Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

• Last week I did NOT find a bottle of salad dressing (blue cheese, if you must know) that expired over two years ago. Nope! Not Me!



• My husband is NOT obsessed with changing every stinkin' light bulb in our house (whether it needs it or not) to high efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs that supposedly will last for 7 years.



• I did NOT allow my overly energetic 2 year old to ride in the trailer of Grandpa's tractor without following closely behind to make sure she would stay put! My 4 year old most certainly was NOT doing the driving and my 8 year old was definitely NOT the one that got hurt during the excursion!
  

The Pommel Horse

A few years back I remember hearing a comedian talk about being able to afford to go on vacation now that his kids were out of diapers. I can relate.

Emily is our earliest, not to mention last, potty trainer and I am quite excited and very thankful. I just wish I would have had this, oh say, about 10 years ago. That's some good information.

We have one of those handy dandy seats that fits directly on the toilet seat. I thought it was a mah-velous find; much better than the traditional potty chair that you have to empty and clean each time they go. It worked great for Benjamin, Rachel and Sarah, but then of course you eventually have to wean them from it. However, weaning Emily won't be a problem because she doesn't want anything to do with it. She doesn’t like it because then she can’t do her acrobatic maneuvers to peer into the bowl to admire her accomplishments. I've never seen such potty gymnastics. This picture reminds me of Emily on the potty.
That girl! I have quite a long list of things that only Emily ever thought to do (in our family, anyways). No doubt about it... She's one-of-a-kind!

A Mermaid's Tale

Rachel's fourth Ballet Recital was last weekend. She did a fantastic job and we were very proud of her! She loves dancing and does well so that makes it worth all of the time, taxi rides and $$$. I don't know if dancing is something she will pursue as a career, but for now it keeps her happy, healthy, in shape and focused.

This is my beautiful little Rainbow Fish!

All of the girls danced beautifully. It is so fun to watch them grow and progress. They have become quite the little ballerinas!

The Best Bun Ever! (after 4 years of practice!)
This was the costume for Rachel's Modern Class. They were a School of Fish.

And last but not least, Performing Company. Their number was called Under the Sea.

A little birdie told me that next year might be Tinkerbell and Pixie Hollow!

Come sail away

Last Sunday, Rachel and I went on a Nautica Queen cruise with Ariel and other friends from the Cleveland Ballet Conservatory. It was a beautiful, sunny day although it was a wee bit chilly. After the crazy week we had with all the sickies in our house, it was WONDERFUL to take a break from it all and just get away sail away with my princess. As we sat down at our cozy table for two she breathed a big sigh of relief and said, "Whew! We finally get to enjoy a quiet, peaceful meal... just the two of us!" With a cute little giggle she added, "I'm on vacation!"
She hit that nail on the head! Yes it did feel like we were on a much-too-short vacation! After lunch, Rachel and her friends hit the dance floor with Ariel. I knew Ariel was a good swimmer, but who knew she could dance? The mermaid's got some moves, let me tell ya!

Since we were cruising on Lake Erie the DJ gave us a few nuggets of info concerning the Great Lakes. We learned how to remember the names of the five great lakes.... HOMES - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. We also learned that Lake Erie contains only 2% of the total water in the Great Lakes. Also, the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame was designed to look like a record player from the top (as in, if you're flying over the top in an airplane).

Then back to reality. This week has been full of rehearsals for Rachel's upcoming performance of The Little Mermaid. Stay tuned for pictures!

