Old Word/New Meaning



Having all girls left us in a sea of pink, tulle and tiaras for several years.  There was a time when I wondered if M and D would ever wear anything other than a princess dress or leotard and tights.  I can also remember wishing for the day when we could read a book with a main character OTHER than a princess.  Now we rarely wear pink and Jasmine, Aurora and Cinderella are barely mentioned.
The only time we really hear the word "princesses" is when our very special friend Miss Barbara (she deserves a post all her own) calls us or pays us a visit.  The term was coined when we were neighbors and the girls would make the short journey (usually dressed in princess attire) from our backyard to Miss Barbara's front door....plaster their noses against the window panes and ring her doorbell incessantly until she came out to play!

Notice that I am only referring to M and D in the whole princess obsession.  MJ never really cared much for those fancy girls in ballgowns and tiaras.  The only time she really wants to be a princess is when it means being included in special time with Miss Barbara.  So, it is ironic that it was her that coined a new meaning of Princesses.

The girls have quite the obsession with the show "The Voice".   Which involves the judge Christina Aguilera and her rather ample bosom.  This blessing of a bosom is ALWAYS spilling out of her clothes.  A couple of nights ago as the cameras flashed on Christina's chest, MJ said rather emphatically, "She needs to cover her princesses UP !"
I said, "Her what?"
She said, "Her princesses...you know..." as she looks down and pats her chest...
I said, "Where did you hear that term"
She said, "Just made it up...just thought it up..."
So there it is...we have entered a new chapter....a new meaning for an old word.  I pray when she's older she will take her own advice and keep thoses princesses covered UP!



Sometimes fun is messy....

                                                    MJ on book character day at school. 

M's birthday cake ended up more on her face than in her mouth.

D fishing gummy bears out of a mountain of flour at her bday party.

Dear Tim Tebow,

First let me say, I hate to do this.  I hate to ask you for one more thing.  So much is being asked of you already.  Because you have been so bold to share your faith with the world, the world in turn has turned a magnifying glass on your life.  They expect you to be perfect.  You have professed your faith in Jesus, but as a Christian, I know that doesn't make you capable of actually being Jesus.  Let me be the first to say that when you mess up (and you will) I will not accuse you of being a fraud or turn my back on you.  If I hear stories of you losing your patience in traffic, sitting in a hookah bar, or even a brush with the law....I will not question the authenticity of your faith. 

However, I do have a favor to ask of you.  Let me set the background for this favor.  There are mothers all over the world having conversations with their daughters.  We are telling them about the value of purity. We are telling them to value themselves enough to dress modestly....to hold themselves to a high standard.  We ask them to listen to what God says about love.  To figure out what the Bible says about a Godly man and wait for that man to come into their lives.  We tell our daughters that he is out there and that he is worth waiting for.

No pressure, but you are the "poster boy" for that man.  You share your faith unashamedly.  You share your time and talent with others.  You are showing the world that a Godly man is no wimp!  You are strong, passionate and capable.

So, I need you to do me a favor.  When you pick the girl who will be your wife don't choose as the world would choose.  I'm asking you to prove to these young girls staring dreamy eyed at you that they are not following an empty promise...that while they are rejecting what the world believes is beautiful....there are men out there like you who are looking for that kind of beauty.

Sincerely,
Mother of 4 girls

Lost and Found

Don't really know why I'm posting this--since I know that I will never forget it.  We were in the mall shopping for me a new pair of COMFORTABLE jeans---which if you have done that lately you know what an impossible mission that is....with the invention of the style "low rise".  I'm ready for mom jeans to come back en vogue.

So, you could see why I might be a little distracted picking between boot cut, skinny, barely boot cut....short, regular, petite....etc.

My kids have never been wanderers...even as toddlers.  They typically just stay around me like ducklings following the mama duck.  When I turned around and couldn't find D, I really wasn't too worried.

As I went all over the store for the second time...I started to feel the panic grab hold of me.

I knew it was bad when I resorted to yelling her name all over the store.

I knew it was really bad when I started to yell at the poor young man working in the store.

When he suggested maybe she just saw the playground and wanted to go over there...I responded with, "NO--- SHE WOULD NOT....SHE WOULD NEVER DO THAT...SERIOUSLY....YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND...SHE WOULDN'T JUST GO TO THE PLAYGROUND"

As I realized that she REALLY wasn't in the store, I stepped into the main part of the mall.  I looked up one side and down the other...she was no where.....

I heard myself describing to people what she looked like....what she was wearing.....

