My Excitement Overfloweth...

I must be a true nerd if going to class really gets me this excited. It's because I love school and post-its and pencils and pens and school supplies and notebooks. I think about how in a couple years I will label all of Luke's new school supplies for kindergarten with a Sharpie.

I started my LAST master's class tonight and I'm SO excited. Here's why. I know you probably don't care, but I need to let some of this out. You have to know that I've been making a very concerted effort not to be worried about this portfolio that I have to submit to graduate. Tonight I found out that I'm not the only one who has no clue how to operate the expensive program I have to buy just for this final portfolio. Nor am I the only one who hasn't gotten the first thing completed:)

Also, I found out we only meet 3 more times!!! So I don't have to worry about what to do in two Thursdays when I get to GO TO THE BEACH!!!

The guy who is in charge of teaching about this new expensive program is so old and so cute. Very helpful and informative, and doesn't talk over our heads. I really liked him.

I guess you can see my true nerdy colors now. I love school. I guess that's why I've pretty much been in school since I was 5 and pretty much plan on being there til I'm 60. Good thing I like it.

Progress

Many of you know that potty training Luke has been my least favorite endeavor as a mom. Mostly because I feel I've been so unsuccessful at it. I've tried encouraging, giving incentives, prizes, trips to Toys R Us, candy, stickers. I've tried taking movies away, taking toys away. He's been without all of his Transformers, all of his Thomas trains, all of his GeoTrax trains. And still he doesn't care.

Anyway, I think we're making progress. Here's what happened this morning. I told him to go to the potty all by himself, he went to the bathroom and peed, washed his hands, picked out fresh underwear, and put them on all by himself. That's progress for us!!! As we got into this potty-training process I realized that there are many little steps Luke needed to master - like pulling his underwear up and down, holding it until we get to the bathroom, telling me he needs help.

We are still working on some things, but there has been progress:) Yaaaaay!

Me in 31 words or less:)

Mom is working on a scrapbook page where she has people answer questions about how they see her. She returned the quiz to me today with her answers about how she sees me. For #15, the quiz says, How you would describe this person to someone looking for her in a crowded airport. For mom's, I wrote dimples:) Here's what she wrote, and besides the "very pretty" part, I thought it was so very spot-on!!!

5'4, very pretty dark haired lady with a little girl who looks just like her most likely chasing after a wild haired little boy saying luke, luke, luke!

What's Going On?!!

Luke has this funny way of saying, "What's going on?" like something crazy is happening. He also holds his hands out and shakes them (you really have to see it). Anyway, he did it the day that I gave him a ride on a jet ski and we watched not one, but four airplanes fly low over us on Kenlake.

Today, after observing the weather and hearing the thunder, Luke looked out his window and the conversation went like this:

Luke (very incredulously): It's sunny AND thunder, both???

Me: Yeah, it is.

Luke: What's going on here?

Me: I don't know what's going on.

Luke: What's going on here on 7th St.?

I had no idea, but thoroughly enjoyed him trying to figure it out.

Quiet Time

Sometimes I find that I can get a little time to focus on God while Nor is taking her morning nap and Luke is watching a show. Today, however, I don't want to leave Luke alone because I'm pretty sure he will poop in his underwear. I'm trying to keep an eye on him so he doesn't go hide somewhere. So I decided to journal a bit here about what I read this morning.

Our cell group girls are reading The Boy Who Cried Abba by Brennan Manning. I love Brennan Manning. He tells stories that really help me grasp what grace is and who God is. In The Boy Who Cried Abba, Willie Juan is a little boy who has no friends, has many physical imperfections, and gets made fun of constantly. At one of the annual Hopi festivals he attends, he meets the Medicine Man (Jesus). Here's one conversation they had: (bold and italics are mine)

Jesus: You see, Willie Juan, the Evil One, like a shrewd enemy commander, has surrounded you and discovered where you are most vulnerable. He has used your bad feelings about your scars and lame leg to tie you up in knots, chaining you to a deep sense of worthlessness. The next step can be dangerous, because you will need to let go of your hold on your life. You'll feel as if you're losing control, and the illusion of being in charge of your own future, of being the master of your own destiny, will vanish.

