeepers
-have nannies
-have lots more money than I do to afford such things
-probably have people to go grocery shopping for them

And I don't have any of that!

So, Rosie, much as I love you, I have to dispute you on this issue.
Send me your nanny, your housekeeper, some of your money (you know, to buy cutsie arts and crafts and etc.), and your grocery shopper person, and I'll gladly turn off the TV! As for this moment, the TV is useful for me for these activities:

-keeping the little ones occupied so that I can clean my house and do my laundry
-keeping the big one occupied while I care for the little ones (e.g. - potty training, bathing, etc.)
-scraping together whatever arts and crafts supplies I have on hand in order to get ready for arts and crafts time
-spending time on the phone while I make Pampered Chef and Avon calls (so that I can gain some money for more fun arts and crafts stuff)
-doing my grocery shopping

To my credit, I try to make sure that we watch fun and instructional television, such as:
-Count With Maizie
-Veggie Tales
-Everything I can possibly squeeze out of PBS kids
-sometimes a Disney flick (ok, so not so educational, but usually a great way to teach warm fuzzies)

Sorry, Rosie. And all you other people who are anti-TV. I do the very best I can. And I got an extra boost at parent-teacher conferences with Chicken Nugget's teacher. They said, when I asked if, on the whole, she was doing ok, "She's doing ok. In fact, she's doing better than ok. She's obviously getting some kind of good instruction at home."

So TV hasn't runined at least my oldest kid. I hope it doesn't ruin the little ones.

Awwwwwww . . . .

We Won!!!!!!!!

The girls and I got into the action!
BW and Banana were having so much fun!
Noodle wasn't quite so sure about what was going on, but she looks cute anyway!

Banana was busy giving play-by-play commentary to the crowd, while Chicken Nugget worked hard to try to figure out that game called "football."
The scoreboard! Yay for Kris Brown!
The cheerleaders. Thank goodness they were there to fill in all those commercial time-out lulls.
Some of the action on the field. GO TEXANS!!!!!
Love that huge Texans flag!
Let's not forget Torro, our mascot! Below, the girls and I celebrate the win with Elvis Guy. His Elvis jumpsuit was emblazoned with a sequined Texans symbol. Out of control. I think Noodle was a *little* unsure of him.
Go Texans! We won over the Jaguars, 27-7!!!!!

I can't help it!

I'm excited, ya'll!

BW got FREE tickets to the Texans game this weekend and we are ALL going!!!! The kids all have cute Texans shirts (but the grown-ups don't). It is going to be so much fun! I was going to wait till I had pictures, and I'm not sure how many of you readers (all both of you) are going to care about this, but I am so excited that I had to blog about it RIGHT NOW!!!!

The Texans are my favorite NFL team, even though I never had a favorite team before we moved to the Houston area, and even though they are in last place.

But that's not the very best part about getting to go to the game! We're playing the Jaguars, and Matt Jones plays for the Jaguars! So I'll also get to see my all-time favorite Razorbacks player too!!!!!! I will be torn, so it will be an interesting game. I of course want the Texans to win, but how can I not want the best for Matt Jones? I can't wait to let you all know how it turns out!

More of the Best

The kids - Chicken Nugget, French Fry, and Noodle, the morning that everyone left. These pics are in reverse chronological order. :o)

Aunt Alligator. Sure was good to see her. She recently got porcelin veneers; doesn't she look great?
Before the storm - it was so windy and the breakers were some of the biggest I've seen at Galveston. It started raining the next morning and we've gotten little relief since.
Looking for seashells
I love this pic of French Fry running into the waves.
Brother and sister and Mamma. Crab Cake and I have almost the same hairdo.
Family fun.
Get ready for the cousins picture
Important conversation
That coy pond was the most fun. There were wooden boats to play with and everything!

The Best of the Family Reunion

Banana having some fun of his own in one of the coy ponds
playing around the coy pond
My mom (far right) beside her brother (Uncle Buck) and all the first cousins, except for my grandmother's last living sister, Aunt Theresa, in the red shirt
Barbecue Sauce and Noodle playing at the coy pond, Daddy behind them
Uncle Crab Cake and our little cousin, Barbecue Sauce
The beach is good for the soul
Chicken Nugget and French Fry - cousins and best friends
playing in the surf
the brother and sister pose
Chicken Nugget and Uncle Crab Cake
With the frog at the Rainforest Cafe, where we ate after our beach adventure
With the Tiki guard


With the gorilla












We had a family reunion this weekend.

When BW and I moved to Houston, I was coming back to my roots. My maternal grandmother was born and raised on Galveston Island; my grandmother and grandfather met in Galveston; my mother was born in Galveston; many of my family members on that side have remained in and around the Houston area.

