Mommy and Chase Day

Today I got to experience the Zoo with only one child! It was amazing! It was so much fun, and I saw things I've never noticed before! We ate lunch on a bench near the meerkats. We pet the goats who like attention as much as our dogs! We played on the playground, too! What a fun trip!

Look at that beautiful creature!
This poor little goat is named "Forest" after Forest Gump. He has several problems and can't walk very well. It is difficult to tell in the picture, but he is actually sitting on that stump. His back feet were dangling in the air while he rested for a few minutes! It was so funny!
Chase rode a dolphin - well, he sat on a model of one!
I got to sit in the "eagle's nest". Chase took my picture!
Chase got a picture in it too, with the "eggs".
Another beautiful creation!
And yet another....

After our trip to the zoo, we went to the Houston SPCA to see the dogs and cats up for adoption just for fun! We had a good time looking at all the animals. It was such a fun day! It will be a good memory when Chase starts back to school next week. I'm glad we had come time together!

Getting off the Bus

I forgot to put these up the other day! Mary Frances and Thomas both ride the bus home after school. Mary Frances acted very cool about it, but I know she was VERY excited about riding the bus with the big kids!

Ray C. has ridden the bus the last three days as a "Bus Buddy" to be sure all the kids get off on the right stop! I, for one, really appreciate the program. It makes putting them on the bus so much easier!

Two Down, One to Go

I have two kids in elementary school!! I cannot believe it!

We dropped off Mary Frances first. She was really excited about school and didn't seem to mind us leaving! She was nervous last week, but she was excited today! I will be thinking about her all day!

We dropped of Thomas last and were able to talk to his teacher a little! I just told her to be sure to keep me updated on what is going on with him. It is SO important to me that continues to enjoy learning! He was excited about school too!
It was an easy drop-off! I think I went through all the first day jitters so much last year because it was my first school experience as a mom, and I expect I will be a basket case when the last one goes, too! But today, we were ready!

Meet the Teacher

We got to meet Thomas and Mary Frances' teachers yesterday! We are all excited about school starting on Monday! I am really excited about their teachers. I think it is going to be a GREAT year. I'm planning to volunteer in each of their classrooms for an hour a week just to be up there and part of everything going on...and to help their teachers!

While we were in Thomas' classroom talking to the other kids and filling out the never-ending paperwork, I looked over just in time to see Thomas throw a little foam ball and hit one of the little girls in his class. It didn't hurt her. So, she didn't even say anything, but after it hit her, it bounced out the door and hit someone else I couldn't see. When I walked out the door to get the ball and get on to Thomas, I realized that he had hit the PRINCIPAL with the ball!! Come on people...Does this happen to anyone else? And while I'm on the subject, why am I the only person who knows what a "Think Sheet" is? Is my child the only one who gets in trouble sometimes?

Anyway, as soon as I realized it had hit Mr. Maness, I turned to Thomas and jokingly hit Thomas and said, Thomas, you hit the principal! Eww...you are in trouble!" Of course, school hasn't started yet, so he just thought it was funny, especially when he realized it was Thomas! So, I said, "Hi, Mr. Maness. I'm Jacqueline. I know you remember Thomas." He just laughed. I think he gets Thomas!

So, after that I said, "Mr. Maness, do you remember kindergarten sign-ups last year? You know when the kid pulled the fire alarm? He said "no", but the teacher standing next to him said, "I remember". I went on to inform him that is was Thomas, and as expected he did get a kick out of the situation. I just thought he would find it humorous now that he knows him!

Anyway...here's to school starting! Chase and I are planning a trip to the zoo next week while everyone else is in school!

Restoring Margin

I took a Bible Study this summer in which we studied the book "Margin" by Richard Swenson. So, I having been contemplating how I can restore margin to my crazy life without moving out to the country and forgetting about modern-day conveniences. I thought I'd share what I've come up with.

