Not Before 7: November 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday helps parents focus on one of the many joys of parenting - the funny things that our little ones (and sometimes big ones) have to say.

Join in the fun and record the Tiny Talk overheard in your house! Publish a post on your blog and link us to the laughs. Then be sure to link to the blog carnival on this post so more bloggers can join in the fun.

The guidelines can be found here if you need them. ____________________________________________

D (age 3)'s word: Jumpoline Real Word: Trampoline
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K (age 8) was making her toast and said to me, "In the olden days when they didn't have ovens, they used toaster ovens."

And while that was funny enough...

Mom: No sweetie. They didn't have toaster ovens a long time ago either.
K: Well, what did they use?
Mom: A fireplace, but it wasn't like ours. It was one with real wood and they would create a fire.
K: But they couldn't have that in the house. That's not safe.
Mom: (laughing) That is what we have in the house. And before we had one that you could turn on, we had one with real wood. You just had to have a fire place.
K: Oh.
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And now...our FEATURED Tiny Talk Family this week is...

Crystal from Life at the Circus. Crystal and I only "know" each other online. Perhaps one day we'll be able to get all of these cute kiddos together to play! She and I have a lot in common, raising 4 kiddos who are all very close in age. I know exactly why she calls her blog, "Life at the Circus."

Her little guy is such a doll! My favorite recent photo is on this post. He surely is ready to eat! And her little princesses are just precious as well!

This post makes it clear that Crystal and I would get along just great! She knows when to let a kid be a kid! Rock on Crystal - say YES more than NO! And her second daughter seems quite like my second daughter, who would do this same sort of thing.

But, I admit I am NO WHERE NEAR as adventurous as Crystal! She and her hubby want to visit EVERY National Park during their marriage. As I look at the pictures of some of their trips, I am amazed at their ~~insanity~~ bravery to tote around 4 little children! That is so awesome and I would love to copy it...when my kids are teens!

And now a word from Crystal...

Tell us about yourself and your family.
I have been married to my husband for 9 and 1/2 years and we have 4 kids ages 6, 4, 3, and 6 mths. We love to travel and enjoy camping. We are trying to visit every US National Park together.

Tell us about your blog. What do you tend to write about? What are some of your favorite posts/topics?
I write mostly about my family and my life as a wife, home make and mother of 4. I try very hard to keep my blog real... embarassing situations, funny things my kids say, pictures of the inside of my minivan... I am not perfect, I don't have it all together, I yell at my kids, my house is dirty more often than it is clean and my husband often has to go searching through the dryer to find clean socks to wear to work. But, despite the mess and chaos, I love my life and I try to let that show in my blog posts.

What is the one thing about you that we might not find on your blog?
Since I try to keep it real on my blog, there really isn't much about me that you won't find on there. I don't share my kids names, but you can find my ginormous pile of laundry waiting to be done!

So go say hello to Crystal this week! _________________________________________________
Your Turn:

Friday, November 26, 2010

Changes in Spending

There have been a lot of changes in this house over the last few months. The first area we began to tackle was our finances! My reading and discussions of the book, “Simple Compassion", began to challenge Eric and I in the area of spending. We wanted to limit our “needs” to hopefully use some of the savings to meet someone else’s “needs”.

Of course, after making some of these changes, we discovered that my husband would have 12 furlough days this year. We were discouraged that the savings would not be used in the way we hoped. I struggled with this in my heart for a time period, but have grown content and quite thankful that our changes had us prepared us for the financial constraints of this time period in our household.

So what were some of the practical things we did to tackle those monthly bills?

We changed our energy provider. I spent some time researching the energy prices of local area competitors. We locked in a good price for 2 years and have saved money! It also helped that I became an electricity Nazi and kept it much hotter than normal in the house all summer long and we are keeping it colder this winter!

The internet connection was downgraded. And yes, there are times that the streaming isn’t as fast as I’d like. But somehow, we have managed. I wanted to get DSL. It is the cheapest in this area, but sadly there isn’t a company that provides it to our location.

Even with our “slow” internet, we have phone service via a VOIP provider that I discovered on my hunt. Our phone service is provided through Phone Power and we have been quite happy! Best of all, we pay about $8.33 a month for UNLIMITED local and long distance US calling! WOO HOO! (If you look into it and decide to try Phone Power, send me a note because I can get credit for email referrals)

We also began to look at other regular bills, like my haircuts. I get my hair cut about 5-7 times a year. Even though I only get a basic cut and blowdry, the pricetag was quite high at the lovely salon I visit.

