Year: 2009

Well, how weird does it feel to be sitting at a computer right now???  It is strange.  I think the Lord orchestrated a three week detox program for me.  This time without access to email or internet has really been quite nice.  The only times I have gotten frustrated have been when I need to know something about Ruby’s school and Molly’s Timothy classes.  Right now our internet works, but I have to wait until tomorrow to try and get our email address to be the same as it was before…that would really help a lot.  We’ll see.  Either way, I am just thrilled to have access to email and internet.  AND I want to be a better time-manager on it.  It can really occupy your time if you’re not careful.  I am planning to be careful.  

I could go into why it has taken so long, but really, who wants to hear that?  I will say that Josh told AT&T to do what they had to do to get us internet, and that we would be calling Comcast also and whoever got here first would get the business.  And Comcast won.  Can you believe it?  I was surprised.  Glad, but surprised.

OK, so since there is no way to catch up on all that has gone on around here, I will show some pictures of the house that were taken right after we moved in:

This is the kitchen, looking in through the mudroom.

 

Molly walking into her and Ruby’s new room…they love being together.  Ruby even told my mom that she hoped I remembered that she and Molly were supposed to be in the same room.  Cute.

Speaking of my mom, here she is with my Daddy and all of their grandkids.  We met them in Social Circle at the Blue Willow Inn for lunch and to pick up our kids from them.  My mom and sisters watched them for three nights.  We could NOT have moved the way we did any other way.  It was so nice to know that they were having fun.

My younger sister, Cacy, helped immensely with the kids.  She let them all spend the night with her one night.  Molly and Ruby went over there another night, too.  Mack opted to hang out in PawPaw’s lap and get attention from Sweetie, too.  Smart kid.

This is Aunt Marcy, my older sister (she loves it when I refer to her in that way!) and her baby girl, Rennison.  She also helped with the kiddos, and I am so thankful.  I am sure it took all three of them to keep everyone happy.

Here is Mack checking out his new room.

This is the “school room/play room” and it has come a long way!  There are no boxes in there anymore….or anywhere else in the house, actually!

The girls love their closet.  It is like a little hide-away.  I send them there for rest time some days.  I found them like this the other afternoon.  They have not given us any trouble at night with getting out of bed.  They ride their bikes every day and stay more active here with all the room outside to play and run, so they go to bed exhausted.  That is so good!

The guest room

Here is the front of our house.  I suppose I could have started with this picture, but hey, it’s like I am starting all over with this blog thing, so give me a break.

The kids played in the rain the other day.  We have an area between the house and garage that is covered, so it is nice to sit out there when it rains.  I stayed dry.  The kids thought it was more fun to play in the rain.

I made Molly an Art basket full of supplies, which she has quickly gone through!  I am glad that Gran is going to be replenishing the supplies for Molly’s birthday.  That girl loves to cute and glue and make a huge mess!  Give her glitter pens and she is happy for hours….yes, hours.  I am not even kidding.  

This is the wall in my mud room, which I LOVE.  The mud room and laundry room are two of my very favorite places here.  I hope it will help to keep things running smoothly around here.

So, there you have it.  The first blog after a crazy-long break.  There’s more going on though….Ruby’s new Kindergarten starts on Tuesday, Molly just started her Art and Music classes, and they all started Awanas…..more pictures to come!

Well, we are alive and well at The Dorminy household….just don’t have internet access yet. I am actually enjoying the time that I am not on the internet! We don’t have tv and that has proven to be a wonderful thing as well. However, I do have emails that need to be sent, people to check in on, and this blog to update, so having internet access won’t come a second too soon. Right now I am at the Frosty Frog using their WiFi. I hope this doesn’t become something I have to do.
The house is wonderful. We are loving getting settled, and I cannot begin to tell you how much more settling there is to be done!! While all the boxes are unpacked and everyone has their stuff in their rooms and clothes in their closet, I have an ongoing wish list for where I want a little lamp or a cute rug or a picture or two….etc, etc. Nothing necessary, just fun stuff that can wait. My favorite room so far is the laundry room. It works so well, and I spend a great amount of time in there. The kids are riding their bikes everyday, playing out in the yard and no one has had any trouble going to sleep in their new rooms so far. They are exhausted by the end of the day.
Ruby starts school on August 18th. Molly turns four on August 18th and starts her new Art and Music classes on that same day. We have a busy week coming up with Teacher Meetings and an Open House for Ruby…should be lots of fun!
I do hope and pray that by this time next week I will be up and running in the Internet department and get back to keeping up with my blog and using my email responsibly. I have learned first hand how much time I could waste on this thing!
Say a prayer for AT&T to get on the ball for us.

