Just Some Pictures

We have collected some fun pictures over the past few weeks we would like to share. Enjoy!!

Look at this picture and imagine Princess T reaching the top bunk, by herself....and, yes she really did it. One night last week Prof walked in, because she was crying, and she was on the top bunk. When he asked Wild Man how she got up there, he pointed to the tub that was propped up between the bed and futon. SCARY!!!

Wild Man has become quite the builder...this is one of his master pieces. I wish he would just build us a house....it would make things a lot easier...don't you think? Well, except maybe he could fill in the whole about the windows...



Princess T's first toenail painting. Believe it or not she set so still while I painted them and she picked the color (sorry the picture is fuzzy).

I Am So Proud!!

Typically I use the blog to talk about me or my kids. However, I just have this overwhelming desire to talk about how proud I am of Prof. As many of you know Sunday was not only Mother's Day, but it marked 6 years of Prof and I being married (hard to believe...I know!). I love him more today then I did the day I married him. God has really done some big things in our lives over the past 6 years and has blessed our marriage and life together more than I could have ever asked for.

I have to tell you that (despite what you think) I have the best husband in the whole world!! I mean, don't get me wrong, he is not perfect....but he is as close as they come! There is nothing he can not do or can not teach himself to do. He truly is amazing.

In the 6 years we have been married, Prof has been in school 5.5 of those years. He completed a 90 hour master's degree in 2.5 years, while working full time, and being the best dad there ever to Wild Man. After completing this amazing task he moved on to another task that seems almost impossible. He began his PhD. He has now (in 2.5 years) completed all course work for the PhD, while working full time, being the best husband ever, and being the best dad ever to Wild Man AND Princess T. On top of this....he is finishing his classes with a 4.0 overall GPA! He not only passed his barrier exam (an exam proving his competency in statistics), but he made an A+ (99%), which I might add was the highest grade in the class!!! He is so amazing!!

Neither one of us knows what the next step is after he completes his PhD, but I am excited to see how God is going to use all of Prof's gifts for HIS Glory!!

Silence is Golden

When I was growing up I went through this stage where I listened to nothing but Oldies. I am sure BB remembers this stage quite vividly. I had this one tape that had a mixture of artists on it and I listened to that tape so much that still to this day I can remember most of the words and a few of the motions I made up to go with them. (Yes, I made up motions to every song). Anyway, there was this one song that has been in my head for about a week now, and I can not get it to go away. I can not remember who sings it or even all the words. All I remember is , "Silence is golden, golden. Ohhh, but my heart..." (I can't remember any more words-sorry).

Why am I telling you all this? Well, I think I am at the point where this song (or at least the words I can remember) are so true. Ever since I can remember, I hated the quietness (which is why I am sure I listened to music so much). I hated being the only one home and when I went to college I hated being the only one in the dorm (which is why I went home so much). Truthfully, I hated having nothing to do. I wanted to be doing something all the time. I hated silence.

However, 1 husband and 2 kids (who both talk all the time now) later, I am on my way to believing silence is golden. I would do just about anything to have a day where there was nothing on the calendar, no phone, no tv (ok maybe a little tv), no talking...you get the picture.

I am not there completely though because after about a day, I would want the noise back. I am definitely 100% BB's daughter.

Happy Birthday Princess T!

Wow! It so hard to believe Princess T is 2 today. I mean I know she is 2 by the way she acts, so in that regard I am not surprised. However, it just seems like yesterday she was born! Now she is 2! Time is going by way too fast for me. We have a very busy birthday weekend planned. I will post pictures sometime next week!

Happy Birthday Priness T!!

2006

2007

2008

Get To Know You Thingy

So, I was tagged by Kearsmom to do this little get to know you thingy. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.- Each player answers the questions about themselves.- At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people, posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blogs, letting them know they've been tagged. Here we go....

What was I doing 10 years ago (April 1998)?

1. Homework...I was a Sophmore in highschool! Wow! Life has changed!
2. Enjoying the freedom I had with my driver's license, which I had only had since the previous September (6 months).
3. Planning the upcoming summer, which I am sure was full with Youth Camps/Mission Trips and Kids Camps.
4. Wishing I were done with highschool!
5. Planning life after highschool and college. I had no clue what was really ahead of me :-)

5 Things on my "To Do" list today:

1. Bible Study this morning
2. Pass out invitations for a dinner we are having at our apartment community Thursday
3. Make an Evite for someone hosting an Initials Party
4. Clean the kitchen
5. Send out April Newsletter for Initials and update my website

5 Things I would do if I were a Billionaire:

1. Finish paying for the new children's building being built at our church right now.
2. Tithe regularly
3. Support tons of missionaries
4. Buy a house and new cars
5. Randomly buy stuff for other people, whenever I feel like it!

5 Bad Habits:

1. Not eating healthy
2. Biting my nails
3. Agreeing to do too many things, to the point I stress out.
4. Spending too much online, either on facebook or here
5. Staying up too late at night

5 Places I have lived:

1. Jackson, MS
2. Clinton, MS
3. Pearl, MS
4. Fort Worth, TX
5. Granbury, TX

5 Jobs I have had:

1. Children's Ministry Intern at CHBC
2. Children's Ministry Intern at FBC Burleson
3. House Parent at Happy Hill Farm in Granbury, TX
4. Secretary in the Office of Admissions at Southwestern
5. Stay-At-Home Mom and Creative Partner for Initials Inc

5 Tags:

1. BB
2. Abby
3. Mrs. Langhans
4. Brittany
5. Aunt B

The Belt

There is story about me that my mom (BB) loves to tell. When I was around Wild Man's age I came home from preschool one day and told her I needed a new pair of jeans. However, these jeans I needed had to have "LEE" on the back of them. Apparently Lee jeans were pretty popular then (I guess we didn't have Gap, Old Navy, or Gymboree yet) and all the kids in my class (according me) had a pair of these Lee jeans. So, of course I needed a pair. I think it is the first time I asked for something because I saw others had it. It was definitely not the last either.

We have definitely hit that stage at our house with Wild Man. However, for him name brands don't matter. He has not recognized that his clothes come from his cousin, not the store. I am so greatful for this! In fact, Wild Man, is usually pretty content with whatever we put on him. So, going to church in khakis and a polo shirt have not bothered him one bit. Because, we do not "dress up" for church we have never invested in a belt for him to wear and it really has not bothered him. However, a few weeks ago that changed.

Wild Man came home from church one Sunday and asked if he could have a belt when he turned 5, because a friend in his class just turned 5 and he wears belts to church. I laughed inside, because this was such a simple request on his part. So, I told him he didn't have to wait until he was 5, we could go ahead and get him a belt. The next week, while we are shopping for Easter clothes, I let him help me pick out a belt for him to wear. It is amazing how such a little request could please Wild Man so much. We bought the belt and now he thinks he is big boy because he has a belt. He tells everyone he talks to, like it is the best thing that has ever happened to him. He is very proud of his new belt.

Here is a picture of Wild Man sporting the new belt....

So, he will now be wearing this belt every Sunday to church. I can not believe how grown up it makes him look.

