Hookie -- Part 1 (The Perfect Journal)

Lisa over at Lisa Writes encouraged me to journal.  I used to journal every day. 

Now I blog. 

But I imagine that God misses my scrawl. Journaling = praying (for me).  Back in the Old Testament they built altars.  Today, I build a cup of chai, sit on my brown couch, wish my dog could snuggle next to me, and take my pen to a piece of paper . . . well a perfect journal. 

If you think I have random disjointed thoughts when I write, imagine what my brain is like when it isn't under the discipline of a pen and paper to pray!

Let me set the scene . . . right now. 

This is my journal.  I am pretty particular about my journals.  I can and do have 10 perfectly fine journals, but they don't meet my qualifications. 

First and formeost said journal must be inviting.  It needs to look like it contains history.  The outside, preferably leather, must (hold on, I am stroking my journal for the right word) be like French Silk Pie to the fingertips but smell like far away places.  When my cracked hands (from multiple hand washings due to the changing of a boy in diapers) open the written word of my brain, the pages are almost required to show that others have trod where I am about to (meaning that I want the pages to be soft and look handcrafted).  As I use the PERFECT pen (worthy of a blog post in itself), I want the pressure of my reflections to leave an engraving on the opposite side of the page, essentially mingling my thoughts forming who I am at that present moment.  My legacy of life experiences need to fit into a small journal that can easily bend like I am learning to do with my lethargic body in P90X.  And lastly, I don't want a lock and key. I want a rope.  Not only does the rope mark the current page I am writing, but as I finish each entry and the book is shut, I want to feel like I am writing about unchartered travles, almost like I am a pirate . . . without a patch or a hook. 

To make the journal perfect . . . it must come from my husband.

And I completely got sidetracted. 

I was going to tell you how Lisa promted me to write in my journal and as a result I played hookie from church while still at church. 

That will have to be a story for another day.

I'm Honest About My Laundry

It's time to air out the laundry.

I'm going to be honest with you.

It ain't pretty, but it is true. 

I want YOU to feel better about yourself.  About your smaller piles.  About the fact that YOU fold your own laundry. 

Not your Mother-In-Law. 

Folks, I need help.  And I have known my MIL since I was a junior in high school. 

The woman has seen me nurse . . . a newborn.  Ladies, 'nuff said--don't you agree?

Mr. Smackdown delighted in creating this laundry pile.  He got to use a backhoe. Who wouldn't be excited about that?  I don't know how my MIL felt when she saw this outlandish pile of clean clothes that had accumulated for two days of continuious washing. 

And. She. Folded. All. Of. It.

Let me repeat . . . ALL. OF. IT.

I would wager to guess that this is 12+ loads of laundry.  And in case you are wondering . . . I use Charlie's Soap.

And that pile doesn't even include the cloth diapers. 

Sigh . . . .

I love you MIL.

MIA

Some of you may have noticed that I'm not traveling to your inbox quite as much. In fact, my mom called me and asked if I was OK. She hadn't heard from me in awhile . . . meaning I hadn't blogged.

It's true. I haven't been blogging nearly as much.

I have ideas. Some of them are in my head. Some of them are in a journal.

But I have had to make some changes.

I have gotten pretty serous about a few things. They have always been important. But now . . . no excuses.

1. Get up before the boys and spend time with God.
2. Plan, prepare, and DO school with the boys. No more vacation.
3. P90X -- 'nuff said.

So, if a few days go by and you have missed my spiritual sarcasm . . . drop me a line, leave a comment, or come and babysit my children so I can go blog at Starbucks!

Mr. Me-Too’s Half Birthday

3 1/2 years ago I gave birth to Mr. Me-Too. 

Tonight we celebrated this occasion.

Me:  Happy Birthday, Buddy!  Thanks for being born!

Mr. Me-Too:  Thanks for marrying Daddy!

Me:  Are you having fun on your 1/2 Birthday?

Mr. Me-Too:  It’s my favorite.  It’s silly celebrating it now in the snow.

Normally, I cut everything in half.  But I didn’t this year.  I was just thankful to wrangle the time to put our intimate party together.

