saturday morning - such a wonderful time to be alive!
Brian left out a while ago to run his long run, 22 miles, if all goes well. the kids and i are slowly getting moving. we have two basketball games today, but they aren't until 11 and 12, so we can lounge around this morning.
i worked at the Maplewood library yesterday morning shelving books. i think i'm finally getting a handle on where each section is, and i don't have to rely so much on the Dewey decimal system to tell me which part of the library the books should go. the Maplewood library is a cozy place, especially on a drizzly morning like yesterday. i can see why Ms. Cobb loves her job. i would, too. usually the pre-K classes (there are two) come in for story time while i'm there. Keegan's little sister, Jules, is in that class. she always has to holler out, "hi, John's mom!" she is the cutest, tiniest little creature!
after i finished at the library, i came home and suited up, then drove down to the trail. i ran somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 miles, maybe a shade under, depending on whose map you're going by. i really felt good (i ran it slow and easy) and felt like i could have done 17 if i had had the time.
it's weird, despite all this running, i still haven't got the hollow cheeks that usually come during marathon season. as long as i'm not getting plain out fat, i welcome it. my face looks years younger now that it has a little more meat on it. i dont' keep a scale at home (for many reasons, foremost that i refuse to be a slave to it. i weigh myself maybe twice a year, if that often.), so i have to rely on the zipper test or the husband test to know if i'm getting fat. but the zipper test isn't so reliable, as all my jeans are stretchy, and when i run a lot my jeans get tight anyways from muscle build up. and the other, well i guess that isn't so reliable either since Brian seems to love it when i gain some weight.
for ever so long (since i lost my ATI training center chub) i have hovered in the 105 to 110 range. i tip the scale on the higher end of that range when i am vigorously exercising. so i suppose the moral of this story is that size and weight are not necessarily a good indication of fitness. but you all knew that anyways, eh?
sunday school starts back up tomorrow. i'll be teaching the 4 year old class again. they are a fun age and we have all manner of interesting conversations.
our church has had a couple of issues of discipline to confront this week, very serious ones that hit really close to home. when things like this happen it really shakes you up and makes you examine your heart. it is awfully humbling realizing where the thoughts we sometimes entertain will lead if not taken captive to the obedience of Christ. and seeing how little flirtations can quickly lead to full out adultery is pretty frightening. we cannot be too careful. though it is painful and ugly, i am so glad that Redeemer practices Biblical, public church discipline. it has led me to examine my heart and motives and realize that some of my own actions in various instances have been out of line.
I am confident that even these things will be used for His glory. Praise God!
Brian took the trailer down to Daddy's the other day. everyone on our street that had any boat or rv or extra car got cited for code violation last week. apparently someone is trying to sell a house and wants the street spruced up. i guess that's a good thing. we'd been planning to move the trailer anyways, and it's nice to have our driveway clear again. Daddy's neighborhood isn't so picky about such things
we went to Margaret's game last night. she played hard, but her team lost. they were playing a really good team , the team that the eastside superstar, Mark, plays on. if you keep up with my blog, you may remember me mentioning this amazing bball player that was on the team Brian coached last year. he's even better this year, though he's still a tiny little guy with a squeaky voice. so as long as he was in the game, the other team dominated. when he was on the bench, her team had a chance and caught up. but, alas, he was in for the fourth quarter, and they ended up winning by about ten points.
thanks for the thoughts about the field trip question. i still am not sure what's the right thing to do. after reading the permission form again, i realized that the class will be visiting all three places of worship. we might ask one of our elders at church to get their take on it.
well, i'm off to make chore check lists. happy soggy Saturday!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
untitled
the cold front came in the other night. it felt like i went to sleep in Texas and woke up in Minnesota. kudos to my husband who went out and ran at 6 am. in the frigid weather. he's amazing.
i was back at work at the church yesterday, doing childcare for Classical Conversations. we couldn't take the kids outside because it was so cold, so that made for a longer day than usual, but overall things went well. they are sweet babies. i thought i'd be dead on my feet after that 20 miler the day before, but i felt great. i guess i'm not as old and decrepit as i thought.
i took Margaret and her friend to basketball practice at the Y last night. i did the elliptical and rode the bike and did some weights. the gym was packed out, maybe because of the bad weather.
