Mmmmm....

Do you want to know why I LOVE summer? For days such as this:

He's got that worried look.  "Mama are you going to not pick me up?"

We made fresh french fries.  Never tried it before, but they came out beautiful the first day we tried.  I have no picture of the second day because they disintegrated and turned to mush for some reason in the oil.  Too bad, so we opened up a can of baked beans instead.

This is how we eat around here, straight out of the pot.

My first born son

Here is a survey I once filled out before Jedidiah was even heard of.  I just wanted to re-post this.

MY FIRST BORN....
- a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself! Tag 10 mommies when you're finished.
Let's see how much you remember!
1. Was your first pregnancy planned?
No, was a total surprise!
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Not yet
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Fever, hives, Chills, and blindness
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
No.
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
26
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
I took a pregnancy test, also, I could just tell. Mother's intuition.
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
My bank Teller
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
No, but I knew what it was anyway. I just knew.
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
A little bit, but I just ate some soda crackers and was fine after that.
11 WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
To lay out in the sun by the ocean, and drink cold Pina Coladas.
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
Telemarketers, Collections agencies, the DMV.
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Male
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
Yes, because boys grow up to be icky and stinky and smelly. But oh well what ya gonna do?
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
Just about 300, but I have lost most of it by now.
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
No. No one knew there was a baby coming.
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
?
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
Yeah, I gained some weight.
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
In Arkansas. We wanted to birth the baby where Isaiah was born.
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
12
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
A really cute boy.
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Anyone who could get to you-tube.
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
Nope, went all natural.
25. WHEN WAS YOUR DUE DATE?
December 1, 2006
26. HOW LONG WAS YOUR CHILD?
Too long.
27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
Not much.
28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?
I don't remember.
30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Philip, after philip the III
31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
12 years old.

My little indentured servant

Easter 2012

Easter, 2012 on the radio on the way to Church:

Isaiah put on a Cassette tape, (yes you read that right, a cassette tape.) here is the inspiring 

and perfectly fitted hymn:

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's re-creation of the new day.

Also, We were graced with a pleasant few hours broken free of the typical Oregonian grey.  What a beautiful reminder of Newness of life.  We were also graced with someone willing to take our family picture.  We are not usually graced with this gift.  Beth took these photos.  

When Beth finished these photos, she looked at me and said "Isn't Easter wonderful"  Or something like that.

Easter is wonderful.  It always has been to me.  

Showing off my ear

Yesterday was the saddest day we have experienced in a very long time.  You see, in a little boy's heart lies a special place for a brown fuzzy "Teddy Doggie."  This Teddy Doggie has gone everywhere with the little boy.  Waking, sleeping, washing the dishes, going potty. Whatever this little boy does, the teddy doggie comes along, and has been a faithful companion.

You see, yesterday mommy made a mistake.  She thought Teddy doggie would be fine going to the mall for an outing. So we went to the mall and played in the play area with some friends, and Jedidiah brought his little doggie with him. Our time was cut short there because my friend's friend wanted to meet someone at Chuckie Cheese, and I decided to tag along.  When we arrived at the Chuckie Cheese I realized that I am not a Chuckie Cheese kind of parent.  I left earlier than anticipated because I thought I might have a brain aneurysm from sensory overload, and I realized that neither Jedidiah or I could eat anything from the overly priced menu because we are both are on elimination diets to see if we have a food sensitivity.  Doing this diet has made social situations very "interesting" to say the least.  I will write more about that later, when my children are grown.  That is when I will find more time to write regularly.

So we left there, and even though I was assuming that the little boy hated being in the Chuckie Cheese as much as his mamma, he cried bitter tears when we left, clenching his 1/2 pint of apple juice that I paid almost two dollars for.  Even though the only thing I wanted to do at that point was go outside, I discovered that the Target was luring me in. I don't know what I wanted to do at Target because I did not have any money to spend there.  I already spent all of my money at Costco the week before, because that's what you do when you go to Costco, spend all of your money.  Yet Target summoned me and I went.  I walked around there for a bit and then left and went to my car.  On the way out the door the little boy said "Where Teddy Doggie go?"  I stopped in my tracks.  The last I could remember seeing the doggie was a long while back in the play area.  I frantically looked in the stroller and in my purse, as if the dog would have fit in there.  I began to panic, and then I went back into the Target and walked up and down every isle I was in.  I then went back to the play area.  No doggie. 

So I hung my head low and thought about how I was going to tell this poor child that his most beloved companion was missing.  How do you explain this sort of loss to a two year old?  I decided to not breech the subject.  When he asked again, I gave him a banana.  He was happy.

I then went to bring Isaiah his lunch.  Isaiah was happy to see me but not happy that all he had was lettuce and a peanut butter sandwich on Gluten free bread, and then he was even more sad when I told him the heart breaking news of the loss of Teddy Doggie.  Isaiah then decided that we would drive back to the Chuck E Cheese and ask around.  No luck there.  So when Isaiah got home from work he called every place I was in and asked if they had found him.  No luck.

When I put Jedidiah to bed that night he cried heartbreaking tears and said "Teddy Doggie" over and over again. I gave him a different teddy bear, knowing that this could never replace the real thing...... and he smiled gratefully and went to sleep.  At that moment I guess I realized that I was more attached to the idea of the stuffy than he was to his stuffy.  I had great dreams for the animal.  I wanted to one day put it in a box somewhere and when he was a grown man and married I could send it to him and tell him "this was your teddy doggie."   Now the Teddy Doggie was gone. I am going to cry.

Only, the next day Isaiah did not give up.  He called Everywhere in the gateway mall to find Jedidiah's lost stuffy.  I told him I had dealt with it, and Jedidiah had moved on, don't worry about it.  But my husband had great concern for little boy's dog, and would not stop looking.  And lo and behold, we found him.  He was wrapped in a plastic bag nice and neat and left carefully in a lost and found box right behind the customer service desk at Target.  We travled three miles to retrieve him.  We held Jedidiah way high up and said "Look!  What's that?" We were hoping to get an adorable reaction so that the teen aged boy behind the counter would think our child was adorable. Jedidiah didn't do much, and they guy was not that amused.  But Isaiah was thrilled out of his mind so he let me meander around Target again so I could see what their new produce section was like.  We had a good time doing that, we looked around and I almost got applesauce but the lines were way too long when we went to check out so we left empty handed, except the little boy and his sweet Teddy Doggie.
The end.

mmmmmm.....Lunch.....

Five and a half years ago..........