As mom to many, I must face an invariable list of questions every day. Several times a day. Some examples include:
Mom, can I have candy?
Mom, can I watch a show?
Mom, can I have a snack?
Mom, how many more minutes until lunch?
Mom, what are you making for lunch?
Mom, is this lunch or dinner?
Mom, can I have a snack?
Mom, how many more minutes until dinner?
Mom, what are you making for dinner?
Honey, how many more minutes until dinner?
Honey, what are you making for dinner?
Mom, can I have a snack?
Sigh. There does seem to be some paranoia in my home about food.
People! I feed you. Several times a day. I never forget. Don't worry!
Anyway, this week, I decided not to focus on the countless questions that may very well do me in, and instead highlight the more unusual questions that came my way, some of which hurt my brain.
Here's a sampling:
Rob: Are you wearing a girdle? (His way of telling me I looked svelt, I guess.)
Seth: Does God have a belly button?
Lily, to me as Rob was leaving in his dress blues to officiate a wedding: Is Daddy getting married?
Lily: Does Jesus stay up all day AND all night?
Caleb: Did Jesus use his own powers or God's powers? (Think about that one...)
Caleb: Do you think that I'll discover a secret power I never knew I had? I know it's not flying or super strength.
Caleb: Can I have an R2D2 cake for my birthday?
Rob: Is our ceiling leaking? (Why, yes it was.)
Gabriel: How does a seed turn into a baby, and how did it get in your belly anyway? (After several rounds of, "Go ask your father," and "Go ask your mother," Gabe decided to go to ask.com, at which point I officially intervened and forbade him from asking that question on any web browser.
Seth, loudly, as a young man with beautiful, long black hair helped us as Walmart: Mom, is that a boy or a girl?
Okay, off to get an ibuprofen.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Peek Into Our Week of VBS
We just finished up Vacation Bible School at the base chapel. We had a great time and I know the kids' faith was renewed and built up. As well as my own. A friend of mine put together a slide show for which her two awesome boys took all the pictures. You can catch glimpses of all of us doing our VBS thing.
Seth is wearing a ball cap in most of his pictures and may be harder to spot, especially if you're looking for his tuft of orange hair.
Click here for VBS slide show
I hope this works...
Seth is wearing a ball cap in most of his pictures and may be harder to spot, especially if you're looking for his tuft of orange hair.
Click here for VBS slide show
I hope this works...
Saturday, June 13, 2009
My World Is a Backstage
One day of work for my husband...four costume changes.
He had to rush from one costume to the next before the scene changes.
I felt such a rush of adrenaline when he raced out the door, onto the stage. We made it just in time. And he didn't miss any lines.
My work as a stage hand was done. For the day.
Now I have to go pick up his next costume from the Tailor Shoppe for tonight's show.
*I only have pictures of three of his costumes. The first one was his PT gear, and, well, no one wants post-workout pictures posted on the internet. And the first costume, his khakis, he actually had to wear that two different ways with two different hats and two different pairs of shoes. Seriously.
He had to rush from one costume to the next before the scene changes.
I felt such a rush of adrenaline when he raced out the door, onto the stage. We made it just in time. And he didn't miss any lines.
My work as a stage hand was done. For the day.
Now I have to go pick up his next costume from the Tailor Shoppe for tonight's show.
*I only have pictures of three of his costumes. The first one was his PT gear, and, well, no one wants post-workout pictures posted on the internet. And the first costume, his khakis, he actually had to wear that two different ways with two different hats and two different pairs of shoes. Seriously.
Neglect
I'm sorry, lonely and neglected blog. You wait so patiently for me to come to you when I finish with Facebook. Always hopeful. You understand that it takes more effort to write a full thought than to come up with a shorty, like "is weekending." You are painfully aware of your lack of immediate feedback and community when competing with such a vast networking site. You know that I have over 200 friends there, and here...maybe four. Yet here you sit with a sigh, hoping that I'll get bored and return to you. Such a faithful little blog you are.
I still like you.
I still like you.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Big Plans
You may never know how a simple word of encouragement can blossom in a child's heart.
Lily proudly proclaimed to Rob today: I'm going to be a doctor when I grow up, because Mom says I have steady hands.
May I never let an encouraging or hopeful thought go unsaid.
Dream away, baby girl. I got your back.
Lily proudly proclaimed to Rob today: I'm going to be a doctor when I grow up, because Mom says I have steady hands.
May I never let an encouraging or hopeful thought go unsaid.
Dream away, baby girl. I got your back.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Catching Up...With Pictures
I'm behind. Again. We've been sick with bronchitis, pneumonia, allergies, sinusitis.
We've
My wild scientists at Wild Science Week at the Corpus Christi Science and History Museum.
Caleb excavating a "dinosaur."
Archaeologists use dental tools for precision. We started out that way, but after an hour of scraping away plaster of paris with a tooth pick, we asked for a hammer.
