Why yes, it is a potato.........

I have a tradition that I started with Beatrice. It is simple, yet makes them very happy. I put them on the counter while I cook.

Note: they are on the opposite side from the stove.....I feel that I must say this so no one wonders!


Something about being in the middle of all the action while I am cooking makes them feel that they are "helping Mommy". I have done it with the girls and just started it with Mr. Man. He really likes being up there and loves to watch me cook.

Last night, I put him up there because we were home alone. He was talking to me while I was cooking supper. I gave him a little snack (which was not a potato) and was doing my thing while watching him out of the corner of my eye. He put his snack down and grabbed a bowl of roasted red potatoes that I was gonna eat earlier. I had left them on the counter and he saw an opportunity! When I looked at him, all I could do was laugh..............(and had to take some pics)

Here he is on the counter digging into the potato!

Showing me his prize!

I love all of the funny stuff that they do at this age!

Blessings,

Kim

Oh Ye of little faith............

I don't even know where to begin. This has been an insane week-and it ain't over yet!! For those of you who don't know, I am attempting to get into the nursing program. I have only one pre-req left to be able to apply in Feb. 2009.

Or maybe not......

I digress.............

OK, so I attend a college that for some strange, bizarre, unknown reason did not offer Micro-biology in the evening. So after speaking to another college (that I attended after high school......you know, when I was young and stupid-and only cared where the next party was), they told me that I could enroll as a transient student. AH-HA!! Problem solved!!

Or so I thought.

School started on Monday. That's right this past Monday, August 25. I was so excited that I had the only class that I needed, and that everything was working out perfectly!

Silly me.

On Tuesday, I called my home school to find out if I really needed another class. My heart told me that I did, and I wanted to hear a definitive answer from someone higher up.

All I got was the run-around..........and bad advice!

After a whole lot of drama and tears, I decided that it would be in my best interest to go ahead and enroll for the class that I KNEW I needed.

Now, this wouldn't be a blog post and be MY life if it ended there, now would it?

I enrolled for the class, showed up this morning, only to have more drama!

They DROPPED my class! Not micro, just the math that I needed!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????!!!!!?????

So, after a few.....okay, more than a few, tears, I headed home. I am sure that you can imagine the car ride home.............

(me talking to God)......
"Here I am, trying to do what I thought YOU would have me do, God-and look at the fuss that has been made! I have bent over backwards to make this work under the situation that we are in, and trying to make sure that this does not interfere with anything at home! Now, I am done! I don't think that I was meant to go to school.........I just am not cut out for it! So, I will wait for a final answer, but I know that I should not be going to school!"

I know............irrational.

But, this is the kind of week that I have had.

There have many personal issues that I would not post on this blog that have also been happening-
this.
week.

So......as I got home and cried to my hubby about the situation, I knew that I only had until 4:00 today to get all of this fixed. I decided to be pro-active about the situation and take the bull by the horns. If it works out, I knew that it would have to be a God thing. If not, I knew that I am not meant to apply to the program in Feb.

One of the hold-ups was a form. Yes, a form. (Sidenote: doesn't it always seem to be a form?)
One that you fill out online and it goes to the appropriate institution to be signed by a few thousand people.

Okay, maybe not a few thousand, but a few, none the less.

This form usually takes a good week to be completed. Let's revisit the facts that I have just stated.
1) I just filled out this other form yesterday.
2) It had to be approved by TODAY at 4:00.

Well, I go to check my e-mail and it says that one person has already approved it. YES!! Now, all I need is 2 more signatures, and I am home-free!
I called my home school and asked to speak directly to the person who signed the last one and they were approving it as we spoke. #2 done!
Then, I called my host school and asked to speak to the lady that signed my last transient form. I had to leave her a message, and just knew that I was done for. I know that the campus is so busy right now, and that her getting back to me before the deadline would be next to impossible.

Oh ye of little faith..........

My home phone rang, and it was her, saying she approved it and I could register for the class that I needed. I burst into tears (while still on the phone) and couldn't thank her enough. I know that everything that happened in that 20 minute span was of God.

Silly me.

Doesn't He ALWAYS come through when we need Him? I feel so ashamed that I thought He was so small, that somehow He would not be able to fix this one. I am reminded constantly how much He loves me and will work things out that in a way that will bring honor and glory to Him. I can honestly say that I don't know how people who are unsaved maintain a normal frame of mind in stressful situations.....I have a hard enough time with the King of Kings on my side. Doing it all alone must be awful. I must confess that while I KNOW that He is on my side, I do not always rely on Him in the way I should. OBVIOUSLY!!

So I will take the classes that God has for me and I believe that I am in there for a reason.

My prayer for today is that I will not limit God. That I will remember that in any situation, He is present, and will intervene on my behalf.

Blessings,
Kim

It's Potty Time.......

Well, Mr. Man is a big boy!! He is using the potty now, alot! Although it makes me proud, it makes me feel sad to know that he is that big. I have always potty-trained my kids so that by the time they are 3, they will be wearing no diapers. I realized that I better get on the ball with Mr. Man because his birthday is in October. I tried several times before, but had to remember that when they are ready, they will just do it!

