SOTW

My Indian Princess was Student of the Week at her school awhile ago. It was a very fun experience. On the last day she got to take a mama and baby bear home for the weekend. Complete with journal and instructions to write about all the fun they had for those two days. This was a task we took very seriously.

When they first came home, she set about making them warm and comfortable.

Because bears are naturally cold blooded and need extra warmth in a house that is heated to 68 degrees.

Then she built them a kennel.

Or cell.

Or whatever those enclosures at the zoo are called.

I think she called it a kennel.

But the project that took the most time:

A tree house for the bears.

With a slide.

Hanging from her bedroom wall.

So she could sleep with them.

She was very proud of her tree house.

And I was proud of her.

She did a good job taking care of her bears.

And I apparently take documenting to another level.

Our journal entry for the weekend was a full page, front and back.

Other, normal parents, kept it to a few paragraphs.

Really.

You can never over explain about a weekend with bears.

I promise.

News Flash.....

GIANT PILLOW FIGHT AT OUR HOUSE!

RIGHT NOW!

Daddy and two girls are fighting a mighty war as the pillows are flying everywhere!

As well as the kitchen timer and the pepper shaker. Whoops.

Not Me Monday 11/28/11

I started writing things down in anticipation of MckMama's Not Me Monday a while ago. She didn't have it last week, but that didn't stop me from documenting some, um, interesting things I should or should not admit to. Since she decided to run it again this week, I figured my pride could be crushed, just a little.

This week I did not:

1) Vacuum the dryer lint off my dryer because it had gotten so thick it would have taken me forever to wipe it off. (Who's idea was it to make the lint basket on top of the dryer, upside down?)

2) Wake up to have my 5 year old take a look at me and say, "Whoa." Apparently she has realized I don't look my best, first thing in the morning.

3) Eat a half a gallon of Thanksgiving Jello fruit salad my mother in law made. Yum.

4) Make almond cocoa bites for the preschool with enough flaxseed in it to potentially cause plumbing issues in many a home. So far, no complaints. :)

5) Let my husband feed our children baked oatmeal and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. That's a lot of carbs first thing in the morning. And I would never sleep so long that he HAD to find something for them to eat for breakfast.

6) Eat the same baked oatmeal and cinnamon rolls after he had warmed them up. Nope. Not me.

7) Stay home on Black Friday, but fidgeted all day long wondering if I missed anything good.

8) Use Rubbermaid containers for bowls, because all my bowls were dirty.

9) Use my Jello brain mold to put leftovers in, because all my Rubbermaid containers were dirty.

10) Skip cleaning the potty but was concerned enough that I put toilet paper down. On my own toilet.

Yeah. That's about all I'm ready to cop to for now. Check out her other links today. There are some good ones. :)

Gotcha Beat

Because it did this on 11.19.11...

...the girls felt the need to decorate for Christmas. I emphatically told them NO, I would not put a tree, lights or any other decorations up until at least AFTER THANKSGIVING. Preferably not until the calendar said December.

"But, Mom!" they said. "It's snowing outside!

It MUST be getting close to Christmas time!"

I told them it was still a long, long way off.

"But, Mom!" they said. "It's snowing outside!

It MUST be getting close to Christmas time!"

And I helped them count the days until Christmas.

They agreed it was a long, long way off.

"Can we decorate anyway?" they said.

And I said, "No."

For 24 hours.

And then I gave in and let them decorate a table top tree.

Hoping for some peace and quiet.

Until my Indian Princess said,

"Mom! I bet if we put out some cookies, Santa will leave us presents!"

New Hobby

The girls discovered another phase in their childhood development the other day:

Making Barbie Clothes

A few washrags, a container of ponytail holders, and a lot of creativity were the ingredients for an afternoon of designer fashion.

In all honesty, I had to find other things to do.

Or I might have joined them for awhile.

I Just Found....

The World's Ugliest Shoes!!

For the bargain basement price of $48.97 you could own these glittery boat shoes.

And impress everyone on the shuffleboard team.

Woo Hoo!

LOVE!

GREAT STUFF!!

Hee

I say, "I feel like I want to go to Sam's."

My Indian Princess says, "I feel like I want to go to Alyssa's."

My Littlest Girl says, "I feel like I'm a horse."

11:11, 11.11.11

I was on a bus at 11:11am on 11.11.11. We were headed to Aberdeen for a volleyball game.

I was on a bus at 11:11pm on 11.11.11. We were home from the game, but still in the high school parking lot.

Where were you yesterday at those times?

