As I got ready this morning, I thought it would be a busy but good day. We had to get groceries so that we could have food to eat after being gone all weekend which is never an easy task. However we also had to go by the office supply store to pick up some ring binders for Meliya's school work. As the girls got up this morning, we got ready quickly and were out the door by 9:30. Not too bad for tired, cranky girls!
As we drove away from the house, I noticed a beautiful baby blue sky with white fluffy clouds. As I turn the car south at the freeway, I see up in the sky the dreaded rain clouds! At first it looks like I might be able to get the errands done before the rain sets in, so I hurry to the store hoping to stay dry. We arrive and hurry in only to find the specific item I was needing to be out of stock. The helpful worker informed me that the nearest store that has them is a store about 15 minutes north of my house (this store was 15 minutes south of my house). Armed with this information, we headed back out to the car hoping to beat the rain. As we get to the car, the strangest thing happened. I heard the rain chasing us! As my older girls climbed, slowly I might add, into the car I was frantically unstrapping Bryleigh from the stoller and getting her into the car seat as I heard the rain start falling across the parking lot. It quickly caught up to our car. As I'm buckling Brleigh into her car seat, the rain goes from a sprinkle to heavy, big drops.
I struggle with the umbrella to get it open hoping it will at least cut some of the rain as I try to get to the liftgate on the car. I lift up the gate hoping to get a little shelter as I put the stroller in the back. Nope. The rain is coming down sideways directly under the lift gate. Let me tell you, it is not easy to fold up a stroller with one hand and lift it into the back of an expedition while holding a golf umbrella in the other hand as the wind whips it around and rains is falling! By the time I had climbed into the drivers' seat, it was pouring and I was soaked. Even my socks were wet from the rain! Now what? Do I go to the grocery store? Do I try another office supply place 5 minutes away?
Since the rainstorms we've had lately only seem to last a short while, I decided we would wait it out and then go to the other store before heading to get groceries. Thankfully, I had brought our homeschool flashcards so that we could use our time wisely! We go through Meliya's school work while it rains. After we were done, the rain seemed to let up a little, so we went to the other store. By the time we parked at the other store, it was just sprinkling. Yeah...right? Nope. As soon as I'm standing at their door letting them all out, the rain finds us again! It starts pouring down getting everyone of us wet this time. (In case you hadn't figured it out, I hate being wet.) My mood is not the greatest at this point, but I'm trying not to get too crabby. Wouldn't you know it, this store had what I wanted but it was half the quantity for the same price! Despite my desparate desire not to have to waste more time in the rain, I couldn't pay that much! So we found Meliya's new backpack which was on the list and checked out. Thankfully, the rain had taken a break from chasing us and decided to chase someone else by the time we came out. We got in the car again and headed north.
Groceries or office supply? Groceries or office supply? Well, since the exit I needed to take to get to the grocery store was being ambushed by more storm showers, I thought why not? I went on to the office supply store. So bye bye home and grocery store even though we are so close, we are off to our third office supply store in an hour! (Of course, we usually only go to the office supply store once every 12 -18 months!) Thankfully, we out ran the rain and were able to get what we needed and back in the car before anymore raindrops decided to dive bomb my head! Of course, we got to experience the lightning and thunder that set off the car alarms around us while we were strapping in to leave! How exciting!
God was gracious enough to let the rain go away as we get to the grocery store. We managed to get inside and start shopping without any major issues....until...yes, that's right! A potty emergency! Of course we are in the middle of the vegetable section and I am just too worn out from dragging them all around this morning in the rain to have to haul everyone into the bathroom at the front of the store. "Sorry, Caillyn, you are just going to have to hold it!" We quickly get the items on our list. As I'm trying to move to the next department to get the rest of our list checked off, I hear something dreaded. "Uh Oh!" Yep, Caillyn is standing in a puddle of pee in the middle of the veggie section!
By this point, I was whipped. I felt like I had taken a shower with my clothes on in order to go to the store, and then she decided to use the floor as her toilet. What do you do? Something I never thought I would! I looked at her and said, "There's nothing I can do for you now. Let's go." With that I turn the cart to the aisles where I could find the things on my list. Yes, I walked away and left a puddle of pee on the floor! I hang my head in shame but I just couldn't handle it! I looked back to call the girls to come with me and watch Caillyn leave wet footprints as she dutifully follows me.
