2009 Christmas Card Video from Micah and Adam

Date with Adam and the Nutcracker

During my first year teaching, a retiring Kindergarten teacher passed on a video she had of the New York City Ballet performing The Nutcracker. I had only seen The Nutcracker one time, a year earlier, when a gracious couple from our church invited Robert and I to see it. Neither of us knew the story well, and I'm embarrassed to say that we both ended up falling asleep during the second half. As a music teacher, though, I thought it would be nice to know the story and be able to teach it to my students, most of whom would probably never see it in the ballet.

After nine years of teaching, 8 Decembers included introducing first graders to the wonderful story of The Nutcracker. And I fell in love as a result. Tchaikovsky's music is the soundtrack of my holidays. So, you can imagine that I introduced Adam to the story as soon as I could. Last year, friends of mine who have connections to the Memphis Ballet, took Adam and me to The Nutcracker at the Orpheum. He was only 3, but he captured the magic of the story. His favorite part was the fighting scene when the Nutcracker kills the Mouse King. After seeing it, he requested to watch the video and would dance around the house like a toy soldier and play with my wooden nutcracker.

This year, my friend, Amber, again invited Adam and me to join her at the Orpheum. When it was time to get ready, I remember that friends from Colorado had sent some hand-me-down clothes, including a sports coat and clip-on tie. When I got it out of the back of his closet, he jumped up and down with excitement to wear it! We had to get a few poses of his Derek Zoolander impression.

Then, Micah wanted in on the action.

This time when we went to the Orpheum, we went to the late show and enjoyed some tasty treats. He sat in my lap most of the performance which made it fun for me to really see his expressions and enthusiasm for the story. As soon as the music for the fight scene began, he sat on the edge of my lap with his hands stretched out in anticipation. When the first mouse came on the stage, Adam began clapping uncontrollably. I had to remind him of audience manners a few times, because during the fight scene, he kept adding sound effects.

It was way past his bedtime and he did fall asleep on my shoulder about 20 minutes before it ended. But it will go on record as one of my most favorite mom and Adam memories. To top it off, Amber took us to the backstage door after the performance to meet some of the dancers. First, the Russian dancer came out to meet us, and then Adam recognized the plain-clothed Nutcracker himself! He ran over to him and shook his hand, then asked him how he became real after being a doll. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night.

The Tiny Brains Are Growing Bigger

When Adam was a baby, Robert and I would joke that he had "tiny brains" and no matter how fussy or difficult he was, we were smarter and bigger. We would compare his brain to our dog, Jack, watching for the day that Adam grew as smart as Jack. Then we watched as Adam became a little more smarter than Jack-dog. Then alot smarter than Jack-dog (which is about the point that Aunt Megan rescued Jack from our home and the little terrorizer who always cast Jack in the role of the dragon he was trying to slay. And yes, I have watched Marley and Me and felt a twinge of guilt at that part of the movie when they decided NOT to give away the dog!)

Well, in the last month, we've discovered that Adam's "tiny brains" are not so tiny anymore. We applied for him to enter the CLUE program in Memphis City Schools (the gifted education program) and he went through the IQ testing. He qualified and began the new CLUE preschool class yesterday at Downtown Elementary. His best friends, Walt and CJ, were already in the class and gave him a great welcome. He came home singing about continents. I said, "so you learned about continents today?" He gave me his puzzled look and asked, "How did you learn about continents before me?"

I know it won't be long before I'm wondering if his tiny brain has surpassed mine. I hope I treasure this time as much as you possibly can!

Adam, before Clue, standing at his growth chart. 43" tall today!

Adam with his buddies, CJ and Walt, after Clue.

Fair Trade and Advent Conspiracy

I came across this video while on the Advent Conspiracy website.

After last weekend's IJM documentary,

I've been wanting to learn more about fair trade.

This video was thought provoking.

Money Quote: "If every person who attended church in our country

made just one fair trade purchase,

one million families would be lifted out of poverty for one whole year."

Relational Giving Ideas

Over the last few years, our family has made some effort to focus on Christmas a little differently as we've joined the Advent Conspiracy. We've tried to give relational gifts and really put more thought into the person we are giving to. Sometimes we save money, sometimes we spend more. But most times, we give much more time than we used to. It's a challenge sometimes, but very rewarding too. I began compiling this list of relational gift ideas last year and have added to it throughout the year as I think of things. I hope this helps you in your gift-giving this year!

