Suppose

I LOVE this poem Marc and I worked on today- I made him dissect the poet's meaning in every single stanza- it reminds me of the saying "it's better to light one candle than curse the darkness."

Suppose
by Phoebe Cary

Suppose, my little lady,
Your doll should break her head,
Could you make it whole by crying
Till your eyes and nose are red?
And wouldn’t it be pleasanter
To treat it as a joke;
And say you’re glad “’Twas Dolly’s
And not your head that broke?”


Suppose you ’re dressed for walking,
And the rain comes pouring down,
Will it clear off any sooner
Because you scold and frown?
And wouldn’t it be nicer
For you to smile than pout,
And so make sunshine in the house
When there is none without?


Suppose your task, my little man,
Is very hard to get,
Will it make it any easier
For you to sit and fret?
And wouldn’t it be wiser
Than waiting like a dunce,
To go to work in earnest
And learn the thing at once?


Suppose that some boys have a horse,
And some a coach and pair,
Will it tire you less while walking
To say, “It isn’t fair?”
And wouldn’t it be nobler
To keep your temper sweet,
And in your heart be thankful
You can walk upon your feet?


And suppose the world doesn’t please you,
Nor the way some people do,
Do you think the whole creation
Will be altered just for you?
And isn’t it, my boy or girl,
The wisest, bravest plan,
Whatever comes, or doesn’t come,
To do the best you can?

Jen's visit (redux)

So Jen visited a few weeks ago, but she finally posted her pictures and since I didn't take any I want to throw these up here (which is my only form of scrapbook). :)

I will say looking at these gives me a tiny pang of regret at cutting Sissy's hair, but I know it will grow out and it's so much easier shorter. Here's Sissy and Jen's little girl- she's about a month younger than Tucker, but Julia totally treated her like a peer. :)





A day at the Galleria-





The beautiful Jen and her beautiful babies-





And I could just eat this little guy up- he let me hold him from the first moment we met- he's just a cuddle bear and I happen to love to cuddle babies so we were a good match-



Thanks for coming Jen- let's not wait 2 years next time!

Zaza and Big Grandpa's House

After visiting with Amber, Dennis, Noah and Landin, we went to church with them on Sunday night and then drove down to Zaza and Grandpa's house. We had a great time and had a lot of adventures. The first thing we did was cut the big kids' hair- Julia now has a precious summer bob and I love it! One day we spent at the mall with rides and a carousel-





Sissy's favorite thing: a horse, Tucker's favorite thing: a train- it's meant to be!



One night we went to an old barn of a man who collects vintage memorabilia and saw the neatest stuff including this bear that was given to Zaza once and was in her yard for a few weeks.



It wouldn't be a trip to Grandpa's without running by the shooting range. Daddy and Grandpa took Marky and he had a blast. They also watched a lot of "Top Shot" back at the house.





One day we went to a national landmark, Bok Tower and Gardens. It's a beautiful carillon (a tower with bells inside) and it used to be called "The Singing Tower". It was a big attraction and was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge. We spent the entire afternoon there and had a ball.

Here's the family with the tower behind us-



The whole place was so peaceful and inspiring. The man who built it was inspired by his grandmother who said, "Make you the world better or more beautiful because you have lived in it." The bells play every 1/2 hour and play classical pieces as well as hymns- when we were there it played "How Great Thou Art". There is a golden door on the tower with the 6 days of creation displayed. Not your usual "national monument" is it?



They had "etching posts" all through the gardens where the big kids did copies of tile engravings-



This shows how big the biggest bell in the tower is-



Tucker at the spot with the best view- this tower is built on the highest point of land in the whole Florida peninsula- you can see FOREVER-



Reading their maps and taking a rest (we walked a long way)



Feeding the giant fish!







Brothers taking a rest-



A super-fun trip. So much fun we added an extra day at the last minute. But then it was time to go- so it was hugs goodbye and we were on our way.

Visiting Noah and Landin

Did you know that last Friday there was a tanker crash on I-65 south where 4 tons of deisel were spilled and they closed the interstate completely for like 7 hours? We knew it- we were in the traffic! Marc had worked a 1/2 day Friday and our goal was to make it to Tallahassee, but FOUR HOURS after leaving our home we were finally making it to Montgomery via a LONG detour! Good thing we have the best travelin' 2-year-old in the business- while he came up with different ways to stretch his legs- he never complained.


We FINALLY made it to Dothan around 9:00-9:30 and decided to stop at the "hotayel" (as Julia calls it). The kids LOVE staying in hotels and were just giddy on the pull-out sofa-


Story time with Daddy-


Saturday we got up early and headed onto Aunt Amber and Uncle Dennis' house. What a treat! They have the most wonderful screened-in pool area that the kids played in for HOURS each day. Noah and Marc-



Julia and Landin played pretend the whole time- most of it Julia was Ariel and Landin was Flounder.



