Getting Our Craft On

Two of my friends, Sarah and Mandy, and I decided to go in on a table at a local business expo thingy (not exactly sure what to call it).  It sounded like a good idea at the time.  While I'm still excited...I'm exhausted.  I'll be happy to not have to sew/craft for at least a week.

   Thankfully, I finished all of the projects I set out to do around noon today; minus a few last minute, minor touches.  The sale is from 2-6 PM tomorrow.  The girls are coming over tonight and we are going to do a trial set up of our table.  Between the three of us we made a WIDE variety of items to choose from.  It actually kind of worked out great in one way.  We are all getting pretty excited (and nervous) and just praying that something sells.  Below are some pictures of what I have been working on.  I visited a business expo a few months back and noticed that there were TONS of options for little girls, but nothing for boys.  So I tried to focus a lot on boy stuff.  A few of these things I've made over the last six months, but a majority of it has been in the last two weeks.  It was really hard to keep focused on only making a few things!

4" Growth Chart (All of my growth charts go up to 6 ft in height, but a majority of them start at two feet.)

 5" Growth Chart

For Mom:  A cute tissue pouch for your purse.

Coasters, set of 4: Can be made to match anyone's decor and the entire bottom is covered in felt so they won't scratch up your furniture.

Burp Cloths/Bum pads.

6" Wristlet keychains.

 Tummy-time Play Mat.  Made out of flannel so it's nice and soft for baby.  Just throw it down underneath them during tummy time that way if they drool or spit-up you can just throw it in the wash and not have to worry about cleaning your carpet!  (One of my favorite baby items!)

Little Boy Onsies: Size 0-3 mo and 3-6 months.

What little boy doesn't need a little onsie that looks like he has a sweater vest on?!

  

You can also go here to see some of Sarah's stuff.  (I know for sure that Sarah's going to sell something!  I LOVE the pin cushions and I am in need of something bigger than my miniature one that came with my all-in-one kit when I first got my machine.)

I can't wait to see everything in person and praying we all sell stuff!!

Milestone {Ryan's First Day of School +}

Ryan had his first day of school just shy of two weeks ago.  He was so excited about school that he had trouble going to sleep the night before.  It made him one tired boy in the afternoons the next few days. 

It was barely light out when we headed out to the bus stop.

He looks so sharp with his new haircut!

He made me so proud that first morning at the bus stop.  There were three other boys there and they were talking about video games.  One of the other boys was telling Ryan how his brother wouldn't take turns with him on the game.  (You know how kids are really dramatic when they are telling stories.)  Ryan responded, "Well, that's not fair!  God wants us to share!"  How it warmed my heart to know he was headed to that first day of school with the name of the Lord in his heart and mind.

 

We had one little hitch in the end of Ryan's first day.  For the bus ride they have a tag system in place for the Pre-K and Kindergartner's that allow the bus drivers to keep track of the kids.  When Ryan gets on the bus he's handed a lanyard with a card in the bottom with names of people who are authorized to pick him up.  We are required to show our I.D. before the bus driver will release him.  Three o'clock rolled around and Tim went to meet Ryan getting off the bus.  I was standing across the street in our driveway, camera in hand, watching as all the other kids get off the bus.  Then I watch Tim go up to the bus and ask for Ryan.  The bus driver gets up and starts looking for him.  My heart probably started racing about this point. I could hear the bus driver call his name a few times and he even got up and walked down the isle looking at the other kids.  Still no Ryan.  I was really starting to get nervous, upset, mad; but I stayed put and let Tim handle it.  I was trying my best not to jump to conclusions or to over react.  The bus driver came back up to the front and it looked like he radioed someone.  Just about the same time Ryan came walking up the side walk from the direction the bus just came from.  Apparently, Ryan took the tag off from around his neck and was holding in his hand.  The bus driver didn't notice it and Ryan just walked right off the bus, one stop early.  Thankfully, Ryan knew where he was and it wasn't that far.  It sure gave me a scare though.  I'm glad he showed up when he did.  I'm not sure what I would have done if two more minutes had gone by.  I was just about on the verge of tears and I had to let Tim talk to him for a few minutes while I composed myself.

