tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88570670961348640872024-03-12T23:48:17.837-04:00Bringing Up The BrandsRhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.comBlogger508125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-19174846591161355222018-02-28T21:38:00.000-05:002018-03-01T20:49:20.114-05:00Taking Issue with Memes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since last Saturday, I've been writing this blog in my head. At first I was seething mad and then when I let myself process the anger, I realized I was hurt and disappointed. A bit disillusioned if you will. When my mind won't let go of something, I know I need to process it deeper. Before I could write here, I had to let all the nasty, biting comments out in a safe place because snark doesn't heal wounds or solve problems, so I assure you that everything I am writing now comes from a heart that wants people to understand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First and most importantly, my faith is important to me. I believe that faith in God is powerful. I believe that Jesus is the answer to society's ills. I believe He came and died to fix what is broken. I want people to know the hope I have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I also believe that God hardwired me to teach. I've want to be a teacher since I was four years old. I asked for a grade book and teacher's editions for Christmas. I made my precious brother endure years of school before he every stepped foot into South Columbia Elementary. I don't feel alive and fulfilled unless I am teaching. I loved my nine years at home with Kenly and Corah, but if I am completely honest, I felt like a huge part of me was hibernating for nine years. For the first time in nine years, all of me feels alive again because I am back in a school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I also love Facebook. While many times Facebook can feel like a pit of poison, I also see the app used for good--a way to encourage people, to share a quick laugh, and to connect with people you might otherwise forget. Most of the time, Facebook fills me up. However, in the wake of a major issue or controversy, Facebook is an emotional drain for me. I've learned to walk away until the battle cools because reading the worst humanity has to offer destroys me. It's all too much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the wake of the latest school shooting, I felt like Facebook was a battleground. I am becoming more aware that social media is not the arena for fighting for social change. Intimate personal conversations cannot happen through a screen. It is too easy to give into negativity, defeatist attitudes, and and us against them mentality. In order to change the world, we have to listen to each other. Deep listening. All that being said, I love memes. I love quick, witty ways to promote an agenda. I find them clever. Memes about motherhood and parenting are my favorites. However, memes are getting darker and more sinister. At first read, I find myself longing to share the memes, but something always stops me. Memes are often short-sighted, unable to look at a whole issue. Lately the memes that turn my stomach the most have religious undertones. Most of these memes, I probably would have share in my early twenties. Time and experience have been great teachers. On Saturday I was scrolling through Facebook when the following memes caught my eye and troubled my heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I promise I am not judging in sharing these. If you've read this far and you've shared one of these, I am sure you did it with good intentions. I just want people to think before quickly sharing something.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1uRiRkVVmmw/WpdU-9il-yI/AAAAAAAAL4Q/A8RCWkHcJGMNULY-DSW2ozvGJxrMc_FlQCLcBGAs/s1600/God%2Bmeme%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1uRiRkVVmmw/WpdU-9il-yI/AAAAAAAAL4Q/A8RCWkHcJGMNULY-DSW2ozvGJxrMc_FlQCLcBGAs/s1600/God%2Bmeme%2B1.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I understand the theology behind this quote. I understand the idea of God being a gentleman and not forcing himself on a nation, a school, or our lives. However, I feel like this is a misguided statement. I've always understood God to be omnipotent and omnipresent. I grew up reading Psalm 139:7-12</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Where can I go from your Spirit?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-139-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Where can I flee<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-16247A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16247A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> from your presence?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="text Ps-139-8" id="en-NIV-16248" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">8 </span></span><span class="text Ps-139-8" id="en-NIV-16248" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">If I go up to the heavens,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-16248B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16248B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> you are there;</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">if I make my bed<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-16248C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16248C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> in the depths, you are there.</span></span><span class="text Ps-139-9" id="en-NIV-16249" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-139-9" id="en-NIV-16249" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">If I rise on the wings of the dawn,</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">if I settle on the far side of the sea,</span></span><span class="text Ps-139-10" id="en-NIV-16250" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-139-10" id="en-NIV-16250" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">even there your hand will guide me,</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-10" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">your right hand<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-16250E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16250E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> will hold me fast.</span></span><span class="text Ps-139-11" id="en-NIV-16251" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-139-11" id="en-NIV-16251" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and the light become night around me,”</span></span><span class="text Ps-139-12" id="en-NIV-16252" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-139-12" id="en-NIV-16252" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">even the darkness will not be dark<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-16252F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16252F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> to you;</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">the night will shine like the day,</span></span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">for darkness is as light to you.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I realize this passage is talking about a believer, and I understand the meme is referring to a nation as a whole--believers and unbelievers alike. But, if I am being honest, it rubs me wrong to suggest that God will back out schools just because we asked him. Do we hold that power? It also rubs me wrong because I work in a public school. I see men and women walking into a public school every day like they are walking on to a mission field. They pray for students. They are the hands and feet of Jesus every single day. God is present in schools, if only in the lives of those who believe in Him. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JG79UumfPhs/WpdU-4TFVmI/AAAAAAAAL4I/1j7n-RktFi8tqO0Go-s9xXu54XvEBOXBwCLcBGAs/s1600/God%2BMeme%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JG79UumfPhs/WpdU-4TFVmI/AAAAAAAAL4I/1j7n-RktFi8tqO0Go-s9xXu54XvEBOXBwCLcBGAs/s1600/God%2BMeme%2B2.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This meme drives me crazy because in my mind, God never left schools. Teachers might not start class with prayer. They might not teach the Bible, but God is active and present in schools. If I believe the Bible to be true, and I do, then the Bible promises me that I will not be left alone. Matthew 18:20 says, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">"For where two or three are </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-23745A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23745A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">gathered in my name, </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-23745B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-23745B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;">there am I among them</span>.” This year alone, I've joined hands with other teachers to pray over issues that are out of our control. We've prayed for guidance and wisdom, for strength to do the job before us. The Bible also says in Deuteronomy 31:6 that we should "be</span><span style="background-color: white;"> strong and courageous.</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5735A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5735A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> Do not be afraid or terrified</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5735B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5735B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> because of them, for the </span><span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white;"> your God goes with you;</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5735C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5735C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;"> he will never leave you</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5735D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5735D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> nor forsake</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5735E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5735E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"> you</span>.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many of my church friends might disagree with me, but faith education has no place in a public school. If you study history, you'll see all sorts of horrors done in the name of religion. You'll also see our founding fathers built our nation so religious persecution would not be tolerated. Personally, I want a gospel of grace presented to my children. A gospel founded in the life and death of Jesus. I believe in Jesus' death and resurrection. I believe it with every fiber of my being. I want others to know and believe too, but I also know that many hold different religious beliefs. Those of differing faiths are just as passionate as I am. Choosing one faith to teach as a nation would be going against principles our nation was founded on.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This meme bothers me. It suggests that we are more powerful than God. If this is the case, why serve Him? If I can bully God whenever I feel like it and bend Him to my will, then He is not God. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This meme is just plain wrong. If you think this is the case, you haven't been in a public school in quite awhile. I am a first grade teacher assistant. I have a Bible on my desk. In every school I've taught in there has been a Bible on my desk. Most middle and high schools have active Fellowship of Christian Athletes clubs. Prayer at the Pole is held on a regular basis. Any student who wants to attend can. As a public high school student, I carried my Bible to school on a regular basis and I was never given a hard time. A few people might have snickered or poked fun, but I didn't care. Sharing things like this perpetuates false information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All in all, I'm finding it so easy to click and share these short-sighted tidbits of information without checking them against the <b>whole</b> of our belief systems. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you read this far, thank you for listening to my babble. I don't know what I'm trying to accomplish by typing this, but I needed to get this of off my chest. Sometimes writing helps me calm the mental storm. </span>Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-78667594016352249272018-02-28T20:17:00.000-05:002018-02-28T20:17:47.006-05:00Edisto/Spring Break--Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-46973733025927337772015-05-06T13:06:00.000-04:002015-05-06T13:06:50.997-04:00Mother's Day MemoriesAdam is amazing about celebrating me on Mother's Day. In the beginning of this thing called motherhood, I asked him to give me one gift every year on Mother's Day. I wanted him to get behind the camera and take pictures of me with my babies. Since I'm often the one behind the camera, I wanted to make sure that once a year there was photographic evidence of me. This has turned into a tradition that I love every May. The photos aren't always perfect, but they capture my little family and the love I have for them perfectly. I'm so thankful that Adam has captured these moments for me. Every year we travel to the Davidson River, eat barbecue, and take pictures. One day I will have a wall of Mother's Day photos to look at and love. <br />
<br />
<b>May 2009</b><br />
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<b>May 2010</b><br />
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<b>May 2011--Corah was on board in these pictures. </b><br />
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<b>May 2012</b><br />
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<b>May 2013</b><br />
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<b>May 2014</b><br />
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I know that May 2015 photos are coming, and that makes this mama's heart really happy.<br />
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I recently found JJ Heller. I love her music, and this song captures how I feel about being a mama, If you don't know it, this is JJ Heller's "I Get to be the One."<br />
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<b>Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas that I love! </b></div>
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-32365010771884706002015-05-06T12:37:00.004-04:002015-05-06T12:37:38.062-04:00Wordless Wednesday--Mother's Day Tradition<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Playing in the dirt is a Mother's Day tradition.
