Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday Shmenesday
Wednesdays and Fridays are usually fairly trying days. I have the boys by myself all day (well Tennyson has been in school for part of those days but by the end of those days in particular I have a hard time remembering I DID just have one child for a few hours). I'm used to having them by myself a good bit because of Oscar's schedule but Wednesdays and Fridays are different because He works all day and most of the night. Today seemed to be an exceptionally trying day. Part of it is that I'm not great at multitasking and often don't plan well, part of it is that one of the boys asks so many questions a day I literally can't make complete sentences at the end of that day and then when I answer each question he can tell me why that was not the right answer and what the correct answer should have been and the other boy is so busy that he can literally empty every cabinet/drawer/closet/counter top/basket of books or book shelf/diaper bag/pocket book, dryer, magnet off the refrigerator, etc in a matter of seconds (i'm telling you if there was a competition to enter I'd enter him and be fully confident he could win). I won't name who is who and I'm sure no one can guess ; ) Anyway, I don't blog often but felt the need to release this day from my brain so that I can get on with putting away the food, making plates for tomorrow, washing the dishes, ironing clothes for tomorrow, picking up this ridiculous mess, pay some bills, come up with a new plan for the sharp objects in the house since boy b has been proudly running up to me with a knife in hand to let me know he can help pick up too and then literally fall into the bed/couch/floor...whatever is closest. maybe kidding/maybe not. For now I'll leave you with this short clip I took when we were on the way to the beach for a mini vacay. For those of you who have never watched 'Best in Show' Oscar is making a reference to this clip.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Notes to the boys and a few random thoughts
A short note to Tennyson
Tennyson you played outside this afternoon with a boy named Andrew that often stays with his grandparents down the street from us. Ya'll caught bad guys with your swords, played 2 brothers and a pretend sister, and made birthday cakes out of dirt for me (as your grandmother that was also a Queen). Ya'll even sang 'Happy Birthday'. Asher was right in the middle trying to 'help' and attempting to gain status as a big boy. You going outside by yourself to play has been a new layer added fairly recently and I'm striving to allow you independence in doing this while still monitoring what's going on. Watching this new layer develop has been interesting to watch and a little funny too. Today, I opened the window a little to be able to hear ya'll play. I heard you telling Andrew about how Michael Jackson died. This is funny to me because I remember when Michael Jackson died and how because you used to watch the news with ammaw and dododaddy (Oscar's parents for those reading this) you saw when this happened and were very interested in this bit of news....I guess you still are!
A short note to Asher
Asher I sometimes, but always with a smile and much love, call you my little bull in a china shop. When you do something you do it with full speed and never look back. Today we were at ammaw and dododaddy's house and ammaw was showing dododaddy how you can jump in her recliner. She walked off for just a minute and you dove headfirst on the hardwood floor because you wanted down and proceeded without caution. You cried for a little bit but Tennyson cried longer and harder because he thought he should have been able to catch you and you walked over and put your hand and head on him to comfort him. I'm so thankful that God gave you two to each other!
Super Random Thoughts of the day
I often read a blog that references the no longer existing Domino magazine. I LOVED this magazine and still own every single one that came out. If so many women loved Domino why could they not make it?
I bought this pair of shoes at a thrift store years ago. I'm still wearing them and am very fond of them. I was thinking today about how much ground they've covered with me and wondering how much ground they covered with someone else? They've had an entire life before the one they started with me!
My brother put some winter rye out several months ago in the back yard and it's done pretty well but can you see the difference in greenness in this picture? The greener the grass the closer the grass was to the chicken coop. I guess poop really is the best form of fertilizer ; )
Tennyson you played outside this afternoon with a boy named Andrew that often stays with his grandparents down the street from us. Ya'll caught bad guys with your swords, played 2 brothers and a pretend sister, and made birthday cakes out of dirt for me (as your grandmother that was also a Queen). Ya'll even sang 'Happy Birthday'. Asher was right in the middle trying to 'help' and attempting to gain status as a big boy. You going outside by yourself to play has been a new layer added fairly recently and I'm striving to allow you independence in doing this while still monitoring what's going on. Watching this new layer develop has been interesting to watch and a little funny too. Today, I opened the window a little to be able to hear ya'll play. I heard you telling Andrew about how Michael Jackson died. This is funny to me because I remember when Michael Jackson died and how because you used to watch the news with ammaw and dododaddy (Oscar's parents for those reading this) you saw when this happened and were very interested in this bit of news....I guess you still are!
