A funny one

Generally, Zach has shown some disdain and irritation about trying so many new things. Being in pre-k all day has stretched him and I understand that sometimes he's plain tired of being so capable. One afternoon, the hall bath (which he normally uses) was occupied and so I told him he could use the master bathroom. He started "grouncing" about it and I quickly replied, "Zach, it's a potty. You can use it. It's no big deal. It's a piece of cake." I flipped on the light for him as he tugged on his pants and said, "Where's the piece of cake?"

I left him looking for the cake while I chuckled down the hall.

What a day!

About 20 minutes before my alarm was to go off, I heard a little "pad pad pad" to my side of the bed and a quick "Mom, can I sleep with you?". This one had been coughing most of the night. Not long after, I hear the bedroom door open and close and more "pad pad pad-ing" and boy #2 jumps over in between Doug and I. No chance for dozing anymore. This one hasn't mastered the art of whispering and insightfully declared that our bed wasn't big enough. No joke, dude. But, this scenario doesn't happen often. I embrace it and am thankful for the extra early morning snuggles, not realizing that I needed those in order to keep my mind focused for what was to come.

Thirty minutes later, the two big boys are getting dressed fairly happily and are thinking about breakfast. Blowing off "macho nacho" on the school cafeteria menu, I assume the task of making "lunchboxes" while getting myself dressed and ready for the day. The phone rings. It's my sister. I know that my sister doesn't typically call me at 7am to chat. She quickly fills me in on the events that led to Dad being taken to the hospital in the wee hours of this morning. My heart drops and I quickly wish I could be in many places at one time. Several tests had been taken and no answers were clear, but Dad's symptoms remained. I am thankful for my siblings who could and no doubt would drop everything and be with my parents. Honestly, their proximity to Mom and Dad gives us the freedom to be so far away.

Distance from those I love often causes me to quickly conjure the worst case scenario in my mind. I hate that. But, as I quickly assessed the "worst", my heart was flooded with the truth of God's faithfulness. God knew what today would hold. It was no surprise. As I'm wondering what the next days will look like if the unknown about Dad drags on, Doug is packing for a quick trip to New Orleans. I am already anticipating hearing the worst w/o the strength of my husband. Wasted energy.

I finish the "lunchboxes" (complete with two candy corns for "morning energy") as the clock says it's time for the boys to meet their ride for school outside. The three of us hold hands outside and pray for Grandpa Moyer, Grandma, and the doctors as we wait for our friends. Back inside, Eli has woke and Doug is preparing for his morning run. I retrieve Eli from his crib, and he feels super hot. The ear thermometer reads 103.1. It's now going on 48 hours of fever, runny nose, cough. Lovely. No Bible study finale brunch for us this morning. I call the pediatrician as soon as they open and secure an appointment for 8:50am.

Starting to feel overwhelmed by all these circumstances colliding, I send a couple emails to faithful friends and family to beg them to pray. Within the hour, Eli and I are in the doctor's office (a new doc for us). In light of his symptoms, he suggests we get tested for H1N1. I wonder for a second if I should freak out. I refuse. And keep praying while reading books to Eli and wander behind him down the hall as we wait for the test results. Test is negative but one-third of people who get negative result still could have it. He's in the high-risk because he's under 2. Round of Tamiflu. We're doing it. I'm smiling and thanking God as we walk out the door.

Eli falls asleep in the car at 10am as I head to church to drop off my stuff for the brunch even though I don't stay. A quick whisper to a friend in my small group to pray for Dad gives me more strength. Oh, I know those ladies pray. We have watched Him speak into many situations this semester. Now, back to the Jacobs' apartment (fellow resident family in our complex) to drop off Eli to nap while I volunteer at Grandparents' Day at Terry Elementary. He's already sleeping in the car, so I'm praying that he'll stay asleep in the transport and rest well.

