Through the Eyes of A Child

Isn't it funny how you can receive the most amazing words of wisdom from a child? They have this uncanny ability to appreciate all there is in life and to enjoy it to the fullest.

One afternoon we were leaving a store when Skylar just stopped walking. I look back and she is seemingly staring off into space. When I asked her what she was doing. She said, "Didn't you see it, Mama? A little moth. He was amazing!"

I had to pause for a moment to realize that through her eyes what I would have just swatted away as a nuisance was to her some magical mid-air dance.

The next day as we were getting dressed Skylar asked for help zipping her jacket. She jumped on the bed so she could be my height and was looking out the window while I concentrated on her stuck zipper.

"Mama, did you see our neighbor's yard?" She asked.

"Yes, it's pretty messy isn't it? I replied with out looking.

"No, it beautiful!" She replied in a whisper.

"What?" I replied half-listening as I was still struggling with her zipper.

"Look at the flowers Mama" She urged with awe in her voice.

I knew the yard she was referring to and well...how can we put it.... it is "landscaping challenged". I could not imagine a flower garden there. I went to the window and looked….she was right; kind of…in the middle of their overgrown grass was a large cluster of beautiful orange wildflowers.

Through my grown up eyes I had only seen the mess and tall grass. I totally missed the flowers that were indeed God's beautiful creation while Skylar totally caught the beauty and missed the mess.

I have seen Skylar staring at the stars with a serene look in her eyes and I wonder what her little mind is thinking. I am proud of her sweet spirit and happy that she shares these discoveries with me.

I only hope I never forget what she has unknowingly reminded me of….there is beauty in everything; it just depends on how you look at it.

Blast from the Past and Recycled Colds

Well...it happened. It was bound to happen. It was inevitable...I am sick. The twins have been sick for over a week. Our last trip to the doctor managed to get them a new, stronger antibiotic and an inhaler.

It appears that now I have whatever yuck they had....hopefully I'll recover quickly. I am pounding away with vitamins, humidifiers and everything else I can find..

So bear with me this week as we review some "Blast from the Past" blogs.....if you've read them before...I hope they still make you smile.

If you have never read them...Welcome to my world!

Poop and Pee (Yes, you read right!)

Well, the honeymoon is so over it's not even funny. No, I'm not talking about with my husband...I'm talking about our dog, Lilie.

It appears little Miss Lilie has overstayed her welcome. We are actively looking for a home...preferably, one with out kids. Lilie is a sweet, adorable little dog. But, she has one big flaw... she doesn't have once once of interest in my children!

The twins have begged, almost since birth, for a dog. We were so sure and confident that Lilie was the dog for us. We really wanted our little one to feel loved. We spared no expense on her bed, food, clothes (yes, clothes), shots and treats. Sadly, she can not stand the twins. She wants absolutely nothing to do with them. When she does interact with them she makes sure they realize "she" is the alpha dog by nipping at their heels and barking. She loves me and she loves my husband. She will sit quietly, snuggle and follow us around all day. It is a big No Way if Rylan and Skylar try and get in on the love.

This sweet little dog has been a bone of contention (no pun intended) for my husband and myself. I have tried to postpone having to get rid of her in the hopes that she'll fall in love with our daughters. He thinks I am just being too easy and not wanting to make the tough decision (He may be right, but shh! Don't you dare tell him!)

One weekday morning after an argument, uh conversation, about getting rid of Lilie I walked downstairs to find that Lilie had left me a little "gift" that morning! Oh yeah! Needless to say this little present took me over my "ticked-off" limit and I was happily grumbling under my breath.

Now....as you may know once you get a woman grumbling...well, the topics will vary from the dog to the house to the husband and back again. I was working myself up. I was so glad, at that moment, that my husband was at work.

I didn't realize that Rylan was standing in the hallway as I was grumbling about having to pick up poop and pee. She interrupted my thoughts when she asked me: "Why poop and pee, mama?"

"What" I replied

"Why is it poop and pee?" "Why both? I only see poop."

"Because it there is one, there has to be the other. Poop and pee go together" I explained.

"Oh, like husbands and wives!" She remarked gleefully.

Oh! Snap! She was right on. On more levels that I wanted to admit. I laughed till my sides hurt. I laughed even harder when I saw the bewildered look on her face.

My grumpy mood left like a ... (oh heck, I haven't a clue "what" it left like...) but I did call my husband and he laughed as hard as I did. It was exactly the laugh we needed.

Oh, and by the way...anyone want a dog?

The Professor is Starting Class!

