Sunshine Warped Their Brains

April 22, 2009 KME 8 Comments

Has Spring finally arrived? Sunshine. Warm weather. Homeschooling out on the yard. Dandelions covering the grass. Allergies for Tim.

eat this little fishie

This goldfish is a goner.

Okay, so not all of the signs of Spring are positive.

Glorious sunshine is one aspect of the season that we all adore. Perhaps in other parts of the US a sunny day in April, with temperatures in the mid to high 70′s, would signal the beginning of summer. I’ve heard of such places.

Not so in western Washington. Pretty much what we can expect is … rain. Oh we have wonderful, beautiful sunny days in the spring and summer, but you’re better off planning on clouds and gray weather.

beach buddies

Sand, beach and buddies, ah life is good.

Every ray of sunshine is an unexpected delight and sends us rushing outside to savor the warmth. Some of us rush a little too far and end up in the water.

suck it in, boys

The Puget Sound is a cold body of water, but there are spots with warm sand.

Yesterday there was a terrible rumor that our warm weather (70′s two days in a row, a near miracle) was coming to an end. I received a desperate email from a friend ~~begging for~~ suggesting an afternoon outing at the beach. Who was I to deny a mom in need of sunshine? We called/texted/emailed around, inviting others to join us. Off we went with chairs, snacks, and bathing suits.

crazy children

Is it just me or do their lips look blue?

Crazy children! It’s NOT summer yet, dear hearts. Still, we did so enjoy our first day at the beach. I have hopes (dreams) of many more to come.

Kathy

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Daily Life

Almost Daniel’s Birthday

April 15, 2009 KME 6 Comments

Tomorrow is Daniel’s birthday. Okay, technically it’s already his birthday (the 15th) as it’s after midnight, but since I haven’t gone to bed yet, I’m not counting it.

I still have some presents to wrap and streamers to hang. Yikes! I love sleep as much as the next person, but it’s awfully inconvenient the way it cuts into the day (or night).

sleeping or dying

These two look so peaceful.

Thank goodness the house is sparkling clean and I have the birthday meals all planned for tomorrow.

Oh, no, wait, that must be someone else’s house and life. I have visions of a clean house and a delicious birthday breakfast. See, I do sleep, it’s proven by the fact that I dream.

easter eggs

Let’s see if I can describe some of the chaos of the house. There is a stack of dvds next to my computer. I’m not sure which child thought there would be time to watch movies tonight. I put the younger ones straight to bed and the older ones to work. Silly children.

There’s a strange mixture of stuffed animals and unmatched socks tumbling off the couch in the family room, topped off with some winter hats and mittens from a family skit we did on Saturday. Another dvd sits forlornly on the edge of the couch. Wow, I count six dvds in total. Someone has a serious hankering for a movie night. Sounds good to me!! Let’s abandon all this work and watch movies instead.

sarah's goodies

Some treats to take to the neighbor.

On the table is a few birthday presents for Daniel that need to be wrapped, along with a small collection of things Tim wrapped for me. In Christmas paper. Yes, Christmas paper. It’s reversible, does that redeem us?

In the kitchen is a Happy Easter balloon Sarah was given at the grocery store along with bags of groceries I have yet to put away. Nothing frozen (thawing), I hope. Oh, I forgot to mention the 50 pounds of whole wheat flour in the family room. It’s sitting there because I haven’t decided what exactly to do with it. 50 pounds of flour is a bit bigger than I imagined.

Wrapped in Christmas paper it would be very impressive. I’m not sure Daniel would really think that a funny joke, so I’ll pass on that little late night joke.

Why, you might wonder am I blogging at this hour of the night when I have so much work to do? Well, see my 13 year old daughter’s friend glared at me today. Glared through the cell phone. She’s a very impressive glarer. She told me firmly to get blogging. I guess it’s been too long since Tim and I filled the cyberspace with our babbling and she missed us.

teens can glare and text!

“I’m trying to work with you, Mom!”

So there you have it. What is a girl to do? I’m nothing if not attentive to the needs of our readers.

Oh, and it’s easier to sit and blog than get up and actually clean the house and hang streamers. Daniel will be sad, however, if there isn’t some sort of celebration awaiting him in the morning, so I probably should get working.

Happy Easter

Happy Birthday, Daniel!! We love you!!

Kathy

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Do My Hair, Mama

April 3, 2009 KME 8 Comments

let's go to the park

There is a beautiful little girl who lives in my house. She has long golden hair and delicious chocolate eyes with lashes that sweep up and down with her smiles. Her older sister is rushing out to face the world, but this princess stays close to home, often tucking her small hand in mind.

“Would you do my hair, Mommy?”

I'll pout if I have to

Today I caught a glimpse of this baby of mine swimming in the pool; her hands carefully holding on to a slip of plastic, moving down the lane with confidence, turning her head aside with every other stroke to breathe. Goggles pressed up against her face. Later, when I wrapped her in the sunshine colored towel, I smelled the lingering wisps of chlorine in her tangled hair.

“Could you put it up in curls, Mama?”

But smiles are better.

Every day I open my Bible to find new treasures – words of comfort, encouragement, conviction. My reading is vast and varied, and more and more I am holding within my heart the richness of the Word of God. I hear Him speaking into my life, I beg Him daily for wisdom and understanding.

“Would you renew my heart, Father?”

In the face of my youngest there is purity and sweetness. She looks to me, trusting and hopeful. Her faith in me is sure, her love true. She is comforted by my hugs, reassured by my words. She has confidence I can create beauty out of tangles. When she is rebuked, her heart is eager to restore our friendship. When we open the Bible together, she soaks in the precious words of life. She delights to know more about the King of Kings.

“And in the morning, Mommy, I’ll be beautiful, because you did my hair.”

lots of curls

When I am jaded and cynical, my faith wavering in the face of an unjust world, I cling to the Word. I renew my hope through this living book. I remember the child-like faith of my precious six year old. I pray that my eyes would look to the Lord with this same confidence and belief, placing all my trust in Him.

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
Psalms 145:16-19

party time!