Shoestring Club...Foiled!!!

Okay, so this "Shoestring Club" thing started out so sweet and fun. Then, he started wanting to wear his shoes to school that actually had laces. I resisted this idea because his daddy bought him really cool shoes from REI for school that do not lace. I was thinking of his teacher and his front teeth here. I was thinking of poor Mrs. Gilliland having to wait 10 minutes for Benjamin to tie his shoes at any given time. And I was thinking of Benjamin's front teeth in that I always worry my kids will fall and bust out their front teeth. Do you do that? Silly, because I know they're gonna be falling out one day soon anyway. That whole scenario just seems so very traumatic!!

Anyway, I gave in and have been letting him wear his tennis shoes that lace to school most days. However, on Thursday when he came home from school I noticed that he had a little note written in the discipline section of his folder. I got that sick feeling in my stomach!!! Don't you SO want your child to be perfect?? And when they're not, it's such a blow! So guess what the note said? Yep, you guessed it!!

"Benjamin disobeyed today. He was asked to stop messing with his shoes laces, but did not. He ended up tying his shoes together."

Oh yes...can you help but laugh??? I will tell this story on him one day when he brings home a girl to meet me. I will tell of his obsession with tying his laces!

On a side note, his class has a different "Prayer Bear" each week. This is a child in their class that they are asked to pray for everyday of that week. And that child is assigned to pray for them in return. So precious! Well, Benjamin always prays for his friends that they will be in the "Shoestring Club" soon, like him!!! This is a big deal to him, y'all!!

I hope you find something to laugh about today. Isn't it fun to laugh?? It's good medicine for the soul!

African Market

Yesterday the Kindergarten at TCA finished up their study of Africa. What an exciting day it was! They held their African Market out in the courtyard of the school. The kids had prepared for the day by making an African medallion to wear around their neck and a hat. They also made an African craft to trade/sell along with a piece of fruit and a trinket toy. They turned on this fun African Christian music and the classes paraded out behind their teacher. She carried a basket on her head and was dressed in traditional African dress.



Half of the Kindergarten sat on their beach towel under an umbrella and sold their items in exchange for some beads that the class had also made.








Then they traded spots and the other classes got to buy, using their beads as money. The kids thought it was so great! They had studied the culture, the animals, the climate, the food and much more about this continent. I am so grateful for Trinity! I am so blessed to be able to be a part of this school experience for Benjamin and soon Cait. I was able to leave my class testing in the room with my assistant while I popped downstairs for a half hour or so to watch and take pictures. How cool is that??

We love Trinity! B loves school and I love my job. We are so blessed! Thank you, Lord!

The Accountability of a True Friend

After reading my daily schedule that I posted a few days ago, one of my dearest friends approached me. She very graciously asked where my time with the Lord was fitting into my schedule. I thank you, friend for asking me this question!!! I wanted to post about it so that you could know how to pray for me right now. I have decided that, at least until I move, that the only reasonable time that I can get time with the Lord is right before bed. I cannot get up early enough to have the time I need with Him. Also, it's hard for me to focus when I'm watching the clock and going over and over in my mind what needs to be accomplished in the next few minutes to get us to school on time. All that said, I am reading and praying at night and training myself to seize every possible moment throughout the day to pray.

The good news...I think I found a place to move. I put a deposit on an apartment last Thursday and the kids and I are very excited! It should allow for 30 extra minutes in the morning and 30 minutes more in the evening. Maybe more depending on the traffic. I plan to sign a 7 month lease so that I can move again the month after school is out. I will try to move as close to TCA as possible. This is the PLAN anyway...you know how our plans aren't always what the Lord has planned for us.

But I tell you all this so that you will know that I need prayer. Prayer for a smooth move that won't rock our world too much. And pray for me that I will be consistent to spend time with the Lord every single day. I need time with Him to get what I need to make it through each day. I am so needy and KNOW beyond a doubt that I cannot do what He has called me to do without His help...and A LOT of His help at that! Thank you for praying for me!!!

Robbie Seay Band

Yesterday I went and bought myself a new C.D. (well, I had credit at Mardel and I couldn't help myself). I bought the new Robbie Seay Band C.D. Robbie is a guy knew back in high school. His sister Jenn and I were and are good friends. Robbie actually married one of my friends from youth group ...Liz. I watched their romance blossom over years and years and then had the privilege of witnessing their wedding vows. They now have three gorgeous children together!

I bought Robbie's new C.D. thinking it was gonna be great. Well, I was wrong. I have to say this album is far beyond great. It is AWESOME! Seriously. I put it in tonight for the first time and I'v already listened to it 3 times in a row. I even came upstairs and made a "Robbie Seay Band" station on Pandora. On a side note...do you know about Pandora? It is an internet radio station where you get to create the kind of stations you like. So, if I make a "Robbie Seay Band" station, then it only plays RSB plus other artists and songs that are like his style. If a song comes along that I don't like, I can "thumbs down" it and it will never play it again. Or if I'm just not in the mood for a song I can skip over it. It starts to learn what you really like and it plays those songs more often. I have several stations for whatever mood I might be in. It is FUN! Try it out.

