THAT mother

This morning I was THAT mother. You know, the mother that people see and shake their heads scandalised, albeit mildly, because of how THAT mother has treated her children.

Ben is in a program at school tomorrow. He will be a squirrel. My job last night was to finish his costume by turning a baseball cap into squirrel ears. I cut and sewed brown ears onto the cap after Ben went to bed. He saw it this morning and asked "what about the middle of the ear that is supposed to be pink?" I had forgotten the teacher's instructions. The middle of the ear should have been a lighter color, and yes, my sweet son wanted it pink. I quickly search my limited stash for pink material, with none to be found. SO, being the ingenious mother that I am, I cut up one of my old sweaters and hurriedly begin to hand stitch the ears once again. (Note to self: buy glue.)

Minutes into my attempt to be THAT mother (you know, the perfect one that we all compare ourselves to) I hear, "will you make my lunch?" Uh-oh!! No wonderful left-overs to throw into a thermos, no bread for a sandwich...heck, there wasn't even a jar of peanut butter. So, I con my boys into eating at the school cafeteria - and finish sewing.

As soon as I've completed the squirrel ears, another son innocently asks "what's for breakfast?". Man! I look in the fridge and see nothing appropriate for breakfast (obviously, I need to go shopping ) and tell my boys to jump into the van. We drive to a store and I send the boys in to grab breakfast. At this point I'm still in p.j.s and attempt to stay in hiding from the public. They quickly come out and tell me the line is too long - so they'll do without breakfast rather than be late for school. Sigh. Yes, I really am THAT mother! Nathan informs me that in first period he would be allowed to eat in class if he had something. (How times have changed!)
I drop the older boys off and tell Ben he can be late for school and get breakfast. We stop at McDonald's (gasp!) and buy food. I drop Ben off and then call Nathan and drop breakfast off to him. Aaron, unfortunately, did without but reassured me all was well and that he would be fine. (see, I told you, I AM THAT MOTHER!)

As I'm driving home, berating myself for my lack of planning and poor mothering abilities, my phone beeps. I get home and see my text from Nathan:

"Thank You"

Isn't it amazing how two simple words can change your focus? This morning, on this one really bad day of planning, I am THAT MOTHER. But really? I have a son who was very grateful and excited about squirrel ears. How many boys do you know that are content with that? LOL! I have a son who was very forgiving and willingly went without breakfast just because he wanted to be at school on time (and I plan on getting a REALLY good after school snack for that kid!) I have yet another son who not only thanked me as I dropped off his late breakfast but also signed "I love you" to me as I drove away. THEN, took the time to text me as well.

I may be THAT MOTHER, but I tell you one thing, I've got some GREAT kids! Life is good.

My husband

Mark decided to surprise me for our 25th wedding anniversary and for my birthday with a new wedding band and ring. I was completely astonished!
We will have been married 25 years in June and have experienced a lot in that time: from moving to 3 different homes, being blessed with 5 children, losing both of our fathers, joyfully celebrating numerous birthdays and anniversaries, watching our kids grow to teenagers, three job lay-offs, and are now dealing with my mother-in-law's Alzheimer's and have sent 2 kids off to college and soon to be blessed with the college graduation of our daughter. Even after spending all of these years learning about and loving my husband, he still has the ability to surprise me and take my breath away. I love you, Mark!! (and I love the ring!)

It's coming!!!

I get my Birthday & 25th Anniversary gift from Mark tomorrow.

Can't wait!!!

Pictures are coming.

Valentines, Birthday and Anniversary

Can not wait to show you what Mark bought me today...
It's a gift for Valentines Day, my birthday, and our 25th wedding anniversary.
AND it's GOOD!!!! I'll get it in about 2 weeks.
Pictures coming. I'm excited!!

A look back to God's healing and provision

Just found this in my "drafts"....a blog written in August 12, 2009, that for some reason was never posted. I had been working at Living Water that day when Mark called saying that Ben was really sick and we needed to get him to the Amarillo hospital. So, now a look back to what we were doing a little over a year ago

.