Control

Most anger comes from hurt.

I think it starts young. Time after time, people let us down. Or they are mean on purpose. It tears our hearts apart. The most common defense we have is anger. We retaliate so the hurt will stop. Or we can exact revenge. Soon, we go from hurt to anger so fast we don't even register the hurt anymore.

I think that's unwise. To remind ourselves why we are angry can help diffuse the situation very quickly:

No, I am not angry. I am hurt. You hurt my feelings. You have chipped away a little bit of the trust that I had in you. And I am sad. And nervous that you will hurt me again. Don't do this again!

I think this conversation goes on in our heads/hearts without us realizing it. Especially after many years of difficult relationships or as we are disappointed by the people around us. As kids. As adults. It doesn't stop. And the anger becomes automatic. The anger becomes the first response, not the second.

But I think we need to acknowledge the hurt before the anger. I think we need to be honest with ourselves. And the person we are interacting with. Many people are okay with angering someone. They are taken aback when they have hurt someone. Anger implies strength. Hurt implies weakness. In all honesty, I think it takes a stronger person to admit hurt.

It is a hard habit to start. We have spent so many years ignoring the hurt and jumping right to anger. If we can slow down, analyze our feelings, realize we have been hurt, and confess that to the person that hurt us, it will slow down the escalation of many fights/discussions/debates...whatever we choose to call it.

I have read many bad romance novels and quotes about how true love doesn't hurt. It even says that in the Bible:

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

But the kind of love the Bible is talking about is perfect Love. And we, as broken sinners, cannot give that kind of love. Not yet. We can continually strive towards sanctification, to be more like Jesus, so that we can offer a better love. But we won't reach this level of purity until we attain our perfect bodies in heaven.

So we have responsibilities on both ends of a confrontation. One person is to love as well as he can, striving to honor and protect the other. The offended person needs to analyze why he is offended, and keep himself from retaliating in unrighteous anger. The naming of our hurt will cause quicker reconciliation than the defense of our anger.

The question becomes this: Do I want to be right? Or do I want to win?

It is an issue I struggle with every time.

Deep Ramblings

Sorry I've been so sporadic in writing. I started this blog simply as a way to enter a photography contest, never imagining I would write stuff in it on a semi-regular basis. I like to write, but it doesn't drive me. I like to document. I like to come back to it later and read what I was doing or thinking at that time. And I suck at keeping a journal. A blog makes me feel more accountable somehow.

Anyway, the reason why I haven't written much is mainly this: I'm at the tail end of the high school volleyball season. One of the busiest I've ever had. And because I am so undisciplined, when I get home, I would rather read than write. Or watch TV or something. I really don't have time to process in writing the stuff I feel right now.

But that will change soon. Volleyball will end. My daughter will not be Student of the Week. My house will clean itself. The TV will break. The internet will crash.

And then the holidays will present themselves. At that point, I will probably just stop by and ask for Thanksgiving recipes and Christmas present ideas. Maybe post a picture or two.

It seems things are changing. I don't know if it's for the season. Or if it's for life. As much as I would like to someday be recognized for some kind of stellar literary piece, this blog exists for me. Not I for it.

Many of the blog writers I follow have stopped writing as much, too. I would love to know why. But my guess is since they are mostly moms, the school year is taking their breath away. And they have a life that transcends blog entries. And as much as I miss them, I understand all too well.

I do want to continue this, as a way to boast about God and what He has done for me. To ask for advice, to show you pictures of my girlies. But I am not driven to do it daily right now.

I hope you understand.

Comparisons

When I dress her:

When she dresses herself:

When I dress her:

When she dresses herself:

When I dress them:

When they dress themselves:

I'm not judging.

Just documenting.

I'm a Sheep

Because everyone else is doing it.

And because I don't have time to write a real post.

And because it's been a long time since I've posted anything.

Here are some Halloween pics:

After the artist rendered their ideas, the Master Cutter fleshed out their vision.

My Littlest Girl was considering turning her pumpkin into a condo for Belle.

My Indian Princess is happy with the Master Cutter's progress.

The Littlest Girl trying on a Halloween accessory.

A quick shot before they ran out the door.

This is the first year they haven't had coordinated costumes. I really wanted them to go as Dora and Boots, or a monkey and a giant banana. But Dad bought some beautiful princess dresses on a trip. My Indian Princess wouldn't be swayed.

God was gracious this Halloween. (As He is all the time.) It was almost 70 degrees when we left. About 55 when we got home. Today it snowed.