Hopes Up, Floors Down, and Gardens In

I received an exciting e-mail from MOPS this week saying they would be reviewing my proposal with interest and respond when they've made a decision. I feel like a teenage girl analyzing every word a boy has said to her. Is that a stock reply? Could they be interested? I get all shaky thinking about it.

Many have been wondering what I've been up to. I wrote out a big blog earlier tonight, but somehow my modem got turned off, and clicking "post" made everything disappear in cyberspace. One of these days I will learn to cut and paste in my own files before I submit. So, I'm a bit disheartened. I'll share a bit and promise to come back.

We've been tearing out and replacing flooring in our house. The homeowner told us last fall he would pay for it, if we did it. But we'd about given up since he never had sent the money. He finally did last week, and Bill jumped on it! All of this has meant disconnecting the computer and moving furniture everywhere. Hence my absence this week. We have nice light tile going in the kitchen and dining area and will carpet the living room and stairs after Clayton's birthday party this weekend. No sense putting in new carpet for 17 boys with waterguns!!

Also, we've been putting in a garden. That was my mother's day request. Bill got it all tilled up, and I've been working with the kids on getting rocks out and planting. It is good soil, but so rocky. We'll see what happens. When you have a fenced garden area and a box of seeds from grandpa, you might as well try, right? We're doing half the garden in rows, planting pumpkins, watermelons, and acorn squash. Half the garden we're doing in a square method, planting corn, cucumbers, beans, zuchinni, yellow squash, canteloupe, radishes, carrots, and lettuce. Ambitious, I know. Like I said, We'll see what happens.

Real Mom Moments
At MOPS we always take time to share the things we experience with our kids during the week.
One I shared: Last week running errands with the kids, we went to a store with an overflowing trashcan outside. A cup with a straw was sticking out, and on the way by, Ian helped himself to a slurp. I thought I was going to lose my breakfast. As I was freaking out, "Gross! Why did you do that? That could make you sick!!", a drop of milky brown substance dripped off his mouth to his arm. It wasn't even pop. Disgusting!
One I experienced that morning: We were all wearing aprons to introduce next year's theme. I forgot I was wearing my childcare pager on the back of my waistband because of the apron. I made a quick potty stop before getting the kids, because who knew how long it would be before I could go to the bathroom by myself. Anyway, I heard a plunk, quickly turned, and realized I had dropped the church's pager in the toilet. Oops! I couldn't stop laughing. I sheepishly returned the fogging up, damp pager to the child care lead and explained that I dropped it before "going." She died laughing. I'm so glad I had plenty of people to laugh with. My apologies to the next one who gets that pager. LOL!

Anyway, I'll hopefully be back soon to share about Riley's recent concussion, and more of our faith journey. I guess for now, I better go fold the six loads of laundry on my bed so we can sleep in it!!