As we were looking at this particular bill, we were convicted about some of our other spending habits. Over time, we had allowed the standards in the house to change. There was a time when the budget had NO flex and I went to the Hair Cuttery and didn’t even pay for the $5 blowdry. Now, the standard included a regular cut and blowdry at a pretty expensive salon.

And this led to a realization that the standards had changed in a lot of areas, so we continued to slash.

Do I need a Starbucks drink every time I am walking around Target?

Are our weekend trips to the Bagel Bin becoming less of a treat and more of a habit?

Can “pizza out” become “pizza in”?

And during this season in particular…can we change our gift giving to be less costly and more thoughtful?

Little changes add up quickly!

But the BEST financial change was giving up the cable bill. We decided that we would no longer pay someone to make that “tube” light up the family room anymore.

We had given up the TV for a year in the past and still remember what a GREAT thing it had been. Yet we let it creep back in to our house and gave into that channel flipping habit in the evenings again. Admittedly, I am the main culprit. In my exhausted mental state in the evenings, I often crashed on the sofa and watched an episode (or two) of Law and Order in some fashion. (SVU, Criminal Intent, etc)

So we got rid of cable. We decided that we wouldn’t even pay for basic service of local channels anymore.

And it was hard. OH BOY it was a bit tough. At first, we replaced it with a lot of time on the computer and laptop screens.

But slowly, we began to notice a change.

My husband began to READ BOOKS. (well, at least a few) We began to find ourselves sitting on the sofa, in the quiet of the evening, just talking. And we found that this phenomenon began to occur regularly.

I’ll never forget the first Saturday without the Disney channel. I came downstairs and instead of finding the kids glued to Playhouse Disney, they were all playing together in the family room. What a joy! It cemented the decision that very morning!

After a month or so of nothing appearing on “that box”, we got a digital converter box given to us by my in-laws and have enjoyed the ability to watch local channels again. But we don’t take advantage of it much. The channel flipping habit was already broken!

The biggest change has been that our television watching is more purposeful and MUCH LESS overall. The only two shows that we both enjoy are, “Project Runway” and “Castle”. We have the ability to watch, “Castle” on Monday nights through the converter box, but we use the internet to watch, “Project Runway", the night after it airs (though the season ended over a month ago now, so we are done).

And that is it. Two shows. One isn’t even on anymore, so we only have one show these days. One hour of TV a week and LOTS more time to do other things.

The kids watch videos, but no more TV shows. Ever. No Playhouse Disney. No PBS. Not that any of those were bad, but we would find ourselves channel flipping just to find something. Now we are more purposeful in what and when we watch.

The other day a woman at the store began asking K (age 8) if she enjoyed a bunch of Disney TV shows for kids (Hannah Montana and a bunch I never have heard of) and K just shook her head, confused. She had never heard of them either. THAT was another moment that sealed the decision!

Basically, television watching has become a VERY SMALL part of our lives and I think it has been beneficial. It was amazing to realize how much time I spent just flipping channels so I could "zone out” in the evenings. We have filled that time with things that I consider to be more worthwhile.

Overall, this time period of financial savings has been a helpful change in spending. It will be even more helpful in the coming months since we just purchased a vehicle!

But without a doubt, the impact of little to no TV on our marriage and family has been IMMEASURABLE! Neither of us has any desire to go back to cable.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Great-Gema

My four children with my Gema.

(My father’s mother)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Hands down, her son, Zachary NEVER fails to crack me up. This picture is one of my favorites from WAY back in the day. And he is still winning this former math teacher over with comments like this one. But make no mistake, her girls do a great imitation of their mother during playtime!

Jolanthe's amazing homeschooling blog was the reason I chose to use the Galloping the Globe curriculum. She was having so much fun touring the world that I wanted to do the same with my own children. Thankfully I was able to meet her in person and get a run down on the curriculum. Since then we have caught up at the HEAV homeschool convention as well! It's kind of strange to watch someone's children grow up online when you have never met any of their kids, but it has been such fun to know her family this way.

I must mention, she is also an amazing blog designer and you can check out her business at Relevant Designs. Her prices are great and this blog is evidence of her work!

