Can you say Independent?

We went to our new neighborhood "water park" this week and had a blast. There is so much to do there. The kids love it. And, of course, mine are such social bugs, that any kid is a potential new friend. So, we always come home with new friends. Anyway, as you can imagine, keeping up with 3 preschoolers at a pool is not easy. I wouldn't even try it if it weren't for the 4-5 lifeguards always on duty. They make me feel much better. So, we go and have fun. Well, I was watching Chase "swim" in the 6" deep water when I looked over and saw the lifeguard walking away from Thomas. Thomas appeared to be fine. So, I went to the lifeguard and asked what happened. Thomas piped in, "He tried to help me, but I told him I could do it by myself!" And he did! I still don't know exactly what happend, but he was wearing arm wings and one must have come off somehow! Its time for him to get rid of those things anyway, but he insists he won't do it until he's 5! I'm holding him to it!

I Just Want Some Ice Cream.....

It's been a long day! I kept telling myself, "One more thing...then I'll have ice cream and watch tv!" Finally, I finished for the day, and I DON'T HAVE A SPOON!! Not one! How I am supposed to eat it? Check back later this week for MANY blogs to make up the for what I've missed while moving in! These are some of my ideas:

Chase's colors
I turned 30 last week...
Chase's 2nd birthday
and much more on moving week

Okay, I've gotta go empty some boxes and find a spoon before my ice cream melts!!

New Feature

Blogspot has added a new feature - polls! I didn't have anything important to poll, but I wanted to try it out for later. You may see more. So, please just humor me and answer mine! It's at the top on the right! Thanks for your answers! I will be more creative later. It was the best I could do with three kids begging for food and drinks.

Buck Teeth Barbie

This is not a freak picture! This is a freak sheep! This is Barbie the boy! The woman who raised "Barbie" (named for the type of sheep that she is and obviously not her beauty), kept her inside her house with diapers on! Hmmm.....So, the farm got her, named her Barbie, and then found out she is a he! So, Barbie has quite a story behind her dashing smile!

I couldn't decide which picture showed off her beautiful teeth better. They both make me laugh hysterically. So, I thought I'd share them both! I hope you enjoy! By the way, I'm sure Barbie is a wonderful guy whom God cares about very much. Sorry for making fun of her or him, but I got a good laugh today and I really hope you do too. I think he is strong enough in his masculinity to handle it! After all, a male named Barbie has got to be strong!

The Jersey Barnyard

We took a trip to LaGrange, Texas today - almost 2 hours away. Ray C. wanted to go on an adventure, as usual. So, we found a suggestion in our Day Trips from Houston book. We visited The Jersey Barnyard - home of Belle, the actual Blue Bell Ice Cream mascot who is pictured on the cartons! The real one, yeah!! It was so much fun! We all enjoyed it!
We were the only ones there at the time. So, we got a private guided tour. We fed the goats grain. We pet the donkey and some of the barnyard animals! The kids had a so much fun! Daddy made an awesome choice! I wish they were closer because they do birthday parties, and it would be so much fun to have more kids out there!
This is the only thing we could get Thomas to do. He just really didn't want to touch the animals. He had fun - but at a distance! We actually fed the baby calves milk from bottles. It was so nice. They drank the entire bottle in about a minute - and I had to nurse my kids for 40 minutes to get that much milk! Sometimes I just don't understand the way God works, but that's okay because He's God and I'm not!
This is now Bill the duck. Names are very important to the kids, and they were disturbed that the duck did not have a name. So, Allison, our 13 year old guide, let us name the duck. After many suggestions such as turkey, chicken, cowie, and quacker, we decided on Bill only because he has a bill. I mean what do you name a duck? Allison was wonderful. She is the daughter of the people who run the farm now. So, she is with the animals all the time. Chase loved her! What is his deal? He didn't even want me! He wanted Allison to hold him everywhere we went!
I got to milk a cow! GROSS! After a few squirts I told them I couldn't do any more. It is just wrong! Any mom who has nursed babies understands the sensitivity of the subject. I remember going to a dairy with several other nursing moms a few years ago, and it was very difficult to see the cows hooked up to machines! I mean that is true violation! We all know what it is like to be hooked up to a machine, and most of us have been likened to a milking cow during that time, but to see the cows hooked up, drained, and sent on their way was just demoralizing. And to bring it even closer to home, they talked about the possibility of the cows getting infections like MASTITIS - you moms know what I'm talking about! YIKES!! At the dairy we went to a few years ago, they said most of the cows constantly have mastitis. I seriously considered giving up milk to give these poor heifers a break, but chocolate chip cookies just aren't the same without milk! Sorry girls!