Maplewood's science fair is coming up, and we have to try to come up with 4 different science projects. this is so not my thing. i'm a math and science idiot. i checked out these books that are supposed to help, but i can't make sense of them.
the other day as Samuel and i were sitting warming ourselves in front of the fireplace, he asked, quite out of the blue, "Mommy, are you ever going to have another baby?" i said i didn't know, but i didn't think so. he followed it up by saying that if i did, i could be the mother of a multitude. (??) maybe it had to do with him reading about Abraham lately in his daily Bible reading.
this morning John crawled in bed with me and i read some of my daily Bible readings to him as we snuggled. how did he go from the little one that slept in our bed, right there in the crook of my arm, to the big six and a half year old?
after i took the kids to school this morning, i hit them gym again to "work out". i am not a fan of gyms and the term "working out" has always bugged me. it seems so unnatural. but, because i am a wimp and cannot run in cold weather, i had to do the gym thing. did the elliptical for about 45 minutes and called it a day.
i did my Meal on Wheels deliveries today. i visited with Esther, who has become my special friend. she got off talking about how when she was young she would look at old folks and think, "look at those old things! they're just taking up space! we need to send them off someplace, get 'em out of the way!" but here she is 80+ and still going and she said the young people are now looking at her thinking those same thoughts. i assured her that she and the people of her generation have so much to share with we younger ones, as they've walked this road before. anyways, it was a sweet conversations of give-and-take. i feel so very blessed to have these little windows of interaction with these older and wiser folks. they really are treasures! when i show up at their door with a meal and a smile you'd think i was giving them a million dollars. it makes me sad to think that they don't get much attention and respect and are cast aside like an old shoe.
i made coffee this afternoon, and Brian delighted me by stopping by for a cup on his way back to the office from a lunch meeting. he still thrills my heart when he walks through the door. actually now more than ever. i married up, and that's the truth.
this afternoon feels very Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle-ish as i made the kids hot coca and am baking oatmeal cookies while they do homework. wasn't that how all the stories in those books started? Wednesday folders went home today because it's Wednesday (!). in Margaret's was a slip saying that they are going on a field trip to either a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple, or a Jewish synagogue as part of their studies of world religions. our initial thought is that we won't let her go on the field trip. what about you? what would you do if it were your child?
in other news, i'm wearing jeggings today, something i swore i'd never do. personally i think they're tacky things, but i saw them for a steal, and bought them just because. and they're the only things clean that would go with me new boots.
i need to pick up another book to read. any suggestions?
i was back at work at the church yesterday, doing childcare for Classical Conversations. we couldn't take the kids outside because it was so cold, so that made for a longer day than usual, but overall things went well. they are sweet babies. i thought i'd be dead on my feet after that 20 miler the day before, but i felt great. i guess i'm not as old and decrepit as i thought.
i took Margaret and her friend to basketball practice at the Y last night. i did the elliptical and rode the bike and did some weights. the gym was packed out, maybe because of the bad weather.
Maplewood's science fair is coming up, and we have to try to come up with 4 different science projects. this is so not my thing. i'm a math and science idiot. i checked out these books that are supposed to help, but i can't make sense of them.
the other day as Samuel and i were sitting warming ourselves in front of the fireplace, he asked, quite out of the blue, "Mommy, are you ever going to have another baby?" i said i didn't know, but i didn't think so. he followed it up by saying that if i did, i could be the mother of a multitude. (??) maybe it had to do with him reading about Abraham lately in his daily Bible reading.
this morning John crawled in bed with me and i read some of my daily Bible readings to him as we snuggled. how did he go from the little one that slept in our bed, right there in the crook of my arm, to the big six and a half year old?
after i took the kids to school this morning, i hit them gym again to "work out". i am not a fan of gyms and the term "working out" has always bugged me. it seems so unnatural. but, because i am a wimp and cannot run in cold weather, i had to do the gym thing. did the elliptical for about 45 minutes and called it a day.
i did my Meal on Wheels deliveries today. i visited with Esther, who has become my special friend. she got off talking about how when she was young she would look at old folks and think, "look at those old things! they're just taking up space! we need to send them off someplace, get 'em out of the way!" but here she is 80+ and still going and she said the young people are now looking at her thinking those same thoughts. i assured her that she and the people of her generation have so much to share with we younger ones, as they've walked this road before. anyways, it was a sweet conversations of give-and-take. i feel so very blessed to have these little windows of interaction with these older and wiser folks. they really are treasures! when i show up at their door with a meal and a smile you'd think i was giving them a million dollars. it makes me sad to think that they don't get much attention and respect and are cast aside like an old shoe.