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Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-31611380563315261062014-09-18T13:57:00.003-04:002014-09-18T13:58:07.136-04:00Parenting is HardKenly started first grade at Mills River this year. She landed the teacher of the universe. The teacher that wins the award and writes the blogs. The teacher you pray with every fiber of your being <i>your</i> child gets. I felt like doing back flips when I heard the news. I still feel that way.<br />
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Kindergarten flew by and Kenly excelled. Her teacher and assistant raved over what a smart, sweet little girl she was. <br />
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Enter first grade. Enter a new world. Enter a season of parenting that is H-A-R-D!<br />
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This is a story that I don't want to tell. I don't want to share failures or struggles. They aren't pretty, but they are REAL. So here we go...<br />
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Kenly came home from school on Friday with about 12 band-aids in her backpack pocket. She said her teacher gave them to her to help with monkey bar blisters. I thought nothing of it. She came home on Monday with a small bottle of hand sanitizer. She said her teacher gave it to her because she lost the bottle I gave her. I was mildly suspicious. On Tuesday she gets in the car and declares that her backpack might be a little heavier because her teacher gave her a pack of wipes to keep in her backpack. I was wildly suspicious. <b><i> I was a teacher. I know how teachers function. </i></b><br />
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When we arrived at home, I sent her to her room to play. When she walked away, I started digging through her backpack. I found a travel pack of Wet Ones. I also found a travel size tissue packet in a different pocket. Alarm bells are blaring by this point. I called her in and explained that I wanted to believe that Mrs. F would be nice enough to give her all of these things, but I was having a hard time believing it. I asked Kenly to be honest with me. I wanted the truth. I asked her where these items <i>really</i> came from. <br />
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Cue tears. Cue Kenly saying, "I don't want to tell you. You'll be mad at me."<br />
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I calmly explained that I would only be angry if she didn't tell me the truth...if she forced me to get it from Mrs. F. <br />
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And then she said it. She said, "I took the wipes, tissue, and band-aids from Mrs. F's cabinets. But, she really did give me the hand sanitizer, Mama." <br />
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Enter heartbreak--for Kenly and for me.<br />
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We talked about how stealing was wrong. We talked about how taking things that don't belong to us can have serious consequences. We talked about how it would be hard for people to trust her. I explained that now the consequences are small, but if she continues the behavior it could become much more serious. <br />
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I explained that she would return Mrs. F's items in the morning and she would apologize for the behavior. We talked about how she needed to ask for forgiveness. She begged--complete with wailing and screaming. I explained that <i><b>because I love her</b></i>, she had to face the consequences even if it meant that Mrs. F would move her clip or punish her. I also told Kenly that she would be paying to replace the items she stole from Mrs.F with her own money. <br />
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The evening was awful. I emailed Mrs. F to give her a heads up about Kenly's misbehavior and to ask for a meeting in the morning. These are some of the excerpts from her reply...<br />
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*<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I did give her the little bottle of hand sanitizer on Monday. She found it and asked if she could have it because she lost hers. The bottle was half empty from last year so I didn't see the harm in it. Then later Mr. Justice told me that she was getting up and getting globs of hand sanitizer from the bottle on his desk. It dripped in the floor and she wiped some of it on her clothes. We were hoping that it wouldn't stain. She did this several times. I'm not sure what she was doing with it or why she kept getting up to get so much of it...at one point her hair was wet too. I took her aside and told her that she only needed to get a very small amount and only if she needed it, like before she eats or if she wiped or nose. I told her that if I caught her doing it again that I was going to call you and talk about it. She said she understood and gave me a hug and she hasn't done it again.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">* </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">She is a very bright and smart girl. As you can probably see from some of the work that is coming home, at times she rushes through her work and doesn't pay attention to the quality. At a math tub last week she had to count items in a bag. I had to send her back 3 and 4 times to recount a bag that only contained 11 or 12 items. Once I sat right next to her and made her slow down and do her best, she got it easy. Some of her coloring and handwriting seems to be rushed too. I'm still learning the kids, so this may be typical for her but like you, I only want her to do her best. If you feel that I can push her a little more to be neater and more thorough with her work let me know...like I said, I'm still learning them so I'm not sure how much to push yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">She said TONS of nice things about Kenly as well. But these were the ones that I heard over and over in my mind. These are traits we already know about Kenly. This is nothing new, but it was the first time that another adult has said <i>anything</i> negative about my child. It was hard to hear. It was hard "to rat" on my child, but I knew it was the right thing to do. By morning I was sick to my stomach.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Kenly was nervous, and I was trying not to let her see how scared I was. We marched into Mrs. F's classroom. Kenly was calm until she saw her teacher and then she hit the floor like a rag doll and started weeping. After a ton of coaxing, Kenly finally got out her apology. And the whole thing was over....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mrs. F didn't move her clip because Kenly did the hard thing and said she was sorry. She did move her seat to the front of the room, and we are both talking to her about doing her <b>BEST</b> work on every assignment. She's too smart to get into bad habits now. Since most of what they are doing now is review, Mrs. F and I think that she is getting bored and acting on some of the wild things she imagines. Mrs. F was so gracious, and she sent me this in an email today...it was a healing balm and the reassurance that I needed. I did not want Kenly's reputation to be stained.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">*</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">And I absolutely meant what I said...I do not get mad at these kids. Of course they get in trouble and have consequences but after I have to get on to them to follow the rules or directions, I go right back to loving them and making them feel special. What happened stays between us and does not put a single negative thought about Kenly in my mind at all. I want to tell you this because I worry about that with my own son and his teachers at school.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I know that my children are not perfect. I know they are going to make tons of mistakes--BIG and small. I know that is how they learn, but it killed me inside to make Kenly face the music. God was gracious and I felt no responsibility for her actions. I know that she is her own person with her own sin nature to deal with. I can't carry the weight of her failures and mine. It would crush me. But, I did struggle with making her face the pain of her consequences. Everything in me wanted to protect her, but that would have been doing her a MAJOR disservice. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Through this all, God was so gracious. In the middle of a hellish Tuesday afternoon, an angel named Judy brought a beautiful potted Chrysanthemum to my door. Kenly helped with a raffle at our neighborhood picnic on Saturday and she kept telling Judy that she wanted to give some pretty flowers to her Mama. Judy made that wish come true. Her timing was perfect. Only God could have planned that beauty. Those flowers were a perfect reminder that the love between a mother and daughter transcends all the battles and the discipline. It grows stronger and over time and it will flower into something truly beautiful one day.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On Wednesday morning, Kenly's devotion was perfect. The scripture for the day was Psalm 103:12 (ICB)--"He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from the west."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I was able to once again share the beauty of God's grace and forgiveness. It is my prayer that one day she will grab on to that grace with both hands and refuse to let go. I was also able to talk to her about forgiving herself. I struggle with this on a regular basis. I beat myself up over and over again. I told her to let it go. She asked for forgiveness and she has been forgiven. Mommy, Daddy, God, and Mrs. F all forgive her. She doesn't need to pick it back up or ask for forgiveness again. The price has been paid. Now she simply needs to make the right choice when faced with the temptation to steal again. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I felt emotionally beaten by the time night fell last night. I have cried more in the past two days than I have in two years. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">But, as I told Kenly, it is over.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Time to move on. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> I had lunch with Kenly on the day she confessed to Mrs. F. As you can see, she's moved on. </span></span></span></div>
Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-90453373106931460002014-06-13T11:50:00.001-04:002014-06-13T11:50:58.355-04:00KindergartenI have been so behind in blogging, but today the desire to record a special occasion has made me want to break my silence. In August 2013, Kenly started Kindergarten. I could hardly believe that she was old enough to leave me for the whole day, and yet I knew she was ready! These are the picture from her first day of Kindergarten.<br />
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She was all decked out in her Tinkerbell backpack and her Tinkerbell lunchbox. <br />
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The bag was as big as she was.<br />
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She took in her "All About Me" poster and that was the end of it....I became the mother of a child in the public school system.<br />
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She looked so small but so confident walking down that hall on the first day....paces ahead of me.<br />
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She found her name and settled into her table.<br />
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FAST FORWARD 177 school days...to this morning. She's grown inches, learned loads, and lost three teeth in the process. Her report card came home yesterday, and I am now the mother of a FIRST GRADER. Kenly ended the school year with all satisfactory marks on her report card. She is on grade level for all tested skills. She's always been gifted in verbal realms, but her report card proves that we were not just proud parents. <br />
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She's is above grade level in writing and reading. <br />
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1st Quarter Reading Level--B<br />
2nd Quarter Reading Level--C<br />
3rd Quarter Reading Level--D<br />
4th Quarter Reading Level--G<br />
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<b>She was only expected to end the year on Level D. </b> I'm amazed to hear her read these day.<br />
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She looks so grown up now. <br />