It's Here!!

Initials Inc's Spring Summer 2008 Catalog is here!!

Check it out!!

The Job

As many of you know by now, Prof was offered, what we saw as a wonderful opportunity, at the Seminary. Before Christmas the job was presented to him and he was asked to pray about it. So, we prayed for well over a month. We knew that taking this job would mean our life in Fort Worth would be more permanent, meaning Fort Worth could possible be home forever. After much prayer, Prof and I just did not have a strong feeling one way or another. So, we sat down and figured out how much money it would take for us to stay. Basically we took his salary now (which is pretty much nothing) added a house (basic house- nothing fancy), another car (we are all agreement we need another car) and moeny for Wild Man to attend the school we had decided he would go to if we stayed. All of this equaled an amount that we figured was fair. Compared to what Lee could be making at secular job right now, it was very little. So, we decided to pray that if this job was what God has for us next that the money would not be issue. We knew what we needed to settle here and we just decided if it was Gods plan He would make sure we got what we needed.

Here is where it gets tricky. They officially offered him the position this past Tuesday and showed him what the pay would be. It was significantly lower and not much more than what he making now. Our first reaction was to counter offer. Let's tell them what they need to pay you to stay. However, we decided that would be us making something happen, afterall, we had asked God to show us His direction based on how much the job paid. So, Prof declined the postion.

Here is the issue....we are getting mixed responses from our friends and family. On one hand we hear "oh you definitely did the right thing!" and the other hand we hear, "if it is God's plan money should not be factor and plus at Prof's age the amount that was offered should be enough. Being in ministry means you give up things."

I have thought and thought about this and here is what I think. Being in ministry, being a christian period, does not always mean you give up things. I believe God wants to give us the desires of our heart, but more importantly I believe God GIVES US the desires we have on our heart. I believe that if that postition were where we were supposed to go next God would have made it all okay for us, but He didn't. I don't think that makes us selfish people. I think that simply means we just want to be where God wants us to be and God chose to tell us He did not want us to take the position, by allowing the pay to not be what we needed it to be.

So, far now we are still playing the waiting game and just praying that God will continue to guide our path to whereever the next phase of our life will be.

Lately

You are probably wondering where I am. If you find me, please let me know where I can find myself. :-) Seriously, life has been so crazy lately. I just feel like we go from one thing to another and when we are at home it is just one battle after another with the kids. So, when I stop, I crash. I have managed, some how, to loose 5 pounds and keep it off. 45 to go! I have also managed to work out atleast 3 days a week, if not more and I have started tanning again, after a 5 year break.

Wild Man is going through a super whiney stage right now. It is about to drive me insane. The other day I was asking him why he was having a hard time obeying me and he say, "I just don't feel like being good today." I felt like that was an honest answer. There are some days I don't feel like being good either.

After this post Little One will be referred to as Princess T. She has mastered the art of fit throwing and giving daddy the "I am so innocent" face (she knows it doesn't work with me). She walks around the house with her blanket around her neck all the time now. This is her way of being a princess. If you say, " Are you a princess?" She will, without hesitation, nod her head yes and smile really big. She has also decided she likes to sit on the potty. She has not gone yet, but I am pretty sure I spent half the day yesterday in the bathroom with her. Maybe she will catch on quickly. That would be nice! She has also really begun to say alot of words. However, "No" is still her favorite and she is getting very good at saying it.

Prof has a very busy semester this Spring. He is doing LOTS of research and refining his proposal for his dissertation. He is teaching again and loving his class so much! He has also begun to put his resume out, just to see what happens. There is very strong possiblity that God may be calling us to stay in Fort Worth. So, please pray for wisdom in this area.

Well, that is what has been happening in the Skinkle house lately.

Initials Inc Fall/Winter Sale/Retiring List - UPDATED 2/20

These items will only be available until Feb 29th! So, if there is something you see, please let me know ASAP, so I can order it for you.

The new catalog will be posted online March 1st!

You can view the catalog by clicking here.


Retiring On Sale

Vermont Baguette - $39.99 - Low quantity
Vermont Swag - $39.99 - SOLD OUT
Vermont Jubilee - $37.99
Vermont Tote - $42.99
Rambunctious Rex Quilted Back Sak - $24.99
Social Butterfly Back Sak - $24.99 - SOLD OUT
Luxury Baby Blanket - $27.99
Travel Cube – Hot Pink and Red - $32.99
Slappy Saks – Navy, Orange, Sky and Light Pink - $19.99
Ladies Cap – Island Blue, Black, Hot Pink and Lime - $19.99
Posh Paisley Messenger – Pink and Blue - $49.99 - SOLD OUT
Kitchen Set – Preppy - $19.99
Laundry Bags – Navy and Bone - $19.99
Stockings - $19.99
Umbrella - $24.99
Slippers – Hot Pink Only – $29.99
Skinni Mini Notes - $18.99
Oh My Ornaments Christmas Stationary - $12.99

Retiring Not On Sale

Buddy
Clementine
Trendy Traveler – Chambray and Gingham
Hooded Towel and Bath Mitt, Pink and Blue
Bib and Burp Cloth Set, Pink and Blue
Cooler – Blue and Black Low Quantity
Quilted Throw – (Cornsilk and Brick Only)– Very low quantity
Apron – Black, Red and Denim
Fleece Blanket – Grey
Warm Cinnamon Spice (only for Spring/Summer - will be back!)
Ribbon Tote – Pale Pink, Khaki and Charcoal
Brag Bag – Chocolate and Black w/ gingham
Towel Sets – Oatmeal and White
Cuff Links
Tapered Rectangle Ring
Cube Ring
Small Oval Ring (Size 10 SOLD OUT )
Small Circle Pendant
Square Pendant
Tortoiseshell Set
Teardrop Set
Gold Shell Set
Bound Circle Necklace

Where did it go?

So here we are at the last day of January and I have absolutely now clue how we got here. It seems like yesterday we were ringing in the new year. Now here were are ending the first month of the year. It went by way to fast and to be honest I have no clue what happened this month. I know I got a lot done and began a lot of projects that I will need to finish next month, but truthfully I have no clue where this month went. It is sort of a weird feeling. Do any of you feel this way? Or, am I the only one?

And we wonder why....

I will be the first to admit that I am horrible at keeping up with news items and when I do, most of the time I don't think twice about what I hear. I think I am like this because I just have too many other things I have to keep in my mind and just seems like I am wasting brain power to think about things that most often don't affect me.

However, oddly enough I have caught myself getting involved in this whole Heath Ledger stuff. I think mainly because I love just about every movie he has been in and I mean come on....he is a little easy on the eyes. :-)

Anyway, last night I was at supper with a friend and we got to talking about how Christians who have the mind set of "it's my way or the highway" give what truly being a Christian is about a horrible name. As we were talking she told me about this group of Christians who have decided that since he played a gay person in one of his movies they are going to picket at his funeral. I had not heard that and so it completely shocked me.

Today, I have been reading a lot and what I have learned just makes me mad. Evidently this group is Baptist (don't we love how we make a name for ourselves) and they have been known to picket at the funerals of soldiers who have died in Iraq. I mean come on!