We were a little frustrated with Ryan because he took his tag off, but my heart tells me the purpose/importance of the tag wasn't explained to him in a way that he understood.  That is one of the things I wish I would have had more information on prior to school starting so I could have gone over it with him.  My impression was that it was a tag he brought home with him and we would put it on him in the morning before he got on the bus.  

Since that first day though we haven't had any other bus issues.  Praise God!

Later in the week, I was also blessed by Ryan and his vision for some of the friends he's already made.  On Thursday we were headed out to run some errands after Ryan got home and he asked us about one of the neighbor boys and where he went to church.  We told him we didn't think he went to church anywhere.  Ryan sounded very surprised and asked, "Well, how is he going to learn about God?!"  I am very thankful for the mission field that public school is and the many ways that it has already opened Ryan's eyes to see the need to tell others about God.  We encouraged him to invite the boy to church with us.  While nothing has happened yet, I am excited about encouraging Ryan to invite his friends to church with us and any/all other ministry opportunities that might present themselves through this new chapter. 

As the first week progressed, the teacher started sending home a little more information to help fill in a FEW of the gaps.  Even with as much as Ryan likes to talk, there's still a lot that is lost.  Everyday Ryan has a notebook that he brings home with him.  As of now there is a snack calendar, a homework calendar, a daily behavior calendar, and a few other random pages.  There is also a pocket in the front of the folder to where we can leave notes in order to correspond with the teacher.  For the daily behavior calendar the teacher will mark in it everyday.  If there is a check mark, then it means it was a good day.  If there is a number, then it means there was an issue.  Each number corresponds with a certain issue.  IE #1: Not being a good listener. # 8: Misbehaving in the hall.  Then every evening we are to initial next to it.  This helps us to be aware of anything that might have occurred that day and it helps the teacher to know that we are seeing it.

The teacher didn't mark anything that first week of school since it's mainly an adjustment time.  He came home twice this week though with the #4.  He seems to be having trouble keeping his hands to himself when they are in line going somewhere.  (hehe.)  I have to kind of giggle.  That definitely sounds like Ryan.  Although we were a little disappointed to be seeing numbers so soon, I'm pleased that it's for what it is and not for being disrespectful to adults or one of the misbehaving ones.  I expect to see other numbers on the calendar from time to time.  Not that I expect him to misbehave by any means, but it's a new environment for him.  He gets excited.  He likes to touch.  He likes to talk.  He has trouble staying focused sometimes.  Tim and I know that we are going to have to sit down and talk about the consequences he will receive at home for any ongoing issue that he is having at school.

Overall, he's had a good first two weeks.  I'm hoping to go eat lunch with him sometime next week and maybe go spend a few hours in class with him the week after that.  I don't know how they feel about me bringing Colin and Blaine along, so that might hinder how often and how long I can go for.  But I'm very excited to go see what he does!  It has also been wonderful to have Tim around these last few weeks.  With the job he's doing now he is here in the morning when Ryan gets on the bus, and is home just before he gets off.  It's wonderful to be able to share all the excitement with him.  I love watching Tim interact with Ryan and ask him questions about his day.  Tim will go through his backpack; look at his folder; discuss the day with him.  Tim will check Ryan's lunch to make sure he ate everything he was given and that he drank enough water during lunch.  It's so special to have Tim home those first moments when Ryan gets home from school and to be involved with what is going on.  It warms my heart. 

Gettin' Jiggy With It

Change

Transition

Ryan goes to school in 2 days.  More like 1 day.  I am in NO WAY prepared for him to go. 

I still have one or two items I have to go get to complete the requested list from the school.

I still have so many unanswered questions. 

Ones from the simple….What do I pack in his lunch?

To the complex……Will he hold tight to the truth we have tried to teach him?

Yes.  I do realize this is only Kindergarten.  But it’s such a HUGE change.

Do you know that they start at 7:30 AM???  That’s earlier than my high school/college classes ever started.  Are they crazy?!

Seriously.

Ryan’s bus arrives at 6:54 AM, and he needs to be at the bus stop 5 minutes prior.  The good thing is the bus stop is at the corner directly across from our driveway.