Note to the candle companies (please give me the royalties for this) can you start making 1/2 birthday candles?  It looks like Mr. Me-Too is 31.  Not cool. 

We read a great book in honor of my little one’s 1/2 birthday.  Well, we read it for every birthday.  But I really need to post a book for . . . . drum roll please . . .

We read a super duper cute book tonight by Eric Carle called The Secret Birthday Message.  Eric Carle is such a creative author.  I would love to have the entire collection of Eric Carle books.  I guess that sounds like I am coveting.  I’m not really.  I don’t dream about having all of his books.

 

Anyway,The Secret Birthday Message is neat.  A little boy discovers an envelope of clues under his pillow the night before his birthday.  He has to follow the clues to find his birthday present.  And I am not going to tell you what the present is . . . only that we have a large brown one who likes to sit on our couch.  But I didn’t tell you. 

The coolest part about this book?  The pages are cut out.  For example, the little boy is to look at the moon first.  The page with the moon on it is slightly oval.  The star is pointy.  The stairs the boy must go down, are jagged.  I love unusual books.  And this book has unusual paper.  Unusual ideas that only ENCOURAGES my boys to expand their mind and seek to discover the surprise gift with glee.  You feel like you are on the scavenger hunt. 

This story was a fun way to end the 1/2 birthday day.  We snuggled on Mr. Smackdown’s bed, and entered the underground hunt for the puppy dog I mean surprise gift in a basket. 

What Sustainable Book have you read recently to your children?  Read my original post and link up with me this week! 

 

Technorati Tags: Sustaining Books,If You Give A Mom A Book,Eric Carle,The Secret Birthday Message

Giveaway: The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2

I know that you have seen this little book before on my blog.  But a rather silly, tiny, itsy-bitsy mistake happened -- mainly because I was new to reviewing books for Tyndale House Publishers. 

Title: The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2
by Carla Barnhill; illustrated by Elena Kucharik
Age range: 3-6 years old
Publisher: Tyndale
Price: $14.99 (hardcover)

You see, a few weeks ago I applied directly with Tyndale to review The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2, but I didn't realize at the time that I had been awarded the review because I was JUST figuring out their web-page.  So when MamaBzz sent out an email saying that I could review this devotional, I was all over it.

We really needed a new devotional . . . bad.

And if you have three young kids, you know how HARD it is to get everyone in their winter gear, grab snacks and water, climb in the car, remember that you need to get out of your PJ's, comb your hair, fill the gas tank, keep the kiddos happy because they are bored in the store, make it back for noon lunch, and finally get everyone resting in the afternoon while still feeling loved . . . can be difficult.

So let's just say that I was a little zealous about getting this book delivered to my door for free.

When two arrived in my mail on the same day not only did I feel slightly goofy but BLESSED.

But I don't need two of these GREAT devotionals.

I am going to give one away.  That should really summarize my review.  If I am giving it away, that means I REALLY liked something.

So . . . enter to win:

Title: The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2

by Carla Barnhill; illustrated by Elena Kucharik

Age range: 3-6 years old

Publisher: Tyndale

Price: $14.99 (hardcover)

and I will send this book to you.  Yup . . . I'll pay the (media mail) shipping and give you my second copy.

How to Enter (and yes my friends can enter . . . I use www.random.org to pick the winner . . . and you aren't friends with Mr. Random.  No one is. So enter to win ON MY BLOG NOT through a FACEBOOK COMMENT.)


Mandatory:  read my original review by clicking HERE.  Come back and leave a comment telling me your opinion of the review, something you learned, or how you were challenged.

Optional Entries (meaning write a new and separate comment)

1. Become a fan of my blog (look over on the right sidebar) and tell me that you are or already were.
2. Tell me something new that God has taught you.
3. Describe a special moment that you had as a child, or even now, with one of your parents or a mentor that has affected your walk with the Lord.

Giveaway Ends:  Monday, January 11, 2009

Sorry US residents only!

 
This is a MamaBzz review.   The product was provided by Tyndale House Publishers.  I don't have to give my extra copy away . . . I just want to share the love and blessing.  I have not been paid for this post.  I enjoyed every minute of this post. 


Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....