Going in Circles

One thing I love about reading other people's blogs is that I get to benefit from all the creativity out there.  I'm not so great at coming up with productive activities for my kids to do, so it thrills me to find easy, fun projects out there that I can reproduce here.  Recently I saw a painting project on a blog that I love to read, Whatever..., which is a reference to Philippians 4:8; Meg is a mom of five, she is very creative, and very real about her life.  I love her blog because it's both cheerful and honest.  Anyway, she saw this idea on the Frugal Family Fun Blog and shared her own kids' experience.  Like I said, it was easy and fun...what else could I want?

The project was stamping out circles with a styrofoam cup and black paint...

and then painting in the circles.

I told the kids to color in the circles however they wanted.  I don't usually give them specific directions when they paint, I just tell them to go for it.  They can keep themselves entertained and busy for a very long time.  But this was something different, and they had a lot of fun with it.

Well, Christian did once I stamped his circles out and they had time to dry overnight...he did his painting the following day since the first attempt met with some smudges and tears.  (Tears that stream down your face, not tears like in a paper...got it?)  Once he had nice, dry circles, though, he was good to go.  (The above picture is with the wet circles...it started out so well!)

Michaela worked meticulously.  I was impressed with her precision, since she also had wet circles.  They just couldn't wait for them to dry, and the great plan-ahead person that I am (NOT) had not done the stamping the night before.  I have to come up with more of this kind of thing, because she really enjoyed it.  They both love to paint, and having a particular thing to paint, something with purpose in a way, gave their task some weight or importance that it doesn't usually have.  Although I should say they are very proud of whatever they have done! 

Christian got to work after school the next day, and he too was very careful and particular about his painting.  I loved to see how they chose differently in the coloring of the circles and the overlapping areas.

Suddenly he wants me to take his picture for the blog all of the time! 

Christian took a couple of days to finish, which was fine with me.  It was time-consuming to take such care with his strokes.  But worth every minute!

Michaela finished hers that same afternoon she started it, maybe in an hour and a half.  I think it's beautiful.  We're going to frame them and find a fun place to display them in the house. 

I loved this project and highly recommend it.  I actually found myself wanting to stamp out circles for me and paint them in! 

By the way, if you have any good websites for art/paint projects for kids I'd love to hear about them!  I've searched a little, but I don't ever seem to get very far, or to the right places. 

Out With the Old, In With the New...A Work in Progress

Already there are people in our neighborhood who have broken out their Christmas decorations, even though Thanksgiving has yet to pass.  I have read several blog posts about this...people who are so looking forward to Christmas that they couldn't wait any longer to put out their decor.  I have never seen anything like it.  Getting the decorations out so early, I mean. 

I actually love it.  I wish we could leave the lights, and the garlands, the bows, and the wreaths, the trees, and the lights (oh, I already said that!) up all year.  I suppose in the end that would make it less special, since we all look forward to the lovely glow, the something-different-in-the-air this time of year.

As I was driving along the other day this caught my attention for a couple of reasons...

It makes me think of myself. 

The pumpkins are up and have been for a while, celebrating fall and the change of the seasons.  They symbolize all things autumn...the color of the leaves that gradually shift from green to gold, to orange and red; the carving of pumpkins; the gradual departure of heavy summer days and the arrival of crisper weather; the children dressed up tromping through the streets in search of treats rather than tricks; the anticipation of a feast at which we pay special attention to our blessings and recall all that we have to be thankful to our Provider for.

Now, the garland has been hung gracefully and secured with lovely bows.  This greenery symbolizes the Christmas season.  (I'm putting a personal spin on this, okay?)  In the midst of the falling, dying leaves, there are evergreens, full of life.  The red bows help us to remember how we are tied together, united in Christ, redeemed by his sacrifice.  The Christmas decorations usher in the season of Advent; we wait for the day when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, and we wait for his coming again...this time as our reigning King and mighty Deliverer forever. 

Even though the Christmas garlands adorn the pillars, the pumpkins still sit on top; on the outside they hold their appearance well.  But what are they like on the inside?  They have been sitting there for quite a while, and it is likely that they are starting to deteriorate on the inside.  They are no longer in their original state; after being outside, battered by the elements day after day, they are beginning to rot.  They are dying. 