At the end of the day, he still has a family and a lot friends who want and need this time to grieve. Is it really showing God's love when we decide to stand outside his funeral and protest what we believe??? If I were not a Christian I would not look at this and go, "I want to be a Christian. Look at how loyal they are to their beliefs." In fact the world is saying different. One reporter I saw said something to the effect of, "It is just natural human decency that says it is wrong to picket at someones funeral."

I could go on forever about this, because it just makes me mad that people, who call themselves Christians, would show such disrespect for someone in public like this. And, then those same people will question why the people around them do know want to be a part of what they believe.

So, if you have ever wondered why this world does not care about "Christian" things...this is why! The world sees Christians has the group of people who protest about anything and everything, even if it shows disrespect for another person. No one wants to be a part of that.

Okay, I am done....Let me know what you think!

24

Okay, so The Prof and I finished season 6 of 24 last night. I have very strong opinions about this season. IT WAS HORRIBLE! I felt like the writers and everyone else involved did not think through the season ahead of time. I mean come on...there were 2 plots! One ended and it was like, "Okay, I guess we need think of another one." Then, the ending was ridiculous. I mean seriously. So, in our effort to make it better we decided to watch the alternate ending. EVEN WORSE!!! The alternate ending wasn't even that different. I am very disappointed to say the least.

I am going to give Season 7 a shot, when it comes out, if it ever comes out. But, if it is anything like season six, then I will no longer be a 24 fan.

Okay, so there are my feelings. I got it out. If you have seen season 6, I would love to know how you feel.

Lost Pictures

So, this morning I decided to finally upload the pictures I took while we were MS for Christmas. I started with the pictures I got off BB's camera and then I pulled my memory card out and began to upload. To my surprise I only had 35 pictures. I knew I took more. In fact I can tell you what pictures I took that I now can not find. I have searched everywhere on the computer and on my camera for them. They are no where to be found. I am not happy. I lost some CUTE pictures. UGH!!!!

A New Year

It is so hard to believe that it is already 2008. Christmas has come and gone at the Skinkle house. We have put away the decorations and are almost done finding places for all if our presents. Life is beginning to get back to normal.

2008 is going to be a big year at the Skinkle house. In May the Prof will finish his classes. This means there is a lot of light at the end of tunnel (which is getting closer everyday). Finishing classes will open the door for other options and so we have begun praying very diligently that God will make it clear to us what the next step is, even if it is to stay here.

As you know, I have been leading large group for the 5th and 6th graders at our church on Sunday morning. This month I will begin working at the church 2 days a week, while the kids are in mothers day out. This time will allow me to focus some attention to Sunday morning activities as well as other preteen activities at the church. I am super excited to be doing what I love again on a regular basis.

I have also made up my mind that 2008 will be year I loose all my baby weight. I have about 50 lbs to loose and I have decided I will not end 2008 saying I still need to loose it. I started Weight Watchers this week and have also started working out on a daily basis again. I look forward to posting pictures once I have reached my goal.

Wild Man will be starting kindergarten in August. This fact is already weighing very heavy on my mind, if you can not tell. Between now and then the prof and I have a lot to decide about Wild Man's schooling and we can not really do a whole lot until we know for sure where we will be in August. Wild Man is growing up way to fast!

I am sure that 2008 will also bring change for Little One, since she is in a growing mode right now. We are hoping that this change at least includes a bigger vocabulary, since right now she does not say a whole lot. We would also like to end 2008 diaper free. We will see how that goes.

I am going to work extra hard this year to keep my blog updated atleast weekly, if not daily. So, keep checking back as I share our 2008 with you.

What A Deal

So, I am so excited about this awesome deal I got yesterday, that I want to share it with all of you.

For a few weeks now I have been researching strollers and trying to find the perfect one. The umbrella one we have right now just isn't cutting it. Prof and I both have to bend over to push it which means we have sore backs all the time. We had a really big nice one, but it was too big. When we went places it took up half the trunk. So, I was looking for a small stroller that was tall and would go up to 50lbs (this means the child could ride in it until they weighed 50 lbs for those that don't know). My thinking was that this will be the last stroller we ever have. So, I set out to find this stroller that fit what I wanted and I found it. Here it is....The Graco Ipo.

The only thing is it cost $79.99. That, in my mind, is a lot for a stroller that only has to go through one more child. So, I began to watch ebay, and resale shops for this stroller. The only problem I ran into is that this stroller is still new in stores, so there are not any used ones yet. So, yesterday I had one more store to check. This particluar store I sell stuff to, so I had some credit there. Anyway, I decided to run by just to check and what do you know! There is was right in front of the door. And, it was only $47.99. However, I had a $5 off coupon and I had $22.50 left in store credit, so once it was all said and done...I only paid $24.04. How's that for a deal? I was pretty excited!

New Member of the Skinkle Family

I know that everyone probably read that title and thought one of two things. Either "Are they having another baby?" or "Did they finally get a pet?". We the answer to both is "NO!". Yesterday we welcomed Ipod Skinkle into the family.

One his way home from work yesterday, Prof stopped to buy my Christmas present, which was the lovely Ipod. On the way home from the store he decided he wanted to go ahead and give it to me. He did this for 2 reasons. The first reason is because he is just a wonderful guy and wanted me to have time to enjoy it before we head out of town next week. The other reason was because he knew once I saw the checking account I would figure it out. He is smart!

So, needless to say, much like a baby, this thing has controlled my day. I had a lot I wanted to get done today, but it was just more fun to play with my new toy. So, here I am at 11:30 pm tonight telling you that all I did today, besides take care of the kids (of course I would do that), is play with the Ipod.

Maybe tomorrow I can get somethings done. Afterall, I now I have an Ipod with music on it that I can listen to while I am working.

I have the best husband in the world!

Reminder!

I just wanted to remind everyone that, Tuesday December 11th , at 4 pm central time, is the cut off for placing an Initials Inc order to receive it by Christmas. Please email or call me today to get your Christmas order in before it is too late!

To view the catalog click here. If you can not open the catalog or would like to see the catalog in person, please let me know.

The New Look

So, I couldn't sleep tonight and thought I would play around with my blog, since I have been neglecting it recently. My concern was that if I did not care for it properly and give it the attention it deserved, it would go away and leave me blogless. So, I gave my blog a makeover. I think she likes it. However, in the process I lost some stuff. So, I will be working on updating the side bar over the next few days. I would finish tonight, but it took too long to finish the makeover and now I am tired and ready to sleep.

As a side note, I have a new website. Check it out...

www.initials-inc.com/amanda

Goodnight! (Or, at this point do I say Good Morning?)

November Skinkle Style

Well, I thought that once I got through October all would be okay, but I was wrong. November was just as busy. And, the first thing to go was the blog. I even took a small break from Facebook as well. Crazy I know! Anyway, here are the highlights of the Skinkle November.