1. We tried disconnecting our television stations, but it was more expensive to do that than to keep them! Go figure!! So, we just haven't been turning it on. The kids are watching less and playing more. I have been reading EVERY night and loving it. As a result, I am going to bed earlier and enjoying peace in the evenings!

2. I am saying "no" to opportunities that do not line up with what God has called me to do. I do not have to go to every birthday party I am invited to, do every Bible Study offered, or participate in every night out suggested. I do what I can handle. This is still a process for me, but it is great. Of course, saying no is also difficult, and as school starts back there will be much more to consider, but I'm on the journey!

3. I'm going to cancel my gym membership and exercise outside. I find it difficult to make myself go to the gym. I don't love working out. So, I figure if I'm going to have to make myself do it, I might as well spend less money and save myself the trip back and forth to the gym!

4. We've opened up a separate checking account so that I can do a better job keeping up with what I am spending on the items that I am responsible for. It is so easy to put things on the credit card and not consider how much I actually have to purchase things! I am really excited about this one!

5. I'm not going to answer the phone between seven and nine at night. That is the most hectic part of my day, and answering the phone only makes it worse. It will also help me to show my children that they are important enough to make someone else wait while I spend quality time with them!

6. I am trying to leave 15 minutes early than I usually do so that I can be 5-10 minutes early instead of 5-10 minutes late to everything! I'm actually doing pretty good on this most of the time!

7. I am putting my work (weddings or house work) down more often to read books to my children when they ask and to play games with them almost every day. Since I have started doing this, I don't feel guilty on the days when I have to work and have less time to spend with them.

I am nervous about the fall because the activities are going to challenge my margin, but I am also looking forward to what God will do in my life as I protect the time that I have with him and for him and with my family! God made me with limitations. So, I am going to try to live within them even though everything in my MEGA-TASKING personality says not to!!

If you'd like to learn more, I STRONGLY suggest the book Margin and the study that goes with called "Restoring Margin to Overloaded Lives."

Who's afraid of thunder?

Sugar, the dog, is!! She is having a panic attack because of a little thunder and lightning. It is kind of sad, really! Anyway, I gave her some anxiety medicine prescribed by the vet.

While the kids were eating a snack this afternoon, someone asked why Curly (the little dog) isn't afraid of the storm.

Thomas said, "I know! It's because Curly is a MAN!"

the Button

I took the children to Steak and Shake a few days ago and was amazed at how much fun we had! They were so well-behaved - another reminder of how much they are growing!

Anyway, before we left, I took them all to the bathroom. Of course, "speedy" Chase ran in the men's bathroom before I could catch him. So, I stood outside the door until he was finished. We he came out he was holding a button that he had found on the floor which completely grossed me out since it was in the men's bathroom. Yuck...

Moving on...he was really excited about his find and did not appreciate me telling him to throw it down quickly. So, he ran to Thomas and Mary Frances and said, "Guys, look what I found. It's a belly button!"

He just got his words mixed up, but I couldn't stop laughing at the thought of it!!

Homeless People

Mary Frances truly has a heart for homeless people. Every time we pass someone on the road, we have a very interesting discussion about how we can help. So, since I get all this free stuff and my drawers and cabinets are now over-stuffed, we decided to fill gallon baggies with some essential items that a homeless person might need and enjoy.

I did one as an example and set up an assembly line for the kids to fill the others. So, as we were doing this and discussing why this would be good, everyone suggested a few other ideas of how we could help:

*we could take them to a hotel
*we could buy them a house
*we could buy them some food....

After a lot of discussion as to why some of those would be difficult, Thomas had the best idea...
"Why don't we just give them a ride to the bank?"

Of course, his thought process was that if we could just get them to the bank, they could get all the money they need! Again, I love the way they think! I remember a similar discussion I had with my mom when I was in elementary school about "all those people in Ethiopia..."

Dollar Tree

I took the kids into the "Dollar Tree" the other day to get a few things, and Thomas was very confused when we went in. After walking past a few aisles, he said, "Mommy, there are no dollars anywhere in this store!"

I guess I didn't exactly explain what we were doing!