Kristy Dorminy

Just a little disclaimer.  This is a blog about girls and probably just for girls…though I think maybe a few guys out there need more education on their wives/daughters/sisters and their emotions and the cycle of crazy that they go through month after month.  You’ve been warned.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you know what a tween is?  Maybe I am the only one who needed to be educated, but I recently learned that a tween is a child between the ages of 8 and 12.  Makes sense.  It just so happened that I was observing some unusual behavior from Ruby.  It wasn’t horrible behavior…just more tears than normal.  She was often heard saying, “You are just so annoying, Mack. Why do you have to be so annoying??”  She has also recently mastered huffing and rolling her eyes.

This hasn’t been regular behavior for Ruby.  She is usually laid back and had been good at pushing Mack away from her or throwing him on the floor and being done with him.  The tears were really what got my attention.

I found myself sounding a lot like my mom and telling her that we didn’t have time for the tears.  My mom wasn’t much for putting up with moods.  And I am not throwing her under the bus.  Dear goodness, she had three daughters only a couple of years apart each.  On top of three daughters, she had a moody husband.  And I am not throwing him under the bus either.  Bless his heart…he had three younger sisters AND then three daughters and a wife that was, shall we say, a little spoiled.  SOOOOO, even though I understand that there is a place for “Get over yourself” or “Pull your emotions together, girly,” I truly wanted to know what was going on.  Through a few conversations with her and then with some friends who have girls a little older than mine, I downloaded a couple of books on the subject of tweens and got to reading.

I think the Lord wanted to remind me of how very real roller coaster emotions and changing bodies  are because I very shortly after this began experiencing some of my own “out of body” experiences. It started with feeling bloated.  Then there was constipation. Then, feeling like I just needed to nap for about two weeks straight. Then, there were the two separate episodes with rude airport employees that brought me to tears.  I was crying and also thinking a million thoughts in my head….”What is wrong with me??”  “Why am I crying over their rudeness? Who cares?!”  I went to church on Sunday and the whole time I was there I was thinking that I should just be at home under my covers.  I felt so awful about myself and just about everything.  It was terrible.  And then I started (TMI?  sorry.  I warned you.). I had to ask my very dear friend to help me out, and of course,  she was prepared.  She’s gonna do well with her three daughters.  I walked to the  restroom feeling like an awkward 12 year old.  And then I started laughing.  I mean, I was soooo going through some crazy stuff that I am sure Ruby is about to go through over the next four years or so.  I know she is only 8, so don’t hear me saying that I think she is about to start anything close to all the puberty changes; however, I want to talk about this stuff!  I see no physical changes yet, but the emotional stuff is already beginning.  I want her to be as prepared as possible.  And I have the crazy emotions on a fairly regular basis.  I get “the headache” that tells me it is time, but this past month was particularly difficult.  Way more difficult than normal….some things needed my attention.

I went on amazon.com and found a FABULOUS book entitled JUMPING OFF THE HORMONAL SWING by Lorraine Pintus.  It was truly enlightening.

I know I am a 35 year old woman, and you’d think after 23 years (276 months) of the whole cycle business, I would know all about it.  Maybe even be a scholar on how the female body works.  I have had three kids, surely I know more than the average gal.  NOPE.  I knew the overall general way it all works, but the emotional and physical and spiritual part of it?  Wow.  I have a lot to learn.  The book helped a ton.  I highly recommend it for any woman I know!  The best part was how to realize it is OK to be tired and even very normal to need naps certain times of the month.  And she encourages you to learn how to keep your mouth shut.  When crazy emotions want to take over, it is easy to let my mouth take off and give my family a piece of my mind.  I tend to make ridiculous new rules, and I exaggerate how awful things are….”This room is so messy that I don’t know how you even breathe in here.”  Senseless stuff comes out of my mouth, so instead of spewing, I should remove myself from the room and away from all people.  It’s better for my kids to think I am strange for spending an hour (or six) in my closet than for them to wish they could live with Aunt Cacy year round.

I am actually thankful for these recent rough days.  They were used as a reminder that my efforts to teach my girls on this subject won’t be wasted.  They are going to go through a lot of changes, and I want to be understanding and informative without encouraging sinful behavior.  I want to try and give them a big picture of how this usually goes down and some practical ways to cope.  I have plenty of personal examples of what NOT to do.  Now maybe I can try out some of Lorraine’s practical tips from her book and spend more time in prayer so I can offer some personal examples of how to manage emotions and rely on God.