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

• I did NOT spend many hours this past week cleaning up you-know-what and you-know-what from my sick kids. My carpet will NEVER be the same!
• I did NOT giggle to myself as my son (who has a very weak stomach) with hands held over his ears, ran from room to room, while one sister was *in* the downstairs bathroom and another sister was *in* the upstairs bathroom, looking for a quiet spot, while yelling, "Now, the cat's PUKING too!!!!" Sometimes I must laugh to keep from crying.
• I most certainly did NOT ignore my older 3 kids pleas and cries of hunger as they begged for breakfast between the hours of 9am and noon last Tuesday since my 2 year old and I had NOT been up all night and we had NOT just fallen asleep on the bathroom floor.
• I did NOT breathe a HUGE sigh of relief as my 2 year old had just slid off my lap moments before her... how shall I say it... pull up exploded?! I, then, did NOT furiously scramble for carpet cleaner, paper towels, plastic bags, etc.
• I did NOT refuse to sleep in the same bed as my very sick husband. And besides that, the clean-waiting-to-be-folded laundry was NOT piled high, the entire length of my side of the bed.
• xxx days later, the laundry is still NOT piled high, the entire length of my side of the bed.

So, there you have it. There was NO shortage on sickness in our house this week. I feel the need to open all the windows (except it's very chilly) and scrub this house from top to bottom with large amounts of bleach.

I need some Scotch

My four year old is a tapir.

No.... not that kind of tapir.

She's a taper, meaning she LOVES to tape. She consistently finds and uses LARGE amounts of tape for just about anything. I know all kids are fascinated with tape, but she is especially fond of the enticing adhesive. So I have tried to brainwash convince her that Mommy is the taper in this family. She is not a taper! Maybe if tape (or money for that matter) grew on trees I could let her indulge on a regular basis. But I mean seriously. She can go through a whole roll of tape in a matter of minutes!

While driving home from preschool the other day I was admiring her latest art projects (while stopped at red lights, of course) and I reminded her that she's NOT a taper! Mommy's the taper in this family. She looked at me with this clever little smile and said, "I'm a glue-stick-girl!"

Crack.me.up.

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



After asking Steve to watch the kids so that I could take a much-needed shower in peace, I did NOT proceed to brush my two cats instead. When he saw enough fur in the waste can to be another cat the evidence he was NOT amused. Nope! Not me!

Upon hearing frightful screams coming from the bathroom (where my husband and 2 year old were located) I did NOT enter to find stinky brown stuff a mess all over the toilet seat, the wall and my 2 year old's legs, feet and clothes. We did NOT head straight to the tub. Nope! Not at all!

I did NOT dump the large tub of toys on the family room floor because I was so frustrated by what a HUGE MESS our house is in. I know, it doesn't make sense, but this is MY therapy session, so let's just keep moving along here.

I did NOT and do NOT continue to make my children listen to Michael W. Smith's new cd, A New Hallelujah, so many times every day that they have all the songs memorized, including the miscellaneous screams from the random people in the audience. Nope! Not me!

I do NOT thoroughly enjoy and look forward to Not Me! Monday! Nope! Not Me! Notachance!

Memorable Mother's Day Math in May

Since July of 1998 I have been

pregnant for 47 months

nursing for 46 months

pregnant and nursing simultaneously for 7 months

I was pregnant and or nursing for 85 out of 112 months.

I changed diapers for 103 months. I changed diapers for 2 babies simultaneously for 53 of those months.

What has this produced?

• 10 year old boy
• 8 year old girl
• 4 year old girl
• 2 year old girl
• 2 angels in heaven

What does this mean?

• I loved being pregnant.
• I loved having babies.
• I loved nursing them.

And now

• I love staying at home with my children.
• I love homeschooling my children.
• I love watching them grow and learn new things.
• I love to hear them laugh and sing and play.
• I miss my babies that are in heaven and my heart aches for them still. But I know they are safe in Jesus' arms and I WILL hold them again.

I guess I just LOVE my kids and LOVE being a MOM!

God has blessed us immensely.

