Monthly Archive for April, 2006

I need a sandwich board…

to wear on Sundays at church:

Though I drop off my kids

at Sunday school and at the nursery and rarey work in either

I do, in fact, do something around here

You can’t see it today -

it often happens late at night

after my 3 kids have gone to bed

when I should be in bed too.

It happens during 7-8 meetings a month, none of which are on a Sunday

these meeting times do not include planning time

or phone calls

or trips to make copies

or trips to the grocery store for food for above metioned events

or email replies

or the cooking time

none of this includes my husband’s time either

I feel some may perceive me to be apathetic or lazy or mooch-y. In reality, I am tired and want to throw in the towel. I give up, I give up, I give up! I give in, I give in, I give in! Days like today drive me to make a decision… Walk away and go to church in my jammies OR bore my kids to death by not letting them go into the nursery or Sunday school. If I choose the former, my kids will miss their connections (as will I). If I choose the latter, I run the risk of being asked to leave the service for having kids who are being too loud - an inevitable reality. I’d be fine having my kids with me, but I am not feeling that vibe from the outer world…

While I serve a God of grace, there is very little grace for mothers of young children where humans are concerned. If our kids’ demands and expectations and dissappointments don’t kills us - the expectations and demands and disappointments of “Man/Woman” will.

If it truly is survival of the fittest - I am done for. Blah.

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 30, 2006
in General and Mutha' Hood
. 3 Comments

Backdraft #5: “As Cute As Me”

Drafted on February 7, 2006

This is the story as I remember - as told to me by my husband - who heard it from Mrs. Cindy, Olivia's teacher, This happened at Circle Time,

A friend: “I want to sit by Olivia.”
Olivia: “You can only sit by me if you're as cute as me.”

I guess we've done fairly well in helping Olivia see herself positively. Now I guess we need to focus on humility,

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 27, 2006
in General and Olivia
. 3 Comments

Update on Backdraft #4!

It has been 3 months since I wrote that. So much has changed since then!

Our house is framed, siding is almost completed, electricity is pumping through the wires like blood through veins, insulation is in, the concrete in the basement is as smooth as a baby’s bottom (and - at least so far - much UNLIKE a baby’s bottom - there is not a crack to be seen!), the kitchen cabinets are ordered, my kitchen sink arrived last week, the shower stalls are in, the tub in the master is in, the windows are in, all the doors are in…

Even the stairs are built! This is a big deal! During the framing phase, it was discovered that our stairs (if we went with the blue prints) would end in the middle of, or even past the front door! There was talk about changing the landing upstairs, and moving the stairs to the basement to the living room (thus eliminating a large protion of the living room!). There was even noise made that our front door - which as designed to be a door at the front, would be moved to the side. All this would not only have totally changed the layout, but would have cost a great deal, creating a big ding in the budget….
Alas - we took out a hall which gave more headroom for the basement stairs - lost a corner of cabinetry in the kitchen, but the layout remains mostly intact. Phew! Oh, the budget remained largely intact too.
While prgress on the house is pleasing - the mortgage company (National City Mortgage - buyer beware!!! Beware!!!), however, is still a nasty beast who has not paid 1 draw on time. Not one. Oh, and they are charging us interest on an amount we never received. My chest starts hurting when I think of National City Mortgage. It’s a bloomin’ mess… Might I suggest to anyone looking for a loan - avoid NCM like The Plague - THE PLAGUE!
Meanwhile, dry wall should go in very soon, then it really starts looking like a home. Literally, we are in the “home stretch” here…

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 27, 2006
in General and House
. 1 Comment

Backdraft #4: Coming Together

Drafted on January 24, 2006

It has been nearly a year since we bought our property. The home-building process is a stinker, but I'm thinkin' I'm going to love the finished product. Many said it would go like this. They were right,

There is wonderful news these days - this has been a super busy and productive week in the life of our new home. We now have power at the site, so the framers don't need a generator for power! The basement will remain mostly unfinished - but it is framed in. Currently, the floor of the basement is still mud, but the main floor is all framed in! I don't know how long it will be until the concrete is gets poured down below, but the puddles have mostly soaked in and the mud is becoming less sticky. Word on the street is plumbers will be there on Saturday.

Last week was good too, but I didn't know that going into last week. Our builder finally got their first draw. I cannot begin to communicate the horror that befell us (the builder, our broker, us,) as we made our way to the “first draw”.  That Monday, the construction department of our lender met a very unhappy woman (me). I told the poor fellow on the other end, “I want you to write in my file, ’She is livid. LI. VID.'”Â  The payment was made the following day.

A major marker was reached today - the roof trusses for the garage were delivered! Woop Woop! It was so cool to see the big truck with all that lumber - all put together. It was an “oversize load”, so we (OK, “we” didn't, but for time I'll just keep using “we”) had to pull up a tree and part of a fence. Our new neighbors were so kind to let us pull up the tree, we hope it will transplant, hope, hope, hope, very kind people. If they had not - the rumor floating was we'd need to fork over some dough to have the trusses helicoptered in. Like, I said - beautiful, kind people! (I think I need to make them some cookies). When the trusses were lifted the main parts to the top of the garage, it was like watching a beautiful sunrise.