My kids, along with two of my fellow homeschooling moms' kids, enjoyed an impromptu rock lesson.
Caleb was chosen to participate in the Museum's annual Wild Science Week Turtle Race. He held a mealworm in front of the turtle, named Henry, and urged him to victory.
We were all thrilled when Henry won, especially Henry who happily devoured his breakfast, which he worked hard for.
A friend invited us to her condo complex which has a pool in the back yard. The first of many spring/summer swims.
We were all at the doctor's office 4 times in 10 days. We tried to keep our good humor, especially when at this one, we had to wait in the examining room for an hour before the doctor came back from his lunch break smelling like tacos and peppermint gum.
When Rob finally got back from San Diego, we went out to eat and we all shared this humongous, glorious, decadent ice-cream/chocolate chip cookie/mocha syrup treat. Gabe ate as fast as possible and was not fun to share with. Can you see the wild, sugar-crazed look in his eyes?
We've
My wild scientists at Wild Science Week at the Corpus Christi Science and History Museum.
Caleb excavating a "dinosaur."
Archaeologists use dental tools for precision. We started out that way, but after an hour of scraping away plaster of paris with a tooth pick, we asked for a hammer.
My kids, along with two of my fellow homeschooling moms' kids, enjoyed an impromptu rock lesson.
Caleb was chosen to participate in the Museum's annual Wild Science Week Turtle Race. He held a mealworm in front of the turtle, named Henry, and urged him to victory.
We were all thrilled when Henry won, especially Henry who happily devoured his breakfast, which he worked hard for.
A friend invited us to her condo complex which has a pool in the back yard. The first of many spring/summer swims.
We were all at the doctor's office 4 times in 10 days. We tried to keep our good humor, especially when at this one, we had to wait in the examining room for an hour before the doctor came back from his lunch break smelling like tacos and peppermint gum.
When Rob finally got back from San Diego, we went out to eat and we all shared this humongous, glorious, decadent ice-cream/chocolate chip cookie/mocha syrup treat. Gabe ate as fast as possible and was not fun to share with. Can you see the wild, sugar-crazed look in his eyes?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
How My Kids See Me
Copy this note, ask your kid the questions and write them down exactly how they respond. Tag me back - I'd love to hear the answers.
(Man, I learned a lot LOL)
1. What is something mom always says to you?
Caleb: You may play on the computer.
Gabe: You love me.
Lily: I love you.
Seth: God makes us be happy.
2. What makes mom happy?
Caleb: This (then he gives me a kiss and hug.) Yep. He was right.
Gabe: When I give you a hug.
Lily: Kiss!
Seth: Reading me a book.
3. What makes mom sad?
Caleb: When Lily lies to you.
Gabe: When I disobey you.
Lily: I know. Jingle Bells, Monkey smells. (They were forbidden from singing this song...over and over and over.
Seth: Doing wrong things.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Caleb: I don't remember. (Gee, thanks. Pause for a moment while I hold my son down and tickle him.)
Gabe: When you told me that joke. It was funny. The one that goes, "Why did the hamburger chase the cheese? Because it wanted to 'ketchup.'"
Lily: Funny jokes.
Seth: Tickle me.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
Caleb: How am I supposed to know? I'm not a time traveler.
Gabe: Uh, maybe, beautiful and pretty. (Awwwwww. Wait, I need to kiss him.)
Lily: You had two dollies that you gave me.
Seth: Dollies, I think.
6. How old is your mom?
Caleb: 32 (He's only off by a year...I'm not telling which direction.)
Gabe: 34 (Oh. He's off by a year too. The wrong direction.)
Lily: 33 (She got it right!)
Seth: 33 (He overheard Lily.)
7. How tall is your mom?
Caleb: About a head bigger than me.
Gabe: That's a hard one. I don't know. Three feet?
Lily: Big! (Thanks, sister.)
Seth: This tall (measuring with wide arms.)
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Caleb: Spend time with the family (That's definitely on the list.)
Gabe: Be with her family.
Lily: Make everything and give us our drinks.
Seth: Read me a book, maybe.
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Caleb: Clean, do computer, work, or watch TV
Gabe: Be with Seth and Lily.
Lily: Exercise! (Sure, that's it.)
Seth: Find me. (This is so, so true.)
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Caleb: Cooking and Singing
Gabe: Loving God.
Lily: Love.
Seth: Famous cause she's so pretty. Right, mom?
11. What is your mom really good at?
Caleb: Cooking
Gabe: Being a good mom and cooking.
Lily: Helping me make snowflakes and snowman. And the computer.
Seth: Running. (Obviously, I spend a good portion of my day chasing him.)
12. What is your mom not very good at?
Caleb: Video games (Tru dat.)
Gabe: Taking care of all four kids at the same time when we all ask for something. That makes you frustrated.
Lily: You can't do something while your sick. And you can't give me a sling backpack. But you can give me a hug and brush my hair.