Christmas Cards:

Create a video, post it to YouTube, then send an e-mail with the video embedded. (We did this in 2007 and 2008. We're still planning the 2009 video!)

Make your own cards

For Kids Gifts:

Video the child’s favorite family members telling him/her a “Once Upon a Time” story. Burn it to DVD.

Create an ABC scrapbook or flashcards with pictures/drawings of the child’s favorite things, friends, or relatives.

Create a book about the adventures of your child. Use your own photos, drawings, clip art, or magazine cut-outs to illustrate the story. Bind it at an office supply store for a few dollars. (This could also be done by a child for another sibling, grandparent, or cousin.)

Give lessons that encourage an interest (ballet, soccer, art, piano, etc…)

For less expensive toys, find gently used ones on Craigslist, eBay, or at a consignment store.

Take your child on a “road trip.” (Our favorites are Shelby Forest or Shelby Farms)

For Family Gifts:

Give a membership to the gym, zoo, Children’s Museum, Pink Palace, Brooks Museum, Botanical Gardens, etc…

Give gift cards to a restaurant or movie theater to be used on dates.

Give coupons for free babysitting.

Open your home as a “Bed and Breakfast” to serve a friend or another family from out of town.

Organize a family photo session with a photographer. Pay for the sitting fee, then let each family member purchase the photos they like.

Trade taking family photos with another family. (Free!) Then purchase your printed pics from an on-line store.

Create a photo calendar complete with everyone’s birthdays/anniversaries.

Give games that will bring the entire family together.

Organize a family vacation instead of giving gifts. (My family did this when I was growing up. I don't remember many of the gifts under the tree, but I remember every single ski trip and mission trip we took as a family!)

For Parents/Grandparents:

Give home-made gifts (ornaments, frames, candles).

Make a scrapbook of favorite childhood memories.

Compile/edit home videos or old photographs and burn onto DVD.

Give a coupon for free yard work, or a day of completing the “honey-do” list.

Give homemade freezer meals.

Make a date once a month to treat them to a home-cooked meal with your family.

Invite them to join your “Muffin of the Month” club. Take them a batch of muffins each month.

For Friends:

Treat a friend to a sporting event, concert, or art show.

Treat them to a round of golf or tennis game.

Organize a weekend get-away or camping trip for friends.

Organize a regular game night.

Give home-made dinners or desserts.

Wrap two copies of a classic book to read with a friend.

Use your talents:

If you are a techie, offer free “technical support” to friends and family by working on their computers, cameras, or phones.

If you are artistic, ask a friend to work with you to create an art piece of their choice.

If you are gifted musically, offer to give free music lessons to a friend.

If you are a great cook, give away your own recipe book by putting recipes inside a small photo album. You could also offer free cooking lessons.

If you are an organizer, offer your services to help clean out a closet, garage, or help prepare for a yard sale.

If you have a green thumb, divide some of your plants and help a friend start their own garden.

If you are a writer, write a “Year In Review” Poem for friends or family. Frame it and give away.

IJM and Lindsay Cade

Another Advent Conspiracy event that NC hosted this weekend was a viewing of the documentary "At The End of Slavery" from the International Justice Mission. Meredith Pace organized this event and had a great turnout. I happened to get to go by myself (whoo-hoo!) while Robert stayed home with the boys. The film was moving and inspired some great discussion afterwards. It's amazing how blind we can be, if we want to be, to the hurting and injustices in our world, even in our city.

The focus of this film was to inspire us to encourage our government to send strong messages to the countries where modern day slavery is most prevalent. In most of these countries, the law is in place against slavery, but the local governments are not enforcing the laws. IJM has teams of people in these countries who are qualified to train local law enforcements how to take down slave organizations in order to send messages to others, which seem to fall away when they realize the law is being enforced. There were also amazing success stories of children who have been saved from slavery and are involved in healthy environments now.

Our discussion afterwards also included talk about sweat shops and where we buy our clothing. Ignorance is bliss, and also irresponsible. I'm challenged to learn more about free-trade and socially responsible companies. Then we wrote letters to our congressman and senator encouraging them to support a bill that will support IJM's efforts.

