Daylight Savings Time

I *LOVE* daylight savings time! It was 7:09 when I took this picture (it was lighter outside than it actually appears in the picture).


Combine the longer days with the beautiful weather we've been having and I'm practically in Heaven!

Updates

A few quick updates:

• The loved one that I mentioned in my previous post is not YOU! (Perry was a little concerned about that and asked what he did!) The person involved is a smaller version of myself who doesn't regularly read my blog.

• Would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to hear some discipline strategies that you've used for older kiddos (in the 10 year old range).

• No surgery today. The MRI did not show that anything had torn so the doc wants me to do PT and consider a cortisone shot first (shudder). That was good news, but frustrating as my knee continues to act up. Some days are better so I'm taking that as a good sign that some healing is happening.

• If you read the news about the pastor being shot during Sunday morning service, that happened in the next town over from us. In fact, the church we attend hosted the prayer vigil the night it happened. The two churches are very similar and not too far apart in distance. It's shaken me to think that this type of violence has now encroached on what should be a sanctuary for worship and renewal.

• Warning...I'm going in a vent a bit....they are already going down the mental illness defense route with the shooter. Please know that I think mental illiness is a very serious matter and my gripe is not about his mental illiness or how that will play in a defense. The shooter was featured in a recent newspaper series about how Lyme Disease had caused his mental illness. So, it was a well known fact that this man had some mental issues (whether or not you buy the Lyme Disease twist or not). But, will someone tell me WHY WHERE THERE GUNS IN THE HOUSE (multiple guns were removed from the house, not counting the weapons he used in the attack)?!? If you know someone has a mental illness, behaves oddly, is known for outburts, WHY PUT ANYONE AT DANGER?!? I'm really struggling with this.

• But, I'm so impressed with how the church family is dealing with this tragedy. With all the local media coverage, they've been able to spread a very positive message about this tragedy. They are reaching out to the shooter and his family and encouraging people to not cast judgement but to pray (clearly, I'm struggling with that lesson!)

• Please keep the family of Pastor Winters in your prayers. He leaves behind 2 young daughters and a wife. The road ahead will not be an easy one, although they have the knowledge they will see be united again some day. Also pray for the church family. I cannot imagine going back into the sanctuary where this happened.

Unfocused

This post is going to be a bit like my daughter's vision...unfocused....

• Elise's glasses broke when a ball hit her in the face during PE last week. It's been a bit of a nightmare getting them fixed. We have the type of vision insurance that allows for lenses to replaced once between new sets, but we've already replaced them once. (For those of you who don't have kids in glasses, you'd be AMAZED at how often they break, scratch, etc!) And she's eligible for a new FREE pair of glasses (frames and lenses) in May. So, to replace these right now is out of pocket. Which is frustrating knowing that in 3 months, we'll be back in picking out a new pair...for NO COST. Grrrr.... The old tape holding them together in the middle wouldn't look bad for a few months, right?!? (just kidding, I won't do that to her!)

• I'm heading out of town in a few days for a work trip. Why is that men can simply pack a bag and go and not even think about all the details a Mom has to consider? I'm already wiped out planning all the family details for while I'm gone. I'm sure my family will do just fine, but no one thinks of the small details like mom...like ensuring the kids are at the right place and have a lunch and...and...and...

• All this prep work would really stink if I were going somewhere lame, but I'm going to Clearwater Beach, Florida. Yeah, I know, I can't complain too much. All this work to get my family ready will be rewarded by several days of white sand and sunshine (and a little bit of work!)

• Our weather is going up and down and up and down. Near 70's one day and back down to the 40's the next. When we start to get a taste of spring, I start getting MAJOR spring fever and CAN.NOT.WAIT for spring to arrive.

• I didn't even realize when we were making plans for this trip that I'll be out of town for Valentine's Day. Big bummer. (But...thinking of the bright side...sand and sunshine...) Instead, my kids will get a sleepover at their grandparents and will have lots of fun. It'll be a special Valentine's Day for them. (And my kids even have a few surprises for their grandparents....shhhh....)

• In my alternating of class parties this year, I'm going in to help with Carson's Valentine's Day party this week. Carson went back and forth on wanting me there (LOL!). I think the only reason he finally agreed to me going was to prevent me from going to Elise's party. His class watches "the video" this year (you remember the one...they boys watch one version while the girls watch a different version). I'm a litle saddened to realize we're entering a whole phase. My little boy is growing up way too quickly.

• We wrapped up our Chinese New Year celebration by celebrating with Elise's Girl Scout Troop earlier this week. Her leaders devoted an entire meeting to celebrating CNY. The girls had a great time and were really interested in what we shared with them. We did some games (moving marshmallows with chopsticks), made paper latterns and ate mooncakes (sugar cookies). Elise was so proud to share Chinese New Year with so many friends this year and I'm so proud of the way her friends completely embraced it! Now, it's time to pack it all up for another year...and preferably before I leave town!

• My blogger buddy Becky is doing another trip to China this summer. I would so love to join her, but the timing is really bad for me. I'm praying about it and, even if I'm not able to go, I'm so looking forward to her trip. I loved reading the travel blog last year.

• See, I'm all over the place right now. I've also been so bad about leaving comments on my fave blogs lately. I read them on bloglines and then forget to comment.

• Sand....Sun....Beach... (OK, my mind IS focused, just not on the day at hand!)

Completed project, a give-away and a change in the dining room

Like the title, I'm feeling a bit scattered this week. Too much to do, too little time...

Completed Project:


I did manage to get this project done. I've been wanting to do this with my kids since they were babies.


In case anyone is interested, I took side pictures of the kids and had them printed as 8x10's. (Yes, I took the pictures last summer and it took me that long to finish...problem with that?!?) Once developed, I just cut them out, traced onto black paper and mounted them in the frame. I thought it would be so much harder than it was...very easy project that I'm glad I finally finished.

Give-away:


These books were given to me by a family in the area. I already have these books and would be happy to pass them on to someone out there. If you are interested, drop me an e-mail with your snail mail address.

Change in dining room:


Remember how Perry was going to make a hutch for our revamped dining room? Turns out, he has a few other projects in the hopper. He wasn't feeling that jazzed about making the hutch and was worried he wouldn't do it justice (I wasn't worried, he does beautiful work). But, I want it done NOW and it'd likely be at least a year before he'd tackle it. So, we went furniture shopping.


Here's what we ended up with in the long run. This piece (and a matching sideboard that will come later) have a craftsman style that I really liked. (And I love the fact that Carson stuck his head in from the adjoining staircase just as I snapped the picture with a "whatcha doing, Mom?"...so typical!)


So, now I guess I'm officially an adult...or just old, whichever way you want to look at it. I have a place to leave out my good china...hopefully now we'll use it more often!