Seth: Jumping. But I am very good at jumping.
13. What does your mom do for her job?
Caleb: Take care of her family
Gabe: Take care of us
Lily: Taking care of us.
Seth: Going to Sunday School at church.
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Caleb: Chinese (Oh, yeah.)
Gabe: Spaghetti
Lily: avocados (Smart, observant girl!)
Seth: Candy, I think.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Caleb: Just one? Because there's a lot of things I can choose. (You bet he's getting brownie points for that one.) That she's the best mom in the world. (And for that he gets actual brownies.)
Gabe: For being my mom.
Lily: Happy!
Seth: Being a good listener.
16. If your mom were a character from a book, who would she be?
Caleb: the author (I like this kid!)
Gabe: Red Riding Hood (I do like to bring food to people...)
Lily: Mom. (Who else could I be?)
Seth: Mom! (Obviously can't see me as anything other than mom. That's okay!)
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Caleb: Sometimes shopping, which I do not like at all, or go to a friend's house.
Gabe: Sometimes play outside doing sports.
Lily: Cook. We are good cookers, don't you think?
Seth: Run together, I think. (Again, me...chasing...him. LOL.)
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Caleb: We've got the same brown hair.
Gabe: We both have the same parts of the body. I don't remember which ones. (LOL!!!)
Lily: We are two girls.
Seth: Freckles on us.
19. How are you and your mom different?
Caleb: She's a girl and I'm a boy.
Gabe: I'm a boy and your a girl.
Lily: That's cuz you don't have any clothes on. (Ahem. Correction: I'm still in jammies and she is dressed.)
Seth: We don't look exactly the same. (But we're pretty darn close.)
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Caleb: Because of her actions, for cooking for us every day and night.
Gabe: Because I'm your son.
Lily: You read me a book.
Seth: Read me a book. (Okay, this is definitely the way to his heart.)
21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Caleb: Our house.
Gabe: Church.
Lily: Chinese restaurant.
Seth: McDonald's.
(Man, I learned a lot LOL)
1. What is something mom always says to you?
Caleb: You may play on the computer.
Gabe: You love me.
Lily: I love you.
Seth: God makes us be happy.
2. What makes mom happy?
Caleb: This (then he gives me a kiss and hug.) Yep. He was right.
Gabe: When I give you a hug.
Lily: Kiss!
Seth: Reading me a book.
3. What makes mom sad?
Caleb: When Lily lies to you.
Gabe: When I disobey you.
Lily: I know. Jingle Bells, Monkey smells. (They were forbidden from singing this song...over and over and over.
Seth: Doing wrong things.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Caleb: I don't remember. (Gee, thanks. Pause for a moment while I hold my son down and tickle him.)
Gabe: When you told me that joke. It was funny. The one that goes, "Why did the hamburger chase the cheese? Because it wanted to 'ketchup.'"
Lily: Funny jokes.
Seth: Tickle me.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
Caleb: How am I supposed to know? I'm not a time traveler.
Gabe: Uh, maybe, beautiful and pretty. (Awwwwww. Wait, I need to kiss him.)
Lily: You had two dollies that you gave me.
Seth: Dollies, I think.
6. How old is your mom?
Caleb: 32 (He's only off by a year...I'm not telling which direction.)
Gabe: 34 (Oh. He's off by a year too. The wrong direction.)
Lily: 33 (She got it right!)
Seth: 33 (He overheard Lily.)
7. How tall is your mom?
Caleb: About a head bigger than me.
Gabe: That's a hard one. I don't know. Three feet?
Lily: Big! (Thanks, sister.)
Seth: This tall (measuring with wide arms.)
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Caleb: Spend time with the family (That's definitely on the list.)
Gabe: Be with her family.
Lily: Make everything and give us our drinks.
Seth: Read me a book, maybe.
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Caleb: Clean, do computer, work, or watch TV
Gabe: Be with Seth and Lily.
Lily: Exercise! (Sure, that's it.)
Seth: Find me. (This is so, so true.)
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Caleb: Cooking and Singing
Gabe: Loving God.
Lily: Love.
Seth: Famous cause she's so pretty. Right, mom?
11. What is your mom really good at?
Caleb: Cooking
Gabe: Being a good mom and cooking.
Lily: Helping me make snowflakes and snowman. And the computer.
Seth: Running. (Obviously, I spend a good portion of my day chasing him.)
12. What is your mom not very good at?
Caleb: Video games (Tru dat.)
Gabe: Taking care of all four kids at the same time when we all ask for something. That makes you frustrated.
Lily: You can't do something while your sick. And you can't give me a sling backpack. But you can give me a hug and brush my hair.
Seth: Jumping. But I am very good at jumping.
13. What does your mom do for her job?
Caleb: Take care of her family
Gabe: Take care of us
Lily: Taking care of us.
Seth: Going to Sunday School at church.
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Caleb: Chinese (Oh, yeah.)
