Alas, I was suppose to write more on my last post, but I never got around to it. And now I don't know what I was going to write.

Let's see in the past month . . . (in no particular order.)

I resigned from Creative Memories. I didn't have the required $500 is sales, and I wasn't going to charge it to my own credit card. And I decided it wasn't for me. I feel very relieved.

I am starting to print my photos as cards to sell. I have two done so far, one I just picked up today.

E had her third birthday. We had family over for burgers and corn on the cob. E wanted to play with everything, so gift opening took awhile. I'd say her favorite was a dollar store purchase.

J does his frog impersonation quite well now. I think he will never actually crawl, just leap about.

E had her first dentist visit, at which she did very well. It was also discovered that her binkie sucking is narrowing her upper jaw, so it's bye bye binkie. I was thinking that she only sucks it at nap and bedtime, but then I thought about how long of a time that actually is. Yeah, it needs to go. She is three, now. She picked the day she will say goodbye to it forever - Saturday, August 25th. We also picked a day to say goodbye to binkie for naptime, too. That was last Thursday. She's not doing to bad without it, though she still asks for it.

We went to a local carnival. E rode the kiddie rides. She and I went on the carousel, where she rode the horse this time. Before when I'd take her on, we would have to sit on the nonmoving sled. This time she rode a moving horse, and I didn't even have to stand next to her. I sat on the sled behind her. She liked the giant slide the most I think, because as soon as we got to the bottom, she wanted to do it again. She also got to play the lollipop game. Pick a lollipop out of the board, if it has a mark on it the stick you get a prize. She was just happy with the lollipop. G and I saw one of our high school English teachers. We chatted for a bit. She liked seeing our children. For being out so late, the kids did great. They didn't get to bed until after 10:30, though it didn't seem to affect them too adversely the next day.

We have had stinking hot and humid weather for ever. But I can also say that it has finally rained off and on for over 24 hours. Mostly on yesterday and mostly misty today. I am tired of watering.

We may have found the trick to helping our daughter eat in a timely manner. We moved the bird clock to a spot that she can see. We pick a bird and tell her that she has until the big hand reaches that bird to finish her meal. It has been working. Yeah.

Now on the other hand, we have J who yells at you the second his food isn't making its way to his mouth. And the boy doesn't stop. We cut him off. He still won't take a bottle. He mostly chews on it. He won't take a sippy cup either. I am trying to teach him the sign for more, to save our eardrums.

I am working on MOPPETS stuff for September. We still need workers, and I am changing some things, so I need to get that organized. I spoke in church yesterday about MOPPETS and was nervous. I don't like feeling nervous. Apparently even thinking and writing about it brings back nervous feelings. Yuck.

I guess that does it for now.

We got back from the cabin on Sunday. In honor of P, here are photos of some moss I found.

















The kids and I went up Tuesday afternoon, and G came up after work.



He came home Thursday to do some window repairs.

We are having a fun summer. Here is a photo of the E from last night. We walked to a local ice cream place, and E sure did enjoy her "pink" ice cream.






















J is doing great. He is "crawling," which means he pulls himself with his arms and supplements with his toes, mostly just his right ones. He is slowly adding the use of his knees. He does get on his knees and rock. He has started to grab onto the side of his crib and pull himself up. He then proceeds to suck on it.

We don't belong to the local pool, but we have a baby pool that E enjoys greatly. Although I put my foot in gingerly, for the water is quite cold, she gets right in and starts playing.

It has been extremely humid yesterday and today. I am mighty glad for AC. On our street we are one of a few houses that has central air. I feel somewhat privileged.

J got his first two teeth today - bottom front. He also has become quite mobile for not really crawling. He has rather good upper body strength, since he is pulling himself around, with a little help from his feet. He does get on his knees and rock, though.

The three of us got ice cream tonight. E had three days with no time outs, so we went out for ice cream. She has been very compliant and helpful, too. While at the ice cream store, we also got to look at the animals. They have some fowl, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, bison, elk, ponies, a llama, and of course cows. We didn't see the ones that the farmers feed all the strawberries to that make the strawberry milk, though. E likes the animals.

We also bought 3 gallons of milk and a half & half. The milk will last us less than a week.

