Mind Doodles

So Proud I Could "Spit"

Tonight marks a first in the Stoner family. Courtney will be debuting her rising theatrical talents in the production of The Spitfire Grill. We always knew she was a drama queen. Her school Trinity Academy of Raleigh will be performing this weekend at the Burning Coal Theater in Downtown Raleigh. I'm so proud of that girl for trying something new. I'll update you later with a few pics and a review of how they did.

A Great Read

A few months ago, the book club that I belong to read a book that really had an impact on me. It's called Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern Day Slave, An International Art Dealer and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together.

Same Kind of Different as Me, is a book that is factual but could just as easily be fiction, and tells the unlikely story of the unlikeliest of friends--Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Told in two voices, the book alternates between telling the story from the perspective of Ron and Denver.

Ron Hall is a wealthy international art dealer who travels the world buying and selling rare and expensive works of art. He has grown rich but has also grown selfish and has grown away from his family. When Ron Hall reluctantly volunteers at a homeless shelter (at the insistence of his wife) he soon comes into contact with Denver, a man his wife is convinced is going to change the city. Denver grew up as a sharecropper in Louisiana, living a life that seemed little different from the life of his ancestors one hundreds years before. He eventually walked away from the cotton fields and found that, while life on the streets of Fort Worth was difficult, it was easier than being a sharecropper. It was here, in a homeless shelter, that the two men met, one serving food and the other being a reluctant recipient of this charity.

As author, Shane Claiborne, of The Irresistible Revolution says, "the problem isn't that wealthy Christians don't care about the poor, it's that they simply don't know the poor."
Same Kind of Different as Me is a story of pushing through the awkwardness, breaking down the walls and doing the difficult work of getting the know the poor on a level that is not only life-changing for them, but also for us.

I got my copies at Barnes and Noble, but I saw that the paperback version is on sale right now at Family Christian store for $9.99.
A great bargain!

Things Don't Just Happen

I've been thinking about this all day--all week really.  There is SO MUCH that goes into creating a really great environment for a Sunday morning. 

Like--

Did anyone notice the giant rubix cube on stage for the past 4 weeks?  It was completely assembled and painted by a volunteer--Steve.  He spent HOURS and HOURS and lost many brain cells as a result of the spray paint.  He actually lost the feeling in his index finger from the constant pressure needed from pushing down the button on the can.  No kidding--but it's back--not to worry.  I've worked with Steve on projects a lot.  He is always so willing to take our dreams and make them a reality--no matter how far out there they are. 

Did you get a chance to walk down the WOW hallway?  I thought it would be a great idea to freshen things up for spring.  (I know, I know. . .we've hired a design team to create a brand new themed environment for that whole area.  But, that is a few months down the road and spring is here now.  So, I pitched the idea and people jumped on board--even though we will be painting over it soon.)  Thanks, Adrianne and Mara for coming in and getting the ball (or the paint roller) rolling.  Both are volunteers with young kids who worked it in to their crazy schedules to help.  And Kristy's fabulous addition of the flowers and bugs took it to a whole new level. You can really feel the excitement buzzing down there now. 

Did anyone see all of the people at church today?  And. . .kids were everywhere!  I love it that way!  It was so awesome to walk by each of the kids' rooms and see all of the people who had stepped up to make sure each room had plenty of adults caring for our kids.  Even a whole crew of students served as small group leaders. Way to go!  Both kids and adults looked like they were having a blast! 

It is amazing what goes on behind the scenes.  I've only listed a few, but there are a hundred other things that happen every week because someone decided to help out. We couldn't do any of these things without the huge army of volunteers that we have.
   . . .things don't just happen.

 

Things We've Done Wrong as Parents #2

Bedtime

It started slowly--with good intentions. Kelsey was such a cute and sweet baby. We loved holding her. Greg was gone to work all day and when he got home, he wanted to have his time with her. What ended up happening was that she would fall asleep on his chest. He would continue holding her while he watched t.v. Then, I could go on to bed and get a little rest before the night time feedings. Then, before we knew it, she became attached. It's amazing how that happens. She would not go down on her own. So, we would hold her and then ever so carefully slide a pillow between our body and hers. Then, when she was asleep, we would flip her over and slide the pillow out. Did it work? Rarely.

Then, along came Courtney--and we hadn't even worked out the bedtime deal with Kelsey yet. We lived in a very small house. (Around 780 square feet--no kidding!). They shared a room, so trying to keep Kelsey asleep while I was getting up with Courtney to feed her was another whole issue. Neither one of them liked bedtime. Every night was a huge ordeal. I can remember many nights when Courtney would throw herself (head first) out of the crib and come running down the hall. (We had moved to a bigger house by this time). We would pick her up, give her a swat on the bottom and carry her right back to bed. We would turn around and she would soon be behind us. It was crazy! I was sure that the child would have permanent brain damage from the impact of her head hitting the floor so many times.

