Look Who's Four Today!

Priceless :)

Greenville Football

We spent the weekend in Greenville, Illinois with the Hehmans. Eric is the head football coach at Greenville College and we had never seen him "in action." We enjoyed hearing stories about their 150 year old house, tasting Liz's good cooking, and watching their adorable son, Matthew.

Go Panthers!

Eric and Molly surprised everyone with a last minute trip to the game, but I think Eliza had more important things to do:

Something to Ponder

A Recipe Request

I'm tired of my recipes, and I have a request-- please post (on your blog or on my comments page) one of your staple recipes. I have no interest in your favorite meal that you make twice a year for your family. Give me a practical recipe that you make for your family at least once a month. Here's one of mine:

Chicken Spaghetti

4 chicken breasts
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. spaghetti
1 can cr. of mushroom soup
2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes
12 oz. package of cheddar cheese

Cover chicken, celery, and onion with water and cook until tender. Shred chicken. Cook spaghetti in chicken broth. Put spaghetti, mushroom soup, undrained tomatoes, cheese, celery, onion, and chicken in 9 x 13 pan. Mix well. Top with 4 oz. shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Life is a Highway

...and we've been traveling at 90 m.p.h.

I'm ready to watch a movie at night with my husband. I'm ready to relax during naptime. I'm ready to give myself a pedicure.

But when will it ever slow down?

Big Grins

Grandma Smith and Aunt Nancy were here today. I think two little people enjoyed the day. What do you think?

Today's Thoughts

My mom asked me recently for some birthday ideas for Jonah. He'll be four years old in a couple of weeks. I guess I hadn't thought much about it before, but Jonah is completely not into what other boys his age enjoy. I think it's correct to assume most four year old boys like things such as cars or balls or Superman or firetrucks.

Not my boy. He's obsessed with roller coasters, Magic School Bus, maze books, and maps.

Last night our conversation before bed was all about his bloodstream. On a recent Magic School Bus video the bus travelled down the bloodstream in Ralphie's leg so Jonah thought his blood was only in his leg. He was mesmerized when I drew an outline of all the places his bloodstream flowed (a map).

After the bloodstream conversation he wanted to know where his pee went when we flushed it down the toilet. I did my best to explain our home's plumbing (another map).

After the plumbing conversation, we talked about Washington and Pennsylania and Ohio and Michigan and all the other places where he has friends/relatives. Of course, this included an analysis of east, west, north, and south (another map).

...and to think he's "learning" the color purple at school this month.

Fun News

Cousins

Picture of the Day

I Have an Idea!

Let's see...how can we make the world think that Christ followers are the most cheesy group of people you'll ever meet? Hmmm....

I know.... let's invent these one-liners and put them on our signs for everyone to see. That's sure to bring the masses through our front doors. They'll want to know who we are because the sayings outside our church are so clever. Our pews will be filled, and in turn, they'll learn about Jesus.

We can say things like:
- Make your eternal reservations now-- smoking or non-smoking.
- Give Satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.
- PSALMS read here.
- This is a CH__CH. What's missing?

What do you think?

Our Plague

I'm beginning to think we're living in the Old Testament. You know the part-- the part where God says to Moses, "Tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and gnats/frogs/flies/etc. will swarm their land."

Except we have these field crickets.

They're everywhere. They're in our garage, in our heating system, in our flowers, in our shoes... We've taught Jonah how to step on them so now we have cricket bodyparts everywhere too.

I guess that's what happens when you live in the middle of a cornfield-- literally.

According to my internet research, the first frost should immobilize them. I've never been so excited for snow.

Tonight

I just went upstairs to check on my dear Jonah. It's 10:00. He didn't take a nap today.

And he's obviously not tired yet.

Welcome Weekend

I've been a bit nostaligic today. It's Welcome Weekend on campus. Nervous freshman and their parents are scattered about, emptying their minivans and tractor trailers.

While driving the loop, I began thinking a little about my first couple weeks of school-- my roommate who held hands with her boyfriend while riding bikes and thought Michael W. Smith was of the devil, my square dance partner who I don't think ever left the computer science "dungeon" during his four years of school, that first hug from my future roommate, the dorky Precious Moments signs on our doors, making friends, buying used books, learning how to study...

And then I saw this poor sight:


It all seems like a different life.

So I drove my mini-van back home, unstrapped my kids from their car seats, put away the groceries, looked out the window at my new landscaping and with a smile on my face realized that it didn't SEEM like a different life...

It WAS a different life!

The Obsession

I remember it well-- those days on the playground spent playing four-square for a few weeks, after which time we switched to kickball, and then, after getting tired of kickball, we found great joy in capture the flag.

I remember loving my Cabbage Patch doll for a bit, but moving on to paper dolls for a while, and then spending time recording my voice on a small tape player while Amy Grant sang on my boombox.