We managed to finish our grocery list as Bryleigh decides to leave a present in her diaper. Then, while checking out, decides that it is not good enough to sit there quietly and wait to go home patiently. No, she decided to scream loudly enough for all to hear just to let them know she had done a big job and needed a clean diaper!
Normally, I would decline help out to the car and take the groceries myself. However, today I gladly accepted the sacker's gracious help in getting the groceries into the car as I got everyone loaded so that we could get home quickly!
Now home, we are enjoying rain free weather...and if you were wondering, yes, everyone is now clean! I hope your day was a little more enjoyable than mine!! Happy Tuesday!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Animals can be so silly!
It's been a busy morning this morning. As I tried hard to clean the house as quickly as possible, of course there were many distractions with the girls around. However, the funniest had to be our newest member of the family, Samson. He is a 60 lb yellow lab puppy. He may be large, but he is still a puppy at heart. He is also very skiddish. Whatever life he lived before becoming our dog a month ago left him very jumpy when it comes to loud noises.
This morning, I start to vacuum in our room since Bryleigh went down for a nap on the other side of the house. Of course, Samson does NOT like the vacuum cleaner. When I was setting up the vacuum cleaner by the door, he ran over to the other side of our bed and hid. All I could see was his head peek over our bed to see what I was doing. Mind you, there is no escaping the room over there except to bust through the window. Knowing he was going to panic because I was going to have to vacuum where he was, I got him to get out of the room before I turned on the vacuum. He ran like he was about to be bit in the rear past the vacuum.
As I was vacuuming, the girls started running in and out of the room playing. Well, apparently Samson got so excited about them running around, he forgot I was vacuuming. He ran in and then realized the vacuum was running. Instead of turning around and leaving the room by the way he just entered safely, he decided to take a more interesting route...over the bed. Yes, he jumped over the bed to trap himself by the window again. When I yelled at him, what did he do? Yes, you guessed it! He jumped over the bed again to run out the door! Crazy dog! If he had just stayed out in the first place, he wouldn't have tramatized himself!
I didn't realize it was possible, but Samson can jump from the floor on one side of the bed to the other while only touching the bed in between once. Quite and amusing, all be it inappropriate, sight!!
This morning, I start to vacuum in our room since Bryleigh went down for a nap on the other side of the house. Of course, Samson does NOT like the vacuum cleaner. When I was setting up the vacuum cleaner by the door, he ran over to the other side of our bed and hid. All I could see was his head peek over our bed to see what I was doing. Mind you, there is no escaping the room over there except to bust through the window. Knowing he was going to panic because I was going to have to vacuum where he was, I got him to get out of the room before I turned on the vacuum. He ran like he was about to be bit in the rear past the vacuum.
As I was vacuuming, the girls started running in and out of the room playing. Well, apparently Samson got so excited about them running around, he forgot I was vacuuming. He ran in and then realized the vacuum was running. Instead of turning around and leaving the room by the way he just entered safely, he decided to take a more interesting route...over the bed. Yes, he jumped over the bed to trap himself by the window again. When I yelled at him, what did he do? Yes, you guessed it! He jumped over the bed again to run out the door! Crazy dog! If he had just stayed out in the first place, he wouldn't have tramatized himself!
I didn't realize it was possible, but Samson can jump from the floor on one side of the bed to the other while only touching the bed in between once. Quite and amusing, all be it inappropriate, sight!!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Having a teeter-totter type day
On Friday, I decided to do the impossible...shop with all 3 of my little girls on Tax Free Weekend! I know, you think I'm crazy. However, there was no other option considering how the week had gone. We had things to do and they all had to be done Friday. So with a little anxiety, I headed for the car with my girls and our list in hand.
First, we stopped by Office Depot to drop off some school cards to be laminated for Meliya. While there, I looked around trying to find the rings we would need to bind them together when they were finished. Let's just say, I forgot how narrow Office Depot makes their aisles. The sit-n-stand stroller could barely make it through with all the school supply displays. Of course, Caillyn and Meliya took advantage of my limited mobility to run all over the store, climb on the office furniture and touch every supply they could find! ...And no, we did not even find the rings. I just gave up and left.
