Sometimes it happens by accident

From the moment we found out I was carrying identical twin girls, it has weighed on my mind to make sure that each girl grew to be strong, independent, and completely herself.  No rhyming names. Embrace their differences while acknowledging that being a twin is very cool.  Close but not co-dependent.

It was obvious from the get-go that the girls had very different personalities.  Of course, there are some striking similarities (after all, they are sisters), but they are also very different, unique individuals. 

Lately I've been trying to figure out how to parent them separately.  Sometimes you can (and have to) parent them as a duo, and I feel confident in that.  Any parent of more than one child knows that at some point, each child demands their very own brand of parenting, and I was feeling it with the girls.

Last semester Thursdays were drum days.  It's kind of a special 5th grade thing to get to take a drum class after school, and both girls wanted to participate.  About Thanksgiving, Brooke started telling me that she didn't want to continue with drum during the spring semester.  I ignored her, humored her, listed all the reasons why she might miss it, reminded her of how excited she was to start...she stuck to her guns.

In January, when it was time to make her final decision, I let her stop.  I pick her up after school every Thursday and leave Mary Tutu to go to drum class.  For 2 hours every week, it's just her and me. 

At first I thought this time had to be structured and packed with "just you and me stuff".  We unboxed her very own, brand new sewing machine that she got 2 Christmases ago.   We baked cookies, watched the DVR, cooked new recipes for supper...all stuff that I had planned.  

And then I began to realize I had it all wrong with all the structure and the organizing.  What she really needed was some space...no partner, no agenda, no activity.  Just some room to breathe in her own Brooke air.

She has the run of the house, the TV remote, and room to stretch.  I don't make her start homework right away.  Sometimes she wants to go to the library, sometimes she watches TV, sometimes she hangs out in the sun room and chats with me, sometimes she wants to sew, sometimes she draws pictures of what her handmade gifts and sandwich shop will look like someday. 

In her own way, she let me know what she needed. 

So now, Thursdays after school are Brooke days.  I make sure my schedule allows me to say yes as much as possible.  We play it by ear.  Whatever she's feeling that day. 

It's been good for her.  Quitting drums was a good idea.  I'm so glad I listened to her.

Because I'm the mom of a middle school boy

The last time my parents were out of town, Gran hired my son to water her flowers. While the girls and I were bringing in the mail and UPS deliveries, Bubba went to the backyard. I went to tell him we were ready to go, and this is what I found.

He said, "Mom, take my picture and text it to Grampy."

I couldn't resist. I sent it to Uncle Bubba, too. That's the type of thing he would really get a kick out of. Uncle Bubba texted back, "I hope they don't die!"

He's so getting fired.

Honey's nephews-ish (kids of Honey's cousin, not sibling) are in town for the week and we got to have them spend the night this weekend. We love getting to see them, they are such sweet boys.

As I was thinking of things to do while they are here, I decided it would be a fun time to come up with the summer version of the great scavenger hunt.

I really wanted to do this on a budget because I'm trying to make the summer fun money go as far as possible, so my goal was $50. Not counting food -- I took all of that out of my eat-out money and the grocery money -- I spent $44. The only reason I spent that much was because I bought a new DVD.

We went swimming at our neighborhood pool and played with some new pool toys I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby. Don't ever pay full price for anything at Hobby Lobby. Just wait a week and it'll go on sale.

There was pizza . . .

. . . and a new card game.

We ate my version of this cake while we watched a new DVD. I was hoping my way would take less time to bake because I only had 40 minutes to get it done. And when I was baking it, I was tired, and the night-o-scavenger hunting hadn't even started.

My way only took 1 cake mix . . . although I used 1 1/2 cans of icing. Momma loves her some icing.

After the movie, there were glow sticks...

. . . at 11:00. Glow sticks at 11 are fun for about 10 minutes and then Honey and I'd had about all the glow stick fun we could handle. We put the kids to bed with promises of more scavenger hunt fun in the morning.

With instructions not to wake us before 8:00am, the boys let us sleep in a bit, but Honey and I were up making breakfast for a morning picnic in the shady,cool back yard.

