Bubba's Birthday Treats

Remember how I wasn't allowed (by my five year old) to do cupcakes because that "was Grace's birthday treat"?  Well, I decided to go with donut holes and everyone got five. . . 'cause Bubba is five.  Scrabble tiles were the letter choice for the morning.  Cutesy Cutesy Cutesy!!!

We took water too.  The teacher immediately said that I wasn't responsible for drinks, but I told her it was part of the party package:

For the afternoon class we went with the letter theme still again.  Scrabble Cheezits + Alphabits + raisins = our own party mix. 

Bubba barely ate dinner that night.  Can you fault him?

Happy Birthday, Bubba

We are so thankful God gave you to us FIVE years ago. 

I can barely look at a picture of you as a baby without wanting to squeal and cry.  I fell in love with you from the very first minutes and there's been no going back ever since.

You were born the day after hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans. 

It didn't seem right to lie in the hospital feeling such joy when others were so devastated nearby.

But I couldn't help myself.

I wasn't the only one who loved you right away.

Little kissed you the minute she met you and you've been her favorite friend all these years. 

What a joy to watch.

And now here you are - so big, yet still my baby.

You have such a tender heart, never wanting anyone to cry.

You love to talk about Jesus and to read about Nicodemus.

Your loves include reading, writing, singing, computer games, Kipper, and Pooh.

My favorite time is bedtime, when you will let me give you kisses and you giggle and giggle.

I can't wait to see what God plans to do with you.  I have a feeling it's going to be BIG.

I love you, Bubba.

Happy Birthday!

10 Year Run - Ended

We've been married ten years.  Well, almost ten years.  Two months and 13 days shy of ten years.  Anyway, one thing has been a constant in our marriage.  One thing I thought I could count on forever.  One thing I never thought I would be living without. . .

A coffee maker on the counter.

That's right.  It was one of Honey's favorite wedding gifts and has held a place of honor in our kitchen since before the actual ceremony. 

But today. . . today Honey cleaned the coffee pot.  Today I looked up and saw this:

I gave Honey a birthday gift only 8 days ago and now I have an entire corner of counter space that is free.  A gift that keeps giving!! And I have Laura O'Connell, Miss Moka and this post to thank for it!

I read Laura's write up about Miss Moka and took it seriously - see, Laura and I used to carpool to work during seminary and that meant I was privy to her relationship with Starbucks.  Any product that she claims makes a latte that is causing her visits to SBs to diminish. . . that's a product my husband would get into.

And he has.
And the coffee is amazing. 
SO YUMMY. 
It's like, "special function at Wash U. savor every taste" yummy.

So, thank you Laura.  Thank you Miss Moka.
I'm off to dream of what to put on that counter top!!

First Day of Second School

You heard right: Bubba is going to two schools this Fall. We decided the structure, plan, and challenge would be just what he needed and enrolled him in the 4 year old program at our church's day school.  He'll go to Kirk Day M, W, F mornings and to Parkway M-TH afternoons.  It's a lot to keep up with, so I created this to help:

He has it on the refrigerator and checks it at breakfast.  It's interesting to watch his face when he checks it.  He LOVES going to Kirk Day School (KDS) and being in Misters Dare's class (that's how he pronounces Mrs. - funny,eh? Plural Mr.  Ha!).  He lights up when he sees that it's a KDS day.

His experience at KDS has been super positive for me too.  My little boy talks all the way home in the car and tells me about the things they did.  He has been pretending with his friend Stephen (three new things. . . pretending, a consistent friend, and me knowing about it).  He learned adios in Spanish last week.  One little girl, Grace, had a birthday and had cupcakes.  I asked Thomas if he wanted cupcakes on Monday for HIS birthday (we are responsible for snacks) and he told me no because that was Grace's choice for HER birthday; in his mind that took cupcakes off the choice list.  Having him ask to go back to school again is such a joy.  It's wonderful to know he is loving it.