Things I learned this week:

Anyone reading this probably already knows the story of Benjamin's hospital stay, so I won't bore you with the details again. But here are a few things I learned this week (in no particular order...) Reminder: Pampa Dr. did a CAT scan and blood test in Pampa - and sent results to Amarillo - they declared it appendicitis. Our pastor and Mark prayed over Ben in Pampa. The doctor in Amarillo (a christian ) wanted to double check results before going to surgery. No surgery was needed, and by the next day you would have never known Benjamin had been sick.

1. It isn't fun or easy sleeping in a hospital bed, even if you aren't sick.

2. BSA has an awesome pediatric floor and nurses.

3. I don't want to go back to work as badly a I thought I did.

4. I've lost a lot of brain cells since I last held a job.

5. I'm too old for this. I'm sitting here exhausted, Ben is begging to play outside.

6. Appendicitis and a virus have very similar symptoms at times.

7. Cat scans are more expensive in Pampa than Amarillo.

8. God is my provider and will take care of all the bills! :-)

9. Gib is a very understanding man with a panicked mom. (by the way, Becky I had an unusual call as I was leaving L.W. - Gib handled it, I think, even though the caller insisted on talking with you. It didn't seem to matter that you weren't there.)

10. Ben is a very, very brave kid! He drank 2 cups of "nasty stuff" for the cat scan, had an IV, thought he was going to have surgery, and much, much more, yet never complained or cried. Just asked lots of questions. (One lady later told me it is very similar to drinking two cups full of laundry soap. gag!)

11. Telling the DPS that you are going to the hospital because your little brother is sick can get you out of a speeding ticket. Scott and Sarah were concerned about Ben...

12. ER nurses aren't necessarily good with children. I don't think telling the possible risks of anesthesia and surgery in front of kids is a good idea.

13. A nurse telling a father "you're signing your life away" scares kids. ("what does that mean?!!?" he asked)

14. My sister is extremely good at her job, and very, very understanding about the fact that I am extremely lousy at it.

15. My daughter is very helpful. (She brought her brothers home and stayed with them while we were in Amarillo.)

16. Having Christians in the medical field (Drs. and nurses) is a blessing!!

17. You can encourage others no matter what your job. (The cleaning lady came in saying "you can just call me Cinderella" and told me she was praying for my baby.)

18. You know how kids can get so tired that they can't sleep? I do that too.

19. A hospital stay costing well over $2000 is a quick way to get over a really bad virus.

20. Prayer is an even better way.

A great big Thanks to all who expressed concern and prayed for us! Think I'll go to bed and stay there all day tomorrow. :-)

Multi-Purpose Cleaner

This is a recipe I made a few months ago and I love it! It is great for stains in clothing and spills (or puppy pee...) on carpet. I store some in a spray bottle to clean counters and the bathroom.

Multi-Purpose Cleaner

1/4 cup baking soda

1 cup ammonia

1/2 cup vinegar

1 gallon warm water

Mix well. Shake before using.

Ben's Youngest Granny

In the van yesterday, Ben began talking about having lots of grannies. "I have great, great, great, (etc.) grannies" I told him that if he wasn't careful, he'd go back far enough to be listing Eve from the Bible. Trying to get him to quit saying "great, great great....." I began listing his great grandmothers names to him, "Olive, Sadie, Effie, and Clara." Ben said, "I DO have a lot of grannies!" Then he began listing them...."Becky, Granny....." ROFL! I stopped him to say, "No, Becky is your AUNT". I don't think I ever convinced him he finally hopefully said, "But she's LIKE my Granny- isn't she?!"

April showers!

We had an unusual event for Pampa this weekend. Rain! Lots of rain. Over 3.6 inches as of noon yesterday - and it rained all afternoon after we heard that measurement. Above is a picture of my mother-in-law's back yard. (The puddles in our backyard weren't as impressive. LOL) The boys and I decided to head to the Pampa City Lake and see what it looked like.


