The kids love to make and play in "plug"-houses (clubhouses). Sierra calls it a plughouse. Sean decided to help her out with that today. He says, "Sierra, say kuh, kuh, kuh". She says "kuh, kuh, kuh". He says "ku, club". She repeats it. Finally they arrive at "clubhouse". I suspect it will be "plughouse" again by tomorrow but she will get it someday.

I try not to correct them too early on things like that because it means they are growing up too fast. I'll enjoy listening to "plughouse" a while longer before I start helping Sean to correct her.

Sierra's glasses are almost a year old and the lenses have become covered in scratches. They are under warranty for a year so we waited as long as we could before having them remade. The doctor thought we could just order the lenses only and fit them at the office but the lenses were too big. We were trying to avoid her being without them any longer than absolutely necessary because of her one eye that turns in.

Today we dropped off the frames so they could be sent to the lab to be fitted with the new lenses. Sean wasn't too cool with this. He started asking Sierra all kinds of questions because he was concerned about her sight. He continued on with the questions while I went in and handed them to the lady at the optometrist office. When I came out, Sean exclaims, "Mommy, Sierra can't see anything! She can't see my hand, she can't see that tree over there!" I reassured him that she could see those things but not as well as she can with the glasses and that this should only be for a couple of days. I thought it was really sweet of him to be so concerned.

Sierra has expressed a few times today that she is sad about her glasses. I feel bad that she is without them because I know I wouldn't want to be without mine and my prescription is not anywhere close to what she requires.

Here's an old picture of how her eye used to turn in when she would focus on something. Now that she has glasses, it turns in pretty much all the time because it's used to getting to relax with the glasses on to help her.

Proof that we live in Indiana... current temperature is almost 60 degrees at nearly 10pm. Remember less than a week ago I was talking of freezing with the single digit temps and wind chills. Today it felt just like spring... rain and all. Sean was so confused he was ready to wear sandals and shorts to school. I did let him wear short-sleeves. High 65 degrees tomorrow, 35 by Saturday. Where else does the temperature jump around like that besides here? Anyone know? And it never fails... turn the tv to the weather forecast and listen to them talk about "Normal" temps for this time of year. I think Average would be a better word because we never have "Normal". It seems like we are always 20 degrees below or above "Normal" so I'd like to know how they decided what was normal anyway.

Well, time for me to hit the hay.

One of the best parts about January is the clearance sales. Sierra has been wearing Sean's sleepers for pajamas but now that she is a big girl, the sleepers don't work too well with trips to the potty. So, I made a quick trip to my favorite pajama store, The Children's Place and got her some new warm jammies. While they are $6.99 I also bought some for her and Sean for next year.

While in the neighborhood, I mosied over to OshKosh and picked up a few things on clearance including some jeans for Callie. Callie's clothes are getting too small and she just can't understand why they're getting too tight. I tell her it is because she is 13 and is not done growing yet.

Well, it's late and church comes early in the morning so nighty-night for now.

GO COLTS!

Watching the news is like reading the National Enquirer. Britney Spears loses visitation of her sons. Window-washer survives 500 ft. fall and wakes up talking on Christmas Day. Nothing is too big for God. A man here in Indiana robbed four convenience stores in four days but eventually made a little mistake. He wrote his hold-up note on the back of his own ATM receipt. Hello!!

Tomorrow, Jan. 5, at 11:00am CST/12:00am EST is hug JuJu day. JuJu is Julian Avery, a 4-year old boy in Texas who is dying from brain cancer. Go to http://www.carepages.com/ and visit carepage juliansworld to meet Juju and his mother who journals regularly about Julian.
After sending up a Juju hug, turn around and hug your children and thank God for every minute that you have with them. And keep Julian and his family in your prayers.

And please remember Kate in your prayers as she heads into some very aggressive radiation and chemo since her cancer has relapsed. She is a Little Seed (Sean's preschool). www.caringbridge.org/visit/katemadigan.

Reading about Julian, Kate, Ethan.... makes me care much less about how messy the house is or whether laundry is caught up... it makes me want to sit with my kids with a book, or play a game with them or just watch them play or sleep. I have read many words by these parents and they still have their eyes on the Father. They hurt and they know where their help comes from. If you've never heard the song below, it says it all.

"Praise You In This Storm"

I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear

Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

I remember when

I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry

You raised me up again

My strength is almost gone

How can I carry on

If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear

You whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord

The Maker of Heaven and Earth

New dryer hooked up last night. I did my first load it in right away. Have you ever noticed how you take something for granted until you lose it? Like electricity or a dryer? And it never fails, when I lose something, that is when I want it the most. When the dryer died, I wanted to wash and dry clothes really bad. Kind of like when your water is off due to a main break so you all of a sudden really need to take a shower or wash dishes or do laundry. Or when your electricity is off, that's when you'd like to read a book by the lamp or play on the computer.

