Friday, August 31, 2007
Small Talk about God
(Post from deleted blog)
Every night, I tuck my Favorite Boy into bed, and we pray. I always ask him what he thinks we should pray about. Last week, I was very impressed with his response. He said, "We need to pray for my teacher. We also need to pray that when other kids at school are doing the wrong thing, I will do what is right. And, we need to pray that God will help me have a good attitude when I lose."
WOW! I was thrilled that he was asking to pray about those things. We prayed, and I ended the prayer with thanking God for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. After we finished, my Favorite Boy added "We can be so thankful for forgiveness. God forgives us because he loves us." Again, I was impressed and I said, "You're right. God loves us so much, and he wants to forgive us."
And then my Favorite Boy added, "Yes. And we can be so thankful for the NFL network so I can watch a lot of football games."
Oh, well! I guess a mother's pride goeth before her fall! :)
Every night, I tuck my Favorite Boy into bed, and we pray. I always ask him what he thinks we should pray about. Last week, I was very impressed with his response. He said, "We need to pray for my teacher. We also need to pray that when other kids at school are doing the wrong thing, I will do what is right. And, we need to pray that God will help me have a good attitude when I lose."
WOW! I was thrilled that he was asking to pray about those things. We prayed, and I ended the prayer with thanking God for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. After we finished, my Favorite Boy added "We can be so thankful for forgiveness. God forgives us because he loves us." Again, I was impressed and I said, "You're right. God loves us so much, and he wants to forgive us."
And then my Favorite Boy added, "Yes. And we can be so thankful for the NFL network so I can watch a lot of football games."
Oh, well! I guess a mother's pride goeth before her fall! :)
Labels: My Favorite Boy, Small Talk
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
For the Record
(Post from deleted blog)
My Favorite Boy had a wonderful first day of school. The only snag was a little confusion in the cafeteria, but nothing major. He was grinning from ear to ear when I picked him up, but he quit smiling after I kept asking question after question. He finally said, "Would you please stop asking me so many questions?" If only he understood that his mommy wanted to know every detail of his day. Oh well, I am sure this won't be the first time that he thinks I am asking too many questions!
Thanks for all the kind comments and emails about the first day of school. I handled it well; I only shed a few tears. My Best Girl kept me quite busy during the day (the only time she stopped talking was when she was napping). While I did miss my Favorite Boy, she kept me from being lonely.
Finally, I thought I would share a humorous conversation we had about the first day. I told my Favorite Boy that I had thought of him many times throughout the day and that I had prayed whenever I was wondering what he was doing. He said, "Oh. Well, did God tell you what I was doing?" HA! Now that would be a wonderful way to keep constantly up-to-date on our kids!
Have a great Tuesday!
My Favorite Boy had a wonderful first day of school. The only snag was a little confusion in the cafeteria, but nothing major. He was grinning from ear to ear when I picked him up, but he quit smiling after I kept asking question after question. He finally said, "Would you please stop asking me so many questions?" If only he understood that his mommy wanted to know every detail of his day. Oh well, I am sure this won't be the first time that he thinks I am asking too many questions!
Thanks for all the kind comments and emails about the first day of school. I handled it well; I only shed a few tears. My Best Girl kept me quite busy during the day (the only time she stopped talking was when she was napping). While I did miss my Favorite Boy, she kept me from being lonely.
Finally, I thought I would share a humorous conversation we had about the first day. I told my Favorite Boy that I had thought of him many times throughout the day and that I had prayed whenever I was wondering what he was doing. He said, "Oh. Well, did God tell you what I was doing?" HA! Now that would be a wonderful way to keep constantly up-to-date on our kids!
Have a great Tuesday!