Willie Juan: Um, uh, what is this next step?

Jesus: Surrender yourself in unwavering trust ot El Shaddai. Trust that everything that has happened to you was necessary to bring you to this present moment. And trust that the good work that has been started within you will be brought to completion...

Later in the conversation, discussing the power of the Spirit when we ask him into our lives, Jesus says, "Calling on him can be like going to the dentist to fix your upper left molar and hearing him say after a brief inspection, 'I'm sorry, but I'll have to remove your whole mouth.' When you ask him into your life, he changes it in ways you can't even imagine."

In another part, Willie Juan shares his fajita lunch with Jesus. Jesus tells him, "When you get to heaven, Little Friend, your Abba will not ask you how many prayers you said, or how many souls you saved. He'll ask, 'Did you enjoy the fajita?' He wants you to live with passion, in the beauty of the moment, accepting and enjoying his gifts.

Willie Juan asks Jesus why he didn't come with a trumpet show and angels, to which Jesus replies, "I didn't want to frighten you, my friend...Isn't it difficult to be a friend to someone who has all the answers, who's always totally unafraid, invulnerable, needing nothing adn nobody, always in control of every situation? With a person like that you don't feel comfortable or needed...it is the deepest desire of my heart to be known, loved and wanted as I really am. "

Quote I want to internalize: Simply accept that you are accepted. No matter what:)

Alright, now to go check on Luke on his potty...

Smile

Here are some pics that make me smile.

Fun at Venture River

The kids and I meet Mom and Dad at Venture River last week. It was a beautiful day to be there with no big crowds. It was Norah's first time there and as expected, she loved the frog slide. She probably went on it 30 times! Luke still really enjoyed that slide but also the whole kid area. We rode the family ride, all 5 of us, and Luke just giggled as we slipped and slid around while Nor yelled about it. Both kids showed their brave streak which usually gets them in trouble - Luke feeling so comfortable he wants to wander around by himself and Norah wanting to lean over the water and put her face in but then losing her balance and not being able to recover. I think we all had a really great time!

Communication

I love watching how the kids are developing in their communication. Today Luke totally cheered me from a down mood. We were sitting at the dining room table eating ice cream, being considerably quiet for my house:) Then Luke looked at me and said, "How's your day?"
Mom: Ok, how's yours?
Luke: Bad. I was fussy and whiny.
Mom: Well, you can change right now and have a better day.
Luke (rather surprised): Oh, ok!

Later as I was getting Norah changed, I gave her a book to read. When we were done, I put her on the floor and she walked over to the glider with her book. She patted the glider and said, "Momma." She was telling me in 16-mo.-old language that she was ready to hear a story. So we read.

Norah's New Favorites

I discovered this week that Norah can't get enough corn on the cob or mandarin oranges. She tried corn on the cob for the first time at Bridget's the other night and loved it. It didn't bother her that she was eating it vertically instead of horizontally:)

Tonight we had an easy meal night with Totinos pizzas, so I thought I'd make it a LITTLE more nutritious and get the kids some fruit. I opened a small can of mandarin oranges, and Norah asked for more several times. Actually, until the whole can was gone except for Luke's portion:) Good girl, Nor.

Night and Day

I've been asked several times if Luke and Norah are like night and day. Usually I answer "No," and talk about ways they are the same. Frankly, there are many similarities AND differences between them.Some of the ways they are undoubtedly brother and sister are they beautiful blue eyes they inherited from their dad. And their curly hair (Luke's to a much greater degree:)). Their laughs are exactly the same and I love that. They both love being outside and are crazy ticklish.Norah is a quiet observer. Luke tries to have conversations with complete strangers. Norah's lip quivers at the slightest tone of disapproval. Luke wouldn't dream of listening the first 3 times he's reprimanded. Norah eats anything and everything. Luke likes what he likes and wants it daily until he's ready to move on. Norah really doesn't care to watch tv unless Luke is watching. Luke would stand inches from the screen all day if I let him. Norah gets her groove on to the smallest melody. Luke knows just about every type of transportation in existence it seems. So, yes, they are like night and day sometimes. But mostly they're just their own little people:)