You know as I write this I truly am thinking of each of you as a “friend”. People that I care for and pray for....friends...not readers, not numbers.

It is with that heart that I want to share a “gem” of a treasure that I found recently. The site is called Professor of Protection. I encourage each of you swing by and visit this site. In fact, I’d suggest bookmarking the site and joining the e-mail alerts.

I have been reading these blogs for a while now and have found a wealth of information on how I can better protect my family and home. Things that the criminals of the world know about and “little ‘ole me” didn’t have a clue!

We live in a world that is so unstable. We consistently read of horrific stories in the newspaper or hear them on television. It is so easy to think “Well, these things wouldn’t ever happen to me”. I know it is, because I’ve said that to myself!

The Professor of Protection site has been created by a man that has over 20+ years experience in various aspects of law enforcement, is a licensed private investigator, family man and a CHRISTIAN! (Believe me, I know this because I’m married to him!) His whole idea behind his site was to keep his wife, children and extended family safer in this crazy world.

I don’t want anyone walking around fearfully, nor do I want them ever, ever to underestimate the saving power of Jesus...but I do think we need to educate ourselves to what the thieves, murderers, crooks and kidnappers of the world are thinking.

We must learn to fight in spirit and in wisdom. Practically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and with knowledge.

If I hear an “Amen” then I urge you to stay in the word and to be strong in Christ. But I also encourage you to check out this site, join it and learn what our “enemy” really is up too.

Did you know they can photocopy your keys from a digital photo now??? Pretty scary thought, huh?

Check out the Professor’s site and learn what to be aware of. Since I know the “Professor” so well...I am doubly excited for what he has in store to share with you because I know what is coming to his site in the future.

FAMILY

I received this via email today and it really touched a cord with me. I wanted to share it with you as well. I know that I am guilty of sometimes being too busy to realize what it truly important.

FA M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,

"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;

I wasn't watching f or you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,

How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,

My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.

"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.

I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger,

common courtesy you use,

but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,

You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.

He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,

you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes"

By this time, I felt very small,

And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;

"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"

He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.

I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.

I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,

and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Playhouse Disney Live? More like Dead!

My husband has been dying to visit the new arena in Ontario, Citizen's Bank Arena so when he had the chance to purchase "Playhouse Disney" live tickets he was excited to do so for the twins.

We have been anticpating this event for a long time. It would have all of the great Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald. Plus, the new fun characters like The Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and My Friends, Tigger & Pooh!

Right after church on Sunday we rushed home, had lunch and changed for the fun day we were expecting. The twins wore adorable, boutique style Minnie Mouse overalls. Sadly, I have to say I didn't sew these but a sweet lady from eBay did. They looks so cute...complete with their names on their butts!.

That is where the excitement died....

I am so incredibly disappointed in the show and the in the arena. I will never go back to see Playhouse Disney Live and I will very reluctantly go back to Citizen's Bank Arena.

The event got off to a bad start when the security wouldn't let me into the arena with my camera. They claimed my NikonD40 was a professional camera. Now, it is not the fact that they didn't let me into the arena, it was the manner in which the so called securty spoke to me in front of my children (Todd was in the car on a business call at this time, thank God). They were very rude, disrespectful and demeaning. When I asked to speak with a supervisor they actually told me that I could "AFTER" the show! Of course, that didn't sit well and I asked for their names to which they replied "It's on our badges".......Oh, it was all I could do to not lose it in front of my children.

We walked back to the car to put the camera away and decided to go in a different entrance. I did manage to meet the General Manager and spoke with him...but, he wasn't much help...so alas, I will be writing letters to everyone that is anyone within those two organizations.

Again, not because of the camera but because of the way I was treated. This was a kid's show afterall not a heavy metal concert!

Once we were inside...I thought it would be better...but it wasn't.

This was such a "dead" show.

The arena itself was fine...a bit small and the rows were incredible close together but it was okay, it worked.

But the show itself was b-o-r-i-n-g! Yes, I know I am an adult and probably shouldn't expect to me mentally stimulated by a kid's show...but even my twins weren't excited. In fact, neither were the little 2 - 4 year olds around us!

The light display and shows were very, very minimal. The sound was not the chair vibrating sound you generally get at these shows and the characters (adults dressed at the characters) were a bit scary. We paid $160 dollars for these tickets and I think we would have had a lot more fun if we had gone to see the movie, Hotel for Dogs!

Look, I am not trying to bash anyone but if you are going to spend a lot of money and to me that is a lot of money for tickets...to a kid's show. Then your kids need to really enjoy themselves.

