Baby Grace

My uncle and his wife had a beautiful seven-pound baby girl this week. Her name is Grace. Grace was born and originally diagnosed with a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta

This dear baby girl has multiple broken bones and an uncertain prognosis as doctors try to manage her pain and promote healing. Her parents are overwhelmed with love for this baby girl and full of fear and anxiety.

The doctors do not know exactly what is wrong now because it is something they have not seen before. Her case is being studied by doctors at this time.

I am not sure how to conduct business as usual with the mental photo of baby Grace in my mind. I love God and believe he has the perfect plan, a plan that I cannot understand, of course.

Friends, I covet your prayers and support for my uncle and his wife. Pray for wisdom, protection and the meeting of needs for this family. Pray that they will feel the enveloping and real love of our Holy God each and every day.

Thank you, dear friends.

Jared's day

So today at preschool, my youngest child decided to pee in the playhouse outside at preschool!

In addition to that, he was calling his friends stupid and hitting. aauuggh!

So, we talked tonight while Jacob was in the shower about not peeing outside. Then I remembered the sage advice of telling them what they are supposed to do, not what they should not do. After I am satisfied that he knows we go potty in the BATHROOM, we move on to language.

Me: "Jared, we say nice things. Like pretty." (OK, so I was not prepared and pretty was the first nice thing that popped into my head.

Jared. "I not pretty. I am a boy. Boys not pretty."

Me: "Oh."

Jared: "I don't like pink. I like blue. I like red." (apparently pretty = pink in Jared's economy.)

Me: "Well, you can tell your friends at school who are girls that they are pretty."

Jared: "Kyra my friend. I not call her stupid. Nice things."

I swear. Those books do not cover things like this!

Monthly post, barely

If God did not want me to blog, he would not have given me Jacob and Jared. Today has been full of those "special" moments.

This a.m. Jacob and I were the first ones awake and were enjoying some time together in the kitchen. I was really enjoying the special time we were having, but how quickly things can change.

Enter the youngest son and suddenly Jacob's cheery mood and attitude has left us, easily discerned by the shove he gave Jared.

A few moments of sibling junk goes down and Jared goes off to chase something shiny.

Me to Jacob: "What happened to my sweet little boy I was spending time with this morning."

Jacob: "Well, it's your other little child that ruined it. He's been scratching me all morning."

Me: "I've been watching you the whole time, and you are the one who is being mean."

Jacob responds that basically it's his duty to do it.

Dear blog,

I am freaking out! My to-do list could stretch a literal mile in 10-point font. There's no breathing. Who has time for that?! And, yes, I'm using questions in my writing. Questions!!!!! And multiple exclamation points. Yes, I've truly gone over the edge. aaauuugggghh.

Remember the "Just say no!" campaign? Well, I never got the chance to say "no" to drugs because no one ever offered me any. And, I never got that practice of actually saying "no." So, I say yes to everything! Yes! I can do it! Sure! Why not?!

I am going to regress. I'm going back to those "just say no!" days.

Regina, do you want to … ?????

NO! I DON'T!

hello blog

My life, as usual, is a never-ending battle of tasks. My sanity lies somewhere in the middle of the whirlpool.

So last night was my son's first program. The kindergarten and first grade classes performed about seven songs in the middle school's gymnasium.

I must say it does something to a mom's heart watching her child in a group of his peers. Standing alone from his family, already more independent than a mere nine months ago.

Thankfully, he is quick to show his youth and continued need for his mother, if only for a little longer.

My mom the rockstar

My mom is a rock star. My husband took me away for Valentine's and had arranged for the boys to stay with my mom and dad. Two minutes from their house, our littlest guy was throwing up in his jacket.

Uh-oh! Instead of canceling my Valentine date, my mom shooed me away for the weekend while she washed both clothes and Jared numerous times. Sunday she took him to the doctor and learned he has a bad ear infection and is short one ear tube.

Then Monday and Tuesday, she kept him so I could continue to pound away on my relentless schedule.

As if I don't already owe this woman a huge debt of gratitude for giving me life and all. I know she's tired, and she always works hard. But, she's always right there to save the day. I guess being a mom is really a forever thing.

So today, I am just extremely thankful for mine.

By the way, I want to also note that my dad pitched in, too. And my sister Jenny whisked Jacob away from the barfy times at grandma's to fun and games at her place.

Faith

This morning when I was in the shower, I thought of Peter and Jesus.

Imagine being able to tell the creator of the universe that you wanted to walk on water, and then hear him say, "well, are you coming or not?" (yeah, it's my paraphrase, check it out for yourself)

As Peter started out, he was doing it. He was walking on water. But like so many of us, he let the "noise" of the world slip between him and the sight of Jesus.