Precious girls-



We finally found a combo that Tucker can't sink in- lifejacked PLUS water wings (the puddle jumper let his head still go under if he leaned back)



He was completely independent and could swim all over the pool and jump off the sides by himself- such a happy baby!





Marc and Landin played Mousetrap one morning- they love this game-



Marc and Noah watching TV- they both love Star Wars and How to Train a Dragon-



A wonderful visit with the cousins, but then it was time to head on to the grandparents' home-



Hugging goodbye-



Tuck Tuck LOVES to hug-



Let's all keep praying for Noahbug- he's got some very exciting but totally experimental treatments on the way this summer-



Part 2 of the trip to be continued!

A perfect 10

Well today is our 10 year anniversary. We decided to spend it on an 11-hour car drive home from Florida where we were visiting my in-laws. I told Marc- it's an hour for each year of marriage and one to grow on. :)

Everyone knows Marc is a catch and that I "overkicked my coverage" when I got him. But we are truly a perfect match and even after 11 hours in the car- with three kids who WILL NOT SLEEP in a car- I still want to sit by him and just BE with him. Thank you, Lord, for joining us and keeping our hearts knit together!

Thursday ramblings....

Lately, if I "lose" Tucker I know where to find him- reading books in my bathtub (no water- fully clothed). It started when he and Julia used to get in there while I got ready and she would read books to him, but now he just goes and sits in there to "read" by himself- almost everyday. It is so precious- sometimes you just need to get in the bath to get away from the hustle and bustle....


In other news- I love, love, love this post about homeschooling that my friend sent me. It really sums up a lot of how I feel about it. Julia is really in on things now (she's giving up her nap I guess) and she is just thriving. She would do 20 preschool worksheets a day if I would let her. After we read or do an activity she looks and says, "now what?", while Marky says, "are we done yet?" :) (To be fair she is circling "which one doesn't belong" and he is doing math flashcards- they are in no way the same amount of fun). Still, I love her happy little enthusiasm.

Marky continues to keep me in wonder- latest quotes:

Reading about a saint who had water part for him I said, "what Bible story does that remind you of?" and he enthusiastically said, "oh, Elijah! The water parted for him when he struck it with his cloak and then did again for Elisha on the way back to show he had received Elijah's power". Okay- I was expecting Red Sea, but I'll take Elijah.

Passing a water feature in a lake I said, "what water feature does that look like?" and Marc said, "a geyser". I said, "great!" Then he proceeds, "of course that one is not nearly as big as Old Faithful at Yellowstone, I read once that it can be 5 to 10 school buses high and this one could only be 2 or 3 school buses high, right Mommy?" Sure. ???

Even if I read as much as he does, I don't think my old, tired brain can retain the info that his can. Young spongy brains are a marvel. We have to be good stewards of them.

Along those lines we are limiting our Pixar movies. I don't know why- but for some reason my kids totally obsess over them and get hyper and quit reading when they watch them (even though I generally like them and they aren't objectionable). When Megamind hit our home it was like a whirlwind and I don't think they read books for a week and they asked me about 10 times a day to watch it again. Now when we watch the slow, sweet Mary Poppins or Tigger movie or a simple 30 minute show I don't get these reactions. I have no idea why- it's just something I've observed and am looking out for. Has anyone else noticed this obsessive, hyperactive phenomenon with the fast-paced shows?

Speaking of Mary Poppins, I hear Sissy tromping through the house singing, "just a BOX full of sugar helps the medicine go down..."...a box of sugar, that is SO SISSY- my sugar monster. Meanwhile little brother likes "step in time, step in time" and Marky replayed the "feed the birds" song several times- their favorite song choices totally reflect their personalities. I remember crying the first time I saw the "feed the birds" part of Mary Poppins- it really is a BEAUTIFUL song- Can you believe these words were in a Disney movie, "All around the cathedral the saints and apostles, Look down as she sells her wares, Although you can't see it, You know they are smiling, Each time someone shows that he cares."

Spring Portraits- 2011

Well, I got the kids' annual spring portraits made today. I'm always nervous and take a sitter with me, but it usually goes okay. Here are a few samples- they are really good in person, unfortunately I can't work the scanner on our new printer and so these are "pictures of pictures" (i.e. they are blurry) that were sitting on the dining room table. :)























The real reason I get their pictures every spring- I LOVE to watch them grow!

Tucker- Spring '09



Tucker- Spring '10



Tucker- Spring '11