Aged Cheese

I really am a blogger. I know it doesn't seem like it but I am.

I have so much rolling around in my head that I NEED to blog- or at least write.

Somewhere or on something.
Otherwise I just talk about it all and then Mr. Rogers glazes over about 2 minutes in.

My main problem is that I live in the land of
"NO TIME"

By the time I have gotten up, done the morning routine, cleaned up both me and the house, headed to preschool , loved and taught some cutie patooties, I have just enough time to run an errand then pick up Forrest, do snack homework and head to one of the 6 Vball games per week we have , then come home throw something together that resembles food , prepare for tomorrow (which if I'm lucky includes brushing my teeth)  read , pray and CRASH!!!

Whew!!  So on my rare day off I am going to Blog, I just have to much funny in me not to share.

I will ignore the dirt under my feet, the sour smell from the kitchen and the mound of laundry on the couch!!!

I don't teach on Tuesdays , but I am always thinking of the next project for school.

We are now approaching grandparents day,

A day I personally feel was invented by Hallmark to once again drain us of our money at $5.00 a card, but hey that's just me.

It is not that I don't think grandparents (and especially my kid's grandparents ) don't deserve to be recognized
I'm just more of a "love 'em well the other 364 days a year " kinda gal.

But none the less-- it is grandparents day on
 Sunday September 11th.
And to be honest I would rather think about our grandparents on Sept 11th
than watch anything on CNN.

So at school we are going to honor our grandparents with a breakfast and gifts.

The gift we are making is a place mat with a hand print tree trunk and thumbprint leaves.

Cute.
Cheesy ,but cute.

To be honest the one in the book looks,,,umm,,
well how can I put this,,.
L-A-M-E.

So as usual I feel the need to spice it up a bit!!!

Now I am a teacher who believes in process over product.

I want my kids to do the craft,
 I don't care if the eyes are in the wrong place
If that is where your child wants to put them
Go for it
You will not be receiving any teacher made products out of my classroom.

So staying true to my standards I know  it needs to be jazzed up a bit ,
 but I will not be adding to the art process.  
But I reserve the right to add a title, phrase or poem 
that will inevitably melt the heart of the receiver.

I check out grandparent quotes online at the quote garden  and come up with some great ones:

If nothing is going well, call your grandmother. ~Italian Proverb

Do you know why grandchildren are always so full of energy? They suck it out of their grandparents. ~Gene Perret

A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart. ~Author Unknown

These are all way to sweet!!!


cute I like these , but then I stumble on to a few sarcastic ones (I cant resist sarcasm)



On the seventh day God rested. His grandchildren must have been out of town. ~Gene Perret
I personally know my mother likes this one!!! we wear her out

To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid.  ~Robert Brault

and this little gem:

The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy. ~Sam Levenson

Oh my goodness.
 I know my mama and my oldest have conspired against me on more than one occasion.

Truly being a grandparent has got to be all of the cool and none of the rule!!!!

Hmmm.
 I wonder if I could use that?  

Anyway I did think of a few of my own that I'm sure just wouldn't make the cut:

For instance:
 The nut doesn't fall far from the family tree.  (hey it is a hand print tree-just sayin')
or
Oh I see where he/she gets that _______________(fill in the blank with your favorite (not) trait of the child.

Okay  just joking  .
 I love my critters that I teach, but you gotta have a sense of humour about ti all .
Otherwise you will go crazy when you tell child A not to lick child B for the 70th time that day.

Here is one that I will cross stitch and hang on my wall the day one of my girls has a child:
(okay maybe not cross stitch but I print it in pretty font and frame it)

It's such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother - that's why the world calls her grandmother. ~Author Unknown

Oh my gosh!!!  Pass the tissue!!!
Oh my  .. just give Me a minute here to collect myself. ...
*sigh* 
deep breathe
nostalgic moment....

okay I'm good.

So after much searching and seeking I believe I have found the perfect accompaniment for the place mats.
In fact I think it will get center stage, without taking an ounce of "process" out of the kids handiwork.

"One generation will praise Your works to another."  Psalms 145:4

How just like the word of God to turn cheesy into cherished.

where have I been?

Oh my goodness.  I have not blogged in almost a month!!

So much for starting that stellar following and becoming independantly wealthy via online!!

Ha!! Anyway  after getting Happy Mouth back from Africa  I was in a whirlwind

I was overwhemlmed to have her back and overjoyed to hear all about her experiences!!

I will be posting pics soon
There are over 600 and thats not even the videos!!!

She has less to unpack than what she went with
Due to the fact that she either gave away or bartered all her clothes, toiletries , sleeping bag, chair and mosqito spray!!!

She actually traded the mosquito spray for a necklace she gave me

Much appreciated but I gave her the mosquito spray so she
would NOT get Malaria!!!
I told her to file that under "things not to tell your mother about Africa!"