To top off the night, Lindsay Cade performed some great tunes for us. LC was the first person to join us in Memphis before we started Neighborhood Church. She is such a beautiful person and has so much to share with the world. We sent her to Canada for a while and then Poland. And now she is in Nashville. I tried to tell her Memphis would love to have her back (and we would love her as a worship leader!), but she seems good in middle Tennessee.

Advent Conspiracy Photos

On Saturday, Neighborhood Church hosted 25 free photo sessions to launch Advent Conspiracy! It was the most beautiful fall day you could imagine. Just perfect for family portraits! Our two incredible photographers had such generous attitudes and seemed to really love taking photos for 4 hours. We had a great time. Our hope is that by receiving free sessions, the families will then use the money they saved to help someone in need or give to a charitable organization this Christmas. The premise behind Advent Conspiracy is that Christmas was meant to change the world, but has become about consumerism instead. I look forward to the other AC events we will have in the next month!

Peabody Kindergarten 2010

We had a great dinner and discussion last night with about 6 families in Midtown who are considering sending their 4 year olds to Kindergarten at Peabody next fall. (2 more families couldn't attend, but have pretty much committed to Peabody.) Ms. Jones, the principal, and Ms. Malland, a Kindergarten teacher, both came to share information with parents and answer questions.

It was exciting for me to see these families and hear what their decision making process has been like. It is also interesting to hear the views of both newcomers to Memphis, and long-time Memphians or private educated versus public educated parents. Everyone comes to a discussion like this with such different backgrounds and different values. I love it and love the diversity of opinions it brings.

I think we will gather again in January after folks have had a chance to observe the Kindergarten classrooms and attend the Open House. Then we'll see what people are planning to do! There is definitely a lot of buzz about Peabody around Midtown now. I'm glad people are starting to consider it!

Memphis Matters: Peabody Elementary (Part 2)

An hour later, the improv show was over and people began to get up out of their seats. The couple who had shared their Peabody story came up to Robert and I and thanked me for sharing. They were excited to hear about the Parents Network and asked me about a few families in the neighborhood who they thought would be interested in it. I already knew these names and knew that one had actually said their child would be attending Kindergarten next fall with Adam.

Then another woman walked up and said, "You're living my life! Or what was my life 20 years ago." I said, "Well, please enlighten me about your life!" She said, "20 years ago, no one I knew was sending their child to our neighborhood school, Snowden. We decided it was the only option we were comfortable with and sent our first child to Kindergarten. More and more families in Evergreen began sending their kids to Snowden and we had a good principal who became a great principal because she really listened to the parents. My 3 children attended Snowden through 8th grade and then graduated from Central High. They are phenomenal, well-rounded adults and all had excellent college opportunities. Their friends who attended private schools were at most times doing the same homework projects my kids were doing, and most times using the same textbooks. But what my kids learned from being in school with diverse classmates, both culturally and socio-economically was part of an education you can't pay for." We continued talking about our experiences and soon enough said our goodbyes.

As Robert and I were walking out the doors, another woman ran up to us and said "You rock!" We kind of laughed and said, "What?" She said, "I have 5 kids. Ten years ago when my daughter was starting school, we lived in Cooper Young. We went to Peabody to meet with the principal and my daughter went to the bathroom. She came back crying, saying that someone had been mean to her in the bathroom. Then she asked us, 'why is no one else white?' We left Peabody that day, quietly packed up our house and cowardly moved to Bartlett. I'm proud of what you are doing today and wish that I had the courage to do that ten years ago. I hope people follow in this movement. Best of luck to you!"

To say that this evening had been a strange, surreal experience would be an understatement. But it affirmed to me that Peabody Matters. Memphis Matters. Here's praying...

Memphis Matters: Peabody Elementary (Part 1)

The other day I received a facebook invitation to an event in my neighborhood. A new improv group was going to be performing a show called Memphis Matters where they take situations from the audience, related to living in Memphis, then the actors interpret the scene. Robert and I happened to have a childless night while the boys were at Nana's, so we decided to go. After a nice dinner at Cafe Ole, we headed to First Congo to the little theater.

