Monday, Monday.

Monday started off for us very icy and snowy, as in....my car door was iced shut so I was late for a 9:15 meeting because I had to crawl over the seat, pry the door open, and then figure out how to get it to stay shut as I drove to my meeting. I thought that we wouldn't have school, as most schools around us were closed, but we did, making a very icy and cold morning. After getting my little girl off to kindergarten and having a very enjoyable meeting with a dear friend, I set about the chores of this Monday. I have two words....laundry stinks. Literally and figuratively. I really wouldn't mind it if it was a task that could actually be completed, but it just can't in our house. Can anyone relate? The minute I think I'm done, the hamper is already half-full again. It NEVER ENDS. And, can I just say that I especially hate SOCKS. I think that I buy socks for my kids every other week, and it is still a challenge to find matching socks! And.....look at this bin of socks with lost mates......really, WHERE DO THEY GO? Truly a mystery. But, I did get several loads of laundry washed, dried and folded. I also completed some computer work in preparation for my new semester's courses, which begin tomorrow. New starts are always nice, though I already feel behind! The spring semester just seems to speed by every year.

But my day wasn't all routine and chores. There is actually some snow in our backyard, so we blew up the kids' new Christmas snow tubes and went sledding! So fun! I started out just pushing them but they soon convinced me that I needed to go down the hill with them. OK, so maybe I need to purchase a pair of snowpants! It was cold but so, so fun. And their smiles were priceless. Again, Mommy! Again, Mommy! My son is at that age where he doesn't want mittens on, but he freaks out when he sticks his bare hand into the snow. Seriously, somebody needs to invent mittens that work for little kids. Maybe a silicone dip of some sort that creates a waterproof, insulated glove to fit your child's hand and can be washed or peeled off afterward. I would buy stock in a product like that. Just a fortune waiting to be made. Maybe in my free time, I will do some experimenting. Just kidding. Happy Monday.

Winter Saturday at the Zoo.

Yes, at the zoo! The kids and I spent the morning getting our housework done and then were trying to figure out something fun and active to do for the rest of the day. The sun was shining, though it was cold, and it just popped into my mind......let's go walk around the zoo! I jumped on line and learned that the zoo was, in fact, open, and--even better--that they don't charge admission during December, January and February. So, we bundled up, packed a backpack with the camera and some snacks, and headed off to the zoo. It was such a fun day. There were only a handful of other people there--maybe 10 other families--and many of the animals that are typically very inactive in the hot times of the summer, were active and engaging. We saw some great activity by the bears, mountain goats, snow leopards, and tiger.....we even got to see a rattle snake yawn with its mouth fully open---which happened when my son was a nose-length away from the snake. Although there was the glass separating him from the snake, it still made my heart jump as it looked as if it was striking. Yikes. The kids loved being able to roam and see the animals without the usual crowds. The chimps--typically our favorite display--seemed to be in the middle of a nap, so that was disappointing, but we'll catch them again in the spring. I did see this cool sign about chimps' play behaviors that rang true--Play is NOT JUST childhood recreation. Hmmmm....so true of humans, too. We highly recommend a winter trip to the zoo--I had never been to the zoo in the winter time before, but we will surely do this again (assuming the weather cooperates!).

Living Out Church, Out of Church.

This photo might just look like a cute photo of a man and two children (my man and my kids) holiding colorful umbrellas and walking in the rain. Maybe some artistic value in itself, right? Well, besides being a kind of cool photo, this one means so much more to me. You see, this photo was taken on a Sunday morning when we would typically be at church. No, we weren't skipping that day, though it was a rainy cold day and it would have felt very good to stay snuggled under the down comforter. No, you see, we ARE doing church. In the real sense. No, we weren't in the church building. No, we weren't dressed up or sitting in pews or holding a hynmal, things that people commonly associate with church. But, we are doing church in a very real way. We are living out God's message to reach others for Him. And that, truly, is the church. The church is people loving other people because they love Christ. So, on this day, our church decided to leave the building. Go into our community. And reach out. Several groups decided to different things--serve a meal at a shelter, bring baskets to the hospitalized, serve at an inner-city church--just a lot of really cool and meaningful things. Our group met and made little packets of home-made hot cocoa to leave on people's porches--complete with a little card about our church and a "Hope This Warms Your Heart and Soul" message. Very neat. And we prayed for the people that we brough the packets to, that they would see Jesus through us. Obviously, with the rain and cold, the delivery could have been dampened, but you should have seen how excited my daughter was to bring these packets to our neighbors' homes....she was on fire for God! And, my son, well anytime that he gets to carry a "be-bella" and be out in the rain is a good day for him! I love this concept of leaving the building. After all, church is not about four walls. It is not about nice clothes or pomp and circumstance or Sunday mornings, for that matter. It is about living out Christ for others to see, so that they might know Him better. It is about how we live our everday. And that is a great reminder that I really needed on this rainy, gloomy, chilly Sunday morning.

Counting Today's Blessings.