Then we played some bocce ball . . . in the shady back yard . . . and discovered that our back yard is too small for 3 pre-teen boys to be playing bocce. I'm sure the neighbors loved hearing the balls hit the fence at 9:30 on a Saturday morning. Oh, well, maybe they will think about that tonight at 11:30 when they are letting their really loud cars idle and play inappropriate music.

And then we had strawberries and bananas for a morning snack. And then we made Hobo Dinners for lunch. And then we polished off the cake for an afternoon snack. Because another thing I learned about pre-teen boys this weekend is that the thing they'd most like to find when they open a gift bag is food.

The Maiden Voyage

I can't believe I didn't blog about this waaaay back in 2006! Probably because the girls were this age...



...in 2006. To be completely honest, those years are just a blur to me. I can't be held responsible for anything that happened between Sept 2003 and Sept 2007.



Anyway...back in March 2006 Bubba was in Kindergarten and we were introduced to our elementary school's tradition of The Transportation Parade. Every March the 6 year olds study about transportation. And every week after Spring Break they have a parade and all the 6 year olds wear a homemade mode of transportation and walk the halls of the building with the older kids watching and cheering them on. It's So! Much! Fun!



In theory.


Until the reality hits and you realize that before they can parade around in their homemade modes of transportation...you have to make a mode of transportation.



At home.



Because they don't sell these things at Target.



Or Walmart.



Trust me. I checked.



Here's what we came up with for Bubba...

...a four wheeler. He loved it and his dad loved helping him make it.

It was held together by copious amounts of duct tape and had real live working headlights. About half way through the parade one of the wheels fell off, and I made a note to myself that a few years down the road when we were doing this again for the girls, we needed to make sure we used something a bit sturdier than duct tape and pipe cleaners to construct the vehicle.

Fast forward a few years down the road to March 2010. The girls are 6 and have just finished studying transportation. And it's the week after Spring Break.

I spent the first 3 days of this week subbing, so in all of my spare time, we constructed the girls' mode of transportation. And despite having just come off a week long break from all things school, plus, having...like...4 years notice...The Transportation Parade kinda' snuck up on me.

It didn't take me long to realize that I didn't have time to make two vehicles. So I came up with the idea that we could make a sail boat and have them both ride in it. I ran the idea by Honey and he loved it. He just didn't think the girls would go for it.

But I had a plan. One night at dinner I pitched it to them...

"Let's make one sail boat for both of you to share! You can dress up in your new bathing suits, wear your sunglasses and flip flops, and one can drive the boat while the other gets pulled behind in a tube! That would be SO! CUTE!"

They were so distracted by the dressing up! and the sun glasses! and the new bathing suits! that they couldn't have cared less if they had to share with the whole class.

So every night this week we worked on the sail boat. And by last night we had the entire thing done except the sail. The sail was finished...

...we just couldn't figure out how to get it to stand up straight. We tried duct tape, but even that wouldn't hold it steady.

So Honey pulled out the big guns. Literally. See...he sells this stuff. This mega, super, industrial glue kinda' stuff. I don't really know the name of it. We just call it Dr. C. Anyway...it's made to glue concrete together and you apply it with a caulk gun.

And he applied that stuff to the sail...




...and it worked!

It wasn't pretty, but it dried to the touch in about 2 minutes. And after hitting the sail on the roof of the van 2 or 20 times loading it and unloading it, I can vouch for the Dr. C. That sail ain't going anywhere!

While we were waiting for the Dr. C to dry, Honey did a couple of small repairs on our kitchen floor.

I'm not even kidding.

And by the time we went to bed last night, the S.S. Drama Queen was ready for her maiden voyage.

The girls couldn't have been more excited!

All the kindergartners were corralled in the cafeteria waiting for the parade to start. It could have been chaos...but it wasn't. As excited as they all were, they held it together pretty well.

The girls had so much fun showing off their vehicle to all of the big kids.

