Fasting

I am typing something that I thought would be pretty easy. Until I began to do it. I know it is a little late in the game, but our pastor has asked us to "fast" from something for 40 days. It was SUPPOSED to begin March 1, but I have been being rebellious, I guess. I really have been praying trying to discern what I should fast from. And the answer has been blogging. I spend entirely too much time laboring over what I could, should, want to blog about, hopping around on other blogs and commenting in a million places trying to up my readership...though it totally doesn't work!

Anyway, I have known what I should be doing...but kept hoping for a different answer...it hasn't come! Don't give up on me...I'll be back in 40, okay actually 34 days.

I'll still be checking in to Home Sanctuary for my daily "small thing" and all my dearest blogging friends will be in my thoughts...I won't be blogging with you...but think of all the time I'll have to pray for you!

Really! So, if you have something you want me to be praying for, you can email me at onemoreequalsfour@bellsouth.net otherwise, I'll see you after Easter.

God bless!

Happy Birthday, Baseball Boy

Nine years ago today, you changed our family forever! Our calm, quiet family of three, became a hopping family of four. The peaceful, quiet baby we had grown used to with Football boy, had grown into a toddler and a happy, bubbly infant entered our world.


Little did we know how different two little boys could be! One quiet and serious. One active and full of laughter.


You have grown to be your own young man. Wild and silly at home but so quiet and polite when we are out! Stubborn, silly, unafraid to look crazy! Able to make us laugh about everything. Able to act out anything you have EVER seen on T.V. Word for word! Often in your own world. Always ready to give a massage, a smile, a hug! Cuddly and silly and crazy all wrapped up in the sweetest package with the most kissable cheeks ever made!


You are a fun little brother and an awesome big brother! You can drive me crazy and make me laugh all at once. I can only imagine what the future holds for you...but I am so thankful that when God was handing out Little boys, He chose to give us you!

Have a great day!

Love,
Mommy!

Taken With Tigerfan

I can only hope that all of you had as wonderful a weekend as I did. I may have mentioned a time or ten that for Valentines, Tigerfan gave me a night in Nashville with no kids! He had made all the arrangements, had babysitting, room reservations, etc.

He had done lots of research and was a little disappointed because NOTHING was going on in Music City this weekend. No shows, no concerts...nothing. That was totally fine with me because he had me at no kids!

The week leading up to it was rough. I have also established lately that we have been plagued with illness this year and this week did not disappoint. By Thursday (one day before we left) we had three out of four kids with ear infections, one recovering from the flu and one newly diagnosed with it! We were actually planning on letting the kiddos spend the night with Nana and Papaw Thursday night so we could get an early start Fri. morning but decided to hold off because Dancer was feeling so poorly. Can I tell you how grateful I am to Nana who was still willing to keep our kids despite their health!

Anyway, we dropped them off early Friday morning and headed out for the "Big City". After stopping at the Golden Arches for a little breakfast, we hit the ground running and were able to walk into the mall within about 5 minutes of it opening. Can I tell ya how blessed I am to have married a man who likes to shop?

Now, in our day...we have been known to spend an entire day, open to close in that mall, but we were able to push through and finished every bit of shopping we wanted to do by 2:00. So, we left, went to the Hotel, checked in, and TOOK A NAP! Oh, glory mothers...can I tell you the joy of an uninterrupted nap, cuddled next to your man in the middle of the day with no risk of children pooping, vomiting, screaming, fighting...etc.! Pure heaven, I tell you! (By, the way, I totally realize how lame I am to get so excited about this, but, hey...it is where I am!)

We got up, freshened up and went the The Cheesecake Factory AKA Heaven on Earth for supper. Neither of us had ever been there before, but I am telling you...it spoke to me. And it said...come back, frequently! Oh, people...three words...Louisiana Chicken Pasta...you will not regret it! Of course, we had to finish up with a piece of cheesecake!Fortunately, the restaurant was attached to Green Hills Mall, so we spent a little time in Dillard's...who happened to be having the sale of the year, and then went to the movie (theater also attached) to see Taken. Have you seen that movie? Oh, you simply must! My heart started beating out of my chest within the first 15 minutes and never stopped until the movie was over! It was SO good...however, Dancer will NEVER be let out of the country...NEVER!