As we stand today, the roof trusses for the house will arrive next week. I'm so happy I either want to dance around my kitchen or eat some chocolate. Maybe I'll dance around the kitchen eating chocolate. Dark chocolate, of course,

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 27, 2006
in General and House
. 0 Comments

Whoever said “three’s a crowd”…

Three's a Crowd???

never met my garden!

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 27, 2006
in General and Weeds-n-Blooms
. 0 Comments

Magna Doodle Artistry

livi's jedi

Olivia drew a Jedi or two. She said something about Padme… I’m not sure which is which. I just think it’s cute how her big brother’s passion for the Jedi has birthed a passion in her… My husband posted this picture in his flickr account too…

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 25, 2006
in General, Joel and Olivia
. 1 Comment

Dreaming of Growing

Joel comes in the kitchen this morning and says,

“Mom, I had another dream that I was 7! I keep having dreams that I am 7! I am tired of having those dreams…”

Joel will be 7 in two months. I asked him if the dream was good - he said that it was. I then asked if he could tell me what it was about and he said, “I can’t remember becuase I’ve been having so many dreams about being 7!”

He’s not the only kid in this house looking forward to adding a digit. I spied Olivia smiling at her fingers while she snuggled belly down on my bed. I had to ask, “What are you thinking about Olivia?”

“Oh, I am just thinking about being 4.” Then, as if she was presenting a trophy, she held up the four fingers she was smiling at and dreaming about.

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 15, 2006
in General, Joel, Olivia and Spawn
. 2 Comments

Backdraft #3: It’s in the Details…

Drafted on February 7, 2006

I learn so much about God through my children. In particular, I learn about the grace he gives to us - the love he pours out.

At times, I struggle with value and why any Being could love me in spite of my faults. Then I think about my kids. They infuriate me sometimes. I have felt embarrassed by things they have said or done. I have even felt hurt at times. However, these things are so small compared to my love for them - I adore them. I would never, ever turn my back on my children. It is through this role as Mother that I can better see why God can love me so much and I can begin to understand why He would choose to bless me despite my deliberate actions to disobey. I can even see how he might delight in who I am, that He can see some of Himself in me.

I have thought about this before, but it was brought to the front of my mind this morning again. Joel asked me why we have noses. Before I could answer, he volunteered, “So we can breathe?” “Yes, definitely - our noses help us to breathe Joel,”

I went on to tell him that we also smell through our noses. As I talked to him I realized how even our noses are an act of love from our Creator. Our noses help us smell pretty things (like Mommy's lotion - Joel loves it when I wear pretty-smelling lotion), tasty things (yay cookies!), and even the wonderful smell of a campfire (mmmm, roasted marshmallows!). I then explained that smell is also a protection - from things like dangerous smoke. He reminded me of our smell hunt recently. We sniffed about the house hunting down smoke we smelled. It turned out to be a wooden spoon burning on a hot coil in the dishwasher. I told him that our noses warn us so we can protect ourselves from smoke and fire and even from stepping in dog poop.

This conversation is yet another example of how being a mom has helped me understand the heart of God better. He thought of every possible detail. Our noses - even down to the hair in our noses - serve a purpose. It's is delightful to see how such a small part of who we are shows the complete and great love God has for his creation,

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 14, 2006
in General, Joel and Mental Pause
. 2 Comments

No going back…

Well, I did it. I was one of the “lucky” ones… I made it by the skin of my teeth. I successfully registered for the 2006 Danskin Triathlon in Seattle. I really am fortunate I made it in. I know there are many disapponted women out there. There was such a small window, and it seems I made it within hours of closing.There was quite a group of my friends who wanted to sign up, but not all made it in. So….we are also going to give the Luna Triathlon at whirl. Craziness. Plain craziness!
I did the Danskin in 2001 and 2003. I know I can do this again. The problem this time around is I am so very far behind in my training compared to the years before. I am barely beginning training now - before I began training in October. I know I will be able to complete both events, I just may not be as fast. I am also not quite as driven. I don’t know if it has to do with having 3 children (utter exhaustion) or if there is something else (utter exhaustion). What I do know is I need to have this goal to help bring me back to the healthier self I was before my third pregnancy.

I do not expect to perform as well this year as the times before, but I am hopeful I will be able to: tone up, lose a couple (dozen), feel a bit better about my health, and eventually have more energy for my family. There’s no going back now…

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 10, 2006
in General, Jenny Jen-Jen and Swim/Bike/Run
. 7 Comments

Backdraft #2: Word Play

Drafted on January 23, 2006

I say coal, you say Cole,

I overheard Joel talking to his sister about something he saw in a cartoon. He said, “, and then he burst into little black pieces. He burst into tiny pieces of coal!”

Confused, Olivia almost screeched, “He was tiny pieces of Cousin Cole???!!!”

In a soothing, yet mildly irritated big brother tone he answered, “No Livi, coal like for fire.”

I say pair, you hear pear,

Joel had a homework assignment - he was to list 3 items that come in pairs. I asked, “What is something that comes in a pair?

“Ummm, worms?”

Published
by
jennyonthespot
on April 8, 2006
in General, Joel, Olivia and Spawn
. 3 Comments