Clarity

Here is the set up:

It's Saturday and my family is at home. I'm sitting in an empty cafeteria waiting on artwork to be released so that I can pick up my student's work and start the two hour trek home.

One the journey here this morning, I was telling God that I need clarity about some things in life.

That I'm tired of talking to the wind.

That silence is not acceptable.

Yeah, I was being that blunt.  Why not?

It was in my heart, I might as well communicate it.

So what did God do?

This afternoon I was provided a huge dose of clarity.

In a way I could never imagine.

In a way I that I am not comfortable with.

But clarity nonetheless.

Quiet Play and Two Year Olds Don't Mix

If you have ever tried to get a two year old to play quietly for more than a few minutes, you know that it is an excerise in frustration. For both of you.

So how in.the.world. am I suppossed to get Kylie to only particpate in quiet play activities for TWO WEEKS!!

I have decided that if it is so important to keep a child from running, climbing, jumping, dancing, and all manner of things that they could do that would result in falling or getting hurt, that you should put a cast on their leg.

That wouldn't stop the play. But it would slow her down.

Yes, this is where I find myself on day five post-surgery. 

Kylie is MEAN!

Kylie is CRANKY!

Kylie is OBSTINATE!

and by gosh, she's going to CLIMB!

Let me see, so far this morning,

I've been yelled at.  

I've been spit at.

I've been hit.

I've changed the sheets on my bed due to medicine being slapped out of my hands.

I've had a shower due to being COVERED in sticky hydrocodone.

I'm expecting that things will get better.

And to remind myself ... here is an adorable picture of my goose. And oh shock. She's on top of a table.

40 Bags in 40 Days Update

40 Bags in 40 Days for Lent.  In case you missed my initail post, click here for the background.

Otherwise, here is an update.

As you saw in a previous post, I got the laundry room finished. Yeah! It's so useable and clutter-free. I was even able to fold laundry on the counter! Amazing how wonderful it feels to have a clean and easy to navigate space.

From there, I cleaned out my closest and dresser. I'm not much on having excess clothing, so I just got rid of a bag from each.

Next up was the section of the kitchen that works as an office/china cabinet type area.  In the picture below, it looks almost clean. In reality it is a junk storage area!

From this area, I got rid of a couple of boxes of just random junk, old computer software and a lot of trash! 

The hardest part so far was going through my recipe boxes. I got rid of three of the four boxes. In the past, I was one that would cut out interesting recipes and glue them on notecards for future use.  I had hundreds of cards. But today, if I need a recipe, I just google it and go. So, no need to keep them, just to keep them. I did keep the recipe's that I use or that I have from my grandmother, but so long, never used recipe for some exotic concoction.

Today, I sorted clothes. I got rid of at least three boxes worth of kid clothes plus a large box of my own out of season clothing.

In addition to all this, we've gotten rid of TWO TRUCK LOADS of stuff from the garage!! This alone counts for probably 50 bags!

Doug mentioned that at somepoint I'll have to stop getting rid of stuff, but for now, we are both loving the 40 days of cleaning out the house!!

Tubes, Adenoids, and Tonsils

Poor Kylie.

So long adenoids and tonsils.

Hello ear tubes.

Immediately following surgery Kylie consumed 3 Popsicles.

Waiting for a room.

In her room.

Yeah, she just had surgery.

Can you tell?

So as of this post, she's been up for 12 hours straight, except for the drug induced forced surgery sleep.

But beyond that,  NO SLEEP.

Oh man. Poor Mommy and Daddy!

If all goes well, it will just be one night and then home.

Maddie's Team 2012 Bracelets rival Christmas Morning!

You would have thought it was Christmas morning here tonight!
 Maddie's Team 2012 bracelets arrived!!

 Everyone got in to the fun and had to wear lots of bracelets. 

The bracelets will be given to students when they pay their $1 to wear their hats in support of Maddie's Team on March 9th at all of the schools in our community!!

What's interesting, for a lot of my high school students, they just want the bracelets. So we ordered plenty to sell!!

If you would like to support Maddie's Team, for just $1 you can have your very own bracelet! email me for details.

And here is our poster girl in all her finery!

 Team colors this year, in case you didn't see.. are lime green and purple!

 Purple tshirts for the walkers.

                              

Isn't she beautiful!