Yes, I do have a theory on why he is responding differently but I'll wait a bit longer before sharing my thoughts.  For now I'm going to just be thankful. . . and go figure out what to fix for tomorrow's snacks!

Bubba's Bday - the party

JUST the party.  Bubba's birthday isn't until Monday, which would seem like no big deal.  We actually had it under control. . . a countdown on the frig helped reinforce that, while we were celebrating with friends today, the actual birthday wasn't for two more days.  That worked well until I went and posted on Facebook for the first time in a month and my brother saw it and thought it was Bub's birthday today so their family called and sang.  And let me tell you, a call from China trumps the countdown on the frig.  After the song ended, Bubba went straight to that little countdown sheet and marked off the remaining days.  Thus begins the years of mom knowing nothing, I guess.  Hilarious.

In the Blue Hutch tradition of relevant birthday parties, we planned a one hour shindig full of Bubba happiness.  LETTERS everywhere! Beginning with the invitations:

 

The party began at 9:00 am and was in the yard, so there was a bit of a rush to pull the last minute details together.  We put a table out and covered it with paper to protect it from the mess of fun.  A couple markers and the paper became decoration.

There were cute cups (with letters), cute Poptart treats, cute paints (for painting letters), and a scavenger hunt (to find letters).  We had a great time.

The scavenger hunt was first.  Sweet Gus, the tall kiddo, had to tag along since his dad was out of town and his kid brother was invited, SO I gave him a glue stick and put him to work.  As the kiddos found letters stashed in drains and under leaves they would take the letters to Gus and he would stick them to the poster.  It was a good way to keep up with what we had found and what was still out there.  KB was a huge asset to the endeavors and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Then there was painting. . .

And singing. . .

And eating. . .

Gus got a little bored at this point. . .

but no drama.  There were gifts and then we were done.  SUPER gifts, by the way.  Feel like we've been letting people down over the past couple of years.  Wow. 

Everybody went home with a letter shirt and, since the mommy's were all friends of mine, I asked them to make their kids put them on for a photo *smile*.  Could they BE cuter?  (The kids. . . shirts too, but I meant the kids.)

And now, just one more day and my little baby boy will be five.  I can NOT believe it.  As Scarlet would say, "I'll think about that tomorrah."

So Much Food

Got an email this week from Restaurant.com to let us know we have $415.00 worth of unused coupons! They have changed their policies a bit and the little guys no longer expire, SO there are tons of gift we have given bus drivers and such that they think the coupon expired but it didn't. The company keeps track of what's been used and what hasn't but NOT who used what . . . so, we have a month's worth of grocery money in certificates. Yipee.

I guess we can use our grocery money to pay the sitter. . . (?)

Back to School - Addendum

My sister brought up a neato little topic in the last post's comments.  She mentioned that Honey shaved his goatee.  She's right - he did.  It was not because he went back to school.

Get this. . . KB and Little were always shirking away when he went to give them kisses and I thought it might be because of the facial hair.  He shaved it off and Little's comment when she saw him that morning?

"You're my real dad!!!!"

I love that story.

Back To School

First Day Night

That's right, readers, HONEY has gone back to school (and he was subjected to the "day one photo" just like everyone else).

Can't even tell you how quickly this came about. . . or how long it's taken to happen.  Honey has wanted to work on his PhD since before finishing seminary, but it just hasn't been possible (what with the births, surgeries, MRIs, therapy, etc.).  We had a conversation in JULY about what he wanted to do in the future - how he saw God using his gifts and talents - and the next day I got a phone call telling me that he had sent in his application, printed reference forms, started requests for transcripts. . . WOW.

One month.  That's all it took to go from "I'll need more schooling" to "I am getting more schooling".  Unbelievable . . . except this is the same guy who took three years to decide he was interested in me and then one month to propose. 

The program? Not a PhD, but an MA in Leadership & Organizational Development.  I read the description and it is as if they interviewed Honey and wrote a program that sums up his very self.  It's at a local university and is geared toward helping leaders understand the various systems and dynamics at play in an organization. To quote Honey, "It's kind of like how when you get married you tend to do things that your parents did but you don't realize it--some of that's good and some is bad. The same thing happens in organizations and can hinder their effectiveness."