And this time nothing fell apart. I know it's hard to believe that in the 20 whole minutes (Yes, it takes me longer to dry my hair than it takes all 120 Kindergartners to parade around in their homemade forms of transportation.) it took for the parade to start, walk and wave, and finish, nothing fell off, ripped, or broke. I guess the S.S. Drama Queen really is sea worthy. Even with the pipe cleaners, duct tape, and Dr. C.

Bubba and I found this while surfing the net this morning.


Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

We couldn't be more excited. If you have a 3rd or 4th grade boy that hasn't read these books, you're missing out. Bubba has them all and has read them over and over. And over and over.

Pretend

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived 2 princesses. One day, the princesses decided to hop in their carriage and take a ride.

After their morning ride around the neighborhood, they rushed back to their castle,


because the younger sister remembered that it was their turn to host Community Group! They had to get the house ready for their guests.

Everyone had so much fun at Community Group. First they did prayer requests, then they looked at some of the books, and at the end, they sang a few songs. And everyone lived happily ever after. The End.

I really should be doing laundry. . .

Our new camera came in Tuesday afternoon. I spent that evening learning how to turn it on, attach the neck strap, zoom in, and pan out. And I'm so glad I did because Wednesday, we had a big day full of laundry and cleaning and organizing. It was huge, and really majorly important. One of those historic days that you want to be sure and chronicle every moment.

So I was really glad to have a new camera to play with carefully record the activities of the day.

I know. It ranks right up there with having our first African American President, huh?

I'm sure I'll be sharing more about the thing as I learn more, but for now, this is all I got.

Take lense cap off.
Turn on camera.
Thank my lucky stars it has auto focus.
Press shutter button.
Get pictures from camera to computer.
Find where the computer saved the pictures.
Post on blog.

I'm good to go. Happy Thursday!

Raise your hand...

During lunch at the preschool, the 4 year olds have this little game they play. After they open their lunches and see what's inside, they start saying random things like, "Raise your hand if you brought cheetos." or "Raise your hand if you brought a Capri Sun."

This goes on for a few minutes until I say, "Let's spend our time eating, it's almost PE time." Sometimes I have to say it lots before the lunch gets eaten.

Anyway, yesterday the game took a different turn. Someone spoke up and said, "Raise your hand if you went Trick or Treating." Then someone else added, "Raise your hand if you have a baby in your house."

Then Mary TuTu said, "Ok, I have one. Raise your hand if your mom is on Weight Watchers."

Hmmm. . .

Party On, Dude!

Well, the Spring Program/Graduation for The Preschool was last night. The theme was "Soakin' Up the Son" and appropriately, we were all dressed in beach attire. The kids sang so well, remembered everything we taught them, and were oh-so-cute in their bathing suits/beach wear. It was a great party!

As with any good party, the clean up is still going on even the morning after. And there are a couple of party goers that just won't give it up. Even in the wee hours of the morning while making the daily school run.

It's a Choice

Last Tuesday we began spending much of our free time at the baseball fields. Bubba started his 3rd season as a Riverdog. This is our last year of machine pitch division. Next year the kids will pitch to each other.

Back here in machine pitch, which is really an extended version of coach pitch, things are still pretty lax. Most of the kids are still trying to figure out what is going on, and most of the time, most of the parents are positive and encouraging. Unless their team is losing, or there is a chance that their team might loose. If that's the case, you never know how the parents will be doing. In some ways this is the last year of innocence. Next year, the blood will start to flow. Things will get competitive. The stakes will be higher. We'll enter the world of kid pitch.

Saturday afternoon, during a particularly close game, our team buckled down in the last inning and scored 4 runs to win the game. As I was sitting through the last few nail-biting moments I had a revolution a revelation. (That one was for you Shelly.) I probably have a lifetime of close games to live through. There are many times ahead of me to sit and just by the sure will power of positive mom thinking I will try to make my child perform well. That by calling on the deep hopefullness that every sports mom possesses my child might be the one to save the game. (Or at least not screw it up so the next person can win it.)

And it hit me. I am at the sweet beginning of my sports mom journey. I have many years ahead of me. And if I blink, they'll be gone. Before I know it I'll be missing the numbing sensation in my rear that can only come from sitting on bleachers for way too long.