I have NEVER been a morning person.  For me to get up by 7 AM is a big accomplishment.  And that has worked for the most part for us.  I can feed Blaine, have some quiet time, maybe read a chapter from my Bible, sometimes even shower before I go get the other boys for breakfast.  They’re normally pretty good about playing upstairs first thing in the morning until I call them for breakfast.  After breakfast the boys will go get dressed and do a few simple chores while I clean up the dishes, get dressed.  Shortly thereafter, we will try and sit down and do our morning devotion together.

What am I going to do now though?  I need to be up by 6 and have Ryan up by 6:15 at the latest so he has time to eat and get dressed.  Tim’s alarm normally goes off around 5:20 AM for PT.  Should I just get up then?!  I don’t think I’d make it through the day!  My husband is a great man for being able to get up that early and go all day.  I tend to need more sleep than him though.

Do I do the devotion with Ryan by himself before he leaves and then later with Colin? 

Then there’s the sleeping situation.  All three boys sleep in the same room.  It’s worked out great for the most part.  Ryan sleeps in the top bunk bed and I’m not sure how I’m going to wake him up without waking up the others. 

Do we need to move Ryan to the other room?

Maybe I should just go ahead and wake the others at 6 AM?

Crazy you say…but I’m thinking that when bed time comes around I don’t want to be putting Ryan to bed at 7:30 because he has to get up early and then the other two to bed at 8:30.  That’s at least two hours of baths/bedtime routines.  Then come 9 PM I know I’m going to be exhausted and ready for bed which leaves little to no time for me and Tim.  So this idea is sounding appealing to me.  Also, this way we can still do our morning devotion together before Ryan leaves.

The decision to enroll Ryan in public school was difficult.  It kind of snuck up on us.  I think we were enjoying having Tim home and traveling that when we got back we didn’t realize we were so close to school starting.  We probably would have been completely oblivious to it unless my friend asked me about it one day.  Also,  I think we were both expecting to have received Tim’s orders for his new assignment before we would have to make any big decisions.  (Still waiting on those by the way.)  We discussed it off and on for a few weeks.  Then in the Sunday paper was a section on school enrollment the following week.  There were a few nights in a row where we stayed up late talking about it.  Discussing the pros and cons.  We were both on the fence.  I think I prayed continuously those few days for direction.  One of the big deciding factors though was the fact that Tim and I were both confident that a move was in our future within the next few months.  Whether that be to a different duty station or just to the next town over where our church and friends are.  We both knew that if we did move I would be spending a lot of time cleaning/organizing the house before and after the move and would be distracted in teaching Ryan.  The best thing is knowing that it is a decision that can always be changed.  We can revaluate throughout the year, especially at semester’s end, and decide if this is what is best for Ryan.

I think one of the hardest things for me in this transition is the lack of information we have received.  When I went to enroll him, and when we went to meet the teacher night, it seemed like it was expected that we had done this before.  That we should know where to go and how it all works.

I felt like I should have worn a sign that read “Help!  First time around!”.  I’m not sure that would have gotten all my questions answered though.   I think it hit me first when I left from registration and was driving home and I didn’t even know what time school started. 

No one gave me that information. 

They told me what time he should be at the bus stop, but some kids can ride the bus for an hour before school actually starts.  I probably filled out 15 pages of repetitive information at registration and I walked out with 2 pages. 

1.        What time he would be picked up and dropped off from the bus.
2.       His school supply/dresscode list.

Really?!  That’s it! 

It’s sad to think that now-a-days that’s all that most parents want.  They probably don’t ask for more.

So I went home and did some research on the school he was assigned to on the internet.  Some info, but not specifics.  I was praying that we would get more answers during Meet the Teacher night.  I got a few but not nearly enough to satisfy.

I just find it hard to believe that they just expect a 5 year old (sometimes younger if they attend the pre-K program) to just hop on the bus the first day, get off, and go to class without really being walked through the process.  No wonder half of them are scared.  Ryan isn’t of course.  He’s super excited.  I think I’ve got the scared angle covered for him.

