Anna wanted to do a puppet show today.

So together we made what we lovingly called "the redneck theatre."  

I took two of her old baby socks and drew faces on them.

Yes, I know it's not anything to post to pinterest, but that child had a blast making her own puppet theatre out of random junk in the house.

 I sat in the floor for a good long time laughing while she did show after show, with intermissions in which she sang several songs.

This afternoon Paul came home with a mysterious looking, very tiny, leather suitcase.

I was intrigued!

His teacher had sent this home for him to fill with things to show the class as a way to introduce himself to his classmates.  In the suitcase sat a journal and pen. He was to gather things, then write a small entry in the journal about why he chose them to share.

The first thing he asked for upon entering the house was my sling shot.

This sling shot is VERY special to me.  

I keep it in my underwear drawer, out of the kids' reach.

He had a "i know you're not going to let me take that to school but I'm going to ask anyway" look on his face

My Pawpaw made it for me when I was little.

What's in the suitcase

insect feeder

legos

sling shot

rock

This is what Paul had me write in the journal that the teacher will read to the class.

My name is Paul. I am 7 years old. I enjoy protecting my fort that I built in the backyard this summer. That's why I put the rock in there. 

For my birthday I got an ant farm and a lady bug habitat. I love animals and insects. That's why I put the insect feeder in there.

This sling shot reminds me of my Great Pawpaw. He made this sling shot for my mom when she was a little girl. I love things that are made out of life.

When I'm not outside playing in my fort, I enjoy building things with my Dad's old legos and some of the legos that I bought.

You all, these kids amaze me every day.  They are so much fun to have around! 

I'm beyond blessed.  I truly am.

Dancing in the kitchen

I want to start this blog off with something witty or beautiful, like "I was startled awake by the sound of buzzing in my ear."

But I can't.

I'm too excited to keep the reader in anticipation while I punch out descriptive words of my morning.

Let's start with the excitement, shall we?

Anna was accepted into the preschool!!!

I know, I'm excited too!

I've had to stop myself from calling every one I know to announce this exciting news.

So, I guess I'll blog about it and tag everyone I know.

I'm telling ya, I've been stressing a bit about this preschool stuff.

In march I started trying to find her a place to attend but with our 1 income, 2 homes, budget, it was plum near impossible to find anything.

I started looking for FREE education.

The town that we are currently in has just opened a BRAND NEW preschool/kindergarten education center.  I'll have to post pics of it later, but let me tell you, it is INCREDIBLE.   

Getting her signed up, evaluated and accepted has been a bit tricky.

First of all, since the program is State Run, we had to wait until the Federally Run Headstart met quota, which took from March until the last of July.  Before I could apply for the preschool I applied for the Headstart in hopes that she would be turned down, because like I said before, this new preschool is INCREDIBLE, with amazing teachers.  I, however, was nervous about being turned down from Headstart, because what if she got turned down from Preschool.  Then I would be out of options and would be forced to hold off Seminary for another year and she would NOT be ready for kindergarten.

This morning was the evaluation.

I was a bit nervous.

The child doesn't have a developmental delay.

Although, I did try to teach her how to talk with a lisp.

ok, so I didn't do that, but yes, I was tempted.

This program is mainly for children with developmental delays with a few slots for low income families.

Turns out being a poor genius can get you somewhere!!!  

Anna was accepted!!

I squealed, jumped up and down, and leaned in to hug the woman but she gave me that "you are a nut job" eye, so I hugged Anna instead.  

We immediately went to the store to get little miss preschooler a backpack and school shoes.

This child is BEYOND excited.

Look at those pink cowgirl boots!

yep, that's my child.

the First day of a GREAT year

Yesterday (monday) was an oh so sweet day!

Paul and Anna spent the entire day outside building forts and taming wild horses.

They said they were Indians! 

anna-"howdy! I'm a cowgirl."   Paul- "no we're not.  we're INDIANS!"

Taking them to Colonial Williamsburg and to the Jamestown Colony this summer has really left a stamp on their imaginative play.

Paul is all the time making tools out of rocks and sticks.

The other day I found him "doing ancient exercises" in the backyard.

HILARIOUS!

Anna knocked on the backdoor, acting winded,  and asked if I had a place for her to stay because the British had burned down her "house."  When I "invited" her in she asked if I was a princess because I had such a "huge, beautiful house."  Her "house" was made out of grass and sticks.

