February!

A plea for Zolly Bolly, complete with dramatic eye-roll!

Naptime snuggles

Nothing, and I mean nothing keeps this kid from shooting around.

Game Day!

Little did this cheerleader know that the big rivalry game would go into Overtime at Cameron. If it hadn't been on until nearly midnight, maybe she could have stayed up to cheer them on!

 

The happiest of sledders

 

Date with Mom...she wasn't excited at all!

 

 Sometimes her rendition of the Old Testament Song is the only thing that will calm down an angry toddler.

 

Last Upward game for the season - what a great experience it has been!   Andrew has loved every minute, has improved, has been unselfish and contributed effectively to the team.   

 

Home Church

When church is cancelled for inclement weather, we have a tradition (thanks to Michael's creativity) of having "Home Church".  But this winter, we decided to expand the fun!  We invited friends, made a bulletin, prepared a children's sermon, dolled out parts to each family member, and had a full service!  Icing on the cake is when the Praise Team Leaders accept the invitation.  Then you have real, professional music! 

Ben, Summer, Presley, Benjamin, and tiny Mary Emma joined us for church.

 Matthew was begging to hold Mary Emma.  He kept stroking her belly up and down to comfort her and then... 

...unsolicited, went in for the big first kiss (complete with big brother chaperone)!  He kept repeating, "I kiss baby.  I kiss baby.  I kiss baby."  

 

And it happened to be Presley's 7th birthday, so we had to find something to put 7 candles on:)

 

 

Snow Days mean...

...That the phone starts ringing for basketball tickets even when your local team is ranked #2 in the country and playing a big conference team!    Many thanks to both church friends and a former colleague of Michael's, we all five got to go.  It was a late night and exciting night, but worth every bit of the scramble that started little more than an hour before tip and with inches piling up. 

Quotes of the night....

Andrew: "Is a slam dunk the same as an awesome dunk?"   

Margaret (who patiently drew much of the game):  "That was really very fun!!  I want to come back again!!" in her elated, sing-songy voice. 

Of course the Stackhouses knew exactly where to look for us on TV (in their seats) so captured the kiddos!  (Michael was getting popcorn and I was desperately trying to text Bill a picture of the family but with no luck.)

Andrew and Margaret started in our other seats---2 rows behind the Pitt bench---so weren't allowed to wear the UVA gear they already had on when we left the house!



Can't help him for being tired at 9pm after a very active evening.

 

Ski and boots!  Borrowed from some friends, thought we may as well give them a shot!  Too bad it was such a light, fluffy snow.  Not knowing what to do or what the idea was, he just sank. 

  

 

 



Yes, Christmas lights are still on the deck. 
President's Day was the goal.  Oh, well. 



The BEST Valentine's EVER

Andrew came from home school Friday, February 13 and demanded some "private time at the table---DÓN'T LOOK!".  On Valentine's Day, Michael and I were presented with a piece of his heart...

Eph. 4:32: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted." 
I dare say I think he's got this down.


When Susan was visiting recently, she took them to JUMP for the first time. I would have LOVED to be a fly on the wall, but I'll settle for Matthew's first visit, which will be an absolute riot.

 

And because they're young and restless, they'll take this way too far...

It's been a couple of days full of traditional gender roles. 

 

Margaret drew all over her room, AGAIN, despite my attempts to comb her room for all writing mechanisms.  (I will say, though, that the letters where she wrote her name were the best I've seen yet!)  So, I put Cinderelly to work with the Magic Eraser.  And Í didn't feel bad AT ALL, until my friend texted that the chemicals in the spongers can burn their skin.  Good grief.  Not only can we not safely leave the house anymore....apparently we can't even use half the products we have in the house!

 

...And because he's young and restless, he'll take this way too far...

 

First day on skis was a tremendous success!  Andrew LOVED it and didn't want to stop!  His instructor said he progressed very well. 

 

"Andrew did GREAT today!  He is super polite and listens very well.  He can turn and use his wedge to stop.  WE got a lot of runs in on Southern Comfort today.  I think he had a lot of und and it was a pleasure to have him." 

 

Learning to snowplow

 

Controlled turn back to the lift

 

 

Sliding into home plate on the last run

 

 

Over a hump “that I didn’t mean to go over”

 

Not bad for the end of day 1! 

Proud Momma.  Can't wait for us to all get out today! 

Tattoo Anyone?

After New Years, Andrew (6.5) started sitting with us through the entire church service.  Children's Church is still offered for 1st graders, but it was just time for him to start staying.  The very first service he stayed, we had communion.   Since this sacrament is normally at the end of the service, the children don't usually experience it.  But of course we've talked about it at home, so I just whispered to Andrew to point out what was happening.  At the service we attend, communion is served by intinction, meaning the congregants go up front to receive their bread and wine, so Andrew politely asked me, "Are we gonna get a cross tattoo again?"   It dawned on me that the last time he saw the whole congregation go up front one at a time was at our Ash Wednesday service last spring when Tom had given us all ashes.  The interesting thing about kids is that at the time, Andrew had never referred to it as a cross tattoo.  But evidently, that's what he considered it.  And I can't exactly fault him for that. 

On a side note, Matthew and Andrew have been in the playroom about 10 minutes doing who knows what, but it’s been QUIET, so I dare not peek my head in.  I just overheard Andrew in the sweetest voice, “Matthew, do you wanna cuddle?”  I guess he was hoping to create this Sunday morning scene.  Two years in and I can’t get over how sweet (And patient!) he (almost always!) is to that Little Man. 

 

It's hard to motivate the masses into the cold garage EARLY on a Sunday morning when....

 

 

Spiritual Disciplines - Fasting

Our congregation-wide Sunday School class is exploring Spiritual Disciplines and different ways that we might find to connect more deeply with the Holy Spirit.  Each week's lesson provides five "exercises" from which we choose one to explore.  This week, a 24-hour-fast (lunch-to-lunch) was what I chose.  Having never fasted, I was curious what spiritual impact this might, or might not, have. 

As an American society, we do not have a healthy relationship with food.  I cannot say that the last 24 hours made the Holy Spirit well up within me more than usual, but it did bring to light how much food is apart of our daily lives.  Now, perhaps that is more true for a Mom that is constantly shopping, cooking, preparing, dispensing, and cleaning up food after 3-4 others. [Note: I do think this exercise was FAR more "simple" for Michael than for me for that very reason!]  But it's amazing how much more aware you become that food is constantly in our faces (tv, internet, billboards, etc.). 

What I expected?  It was a good exercise in discipline, self-control, avoiding temptation, etc.

What I didn't expect?  I was very tired, lethargic, cold, and quite unmotivated.  Any one of these side affects could easily be explained away by daily factors, so I'm curious to do it again another week and see if I feel the same way.

Perhaps a 40-day fast in the desert would bring me closer to God?  I don't know.  But next time I will plan ahead.  The kids will have cereal for dinner, not the delicious chicken I had to cook since it was already thawed.  AND, I'll be curious to see if they notice next time.  Not a word was spoken this time!  But of course it's not unusual that I don't sit down during a meal....