Grandparents Day is for 2nd and 3rd graders only today ... three days of Grandparents Days. First day hosted 86 guests; today held 70; expecting 50 tomorrow. This is the PTA event I had chosen to pour some time into this year, so a retired teacher and myself co-chaired the committee. It turns out the two of us were half of our volunteers for the three days, so it was God at work in those circumstances that allowed me to be there for all three days this week. Not the original plan at all. In between checking-in grandparents, I'm texting, forwarding texts, etc. to my sisters to stay in the loop about Dad.

It was in one of those texts that I learned that Dad was diagnosed with Meniere's disease which is most possibly the best case scenario for what "could" have been the outcome. I couldn't help but be thankful for a run-in with the hospital with either Mom or Dad that wasn't horrific. I prayed that our family's faith would be strengthened today and asked others to pray that for us. I don't know about anyone else, but my faith was strengthened.

Meanwhile, Eli slept until 2:30pm. How glorious is that? Our afternoon and evening was quiet and peaceful (for the most part, I mean, we do have 3 boys). I made an easy dinner with Eli on my hip (completely unusual), and I'm sure he knows how to make mac n cheese now. Wink. Doug arrived safely in NOLA and met his friend (who currently lives in Great Britian) for dinner. Beautiful.

I'm so grateful today. Prayers were prayed. Prayers were felt. Prayers were answered. God is trustworthy. He is faithful. It doesn't always turn out like today did, but I still trust Him. Honestly, I am weary of allowing my mind to wander about what could happen and feeling the exhaustion of the mental preparation for it. A lack of faith? It really becomes all about me instead of God's glory. Do I really believe that He is trustworthy? Feel free to weigh in ... still processing ...

Kroger: my new workout

I stumbled upon some helpful couponing sites (this one and this one) a couple months ago and started using more coupons. Red Plum coupons come in our mailbox (and I grab extras from the trashcan in the mailroom). A quick stop at Walgreens on our way home from church will secure me a Sunday paper with loads more. And, there are so many printable ones online too. Even downloadable coupons are available that I can put directly on my Kroger card at home. When I buy an item that cooresponds with a downloadable coupon, the register automatically "uses" that coupon. The ultimate kicker for me was when I learned that Kroger doubles manufacturer's coupons up to 70 cents AND that I can use a paper (manufacturer's) coupon and a downloadable coupon on the same item. Wowsers! This is a game I want to play.

My plan is to buy items on sale that I have coupons for. Sometimes a lower priced item will still be a great deal not on sale only if I have a paper coupon (usually doubled) and downloadable coupon. Of course, sometimes there are things I need that I just have a coupon for or are simply on sale and I don't have a coupon. Usually I don't buy ANYthing full-price at Kroger unless I need it immediately (which almost everything can wait). Here's a couple samples of my Kroger deals today ...

Yo-Plus yogurt (4pk)...regular price is $2.49, paper coupons $1, downloadable $1 = final price 59 cents. I actually made money on these a couple weeks ago when they were on sale.

Nestle refrigerated cookie dough ... sale price was 2/$4. I bought 3 packages since I had 3 paper coupons $1 off 1 and 3 downloadable coupons for 55cents off 1. That's 45cents each. As much as I like to bake, it sure is nice to only bake what we need to eat at that moment. ;) It's those leftover ones that are lying around that tempt me (and it's nice to tell the boys "there are no more" instead of "you can't have more"). Wink.

Quaker and GM cereals ... special deal. Started out at $20.29 for 8 boxes (that was already a sale); after coupons & even better buy 4 deal, I paid 9.54. That's about $1.20/box for name-brand cereals that we all like.

Some pros to coupon shopping like this ...

1. We get more variety in our life. Most of the items with coupons would not normally be on my shopping list because of price.

2. I've been happy to find out that some of the things that I feel like my boys have been missing out on because of price ... they don't like anyway. I loved Toaster Strudels and it was a treat when I convinced Mom to get them for me as a kid. They are not a very healthy choice, and I wasn't disappointed to see the boys' turn up their noses at them. Nice.