Nathan and Benjamin began wading in the parking lot beside our van.



See the rectangular pieces of wood? That isn't the dock, it is the handrails for the dock!



Aaron decided to venture further out, determined to get to the dock.
Note that less than a week ago the water was 2 or 3 feet below
the bottom of it.



Success! He made it .

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again..

Joel Osteen's Fault?

I'm not sure how I came across this, but here is an unusual take on our economic woes:
click here and then here. (I don't know Jennifer Taylor, I just happened upon the blog and thought it was good!)

CVS Deal

I'm not one of those people who can save hundreds of dollars every month using coupons to get groceries. I wish, but I'm not. Living in small town Texas makes it tough - no double coupons, no great sales,(excuses, excuses). But I did find a great deal at CVS this week! I scanned my card at the price-scanner and it spit out a coupon for $1 off CVS hair care products. The shampoo and conditioner above are price at 99 cents, so I walked out with a free bottle of shampoo. I went back the next day to get some medicines, got the same coupon and walked out with another free bottle! I may not have all the coupons or CVS deals figured out, but I nailed this one!

Palm Sunday

Can you imagine what it was like that first Palm Sunday? The Jews had been anticipating the King's coming for hundreds of years. They had been taught from birth to watch for His coming, wishing for someone to rescue them from the Roman oppression. With palm branches waving and voices raised in praise, they must have been envisioning a spectacular extravaganza! (Mark told me that the palm branches were actually used as a covert sign of rebellion and disdain toward the Romans.) Surely this great King would come clothed in royal robes surrounded by an impressive escort, riding a noble steed! They watched with bated breath, tip-toeing to see him enter the city, perhaps pushing their way to the front of the crowd so that their children could see this great, new king. Yet, Jesus came gently, weeping, and riding on a donkey. If the people were shocked, or disappointed at His appearance, the Bible doesn't mention it, but certainly some were surprised. Jesus didn't give the people what they WANTED - a great earthly king to save them from tyranny. He gave them what they NEEDED - freedom from sin. He was bringing them a new life.

Matt. 21:8 tells us "A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road." I wonder, what is it that Jesus wants those of us today to lay down in front of Him to declare His Lordship? Bad attitudes, personal agendas and plans, desires, unworthy thoughts....?
Then Matthew 21:0 says "The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

I've always heard that some of the same people were the ones at the end of the week crying "Crucify Him!" I wonder, how many of them were just disillusioned because they didn't get what they wanted? Are we that fickle and ungrateful today? How often do we secretly wave palm branches of rebellion and disdain at things that have been ordained to enter our lives in order to make us grow- looking for the easy way out of a situation just as the Jews were? Do our voices lifted in praise, our coats laid down to carpet His way become fists raised in anger when we face pain and disappointment? Or, perhaps even worse, does our excitement and anticipation become apathy and lack of interest? Does God want to vomit our lukewarmness out of His mouth? We need to remain hot: trusting, faithful and see that God is giving us what we really, and truly need. He is NOT an over-indulgent Father who causes harm by giving in to our every whim.

Palm Sunday is still a day of expectations. Mark 13:35 - 37 tells us to be on the alert - "If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!" Everyday should be a day of looking ahead; anticipating His second coming, and on that day you can count on the fact that He won't be riding on a donkey!!

Lord, thank you for being my King! Help me to keep my eyes focused on You and what you desire for my life rather than on my selfish desires! Help me to see others as you see them, needing new life and forgiveness! Change me. Make my desires YOUR desires. Help me to lay my ALL down at Your feet, to honor and praise You in a way that pleases You, without concern for what others think! May my heart be forever grateful, not doubting even during pain and hardship. Draw me ever closer to You, help me to thirst after You and seek You with all my heart. Help me to remain "hot" in You! May my sacrifices be pleasing to You. Help me to stay awake, prepared, anticipating Your triumphant return. Lord, come quickly!