Why can’t they do a dry run through with the parent’s allowed?  Ryan’s never been on a bus before.  Wouldn’t it be exciting to be able to go on it with him and show him what it’s like?!  To go to the school more than once before the “big day” and to know how to get from the bus to your class room.

We were told where the busses will drop him off, but we didn’t get to see.   We didn’t get to walk that route. 

I know there will be teachers there to help and to guide.  Speaking of though… how is a teacher /authority of the school “marked” so that Ryan will know who to ask for help?  How is he to distinguish a “trustworthy” adult, from a possible “stranger”.

I’ll probably have to send him with a note card the first day with his grade and teacher’s name on it. 

Which by the way I THINK is Mrs. Hall.  Possibly Hill.  Again…nothing given to us with that information.  Or with a way to contact her if we have questions/concerns.

I don’t even have the school’s phone number come to think of it!  Ack! 

If we are ever doing something new, or even routine, I always try to explain it to the boys ahead of time and give them a list of expectations so there are few surprises.  In this situation I have been given very little information to share with Ryan.

We weren’t given any information on visiting either.  Probably because very few parents do.  I plan to eat lunch with him on occasion.  Go observe him in class.  What type of security do I have to go through?

I asked the teacher if she had a copy of their daily schedule.  It was five days prior to school starting (and she’s been teaching for 20 years). 

Nope.
No schedule. 

Maybe I don’t quite understand how it all works, and maybe a lot of parents aren’t concerned with what their kid does all day.  I’m not asking for specific lessons plans (yet), just a general idea of how his time will be spent while he’s there.

There are tons of things I wish I could “prep” Ryan with.  IE: Rules on the bus.  What you’ll be doing all day. 

He’s a smart boy and I’m sure he will figure it out and catch on quick but I normally don’t send him into a situation this big, this underprepared.

They have orientations when you get to high school and one for parents as well when you go to college.  I wish they would have had one for first time parent of a Kindergartner.  Or even for all the families just moving to the area.

Tim has shared in my frustration with the lack of information we’ve received, but he’s much better at going with the flow than I am.  I’m the planner. 

Get passed all the basic concerns and you uncover a whole other level.

He will be spending a majority of his waking hours away from us. 

I pray that our level of influence in his heart and life will remain strong, but what amount of influence will we lose?

In reference to public school with one of my friends I shared one of my fears..”He’ll be going to school with a bunch of heathens.”  (Yes.   That’s what I said.) 

It’s not really the fact that he will be going to school with those who don’t know Christ.  It’s a huge mission field.  But is he ready to confront that?  Have Tim and I prepared/trained him efficiently? He has not yet made a profession of faith.  How will this affect his attitude to the situations that will occur around him?

Yes.  Again, I do realize this is just Kindergarten. 

And I know Tim and my job as parents to teach/equip him is not over, but the time we have to do it in is about to change drastically.

I am SO thankful for the work of the teachers to teach our children some of the basics, but what about their character?

How much character training will slip through the cracks?

How much communication will be lost? 

Will he be loved?  Cherished?


There are SO many unknowns. 
So many what ifs. 

I have already found myself praying harder.

To protect him.  To guide him.  To remind him.  To secure him.  To save him!

Through this process though I think I’m already learning the importance of praying for my children with severe sincerity.  To battle for their hearts and minds.

I expect to shed many tears over the next few days. 

A Calling

I'm breaking my blog silence to post a reference for an article.  Mainly because I loved it so much and her book  Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches is next on my list of books to read.

Plus, I don't want to forget where I found it.  Ha.  The article convited, challenged, and is a sweet reminder of what is most important.  I am excited to read more from her.  One friend already gave it a great review so I can't wait to order it and start reading it.



We Made It!

We survived our first 15 hour road trip as a family of five...in one day!!!!  We are on our first stop during Tim's leave in Colorado Springs.  Considering the length of the trip the boys did awesome!  Even with the few hiccups we had in our travel, overall it went very smooth and it really didn't feel like a 15 hour trip. 

