She Said It

While in the kitchen this afternoon Anna Grace said, "Ummmm, something smells so good."  To which I replied, "That is the soup you said you did not like."  Looking very perplexed at the situation presented to her, she then said, "Oh.  Well I'm still not going to eat it."

~~~~~

And just so you know she does like the soup.  And she will eat it I am confident - the promise of dessert will get her.

I was just wondering

This afternoon while I have been preparing dinner and Hudson has been taking a much needed nap, the Jungle Princess, Thor and Superman (I would share a picture but I am not certain that the Jungle Princess is appropriate for photographs) have managed to defeat Lex Luthor, Black Cat Woman, Hot Pink Cat Woman, and 2 Jokers.

As I washed the last pot I could not help but stop and wonder who has had the most productive afternoon?

~~~

(And yes I know that I am way behind but we are moved so taking some time to catch up seems doable.)

Life Update

I know I am behind on all things related to the blog.  I am going to try and catch up over the next few days.  Before I do I thought giving a fast family update might help.

11/29 - Anna Grace had an amazing birthday party at Homewood Gourmet.  If you are looking for a fun place to have a party and let the children do the cooking I highly recommend this.  It was all taken care of and the children had a blast.  They planned a menu based on her requests and then did the rest - set up, taught the class, served and cleaned up.  All I had to do was invite the girls and bring some balloons - the balloons were technically optional.  There will be more about her party and turning 7 in a separate post.
11/30 - My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer.
12/3 - We received a contract on our house...insisting on a close date of 12/26.
12/8 - My grandmother died (discussed in the previous post)
12/9 - Children's choir performances (another potential upcoming post)
12/19 - We moved out of our house and left for Christmas in Mississippi with my family.  We stayed at my parent's lake house a few nights, with my parents a few nights but most of the time we were with Laura and Heath.  Great fun was had with the whole family.
12/28 - We returned to Birmingham to live with Neal's family until we are able to close on our new house on 1/17 and move on 1/19.

Life has been anything but normal the past few weeks.  We are tremendously thankful to spend time with family making more memories as we "go crazy" (that is what Anna Grace has decided to term this phase of our lives).  It is odd being homeless in a sense but we are grateful for a warm place to call home in the mean time.

God has abundantly provided and blessed.  We shared Christmas trees with the family and kept only two Christmas things with us as we moved from house to house - our advent calendar and our advent devotional.

All four of them worked hard to get the calendar just like they wanted.

Thank you

Thank you to all who have been praying for our family the past few weeks.  Our trip down to Mississippi for the funeral was fast and exhausting but totally worth it.  It is now time to move on to packing as the move date is rapidly approaching.  However before I do, I wanted to share with you some of the possible things small children might say at a funeral...and yes I know because of yesterday's experience.

Dean (as we were turning into the cemetery): This is a nice garden.

Anna Grace (very loudly):  DEAN!  This is not a garden; it is where the dead people are!

Anna Grace (again loudly as the casket was being carried from the hearse to the site):  Is she in that box?!?

The Great Cloud of Witnesses

 I have always had the blessing of being surrounded by godly women - role models, mentors etc.  I count it a blessing and a responsibility knowing that much has been entrusted to me.

This morning my mom called at 7:38 to tell me that my grandmother had passed away.  It was expected.  Yesterday hospice told the family that she would probably die within the next day or two.  Our family began to prepare for this day months back when the doctors said her cancer had come back and that she had anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months.  Nothing this morning was shocking.  Our family - with the children often leading the charge - prayed for God's timing and his mercy.  Nothing was shocking - especially the sweet moment of rejoicing and reminding the children that God had heard our prayers.

I stopped this morning to think of what made her so special...what made her my Grandma Brown.  I realized that it was her southern charm, always seeming to do the right thing.  She knew her way around the kitchen and made amazing Chicken and Dumplings (don't tell my other grandmother please).  Thanksgiving and Christmas were celebrated in our finest attire - khaki pants and a button down at the very least for the men.  It was her encouragement and prompting that lead to my first solo.  I was about 5 and I was allowed to stand on the settee (the family knows this was huge since it was only sat on Christmas Eve and never stood on because she had to fluff the down back up and it was hard to get it just right) and sing a Christmas song she taught me.

She is probably the only person I know who shopped almost exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Hudson's Salvage - two stores that could not be more different.  She dressed in her finest all the time except when she was working in the yard and there she wore terry cloth dresses (for lack of a better word) and tall combat boots.  She had a pet Myrtle the turtle that she adopted in the yard and took great care of for years.  She had no problems killing snakes but only the harmful ones.  She got mad at me when I happen to mention a few years back that I did not want my children playing with snakes so we killed the garden snake that lived in our bush out front.  She was of the mindset that boys play with harmless snakes, pick up frogs and lizards and play with real bow and arrows - her boys are living proof.

Her well worn Bible was always close at hand.  I can remember going to church with her when my parents were out of town and sitting in the room where she taught the children's Sunday school class at her small church.  She is the reason my family reads the Luke 2 account of Jesus's birth every Christmas - that was her tradition on Christmas Eve.  The youngest grandchild who could read read it after dinner before presents.  Being the youngest I read it all the way through high school maybe even college.  I knew I would get a call a few days before or that morning asking me if I would do the honors.

