IT IS HARD BEING A TOMMY...

IT IS HARD BEING A TOMMY WHEN THE HOUSE IS BEING SHOWN ON CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY AFTERNOON (OTHER WISE KNOWN AS TOMMY CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE). JUST SETTLING INTO HIS HOT WINGS AND WIFEY NEEDS TRASH TAKEN OUT AND FLOORS TO BE SWEPT.

AFTER A WHIRLWIND OF CLEANING UP POST SLUMBER PARTY AND TRY TO GET THE HOUSE 'SHOW' READY, I ENLISTED THE HELP OF THE WHOLE FAMILY TO GET IT DONE FAST.

I WALKED BY THE DEN AND EXASPERATED LOOKED AT THE PLATE OF HOT WINGS AND VARIOUS SAUCES. TOMMY, "WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR THE HOT WINGS?".

"CAN WE PUT THEM IN THE FRIDGE FOR NOW?" WINCING I ANSWER, KNOWING THAT HE HAS WARMED THEM TO JUST THE RIGHT TEMP.

"I'LL DO SOMETHING WITH THEM," HE ANSWERS.

"ARE YOU GOING TO SIT IN THE CAR AND EAT THEM DURING THE SHOWING?" I JOKE.

TOMMY DOES ALL OF HIS CHORES AND HE GOES A STEP FURTHER AND STARTS CLEANING OUT A BUILT IN CABINET THAT HOLDS OUR DVDS AND TAPES AND SUCH.

AS I'M DOING THE TOUR, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER DURING SHOWING THIS HOUSE, I OPEN THE DVD CABINET. I MEAN, WHY WOULDN'T I, WHEN IT WAS ALWAYS A JUMBLED MESS OF TAPES, CASES AND MISMATCHED DVDS BEFORE AND NOW TOMMY HAS STRAIGHTENED IT.

LITTLE DID I KNOW, MY SWEET HUSBAND HAD STASHED HIS TRAY OF HOT WINGS ON THE TOP SHELF OF THAT CABINET. NOT ONLY THAT, I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE AND JUST WENT ON TALKING.

WE HAVE NO CLUE IF THE PEOPLE WHO LOOKED AT THE HOUSE EVEN NOTICED.

"I COULDN'T BELIEVE YOU OPENED THAT CABINET. I THOUGHT FOR SURE, YOU KNEW THAT IS WHAT I DID," TOMMY LATER LAUGHED.

OH, HOW FUNNY!!!

CORNWALLIS CAPTURED AT BUNKER HILL BIRTHDAY.

THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR SON REGARDING HIS PARTY WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS: "WHAT KIND OF PARTY WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE THIS YEAR?" HE ANSWERS, "A BUNKER HILL BIRTHDAY." JUST SO YOU KNOW THERE IS NOT A CATEGORY FOR SUCH A THEME ON PARTY EXPRESS. WE DID JUST FINE WITH OUR FABULOUS FAMILY LIFE CENTER PLAY AREA AS A FORT, SOME LEFTOVER PATRIOTIC PLATES FROM THE SUMMER AT OUR LOCAL ALCO STORE. AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENT, A SURPRISE ATTACK FROM THE BELTED REDCOAT, CORNWALLIS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE REBEL AMERICAN'S TOOK HIM DOWN IN FORCE. AS HISTORY GOES, HE ACTUALLY SURRENDERED, THIS GROUP WOULD ONLY SETTLE FOR A BEHEADING!

Having his cake and loving it too!

Our friend Lori D. created this masterpiece cake for Mister B's recent revolutionary birthday! What a wonderful job she did and what a blessing she is to me for always creating something out of the ordinary for our far out birthdays!

IT'S TOUGH BEING A WOMAN...

In honor of Katy's blog and our new Beth Moore Bible Study, I decided to spare Katy's blog readers and let you in on my second of the week,

"It's tough being a woman..." . When you have 15 minutes in between ballet and basketball practice. Here is what needs to happen in those 15 minutes:
- grab t-shirt, socks, shoes and shorts for basketball
- pack a heathly snack
- pick up house, someone will be there at 5:30
- make sure your other child does not drive off in your car when you are doing the above list.

Oh and by the way, we are on our way back from Amarillo from a well check doc appt. for little brother and birthday shopping for the big party on Saturday, (but I will think about the party tomorrow). AND, there is no cell phone service for some arbitrary reason.

Race home, grab the basketball uniform stuff, forget the shorts, because I bought new ones at Target today! Fill up bottles with gatorade and get a snack.

Put stuff away in places it does not belong, because someone is coming. The trash makes it from the kitchen to the back porch, one more step closer to the garbage bin in the alley.