Labels: My Favorite Boy
Monday, August 27, 2007
I Knew I Would Feel This Way, But I Didn't Know Why
(Post from my deleted blog)
I thought I might feel like this on my Favorite Boy's first day of kindergarten, and I do. Unfortunately, I feel this way because my darling daughter has been up since 4:50. Yesterday, she woke up at 5:50. This is a very disturbing trend. At least I will be in such a fog when I drop my Favorite Boy off in his classroom that I may not realize what is happening.
We had such a wonderful weekend. I already mentioned our bowling trip, but I want to show my culinary masterpiece as well. Let's just say that I am no Martha Stewart. I was very proud of myself for making this creation in honor of the first day of school.
(In case you can't tell, it's a pencil.)
My Favorite Boy was very impressed. He said, "Wow, Mom! Did you make that all by yourself?" I happily replied, "Why, yes I did!" (I do give credit to Family Fun magazine; I got the idea there.)
So, this morning, I will take him to school. If I can stay awake, I am sure I will be sad. However, he is so excited, and I know that he will be fine. And, I am certain he knows his mommy loves him. No matter how much fun he has at school today, he will be coming home to me!
I thought I might feel like this on my Favorite Boy's first day of kindergarten, and I do. Unfortunately, I feel this way because my darling daughter has been up since 4:50. Yesterday, she woke up at 5:50. This is a very disturbing trend. At least I will be in such a fog when I drop my Favorite Boy off in his classroom that I may not realize what is happening.
We had such a wonderful weekend. I already mentioned our bowling trip, but I want to show my culinary masterpiece as well. Let's just say that I am no Martha Stewart. I was very proud of myself for making this creation in honor of the first day of school.
(In case you can't tell, it's a pencil.)
My Favorite Boy was very impressed. He said, "Wow, Mom! Did you make that all by yourself?" I happily replied, "Why, yes I did!" (I do give credit to Family Fun magazine; I got the idea there.)
So, this morning, I will take him to school. If I can stay awake, I am sure I will be sad. However, he is so excited, and I know that he will be fine. And, I am certain he knows his mommy loves him. No matter how much fun he has at school today, he will be coming home to me!
Labels: My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Family Fun
(Post from deleted blog)
The time I have been dreading is fast approaching. My Favorite Boy starts school full-time on Monday. In honor of this milestone, we decided to spend a day doing something fun as a family. Because of the extreme temperatures, we knew we needed to find something indoors. After tossing about a few ideas, we headed for the bowling alley.
Our local bowling alley has an area that is just for kids. The lanes are smaller, the balls are smaller, and no bowling shoes are required. We ordered some pizza and settled in for two games of competitive fun.
If a score is involved, my Favorite Boy is in it to win. Here are a few shots of him enjoying the game. The second shot is a little blurry, but I couldn't resist including a picture of his very serious bowling form.
On the other hand, my Best Girl bowled several frames, but she didn't care quite as much. Half the time, she let her brother take her turn. She was more concerned with the pizza and goldfish crackers. The last time we visited the bowling alley was for a birthday party, so she was very disappointed when she realized there were no cupcakes involved with our visit.
Okay, shhhh. It's time for quiet. She's ready to roll.
Actually, I should have said she's ready to throw. She looked more like she was competing in the shot put than bowling. Each time she threw the ball, it landed with a loud thud and then rolled toward the pins at approximately one mile per hour.
We had such a fun time as a family. My Favorite Boy thinks we should make this an annual event, and I think that's a great idea! For the record, I won the second game with a whopping score of 128. Very impressive, I know.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
The time I have been dreading is fast approaching. My Favorite Boy starts school full-time on Monday. In honor of this milestone, we decided to spend a day doing something fun as a family. Because of the extreme temperatures, we knew we needed to find something indoors. After tossing about a few ideas, we headed for the bowling alley.
Our local bowling alley has an area that is just for kids. The lanes are smaller, the balls are smaller, and no bowling shoes are required. We ordered some pizza and settled in for two games of competitive fun.
If a score is involved, my Favorite Boy is in it to win. Here are a few shots of him enjoying the game. The second shot is a little blurry, but I couldn't resist including a picture of his very serious bowling form.