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Corah wants to go to school with Kenly every day. She would if I would let her.<br />
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I can't believe how much this picture shows she has grown....<br />
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Touching her name on the class list one more time.<br />
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This is Mrs. Bader. She was an answer to prayer. She challenged and encouraged this child who strives to be "perfect" to make mistakes. To try her best...to write without fear of making an error. When Kenly mastered a group of sight words, she let her move on. By the time it was all said and done, KS was practicing the second grade sight words.<br />
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Mrs. Maltby. The best assistant in the world. She made Kenly feel loved and adored every day. She made school safe.<br />
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Corah settles right into a center every time we visit the classroom.<br />
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This is Jane, one of Kenly's friends from school. Every time we visited Kenly, Jane came to say hello and ask about our "baby."<br />
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Can you tell she LOVES her teachers?<br />
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I'm a little proud of her accomplishment. I wanted to shock her, so I decorated the van for pick up this afternoon. One day this will embarrass the snot out of her, so for now, I'm going to wave my proud Mama fly high. <br />
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Corah and I came home from dropping her off and cooked a cookie cake to celebrate school being out for summer. Hopefully Adam and Kenly will be surprised. <br />
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I am so proud of my little family...excuse me while I gloat. I just can't help myself.Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-39017120500993392602013-07-04T09:44:00.000-04:002013-07-04T09:44:25.889-04:00Edisto Beach/Spring Break--Part 2I'm really slacking. I can't believe I'm stuck back in March and we are kicking off July now. Oh well...better late than never.<br />
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Adam did some fancy dancing to Papa's new radio in the kitchen of <i>El Capitiano</i>. The girls squealed with delight.<br />
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Corah enjoyed exploring the beds in Grandma's room. She loved trying to scale the mountain of pillows. When she got tired, she simple relaxed and rested in the safe haven of pillows.<br />
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The view from the house was amazing. The cold, windy weather didn't stop us from enjoying the scenery.<br />
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We could never tell who enjoyed the widows more--Grandma or Corah. They spent hours looking at birds and boats.<br />
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I can't wait to edit this picture one day...one day when things "slow" down. Corah loved Grandma's necklace. <br />
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Adam doesn't nap, especially when there is noise to keep him awake. So, when I catch him like this, I take a picture to prove that his body will let him nap at the beach.<br />
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I love this picture of Grandma enjoying the view.<br />
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Corah and Kenly both enjoyed playing on the screened porch. When the evening sun poured in the light was beautiful.<br />
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Pure golden sunshine...my favorite type of light. We learned that Corah would drink water from Papa's cup. <br />
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These two refuse to snuggle together for a picture. Adam took at least 20 pictures of the girls in this wonderful light and this was the best one of the bunch.<br />
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Snuggles with Papa on the porch.<br />
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The sunsets were amazing. We loved watching God put on a show every night.<br />
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Corah was a little less freaked out by the beach this year. She loved the sand and she really wanted to try out the water. It was a bit too cold to let her this year.<br />
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Kenly built this lovely sandcastle and covered it with shells.<br />
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I love this picture....Adam did so great.<br />
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We did a lot of running on the beach. We were trying to outrun sharks and various other creatures.<br />
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Kenly did a bit of flying.<br />
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I love these girls...immensely. <br />
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Carrie tried to teach Grandma how to play Solitaire. Travis kept calling them Team Solitaire. I found this hilarious. My brother is amazingly witty.<br />
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-4585742906673013602013-06-08T21:36:00.000-04:002013-06-08T21:36:31.721-04:00Edisto Beach/Spring Break--Part 1We love Edisto Island, SC. I would spend every spring break for the rest of my life walking slowly along the shore searching for fossilized sharks teeth. I love the slow pace and the peace and quiet. Last year we rented <i>Sea for Ava</i>. Renting a house was new to us, but the thought of sharing a pop up with two small children for a week seemed a bit daunting. Call me chicken. Go ahead. I'll wear that title proudly. This year we rented a house on the sound called <i>El Capitano</i>. The porch was heavenly. The yard divine. The beach was a constant source of entertainment. Nana, Papa, and Grandma came with us for the entire week. Travis and Carrie joined us for the last part of the week.<br />
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Corah loved looking out the window. If she wasn't outside, she wanted to be looking outside. <br />
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Grandma was a good sport, and she let Kenly give her a manicure. Since I don't trust her with real nail polish yet, she had to be okay with using markers.<br />
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The finished product--RAINBOW NAILS.<br />
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Nana and Papa gave Kenly a book that included several <i>Fancy Nancy</i> stories. Since the weather was cold in the beginning of the week, Kenly had no problem snuggling up with Nana and reading it cover to cover.<br />
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Then she challenged her Daddy to a quick game of cards. <br />
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And a little later, she got Daddy to read her a few <i>Fancy Nancy</i> stories.<br />
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We were able to watch the sunset every night while we were there. If it was too cold to be outside enjoying it, this was out view from the dining room table. Not bad. Not bad at all.<br />
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Kenly wanted a closer view, so she snuggled up with Daddy on the screened porch.<br />
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I'm not sure who was happier in this picture.<br />
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-81740628950955024862013-05-30T21:40:00.000-04:002013-05-30T21:40:35.656-04:00The Easter Egg Hunt of the CenturyI just need to say from the start that Kristen Freeman throws an amazing party. She makes it look easy when I know she works her tush off for days to spread such cheer. We were invited to the Easter party at the Freeman house this year. Last year we were out of town, so we missed the magic. This year we got lucky.<br />
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When we arrived, the Easter Bunny was hopping around handing out prizes. <br />
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Kenly was so excited that I needed to remind her every ten minutes to give the bunny some space.<br />
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All the kids gathered around to hear the story of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. Every child wanted to help with the Resurrection Eggs. They were hanging on every word. I was happy to see the story of God's amazing love told. <br />
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Everyone lined up for a group picture of sorts and then it was off to the races. There were eggs as far as the eye could see. <br />
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See what I mean? Kenly's basket was full. She worked hard to find eggs, but she's not a speed demon. Every kid felt like a winner.<br />
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Then the real fun began. Kristen instructed us all to sit and open the eggs. Inside every egg was candy or a slip of paper with a prize written on it.<br />
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When the dust settled, every child was able to visit the prize table. Kristen's prize table made the set up at Chuck E. Cheese look bad.<br />
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When Kenly walked away from the prize table her basket was overflowing with goodies. Kites, pencils, bubbles, lip gloss, cups. Let's just say that the Easter Bunny didn't need to come to our house.<br />
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But the fun didn't end there. The children were able to hold real chicks. <br />
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Kenly was able to snuggle a real bunny. I don't know if I should thank Kristen or not. Kenly is smitten. I see a bunny in our future. Kenly loves bunnies. Her comfort object is a bunny...all "velveteen" in nature from years of love. <br />
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Lip gloss is cool.<br />
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Really cool.<br />
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I think she's plotting how to take the bunny home with her in this picture.<br />
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Bliss.<br />
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Kenly and Emory were in the same dance class last year. Kenly really enjoyed seeing her friend again.<br />
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Kenly got behind the camera for this shot. We had a wonderful Mommy-Daughter date.<br />
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And the icing on the cake was, well, CAKE!<br />
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We had a wonderful time celebrating with our friends. Kenly loved every minute of the party. She still talk about the fun we had. Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-27677955360837261502013-05-22T15:11:00.001-04:002013-05-22T15:11:15.526-04:00March MadnessRemember those rocks we collected at the Davidson River? Well, this is what we did with those beauties. I warmed the rocks in the oven and then allowed Kenly to melt crayons all over them. I hope to create a fairy village in the backyard. We just watched <i>Tinkerbell </i>and <i>The Secret of the Wings</i>, and Kenly is really into those flying mythical creatures.<br />
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She was very careful and didn't burn herself a single time.<br />
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Corah loves to help me fold laundry. By fold laundry, I mean she likes to take my folded laundry and carry it to various hiding places throughout the house. Some days I refuse to let her touch the clothes while I'm working. Other days I hand her half of the laundry before I even start so that I can get <i>something</i> done. Still other days, I stop everything and soak up her adorable smile and her destructive tendencies. I wish I could learn to slow down and embrace chaos more often. I love these pictures. They capture Corah.<br />
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Let me put Sissy's (clean) underwear on my head and laugh about it.<br />
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I'm cute. I'm also distracted by what is happening "atside (outside)."<br />
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Can you hear her? <i> Mama, look at how cute I am. Can't we just keep a huge pile of clothes on the floor. Life would be so much fun if we did.</i><br />