The Little Engine that could

I haven't blogged in a long while. Man! what have I missed? I didn't blog about Nathan's birthday, Sarah's birthday, Benjamin's birthday, Easter, Summer, shoot, I even have pictures still in my camera from last winter that were never posted! Guess I'd better get with it! Maybe I should learn how to download all those photos.... I'm like that well known little engine. I think I can, I think I can...

I have enrolled to be a book reviewer, so if I'm approved, you'll be seeing some book reviews on here as well. I hope I make it - it sounds really interesting. I think I can, I think I can.....

I've been helping my mother-in-law in dealing with Alzheimer's, so you'll probably see some of my struggles as we deal with that disease and how to handle her situation. I think I can, I think I can....

I'm still homeschooling, so maybe I'll blog more about that. Friendly Fridays need to be started back up. I really want to teach my kids to reach out to others. Maybe we'll limit it to once a month just so it isn't so intimidating. I think I can, I think I can...

I'm teaching a children's Bible class on Tuesdays after school and helping with one on Mondays. We've had quite a bit of drama lately, so surely I'll blog some about that. I think I can, I think I can....

God's been working on me and my "ability" to manipulate, so I could share a little about what I'm leaning. I think I can, I think I can....

With the holidays just around the corner, it's a perfect time to get started.... I THINK I CAN!

I WON!!!

I NEVER win anything...until now! I won the book "The Reluctant Cowgirl" by Christine Lynxwiler from Cathy Bryant at WordVessel.
Hip-Hip-Horray!!!
Cathy is the author of the book "Texas Roads". You can read the first chapter of her book here. Mark led me to her site (she was in the Wayland band with him), and I've enjoyed reading her blog the last couple of weeks. She is also the proud grandmother of a new grandson, Harrison. (congratulations, Cathy!)
Thank you, Cathy, for the book. I'm looking forward to reading it and your book as well!

Prayer: part 1

The definition of prayer from Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary:

"1. In worship, a solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression of our sense of God's glorious perfections, confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits. A prayer however may consist of a single petition, and it may be extemporaneous, written or printed."

From the Encarta Dictionary on my Microsoft Office today:

"Prayer: 1. A spoken or unspoken address to God, a deity, or a saint. It may express praise, thanksgiving, confession, or a request for something such as help or somebody's well-being."

Wow! Am I the only one who sees a discrepancy in these two definitions or am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Maybe the difference between the two definitions is a portrayal of our times. How do I look upon God now? The way I pray could be a good gauge of how I view God. We had a guest speaker at church this morning who said that he thought that a lot of our youth today saw God as a little friend they could put in their pocket and pull out as needed to fulfill a need or help with a problem and then put Him back into their pocket until the next need arose. Interestingly, the speaker also made the comment that the reason the youth see God in this light is because we as parents have fallen down on our responsibility to teach about God's sovereignty and that the youth have seen us treat God as that little friend in our pocket. (See Mark's blog below...) He wasn't actually speaking on prayer but on revival. He was pointing out what is missing in the youth's understanding of God to bring about revival and how most big revivals have begun with youth (Jr. High up to college age). Since God has been working on me with some struggles I've had about prayer lately, what the speaker said caught my attention.

There is one thing that I feel is note worthy here.

As thorough as Noah Webster's definition is, I think he's still missing something simple and basic. As a child I was taught that prayer is simply a conversation with God. For a conversation to be complete it should include both talking and listening on my part. Listening for that still, small voice. God doesn't need to appear to me personified in great natural forces -- though he certainly can do this -- but He may also reveal himself directly, softly, and personally. I need to be listening closely for in that still, small voice God may be trying to quietly, powerfully and passionately communicate with me.

Freebie

I found this on the Money Saving Mom site....