OOOH, the best part of the book was when she talked about how some times God gives you this major “A-HA” moment that is filled with His Spirit and an overwhelming sense of peace in your mind, body, and soul.  Those are good.  Relish those times.

Then, there are times when He helps you by providing a “drip-drip-drip” of His Spirit that gets you through the day moment by moment.  There is peace, but it comes step by step more than overwhelming you and carrying you through the day.

Good stuff.

I’m also reminded through all of this that nothing is as bad as I think it is.  It will pass….whatever “it” is.  We were just riding through our neighborhood, and I said to the kids, ” I hope you are paying attention to these beautiful trees.  They won’t be like this forever!”  It is true.  The leaves will fall off and be bare instead of filled with the amazing colored leaves that we can see today.  Same for tough times, crazy emotions, difficult days….it won’t be like this forever.  Even the great days.  Better enjoy them when you get them!  They don’t last forever either.  Things change.  I’m thankful for the seasons.  They are another reminder of Creator God.  He is in control and gives order to our world….and our bodies!  I’m so thankful for that!

Ruby and Molly got baptized on October 14th!  Each one had their own salvation experience.  Molly was here at home last October when Josh was reading about being born again from God’s Word.  Ruby and Mack had fallen asleep, and I was just about to ask Josh if he could wrap it up so we could head to bed since most of us weren’t listening.  THEN, I looked at Molly who was sitting right next to Josh and looking at him, following his every word.  She asked a couple of questions and then we went to bed.  A few  minutes after putting the kids to bed and getting into our room, Molly called out for me.  I went in, and she wanted to whisper something to me.  “I wanna be saved.”  Sweetness!  She came into our bedroom where Josh talked some more with her, and she prayed right there that Jesus would forgive her of her sins and save her.

Ruby was at Vacation Bible School this past July.  She listened to a staff member’s testimony, and she felt convicted of not asking Jesus to save her.  She told me that she knew all the right answers, but she had never asked him to forgive  her and save her.

So after many months of some good conversation, they each wanted to be baptized.

Thanks to DeDe for snapping these pictures!

We are so happy for the girls!  I remember the day I was saved, and I remember being baptized with my sister, Marcy.  I pray that they will walk with the Lord all the days of their lives.  I pray that Josh and I will be loving parents that show them what it means to follow Christ.

Today has been a good day, a day when I love home schooling the kids.  Yesterday I didn’t love it, so I thought I would record my thoughts on this “good” home schooling day.

I enjoyed a calm morning in a quiet house before the kids were awake.

I loved being able to tell them to make their beds, brush their teeth and get dressed AND to go fix their breakfast while I took a shower and got ready for the day.

It was nice to sit at the breakfast table with our devotion and Bible and talk about God’s Law and what we can do when we disobey.  “If You, O Lord, marked iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But with your there is forgiveness of sins.” Psalm 130

I smiled as I sat on the carpet reading to Mack and glancing at his chubby feet, crossed as they poked out from his jeans….and how sweet it was that he patted my hand with love while I read to him.

The girls laughed together as they did school work under the desk!  They thought they were really getting away with something by creating a comfy “fort” of sorts under there.

When we read about how Egyptians believed that they needed things like food and money in their tombs/pyramids, you should have seen the looks on their faces.  We had a great conversation about what we believe about life after death…we won’t need pizza or money in Heaven!

We read a story about a missionary to South Mexico named Ruby!

I was thankful that I could take a break from school to catch up with a friend on the phone who has had a rough few days.

I am grateful for getting to teach my kids about helping verbs and action verbs.  I know, weird…but I love grammar and anything about language.

I was greatly encouraged to hear Mack read.  He made my day with how he answered some math questions, too.  Some days he answers wrong ON PURPOSE and laughs.  Today, he answered right!  What a wonderful thing.

And lunch was another opportunity to be thankful for all this time with my kids…each little face around our table, talking and planning what their afternoon will look like.

I must also mention that chicken and carrots and potatoes are in the crock pot getting good and ready for dinner time, when we will welcome Josh home and again enjoy some time around the table together.

Today is a good day, a productive day, a day when I know God has set my perspective straight.  On my own and in my natural self, I quickly see the negative, the down-side, the challenges.  Today, He has lifted my head above the junk so that I can see clearly.