Anyway  I am posting this video of her speaking at her youth group.
I am so very proud of her!!!

time to pick up your daughter

I have been counting down the days until Happy Mouth comes home from Africa.

I have filled my time with intentional choices

I have had a great time with Rollercoaster and Forrest.

I have read and had extra quiet time.

I visited my family in Kentucky and laughed alot!!

I have been on my knees praying more than usual

I have taken on a few home projects.  Forrest and I painted her room.

It looks great but I was a mess afterwards.  Why walk all the way across the room for a rag when you can just use your "paint" shirt? right

Well needless to say I was spotted pretty well with white, black and neon green paint. (yes you read that correctly)  Forrest has chosen neon green above the chair rail and   wait for it....
zebra stripes below.  

Classic

I was finishing up because I needed to get Happy Mouth and the rest of the crew at 3 from the airport.

I was about to bust from the moment I got up.  So I occupied my time by obsessing over the perfect zebra stripe and cleaning Happy Mouth's room so she would have a clam and decluttered room to come home to.

The clock hits 1:30  and I hop in the shower  and I scrub  and I scrub  and I scrub 

"How the heck did the paint get in that area?" I wonder

As I am soaped  up and re shaving my legs for the third time (it seemed to get the paint off best)  Mr. Rogers invades my space and says "Babe , you ready to pick up your daughter?"

I instantly have De ja vue

These are the same words he spoke to me when I was in the shower 17 1/2 years ago.

Happy Mouth had an eventful birth.  Thinking back on it now, I really should have seen her independent spirit and attention getting antics as a sign of the future.

She was full term.  I had a pampered and healthy first pregnancy.

It was the way she came into the world that was the wave maker.
You can check that story out .here.

The point is we had to leave the hospital without Happy Mouth.
She had to be in NICU  for 5 days.

It was serioslly one of the hardest things I have ever done.
I went up twice a day, pumped milk for the nurses to give her , and prayed like crazy.

I am sensing a theme here - that girl always gets me on my knees and closer to God.
No wonder she is cut out for missions.

Anyway the call finally came and I was in the shower.
This shower was equally as long but it was because I was moving like a sloth.
Everythin still hurt.

So as I was rinsing out the cinditioner Mr. Rogers invades my space and says
"Babe ,you ready to pick up your daughter?"

I am elated that today she gets to come home!
"more than ready" I say and I hop (okay lean on him and pray not to fall) out of the shower.

I remember this moment as I am standing naked and wet in the shower of a differnet day.
Mr Rogers is waiting for my response.
"So ready" I smile .

33 minutes

After my water broke and nothing happened for 14 hours it was decided that pitocin would be used.



But not until I got hooked up for the epidural (yeah!!). I had a HMO and at the time the anesthesiologist came in and prepared your line to your spine and then would attach the Demerol through a tube later when needed.

My anesthesiologist was a man with only 3 fingers on his left hand- NO LIE
I have nothing against anyone who has a amputation I just didn't expect to see one at this moment.
As I cradle myself into the fetal position as much as my belly will allow I hear him say "relax it is very important that you don't move"

I am now trying to imagine just how I will tend to my child as a paralyzed woman.
Mr. Rogers was watching Seinfeld. He assured me it was fine the three fingers acted as a slide for insertion of the line. 3 fingers laughed at that one.


I would have smacked him except that I was trying NOT to be paralyzed.
Anyway next came the nurse with pitocin. A drip added to the IV no big deal.


Because of my slow to no progress -(1 1/2 cm) Mr. Rogers was in and out greeting people in the waiting area.

Everything took so long that my parents actually flew in form Texas and had driven to the hospital before any real progress was made.

After about 30 minutes I start to feel all "crampy " and stuff in my low back. Over the next 10 minutes it gets worse
I ask Mr. Rogers if he will get a nurse to check for me. He shrugs a bit thinking this is a unnecessary step and says "Okay I will tell her on my way to the lobby, my mom brought me Sonny's BBQ."

I smile realizing he is out of my grasp and say "Enjoy"
Yea buddy enjoy Ill just take another round of ice chips


The nurse comes directly in and asks how I'm doing.
"Okay" I say" I was wondering if maybe it is time for the epidural medicine."

She smiles and says let me check first.
After snapping on a pair of rubber gloves she checks on my progress.
Her eyes get as big as silver dollars.

"Have you pushed at all yet?' she firmly asks
"No, am I supposed to?"

"No do not push just hang on. You are now at 8 1/2 cm but please resist the urge to push.
Okay I think and them remember my birth class and realize 81/2 is too late for an epidural.

I am now in pain and panic.