Rush to the ballet studio, here is your stuff sweetie go change. Haul all of her stuff, clothes, back pack and lunch box to the car. "Uh mommy, these shorts are too big". "Great, I think to myself, I just pulled off the tag with my teeth, no way to return for a different size now." "Can you just roll up the waist band," I ask. "I can," she says sweetly, "but they will fall down when I run I need my other shorts mom." "oh and did you see all the books I brought home from the library?" She carts out more stuff to go in the car.

As I race home for a second unplanned stop, I pray, "Dear Lord, I'm not sure where those shorts are, but please help me to find them quickly, there is no telling where I put them. Oh and God, if they are in the laundry basket, please make sure there is not a wet towel on top of them!"

Before I exit the car, I switch dvds for our darling son, who is being patient and sweet, rip open a snack package for darling daughter, unstick the lid from her water bottle, put the car in park and my feet barely hit the pavement as I run in to the laundry basket. I am at this moment....

...an Octopus, limbs flailing all doing a task independent of one another and yet all timed and sequenced at just the right moment.

I march into the house, the theme from Star Wars playing in my head, when the rebel troops are about to attack. Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum

"that laundry basket is mine I think".

I dump it out, luckily the shorts are in the bottom, not wet by a towel on top, just a little rumpled. I quickly put everything back in, afterall, I am showing a house in a few minutes.

I walk out triumphant waving them above my head.

Today, life did not beat me, I am victorious! I can bring home the bacon (oh well, actually my hubsand does, but I'm very supportive), fry it up in a pan, ( ok technically, my kids really like the pre-cooked microwave kind) and as far as pans (we are doing a lot of disposable these days!) and never forget IT IS TOUGH BEING A WO-MAN!

Praise! And if you have never grabbed something out of the dirty clothes before the laundry fairy comes, please do not read or respond to this ranting!

HE IS SIX!

A new smaller bike to better train on, a comfy robe from his sister. A one dollar sword from the dollar store and a package of crayons. Although, it is not just any package - it has only blue crayons in it. That is a gift from mommy, because he is always running out of blue crayons and using them down to a nub!

EVERY MOM'S CRAZY 'BOUT A SHARP DRESSED BOY!

Yes, flashback pics, camera still not jiving with my old computer! UGH!

TODAY IS OUR SON'S SIXTH BIRTHDAY. WE CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT! THE NAME OF THIS POST SUMS HIM UP- HE HAS BEEN EVERYTHING FROM BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, A PIRATE, A DALLAS COWBOY FOOTBALL PLAYER, WOODY, THE LONE RANGER, A BRAVE KNIGHT AND MOST RECENTLY GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON.

HE WAS BORN IN 2003 AND WE DID NOT KNOW IF WE WERE EXPECTING A BOY OR A GIRL - WE DID NOT FIND OUT. SINCE WE ALREADY WERE BLESSED WITH A DARLING DAUGHTER AND THE SONOGRAM LOOKED SO SIMILIAR TO HER'S I THINK WE JUST BOTH EXPECTED A GIRL. THERE WAS A LOT OF ANTICIPATION IN THE DELIVERY ROOM, AS WE DID NOT KNOW IF THE BABY WAS A BOY OR GIRL, THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WERE VERY EXCITED ALSO!

ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER THE DOCTOR SHOUTED, "IT'S A BOY!". THE WHOLE PLACE WENT CRAZY! EVERYONE WAS SO EXCITED, TOMMY AND I COULD BARELY CONTAIN OURSELVES - WHAT A GIFT - WHAT AN UNEXPECTED BLESSING. LATER, THE NURSES TOLD US - THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN TWO PARENTS SO EXCITED ABOUT A LITTLE BOY! I GUESS THAT IS WHY HIS PERSONALITY IS SO BIG AND HE IS ALWAYS ENTERTAINING AND PUTTING ON A SHOW - HE WAS DELIVERED INTO THE WORLD WITH AN APPRECIATIVE AUDIENCE!

HE WAS A SWEET AND CUDDLY BABY (AND HE STILL LIKES TO CUDDLE - I LOVE THAT!). ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS ONE AND TODDLING ALONG, HE WOULD ALWAYS FIND A TOY OR SOMETHING TO STICK IN THE BACK OF HIS SHIRT, EARLY ON HE WAS PRETENDING THAT IT WAS A RIFLE OR SWORD OR WINGS. I NEVER DREAMED THAT OUR BOY WOULD DRESS UP AND PRETEND AS MUCH AS OUR DAUGHTER WOULD.