After moving Courtney to a "big girl bed", you would think things might get better. But NO! I spent every single night in their room singing songs until I barely had a voice. Then I would creep out on my hands and knees hoping that they wouldn't wake up.

This went on for years--I am not exaggerating! The kids didn't have a problem. The parents did. The Super Nanny would have had a field day with us. I look back on those days and shake my head with disgust over our parenting skills.

Well, our girls are long past that now. They still don't have the bedtime routine down. They are both night owls, like their dad. (Last night, Courtney was up until 12:30 finishing a school project.) But at least now, they see how their poor choices in not getting enough rest impact their days. I'm usually the first one in bed at our house. But, when Kelsey and Courtney are ready for bed, they come into my room to say good night and cuddle in the bed with me for a few minutes before they head off to their own rooms. I love these times and I know that they are numbered. So, I'll just enjoy each one of them as they come. Looking back, I know we did it wrong. I would change it if we could do it all over again. But, I am glad that our girls have always felt a strong need to connect with me and Greg at the end of their day. So, I'll hold on to that and let the guilt go.

Great Easter Books

My friend, Lisa, is always looking for good books to read to her kids. I thought I'd take a cue from her and give you a few of my favorites for this coming holiday.

The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs

I love this book because it is written on several different levels. The story in itself is a simple one, but also included on each page are Bible verses that give a deeper meaning to each page. They are great verses to use for discussion with your kids. Here's the description of the book from Amazon:

Maggie, the farmer's youngest daughter, loves getting gifts, especially mysterious ones. One wintry day, she receives a package in the mail. She excitedly opens the package to find a bulb buried in a crate of dirt. This was not what Maggie expected. She had hoped for a doll or a game, not a bulb that would one day become a plant. When spring comes, she finds the bulb in the cellar and tosses the lifeless thing into the garden, never to think of it again. . . . Until she walks outside on Easter morning and finds the most beautiful lily she has ever seen. Through the unique gift of a bulb, Maggie discovers the power of grace and forgiveness and the true meaning of Easter.

The Easter Story by Carol Heyer

One of the things I love about this book is the way that it starts the Easter story with the birth of Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus is a difficult concept for kids but the author does a beautiful job of telling the story in a way that is appropriate without being scary. I also love the pictures in this book. They are absolutely beautiful!

Easter in the Garden by Pamela Kennedy

This book is told from a child's perspective. I love how it addresses emotions in the way a child would feel them. It's a beautiful picture book.

Here are some other good picks:

Only God Would've Planned It That Way! by Todd Barness

Peter's First Easter by Walter Wangerin Jr.
(This book has a lot more words. Good read aloud though)

Easter Carol DVD
Veggie Tales

Well, I hope that gives you some good ideas for sharing this really special time of year with your children.
FYI---This whole blogging thing is new to me and I am learning the ropes while I go. I have worked pretty much all day on this post and still can't get it to line up right. So--you get it like it is--a little caddy-wompus. Sorry for my ineptness. I'll try to improve. Just know that it's the content that's important, not the presentation:)

There's a Killer in the House

There's a serial killer who lives in our home.
No, really. It's a little creepy.

I thought we were all fairly normal but now we have discovered that one among us is psycho. It's Toby, our boxer mix. As much as I love him, I must admit that he has some serious problems. Now, to his defense, he was a rescue puppy. He and his siblings were found under an abandoned house, so we have no idea what his earliest days were like. They must have been horrific because he obviously has a tortured mind. And the nightmares in his head must center on stuffed animals because he destroys them. That in itself isn't abnormal for a dog, but it's the WAY he destroys them that is bizarre. He begins by ripping out their eyes. Then he goes for the face. He completely obliterates all facial features. We have SO MANY faceless and headless stuffed animals in our home. Our friend, Christine, brought over a whole bag of stuffed animals to share with Toby. He's definitly done a number on that gift. Just take a look at the evidence:

All lined up--execution style.

The point of this post? There is none.

My Addictions

I've been inspired by my friend, Gwenn's blog to share a few of my ridiculous addictions.  Come on, we all have them.  Some are just more ridiculous than others.  As you will see by my listing:

1.  Styrofoam cups--any size (although bigger is better) from anywhere.  I love them so much that I make our family save them and wash them.  We have a collection from many different restaurants.  I love the way they feel in my hands, I love the way they keep my ice longer (see #2) and I love that you can just throw them away when you are done--although I never do.

2.  Ice--I like lots of it in all of my drinks.  Most of the time, if I can't have ice, I would rather do without the drink. (I didn't feel that way in Haiti--I drank without ice but was thrilled when I returned to our ice-making country).  I absolutely LOVE crushed ice, shaved ice and pellet ice.  I know every restaurant in town who has these.  One of my favorite places to go is The Loop.  Why?  Because they have crushed ice in styrofoam cups--as does Char-grill :)

3.  Anything miniature.  My husband, Greg, says "just make it mini and you'll buy it."  It's true.  Now, I only like miniature things that are ordinarily large.  (Like those little tobasco sauce bottles)  If it's small to start with, I'm not that impressed.