Gabe: Spaghetti
Lily: avocados (Smart, observant girl!)
Seth: Candy, I think.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Caleb: Just one? Because there's a lot of things I can choose. (You bet he's getting brownie points for that one.) That she's the best mom in the world. (And for that he gets actual brownies.)
Gabe: For being my mom.
Lily: Happy!
Seth: Being a good listener.
16. If your mom were a character from a book, who would she be?
Caleb: the author (I like this kid!)
Gabe: Red Riding Hood (I do like to bring food to people...)
Lily: Mom. (Who else could I be?)
Seth: Mom! (Obviously can't see me as anything other than mom. That's okay!)
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Caleb: Sometimes shopping, which I do not like at all, or go to a friend's house.
Gabe: Sometimes play outside doing sports.
Lily: Cook. We are good cookers, don't you think?
Seth: Run together, I think. (Again, me...chasing...him. LOL.)
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Caleb: We've got the same brown hair.
Gabe: We both have the same parts of the body. I don't remember which ones. (LOL!!!)
Lily: We are two girls.
Seth: Freckles on us.
19. How are you and your mom different?
Caleb: She's a girl and I'm a boy.
Gabe: I'm a boy and your a girl.
Lily: That's cuz you don't have any clothes on. (Ahem. Correction: I'm still in jammies and she is dressed.)
Seth: We don't look exactly the same. (But we're pretty darn close.)
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Caleb: Because of her actions, for cooking for us every day and night.
Gabe: Because I'm your son.
Lily: You read me a book.
Seth: Read me a book. (Okay, this is definitely the way to his heart.)
21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Caleb: Our house.
Gabe: Church.
Lily: Chinese restaurant.
Seth: McDonald's.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Still Gotcha, Lily
I know this post is long overdue, but here it is. Just a little blush at being late.
February is a big month for us around here. Nah, it has nothing to do with Valentine's Day, but everything to do with love.
On February 13, we celebrated Lily's adoption three years ago. Three years! That means that we first saw her picture and fell in love with a chubby toddler across the world nearly four years ago! That was such a defining time of our lives. We still talk about it and relive the experience in our hearts and share excitedly with others about this miracle of adoption, the miracle that is Lily.
You can read about her adoption here. But that's only the travel journal, and it doesn't fully chronicle the journey our hearts took, are still taking.
No one who meets Lily leaves untouched. She is a remarkable child with a strong yet gentle heart; fiercely independent, yet trusting; longs to be nurtured, yet quick to nurture those around her. I love this child with my whole heart.
We celebrated Lily's adoption with a trip to a Chinese restaurant, new to us. Bamboo Gardens. Very yummy, but much to the kids' dismay, not a buffet. "I like it when I can pick out my own food," Gabe sighed. But the food was superb. Rob and I may have to go back sans children.
Then we presented Lily with some gifts we had picked out for her. A new silk dress and hair tie purchased three years ago in China. (I only have one left! We'll just have to go back and get some more for subsequent Gotcha Days!) A pearl bracelet with real freshwater pearls from China. A renewed promise to love and cherish this child was gifted to us forever and ever.
My prayer for our sweet daughter:
Lord, thank-you for bringing Lily to our family. Only you could graft her into our family so beautifully, the same way that you graft us, your adopted children, into your family. If I love her this much, I can only imagine how much you love me. Wow. Please keep her safe. Protect her heart from disappointment, doubt and despair. Remove from her heart any loneliness or empty longing. May she always feel the love of her family and extended family. And I pray that she will especially feel the sweet embrace of your love for her. I pray that she will grow up knowing and trusting Jesus and that she will find him to be wholly satisfying. Use her life Lord and reveal to her your purpose for her life. And, Father, please be very near to the millions of children around the world who do not know the love of a family. Dear God, make yourself known them as their Father, and raise up people who will seek them out and bring them into loving homes. In precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Happy Gotcha Day, Baby.
February is a big month for us around here. Nah, it has nothing to do with Valentine's Day, but everything to do with love.
On February 13, we celebrated Lily's adoption three years ago. Three years! That means that we first saw her picture and fell in love with a chubby toddler across the world nearly four years ago! That was such a defining time of our lives. We still talk about it and relive the experience in our hearts and share excitedly with others about this miracle of adoption, the miracle that is Lily.
You can read about her adoption here. But that's only the travel journal, and it doesn't fully chronicle the journey our hearts took, are still taking.
No one who meets Lily leaves untouched. She is a remarkable child with a strong yet gentle heart; fiercely independent, yet trusting; longs to be nurtured, yet quick to nurture those around her. I love this child with my whole heart.
We celebrated Lily's adoption with a trip to a Chinese restaurant, new to us. Bamboo Gardens. Very yummy, but much to the kids' dismay, not a buffet. "I like it when I can pick out my own food," Gabe sighed. But the food was superb. Rob and I may have to go back sans children.