We went back to the Hotel, where we got in bed at a decent time, slept till we woke up of our own free will and then bypassed the "complimentary" breakfast to head over to Krispy Kreme for a little more indulgence!We did a little more shopping then headed back home, where, by the time we arrived it had just begun snowing! We took the kiddos (who are ALL finally feeling better) to eat with Nana and Papaw then crept home in snow that was already over an inch deep! This morning...we had the most snow I have ever seen since living in TN! It is beautiful and the kids are having a ball. In fact, Tigerfan is giving them rides on the four wheeler and a trash can lid right now!

What a perfect end to a perfect weekend!

Busy

The word is described at Dictionary.com in the following ways:

1.
actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime: busy with her work.
2.
not at leisure; otherwise engaged: He couldn't see any visitors because he was busy.
3.
full of or characterized by activity: a busy life.
4.
(of a telephone line) in use by a party or parties and not immediately accessible.
5.
officious; meddlesome; prying.
6.
ornate, disparate, or clashing in design or colors; cluttered with small, unharmonious details; fussy: The rug is too busy for this room.

However, when the word is used by a Mother's Day Out teacher, a grandparent, or perhaps a babysitter to describe...oh, let's say a 14 month old, what it really means is, "your kid is driving me CRAZY!!!"

I have discovered this because that would be the word of choice to describe Tigercub! Because he is not even remotely interested in baby things. He laughs in the face of poppers, Little People, and riding toys in favor of toilets, garbage cans and computers. Even in the "child safe" MDO room, his activities of choice are emptying the paper towel dispenser and going through doors and cabinets. His teachers regularly smile at me and tell me how "busy" he is and how they do not know how I keep up with him.

The fact is...I don't keep up with him. He is like a little hurricane moving through the house at record speeds and leaving a trail of destruction wherever he goes. He loves the garbage, so we bought one with a lid. He learned to remove the lid, so we began to spank his little bottom. Now, he just walks into the kitchen and knocks the whole thing over!

He then moves on to the computer where he pulls off the mouse and the card reader and regularly gets on the internet. So, we spank his little bottom, he cries, and crawls under the computer desk to empty the software boxes and press buttons on the hard drive.

When you go to the bathroom, he follows you in to unroll the toilet paper...but that is just a distraction, while you re roll the paper, he moves to the real target...the plunger!

And don't even get me started on the master bath where he starts by throwing all his toys into the bathtub, then moves around to the faucet...and turns the water on! He then pulls down the towel bar, opens the cabinet, empties all the brushes and hair clips, moves to the next drawer where he empties fingernail polish, then pulls out all the curling irons, hair gel, spray, etc. While I clean that up...he goes for the makeup drawer where he regularly goes for the blush brush...which he uses on his hair! Once I take away the blush brush, he moves on to the toothbrush drawer where he methodically removes everyone's toothbrush. If I am lucky, I will catch him before he begins using the brush of choice on the toilet!

I really don't mean to complain. I really don't mean to challenge the wisdom of an all knowing Heavenly Father. But I am old! Perhaps I could have handled a child like this in the early child bearing years. I was young, agile, fresh. Now...I am tired. I cannot keep up and I wonder...why now?

I like the words of one of my friends whose fourth child is just like our little Tiger cub! "It is God's way of saying, 'Last One!'"

Coffee Talk

Good Morning! Come on in and help yourself to a drink! I wish I could join you, but I have just dropped off all my sickly children at my MIL's and have jutted off for the day and night with my sweet Tigerfan!

After weeks of sick kids and 3 with ear infections right now, this is a much needed getaway (although I will owe Nana BIG!). We plan on shopping, eating well and enjoying one another's company without having to dose out medicine, change diapers, cut up anyone's food or break up any fights! I can't wait!

Bear with me! I probably won't be by to visit until Sunday but I look forward to catching up with everyone then! Have a great weekend. I plan on it!

What is Your Love Language? Mine is Chocolate!

Have you read that book...The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman? I actually haven't, but I totally know a lot about it!


Anyway, I am not sure why, but for some reason it has been on my mind a lot lately. I would really like to know the Love Language of my husband and children. So, I have been doing a little research (the online variety...my favorite!). Of course, if I was doing this right, I guess I would just go get the book and read it...but where is the challenge in that, really?


Okay, so in my online explorations, I read that you can take a test to figure out your love language. So, I clicked on it. And my answer...YES!


