A Dimple in my Heart

Believe it or not (and I don't) Baby Judah will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago and already he's changed so much. Why do they do that?

Just as his sweet chin holds a permanent dimple, so does my heart. A Judah size dimple that grows each day.

His latest, you wonder?

He's loosing his hair on top, so he's looking even more like a little old man.

He has the most pleasant face when you talk to him. He loves being the center of attention.

He started smiling just yesterday! And made this mama cry just a bit...

He loves being held and sleeps the best when he's in someone's arms! (yes, I realize that I'm in trouble!)

Life has gotten busier since his arrival, but slowed down at the same time.  That's something I keep hearing myself say to the older kids a lot, "Life slows down when you have a baby... just be patient." They are learning and so am I.

It's so fun having four. And I'm loving it.

Some Bad Advice

Not sure if any of you are Reader's Digest fans. We are. We enjoy the occasional mindless reading on a fourth grade level. And the information you can glean, not to mention the funnies, well... you just don't know what you're missing!

As I was flipping through the little magazine this past weekend I came across something that made me stop, laugh and then read out loud to Dustin in disbelief.

He laughed too, rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. Should we really be surprised anymore?

I know you are dying to know what it was that we read, so here it is:

Wacky Health Tips That Work

1) Eat Sugar, Act Sweeter: University of Kentucky researchers found that people who drank a glass of sugar-sweetened lemonade acted less aggressively than people who had the same drink with a sugar substitute. Self-control takes a lot of energy, and the glucose may help give your brain the fuel it needs to hold back hostility and be more positive. But instead of binging on sweets, stick to a balanced diet to avoid blood sugar spikes and dips.

2) Curse to Kill Pain: You'll feel better if you let loose with some profanity after you whack your funny bone. U.K. researchers found that participants who repeated a swear word could keep their hands in freezing water longer than those who repeated a non-curse word. One caveat: The trick works better if you're not a regular potty mouth!

3) Make Important Decisions When You (Really) Gotta Go: People with full bladders may be better at making big decisions, according to a Dutch study. If you show self-control in terms of a bodily function (such as going to the bathroom), you're more likely to show self-control in decision making, holding out for a long-term reward instead of jumping on an impulse.

Yes, quite wacky I know. But what's even wackier is that there are actual people sitting behind desks thinking of these ridiculous things to research!

While reading these crazy 'tips' I was reminded of some of the words of wisdom I heard repeated over and over at a local homeschool conference I attended a couple of weekends ago. They were such a good reminder to me to keep going and to not get discouraged in the crazy life as a homeschool mom of (now) 4.

It's easy to compare our lives and children with those around us and get discouraged or even scared when things don't quite match up. I know I do this. Academically, spiritually, behaviorally, etc.

I need to be reminded that we are supposed to look different because we are doing things differently! Not better. Just different. And that each and every child is sososooo different! Why force them all through the same mold?

It would be silly for us to look to the 'world' (anything outside of God's way) for advice, encouragement or even practical how to's. I think Reader's Digest proves this point! Not that God can't use anything, but He wants to encourage us primarily through His Word and by those who are like minded in His ways - not Dr. Phil. (sorry Dr. Phil fans)

We are headed into homeschool year #3. It's the first year that I haven't dissolved into tears at the thought of it. Maybe the 3rd year's a charm...?

I pray God continues to hold us up and to grant wisdom. Parenting/homeschooling is such a tough job. I need all the help we can get.

Maybe I should load up on some sugar. I feel my energy (and sweetness) level waning...

A Daddy's Day

Once Upon A Time...

There was a little girl and her daddy. And they went birshin'.

Birshin'? You wonder.

Well, the little girl was only three and that was the best she could do. "Fishin'" was the correct way of saying it.

Well they went birshin' and caught all kinds of birsh. Big ones, little ones. Some they kept. Some they threw back. They hooked worms and ate sandwiches and then all of a sudden...!

BIG GIGANTIC  SNAKES... Came out of nowhere!

They were hanging from trees, falling in the boat. Swimming down the river right towards them!

Well, that little girl of three wasn't too scared cause she had her daddy with her. And she knew that he would protect her.