The twins said they enjoyed it. Although they haven't spoken about the show, the venue or the characters once in the last 3 days since the event. Every mom out there means one thing - It was LAME because when kids are excited they talk non-stop.

I don't know if writing letters to Citizen's Bank or to Disney will do a thing but it will definitely make me feel better. At this point I don't want to give either company a penny more then I have already done. Which is really sad because we received Annual Passes to Disneyland as a gift!

Ugh!

Slower Then A Snail

I have always wanted to knit. Even before there was a Hollywood Knitting craze it was something that I wanted to learn. When we had our PJ party a couple of days ago I jumped at the chance to learn how to knit. It came fairly easy and naturally to me and I was excited to create a "masterpiece".

My mother in law, sister in law, friends, mother, and host of other ladies can knit so I was confident that I would be able to it too! Well, it is done! I have accomplished my scarf.

Yes, I had to start over about, oh 6 or 7 times. But it is done! I see all the little imperfections but I am really proud of myself for creating something and finishing the project.

I am totally starting to love scarves. I have received a few this Holiday season and I totally enjoy accessorizing my outfits with them.

In fact, I have decided that I will be adding a couple of scarves for sale at my site, GetTheCrown. Don't worry they will not be ones that I knitted.

Actually, I am not sure if knitting is my "thing". It took a long time for me to knit ONE scarf. A hobby should be relaxing and enjoyable and I just couldn't wait to be finished! I am not very good in the patience department so I like hobbies that are quick. Where you see results sooner rather then later. Maybe that's why I like photography so much?

Check GetTheCrown and my blog on Friday to see the sensational scarves that will be up for grabs....plus I'll be giving one away in a contest soon....

Keep checking back to make sure you're the first to know!

Lil' Monkey Face

Last night when I came home Rylan was eager to show me a “surprise”.
“Close your eye Mama” was all she could repeat. I don’t know about you but whenever my daughters’ say close your eyes....I get scared!

I am not sure what they are going to show me and I am not very confident that they won’t walk me into a wall just because t hey think it’s funny.
So with a little trepidation and my toes curled (you know so I won’t stub them) I took her hand and blindly walked into the other room.
Rylan was so proud of what she was going to show me that she was literally beside herself with excitement. Finally, she requested that I open my eyes.

“Tada” she announced.

There on our class room white board was the cutest monkey ever. She confidently announced she drew it herself with a little assistance from daddy (He drew the banana).

“It’s a monkey, mama. It’s a Monkey and I drew it all by myself” Her little voice sang with joy.

He is just the sweetest little guy. I don’t have the heart to erase him although I know I’ll have to soon. I decided to immortalize him in a picture and to share it with you.

I think she did a really good job. Rylan, I am so proud of you!

What things has your child done or said that just made your heart melt?

I want to hear from YOU.

1 Yelp, 2 Yays and an Oh God!

What a difference a haircut makes!

Have you ever wondered how God envisions you? When He looks at you do you wonder what He sees. The bible tells us that He sees the beauty in us and forgets our sins and aggressions against Him. But I've wondered what exactly is He seeing in me.

I started thinking about this recently when we took our little puppy, Lilie, to get her first "big dog" haircut. We dropped off this adorable little puppy. Just a complete ball of fur with big brown eyes. I fell in love with Lilie the moment we saw. Her coloring was so unique and she was so soft and fluffy. All the little baby puppy curls were adorable.


When we went to pick her up today...she was a completely different dog. It seemed like she had aged a few years and lost a lot of weight. Her beautiful black and brown tipped fur was gone and in exchange was a very beige, short haired dog. Frankly, I think she looks kind of unattractive (Sorry Lilie).

Rylan and Skylar are going on and on about how cute she looks and how adorable her hair is short. They are loving the fact that they have a tiny little white doggie rather then a fluffy brown doggie. They are looking at her with love in their eyes. Like real moms they are only seeing the beauty in her.

I don't dare mention that I think they really messed up her hair or that I can't believe I had to pay for it.

I can't help but be in admiration of God...knowing that He looks down on me and sees the beauty in me. He looks at me, His child, and thinks I'm marvelous. The world may see ugliness or they may be dissatisfied with me but God sees beauty...just like a loving parent.

You know God speaks to us often and in very unusual ways...if we only pause long enough to listen. I'm delighted that He spoke a moment to remind me of His love today.

I still think Lilie looked better before...but I sure am glad there are two little girls that think she is beautiful.