i made coffee this afternoon, and Brian delighted me by stopping by for a cup on his way back to the office from a lunch meeting. he still thrills my heart when he walks through the door. actually now more than ever. i married up, and that's the truth.
this afternoon feels very Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle-ish as i made the kids hot coca and am baking oatmeal cookies while they do homework. wasn't that how all the stories in those books started? Wednesday folders went home today because it's Wednesday (!). in Margaret's was a slip saying that they are going on a field trip to either a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple, or a Jewish synagogue as part of their studies of world religions. our initial thought is that we won't let her go on the field trip. what about you? what would you do if it were your child?
in other news, i'm wearing jeggings today, something i swore i'd never do. personally i think they're tacky things, but i saw them for a steal, and bought them just because. and they're the only things clean that would go with me new boots.
i need to pick up another book to read. any suggestions?
Monday, January 10, 2011
monday musings
i'm sitting here trying to keep John on track with his homework, while Samuel practices piano, Margaret does her homework, and William draws comic style pictures with me as the superhero slaying the bad mommies and daddies of the world. ha.
yesterday we went to worship and Pastor Cassidy preached on the familiar first few passages from Romans 6. it was so good to worship and receive communion. after church we came home and i whipped up a sauce for the Central Market pumpkin ravioli i had bought the other day. then we sat down to a nice meal on our finest china. i've been trying to make our Sunday meal a little more special, and pulling out the china and using nice napkins and trying to use our best manners is our way of setting the meal apart.
i felt pretty rotten most of the day, so i took a long nap and read All the Pretty Horses much of the afternoon. Brian made a fire in the fireplace, and we just relaxed and took it easy. i couldn't completely enjoy the day because of how i felt though. i think it has something to do with this nutritional supplement my mom passed on to me. any of y'all ever used Reliv products? well, she took them for awhile, but the cancelled her order and gave me what she had left, as she didn't notice a difference when she was taking it. i'd been taking it for a couple of weeks and it seems to be the cause of my intestinal upset. it was terrible. needless to say, i stopped the stuff, but not soon enough. ugh.
after i dropped the kids at school, i went down to the trail and ran 20 miles. it looks so simple when i type it out, but it was long and grueling, and i had to cheer myself on over and over past mile 15.but i did it and i think i'm on my way to a decent finish in the marathon. i might try another 20 miler between now and then, depending on how i feel. i doubt i'll attempt to run further than that in training. i think i'll be be able to do the extra 6.2 in the marathon coasting on adrenalin. i'm glad i got it done today before the arctic cold front arrives. my hands swelled up like vienna sausages out there. they never swell, even when i run in the heat of summer, so i'm attributing it to the Reliv as well. i've been drinking lots of water, trying to get it out of my system
so far this year i've finished three books. i finished All the Pretty Horses today, or maybe it was last night. this book was full of beautiful imagery of west Texas and Mexico. it took awhile to get used to McCarthy's style of writing, as he uses no quotation marks, which made it a little hard to follow at the first. but i truly enjoyed this book, mostly because of the setting. it makes me all the more look forward to our spring break trip out to Big Bend.
well, i'm off to get this place in shape before the man gets home. stay warm, folks.
yesterday we went to worship and Pastor Cassidy preached on the familiar first few passages from Romans 6. it was so good to worship and receive communion. after church we came home and i whipped up a sauce for the Central Market pumpkin ravioli i had bought the other day. then we sat down to a nice meal on our finest china. i've been trying to make our Sunday meal a little more special, and pulling out the china and using nice napkins and trying to use our best manners is our way of setting the meal apart.
i felt pretty rotten most of the day, so i took a long nap and read All the Pretty Horses much of the afternoon. Brian made a fire in the fireplace, and we just relaxed and took it easy. i couldn't completely enjoy the day because of how i felt though. i think it has something to do with this nutritional supplement my mom passed on to me. any of y'all ever used Reliv products? well, she took them for awhile, but the cancelled her order and gave me what she had left, as she didn't notice a difference when she was taking it. i'd been taking it for a couple of weeks and it seems to be the cause of my intestinal upset. it was terrible. needless to say, i stopped the stuff, but not soon enough. ugh.
