Funny Things - My boy's make me laugh every day.

Me- Don't forget to brush your teeth and comb your hair.
Thing 2 - Why do we have to look good?
Me - It's called "basic grooming!"

Thing 3 wanting someone to ride bikes with him.
"Maybe Dad will be kind enough to ride bikes with me when I finish my chore. Sigh. Everyone is growing up too fast. Including me. I'm double growing this year. I grow a centimeter per day."

Thing 3 at the library as I'm returning about 50 lbs worth of books.
"I'll be in the kid's section reloading!"

Thing 2 - Sitting on the couch with his rat while playing LOTR Risk with Thing 1. "Mom guess what? You won't be finding any rat hairs because rats don't shed!" (What a relief?!?)

I just stepped over a boy sprawled out in the middle of the kitchen floor burping repeatedly.

After spending two hours scrubbing down our kitchen I walked into the dining room to find a boy's pants abandoned under the table.

"You're not smiling mom" Guster (says to me while I'm baking Christmas cookies. Then he turns to his father who is wrestling with Christmas lights "You're not smiling Dad. Get with the program." I'm smiling now.

When my T1 (12 yr old) realized he was stuck in the van all the way to Denver listening to Anne he yelled from the backseat "Stop the Pain!" LOL- but they all loved it, I know!

T3- Are we going to order new glasses today so I can be a smarty pants? 
Me- (hmmm, I think we are already there!)

I had my kids listen to the Breakpoint commentary today about Reformation day. They thought he said "95 feces" instead of "theses" and couldn't stop laughing to hear the rest. #homeschoolfail. Maybe we will come back to this one next year...#homeschoolingboys

My son just asked me to set up a playdate for his rats...these boys make me laugh every day!

T2 - While rediscovering legos again with his brothers bc I moved them to a different room. "We are really CREATIVE at making trees into WEAPONS!"

A Memorial for Perry the African Frog

This summer we took a long trip back to the midwest while a young couple stayed in our home. When we returned our aquatic frog (which I was the ONLY mom of 20 others dumb enough to say "yes" to taking home after their school science lesson on tadpoles was concluded 2 years ago) was missing. We concluded he had died and since there were no remains the aquatic snail must have ate him.

My middle son was VERY upset. Even though he hardly remembered to feed Perry, and couldn't ever play with him, this was a devasting turn of events. So my oldest who is big on empathy quickly organized a memorial service for the frog. The headstone was lovingly inscribed with Perry's vital information should anyone centuries from now look under our lilac bush and wonder what frog was once buried there.

The order of events I was given went like this:

After I played a solemn tune on my guitar, Thing 1 gave a speech:

And an acrostic poem was shared by Thing 2:

And then the empty casket burial was held under the lilac bush. My husband had to direct events because I was having serious problems keeping in my laughter tears. Finally, Thing 3 was assigned these announcements:

And we all shuffled inside for snacks and a prayer. 

And that was that. Or so we thought. Two weeks later Thing 3 brought me a rubber frog he found under the sectional sofa. It was only after I was holding it in my BARE HANDS I realized it was Perry's mummified remains.

There were more tears and a second burial. We concluded he died happy on one last great adventure from the second story down to the main level. And now my middle son has replaced this pet with two furry rodents that can live outside the water...rats! Yes, rats. I DON'T believe it either, but there it is. I seriously could not dream up this life but here I am in the midst of it just trying to love my way through it the best I can. And embracing every adventure my Things bring my way...

Important Notes for a 7 year old

Thing 3 posted these by his bed last night so he doesn't forget. I am posting them here so I don't forget these precious years either. Love this kid! 

Interpretation: American Ninja Warriors

And note 2: wiggle your tooth 50 x

He didn't want to forget his favorite show starts tonight! And I want him to remember to wiggle his tooth! It's his first loose tooth btw and yes I feel sentimental about our last first loose tooth. 

Eternity Defined by a Mom

Eternity: Being locked in a doctor's small waiting room with a boy, or two, or three. (Any child really, no matter the gender!)

After 11 1/2 years and 1000s of hours of "eternity" experiences I've stopped caring about what my kids do while we wait. This is Thing 2 waiting on xray to come get him to see if his toe is still broken. Yup, he has a broken toe. Yup, he is zooming around the room. Nope, I don't care. 

Post script - After waiting an "eternity" we were relieved to hear his toe his no longer broken. Then the kind surgeon proceeded to tell me about a bike park he takes his kids too in town. I told him if we go and get another broken bone I'm sending him the bill! 