On the other hand, my Best Girl bowled several frames, but she didn't care quite as much. Half the time, she let her brother take her turn. She was more concerned with the pizza and goldfish crackers. The last time we visited the bowling alley was for a birthday party, so she was very disappointed when she realized there were no cupcakes involved with our visit.
Okay, shhhh. It's time for quiet. She's ready to roll.
Actually, I should have said she's ready to throw. She looked more like she was competing in the shot put than bowling. Each time she threw the ball, it landed with a loud thud and then rolled toward the pins at approximately one mile per hour.
We had such a fun time as a family. My Favorite Boy thinks we should make this an annual event, and I think that's a great idea! For the record, I won the second game with a whopping score of 128. Very impressive, I know.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, My Favorite Boy
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
First Half Day
(Post from deleted blog)
This morning, I dropped my Favorite Boy off at kindergarten for his first half day. He will stay for three and a half hours with four other kids from his class. One of the other children there today is on his baseball team, so it was nice for him to have a buddy from the start. He was very excited. I, on the other hand, wasn't ready to take him. I did hold myself together; I didn't cry. Thankfully, I had to take my Best Girl somewhere, so I didn't have time to linger and get emotional. That really helped. I have a feeling, however, that the floodgates will burst at some point. How is it possible that my little baby is so big?
This morning, I dropped my Favorite Boy off at kindergarten for his first half day. He will stay for three and a half hours with four other kids from his class. One of the other children there today is on his baseball team, so it was nice for him to have a buddy from the start. He was very excited. I, on the other hand, wasn't ready to take him. I did hold myself together; I didn't cry. Thankfully, I had to take my Best Girl somewhere, so I didn't have time to linger and get emotional. That really helped. I have a feeling, however, that the floodgates will burst at some point. How is it possible that my little baby is so big?
Labels: My Favorite Boy
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
School of Hard Knocks
(Post from deleted blog)
Yesterday was the first day of school for most of the kids in our county. As I mentioned before, the kindergartners did not begin with the rest of the students. Our principal, however, made sure that the kindergarten children had a special day as well. Mrs. Principal wrote a letter to the kindergarten students and had parent volunteers drive to all the kindergartners' homes. They attached the letter with a helium balloon to the students' mailboxes.
Around noon, I noticed that my Favorite Boy's balloon was on our mailbox, so I encouraged him to go outside with me. As we walked to the mailbox, he wondered, "What is that?" I took the balloon and note off the mailbox and explained what they were. He was ecstatic. I said, "Let's go inside and take a picture of you with your kindergarten balloon." Without breathing, he said, "Yes! And let's attach it to my bed so I can see it all the time and I can't wait to show dad and I can't believe I got a letter from the president!" (He meant the principal, of course.)
Then he entered the school of hard knocks.
All of a sudden, his balloon popped. I don't know why; the only explanation I could fathom was that the 100+ degree heat caused it. Immediately, my Favorite Boy burst into tears. I thought the unexpected, loud noise scared him, so I asked him if he was alright. He replied, "No! That was my kindergarten balloon, and now it is gone!" My heart broke for him. I wanted to fix it, but I couldn't. He was right. It was his special kindergarten balloon, and he would never have another one. I wanted to cry too!
As unhappy as he was, he got over it. He mentioned it several times during the day, but his tears disappeared. After all, it was only a balloon. In the grand scheme of life, the balloon really didn't matter all that much. Unfortunately, he will face many more disappointments in the years to come, and some of them will matter much more than his balloon. When he deals with these disappointments, I hope the lessons he learned yesterday will serve him well. Sometimes bad things happen, even when you have done nothing wrong. Sometimes bad things happen, and Mom and Dad can't fix them. Sometimes bad things happen, and you just have to get over them.