after i dropped the kids at school, i went down to the trail and ran 20 miles. it looks so simple when i type it out, but it was long and grueling, and i had to cheer myself on over and over past mile 15.but i did it and i think i'm on my way to a decent finish in the marathon. i might try another 20 miler between now and then, depending on how i feel. i doubt i'll attempt to run further than that in training. i think i'll be be able to do the extra 6.2 in the marathon coasting on adrenalin. i'm glad i got it done today before the arctic cold front arrives. my hands swelled up like vienna sausages out there. they never swell, even when i run in the heat of summer, so i'm attributing it to the Reliv as well. i've been drinking lots of water, trying to get it out of my system
so far this year i've finished three books. i finished All the Pretty Horses today, or maybe it was last night. this book was full of beautiful imagery of west Texas and Mexico. it took awhile to get used to McCarthy's style of writing, as he uses no quotation marks, which made it a little hard to follow at the first. but i truly enjoyed this book, mostly because of the setting. it makes me all the more look forward to our spring break trip out to Big Bend.
well, i'm off to get this place in shape before the man gets home. stay warm, folks.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sunday morning. my favorite morning of the week.
we've had a nice weekend so far, and have done well in trying to keep up with our resolution to be more hospitable. Margaret brought home her friend, Stella, on Friday, and then brought home another friend from her basketball game that night. i guess the girls are getting a little older, or maybe that these two friends are more mature than her others, but there wasn't as much squealing and late night giggling as there has been in the past.
Brian took the boys to their games on Saturday. this was John's first time to play basketball. he's a child with the very short attention span. his take on the whole thing: "i did alright in the first game, but then we played that other one and i got tired." i guess we should've explained to him beforehand that there would be two halves to the game.
Samuel and William went to play at a friends house. this was a big milestone for William, as he's never gone to a friend's house before, someone he isn't related to without Brian or me. he survived and had a good time.
i rode my new bike across town to the library across town, a 4 mile each way trip. i was pleased that i didn't get honked at, ticketed, or run over, on this, my first ever excursion out on a bike. thankfully we have lots of bike lanes around central Austin, so it shouldn't be too hard to get used to being out on the road. i had to go to the library to check out books on science fair projects since all the kids are needing to create one for the upcoming science fair at Maplewood. it was really the most beautiful day for a ride! i rode through the cozy little neighborhoods of Hyde Park, Chesterfield, and Rosedale, with their small, old house painted in such delicious varieties of colors. and past all the funky vintage shops on North Loop with names like Blue Velvet, Hog Wild, and Room Service. i could've ridden all day, just poking along, taking in the sights and sounds.
after we got the kids fed and bathed, we left Margaret in charge for a bit so that Brian and i could get in a little date. we went over to Cherrywood Coffeehouse, which is just across the train tracks from the kids' school. Brian had a beer and i had a glass of wine and we watched a little football on tv.
Cherrywood is like the hub of Maplewood Elementary. it's the after school go-to place for coffee and smoothies, and many kids go there to work on their homework while they wait for their moms or dads to pick them up. it's sort of like the drugstore of days gone by.
so we had a sweet tiny little date, just enough time to reconnect and feel like lovers again. one of the great things about living in central Austin is the abundance of locally owned cafes, coffee shops, and lounges. i'd love to see how many different ones Brian and i can visit for mini-dates. maybe that will be a goal of sorts for this year.
well, i'm off to spend some time in the Word before the rest of the family gets up.
*pics that i borrowed from somewhere else...
we've had a nice weekend so far, and have done well in trying to keep up with our resolution to be more hospitable. Margaret brought home her friend, Stella, on Friday, and then brought home another friend from her basketball game that night. i guess the girls are getting a little older, or maybe that these two friends are more mature than her others, but there wasn't as much squealing and late night giggling as there has been in the past.
Brian took the boys to their games on Saturday. this was John's first time to play basketball. he's a child with the very short attention span. his take on the whole thing: "i did alright in the first game, but then we played that other one and i got tired." i guess we should've explained to him beforehand that there would be two halves to the game.
Samuel and William went to play at a friends house. this was a big milestone for William, as he's never gone to a friend's house before, someone he isn't related to without Brian or me. he survived and had a good time.
i rode my new bike across town to the library across town, a 4 mile each way trip. i was pleased that i didn't get honked at, ticketed, or run over, on this, my first ever excursion out on a bike. thankfully we have lots of bike lanes around central Austin, so it shouldn't be too hard to get used to being out on the road. i had to go to the library to check out books on science fair projects since all the kids are needing to create one for the upcoming science fair at Maplewood. it was really the most beautiful day for a ride! i rode through the cozy little neighborhoods of Hyde Park, Chesterfield, and Rosedale, with their small, old house painted in such delicious varieties of colors. and past all the funky vintage shops on North Loop with names like Blue Velvet, Hog Wild, and Room Service. i could've ridden all day, just poking along, taking in the sights and sounds.
after we got the kids fed and bathed, we left Margaret in charge for a bit so that Brian and i could get in a little date. we went over to Cherrywood Coffeehouse, which is just across the train tracks from the kids' school. Brian had a beer and i had a glass of wine and we watched a little football on tv.
