So, why am I asking for a drumroll? Because, this weekend we had a very important happening in our household! Something that everybody should do at least once in their life. I am pleased to announce that First-Born and Middle Biscuit....wait for it...got their very first LIBRARY CARDS! Ta-da!
Now, this may not seem like such a big deal, but to me it is! I still remember my first library card (when we moved to PA, we lived right up the street from the local library...the card was orange cardboard...I felt like a grown-up!) I spend a lot of time reading. And when I say a lot, I mean, every spare minute that I am sitting down, before bed, when I'm eating (I know, I know, bad manners...but I only do it if we're not eating as a family!), and pretty much any other time I can.
I have always wanted to pass on this enjoyment of reading to the boys. So, I have read a lot to them. We have as many books on our bookshelves as we do toys in our toy boxes. For the first two years of their lives, especially the older boys, they went to sleep at nap time to the sound of me reading to them aloud. So far, we have read aloud the first five "Little House" books, "Runaway Ralph" several Bobbsey Twin books, "Mary Poppins", "The Hobbit", several "Oz" books, "Peter Pan" and others. Not to mention innumerable picture books.
So, last Saturday, we had some time to kill and we happened to be down-town. We thought about the art museum (free admission!), but couldn't get parking because they were having an event. So, we decided to visit the really big down-town library. And I thought, what better place to get the boys first library cards than in this huge, new (to them) library? It would make it even more special, right? So, in we went, and up to the second floor children's section. After about an hour, the boys had chosen the book they wanted, and we headed down to the check-out to get our new library cards!
They boys were excited to check-out their books with the own cards, and they wanted to hold them all the way home. Middle Biscuit best part was the "receipt" he got telling him when his book was due. He was very careful to tuck it into the front of his book!
Here are the books they chose. (Well, Daddy chose the one about fibers. Don't ask...I have no idea.)
The boys are into learning about real things right now. So, they like to look at books about animals especially.
So, that's the latest and greatest happening around here. Oh, and speaking of books, look for me to add a book review page to my blog soon! :)
The new year is well under way, and that means a birthday in our house! Littlest brother Stitch had his third birthday a few days ago! We haven't really "partied" yet, but Mommy did manage to have cupcakes for him to bring to school, and he got "fire on his cake", which is all he really remembered from his last birthday!
I have to admit, Stitch was my biggest "surprise" child. Not that he was an "oops" baby, but just that he was not what I was expecting from the third-born. By the time we had the sonogram to find out what we were getting, I had already convinced myself that we were having another boy. Nope, the surprise came a little later...'long about ten months or so.
You see, I was expecting that a third-born child of the same gender as the other kids would be the laid-back, quiet, naturally obedient one. Like my sister...third-born, same gender, sweet, nice, never got in trouble. Well, Stitch was a whole different story than that.
He has been our climber, jumper, family comedian, and show-off. He's the one we've gotten the closest to having to take to the emergency room for a gaping head wound. He's the one I have to plan pictures around how many marks are on his face! The one, who if you don't hear for a little while, you'd better go find him and see what damage has been done. The one whose name is shrieked in anguish the most often by the big brothers whose creations he has destroyed.
He's also my cuddler, the one who says randomly throughout the day, "I 'yuv' you Mommy." The one who still likes to "help" me clean and do jobs around the house. The one who had to grow up a little quicker than his big brothers because his life changed pretty rapidly this last year. And--I admit it--the one who's the most like me.
So, happy birthday to Stitch...our rough-and tumble, yet cuddly-and-sweet little boy! :)
*This pic was taken on his third birthday. He has always loved the movie "Davy Crockett"--especially the theme song--"...Killed him a b'ar when he was only three!" :)
Well, if you have read this blog before, or know me at all, you know I am a person who likes having a schedule. Ha, who am I kidding...I love having a schedule! It's Thursday and the house isn't clean? Problem! Tuesday and I haven't finished the laundry? Yikes! It's 8:32 and the kids are still up? To bed! Now! I freely admit that I am border-line OCD about these things.
However, as I look back over this year, I think God has been trying to show me that sometimes being unscheduled is part of the schedule. As I tried to plan for things like tornado aftermath (let's just say that may be an impossibility!), teaching school full-time, not being a stay-at-home mom, changes in Hubby's job situation, financial juggling (due to changes in Hubby's job!), and other major things, I was getting overwhelmed with all the changes. I like boring!
So, I have been re-evaluating the plan. And, thanks to my wise pastor/dad, a great verse has made itself known to me. Because I want God's plan to be my plan. Sometimes, it definitely gets turned around: God's plan gets "squooshed" into my plan. Which is not how it's supposed to work, of course. So, on Sunday, as I listened to the message on committing your New Year to the Lord, I realized that I could have no better plan that the plan Jesus had while He was here on this earth. You can find this plan stated in John 17:4 when Jesus says, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
There's the plan...right there in black and white (or red and white if you have that kind of Bible!). Our purpose is to glorify God while we are here on this earth. All my planning aside, all my schedules rearranged, that I may glorify God in my life. Now, it's hard to imagine that I am glorifying God when I am cleaning the bathroom or wiping a runny nose, but if I am doing what God has called me to do, with a servant's heart (check out some great posts about this from my Sis-in-law's blog!), then I am glorifying God even in these tasks!
So, while I'm not giving up the schedule just yet, (umm, can you say "chaos?") I am working and praying that God will keep reminding me that my plan is to glorify Him! Can't wait to see what the New Year has in store! :)
Here are the books they chose. (Well, Daddy chose the one about fibers. Don't ask...I have no idea.)