4.  Handkerchiefs--the old antique kind.  Yes, the ones that someone has already blown their nose in.  I have hundreds of them.  I can hardly pass by a vendor who is selling these because there is always room for one more.  My kids beg me not to buy them at garage sales and flea markets but there is something in me that cannot hold back.

5.  Garage sales and Flea Markets.  Today Greg and I were on our way to take our daughter to a soccer tournament.  We passed a garage sale sign.  I didn't say anything because I knew that we were in a hurry but I thought about it for the next couple of hours.  They may have had some old hankies there.  I can hardly take it!  I have been know to make Greg stop at these when we are on a vacation and our car is loaded to the top.  He says, "where will we put something if we find it?"  I say, there is always room for a bargain. 

Boy Crazy

Our teenage girls have never been what I would call "boy crazy" (even though one of them is crazy about a certain boy).  They pretty much skipped the whole giddy phase that I went through as a teen.  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  Most, well I should say lots, of girls talk nonstop about boys.  They write boys' names all over their notebooks, hands,etc.  They even go so far as to write their own name with the boy's last name.  (I know this because I was one of these girls.)  Then later crossing it out so that they can write their name with another boy's last name.  You get my drift.  Our girls have been pretty level-headed in this realm. 

That is until this season of American Idol.  That is, until David Archuleta entered the picture.  He's the 17 year old guy from Murray, Utah.  Something has happened in our household that I cannot explain.  What were two seemingly sensible, composed, calm girls have become star-crazed fanatics.  There can be no talking in the room if David is singing or if his story is being told.  And don't even think about a slightly critical evaluation of him--even if he forgets his words (or makes an idiot of himself by singing to Kelly Clarkson in a hotel lobby.)  Now, I must admit that the boy can sing.  And I would venture to say that his singing is the primary attraction for my girls and not his sugary-sweet, although somewhat goofy disposition or his  puppy-dog eyes.

It all kind of reminds me of one of my own idols--Donnie Osmond.  (Yes, the botox-enhanced brother of Marie--the fainting dancer on Dancing with the Stars).  Now I had a major crush on Donnie.   I had every record and knew every song and in my overly-active imagination, believed all of the songs to have been written about me.  I had a poster of Donnie on my bedroom wall.  I remember one time when my younger brother walked into my room and caught me kissing the poster.  I told him I was just measuring it to see if it was a life-sized poster.  Do you think I fooled him? 

Well anyway, you've got to watch out for those teen idols.  They make us do some crazy things. 

More on Kids' Music

In my list of music for kids, there is a CD called Deliberate Kids by Phil Joel. I love this CD. I could tell you all about it, but I thought it would be nice to hear another voice. So, here is Gwenn Mangine's review of it:

Kid Music is the bane of my existence. From the moment I get in the car, my kids want it on. I try to like it. I really, really do. But, I don't. I actually hate it. The words might be, "The itsy, bitsy spider crawled up the water spout", but I hear "the great big giant migraine is crawling up my spine."

And to be honest, Christian kid music is usually the worst. There's not too much that grates my nerves more than organ music synthesized with a drum beat and very young children singing about how they are "Christian Soldiers." Is it just me, or is that creepy?

So it is with great trepidation that I purchase new kid music. However, this particular album got my attention right away because it was put out by Phil Joel formerly of the Newsboys. So I decided to give it a go, especially since it was on sale.

Positives: It is lots of fun, upbeat songs with awesome messages and Biblical truth. There are a lot of different styles of songs on the album and it's great musically. My kids love it because it's a "rock 'n roll" album.

Negatives: One of my favorite songs, "Boom-Chaka-Laka-Laka" is fantastic, but when they talk about the fruit of the spirit, they miss one--goodness. What the heck? That irritates me.

I am almost embarrassed to admit I listen to it when the kids aren't even in the car. So I guess what I am saying is, even with "goodness" missing, I's still give it a 2 thumbs up.

For more thought provoking words from Gwenn, check out her blog. She never disappoints.

Things we've done wrong as parents #1

Chores

Our kids pretty much have no chores.  No, I mean really.  We didn't plan it that way--it just happened.  I think about it every time I am doing the dishes which is about 40 times a day.  You see, here's the problem. . .I can make them do the dishes and they will.  BUT, then they have to stay up even later to do their homework--because they have sooooo much homework.  So, I usually just do the dishes myself or Greg does them.  I wonder how these incredibly smart girls are going to do in the real world.  They have great grades but they can't do their own laundry. 
Oh well, believe me, there's more to come in this category --because we've done lots of things wrong!