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Corah loves to eat. If I ask her if she wants to eat, she literally bounces and squeals. Her little hands go up in excitement. Then she runs to her high chair and signs eat while saying it loud enough to deafen the neighbors. Adorable. <br />
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I was so proud of Adam this month. He applied for a grant that could have taken him to Spain for a week or two this summer. I think the judges for the Hilton are crazy because his essays were amazing. He could have brought so much to the classroom if they had given him a chance to go to voting. He wasn't selected as a finalist, but he's a winner to me. He's the best teacher I know, and I happen to know quite a few amazing teachers.<br />
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Corah loves Chance. She's often a bit to rough with him. He's amazingly patient and gentle even when she pinching him like vice grips.<br />
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She's "blowing her nose" in this picture. Shortly after I snapped this, she offered to wipe Chance's nose. I swear he rolled his eyes and hurried off the futon.<br />
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See that dimple. It melts my heart.<br />
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Adam turned 37 on the 16th of March. I was able to take him to Curate in Asheville. Then we went to Hot Springs for a soak in tub 5 and a couples massage. I caused us to miss a good 10 minutes of our 30 minute massage because I left the coupon at home. We had to call Jeremy and he found the redemption code for us. When we got home, Pops had cooked this amazing meal for Adam.<br />
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A sneaky leprechaun ransacked the living room during the night. They went through the DVD cabinet and took all the pillows off the couch. They upset the coffee table, but when Kenly woke up in the morning, she came running out of her room with gold in her hands. The leprechaun left a trail of golden coins from Kenly's bed to the living room. He also left a bag of gold coins on the coffee table. He left a note.<br />
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<i>I made a mess, but I shared me gold. </i></div>
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<i>Love, </i></div>
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<i>Lucky</i></div>
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It turns out those coins were made of chocolate. <br />
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We had green waffles and green milk for breakfast. Kenly dressed in green from head to toe to avoid being pinched. <br />
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At some point in March, Corah had her first taste of chicken on the bone. She got angry when I started to cut it up for her. She wasn't successful, but she wanted to try and eat it like Sissy.<br />
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Obsessed with the dog...OBSESSED!<br />
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Corah, Kenly, and I decorated the house for Easter shortly after St. Patrick's Day. The holiday were so close together this year that we had to move quick. I loved making this Easter egg garland for the mantle. It was fun and easy. The best part was that it was free. <br />
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-15431996508677819352013-05-18T21:11:00.000-04:002013-05-18T21:12:01.034-04:00Hiking on a Snowy Day with RABehind again...but, I <u><i>am</i></u> keeping up with blogging at least 3 times a month.<br />
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Back in March we had a dusting of snow while I was struggling with a RA flare. I was on steroids to help get the inflammation under control. Adam offered to take the girls and Chance on a hike to let me rest. Part of me really wanted to just lay on the couch with a book and take him up on that. The stronger half of me really didn't want to miss the beauty of a snowy hike. Plus, gentle movement helps with the stiffness. It's the starting that is hard. Adam agreed to let me come if I would let him do all the work. Well, okay...<br />
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So, he brought the "princess chariot" for Kenly and the jogging stroller for Corah. We picked a flat hike along the Davidson River and I got to be boss. In short, I got to determine when we were done. <br />
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I stood for this picture, but I never really pushed the stroller. <br />
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Corah wanted to get down and walk. She's a bit fearless, so when she tried to toss herself into the frigid water, we decided she needed to ride again.<br />
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Some hikers managed to capture a rare and complete family photo. We just have to teach Chance to look at the camera.<br />
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I love the flyaway hair and the adorable dimple.<br />
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We dove to one of our favorite pull offs along the Davidson River to gather some rocks for a craft. <br />
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RA, I'm not going to let you keep me down. (Side note: I went to the doctor this week. He took x-rays of my hands and feet. My last x-rays were taken when I got my diagnosis...nearly five years ago. Dr. Meyer's office called to tell me that there has not been <i>any</i> change x-rays. Praise God. I might feel old and sore, but as of now, RA is not doing major damage to my minor joints. He did start me on an anti-inflammatory drug called Meloxicam. I'm supposed to take it daily for the next three months. We will reevaluate in 3 months.) <br />
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Words fail me...<br />
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I love this puppy. He's keeping me company while I type in bed tonight. Such a sweet boy.<br />
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-91230185491558799322013-04-25T15:07:00.001-04:002013-04-25T15:07:31.015-04:00Dads and DaughtersAdam loves his little girls. Kenly and Corah meet him at the top of the stairs every day. Corah hears the garage door and comes running as fast as her little legs will carry her. She screams, "DaDa!" It warms my heart to watch the mutual adoration between my girls and their daddy. Kenly loves to snuggle Daddy after dinner. I often catch them talking about the day just like this.<br />
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Kenly and Corah both know how much Adam loves them. He tells them all the time--with his words and with the time he devotes to them both. I always knew he'd be an amazing Daddy.Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-41980130137915454652013-04-25T11:12:00.002-04:002013-04-25T14:50:44.966-04:00Rest TimeKenly decided that naps are not cool. I keep telling her that one day she will long for naps, but she doesn't believe me. In fact, she's started telling me that I'm not smart. I'm secretly hoping that we are getting all of our battles out of the way before she turns 13, but I'm not holding my breath on that one either.<br />
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In order to maintain my sanity, I've started implementing rest time for Kenly. She doesn't have to nap, but she does have to play quietly in her room. We tried letting her close her door for rest time, but the "interesting" experiments she conducted behind a closed door lead to our new open door policy. One day she decided to bathe all of her Barbies in a Tupperware container. This lead to soggy carpet, wet furniture, and dripping dolls. <br />
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Rest time leads to wonderful discoveries most days. I love when Kenly throws a tea party for her critters. I love when I get invited once her alarm clock releases her from rest time. <br />
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Yes, that is a window cling on her head. It makes a fantastic headpiece. Don't you agree?<br />
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I love the elaborate set up. She did this all on her own. <br />
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Can you find Kenly here?<br />
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Every critter has his/her own seat. It's marvelous. <br />
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The hostess is beautiful and gracious as well.<br />
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She dances for her party guests.<br />
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Oh, rest time. You're a mother's best friend.<br />
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Side note--Kenly was addicted to <i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> on CD about a month ago. She would listen to it while playing in her room. This lead to her speaking in a forced British accent for quite awhile. It was highly amusing, except when it wasn't. Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-78689707196417188692013-04-25T10:23:00.000-04:002013-04-25T10:23:40.228-04:00Crazy about CorahI'm crazy about Corah. God has blessed me with this little spitfire for sure. Corah turned 17 months on April 21st. I'm behind on blogging again, and part of the reason is because I'm chasing this precious little one around. I love watching her little personality develop. Often her "little" personality and the personality of her big sister stretch me to the breaking point. Corah loves to be outside. She often walks to the sliding glass door and looks to be and says, "Up peeze." She will then point to the glass and say, "Atside." If I let her go "atside" her face lights up and she practically bounces. God have mercy on me if I have to tell her no. She arches her back and cries as if her heart is breaking into a million little pieces. Then the sadness morphs into anger. Often this little cherub will bite herself in frustration.<br />
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Never a dull moment.<br />
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She loves sitting at the picnic table on the porch. She's fascinated the squirrels that frolic in the backyard. Heaven help us if a turkey strolls through the yard. She tries to gobble and she screams, "Duck." And don't get me started on how cute she is when she sees the birds fly to the feeders. Unbridled joy...fascination at all of the wonderful gifts God has given us. She reminds me to take notice. His blessings abound every day.<br />
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I wish we could maintain our childlike curiosity through out life. I wish we could always live with eyes wide open, discovering something new at every moment. At 37 I sometimes feel like life has given me blinders or tunnel vision. But my children, they help me rip the blinders off for a few minutes every day. What a gift.<br />
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Just this morning Corah woke up at 5:40. She's suffering from some sort of viral nastiness. Poor thing has had fever for a few days. She's wanting to be cuddled and loved. Most of the time she's not interested in being confined. I snuggled her and enjoyed a cup of coffee. I soaked up her warmth and her sweet little hand holding mine. I watched as the Ibuprofen kicked in and she slowly ventured off my lap. She's a gift, my precious little one.<br />
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She ginned and shook with excitement when I told her we could wake up Sissy. She ran to Kenly's door and waited for me to open it. When Kenly finally looked over the edge of the bed to find Corah waiting on her, Corah looked up and said, "Hey Sdissy." The sweetness overwhelmed me. They love each other. The loves often leads to messy fights and hurt feelings, but I pray that the love always wins.<br />
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I'm counting Corah as one of my biggest gifts today. She and Kenly have introduced me to a love like I've never known before. <br />
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-41515501993967820212013-04-16T20:34:00.000-04:002013-04-16T20:34:07.660-04:00Wacky and TackyWe had a few nice days in early March. Days that begged for sidewalk chalk and nice deep breaths of outside air. Girls can only take a few months of inside living before they go a little stir crazy. When the weather hit the sixty degree mark, I issued a decree--WE ARE GOING OUTSIDE!