So, next stop here we come! Ulta it is. I'm trying to look on the positive as I think, "OK, here is a character training opportunity! Let's work on keeping our hands and bodies under control." So, we dived into the perfume section as I was looking to replace my old, discontinued perfume. After going down one aisle and smelling a LOT of really SMELLY perfumes, we were doing OK. There was a lot of instruction going on reminding Caillyn to stay with the stroller and for both the older girls to not touch but ask me to hold the bottle so they could smell. And then it happened. I smelt one of the most repulsive perfume odors ever! As I'm trying to maintain my composure, I reach up for the coffee bean container to help "cleanse" my smeller. Yes, it happened...coffee beans EVERYWHERE! The little plastic cup decided to collapse under my grasp. The lid popped off and a shower of coffee beans exploded out of the cup like smoothie out of a topless blender. And the best part...we were right next to the hard working women who were arranging the price tags for the entire perfume section. They had witnessed our every character building move and then got to see me, the mom, make the huge mess! As I stood there, dumbfounded, I decided not to shrink away but power through this seemingly sad turn of events. The girls started helping me pick up coffee beans and I apologized a lot for my oops.
After the disaster was cleaned up, we kept going to find the elusive perfume. After going down the last aisle, ready to tie Caillyn to the stroller because of her insatiable need to run around and pick up every bottle she saw, a girl who worked there finally approached me for help. In 3 minutes flat, she directed me to 2 different perfumes for which I was looking. Helping me choose the one I would purchase and be done. I wish she had come up earlier! So, off to pick out lipstick and checkout!
As we were standing at the lipstick counter (another 3 minute time frame), Caillyn says those words that make every mom cringe, "I've got to go potty!" So, off to the potty we run. We get inside the restroom were I send both girls into each stall to go quickly as I struggle to get the stroller through the door. Caillyn proceeds to play with the lock on the stall because it was hard to work. As I tell her not to worry about it but get on the potty and go, it happens. She tee-tees. Then, as I'm turned around making sure Bryleigh's feet don't get caught in the door and wipe the lipstick samples off my hand she manages to kick her shoes off and walk around in the HUGE puddle of pee on the floor. I turn to see what happened and told her to get on the potty (of course not realizing that it was too late). She then gets on the potty, crying LOUDLY, Bryleigh's screaming because Caillyn scared her and Meliya is talking my ear off over it all. Yes, this was a low point for me. All I could think about was how the women in the salon area that watched us go in were hearing everything going on and thinking that CPS should be called! As I gather the shoes to rinse them off in the sink, I find that Caillyn had dropped part of her dress in the toilet when she climbed on it. As I'm helping her get off, my 2 pens from my purse decide to leap into the toilet as well. "Seriously?" I thought.
Now here was a quandary. I don't have any spare panties or outfit for Caillyn. I'm more than 15 minutes away from home and haven't finished the errands that HAD to get done that day that were only 5 minutes away...now what?
Yes, yes...Caillyn went commando with a partially wet dress, wet shoes that had been rinsed in the sink and all of us in a bad mood straight to check-out. We got in the car and headed for our next stop, Target. Thankfully, the God of the Universe knew that I would need to go to a place where not only could I buy panties but also a clean dress for her to wear!
Target proved to be redeeming. So up comes the teeter totter as Caillyn is confined in the basket with Bryleigh and we try our best to knock off the things on the list quickly! We manage, thanks be to God, to find panties and a sundress (ON SALE) and head for check-out. At the car, I strip Caillyn down to redress her and get everyone in to go eat. By this time, Meliya has put her negotiating skills into high gear. As she promises that everyone will behave from now on if we go to Jason's Deli, I point the car in that direction with a prayer uttering from deep within my soul, "Lord, help...please!"
Now here is where God is so good! We went to Jason's Deli, got a great parking spot despite the crowd. Managed to find a good table. And ...wait for it...we ALL ate without any bad attitudes or fussing!!!! Even Bryleigh managed to behave herself! After we finished eating, we all went to the bathroom too. And no, there was no potty drama! Each girl did what they were supposed to do without any unnecessary messes!!! They were so good, they got to enjoy ice cream cones when we left!
Our last stop of the day, Old Navy. By this time, it was stifling outside. So sweaty and tired we head in praying that God will bless this visit so that we can end on a good note. Thankfully, God is good! We were able to find everything we needed without too much trouble, although Caillyn was relegated to riding in the stroller with Bryleigh most of the time. After a long wait at checkout, we managed to get in the car and head home! Home to naps and rest! Thank you, Jesus, sweet rest!
So have you had a teeter-totter day lately? Hopefully no matter how low it seems to get, God has been able to bring you back up with His wonderful (even if it's small) blessings! Thank you God for small blessings that keep us sane!