 |
| Tennyson I mean Spidey was spotted at our house a few nights ago! |
A short note to Asher
Asher I sometimes, but always with a smile and much love, call you my little bull in a china shop. When you do something you do it with full speed and never look back. Today we were at ammaw and dododaddy's house and ammaw was showing dododaddy how you can jump in her recliner. She walked off for just a minute and you dove headfirst on the hardwood floor because you wanted down and proceeded without caution. You cried for a little bit but Tennyson cried longer and harder because he thought he should have been able to catch you and you walked over and put your hand and head on him to comfort him. I'm so thankful that God gave you two to each other!
 |
| You unlocked the dishwasher, pulled it down, climbed up on it and grabbed the first thing you could find before I even knew what you were doing! |
Super Random Thoughts of the day
I often read a blog that references the no longer existing Domino magazine. I LOVED this magazine and still own every single one that came out. If so many women loved Domino why could they not make it?
I bought this pair of shoes at a thrift store years ago. I'm still wearing them and am very fond of them. I was thinking today about how much ground they've covered with me and wondering how much ground they covered with someone else? They've had an entire life before the one they started with me!
My brother put some winter rye out several months ago in the back yard and it's done pretty well but can you see the difference in greenness in this picture? The greener the grass the closer the grass was to the chicken coop. I guess poop really is the best form of fertilizer ; )
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Weekends
The boys and I popped in to a thrift store a couple of weeks ago to look for some children's books...and hit the jackpot! One of our finds was a beautiful hardback copy of 'The Secret Garden'. This was one of my all time favorite books to read growing up so I was sooooo excited for Tennyson and I to read it. He has really gotten in to the storyline and we read a little each day/night.
Asher has proven to be quite a little lover. He loves to love on people....especially his big brother. This is a snapshot I caught while heading somewhere this weekend. I love that he grabbed Tennyson's hand on his own and just held it there. I also love that you can see one of Tennyson's dimples.
Love, Love, Love seeing the boys with Oscar. He comes up with so many fun games and they love their daddy like no other. I took this pic today while they were getting some lovin'. On a side note I have been cutting Oscar and Tennyson's hair for a while now. I was cutting Oscar's on Saturday and was pretty much done when I noticed a few stray hairs in the front so I was going to go over it one more time with the clippers but I forgot that I had just been shaving the back of his neck and didn't have a guard on! I felt so bad!! The only thing to do was to use the lowest guard and shave the rest of his head. He was super gracious about the mishap. Thank goodness it's just hair!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Been A While?