Sure enough, he grabbed his handy dandy pistol, that he must have kept in his boot, and started shootin'! I mean he shot that snake right OUT of that tree! And the ones swimming towards them, poor things didn't have a chance.

POW! POW! POW!

Her daddy was the best shot in the town, ya know.

And don't worry about the one that fell in the boat...

That daddy yanked that thing by it's tail. Flung it around his head a few times then threw it in the river!

She was so proud. But not surprised. Because, simply put, he was her hero.

So they counted their fish and drove that little john boat off into the sunset towards home.

----------------------------------------------

Well, folks, I am sad to say that the story you just read is all a lie, a fabrication. Yes, a bit of an exaggeration.

But what's even sadder is the fact that I didn't realize this wasn't true until just a couple of years ago.

See, the little girl was me. And my daddy really did take me fishin' in the little john boat along the Ashy Poo River when I was three.

But there were never any snakes.

I was telling this story to some of my family, fondly reminiscing, when Mom and Daddy stopped me.
They proceeded to tell me that I must have made this up in my head because, there were never any snakes! I couldn't believe it. I mean, I was truly devastated! I had not only believed this to be true my entire life, I had even told people this story, bragging on my daddy and how stinkin' great he was!

We all had a good laugh that night.

Later I got to thinking about how this could have happened. Where had the snakes come from (inside my mind) and how could I have believed for so long that this had really happened?

It didn't take me long to realize there was a simple answer.

I love my daddy with all of my heart and simply put, he's my hero.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I love you. And thanks for taking me birshin'.

Happy Anny to Us!

I know you must all be waiting with bated breath for another 6 part Anniversary post. I am so sorry to disappoint. Yes, it is our 10th Anniversary today and probably warrants such. But alas, that ship has sailed and another has sailed in (we call him Judah) so this will have to suffice.

The other day I was napping on the couch. The older three were at Nana's and baby was snug by my side. I turned on a Netflix movie for some background noise, something I could sleep through. The cursor landed on Emma, a Jane Austin movie. Good enough.

I dozed in and out for most of the movie. At one point my ears picked up the monologue Emma was having with herself.

Emma, making it her personal mission to play match maker has found herself in a possible match with Mr. Churchill. This was what she wrote in her diary that night... 

"Well, he loves me! He was on the verge of telling me when his father burst in.

I felt listless after he left and had some sort of a headache, so I must be in love as well. I must confess, I expected love to feel somewhat different than this. I may determine how deep a love I feel through his absence."

As I laid there with my eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the little body next to me, I smiled. Laughed really. "Listless and a bit of a headache...??" Is that all love is?

No, of course not. I mean, he does give me a headache every now and then. And I'm sure I make him feel listless after a week of playing 'housewife'. But I'm pretty sure that's not the kind of listlessness or headache our dear Emma was referring to.

Thankfully, for those of you wondering, Emma does come to her senses, as much as a character from a Jane Austin movie can. She sees the irredeemable faults in Mr. Churchill (not to mention he was engaged to another anyway) and suddenly awakens to the love she has for the one and only Mr. Knightly. *Sigh*

HOW ROMANTIC!!

(gag)

So what does love look like 10 years later?

Love is ~

Watching your man rock a baby in the middle of the night.

Stretching across fuzzy heads to steal a kiss.

Your heart leaping just a bit when you hear the front door open after a long day.

Waking up to five loads of laundry folded neatly on the table.

That feeling of security.

Him calling to let you know he got a babysitter for tonight.

My head against his chest.

Catching him staring at me.

Long car rides of comfortable quiet.

Working it out.

Forgiving and being forgiven.

Holding his hand and still loving it.

Understanding without words.

Deep compassion for the other, even when you're hurt.

Crying at the thought of losing him.

Praying so hard.

Watching him hug the other little lady in his life.

Seeing the trash can out by the road.

Watching him play catch with my little men, their eyes glowing.

Text messaged pictures of him and the kids having fun on dates.

Him saying no to meetings to be at baseball games.

Conversations about nothing that mean everything.

The quiet "I love you's".

Smelling him while making the bed every morning.

Picking up clothes dropped on the floor.

Seeing him in each of my four children.

Looking forward to more of him...

If you ask me, that beats any silly Jane Austin movie!

Happy Anny, Baby! Can't wait for the rest of our lives...