I am elated that the girls have a love for Lilie that looks beyond the physical. I am overjoyed that my Lord see my imperfections and loves me anyway. He calls me beloved....but....I am even more ecstatic that I don't have a hair dresser like Lilie's!

I Am Weak

I have been asked to share my testimony tonight and quite frankly, I am nervous. I am not nervous about talking in public or being the center of everyone's focus for a moment. No, there is nothing to that....

I am nervous because sharing your testimony allows others to look into your "private" world. The person you were or the struggles you are having...all in the hope that they will see the vision Christ has for you or plainly to see Christ in you.

I have tried over and over to write an outline of my testimony and I am getting frustrated. God has done such amazing and wonderous things in my life that I find myself in awe over His power and graciousness. But to put it to paper is a trying task.

How do you put in ten minutes all that He has done to make you a better, more complete, humbled and saved person? How do explain in 10 minutes journeys that have taken years to complete?

Regardless of the road that has led you to Jesus...it is His spirit that keeps you there. It is the Faith you learn on your journey that keeps you moving toward the final goal. There is faith that comes from being knocked around a bit. There is truly a moment in one's life where He becomes their strong hold, their fortress. (2 Samuel 22:2 "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my Saviour" - NLT) How do you put that into words?

I know that if my testimony affects anyone this evening it will be only because of Him!

I know that each time I share about Him...He is the one in control. They are His words that are being spoken and His Spirit that is speaking because in and of myself...I am nothing. In my life I Corinthians 1:27 explains it all. ("God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong").

He has chosen me to be His daughter, He has chosen me to be the first Christian in my family and He has chosen me to do things differently and to think differently then others in my family.

Being the youngest and the "baby" of the family...I've always wondered why I have been chosen to carry some of these tasks. But then when I stop and think about it. Truly think about it with my heart and soul...I am so grateful that I was chosen at all!

I don't know what tasks He will ask of me in the future but I know that He will never give me more then He "knows" I can handle. With all this in mind I should KNOW that He will give me the words tonight. Words that will glorify Him, words that will explain my journey and words that will show the world that I am Weak and proud of it!

For in my weakness...He is Strong!

• Romans 8:26 "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words".
  
  


• 1 Corinthians 9:22 "When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some"
  
  


• Psalm 136:23 "He remembered us in our weakness.His faithful love endures forever".
  
  


• 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."
  
  

Singing, Santa & Jesus!!

Even though I have a digital camera I am sometimes a bit slow in getting the photos downloaded. I just had to share a few shots of my little ones enjoying the Christmas Holiday!

This year the twins participated in our Christmas Children's Choir. I was so proud of them. Of course, I snagged front row seats, brought my camera and my Flip video. They were not shy at all. Not one teeny tiny bit. I haven't a clue where they might get that nerve from???

While waiting for service to start I snapped this photo of the twins. It has quickly become one of my holiday favorites. They were so patient and good waiting between services. We were there from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. When you are waiting for Santa to arrive…that is a pretty long evening.

Thanks to my niece the twins didn't have to wait till later for dinner. She arrived saving the day with a "treat" from Burger King. I love her so much for doing that especially because she didn't forget me either! In between services we snuck out to her car to enjoy the food but it was cold!

It seems my girls are more enamored with Reindeer then they are with Santa. We made Reindeer cookies and sprinkled Reindeer "food" on the lawn. We had to make sure that the Reindeers got Santa to the correct destination. It is a very simple and quick recipe...the children love it! Simple mix oats, brown sugar and regular white granulated sugar add a dash of colored cookie crystals and presto! Reindeer food!

When you are five and you get THREE Christmas each year...well....let's just say it's a bit of Heaven on Earth. This Christmas we had the honor of hosting both sides of our families for Christmas. Thankfully, one side celebrates at night and the other side celebrates in the daytime. It leaves the morning for Santa and the four of us....pretty sweet.

Christmas Eve rocked as they un-wrapped their Barbie Hot Tub Bus and a Swim to Me Puppy. Christmas morning began with a mad dash down the stairs and hallway. It was move or get moved as they rushed to the goodies Santa left them. Our afternoon Christmas brought Baby Swim A lot (are you seeing the swimming theme here?).

Rylan and Skylar are STILL taking gifts out of boxes. Our trash man must quiver at the thought of coming to our house. Someone must really tell me why one Barbie box has a ZILLION ties and twisties!

Every year each twin buys a present for the other one. This is a lot more difficult then you could imagine. It's hard to get them alone and even harder to get them to focus on a gift for their sister and not for their own. This photo of them hugging is one of my favorite photos as they were truly thanking each other from their hearts. It was a rare "sister" moment and I was so proud.