So I made a decision. I'm going to embrace little league. I'm going to smile and cheer and watch every single play with enthusiasm. I'm going to consciously go through my sports mom life making memories. Taking mental pictures of my favorite moments. I'm choosing to love the activities that make my kids smile. It is a choice. And I'm choosing to savor every moment.

I feel it deep in my bones

It's time to hibernate. By that I mean, hole up in the house for 2 or 3 days and just rest, cuddle, catch up on my favorite shows, and just be.

We've been fighting a virus all week. But until Friday at 3:15 we haven't had the luxury of acting sick. We've been too busy to be sick. Too much to do, too many things going. Friday was my PTA day. I can't really get out of it. I'm kinda' in charge of this particular PTA thing, so even though Mary TuTu was running a fever, we got ready and headed to school. (I'm using the term "got ready" very loosely. More like made sure all the important body parts were covered modestly and our breath didn't stink too bad.)

While we were there doing our PTA thing, one of my sweet neighbors called and offered to keep the girls for the morning. Even after full disclosure of our virus, fever, and contagiousness, she didn't take no for an answer, so the girls spent the morning watching movies with her little ones.

I confided in her my plan to go to the grocery store, pick up a few things to get us through the weekend, and starting at approximately 3:16, the minute Bubba was in the van after school, we were hibernating for the weekend. She offered to keep the girls a little longer while I made my trip to the store. (Love. Her.) So I was able to drive, shop, pay, unload, and put away in record time.

While I was at the store, I bought a new crock-pot. It's one that a girl like me just can't be without. It is the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go crock pot.

It has 3 different settings and a lid that clamps down and seals in case you are traveling to a pot-luck. Because we have all dealt with the spillage that occurs in the floorboard of your car when you take that turn a little too sharply because you are late to your pot-luck. It also came with a dipper and a place on the handle of the lid to cradle the dipper when you travel. And also, on the front, where the Hamilton Beach label is? You can insert your own label with the name of your dish in the event that you are entertaining, or, you know, attending a pot luck.

So in honor of my new crock-pot, I have deemed it the beginning of crock pot season. The time of year when warm, savory dishes like stew, taco soup, and Texas chili (not to be confused with chili from New Mexico) are a great compliment to the falling temperatures outside. The time of year when it's tons of fun to drink hot chocolate and eat popcorn in your PJs while watching a movie. When you wish every night that you will wake up in the morning to the season's first snow.

Here is a new recipe I found while blog-hopping. It is very similar to the one I found over at Lisa's, but I changed a couple of things to make it suit our family.

Chicken Taco Soup

2 frozen chicken breasts

1 can mexican corn

1 can pinto beans

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can green chili (or, you know, 4 oz. of the kind we use)

2 cans chicken broth

Empty all cans over chicken. Cook for 8 - 10 hours in crock pot. Shred chicken after cooking. Serve over corn chips with grated cheese on top.

Oh yes girls, crock-pot season is here!

So I don't forget

Yesterday was one of those days. I spent the entire day feeling lavishly blessed. I know that every day I am blessed, but I love it when I'm aware enough to feel it right when it's happening. And believe it or not, this is my 200th post! I love that I will be using it to celebrate my blessings from God!

Yesterday was the first day of preschool. The girls were preparing to start the young 4's class and I was preparing to teach the old 4's. It wasn't the first morning that I'd had to get myself and 3 kids ready and make 4 lunches, but IT WAS MY FIRST DAY TO TEACH THIS YEAR! and I wanted to keep the morning stress to a minimum. So, Monday evening, I made all the lunches sans the sandwiches (because I hate night-before-sandwiches) and Bubba noticed what I was doing. He was curious, and so as I was getting it all ready I explained it all and what item went with which person.