But before I can truly react an alarm i going off on the baby's monitor, the nurse is buzzing some code on the intercom and random people are coming into the room.
I ask for my husband and in 30 seconds he is flying down the hallway and standing at my head by the nurses command.

I glance towards the baby's heart monitor
It is dropping.....60.....53......44.......32......
My BP monitor is rising.....124......167.........................178.....

The lights are now dimmed and a doctor , not my doctor comes in with a team of specialist and a baby incubator.

My bed is now raised and I am almost sitting.

My head is spinning.
 I start to vomit.

Mr. Rogers is holding a cup for me to throw up in.
2 nurses climb onto my bed one on each side and lock arms.
They are push/massaging my stomach to move the baby down.


I hear no cry.

The doctor who is such a tiny woman I swear she could just crawl inside me and get the baby utters the words;

"The cord its wrapped twice"" then
"Suction, set Apgar 1"


Okay I am way dazed by this wave of violence that has just taken place but even catch the Apgar score .

One? That is like one a way form zero, which is.........


The baby is placed in an open incubator next to me while no less than 5 people works on her.

At this point Mr. Rogers is literally cupping my face and turning my head to him. He will not allow me to look.

I finally utter a cry "Why won't she cry"
I am scared to hear the answer.


A wonderful voice starts talking to me and letting me know all that is going on
:she has a tube down her throat so she will not be able to make a cry"
"she is breathing but not on her own yet."


A relax a bit and Mr. Rogers releases his grip.
I reach over to touch a finger. She is so white and so blue

I hear Apgar 7
7 yea 7 is good.

I am crying now and shaking uncontrollably.
My legs feel as if they could fall off and my nether region is on fire .

They tell me she is regaining color, that her vitals are stabilizing and they will be taking her to NICU.


They motion for Mr. Rogers and he follows.
I don't let go of his hands I beg him to stay with me.

"Ive gotta go with her , and see what needs to be done"

Of course he has to go with Happy Mouth. He has a heavy load on him right now,

there could be decisions to make ,

and diagnoses to hear and maybe even bad news to tell.

I release him and I am caught up in the shame of my selfishness


From the time the nurse came in to check on me until she was born was

33 minutes.

I can't wait

She has had the time of her life

She has laughed and danced with prescious children

She has walked miles for water

She has helped prepare a goat for slaughter

She has eaten goat intestine

She has fallen asleep while being gaurded by Massai Warriors

She has seen elephants. lions, and zebras- Oh MY!!

She has taught the Massai the tune of Sweet Home Alabama

and now  she is on her way home  and I am about to burst

I can't wait!!!

but more than all ..........................

She has worshiped a Mighty God

She has sought and found her heart deep in a land called

AFRICA.



A picture worth 1,000 words of comfort and joy

This picture is from the all girls orphanages in Tanzania .

My sweet Happy Mouth is in the middle .

This is a sweet loving picture for many reasons.

I am so glad they are there holding, loving those who long for it.

These sweet children have very little and what they did have , their parents

were taken from them.

Yet look at their faces

Smiling , Playful, Tender

Look closely at Happy Mouth (blue dress, brown braid) she

has a pair of little hands at the bottom of her braid!!

Twirling her hair. All you can see is the hands just playing with her hair.

It is so sweet.

She has a child balanced on each leg and one playing with her hair!!

But I see more...

and forgive me if it is selfish

I see my baby

Smiling

Happy

I see her and I miss her

but

I see her content

I see her joyful

and my fears

and my worries

melt away

and my prayers

are

not in vain.

God has been so faithful through

out the whole Africa adventure

and I keep praying for Him

to spiritually prepare her

for all that she will do

see and experience

and for all that He has for her.

That smile

is

God

at

work!

Good news from a distant land

I will just ler her say it.....
(the typos are related to the sleep or lack there of.....

I have no other way of putting info out there except for via facebook from an incredibly slow computer at a missiony home we were so BLESSED to stay at tonight!!!
We have hot(ish) showers :) yesterday we visited an orphanage for young girls
 i made a friend named Razeeke her name literally meaning "i have nothing"
 makes my heart ache these orphans brought tears to my eyes
 not only tears of sorrow but tears of extreme joy
 as they sang Jesus loves me in english for us
 they also taught us a song which i can not get out of my head
 it is in swahili but the english version means
 God is able therre is no one like you father.
 Today we visited an orphanage out in the bush very dry and dusty area and it is a 11 mile drive
 that took 2 hrs and 40 min because it was up a mountion and all the roads arre dirt
 we got to talk to a massi warrior who told us of his process of killing a lion
so much more has happened but because this computer is so slow
 im gonna have to wrap it up even though my mother is probley the only one reading this!
love you all pray for the windmill well to be completed in time -Ash.




That is the best news!!!  and I want every one to read it!!!