I remember getting excited about Christmas. I anxiously anticipated the presents, lights, food and family. It is still a lot of the same joy and excitement as when I was a child but now I get to enjoy it again through my little ones. But the one big, main difference is that they understand...it is truly about Jesus!

Presents are great! Lights are Beautiful! But Jesus...HE is IT! Over and over through out the holiday the twins and I talked about his birth. They are learning about His mother, Mary and Joseph....how he was born to die so that we may live. I knew the girls had that in their mind. The seed was planted in their hearts and for that reason I could enjoy the Holidaythrough their eyes.

They are five...I'm not going to take away the twinkle and joy of receiving presents and sparkling lights but I will make sure that they are realizing the true light and present is found in Jesus Christ and not just for the evening but for always.

As a Christian mom it is struggle some times to find the balance between the joys of childhood. Balancing Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth fairy with the Truth of Jesus, the Cross and Salvation is a delicate matter.

But if you look at their faces in these photos...well, it looks like God has been guiding us in the right direction....

Why I Have Gray Hair

There are two comments that I always get about the twins:
1) They are beautiful
2) They are so smart!

What I never hear from people is the comment "They are so mischievous". Must be because family, friends and teachers don't really know them...or at least not as well as I do.

Go with me back in time....5 1/2 years ago when I had deep brown hair...not a gray one in site.

Then, "IT" happened. I had children. Oh, you might be laughing and thinking "She's crazy"...but I would swear and promise to you that I remember seeing my first gray hair very, very shortly after the twins turned one...which is also about the time I was able to take a shower! (Not really!)

If you have watched any I LOVE LUCY shows you might remember the episode where she was babysitting twins and they tied her up! They convinced tricked her into playing cowboys and indians and were actually going to light her on fire! Somedays, especially with babysitters, I think I am going to come home to that scenario.

What can I say...I am outnumbered. From the get go their minds have acted as one. Don't get me wrong, they are very different individuals but.....when they want to get into mischief....they are on the same road.

I know you don't believe me. I can see it in your eyes as you are reading this. "What? Oh no, not those sweet dear little girls." You are saying to yourself, aren't you?

Let me give you an example. A couple of days ago the twins were happily playing with their makeup kit that Santa bought them for Christmas. Very cute little kits that have a pretend blush, eyeshadow and mini lotions. For a day or two they are happy "gettting ready" for the day each morning alongside Mommy. Putting on fresh perfume for daddy when he got home...being the ever perfect little ladies. They were being so cute about it.

Now, fast forward to Wednesday....I am in the living room watching my TiVo'd show "The Bachelor" (So much more on that later!) when Skylar comes and sits by me. Now, when only twin comes into a room, alone...something is up!

Our conversation went something like this:

Mommy: Skylar where is Rylan?
Skylar: "She is making me a present".
Mommy: "Did you leave her alone with glue or scissors?"
Skylar: "No, mama."

Ok, so now, I don't know if I just spaced out but I DID NOT IMMEDIATELY GO UPSTAIRS TO CHECK!

When I did make it upstairs I was expecting paper and stickers to be everywhere. Boy, was I in for a surprise!

Rylan came running up to me, grinning from ear to ear, so very proud of herself!
"Look, Mommy...I made this for sister"

They had found two empty white boxes left over from Christmas and gleefully covered them with body lotion and eyeshadow. Sprinkled body glitter on every part (including the carpet and dresser). There were swirls of pinks, purples and blue make up on each present. The present was expertly doused with "all" of their mini body sprays and gels. It was colorful mess to say the least.

Rylan was so proud. I couldn't hide my shock and unfortunately my disappointment. Poor Rylan, she was heartbroken.

I pulled myself together and did the "good" mommy thing. 1) I didn't yell and 2) I told her how pretty they looked and gently explained how that is NOT what we do with our makeup.

Sadly, I had to take the makeup kits away. But to my surprise they were very good regarding the punishment. They picked up every make up item and empty bottle (lots of them) and brought them to me so the could be "safe" until they were a bit older.

I guess I am going to have to call Santa and give him a little "what-for" talking. I mean, what was that jolly old man thinking? "My" twins with makekup kits!!!

I know that I must have gained about 15 new gray hairs on that day! Never mind my blood pressure.

Oh well...I hear them waking up now so I'd better get off the computer and, ouch....dang it....I feel a few more hairs turning gray as I type.....oh, motherhood! Ain't it grand?

lol....