Month: October 2009

The whole week has consisted of this:

And this:

And lots of this:

Josh has taken Ruby to the doctor because she has been throwing up since Wednesday night and is keeping nothing down and still has fevers.  She woke up this morning and said in as cheery of a voice as she could muster up, “Can we go to Grans?!  I feel good.  I do.”  Three minutes later she was hugging the toilet.  Poor thing.

I slept upstairs in Molly’s room with her.  Their beds are HORRIBLE.  I have to get some sort of mattress pad to make them more comfortable for the girls.  They are really, really bad.  Molly and I ended up on the couch at 2:00 this morning.  She wanted a popsicle.  I gave it to her.  Then, she wanted a pop-tart.  I gave it to her and got one for me, too.  She asked me all sorts of crazy questions and wanted stories about anything and everything.  I told them for as long as I could, then we went to sleep, and I slept a million times better on the couch with Molly than in Ruby’s bed!  Mack woke us all up early this morning, as he had slept uninterrupted for the last 12 hours.

And I have absolutely nothing positive to say at the moment in regards to this weekend that was supposed to consist of me enjoying time alone, uninterrupted meals, reading a book or two, sleeping til whenever, and more—or less, depending on….ME………..

I will tell this funny story.  Molly was watching ANNIE this morning.  (There’s been a lot of movie-watching!)  “Rooster,”  the crazy brother of Mrs. Hannigan, started singing the song, Easy Street.  Mack, in full JOSH-FASHION, says, “Mama, Why that man sing in the movie?”  It cracked me up because Josh does NOT understand musicals.  He thinks it is crazy that people bust into song in the middle of conversation.  So, once again, Mack shows how much he is like his Daddy at such a young age.

Now, somebody go have a great weekend.  Somebody, anybody……

It wasn’t my Halloween party.  My kids weren’t at the Halloween party either….BUT since Ruby and Molly are very sick, we will not be partying much at all, so I thought I would post some cute pictures that my sister sent me.  Aunt Cacy had a mini Halloween party in Augusta on one of the days she watches my other sister’s kiddos.

Jud, Kaybeth, and Vance

All the goodies for the day

Another cute picture of the 3 amigos

Spider Cookies

Kaybeth

I am glad to see that someone is having fun these days.  We are not.  Nope.  Not one bit.

Well, all three kids have not been feeling well this week.  Mack has been a little “off” since Friday.  He seemed great Saturday and Sunday, but Monday afternoon he had another fever.  Weird.  Molly said her head hurt this morning, and she ended up with a fever around 10:30am.  Around 1:30 I got a call from Ruby’s school.  Mrs. Walley said that Ruby was complaining of her head hurting.  I went to the school and picked her up so that she could come home and get started on Motrin.  They are all on the couch in pajamas watching a movie while it is pouring down rain outside.  I have a headache, but that is not unusual for me….we’ll see how it all turns out.  (Random:  I know a sentence should not end with a preposition, but I have been doing it a lot lately.  It bugs me.)

This morning I went to a Reading Strategies seminar.  It only lasted an hour and a half, but I was very encouraged by being there.  It was just nice to be there with other moms who are home schooling and to be taught some skills on making sure Ruby is comprehending what she is reading.  I came home inspired and labeled a few things around here with index cards….”freezer,”  “refrigerator,”  “dryer,” “washing machine,”  “mirror,” “ironing board.”  Mack was roaming around while I was returning emails, checking on Molly, giving out a snack, answering the phone, starting laundry, trying to hang up some clothes in my closet, trying to find where the poopy smell was coming from—only to realize that I had left a poopy diaper at the top of the stairs earlier that morning…yuck.  ANYWAY, after all the running around to get Molly ready to go pick Ruby up and waking Mack up from his nap to go get Ruby, and then finally getting back home, divvying out medicine, helping everyone get comfortable…blah, blah, blah….Ruby found the index cards and wanted to try and figure out what they said.  She saw “refrigerator” and “door,” but she wanted to find some more.  I told her there were several in the laundry room.  She went in there, but came out and told me she couldn’t find any more.  I walked in to show her where they were, but I couldn’t find them either.  Oh how quickly I was reminded why I don’t use my creativity too often and try to stick to the bare necessities in home schooling—-MACK.  “Mack!!!!!!!!!  What did you do with these cards that were right here and right here and right here??????”  He replied, “Uh.  In dair.”  (In there, as he pointed to the dryer.)  I opened the dryer to find all of my index cards.  Why?  Why did he do that?  Why can’t he keep his chubby paws off of my stuff?  I put them back up, but I do not expect them to be there for very long.  I tried.