Deep In Love With You

I heard this song by Michael W. Smith a little over a month ago when Steve and I went to see the United Tour. It has quickly become one of my favorites and I listen to it many times each day. That is, when I have possession of the CD. I love the music, but more importantly, the words touch me every time I hear them. When I listened to MWS sing this at the Allen Theater on April 1st it was powerful. I don't think Michael even knew we were there; he sang his heart out to his Abba Father. I could feel the amazing love he has for his Heavenly Father and I wanted that too. I wanted to be Deep In Love with Jesus. I wanted to have that "deep desire burning like a fire to know him as my closest friend."

That's what Jesus wants too... for us to be Deep In Love with him, to be our closest friend, to never have to search again. He will be our Everything, if only we'll seek Him. He wants to have a relationship with us. It doesn't matter if we've been attending church regularly wearing our Sunday best, taking Communion, singing the hymns and reciting the prayers. Not that there is anything wrong with those things. They are all good and pleasing to God. But I think what He also and more importantly wants is to be in a personal relationship with us - for us to talk with him and read his word in the Bible. He wants us to be still before Him so that he can fill us with his Holy Spirit and speak to us. He wants us to spend time with him and to feel like "we're at home" when we are with Him.


Sitting at Your feet is where I want to be
I'm home when I am here with You
Ruined by Your grace, enamored by Your gaze
I can't resist the tenderness of You

I'm deep in love with You, Abba Father
I'm deep in love with You, Lord
My heart, it beats for You, precious Jesus
I'm deep in love with You, Lord

Humbled and amazed that You would call my name
I never have to search again
There's a deep desire that's burning like a fire
To know You as my closest friend

Lord, my Redeemer, Your blood runs through my veins
My love for You is deeper than it was yesterday
I enter through the curtain, parted by Your grace
Oh, you're the lover of my soul

Click here to listen and watch MWS in action. I just love, LOVE, LOVE this song.

"Not me! Monday"

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here's to my first "Not me! Monday"...

• As I was sitting here pondering what I could possibly write I was NOT eating a bowl of ice cream after sending my kids to their rooms to play. Not me! No way!

• I did NOT stay up too late last night trying to beat my friend's scores on Word Twist. Not me! Nope!

• I did NOT let the dishes pile high while catching up on my blog reading today. Not me! Never!

• I did NOT tell my 2 year old to just pee in her pull-up because I didn't want to take her in the digustingly, filthy, repulsive, gross, smelly public bathroom at the rec center. And besides that I would have had to pause my sewing of Adventure Guide patches and I was really NOT on a roll. NOPE! Not me!

• I did NOT hear the timer on the stove. And supper was NOT a little burnt well-done because I was trying to finish up my post.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Apparently there's some sort of heat wave in Cleveland today. Yahoo! Bout time!
2. As I look out my window I see a magnificently sunny day.
3. 2009 has been pretty darn good so far. The new Contemporary Praise Service at church has been uplifting, powerful and consistently growing! My kids are healthy and growing and smart... must be that fabulous Queensbridge Academy they've been attending. I am very happily married and live a blessed and comfortable life!
4. I told Emily no more diapers and that was it. Now she tells us when she has to go and off to the potty we run. Never an accident, never a change of clothes involved, never waits too long to tell us she needs to go, never could I be farther from the TRUTH. A girl can dream, right? However, it is a work in progress that is showing MUCH improvement over the last couple days.
5. For too long I've been procrastinating starting my early morning walks again.
6. I am not obsessed with Facebook or reading blogs; I am not!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Rachel's ballet class and then going to my inlaws for supper (my MIL makes the absolute BEST homemade sauce EVER), tomorrow my plans include Benjamin's soccer game and Rachel's first soccer game immediately afterwards, then running home for a quick lunch, quick change of clothes and a quick ballet bun, Rachel's ballet class and then back to the soccer fields for Rachel's second soccer game and Sunday, I want to teach Sunday School, attend worship then attend the Pizza/Talent Show/Birthday Party right after church! Oh yeah, I have a boat-load of papers to catch up on grading too. Oh, yeah... and the laundry I fell waaaaaaay behind on this week. Ugh, I better stop now.