What's a road trip though with out kids throwing up or blowout diapers?  Colin had been sick the past two days but he hadn't had an incident for about 24 hours and we were thinking he was on the tail end of whatever he had.  Apparently he had one more in him.  Thankfully he only "got sick" one time and his timing couldn't have been more perfect.  On our first stop he got out of the car and was hanging outside the van w/Tim and Ryan when the moment hit him.  We were SO thankful it wasn't in the car.  I had brought a towel and a few other things with us just in case, but it was such a blessing not to have to deal with cleaning up the car.

The towel came in pretty handy later though when Blaine decided to have a blowout.  I was just going to change him on the go, but when I went to pull him out of the seat I realized that it was ALL over the seat.  We were currently driving through New Mexico and there aren't that many places to stop but thankfully we were passing through what used to be a town so Tim was able to pull over right away and I had a little more space to work with.  I was EXTREMELY pleased with how well Blaine did.  When we made the round-trip when he was 4 weeks old and then at 2 months old he screamed a majority of the trip.  Yes..literally screamed and yes, a majority of the trip.  I couldn't keep in his car seat for more than 5 minutes without him having a meltdown.  My friend Sarah as said it as well, and it's true...he is a completely different baby then he was 6 months ago.  This time around he stayed in his seat a majority of the time just talking, playing, laughing and sleeping.  It was wonderful! 

Confession...I gave Ryan and Colin a small dose of Dramamine to help with the trip.  The bottle says it is for children and adults.  The last time we made the trip I didn't give them anything so I was a little nervous with the way the boys reacted to it.  Colin slept a lot...but I thought that could have partly been from him not feeling well still.  Ryan on the other hand was quiet.  No words.  VERY weird.  Kind of nice; but VERY weird...kind of scary.  Although it was nice and it did seem to help the trip go pretty smooth I'm not sure we'll be using it again on the way back South.  Tim and I still have to talk about it.  Maybe a smaller dose won't be quiet as bad.

We made it to my parent's house at a very decent time and the boys still had a couple hours to play and then went right to bed.  Of course they were up bright and early the next morning excited to hang out with Grandma & Grandpa.  So far the weather has been BEAUTIFUL and they even received some desperately needed rain this afternoon.  We have already had a few outings but are looking forward to the rest of the week here.  Some of the things on our list (some still up for debate):  The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Cave of the Winds, and Mr. Wilber (a fountain for the boys to play in downtown).  Tim and I are also hoping to sneak out for a few hours.  ;) 

My Birthday Gift

I posted about the one big gift we got the boys, but I forgot to mention the one BIG gift Tim got for me for my birthday....A new mattress!  PRAISE GOD!!!!!

Before Tim even deployed a new bed was on our radar and it was at the top of the list of things to buy when he got back.  Tim bought the mattress set we had when we first got married.  It's been 6 1/2 years now.  It was a queen pillow top that he scored for $500!  As most of you can probably guess...we got what we paid for.  After probably about three years it started to sink in the middle.  I could lay flat on my back and my left side would be noticeably lower than my right. I remember being horribly uncomfortable in it when I was pregnant with Colin.  Tim had even tried putting plywood in between the mattresses for me, and we bought a 4 inch memory foam topper, but I pretty much slept sitting up for the last five months of the pregnancy.  After having Colin that bed was a love/hate relationship.  Some nights it would be great.  Other nights...not so much.  It was getting worse and worse and we were SO tempted to buy a new mattress before Tim deployed, but we were praying if we could hold out one more year we could bump it up to a king.  Plus, the bed was much more doable with just one person in it.

Tim got back on a Friday and on Tuesday I woke up whining. L.I.T.E.R.A.L.L.Y....Classy, right?  So we went out mattress shopping.  We went to a few different stores, but ended up getting a memory foam from Denver Mattress Company.  We weren't even thinking a king size mattress was going to work in our budget until we saw their prices.  They just delivered it this past Saturday so we've been in it four nights so far.  It was a little rough the first night, but I think I'm getting used to it.  Tim can sleep on anything so he's been out like a rock within seconds of going to bed.  We are both LOVING the king size and are very thankful we were able to get it. 

Oh and Ryan's reaction to our big new bed, "Wow!  It's big enough for all of us to sleep on it!  Ryan (Yes, he refers to himself in 3rd person) and Colin can sleep with Mom and Dad now!"

Yeah...good luck with that one kiddo.