My Lou

Remember when we were kids and we would go to those little junk stores and buy those "grab bags?" That sealed paper bag with unknown contents would make my imagination soar. Although the price was usually right around a dollar or so, I would just know that MY bag would contain some very marvelous and valuable prize. The element of surprise was really the treat, because the contents were usually something that would easily break or otherwise be deemed useless in a matter of minutes. I felt that same sense of excitement with every pregnancy. You just never know what you're gonna get!
From the moment I found out I was pregnant with Elizabeth, our lives changed. My pregnancy with her was wrought with danger and I was put on bed rest for many weeks. Tucker and I could not believe how we could have such complications after such an easy pregnancy with Emily. When we finally were told we were "out of the woods" with the pregnancy scare, we began to imagine what our new little girl would be like. We already had a beautiful curly-headed blond who was the apple of our eyes, and we felt sure that the birth of Elizabeth would ensure us another one, just like the first; a matching set!
I delivered Elizabeth and the doctor immediately handed her to me. Wow. This baby was beautiful, but so unexpected!! Instead of the fair skinned baby I was imagining, I had in my arms a perfect dark-complected, brown eyed, baby with a fine, silky layer of dark brown hair covering her head. I was so shocked at her coloring, because I was always the most pale person anywhere. Within days it was very evident that the baby did not take after her parents but rather her Aunt Barrie. (Tucker's sister) To this day everyone jokes that it may be impossible for Barrie to ever have a child that looks more like her than Elizabeth does!
Everything about Elizabeth has been a surprise. She is quirky and smart and has the most hilarious sense of humor. She is more sure of herself and who she wants to be than most adults I know. She developed an athletic spirit before she could walk as she began scaling bookshelves and tabletops when no one was looking. Her adventurous streak even led her to break her leg when she was only 4 years old! Now she is in her 7th season playing soccer. Somewhere along the way she became Lou, (a name given to her by her brother who couldn't say Elizabeth) and she feels more comfortable with it than any of the millions of variations of Elizabeth and nicknames she has acquired over the years. I am amazed by her. She is everything I would have loved to be when I was that age. She is truly the type of person who will write her own story instead of having it dictated to her. I admire her so much for that.
In many ways having her has been like getting one of those mystery grab bags. I could have never imagined what was inside. Thankfully, though I finally did get that marvelous and valuable prize!

Emily in Epworth

Emily went on a three day trip with her confirmation class to Epworth by the Sea (St. Simons Island) this weekend. She came home last night and other than being exhausted, I could tell she was very much touched by what she experienced.
When I decided to join the Methodist church, Tucker and I spent a long time discussing how we should proceed as a family. He is still very happy with Catholicism and together, we had to decide where our children's home church would be. After much discussion, we came to the mutual conclusion that right now the Methodist church where I attend has better programming for the kids than the Catholic church does. Emily, who had not had positive religious education experiences in the past was very wary to be put into a whole new situation. I prayed that she would find a welcoming and loving place where she could learn about Jesus as I had.
As it turns out, the Youth Pastor, and consequently Emily's Sunday School teacher is an old high school buddy of Tucker's. That was just another sign to us that she would be taken care of. In the past months, Emily has opened up a lot about what she has learned about Jesus and being a better Christian. She has developed a strong admiration for her Youth Pastor as well as her fellow confirmands. This whole experience for her has been nothing but completely positive.
I knew she was in good hands when she left on Friday, but I was still nervous to let her go. She called me each night that she was gone and I could tell she was having a great time. Last night when she got home, she showed me the zillion of pictures she took and talked non stop for about three hours until she finally completely crashed. Other than the typical silly 12 year old antics that were inevitable to happen, she really grew closer to the Lord. I am so proud of her and so thankful she had this opportunity.
One of the hardest things about being a mom is that you never get a report card. We never have those quarterly evaluations where we get called into some big office where we are told how we are doing in our jobs as mothers. Sometimes the only thing we can do is pray that we are making the right decisions as far as are kids are concerned. Listening to Em talk about how her heart had grown in Christ this weekend felt tantamount to a big thumbs up from the Boss. It is so nice to have this confirmation (with no pun intended) that we made the right choice for her.