Cherrywood is like the hub of Maplewood Elementary. it's the after school go-to place for coffee and smoothies, and many kids go there to work on their homework while they wait for their moms or dads to pick them up. it's sort of like the drugstore of days gone by.
so we had a sweet tiny little date, just enough time to reconnect and feel like lovers again. one of the great things about living in central Austin is the abundance of locally owned cafes, coffee shops, and lounges. i'd love to see how many different ones Brian and i can visit for mini-dates. maybe that will be a goal of sorts for this year.
well, i'm off to spend some time in the Word before the rest of the family gets up.
*pics that i borrowed from somewhere else...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
ramblings
wow! i'm blogging twice in one day! this morning i couldn't make myself get out with Brian to run. the cold just makes me hurt. William was complaining of ear pain before i took the kids to school, so i gave him his special drops as well as some allergy meds and sent him off. and then i drove straightway to the trail to run. about 3 miles into my run i got a call from Ms. Martin saying that William was crying about his head and ears. i was nearly to the Mopac bridge, and my car was at the Interstate bridge, meaning i was at the farthest point from the car that i'd be on that run. Brian ended up picking William up at school and took him back to work with him. i finished the 7.2 mile loop and then picked up William at MWM. he really didn't seem sick at all, just in need of some personal attention. we played hotel, and art studio, and game show, and then took a nap together. at least i took a nap and he drew pictures. then he helped me get the sheets off all the boys' beds to wash them. i realized how little time i have had with him, just one on one time. it is so hard to find time for that in our (sort of large) family.
speaking of sort of large families. lately i've had the desire to have another baby. we never really said we were done, life just kind of carried on. when John was born, we were done for then, but could imagine having another way down the road. well, we're way down the road now, and at 35, i'm not getting any younger, as they say. i love being a mom. everything about it. i think it is the greatest honor to carry another human inside you and then care for it in the most intimate way. and really, the thought of having another child with the man i love now more than ever, is rather thrilling. when we had the others, life was happening so fast, the babies came in such quick succession, and there wasn't really much planning to any of it. intentionally trying to have another is a very pleasant thought.
so those are some thoughts i'm (we're) having. adding another person to our family would change a lot of things, most practically, what size car we can get, and would almost certainly mean that we'd have to move. i say that, buy much larger families generations prior to ours lived in houses this size and smaller and made it work.
i write all this as if it lies in our power to make it happen. even if we tried, there is no guarantee that we'd be blessed with another. heck, our preventative measures over the last nearly 7 years have been pretty wimpy. i'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. so it makes me think we might have already missed the window. which is ok, too. if these four are all we're given, i've been blessed more than i have words for thanks. as i was about to say, it's Him who opens and closes the womb. so maybe He will, maybe He won't. and I know He didn't this month. and no, we're not "trying".
so that's that.
speaking of sort of large families. lately i've had the desire to have another baby. we never really said we were done, life just kind of carried on. when John was born, we were done for then, but could imagine having another way down the road. well, we're way down the road now, and at 35, i'm not getting any younger, as they say. i love being a mom. everything about it. i think it is the greatest honor to carry another human inside you and then care for it in the most intimate way. and really, the thought of having another child with the man i love now more than ever, is rather thrilling. when we had the others, life was happening so fast, the babies came in such quick succession, and there wasn't really much planning to any of it. intentionally trying to have another is a very pleasant thought.
so those are some thoughts i'm (we're) having. adding another person to our family would change a lot of things, most practically, what size car we can get, and would almost certainly mean that we'd have to move. i say that, buy much larger families generations prior to ours lived in houses this size and smaller and made it work.
i write all this as if it lies in our power to make it happen. even if we tried, there is no guarantee that we'd be blessed with another. heck, our preventative measures over the last nearly 7 years have been pretty wimpy. i'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. so it makes me think we might have already missed the window. which is ok, too. if these four are all we're given, i've been blessed more than i have words for thanks. as i was about to say, it's Him who opens and closes the womb. so maybe He will, maybe He won't. and I know He didn't this month. and no, we're not "trying".
so that's that.
morning thoughts
it's nearly time to get the kids up for school, but i just want to blog a bit before the day gets away.