The coursework will take 2 years to do (partly online and partly in class) and then there's an "action research project" to do at his job.  The seminary is getting the tab and I'll be home scrapbooking while my man braves downtown for the sake of education. . . cue music. . . and a better future for our family and seminary students alike. 

I am so happy for him.  Wish you could have heard the phone call I received at 8:00 pm as he drove home from his first class; that was one happy man.

My Dream House

Let me start by saying this: if I lived in Gaithersburg, MD it would be difficult for me to not attend  Covenant Life Church.  I mean, I've been involved in the PCA denomination since I was two (that's when it started) but I would be VERY interested in attending Covenant Life Church.  Not so much because the senior pastor is Joshua Harris (yes, of  I Kissed Dating Goodbye fame), but because I would want to spend time with Carolyn Mahaney.  I think she would see a LOT of me.

Since I don't live in Maryland, I settle for reading "Girl Talk", a blog written by Mrs. Mahaney and her daughters/daughters-in-law.  After a conversation with my landlord today about the birthday party we are having for Bubba on Saturday and the possible conflict with the lawn boy. . . today's post was extra special.  You can go here to read the entire entry, but here's the part I loved.

"Do you (like me) find yourself tempted to be discontent with your home?

If so, then this counsel author Randy Alcorn once gave a discontent couple is for you (and me) today:

“When I was a pastor, a couple came to my office and told me they wanted to be able to give more money to the church and to missions. “But we’ve always had this dream for a beautiful home in the country,” they added, “and we can’t seem to shake it. Is that wrong?”

No it isn’t. In fact, the dream of a perfect home is from God. It’s just that such a dream cannot and will not be fulfilled in this life. Our dream house is coming; we don’t have to build it here. In fact, we can’t. (In Light of Eternity, pp. 155-156.)

We may never have that perfect home we desire here on earth. But “our dream house is coming!” It’s in heaven, waiting there for us, as Jesus promised: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)

Dear Lord, may my mind and affections be set, not on the things of this earth, but on my eternal home in heaven where I will one day be with you. This is my ultimate dream house—and not just a dream, it is a certain hope! Thank you for the work of your Son on the cross, which brought me into your family, and, one day, will bring me into your home forever! "

Can't wait to have coffee with Mrs. Mahaney AGAIN!!!

What would I give. . .

. . . to live near an IKEA?????
Sigh.

Christian, from modobject at home, added new links to her sidebar and I spent a few moments with this today. Sigh.

Click through to check out the newly decorated room, but read Christians's post from today too.  There is a quote that is WONDERFUL.  This girl who used to do "dance routines" on the deck with my little sister is now SUCH a source of encouragement to my heart. 

And THAT's how the "blog world" brings glory to our Father!
Happy Wednesday!

Happy Birthday, Honey

Honey had a birthday on August 16.  It's really the worst time of the year to have a birthday in our family; I kinda hurt for the guy.  August is the worst month of his job; competing only with May.  School started back the next day.  It's just a hard time for a birthday.  I TRIED to make it a bit special. 

I got up and went to McDs to get a BIG breakfast for the man

and then attempted to get the kiddos to sing "Happy Birthday" with me. K "showboat" B sang every word loudly.  She was really into celebrating with her Daddy.

Little ran out of the room screaming that she didn't want  to sing

and Bubba fled to the back porch because Little's screams "hurt his ears".

Just a typical morning at the Blue Hutch.

After a day at work, which really was a day of being fed a variety of food from multiple sources, we opened gifts, oooh:

and then headed out to see the movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.  (Honey's birthday month - Honey's movie choice.)  The movie was a brilliant concept, great filming, and a seeming attempt to cause as many seizures as possible from noise and lights flashing.  Officially: Honey's birthday movie made me feel old.

Happy Birthday Month to YOU, Honey.  I love you.