ANYWAY...RSB- gotta check it out people. Good stuff!

Shoestring Club

Six years ago today I found out via ultrasound that I would be having a baby boy. I was in total bliss while the rest of the world was numbed by the catastrophic events of the day. It was a bitter sweet time. I was looking at my sweet boy today and just feeling my heart almost want to burst with love for him and gratefulness to the Lord for giving him to me. Have you ever heard that saying about motherhood? You know, the one that says it so hard because for the first time "Your heart is walking around outside of your body." Heard that before? Gosh, is it true.

Well, motherhood is full of little struggles and little victories; little heartaches and big "my cup runeth over" moments. Today we had such a little victory to celebrate. I know, to some of you this may seem so trite...so trivial and not worthy of celebrating. But to me...to us it was a true victory. It was a milestone in growing up. Are you ready? Benjamin learned to tie his shoe laces! Aren't you impressed? His motivation came from his teacher. She said that if they learned to tie their laces, that they could be in her "Shoestring Club." Benjamin was intent on being a member of the club. He begged for 2 days to have help. We sat down tonight and I taught him again and again and let him practice until he got it. We celebrated in a grand fashion and I found myself almost in tears because of it. I was thinking, "Before you know it, he'll be driving his car filled with all his worldly possessions away to college." It's just around the corner now that he can tie his own laces!!!

Joy and Hope

First, I want to say "HI" to all the people who have contacted me to catch up lately. So many people from my past have come out of the woodwork and blessed me by contacting me. I LOVE hearing about where you are now, meeting your kids and spouses and seeing the work that God has done in you and through you over the years since we last saw one another. What a blessed community the Christian family is!!!

I get so sad sometimes when I think of all that God has done in my life lately and how there are just not enough hours in the day to record on my blog those encouraging things. I so want to remember them in years to come when I look back on this time. I do want to say that God has shown me so clearly lately that my "happiness" in this season is dependent on my viewpoint of what God is doing in my life. Honestly, life is really hard right now...logistically. However, God has heaped His grace on me, His provision, His peace, His people to surround me and hold me up with love, and encouragement and HELP! It's like, I find myself thinking, "Yeah, this is hard, but it is good." It is sad to leave Cait each day, but look where I get to leave her!! She is SO happy and loved and cared for. She is great! And Benjamin is flourishing at TCA and growing and learning things that he needs to learn. I have made some AMAZING friends, been stretched spiritually and personally and it is all for the glory of God. I have just been learning lately that I can't waste any time whatsoever being sad about where God has me. It is His plan. It is my cup. It is my portion. And ya know what, it's not bad. There's so much good in it. But, I might not have been able to see that if I was so blinded by my own discontentment.

How about you? What about your situation are you unhappy with? Can you learn to be content with this season right here, right now...even in the midst of lacking the very things you want most? I'm not there yet, but I'm learning (the hard way, I might add). He's so good to teach us, isn't He? Thank you if you've been one of the people in my life in the last month that has reminded me of all the blessings that I have. Thanks for reminding me that what I have far outweighs what I think I lack.

And most of all, thank you Lord, for giving me joy in this season and hope for the future. There is joy today because You are here with me and there is hope for tomorrow because I know You will be there with me there too.

Out of the Cave

Hey there! I feel like I am sticking my head up out of my little cave just to give you all the assurance that we're still alive here! Two weeks of school are now under my belt. I am really enjoying my new school and my class. The kids are so precious! I am thankful. I am exhausted. My kids are exhausted too. Part of that has to do with the fact that we have to get up so early. Here's our current schedule:

4:30 - wake-up, get on computer, finish up anything for the day, possibly work out (hahaha!)
5:00 - shower and dress
6:00 - start to wake up B
6:15 - wake up B for real and get him dressed
6:25 - lift Cait out of bed in her pj's and put her in the car
6:30 - leave the house
7:00 - arrive at Cook's house and drop off my sleepy girl...lots of kissing going on here
7:30 - arrive at TCA (prep time...answering the question, "Now, what am I teaching today??")
8:05 - Students walk into my class

3:45-4:00 - walk out the door of TCA
4:15 - pick up sweet Cait
5:00 - home, fix dinner, eat, put away everything from the day and re-pack it for the next day
6:00 - play a little with the kids, baths
7:30 - bed time for kids
9:30 - bed time for me (sometimes I don't make it this late...seriously)

So, as you can tell, this is a whole new life for me. Early to bed is a change. I've always been sort of an early riser, but this is earlier than I have EVER gotten up on a regular basis. So, all that said, I am planning to move! Yes, I know what you're thinking. "Just what you need in the middle of your first year at Trinity on top of everything else...a move!!!" Yes, but I really have no choice, I feel. If I move over by Cait's babysitter, then I can cut 30 minutes off my morning and 30 minutes off my evening commute. That is 5 hours a week!!!! Hey! I could use 5 hours a week! Couldn't you?

So, that's how you can pray for us. Pray for God to give us the right place...priced just right and SAFE!!!! It is scary being a single mom!!!!

I would love to post some pictures, but I've lost my camera. Yes, my "less than a year old camera!" Have you seen it? Please let me know if you have!!!!!!