We have these great s-curves in our subdivision that remind me of the s-curves in the town I grew up in. I love going fast around s-curves.
Two nights ago I was heading to Walmart, flying around those curves (okay, so it was only 40mph, but it felt fast; these are sharp curves.)
I got pulled over right before I hit the road leading out of the subdivision.
Ack!
I haven't been pulled over in about a decade! And I've never gotten a ticket! But I could see no way out of this one.
The policeman was very nice. He asked me if I knew what the speed limit there was. I looked hopefully over my shoulder; maybe a sign was posted? But, no. So, I gave it my best shot: 25? He smiled and said, "Actually, no. It's 30, but you were going 40 around those curves." (I knew this; I always watch my spedometer; it's fun.)
He assured me he was not going to give me a ticket, as long as all the documentation was in order (it was). He gave me a pink piece of paper (carbon copy) that had *warning* *warning* written all over it. No need to show up in court, no fine, just a warning. Thank you, sir, I said gratefully.
As I pulled away, I had this crazy thought: I'm going fly around those curves again on my way home! And do you know what popped into my head right after that?
"Foolishness!"
I spank my kids when they disobey a rule and shake my head when I see them try the exact same offense two minutes later. Foolish child, I think mournfully. You'll only get another spanking, you know! But here I was, right after a spanking, contemplating breaking the rule again! Okay, I'm not going to be foolish. I'm not 3 anymore, sista!
Humbled. A bit ashamed. But not foolish!
Well, not completely foolish...here's the rest of the story...
"They" are going to build new houses in our subdivision. One of my neighbors wrote a petition, asking them to consider not bringing more people into our subdivision, since there's only one road in and out. Think of the increased traffic! We have speeding problems, as it is! Hub and I signed the petition; in fact, I think we were the first to do it. Our neighbor presented it to the city council and they accepted it. That's why they were cracking down on speeding in our subdivision. Hence, I was caught...is that ironic (and very embarrassing!) or what?
My neighbor thought it was funny.
Oh, well, live and learn :)
For a (an?) hilarious recounting of an encounter with a law-enforcement officer read this:
http://http//highmaintenanceaspirations.blogspot.com/2010/03/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-time.html
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Why I'm Grateful
Just felt like thanking the Lord for these blessings!
1. SweetSong wanted to do Phonics. We've started and stopped a few times now. But this time, I have this weird feeling (resolve?) that it'll stick. She's starting Kindergarten!
2. A visiting friend gathered a bunch of us moms and kids at the Riverwalk on Tuesday for a picnic. SO GOOD!
3. Another friend outfitted my girls for a year or so...and this woman has good taste...her daughter had a growth spurt so these 3T clothes won't fit her...they'll fit my gals! Here's to hoping my girls don't grow, hehe :)
4. I've been able to think through what I've experienced/learned here...closure is good...helps with the transition of moving in a few months...
5. We're having penne with broccoli and beans tonight for dinner. YUM! Sounds boring, but it's good! It's those little things that make our day, isn't it?
:)
1. SweetSong wanted to do Phonics. We've started and stopped a few times now. But this time, I have this weird feeling (resolve?) that it'll stick. She's starting Kindergarten!
2. A visiting friend gathered a bunch of us moms and kids at the Riverwalk on Tuesday for a picnic. SO GOOD!
3. Another friend outfitted my girls for a year or so...and this woman has good taste...her daughter had a growth spurt so these 3T clothes won't fit her...they'll fit my gals! Here's to hoping my girls don't grow, hehe :)
4. I've been able to think through what I've experienced/learned here...closure is good...helps with the transition of moving in a few months...
5. We're having penne with broccoli and beans tonight for dinner. YUM! Sounds boring, but it's good! It's those little things that make our day, isn't it?
:)
Friday, March 19, 2010
A Sunshine Award
My first blog award! Thank you, Rebecca!I'm passing the award on to six blogs that make me smile, mostly because I know each woman who writes them. You all are just as beautiful and creative in person as in your blogs!
Here they are in alphabetical order:
To receive your award, save the award to your desktop, then paste it into a new post. Give the award, if you would like, to other blogs you enjoy by providing a link to them in the post and leaving a comment for them to receive it.
Hope your day is filled with sunshine!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Quick Update. No Pics.
The only "pic" I had today was when I "pic-ked" a pony bead out of Snuggie's nose with a chopstick! It was yellow. The bead, not the chopstick. Or the nose.
We're all getting over colds. We were out of the loop for so long due to a trip up north and our sickness that Sharkbait told his auntie he wishes he could go to school so he could see his friends! Ouch! Don't worry, little fella, we're going to get back into the swing of things this week. Does anyone else feel bad about infecting friends at Bible Study and Sunday School, but not feel bad about heading out to Walmart for painting supplies? Or is it just me?
So, we didn't go to our normal activities this weekend but did paint our blue wall in the master bedroom (it's "cozy neutral" now, to match the other three walls). We painted the master bathroom the same color: cozy, cozy neutral...mmmmm, I need a nap.