I bought him a potty seat a few months ago, but there was no interest in it.....other than the fact it played music!! I just kept asking him if he wanted to go, and then one day-HE WENT!! We were all surprised, even him! Ever since then, he has been pretty consistant with it. We still have him in pull-ups at night, but as soon as he wakes up, he gets to choose his underwear.

Oh yeah, that is another thing....after having 2 girls, it is hard to remember to say underwear and not panties. Mercy, who knew that things were so complicated?

I put him on the potty seat the other day and captured some pretty funny pics........some that I am sure he will appreciate when he is older!! By the way, he is watching Hairspray on the TV. He absolutely loves that movie and knows every line...too funny!


So as we go into this new chapter of life, I look forward to the days with no diapers, but know that I will miss my little boy!! I know that things will be different.....some in a good way, (and not so stressful) and some will be a constant reminder of how fast they grow up.
I want to remember all of these times in my children's lives............

Blessings,
Kim

Goodbye summer, hello school.......

Well, it is finally here! The one thing that I love/hate the most-school. Like most stay at home Moms, it is a breath of fresh air to have the summer months begin......not to have a schedule, to be able to have some freedom with our day. Then, it gets old. Real old, real fast. The older that I get, the more I realize that I do like structure. Don't get me wrong, I like to be able to enjoy a day without being worried about the time, but I have a tendency to wander aimlessly. So, when Monday came, I was singing "Oh happy day!" I felt as though I could conquer the world. I knew that I wanted to start some new habits, and this was the perfect day to start.

I have been a member of http://www.flylady.net/ for a few months now, and I feel like it is finally starting to sink in. If you struggle with getting all of your to do list finished and feel frazzled, then this is a great place to start. She has wonderful ideas that really make sense, and doesn't threaten your life with unrealistic expectations. I have found alot of her ideas to be very insightful, and have even started to really pay attention to some personal habits that I have.

So, as I got ready on Monday morning, I realized that my "baby" was going into the 6th grade!!

AAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Where has the time gone?

I look around and see that my middle child is going into the 2nd grade, and I am quite certain that she will be getting married in about a week.......and then I am absolutely convinced that it will be another 6 months and Mr. Man will be attending the University of Florida!

We have a tradition for the first day of school. We get up and I make a big breakfast of anything that they want. This year they wanted pancakes, sausage and orange juice. Then we get dressed and go outside to take pictures. I like that I have done this since Beatrice was in kindergarten. It is fun to go and look back on how much they have changed.

I usually go into the classroom and take a few pics with the teacher and with some friends, but this year I was rushed!! The teachers were really on the ball and I was not able to take any pictures, but I did get the ones outside...................

Gertie is such a diva!!

My baby is growing up too fast!!

After snapping a few pics and dropping the girls off at school, we were headed home. As we were walking, Mr. Man wanted me to take his picture. He had to pose for a few shots himself........

Mr. Man loves to have his picture taken!!

Here is to another school year....I look forward to what this new one brings!

Blessings,

Kim

Funny how that happens..........

Having children is such a blessing! You know, when you could eat them up because they have done something so precious....you know those times! I have tried hard to maintain our devotional time with the girls, and it is amazing the dialogue that has come out of these sweet times. We usually don't make Mr. Man sit with us.....it is nearly impossible to make a 2 year old sit still! We always ask him to come and pray.....and it is soooooo sweet! I have to help him, but I know that he thinks that he is a big boy praying to God!! He always tells him "thank you for today, and help me be a "dood" boy (his word for good). It is such a simple prayer, but I am thankful that he wants to be good.
The girls have been really neat to teach. But it is always awesome when I learn from them! Sometimes, we forget that we are capable of learning from them and do not allow them to teach. Well, tonight was a lesson for me......one of many that God has tried to continually POUND in my feeble little head.

So, we always have the girls say something that they would like to ask forgiveness for. It does vary, but I have noticed that over the last 10 days or so, that the common thing that they are asking forgiveness for is being hateful to each other. While I am so glad that they are recognizing that they are being ugly, I would like to see some acts of true repentance.

I remind them that true repentance means to turn away from sin.

Turn away. Meaning not going back the way that we came.

As I explained that they need to ask for forgiveness and then ask for God to help them not make the same mistake again....................

God: Excuse me.

Me: I'm sorry, what?

God: Funny how that happens.

Me: (Trying to be cute) What do you mean? (knowing I knew what He meant)

God: Well, it seems to me that we have been over this same thing time and time and time
time again! Now, you are trying to teach this to your daughters, and well, now you
know how I feel.

After a conversation very similar to this with my Heavenly Father, I realize AGAIN that..........while I feel disappointment in my girls when they disobey, God feels the same way when I am in sin. He loves me so much that He will punish me, and wants me to lean on Him so that I won't go down that path again.

And when I get a spiritual spanking, it hurts..............alot.

Worse than any I ever received from my dad growing up. It is during the time of punishment that I know He loves me...........and then He picks me up and tells me how much!! He loves me and will always be there for me. So much that He died for me.

So, while I hope to tell you that the girls are getting along a little better, I wish more than anything that they will know that despite their sin,

I will always love them
and Jesus will too!

Blessings,
Kim