So yesterday morning, while I was prying the girls out of bed, Bubba got up, got dressed all the way down to his shoes, and went straight to the kitchen and put everyone's lunches together! All by himself, without being asked. All I had to do was make the sandwiches. While I was doing this, he disappeared into the pantry for a while. He finally emerged and asked where I kept all the flavor packets that I like to add to bottled water. He thought I'd like "a treat on my first day of school". I just about lost it right there! You know it doesn't take much to make me cry, (greeting card and credit card commercials, opening a new aisle at the grocery store) and so it took all I had to hold it together as I hugged him and thanked him for all of his help and thoughtfulness. I was on cloud 9 as I drove to preschool a few minutes later.

My first day went really smooth and I love my little class. The best part about Pre-K is that we usually don't have to deal with tears (except from the mommas). So I was enjoying the day until we got to chapel and I saw the girls with their class looking all grown up. When you spend 24/7 with the little angels, you just don't notice how big they're getting. During our restroom breaks, I could peak into their classroom and it hit me that I only have 2 more years with them at home! TWO more years! What will I do when there is complete silence in the backseat while I'm running errands. I will probably still ask the empty car if everyone is buckled up just out of habit. Will I be lonely? How will this first step of "letting go" feel?

I know, I KNOW! I'm usually the one that is the first to admit that I'll throw a party when all of my kids are in school. I'm not sure where this wave of nostalgia came from, but it lasted ALL DAY! When the girls came to my classroom after school, I couldn't get them to hug me long enough. It took almost 8 years to really feel it, but I love having my kids at home! Life will be so different when I'm all alone in the house from 8:00 to 3:00. And on top of all of that, my secret pal gave me a Starbucks gift card in honor of the first day of school. That alone is worthy of a good tear up.

So then we came home from getting the van looked at (I'm having problems with the driver's side window rolling up. It's really putting a damper on my drive through Sonic/Starbucks runs.) And being the prepared person that I am, I had supper all cooked in the crock-pot. Right before we sat down to eat, one of our former youth group members came by. She needed to drop off some paperwork for Honey as she needed a referral letter. We had a great time catching up on her life. Years ago, she started coming to youth group with a friend. She was truly a seeker. She was searching for meaning and hope in her life and I like to think she found a place in the youth group. We watched her grow into a sweet young Christian woman. She was so open to God and his direction in her life.

I worried that after graduation she would go off to the local state college and get lost in the shuffle. She doesn't come from a Chrisitan family and didn't have those fundamentals to fall back on. For a period of time, she did get lost in the shuffle, but the seeker in her never forgot what she learned in youth group. Eventually she found a college group that she loves. She has lots of friends there and is reaching out to her lost friends knowing that they are seeking the same thing she was. Now she has grown from seeker to a mentor. She is firm in her faith and is involved in sharing it with anyone who will listen. It was so encouraging and refreshing to see so much growth in her! And it all started with her best high school friend inviting her to youth group. What a blessing to be able to see a bit of God's fruit from our labors in youth ministry.

So, I'm still flying high from my day of blessings . . . to say the least. It makes the sink full of dishes I need to face in a few minutes look like a piece of cake! Have a great Wednesday!

Right Now

Right now the girls are playing "Best Friends". They are pretending that Mary TuTu is Sharpay and Brooke is Gabriella. In the car on the way home from dropping Bubba off at school, "Gabriella" invited "Sharpay" over for a play date. Sharpay replied that they should ask Gab's mom. So Sharpay says, "Gabriella's mo-o-m! Can I come over and play?"

I said, "Sure!"

So when we got home, they bounded out of the car and skipped into the house holding hands. They ran straight to "Gabriella's" room, and I heard "Sharpay" exclaim, "Oh, I love your room! You have great toys!"

A little later, "Sharpay" ran to find me in the kitchen. She obviously needed to use the restroom. She asked, "Gabriella's mommy? I need to potty. Can you show me where the bathroom is?"

Just like most playdates, it didn't take long for the girls to get bored. They wanted to sit down and watch a movie and eat popcorn. We do this a lot when Bubba has play dates that last for an extended period of time. I couldn't resist letting them pick out a movie together and indulging them in some popcorn. Even if it is only 10 in the morning!

"Summer days, driftin' away. . ."