The reunion was at the home of my mother's first cousin, but I have always called her "Aunt Phyllis," even though she's a cousin. Many, many people piled into Aunt Phyllis's (and Uncle Paul's!) home this weekend. I'd like to share some highlights:

*seeing lots of relatives that I haven't seen in a long time

*looking at pictures and hearing stories from days gone by

*being able to have Banana spend his first birthday in such a special way - he celebrated an October birthday with about four other relatives, and we had TWO birthday cakes!

*all the food! my, my . . . we had a MAJOR fish fry with all the fixins

*spending a quiet afternoon out in Aunt Phyllis's and Uncle Paul's lovely backyard, sitting by the coy pond with Daddy and Uncle Paul. There's just something about old men sipping coffee at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and having pleasant, peaceful chatter.

*time with my brother (let's call him Uncle Crab Cake, because that is what he ate when we went out yesterday) and taking him and the "big kids" (Chicken Nugget and her favorite cousin, French Fry) to Galveston

*watching all the little kids play and have fun

*discussing Arkansas sports highlights with BW, Crab Cake, Daddy, and Uncle Buck (my mom's brother - not his real name)

*just a relaxing time of laughter, fun, and yummy food - we don't get together near enough!

I'm not saying who . . .

But a certain little Banana turns one today! He's the sweetest little man, so cuddly and huggy. He deserves the best birthday that a one-year-old can have! He's a bit on the small side (5th percentile for height!) but small gifts can be the best. We love you, Banana!
Love,
Mamma, Daddy, Chicken Nugget, Noodle, and Grandma and Pappa who are here to help you celebrate!

Yes, you can.

When you are a soldier
I will be your shield
And I will go with you into the battlefield
And when the arrows start to fly
Take my hand and hold on tight
I will be your shield
Cause I know how it feels
When you are a soldier

When you're tired from running
I will cheer you on
Look beside you and you'll see
You're not alone
And when your strength is all but gone
I'll carry you till your strong
Oh, I will be your shield
Cause I know how it feels
When you are a soldier

I will be the one
You can cry your songs to
And my eyes will share your tears
And I'll be your friend
If you win or if you're defeated
If ever you need me
I will be here

When you're lost in darkness
I will hold the light
And I will help you find your way
Through the night
I'll remind you of the Truth
and keep the flame alive in you
Oh, I will be your shield
Cause I know how it feels
When you are a soldier

When You are a Soldier by Steven Curtis Chapman

When I lived in Marin County, California, I used to go running with a friend. My friend was about 16 years old, a bit younger than me, a bit more energetic than me, and she had quite a bit more stamina than I did. She was a sweet friend, though, and went running with out-of-shape old-lady me anyway. We ran a beautiful trail in a place called Tennessee Valley, which is a series of hills that lead to a beach. I can remember one of our running excursions in particular. I was so tired, so winded, and really wanted to stop. Melissa, my running partner, said, "Let's just get to the top of that next hill and then we can walk." The top of the next hill! That is the hardest part! I was thinking to myself that I could never do it. I said to Melissa, "I can't."
She said, "Yes, you can," calm and steady, and you know what? I did it. I made it to the top of that hill.

I've been staring at the top of a hill recently, and have been thankful for faithful friends who have come alongside me and told me, "Yes, you can," when I insisted that I could not.

Never underestimate a gut instinct to encourage someone or pray for someone without knowing why. Chances are, if you feel that someone might need an encouraging word, you are correct. And anyway, how can it hurt for someone to hear, "I love you," "I'm praying for you," "You can do it," "Be encouraged."

So many have believed in me when I did not believe in myself, found me worthwhile when I found not much of anything worthwhile, and sent me encouragement and prayed for me at my lowest moments. May I only ever do the same for others.

Again With the Censorship

I guess it happens all the time.

Here's another piece of news about censorship that happened near our city.

My thoughts on censorship, which I have shared in the past:

Who sets the standard? Which set of censorship rules do we follow? Who is really right? At what point is the censorship stopped? What about conscience? Is censorship thought control?

If I do not want to watch or read something, I will turn off the tv or put down the offensive material. I don't think that I have to shout from the rooftops, "This is wrong! Don't watch it! Don't listen to it! In fact, let's REMOVE IT FROM SOCIETY ALTOGETHER!"

The young lady and her father that had the problem with the book had every right to say so, and the student was able to choose a different book. I respect that. But the book should not be removed from school curriculum. At least, I don't think so.

Well, it was on local news this week, so I was thinking about it. I've finally blogged about it! Hope ya'll find it interesting.

Progression

Just Because

Fun times in the yard!

Sometimes you just need to wear your goggles.

Practicing for the tightrope

All smiles!

Mohawk bath baby hairdo.

Bubble bath princess.

Sir Smiles-a-lot

Jungle mud baby

Pretty pose before sliding on the the slip-n-slide.

One night we made the biggest pancake in America!

Getting ready to brush her teeth.

More fun beach pics

Running into the waves!

At the Astros game!