This dryer is probably a good thing. The door opens down instead of to the side so when I throw laundry across the room from the washer, if I miss, it will land on the door instead of the floor. That's a plus. And another thing is the lent thingy. It is on the top. So that means we have to keep the top uncluttered which gives me someplace to put folded laundry when I take it out.

The only bad thing is the dryer is white. Our other one was kind of a beige. The white one looks great but it makes the walls look like they need fresh paint. Kind of like the wonderful new paint in the foyer and hallways makes me want to replace the flooring tomorrow.

This week taught me to be thankful for those things I normally take for granted like washers and dryers and water and electricity. Take time today to be thankful for things that are important to you.

Checkout this really cool puzzle site. No pieces to lose and lots to choose from.

http://www.jigzone.com/

Seems like it's been a while since I posted so thought I would give a quick update. We've had a good break. Jeff goes back to work tomorrow. We'll start school next Monday although Callie said she is ready to get back to school. I want to know who she is and what has she done with my daughter?

We've been working around here. Some rooms are beginning to look more organized and less cluttered. Foyer and hallways are painted a new color. I will post pictures sometime later. Our dryer died over the weekend and our new one should be in tomorrow. In the meantime, I have only washed a few things and hung them up around the house. Luckily I was somewhat caught up on laundry before it died.

It is cold cold cold and getting colder as we speak so I have to run to keep moving things around in our unheated laundry room to make way for dryer before tomorrow night and to move things in our family room so we can use the space heater tomorrow since our fireplace man (Jeff) will be back at work. This room can get really cold being on the lower level next to unheated garage and laundry room. So, adios for now.

Sherry

Callie's 13th Birthday

This morning was Little Seeds' Christmas party. Jeff and I were both able to go and take some pictures. Sean did a good job and we all had fun. Jeff had to run back to work but Sean and I enjoyed snacking on the cookies that the class baked on Monday.

Little Seeds Christmas Program 2007

Let it Snow

Sierra is still getting a kick out of my camera. Enjoy.

It was nice to have Daddy home this weekend. Here he and Sean were enjoying a game of Sudoku for kids.

Clayton and Keagan spent the night Friday night. The kids had a great time.

First snow of December 2007.

I was playing with my camera and Sean and Sierra thought I needed some subjects so they posed for me. I have no idea what Sierra is doing but it might be a Care Bear stare.

'Tis the Season....

We enjoyed our first ever (that we can remember) Thanksgiving weekend at home. On Thanksgiving Day, I cooked and we had Papaw and Uncle Kerry over for dinner. The kids were excited to have company. Sean was worried if no one came that he would not be allowed to eat the strawberry jello I made.

On Friday, we put the tree up. We got it new on clearance last year. It is pre-lit with 800 lights and Jeff was very happy to not have to string the lights this year. This is probably the first time in a long time we've been able to put the tree up and get it decorated all in the same day. :)

Here are some pics of the tree and the kids.

We managed to escape the nebulizer during the last round of colds, but the irritating cough that Sean has had since last week finally got a grip on him yesterday and this morning the doctor heard wheezing in both sides and pneumonia in one lower lung. Poor little guy feels pretty bad but at least his fever has not went up real high. He's now on a regimen of antibiotics and four breathing treatments a day with a steroid on standby if he doesn't improve in 24 hours. I don't think we'll need to get that one filled because the breathing treatments are really helping his cough. The doctor said that it could slow down the effects of the antibiotic so we're hoping to not have to go to that. Callie isn't feeling too well either but hers seems to be a bit of a sore throat lack of appetite virus.

I went to Wal-mart (or Always as Callie used call it) while Callie ice skated last night. I grabbed a cart in the parking lot as I usually do. This gives me a chance to test drive it on the way in the store so I can decide if it is a good one or if I need to trade it in when I get inside. This one had a major alignment problem and was pulling to the left so I dropped it off and picked up another one. I later noticed that the new one was loud and made a KAHLUNK KAHLUNK noise as I drove. What is it that people do to these carts to make them so messed up?

I like the carts at Aldi. They are newer. You pay a quarter to unlock it and use it and then when you are done, you put it back and get your quarter back. It seems to keep the carts in better condition since they aren't getting run over in the parking lot.

I was searching for a replacement lead-free Curious George for Sean. 5-year olds do not understand "refunds" when their toys are recalled. He was more upset about losing Curious George than he was about the Aqua Dots. I got lucky and there was one Curious George that was plush and did not have any paintable surfaces. His head weighs about 5 lbs. it seems because he is a Tumbling Curious George. Sean loves him.

I also had to pick up some guinea pig supplies for Callie. Here are Kinjie and Binkie thanking me for their fresh bedding and Timothy Hay. Does anyone know why they call it Timothy Hay? Who's Timothy?

Sean's Curious George recalled. That's 2 of his favorite toys 2 days in a row. Isn't this ridiculous? They ought to refund more than the cost of the toy for having to take away kids' favorite toys because they are not safe.

http://curiousgeorge.regcen2.com/default.asp