Then we presented Lily with some gifts we had picked out for her. A new silk dress and hair tie purchased three years ago in China. (I only have one left! We'll just have to go back and get some more for subsequent Gotcha Days!) A pearl bracelet with real freshwater pearls from China. A renewed promise to love and cherish this child was gifted to us forever and ever.
My prayer for our sweet daughter:
Lord, thank-you for bringing Lily to our family. Only you could graft her into our family so beautifully, the same way that you graft us, your adopted children, into your family. If I love her this much, I can only imagine how much you love me. Wow. Please keep her safe. Protect her heart from disappointment, doubt and despair. Remove from her heart any loneliness or empty longing. May she always feel the love of her family and extended family. And I pray that she will especially feel the sweet embrace of your love for her. I pray that she will grow up knowing and trusting Jesus and that she will find him to be wholly satisfying. Use her life Lord and reveal to her your purpose for her life. And, Father, please be very near to the millions of children around the world who do not know the love of a family. Dear God, make yourself known them as their Father, and raise up people who will seek them out and bring them into loving homes. In precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Happy Gotcha Day, Baby.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
All About Gabriel
E I G H T
I can barely believe it.
Where did those years fly off to? When we brought him home from the hospital, a week after his precarious birth--you can read about it here--he changed the dynamics of our entire family. Caleb became a brother. We became parents of multiple children. Going from one child--who is the center of both parents' attention and devotion--to two children was a big leap, one that was as miraculous as it was difficult. We wouldn't go back for anything in the world!
Quick Gabe trivia: We didn't have a name picked out for him until he was several hours old. He was this close to being named Carter Robert, but he just didn't look like a Carter.
Today we celebrate Gabe and thank God for his precious life.
We've always lived just far enough away from family that it had been difficult to have family parties every year for everybody's birthdays. So even though we sure missed all the aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents, we had a fun time with a few close friends. God has been SO GOOD to provide good friends for our children and friends for Rob and me as well.
Gabe has the most sensitive, precious heart. But he is also all boy. He wrote a joke today, and I'll risk posterity by sharing it with you here:
"Where does an action figure go potty? Give up? A Toy-let."
The funniest part of the joke: he was inspired while taking too long in the bathroom, avoiding his math. Some of the greatest epiphanies in our family have come while spending time on the throne. That's what happens when you live with a houseful of boys.
When he shared it with Caleb, he told him, "Usually Mom just pretends to laugh at my jokes, but this one really made her laugh." That made me chuckle at his perception and start honesty, but I also felt bad. I vowed internally to really laugh at more of his jokes.
Anyway here are some birthday party pics:
*By the way, the big skid marks on Gabe's head--he ran full speed down the sidewalk and tripped. Poor kid!
I can barely believe it.
Where did those years fly off to? When we brought him home from the hospital, a week after his precarious birth--you can read about it here--he changed the dynamics of our entire family. Caleb became a brother. We became parents of multiple children. Going from one child--who is the center of both parents' attention and devotion--to two children was a big leap, one that was as miraculous as it was difficult. We wouldn't go back for anything in the world!
Quick Gabe trivia: We didn't have a name picked out for him until he was several hours old. He was this close to being named Carter Robert, but he just didn't look like a Carter.
Today we celebrate Gabe and thank God for his precious life.
We've always lived just far enough away from family that it had been difficult to have family parties every year for everybody's birthdays. So even though we sure missed all the aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents, we had a fun time with a few close friends. God has been SO GOOD to provide good friends for our children and friends for Rob and me as well.
Gabe has the most sensitive, precious heart. But he is also all boy. He wrote a joke today, and I'll risk posterity by sharing it with you here:
"Where does an action figure go potty? Give up? A Toy-let."
The funniest part of the joke: he was inspired while taking too long in the bathroom, avoiding his math. Some of the greatest epiphanies in our family have come while spending time on the throne. That's what happens when you live with a houseful of boys.
When he shared it with Caleb, he told him, "Usually Mom just pretends to laugh at my jokes, but this one really made her laugh." That made me chuckle at his perception and start honesty, but I also felt bad. I vowed internally to really laugh at more of his jokes.
Anyway here are some birthday party pics:
*By the way, the big skid marks on Gabe's head--he ran full speed down the sidewalk and tripped. Poor kid!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A Little Family Outting On President's Day
*Note: I'm very late in posting this, even though I started writing it last month. Just to avoid any confusion.
Rob got today off from work! Woo Hoo! As a chaplain, he doesn't get the same kind of weekend days off as most, and many times, we find him working lots of days in a row without a full day of respite. Still, after our very difficult year where he was working four jobs at one time--and still not making ends meet--we feel so very blessed to have whittled it down to one good job. Thank-you, Lord.