I am thankful for so many things today. Like the gorgeous pink-purple-and-various-shades-of-orange sunset out my back window this morning. And games of Candy Land with my kids. And games of Pretty-Pretty Princess with my play therapy students. And getting to teach a whole college course all about play. And bowls of hot soup, slices of fresh-baked bread with peanut butter, and kids loving this wholesome food. And new colorful stoneware bowls from my mother-in-law, who knew that they would be perfect in my kitchen. And a special after-Christmas package from my college roommate.....I just knew it would be good when I spied the tell-tale red wrapping with the simple Pottery Barn label with off-white twill ribbon. And more melting snow. And plenty of cuddling with my kids. And a special reading time with my daughter before she drifted off to sleep. And a productive church leadership meeting. And some sit-down and talk time with my husband. And my computer. And creative blogs that inspire me. And Caffeine Free Diet Coke. And tomorrow is Friday and pay day and my son's second day of preschool. And a birth announcement--welcome little Jaden William Lee. And no bills in the mail!! And just thanking God for all these little blessings which are really, really big stuff after all.

Heaven's splendor.

Kennedy: Mommy, will there be lots of diamonds and gold in heaven?

Me: Yes, Kennedy, the Bible tells us that even the streets will be made of gold. Doesn't that sound so awesome and beautiful?

Kennedy: I think there'll be big, huge piles of gold all around, Mommy.

Me: Maybe. We'll have to wait and see when we get there.

Kennedy: Mommy, do you think I'll have jewels and a crown.

Me: Yes, Baby Girl. You will have a beautiful crown with jewels. That's what God promised. How cool, huh?

Kennedy: Mommy?

Me: Yes, Sweet Girl?

Kennedy: Does that mean that the boys will wear tiaras??

Ah, I love my sweet girl's 5-year-old perspective on heaven. So, so sweet and innocent. I love that she is curious and has lots of questions. And, especially, that she has Jesus in her heart and will see with her own eyes and experience with her whole being the beyond-our-imagination beauty and splendor of heaven.

Big First for my "Wittle" Boy.

I am a proud and somewhat melancholic Mommy tonight. My little boy had his very first day of preschool today, and I experienced quite a range of emotions. Proud but anxious. Excited but saddened. You see, he is my youngest right now. I'm not sure at this point if we will have another baby (though I would really love to, but that's for another posting!), so there is a chance that he will be my last one to send off for a first day of preschool. So, while I am confident in him and sure that this will be a growing experience for him, I am also sad that this marks, in some ways, the beginning of the process whereby he will gradually spend less time with me and more with other influential adults. This is good, very good. But it also means that he is growing up, and quickly. And that is always bitter sweet. Hayden was so excited to put on his backpack. And, yes, we went with the camo shirt, which looked so precious with his matching T-rex hat and big-boy Gap jeans and Gap school bus back-pack. And he still stated that he wanted to ride the big yellow school bus with his sister. But, he seemed OK this morning with the fact that that won't happen until he's in kindergarten. However, I think he also sensed that this was big and might be a little bit scary at first. Last night, as we were talking about the big day, he looked at me and said, in words so sweet and so beyond his years, "Mommy, but I am a wittle boy." Part of me screamed to myself "What am I doing sending him to school? He is just a wittle boy!" But, then again, I think that's a natural part of those first steps of letting go for moms. Hayden especially loved that the preschool room is well-stocked with trains and cars, and he gravitated toward those toys immediately upon entering the room. The third photo is, of all the many photos I took today, the one that really speaks to me. It was almost as if that little car was a security for him, if only for a fleeting second, as he sat there taking in this new place, this new experience. And then he was off to the trains and never looking back. The coloring and projects? Well, they are not necessarily his activities of choice at this point, but that will come. He is a go-er, a do-er, a hands-on little guy. Thankfully, the class is only six kids, so he will get plenty of personal attention and hugs and reassurance and structure when necessary. It was so, so precious and heart-warming to see my daughter, who had this same preschool teacher, take her little brother's hand, show him where to hang his coat, and show him some of the fun things to do in preschool. What a good teacher and Mommy she will be someday. Yes, a big day for both wittle boy and Mommy.

And today was the official start to my effort to revamp my family's eating and exercise habits. We did great on the eating front--lots of veggies including fresh homemade veggie soup that both kids helped me make, along with fresh bread. Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, along with a salad and soup for lunch. Peanut butter and bananas for a snack. Tomorrow, I am planning on our first family activity night--either playing softball at the gym or some family time on the trampoline. Come spring, I am praying that we have more energy, more motivation, and more commitment to choosing active outings for our family time. So far, no major chocolate cravings, though I am well-armed with lowfat hot cocoa and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches for when the inevitable happens!!

Back to School.

School is a big theme in our house this week. My daughter headed back to kindergarten today and decided that she is not quite ready to go back yet, and that she would like a few more days of vacation. I'm sure there were several more students and teachers feeling that way today, including my husband, who also went back to his job as a high school administrator. Tomorrow, my son starts his first preschool experience. YIKES! We went and picked out a new outfit today--he chose a camoflauge GAP shirt with a t-rex on it--am I really going to send me son to school in camo?? I guess this is where I need to set my maternal preferences aside and let him wear what he likes. His school bus backpack is ready to go and he is very excited to wear his backpack to school. He would also like to be riding the big yellow bus to school with Kennedy, but he will have to wait a couple of years for that. I am having lots of mixed emotions--I'm not sure that he is entirely ready but I think the experience will be very good for him. Today, as I was talking about preschool and preparing him for tomorrow, he looked at me and said, "But, Mommy, I am still a wittle boy." Oh, my. But in the next breath, he said "I want to go to school and play with the trains with Mrs. P" He knows they have trains because this is the same room his big sister attended. So, we will see how it goes. It is only a few hours a week and I am looking forward to see this awesome world of learning open up to him in a new way. I know that I will continue to be--as I will always be--his main teacher. The camera and batteries are ready for the big day. Now, where is that extra Kleenex box?