• Prof bought a motorcycle and within the week turned it back into the dealership because it had engine problems.
• Little One has started asking to sit on the potty. YAY! She is beginning to talk some. She says, Momu (mommy), Bo (brother), Mo (no), football, and Go Georgia. She has mastered her, "You can't get mad at me, because I am just too cute," look and I will say she does it very well.
• Wild Man is teaching himself how to write and doing an amazing job at it! He can not wait for Santa to come and thinks that if he writes it on his list he will get it. Bless his heart. I don't know how to tell him that his Santa is poor.
• I am staying very busy with Initials. I love it though. I have also taken over the Preteen Sunday Dept at our church. Right now this consists of leading Large Group and keeping everything on schedule Sunday morning. I have been meeting with the Children's Minister about the possibility of taking over some more responsibilities too.
• We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was one of the most relaxing Thanksgiving I have ever had. We did absolutely nothing. Prof cooked the turkey and did a great job. We got s little bit of snow. None of it stuck, but it was pretty to see it. Then that night we lit a fire in the fireplace and just watched TV.
• We got up early on Black Friday and did lots of shopping. Got some good deals and marked some names of our shopping list.

Those are just the highlights. Hopefully I can do better at posting this month.

Playing Catch Up

The past month at the Skinkle house has been a month full of days that were spent playing catch up. It seems like as soon as we finish one task or activity we realize we are behind on another task. As soon as we think we are caught up, we think of one or two things that are still not done. Take this blog for example. I have had several days where I got the end of day and had a million things I wanted to blog, but as soon as I get on the computer to blog, I realize I have emails that need replied too, so the blogging goes undone. So, in my effort to "catch up" I am posting a blog today. Here is just a small list of what has been going on in the Skinkle house...

• Prof took his motorcycle training class. He has found 2 motorcycles that he likes. Neither of which looks like the one I posted. He will be testing driving them this weekend and then hopefully in the next week or so we will be adding the motorcycle he picks to the family.
• Our good friends The Carrolls moved back to Texas. We have already had 2 playdates and are playing to have one playdate a week from now on.
• Wild Man has discovered the art of making up songs. Most all of his songs are made up in the car and he always about half way through he says, "Sing with me". Sometimes we will be talking and he will just all of a sudden say, "I have a song about that" and then just break out into song. I love it!
• Little One still is not saying much. She is figuring out how to communicate in other ways. She nods her head a lot (which is the cutest thing I have ever seen because she is so dramatic when she does it). She also knows how to let us know she is not happy. She has the art of fit throwing down almost perfectly. She has moments where we can tell she is trying to tell us something because she just begins to babble away. She sounds like one of those asian ladies at the nail place. It too funny.
• About a month ago, I began to praying diligently about whether or not to stop my Initials and join another company, where I could earn more than I am with Initials. Within a week I had 3 parties on my calendar, with people I did not know, and 1 new team member. I took this as my answer. October was the biggest month I have so far with Initials, and November is going to be bigger. God is good!
• I, for the first time ever, forgot what day my parent's anniversary was on. For some reason I put it on my calendar for Nov 11, then the more I looked at it, I realized that was not right. So, I had to ask mom. I know it was pretty embarassing. But, hey, I did remember to call her on the special day.
• We are almost to the end of one of the hardest semesters in school Prof has ever had. We can not wait until it is over! Then he only has 2 more classes and he is done with classes! YAY!
• For some reason I began Christmas shopping super early this year and so I only have a few more gifts to buy. Of course, when you are poor like us this is an easy task, but you can't buy much. :-)

Well, those are some highlights. I hope you enjoyed getting a little glimpse of our life.

Mini Concert

This is for all who love to hear Wild Man sing. He performed a mini concert for us the other night. It was much longer than this video, but this was all I recorded. He made sure that Little One's monkey was with him, and the spotlight was on him. You will notice the camera moving some. That is me laughing. You will also hear Little One give her opinion on everything too. Enjoy!

My Personality

I saw this on Junebug's blog, so I thought I would check it out. Here is my personality.

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart. You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do. You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's Your Personality Type?

Bare Necessities

As many of you know, we are big Disney movie people, so last week when the Jungle Book came out we bought it. It has very quickly reached the top of Wild Man's favorite movie list. We atleast watch part of it everyday.

His favorite song is The Bare Necessities and he has started to sing it alot. Today I got him to sing it for the camera, and thought I would share. Enjoy!

The Decision

Thank you to all who participated in the poll and gave me your comments about whether or not Prof should get a motorcycle. We have a made a decision so I thought I would share it with everyone.

After a lot of research we have decided to buy a motorcycle. We have even picked out which motorcycle we are getting. However, Prof has to get his motorcycle license first. It looks like it will be the first of November before he will have time to take the safety class required. So once he takes the class and then gets his license we will purchase the motorcycle. Oh, and this will be his Christmas present.

Here is a picture of the motorcycle we are pretty much set on getting at this point...

This is a Honda Rebel 2007. It is 3rd on the list of motorcycles least likely to be stolen and the 2nd on the list of motorcycles least likely to be in a wreck.

Prof is very excited and can not wait until he can have it. Merry Christmas Prof!!

The Poll

I just wanted to take a minute and explain why I put the poll up on my blog. Yes, we are considering the possibility of Prof getting a motorcycle. One, of the main reasons we are considering it is because it would be so nice if we had another means of transportation, so that I would not have to wake up at the crack of dawn to take Prof to work on the days I need the car. The purchase of another car is not a possibility at this point. I am sure that everyone reading my blog knows that when I decided to stay home with the kids we took a huge pay cut and we thank God everyday for providing for our needs, since in the world's eyes there is no possible way we should be able to live on what Prof makes at the seminary. So, another car is not in the budget right now. So, a motorcycle just seems to be the most logical way for us to add to our means of transportation.

I put the poll up to see what you guys thought. Please know that the poll in no way will affect the decision we make. I was just curious.

Also, for those wondering. I am not totally thrilled with the idea, but I see how it would help us out some. I know that motorcycles have a bad reputation, but I also think that in most cases it is the driver that is the problem. I have thought a lot about the fact that Prof could be in a motorcycle accident, however I have had several people in my life lose loved ones in a car accident, and we still own a car. So, I don't think the accident argument is a valid one. And, trust me, I have thought about it. I will tell you that if we get one, my prayer life for Prof will grow tremendously, but that is not a bad thing.

So, that is a little bit about the poll. I would love to know what everyone thinks.

How Fitting :Updated 10-4

Every month Initials Inc offers a Customer Special. This is one item that they pick and offer to everyone at a discounted price. For the second month in a row they have chosen an item that it not in the catalog.

For the month of October this beautiful Pale Pink Scarf will be offered to anyone who wants it at only $21.99 (plus shipping and tax). This scarf is not in the catalog and will only be offered during the month of October.

You can view the fonts and font colors available on pages 7-8 of the catalog.




As you know October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. How fitting, to have a Pale Pink Scarf during October.

Honestly, this is the first year I have even thought about the importance of this month. See, Marlene, my former boss who passed away from brain cancer, began her battle with breast cancer. The cancer then spread to her brain, which is what ultimately took her life. It has been right at a year since she passed away and so I can not help but think about the importance of supporting organizations who are searching for a cure to breast cancer.