I'm not sure 'Been a While' is sufficient language when my last post was the first quarter of last year! I think of posts all the time, but always find something else to occupy my time. Because I was hoping this blog would serve as a family diary, marking the days that make up the journey God has us on, this post could become a little on the ridiculously long side ; )
Asher, or Little Dooks as we call him, has more than caught up since he was born premature. At his 15 month appointment he weighed in at 23 lbs so we signed him for lightweight boxing. He is B-U-S-Y all day long unless he is sleeping and has gotten really good at emptying every cabinet and every drawer within seconds of being put down. Seriously, our house looks like many small tornadoes came through on a daily basis. He loves Tennyson so much....They share a room and we typically put Asher to bed before Tennyson but Asher patiently waits for Tennyson to come to bed. He will stay up an hour to an hour and a half playing in his bed and then Tennyson will come to bed and Asher is out like a light within minutes. I love that they have each other. He's super close to walking and I think the fact that he hardly ever wears shoes may be one of the reasons he hasn't yet, but I can't find shoes to fit his fat little foot. He says Dada, ma (mama), tin tin, ut (light), no and although I know for sure he says more than this....we can't interpret it yet. He loves music...especially the piano and his body starts moving almost every time any sort of beat occurs. I call him my little love bug because he loves to love on people (kissing, leaning his head on, squeezing tight, etc), however, his quick temper is certainly emerging and last but not least I've noticed he does most everything with gusto (crawling, loving, playing, coming down stairs, squealing, playing with the big kids, etc)
Tennyson, or Mr. Chlazy as we call him, just turned 5 and is in his 2nd semester of his first year of school. He has done super with school....Mrs. James is his teacher and he frequently talks about playing with Jason, Michael Robert Black and Isaiah. We have gotten 2 progress reports that have both talked about how well he listens, how he often offers to pray, how much he cares and looks out for his classmates and how well he's progressing academically. The things to work on have been: tattle telling often, questioning the teachers decisions and taking a really long time to accomplish certain things like bathroom and snacks. He does like to do things leisurely so I chuckled inside when the teacher told us this because I knew exactly what she was talking about. The boys and I always seems to be 'running' somewhere which has not proven conducive to his leisurely lifestyle ; ) He went through a Tom and Jerry phase and now he loves to watch superhero clips from the 1960's. He loves to play with his men (batman, spiderman, green lantern, the riddler, penguin, two face, captain america, joker, army men, transformers, etc) and the true initiation of a new toy is taking a bath with Tennyson and the others. Speaking of baths, Tennyson loves a good bath and will often spend 2 hours in the bathtub playing. He also loves writing, playing with his batman house or samurai castle, reading or looking at scientific books (bugs and sharks in particular) and playing with legos. I've always said Tennyson was an old soul in a little body and it's proven to be true. He understands a lot about life, recognizes maybe too much, and knows how to articulate emotions. He often asks for the definition of a word and can accurately use bigger words in a sentence. He's also getting into politics often using the phrase, "Hi, I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message."
Other highlights since my last post: We moved out of my in-laws home (the highlight was gaining a space of our own...not moving out of my in-laws : )), Tennyson took swimming lessons and participated in Soccer Shots, Oscar and I celebrated 10 years of marriage, Oscar started working at a new company (he's still leading worship at Columbia Crossroads Downtown and waiting tables at Ruth's Chris on Friday and Saturday nights), my brother moved out into a house of his own (again...him moving out was not the highlight but that he was able to get a place of his own ; )) and became engaged to Allison (such a great gain for our family), our nephew Gresham was born, I participated in my first precept course (Isaiah), we got some egg-laying hens, we purchased a couple of hermit crabs as the boys very first pets and then decided to release them back into the ocean a few months later, and the boys and I started volunteering at The Hope Project on Tuesdays. This list is definitely not inclusive but the ridiculousness that I referenced at the beginning of the post has begun so until next time,
