Surgery

Shaun had surgery on Thursday. Tendon lengthening and Botox injections in his leg.  It's been one heck of a week!

One thing I don't understand...why is it that hospitals can't give out arrival times for surgeries until the day before?  Kind of ridiculous, if you ask me.  Shaun's surgery had been scheduled for over a month and I had to wait until Wednesday to find out that we had an arrival time of 6:00 am.  

I almost threw up in my mouth when I heard that...  6 am!  We had to be at Egleston at 6:00 am.  We are NOT morning people.  But we made it.  We woke up super early, picked up my dad, dropped Violet off with Granny and hit the road at 4:45 am.  

We were on time.  And we sat in the waiting room for an hour.  So frustrating.  

Finally we went back and waited some more...

...had some happy juice...and then FINALLY it was time.  Everything went as expected.  We won't know for sure until the cast comes off in four weeks, but this surgery is supposed to ease the discomfort in Shaun's left leg and make walking easier.  We are believing God for success!

Shaun was funny about this surgery.  He was ready for it.  Waited all summer for it.  But wouldn't let us tell anyone except family.  Then suddenly on Wednesday he gave us permission.  We are so thankful for my dad for coming with us, and for Pastor Blake for coming out at the last minute so early in the morning despite having car trouble and a very pregnant wife.  We are also grateful for everyone who prayed, called, sent cards and care packages, and offered to help.  Thank you for loving us!

Shaun has surprised us all with how well he's recovering.  He's walking and not having much pain.  His mom thinks he needs to slow down and not do so much, but that's just me.  

The Big ONE!

Sweet baby Violet, you turned ONE yesterday!  What a year it's been.  When we found out that you were a girl, I wasn't prepared for the wonderful upheaval you've caused in our house.  I watched as you turned your tough Daddy and big brothers into big softies with one look.  You rule the roost with them.  They love you.  They fight over who gets to pick you up from your crib after naps, they marvel at every new thing you do, and they always let you know how beautiful you are.  They love you!  We all do!

Again, I wasn't prepared for you...I was used to boys and wasn't sure how I would handle a girl.  Who knew picking out tutus, ballet flats, and hair  bows could be so much fun... I certainly didn't.  But it IS.  Fun.  Wonderful.  I love painting your toenails, trying to force you to keep your bows on your little head, and dressing you up.  I love watching you hug and love on your "Violet" dog and make a bed for your Winnie the Pooh out of a mixing bowl.  I love that you're sweet and loving one minute and rough and tumble the next.  You are the most perfect mix of sugar and spice.  You are perfect.  You are ours.  We are so thankful for you.  God has big plans and we have big dreams for you.  We love you to the moon and back.  Happy birthday, sweet girl!

A Little Down Time

I haven't been writing very much lately, and I don't like that.  Life has been happening rather quickly these days and that doesn't leave me with a lot of down time.  I'm going to try to make at least two posts per week because I don't want to forget these days, crazy as they are.  

Presently, the house is quiet except for the  dishwasher and the ramblings of Drs. Stevens and O'Malley as background noise.  The soon-to-be one year old is napping and the Hubs just left with both boys for piano lessons and football practice.  Usually on Mondays we make a family outing of it...we hit Shaun's piano lesson, have a quick dinner, and then visit the library before Jordan has football practice.  I've been a little sick with a summer cold so I decided to stay home.  There are so many things I should be doing.  Like cleaning, folding up the mountain of clean laundry that has taken over the laundry room, or going over the boys lesson plans for the rest of the week.  Instead I'm on the couch, blogging, and watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy.  I love it when I have a little down time!

School:  We started school a few weeks ago.  We're on Day 16 of our school year and it's going really well.  I feel like we're accomplishing so much.  Shaun has studied Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, and we started reading The Jungle Book last week.  I'm surprised at how much I like it.  Shaun likes it too, he just won't admit it.  Ha!  His math is coming along as well.  Yay for Khan Academy! Spanish is something new Shaun is studying this year and I'm proud of how well he's catching on.  He's come so far since we began this homeschooling journey 4 years ago.  Back then he couldn't focus long enough to finish an assignment and now he pretty much can do everything on his own.  

Jordan is in second grade now.  His reading skills have exploded.  A few years ago, when he was in kindergarten I worried if he would ever learn to read.  A very wise woman told me to "let it rest" for awhile, and against my better judgement, I did.  That was the best thing I could have done for him.  He pretty much taught himself to read last year, in his own time.  When he was ready.  I should've known he wouldn't be rushed!  He's studied the poetry of De La Mare, Rosetti, and Mother Goose so far this year and we've been reading lots and lots of books.  It seems that he and his brother are opposites in that Math is really easy for Jordan.  But then, he struggles with spelling and grammar, which Shaun has always rocked out with.

Extras:  Shaun is still working hard at piano.  He gets better and better every week and has such a good ear.  He can play by ear, which makes him not want to practice.  I can relate because I was the same way when I took piano! Solution Choir started up again yesterday and then tomorrow is his first rehearsal with the North Georgia Children's Chorus.  We're really excited about this!  He's also helping out with Jordan's football team and he'll play basketball this winter and of course baseball in the spring.  