 

 

Wow.  If you are from this area, you know exactly what Love Loud is.  If you aren’t from around here, let me tell you about it.  Our church, First Baptist Church of Woodstock started having a church-wide mission trip in October.  Last year was the first year.  Josh is a project manager for Holly Park Mobile Home Community; our entire Sunday School class works together to love on this community.  This year we weren’t sure what to do, and we spent many days praying and asking God to help us know what to do.  We could have done many things that would have met various needs, but this is what we felt led to do……..

Starting at 2:00 a vacant trailer was open for FREE HAIRCUTS.  We were expecting three stylists to be there to cut hair;  only one sweet lady showed up.  Her help had not returned from lunch, so Dana and Tom showed their hair cutting skills!  We were all impressed with their ability and their willingness to help.

Dana cutting sweet little Eli’s hair

This is Brittany, a six year old girl, who just got her hair cut “like Molly’s.”

This is Austin, Brittany’s brother.

This is J.T.  While he doesn’t look very happy, he is.  He was the first one on the list for getting his hair cut!

This is Tom.  He had just gotten back from going home to get some extra hair cutting supplies.  He looks very ready for whatever hair-do anyone might want.  And he was…..

Everyone could get a new brush as they left from getting their hair cut.

Coleen set up a backdrop for taking some family pictures.  I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

Coleen and her mama

People played Corn Hole and helped set up for the cook-out.

Guys were setting up for a showing of FACING THE GIANTS.

This table is where people came to get free Bibles or devotionals.  There were free shoes and a place to write down prayer requests.

Ashlee painted quite a few little girls fingernails while we all waited on dinner.

Face painting was a big hit with all of the kids!

Above you see Connie…she came to church this morning.  I saw her walking through the preschool halls with her daughter!!

Josh sharing a laugh with Daniel.

I was so proud of Ruby!  She played with Eli and Brittany a lot while we were there.  She heard me asking Eli if he knew who Jesus was.  He said he didn’t, but he didn’t want to stay and talk with me, so I told Ruby to tell them both about Jesus.  And she did!!   She even ran over to the table of Bibles, grabbed one and told the girls there that she was just borrowing it for a minute, then opened it up with Eli and Brittany.  Ruby can’t read that well yet, but it was so great to know that she knew where all the stuff about Jesus could be found.  (Disclaimer:  She wasn’t supposed to be at the cookout, actually.  Josh drove home to drop all the kids off with Ms. Ashley, but he came back with Ruby because she really wanted to be there with everybody.  A few more layers were needed, but she told Josh she didn’t need any more clothes on…..and he believed her.  🙂  )

Above you can see Scott and Tom with Alex and Faith getting ready to unload and deliver boxes of food, toiletries and some cosmetics.  Several families helped with this endeavor!

And I must say that Alex is such a great, godly kid!  She has proven to be a very mature, growing believer at such a young age.  I watched her in action with some other girls at Holly Park, and I was so proud of her!  She also helped clean the trailers on Thursday.  She has a huge servants heart, and I love her.

Alex is the pretty little face you can see.  Her little sister is right behind her with the coke.  🙂

As it started to get dark, the movie began to play.  Many stayed and got to hear the Gospel clear and strong from Allen Scroggs.  It was an amazing night, and I am sure that we will not know all that the Lord did this night.  The class members were incredible…how they served and got to know people.  I was amazed at how receptive and open each person was that I talked to throughout the day.  I couldn’t help but think of a verse that the Lord has brought to mind many times throughout the past year:  I Thessalonians 2:8  “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives because you had become very dear to us.” Josh talked about this very thing this morning in Sunday School.  We hope to hear more and more that people in class refer to people by name in a personal way instead of just ‘Holly Park’ in general.  I hope to see how we can share the Gospel ANDour lives with these new friends.

Love Loud should be followed by a Monday holiday called “SLEEP HARD.”

Tonight was a Fun Family Friday Night at the Dorminy house.  This isn’t a title we use often; it just seemed to fit with having fun as a family on this particular Friday night.  ANYWAY, Josh set up the train in Mack’s room.  They all three got the train last Christmas.  It was put away early on in the process of building this house and thinking that we would be moving sometime in the near future.  I pulled it down the other day when I had a light bulb moment while I sat in wonder and frustration of how to keep Mack out of my hair while Ruby and I did school.