the other day when i was meeting with the teachers and principal at school, they suggested that we go for counseling at the Austin Child Guidance Center. i just now looked the place up and i'm going to call them today. they can offer whole family sessions, which i think would be good. i feel like we're at the end of our rope in trying to help the boys on our own.
when i look at my kids i don't see them as having problems. i just see their quirkiness as just a part of them. they have strengths and they have weaknesses, we all do. but other people see those things as weirdness, things that ought not to be there. something that needs fixing.
next week i start back at my two different jobs at the church. i am really dreading the one. i just really do not want to work for the Classical Conversations group, but i'm committed to it through this next semester. so i'll shoulder on and make the best of it. maybe my perception is wrong, but the whole thing seems so pretentious. they call their classes and levels by strange names that nobody in education uses anymore, and they all seem to be trying to outdo one another. when i tell them that no, my kids aren't in CC, they go to public school, these moms get all nervous-looking, like they're not sure they should leave their toddlers with me. i might corrupt them. it takes a toll on me emotionally. almost every Tuesday last semester i went home with feelings of guilt, that maybe i really am a bad mom for not teaching my kids latin chants at home and history facts in song form.
well, i'm off to get the kidlets to school.
the other day when i was meeting with the teachers and principal at school, they suggested that we go for counseling at the Austin Child Guidance Center. i just now looked the place up and i'm going to call them today. they can offer whole family sessions, which i think would be good. i feel like we're at the end of our rope in trying to help the boys on our own.
when i look at my kids i don't see them as having problems. i just see their quirkiness as just a part of them. they have strengths and they have weaknesses, we all do. but other people see those things as weirdness, things that ought not to be there. something that needs fixing.
next week i start back at my two different jobs at the church. i am really dreading the one. i just really do not want to work for the Classical Conversations group, but i'm committed to it through this next semester. so i'll shoulder on and make the best of it. maybe my perception is wrong, but the whole thing seems so pretentious. they call their classes and levels by strange names that nobody in education uses anymore, and they all seem to be trying to outdo one another. when i tell them that no, my kids aren't in CC, they go to public school, these moms get all nervous-looking, like they're not sure they should leave their toddlers with me. i might corrupt them. it takes a toll on me emotionally. almost every Tuesday last semester i went home with feelings of guilt, that maybe i really am a bad mom for not teaching my kids latin chants at home and history facts in song form.
well, i'm off to get the kidlets to school.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
hereby resolved
so i've had a few days to think over some New Year's resolutions, and this is what I have so far. i am sure I'll think of more as the days go by.
* i aim to be more hospitable. Brian and i have already dubbed this year, The Year of Hospitality for the Wells family. at least we hope it will be remembered as such. last year was so wrapped up in all the projects going on at the house, the we weren't very hospitable and hardly had any guests in our home. we hope to have at least one family over every other week, and a friend from school over at least once a week. and Keegan Langley doesn't count as he invites himself over every day anyways.
* i will attempt to read through Robert Murray M'Cheyne's Bible reading plan this year. i have used it off and on for probably 15 years, and it is the best reading plan i've known. if you follow it fully you will read through the NT, Psalms and Proverbs twice, and the OT once in a year.
* i will keep a record of all the books i read. i really wish i'd been doing this all along. maybe i'll even write a little summary of each. and along with this, i hope to read at least 50 books. i have no idea if this will be easy or difficult, as i don't know how many books a year i'm already reading on average.
* i will continue adding to my list of 1,000 Thanks.
* i will write thank you notes. i used to do this religiously as a kid and teen. and as a newlywed and a new mommy. then i got lazy, and what with the internet and all, told myself that a phone call or a hastily typed email was just as good as a written thank you. but i know that's not the case. and a long with this, i hope to teach my children the importance of writing thank you notes.
* i will plan and make lists. i so resist this. ugh! there is something in me that finds lists confining. i want to just fly by the seat of my pants and make things up as i go. the ironic thing is that i am married to someone that could not be more opposite than me in this area. he cannot function without a list. so i will plan. i will have an agenda and not just be carried along by my feelings. i will put tasks on my lists, and not just after i have done them so that i can add a check mark and make myself look productive.
* i will plant a spring garden.
i have some other ideas that i typed out, but they started to sound really me-centric and , well, just silly. so maybe i'll just keep those resolutions in my head.
the kids go back to school tomorrow. it has been a good vacation and a blessed Christmas season. i am just so thankful to be a mom and be able to enjoy these sweet times with my kids and husband!
we are going back to Big Bend fro spring break. Brian made the reservations today. it'll be much more enjoyable to camp along the Rio Grande when it's not 109 degrees as it was when we were there in the summer. the kids are so excited!
i've finished two books in the last couple of days.