So, we decided to take the family to the USS Lexington, a carrier that is no longer operational and has been converted into a museum. We all loved it. Our intention was to go to the Texas State Aquarium, which is only blocks away from the Lexington, but when we parked the van, and the kids saw the Lexington up close, a 3-to-1 vote changed our plans. And the one nay-sayer had a quick change of heart once we made our way up the massive ramp to the ship's entrance.
The day was WINDY and cold.
We climbed up lots of narrow and steep stairways/ladders as we explored.
On the flight deck, as we tried to keep from being blown overboard by the vicious gusts, we found a cool "Blue Angel." The Blue Angels are coming down here in April for an air show. We can't wait.
The kids and Rob are standing in front of a case of ships flags while Rob explains to the kids how each flag represents a different letter of the alphabet or a different message.
Exploring the men's berths. The sailor's each had a bed, and a small drawer and locker to keep their personal items in. Pack light!
This plane, "The Dauntless" crashed into Lake Michigan and was recently exhumed. It is now being restored on the Lexington.
Seth explores the inside of a missile. You know. It's Seth .
A beautiful stained glass display near the chapel.
Rob may one day be assigned to a carrier. That is not my hope, but if that is where God places him, I'm glad the kids had a chance to see this with him now. It's quite a bit different now that it is a museum, but it gives us an idea.
Rob got today off from work! Woo Hoo! As a chaplain, he doesn't get the same kind of weekend days off as most, and many times, we find him working lots of days in a row without a full day of respite. Still, after our very difficult year where he was working four jobs at one time--and still not making ends meet--we feel so very blessed to have whittled it down to one good job. Thank-you, Lord.
So, we decided to take the family to the USS Lexington, a carrier that is no longer operational and has been converted into a museum. We all loved it. Our intention was to go to the Texas State Aquarium, which is only blocks away from the Lexington, but when we parked the van, and the kids saw the Lexington up close, a 3-to-1 vote changed our plans. And the one nay-sayer had a quick change of heart once we made our way up the massive ramp to the ship's entrance.
The day was WINDY and cold.
We climbed up lots of narrow and steep stairways/ladders as we explored.
On the flight deck, as we tried to keep from being blown overboard by the vicious gusts, we found a cool "Blue Angel." The Blue Angels are coming down here in April for an air show. We can't wait.
The kids and Rob are standing in front of a case of ships flags while Rob explains to the kids how each flag represents a different letter of the alphabet or a different message.
Exploring the men's berths. The sailor's each had a bed, and a small drawer and locker to keep their personal items in. Pack light!
This plane, "The Dauntless" crashed into Lake Michigan and was recently exhumed. It is now being restored on the Lexington.
Seth explores the inside of a missile. You know. It's Seth .
A beautiful stained glass display near the chapel.
Rob may one day be assigned to a carrier. That is not my hope, but if that is where God places him, I'm glad the kids had a chance to see this with him now. It's quite a bit different now that it is a museum, but it gives us an idea.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
One Museum Down...Four to Go.
February is museum month here at Fasnacht Academy.
Rob's Dad and step-mom sent the kids some Christmas money...a while ago, considering that it's February...and instead of getting the kids each more toys that they didn't need, we decided that we would look for a membership of sorts for them. We didn't know the area well enough to make a good choice, so we've been hanging on as we research.
One of the memberships that we considered was to the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens. We were just there, remember? But we considered the number of months here in South Texas where it is unbearable to play outside in the middle of the day, so we ruled it out, even though we greatly enjoyed our visit and will go back.
But, while we were there, we saw this sign:
Oh, we're all about free.
Yesterday, we hit the Museum of Science and History. Loved it. And Seth only broke one display, so it was a good day. We decided to get our yearly membership there. Thanks, Papaw Bob and Grandma Carol!
Another favorite exhibit of the museum featured two replicas of the Pinta and Santa Maria ships, sailed by Spain's infamous adventurer Christopher Columbus. Here's what the museum website says about it:
The ships are reproductions built by Spain to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the New World. They took five years to build and cost $6.5 million. The three ships embarked on a tour of the Mediterranean and Atlantic ports of Europe in 1990 and 1991. After a successful tour of 18 United States ports, they arrived at their permanent home in Corpus Christi in 1993. The Pinta and Santa Maria are located at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History. There are no guided tours of the Nina, moored at the Corpus Christi Marina, but can be viewed from the dock.
Next up for our field trip pleasure, we have, in no particular order, the art museum, the Texas State Aquarium, the Asian Culture Museum and a tour of the USS Lexington we just saw.
February, may be the shortest month of the year, but we're going to cram in as much art, history, science, culture, botany, oceanography, EXPERIENCE as we can! So Field Trip Fridays have just evolved into Field Trip February.
I love homeschooling.
Rob's Dad and step-mom sent the kids some Christmas money...a while ago, considering that it's February...and instead of getting the kids each more toys that they didn't need, we decided that we would look for a membership of sorts for them. We didn't know the area well enough to make a good choice, so we've been hanging on as we research.