One day, he will also grow up and realize that there is something much worse than dealing with your own hard knocks. Lord willing, one day he will grow up and have children of his own. Then, he will learn what all moms and dads know. Watching your children face disappointments is one of the toughest courses of all. I know I need a school to teach me how to deal with that!
Yesterday was the first day of school for most of the kids in our county. As I mentioned before, the kindergartners did not begin with the rest of the students. Our principal, however, made sure that the kindergarten children had a special day as well. Mrs. Principal wrote a letter to the kindergarten students and had parent volunteers drive to all the kindergartners' homes. They attached the letter with a helium balloon to the students' mailboxes.
Around noon, I noticed that my Favorite Boy's balloon was on our mailbox, so I encouraged him to go outside with me. As we walked to the mailbox, he wondered, "What is that?" I took the balloon and note off the mailbox and explained what they were. He was ecstatic. I said, "Let's go inside and take a picture of you with your kindergarten balloon." Without breathing, he said, "Yes! And let's attach it to my bed so I can see it all the time and I can't wait to show dad and I can't believe I got a letter from the president!" (He meant the principal, of course.)
Then he entered the school of hard knocks.
All of a sudden, his balloon popped. I don't know why; the only explanation I could fathom was that the 100+ degree heat caused it. Immediately, my Favorite Boy burst into tears. I thought the unexpected, loud noise scared him, so I asked him if he was alright. He replied, "No! That was my kindergarten balloon, and now it is gone!" My heart broke for him. I wanted to fix it, but I couldn't. He was right. It was his special kindergarten balloon, and he would never have another one. I wanted to cry too!
As unhappy as he was, he got over it. He mentioned it several times during the day, but his tears disappeared. After all, it was only a balloon. In the grand scheme of life, the balloon really didn't matter all that much. Unfortunately, he will face many more disappointments in the years to come, and some of them will matter much more than his balloon. When he deals with these disappointments, I hope the lessons he learned yesterday will serve him well. Sometimes bad things happen, even when you have done nothing wrong. Sometimes bad things happen, and Mom and Dad can't fix them. Sometimes bad things happen, and you just have to get over them.
One day, he will also grow up and realize that there is something much worse than dealing with your own hard knocks. Lord willing, one day he will grow up and have children of his own. Then, he will learn what all moms and dads know. Watching your children face disappointments is one of the toughest courses of all. I know I need a school to teach me how to deal with that!
Labels: My Favorite Boy
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Weekend Reflection
(Post from my deleted blog)
Once again, it is time for Weekend Reflection. I am trying to remember what we did this week, but I think the high temperatures have cooked my brain!
Seriously, it is hot! Swimming is the only outdoor activity my kids can convince me to do, so we did swim with friends a couple of times this week. We also went to library story time and my Favorite Boy's first ever school supply sale. On Friday morning, my Best Girl visited the ENT, and she received very good news. Her ears look great, and she will probably not have to have a second set of tubes. We were very thankful to hear this.
We went by the mall after the ENT appointment to look for some shoes and buy a wedding gift. Because the appointment went more quickly than I planned, we arrived at the mall 40 minutes before the stores opened. We could, however, go into the main mall area, so we headed for the playplace. We were the first to arrive, but it was packed in only a few minutes. I was surprised that so many people were at the mall before it opened! I guess we have been missing out on a popular spot (or perhaps people are going there to play since it is already 95 degrees at 9:30 AM).
On Saturday, I went to a wedding shower, and then convinced my hubby to get the family out of the house for a little while. We all headed to the mall (again) for ice cream, play time and a visit to the pet shop. We saw four families that we knew, so I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea to hang out somewhere with air conditioning.
We also got a call from my Favorite Boy's new baseball coach yesterday. We were excited to find out that most of the boys on his team will be in kindergarten at the same school. Hopefully, this will be a fun way for him to meet some of his new school buddies, and I can commiserate with the other moms. The first practice is next Saturday, so he will get to meet his teammates before he starts school on the 27th. I think it will be fun for all of us.