Now for a bit from Jolanthe from herself:

Tell us about yourself and your family. Be sure to include your own hobbies and interests as well as information about your kids and hubby.

I am a mom of 4 rather energetic kiddos {currently 9, 8, 6 and a week shy of 4} ~ and wife to a great man, who has much grace for her and her many endeavors. I homeschool our children and life is never dull or lacking in excitement. I used to scrapbook and then life happened. Now my blogs are my main means of keeping track of what is going on in our lives. I love taking pictures and thank the Lord every day for the wonders of digital photography. My husband would say our bank account does also. :) In free moments I love to listen to music and read fiction...or just enjoy the silence. You won't find me enjoying my free time folding laundry ~ I'm just sayin'.

Tell us about your blog. What do you tend to write about? What are some of your favorite posts/topics?

Our family blog, No Ordinary Moments, is where my blogging all started. I just wanted to create an online journal of sorts to share things with extended family. With four kids there is generally something to always write about, especially since our kids are full of energy and always doing something to keep me on my toes {Zachary being a KEY example of this}. Eventually I started sharing recipes, reviews and general ramblings with my readers. Emphasis on ramblings. :)

To keep track of our homeschooling progress I started Homeschool Creations. I have been 110% blessed by the ladies {and few men} that have made my blog a regular stop in their blog reading. To say it's overwhelming is an understatement. Never did I anticipate the growth {and interest} in our homeschool adventures. I am so thankful that I can share a small piece of what God is doing in our lives.

What is one thing about you that we might not find on your blog?

Perfection. I do NOT have it all together and am thankful that I have a husband who is full of grace and above all a God who is lavish in His grace toward me. While I may find new 'systems' that help me organize my time a little more wisely or streamline things for me, ultimately I write and am accountable to one person ~ the One who created me to be the unique individual that I am.

So stop by and say Hi to Jolanthe this week!
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Your Turn:

Monday, November 15, 2010

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday helps parents focus on one of the many joys of parenting - the funny things that our little ones (and sometimes big ones) have to say.

Join in the fun and record the Tiny Talk overheard in your house! Publish a post on your blog and link us to the laughs. Then be sure to link to the blog carnival on this post so more bloggers can join in the fun.

The guidelines can be found here if you need them.
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K randomly asked me, "Are any of our ancestor's buried in a graveyard?"

That spurred quite a discussion about dead bodies. Guess it is good we are about to study Egypt. We are all preped to talk about mummies now!
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I gave D (age 3) the primary colors to paint with today. Oh boy did he love it!

Look, I made green!!!
I made purple, mom!
Look. This makes brown.

It was so cute to let him "make colors".
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T (age 6)'s bedtime routine...

Gets put in bed and then the REAL routine begins...

First visit down the hall: "Mommy. I am itchy." (wants lotion)
Second visit down the hall: "Mommy. My eyes are itchy." (wants benedryl for allergies)
Third visit down the hall: "Mommy. I wanted to tell you..."
Forth visit down the hall: "I'm having bad thoughts."

And on it goes...
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Now for our Featured TTT family...

I'd like you to meet, Tracy, from Musings of the Monroe Family. Tracy is another blogger that I am just getting to know. I went back to the beginning of her blogging days, since she has been blogging just under a year. I love the way in these February posts you feel like you are reading her daily journal. She explains her day as well as what she has read in her quiet time. I think it is a wonderful journal for her children one day, recording her heart and her daily life.

I have to say that Tracy ROCKS at taking photos that relate to her posts. I have trouble getting around to uploading just a few, but I love looking at all of her pictures on posts like this one.

Of course, her family blog is fun and full of great ideas on her weekly wrap ups, but I admit that I am REALLY excited about her new cooking blog! This chicken soup looks so yummy!

And now a little bit from Tracy:

Tell us about yourself and your family. Be sure to include your own hobbies and interests as well as information about your kids and hubby.

So where to start? I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mother of an adorable 2-1/2-year-old boy with an incredible husband of 8 years. It was after my mom died (of breast cancer) when I was 21 that I became serious in a faith journey that led me to be baptized in 2001 and learning more every day about what it means to have Jesus as Lord in my life. I grew up in the Chicago area and after attending the UW-Madison now live in Madison, Wisconsin. I love attending Titus (my women's group at church), library story times, PalZone (a community toddler play group) and almost anything outdoors. I love to do gardening. We only have a small little area but I manage to grow tomatoes, green peppers, sweet peppers and herbs. I also love to read. I'm often reading 3 or 4 books at a time; one I keep on the kitchen table, one by my bed, one in my gym bag and one next to the couch.