I guess all it takes to get a funny, blog-worthy moment from my kids is to say that there have been none lately.  It’s only been an hour since my last post.  

So, I am trying to NOT let the girls take a nap today.  Lately, we have been going to bed way too late, then they are exhausted about this time and end up sleeping for an hour or so, which leads to trouble at bed time.  There has been way too much of this in the day time:

I went to Wal-Mart today to get some bananas, cookies to bake for our neighbor (hopefully there will be a post about how that goes later), and two index card spirals.  I use my spiral for scripture from Bible Study or any that speak to me in particular.  It has been a great tool; I thought the girls would find it helpful, too.  I want to use them each morning and night and any time we need to, really…but the point would be to find verses that deal with things they might be struggling with.  I asked Ruby first:  “Ruby, what area are you having trouble with that you might need a verse for?”  She said that she has trouble sharing her new Princess phone with Molly.  I told her that was a good area to work on– sharing.  And I got to work looking through my Bible to find a good verse for her.  After a few minutes had passed, she said, “C’mon, let’s look in the New Testament.  Isn’t there a verse in there about sharing my Aurora phone?”  It was so funny.  We chose I Timothy 6:18, “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,”  

Molly said that her trouble comes at bed time and when she always gets up.  I told her that was disobedience.  We looked up Ephesians 6:1 and wrote it in her spiral.  “Children, Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”  Her response was, “What about the bed?!”  She is hilarious.  I explained to her why we chose that verse for her.  She seemed to understand….we’ll see.

 

We also picked up two Hannah Montana notebooks and some pencils and a sharpener.  My girls have never watched Hannah Montana, but they know who she is.  

And lastly, I leave you with what you would find in my kitchen right now…and I am sure it will get much worse before it gets better.  

We are packing and preparing to move.  Bitter sweet….I can’t wait to get in the new house and be settled.  The whole process leading up to it is what might kill me.  So please know that I may not be posting very much….partly because not much is very cute or sweet to me in the middle of all this chaos and partly because I am busy with boxes.  Say a prayer for our sanity.   And for the Lord to keep us in perfect peace as we trust in Him in the coming days.  I haven’t moved in six years, which is a record for me since I started moving regularly at the age of 13.  We have a lot of stuff.  It’s the kid’s fault.

 

That Mack is quite the character. Lately he has been saying, “pookie-kookie” or “poopie-koopie” or “oopie-koopie-poopie.” We don’t know what it all means. He doesn’t either. He just enjoys the jabbering and having the family laughing at him.
And in his mind there are only two letters in the Alphabet. He sings, “A-C-A-C-A-C-A….” to the tune of the ABC song.
And lastly, he thinks every color is “LELLOW.” We are trying. Really hard. Ruby told me she would teach him, but it didn’t take her long to get frustrated with him and huff off.
Mack just laughed. Oh dear.

I have no pictures to go along with our day, so I was mindful to take the pictures in my mind…..

-Early morning breakfast of cinnamon rolls and bacon and grits…sweet faces telling me thank you and full bellies running off to play

-Fun at a park where we had our lunch by a lake; we just decided to do it because it seemed like fun.  It was.  The kids were laughing.  Molly was eating like a trucker.  She likes “bone chicken.”  

-Ruby leaving her shoes at our new house, so Mack had to give her his flip flops and he was carried everywhere…not an easy job!

-Molly pooping in her pants at a park and me trying to clean her up at a nasty port-a-potty…She wanted to know why the water in the “toilet” was grape.  You see, it was purple b/c of the scent they add to that HORRIBLY DISGUSTING situation.  But I had to laugh at her question.  Never mind the fact that SHE IS ALMOST FOUR YEARS OLD AND HAS ISSUES WITH POOPING ON A POTTY!!!!

-It was such fun to stop in at a cute gift shop and buy a few cute things!  We walked to an ice cream shop after that…the kids were hilarious in there.  Ruby and Molly were enjoying their ice cream at a moderate pace.  Mack, on the other hand, inhaled his chocolate ice cream—all except the last little bit of the cone with a drop of ice cream in it—THEN he wanted to trade with one of the girls.  It was the most hilarious thing how mad he got that they wouldn’t trade with him.  He cried, he hollered “CHADE!  CHADE, DOBBY!” (trade, trade Molly!), and even banged his hands on the table….poor guy.  When Molly went to get water he grabbed her cone and got to biting and licking and eating and smiling.  Then, when she came back and wanted her ice cream back, the fit picked up right where he left it!