And I am thankful for this very good day.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night,” Psalm 92:1-2

I am well aware of the many differences between boys and girls.  Today was just another example of how very different my children are…..

If you recall, a while back we went to the doctor because Ruby was running a fever with no other symptoms.  They asked her to give a urine sample.  She wouldn’t.  We stressed out over it big time.  And that “we” mostly means me.  She ended up having strep, so the urine sample wasn’t even necessary.

Last week the girls had their well-check (we get around to those about every three years).  The doctor told Molly that she hadn’t pee’d for her since she was 3 years old!  She said she REALLY wanted to make sure all checked out well.  Of course, Molly couldn’t go.  And we tried several times.   A little frustrating, but I had learned my lesson from my bad reaction to Ruby, and I just accepted that the pee wasn’t happening for Molly.

Today, however, was a different story.  Trying to be helpful, I asked Mack to fill up his water bottle and bring it with us so he could sip on it in the car.  He gulped the water down before we left the driveway.  We made a quick stop in a store, and while in there he said he just HAD to go.  I was worried he wouldn’t have any urine for us at the doctor’s office, but he looked desperate, so I let him go.  He got a small smoothie in the store, so he drank that on the way to the doctor.  About ten minutes into our drive to the office, he started begging me to let him go potty.  I told him he could wait until we got to the doctor so that he could go in the cup.  With about five minutes left in our drive, what do you know, but Mack stops all his fidgeting and says, “Oh no.  I have some water on me.”

“WHAT??!!  Mack, did you just wet your pants??”

“It’s just a little water.  That’s all.”

We parked.  He got out and was covered with pee all over his shorts.

Then he cried because Ruby laughed and laughed at him.  She laughed so hard she could hardly stand up.  I couldn’t make her stop.  Molly was crying because she does that when situations get stressful.

And he HAD to go potty as soon as we walked into the waiting room.

AND he had to go before we left.

To say we overdid the liquids is an understatement.

Josh wanted to know what we did about getting home.  He had to put back on his wet shorts and suffer all the way home…that’s what we did.

Doctor’s appointments stress me out.  I remember why I wait years and years for well checks.  When they aren’t sick, there is no need to put oneself through such.  Not to mention the question that is asked a million times before the appointment:  “Do I have to get a shot?”  “Will it hurt?”  “Why do I have to get a shot?”  “Will it be this long?  or like this?  or will it take a long time like this?” (as he pokes his arm for different lengths of time)

Ahhh, I’m glad it is almost time for bed.

Oh, that Ruby.  She really did it last night.  In a good way.  A precious way.  I cried.  I would have bawled if Josh hadn’t been right there.  He might have thought I was a bit dramatic, which I have been accused of before.  But there are moments in motherhood that take your breath away…when you see a glimpse of unprompted selflessness in your kid; it’s a grand feeling.

Josh left this morning for a trip.  Last night as he was packing he saw a little note folded just so on his bedside table….”Daddy”

Is that not the sweetest thing?  It is full of love and devotion…don’t you think?

And just in case you have trouble reading it, here is what it says:

“Dear Daddy, I love you so much!  It would be so hard to explain.  Just so you know my arms can’t tell you how much.  And even though I am away from you, you are still close to me.”

SWEETNESS.

 

After a Waffle House breakfast this morning, we took a trip to the Apple Orchard in Blue Ridge.  It was a beautiful day for picking apples.  

The tractor ride was fun for the kids, of course.

The store was full of all things fall…candied apples, apple fritters, apple cinnamon bread, apple cider and more!

We made a surprise stop in at the boot store, and Mack was beside himself with joy!

Ruby got a horse shoe shirt.  Molly got a pink cowgirl hat.  Mack got a cowboy hat and a pair of boots.  The girls wanted to know why he got boots and they didn’t….we explained to them that these shoes will be Mack’s only new shoes for a very long time.  They, however, will likely get cute pink shoes, cute tennis shoe, and some boots from Target–black ones and brown ones.  Girls like a variety of shoes.  Boys can go with what works–especially when a boy really does think he is a cowboy.

I’m back and adding a picture I forgot to put on of Molly!  She looks so cute in her pink hat.

I’ll just skip all the talk about how time flies and that the older I get the faster time ticks on by.  I would bore myself with all that mumbo-jumbo.