It all started out just fine and dandy because Molly was with me painting in the school room.  She had been begging to do so for many, many hours.  Ruby was in and out between Mack’s room and the school room…just seeing who was having more fun.

Then, I heard Ruby calling orders to each train.  “Train #9, stop.”  “Now, Go.”  “Stop.”  “Ok, go.”  I walked in and saw her with a conductor’s hat and a play stethoscope for calling out her commands.  It was so funny.  Ruby let Molly have a turn and this went on so long that I decided to go get my camera.

Molly was very much into this calling out orders business and controlling the trains without having an actual remote in her hand.

Josh was actually having a pretty good time as well.

Until Mack decides to intervene…this train is in HIS room, so he ultimately is over all that pertains to the train, right?

And, besides, “ME WORK ON TRAIN.”

Then, more trouble is heard across the room….and it’s Mack again. He wants to be the conductor.  He sees that the power is with the one who wears the stethoscope.

He looks like he might choke on the stethoscope, but the girls are offering him no help.

Busy day at the train station.  Wonder who will be in control tomorrow?

But what about grape drink or fruit punch????  It is not a meal at the Dorminy house unless SOMEBODY (namely, Molly and Mack) spill their drink.  There is a point where tears on my part should be expected, right?  Seriously thinking of putting all of us back on sippy cups.  I’ll fill mine with caffeine coffee flavored with pumpkin spice creamer.  I’ll load the little ones with Benadryl and call it a day or a night or whatever……..kidding.

Mack came downstairs after NOT taking a nap.  He is loving the train set that I finally pulled out of the closet yesterday.  I haven’t even set it up yet, but he is playing with the remote controls and just really enjoying himself.  I let him have the train in the bed because he was so stinkin’ cute as he asked for it….and he had just pooped IN THE POTTY!  Yipeee.  BUT, during the next hour I could hear the sounds of the train and then I heard him scooting down the stairs…thump, thump, thump.  He came and saw me.  “Mack, why didn’t you take a nap?”  He said in a very matter-of-fact tone, “Me don’t like naps.”  And he walked away like that was perfectly acceptable.

If life were only that simple.

“Kristy, why haven’t you done laundry over the past month?”

“Me don’t like laundry.”

“Kristy, why aren’t you cooking dinner for us any more?”

Me don’t like cooking.”

Oh, the list that I could write.  Of course, I am 32 years old and not 2 years old, like Mack.  Guess I better act like it, huh?

In moments like this I cling to comfort things that get me through the eight loads of laundry and dinner time that is quickly approaching—candy corn and pumpkin spice creamer for my coffee.

As I sat at the breakfast table with Ruby and Molly going over Cubbies and Sparks verses for the week and recovering from a very busy Sunday, I saw a family of deer walking through our yard.  How do I know it was a family?  Well, I don’t know, but I like to think of it that way.  It was a family of five, actually.  We named them right away—Daddy, Mama, Ruby, Molly and Mack.  Ha!

Wonder if these deer would agree to follow me to Ruby’s school tomorrow?  This week is “Pet Week.”  When I read it a bit of dread washed over me, seeing as we have no pet and I do not want a pet.  The students get to bring in their pets to school to show to everyone!  Poor Ruby.  There will be more to blog about in regards to this “Pet Week,” so I will save it for later.  In the meantime, I will try and catch up with these deer to see what their plans are for tomorrow morning…or even Friday morning.  I’m flexible.  Ruby just needs a pet that I don’t have to do anything for.  Josh and Gran suggested that Ruby bring in Mack as her pet, but she wasn’t going for it.  If I had to make a list of how he is like a pet, she would be amazed!  He is like a pet monkey/dog/baby bear all in one.

I think this picture is hilariously cute of my neice, Rennison.  Perfect smile for Halloween!  Mwaa-ha-ha-ha…….

WARNING: This post is liable to be random. Hang with me or not…just thought I should issue the warning.