About half way through the show, a woman two rows in front of us raised her hand to share her Memphis experience. She said, "My husband and I moved here a few years ago from Montana. We bought a house across the street from Peabody Elementary and friends bought us a nice porch swing for our front porch. My husband and I drink our coffee and sit on that porch swing every morning. I watch those wonderful teachers out of the front steps and the wonderful principal greeting all of the students, but I have to wonder 'Where are all of the white children?' As I watch hundreds of children walk into the building, I just wonder 'where is the diversity?' and it just breaks my heart. I'm not from Memphis. Where I am from, everyone lives in peace with each other. This separation of races is something I am not familiar with and it just doesn't seem right."

The director summarized what the woman shared then let the actors interpret it. The first actor (and the only one I can remember, unfortunately) pretended to have a paint brush as he stroked the air saying, "color! color! Where is all the color?"

For those who know me and know the journey I have been on for the last few years, you would know that this experience stirred up some wild emotion in me! I could hardly sit still on my seat (which is probably why I can't remember much of the actors' interpretation!) and my heart was about the beat out of my chest! When the actors finished and the director was looking for another Memphis experience to interpret, my hand shot up. And she called on me.

With emotion in my voice, I shared, "My husband and I moved to Memphis 4 years ago with our 6 month old. When we decided to live in the city, many people shared their opinions that we probably wouldn't last in the city once our children started school. We should consider moving out to the suburbs or start saving to pay for private school. As a mom and a public educator, I thought this was wrong and wondered why.... Today, I find myself on the Leadership Team at Peabody Elementary working with Ms. Jones and the teachers to partner with the community more closely. I helped start the Cooper Young Parents Network a year ago so that young families choosing to live in the city know they are not alone and can easily find community with others in the same life stage. And now, a byproduct of starting the parents network is that several Cooper Young families are choosing to send our kids to Kindergarten at Peabody next fall. And the 50 families, and nearly 100 kids, mostly who are not school age yet, in the parents network can begin to make plans to attend Peabody, making it a more diverse community."

The director, who happens to have two young children and live in the neighborhood (but has not yet joined the CYPN) summarized my statements this way, "So, wait a minute, you have started a movement to get neighborhood kids - who are mostly caucasian - to attend Peabody?" I said, "Well, the Parents Network is fueling a movement I guess. Hopefully as several families commit to attend to Peabody next fall, the other families in the network will follow and it will become easier for each class afterwards." The actors then interpreted it like this:

Actor 1: pointing in every different direction "This goes here. And this one goes here. And this one goes with this one..."

Actor 2: like a train conductor, "GET ON BOARD! Come on - it's a MOVEMENT! GET ON BOARD!"

Actor 3: bending down, turning to the left and yelling with hands cupped over his mouth "KEEP GOING! KEEP GOING! Don't stop! KEEP GOING!"

Whew! That was amazing and a little surreal. Little did I know what that "discussion" would spark in the conversations after the show! To be continued...

i-phone perspective

In the last few months, God has been leading me to pray for perspective. He gave me a picture (and I LOVE when He speaks to me through pictures and analogies!) of an i-phone. I don't have one, but occasionally I will play with Robert's. It comes in handy when he's watching sports and I get bored. I've learned sudoku. Anyway, on an i-phone, you can very easily zoom in and zoom out by simply moving your fingers together or apart.

I've known for a while that I've become too sensitive and bogged down with my small world. I felt the walls of my house getting smaller and smaller. The same with the walls of my church and my neighborhood. My attention had been zoomed in so much that every little thing began to bother me and stress me. Worry began to consume me. I began asking God to help me zoom out and hopefully gain some perspective. So how did God answer my prayer and help me zoom out?

He brought me out of the city for a few days. He gave me 5 wonderful days in a row with my husband (while the little ones had a blast with Nana). He gave me time with my dear friend and "thread", Debbie, who encouraged me and "popped in" for a while. He also inspired me through the stories of 3000 urban missionaries. He gave me girl time with Meredith and other new friends. He reminded me of where I've been and where He is taking me. He reminded me that His plan is big and while He loves me so much, He is big enough to care for my little problems that a week ago consumed me.

Not only is He the God of Abraham, the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but He's the God who has provided my every need every time. Why do I so easily forget this?

Threads

An after thought I had when I went back to read the previous post about Deb is that sometimes we need people in our lives who are like threads. They pop in and out of our lives, sometimes randomly or when we least expect it, to offer friendship and sometimes guidance. They don't have to know the details of your situation, but because they love you and have stayed connected, they know the major themes in your life. They know where you've been and can sometimes see where you are going better than you can. I don't have many threads in my life, but I'm grateful for those who are. I also pray that I may become a thread in other's lives.