1. Across Five Aprils, sort of a juvenile book, but i thought i'd read it to see if i thought the kids would like it.
2. We Were the Mulvaneys. wow, what a sad book, but good as well. i'm still digesting it. i got some into it that i read the whole thing in 2 days.
Wednesday, January 5
i blogged that first part a few days ago and had every intention of returning that evening to finish it and publish it, but life got a bit carried away.
the kids started school on Tuesday. no complaints from any of them, and each seemed to have a pretty nice day. i had to go in and meet with the principal, the speech therapist, and William's teacher to discuss William's progress. his lessons are gong to be suspended for now until he begins communicating more. he still does not talk to anyone at school. when he does talk to his teacher, it is in the breathiest whisper. so it was a discouraging meeting. i feel like they're looking at me as wondering what i did to my chldren to make them this way. maybe i did something, but i really don't know what it is. i don't know why William struggles with anxiety issues so much, or why Samuel is always so down on himself, or why John can't sit still. i don't have any answers! this morning when i hopped back in the car after running at the trail i saw a message on my phone from Samuel's teacher saying that he had another break down. he refused to go in the classroom, said that nobody understands him and that he has no friends. Brian had to call and soothe him and try to decipher what had brought on these feelings. Samuel said that ofttimes there isn't any incident, but maybe a thought, a feeling of "being different" that causes him to feel out of place. both he and William are just weird socially. that's all there is to it. it's our job to teach them what is acceptable public behavior. that's just not as easy as it sounds. especially when you have a son that doesn't "get" the normal social cues that the majority of us just take for granted. but even in these things i can thank God. i'm thankful that these trials bring me to my knees and cause me to pray more than i would otherwise.
this morning i went down to the trail and did the 10.2 loop. i was so happy when i finished. no knee trouble. i ran it at a 9:30 pace. i know, slow by most standards, but it felt like something i could sustain for a long time. between now and marathon day i'm going to attempt to get down to a 9 minute mile. that would have me finishing the marathon in under 4 hours. i so want to break 4 hours. my PR is 4:00:30. so close yet so far away!
today was report card day. there was some improvement in areas, some regression in other areas. Margaret was in tears because she had a couple of B's. it was mostly because she has horrible organization skills and often loses homework. and she admitted as much. so we have some things to work on before she starts middle school.
i took Margaret to basketball practice last night and Brian took the boys to Boy Scouts. i did the elliptical machine at the Y, then some weights, then read my book for awhile because the practice ran long. i've been reading Eat, Pray, Love the past couple of days, but i find the woman so nauseatingly flighty and self centered that i can't stomach any more. on the Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses.
******
1,000 thanks~
0040 - mild Texas winters
0041 - arms that hold me all night long
0042 - a son that no longer needs glasses!
0043 - hearing, "can you read me a story?" and knowing that the days of hearing that are numbered, so cherishing those sweet moments
0044 - a beautiful table with candles, and placemats, and great-grandmother's china, and chargers, and cloth napkins, even for a simple mean of leftovers.
0045 - reserving the last available camper spot at Big Bend for spring break
0046 - God's Word that is fresh and new each time it's read
0047 - pots of herb plants on the kitchen window
0048 - a new vacuum cleaner filter
0049 - children that love to feast on Scripture
* i aim to be more hospitable. Brian and i have already dubbed this year, The Year of Hospitality for the Wells family. at least we hope it will be remembered as such. last year was so wrapped up in all the projects going on at the house, the we weren't very hospitable and hardly had any guests in our home. we hope to have at least one family over every other week, and a friend from school over at least once a week. and Keegan Langley doesn't count as he invites himself over every day anyways.
* i will attempt to read through Robert Murray M'Cheyne's Bible reading plan this year. i have used it off and on for probably 15 years, and it is the best reading plan i've known. if you follow it fully you will read through the NT, Psalms and Proverbs twice, and the OT once in a year.
* i will keep a record of all the books i read. i really wish i'd been doing this all along. maybe i'll even write a little summary of each. and along with this, i hope to read at least 50 books. i have no idea if this will be easy or difficult, as i don't know how many books a year i'm already reading on average.
* i will continue adding to my list of 1,000 Thanks.