Trista at The Pumpkin Patch is hosting an End of Summer Party. She is encouraging everyone to write about their favorite summer memories of 2007. I thought this an appropriate blog carnival for me since I am so. in. denial. that summer is ending. Not because it is so hot here (it is hot, but not unusually so), and not even because the time has flown by with nothing to show for it. I am so sad that summer is over because we've had such a great time! Our summer was lazy, relaxed, and packed full of time spent with family and friends. Everything a proper summer should be.

In the past, I have lived for the day that school would start, so I could turn the reins over to the school systems and let them entertain the teenagers for a while. And just like every other season of our lives during the last year, being out of youth ministry has changed our perspective, approach, and attitude about summer. This summer I was able to watch every member of our family stretch and grow.

Honey and I began the summer totally pumped that we would no longer be traveling as much as we were used to, but we really missed the relationship building with the teens that was always inevitable when forced to drive 14 hours with the same 7 people in a brown Astro van down a highway you'd just been on a week earlier. Traveling companions don't get much better than the person riding shotgun who can hold the spit cup steady enough for you to get your sunflower seed shells in every time.

It didn't take us long to realize that this summer was a time for us to redefine who our family is. We discovered the values we wanted to teach our own children, and we recommitted to making our own children disciples of Jesus.

As a mom, I loved every minute of planning for and entertaining our three little ones. These kids of mine are really in a great stage! Age 7 & 3 are so fun!! They are old enough to enjoy playing at the park, swimming at the pool, and bowling with the Wii. It's a joy to have friends over, and the twins are independent enough that all of my energy is not spent on just caring for their basic needs.

Bubba was a little bummed when he found out that we wouldn't be going to any camps this summer. He's always been the "youth group baby". The kid that's age 4 going on 15 and always more interested in what the 9th grade boys were doing than kids his own age. This summer, I've watched him transform. When given the opportunity to experience 7 year old things, he loved them and I saw a little bit of that age attitude disappear. He really is a kid at heart and I have loved meeting him on his level and and encouraging him to just be a kid!

So to ease the transition back in to a school schedule, I've come to a realization. I have decided that the things I loved about summer don't have to stay contained within the months of June, July, and August. I can still plan for and have fun with my kids. I can still spend my days discovering the joy of being part of a family. I can still enjoy the company of friends. I can continue to grow and learn about the path God intends for my life. I can do all those things whether it's summer or winter, spring, or fall, and I intend to . . . just not while I'm in the pool.

A day for the history books

I know you are all dying to know how the family liked High School Musical 2. Well, settle in and I'll tell you. (And, yes, I took pictures.)

Thursday evening, the night before the big premier, we realized that the record feature on our DVR wasn't working. Translation, we couldn't record High School Musical 2. I realized this at approximately 8/7c, giving me 24 hours to contact the cable company, schedule a repair time, and GET IT FIXED! We must record the movie. How else would we be able to wake up the morning after the big premier and watch the movie AGAIN? It won't be out on DVD months!

Friday morning, at around 7:59, I called our cable company tech support. I wanted to be first in line for getting that repair man to our house. Over the phone, in about 4 minutes, they were able to connect to our DVR via the telephone cables, the cords that plug in to the wall, magic? I don't know how, but I called and told them that it was broken and 4 minutes later, it was fixed. And, I found out that tech support is open 24/7. So I could have called last night even though I was already in my pj's and had them fix it right then and there. No repair man required. I love tech support!

Once the DVR was fixed, we were free to make a trip to Walmart to pick up the soundtrack to HSM2. Gran offered to pay for it, so we did her shopping for her. The version we got also came with a 45 minute DVD of the making of the movie. We cracked the CD open and listened to it in the car on the way home, and as soon as we got there, we watched the DVD. After the DVD, we were inspired to make decorations for our little party. So while the kids were making their cast posters, we listened to the rest of the sound track.

The kids drew their own pictures of Ryan, Chad, Gabriella, and Troy. I also drew my own pictures of the leading ladies Gabriella, Sharpay, and Taylor.
I am not an artist, nor have I ever claimed to be, but it sure was fun coloring with the kids.

