The Facts of Life

I believe passionately in talking to your children about EVERYTHING. I am of the opinion that there is little that should be hidden from children when they come to you with questions. Recalling some of the dinner table discussions and questions that would arise when I was a kid...I know why I believe this! (Oh, Cammie and J liked to ask questions that would turn me all sorts of shades of red!)

However, I think I feel this sort of discussions are appropriate for preteens and older...NOT for a 3-year-old! Nope!

Yet, lately G has had some questions that I am just not comfortable answering right now! For example, we were at the store and one of the items I was buying were some feminine products. G just HAD to ask what they were as my husband him on the head with them as he was throwing them in the cart...

Fumbling..."Well, they are for Mommy. They are something for adult ladies," I decide to say. "Why? Does Ballerina need some?" He asks in response. "No, only Mommy, son...because she bleeds. They are her bandaids, " Eric says! (Brilliant, right?)

So, now he is SUPER concerned why I need bandaids...and when he scraped his knee...Yep, he dug in my purse to find one to comfort his pain!

What do I say?

Then we are watching a television show (on CBS...which brings be to an entirely different issue I have with prime time TV) that had some inappropriate sexual scenes. We were in our bedroom, AND he was supposedly asleep...However, he comes walking in to see if he can get a snack. Of course, he looks at the tv in prime time to see something! "Mommy, why are they playing gobble-monster on tv?...I did not know adults liked that!" Yep...gobble-monster.

"I do not know, baby. Let's go back to bed..." What do I say?

He is such a little thing...I am just not ready for these discussions! :)

He wants, however, to be big so desperately. In fact, when he plays with the other kids on the street, he always plays with bigger boys...the 7, 8, and 9 year olds. So, tonight they were all sitting on the bench discussing their current movie likings. The older boys were suggesting films such as Transformers, Pokemon, etc. That is when G breaks in and says, "I know boys...the best movie...my favorite movie is Cinderella!"

There was immediate laughter from all of the others, and I watched his little eyes well up with tears as his chin dropped to his chest. It broke this Mommy's heart!

What do I say? He is too little to be playing with them, but...
(We did go inside and Mommy watched Cinderella with her baby boy!...He said he loves the movie because Cinderella is as pretty as his sister!)

I guess it is just a fact of life.

No computer...sad...

It is 9:30 last Thursday night. Eric was at a softball game. I had just put the kids to bed...it was early.

My paper was finished, and I was stoked that I just needed to print it for class on Friday!

However, I have yet to be able to get my computer to hook up to the home printer, so instead, I always just transfer anything I need to Eric's for printing. I opened my computer to see the spinning rainbow of death! Uhhh!

Not a big deal...just restart...

That is when I restarted to find the infamous flashing blue screened question mark!

Long story short...Kason tried to help until almost 3 in the morning...I did not turn my paper in...I took the computer to tech services who told me today that the hard drive is FRIED! Yep, GONE...no more...nothing...

I have lost so much! I have not backed up since I left school for summer! So everything for grad school this month... :( Not to mention the pictures...I am so very, very sad. Lesson learned again!

I am at the computer lab now...talk about being enrolled in this school too long! As I look around I wonder if some of these kids were even born when I first came to college!

So, I doubt there will be many posts until I get my computer back...and surely none with pictures. :(

A little princess...

It is not often that you meet royalty.

Truth be known, I am confident I was not deserving of the honor that was bestowed to me today.

I believe passionately that I met a princess.

I do not know that I have met, or will ever meet for that matter, someone who has impacted so many people in such profound ways...A long time ago I was told many people will come and go in your lives, but only a few will touch you...will impact you...will change you...will make you a better person simply by knowing them. I remember challenging myself those many years ago to work each and every day striving to make a difference. I know it was for this reason that I entered the education profession... And, when I think about it, most of us spend the better part of a century hoping, praying that we might achieve this one goal - to make a positive difference in the life of just one person.

Ironically, this little princess has achieved this sometimes unattainable goal in the shortest amount of time.

And while it angers me to screams, hurts me to the core, and perplexes me beyond comprehension that this little princess was chosen not to live beyond my years, I am comforted in my confidence that He had a perfect plan when He chose to put her in this world.

Little princess, thank you for reminding me of my blessings and for teaching me to cherish them as I have failed to do before. Thank you for renewing the friendships I hold so dear. Thank you for placing me in a position that I might come to respect your parents in a way I have respected no other. Thank you for allowing me an insight into motherhood I needed to know. Thank you for showing me what it means to be grateful. Thank you for proving that even in the darkest of hours there IS light. And thank you most of all for making me open my heart so that I might believe in Him the way He has instructed me to do. Thank you...

As your incredible mother said tonight, you will never experience the joys and sadness that we have come to know; however, because of you we will forever find joy even in our saddest hours.

No matter how long your future may measure, little princess, you have already made quite the difference in mine.

You WILL live long...

It was my greatest honor to meet you today.

With love beyond words...

Me and the little princess.

With her mom...

A look in her eyes...

The sweetest dreams.

I felt so blessed.

Nothing like a mother's love.

Sweet tears...

So many want to meet you little princess!

Precious...

More sweet tears!

Most of you who keep up with my blog know her story...I see you often, and thus, I talk about her often. However, for those of you who do not, this little princess has Trisomy 18. If you want to know more about it, please visit here.

Please prayerfully consider how you might be able to best honor Julia, her family and those like her.

Manners

Manners...well, our kids have none...

Butterflies

There is something about butterflies with which I identify. I doubt I could ever ascertain the parallelisms, but nonetheless, they inspire me.

Still swimming...

So far this summer...

Well, there has been a little work, more grad school and a LOT of swimming!

There have been swim lessons!






Adventures to the local pool. (Where we go most evenings.)

Oh, and a little camp...

Father's Day 2008

To the great fathers in my life...

We love you!

Renamed

It seems as if my posting habits have stunk lately. I will start a post and, well...I will just never get around to actually posting it. Great huh!

This one should was originally titled "Another Lake Adventure;" however, considering my issues with posting, it is not too timely...

Yet, below are some glimpses of another adventure at the lake...
Still growing!
The 5!

The grandkids THIS MONTH! (Next month and the following there will be more!)

Wet Pip...After his swim in the lake.

Don't make me learn to drink from a straw...3 minutes later and this face was MUCH different!

Like Rudder's shoes? Yep, they are Ballerina's!