I'm IT

I've been tagged. Since most of you have been tagged already, I won't bother!


1. I am a little fanatical about brushing my teeth. In college, I kept a toothbrush in my backpack and in my car so that I could brush whenever I wanted!

2. I love to read. It is my favorite way to relax and unwind. When I was younger my absolute favorite genre was mystery/suspense! I read every Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Trixie Belden book that our library had. I used to finish one in an evening. Now I have little time for reading and it takes quite a bit longer to finish something. The last three books I have read are a Sherlock Holmes mystery, a Jane Austen novel, and a Christian parenting book.

3. I took private violin lessons for twenty consecutive years. I wanted to begin, but several times along the way I really wanted to quit. My mom would never let me! It was to be my choice when I was out of high school. When that time arrived, I had decided to make music my major in college. I even ended up with a masters degree. I am very thankful to my mom for the sacrifices she made in order for me to take lessons as a child and for her insistence that I continue, even during the rough times.

4. I am very competitive. I played soccer for many years on co-ed teams and perhaps that influenced my natural tendencies! I also have a blue belt in TKD and would LOVE to get back into it someday. I have mellowed a bit ( I think!) over the years, but especially when I was younger I never wanted to be viewed as weak or wimpy. I wanted all the same chances as a boy and no excuses or concessions because I was a girl. I thought I was just as strong or as tough as a guy. That was probably true for a while, but eventually, no matter how determined I was, it just wasn't the case any longer!

5. I love to find a bargain. It pains me if it is ever necessary to pay full price for things like shoes and clothing.

6. My least favorite household chores are cleaning my wood floors and the stovetop. =)

7. I have seen The Phantom of the Opera in Atlanta, New York and England -- all expenses paid.

Few and Far Between

It has been so long since an update on anything around here that I just keep putting it off because I don't have the time right now to devote to putting down all the things I'd like to. If I can't chronicle all the little goings-on then I may as well write nothing...No! That is worse! So, tonight I'm sticking to the two things that happened so far this week that I can remember right now and that I don't want to forget!
Lydia has been wrapping her brain around the fact that there are boys and there are girls. She is also learning about familial relationships. She doesn't know what a brother is and always calls other people's siblings their "sister." Of course she doesn't know what a husband or wife is -- adults are all just Daddies and Mommies. So, I am Ben's Mommy as well as her Mommy ;) Lately an added twist is the argument between Lydia and Ben about Pup's gender. (Go ahead and chuckle.) When you ask Lydia if Pup is a boy or a girl, she insists that "he is a girl." So we worked on he/she and now she will say it right and with extra emphasis - "SHE is a girl!" Anyway, Ben likes to tease her that Pup is a boy. She denies it every time. Yesterday she waltzed into my room and said this: "Mom! Pup has big ears, so Pup is a boy." I laughed heartily and wondered who put that idea into her head. (Daddy of course!)
Lydia has trouble being scared at night. We also go through periods where she wakes up crying about being scared. She has mentioned that "the birds are scary" but I don't know where she got that idea from. (We haven't been watching Hitchcock lately!) Anyway, we've been working on some short Bible memory verses and including ones like Ps 56:3 and others. I remind her that God is with her and that she doesn't need to be afraid. He loves her and cares for her. At the same time we've also been talking about how God does not have a body like we do. We can't see Him, but he sees us. Probably quite hard for her to grasp very well, but she usually accepts my explanations readily. Well, tonight she was whimpering at bedtime saying she was afraid. We'd already done the storytelling (she has to have a story every night about Curious George and Jeremy Monkey--Kate's stuffed animal is cousin to George, for those not in the know). We had also done the singing and the cuddling. So I reminded her that God was with her and she need not be afraid. Then, as I gave her her final kiss goodnight, she said, "Mom, will you go get my Bible so God can be here with me?" I haven't looked in at her, but I expect that she'll be cuddling Pup and her little bible tonight.