When we are playing inside, it's not uncommon for Kenly to be wearing a princess gown and a crown at any given moment. Since she's freeze to death in her Cinderella gown, I lovingly suggested that she change into pants, a long sleeve shirt, socks, and shoes. I have to be specific with Kenly in regards to clothing or she might come out wearing a tank top and poodle skirt. I had to stiffle a belly laugh when I turned around to find her in this outfit. At first glance it doesn't look so bad, but if you look closer...and then a little closer, you will find FOUR different floral patterns on her body. She was proud of the look, so I didn't want to tell her she'd win an award for being completely wacky and tacky. The girl has a future in rocking "Tacky Day" on Spirit Week in high school.<br />
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Can you see it now? Floral shoes, floral shirt, floral pants....and the bright yellow you see---yep, those are floral socks.<br />
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<br />But, that smile. That smile is anything but tacky. It melts my heart on a daily basis. <br />
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And this one. Well, she makes my heart skip a beat as I race to save her from imminent danger at least four times a day. She's wonderful. She beautiful. She's a complete handful.<br />
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Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-52093329730371364572013-04-16T20:17:00.002-04:002013-04-16T20:17:55.115-04:00Kindergarten Readiness RallyOn March 7th, Kenly and I had a mother-daughter date of sorts when we went to the Kindergarten Readiness Rally at the Blue Ridge Mall. It was a mixture of madness/mayhem and pure excitement. The main reason Kenly wanted to attend the rally was to get on the school bus. So, when we parked the car and headed to the entrance, Kenly spotted the bus and begged to go there first. Since I don't get to say YES as frequently as I would like to, I took the opportunity to say OF COURSE. So, our first stop to kindergarten readiness was a big, yellow school bus. (I'm behind again, so none of these photos have been edited.)<br />
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Kenly hopped on the bus and headed straight for the back seat. <i>All the cool kids in the back of the bus</i>. We sat on the bus and talked about what it would be like if it were moving. We talked about the bus rules, and then I had to convince her that there would be other cool things <u><i>in</i></u> the mall.<br />
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I can't get this picture to rotate for some strange reason. It is my favorite picture from the event because I think it captures her excitement perfectly. So, do me a favor and tilt your head for me, okay?<br />
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We entered the mall and registered for the event. Kenly was given a paper to collect stickers on as we completed activities. The event was four times bigger than I imagined it would be. She collected treasures, made art, and showed off her readiness skills.<br />
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We even stopped by to see her preschool teachers at the Creative Beginnings table. She and Ms. Kim played a little game.<br />
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When it was all said and done, Kenly and I had a wonderful time exploring all the tables. We stopped by the Mills River Elementary School table where she was able to plant a bean. On the way home, she told me that she was a bit nervous to start school. I explained that being nervous was a normal reaction to starting something new. Kenly is going to have so much fun in school. I know she's going to blow her teacher's mind next year. I'm her Mama, and she shocks me with her brilliance on a regular basis.<br />
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I registered her for kindergarten the following Monday. It was a bittersweet moment. I know it needs to happy. She needs school to challenge her all day. Before Corah was born, I could challenge her for most of the day. Now, I'm splitting time. Corah is a daredevil, so most days I have to fight to keep her alive This isn't a bad thing. Kenly is learning so much in her new role as sister, but I can tell she's longing to be challenged. My heart is so torn. I want to keep her small, but I'm excited to see her fly. I know she's ready. <br />
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Oh...and to make the girl happy, we boarded the bus a second time before we headed home. Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-21506138132370396962013-03-13T22:20:00.003-04:002013-03-13T22:20:53.948-04:00Loot, 15 Months, and the PupKenly had a wonderful Valentine's Day party at Creative Beginnings. She came home with a paper bag full of loot. She loved looking at every card and counting out her candy. Her favorite prize--a Barbie tattoo. She loved this tattoo so much that she managed to keep in on her arm for almost two weeks. Adam and I decided that her skin needed to breathe, so off it came with a bit of scrubbing during a bubble bath.
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Adam and I gave her some Piggy Paint Polish as part of her Valentine's Day gift. She loves it! We wanted to see if having pretty manicured nails would help her keep her hands out of her mouth. We have seen some improvement, but she is still struggling with picking her lips and biting her nails. Baby steps.<br />
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These pictures are from February 21st--Croah's 15 month birthday. I thought she looked adorable in this outfit, so I took quite a few pictures. These are some of my favorites. <br />
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Corah has a mouth full of teeth. In fact, I think she only needs to cut four more. One of those is working its way in right now. <br />
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Hello adorable cheeks. I want to squeeze you. <br />
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Corah loves shoes. LOVES shoes. She carries them around and asks for me to put them on her feet. I can't understand this. I would go barefoot all year if I could. My shoes are the first thing I shed when I walk in the house.<br />
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<br />Corah likes to have snack in her chair. Since this picture, she started using a sippy cup most of the time. <br />
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<br />Chance, do you have any idea how much you are loved? Chance is the best dog in the universe--hands down. He's finally starting to show his age a bit, but every now and then, we catch a glimpse of the mischievous pup that he is at heart. I love this dog! He is so good with the girls. <br />
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-40136285532320338182013-03-13T22:01:00.001-04:002013-03-13T22:01:12.061-04:00A Sorry Excuse for SnowCorah is 15 months old, and she has yet to witness a good snow. She watched a few flurries fall this year, so she was excited in later February when a tiny bit of snow stuck to the ground. We bundled her up and took her outside to experience the white stuff.<br />
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Having a white backyard made her squeal with delight. She smiled until she fell down for the first time. After that, she wanted "up peeze."<br />
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The boots I put on her to protect her feet turned out to be more of a hazard than a help. <br />
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Corah had her first sledding experience on 1/4 of snow. It was enough snow to pick up speed on the slight incline near our front steps. She wasn't sure about sledding at first, but after a few runs down the "hill," sledding hooked her for life. She's a complete junkie. <br />
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Kenly went sledding for the first time in the womb. She entered the world asking to sled. She's a pro now.<br />
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She even took Corah sledding.<br />
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Oh Chance, why do you hate sledding so much? Why do you think we are in grave danger? Thank you for trying to protect us from harm.<br />
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So, it was a sorry excuse for snow that melted after about 30 minutes of play. But, I'm so glad we braved the bitter cold so that Corah could experience a winter wonderland. Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-89967526677428499592013-03-08T23:42:00.004-05:002013-03-08T23:42:57.222-05:00Vomit Armageddon, the Super Bowl, and Frilly SkirtsIt is 10:15pm on March 8th. I just gave up fighting Corah and let her get out of bed. Maybe she can't sleep because I'm taking a steroid and still nursing. Maybe she can't sleep because she's cutting a tooth (and she is). Maybe it is because she likes to drive me crazy. Maybe it is because she had a fever of 103.4 last night. Maybe it is the annoying cough that makes her gag. Who knows? She's cute toddling around in her purple footed pajamas, but I won't lie and say I'm happy to be watching her ransack the living room while the rest of the house sleeps. I only got about four hours sleep last night, so I was hoping to go far, far away tonight. <br />
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On the bright side, I told her that I'm not entertaining me. That gives me a few "quiet" moments to blog. Back in February, we had our own Super Bowl party. The girls went to bed early and Adam and I watched the game. Adam made amazing ribs for the second year in a row. Kenly enjoyed being his sous chef. Apparently her job consisted of opening every spice jar in the rack and taking a deep whiff. She's great at telling us what each spice smells like. She's pretty accurate for a four year old too. <br />
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The girls enjoy bath time. Most of the time I plunk them in the tub together. On a rare occasion, they get a solo bath. Corah thinks bath time is amazing. I can't say the words bath or tub unless I'm ready to start running the water or she will stand at the bathroom door and whine. <br />
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Kenly's new favorite pastime is making funny faces for the camera. Corah finds this highly amusing. <br />
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Just before my birthday, we experienced Vomit Armageddon. Corah had been sleeping poorly, so I decided to room with her for the evening. I heard a strange noise that sounded like Kenly screaming. I thought it was a bad dream but then I saw lights blazing in the living room. I check my phone to find that it was only 12:30. I ran across the house to find Kenly in the shower and Adam looking rather shell-shocked. Can I just ask one question? Why does a stomach virus always hit in the middle of the night? It would be just as shocking and disgusting at 10:00am, but at least I would be awake and prepared for the action that <i>must</i> be taken. Adam was so sweet and he tried to take Kenly across the house so she would not wake Corah and me. But, in the transfer process she puked all over the Dora kitchen and play food, all on the floor, and all over Adam. Add the mess that already occurred in her bed and we were looking at a massive clean up. Poor Kenly fell victim to the Norovirus. I cleaned until Clorox had eaten holes in my hands. We all fell in the bed again at about 3:00am. Adam stayed home the next day and helped me so much. He kept Kenly quarantined in the master bedroom and I kept Corah busy. I began to freak myself out too. The internet is great, but a little information can go a LONG way. I found out that hand sanitizer does not kill the Norovirus. The virus can live on surfaces for 12 hours. It can live in carpet for 12 day. 12 DAYS! I began to feel like I was in my own personal <i>Contagion</i>. I bought cleaning supplies in bulk and I used them like my life depended on it. I stocked up on tons of stuff that fit into the BRAT diet in case the whole house fell. I sent out distress cries--SOS's to anyone who would listen. I pray that God would not let Adam and I fall at the same time. I worried. I'm the Mom--that is what I do.<br />
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Adam fell. He fell hard. He and Kenly both endured 8-10 hours of vomiting. Adam had diarrhea and vomiting. After going through it himself, she said that Kenly was amazingly brave. This all started on a Tuesday night. Adam fell on Thursday morning. Fast forward to Friday. I was taking care of both girls now while poor Adam prayed to die in the master bedroom. I fed Kenly a normal meal on Friday--grilled cheese and pears. She wanted it. She had been vomit free since Wednesday morning. Poor girl woke up to a second round of vomiting on Friday night. More carpet cleaning. Another round of sheets washing. And yet another midnight shower to wash the yuck away. <br />