In memory of Marlene and all other women who have lost their battle with Breast Cancer and for those who have won their battle or are still battling with Breast Cancer, I am donating 10% of every scarf I sell this month to the Susan G Koman Foundation. Order one for yourself, or someone who you know and show your support for finding a cure.

GO DAWGS!!!

Before Prof and I got married, to be honest, I could care less about football. In highschool and college, for me, football was just a social event. However, for Prof, there was nothing social about it. He is serious about his football, especially when it comes to Georgia. So, it was understood, when we got married, that I would also be a Georgia fan. So, this time of the year is a fun time at our house. I have since learned a lot about football and actually love watching the Georgia games.

Well, football season has kicked into full gear at our house this year. However, one of the down sides to living in Texas, without cable television, is that watching Georiga games on tv rarely happens, if at all. However, thanks to ESPN, we are able keep up with it and even listen, when we want to.

Saturday was the big Alabama-Georgia game. We were very disappointed we did not get to watch it, however, listening to the last quarter on ESPN Radio was awesome! We could not have asked for a better game. The Dawgs really pulled it off this week in overtime.

So, in honor of football season, and our love for Georgia, I have changed my blog to UGA colors.

GO DAWGS!!!

What do you want?

So, the new Initials catalog is out and I am sure that you have already flipped through it several times!

If you have not, then go there now...www.initials-inc.com and click "view catalog".

If you have, then have you started a wish list or Christmas shopping list? I know I have done both. And, I am doing whatever I can to get everything at the best price I can. I want to help each of of you do the same. Here are some ways you can save:

1. Host a Home Party or Party On The Go - This will give you the chance to earn FREE and discounted items from Initials! Also, I am having an Initials party at my house this weekend, so if you book your party before this weekend, then you will get an additional $15 added to your rewards.

2. Have a shopping spree! How can this help you save, you might ask? Well all orders $250+ begin earning rewards! Initials has something for everyone on your list, why not earn rewards by buying presents for others! Or, you can give the Free stuff away! :-)

3. When you order this weekend with my home party, then you will save on shipping. In fact, if you reply to this post with an order, then I will give you FREE shipping!

Remember all orders can be shipped directly to you!

So, what do you want?

Storytime with Wild Man

Something to think about....

This fall I am going to be a part of the Beth Moore Bible Study at my church. We are working through the book "A Womens Heart: God's Dwelling Place". I missed the first week, because Wild Man was sick, but I was able to go yesterday and can not even put into words how awesome it was! It amazed me (I know it shouldn't) how God knows what we need, when we need it. I needed that yesterday. I need this Bible Study.

Last night I was doing the homework and I read this verse:

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Eygpt. " Exodus 13:14

We all know where God led them. He led them through the desert, on a road that took them longer to get to where they needed to be. He knew that the shorter road was not the right one for them. Now the desert way was discouraging for them, but think about how discouraged they would have been if they had gone through a war. It even says God knew they would not make it. He knew they would turn around and go back to Egypt, where they were slaves, if they went that way. So, instead of sending them the shorter way (which they probably thought would be the easiest), He sent them on the long, hard path.

How many times as Christians do we want to skip over parts of our lives, because they are hard? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe God knows the alternative would hurt us more? Maybe if we got what we wanted, when we wanted it (took the shorter way) it would hurt us more and ultimately not lead us where God wants us to be. Just maybe the longer, harder way is better sometimes. Maybe the shorter road would be harder in the long run. I mean if the Isrealites had taken the short way, think about where they would have ended up...right where they started, slaves to the Egyptians.

Just a little something to think about....

I will always remember

Today marks the 6 year anniversary of 9/11. As with everyone else, as soon as I woke up and remembered it was the 11th, I immediately began to relive this day, 6 years ago in my head. I was beginning my Sophmore year at MC and was very newly engaged to Prof. I woke up late that morning, because a class had been canceled. As soon as I got up, I hopped in the shower and turned on our shower radio, so that I could enjoy some music while bathing. I was surprised to realize there was no music. As I listened to the announcers talking, trying to put everything together in my almost awake mind, I remember realizing what had happened. I quickly finished my shower, and went straight to the TV to see what was going on. I remember just standing there in awe about what was happened and not really knowing what to think. I remember hearing them say that Atlanta might be target and just being terrified that my fiance lived near Atlanta at the time. I called him, and everyone else I knew. I think just hearing everyone was ok, made it better to me. Then the rest is history. Needless to say, I will never forget the meaning of today. I will never forget how today changed a lot of things for Americans and I will never forget the sacrifices that were made that day and still being made for us today because of that day.

There is another reason, however, that I will not forget 9/11 ever again. As many of you know, I worked in the Office of Admissions at Southwestern for a little over a year. While I was there I really bonded with my boss, Marlene. Many of you know that over the course of my in Admissions, I watched Marlene live the last year of her life. In Sept of 05 the doctors realized that Marlene's brain was overtaken with cancer. At that point they told her she had at the most 6 months to live. I was amazed at how Marlene approached this news. She did not curl up and sit in her house and wait to die. Actually she did quite the opposite. She treated life like she had no cancer. In fact she on many occasions would talk about how blessed she was that things were not worse. She was the prime example of someone who allows Christ to have full control of her life. On this day last year Marlene celebrated her last birthday here on earth. I remember her coming in to work, so weak, and somewhat out of it, just to celebrate with us. Despite all the pain she was in, and the frustration she had in her life, she was more concerned about everyone else in the room. I will always remember her on today and I will always thank God for her and what He taught me through her.

The Hair

One thing I was so excited about when I found I was having a girl, was being able to fix her hair. When I was little all my barbies and dolls had their hair all fixed up on a regular basis. I have been waiting, impatiently, for the day that I could begin to play with Little One's hair. Finally, after a long 18 months, the day is here! This morning while she was eating breakfast, I got to play with her hair! Here are some pictures!

Words of Wisdom (or something like that) from Wild Man

Wild Man has really begun to chime into our conversations a lot more lately. It used to be that Prof and I could have a conversation and Wild Man would be in his own little world not even listening to us. However, this is changing now! See now that he is 4 and a big boy he feels that it is his duty to begin listening to and chiming into our conversations when necessary.

Tonight we were at Wally World and we were looking for a parking spot. As we were cruising the rows we saw this lady walking to her car. Now, without being rude, let's just say she was most likely not being supported up top and really needed to be and she was just rough looking. I turned to Prof and said, "See, I could look like that!" Then out of the back seat chimes in Wild Man. He says, "No, you can't look like her!" We weren't real sure where he was going with this, since yesterday, while waiting in line to pay at a store, he said, "That lady is fat!" (of course as loud as possible). But, then he said, "Mommy, you have to look like you." What wisdom! He already knows at such a young age that all people look different and that is not bad. It is good to look like who God made you to look like.

On a side note, that has nothing to do with Wild Man, we are pretty sure the rat issue has been taken care of! YAY!!! We have not heard them or seen signs they have been around in over a week!

Also, HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY, to all the grandparents reading my blog!!! We love you!

New Favorite Commercial

The Prof and I saw this commercial for the first time last weekend on our little getaway. I love it! It made me laugh so hard. Enjoy!