3. I don't have strong opinions about Walmart, but I'm happy that money that I have to spend goes to support someone besides Walmart. Probably the best part is that I have a choice, because I haven't always felt like I've had a choice about where to shop for groceries and still stay within the budget.

4. It's a welcome challenge (sometimes feels like a gamble) to wait for the best sale or simply find some really great deals. This is my way of making some cash for our family.

5. Now that I pack lunches for the boys almost every day, I can get many "convenience" items inexpensively that are perfect for the mad morning rush to pack a healthy lunch for each of them (i.e. granola bars, yogurt, fruit snacks, cheese sticks, crackers usually are less than a buck for most).

6. Lots of coupons are out there for items that have BoxTops which help the boys' school. Zach has started to spot BoxTops. I love that they can cut and paste them before turning them in to the school. It's a "craft" at our house.

7. Kroger gave me 24 cents today simply because I brought my own bags (which, btw, are essential if you want to carry all your groceries in less than 5 trips up two flights of stairs).

8. I can earn points towards a 10cents off/gallon of fuel at the Kroger gas station. Crazy.

9. When I use a specially designated Kroger gift card to make my Kroger purchases (groceries and fuel), the boys' school gets 1% cash of my purchase. Sweet.

10. Kroger stores are prevalent here ...three within several miles of my normal weekly commutes. The Super Walmart is a 20-minute round trip from home.

11. It's easy to pick up extra non-perishables when they are super-cheap. My plan is to empty the extras from the pantry regularly and give them to the local food bank.

A couple cons ...

1. It takes time. I spend about twice as much time planning my grocery list than when I did a weekly trip to Walmart.

2. I'm still trying to figure out how to plan meals around what's on sale and the items I've purchased using coupons. This is much different than making the weekly menu and simply buying what you need for those meals.

So let's see ... here's my mental checklist when heading to the grocery store ...

• Kroger ad scoured for sale items that I have coupons for.
• Paper coupons piled together.
• Downloadable coupons downloaded.
• Kroger Plus card on keyring. (that's easy unless I take Doug's jeep by accident)
• Recyclable bags. (I've left them in the van so many times.)
• Load up Kroger card w/money before purchase. (so Terry benefits)

And if that's not enough of a workout, I get to carry all the bags (and Eli) up two flights of stairs. It's not so bad. The best part ... checking out the receipt afterwards. Today my total savings was $41.81, and I paid 28.83. It's a workout that's worth it.

Mountain climb

Many people have recommended a trip up Pinnacle Mountain in the fall when the leaves are changing, so we finally got our chance yesterday. What a trip! It was a mile and a half round trip to the top and really steep once you reached closer to the top. Sam led our troop and quickly took a faster pace than me and Zach. Doug held Eli and kept up with Sam. It seemed that Sam's pace got even quicker the closer they got to the top. Yellow splotches of paint marked the path as well as numbered placards from 1 to 10. Zach was a trooper and hardly wanted to stop for a rest ever. He was quick to point out EVERY yellow marker and remind me of my own words that if we stayed by the yellows then that would be the safest way. Zach and I were just minutes behind the other three. Water and Cheezits were welcomed as we took in the view from the top.

The view from behind going down seemed a bit freakish to me, but the boys were steady on their feet. The whole adventure

really was an accomplishment.

I'm not sure that Doug and I would have done it with them if we had known how difficult it was. Isn't that pretty typical of how we make choices in life though? Hmmm. The boys wanted to take pictures with their "numbers" on the way back down the mountain. Perhaps Doug and I should have taken ours with marker 10 since it's our anniversary number. Smile. Lots of correlations between the climb and our ten years together came to mind ... taking in the view at the top reminded me again of the timely beauty of this year in our marriage and ministry together.