What's something about yourself you'd like other moms reading to know?

After my son was born, I endured a traumatic time in my life. I went through a year and a half of postpartum depression with severe anxiety and psychosis which put me in the hospital twice. I never, ever thought I would go through something like that. It was one of the most humbling and difficult experiences in my entire life. I now know what it is like to be so helpless and yet see the Lord move in the most amazing way I've ever seen to restore and heal. Now, Psalm 30 is a place I go frequently as the words remind me so much of what I went through.

Tell us about your blog. What do you tend to write about? What are some of your favorite posts/topics?

As my depression lifted, I came out of isolation and was looking for a deeper way to feel connected to other moms. A friend from MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) sent me a link to her blog and immediately I knew that was what I wanted to do. My blog is just coming up on it's first anniversary on January 24, 2011. What I like to write about are my experiences as a stay-at-home mom and also what's going on in my inner life; how I'm learning, growing or being challenged in my relationship with Christ. I like to capture my weekly activities with my toddler by participating in Blog Carnivals like Tot School, Tiny Talk and What My Child is Reading. I also have a recipe blog called Tracey's Kitchen where lately I've started writing more.

Thank you so much to Mary for hosting Tiny Talk and for featuring me here!
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Your Turn: (and take a moment to say hi to Tracy!)

Monday, November 8, 2010

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday helps parents focus on one of the many joys of parenting - the funny things that our little ones (and sometimes big ones) have to say.

Join in the fun and record the Tiny Talk overheard in your house! Publish a post on your blog and link us to the laughs. Then be sure to link to the blog carnival on this post so more bloggers can join in the fun.

The guidelines can be found here if you need them.
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We were reading about the buried city of Pompeii when K (age 8) randomly announced, "If I had a girl and she was wild, I would name her Vesuvius."
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D (age 3): This cat is my pet. He loves to be kicked. (Then he drop kicked his stuffed cat) Yep, he loved it!
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K: That is so silly
Daddy: What is that?
K: Why do these people want to create more air doesn't the earth have enough air?
Daddy: Huh?
K: Holds up picture of wind turbines used for electricity generation... "See, look, why do we need these? We already have enough air, we don't need to make any more"
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D randomly announces things to us. The other day he told his Grandma...Tea parties are cool. Tea parties are very cool. But we are not having one today.

(wondering if he has ever had one...?)
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D (age 3): Electricity is the power that goes into the light that makes it clogged.

(glad he clarified that)
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Tiny Talk Feature Family

(If you would like to be a featured family, I'd love a chance to get to know you better. Please drop me an email!)

This week I'd like to introduce you to Karen from The Pink Parsonage. Karen is not someone that I know well in person or through blogging, but I have been getting to know her through Tiny Talk posts.

Her girls are absolutely adorable and she is an amateur photographer like myself. I love the railroad idea for her fall portraits! She clearly knows how to use editing software well and the photos look great.

I have learned that she doesn't mind moving. THIS blows my mind. I have only moved from an apartment to a townhouse and then to a single family. I hated every minute of moving. I am no good at decorating, so I hope to get more tips from her as she begins to decorate her new home!

If you missed her Tiny Talk video last week, here is her little cutie tickling herself. Loved that! So sweet.

Now, a little about Karen directly from Karen...

Tell us about yourself and your family. Be sure to include your own hobbies and interests as well as information about your kids and hubby.

Married 14 years to a pastor (though he has only been a pastor for the last 5 of those years.) We have found ministry to be challenging and rewarding at the same time. Bottom line is this, when God asks you to do something, he also gives you a desire to do it, and we LOVE it! My husband Rick, also works for Loomis Armored. We met through writing letters...the real old fashioned kind that included pen, paper and a postage stamp. We have 4 beautiful daughters ages 12, 8, 4 and 18 months. This is my 7th year homeschooling, so I think we qualify as an official "home-school family". I love cooking, decorating, crafts and photography. Most of my family knows me as the one who takes too many pictures, but I don't think that is even possible. I hate sewing, but with 4 girls, I often find myself sitting at the machine to create the perfect outfit that we just couldn't find anywhere else. As a family, camping tops our list of summer activities and daddy loves to hunt!