At this point, the girls had been up since 6:15 am and were getting tired. So while they napped, Bubba and I finished decorating for the party.

The girls were so surprised to see the fruit of our labor that they agreed to pose sweetly for a picture.

At this point, there was not much more to do besides cook and wait for Honey to get home so we could eat supper. We had hot dogs and homemade chocolate ice cream. We finished eating just a few minutes before the movie started. There was a countdown on Disney channel all day and here is the shot with just over 8 minutes until show time.

Here is a pic of the kids with just under 8 minutes until show time.

We watched the movie, and the premier of the new series, and the new episode of Hannah Montana. And then we were all partied out. At random points during the movie, Mary TuTu would climb in my lap and exclaim, "Oooo, this is such a good movie!". Bubba and Brooke were less expressive, but they were glued to the TV so as not to miss a thing.

In the end, they gave it 6 thumbs up!

Oh, and, this morning? On the Today show? I heard that HSM 3 is already in the works. My family says, "Keep 'em coming Disney!"

Here and There

My thoughts have been a bit scattered lately. Here are a few things floating around in my head:

- In Bible class we have been studying the minor prophets. Sunday we were in Habakkuk which is one of my favorite books. Mainly because it is a conversation between Habakkuk and God, where Habbakkuk questions the events that God has allowed to take place. He doesn't understand why God allows bad things to happen. God not only allows Habakkuk to question, but he also gives an answer. This book reflects a relationship between God and one of his children that is strong enough to endure the questions. It inspires me to seek that kind of relationship with God. I love the fact that I rest in the arms of a Father that allows me to ask the tough questions. It encourages me to praise God and honor him even when I don't like the answers I get.

- In class on Sunday we highlighted 2:20 "But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." It reminds me of a sign I had hanging in my locker in high school that said,
"God's in his heaven, all's right with the world!" - Robert Browning.

Thank goodness God is in control and I am not.

-Only 2 days until the premier of High School Musical 2. I'm just sayin'.

-The kids and I are in the process of planning a premier party. The girls have ordered High School Musical "pupcakes".

-The girls also think that my dad is driving around in a new white "hickup".

-And my son has taught the girls the real names of the actors that play the parts in High School Musical. We can no longer refer to the people by their movie names such as Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay and Ryan. We must call them by their real first names Zac, Vanessa, Ashley, and Lucas. I think it makes us feel like we're BFFs with all of them. If I accidently slip up and say Gabriella, Mary TuTu says, "You mean Vanessa Hudgens, Mom."

-And yesterday, while flipping through the channels, we found "Grease". The kids and I watched it, and this was the first time I've seen it as an adult. WOW! I never did really understand that movie.

-However, I'm not worried that my kids understood any of the suggestive dialogue because we spent most of the movie comparing the Grease characters to the High School Musical characters. "So Danny and Sandy are like Zac (Troy) and Vanessa (Gabriella), and Rizzo and Kiniki are like Ashley (Sharpay) and Lucas (Ryan)?"

"Yeah, kinda', accept without all the sex."

Just kidding, I didn't say that.

Which is why I will never grow up

If you had looked at me in my 7 year old eyes and tried to convince me with all your heart that grown-ups have just as much fun at amusement parks as kids, I would have never believed you. I would not have been able to accept that those wide-eyed, crazy, waving fools I called my parents were having just as much fun standing at the fence and blowing kisses in my general direction as I was. When you are 7, pretending to drive the cars just like a real car and riding the log ride 4 or 342 times is enough to make your head explode with excitement. When you are 7, you just can't imagine CHOOSING to stand on the sidelines and just watch. When I was 7 I believed what I now know is a myth. Now that I am 27...or so...I know the truth. And truth be told, standing at the fence and snapping pictures between blowing kisses and waving like mad, might be more fun! And sometimes grown-ups go on the rides with you because you aren't tall enough to ride them by yourself, but sometimes grown -ups go on rides with you because, at that moment, there is not one other thing they would rather be doing.

Brooke and Bubba (I think the look on his face says it all!)

Mary TuTu and Momma

Bubba and Honey riding the log ride for the 4 th or 342 nd time.