Long weekend

No school for the Sam and Zach yesterday and today. What a nice long weekend! Sadly, the residency calendar doesn't work around LRSD calendar and Doug leaves for a trip with the other guys on Saturday morning through next Thursday. So, it will be a "staycation" for us. Yesterday was a pretty typical day for me, so the boys came with me to "work" at Fellowship childcare. It was fun for them to see what Eli and I do while they are in school. They met some new friends and enjoyed a long day (until 2) since I had lunch w/resident's wives and Carolyn yesterday too.

Today, Doug is off ... just got back from a 13 mile run. Eli was up early (I took the bumper pads out of his crib recently since he was getting closer to climbing out and now his paci falls out through the slats in the middle of the night). He couldn't find his paci at about 5:45, so I stumbled in to rescue him. It didn't take long and he was back to sleep. If I could be certain that he wouldn't bother i.e. climb onto the boys while they were sleeping, I would convert his crib into a toddler bed. But ... I'm not certain. I think Sam's sleep would be interrupted (since he's on the top bunk) often which would add a new dynamic. Neither of the other two were in a crib at this age, but neither of them were avid climbers like Eli either. So, everyone will stay put for a little while longer. Oh, the joys of three little boys sharing a room together.

Anyway, so when I heard Sam and Zach stir around 7:30 and no peeps from Eli, I was happy to snuggle under my covers a little while longer. And then, a sweet little face pops into my bed and says, "Mom, can you get down [from the top of the frig] the Kix? I can get the milk, and then you can go back to bed. I just need some breakfast." I love that middle man, he loves his breakfast, and he knows that Mom likes to sleep in. I did go back to bed after retrieving the Kix, but not for too long since I couldn't stop smiling at how wonderful it was that the two of them had made their own breakfast all by themselves. And, I might try remembering to put the Kix on the table the night before a morning that I can sleep in. Working myself out of some of my job is okay with me, even if it's little bits at a time.

I'm just sayin ...

... the biggest perk of having kids allergic to peanuts is TONIGHT, folks. They know to ask us about candy that they haven't seen before so it slows them down in how much they eat. Plus, you can't beat the "so sorry, you can't have this [big pile of candy] that has peanuts". Sam is usually the whistle-blower on all things peanut related, so I coached him beforehand and told him we would politely say, "Thank you," and NOT with the usual "does this have peanuts?" to every kind offer. But in the aftermath of the collections, he looked longingly at the Reese's mini peanut butter cups and said, "They just look so good, Mom!" That aluminum nifty wrap got him. Or maybe it was just because it looked easy to open. I wonder if one day he or Zach will throw caution to the wind and just want to "try it and see what happens". Hopefully the Benadryl will be close by.

Certainly, by now you know that my favorite combo of all time is chocolate and peanut butter. Yeah, I'm in trouble. I may need to make one of these calendar things for me. I'm seriously thinking of chopping up all the Reeses cups to save in the frig for future ice cream topping. And maybe if I just throw a bag of Snickers in Doug's jeep, then he can use them as "energy" after he runs or whatever. But, seriously, how have I missed the Reese's peanut butter pumpkins? Yowsers. Yes, I'm in deep trouble. Send me recipes to use this stuff in big quantities so I can delight my friends with baked goodies and share some of the love [and fat].

Weekend routines

Friday nights in New Orleans were almost always with family (every other with extended family) ... a dinner out or take-out dinner and catching up with everyone at someone else's house. We usually stayed as late as the kids could be reasonable and bearable. We looked forward to Friday nights with family. It energized us for the rest of the weekend.

Friday nights in Little Rock are almost always just us ... an easy home-cooked meal and a kids movie to help keep the kids up a bit later than their normal bedtime of 7:30pm in a measly effort of getting a little sleep-in time the following morning. Sam even begged to go to bed last night at 9pm because he was so tired. While we used to stay up late, Doug is often in bed before 10:30 in an effort to be ready to run in the morning with the LR Running Club that meets at 5:30/6am. Since we're home, I tend to catch up on laundry and finish cleaning so that I can be "done" too for the week. We now look forward to Friday nights because it signals the end of school/work week and a chance to relax from the schedule that drives us.