Tell us about your blog. What do you tend to write about? What are some of your favorite posts/topics?

I am very literally a STAY at HOME mom....I mean, I really rarely go out. I find plenty to do here and even dread those weekly shopping excursions. For me, my blog is therapeutic and ever so relaxing. I find myself stuck between two classes of blogs: the decorator type and the mom only type. Being a mom is indeed the most important job I have, but I find that a part of that job includes decorating our little home-sweet-home and making it a comfy, cozy place to be. You will find posts about my children, crafts, recipes, and even an occasional book report or thoughts from my heart.

What is one thing about you that we might not find on your blog?

This was a tough one...but, you will not find any complaints on my blog. We have been abundantly blessed and As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

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Your Turn:

Saturday, November 6, 2010

The last FIRST year…

(This has been an overwhelming time period for me. I am sure you read all about it. Part of that is the discovery of posts like this…ones that were drafted but never published…sigh…so here is a VERY LATE birthday greeting. That seems to be a theme for me this week. But here we go again, a birthday letter to my C (now 16 months), many months late. But I will say that I found this on the BEST day because I had a horrid day with C yesterday and reading this just filled my heart with the joyful reminders of mothering)

My baby, the last baby, is turning one today.

You haven’t heard much about him this year, but here I am trying to capture the joy that is my little guy.

C (now 1) has been slow to get into “real” food. He is finally eating cheerios and some small pieces of food. But he mostly spits it back out after chewing. Of course, it is really fun when he just blows raspberries with a mouthful of green beans.

He is just so much fun to watch. Oh the faces and the giggles crack us up!

He is cruising around on furniture with ease and taking a few steps in a row pretty regularly. He is so determined to learn to walk!

Of course, his crawling is still the fastest method for him!

He often prefers mommy. And, yes, I am quite happy about that. There isn’t much that replaces that feeling of a little one reaching his arms out for you. I love when I enter a room and he looks up, smiles, and crawls over. Then he stops and raises his arms up or begins standing up, using my legs for balance.

And while he might prefer mommy at times, his affection for his daddy is clear! When daddy gets home from work, C immediately begins trying to get attention from his daddy.

He loves being one of the gang now! His siblings do a great job including him in their activities.

Of course, C’s ability to crawl and play has caused his three year old brother to re-evaluate where he keeps his toys. The two boys are working out their friendship as they enter this new “battleground”. Without a doubt, D (age 3), has a special place in C’s mind! As soon as he sees his big brother, his face just lights up!

I love everything about having a little one again! Every stage of C’s life has been such a joy to watch.

This month I was laying in bed, asleep, when the sounds of a little baby giggling at himself woke me up. It was the most precious sound!

Happy Birthday to my little guy! I love you dearly and look forward to your next year!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Idiopathic Toe-Walking

(This is a long post…but as we have gone on this journey of Idiopathic toe walking, we have found very little online that outlines the experience of other families. My hope is that someone who needs this post might find it one day when they are wondering how things went for someone else)

My daughter, K (age 8), has been an idiopathic toe walker from the day she began walking. And I am not just talking she walks by putting her toes down first. The girl walks on complete tip toes, stands on complete tip toes, and never puts her heel down.

Because there isn’t a medical reason for her to walk this way, the diagnosis is “idiopathic” toe walker, meaning that it is a habit.

Lots of kids do this on and off for a time period, but very few keep it up in this manner. Those who keep it up the way she has, decrease the range of their tendons, making it uncomfortable (and close to impossible) for them to correct the solution by “just walking flat feet”.

The doctors have varying opinions on the solution. Our family doctor assured us year after year that she would outgrow this. We had her refer us for some physical therapy when K was 4, but we didn’t stick with it. The therapy stretched her tendons so that she was comfortable again and we moved on. No one suggested otherwise.

Now that she is 8, we have increasing concerns about her toe walking issue. Our first stop was the orthopedic doctor. He took measurements of her ability to flex her ankle. Most of us have a 15-20 degree range above a neutral flat feet position (toe being pushed toward leg). One of her feet could not get above neutral, having only a –5 degree range. The other foot could just barely get to neutral. And keep in mind, this is with a doctor pushing on her foot as hard as he can.