One of the memberships that we considered was to the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens. We were just there, remember? But we considered the number of months here in South Texas where it is unbearable to play outside in the middle of the day, so we ruled it out, even though we greatly enjoyed our visit and will go back.
But, while we were there, we saw this sign:
Oh, we're all about free.
Yesterday, we hit the Museum of Science and History. Loved it. And Seth only broke one display, so it was a good day. We decided to get our yearly membership there. Thanks, Papaw Bob and Grandma Carol!
We parked at the wrong end of the building, but we were so glad we did, because we would have missed this awesome feature: The Watergarden. The kids were all ready to dive in.
It was one of our favorite spots, a feast for the senses as our ears pounded with the sounds of cascading waterfalls, the air was moist and smelled fresh and clean, and of course it was beautiful to behold.
Right inside is a play/learning center. We could have spent all day there, and you can bet that we'll use our membership to come back and play/learn.
Always looking for adventure and drama!
We found lots to do, appropriate and fun for all the kids' developmental ages. I loved watching them glow with the excitement of discovery.
They've got the world at their fingertips. Surely they do.
Another favorite exhibit of the museum featured two replicas of the Pinta and Santa Maria ships, sailed by Spain's infamous adventurer Christopher Columbus. Here's what the museum website says about it:
The ships are reproductions built by Spain to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the New World. They took five years to build and cost $6.5 million. The three ships embarked on a tour of the Mediterranean and Atlantic ports of Europe in 1990 and 1991. After a successful tour of 18 United States ports, they arrived at their permanent home in Corpus Christi in 1993. The Pinta and Santa Maria are located at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History. There are no guided tours of the Nina, moored at the Corpus Christi Marina, but can be viewed from the dock.
You can see one of them there in the background, big and black.
Cast of characters: Diego (a little boatswain?), Queen Isabella, King Ferdinand, and Christopher Columbus himself.
And right off the deck of the Pinta, we could look across the bay and see the USS Lexington, large and stately, a stark contrast to Columbus' wooden sailing ships.
Next up for our field trip pleasure, we have, in no particular order, the art museum, the Texas State Aquarium, the Asian Culture Museum and a tour of the USS Lexington we just saw.
February, may be the shortest month of the year, but we're going to cram in as much art, history, science, culture, botany, oceanography, EXPERIENCE as we can! So Field Trip Fridays have just evolved into Field Trip February.
I love homeschooling.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Shoot For 2, Put It Through!
Caleb and Gabe are playing basketball this winter with the Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) department and the youth activities center. They were desperate for coaches, so despite our busy schedule, Rob was blessed to be able to coach their team. They love having Dad as coach (on most days!). I'm just happy that they are both on the same team so we only have to go to one game on Saturdays and one practice throughout the week!
They are starting to understand some of the fundamentals of the game, and they both enjoy it greatly. Gabriel is so, so excited whenever anybody of his team scores, just as excited as if he himself shot the winning basket. What an encourager! I'd want him on my team just for that! And Caleb has a smile on his face the ENTIRE game! He loves being part of the action, even if he doesn't get that much ball time.
Neither of them are the superstars of the team. And we're all okay with that. They are learning the meaning of teamwork and following instructions and being aware of the players around them. There's a lot of coordination that goes into playing basketball, and I can already see improvements in that area, too!
I'm having a hard time getting any good action shots. It's a combination of poor lighting and a camera that doesn't handle both poor lighting and action. Maybe I'll try to get some video next Saturday. So far, blogger doesn't like the format in which my camera video tapes, so I'm working out the kinks on that one.
Anyway, I love cheering my little stars from the sidelines. Baseball starts in a few months, and Gabe wants to play. Caleb is still undecided.
They are starting to understand some of the fundamentals of the game, and they both enjoy it greatly. Gabriel is so, so excited whenever anybody of his team scores, just as excited as if he himself shot the winning basket. What an encourager! I'd want him on my team just for that! And Caleb has a smile on his face the ENTIRE game! He loves being part of the action, even if he doesn't get that much ball time.
Neither of them are the superstars of the team. And we're all okay with that. They are learning the meaning of teamwork and following instructions and being aware of the players around them. There's a lot of coordination that goes into playing basketball, and I can already see improvements in that area, too!
I'm having a hard time getting any good action shots. It's a combination of poor lighting and a camera that doesn't handle both poor lighting and action. Maybe I'll try to get some video next Saturday. So far, blogger doesn't like the format in which my camera video tapes, so I'm working out the kinks on that one.
Anyway, I love cheering my little stars from the sidelines. Baseball starts in a few months, and Gabe wants to play. Caleb is still undecided.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Another Field Trip Friday
This time we visitied the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.
Loved it!
We met our new friends, who also homeschool, for an afternoon surrounded by God's beautiful handiwork, carefully cultivated into a delightful discovery of gardens and trails and observatories and habitats.
First things first: picnic lunch.
One of my favorite from the rose garden. Gorgeous! And so fragrant.