The Cahokia Mounds

Our sweet friend, Linda, did it again.  Last week she took TWO of the kids on an outing and showed them new and adventurous things.  We love Aunt Linda!

The funny thing is where she chose to take them - the Cahokia Mounds.  It's an old Indian site and when she told me it was Archaeology Day I thought she had lost her mind.  I just couldn't see my kids getting into that.  Score? Linda - 1  Mom - 0  They had a ball.

There was coloring of necklaces with feathers.

They learned how to "hunt" and throw spears (nice, Linda).

They were given a bag of artifacts to clean.  This was Little's favorite part.  (Bubba loved story time.)

There was so much to do that they never made it to climb up the mounds.  I think that's probably okay . . . and leaves something for another time. 

They got home at 6:00PM with McDonalds in hand and I can honestly say I haven't heard that much of a report from ANY outing my children have ever been on.  What a joy.

Thank you, Aunt Linda.  Thank you!

Sizzle on Saturday

Remember this post on Janet Evanovitch's novel Sizzling Sixteen? Remember how I was number gazillion in line? Well, today I went from number 85 to 1!!! That means 84 people got sick of waiting and went and bought the book . . . or something.  Anyway, I'm off to the library tomorrow . . .yippee!!!

Two Peas in a Pod - a self portrait

First Day of First Grade and Four Year Old Kindergarten

So you have already heard that horror story that was day 2 of school, so imagine the let down of hearing that day 1 went off without a hitch.  Actually, you don't have to imagine it. . . you can live it because day 1 went off without a hitch.

Little was SO excited about her "first day of first grade".  She has the same teacher's aid as last year and they have picked right up where they left off.  Here she is looking adorable for her first day:

And then there was my little man who counted down the minutes until his bus came and then took off for the yellow doors like he had just done it the day before.  He didn't even have the decency to pretend he cared about leaving me behind.  Some nerve.  *smile*  I am so thankful he loves school . . . and the bus.

I look at these pictures and think the Muzak version of "Butterfly Kisses" should start wafting through the air.  Deep Sigh Inserted Here.

Mouseketeer Ballerina on a Bike

Bookends

It's 9:11PM on Wednesday night.

I was going to start writing this at 9:05 pm and I was going to tell  you that today was what I would call a "bookend day".

Bookend #1: Little standing with her backpack.
Today was the second day of school for Little and Bubba and the second day I have ever driven car pool at Mason Ridge.  Little and I have walked the hall to her classroom twice, it's a straight shot to the very last room, and I was wondering if she would want me to drop her off and let her walk by herself.  I asked her.

Funny.  Funny that I would chose to ask her if she knew how to get to her class and then believe her when she answered, "Of course I do."  Funny that I would review how to get there and smile when she said, "That's what I said, Mom."  Funny that I would tell her, flippantly, that if she needed help she could always ask a teacher.  It's funny because I think I really expected her to jump out of the van and scurry into the school like a "normal" kiddo.

She didn't.
It wasn't funny.

Little got out of the van and stood and looked at me.  I waved at her and the principal called her over and pointed to the door.  I pulled the van up and out of traffic's way so that I could keep an eye on my baby.  It took 2 seconds of watching her stand in the parking lot looking around - clueless - and I was out of that van and ready to dash.  Just as I lifted my foot to GO, a girl from Little's class last year walked up and took her arm and walked with her inside.  I cannot tell you the emotions running through me as I fell back into my car seat.

I called Little's teacher's room and left a message for her to call me and PLEASE let me know that Little found her way.  (I never did hear from her.)  Then I came home, called my mom, and cried for over half an hour.  Draining.

Books:
* Open House at Bubba's new school.  We went and I loved what I saw.  He is going to have SPANISH for heaven's sake.  I am thrilled about his teacher, the other children in his class - it all seems wonderful.
* Lunch with Bubba and KB - uneventful and nice.
*Pow Wow - Met with Bubba's teacher to discuss his "divine design"
*Quiet - Bubba went to school and KB went to room time.
*Home Again - Children arrived home from school.  Little and Bubba took turns setting the timer and playing games on the computer while KB and I went outside.  KB rode her "bike" all around the yard and I took pictures.