I stood at the living room window watching the kids play outside while I folded the laundry and listened to my Etta James Pandora station.

yes, it was lovely!

  1950's housewife?

I found the following so incredibly hilarious, and cute, that I grabbed the camera to film it through the window.

Paul was "taming the wild horse" for Anna.

The big patch of sticks and weeds is their "indian house."  Paul spent all morning building it while Anna gathered the supplies.  The bikes are their "horses" and they are riding through the "prairie" looking out at all the other "wild horses."

Yesterday was the last day of summer break.  It couldn't have ended on a sweeter note!

This morning little, itty bitty, baby boy, Paul,  headed to 1st grade.

(sorry for the sappy mother stuff..... no I'm not)

At first he didn't want me to walk him into his classroom but as soon as the school was in view a little voice came from the back seat.  "Mom? can you park and walk me in for the first day?"

Sure can!

He hardly said bye to me, he walked straight into his classroom and started working the room. 

"Hey! hey! I'm Paul."

I stuck my head in the class, waved to the teacher, waved to Paul.

He gave me a cool kid, "hey that's my mom," wave and head nod.

I'm so happy for him!

My Life's A Leap of Faith

I was driving home from Georgetown last night, I had just dropped my final papers off at the seminary, when a song came on the radio.

It was one of those perfect moments when the sun was setting over the corn field, the kids were calm in the back seat and the car was driving ever so smoothly down highway 64 causing my hair to dance in the summer air.

You know those moments?

They're lovely aren't they!?!?

I was feeling both overwhelmed and excited about life.

Getting two children signed up for school, making sure all the paper work is turned in, doctors appointments are made, school supplies bought, and teachers met, on top of trying to get myself ready for Seminary, has been a bit exhausting. 

Mainly because I am still in summer mode.

I have been such a slacker and have put all of the above mentioned stuff off until the last minute.

That's typically not how I am.  I am usually that annoying person who turns in papers a week early.  I enjoy getting nagging tasks accomplished!

As I was driving home from the seminary, feeling a mix of emotions about the next grand adventure of my life, this amazing song came on the radio.  

It was perfect!  

I declared to Roger that it was my Seminary song.  

I'm corny like that.  

My life has a play list.  

I'm confident that MOST of my friends have their own personal play lists.  

You all do don't you?

Don't try to hide it.  I know you do.

Well Done 

by Moriah Peters

I'm headed down this narrow road
Chosen by the few
And all that I know is
You told me to follow You

I'm taking a risk and leaving it all
Not knowing what I'll go through
But I'm not alone
As long as I follow You

So when my life's a leap of faith
I can hear You say

Well done, well done
I'm gonna chase You, Lord
I'm gonna show the world Your love, woah
I'll run, I'll run
I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done

If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth
They're gonna find out soon
If they're following me then
They're gonna follow You

So let my life speak loud and clear
Lord, I wanna hear

Well done, well done
I'm gonna chase You, Lord
I'm gonna show the world Your love, woah
I'll run, I'll run
I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done

I'm so glad that I get to serve You, Lord
You're the only One I am living for, woah
I'm gonna run straight into Your open arms
I'm gonna follow You with my all heart, woah, woah

Well done, well done
I'm gonna chase You, Lord
I'm gonna show the world Your love, woah
I'll run, I'll run
I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done

I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done
[x2]

Well done 

Simple Pleasures Of Summer

Enjoying a morning cup of coffee while the kids play in the yard.

 Bird Watching

Summer nights on the back porch with good friends.

Fresh tomatoes from David's garden.

Cooling off in the kiddie pool.

Bike races.

non rushed dinners.

I love this simple little existence that we have! 

Sayings and Doings of Paul and Anna

This morning I stumbled into the kitchen to check the calendar.  I was caught off guard when I noticed that Paul's 1st grade open house is THIS thursday.  I started to have a small motherly panic attack.  As I began getting breakfast ready, the kids skipping from their rooms to the kitchen, my eyes began to water over.  

Anna- "mom what's wrong?"

me- "I'm just a little sad about you all heading to school next week."

Anna- "don't cry mom. It's ok. I'm EXCITED about going to school. I REALLY want to go to school. I don't like staying home with you."