FALL. I love this season. The leaves on the trees are fabulous! The food opportunities are abundantly YUMMY. Pumpkin anything, apple anything, soups and breads and all things dessert. Obviously, I am not a picky person in regards to food. Ruby and I are learning a lot about apples in her school work. We checked out a lot of books on apples, too. We did a cute, cute thing the other day—you read a story about a little boy whose mom sent him to find a red house with no doors, no windows and a star inside. He looked and looked and finally decided it must be an apple! But how in the world do you know there is a star inside? You cut it down the middle of the apple (opposite way that you normally would) and there is a cute little star where the seeds sit. Very neat. Ruby is learning to read very well. I am so proud of her.
Molly is learning to use the computer better. She goes onto a spelling site and types in words, then listens to a lady spell them and use them in a sentence. Very smart girl!
Mack is talking non-stop and is into everything. He randomly chooses to sit on the potty for pooping. I think we still have a long way to go in that area. But, still, overall this Fall has included some great learning moments in the Dorminy house.

Ruby asks phenomenal questions about God, Heaven, and sin.  I personally believe that she gets it and has prayed and asked God to save her.  It happened one day at the kitchen table.  It was amazing because it was all her.  She asked me some questions that were prompted by Molly wondering about the soldiers who killed Jesus.  Were they in Heaven now?  Did they feel bad about hurting Jesus?  I talked about their hearts and our hearts and what we believe.  We talked about the two thieves on the cross.  Anyway, Ruby said, “I believe that, Mama.  I believe all of that about Jesus and dying on the cross for my sins.  I believe it.”  She said it with great conviction and enthusiasm.  I was a little bit caught off guard and prayed for the right response.  I told her that was great and asked her if she had ever told God that she believed.  She said, “Well, no, but I’m gonna pray right now.  Molly, I’m gonna pray.”  And she did.  It was amazing.  We finished our lunch.  I told Josh about it, and he is talking with her even more.  She definitely shows remorse and sadness when she disobeys or says something hurtful to me or Molly or Mack.  Good stuff.

I am learning and growing in lots of areas, too. Learning how to keep Molly and Mack entertained and out of our hair while we home school. Learning to stay calm when my efforts of keeping M & M entertained don’t work. Learning some things about couponing (thanks, Mary). Learning that Josh and I can make a yummy baked potato soup, learning a new grocery store, learning how to get to the local TARGET (this is important, people), learning how to keep up with cleaning this house…or rather, learning that I can barely keep up with keeping the house completely clean and when I do it takes ALL day, learning that Mack loves Monster Inc movie and the girls have very fond affection for the Berenstain Bears, and  there is oh so much more I could blab about.
On a more serious note, I am learning that all those people who told me that the baby stage just flies by and to enjoy every minute of it and that these are the best days of your life (while I looked at them like, HUH???!!!!!!!!!), were actually very right. I am learning that I am a complainer extraordinaire and need to stop, I am learning that I think too much of what others think of my service or church work, I am learning that keeping my “spiritual blinders” on is harder than I could have imagined….and so much more.  I am thankful for these times when, through the study of The Word and prayer and service, I learn more and more about where I am and where God wants me.  He isn’t frustrated with me for not being somewhere else, but is so patient and so faithful and so available to me.  It’s good, very good, to be in a place where I can see my areas of weaknesses AND see how the Lord has provided me with all I need to be victorious in those areas.

In the area of complaining, I think I feel like if I just did all that I do without saying SOMETHING about it all, then no one would appreciate me or help me.  That is just not true!  God sees me, right here in my house with every single thing I do or don’t do.  He knows.  He is the ultimate Encourager, ultimate Helper, ultimate Friend.  I am missing it in this area and want to do better.  Mainly, keeping my mouth shut.  Then, praying that the Lord will help my heart to deal appropriately with my negative thoughts…even to the point where they occur MUCH less frequently or—wonder of wonders–never happen.  Hmmmmmm…..

Ephesians 6:6 seems to be the verse for me these days…..”not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is slave or free.”

MY MASTER by Christy Nockels is my song lately.  If you haven’t heard it, find it on i-tunes and buy  her whole album!  Here are the lyrics:

The day You heard my plea,
You looked right through me
You saw the pit I was in
And You came and pulled me out…

You set my feet upon a rock
And put a new song in my mouth
Then You called me Your own
And I’m never turning back

I love my Master, I will not go free…
I take Your name and live in liberty
My life is Yours forever
I’ll serve You faithfully
I love my Master, I will not go free…

You’re a love I’ve never known
And Your faithfulness has shown
No matter what I’m about
You always find me out

And You lovingly remain
Age to age the same
And for all of my days
I will tell of Your ways..Your mighty ways…

Covenant Keeper
You are, You are
Merciful, Kindness
You are, You are
Passionate Father
You are, You are
Lifeblood redeemer
You are…

Written by Christy Nockels
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