I mean seriously:

I like to spend one-on-one time with you.

I feel loved when you give practical help to me.

Is there really a choice there? I like them both. It was totally like that with the whole test. So basically, in a nutshell the languages are:

1. Words of affirmation-I like those

2. Quality time-of course!

3. Receiving gifts-who doesn't like an unexpected prize now and then?

4. Acts of service-Love 'em

5. Physical touch-especially with no "expectations", Yeah!

So, do you see my problem? I have no idea my love language...I kinda like 'em all!


I also read that you should see how your mate expresses love to you and that is an indication of their love language. So, in the past week, Tigerfan has left me two sweet little notes, bought me my favorite "gourmet" ice cream and took me to breakfast, helped me with undone chores, hung out with me in the evenings after the kids went to bed, and rubbed my neck and shoulders, just because.


See, that is a problem...he does them all! That means he likes them all, too!

Now, I know Dr. Chapman is a renowned speaker, author, counselor and all, and I think this whole love language thing is a great idea. I just think that sometimes you can improve on a good idea.

For instance, in MY opinion...my love language is chocolate. Yep, chocolate and if ya throw in a diet soda, I'll be yours forever! Now, Tigerfan...he can take or leave the chocolate, but bake him a good ole apple pie and he is IN LOVE! And...the test works! Because what do I love to give more than anything? Chocolate...that is why I am forever making chocolaty, delightful desserts only to have them snubbed by Tigerfan because deep in his inner self, he just wants apple pie!

It totally works for the kids, too!

Football boy loves him some Pizza and Dr. Pepper. Nothing says "I Love You" more than some pepperoni and sugary, caffeine laden bubbles!

Baseball boy? Well, give him some salty chips and some fruit...with ketchup (ewwww!)

Dancer-Chocolate and Peanut Butter people...She has a lifetime commitment with Reeses. Throw in a little chocolate milk and it is the REAL THING-FOREVER!!!

It even works for the baby! Yep, give Tigercub a puffy Cheetoh, and all is good in the world!

So, I'm not sure if I'll ever figure out what Dr. Chapman would say my love language is...but as for my family, I totally have them figured out...I just need to go to the grocery store and probably plan to spend the latter half of our lives at a fat farm!

But at least we will be feeling the love!

What I Learned This Week

I hope you'll stick with me. This week has been educational but only in the "we have been plagued with sickness and that is all I can think about" sense.

First, I have learned that no matter how many times you spray your house down with Lysol, somehow the germs remain and spread. According the our Dr. even seclusion cannot keep the pesky things at bay this year. Save your money from Lysol, your gonna need it for drugs!

Second, I learned that while they are sick, I allow my children to watch entirely too much unsupervised T.V. which is evidenced by the conversation I had with Dancer last night. I had cleaned out my jewelry armoire and brought her some necklaces to add to her dress up bag. She came running back to my room holding one. She was terribly excited. "Momma," she said. "I have seen another necklace that looks almost just like this on T.V....it's on Cash for Gold.com!" Why do I suddenly have the need to lock up all my valuables?

Finally this, and it is less than profound, people! But it is the best I have this week. In this less than stellar economy, I have often wished I could do something to bring in some extra cash. Unfortunately, I have no talent. At least none that people would pay for. So, in my time at home...and there has been A LOT this week, I suddenly came up with, what I feel, is a profound business opportunity!

I totally think that I, and other moms like me should rent our lives out to young, impressionable teens. I am telling you, this is birth control at its best. What better way to promote abstinence than to allow a teenager into my home this week. They can be an intimate part of the chaos that ensues when an entire house is plagued with illness. Imagine the possibilities as they participate in late night escapades like temperature taking, screaming, uncontrollable crying and countless nighttime visitors. Then, they can wake up at some ridiculous hour to begin caring for the pitiful bunch. Soothing, laundering, preparing food no one will eat and, of course Lysoling everything and chasing people down with germ gel only to get one child well as another goes down. They can experience the cries of missed activities, the joy of the Dr.'s office and the thrill of an overused pharmacy that can't keep up!

I figure I could earn a little extra OR they could pay me in help around the house and they get an education unlike any other...we all know experience is the best teacher. And let's face it, real life is nothing like the flour sack experiment from high school!

So, what do ya think...am I on to something?

For more What I Learned this Week, go to Musings of a Housewife!