She was full of grace and tact - but she would tell you if you had worn out your welcome.  For the past year, the joke between Neal and me was that we could get in a "good visit" in 15 minutes.  I am proud to say that she never had to tell me it was time for me to leave - but I think I exited a few times moments before she could say it.  She asked for black cloth napkins at restaurants if she had on black as to not get white lint on her pants.  She taught me to "dab the corners of my mouth" with my napkin covering my index finger while at the table instead of wiping my mouth.  She took an afternoon nap just about every day and told me I should do the same when the children were napping.  She got that tip from the Kennedy's I believe.  She was charming, godly, truthful, well respected, to the point and poised all at the same time...she was, she is a southern lady.

As we say good-bye for now I smile knowing that the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) got bigger this morning.   And the opportunity is before me to run with endurance and leave a lasting legacy for the King; a legacy that encourages those behind me as I have been encouraged by her example.  As Dean said, "It's okay because she is going to be with Jesus on his birthday."  What a blessing!

Where is the adult?

Two classic parenting moments happened only moments ago.

First, I am currently potty training Hudson - who has extreme bladder control; it is day one.  In the past he has been willing to go to the potty however not today.  He finally had an accident in his pants.  I pointed at the potty and said, "Hudson, where do we go potty?  In the potty."  Hudson looked at me very sweetly shook his head and said, "No."  He might be the biggest battle of wills potty training yet around here.

Then Dean came in asking for his big stick to play with in the back yard.  My response was, "I'm not really comfortable with y'all playing with those sticks without an adult present."  Caleb, my personal peanut gallery, chimed in, "Mama, where is an adult?"

Let everything that has breath...

God chose months ago for our family to memorize Psalm 150:6 this week.  In the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, what a beautiful, simple reminder.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:6

Lord, may we ever seek to praise and glorify you regardless of our circumstances.

I'm trying to go blonde

It has been a long day around here...much sickness in our house and medical unrest in the family.  So tonight at dinner Anna Grace owned me...

I'm going to stare at this light for 15 minutes;  I'm trying to go blonde!

what this real mama heard today

We are off to a slow start on school today.  The children played together until around 10:00 before we opened the first book.  I personally love these types of mornings where they can enjoy one another.

I had to call Anna Grace back up to her room while they were playing because it seemed that she had a clothing crisis.  (Thank you, Jenn, for coining the phrase - it is so accurate to what happens some days to females no matter the age.  I think Anna Grace had her first crisis around the age of 3!)  She had several pants choices scattered all over her room.  I started calling her up; Caleb walked to the bottom of the stairs and came to my aid:

Caleb:  She is downstairs, Mama; she can't hear you.

me:  Will you please go tell her that I need her to come upstairs?

Caleb:  Yes ma'am. [He walks within earshot of Anna Grace] Anna Grace, the real Mama needs you upstairs in your room.

Apparently they were playing "family."  She comes up and looks at her room; gets her instructions about cleaning up the clothes and then says,

"Oh, Mama, sorry about the mess, we were playing. [I assume she is referring to her room - the clothes and toys out everywhere.]  You can't go in the bathroom downstairs.  It is our car.  So if you need to go to the bathroom you can't go in there you will have to go up here.  We needed a car so just don't go in there."

I have been obedient to the request so far but really only because I fear what all they have put in the car.  I guess after school we will spend a little time cleaning out the car!

The Things Boys Say...When They Have A Sister!

Anna Grace has a new love for Fancy Nancy the past few days.  This morning she came down dressed for school in what she considers to be Fancy Nancy exercise clothes...purple striped socks, navy exercise skirt, white shirt, pink furry jacket, light pink bracelet, hot pink heart shaped ring, hair in a pony tail with a pink and purple sparkly holder adorned with a pink check bow.  Oh and the fanciest part of all...hot pink cat-eye shaped sparkly sunglasses (thank you Mrs. Cher!).  I did make her take off the glasses to try and minimize the distractions while at school.

Her current fancy for Fancy is starting to rub off on the boys.  While at breakfast Anna Grace, Caleb and I had the following conversation:

AG:  Mama, have you heard about or seen the commercials for Sophia the First? 

me: No, I'm not sure what you are talking about.

AG: It is a show starting soon called, Sophia the First:  Once Upon a Princess.

me: Oh.  Sounds fun.

CS:  I saw that commercial on tv when I was a little girl.

me:  Really, Caleb, you were a girl?

CS:  Yes.

Then later this morning, Dean comes running up to me running on the heels of his feet...

DF:  Mama!  Look how fast I can run in high heels!

Lord, please put a hedge of protection around these little men and help this girl's influence encourage strong, godly, patient men!

~~~

On a side note, back in July when I was getting ready for this school year the memory verse chosen for this week was Hebrew 13:8.  Oh how it warmed my heart and encouraged me to hear my children saying it over and over this morning..."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Praise the Lord our God does not change.  

Even in times, like Anna Grace suggested this morning, when it seems like someone falls on him.  When it seems God is being squished it is not true because he is "unsquishable." (Her unprompted political statement this morning not mine; she doesn't even know the outcome of the election.  I'm not sure she even knows who we voted for.)  I chuckled and then thought...out of the mouths of babes.  She may not know much about world affairs but my girl has been known to sit down and watch Special Report with Brett Baier and her favorite The Fox Report with Shepard Smith; which she has renamed "Around The World".