So, let me just jump right in and say that I want to blog about where we are in life because we won’t be in this season forever.  And I ain’t making a cutesy scrapbook for each of my kids, so this is as good as it is gonna get for them.  I mean, my first-born does have most of her first year book completed, but admittedly, it would definitely be considered INCOMPLETE.

RUBY:  She is 8 years old and enjoying 3rd grade so far.  She continues to read, read, read.  Each night she is surrounded by books in her bed.  I love it.  I have a very hard time making her turn her light off when I know she is in there reading.  One of the main character traits we are seeing in Ruby is her LOYALTY.  Whew.  That girl cracks us up with how she will knock someone out over an ill-said word about anyone in the family.  She takes up for all of us; however, if one of her siblings tries to say something mean to either Josh or me, she will take them down.  While I appreciate her love and dedication, she does need to relax and take a joke from time to time.  Life will be very difficult for her otherwise.  She’s the one you want on your side—if you ever find yourself needing to be against anyone.  She sings a lot.  If she isn’t reading in her bed, she is singing hymns.  It is precious.  She enjoys school for the most part.  History seems to be her favorite.  Multiplication is in full swing as we conquer 3rd grade math…I get sweaty palms every time I have to teach a new concept.  BUT, I get overly excited when it is time for English–nouns, verbs, and adjectives are fun for me!!  Ruby realized she needed Jesus to save her in July at VBS.  We are working on when we can have her get baptized and make sure we give family time to be here, too.  Very exciting times.

MOLLY: She is 7 years old and getting her two front teeth all the way in.  That makes her look so much older to me.  She plays the piano and recently started with a new teacher.  She seems to really enjoy it!  Molly can be solemn and quiet one minute and then acting like a crazy nut the next.  She usually keeps us laughing in the evenings…I think she likes to entertain her Daddy with her wit.  Her favorite thing to do is watch old videos and look at old pictures and hear stories about when they were little.  I have a few solid stories, but for the most part, their toddlerhood is a blur…they were just so close together that I cannot remember all that well.  We found old videos in the garage a few weeks ago, and I cannot tell you how I did not recall the memories that we watched.  Obviously, they really did happen.  I just happened to not remember any of it on my own.  Molly was recorded at her “crazy” age.  She was almost 2.  She walked around like a little tornado, just looking for what she could destroy.  I’ve found out that she (like Ruby once did) likes to hide her clothes in her closet floor so that she doesn’t have to put them away.  On three occasions I have emptied her closet while she stands there with the most sad look on her face.  It usually happens right after I have finished the laundry and feel a great sense of accomplishment—only to find a whole load of clothes awaiting a good washing sitting in her closet floor!  She has been super kind lately to Ruby and Mack.  I catch her all the time sharing her stuff with them, and I praise her for doing it.  She gave Ruby one of her birthday gifts and let all her cousins color a special thing my sister bought her.  She is a sharer, and I hope it stays that way!!!

MACK:  Oh, Mack.  He is five and a half years old, which is totally mind boggling to me!  We are in the full swing of Kindergarten, and I think he likes it.  We work in spurts.  We usually work on the floor also, which is different than how the girls and I would work.  He is usually moving all around and chatting about all sorts of random things.  We work a spurt, and then I send him off to play and run around while I work with the girls on something and then we work a spurt on something else.  He is learning to read and doing a good job.  He (for some reason) has a mental block on identifying 7, 8 and 9.  A batch of sugar cookies shaped like numbers has helped, BUT we still have a long way to go.  He always has about five little toys in his hands. He wakes up and finds a batch of his favorite five toys and then carries them with him all day.  Some times he even knows a certain five that he must have, so he will empty every basket and bin in his room to find those special toys.  Makes me crazy, but he is also learning to clean up the messes, and wouldn’t you know—-the messes are happening less and less.  His line, “But I’m just the baby,” has lost its magic on me.  From time to time he talks Molly into helping him, but even she is starting to tire of his antics.  He also likes to change clothes often.  He starts off in a new pair of pjs because he just wanted to.  Then, he puts on jeans and a cowboy shirt and boots and then in the afternoon I will see him run by in shorts and a t-shirt!  When I ask him why he keeps changing his clothes, he just says, “It’s just….um…because…BESIDES, I was hot!”