The poor thing tries so hard to comfort me, but always manages to say the wrong thing.  I guess she gets that from me.  I'm always putting my foot in my mouth.

For Paul's 7th birthday he got lots of creature habitats.  He is anxiously awaiting his ants for his ant farm and his ladybug larva for his ladybug growing adventure.  

Paul -"I can't believe I'm going to be an Ant farmer!   I'm going to be a ladybug daddy!"

Anna- "can I be the ladybug Mommy?!?!"

Paul -"sure!  good thinking Anna!"

Until the ants and the larva arrive through UPS Paul is creature hunting in the backyard.  Yesterday morning he brought in several rolly pollies, put them in the lady bug habitat, and put a bit of water and "food" in  for them.  That afternoon he solemnly walked into the living room, his two best friends were sitting in the floor, in the palm of his hand was a rolled up rolly polly.

Paul- "guys, you better prepare yourself for a funeral.  This little guy got in the deep end of the water."

This morning after breakfast he came walking in the kitchen with his hand palm up.


Paul- "mom I have found the smallest rolly polly I have ever seen in my WHOLE life."


Me- "Paul, honey, that's not a rolly polly.  That's a small piece of fuzz."


Paul- "no it isn't.  I have to go out and get this litttle guy some food.  can you hold him while I go out in the back yard?"

I sat at the kitchen table, holding a piece of fuzz, while Paul, who was only wearing his underwear, went into the backyard to get the "rolly polly" some food, thinking to myself, "so, this is what motherhood is all about?  humm interesting!" 

Still Missing Papal

I'm trying not to be sad today.

I'm trying to hold my head up and be brave.

I honestly didn't think this day would affect me as much as it has. 

Today's the 5th anniversary of my Papal's death.

I miss him.

Everyday I feel that his presence is with me. I feel as if he is right beside me, watching me play with my children, laughing about how I am making sure to raise them in the backwoods type of way right in the middle of what he would call "the city."

I remember when I moved to "the city."  I'd go over to his house on a weekend home from college, and hunt him down out in the field.  We'd sit in the truck, watchin' the cows, talkin' about life "in the city."  He'd laugh so hard at the stories I'd bring home about the "city folk" I'd met in college.   He'd get to chuckling so hard that he'd get choked up on his chewing tobacco and have to pat his eyes with his white hanky. 

I miss that.

I miss the way his whole body would shake when he laughed.

He LOVED to laugh.  

My whole family LOVES to laugh. 

I'm pretty sure we all got that from Papal.  

He also LOVED to tell stories.

I miss that too.

I miss the magical way that he had with getting people to sit around together and tell stories. 

When he got the hankering to talk he'd stand on the porch and wave people down, grab them a chair and have Mamal put on a cup of coffee.  He did this with family, friends, employees and random strangers.  The man loved to talk, loved to tell stories, and loved to tell people about Jesus.

I miss seeing him, this big strong farmer, get teared up while talkin' about Jesus.

Every year since his death my family has gathered at Golden Corral, the only restaurant that can fit my MASSIVE family, to eat and tell stories about Papal.  Mamal rents the whole back room for us.  It typically starts off somber. We all walk into the room missing his presence, feeling the void that he left behind.  But that void is quickly filled by each of us taking turns to tell some of our cRaZy Papal stories.

Every year the same stories seem to creep in and every year we all pretend as if it is the first time we have ever heard them.

For that small span of time, he is still alive.  

He lives through the stories; He has once again waved us down and demanded that we all grab a cup of coffee and sit around for a quick chit chat. 

This anniversary I was unable to make it down to the Family Farm to be with everyone.

My husband kept telling me it was ok for me to go, but we have so much going on here at home that the thought of having to drive all the way there, with two kids, all alone,  was overwhelming.

I opted to stay home.

I didn't expected to feel so emotional today.

I knew I would wake up missing him, feeling a sense of lose that tends to creep back around this time of year, but I didn't realize how much I would yearn to be surrounded by family, to be comforted by the stories.  

One of my favorite things as a child was sitting around listening to the grown ups tell stories about "when they were little."  I can still see the stories playing in my head like a movie. 

They say the art of story telling is dying out.  For some reason our generation seems to have lost the simple pleasure of sittin' on the front porch to share a good story. They'd rather facebook, tweet, text, watch tv, or.... blog.