-I loved stopping in at the Fruit and Veggies store to pick up fresh tomatoes and peaches.  Tomatoes–for the B.L.T. Josh was having for dinner and peaches because it is summer time!

-A wonderful part of the day was sitting on the swing with Josh in the back yard and watching the kids play and play in the water.  They were so sweet.  I didn’t want to go to the trouble of getting them all in their swimsuits and getting out all the water stuff, but I am glad I did.  They had fun, and I enjoyed watching them.  HOWEVER, when you sit down to watch your kids right after dinner as they enjoy play time with full bellies, well….there is still this thing called A MESS from dinner that somebody has got to clean up.  So, with that said, I better get off this computer.

I hope everyone is planning to have a wonderful INDEPENDENCE DAY!  We are planning to enjoy some pork chops, potato salad, and corn with brownies and ice cream for dessert….you can have ice cream every day in the summer, right?

Ruby and Molly were watching a CEDARMONT KID’S VIDEO.  These are cheesey cute videos of kids singing and dancing.  My kids love watching them and singing and dancing along.  I was fixing their lunch when Ruby came in and said to me in a very matter-of-fact tone, “Mom, you’re gonna love the price of that Cedarmont video.  You are, yep…you’re gonna love it.”  I quickly realized that she was repeating what the end of the video says when they are advertising all the other kinds of videos….they say, “Kids will love the videos; Parents will love the price!”  Very cute of Ruby.

Another cute story happened this morning.  I decided to try and floss the girl’s teeth.  I started with Ruby.  When Molly came in to see what was going on, Ruby said, “Mom is glossing my teeth.  You’re next.”  

Mack is talking a lot these days.  He says, “Hold MEEEE, mama.  Hold MEEEE”  a lot.  He also says, “YO’ bed, Mama.  YO’ bed” at night when it is time for him to go to his bed.  He is so cute!!!  He likes to run to the girl’s room and “hide” under their covers while they are going potty before getting in bed.  It is adorable.  When we move I am sure he will be sneaking into the girl’s room for the night.  Our room is downstairs, so he will probably get away with much more!   We should just buy him a queen size bed when the time comes so that they can all just sleep together.  Ooooh, I am realizing what a great idea that is!  Then I would only have to make up one bed instead of three!  Hmmmmmm……

OH MY!  I just left the kids to eat lunch at the table while I typed this out.  Well, Molly is on the potty because it has been days and days since she has pooped.  Anyway, I left her plate of chicken and strawberries on the island so it would be ready for her when she was done.  MACK ate his strawberries, then went and got her plate and ate all of her strawberries, too!  And when I told him that was not good to do, he looked up at me and just laughed and laughed, then stopped to say, “No pop-pop.”  (Meaning that he didn’t want a spankin’!)  That boy.

So, the “1997” post picture has sparked conversation with friends that didn’t know Josh or me back then.  It has been 12 years ago!  I was telling some friends last night about a very neat story that I would most definitely want my kids to know about.  

Paige, my room mate, and I were sitting in Huddle House because there was seriously  no where else in the town of Cochran to hang out!  Seriously.  The Huddle House was the place to be….so, there we were.  I was telling her about how I was very much tired of my interest in guys that were no where near what I knew God would want for me.  I was tired of going on dates with people that were so completely different from me in values and interests and everything.  I told her that I just didn’t want to date anymore.  And I didn’t, for a really long time anyway…like 8 months, at least.  Anyway, she grabbed a Huddle House napkin and a pen and started telling me to list what I wanted in a husband.  I didn’t particularly want to play this game, but I did.  I started with 1) a Christian.  That is the most important thing, but then I quickly added, 2) Bold! (doesn’t just say they are, but lives like it).  The list went on to something like #46.  I know, crazy.  I really wish I had kept that napkin.  BUT, the reason I remember 1 and 2 so well was because after I made my list, Josh Dorminy came walking in the Huddle House (we all knew one another and were friends).  He was going to order to-go, so he walked up to the counter.  He had waved at us, but when he was at the counter we saw the back of his t-shirt and Paige about fell on the floor.  He was wearing a t-shirt that had a verse on the back, “Therefore we are bold…”  Seriously.  Paige was convinced at that very moment that he and I would be together forever.  I didn’t go that far at that moment, but I did think that it was really weird.  I even distinctly remember the day that I took down the napkin from my dorm room mirror and threw it away.  I thought at that very moment that I let the napkin fall into the blue trash can that I probably should save this, and a thought of Josh Dorminy ran through my mind.  

