Crunch Time

August is always a busy month for us, but this August seems even more busy than usual.

Next month, we are hosting our Life Group (small group from church) and we still haven't finished our living room. So, along with everything else, we still have to finish the living room. The living room furniture is in the boys' room and our dining room, so really we have at least three rooms to finish.

We just got accustomed to our new, later schedule. Then on Saturday morning Jon called work to see if he could start early to make it easier to do traffic duty at church the next day. Instead of having him start early, they had him switch to third shift for the week. For the week! There went our schedule! However, God always provides. Mr. M. went home that afternoon. Jon is on third this week which makes him available for the visitation and funeral. There is also a rumor at Jon's workplace that they will have a new schedule bid soon. I have no idea what our regular schedule will be now.

So here's a glimpse of today and the next thirteen days:

Aug. 11 - We have to get the younger two girls home from my sister's (South of here) and the boys from my parents' (North of here). Jon has a Stage Right (drama ministry) meeting. Jon works.

Aug. 12 - Mr. M.'s visitation is from 2-4 and 6-8. We figured we would go during the earlier time, since we can. However, Puppy Dog has a dentist appointment at 2:30 in Urbana. Jon's mom also has surgery on this day. Jon works.

Aug. 13 - Mr. M.'s funeral at 10:30 AM, my grandmother's birthday, our fifteenth anniversary, and Kitty Kat's thirteenth birthday Jon's mom has a Dr. appt. and may need a ride?

Aug. 14 - Jon has a chiropractor appointment.

Aug. 15 - Jon goes back on second shift. Jon works.

Aug. 16 - We will probably have to go to all three services at church, if Jon is in a skit. Jon works.

Aug. 17 - Jon works.

Aug. 18 - I have a sleep study consultation at 8:45 AM. Jon works.

Aug. 19 - Jon has a dentist appointment at 4(?) We have a combined birthday party with our Life Group for the whole family at Young's Jersey Dairy. Jon's niece's birthday (15).

Aug. 20 - Jon's younger brother's anniversary (10th).

Aug. 21 - party for the above anniv. ? It may be moved to the 22nd.

Aug. 22 - Puppy Dog's seventh birthday. Jon works (?).

Aug. 23 - Birdie's eleventh birthday, church, and I think this is my week for nursery duty (if so, we attend all three services). Jon works (?). **I have a Sonflower Scouts leaders' meeting at 3PM.

Aug. 24 - first day of school, Jon's niece's birthday (3?)

Those are just the events we have written down on our calendar. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

I'd better get to work!


**edited after receiving an e-mail.

Why Didn't I Think of This Before?

There are times when I have take my children with me to the grocery store. I'm pretty sure taking the kids doubles if not triples the time spent at the store. The trips are always smoother when I am creative and have something planned for the children to do while we shop. Yesterday evening I had to take the children to the store and I came up with a plan and I think it was the best in a long time.

Saturday, our local library had a book sale. I went by myself in the early afternoon and brought back a backpack full of books for five dollars. I didn't have enough time to look, because I had to get home to take the four girls to a skating party. While the girls were at the party, Jon and I decided we would take the boys to the library and see what else we could find. As we walked in we were handed plastic grocery bags and told that we could have whatever we could fit in a bag for one dollar. The boys had a blast helping us fill the bags. We brought home seven more bags of books.

Our children are loving having all the new books to devour. At least one has plans to read all of them this Summer (well maybe not the college math book I picked up).

I took advantage of their interest last evening and allowed each child to bring a book with them to the store. That was the most peaceful shopping trip with children that I have had in a long time! I'm definitely going to do that again.

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On another topic, I have a couple prayers of thanks. 1. We paid our van off Thursday and we now officially own all our vehicles. 2. A man in a car sped through a red light Saturday. The boys and I (in the above mentioned van) had been stopped at the light for the intersecting street. We and the van turning in the lane beside us just missed being in an accident with the speeding car. The fact that I was at a full stop at the light before it changed kept us from being in the intersection as the car sped through. The car missed our van by about five feet and missed the other van by about five inches. As Puppy Dog said, "that car was flying" and "we need to thank God that He made you put on the brakes!"

How do you get a letter to Jesus?

Little Bear is really coming up with some deep problems and interesting solutions, lately.

Monkey, Puppy Dog, and Little Bear were making/playing with "mailboxes", cards, and letters today. Baby Bear decided that his card/letter was for "Baby Jesus". Questions and answers about how to get the card to Jesus, Jesus growing up, Jesus dying on the cross, and rising from the dead, etc. followed. Of course, you can't just mail a card to Jesus. My idea that Jesus would see it as Bear wrote it wasn't enough. So, Little Bear has decided that he needs to climb a mountain to give the letter to Jesus. Not only is Little Bear planning to climb a mountain, but he also has to put on his shoes and socks so that he can climb the mountain with Daddy and me.

As much as I need to get into better shape, climbing a mountain really isn't what I had in mind.

Baby Bear says...

I asked Baby Bear what I should write about tonight. This is how our conversation went:

Me: "What should I write about tonight?"

BB: "About Gawd."

Me: "About God?"

BB: "Yeah."

Me: "What should I write about God?"

BB: "About we're going to Him."

Me: "We're going to Him?"

BB: "And fishy and animal crackers."

Me: "Are you going to eat fishy and animal crackers?"

BB: "Yeah, in my c'ass."

BB then ran off to play with Daddy.