First, we stopped by Office Depot to drop off some school cards to be laminated for Meliya. While there, I looked around trying to find the rings we would need to bind them together when they were finished. Let's just say, I forgot how narrow Office Depot makes their aisles. The sit-n-stand stroller could barely make it through with all the school supply displays. Of course, Caillyn and Meliya took advantage of my limited mobility to run all over the store, climb on the office furniture and touch every supply they could find! ...And no, we did not even find the rings. I just gave up and left.
So, next stop here we come! Ulta it is. I'm trying to look on the positive as I think, "OK, here is a character training opportunity! Let's work on keeping our hands and bodies under control." So, we dived into the perfume section as I was looking to replace my old, discontinued perfume. After going down one aisle and smelling a LOT of really SMELLY perfumes, we were doing OK. There was a lot of instruction going on reminding Caillyn to stay with the stroller and for both the older girls to not touch but ask me to hold the bottle so they could smell. And then it happened. I smelt one of the most repulsive perfume odors ever! As I'm trying to maintain my composure, I reach up for the coffee bean container to help "cleanse" my smeller. Yes, it happened...coffee beans EVERYWHERE! The little plastic cup decided to collapse under my grasp. The lid popped off and a shower of coffee beans exploded out of the cup like smoothie out of a topless blender. And the best part...we were right next to the hard working women who were arranging the price tags for the entire perfume section. They had witnessed our every character building move and then got to see me, the mom, make the huge mess! As I stood there, dumbfounded, I decided not to shrink away but power through this seemingly sad turn of events. The girls started helping me pick up coffee beans and I apologized a lot for my oops.
After the disaster was cleaned up, we kept going to find the elusive perfume. After going down the last aisle, ready to tie Caillyn to the stroller because of her insatiable need to run around and pick up every bottle she saw, a girl who worked there finally approached me for help. In 3 minutes flat, she directed me to 2 different perfumes for which I was looking. Helping me choose the one I would purchase and be done. I wish she had come up earlier! So, off to pick out lipstick and checkout!
As we were standing at the lipstick counter (another 3 minute time frame), Caillyn says those words that make every mom cringe, "I've got to go potty!" So, off to the potty we run. We get inside the restroom were I send both girls into each stall to go quickly as I struggle to get the stroller through the door. Caillyn proceeds to play with the lock on the stall because it was hard to work. As I tell her not to worry about it but get on the potty and go, it happens. She tee-tees. Then, as I'm turned around making sure Bryleigh's feet don't get caught in the door and wipe the lipstick samples off my hand she manages to kick her shoes off and walk around in the HUGE puddle of pee on the floor. I turn to see what happened and told her to get on the potty (of course not realizing that it was too late). She then gets on the potty, crying LOUDLY, Bryleigh's screaming because Caillyn scared her and Meliya is talking my ear off over it all. Yes, this was a low point for me. All I could think about was how the women in the salon area that watched us go in were hearing everything going on and thinking that CPS should be called! As I gather the shoes to rinse them off in the sink, I find that Caillyn had dropped part of her dress in the toilet when she climbed on it. As I'm helping her get off, my 2 pens from my purse decide to leap into the toilet as well. "Seriously?" I thought.
Now here was a quandary. I don't have any spare panties or outfit for Caillyn. I'm more than 15 minutes away from home and haven't finished the errands that HAD to get done that day that were only 5 minutes away...now what?
Yes, yes...Caillyn went commando with a partially wet dress, wet shoes that had been rinsed in the sink and all of us in a bad mood straight to check-out. We got in the car and headed for our next stop, Target. Thankfully, the God of the Universe knew that I would need to go to a place where not only could I buy panties but also a clean dress for her to wear!
Target proved to be redeeming. So up comes the teeter totter as Caillyn is confined in the basket with Bryleigh and we try our best to knock off the things on the list quickly! We manage, thanks be to God, to find panties and a sundress (ON SALE) and head for check-out. At the car, I strip Caillyn down to redress her and get everyone in to go eat. By this time, Meliya has put her negotiating skills into high gear. As she promises that everyone will behave from now on if we go to Jason's Deli, I point the car in that direction with a prayer uttering from deep within my soul, "Lord, help...please!"