Today, I spent my morning with E. Just the two of us. J was sleeping. We played and were silly together. It was a special time. She is getting to be more and more independent. "I do it myself." Wanting to do things herself and being able to help around the house. She likes to hear music and has requested I sing some songs. She has a Bible song CD that she assumes is the music of choice for all in the car. She requests songs from it, too. "In my heart" = "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart"; "Children" = "Jesus Loves the Little Children"; "Bones" = "Dem Dry Bones"; "Noah" = "Who Built the Ark" to name a few. The sad part is I know the track number for each of her favorites songs. And although she hasn't requested it, she can be heard singing "happy day" over and over again from "Oh Happy Day," while she is playing. It is simply amazing how much repetition does not phase a child.

J has been eating solids (if you can call them that) for a while, now. Oatmeal, rice and mixed grain cereal, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, applesauce, bananas, pears have all passed over his taste buds. Carrots will be next.

His favorites are applesauce and pears. They come in handy when trying to feed him his least favorites. Scoop a little squash, scoop a little applesauce, feed the boy. Scoop a little squash, scoop a little applesauce, feed the boy.

I make most of his food, but we do have some jars for the occasional ease-of-use feeding. I can't remember back to when E was 7 months and how often I was nursing her. I still nurse J four times a day, but I think we just decided to cut out the bedtime feeding. I am not sure who will miss it more, me or J. I am reluctant to cut back on the nursings, because I will miss that closeness with him, he is so adorable when he nurses, and he just loves to nurse. He doesn't really take a bottle from G or me, so we have to figure something out when he looses a nursing at a meal.

J has started scooting. He uses his arms to pull and sometimes uses his feet to push. He does get on his knees and rock. He can almost get himself into a half sitting position. But if he gets to upright, he isn't very stable.

After I nursed J this morning, I put him on the floor. Since he has become mobile, the bed is not a safe place for him. He likes to be on his belly, which I was hoping wouldn't be a problem. I was wrong. The boy spit up about four times. I can't sit him by himself yet, since he still flops over. He won't stay on his back.

So, I after number four, I decided he could sit in his swing while I finished gathering dirty clothes for laundry day. E likes to play with him and did so while he was in the swing. She started the swing swinging, got his some toys and a blanket. She turned on his music and left the room, shutting the door. She then informed me that J was taking a nap.

When I was finished gathering clothes and ready to head down stairs, I went to get J. He was, in fact, taking a nap. My plan was to give him some cereal, then put him down for a nap. E thought otherwise.

We did yard work today. I am becoming more pleased with the flower beds. They are becoming mine, instead of the former owners.

A while ago we had some of our youth come over as hired workers - they are raising money for their mission trip this summer. There was brick standing on end as an edge for the flower beds. They removed the brick and relaid it long ways slightly lower than the sidewalk. And they moved the one end of the garden, also lined with brick, in two feet. They worked hard.

So, today I dug out plants I didn't want in those beds, took out two bushes, and edged the flower bed with stones. It looks much better. I'll add photos later.

G weeded, mowed and edged. Our yard is lookin' good. My friend P has always said how satisfying a nicely manicured yard is.

E just came to me nearly in tears and on the verge of a breakdown because she couldn't put her hood up. She said, "My hood's not working!"

Like I said, my visit to my friend's was quite an experience:


My daughter got her hand stuck to a sticky mouse trap, and trying to get it off was an effort.

The bed rail came off while I was on the bed getting ready to nurse my son. Got around to fixing it a while later.

Instead of outpatient, P ended up being inpatient.

I turned on the oven to bake something, pizza left there burned, dripped, set off the smoke alarms, alerted the security company and the fire department. I got to speak with a real, live fireman.

Visited my friend while managing a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old, driving back and forth for naps and not having a needed schedule, resulting in cranky children and haggard mother.

I did some laundry, went to dry it, found a not so clean rug in a dirty dryer. Lugged the broken vacuum down, and wrestled with it to vacuum out the dirt.

My children didn't sleep very well (though that's not unusual) and robbed me of sleep.

My husband came to give me relief from children. (Another reason I love him.)

Argued with Kashi about going upstairs or coming down, going outside or coming in.

Became increasingly disgusted with the treatment P received from that hospital. And I thought she'd be safer there. What a misconception that was.

P and I got to see our favorite movie, "Independence Day," and played a few games of Phase Ten Dice.

I was there to be with P and give her support. And it was worth it. I'd do it all again. Except I'd bring my own vacuum.

My son felt the need to eat at midnight, the exact time I decided to go to bed. I don't really like to be interrupted from my plans for slumber. And really not by a crying baby, who has quite a piercing cry.

So, I gave in and fed him, and then I got to go to sleep.