Overall, we are having a fun time with schooling.  Most days it takes 4+ hours.  We start around 8:45, have lunch at 12:30 and then finish up anything else after that.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the Sonlight curriculum.  It keeps us on track with Bible and scripture memory and the History is more on their level.  I still do Peace Hill Press Language and Writing, which I love!  The Answers in Genesis continues to be a great journey.  One of my favorite parts of the day is the read-aloud time.  We start our third book on Monday. I am slowly introducing my girls to how to wash clothes.  I hope one day in the near future they will be amazed and wonder, “How in the world did I start doing my own laundry????”  That’ll be nice…one day.

I hate to be so boring and mostly talk about schooling, but that is our life these days.

7 weeks down, 29 more to go.

We were blessed to be able to go to the Boston area to help with a Pastor/Wives Retreat for a few days.  Irvin (aka Papa) came to stay with the kids, and they enjoyed their time with him so much!  I have a feeling that maybe some funny stories will come from their week together.  Irv taught the kids some school, took them out to eat and cooked at home for them, made sure they brushed their teeth and made their beds, took them to all sort of fun places like The Dollar Store, Sonic, Wal-Mart, The Mall, Monkey Joes, etc.  He was only here four days alone with them.  Not sure they missed us for one second of those four days, but they did seem happy to see us when we finally got home Friday night.

Molly turned 7 on Saturday, so Papa took us out to eat to celebrate.  We went to My Clayground and let the kids paint some pottery.  And would you believe we got to meet Matt Redman?!  He is a Christian singer, and I love his music.  He was a really nice guy.

Molly wasn’t near as impressed as I was, but I had her pose for a picture instead of me.  I thought that might be a bit awkward.

This was when they went to Build A Bear with Papa and Uncle Jason and Aunt Merrilee.  Uncle Jason and Aunt Merrilee let them pick out a bear for their birthdays.  Fun!

Love my 7 year old Molly and 5 year old Mack!

We had fun in Boston.  I mostly just like spending time with my husband.  It doesn’t much matter where we are.

Next time I hope to stay an extra day and see the city, take a Duck Boat tour and stop at Mike’s Pastries.

But for now, it’s back to schooling and laundry and cleaning…..still as important as ever, but not always as much fun!

 

Sometimes the day is so productive that you just have to write it down or tell somebody because the likelihood that it’ll happen again anytime soon is slim to none.  So, for the record (and for when my kids wonder if I ever taught them anything in home school), let me just share about our day.

I got up before the kids, which is harder to do post-summer laziness than I realized, and enjoyed time in The Word.  Once they all got up, we ate a quick breakfast and then went for a walk.  They griped almost the whole way, but they made it.  “A bug just bit me!!”  “How much longer?”  “Why does my pinky toe hurt?”  “Will you please put me on your back?”  “Do we have to do school today since we are walking so long?”

We then stopped back in at home for some water and to pick up their tennis rackets and balls.  We walked down to the courts.  “WHAT?!  Why are we walking? Can’t we take the car?”  We can, but we live about 1/8 of a mile from the courts.  Gracious.  I let them know that they should be grateful for legs that work and a body that can move around and for a heart that is beating……and we walked to the courts.  They started our tennis time off with, “But when DADDY was with us he did…..blah, blah, blah….”  I asked them to take a look all around and tell me who is there with them today.  I asked them who was NOT with them today, and we continued on the way I wanted to.  🙂  Oh, the joys.  On the way back I told them to do what I was doing, and then I started doing walking lunges back home.  Mack said, “But Mom! People will think we are crazy.”  I said, “So.”  Ruby said, “Yeah, if they think we are crazy, well…then they are really the ones who are crazy.  Everyone is crazy.”  Good point.

We came home and took showers, got dressed and started with Bible and memory work.  We are working on Psalm 1.  The music CD is helping a ton!  We read a missionary story from MISSIONARY STORIES WITH THE MILLERS.  I really enjoy reading those stories and finding the location of the stories on the world map.  The girls even came up with a little song like a commercial to introduce our MISSIONARY STORIES WITH THE MILLERS time.  It is cute and comes with motions.

Then we moved on to MATH.  We are working on money with the girls—which reminds me that we need to play Money Bingo after rest time!

Mack and I worked on the letter “k” and some sight words.  We read a few books.  He put some numbers in order.  He went to play.

The girls and I did English, reviewing common and proper nouns and practicing when and how to make nouns plural.

Then there was a popsicle break.