Asher, or Little Dooks as we call him, has more than caught up since he was born premature. At his 15 month appointment he weighed in at 23 lbs so we signed him for lightweight boxing. He is B-U-S-Y all day long unless he is sleeping and has gotten really good at emptying every cabinet and every drawer within seconds of being put down. Seriously, our house looks like many small tornadoes came through on a daily basis. He loves Tennyson so much....They share a room and we typically put Asher to bed before Tennyson but Asher patiently waits for Tennyson to come to bed. He will stay up an hour to an hour and a half playing in his bed and then Tennyson will come to bed and Asher is out like a light within minutes. I love that they have each other. He's super close to walking and I think the fact that he hardly ever wears shoes may be one of the reasons he hasn't yet, but I can't find shoes to fit his fat little foot. He says Dada, ma (mama), tin tin, ut (light), no and although I know for sure he says more than this....we can't interpret it yet. He loves music...especially the piano and his body starts moving almost every time any sort of beat occurs. I call him my little love bug because he loves to love on people (kissing, leaning his head on, squeezing tight, etc), however, his quick temper is certainly emerging and last but not least I've noticed he does most everything with gusto (crawling, loving, playing, coming down stairs, squealing, playing with the big kids, etc)
Tennyson, or Mr. Chlazy as we call him, just turned 5 and is in his 2nd semester of his first year of school. He has done super with school....Mrs. James is his teacher and he frequently talks about playing with Jason, Michael Robert Black and Isaiah. We have gotten 2 progress reports that have both talked about how well he listens, how he often offers to pray, how much he cares and looks out for his classmates and how well he's progressing academically. The things to work on have been: tattle telling often, questioning the teachers decisions and taking a really long time to accomplish certain things like bathroom and snacks. He does like to do things leisurely so I chuckled inside when the teacher told us this because I knew exactly what she was talking about. The boys and I always seems to be 'running' somewhere which has not proven conducive to his leisurely lifestyle ; ) He went through a Tom and Jerry phase and now he loves to watch superhero clips from the 1960's. He loves to play with his men (batman, spiderman, green lantern, the riddler, penguin, two face, captain america, joker, army men, transformers, etc) and the true initiation of a new toy is taking a bath with Tennyson and the others. Speaking of baths, Tennyson loves a good bath and will often spend 2 hours in the bathtub playing. He also loves writing, playing with his batman house or samurai castle, reading or looking at scientific books (bugs and sharks in particular) and playing with legos. I've always said Tennyson was an old soul in a little body and it's proven to be true. He understands a lot about life, recognizes maybe too much, and knows how to articulate emotions. He often asks for the definition of a word and can accurately use bigger words in a sentence. He's also getting into politics often using the phrase, "Hi, I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message."
Other highlights since my last post: We moved out of my in-laws home (the highlight was gaining a space of our own...not moving out of my in-laws : )), Tennyson took swimming lessons and participated in Soccer Shots, Oscar and I celebrated 10 years of marriage, Oscar started working at a new company (he's still leading worship at Columbia Crossroads Downtown and waiting tables at Ruth's Chris on Friday and Saturday nights), my brother moved out into a house of his own (again...him moving out was not the highlight but that he was able to get a place of his own ; )) and became engaged to Allison (such a great gain for our family), our nephew Gresham was born, I participated in my first precept course (Isaiah), we got some egg-laying hens, we purchased a couple of hermit crabs as the boys very first pets and then decided to release them back into the ocean a few months later, and the boys and I started volunteering at The Hope Project on Tuesdays. This list is definitely not inclusive but the ridiculousness that I referenced at the beginning of the post has begun so until next time,
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Asher's Entrance
So I know it's been almost 5 months now but as I was talking to my MIL this morning I realized how much I wanted/needed to type out the details of Asher's birth so that our family can remember everything God has done. I was reading a segment from someone else's post referencing “Let the Nations Be Glad” by John Piper. It says, “when it looks as though He is buried for good, Jesus is doing something awesome in the dark. ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.’ The last 3 years of Oscar and my life has been interesting to say the least. We knew He was doing something in us that would be life changing. Peeling back another layer(s) of self to reveal more of His spirit. He has literally been turning the world as we've known it upside down. And then, for me, the last 6 months or so have been breath-taking. It has become so clear how he has/is guiding our steps literally a step at a time. Part of this journey has been Asher's birth. Here are some of the details:
Last summer my friend Carla had an idea for the children's ministry to take a couple of verses and see how many of the kids could memorize them. At the end of the summer there would be a party celebrating the efforts of the children. One of the verses was, 'For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go' Joshua 1:9. Tennyson and I worked on the verse all summer long and one of the amazing parts of this was that the Lord kept bringing that verse to my mind over and over again. I would hear someone speak and inevitably they would use that verse somewhere in their speaking. I would be reading other scripture and the path would lead me back to that verse or the other places in scripture that reference that verse. I would be listening to the radio and that verse would come up, etc. It came up so much that I started thinking 'oh no Lord, what is about to happen that i will need to be acquainted with this verse as well as I am'. Fast forward a couple of months and Oscar, who waits tables at Ruth's Chris, waits on one of the Dr's that is a part of the practice I was going to but hadn't seen yet. In fact I wasn't even aware he was a part of the group. Oscar came home telling me about how nice he and his wife were. Oscar wondered in jest to the Dr. if he would be the one to deliver Asher. Fast forward a couple of weeks. I notice Asher isn't moving like he had been moving. Asher was pretty intense in his movement especially when I ate something so it was odd that I hadn't felt him much. I also was having what I thought were braxton hicks but they started occurring a little more and a little longer than I was comfortable with. I also just had a feeling that something wasn't right. After a couple of days I called the nurse and explained the situation to her. She had me monitor how many kicks I was feeling, how often the contractions were etc. for about an hour or so. The nurse said she thought it may be a good idea to go up to the hospital so that the baby and I could be monitored for a little while just to make sure nothing was going on. It sounded like it was optional so I really debated whether I should go. I finally decided it was better to be safe than sorry so I went up to the hospital thinking I would be monitored for an hour or so and then sent home with some instructions. Within about half an hour it was clear the nurses didn't hold my same sentiment and that not only would I not be going home but I would most likely be having this baby that day as soon as possible. It was de ja vu all over again with how I had Tennyson except I was at 34 weeks instead of the 36 weeks I was with Tennyson. Oscar had a break in between shifts and he came up to the hospital. He was pretty shocked when he realized what was going on. I was moved to the labor and delivery floor for the dr. on call to come in and explain what he had decided was the best course of action. Dr. Estes walked in which is the Dr. Oscar had waited on a couple of weeks before. He recognized Oscar and remembered their conversation about having Tennyson early due to preeclampsia....Dr. Estes turned out to be THE.BEST.DR.EVER. He was so reassuring but confidently said we had to get Asher out of my womb as quickly as possible and that it had to be by cesarean because Asher wouldn't be able to handle the labor part of the delivery. Another half hour later and I was being wheeled into the delivery room. Everything was happening so fast...we had no camera, wasn't able to warn my in-laws (who we currently live with) that another member would be moving in with them 6 weeks early, hadn't even told my sister who was watching Tennyson for 'an hour or so'. As soon as I was in the delivery room I remembered the verse the Lord had very clearly given to me. 'The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go'. He was there. I believe he hand delivered Dr. Estes. I believe he hand delivered the nurse that was also a believer and was whispering in my ear through it all words of encouragement and comfort. Asher came out and was small and would need some attention but he was perfect. No oxygen needed. He was a 3.9 lb fighter. I have heard the phrase before that God works from the future and now I have seen it. 'Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.' Isaiah 65:24 Originally the pediatrician said that Asher would most likely stay in the special care nursery until his actual due date which would be over a month's stay; however Asher stayed in the special care nursery for 9 days and then was sent home. Dr. Estes said that one more day could have made a difference in life and death for Asher. I am beyond in awe of God. Tennyson and Asher are really His and I hope I always remember that. I'm so thankful for the time I have with them. There are soooooo many other details that have blown us away of God's love and faithfulness but this is turning into the longest post ever so for now, Auf wiedersehen!