My friend Debbie

I have been blessed to have many, many friends in my lifetime. As I've learned more about my adult self, I know that I am an extremely relational person. I don't need a lot of friends. I need meaningful, deep friendships. In my early twenties, which happened to be my early years of marriage, I didn't really know this about myself. It was a time before facebook and blogs, so keeping up with those meaningful friendships took alot of effort. Had I known how important that was to my soul, I probably would have made the effort, and probably would have been a little happier.

My husband, after six months of marriage, felt led by God to attend seminary in California. I thought I was up for the challenge and tried to be as supportive and happy as a young wife should be. But it was hard. And still figuring out this marriage thing, we had a rough few years. In the middle of those years of seminary, my dear husband experienced many paradigm shifts that greatly impacted our spiritual walks. One of those shifts was the idea of House Church. My mostly happy church experiences had all taken place in fairly traditional churches, and I had no reason to think church should happen any differently than what I had experienced.

Needless to say, we had some frustrating times of Robert trying to get me to read books, articles, and have meaningful conversations about his new ecclesiology. But folks, I mean, I was working full-time in my first few years of teaching, had a two hour commute each day, and very few friends, which I needed desperately, and lived thousands of miles away from anyone who loved me (other than my husband)! I was in no place to be challenged in the way I did church! I was simply trying to survive!

In his last effort to try to share with me what he was learning, what he was feeling led by God to do, he took me to LA for a weekend retreat with other house church pastors. I had a cold the entire weekend, and the retreat was in a barn. Literally. I got so sick, that I finally took some cold medicine and went to the car to sleep. Robert stayed for the session. When I arose from my coma, I joined him back in the barn. Apparently, I had missed hearing a guy speak from Las Vegas. He pastored a network of house churches there. When I joined Robert, he was sitting at a table with some of these guys from Vegas. Without knowing what I had missed, I just shared with them that I had no idea what I thought about all this stuff. One of the guys, Joe, said, "You should meet my wife. She went through the same thing. Here's her number. Give her a call someday." He then said, "And if you guys ever want to move to Vegas and hang out with us for a a while, we'd love you to be part of our community one day."

After coming home, I busily went back into my routine of driving, working, driving, and sleeping. After a few weeks, I gave the guys wife a call. Her name was Debbie, and we became great friends. Without ever knowing me, she helped me so much. She encouraged me by sharing her story with me. She related to every feeling and hesitation that I had. She prayed with me and for me. Within the next year, Robert and I journeyed to Vegas about 5 times spending time with the Apex community. Even as outsiders, they welcomed us to their sweet fellowship. When I saw and experienced the depth of relationships within their house churches, I was sold. It was a sense community that I had never experienced in any other church. They didn't attend church. They were the church.

When Robert's days of seminary were coming to an end, we felt very strongly that God would take us to Las Vegas. We made plans, I had a job, and we had an apartment in the basement of an Apex family. Debbie and I were thrilled to be making our friendship a local one. But one month before the move, God gave both Robert and I an unsettling feeling about moving. Within 24 hours, we both felt the Lord tell us to stay in the Bay Area and move to the East Bay near my school. It was a hard decision, but it wasn't really hard to tell Debbie. She knew. She understood. And she knew that our friendship went beyond this kingdom on earth.

That was seven years ago. Joe and Debbie and their boys have since lived in LA and now Cincinatti, where Joe has been a professional actor, and a teaching pastor at a few mega churches. He even recently just wrote, directed, and produced an independent feature film. We have since had two children, moved to Memphis, and have started a fairly traditionally structured church. But there is no doubt that the "taste" of community we experienced in our short visits to the Boyds have influenced the culture we have seen God create at Neighborhood Church.

Debbie and I have called our friendship one of kindred spirits. We only talk a few times a year, but they are sweet and encouraging times. I am excited to be heading to Cincinatti this week for a conference. But will of course, get to spend some time with this dear friend. Thanks God for giving me this friendship when I needed it most, and for allowing us to continue it over the years!

How Do I Love Thee, Micah

I love the way you say/yell "Amen" twenty times before we're about to eat a meal, and every time you say it, you become more and more southern. "Amen" ends up a 4 syllable word.