This trip to my friend P's house has not been a typical trip. It wasn't suppose to be. I came to be a support for her during surgery. No plans for movies, games, or our normal fun.

It started out at 11:30 pm last night. I had a Get Together and left after it was over. It was a late drive. I wasn't sure how it would go, but I made it. I had a book on tape, but it didn't really help me to stay wake. I had to stop twice to take a break.

When I got to her house last night at 2:30 pm, the children were both awake. They believed it to be time to stay awake. After nursing my son a bonus feeding, he proceeded to cry and carry on when I put him in the travel crib. I ended up going out to my car to get the bouncy seat. J loves it. He finally quit crying. E still had wide eyes. She fussed and didn't want to go to sleep. I gave her two books and told her she didn't have to go to sleep, but she needed to stay in bed. I, however, felt quite strongly about sleeping and closed my eyes and was out. A while later, I roused to see both children sleeping. Since they had finally succumbed to sleep, I continued on in my slumber.

The children were gracious enough to sleep until 8:30. Then while I was getting ready to nurse J on the bed, the bed rail came off and the mattress and box spring fell to the floor. I pried myself off the crooked bed and proceeded with nursing my son on the other bed. Just as I was finishing up with my son, I noticed my daughter fooling around with something. She took it to the bathroom, and I heard rustling. When she came to where I was - upon my request, I saw she had a pest trap stuck to her hand. After I wrestled the thing off, I had to go figure out how to get the sticky stuff off her hand. It was quite coated. Four cleaners later - soap, alcohol, nail polish remover, and mineral spirits - her hand was glue free, and she was admonished to not touch things she finds on the floor.

Some time that morning, I hefted the mattress and box spring off the frame, reattached the side rail, and hefted it all back together.

I wanted to have us all ready to leave by 10:00. I got E some Cheerios and milk to start her off, while I began gathering everything we would need. I put together a bag for E and a bag for J and a bag for me. I made E oatmeal and fed it to her, so I didn't have the big clean up job as when she eats on her own. I had put off getting my own oatmeal and had to shovel it down my throat so we could get going.

We made it to the P's house with time for my daughter to become acclimated before I left her there. She really wouldn't do well at sitting in a waiting room for a couple of hours. So, she got to play while I got to sit.

I was there for support for my friend, as this surgery was very hard for her to allow. But she made it there. She walked through those doors and stayed.

She was suppose to come home today, yet I sit at home while she is still there. She made it through the surgery just fine, but it was the waking up and recovery that was the problem. It took her longer than normal to come around and understand where she was and why she was there. She also had trouble staying awake, even if she in the middle of a conversation. She ended up staying over night. As much as she might want to come home, she just might be safer at the hospital.

After I thought my friend was good hands, I collected my children from their caregivers and headed back to P's house. It was past dinner time and we still needed to eat. McDonald's it was. And finally the kids were in bed, and I could take a moment for myself.

This is it. If I can't get $500 worth of sales for Creative Memories by the end of April, I am deactivated. I have two Get Togethers scheduled. I hopefully will have enough sales. If my sales don't get to $500, I think I may end up making up the difference myself. I don't want to be deactivated.

I am having trouble getting beck into since my son was born. It's been 5 months. I didn't anticiapte in taking this long. But I am not giving up.

We bought our "new" car. It's a 2003 Honda CR-V. I like it very much. I went shopping today and had no trouble fitting everything in the back. Getting the kids in and out is a snap, too.

Now G needs to sell his Del sol. He is rather heart broken over that. He likes his little two seater. But it is an unpracticle family car.

I have traveled to North Carolina. My aunt lives there, and since my sister had off the week before Easter, we decided to head on down and see her. We also took a jaunt of to Wilmington to see my cousin.

We had a long drive down and back. The visit was nice. We went to two parks. The weather was nice (80s) for two of the days and then grew a bit colder.

J rolled over (back to front) for the first time. I have some video footage (which unfortunately was over top part of my daughter nursing her baby.) Yes, I forgot to check where the video tape was until I already started taping.

My aunt had hidden several plastic eggs for E to find. In the eggs were coins. E made a good bit of money for a 2 and a half year old. Especially when she found the change in my aunt's car, which she helped herself to.

While at the second park we rode a carousel and a miniature train. We walked through a mini zoo. E got to see snakes, turtles, deer, bear, foxes, a donkey, chickens. She also spent some hard earned cash (collected from my aunt's change in the car) on a very small piece of python skin.

We also fed some ducks and geese. We didn't care much for the geese. They tend to be a bit too aggressive for youngsters. I had a duck eat out of my hand.