Ooops. Game over. Of course, despite his lapse, Jesus was right there by his side to save him.

Do you have a direct line of sight on the Savior? Or like me, do you need to continually ask for it and seek it?

Merry Christmas!

Well, the photos of the family were shipped today and the boxes of Christmas cards are in sight. Now, it's a writing project as I refuse to send cards without personal notes inside.

I've decided to attempt to draw my family and friends into my social networks for the holiday season. So, if you were directed here or made it all by yourself, Merry Christmas! You made it and your comments are welcome. Please share with us any family blogs or sites of your own.

Here's the family report.

Gene and Regina:
Still working at Washburn (Gene finished 10 years, Regina is working on nine). We are busy parents, trying to carve out time for each other to keep our own sanity. We keep plenty busy chasing our children, attending our Church events and working.

Jacob, age 5, kindergarten
He's reading and writing and counting. He attends Randolph Elementary and his teacher is Ms. Hoyt. We've learned a lot about the school system this year. We thought it might simplify life a bit, ha ha.

Jared, age 3, preschool
Jared is now at Bright Circle Preschool, a fact Jacob finds most unfair. The building was remodeled and for a week, the kids were relocated to our church, Covenant Baptist Church. He loved going to "my church" and showing off everything to his friends. I must say it's most comforting when your preschool director is also a member of your church. Jared loves preschool and is in great hands.

The Cassells
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Just take a moment to stop and reflect on the miracle of Christmas. That the creator of the universe would humble himself into a lowly manager so that we might spend eternity in his fellowship is amazing. Whether your life is filled to the brim with people and blessings or lacking a bit of each, remember Jesus loves you, no matter what.

Happy Thanksgiving

The holiday that signals the mad dash to Christmas is almost here. Black Friday looms nearer every day. Tonight I was listening to man who called into K-love, a great Christian radio station I listen to often. Anyway, he was answering a call to hear from someone in every state about his thankfulness. As he rattled off his list, he began to get chocked up about all of his blessings.

Sometimes when I look around the world, its many problems grab prime real estate in my mind. Plenty of people are lost and hurting this holiday season.

If you are one of those, I pray you are able to find some joy and hope in knowing that the creator of the universe, not only created you in love, but longs to fill your heart until it overflows with joy, peace and thankfulness.

My blessings are many this holiday season and truthfully, my burdens are light when I share them with my Jesus.One of my favorite parts of a praise song reminds me that not only do I belong to Jesus, but he, too, belongs to me.

Sisters

My youngest sister is a temporary guest in our room. She's a college student with a relatively new boyfriend. Her life is a bit different from mine. As a mother of two married for almost 12 years, I seem to lack some of yesterdays' energy.

She's a total neat freak (yes, we all blame our mother for this). She was complaining about how dirty her socks were. Taking it as an insult toward my housekeeping abilities, I gave her my famous big sister stare/glare.

"Yesterday, I had a waffle stuck to my sock," she said. Yes, Jared does help me out by carrying his plate into the kitchen. Sometimes, he gets distracted.

And, my sister has certainly put in enough time helping me out with the constant, losing battle of tidiness at home. Still I think she maybe is being a bit too harsh, and then I remember the other incident.

As I made up the room for her arrival, the boys decided they would sleep in her bed the night before. I didn't even tuck them into the bed as they preferred to use their sleeping bags on top of the quilt. I thought they were finished with their syrup-free bedtime snack of waffles. Apparently, not.

"And don't forget," my sister continued, "the first night I stayed here, I woke up with a waffle stuck to my leg."

Bedtime

No matter which toy was touched, the tears, hitting and wailing filled the room.

She sighed. After a very early morning, she was hoping to stretch the boys' bed time in hopes of a Saturday morning sleep-in. Putting them to bed early did not appeal.

Perhaps showers will calm them down. The youngest earned the first spot by smacking his brother upside the head with a car. After screaming throughout his shower, she is quickly losing home.

Then the drama king enters the scene. A fan of hot showers at 5, the shower does in fact take away the tears. However, the shower does not stop the violence against his brother.

More tears. OK, bedtime has arrived about 45 minutes early. No complaints. No one came out of the bedroom time and time again.

Oh, dear. She should be in bed, not blogging. It's going to be an early morning … for her husband (ha ha).

Celebrations

Big celebrations this week.

1) No more pull-ups! Our accident rates are way down and we have had many accident-free days since we pulled the plug on the pull-ups about three weeks ago.

2) Jacob has learned to tie his shoes. Victory is ours. He gets lots of practice as I image all beginners do. It has been alleged that I am the only family member who ties her shoes backward. Go figure.