But, back to that night at the HH.  Paul (he was from New York and pronounced his name “Pool.”) was sitting alone behind us, so he asked Josh to grab a seat at his booth….right behind me and Paige.  So there we sat, in neighboring booths, back to back.  Paige–you gotta know her–grabs the napkin and tells Josh she is writing a paper for her Psychology class, which she probably wasn’t even enrolled in, and she wanted to ask  him some questions.  She proceeded to go down my whole list asking questions and getting answers from him.  All of them lined up.  It was so crazy.  I was looking at Paige like, ENOUGH!  She paid me no mind.  And Josh just ate and answered her questions.  That whole night is very real in my memory, and I am so glad I can remember that story.  Evidently, God was up to something even then.  

And there is more to when we actually started dating;  I will have to write about that another time. I love our story and how God brought us together.  It’s good to think about and fun to remember.  I can tell you that having three little youngins in a very short amount of time was NOT on the list, but I am so glad that is a part of our story!  I would have never thought it up back then.

Molly had a friend over, GiGi, last week.  She loves this girl and her whole family!  GiGi was here while her family went to buy her some birthday presents.  The girls just played and played and were very sweet to one another.  I am so glad Molly is starting to come out of her shell and be a bit more personable around others.  She talks non-stop here at home, but usually hesitates to talk to people out in public.  She is a sweet little girl, that Molly.

I helped give a shower for my long-time friend, Kelly, last weekend in Augusta.  It was so fun and so good to see people I haven’t seen in a long time.  Kelly and I used to ride the bus to Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in downtown Augusta.  I clearly remember the day our bus driver almost wrecked.  Our lives flashed before our eyes as we sat on the very first seat together.  We also played the violin many times together.  We went to church together for many years and attended the same high school.  She and her husband, Billy, even lived in Canton…so close to us.  Now they are back in Augusta.  Our families still keep in touch, and I am so grateful!  

Here is Kelly (green) with Amanda (purple), her sister….who is also pregnant.  How fun!

And also at the shower was Natalie.  She and I have been friends almost as long as I have been friends with Kelly.  I remember vividly being in a fifth grade Sunday School class with her and Kelly. She taught me how to eat pop-tarts with butter on them!  She has a sweet baby boy named Carson.

 

So after getting home and being unmotivated to do anything around the house, I thought I would distract myself with seeing if Mack was ready to be potty-trained.  I mean, clearly I don’t have enough going on with trying to pack up this house, get it rented, move into a new house, etc, etc……..

It didn’t go so well.  That is ok.  I will try again this time next year.

Here are some pictures from my trip to Augusta:

Jud, Kaybeth, and Cacy (my sister, their mama)

My Daddy, My Mama, and Kaybeth

We drove from Aunt Cacy’s house to my parent’s house, which is about 1 minute down the road, and these three kids rode in the back of my car.  My dad swerved back and forth and they laughed so hard that Jud pee’d in his pants, for real.  

Uncle Jesse, Aunt Marcy (my sister), Rennison, and Vance…what a cute family.

 

I was telling Ruby and the other two that if they would PARTICIPATE in cleaning up the playroom, then they could get a popsicle.  Ruby got to work right away.  Molly and Mack–not so much.  Ruby kept saying, “Mama, I am PERCIPITATING, right?”  And then she’d say, “Molly and Mack are not PERCIPITATING, are they?”  No, they aren’t.

And then today while playing outside in some water she sees a WASP.  “MAMA!!!  There is a SWAMP.  Is it gonna bite me?”  She warned Molly and Mack to stay away from the “SWAMP,” too.  

She also was “BAP-A-TI-ZING” her baby doll in the water.  She asked me if after you are “BAP-A-TIZED,” do you keep on sinning?  Unfortunately, yes, we do.  I tried to touch on the fact that we don’t have to sin though because God has given us the power not to sin…how we have the Holy Spirit inside us to help us….then she said something like, “Will you not watch me do this?”  I think she had heard enough from me.  

We have had a fun day today.  The weather is clear and hot, but windy, so it is tolerable outside today.  I have a lot of work to do around this house.  I just don’t feel like PERCIPITATING though.  I would enlist some help, but I am sure that they would not be willing to PERCIPITATE either.  

Pictures to come on 1)Molly having a friend over, 2) our trip to Augusta, 3) my attempt to let Mack try out underwear.  And just for the record, he is very much still in a diaper.  Very much.