Last summer my friend Carla had an idea for the children's ministry to take a couple of verses and see how many of the kids could memorize them. At the end of the summer there would be a party celebrating the efforts of the children. One of the verses was, 'For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go' Joshua 1:9. Tennyson and I worked on the verse all summer long and one of the amazing parts of this was that the Lord kept bringing that verse to my mind over and over again. I would hear someone speak and inevitably they would use that verse somewhere in their speaking. I would be reading other scripture and the path would lead me back to that verse or the other places in scripture that reference that verse. I would be listening to the radio and that verse would come up, etc. It came up so much that I started thinking 'oh no Lord, what is about to happen that i will need to be acquainted with this verse as well as I am'. Fast forward a couple of months and Oscar, who waits tables at Ruth's Chris, waits on one of the Dr's that is a part of the practice I was going to but hadn't seen yet. In fact I wasn't even aware he was a part of the group. Oscar came home telling me about how nice he and his wife were. Oscar wondered in jest to the Dr. if he would be the one to deliver Asher. Fast forward a couple of weeks. I notice Asher isn't moving like he had been moving. Asher was pretty intense in his movement especially when I ate something so it was odd that I hadn't felt him much. I also was having what I thought were braxton hicks but they started occurring a little more and a little longer than I was comfortable with. I also just had a feeling that something wasn't right. After a couple of days I called the nurse and explained the situation to her. She had me monitor how many kicks I was feeling, how often the contractions were etc. for about an hour or so. The nurse said she thought it may be a good idea to go up to the hospital so that the baby and I could be monitored for a little while just to make sure nothing was going on. It sounded like it was optional so I really debated whether I should go. I finally decided it was better to be safe than sorry so I went up to the hospital thinking I would be monitored for an hour or so and then sent home with some instructions. Within about half an hour it was clear the nurses didn't hold my same sentiment and that not only would I not be going home but I would most likely be having this baby that day as soon as possible. It was de ja vu all over again with how I had Tennyson except I was at 34 weeks instead of the 36 weeks I was with Tennyson. Oscar had a break in between shifts and he came up to the hospital. He was pretty shocked when he realized what was going on. I was moved to the labor and delivery floor for the dr. on call to come in and explain what he had decided was the best course of action. Dr. Estes walked in which is the Dr. Oscar had waited on a couple of weeks before. He recognized Oscar and remembered their conversation about having Tennyson early due to preeclampsia....Dr. Estes turned out to be THE.BEST.DR.EVER. He was so reassuring but confidently said we had to get Asher out of my womb as quickly as possible and that it had to be by cesarean because Asher wouldn't be able to handle the labor part of the delivery. Another half hour later and I was being wheeled into the delivery room. Everything was happening so fast...we had no camera, wasn't able to warn my in-laws (who we currently live with) that another member would be moving in with them 6 weeks early, hadn't even told my sister who was watching Tennyson for 'an hour or so'. As soon as I was in the delivery room I remembered the verse the Lord had very clearly given to me. 'The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go'. He was there. I believe he hand delivered Dr. Estes. I believe he hand delivered the nurse that was also a believer and was whispering in my ear through it all words of encouragement and comfort. Asher came out and was small and would need some attention but he was perfect. No oxygen needed. He was a 3.9 lb fighter. I have heard the phrase before that God works from the future and now I have seen it. 'Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.' Isaiah 65:24 Originally the pediatrician said that Asher would most likely stay in the special care nursery until his actual due date which would be over a month's stay; however Asher stayed in the special care nursery for 9 days and then was sent home. Dr. Estes said that one more day could have made a difference in life and death for Asher. I am beyond in awe of God. Tennyson and Asher are really His and I hope I always remember that. I'm so thankful for the time I have with them. There are soooooo many other details that have blown us away of God's love and faithfulness but this is turning into the longest post ever so for now, Auf wiedersehen!
Day of Asher's Birth (Thank Goodness for iPhones)
During Asher's Special Care Nursery Stay
Family of Four
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
All I Wanna Do
I have clothes to wash, clothes to fold, a kitchen to clean, food to put away, bills to pay, a floor to mop, books to finish reading, studies to get caught up on, people to call back, messages to respond to, exercise to start and I really need to go to bed soon....but all I want to do is hold this little guy (taken just a second ago sleeping on me):
Yes, Asher is here and came about 2.5 months ago...sorry readers (aka: mom and dad and now my brother-in-law David who obviously already know this news). I hope to blog about his coming soon. And I can't leave without mention of my other little guy who came up with this fabulous Darth Vader outfitting all on his own:
Yes, Asher is here and came about 2.5 months ago...sorry readers (aka: mom and dad and now my brother-in-law David who obviously already know this news). I hope to blog about his coming soon. And I can't leave without mention of my other little guy who came up with this fabulous Darth Vader outfitting all on his own:
Monday, October 11, 2010
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