On Wednesday, we went to visit our cousin. My sister got a speeding ticket. We walked on the beach, and J got to touch the ocean for the first time. He cried - it was cold. Once accustomed to the sand, E had a blast. She ran to and fro, not venturing much into the surf. Like I said, it was cold. But if the water moving back and forth wasn't a bit daunting to her, I think she may have gotten wetter. She did manage to acquire a seashell from a lady and had a conversation with some mothers laying on the beach just within reach of the surf. She tried to join them, but I stopped her. We didn't have a change of clothes. I missed capturing all of this, because when we left S's apartment, I thought to myself, we are only going to lunch, I won't need my camera. Lesson learned? A mother shouldn't go anywhere on vacation without her camera.

Heading back to my aunt's at 11:45 PM was foolish. I was driving, while everybody else slept. I had a very hard time staying awake. Very hard. My eyes were only half open sometimes. A dangerous way to travel. But we did make it back with no incidents.

All in all, it was a good visit.

E and I play the "Who loves E?" game. She has a grand time with it. She answers with Mommy, Daddy, Sissy, Mommom, Poppop, and has included Jesus now.

As a Christian parent, I want my children to become Christians. To hear my child say that Jesus loves her and lives in her heart is a beautiful thing. I know that she doesn't really know what it means to have Jesus live in her heart, but as she grows we will teach her.

Again E told me that Jesus loves her. This week she has also told me that Jesus lives in her heart. I have told her the Easter story and that Jesus wants to live in her heart like he lives in Mommy and Daddy's hearts. I didn't realize she was actually absorbing everything I said. She is always amazing me.

That she would keep this knowledge with her in her heart and hold to it throughout her life.

This morning my daughter was keeping herself occupied. (She does quite well at this.) After a bit, she called to me, "Mommy, look me." Once she had my attention, she said "Jesus loves me," while pointing to herself. I immediately got up and went to where she was. She had found my Bible on the coffee table, opened it, and was "reading" it. I gave her a big hug and confirmed that Jesus did indeed love her.

She is connecting what we have been teaching her about Jesus. She knows that Jesus and God wrote the Bible and that Jesus lives in Mommy's heart and Daddy's heart. I also told her that someday maybe she would let Jesus live in her heart, too.

As an aside, she also found my gel pen and inked her clothing and some pages in my Bible. She received a clean shirt.

We were asked today at MOPS if we have ever felt hopeless. I thought on that for a bit and came to the conclusion that I have never felt truly hopeless. I know that things aren't hopeless. They may be hard, and I might not like the situation I am in, but God is always there to bring me through. He has always been faithful, and I know he always will be. There is no reason for me to be or feel hopeless.

What did give me pause was this passage from Romans 5:3-5: (and try as I might, when looking in the concordance, I will never find Romans in the S's, or patience when I am looking up Romans) "Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

We go through our suffering and come out on the other side with patience or perseverance, character and hope. And the Holy Spirit is right there with us, helping us along. Jesus never promised us we would have it easy. In fact, he promised us we would have it hard. Sin does that. What he did promise was to be there with us.

As we drifted off to sleep, we rested with the knowledge that the dining room light was working using the switch. Yeah for G and my dad!

It was a frustrating road of hit and miss. Using an older home improvement book, G and my dad mapped out the wiring and figured out what was going on with the mess in the wall and ceiling. It really was a mess. The switch, as it turned out, was a three way switch, with one being at the bottom of the stairs and one in the upstairs hallway. When we moved in, we had no idea what the one switch upstairs worked. Nothing happened when we flipped it. We discovered, when talking to our neighbor, that it is suppose to work the dining room light. When we moved in the dining room light was attached to a ceiling fan that you worked by pulling the chain - no switches. In fact the place where the switch was suppose to be, didn't even have a switch, just a hole. The wires are still cloth covered, and it was very hard to tell what was what.

However, after 3 more hours, G and my dad finally got it working. And what's funny is that while the light worked before all the wires were put back into the wall, after G taped them and shoved them back in, when he flipped the circuit breaker and came up to try the light, it didn't work. There were so many wires in that little space that when he was shoving them back in, some came apart. He pulled them out, retaped them, and while gently pushed them back in, different lights (not involved in the project) went out. Frustrated and sick of electricity, he had to figure out which wires were now being affected. He did however discover the error, and ever so gently coaxed the stupid wires back in and flipped the breaker. Ta da! All lights worked, no sparks flying. He was done.