Clearly, it was not comfortable for her to walk flat feet. Her tendon is being stretched just to stand flat.

He recommended surgery based on the severity of the problem and her age. The surgery would involve cutting her tendons in three places (small cuts) so that her range of motion would immediately be increased. It would also be immediately impossible for her to walk on her toes because her tendon had been cut. This would force her body to change. It would also break the mental habit of walking on tip toe.

Of course, this was NOT the option we wanted to pursue until we felt we had exhausted all other options. We knew that we could try PT and we could look into some other options, so we discussed that with the doctor. He felt we were fighting a losing battle, but sent us to a physical therapist.

We began therapy and stretching her tendons 3-5 times a day. After about 6-7 weeks, we had made a 5 degree increase in range on each foot. Now both of her feet had ranges above neutral. One foot was now at positive 1 and the other was at 6 degrees! Of course, there was still a long way to go and breaking her mental habit was going to be the hardest part!

The therapist suggested that we attempt serial casting. This is a process that involves casting both of K’s legs in leg casts, holding her in a neutral position. This would help stretch her tendons and force her to walk flat feet.

And let me tell ya that this kid is an amazing person! She has kept a great attitude during this process and cooperated with every step. Here she is after her first set of casts, keeping her in a neutral position.

She enjoyed getting signatures from family and then from friends.

Interestingly enough, we did catch her quite a few times still trying to walk on tip toe with the casts on. The doctor had warned us that this would happen, but we couldn’t imagine it. But now we can.

Overall, during the first two weeks, we had one bad night. We had let K immediately return to her running about all over the neighborhood only 2 days after casting. That night, she was awake and in pain every 20-30 minutes. It was horrid. I felt so helpless to do anything for her. The Motrin and Tylenol had no effect and it was so difficult to watch.

From then on, we kept her activities to a minimal, though she gets around just fine. If we were headed somewhere that we had to walk quite a bit, we borrowed a wheelchair. But for the most part, she gets around just fine on her casts!

After two weeks we had to return for a second set of casts. The exciting news was that the doctor felt like her feet were at a 10 degree position “at least”, though he didn’t take any official measurements. WOW!

She was then re-casted at a “greater than neutral” position, so when standing “flat feet” with her casts, her toes are really being pulled up toward her leg a bit. Needless to say, we haven’t seen her attempt to walk tip toe in this set of casts. It is just impossible!

We remain hopeful, yet open to any procedure necessary to help correct her walking. We continue to pray that God will allow her tendons to stretch and her brain to retrain itself.

I think the best part of this process has been the way K has been able to see the body of Christ at work in prayer for her. The day or two after her casting, she received her first card in the mail. It was from an amazing woman that I have meet through blogging. She sent K a note to let her know she was praying for her and included some pretty awesome tatoos for the girls.

The letter made me well up with tears, just knowing that this is how the Body of Christ is supposed to function. Family, friends, and blogging “strangers” came together to pray for my daughter.

K asked me, “Who is Mrs. Ginger?” and I was able to share with her that this was mommy’s friend from “the computer” who we had never met. BUT, even so, she loves my kiddos and prays for them. K was able to get a glimpse into the importance and power of prayer as well as the compassion and connectedness of the Church.

During this second set of casts, she received another card from a family she has never met. The mother is my friend from middle school whom I have not seen since high school, but thanks to modern technology we are able to keep in touch. Once again, K is being prayed over by more people than she knows.

Now, of course, her family and close friends are praying for her as well. She has received notes and cards from many folks over these 4 weeks. We are so grateful for the love and compassion shown for our baby. God has continually used people in her life to love her and cheer her up.

And now we wait…

On Thursday (today by the time this is published), she will get her casts off and there will be a Part One conclusion to this journey. It isn’t over. She’ll have braces to wear and will continue with PT for awhile, but one major chapter will close.

We are thankful for God’s direction in this area and His healing hand on our baby. We know that He is in control of the problem and the solution and we continue to rest in Him.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: A buzz cut reveals more similarity

Monday, November 1, 2010

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday helps parents focus on one of the many joys of parenting - the funny things that our little ones (and sometimes big ones) have to say.

Join in the fun and record the Tiny Talk overheard in your house! Publish a post on your blog and link us to the laughs. Then be sure to link to the blog carnival on this post so more bloggers can join in the fun.