Wordless Wednesday

In Emily world

Cooby Cooby Coop = Scooby Doo

Dreamsville

Yesterday we traveled to "Dreamsville" more commonly known as Dennison, Ohio to see the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. This small village lies halfway between Columbus and Pittsburgh, exactly 100 miles in either direction because a steam engine could only travel 100 miles before needing to take on water.

During war times a million and a half G.I.s were served free coffee and food by volunteers at the Salvation Army Service Men's Canteen.
This isn't your typical museum. Part of the museum is housed in five railroad coaches and the kids are allowed to touch, play and climb on everything.

Purchase a ticket

Sleep on a Pullman Bunk

Fix a gourmet meal

Maintenance
It's hard work!
Many presidents rode on the trains and we got to try on their hats...

...and make presidential speeches with a working microphone while watching a real TV monitor. I think campaign promises were made such as, "Cupcakes everyday for everyone!"

We even learned about hobos.

They used "hobo code" to communicate with each other on trees.

Look at these down-on-your-luck hobos I spotted, about to eat their hobo-lunches on this beautifully sunny, 64 degree day.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Join me in cleaning this filthy house! I mean really. I can't be expected to get this house clean with all the blog surfing and face booking that needs to be done.

2. Put a little love in your day!

3. Happiness is a great day with your family in the warm sunshine.

4. Sometimes we are lost and confused and that's when we need to open our Bibles, spend time in prayer and listen for the voice of God to direct us.

5. I'm waiting for this movie to be over so we can all go to bed.

6. Cheesecake is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a movie with the kids, tomorrow my plans include Benjamin and Rachel's soccer games and laundry, lots of it and Sunday, I want to go to church and get ready for the week ahead!

Ahoy there, Matey!

Some things in life are becoming easier. For example, I used to D-R-E-A-D trips to the store with all 4 kids tagging along. Let's just say we have provided entertainment for many a fellow shopper over the last few years. Today, as I was strolling through Marc's with all 4 kiddos, I thought to myself how peaceful this outing was. Everyone was behaving and cooperating and there was minimal whining and I don't believe any tears were shed! As we were checking out, Emily started pointing and saying, "Parrot! Parrot! Parrot!" Now, they used to have birds at Marc's but that was ages ago. I looked around for a picture or stuffed animal of some sort, but what I saw instead was a man in the next aisle (oh, about 4 feet away from us) with an eye patch. She kept getting louder and louder with more intensity as her pointing finger followed the man as he walked right passed us to leave the store. And then I realized she was not saying, "Parrot," but "Pirate"!!!!!! I don't know if she's been watching the news when I'm not looking or what but my baby girl was seriously concerned about this pirate being so close. Even after "the pirate" had left the store she kept saying, "Mommy, pirate! Mommy, pirate!" Rachel reassured her that "There's no such thing as pirates!" Obviously, Rachel hasn't been watching the news!

Wordless Wednesday

Oh that wasckly wabbit!

Well, you'll never believe what that Easter Bunny pulled this year at the Carpenter house!

Exhibit A

Sarah was the first to spot a hidden basket on top of the entertainment center. Coincidentally, it was hers!

Exhibit B

Rachel found her basket in the foyer closet.

Exhibit C

Rachel found another basket on top of the tv in our bedroom. This one belonged to Emily.

Exhibit D

After about 30 minutes of searching high and searching low Rachel found the last basket inside the dryer. Not a minute too soon... Benjamin was becoming a little worried, thinking that maybe the bunny thought he was too old for a basket of goodies.

All baskets found. All is good.


But wait.... usually there are lots of hidden eggs to be found. Benjamin glanced outside to check on the bird feeder and what to his wondering eyes should appear? No, not reindeer but a yard full of eggs. That bunny hid the eggs OUTSIDE this year.



Yes, I sent them outside in their PJs in the freeeeeezing 30 degree morning to collect their eggs.

Fun times, fun times.