Jordan's playing football.  Honestly, I'm surprised that he's stuck with it.  It's intense!  But he loves it.  And he's good at it.  I'm so glad he found something to do because I worry that he gets lost in the shuffle sometimes.  Typical middle child issues.  I was not thrilled at all when we signed him up.  I hate football.  Or at least I thought I did until the first game on Saturday.  When I heard the words "tackle by Jordan Smith, number 1" over the loudspeaker I kind of turned into a crazy football mom.  He's also singing with Generation Praise again.  

Co-op starts up again in a few weeks and I'm glad we started our school year when we did.  It's always good to find our "groove" before our commitments begin.  

And me.  I'm just trying to keep up with everybody else!  

Aslan's Book Fellowship

I'm finally in a book club.  Maybe I'm a big dork, but I've always wanted to be in a book club.  It's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and I read my first chapter book... which was Me, My Goat and My Sister's Wedding, in case you were curious.  

My book club never happened because I never knew of a book club to join.  Sigh.

The other day, however, my friend Melissa invited me to join an online book club.  I was giddy with excitement and now I'm a proud member of Aslan's Book Fellowship.  Our first read is Anne of Green Gables, which I'm loving.  I can't believe I'm only just now reading it.  I loved it when the "Anne" movies came on PBS during their fundraising drives when I was little.  So funny.  I could relate to Anne because I loved to read, I was a little dramatic, my impulses got the best of me sometimes and I had a hard time being nice to myself.  Somethings never change, I guess.  

We're reading six chapters a week for the club and having discussions about what we read on Facebook.  Not exactly what I pictured when I thought of joining a book club... when I was little I imagined some friends sitting in front of a fire, our books and hot chocolate in hand, having discussions long into the night.  Welcome to social media! I love it, because there's no way I'd have time to join any other kind of book club!

So there you go.  I can cross one item off my Bucket List!

16

Iscariot:  A Novel of Judas by:  Tosca Lee

Well, folks.  Tosca's done it again.  She never disappoints me.  Several things grabbed me while reading this book.

1.  Man, those disciples had it hard.  HARD.  I guess learning about them in Sunday School just didn't make me appreciate what all the disciples of Jesus went through.  The criticism, the fear, the unknown of leaving their jobs and families to follow their Savior.  A savior that most of the world wasn't ready for yet.  They risked it all for Jesus.  They broke all the rules.  They were amazing.  We really do have it easy today. 

2.  Jesus was human.  And He is God.  Fully God and fully man.  Yes, I grew up hearing this truth, but His human characteristics came to life in this book.  He had supernatural powers but He was also, in a sense, very much like the people He came to save.  He got tired and hungry.  Angry.  Frustrated.  Scared.  

3.  Judas was only human, too.  It's so easy to judge him, isn't?  So easy to forget that we're really no better.  And Jesus loves us anyway. 

This book kind of messed me up.  

"When worms have ears" and other idioms.

"Saved by the Bell" is now on our Netflix queue.  I was probably a lot more excited about this than is considered normal for a 32 year old mama.  We've been having so much rain over the past few weeks, not to mention some creepy happenings involving crazies in our area.  This had lead to us being holed up inside more than usual.  

One day I decided that I could not watch one more episode of "Kickin' It" and I turned on "Saved by the Bell", telling the  boys that I had a great show for them to watch.  I just knew they'd love it.  And they did.  At first they tried to resist, but soon they were captivated and dissolved in laughter on the couch.  Much like my sister and myself when we were kids.  

One rainy afternoon we were watching an episode involving a school dance.  Of course, Screech asked Lisa to be his date and of course, Lisa said NO! Her exact words were, "I'll go to the dance with you... when worms have ears!"

My kids went nuts.  They laughed and laughed. And then we had a quick language lesson on idioms.  One great thing about homeschooling, or parenting in general is that you can make a lesson out of anything!

So we learned about idioms.  And the kids made up their own.  They started out silly and got worse and worse...

*When poop can talk.

*When monkeys have wings.

*When burps smell great.

And then they evolved to...well, I'm not sure what:

*When boys have boobs.

*When girls have wieners.  

Gotta love boys, I guess.  It was pretty funny and I know for sure they will always know the definition of an idiom.  

I'm afraid that it's backfired on me, though. Whenever I ask them to do something, they throw an idiom at me.  

"Hey Jordan.  Brush your teeth."

"I'll brush my teeth... when poop can talk!  Bwahahahaha!  Hey Shaun, I said 'When poop can talk.  That means NEVER!"

Or:

"Okay, Shaun.  Time do practice piano."

"I'll practice piano.  When guys have boobs."

He is very nonchalant but Jordan will usually dissolve into laughter and shriek, "You said when guys have boobs.  That means never!  Ha ha ha!"

I just shake my head and laugh too.  Laughter is good medicine.