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Adam and Kenly stayed in the master bedroom from Tuesday to Sunday. Kenly had one brief day of freedom. Corah and I inhaled Lysol and entertained ourselves in various ways. We managed to escape the full virus. We both had funky tummies and upset stomach, but no vomiting. I'm so thankful Corah was spared. I prayed daily that if one of us was going to fall, let it be me. <br />
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Corah recently discovered that she can climb into boxes and cabinets. This provided hours of entertainment during Vomit Armageddon. <br />
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She emptied Chance's toy box and climbed right in.<br />
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Watch me try and get out of this crate.<br />
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I might need to grow a few more inches. <br />
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Never mind, I'll just keep playing in the crate. The sunshine feels nice.<br />
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I escaped the crate with Mama's help. Maybe I can fit in the kitchen? (The kitchen that got a vomit shower and three days of Clorox treatment by a mother crazy by a fear of the Norovirus.)<br />
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I know I can do it. <br />
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I might not be able to fit in the kitchen, but I can empty these DVDs out and hide in here. No one will know I'm here. <br />
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Oh...and Corah can destroy a room in about two minutes. What takes her two minutes to pull out takes me 25 minutes to put away. How is that possible? I joke that I spend my day walking from one Corah/Kenly "disaster" to another. <br />
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Kenly and I tried out a Pinterest craft for Valentine's Day. We made our very own window clings. I must say that I was really skeptical that this craft would work. The "recipe" called for Elmer's glue, dish soap, glitter, and food coloring. There were no measurements. We painted our colorful, sparking glop on a plastic page protector and waited patiently for it to dry. <br />
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<br />They worked. They were really pretty in the sun too. I don't have a picture right now of the finished product, but we've already made rainbows and shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. We plan on making eggs for Easter. I plan on doing this every year until the girls get sick of making them. I might start making them for myself when they are done making them. <br />
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Have I mentioned that Corah has a temper? A pitch a fit and bite herself temper. She learned quickly that biting me or Kenly brought consequences. Now she bites herself when she is angry or frustrated. We aren't talking a little bite. I could make dental molds from some of her bites. Dr. Dephouse says to ignore it or put her in time-out until the phase passes. <br />
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Corah loves her Binky almost as much as Kenly did. We are starting to limit it to bed, but I tend to use it as a "stopper" when were are places that I don't want her chewing on things. For instance, the binky is a great barrier at the park when I don't want her snacking on mulch. As you can see in the pictures below, EVERYTHING goes in her mouth.<br />
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If she can't find a box to sit in, she pulls out one of the organizer drawers and has a seat.<br />
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On my birthday, My beautiful friend Leigh Ann Pratt sent me a dozen roses. The roses were orange, red, pink, and white. I was shocked and deeply touched. Adam bought me Umi for dinner on my birthday. He bought me a sunflower roll because he wanted to get me flowers too. He also bought me a superman roll because he says I'm a superhero. All I can say is delicious. <br />
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Mops and Pops came up for my birthday weekend. We went to lunch at <i>Square Root</i> in downtown Hendersonville. It snowed the whole time we were eating. Then we walked down to <i>Fire It Up</i> to paint pottery. We both painted salad plates. Finally, we went to see <i>Argo</i>. I had a fun date with my hubby for my birthday. Time alone with him was an amazing gift. <br />
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Have I mentioned that Corah wants to do everything Kenly does? She shared Sissy's markers for the first time. At first she did great. Then she started chewing on the markers. <br />
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Corah wore this dress for her first birthday party. I wanted her to get some more wear out of it, and I thought Valentine's week was a great time to show off girlie ruffles and pale pink.<br />
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Look at the fat rolls where Corah is supposed to have wrists. I love it. <br />
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I love cute fat rolls on my babies. <br />
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-40141246705680765992013-03-05T14:53:00.003-05:002013-03-05T14:53:49.780-05:00Thinking Deep Thoughts--RA EditionI called the doctor last Friday. I knew I had to do something. Dr. Meyer called in 12 days of Prednisone. Not an ideal situation, but much better than facing the start of methotrexate. I might still have to do that when I go for a follow up appointment, but the steroid has bought me a bit of time.<br />
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I've had a few good cries. I've done a bit of cursing. I've pouted. <br />
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This morning I opened <i>Jesus Calling </i>by Sarah Young for a quick pick me up. <br />
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I read this...<br />
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<i>Make friends with the problems in your life. Though many things feel random and wrong, remember that I am sovereign over everything. <b>I can fit everything into a pattern for good, but only to the extent that you trust Me. [Romans 8:28] </b> Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece I created you to be. The very some problem can become a stumbling block over which you fall, if you react with distrust and defiance. The choice is up to you, and you will have to choose many times<b> each day</b> whether to trust Me or defy Me.</i></div>
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<i>The best way to befriend your problems is to thank Me for them. This simple act opens your mind to the possibility of benefits flowing from your difficulties. You can even give persistent problems nicknames, helping you to approach them with familiarity rather than dread. The next steps is to introduce them to Me, enabling Me to embrace them in My loving presence. I will not necessarily remove your problems, but My wisdom is sufficient to bring good out of every one of them.</i></div>
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These words stopped me in my tracks. I heard God speak them right to me. It might sound corny, but it is true. I mean, how perfect? I claimed Romans 8:28 in a dark moment, and He showed it to me today. So, I started thinking about these words while Kenly was at preschool. <br />
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I need to befriend my problem. Give my problem a nickname. All sorts of unsavory names popped into mind, but I figured I should try and play nice. Once again, a scripture popped into my head. God's kinda cool like that. I haven't actively memorized scripture in awhile, but He can still stir up those words from long ago. He's faithful to use it when we need it. Paul's words would not leave my mind. I could not get one word out of my mind--THORN.<br />
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Here is what he wrote...<br />
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-6" id="en-NIV-29029"><b> I Corinthains 12:5-10</b></span></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-6" id="en-NIV-29029"> <i><span class="text 2Cor-12-5" id="en-NIV-29028"><sup class="versenum">5 </sup>I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.</span> <span class="text 2Cor-12-6" id="en-NIV-29029"><sup class="versenum">6</sup></span>Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,</i></span><i> <span class="text 2Cor-12-7" id="en-NIV-29030"><sup class="versenum">7 </sup>or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given <b>a thorn</b> in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.</span> <span class="text 2Cor-12-8" id="en-NIV-29031"><sup class="versenum">8 </sup>Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.</span> <span class="text 2Cor-12-9" id="en-NIV-29032"><sup class="versenum">9 </sup>But he said to me, <span class="woj">“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”</span> Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.</span> <span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033"><sup class="versenum">10 </sup>That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.</span></i></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033">Back in January, I made a few resolutions. I also choose one word to focus on for the year. I chose the word depend. I felt like I needed to depend on God for strength and comfort. I often find myself disppointed when my go-to people don't have what I need. I wanted to focus on looking to God first this year. Getting all I need from Him. I won't say that I'm doing a great job, but I'm trying to shift my focus. </span></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033">I am weak right now. Probably the weakest I've been in a while, but maybe there is good in this. Maybe God can help me learn to depend on His power instead of my own. Maybe that's my good. Maybe this is what I need to fully learn to depend.</span></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033">I'm trying to get to the point where I'm ready to thank God for RA. It even sounds crazy when I type it. Thank God for RA? I'd have to be out of my mind to do that, right? It sounds down right loopy. So for now, I'm ready to say that there could possibly be a silver lining to RA. There might be some good hidden in the middle of my hatred for this disease. </span></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033">I've nicked name my RA--Thorny. Thorny is my constant companion. That is a fact. <i>Today</i> I'm choosing to trust that God has something good in store for me because of Thorny. I'm introducing Thorny to God. I'm trusting that He will give me the wisdom and strength to face each day, even if it hurts. I'm might have to start all over tomorrow, but today I'm choosing trust.</span></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033">I'm trusting, as Ann Voskamp writes, "God is in the details; God is in the moment. God is in all that blurs by in life--even hurts in a life."</span></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033">If He's in my hurts, He walking with me every step of the way. </span></div>
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<span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-NIV-29033">For that I am thankful. </span></div>
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<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-54832707721208528732013-03-05T14:13:00.002-05:002013-03-05T14:13:21.836-05:00Love and CraftingCrafting is one of the ways we avoid falling prey to too much television. I've found that too much screen time makes Kenly grumpy. She wants more. More. MORE! So, we use crafting to pass time when things need to be calm and when Mommy needs to keep kiddos busy without having to be the entertainment staff. Sometimes it works and at times, it flops.<br />
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Corah is getting more into coloring now. She wants to do everything Kenly does, so if Kenly is coloring I better brace for wailing if Corah doesn't have crayons and paper. She getting good at actually making marks on the paper. <br />
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If I don't feel like pulling out all the supplies, our Goodwill easel is perfect for killing a little time. Kenly likes to draw on the back porch. I'm looking forward to spring when I can turn them loose on the porch with paints and other messy supplies. <br />