It is here!!

The new Fall/Winter Catalog from Initials Inc is now here!!! I know that most of you don't care, but this is a huge deal for me. Not just because I sell it, but because I just love everything in the catalog!! Anyway, there are some fun new products and some lower prices!!! So, check it out!

Fall/Winter 2007 Catalog

The Birthday!

When Wild Man woke up this morning I looked at him and said, "Guess what today is??!! He looked right back at me, got this really excited look on his face and said, "What?" I told him it was his birthday and he responded with, "No it's not! I already had my party." I think one day he will get it.

We had his well child appt this morning (which was great except for the 4 shots), did our normal lunch and afternoon routine, and then waited for Prof to get home from work, so we could get the real party on.

When Prof got home we let Wild Man pick where he wanted to eat. He picked CiCi's and we were very excited because we just knew he would pick McD's, like always. So we headed off to CiCi's.

While there several things happened that caught my attention and made me question the world we live in today.

There was a little hispanic lady that walked around taking everyone's dirty plates. She was really sweet and had a pretty smile. She very nicely asked me if I was done and then took my plate. She then moved to the next table and immediately began speaking Spanish. How did she know that guy spoke Spanish? Isn't that rude?? I mean what if he was an English speaking Hispanic? Those are just a few questions that flew through my mind.

Then, while I was processing that, I saw something that bothered me even more. Now, before I go any further, let me just tell you that I hate it when I see couples making out in public. I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does. I mean go home, get a room, or something. Don't do it at CiCi's. However, tonight it was not the fact that the couple was all over each other that bothered me so much. It was the fact that they were both girls! I mean can I not just eat pizza with my kids anymore? I could not focus on anything at all until they left. Thank goodness that they got theirs to go.

Then not long after they left the sweet little cleaning lady made me laugh. She worked so hard to clean off this table. I mean cups, napkins, plate, and everything. As soon as she started scooting her little cart off, the couple sitting there came back with their food. Bless her heart she started apologizing all over the place and then just looked at me and laughed. Why me? I don't know. I guess she knew I was nice. Anyway, the couple impressed me. Instead of getting mad, which most people do these days, they were nice and told her not to worry about it. Way to go! I am glad in the midst of chaos there are nice people.

Our night ended with a few fits being thrown, a spanking, a lot of tears, and then the opening of the presents.

I love Wild Man to pieces and I am glad today was his birthday, but I am also glad it is time for me to go to bed. Happy 4th Birthday Wild Man!!

The Party

So tomorrow Wild Man turns 4! So hard to believe! We had a small, really small, birthday party for him last night, since tomorrow is church night. We really had a lot of fun. Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Only Five Days Left To Save!! - Updated 8/27

Initials Inc is having a HUGE SALE!!! I know several of you have asked about it. Here is an updated list of what is on sale. Remember the SALE ends Friday August 31st! Buy now before your favorite Initials Item is gone! Have fun shopping!

View Catalog
Email Manders To Order

Sassy Bags - All fabrics (unless otherwise noted)
Baguette - $44.99 (Sold out of Brown and Red)
Prissy - $39.99 (Sold out of Red, B/W Dot, Kingston Paisley, and Carribean Paisley)
Jubilee - $41.99 (Sold out of Brown, B/W Dot, and B/W Gingham)
Tote - $46.99 (Sold out of Brown)
Swag - $46.99 (Sold out of Brown, Kingston, B/W Dot, and Hampton)

Page 10
The Saddle - $39.99
The Shopper - $24.99
The Canteen - $24.99 – limited quantity
Quilted Backpack Purse (Hot Pink and Teal) - $37.99

Page 11
Flower Power Jute - $27.99

Page 12
Spa Robe - $46.99 – limited quantity

Page 13
Urban Messenger (Red) - $37.99 – very limited quantity
Laundry Bag (white and chambray) - $19.99

Page 14
Golf Towel (navy) - $14.99 – very limited quantity
Golf Towel (white) - $14.99
Bat Bag (red and blue) - $24.99 – limited quantity

Page 16
Take Along Caddy (all fabrics) - $22.99 – limited quantity

Page 22
Kaleidoscope Folded Cards - $19.99 – limited quantity
Flower Power Folded Cards - $19.99 – SOLD OUT

Not in Catalog
Hostess Tote - $14.99 - This was the hostess gift for parties $750+

In The News

So, the Prof's school was on the news! Is it good or bad? I will leave that for you to decide. Watch it and tell me what you think. This should spark a fun conversation.

http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=541a0478-84ac-49f1-bbdb-6c901b274603&f=00&fg=copy

T-O-R-I...What's that spell?

Wild Man loves to write letters. In fact normally he just makes marks and calls it what he wants to call it. However, there is one word he can spell, or I guess I should say try to spell. His sister's name. Today we were playing and I asked him to write her name. This was the first thing I got....

I decided to try to teach him how to put the letters in order, so I wrote her name and asked him to copy what I wrote. This is what I got....

Well, now we know 2 things. TORI can also spell TRIO and RIOT. And, Wild Man is a very smart little boy.

What is it? Why do I have 2 of them?

Hey guys. I decided to have a little fun with this post. I am going to post a picture and you have to guess what it is and why I would use it. You are allowed to ask questions, but only questions that can be answered with "Yes" or "No". BB is not allowed to play because she already knows. If you have talked to BB and she has told you then you are not allowed to play. If there is anyone else who I or the Prof has talked to about this, then you can not play either. However, those who are not playing are allowed to answer the questions, but only with "Yes" or "No".

Okay, here is the object. It is on top of my bar stool, just to give you a hint about the size. I will tell you nothing else. The rest you have to figure out. Let the guessing begin!

This is why we call him Wild Man

I know that I have put a lot of videos on here lately, but honestly I am addicted! I love that I have figured out how to share my life with all of you in video form.

Many of you know that Wild Man is not always so wild. In fact, around new people, he can pretty shy. So, some of you who read my blog might not believe what you are about to see. Let me just tell you that this is him at home. In fact, this is really why we call him Wild Man.

Enjoy!

Wild Man Singing, or something like that

Let the countdown begin!

It is that time again! Time for a new catalog. In just 2 short weeks, Initials Inc will unveil the Fall/Winter Catalog. As with the Spring/Summer Catalog, you can expect to see a lot of new and exclusive products.

Here are just a few things you can expect to see:

• A new Fabric exclusive to Initials
• Two new product lines ; The Home Fragrance Collection and The My Spa Collection
• Two new additions to the Sassy Bag collection; The Jubilette and The Wallet
• Upgrades on the Sassy Bags; Now they will all include the magnetic closure, improved corded handle, coordinating lining, and all gusseted bags will include feet.
• New Hostess Gift for parties totaling $750+
• There will also be some new package deals, where you can get more for your money!