I love the way you cover your mouth when you cough.

I love the way you walk, but still need to hold on to my hand for balance.

I love the way you laugh when your big brother is being goofy.

I love the way you can sit and "read" books for long periods of time and seem so content.

I love the way you try to unbuckle your seatbelt, just like your brother does, every time I get you out of your carseat.

I love how you roll around and laugh in your crib, playing "hard to get" every time I come to get you up from a nap.

I love how you suck your thumb and put your head on my shoulder during the second verse of God is So Good every night at bedtime.

I love your "so excited" face at meal time and the way you circle your hands and feet.

I love the way you hold your sippy cup in your mouth just using your 4 teeth while your hands are busy crawling around.

I love your cheesy 4-teeth grin. You're such a ham!

I love when you clap your hands while I'm nursing you.

I love how you've created the sign for Adam: hitting your head.

I love your fish face!

Micah, I love who you are becoming and can't wait to get to know you more!

How Do I Love Thee, Adam

I love the way you play "fight" with me.

I love the way you do push-ups just like daddy.

I love the way you ask me questions about God.

I love the way you ask me questions I cannot answer, like "what is a subject?"

I love your curly hair.

I love how you love people so much.

I love that you love Fall and Christmas just as much as I do, and I have fun celebrating with you, even in July.

I love how you say "r" and "l" with a "w" sound. So the way you call your classmate, Riley, is "Wiwey."

I love how smitten you are with Sarah Ann and want her to be your princess.

I love how grown up you seem even though you are only 4 years old.

I love at bedtime, when you will tell me what time you plan to wake up in the morning. What you say always varies between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. You never sleep until 8:30 a.m.

I love how you care for your little brother and make him laugh.

I love how you kiss his boo-boos to make it all better.

I love how, no matter what the weather is, you always say "It's a beautiful day to go to the park!"

I love when you look at your watch and say, "Mom, it's ten til fifteen. I think it's time for soccer."

Adam, you are a wonderful boy and I'm so blessed to be your mom.

You Might Be In Community If…

I shared the following list tonight at the worship gathering for Neighborhood Church. Most of it is mine, some is from Hugh Halter's blog that Robert shared with me once he heard where I was going with my list. It accurately describes the incredible community of which I'm apart. We've come along way since this. Thank God for His faithfulness!

You Might Be In Community If...

You have at least 3 people to call on when you’ve run out of sugar…

When you are on bedrest and a friend does your Target and grocery runs….

If you sit in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for a child to be born and you didn’t have to ask if you could be present….

Your child is born and you have meals for two weeks brought to you by friends and maybe even someone you don’t know very well…

If you have ever taken a potty training child to the bathroom, and it’s not your kid…

You don’t have any children, but at least five kids know you by name and would probably let you take them home with you….

You are passionate about a project and your friends join alongside you simply because they love you and respect your passion for the project….

When needs come up within the sphere of your friends, and your people quickly pool resources or commit time to help…

If you can send an e-mail to a few friends asking for prayer about a specific and urgent need and you know it will be taken seriously….

Your prayers are answered and your friends are just as excited as you are….

If a friend can speak to you with truth and love and hold you accountable, and you still remain friends…

If the Lord speaks to your friends words meant for you…

If you are suffering and your friends hurt along with you…

If you are rejoicing and the entire community is rejoicing along with you…

If you go out of town and offer your home to others who might enjoy staying in your home for a few days…

If you return from being out of town, and your lawn has been mowed...

If you invite new and old friends to your home regularly for a meal or parties…

If you celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and any other special occasion with a group of friends…

If you have a group of friends who know they can call your cell phone or come over without feeling like they’re bugging you. (and you don’t care that laundry is still on the couch and dust bunnies are in the corner!)…

If you look at your weekly calendar and can find at least one or two times that you’ll be seeing several of them…

When your house or the houses of your community runs the social calendar for the neighborhood…

If the people you call for a movie night are the same ones you call for prayer, and the same ones that you find yourself helping others with…

When you are as excited to throw a party together as you are about studying through the book of Acts…

If you can’t find all your tools cuz they’ve been loaned out to people…

When everyone knows each others hidden secrets and there’s now a freedom to just be yourself…

When extroverts get to be extroverts and introverts can remain introverts…

When the question, “How’s it going?” is quickly followed by “how can I help?”…

**Meredith added, "when you are without electricity for a week, but you have about five homes that have been offered to you to stay in..."