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We did a "Countdown to Valentine's Day" again this year. I knew that Kenly would not want to share, so I made them their own countdowns. Corah really got into covering the numbers with stickers. <br />
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Kenly had her first Valentine's Day party at preschool. She needed to provided a valentine for every student in class. She needed to practice her writing by signing her name on each card and writing her friends' names on the envelopes. Kenly writes well for her age, but the thought of trying to fit some of her classmates' names on those teeny tiny store bought valentines made my stomach turn. So, we decided to make our own. She was proud to make each child in her class a card. When she received all of her valentines, she was able to read all of her friends' names. Adam and I were amazed that she could read the names.<br />
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The cards for the girls had flowers. Each card said, "Valentine, I pick you!" I wrote the text and Kenly did the rest. <br />
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<br />Kenly loved using the permanent markers to sign her name. This special privilege made the card making experience even more fun. The boys' cards read, "Valentine, I'd pick you for my team." She used stickers of boys and sports equipment on the front of the card. I think her favorite part of the experience was putting a sucker in every envelope and licking it closed. I was proud of her for completing the task. We would spend about 25 minutes doing about four cards and then we would put everything away when the fun started waning. I was proud of her for completing the task. She didn't give up even though she was tired of making cards by the end. <br />
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Crafts get us through the winter. <br />
<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-43394344633398549242013-02-28T22:20:00.003-05:002013-02-28T22:20:22.083-05:00Happy Valentine's Day!I decided in January that three blog posts a month was an attainable goal. I refuse to fail in February. I wanted to post these on Valentine's Day, but I'm posting them now.<br />
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These precious girls are my life.<br />
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My heart.<br />
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I would do anything for them.<br />
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Corah loves Kenly. It's obvious, right?<br />
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Posting three adorable Valentine's Day pictures is a good way to end the month. I'll post the rest in March. Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-82346974419404103762013-02-28T15:43:00.002-05:002013-02-28T22:25:28.440-05:00On Having RAI hate it. I want to wake up and find it was all a dream. It's my reality. I hate it.<br />
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Now that I've gotten my true feelings on the matter out of the way, I can maybe write with some clarity. Three months after Kenly was born, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I couldn't for the life of me understand why everyone around me was crying about my diagnosis. My best friend cried. My parents cried. I won't say I was elated. I was upset, but I felt relief that my pain had a name and it was <i><b>only</b></i> rheumatoid arthritis. I was convinced at the time that I was dying of some mysterious bone cancer. I felt sure that I would never see Kenly grow up. That she would never know my voice or remember me. So, hearing the words rheumatoid arthritis knocked the wind out of me, but I quickly found a sigh of relief.<br />
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Fast forward to now.<br />
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I've found my tears. I don't let them flow freely all the time, but occasionally the pressure builds and I'm afraid I might explode if the floodgates don't open. When I cry, I do a good job. The past two weeks I've been struggling with pain, fatigue, and weakness. Last Friday I bought a wrist brace after I nearly dropped Corah in the middle of the night. My left wrist just gave out, wouldn't support her 19 pounds of wiggling weight.<br />
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As I type, I feel like I have the flu in my hands, fingers, and wrists. It isn't a debilitating pain, but it keeps me from editing photos, from reading bulky board books to the girls, and from having tickle fights on the floor. In short, it makes me feel old and weak. It keeps me from doing things I love.<br />
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I'm 37. It's not supposed to be this way. I'd like to think that if I had received this diagnosis at 65 that I would have rolled with the punches. Thankful for 65 healthy, "pain free" years. That's how I view the 65 year old me taking the news. I'm probably looking through some freakish rose colored glasses. In truth I would probably be just as disappointed, hurt, and angry as I am right now. <br />
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Confused.<br />
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I don't know how to do life right now, with all of its physical demands, with RA. I'm trying to navigate the waters of this disease but I feel adrift. Lost. How do I have a dance party with my girls when my knees and ankles ache? How can I tickle them until they're breathless when bending my fingers causes pain? How do I hold their adorable, warm and wiggling bodies without hurting?<br />
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I feel like I'm less of a mother because of RA.<br />
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I'm reading<i> One Thousand Gifts</i> by Ann Voskamp right now. I know God place this book in my hands for such a time as this. I need its challenge. I need to struggle with what I feel is a curse. I need to find the blessing in the pain.<br />
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Honestly, I'm coming up short. Some days I wake so thankful. I've had 24 months, 2 WHOLE years, without significant trouble. Most people with RA struggle daily. God gave me almost a year off methotrexate while trying to get pregnant with Corah. I carried Corah for 9 months and felt the best I'd felt since 2008. I've had 15 months of nursing Corah while taking only hydroxychloroquine and the occasional ibuprofen for pain. In three years I've only had to take one steroid taper. I'm blessed. I know that. I've had almost three years of quality life without methotrexate. So why do I feel so cheated right now?<br />
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Why am I mourning being the Mama who can toss her girls into the air? I get to be their Mama. <b>That should be enough</b>.<br />
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Every time I've had a pain free period, I have secretly hope my RA has gone into some sort of super remission. That I won't have any pain for 30 years. When I feel the stiffness and pain creeping back into the picture, I mourn for a few days.<br />
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I need to embrace my reality once and for all. But how do you embrace something you hate? <br />
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I don't like telling Kenly that I can't braid her hair because my hands hurt. I don't like dropping the knife three time while trying to spread peanut butter. It is frustrating. I hate hearing Kenly say, "Mama, let me do that so it won't hurt your RA hands." I want my girls to remember a happy, healthy mama. A mama who made them laugh. I don't want RA to define me. I don't want it to control my life.<br />
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I need to call the doctor, but I don't want to. I need to wean Corah, but I don't want to. Why?<br />
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I know Dr. Meyer will tell me it is time to take methotrexate again. My hatred for that drug is almost as strong as the hatred I feel for RA in general. Its only saving grace is that it keeps the pain in check most of the time. <br />
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I will. I will call. I know it is important for me to be healthy for them. For my loves--Adam, Kenly, and Corah. I have to, but I don't want to.<br />
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I'm struggling. I'm wrestling with God and asking Him to show me the beauty in this mess. I don't see the benefit, but I know He does. I know He cares even though sometimes I feel like this has to be some sort of curse. I'm claiming Romans 8:28. I know He can somehow make all of the RA nonsense into something beautiful, something good.<br />
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Ann Voskamp wrote:<br />
"That that which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To Him. To the God whom we endlessly crave."<br />
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I want, as she writes, "to give up resentment for gratitude, gnawing anger for spilling joy."<br />
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I want to see the beauty. I want to find joy in the midst of joy.<br />
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I will keep looking.<br />
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My eyes are open. <br />
<br />Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-26050939517205647732013-02-18T19:09:00.001-05:002013-02-18T19:09:35.588-05:00Crafts, Hands On, MLK Christmas, and Sight Word BINGOEvery winter since she could hold a brush, Kenly has been painting coffee filter snowflakes to hang on the sliding glass doors. This year was no exception. This craft never gets old for me or her. What makes it even more fun is that the finished product can hang on the windows for months during the winter.<br />
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We have a membership to Hands On in Hendersonville. We haven't used it as much this year because I've found it hard to schedule a visit around nap times, preschool, and lunch. Both girls have a blast every time we go, so I need to take them a few more times between now and March when our pass expires. <br />
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Kenly loves to play cashier in the market.<br />
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Corah carried a potted plant around the entire building. <br />
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Kenly is reading the X-rays to determine if she's interested in becoming a "pet doctor."<br />
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Kenly is growing like a weed. If she keeps growing at this rate, she'll be able to ride the Ferris wheel and the swings at the fair in the fall.<br />
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We went during curiosity week. Kenly was asked to record what she is curious about on a banana for a wall in the birthday room. She quickly wrote down God. It made my heart smile. I hope her curiosity to learn about Him never wanes. <br />
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Kenly had fun teaching Corah about big bubbles. She was even able to make one float around the room. I've been trying for years, and I still can't do it. <br />
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I wish I had captured Corah's wonder while Kenly was blowing bubbles. Priceless.<br />
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Corah had fun terrorizing the rice table. <br />
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She loved grabbing handfuls of rice and dropping the grains on the floor. After a quick clean up, we left for "neater" pastures. <br />
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I tagged the chalkboard wall with a message near and dear to my heart. Because it is 100% true, even when they are driving me completely mad.<br />
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Kenly gave some love to the babies in the nursery. <br />
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Corah decided she would rather rock herself than a baby.<br />
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She also likes living dangerously. <br />
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Kenly decided that she was going to have three babies. I wonder if this is a glimpse into my future. <br />
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She can finally ride the bike. She was thrilled that she could finally make the display light up this time.<br />
