Mr. Clean Is Back!!

Matthew is a boy after my own heart, he loves to clean. This morning he had another "moment" of cleaning. He pulled out the Wet Jet and felt the need to mop. This is a new Wet Jet.....I had to toss the other as it seemed that in addition to spritzing it was leaking cleaning fluid out the bottom. When Matt pulled it out of the closet, he noticed it was different and said "mom, I love the design on this".

I just pray the design continues to fuel his desire to clean!! Thank you for your service, little man. ;)

The Pain of Learning!

On Thursday after we got home from school, I heard a very loud, upset "oh no" from Emily who was in her room. She came out almost in tears showing me this gaping hole in the bottom of her backpack. Emily asked if I could fix it and I told her honestly that I just couldn't.

There have been times, more than I care to count or admit to out of the premise of abuse, where her backpack has probably weighed more than her. I feel so bad when I see her hunched under the strain of the materials in that bag.....which in the morning usually includes a full lunch bag.

Thankfully, she still had her messenger bag which she had started with at the beginning of the year, but switched to the backpack because of how heavy the bag was all the time.

Lets face it March is really not the time to be looking for a school backpack, so I am hoping that she can make it through these last 4 months with the messenger bag. She is willing to try but I have a feeling I will be lugging that bag from and to the car on a daily basis. Not only will she need a chiropractor to align her, I will too! Oh the pain of learning....who knew it would be so literal.

Obsessed with the Lorax

The kids have been eagerly anticipating the release of the Dr. Seuss Lorax movie.....it has been marketed very well and my kids have taken in every advertisement.

This week at school they had their annual book fair. On Monday, Emily received a pamphlet of the books that would be available for purchase. Matt made sure he perused Emily's as his wasn't sent in his folder that night.

Sure enough, there it was a book "Look for the Lorax". This along with "If You Give a Dog a Donut" were the only books Matt wanted.

On Wednesday, he went down to buy his books but the Lorax book wasn't in yet. So, he brought his money home. At night, I asked him if he still wanted to get it and sure enough he did. Back the envelope went in his backpack.

I got a call midday from a friend working the sale who advised that the book still wasn't in and wanted to make sure that was the only book he was to get. Silly me, I forgot to cross off that he already got the other book.....he did tell them he got it but they wanted to be sure.

Matt came out of school with these little trees he made at school. Oh, this week has been the celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday too. Of course, the movie is about trees. As he got closer to me, he was all excited he told me he got his book. Of course, I told him no it was coming tomorrow and he corrected me......they did get a shipment in late in the day and my friend, Dawn, made sure he got it.

Dawn called me later that afternoon to tell me that I have a hilarious son. She had told him the day before he would get it today, so when he went to get the book he went straight to her and said "you got my book". She had to tell him "no" assured him he would have it Friday. Dawn said he wasn't happy that the book wasn't in. Later when they did get in, she said the look on his face was priceless when he saw she had it. He was ecstatic. Matt's teacher told her that when he came up from the sale he said "man, they still don't have my book".

Now back the the trees. As we were getting out of the car after school, I told Matt that the "trunks" look like bees - black and yellow. He was quick to show me his book and say "mom that is the color they are suppose to be....see". Sure enough they are black and yellow. I guess he does pay attention to detail.....I know he pays attention to advertisements.

Matthew the Slug

Since the kids returned to school on Monday, they have been moving very slowly in the morning. Funny how when they were on break they had no trouble getting up every morning before 7 but now getting up before 7:30 is impossible and pure torture.

Matt definitely favors sleeping in. His new waking routine includes coming out of his room under his Wall-E blanket and scooting down the hallway. He comes to the kitchen, gets his breakfast plate, takes it under the blanket and scoots back to his room. Basically he eats breakfast in bed.

The one morning as he was making his way down the hallway, Dave said he moves like a slug......hence, he is now "Matthew the slug".

Who knows when this phase will end but in the mean time so long as we get out the door for school on time I'll go with the flow.

God's Got This!

I've come to the realization that since October of last year God has and still is stretching my faith. It is not that I did not have faith in Him before but I did tend to only come to Him when things were in a bad way, not in the good times. I admit my relationship with God was not what it should be and I am still working daily to make it what it should be.

Within the last month, I feel like God has been talking to me through different situations. He has been putting things on my heart and leading me to focus on why I am here on this earth. My life is not for my purpose, it is for His purpose. In the last two weeks, I have been blessed with opportunities where I could be bold in my faith, I feel the stir in my heart to step out and praise God He has given me the courage to be bold and speak.

Our pastor has been preaching a series on "worry" and "casting our cares upon Him." The problem is that I tend to take the worries back when I don't see God working....but the truth is He doesn't say how things will work together for good and He's not "required" to give me a time frame either.

Dave still doesn't have a permanent job - God's got this!

We have no medical insurance as of March 13 - God's got this!

God has shown me ways of provision over the last few weeks and He is telling me "just trust me" and so I lay these situations at His feet.

With Dave's employment future still unknown but in God's hands, we find ourselves stepping out in faith regarding our children's education. Recently Dave and I both have felt the desire to send Emily and Matt to Hackensack Christian Schools. Yesterday I visited the school and got the information regarding tuition. I sit here smiling because I know logically this is so not the "time" to be bringing the expense of private school on our plate and yet I feel God saying this is what He wants for them and us. So, we are stepping out on faith, trusting that if this is what God wants to happen He will provide. Will it be an easy provision, probably not but in the "uneasiness" of this God will receive all the glory.

My reason for writing this post is not to make it sound like I've become the "perfect" Christian and that I will never have moments of worry, I've had moments even in the weeks God has been working in me but when I feel those moments arise I know where to go, to God in prayer.

I wanted to share this decision regarding the kids schooling with you so that you who will will lift our decision and the financial provision up to God in prayer. God will have them at that school next year if this is what He wants for them.

Please continue to uplift our family in prayer as we pray for each of you in your lives and the situations God has you in. Remember as Christians our life is not our own, all is for bringing about glory and praise to HIM!!!