**Susan added, "when you don't even ask your friends if they can be the emergency contact for your child's daycare."

**Ginger added, "when you wake up in the morning thinking about a friend's concern."

Do you have others to add to the list?

Preschool

My 4 year old, Adam, has started Pre-K this week. It has been a pretty major transition for him (and me). He's been attending a Parents Day Out program twice a week since he was one. But this Pre-K program is 5 days a week from 7:15-2:15. Pretty intense for preschool if you ask me. But, it's a free program through our school district and it's at our neighborhood daycare center just a few blocks from our house. I've known the director for a few years and want to give the program a fair chance.

Adam has had some bad mornings, but when I pick him up from school, he's very happy. I've realized that he's more of a Mama's Boy than I realized. The evening of Day 1, we were getting ready for bed and he said, "Mom. You're kinda like my best friend." Then he gave me a big hug. Well, I thought that was about the sweetest thing he's ever said to me.

On Day 2, we all overslept and Robert was already gone for an early meeting. So, we were rushed to get ready for school. Adam cried the entire time. It was tough to be nursing the baby, while at the same time talk him down from his fit, get him dressed for school and make him eat breakfast. All in about 15 minutes! If there were ever a time I looked like supermom, it was then. I think being rushed set him into a very emotional mood. When I picked him up after school, another mom told me that during story time, Adam just blurted out "I just really love my mom!"

Day 3, he cried again when it was time for school. This time Robert took him. Adam came running back to the door to say goodbye to me again. Later on, he told me that I had forgotten to sing "O Happy Day" which is a song I sang to him the morning before to get him to calm down. I forgot that I had told him "O Happy Day" was our morning song, while "God is so good" is our bedtime song. When I picked him up, he was happy and knew a few names of new friends. Later in the day while we were playing, he said, "Mom, I love you more than Jack-dog." I replied, "Adam, I love you more than Jack-dog."

poison ivy sucks, but there's a silver lining

okay. i thought i was being a great neighbor by trimming some overgrown weeds from a row of monkey grass that grows on the property line of my neighbors, who are renters. i figured they didn't have the tools to do it themselves so I quickly trimmed the most overgrown parts. didn't even break a sweat. i should have, because then i would have taken a shower that night. but, i didn't. 24 hours later, i noticed splotchy rashes all over my body. i had showered by this point, but it was too late. the poison ivy had settled into my skin and my body had a severe allergic reaction.

it is now day 8 with this horrible skin condition and the weather in memphis couldn't be more disagreeable. yesterday it reached 100 degrees. fortunately, the lord has shown favor on our household and has kept our a.c. working, despite a hundred thousand households in memphis who went without power last week. even friday night, about 1:30 am, the power on our entire block went out, except at our house. freaky.

saturday, i finally went to the doctor who almost panicked when she saw me and told me to go to the e.r. she did a complete exam and ended up giving me alot of drugs and said to watch for improvements, or go to the e.r. the drugs have been good. but we've been cautious too, since i'm still nursing micah.

what amazes me about all of this, is my attitude has been so positive. which isn't really in my character when it comes to times like this! last week, even with all the itching and discomfort, i kept thinking "thank God it's me and not the boys. I don't think i'd have the patience." or "thank God it's this week, when I have nothing really important to do, than last week when we had both boys' birthday parties." that positive outlook made me so much happier. I also had a great support of friends who were checking in on me and offering to help and who were praying for me. I never felt helpless. this is somewhat new because i have memories of the not-so-distant past when my feelings would have been much different. life is good. it will be better when the poison ivy is gone. but it's still good!

title

well, quiet meanderings is probably not the most descriptive word for the blog that chronicles my life and thoughts.  now, with two little boys, life is definitely not quiet, and i rarely meander!  although, it is full of amazingly sweet moments.  

it has been over one year since i've posted anything on here.  but, looking back and reading previous posts, i'm still inspired to continue.  i'm not promising anything.  and may not even tell my friends about it.  but now that i've converted to google for my e-mail, calendar, documents, etc... i've found it easier to follow my favorite blogs through google reader.  and i see friends who use blogs as a journal of their children's milestones.  i'm pretty nostolgic, so i love reading those kinds of writings.  we'll see if i stick to it...