The kids brought their journals, and I encouraged them to sketch or write about their discoveries. They stopped often to observe and sketch.
The rose garden also inspired Gabe, and he took a moment to capture some of it's beauty.
All of the kiddos, forced into a group pose by two camera-toting moms. This stone seat was covered with a colorful tile mosaic.
Caleb and Seth peering over a two-story lookout tower. They were disappointed that Gator Lake had no 'gators. (And with the current Texas drought, not much lake either.)
It is always such a joy to watch my children learn and make new discoveries.
One of my favorite spots was the Arid Garden, a little corner with a wide variety of cacti and desert foiliage poking out of the hard soil. This garden felt like Texas!
God is so good to add such color and beauty to even the most desolate of places. We can't wait until springtime when blooms and blossoms will spring out from what we thought was dry and dead.
A desert congo line?
And this was my favorite picture of the day. Isn't she just lovely, my sweet Lily flower, bursting from among the rose bushes?
Loved it!
We met our new friends, who also homeschool, for an afternoon surrounded by God's beautiful handiwork, carefully cultivated into a delightful discovery of gardens and trails and observatories and habitats.
First things first: picnic lunch.
One of my favorite from the rose garden. Gorgeous! And so fragrant.
The kids brought their journals, and I encouraged them to sketch or write about their discoveries. They stopped often to observe and sketch.
The rose garden also inspired Gabe, and he took a moment to capture some of it's beauty.
All of the kiddos, forced into a group pose by two camera-toting moms. This stone seat was covered with a colorful tile mosaic.
Caleb and Seth peering over a two-story lookout tower. They were disappointed that Gator Lake had no 'gators. (And with the current Texas drought, not much lake either.)
It is always such a joy to watch my children learn and make new discoveries.
One of my favorite spots was the Arid Garden, a little corner with a wide variety of cacti and desert foiliage poking out of the hard soil. This garden felt like Texas!
God is so good to add such color and beauty to even the most desolate of places. We can't wait until springtime when blooms and blossoms will spring out from what we thought was dry and dead.
A desert congo line?
And this was my favorite picture of the day. Isn't she just lovely, my sweet Lily flower, bursting from among the rose bushes?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Whispers
I woke up this morning with a sweet, chubby four-year in the crook of my arm. His fingers caressed my arm as he whispered in my ear:
"Jesus called them...and immediately they followed him."
Pause.
Then, "Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life.'"
Then he repeated both verses again.
His memory verses from the past couple of weeks at AWANA Bible Club.
Sweet. In its purest, most virtuous form.
"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" Psalm 5:3
"Jesus called them...and immediately they followed him."
Pause.
Then, "Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life.'"
Then he repeated both verses again.
His memory verses from the past couple of weeks at AWANA Bible Club.
Sweet. In its purest, most virtuous form.
"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" Psalm 5:3
Monday, January 26, 2009
Happy Chinese New Year!
We celebrated:
With decorations. (I bought this flashy silk lantern at a shop on Shamian Island in Guangzhou, trying to spend the last of our yuan before leaving the following day.)
With little red envelopes the kids and I made. I printed out a host of Chinese characters, and the kids each picked out their favorite one to put on their own envelope. Caleb picked "Fun," Gabe picked "Fire," Lily picked "Love," and Seth picked "Happy." They all wanted Rob to have "Father" and me to have "Mother." Inside each envelope I tucked a few coins and placed them all alongside their dinner plates, in addition to a special candy treat.
With a big meal, mostly Chinese fare, with American twists: Jasmine rice, General Zso's Chicken, egg rolls, steamed dumplings, fried dumplings, and ginger and garlic green beans. Yum!
Chopsticks are a must! Of course, by the end of the meal, each of the kids had requested a spoon and/or fork. At least they got a little practice.
Our Chinese New Year Prayer for you: May God bless you with a long life, good health, great love, and financial blessings to spare this coming year, in Jesus' name!
With decorations. (I bought this flashy silk lantern at a shop on Shamian Island in Guangzhou, trying to spend the last of our yuan before leaving the following day.)
With little red envelopes the kids and I made. I printed out a host of Chinese characters, and the kids each picked out their favorite one to put on their own envelope. Caleb picked "Fun," Gabe picked "Fire," Lily picked "Love," and Seth picked "Happy." They all wanted Rob to have "Father" and me to have "Mother." Inside each envelope I tucked a few coins and placed them all alongside their dinner plates, in addition to a special candy treat.
With a big meal, mostly Chinese fare, with American twists: Jasmine rice, General Zso's Chicken, egg rolls, steamed dumplings, fried dumplings, and ginger and garlic green beans. Yum!
Chopsticks are a must! Of course, by the end of the meal, each of the kids had requested a spoon and/or fork. At least they got a little practice.
Our Chinese New Year Prayer for you: May God bless you with a long life, good health, great love, and financial blessings to spare this coming year, in Jesus' name!
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