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Over MLK weekend, we headed to Augusta for a Burkett Christmas. It was a whirlwind visit, but we had a really good time. Kenly is showing off her fancy new purse. <br />
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Kenly loved giving out all our homemade, ghetto-fabulous Christmas decorations. She gave out homemade sugar scrub, cinnamon ornaments, and our handmade hand print and footprint ornaments. I can finally post the pictures now that everyone has received their gifts. I wish I had a picture of the finished hand print and footprint ornaments. They turned out really cute.<br />
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Corah got a few toys that are her very own. I think she's happy to have something that Kenly can't claim at all.<br />
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Present opening wore her out. She kept having to take rests on the carpet in the middle of paper piles.<br />
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Everyone had fun playing with Corah's new farm. <br />
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Uncle Travis bought a few lottery tickets for everyone. Grandma is not into gambling, but I think I saw her get excited when she thought she won $75.00. We might have had a convert.<br />
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Adam and I had fun scratching off our ticket.<br />
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Nana won.<br />
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We won. We had three winning tickets. I think the biggest prize was $2.00.<br />
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Corah really loved her farm. Nana and Papa bought it from one of my old BSU friends. <br />
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For a moment, a "Christmas" miracle occurred, and they actually played together without someone crying.<br />
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Grandma loved her present from us. It is always great when a present gets the open mouth gape. All we did was make a small brag book, but you can bet I will be doing it again.<br />
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Nana and Papa taught us a valuable lesson while the girls were riding the four-wheeler. Kenly shared her riding time with her sister. She supported her and kept her safe. Corah had a blast. We didn't praise the good behavior, but we were quick to reprimand when she got off to rescue Benny Bunny. Corah fell off and busted her lip. She needed to be reminded that she can't leave her sister hanging, but we should have been better about sandwiching that between praise. Grandparents have a lot to teach us. They have the perspective of years past. And I'm listening... <br />
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Corah loves hanging out with her big sister. She wants to be just like Kenly.<br />
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I love this picture. It makes my heart smile. It was Adam's idea. He's pretty cool like that.<br />
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The farm is still a big hit. Corah plays with it every day. She's also a bit protective of it. She storms over and fusses when she finds Kenly playing with it. This is a learned behavior. Kenly taught her everything she knows about hogging toys.<br />
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<br />Kenly and I started playing sight word bingo. We use some of Grandma's old button collection to cover the spaces. Kenly loves challenging herself. We have four different cards that cover all of the sight words she will learn in kindergarten. <br />
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She hates it when she has to work to read the words. <br />
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I love watching her absorb information. Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857067096134864087.post-7821139381578326462013-01-18T13:40:00.002-05:002013-01-18T13:40:58.980-05:00Ducks, Books, Blocks, and ColorsWe came home from church one Sunday, and I couldn't believe how adorable they both looked, so I grabbed the camera and captured the moment before shoes and tights went flying. Speaking of shoes, Corah loves shoes. If she can find a pair of her shoes, she will bring them to me. If I don't stop what I'm doing, she tries to put them on herself.<br />
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Corah might not speak well, but she understands most of what I say to her. She feigns ignorance when she doesn't want to do something or when she want to disobey. For instance, she touches the trash can or reaches inside of it even though I KNOW she understands don't touch and yuck. I'm amazed that I can say clean up and she puts a few blocks away. I love that I can ask her to bring me a book and she does. When I ask her where her hair is, she pats her head. Being understood as a mother is wonderful.<br />
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Kenly and I love to color together. It is one of my favorite things to do with her. It is slow and I can get her to talk about all sorts of things as we create beautiful pictures. I've been a bit bummed here recently because my coloring sessions have been cut short do to RA pain. I can't color for long when I'm having joint pain and swelling in my fingers. Boo! <br />
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Yes! We live dangerously in the Brand household. Yes, she is standing on a rocking chair with a toothbrush in her mouth. And yes, I know it is dangerous. But for the record, I told her to sit on her tush. For the record, I made her sit on her bum. Shortly after this picture, she fell out of the chair, landed on her head, and did a back flip. Thankfully the toothbrush was not in her mouth. Did she cry? Not a tear. But, she did sit on her tush. Experience is a great teacher.<br />
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I love to watch her concentrate when she's coloring. Kenly has also started "writing" in a journal. I love watching her colored scribbles fill a page of notebook paper. I love seeing real words and letters mixed in with the lines. I love that one day soon, I will be able to read her stories and poems. She's so smart that we have to be careful about what we spell in from of her now. I spelled D-I-E the other day because the last time we discussed death, she got stuck on it for weeks. She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, "You just spelled die, right mom?" Um, yes. Please don't become smarter than me at four, okay?<br />
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Nana found this outfit for Corah and I love it. I think she looks adorable. One day when we have tons of money, I want to replace all the windows in our house with uninterrupted panes of glass so that I can take pictures of my children in natural light without shadow mustaches. Hehe.<br />
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Corah loves blocks. She can stack 3-4 wooden blocks without knocking them over. She likes to take towers apart one block at a time, and she loves stacking these big Duplo blocks. She's pretty good at building a tower for a 13 month old. I love the tongue. <br />
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Chilling in her chair <u><b>on</b></u> her tush. I might be able to teach her after all.<br />
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Corah is cutting all four of her one year molars. She is drooling rivers and putting everything in her mouth.<br />
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Corah loves blueberries. I think she would eat nothing but blueberries if I let her.<br />
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Santa brought Kenly and Corah Play-doh. Corah's a bit young for it. I have to fish it out of her mouth and scrap chunks of it out of her hair, but she's obsessed with the gooey stuff. I finally had to hide the containers because for days she followed me around the house with containers of Play-doh in each hand whining and saying, "Pay." A Mama can only take so much Play-doh.<br />
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Corah loves ducks. Ducks, bears, and dogs are the only animals she can identify consistently. Awhile back she was afraid of ducks, so this new fascination is surprising. So, I decided to take Kenly and Corah to Patton Park for a bit of exercise and to feed the ducks. It was supposed to be a beautiful day, but it turned out "soggy" and chilly. We made the best of it. We even had a picnic under the pavilion when it started to rain. <br />
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Kenly rode her bike. <br />
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Corah chilled in the stroller. I love how the blue in her new jacket brings out her eyes. <br />
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Kenly fed the ducks and Corah screamed "duh" for about 20 minutes. <br />
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I'm so glad that she was strapped into her stroller and that the brake was on. If not, she would have propelled herself into the pond after the geese. We did see a few ducks, but the day was dominated by the honk of geese. Can I tell you how much I dislike geese? They are so mean to each other.<br />
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Corah has developed a new love for books. Her favorites are <i>Eat</i>, any lift the flap book, a touch and feel book called <i>Animals</i>, the <i>Llama Llama</i> board books, and anything that has a duck in it. She carries the books to me crawls in my lap and says, "Buh." I love that she is learning to like reading. She can sit for an hour flipping through books if I put her book basket on the floor. She is rough on books though, so I have to hide the flap books when I'm not watching closely. <br />
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Just this past week, Corah amazed me. I was reading her a counting book. We got to the 8 yellow ducks. She said, "Duh." She went to the book basked and started pointing.<br />
"Duh."<br />
I thought she wanted an animal book that has a duck in it. I read that book. When we got to the duck pages, she pointed to the book basket again. I explained that there were no more duck books. She looked at me like I was stupid. She crawled over to the basket and searched for awhile. She walked back carrying <i>What's on my Head?</i> I read her the book and was amazed when I got to a rubber duck on a baby's head. At 13 months, she has a better memory than me.<br />
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We introduced letter magnets this week as well. Corah likes pushing the bin around and sticking the letters to the fridge and the dishwasher. She also likes hiding little piles of letters everywhere. Kenly calls her "cutie head." I love to watch Cutie Head explore the world around her. She already finding ways around the child locks. I constantly find that she's fished recycling out from behind a locked cabinet. Girl is crazy smart.<br />
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She loves playing with the magnets on the refrigerator. Another random bit of Corah trivia--she loves twirling her hair or my hair when she is trying to relax to go to sleep. It is adorable to watch her twirl the hair on the top of her head.<br />
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Kenly checked out a book on the Statue of Liberty from the library this week. She is fascinated with her right now. The book features other famous American statues and monuments. Kenly amazed some high school students at West when she pointed to a poster of the Lincoln Memorial on the classroom wall and exclaimed, " Mommy, look. There is the statue of that famous president that was in our book. What is his name again?" The sweet high school student said, "Wow. I feel dumb. I didn't even know that man was a president." <br />
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January has been unseasonably warm. Last weekend we came home from church and decided to spend the rest of the morning soaking up some sunshine before the clouds rolled in. Kenly and Corah enjoyed playing in the sandbox. These are some of my favorite photos from the morning. I love our backyard. <br />
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Corah mowed the moss. <br />
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Kenly baked a cake for Mr. Garble, the imaginary snail that lives near our creek. <br />
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Corah started holding her own bottle thanks to Kenly cheering her on. Now I can hand her some apple prune juice and watch her help herself. What a big girl.<br />
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Rhondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16291222882336154138noreply@blogger.com0