WHEN HE TURNED 18 MONTHS OUR LIVES OF EASY DISCIPLINE AND BEING SPOILED BY A CHARMING AND RULE FOLLOWING FIRST BORN WERE TURNED INSIDE OUT. WE READ EVERY BOOK BY DR. DOBSON AND DR. LEHMAN JUST TO KEEP OUR SANITY. AS A MOM, I LEARNED THAT MY DAYS OF TEA PARTY'S AND SMOOTH SAILING WERE GONE.

GOD HAS TAUGHT ME MANY LESSONS ABOUT PARENTING THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL BOY - FIRST HE IS A LOT LIKE ME IN HIS NEED TO ALWAYS STATE HIS CASE AND BE HEARD. SECONDLY, OUR DEFINITIONS OF CLEAN ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE AND NOW I KNOW HOW MY HEAVENLY FATHER FEELS WHEN I, MYSELF AM DISOBEDIENT!

HE HAS THE MOST EXCITING ADVENTURES IN HIS LIFE AND CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE, ALWAYS ASKING "CAN WE GO HERE SOMETIME, CAN I VISIT HERE OR TRAVEL THERE. HE HAS MANY GOOD QUALITIES OF HIS DADDY'S INCLUDING, BEING VERY OUTGOING AND FRIENDLY. HE HAS SO MANY GREAT FRIENDS - I'M QUITE SURE THAT HAD THE WRIGHT BROTHERS NOT MOVED EARLIER THIS YEAR - OUR CHURCH WOULD HAVE SEEN THE FIRST PRE-SCHOOL AGED PRAISE BAND. HE HAS MANY DEAR 'BUDDIES' AMONG HIS MOST CHERISHED IS HIS DEAR COUSIN CARTER WHO HE SAYS IS HIS BROTHER.

HE HAS TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT HISTORY THAN I EVER LEARNED IN SCHOOL. BY GENETICS OR ENVIRONMENT HE HAS A LOVE OF HISTORY, THAT I HAVE ONLY SEEN IN ONE OTHER PERSON AND THAT IS MY DAD - HIS BELOVED PAPA! ONE OF MY MOST CHERISHED MEMORIES IS WATCHING THE TWO OF THEM SWORD FIGHT IN OUR BACK YARD WITH BIG FOAM SWORDS.

HE ADORES HIS SISTER AND WANTS TO BE WITH HER CONSTANTLY. SHE TOLERATES THIS ONLY SOME OF THE TIME, BUT THEY DO PLAY TOGETHER WELL AND IT MAKES ME SECURE IN KNOWING THAT HE WILL ALWAYS WATCH OUT FOR HER.

AS WE ATE LUNCH YESTERDAY, HE WAS TELLING ME IN GREAT DETAIL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RATS AND MICE. ADMONISHING ME FOR NOT KNOWING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO CREEPY CRAWLY SPECIES, AND HOW COULD I EVER LEAD HIM TO BELIEVE THAT RATS WERE JUST BIG MICE. HE GOT THE STORY STRAIGHT FROM HIS TEACHER.

WITH ALL THE CONFIDENCE IN THE WORLD HE SAYS TO ME, "YOU KNOW MOM, I THINK MRS. MCKAY IS SMARTER THAN YOU.". HORRIFIED, I SAID, "HOW CAN ANYONE BE SMARTER THAN YOUR MOTHER?".

HE LOOKED UP AT ME WITH THOSE HUGE GREEN EYES AND SAYS VERY SERIOUSLY, "MOM. GOD IS."

YES SON, GOD IS SMARTER THAN ALL OF US, AND HE KNEW YOU WERE JUST WHAT THIS FAMILY NEEDED. AS GOD HAS TAUGHT ME TO ROLL WITH IT - THINGS WILL NOT ALWAYS BE PERFECT AND YOUR KIDS SURE WON'T ACT THAT WAY - BUT THE ROLLER COASTER OF THE JOURNEY IS WHAT MAKES LIFE LIVING. AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS I THOUGHT I SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY - AND NOW I KNOW I SHOULD JUST LAUGH!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG B - THANK YOU FOR LOVING GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART AND EMBRACING LIFE FOR EVERYTHING THAT IT IS AND EVERTYHING YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE!

- A GRATEFUL MOM

YOU'RE WHAT?????

Well, if you have not heard by now, our family is moving to Lubbock. It is an exciting time for us, but a bittersweet time as we will leave wonderful friends, a terrific church and an awesome community. The title of this post, says it the best, "You're what?". We never expected this either!

Tommy will be back and forth between Lubbock and Dalhart and the kids and I will be staying in school until the house sells. (yes, when we get our computer fixed. I'll be posting pics for sale!).

There will be an Open House for Derek Bryant on Friday, January 2nd from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 217 Denrock. Please come by and meet him. Derek, his wife April and their two children will be wonderful additions to an already great community. I know that everyone will love to get to know them -- they are a great family!