Date Night

Some might argue it's not wise to "date" two boys at the same time, but my boys took me out on the town tonight. My regular fella had to work.

Yeah, nothing but gourmet McDonald's for me. The ambiance enhanced by those children running around like lunatics without parental supervision.

But, for our date, my boys were really good.

They managed to eat their dinner between climbing sessions. Knowing them, they probably worked off their dinner as they were eating it. Lucky fellas.

The promise of ice cream exacted a neat, scream-free retreat to the car. Oh, what a night.

Weighing In

So I skipped my Bible study last night to go to the store and bring home food for the family and to watch the VP debate. A friend of mine said my penalty was a post. I would have gotten to it sooner, but I was out buying a gigantic BOX. (another story entirely)

As I am sure most people have heard, neither one of them fell on their face. Both had good points and bad points. Sarah Palin called John McCain a maverick in the Senate about 100 times too many, so my favorite point in the debate was when Joe Biden listed in fine form all the ways and times that McCain was not in fact a maverick. He had some good points.

Palin wants to hit Obama on the surge, the war and taxes. She does not do a great job of getting their new and fresh ideas out there, if they exist.

It's always hard to pull out the "pretty talk" from the facts. If you simply pick who sounds better, there is no choice but Obama. I've yet to see McCain come close to his poise. I hated the first debate. It did not seem like either one of them said anything useful. It was a contest to see who could not answer the most questions in a straight manner. We all lost this one.

The VPs were a bit more fourthcoming, but spent too much time arguing over voting records that without the full bills in front of us are not overly useful either. Palin did a good job of trying to force Biden to agree that he has things in common with McCain. But, Biden did a good job of convincing me that McCain might look a little too much like Bush.

I am not ready to put a bumper sticker for either candidate on my car, but if the election were today . . . I would vote for Obama.

Funny faces

Building Towers

Remembering the grueling morning five days ago of picking up and restoring order to her home, she looks around somewhat dismayed.

She wonders how many toys her boys even have considering that she has pared down the toy boxes at least a dozen times this year. As she struggles to find the motivation to begin again, she thinks of her oldest son.

Aha! The frustration he feels when his little brother insists upon destroying any of his block building projects slams into focus.

Laughing, she thinks of her advice to him. "Jacob, I am sorry your brother did that to you. But just think, now you get to start over and build something new."

Exercise

Yes, I still hate it. And no, I'm not doing it. It occurred to me today as I lugged my 30-pound bag up to the third floor that I hate exercise scams. OK, so I'm just mad that I bought Turbo Jam with the highest of hopes to actually get past the first video (OK, I did that one twice and the second workout once, to be fair to myself.)

On top of that, the plan involves being online for support and planning out a new crazy menu with foods my family will simply not eat. OK, my biggest deterrent to exercise is finding the time. How is adding six things PLUS exercise going to help me out.

Seriously. It's all a racket.

Relentless

I often wonder how often I repeat blog titles. This post is very random, very end of the week, very much a post of one tired mom.

Sometimes I love typing a blog for the mere fact that it reminds of me of scenes from one of my favorite movies of all time. "You've Got Mail." I love this movie. I love the e-mails that go back and fourth. I love the story. I love the soundtrack. It's all good. I have big parts of it memorized even. Thinking of the movie makes me smile, and I need to smile more.

I'm tired. It's been a long week. A long semester, only three weeks in. How does a person who is behind EVER catch up? Can anyone answer this question? If you fall behind once in your life, are you just screwed for life? I mean does life actually deliver the lulls we say we desire?

My house is a mess. Mostly because the task of getting it organized all at once seems daunting.

I spent a good part of "my time" last night cleaning the front room. Tonight my son Jared spent a good part of "his time" reversing any progress.

I try to exercise. I start out fine, then I lapse. I usually get sick (someone says because being healthy helps your body expel all sorts of bad stuff from your body, which can make it icky in the process. -- another reason to jump on the treadmill).

Being healthy is just too damned trendy for me. I can't even buy a pair of shoes for heaven's sake. AND I AM TIRED OF BREATHING and expecting the world to just flutter into its place around me.

And money. I suck at money. I have been credit-card free for practically one year (come October). Shocking for this former addict (see former posts, geez). Wish the debt were gone. Wish a FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION did not cost so much. Wish I learned my lesson about money the first eight billion times I screwed it up.

Are you still reading this? Seriously? I need to go to bed. aauuggh.

clutter

It's everywhere.

In my home, in my office, in my schedule. aauugh!

Truth

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

Isaiah 60:1-4 (NIV)
My friend, hear the truth God wants you to hear.