We also painted our little hallway between the kids' rooms the same color as our living room...what is it called? Cliveden leather? Um, how about light brown?
Our house is starting to shape up!
We're still "decluttering"...our garage looks like what our master bedroom used to look like.
It's hard to think that this house is sorta, kinda not ours anymore...we're preparing it, in a sense, for its new owners...sniff, sniff...
I hope the kids don't color on the walls anymore, especially with permanent markers.
Our sweet friend found out we were sick and offered to bring us chicken noodle soup. I was at the store, mind you, when she called, picking up a gallon of Cliveden leather-tinted paint. I was so blessed that I said, sure, chatting away with her, while the paint was being mixed. It didn't occur to me until about an hour before she was going to come over that we're not that sick. Snuggie was the first to get sick...then, SweetSong...then, Sharkbait and me...Hub's hanging on by a thread, trying not to get sick...it started with a day of headache, muscle ache, and low-grade fever...not a biggie...then, just a sore throat and some chest congestion/cough in the mornings...really, we were well enough to paint and play...and here was my friend, gearing up to bring us soup and Sprite! I called her, saying, hey, it's so sweet of you to offer, but we're really feeling okay! She laughed and insisted on bringing the meal over, saying, don't feel super, super bad about being a little sick...I smiled. I didn't feel super bad...just a little...foolish...
It was good soup.
I'll have to get some pictures up soon. Not of the soup. Of the house. And of Cliveden leather.
We're all getting over colds. We were out of the loop for so long due to a trip up north and our sickness that Sharkbait told his auntie he wishes he could go to school so he could see his friends! Ouch! Don't worry, little fella, we're going to get back into the swing of things this week. Does anyone else feel bad about infecting friends at Bible Study and Sunday School, but not feel bad about heading out to Walmart for painting supplies? Or is it just me?
So, we didn't go to our normal activities this weekend but did paint our blue wall in the master bedroom (it's "cozy neutral" now, to match the other three walls). We painted the master bathroom the same color: cozy, cozy neutral...mmmmm, I need a nap.
We also painted our little hallway between the kids' rooms the same color as our living room...what is it called? Cliveden leather? Um, how about light brown?
Our house is starting to shape up!
We're still "decluttering"...our garage looks like what our master bedroom used to look like.
It's hard to think that this house is sorta, kinda not ours anymore...we're preparing it, in a sense, for its new owners...sniff, sniff...
I hope the kids don't color on the walls anymore, especially with permanent markers.
Our sweet friend found out we were sick and offered to bring us chicken noodle soup. I was at the store, mind you, when she called, picking up a gallon of Cliveden leather-tinted paint. I was so blessed that I said, sure, chatting away with her, while the paint was being mixed. It didn't occur to me until about an hour before she was going to come over that we're not that sick. Snuggie was the first to get sick...then, SweetSong...then, Sharkbait and me...Hub's hanging on by a thread, trying not to get sick...it started with a day of headache, muscle ache, and low-grade fever...not a biggie...then, just a sore throat and some chest congestion/cough in the mornings...really, we were well enough to paint and play...and here was my friend, gearing up to bring us soup and Sprite! I called her, saying, hey, it's so sweet of you to offer, but we're really feeling okay! She laughed and insisted on bringing the meal over, saying, don't feel super, super bad about being a little sick...I smiled. I didn't feel super bad...just a little...foolish...
It was good soup.
I'll have to get some pictures up soon. Not of the soup. Of the house. And of Cliveden leather.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Inconsistent Intimacy
I love the moms' group at our church. We have so much to talk about and catch up on every (other) week, that we spend most of our meeting, uh, talking...and catching up! But the new study we've chosen is good, too.
It's called Train Up a Mom: a Bible Study for Mothers, by Vollie Sanders.
Yep, I need to get me some training to do this mommy thing.
This week's study was called "To Walk in Intimacy". Really, we know we need to have time with the Lord in order to mother our children in a way that glorifies Him. We get stuck when we can't figure out when...how...huh? We resolve to wake up before the kids or we determine to get some quiet time in after our kids are in bed...but something always comes up. Always.
It could be the kid who is getting sick and wakes early for comfort. It could be the coffee we gave the four-year old in the morning, still coursing through her veins at 8 at night! Hehe. It could be just plain ole fatigue or mental exhaustion...whatever it is, it prevents us from consistent time with God.
And that prevents us from seeking Him at all.
We read about Zacchaeus' determination to see who Jesus was in Luke 19:1-10. He had the odds stacked against him - he was short, bless his heart, and surrounded by a huge crowd - but he climbed that ole tree to get him a view of the Lord passing by. How excitedly he must have run, to run ahead of the crowd and to climb a tree. He welcomed the Lord Jesus into his home gladly...and his life was changed radically as a result.
My circumstances as a stay-at-home mom of three young children are not favorable for consistent intimate times with God. But I can seize any opportunity, like Zacchaeus seized that tree, to see the Lord. It might be during a car ride (when all three are strapped down!). Or when I'm washing dishes. I hope to have some quiet time during the day, but I don't need to condemn myself for the circumstances that might prevent it. The point is to go deep, in that moment, with God. To run excitedly, to expect great things. Whenever it happens.