"Each month, ChristianAudio.com offers one free audio book download. I'm so
excited because this month's audio download is one of my very favorite books. In
fact, this book would definitely list up there with five of the top books that
have most influenced my life.
The book? Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God.
Go here to get your free download."

I haven't listened to the book yet, but decided to try the download. They didn't ask for a credit card number, so I felt safe in that respect. I'm not sure how long the offer is valid, but I thought I'd post it in case anyone is interested. The coupon code is JAN2009

Exposed!

I was cleaning this morning and bent over to pick up something. Scott told me I had a rip in my jeans.....sure enough I reached back and felt a 2 or 3 inch rip by my pocket. It looked like it had been cut, so I must have caught it on something. I'd worn them in public all morning going to the Dr.'s office and then to Wal-Mart. OH GREAT. How long has that hole been there?!!? Don't you just hate that feeling? Going shopping soon!

Bracelets?

We were memorizing the verse James 4:6 in Good News Club (children's Bible class) on Tuesday. Mom had the kids saying the verse over and over to memorize it and then having them "recite" the verse. One shy little boy named Taylor in my class (Kindergarten to First grade) began quoting the verse...."God resisteth the proud but giveth bracelets unto the humble." I can't help but wonder exactly what kind of bracelet was he thinking God gives!??!

Friendly Friday!

Over the last few weeks I've seen several blogs with these cute (and some not so cute) daily and weekly blogs - such as "Flashback Fridays" (really cute) or "Days of Decluttering"(the not so cute one - ha!) and even a blogger who is cooking with a crock pot every day for a year. As I've perused these blogs, I've thought to myself, "I want to do something like that - something fun!" I considered the decluttering piece just to have a way to be held accountable and get my house in order. (I may still do this later!) I contemplated a weight-loss blog but that was a little too real for me right now and cooking, well, I'll have to get my oven and/or crock pot repaired first. I know I'm not a great writer, but I've enjoyed blogging and wanted to expand my horizons.

So...(drum roll, please!) I finally came up with an idea! It hit me right after our Veteran's Day project. We enjoyed that project so much that we decided to make it a weekly affair in home school. EUREKA! Why not blog about that? Aaron named it "FRIENDLY FRIDAY". We plan to do something for someone else each Friday. It may be as simple as sending someone a card or something much more involved when we get inspired. Who knows, maybe we'll start a new blogging trend. A really great thing about this is that I can use it in several different ways in school: Bible study, creative writing and English grammar (making Aaron a guest blogger at times), art (Benjamin and Aaron making cards or other crafts), math (measuring ingredients when we cook, doubling recipes, etc.), and history (Veteran's Day study, Thanksgiving study, etc.- to prepare before the "project"...). The biggest plus is that it will hopefully teach us to reach out to others, be more grateful for what we have, be more aware of other's needs, and have a better work ethic. So, there you have it - Friendly Fridays! Stay tuned!

A Little Help, Please?

Okay, I downloaded Picasa to my computer thinking I had to have it to put photos on my blog. Do I? I don't think I like it. :-( Can anyone help me out? If I understand correctly, it just organizes my photos right? If I delete Picasa from my computer, will I lose the photos that are on it? Does anyone else use it? Love it? Hate it? I can't figure out how to save an original photo and keep the edited photo both. Can I do that on Picasa? Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Admission

I have to admit - I've been lurking on Blog Spot for a few weeks now. I'm afraid I may be addicted - to lurking, that is! I decided that if I was so nosy, I should at least give others the chance to snoop on me as well. I'm not sure I'll figure this all out, have anything worth posting, or even have anyone to read a blog. I guess time will tell.
My Space has always been a great spot to keep up with friends and family, but it seems they've moved on and so, to keep up, I will follow.
I've been inspired, encouraged, and challenged by other women bloggers - and so, as I jump into the world of blogging, I plan to share what is going on in the Langford home, and, hopefully will return the favor by encouraging someone else along the way. This may be quite interesting - things at our house are very rarely quiet! Here's hoping I'm up to the challenge!