Here are some ways you can take advantage of transition time:

• Order today what you still want from the Spring/Summer Catalog. There is no guarantee that the item you have been dreaming about will be in the new catalog.
• Book a party. This is a great time of the year to have a party and with the new catalog, it is sure to be a hit. Just think...you could earn enough Initials Bucks and Half Priced Items to buy most of your Christmas presents for a small amount. Also, the Hostesses of the first 5 parties done with the new catalog will receive a special gift from me! So, don’t miss your chance. Book your Squeal Appeal Party or Party On The Go today!

Let the countdown begin…15 days and counting!

Name Game

Kearsmom tagged me, so here it goes.

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

K - Kids - I have 2 kids, Wild Man (will be 4 in 2 weeks) and Little One (16 mo)
A - Amanda - my first name, and the name I am called when I am not on blogger :-)
T - Thankful - I am so thankful for all the ways that God has provided for my family.
H - Husband - I have the best husband in the whole world!
R - Right - This is what I am all the time and don't forget that! :-)
Y - Yes - The word I say more than I need to. However, I am not as bad as BB :-)
N - "N"initials consultant - I sell cute, cute, cute, purses and bags for Initials Inc and love it!!

Okay, so now I must tag someone. I tag B and Abby.

Have fun!!

I don't know what I would do without them!

I have to tell you that I have had one those days where my kids have just made me laugh all day long. I love days like today, because it is so much fun! They have just been silly all day. Here is a little, very little, glimpse of our day.

Little One loves her new ability to walk all over the place. She is really getting the hang of it and moving around pretty good. Tonight, while we were discussing dinner plans, she found a piece of paper and a pen. She then proceeded to walk around the house with the paper in one hand and pen in the other. She would look around and then stop and begin to try to write. It was so funny. It was like she was inspecting the house or something. Here is what she looked like....




Wild Man figured out I was taking pictures of Little One and he got somewhat jealous, so he asked me to take his picture. As I took the picture he started to jump up in the air. This is the picture I got....





This is why he is called Wild Man. Also, the strap around his leg is some contraption he made up that is hooked to the table. He loves to tie things to the table. I am not sure who he gets that from, but it is not me!

I seriously do not know what I do without my precious children to make me laugh! These are the times I want to to remember forever, especially on the not fun days.

My Best Friend's Wedding

I had the great honor this weekend to serve as the Matron of Honor in my best friend's wedding. KV and I have been friends since 1st grade, which is almost 20 years. God has definitely blessed our friendship and now He has blessed her with an incredible husband. They love each other so much, but most of all the love their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They know that He has called them to serve together for His kingdom. The wedding was very sweet and I was very blessed to be there to celebrate her special day with her. Here are some pictures of the Bridal Luncheon, Rehearsal Dinner, The Wedding, and the Reception. Enjoy!

Our Little Patient (Cont'd)

Here are some pictures of Little One in the hospital. We are so glad that she is better now.

Surprise!

Okay, so I know that I don't normally blog twice in one day, but this was definitely blog worthy, so I had to!

As you know, I am here this week because I am the Matron of Honor in my best friend's wedding. The Prof had to work this week, so he decided to wait and come on Friday, just in time for Rehearsal Dinner.

As always, we talked a million times on the phone today. We talked about work, the kids, and all the good stuff. Tonight The Prof called a few times to tell me he was going to his favorite bookstore and then to eat at Taco Bell. I knew his every move. Or, did I?

The last time he called I had just gotten on the Wild Man for something. Prof asked me if Wild Man needed to talk to him on the phone. I was in the process of getting Wild Man to come to the phone when The Prof said, "Just tell him to go to the front door." I said, "Huh??" Then he said it again, "Just tell him to go to the front door." It hit me. The Prof was here! I ran to the front door. I was so glad to see him. Yesterday was so rough at the hospital, it was great to see him! It was a great surprise that is for sure!

Our Little Patient

The Prof's parents brought the kids and I to Jackson on Monday. The reason for our trip this week is that my best friend is getting married on Saturday. I came in early so that I could help her do whatever she needed me to do and to help get her bridal luncheon together for Friday.

However, what happened yesterday was not in the plan at all. Little One woke up, as normal, refused to eat breakfast, which she has been doing for a few days, and then played with the boys for about an hour. Then she got sick. Before we knew it we found oursleves in the ER, with a very dehydrated Little One. After about 4 tries they finally got her IV started in her right foot. She had x-rays and a CT scan done as well (the CT Scan was because her eyes were doing weird things and they wanted to rule out an some sort of head issue).

After about 8 hours in the ER we were able to go home. She has been doing a lot better today, so hopefully the only events we will have this week will be those having to do with the wedding.

I will post hospital pictures soon. So check back later to see our little patient.

Drive On

Last night Little One and Wild Man went to bed so easily and went right to sleep (that is why I got to blog last night). The Prof and I were so excited! We had some quality one on one time and then got to work finishing some things around the house. We worked hard doing luandry, cleaning the kitchen (okay, so the Prof did). I had emails to reply to, a blog to catch up on and something other Initials work I needed to catch up. We finished everything about 11:30 and began making our way to bed. Then the unthinkable happened. Both kids woke up! Little One woke up first and in the process of getting her to go back to sleep, Wild Man woke up. Before we knew it is was 12:30 and both kids were awake, refusing to go to sleep. So, we did something we have not done in a long time. We piled up in the car at 12:30 am and drove around.

Little One thought this nightime ride was just for her. She talked and laughed and did everything but try to go to sleep.

Wild Man decided that it was fun to make Little One talk and laugh even more, so he made it his goal to encourage the no sleeping.

About 10 minutes into the drive, The Prof and I decide that they need Benedryl. So (since we wanted to keep then in the car) we stopped at CVS. No please remember, I am in my PJs (well shorts and tank - not something I would wear during the day). I get out of the car, go in and buy the Benedryl. I am sure the guy at the check out felt sorry for me, coming into CVS looking like that and buying children's Benedryl. I get back in the car and give one to Little One and one to Wild Man. Little One must have thought I had given her candy, because she immediately put her hand to ask for more. When I told her she could not have more, she was not happy.

At this point The Prof and I decide that maybe a little midnight snack might help. So, we pull into the Burger King at 1 am. Honestly this is the first time in my life that I think I have gone to BK at 1 am. Let me just tell you, there is a reason why the people that work there at 1 am work there at 1 am. The managers are very smart people. This poor little girl who took our order had absolutely no clue what she was doing. But, we got our order and she told us how cute our kids were, and the kids got to eat a midnight snack. Then it was back to the driving.

We drove around until almost 1:30 am, then came home and the kids went to sleep. I was sure they would both sleep in this morning, but I was wrong. I do not know how they can have so much energy after a night like last night. It will never make sense to me.

Is this normal?

Wild Man has learned how to dress himself now. It is a wonderful thing for us, because now I all I have to do is pick out his clothes, hand them to him, and then he does the rest (unless it is a day he gets to pick his own clothes). I really love watching him dress himself because I get to see such a sense of accomplishment on his face when he is done. He is always so proud of himself. However, there is one thing that he does that I just do not understand. After I give him his clothes he does this.....

Yes, that is right, he lays them out on the floor just like that. He does this everytime before he gets dressed. It is sort of funny and concerning at the same time. Is this normal? Should I be worried? I did not know that 3 year olds did stuff like this. I am sort of amazed. Look, he even puts the underwear in the right place (under the shorts). All I have to say is, whether it is normal or not, I am so glad he loves to dress himself now!

