We signed the papers.

We are home owners once again.  Now the work begins. 

Party in the USA

Not that I am a Miley Cyrus fan or anything, but for some reason I like this song.  And I like watching this fellow sign it.  And my goal is to sign it as well.

The kids are partial to this song.

Just because

I liked the look of this fence, so I stopped the car and grabbed my camera and took some photos.
They are from December last year.

A Phillies Date

In Baltimore.  We took a water taxi. Here is some of what we saw.

It was a sea of red and orange at Camden Yards Saturday.  I dare say more red than orange.

 Here is the lovely couple in their Phillies' shirts.

Off and away

After many weeks of riding her balancing bike,  Ellie decided that today was the day to ride with pedals.  And off she went.  No help.

And despite her words that she can't do it, she does.

Anniversary Weekend

We had a fun filled weekend for our anniversary.

First of all, we are buying a house.  The papers were all finished being signed on Saturday. 

We went camping for our anniversary.  To Ocean City, NJ.  All four of us.  It was a fabulous time. The kids were well behaved and very helpful. 

The only negative was the beach traffic driving down and coming home.  It was ridiculous.  We avoided most of it by going out of the way, but it still took us over three hours both ways.

Josh fell asleep on the beach.  He had a fever on and off all weekend but didn't want to miss a moment at the beach.

 Ellie and Josh are leaning on the ledge of our restaurant.  We ate on a schooner in Cape May.  Which the kids thought was the greatest thing.  They got to watch boats come and go.  And did I mention they ate on a boat?  The only thing better would have been if it was moving.

 Cape May Lighthouse

 We each climbed all 199 steps to the watchroom of the lighthouse.  Which the kids thought was the greatest thing.  They we a little nervous being so high.  Neither said the climb was too much.

 

We rented a surrey for an hour.  Which the kids thought was the greatest thing.  Ellie was up at 5:30, she was so excited.

 Ellie discovered the remote for the camera and was practicing taking her photo with it.

She also was taking candid shots.  We were not posing, but it's the only photo of our campsite.

What we sow

Galatians 6:6-11

 ⁶  The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. ⁷  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. ¹⁰ So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

 
I read these verse this morning and thought how they fit in my life as a parent.  With my kids, if I behave with them harshly, they are usually harsh with me.  If I am calm with them, they are more able to be calm with me.  Right now, Gary and I are the main source of their regulation.  Eventually they will learn it for themselves. And I wonder "How am I doing as their teacher?"

Sometimes I lose heart.  I grow weary often.  But again the source of my strength is not me, and although I lose heart and grow weary, I know the Spirit is doing what I cannot.

Help Others

I have been wanting to become a bone marrow donor for a while now.  I finally finished my application to receive a donation kit. 

I have looked over all the info. about it.  I have heard comments about it being painful and why would I want to do that.  My response is that it isn't much compared to what the people go through who need the bone marrow. That their life is at risk.  I think a little discomfort is something I can make it through.

Are you a match?

Breakfast in bed

When Josh and Ellie came into our room this morning, I was not the one they came to see.  Gary got up and they all slipped out quietly.  A little bit later, they were back with my breakfast of a bagel, orange slices and orange juice.  I heard a chorus of "Happy Mother's Day" accompanied by hugs and kisses.  It was a great start.

At church Josh had a plant for me and Ellie had a coupon book.  After lunch we went to Evansburg State Park to attend an orienteering event. 

Gary made dinner and dad cleaned up. 

May you all be blessed by the women in your life.

I recently watched the above video and got to thinking about what to I can do.

I decided to look at our school district's website for information about sexual abuse.  This is what I found:

Safe School Initiatives

North Penn School District Preventative Measures

·         Crisis Boxes: an emergency procedures plan in place in each district school building which contains plans for building evacuation and response plans for a variety of emergencies

·         Student Assistance Program: school teams that assist in the identification of students at risk and provide intervention and make referrals to outside agencies for more severe problems

·         D.A.R.E. Program:  a drug and alcohol awareness/prevention program designed to teach elementary students about the dangers of drug/alcohol abuse

·         District Behavior Specialist: a person designated to provide consultation, observation, and on-site training to staff to provide support for students with behavioral issues

·         Alternative School Day Program:  an in-district alternative educational program designed to meet the needs of students in grades 7-12 who are not successful in the regular school setting

·         Alternative School Evening Program:  a district run alternative setting designed to provide a placement for high school students who have not been successful in other alternative placements

·         Student Codes of Conduct:  district approved comprehensive K-12 student code of conduct aligned with state and federal regulations

·         Child Study Teams:  K-12 school based teams designed to review the academic and behavioral issues of students referred to them

·         Mainstay: drop-out prevention program for middle and high school students

·         Rapid Response Plans:  Police are specially trained to respond to school incidents

·         Automated External Defibrillators: each district facility has at least one AED on site for health related emergencies

·         Safe and Drug Free Schools Committee / Activities (Act 211)

·         Building Security: security personnel and cameras are in place in all secondary (and some elementary) schools including:

o    69 Surveillance cameras

o    19 Security Officers.

·         Bus Safety measures

They have programs for drug and alcohol prevention, natural emergencies, security, behavioral issues, and bus safety.  There is nothing about sexual abuse. 

I called the school and asked.  What training do the teachers and all who work with the children have for learning the signs of abuse and what programs are in place to teach children about inappropriate touches and to not keep things secret, especially if told to by an adult?

They have to get back to me.

The first bouquet of spring of one of my favorite flowers.