I really thought I might fall out and die

I was in freak out mode....so I did what I always do when I freak out....I called G.  and just yelled, "I can't find D! I'm in the mall and I can't find D!  She is gone!" and then hang up because I start talking to someone that is trying to help me and realize that calling G isn't going to help (even though in most circumstances it always does.)

Finally, poor young man working in the store says, "Maam, here she comes...she is with the security guard."

Then....I thought I would fall out and die for the second time.   We found her.....Ugh the relief.   There is truly nothing worse than that feeling.  It is the most helpless feeling in the world....

After I rehashed it with everyone who was helping me....I realized that I might want to call poor G.  He of course was in the car headed to the mall....poor thing....

It is amazing how things can go from normal....to horrible....to normal again in a matter of minutes.  I thought how much hinged on the outcome of those few minutes.  The day could have ended very differently.  For this happy ending I am so. very. thankful.

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I wonder how many times I have heard the comment "She looks just like you!"  or "She looks just like G".  And many times I try to figure out which gene pool certain looks, mannerisms, or abilities come from.  But, as much as I want to claim some of their good qualities....and as much as G tries to claim them as his own...we both know that sometimes it clearly comes from neither.....

It is hard to claim responsibility for MJ in 1st grade remembering which day to bring her library book back to school......when I payed a 13.00 late fee at the library yesterday.

It is hard to claim responsibility for the fact that when M has a week to turn an assignment in she does it the first day.....when I found myself doing something I knew about for a month....10 minutes before deadline.

It is hard to claim responsibility for D keeping up with all test, projects, homework without any parental help.....when I had to go to the grocery store yesterday because I had no food to pack their lunches with.  Then I dropped M and D's lunch off at school, got all the way home before I remembered that I had a third child that needed a lunch, too.  I turned around and went back to the school to find MJ eating a lunch the teacher had provided for her.

I guess I will give credit where credit is due....and it is clearly due somewhere else!

This really isn't a recap of the day---just something funny I want to remember and it completely encompasses N's creative and funny personality. We recently went to visit her.  While there we ate at this funky little ice cream shop that specializes in unique homemade flavors.

N said, "I think I would like to own an ice cream shop one day.  I would name it The Frozen Chosen."

This is funny because we are Presbyterians......

Yesterday...

As soon as I post that I will be recapping the day in one sentence, I have a day that couldn't possibly be summed up in one sentence.  Due to the private nature of the events I can't go into great detail.  But yesterday will forever be a day where I "raised my ebenezer".  That word (ebenezer) always brings funny images to my head, but it is basically a type of monument built meaning....(in my interpretation)...we have come this far by the help of the Lord.  It is in a song that is very special to me and G and we even had it played at our wedding (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing)

Yesterday I experienced the culmination of a week of hard core prayer.  In a nutshell, we had some hard decisions to make and some hard conversations to have.  Someone told us....Let's just wait before we make any definitive decisions or have any conversations with her.  She said, "I really believe that God will work this weekend.  Let's see what He does and then talk next week."  So, I started praying and asking any person who cares about us at all to pray.

Long story----short-----God worked and took away the need for the hard conversation and decisions.  He replaced them with rejoicing!! 

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;



hither by thy help I'm come;


and I hope, by thy good pleasure,


safely to arrive at home.


Jesus sought me when a stranger,


wandering from the fold of God;


he, to rescue me from danger,


interposed his precious blood. —Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

What to say about yesterday?

So, clearly I'm having trouble blogging on a regular basis.  Yesterday I was in B&N and saw a journal.  It was basically a calendar with tiny spaces each day of the month.  It was for people who want to journal, but are intimidated.  The intent behind this particular journal was for you to compose one simple sentence a day.  Think I may try that for this blog.  Of course, my sentences will for sure be run-ons and contain a whole lot of dot...dot...dots... but its better than nothing. Atleast my children will have something to hold on to while all the other kids have their very own scrapbooks...especially since now I can't even find the camera.  So, hear it goes:
Never thought I would get nostalgic over Johnny Appleseed Day, but it is the last one we will have in this family, and it is not often that you see Johnny Appleseed rockin' the skinny jeans...sure wish I could find the camera......

(See---I told you...run on and dots.....what would I do without them?)

Father/Daughter

Having four girls it is hard to believe they have never gone to a Father/Daughter dance. This year MJ and D REALLY wanted to go. So, their father kindly obliged.

I heart this picture....don't know what he said or did to get that reaction....but I love it!

I'm not sure G was envisioning putting her in the car for college or her wedding day. Not sure men think like that...but this mama was weepy.....

Not sure who was luckier...G. with two beautiful dates or the girls with such a handsome father

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