Then Science.  And let me tell you, I am loving our new Science book.  It is put out by Answers in Genesis, OUR WEATHER AND WATER.  Love it.  Over our two weeks and two days in school, we have learned about three major events that affect our weather today: Creation, Corruption (sin) and Catastrophe (flood).  We learned about atmosphere the other day, and I really enjoyed that!  Today we discussed air and if it weighs anything and how air pressure affects weather, etc.  There are little experiments that are very simple, but perfect for proving the point.  We even read in Job about how God spoke of the weight of air even in the Bible….Job 28:24 “For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens, to establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure….”  Very cool.  I also learned that “the air presses on our bodies with about 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch when we are at sea level.”  Yet another reason that fighting against aging and wrinkles is vain.  There is air pressure like that pushing on our face and other parts of the body….things are gonna sag over time.  Sobering, but true.

Alrighty, where was I?  Oh, yes.  Next we had lunch.

And now each one of the boogers are in their room for our rest time.  They don’t have to sleep, but they must stay in their room quietly.  It is so nice.  After this rest I may be up for reading aloud from CHARLOTTE’S WEB.  They really enjoy that story.  We’re having sausage and eggs and pancakes for dinner tonight.  Wonder if I should bring up that we are eating Wilbur?  Maybe not.

So, for the record, I count this as an extremely productive day.  Even laundry has been done!  If you aren’t impressed, please keep that to yourself.  🙂

And also, for the record, I wanted to share a little something that happened the other morning.  This weekend I was telling Josh about how sometimes I feel TRAPPED.  I know God has me home with my kids, and I really in truly don’t want to be anywhere else.  The heavy feelings can sometimes be oppressing.  I have been praying that God would really set me free from the heaviness and give me joy in my calling here at home.  I also told Josh that he may not understand this, but “I walk the same steps day after day.”  I said those words exactly and was referring to how I get up, walk downstairs, fix breakfast, walk around cleaning up from breakfast, then walk around my bed to make it up, then walk into each of their rooms to help them with beds, straightening, etc, then I walk to the school room, and on and on…you get the point. It relates to the trapped feelings.  I know I am not trapped, and I realize I am blessed beyond belief to be here with the kids and teach and train them.  I get that in my head, but sometimes the feelings don’t match.  I feel overwhelmed.  Or frustrated.  Or bored.  Or trapped.  I have asked God to help me see my calling the way He sees it and to walk in joy and freedom, no matter what feelings try to chase me down and trap me.

Enter Psalm 142. I “randomly” picked this Psalm to meditate on and to try and memorize about eight days ago.  I’ve read it each morning several times.  I was focused mostly on verse one and trying to call out TO GOD for help instead of complaining to others or calling out to Josh to help in ways he isn’t able to.  But then, the morning after I had shared some of my thoughts and feelings with Josh, I read Psalm 142 with new eyes and felt like the Holy Spirit was showing me more in these verses than I had seen, making me realize God knew I needed to meditate on these verses for many reasons!

Psalm 142

1 I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD ; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. 4 Look to the right and see ; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. 5 I cried out to You, O LORD ; I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. 6 Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low ; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong for me. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name ; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me.”

Sweet little Ruby was sick with strep on Sunday, so she and I did not get to go to church.  I was so disappointed!!  However, we enjoyed our time together….she slept most of the time….or threw up.  Other than that, we had some quality time in between laundry and straightening.  Mondays are usually horribly full of chores, but today has been quite pleasant because of the things I got done yesterday.  I don’t want to make a habit of working on Sunday, but I am just looking at the bright side of having to miss promotion Sunday/welcome back Pastor/new worship leader day!

The other three members of the family went to church.  Mack got to go to his KINDERGARTEN class, and he was excited.  He said he had fun, but he did miss the indoor playground.  He said they got “Cracker Jams” for a snack.  Funny.  He also said the service was fun because of the music, but that he was kind of bored.  He’ll have to get used to it though.

Molly and Mack were off playing together Sunday evening and staying away from Ruby.  Josh often finds them playing “house” or some other thing that Molly has come up with.  He usually intervenes and suggests that they go outside and play or pull out the trucks or maybe go throw a ball together.  So, I thought it was quite funny that when they came down the other night Molly said, “We were playing wedding” (quick pause) “with the cars.”  She went on to tell us how they were using a big rig’s tractor as the aisle and they’d “walk”  the cars down the aisle to get married.  Gracious.  That girl gets her way somehow or another.