By the way, we also learned that brown spotted cows do not make chocolate milk. We were certain they did, but the dairy farmers proved us wrong. We saw it with our own eyes! It is WHITE!! Nesquick still has a place on the shelf.

GIRLS!!??!!

It seems that Chase has his eye on a certain little 2 year old in his Sunday school class! How can this be? He is not quite 2 himself! What does a 2 year old feel that attracts them to someone so young? Of course, I know it is completely different from what we feel as we get older, but what is it that attracts him to one particular person? There are several girls in his class. What is it that interests him? Wouldn't you love to be inside his head?

Anyway, her name is Tara. Last week, he recognized her in the hallway in the nursery and ran to her and gave her a BIG hug. I didn't even know who she was, but then I realized she is the daughter of one of my new friends! So, when I picked him up from Sunday school today, the teachers told me that they thought he had a crush on Tara. I hadn't even mentioned last week to them!! They said he had been making eyes and smiling at her all morning ! Little flirt! Thomas overheard the teachers telling me, and he said, "I want to go in there and see her!!" He had to get a look at Chase's little crush!

All The President's Names...

We were talking about the flags being at half-staff today. We made a big deal about it a few months back when President Ford died. It was a great opportunity to learn. Anyway, they are down again for Lady Byrd Johnson's death. So, I was refreshing the kids' memories on it. So, I asked them if they remembered who our President is. Thomas said, "King George!" I laughed at how funny it sounded and told him it was a great answer but that in our country we have presidents not kings.

So later Mary Frances said something about King Bush. I said, "King Bush?" And she said, "You know--- that Bush man!" We had a nice laugh in the car.

It is the funny things that I want to record and remember one day when my children are older. I shall not forget King George and the Bush man!

One More for the Day...

The other day Thomas asked me how many bad people live in Houston! I replied that a lot of bad people live here and that is why we have to be careful to stick together wherever we go. Mary Frances' response was "Well, how many policemen are there in Houston?" Pretty good for a 3 year old, huh!?!

Our little Evangelist

Mary Frances loves girls - young, old, big, small - she loves them all! So, she makes lots of friends when we go out. She will walk up to anyone and ask them to play or talk to her. So, it was very natural for her, in Boston Market today, to walk up to a pretty girl in line and hold her hand. She drug her over to the table we were all sitting at. I said, "Did she just bring you over here?" And she said, "Yes! Actually I was at your church this morning." I assume she recognized Ray C. from the service. Anyway, it was her first time at the church. So, I told her we were hanging out with the group she would want to get involved in. They invited her to Bible Study this week, and she said she would be there! Can you believe that? Mary Frances is already serving the Lord with her hospitality. I truly believe that was a "little" divine appointment!

7/11 UPDATE: RAY C. WENT TO FUSION TONIGHT (THAT'S THE YOUNG ADULTS' MINISTRY) AND SAW KRISTEN, THE GIRL MARY FRANCES PULLED OUT OF LINE. SHE TOLD RAY C. THAT SHE WOULDN'T EVEN BE THERE IF IT WASN'T FOR MARY FRANCES! DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE WAY GOD WORKS! I KNOW I DO!

Oh....So Embarrasing

We went to Boston Market after church with the Young Adults ministry at the church. They were so sweet to invite us AND the kids. Of course, ours were the only ones. They were so sweet and, as usual, a little difficult to keep up with once they were finished eating. Anyhow, soon before we left, we were standing around talking, and Thomas walked behind me and pulled up my dress to my waist!! I was mortified! Now, all the people we were talking to were in front of me. So, the only people mooned were the people in line for lunch. I chose to sit and not look back. I don't know who saw what, but all I can say is I'm glad I was wearing a new pair of panties! I mean, if you're going to show something off, it ought to look its best, right! That may have been the first impression for members of our new church! Welcome to Foundry!

Living Out of the Box...