Making a dam

Josh has watched a few shows about beavers.  He decided to make himself a little dam.

He said he was too busy to look up.

Afterwards he got a hose shower outside and a tub bath inside.

The Passion of the Christ

Last night we took Ellie to a small outside re-enactment of Jesus' last week.  It reminded me of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."  After the kids were in bed, I put it on.  I have seen it once, back when it came out in February 2004.  When I wasn't a mother yet.

I watched up to the part when Pilate washed his hands, claiming innocence.  I expected to be affected, knowing my sin and seeing Jesus sacrifice.  And I was.

I did not expect to relate to Mary, watching her son be accused, mocked, beaten, tortured.  She knew it was coming.  She knew her son would die, and that she could not do anything to help him.  And I believe that even knowing what was to happen, knowing the long ago words of Simeon, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed - and a sword shall pierce even your own soul - to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed," that she was not ready for that sword.  Who would be prepared ?

The anguish this mother had for her son, I was not prepared to feel.  I have been taught about, read through, and seen re-enactments of the torture and sacrifice of Jesus.  But  before last night I never really saw it from a mother's point of view. 

It was hard.  I thought of my children.  Of the pain I'd feel if anything happened to them.

But of course the movie is more than what we think or feel about it.  Christ hurt.  He bled.  He died.  Jesus brought redemption.  For us.  And seeing it adds to it's meaning.  At least for me it does.

Update

My mama is doing very well using her new computer. They took it with them to visit my brother and his family. And watched a DVD on flight.

She can easily check email and use the internet. Just don't get too fancy on her. We should Skype with them and see if she can figure that out.

Then we would get to see Matt, Claire, and the kids, too. Hint, hint, hint.

7 days . . . and counting

When will it end? Last night I finally got a full night's rest. No calls of "Mommy!" No near inconsolable crying.

But the day time. Oh the day time. Josh has been beside himself for five days and Ellie was sick two days prior to that.

For five days, I've had a very unhappy kid around. And besides the fever and sore throat, Josh has at least 3 mouth ulcers, that make eating very hard for him. There isn't much that doesn't hurt him to eat. And he lets you know if it hurts. Loudly and frantically.

When Ellie had the sore throat, just keeping her well supplied with throat drops was good enough. Josh is a different story.

First it was just a sore throat. Then he got mouth sores. So it hurt to eat and swallow. Guess how that went at meal times.

Today, finally the sore throat is gone. But the ulcers still remain. Ambesol works well enough (when you have it around,) but don't let it touch his tongue.

And apparently it hurts to move his mouth in general, because he has been talking as though his teeth are wired shut and his lips don't work. And as you know, he is hard to understand anyway. It makes for some frustrating conversations. Which usually leads to some yelling.

Let's just say I've had many, many opportunities to practice my patience. I've done better than I thought I could. Certainly not on my strength.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
~Psalm 28:7

Lesson

My sister recently gave my parents a laptop computer, a MacBook. My mom is tickled pink. My dad already refers to it as her computer.

Tonight is lesson one for my mother. She wants to be able to check email and access Facebook. Those are her goals for tonight.

She has her handy notebook to jot down things to remember, which is everything and anything.

She absolutely loves this photo of her, poor photography notwithstanding.

We got the internet thing working, Facebook and her favorite blogs, but we were not successful with email. Mainly because I know practically nothing about Macs.

First Days

Both Ellie's and Gary's first days went well.

Ellie
We toured the elementary school before she started. It looks a whole lot different from when I went there. Though she just may well sit in the same seats I did at lunch. Those chairs and tables are indestructible.

Her teacher is the same teacher my brother had. She went willingly to class after we got the principal to take her, since she didn't remember where to go.

It takes about 5 minutes to walk her to school. I remember it taking a lot longer. When we picked her up the first day, she hugged her teacher before she left. I have enjoyed walking to take and get her from school. She enjoys walking with the girls across the street more than with me.

Gary
Gary's first week has gone well. He has his own office, complete with an actual desk, a drafting table, bookshelves, a closet, and a bathroom. He has to dress nicer, which means more ironing for me. He likes it so far. This new place is much more organized and has a better atmosphere.
He has a longer commute, even though it's about the same distance away, since there are about a million more cars on the road.

Hunter

Last November Hunter was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was very far along and had probably spread there from somewhere else.

Pain medication has tremendously helped him live as long as he has. Without it, he could hardly move around. With it, he was almost like his old self.

But within the last two weeks or so, his coughing and breathing and walking around have declined steadily, even with the meds. And he has been eating less and less.

Yesterday we decided it was time.

We will miss you, Hunter dog.

12 years

It's been twelve years since I last lived at my parents' house. Then I was one. Now I am four. Adding four people to a household at one time is a lot. The kids have their own room. It is good for the kids to have their own space, even though they still like to hang out together.

Moving us in is a work in progress. Mom and Dad still have to make room for some of our stuff and go through some of their stuff. And we are putting some of it in storage, but we are waiting to rent the space until we move things from the storage space at the cabin. So there is stuff everywhere and at times, it's overwhelming. But I think that in two weeks, most things will be in their place and the house will feel better.

We truly appreciate my parents letting us stay here. Thank you Mom and Dad!

Lasts

Yesterday was my last day of work.

Today was our last day at church here.

This is the last week of school for the kids at EverGreen Elementary. And Josh's last week of pre-K, since North Penn school district does not have pre-K, so he's almost done for the year.

Gary's last week of staying home.

Our last week of doing endless dishes and living in cramped quarters.

Our last week of cozy fires and peaceful woods.