Once again, it is time for Weekend Reflection. I am trying to remember what we did this week, but I think the high temperatures have cooked my brain!
Seriously, it is hot! Swimming is the only outdoor activity my kids can convince me to do, so we did swim with friends a couple of times this week. We also went to library story time and my Favorite Boy's first ever school supply sale. On Friday morning, my Best Girl visited the ENT, and she received very good news. Her ears look great, and she will probably not have to have a second set of tubes. We were very thankful to hear this.
We went by the mall after the ENT appointment to look for some shoes and buy a wedding gift. Because the appointment went more quickly than I planned, we arrived at the mall 40 minutes before the stores opened. We could, however, go into the main mall area, so we headed for the playplace. We were the first to arrive, but it was packed in only a few minutes. I was surprised that so many people were at the mall before it opened! I guess we have been missing out on a popular spot (or perhaps people are going there to play since it is already 95 degrees at 9:30 AM).
On Saturday, I went to a wedding shower, and then convinced my hubby to get the family out of the house for a little while. We all headed to the mall (again) for ice cream, play time and a visit to the pet shop. We saw four families that we knew, so I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea to hang out somewhere with air conditioning.
We also got a call from my Favorite Boy's new baseball coach yesterday. We were excited to find out that most of the boys on his team will be in kindergarten at the same school. Hopefully, this will be a fun way for him to meet some of his new school buddies, and I can commiserate with the other moms. The first practice is next Saturday, so he will get to meet his teammates before he starts school on the 27th. I think it will be fun for all of us.
Labels: My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy
Friday, August 10, 2007
Stop the Train
(Post from my deleted blog)
My Favorite Boy cried when he turned one, but I didn't (he really hated the birthday hat). I know moms are supposed to be sad at that first big milestone, but I couldn't have been happier. The first year was tough. My son didn't nurse well, and he didn't sleep for longer than two hours until he was eight months old. Since sleeping and eating are a major part of a baby's life, our days weren't all that peaceful. At his first birthday party, I remember feeling a sense of relief. I knew the second year would go much more smoothly than the first. Thankfully, it did.
Fast forward to the present. Now, I am the one crying. Could someone please stop the growing-up train? It seems to be going faster and faster! Last night, I took my Favorite Boy to the PTA supply sale at his school to purchase his supplies for kindergarten. The PTA offers all the necessary supplies in a handy box, which is conveniently delivered to your child's classroom. The sale was in the gym, and my Favorite Boy could not have been more impressed. "Look! A Goal! Look! A Scoreboard! Look! A Basketball!" I think he would have stayed there until time for school to start if I had been willing. He is so excited, and he is counting the days until he heads off to the world of big kids.
I, on the other hand, am not ready for him to go. In our county, school starts on Monday. Thankfully, kindergarten starts two weeks later. I am going to spend the next few weeks trying to figure out a way to keep him from growing because I know what will happen. The first day of kindergarten comes; then, before I turn around it will be time for college, and he will leave me forever (okay, I know I am being a bit dramatic, but it is going to go so quickly)!
So, I am warning you. When August 27th rolls around, I will try to control my outward appearance; but on the inside, I will feel just like this...
My Favorite Boy cried when he turned one, but I didn't (he really hated the birthday hat). I know moms are supposed to be sad at that first big milestone, but I couldn't have been happier. The first year was tough. My son didn't nurse well, and he didn't sleep for longer than two hours until he was eight months old. Since sleeping and eating are a major part of a baby's life, our days weren't all that peaceful. At his first birthday party, I remember feeling a sense of relief. I knew the second year would go much more smoothly than the first. Thankfully, it did.