But this rottenness doen't stop the garlands from being hung.  It doesn't keep the garlands from being lovely and full of life.  The garlands' beauty does not depend on nor is it lessened by the pumpkins that are now less than perfect.

I am perched atop a pillar, of sorts.  Like the pumpkin that matures during a time of change I, too, grow older amidst a changing world, one that seems never to be able to offer stability, nor a promise of steadiness.  In this world, things are fleeting.  Yes, there is beauty, and there are blessings; there is also dying and sadness.  It is hard not to feel the effects of the constant battering received by the world around me.  And sometimes, on the inside, I feel plain old rotten. 

BUT...

In spite of all that the world can throw at me, in spite of the state of my insides, in spite of the fact that we all are subject to the passing of time and its effects, there is a new garment that has been fixed upon me.  It is beautiful.  It is perfect.  It is draped about my shoulders and it was given to me, and now it is as though it were mine.  This pure and lovely robe covers all my imperfections, all my rottenness.  It unites me with the One to whom it belongs, as well as with all the others to whom He offers it.  (It's a size extra-large!  His whole church can fit into it.)  Nothing I do or don't do can take away or change the beauty or perfection of the garment or the One who gave it to me.  He doesn't ever change.

Tonight I am resting in that knowledge, clinging to the robe of Christ's righteousness that He so graciously has given to me, that I might be called a daughter of God.

Ephesians 4:22-24 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Cor. 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

On Being Right

A few weeks ago my mom called with the exciting news that the Pioneer Woman's cookbook was finally available for purchase.  I did know this already, but I thought it was sweet that she was calling to say that she wanted to buy it for me for Christmas, purchasing it right now, so that I could have it when Ree (that's her name, not that anyone who reads this doesn't know that.  I think.) comes to Dallas on her book tour.  She'll be in a local Borders Tuesday, December 1. 

It's on our calendar.

Flash forward (which, by the way, is still a great show, except for a couple of scenes so far that have made me a bit uncomfortable, but...that's Hollywood?  I don't know...where are my scruples?  And where is my train of thought?) a couple more weeks.  We, operating on standard Walker protocol, waited a long time to buy our tickets to see Mike's family for Thanksgiving.  We finally ended up purchasing tickets for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving until the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, mainly because of prices and blackout dates and all that fun stuff.  Then there was a problem with the processing and the next day we found out that we had not, in fact, had success with the purchase.  The airline offered us tickets that were now more expensive and to that Mike said a resounding,"NO WAY!"  We bought our tickets with a different airline, keeping the same dates, because who wanted to spend twenty more hours checking all the different options between the weekend before and the weekend after Thanksgiving?  (For all I know, he did check to see if the rates were different/better and found that they weren't.  My guess is he figured I'm the one who picked the dates, so let's stick with those.)

So, the dates for our trip are (departing Dallas) November 24, 2009, and (returning to Dallas) December 1, 2009. 

December 1, 2009?! 

December 1, 2009?!

Why, yes, that is what I said.  And my precious daughter just informed me of the fact that I suggested that we come back from our Thanksgiving vacation on the day that the Pioneer Woman will be at a bookstore right around the corner from my house.  Michaela and I were in the kitchen and I asked her if she liked the pancakes I made for dinner.  I then asked if she knew where I got the recipe (which she did like, by the way).  She said,"Of course!" and pointed to the Pioneer Woman's cookbook. 

This next part is a bit blurry because I'm still in shock, but I think I said that Grandma Vicki had bought the book for me so that I could get it signed when Ree comes here December 1.  She had a funny look on her face and then she said,"Daddy said we weren't going to be here."  I looked at her, laughing, and said,"What do you mean, we're not going to be here?"  I thought he had been making one of his silly jokes.  And then it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks that we would indeed be traveling. 

And then I thought I would cry.

I have thought a lot about this right-brained business the last few days, ever since Christian's teacher made that comment.  I feel like (oh, that's a very right-brained thing to say!) it has actually helped me understand myself a little bit better.  Not like myself, but understand.  It's almost hilarious how much I fit into the bullet points on the little right-brained chart I found online. 