Baby Big Boy

"Bubby" has turned 6 and represents everything Patch wants to be; except potty trained, that is.
I have been called the "Potty Training Nazi" in some circles. I wear the honor proudly. My first three babies potty trained effortlessly and I also have helped dozens upon dozens of my little friends master this feat. Then came Patchy. As I have mentioned before, everything I ever thought I knew about anything flew out the window when he was born.
He goes potty; if he wants to. He is perfectly content to hang onto his little baby status as long as he possibly can. His two big sisters do everything they possibly can do to reaffirm his baby-ness to him. It seems they are all in favor to keep him little forever as well. But less face it folks, he will be a whole lot less cute at six years old, when he has to leave the soccer field so that his mommy can change his diaper.
So, I have resulted in the time honored tradition of bribery. I'm not proud. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. The deal is, when he is "fully potty-trained," that is completely trustworthy in underwear, then we will go to the store and he can pick out a Nerf Gun. The kid who won't use the bathroom is being bribed with a gun. Seems a little like a serial killer in the making, huh?
Bubby has a Nerf Gun and Patch thinks it is the coolest thing in the world. We are hoping he makes the connection between Bubby being a big boy who goes potty and the fact that Bubby has the much coveted toy. We'll see. He's making progress. Slowly- but progress is progress.

Obama: Love him or Hate him, Just have Half a Brain

Where's my soap box? I think I'm gonna need it again...ahh here it is, thank you.
I know the world is full of people with very differring opinions. That is super cool. Without these different points of view we would never learn anything new. My mom used to always say that chocolate and vanilla make the world go 'round. We are SUPPOSE to feel differently about things, right?
Here's my problem. Have your own point of view, but don't support your opinion with incorrect information used only to flame the fires of dissent. Recently I was facebooking, (yes it has now become a verb in my book) and I came across someone's rant towards President Obama. These are not uncommon in my part of the country, and although I do not share in the opinion, everyone is entitled to feel how they do. The rant was based on the minimal pay raise that was given to the military this year. I sympathize greatly with this frustration as my hard-working husband has actually endured a pay CUT this year. The economy sucks and it is hitting everyone. But she furthered her rant on Obama by saying he had never been to the front lines to see what our service men and women do. GONG! That's where she lost me. He totally has been to the front lines. I remember watching the coverage. So this initially well intentioned argument lost all credibility when she tried to boost it with untruths. (or as I like to refer to them as LIES)
Whatever. Be frustrated with our president if you don't like the job he's doing. We are Americans and have the enviable honor of being able to freely speak our mind. Just do yourself a favor and make an intelligent argument. Barack Obama is Muslim. (no he's not) Barack Obama isn't a US citizen. (yes he is) Barack Obama hates white people. (dude, really?) Disagree with his policies. Disagree with the way he is handling the economy or the wars in the Middle East, but PLEASE don't add to the already unendless static noise of people who do not know what they are talking about.

When I Grow Up...I Don't Want to be a Grown -Up

At 33 years old, I do not feel like I have figured out what I want to do when I grow up. I have been teaching early childhood classes at one place or another since college, but that was a pure accident and never want I intended to do with my life. I enjoy my job most days, but I do not believe it is where I belong for the long haul.
Then there is my new found talent in the cookie business. Again, I stumbled into it, and although it is fun, I don't think I could ever support myself let alone a family baking.
Over the years I have had thoughts of becoming a nurse, but the thought of going back to school terrifies me. Tucker and I used to dream of opening a small cafe specializing in fine foods, but you know, there is the lack of start up capital not to mention fear of losing financial stability. So on I dream and wonder and think...What am I going to do when I grow up?
I know I shouldn't let fear prevent me from going after something, but I really am not even sure what I WANT to do with my life. The goal of my lifetime has been achieved in the birth of my children, but there will come a time when they will fill up fewer hours in my day, and it will be up to me to decide where to go next.
These thoughts bother me a great deal. The uncertainty makes me feel unsettled and anxious. At times, I push them far to the back of my mind and decide that maybe I just won't be a grown-up.
I guess this is where I need to let God take control. He has taken care of me thus far, so there is no reason to believe I'll be let down. It is a hard thing to do to just ride the waves of life to see where they will take you, but I know under his orchestration, experiences and opportunities that I could have never dreamed up will come to me.
Right now I still have a baby at home. I intend to give him the same access to me that the others had. When the time comes for me to find a new path I'll just have to keep my eyes on the light that God is shining down pointing me in the right direction.