The guidelines can be found here if you need them.
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Poor little D (age 3) banged his head and got a horrible cut this weekend. Daddy took him to the doctor and they were sitting in the room, waiting to get 3 staples in his head...

D: I love this game!
Daddy: Should we come here every Sunday?
D: Yeah!

(perhaps he needs some more one on one attention...)
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D: Daddy, I have something to tell you.
Daddy: What?
D: You can share my Candy!
Daddy: Thank you David you are very generous!
D: Yes! I am VERY jealous!
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While trick or treating...

D: I want to go home. I am tired of this game.
Daddy: What do you mean?
D: I just want to go home.

(poor tired boy)
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We have been coloring in a large map of Africa one country at a time as we talk about what makes that country unique. Our family was sitting around the dinner table talking about some of the countries that we had colored in.

D: (shouting and giggling) MAURITANIA.
Everyone laughs and the conversation continues.
D keeps chanting: Mauritania. Mauritania.
The whole table laughs again.
Mom: What are you saying, D? Wait. Is Mauritania a country in Africa?
Dad: Yes. You didn't know that?
Mom: (laughing hard) NO! I didn't know what he was saying. Oh my goodness, D, how did you know that?
D: (big smile) Mauritania!

(glad someone is listening while I teach around here...maybe I should) ______________________________________________

Now, for our Tiny Talk Feature Family this week:

I'd like to introduce you to Kelly, who I have been fortunate enough to meet in person. She happens to be a close friend of my sister-in-law. Interestingly enough, we didn't make a connection to one another's blogs until recently! And now, we are even facebook friends...LOL.

Kelly is a fun gal and it's been fun getting to know her. I learned that one of her favorite snacks is roasted seaweed...ugh...I'll have to pass. She is a way cool mom who lets her kids have some "kid fun"!

And her pumpkin drill sergeant imitation is just so awesome. I am sure some military reader can relate to that one!

Now let's hear a little bit about Kelly from Kelly!

Tell us about yourself and your family. Be sure to include your own hobbies and interests as well as information about your kids and hubby.

I am Kelly, a 37 year old wife and mother to four. I work from home, writing blog entries for an up-and-coming company called Aboutone.com and small articles for my sisters' newsletter company. I never, ever saw myself as a "writer", I still don't to be honest. The plan was a degree in marketing and then some sort of ad design or graphic art work. Funny how things change, eh! My love is a career soldier and has spent 18 years in the Army. We have moved a lot and have really loved every minute of it, well, once we adjust to the newest adventure. The newest new adventure will occur mid-May as we pack our things up and head to Guam for 3 years! Our children are Joshua (11), Jason (9), Lauren (5) and Katelyn (2). I must add that I feel the need to mention that Katelyn completed our family through adoption from Korea. I never really know why I feel the need to say that, but I'm still growing and learning - it's only been a year. She is a star in our family!

Tell us about your blog. What do you tend to write about? What are some of your favorite posts/topics?

I guess the question should be "what don't I write about"? Really, I share just about everything, ad nauseam. If it's in my brain, it will eventually end up on my blog. My favorite topic is my family, but I usually write about nonsense like Walmart trips, my dog and things my kids say that strike me as funny.

What is one thing about you that we might not find on your blog?

Probably the specifics of our adoption story. While I will share about anything with anyone, I am very guarded about writing it down. I am kicking around the idea of writing a specific blog just for this topic. I just am not ready. I hope that doesn't come across as really weird...
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So take some time today to go say hi to Kelly!

If you'd like to be a Featured Tiny Talk Family, then drop me an email at notbefore7 at gmail dot com.
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Your Turn:

A birthday girl…from August

Dear T (age 6)

Your birthday came and went in August without even a peep on my blog. Of course, now that K (age 8) has had a birthday too, I figured that I should get on the ball!

You are fortunate enough to have an amazingly loving and creative sister. She planned a “Birthday Eve” party for you. We made muffins and gave you, “Little B", a fuzzy littlest pet shop penguin because your birthday party theme is going to be penguins.

At bedtime, you sweetly asked me, “Please take my picture when I am sleeping. It will be the last night that I go to bed as a five year old.”

How could I refuse?

On your birthday morning, I was the lucky parent who got to enjoy a special breakfast with you. (We alternate years and I get the even years…2010 is even) We had a lovely time at the Bagel place in the village center.