But right now I'm not laughing.  The Pioneer Woman was my main inspiration when I started this blog last year (Last year?!  Is that right?  Right...get it?  Ha, ha.  Wait, I'm not supposed to be laughing.) and still inspires me daily with her blog.  I never thought about a blog being an outlet for my desire to write for other people until I read what she was writing.  Even if my main audience is my mom and dad, and some of Mike's family (thanks for reading, you guys!).  I have been delighted to find that other people regularly read my thought-provoking work here (uh, oh, more laughing) and enjoy seeing pictures of our kids (which works out very well...since I love to take pictures of them).  All that is to say (even though it doesn't directly have anything to do with the fact) that I do not go a day without checking Ree's site, to see what she has been up to, what silly things she has to say, or what sweet and poignant things she has to say, about life, motherhood, being a wife, watching cows, cleaning manure off of porches and pants (probably not so much poignancy there, but...well, yeah, not so much).  My life is so very different from hers, and yet I feel like I can connect with her (I love chocolate!  I love Toni Collette!).  I love her site, and I so love to read her stuff. 

And I was really looking forward to meeting her.   And maybe taking her picture!  Or a picture with her!  I wanted her to write in my cookbook:  To Christina...You have the best blog I never read.

Isn't that really funny?!

Here's my plan.  See, I've checked the data.  Our flight gets in at 8:00 p.m.  Her time at Borders supposedly starts at 7:00 p.m.  I think that if we head straight to Borders from the airport, then I will still be able to catch her.  I was hoping to get there early, hang out, I even planned on standing in line for hours.  Maybe it will be better this way.  Who knows. 

Let's just say that sometimes being right is very, very wrong.

Pictures With Pumpkins

Across the street there is a marvelous display of pumpkins.  Today we took the kids and took some pictures.

This might be a post only grandparents could love.

Eliana has a picture smile...it doesn't look as though she's in as much pain as it has in the past.

Sisters...

She loves her big brother so much...

My little pumpkins...

More of the Same...Why Not?

Christian was bummed yesterday that he didn't get to rake leaves like Michaela did.  So today I took him out front so he could rake those leaves.

By "rake the leaves" we know what he really meant.

He made a small pile and then "accidentally" fell in them.  He worked really hard out there; he had his work cut out for him, too, since the leaves were a bit scarce after what his dad and sister did yesterday.

We could see that our neighbor was also busy with the same project in his own yard.

He was taking a different route, but getting to the same leaves-in-a-pile place.

Christian kept working diligently in order to get his pile big enough to leap into...

It must have been harder on his muscles than I thought because suddenly he said,"Take a picture of me stretching!"

Of course, I obliged.

Our kind neighbor noticed Christian tumbling into the fifteen or twenty leaves that he had managed to scrape together and offered Christian their leaf pile for jumping.

He didn't have to say it twice!

And it wasn't long before two more joined him in his leaf pile...

Eliana had never had the experience of jumping in leaves, and at first she was content merely to touch them.

She gave them a little pat, and then stood back up grinning.  Soon, however, she sat down in the leaves and then lay backwards.  She thought it was fun...

Then she realized that this was kind of odd...

I'm sorry, but I'm addicted to taking pictures of my baby girl. 

See?  I can't help it.

I like taking pictures of all of them, but she is the most readily available.

The happiness of a moment like this is indescribable for me.  Watching all of them get along together makes my heart so glad.

I can't help but smile when I see them like that.

Until the ornery kicks in...and it always does.  But I'll keep holding on to these other moments.

Soon Mike came out to cut the grass.  Look at her face-she loves her daddy!  In fact, last night she was lying in her bed and had been quiet for quite some time; out of the blue she said,"I love daddy!"  It was so sweet.

Michaela took it upon herself to rake up the rest of the neighbors' leaves.  She was one busy girl.  I hope her arms aren't really sore tomorrow!

She gave her muscles a workout!

Eliana decided to take a turn pulling...

Not sure how to get it moving...let's try this...

Not too successful there, so she headed back to the leaves.

She didn't have a nap today (her choice, not mine!) and it was getting later in the afternoon; she got a little weird.

I tried to take pictures of her being so strange, but she ran away saying,"Don't take my picture, Mommy!"  I went after her saying,"Show me your eyes!"  So she did...

 

And pretty soon after that we all went inside and got cleaned up!

Can you imagine why?!

By the way, please excuse all crazy outfits...it was Saturday and the fashion police have the day off.