Spotted Cubes

I believe that sometimes, as Christians (or, really I should say Southern Baptist), we make life a little too complicated. Here is an example...

The Prof and I teach 4th grade Sunday School at our church. Like all good Southern Baptist Churches we use LifeWay material. This morning I was reading to the instructions that go along with a game that was in the material for us to play. It was a great game that really helped the children discuss ways we can show forgiveness, in a fun manner. Anyway, when I got to the second instruction, I got very confused. Here is what it said..."Have the child role the spotted cube and move the amount of spaces indicated." (or something to that nature) Well, me, in my lovely blonde world, started to look for the pattern to this "spotted cube" in my material. I could not find it, so, I reread the instructions, thinking maybe I had read something wrong. Finally, after about 5 times of reading it, I figured it out! Spotted Cube = Die ...Duh!! I mean why did I not know that? Of course, as Southern Baptist, we would never have Dice in our Sunday School classes. That would just be horrible. We will just rename them and then it will all be okay?!

Why, as Christians, do we do this to ourselves? I can assure you that every kid sitting at that table had atleast one game at home that had dice. Do you really honestly think that a fourth grader would think, "Oh, my teachers must think it is okay for me to gamble, since we are playing with dice at church"? I seriously doubt it. But, until us Southern Baptist quit focussing on the little things that don't matter...we will only be playing with spotted cubes in our Sunday School class.

New Tricks!!

Check out what Little One can do now! We are so excited! Sorry the video is a little dark, but you can still see it. Enjoy!



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

Wild Man's Week

So, this has been a week for Wild Man. He is has been a mess this whole week. It all started last Sunday when we started making him sleep in his room, with Little One. He has never slept well in the same room with Little One. We havn't really faught it either, because life has been crazy and it was just one more battle that we didn't have to fight. Now that Prof in break from school for a few weeks, we decided to tackle the battle. We had no clue how much "fun" it would be.

We made it through the first two night okay. The only issue was Little One and Wild Man talking for an hour or so before they went to sleep, but nothing major.

Tuesday night was when the real "fun" began. Wild Man figured out that he could really enjoy this bed time thing. The first time I went his room, he had turned his light back on and was reading. Okay, no big deal...I turned the light off and told him to go to sleep. However, the next time I went in he had gone into his bathroom and was making some sort of mixture with the bubble bath, soap, toothpaste, diaper cream, and my make up (which I might add took some climbing to get to). There was bubble bath all over the floor and door and all over Wild Man. Needless to say, I was not real happy...but all I could do was laugh. We cleaned everything up and he went back to bed. Prof and I were watching a movie, so we went back to the movie. Next thing we know, Wild Man has cracked his door open and giving us a puppet show with a stuffed rabbit from Little One's collection of stuffed animals. We laughed and then told him to go back to bed. Finally he went to sleep.

On Wednesday morning we all slept in, because Prof did not have to go to work. Normally, Wild Man comes to wake us up. However, he had other plans this morning. In fact, he found the pack of cookies Prof had bought the night before (which amazingly enough was unopened) and decided it would be best to let us sleep. At 8 am I woke up and turned on cartoons for him and told him to stay on that couch. I did not look at his room at all, because Little One was still asleep. I went back to bed. I dosed in and out making sure he was not into anything, but everytime I woke up he was where he needed to be. At 10 am Prof got up, because Little One was finally awake and he wanted to let me sleep in (isn't he so nice?!). Next thing I know he is saying, in a rather loud and urgent voice, "Amanda, you have to get up and come see this!" So, I hop up and run into the living room. He proceeds to tell me that he knows why Little One slept so long and that I should just go look in her bed. When I get to their room and look in the bed I could not believe my eyes. There was the pack of cookies! Only, it had been opened and about 80% of it had been eaten. The other 20% was all crumbs! The whole pack of cookies...GONE! At some point Wild Man had gotten up, gotten the pack of cookies, opened them, and then given them to Little One. What a mess! Wednesday was spent cleaning their bathroom and bed room, as you can imagine. I wish that I had taken pictures, but my mind was not even thinking about that in the moment.

The next few days were not so eventful. The only problem we had was convincing Wild Man that he can not get in bed with Little One. Her bed is not made for both of them. One of those nights I heard them in there just laughing and having the best time. I stuck my head in the door to tell Wild Man to get back in bed. His response was, "I am in bed!" He was right. He was in a bed...in Little One's bed with her! I mad him get out. The only other struggle we have had with this sleeping in his own room deal is that before he goes to sleep he puts on about 5 different outfits. We are still trying to figure out how to stop this.


Then on Saturday, the "fun" continued. Saturday morning we woke up about 9ish to the kids laughing and such. I went in the room to find Wild Man in bed with Little One and his basket of markers. Yes, the markers were in the bed too! So, you can imagine what I saw next. Here, imagine no more....take a look for yourself....

Let's just say, we are all very glad that he used his washable marker. He also drew a "T" on Little One's leg, but I did not get a picture of it, sorry.

I am sure that one day we will be glad we faught this battle now. But until then, we will be cleaning his room a lot more and most likely cleaning more messes. As a side note....Little One is not off the hook on this one. She starts most of the laughing and talking at night. She is really enjoying have someone else in the room with her at bed time. I do not even want to begin to think about what life will be like when she is not in a crib....life is fun!

Man of Many Talents

If you know the Professor, then you know that he is super smart. I mean he is beyond smart. I can not even begin to describe how smart he is. He is not just book smart. He can do just about anything he puts his mind to doing. When we first moved to seminary and were too poor for me to get my haircut, he looked online and learned how to cut hair. He did great job too! However, I did start going to get my haircut once we could afford it. Anyway, he just has this way of knowing how to do things.

A few months ago, we bought some material to recover our kitchen table chairs. I finally decided I wanted to recover them last night. I knew that I would need some help, so when the Professor got home from class we sat down to work on it. What happened next amazed me. The Professor just took over and did it all! How blessed am I??!! I am married to a man who knows how to recover chairs too! Wow! He did a great job. Take a look......

Rain Rain Go Away

If you watch or keep up with the news at all, then you know that we have been getting our fair share of rain, plus some, here in North Texas. We have not had one day where it did not rain in the last 2-3 weeks. Honestly, I am ready for it to change. I do not mind rain every once in a while, because I know that we need it. However, considering we have already well beyond our yearly average of rain, and it is only July 2, I think it is fair for me to say that I am ready for it to not rain for a while, and I have a feeling I am not the only one. We have not been affected by the flooding, but it is all over the news. People all around us are be affected by the amounts of rain we have been receiving. Last week alone, 6 children died, due to fast flowing water. There are people begin evacuated from their homes on a daily basis (not so much this week - but a lot last week). I do realize that there are bigger and more important issues in the world, but right now I would just like for the rain to go away. I would like to be able to go outside and have sunshine all day long! The kids are also due for some good swim time. Rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week here, but maybe next week it will go away....or maybe not.