Fast forward to the present. Now, I am the one crying. Could someone please stop the growing-up train? It seems to be going faster and faster! Last night, I took my Favorite Boy to the PTA supply sale at his school to purchase his supplies for kindergarten. The PTA offers all the necessary supplies in a handy box, which is conveniently delivered to your child's classroom. The sale was in the gym, and my Favorite Boy could not have been more impressed. "Look! A Goal! Look! A Scoreboard! Look! A Basketball!" I think he would have stayed there until time for school to start if I had been willing. He is so excited, and he is counting the days until he heads off to the world of big kids.
I, on the other hand, am not ready for him to go. In our county, school starts on Monday. Thankfully, kindergarten starts two weeks later. I am going to spend the next few weeks trying to figure out a way to keep him from growing because I know what will happen. The first day of kindergarten comes; then, before I turn around it will be time for college, and he will leave me forever (okay, I know I am being a bit dramatic, but it is going to go so quickly)!
So, I am warning you. When August 27th rolls around, I will try to control my outward appearance; but on the inside, I will feel just like this...
Labels: My Favorite Boy
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Weekend Reflection
(Post from my deleted blog)
Once again, it's time for Weekend Reflection (otherwise known as an update on my daughter's potty and sleeping habits). I am sure you are on the edge of your seats, so I will excitedly say that my daughter is completely potty trained (even at night). As a reward, my Best Girl got a Sleeping Beauty costume. Here she is in all her glory.
My Best Girl also transitioned into her big girl bed. She started taking naps in it earlier in the week, and she slept all night in it on Friday and Saturday as well. Here is a picture of her new bed (it is really a very old bed, but it is new to her).
This bed was my mother's grandfather's bed. I slept on it as a child, and I once left my teeth marks on the foot board while having a temper tantrum. You can guess what happened to me after that. :) We still need curtains and things on the wall, but I hope to do that in the next few weeks.
In other happenings this week, the kids and I went swimming with our neighbors, and we also attended a free "Music with Mommie" class at the library. Our state is having tax free weekend, so we did a little shopping on Friday afternoon and then met Dad at Cracker Barrel for dinner. We signed my Favorite Boy up for fall baseball, and my Favorite Boy and his Dad also went to a Titans' football practice. They planned to stay until the end of practice for autographs, but it was too hot. Perhaps there will be a cool August day for them to spend at the Titans' camp. Alright, who am I kidding? I seriously doubt there will ever be a cool, August day in Tennessee, but we can hope (our forcast this week has several days at 100)!
I guess that is all from the Baseballs and Bows household. I hope you all have a wonderful week! For more Weekend Reflections, visit Judi.
Once again, it's time for Weekend Reflection (otherwise known as an update on my daughter's potty and sleeping habits). I am sure you are on the edge of your seats, so I will excitedly say that my daughter is completely potty trained (even at night). As a reward, my Best Girl got a Sleeping Beauty costume. Here she is in all her glory.
My Best Girl also transitioned into her big girl bed. She started taking naps in it earlier in the week, and she slept all night in it on Friday and Saturday as well. Here is a picture of her new bed (it is really a very old bed, but it is new to her).
This bed was my mother's grandfather's bed. I slept on it as a child, and I once left my teeth marks on the foot board while having a temper tantrum. You can guess what happened to me after that. :) We still need curtains and things on the wall, but I hope to do that in the next few weeks.
In other happenings this week, the kids and I went swimming with our neighbors, and we also attended a free "Music with Mommie" class at the library. Our state is having tax free weekend, so we did a little shopping on Friday afternoon and then met Dad at Cracker Barrel for dinner. We signed my Favorite Boy up for fall baseball, and my Favorite Boy and his Dad also went to a Titans' football practice. They planned to stay until the end of practice for autographs, but it was too hot. Perhaps there will be a cool August day for them to spend at the Titans' camp. Alright, who am I kidding? I seriously doubt there will ever be a cool, August day in Tennessee, but we can hope (our forcast this week has several days at 100)!
I guess that is all from the Baseballs and Bows household. I hope you all have a wonderful week! For more Weekend Reflections, visit Judi.
Labels: Family and Friends