Bookend #2: KB dressed as a Mouseketeer Ballerina on a Bike.
While KB and I were outside I heard Little start to scream and Bubba was crying and so I went inside to check on them.  I was gone mere moments.

We live on a BUSY road and so I took a quick peek out the window to check on KB and couldn't see her anywhere.  I dropped Bub's shoes and took off running.  As I exited the house I noticed cars stopped on Mason and heard a man yelling out his window and making gestures as he then SPED off.  I still couldn't see KB so I screamed. 

There she was - in Mr. Meyers' driveway - bawling.  She jumped up and ran faster than I've seen her run and jumped into my arms.  She was crying harder than I've seen and shaking and I was horrified/terrified.  I finally got this info out of her: she had been in the road.  the man yelled at her.  the man told her to "Go Home".  Mommy (that's me) suffered a mild stroke.

I went to get her bike and it was at the top of the driveway.  After a couple hours to cool down and think, I don't think she was out on Mason but I think she was parked at the top of the driveway VERY close to the road (she calls the driveway the road too).  The man wasn't being ugly but was trying to help and just scared her to death.  I'm a little grateful to him for that, but also felt a little like scratching his eyes out.

I asked KB to tell her daddy about it over dinner and she couldn't finish because her lip began to quiver so badly.  Maybe I could get one of you guys to drive by and yell, "OBEY YOUR MOM!!!!" out your window and wave your arms around at her.  Hmmmm.

So, I was all prepared to write about these bookends to my day when 9:05 pm rolled around and then the phone rang.  Honey answered right away because no one calls us that late, and it turned out to be Little's OT.  (Occupational Therapist)  I said hello and heard a woman yell, "WHAT did you to with Little over the summer!!!!!" I started giggling as she added, "She's writing!!!!"

I continued to listen as she told me about the 10 min. she spent with Little today, she had just dropped by to do some scheduling, and my heart sang listening to her amazement and obvious joy over Little's progress.  I hung up the phone and just sat on the couch and cried.

God did it again.

Just when I get to the point where I am battling to trust Him.  Straining to see that He is good.  Wallowing in pity.  Just then I get a phone call and hear a reminder about His faithfulness; a testimony to his mercies. 

Then I think of Lamentations 3:22-23, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Now THAT's a set of bookends I can live with.

New Neighborhood

KB's activity during room time: construct an entire book neighborhood "for the mouse".

What????

I heard a lot of noise coming from KB's room on Saturday and when I went in to see what was going on, NO ONE was in there.  Another scuffle led me to open the closet and I found this:

Don't know if you can see Bubba under his sister in that clothes "basket". . .

Anyway, I got them to come out and KB decided to take the basket with her throughout the rest of the afternoon.  Later, watching TV:

Weird.

Simple Suppers = a Wealth of Work

My mother is known for her gifts.  She is talented, don't get me wrong, but that's not the gifts I am talking about.  Every Christmas there is one "random" gift.  (I think we have covered this before.)  Sometimes there are pictures of gifts she bought but can't find.  And then there are all the GREAT gifts.  She really does give great gifts.

For my birthday in May, one of my gifts was a can opener.  An electric can opener.  I had a cheapo one in the past and it annoyed me so much I trashed it.  Since then I have been completely happy with my KitchenAid handheld can opener.  My mother was concerned I would end up with Carpel Tunnel and gave me this:

If I am honest with you - and I was taught to always be honest - the can opener has been in a box under the sink since May.  Then I joined a freezer cooking group and my first meal was Mexican Soup.  That's right.  I had to make and freeze six recipes of Mexican Soup.  The counter looked like this:

I am so very thankful for my can opener.

And VERY excited about this freezer group.  We meet every two weeks to exchange meals and I end up with six dinners ready to be used over the next two weeks.  LOVE it.