Every kid goes through stages.

But this stage of Jonah's has lasted quite a long time. He's obsessed-- really, he's OBSESSED with roller coasters. I think he asks me 4 times every hour, "Mom, what's your favorite roller coaster?" I used to say that I didn't have a favorite. I used to say that they made me dizzy. I used to say that I don't like roller coasters. Now I just pick one, although it's rarely the answer he wants. Let me give you an example:

"Mom, what's your favorite roller coaster?"

"The Millinium Force."

"You can't say that one."

"Well, how about the Wicked Twister?"

"No, that makes you dizzy."

"Hmmm, what about the Top Thrill Dragster?"

"No, that's scary."

"Woodstock Express?"

"That doesn't have a video (he enjoys watching the videos on www.cedarpoint.com)."

"Magnum. I really like the Magnum, Jonah."

"Okay, let's watch it."

So he proceeds to turn on the video of the Magnum while he literally holds my head so I can't look anywhere but the screen.

This conversation takes place a few times every hour. If I state that the Magnum is my favorite coaster next time, then undoubtedly he'll say, "You can't say that one." And the cycle continues :)

A Love Letter

Jonah was sad yesterday. He missed Tammy, his teacher in Alma. I asked if he wanted to write her a letter, and this is what he told me to write:

"I moved to my new house and I can't do anything without Tammy....and Tammy is moving to (our new town)...and me and Tammy go to Florida...and every place in the world with Tammy every single day.

And [have] a very good day every single day.

I love you, Tammy."

Hallelujah

Jonah started school yesterday.

He'll attend everyday from 12:30-3:00. It is a huge blessing. It seems quite similar to the developmental program he attended in Alma. I've really struggled the past couple of weeks with his need for activity and my limited ability to provide it for him. It's been oppressively hot so the playground has been out of the question, full day activities to the childrens' museum or zoo seem out of the question because of Lydia's schedule, and trips to the grocery store or shopping center don't really fulfill his need for sensory input. So we've been inside our house, trying to keep sane.

Until yesterday.

He didn't give us many details. There's a boy named A.J. that he likes, his favorite part was the puppet show, he had a doughnut for snack, and the story was about "kids." He came home with a smile on his face and couldn't wait to get back on the bus today.

If this experience is even half as beneficial to him as last year's teacher/class, then it will be a good year.

The Weekend

The scene was set. The actors were in place. The curtain opened as the green civic approached the narrow, gravel drive. Two rusty pick-up trucks sat in the parking lot. Overgrown weeds filled the flower beds. The unsuspecting players, Mike and Traci, walked to the manor house cautiously, unaware of the adventure that awaited.

They opened the large, heavy front door. A bag of kitty litter and dusty stacks of magazines welcomed them. An older woman with the distinct look of Mike's Aunt Donna approached the couple. She chatted for a bit about the price of food. The players were quiet. This was to be their romantic weekend getaway.

They slowly climbed the wooden staircase, jaws dropped, eyes wandering. Dusty antiques covered every inch of the mansion-- tattered silk flower arrangements had seen better days.

Traci, although confused at the setting, collapsed in bed before Mike returned with the suitcase, sleeping two hours.

It was dinner time. A candlelight dinner was planned. Mike and Traci took their seats at a cozy, corner table. The server lit the candelabra, setting a single, fake rose aglow. Sounds of Ozzy Osborne danced through the dining room from the kitchen. The players smiled. The players laughed. The players fully expected someone to tell them they had been transported to the Augusten Burrough's memoir, Running with Scissors or perhaps Hamlet would appear shouting, "I am but mad north-northwest!"

Nevertheless, the food was delicious, the time away from kids was needed, and memories were made of a unique 7th anniversary celebration.

Was I Only Dreaming?

10:30 p.m. Go to bed

12:30 a.m. Awaken to the sound of tornado sirens

12:35 a.m. Turn on the television to decide what to do

12:40 a.m. Nervously listen to more tornado sirens

12:41 a.m. Hear the weather man announce that there are four funnel clouds moving in our direction

12:42 a.m. Decide to bring kids downstairs with us

12:45 a.m. Sit with Lydia in the bathtub while she sleeps on my shoulder

12:55 a.m. Decide that the bathtub isn't an interior wall

12:55 a.m. Move to our large pantry; Lydia wakes up and plays with food

12:57 a.m. Jonah sleeps on pantry floor

1:00 a.m. Mike watches the storm, assuming I guess, that he'll dive for the pantry if needed

1:15 a.m. Funnel clouds are near

1:30 a.m. Lydia vomits

1:45 a.m. Jonah snores; the weather appears to be settling

2:00 a.m. Return kids to their beds

2:22 a.m. Toss & turn in bed-- what a weird night

6:30 a.m. The alarm rings. Was that a dream? Did that really happen?