The fun thing about moving is there are loads of boxes to play with. The kids have used them for all types of things. Tonight, they are sleeping in one!!! Don't worry! I didn't close them in. They are safe. You all are probably thinking I am crazy at this point for letting my kids slide down the stairs in boxes and now they are sleeping in one! Well, I think their babysitters think so. Anyway, why not? Let's live life to the fullest. Didn't you always want to slide down the stairs on a box? They really are safe. I want them to use their imaginations.... Sometimes you get hurt when you take risks but usually not as bad if someone is watching out for you, right!?! So, go do something you always wanted to do. Just be responsible! Where I am going with this.....?
Gotta love a GOODWILL deal! I found this precious stars and stripes dress last week for $2! Mary Frances was so cute in it. We had a great 4th hanging out with some new friends in our new neighborhood and then at our good friends' house for dinner and fireworks. The kids had a blast all day, and I barely did anything with them because they were so busy with the other kids!
Thomas discovered that singing can be a type of praying all on his own! This is Chris Tomlin's song "Indescribable." What a sweetheart - Thomas, that is!

Music to my Ears

When I was a teenager, I babysat all the time. One particular family was very precious to me. They had a little girl and identical twin boys who were about 2 years younger than her. I spent a lot of time with them. But one of the most precious memories I have is singing them to sleep at night. I put on a little concert for them once they were in their beds. The boys slept in one room and Ginny slept in the other, but they were right next to each other. So, I would move back and forth from one door to the next. I have always loved singing, and it was so fun for me to do that with them and have them enjoy it so much. I have seen them several times in the last few years, and that is one of the main things they remember about me! "If They Could See Me Now" was their main request - yes, the Broadway song!!!

Anyhow, I always saw myself singing to my own children. And I have sung some, but it just hasn't been the same until this week. They have been requesting that I sing to them, and it has been so sweet to me. Thomas' main request is Amazing Grace. Mary Frances loves The Rocking Chair, which has been a very special song for her and me since she was born. Chase just enjoys listening. But I love singing to them. I guess I just enjoy sharing my gift with them and seeing them appreciate it!

Alone No More...

I went out to eat with some other moms last night. We had a great time. There were 3 other moms all with three small kids! It was so nice to talk to other women that understand me and listen to their stories. I couldn't believe I was sitting there listening to them say the same hilarious things that happen to me. They have the same concerns and problems that I deal with. I am so grateful to be here and have the opportunity to go out and be with other moms! Even simpler than that, I just happy to know there are other moms. I really thought I was extremely unique in having 3 kids so close together, but I'm normal here! Thank you God!!

Ray C. is enjoying the church and we are looking forward to getting started on the new campus. Today, we are going to hang out in our new neighborhood for a 4th of July celebration. We were invited by some of our new neighbors who are members of Foundry. We are really looking forward to it. Ray C. was given 4 tickets to the Astros game last night and invited 3 other guys to go with him to get to know some new people. He has also been offered tickets for tonight and tomorrow. He is in Heaven!!

The kids are so happy here. They love playing and making new friends. They love going to church and the gym. Everything is an adventure. I will be glad, however, when we get in our house with our things so cooking won't be quite so much of an adventure. Cooking with one pan, one pot, and one spatula is possible, but it's nice to have a different pot for each food!! :) I've learned to get by on MUCH less than we have. We are perfectly content without bedroom and living room furniture. Our things are convenient, but I've learned that we don't NEED them!

God is Good all the TIME!!!!!

New Tricks

It doesn't take kids long to figure out the most fun way to do anything!!! All three kids have discovered how to "sled" down our stairs in a long box. They sit at the top, rock to get it started, then fly down the stairs while laughing hysterically. I've even seen them racing side-by-side! I love it!! They are perfectly safe, and they are having so much fun! I am so grateful for their imaginations and ability to have fun anywhere!

On a much more disgusting note, Chase has learned something I am ashamed to say my children do! Yesterday, I saw him picking his nose and then stick his finger in his mouth! It is true! And, the boy in him thought it was so funny that I was grossed out. So, he continued to do it to make me cringe while laughing so hard it made him start the hiccups!

To those of you not actively parenting small children, I apologize for the gross things I post, but this is a real part of my world. Yesterday it hit me, I have joined the ranks of moms whose children eat their boogers, and I am not so proud! BUT I am so happy to have my prissy little princess who only wears dresses now and my boys who do disgusting boy things. It's good to know they are regular kids! Thanks be to God!!