The rest of the weekend is different too ... Saturdays (when Doug is not travelling) are leisurely. No youth activities or church obligations to fill our time. It's truly a play/catch up day and helps us prepare for Sunday as a day of rest (and football) before we start the week again. We do find ourselves a bit bored sometimes on Sundays ... especially Sunday nights when we'd be with the youth (in the past) while the boys would be with the other kids at church.

Gettin' used to the new routine here ... all to change again in seven months. Wink.

Creating new habits

When Zach saw the eye doctor here in Little Rock in August, he "prescribed" patching Zach's good eye for 45 minutes a day. Because Zach was having a hard time at school and generally with the adjustment to Little Rock, this new routine had to wait until life got a little bit better for Zach. Since our New Orleans pediatric ophthalmologist didn't seem to think it made much of a difference and we haven't been patching for several years, I figured a couple more months wouldn't matter. At our visit this past spring with Dr. Balkan, he warned us that within the year it would be time to do a little plastic surgery on Zach's eyelid. His biggest concern was not his eyesight but that he was adjusting his neck and head to see more level. We figure it's nice to get a second opinion so we moved to Little Rock. Wink. Our next appointment is with the Little Rock Children's Hospital in early December. We'll see what happens then. At both doctors and the school vision screening, Zach showed signs that he couldn't see the images they showed him. I'm not sure if he recognized the rotary telephone in the picture or if he really was cooperating at school, but we're told that he needs some corrective lenses soon. Knowing what to do with his lazy eye is the step before that. When we ask him to see things far away, he says he can see them, so we're simply unsure about how his vision is affected. Answers will come soon.

Anyway, all that to say, we're patching again. And, we have a little pirate. We've started at 30 minutes a day and created a chart so that he can pick out something fun at the toy store when he fills the squares. I was surprised at how well he did with it today. It definitely took some self-discipline not to rip that thing off. I could tell it was aggravating him but he's doesn't complain about much. He colored, played a little, looked at some books, and ate dinner with the patch on.

Not to be left out, Sam has a chart too. He's learning so fast and so well in kindergarten. He's read several small books with mostly sight words and pictures since the first week, but recently he's been put in a reading group (with a workbook! Big deal for him.) and has been learning to sound out words using the sounds he knows. It's harder for him and he keeps forgetting to bring his book home to read to us for homework. The teacher in me wants him to learn responsibility for homework right away, so we figured a bigger reward than a lollipop is maybe what he needs to develop his "homework habit".

We haven't done sticker charts since the potty training days, so it may be just what they need for this stuff. Thanks, Renee, for reminding me about them. No chart for Eli yet. That kid is so darn smart, though, he might be pottying sooner than I'm ready for. He definitely knows how to produce on the potty if I catch him in the act. You should see the faces he makes. Oh, and how about he's the first of the boys to know how to blow his nose. Seriously. How crazy is that? He doesn't dislike me wiping it (yes, he's 18 months old) and he will literally blow, when I say, "blow". I'm fascinated with what he can do in comparison to the others at this age.

CityFest in Little Rock

FYI: I posted a bunch of stuff today ... so make sure you scroll down far to catch up. I like to backdate posts since I'm a sequential, orderly kind of chick.

What a powerful event preceded by the love of Jesus shown in the actions of believers in neighborhoods across the city. Discipleship follow-up will take place on the LR public school campuses for something like six weeks after this week. Seriously? Yes. God is at work in our country. Proud to be among Christ-followers who desire to show His love in action and word to anyone. We're looking forward to the Family Fun Zone!

EDIT: You can watch it live here: www.palau.org. 8:54pm CST: TobyMac.