Top 10 Reasons Why we Chose Homeschool

Top 10 Reasons Why we Chose Homeschool...Again

Yes, it is true. For the third time in my sons' short educational careers we have restarted homeschooling. I wrote this little piece a few weeks ago after a day that I thought I may have made the worst mistake of my life. (Not really...but sort of). Instead of immediately re-enrolling them in public school I used a little writing therapy to talk myself back from the edge! 

10) I love to listen to my kids sweet voices all day long, especially when they are whining at me and limp noodling out of their seats exclaiming that “it is Too Hard!” …to copy 5 words off the white board.

9) I don’t think any other adult should get more time with my children than I do, especially time to torture them with pesky little things like learning to write legibly.

8) I relish opportunities to teach physics, like when my sons decide to throw their swim bags from the second story to the hard floor below. (Why be bothered with carrying it down with you?) The exploding shampoo bottle in that bag is just the object lesson I was waiting for the explain force, gravity, impact and a mom losing her ever-loving-mind!

7) There is nothing like constant interruptions when trying to teach. If one of my three sons for some odd reason fails to do his part, the dog likes to help by vomiting repeatedly throughout the day.

6) I think every parent should practice a well versed script on why they chose the education they did for their kids. Signing up for homeschool gives you the opportunity to parrot your response over and over and over and over again.

5) My whole world revolves around my kids and I can’t think of ANYTHING else to do with my time …like drink a cup of coffee while it is still hot.

4) i kan’t rememburrr anyting I lerned in publik skool so I whant to relern it. Espzially spalling caz itz impartent.

3) Preparing one meal a day for my whole family isn’t enough. Getting to prepare three meals and a zillion snacks a day is much more satisfying. Not to mention all the extra dishes that pile up for these multiple feastings.

2) I want my children to know for sure and for certain they owe everything to me, not just their lives but everything they know.

1) I hate having any time to myself to complete a thought, write an email or carry on a conversation on the phone with an adult. And I get lonely when I’m in the bathroom and no one is on the other side of the door shouting “MOM!!!”

Even now I as write my son is using a lever in a very cool book we just picked up at the library to catapult a sloth onto the keyboard. And I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Tune in later for a post of the  top 10 REAL reasons why we are homeschooling again.

The Most Wonderful Rescue Mission

One day when I was young I was playing at a park with a fountain. There was a very young boy, not old enough to swim, trying desperately to get out of the fountain. The bottom of the fountain was too slick, he kept slipping and falling back under the water. As he coughed the water out of his lungs over and over again, I tried to stretch out my hand to him without slipping too deep in myself. Though I desperately wanted to save him, I was not big enough or strong enough to help; we could not reach each other. I kept edging a little closer but each time he reached out he would slip back under the water again. His mother finally noticed us and came swooping in to scoop him up. In that one swift motion of her capable arms the ordeal that sent my little heart racing was over! At the time I thought her angry words of warning toward him were mean, but as a mother myself now, I’m sure it was fear coming out in harsh tones.

Yesterday I read Psalm 49 verse 7. It says, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life.” Later it reads not even the rich can ransom themselves, “For when he dies he will carry nothing away;” (.17).  This seems like a rather depressing reflection for this joyful season. But to understand the wonder of the light, we have to acknowledge the darkness that makes it shine so brightly.

The darkness is our own desperate situation. Just as I could not help that little boy, the same is true of every person when we pass into the next life. We are all estranged to God from our own rebellion. Our rebellion in this life means a separation from God forever in the next. That separation will be much, much worse…with no comforts of any kind to distract us from our misery without Him, the source of every possible good thing we get to enjoy in this world. No love. No light. No water. No way out.

We are on the path to this hell unless someone can help us. That Someone did come. Just as that mother jumped in to save her son in the fountain that day, God entered this world to help. And it was a Father’s love to rescue us that compelled Him. Since no man could ransom us, God sent His Son to save us all through His own death (and resurrection) for our sins. The Message version explains the “why” behind the Christmas story this way, “That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange (ransom) for many who are held hostage.” (Mark 10:45)  This is what we celebrate this season. Not an obscure little story about a peasant baby born in a barn…but the most wonderful rescue mission of all eternity. The light coming into our darkness.