Now here is where God is so good! We went to Jason's Deli, got a great parking spot despite the crowd. Managed to find a good table. And ...wait for it...we ALL ate without any bad attitudes or fussing!!!! Even Bryleigh managed to behave herself! After we finished eating, we all went to the bathroom too. And no, there was no potty drama! Each girl did what they were supposed to do without any unnecessary messes!!! They were so good, they got to enjoy ice cream cones when we left!
Our last stop of the day, Old Navy. By this time, it was stifling outside. So sweaty and tired we head in praying that God will bless this visit so that we can end on a good note. Thankfully, God is good! We were able to find everything we needed without too much trouble, although Caillyn was relegated to riding in the stroller with Bryleigh most of the time. After a long wait at checkout, we managed to get in the car and head home! Home to naps and rest! Thank you, Jesus, sweet rest!
So have you had a teeter-totter day lately? Hopefully no matter how low it seems to get, God has been able to bring you back up with His wonderful (even if it's small) blessings! Thank you God for small blessings that keep us sane!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Will you stay when the Lord says go?
While listening to the choir sing a song in church a few weeks ago, these thoughts began to swirl in my head. As the choir sang these words, "I don't want to stand when the Lord says go," I began to think about what that really means. How easy it is to sing this but how different it is to really put it into practice. To truly mean these words you must completely trust God - not in the outcome His will brings but in His character. God's ways are higher than our ways. If we try and figure out or trust in the outcome, we totally miss that it is God's character that brings comfort and peace not the actual provisions.
Oh, how He loves us. Not as a lord directing his subjects but as a father tenderly guiding his children with great care and tenderness.
Trust, what a small word that carries such a heavy calling. God asks us to trust Him. We ask our children to trust us. We ask our friends and loved ones to trust us. What does that really mean? I always thought that it meant to just believe a person's word to be true. However, I am beginning to see that it is much more than that. To truly trust in God is not to only believe that whatever He brings your way is for your best, but that it is to know, with certainty that God is who He said He is. Alpha Omega, the Great Shepherd, I AM, Everlasting Father...no matter the name He will never change. He is pure and holy. He cannot fail. He cannot mess up. He is perfect in every way. It is in believing this about His character that you can begin to put trust in Him. If you try to believe based on His works, you are placing conditional trust in Him. The how's and why's of what He does are truly not our concern - they are His.
If you have had trouble placing full trust in God, shift your focus off of His will and on to His character, for out of His character comes faith, love and acceptance. Out of His character comes grace and peace. Out of His character comes salvation!
If you are trying to find peace anywhere else, you will miss the most precious, all encompassing love gift ever given - Jesus. Only true perfect character would drive the Son of the Most High God to the cross to die the most excruciating death possible without any other reason that to give us the OPTION of life over death. He didn't have to do it. He wasn't guaranteed our acceptance of His offer. He loved us enough to hope we would love Him enough to choose to believe His sacrifice would bring us salvation. WOW! Thank you Lord for loving us in this way! May I trust in Your character despite what my circumstances bring!
Oh, how He loves us. Not as a lord directing his subjects but as a father tenderly guiding his children with great care and tenderness.
Trust, what a small word that carries such a heavy calling. God asks us to trust Him. We ask our children to trust us. We ask our friends and loved ones to trust us. What does that really mean? I always thought that it meant to just believe a person's word to be true. However, I am beginning to see that it is much more than that. To truly trust in God is not to only believe that whatever He brings your way is for your best, but that it is to know, with certainty that God is who He said He is. Alpha Omega, the Great Shepherd, I AM, Everlasting Father...no matter the name He will never change. He is pure and holy. He cannot fail. He cannot mess up. He is perfect in every way. It is in believing this about His character that you can begin to put trust in Him. If you try to believe based on His works, you are placing conditional trust in Him. The how's and why's of what He does are truly not our concern - they are His.
If you have had trouble placing full trust in God, shift your focus off of His will and on to His character, for out of His character comes faith, love and acceptance. Out of His character comes grace and peace. Out of His character comes salvation!
If you are trying to find peace anywhere else, you will miss the most precious, all encompassing love gift ever given - Jesus. Only true perfect character would drive the Son of the Most High God to the cross to die the most excruciating death possible without any other reason that to give us the OPTION of life over death. He didn't have to do it. He wasn't guaranteed our acceptance of His offer. He loved us enough to hope we would love Him enough to choose to believe His sacrifice would bring us salvation. WOW! Thank you Lord for loving us in this way! May I trust in Your character despite what my circumstances bring!
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