* i will write thank you notes. i used to do this religiously as a kid and teen. and as a newlywed and a new mommy. then i got lazy, and what with the internet and all, told myself that a phone call or a hastily typed email was just as good as a written thank you. but i know that's not the case. and a long with this, i hope to teach my children the importance of writing thank you notes.
* i will plan and make lists. i so resist this. ugh! there is something in me that finds lists confining. i want to just fly by the seat of my pants and make things up as i go. the ironic thing is that i am married to someone that could not be more opposite than me in this area. he cannot function without a list. so i will plan. i will have an agenda and not just be carried along by my feelings. i will put tasks on my lists, and not just after i have done them so that i can add a check mark and make myself look productive.
* i will plant a spring garden.
i have some other ideas that i typed out, but they started to sound really me-centric and , well, just silly. so maybe i'll just keep those resolutions in my head.
the kids go back to school tomorrow. it has been a good vacation and a blessed Christmas season. i am just so thankful to be a mom and be able to enjoy these sweet times with my kids and husband!
we are going back to Big Bend fro spring break. Brian made the reservations today. it'll be much more enjoyable to camp along the Rio Grande when it's not 109 degrees as it was when we were there in the summer. the kids are so excited!
i've finished two books in the last couple of days.
1. Across Five Aprils, sort of a juvenile book, but i thought i'd read it to see if i thought the kids would like it.
2. We Were the Mulvaneys. wow, what a sad book, but good as well. i'm still digesting it. i got some into it that i read the whole thing in 2 days.
Wednesday, January 5
i blogged that first part a few days ago and had every intention of returning that evening to finish it and publish it, but life got a bit carried away.
the kids started school on Tuesday. no complaints from any of them, and each seemed to have a pretty nice day. i had to go in and meet with the principal, the speech therapist, and William's teacher to discuss William's progress. his lessons are gong to be suspended for now until he begins communicating more. he still does not talk to anyone at school. when he does talk to his teacher, it is in the breathiest whisper. so it was a discouraging meeting. i feel like they're looking at me as wondering what i did to my chldren to make them this way. maybe i did something, but i really don't know what it is. i don't know why William struggles with anxiety issues so much, or why Samuel is always so down on himself, or why John can't sit still. i don't have any answers! this morning when i hopped back in the car after running at the trail i saw a message on my phone from Samuel's teacher saying that he had another break down. he refused to go in the classroom, said that nobody understands him and that he has no friends. Brian had to call and soothe him and try to decipher what had brought on these feelings. Samuel said that ofttimes there isn't any incident, but maybe a thought, a feeling of "being different" that causes him to feel out of place. both he and William are just weird socially. that's all there is to it. it's our job to teach them what is acceptable public behavior. that's just not as easy as it sounds. especially when you have a son that doesn't "get" the normal social cues that the majority of us just take for granted. but even in these things i can thank God. i'm thankful that these trials bring me to my knees and cause me to pray more than i would otherwise.
this morning i went down to the trail and did the 10.2 loop. i was so happy when i finished. no knee trouble. i ran it at a 9:30 pace. i know, slow by most standards, but it felt like something i could sustain for a long time. between now and marathon day i'm going to attempt to get down to a 9 minute mile. that would have me finishing the marathon in under 4 hours. i so want to break 4 hours. my PR is 4:00:30. so close yet so far away!
today was report card day. there was some improvement in areas, some regression in other areas. Margaret was in tears because she had a couple of B's. it was mostly because she has horrible organization skills and often loses homework. and she admitted as much. so we have some things to work on before she starts middle school.
i took Margaret to basketball practice last night and Brian took the boys to Boy Scouts. i did the elliptical machine at the Y, then some weights, then read my book for awhile because the practice ran long. i've been reading Eat, Pray, Love the past couple of days, but i find the woman so nauseatingly flighty and self centered that i can't stomach any more. on the Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses.
******
1,000 thanks~
0040 - mild Texas winters
0041 - arms that hold me all night long
0042 - a son that no longer needs glasses!
0043 - hearing, "can you read me a story?" and knowing that the days of hearing that are numbered, so cherishing those sweet moments
0044 - a beautiful table with candles, and placemats, and great-grandmother's china, and chargers, and cloth napkins, even for a simple mean of leftovers.
0045 - reserving the last available camper spot at Big Bend for spring break
0046 - God's Word that is fresh and new each time it's read
0047 - pots of herb plants on the kitchen window
0048 - a new vacuum cleaner filter
0049 - children that love to feast on Scripture
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