And really, our goal is not to "make the Lord part of our lives". He is our Life. To separate our "time" with Him from the rest of our lives is silly. It's impossible. Either He is or He is not my Life. There are those intimate moments, sweet and refreshing; I need those to thrive. But it's dangerous to think that those intimate moments will sustain my life. Those inconsistent intimate moments are framed in my ever-increasing faith and my obedience to God, according to His consistent mercy and grace. To Him be the glory!
It's called Train Up a Mom: a Bible Study for Mothers, by Vollie Sanders.
Yep, I need to get me some training to do this mommy thing.
This week's study was called "To Walk in Intimacy". Really, we know we need to have time with the Lord in order to mother our children in a way that glorifies Him. We get stuck when we can't figure out when...how...huh? We resolve to wake up before the kids or we determine to get some quiet time in after our kids are in bed...but something always comes up. Always.
It could be the kid who is getting sick and wakes early for comfort. It could be the coffee we gave the four-year old in the morning, still coursing through her veins at 8 at night! Hehe. It could be just plain ole fatigue or mental exhaustion...whatever it is, it prevents us from consistent time with God.
And that prevents us from seeking Him at all.
We read about Zacchaeus' determination to see who Jesus was in Luke 19:1-10. He had the odds stacked against him - he was short, bless his heart, and surrounded by a huge crowd - but he climbed that ole tree to get him a view of the Lord passing by. How excitedly he must have run, to run ahead of the crowd and to climb a tree. He welcomed the Lord Jesus into his home gladly...and his life was changed radically as a result.
My circumstances as a stay-at-home mom of three young children are not favorable for consistent intimate times with God. But I can seize any opportunity, like Zacchaeus seized that tree, to see the Lord. It might be during a car ride (when all three are strapped down!). Or when I'm washing dishes. I hope to have some quiet time during the day, but I don't need to condemn myself for the circumstances that might prevent it. The point is to go deep, in that moment, with God. To run excitedly, to expect great things. Whenever it happens.
And really, our goal is not to "make the Lord part of our lives". He is our Life. To separate our "time" with Him from the rest of our lives is silly. It's impossible. Either He is or He is not my Life. There are those intimate moments, sweet and refreshing; I need those to thrive. But it's dangerous to think that those intimate moments will sustain my life. Those inconsistent intimate moments are framed in my ever-increasing faith and my obedience to God, according to His consistent mercy and grace. To Him be the glory!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
3 vs. 1
This is the first time I'm participating in Gratituesday from the Heavenly Homemaker's blog.
Here goes:
I'm so thankful that Hubby took Sharkbait and SweetSong to a neighboring Air Force base this morning. Yes, that's a four-hour drive there and back. They'll be back around dinnertime. No, I don't know what he was thinking, but I'm still glad he did it :)
It was a nice, relaxing morning to be alone with Snuggie. She cracks me up! I'm working on colors with her (still). I read the cover of a book out loud: The Little RED Hen. I asked the Snugster: What color is the hen? She said: ORANGE. Alright, here's the cover of the book. The book is old. The colors are faded. The hen does look orange, doesn't she?
(Those are her wee toes to the left of The House that Jack Built. Standing on the coffee table? Tsk, tsk!)
The blue books are from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library thing. If you have kids under 5 and you live in TN, you can sign up at the library to receive one free book a month! Yee-haw!
When Snuggie brought one of the books over to the couch where I was waiting for her, I said, "Oh, your favorite!" She replied, pointing to herself with great vigor, "I [insert her name here]!!!" I guess she thought I had said, "You're Favorite", like it's a name.
I let her take one picture on the camera. Her first. This is me, sitting on the floor in the hallway. See?
Here goes:
I'm so thankful that Hubby took Sharkbait and SweetSong to a neighboring Air Force base this morning. Yes, that's a four-hour drive there and back. They'll be back around dinnertime. No, I don't know what he was thinking, but I'm still glad he did it :)
It was a nice, relaxing morning to be alone with Snuggie. She cracks me up! I'm working on colors with her (still). I read the cover of a book out loud: The Little RED Hen. I asked the Snugster: What color is the hen? She said: ORANGE. Alright, here's the cover of the book. The book is old. The colors are faded. The hen does look orange, doesn't she?
(Those are her wee toes to the left of The House that Jack Built. Standing on the coffee table? Tsk, tsk!)
The blue books are from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library thing. If you have kids under 5 and you live in TN, you can sign up at the library to receive one free book a month! Yee-haw!
When Snuggie brought one of the books over to the couch where I was waiting for her, I said, "Oh, your favorite!" She replied, pointing to herself with great vigor, "I [insert her name here]!!!" I guess she thought I had said, "You're Favorite", like it's a name.
I let her take one picture on the camera. Her first. This is me, sitting on the floor in the hallway. See?
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