Why #Iloveraisingboys

 I was standing in my kitchen when it happened again. I got “the look” from an acquaintance. That look when I tell people I have three sons and they shake their head apologetically, raise and eyebrow or two and sigh under their breath. I want say “Don’t pity me! Having 3 sons is a tremendous blessing.” (Confession: I have wanted the pity at times - especially when they were ages 5 and under!) Instead I smile extra big and try to explain, “It’s a lot of fun.”

I wish they could see all the things I see. I’ve begun my own little visual campaign: #Iloveraisingboys. As I slow down to snap a quick pic I’m savoring those moments and appreciating this crazy boy mom life a little more. 

I’m not on a campaign against girl moms. I’m not saying boys are better than girls. Honestly I wouldn’t know because my only girl is part lab. Raising kids no matter the number or the gender is a selfless, sacrificial act, and if all goes right will leave us more like our Heavenly Father. And hopefully with well-adjusted adult children as our friends.

Yes there are days of way too much noise, chaos and potty humor for this lone female. But there are also a lot of little wonderfuls about raising these boys into men. Their fierce protective instincts of anything they deem theirs, like me. J Their constant building of anything from traps out of laundry baskets, to weapons from cardboard and duct tape. Their search for the highest hill to sled down, tallest tree to climb or widest field to foot race across.

All too soon their endless hours of energy and play will have to cease. They will be burdened by life’s responsibilities (and making lots of cute grandkids for me to love….please, just one granddaughter is all I ask).  They will have to build portfolios instead of forts, climb the corporate ladder instead of trees, and plan out budgets instead of Lego lands. So for as long as possible I want them to just be boys. All boy. And I don’t want anyone clicking their tongue at them and telling them to settle down…I do enough of that for them, thank you. Instead I want to enjoy all the crazy different things that this life of being boy-trapped entails. As I watch my boys precariously perched atop a play structure, breaking every carefully written rule for use, I smile and think, I love raising boys.

The Imaginer

“I’ll take a spaceship and some mini powdered doughnuts to go,” I overhear one boy say to the other inside the cardboard box store. I smile and snap a quick photo of them actually playing nicely together; the older two assisting the younger with product selections and play money creation.

While I enjoy my boys’ simple approach to play, I know, as an adult life isn’t that easy. If only real life were as good as a child imagines it to be.  If only we could pull through a drive-thru to purchase a spaceship. If only we could create as many dollar bills in our living rooms that it required to purchase our heart’s desire. There is the rub.

But what if the world was intended to be that way? What if it was supposed to be as magical as a day Disney promises (without the painful price for admission), as limitless as a child’s imagination, and as abundant in supply of any need we could dream up?

It was... in the Beginning.

At the start of the world the ultimate Imaginer dreamed up everything from the tiniest molecule to the largest ocean, and everything in between. He decided to make light, time, plants, birds, animals, ice cream and even chocolate cake! (Genesis 1) He made space and humans to explore it all. There was no end to he possibilities and it was all perfectly perfect until…

Until that fateful day when His two most favorite creations of all decided they didn’t quite trust Him. They didn’t quite believe that He wasn’t holding out. They took something they were never designed to handle, the knowledge of good and evil, and they got way more than they ever desired in return.

Everything they were put on earth to do – enjoy a relationship with the Imaginer, take care of creation, grow food, have babies – it all got very, very hard. With that one choice to turn their back on the Creator they opened the door to everything hard; sickness, death, toil and struggle, just to survive.

I think kids imagine so much because they are still more like their Creator, uninhibited by life’s realities. They know their Imaginer’s heart. They reflect Him as they dream up drive-thru spaceship stores. They long for the day at Disney where everything is as magical as they know inside it was supposed to be every day.

Jesus tells us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Life with Jesus isn’t perfect. It isn’t a day at Disney over and over again. That isn’t what He is promising here. But He does promise if we seek Him first, all our basic needs will be met. (Matt. 6:33). And He graciously gives so much more than our basic needs; life with Jesus is often overflowing with good things. But it is never quite perfect on this side of heaven…

That perfectly perfect comes later now – since we messed up this life – we have to live with sin and it’s consequences for now. But Someone did pay a very big price for admission into the abundant life that is to come. (1 Peter 3:18)

The question remains, will we accept the ticket to get in? At the end of our days on this earth will we enter into what a child’s heart instinctively imagines, a life more magical, more powerful, more abundant than we can even dream up?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6.  This isn’t an invitation to perfect life in this world, but to an eternity of perfectly perfect in the next.  And I can’t wait to find out if there will be drive through spaceship stores.