bright eyes + blue eyes

in which I derive a puzzling amount of fulfillment from a wooden stacking toy

We all have our little quirks.

I'll share one of mine with you.

To all the moms out there: if you're like me, your house is never completely clean all at the same time.

(If, on the other hand, you are able to achieve that domestic nirvana, my hat's off to you!)

Over the years, I've found myself coming up with little benchmarks---if those particular things are completed, then I'm at least somewhat satisfied.

For example---the beds.

When the beds are made, that's sort of my first benchmark.

If all the beds in my house are made, I feel pretty good.

If all the beds in my house are made, and all the laundry is done, I'm feeling even better.

If all the beds in my house are made, all the laundry is done, and all the laundry is put away, I'm feeling really awesome.

If all the beds in my house are made, the laundry is done, the laundry is put away, the kitchen is cleaned up (with the happy hum of the dishwasher in the background), I am ECSTATIC.

* * * * *

I've recently realized I have a new benchmark.

There's a little wooden stacking toy that lives in our family room.

It was a gift from me & Hunter to Manzo on his 1st b-day.

I really love it. (More importantly, he loves it.)

I love the bright colors, I love the weight of the smooth wooden rings in my hands, and I love how neat and tidy it looks when the rings are stacked in order.

Well, I've noticed a trend over the last few weeks....

My house can be driving me crazy, and the first thing I'm inclined to do (at least here in the family room), is get these nice wooden rings back in order.

It's the first step in getting my ducks back in a row.

Such a quick and tangible way to bring a little piece of disorder back into order.

Now you all know just how much of an oddball I really am. Ha!

Do you have little quirky things like that?

What do you find yourself doing first when cleaning up your house?

Anything that gives you a little boost of satisfaction and makes it easier for you to tackle the other 1,001 things that need to be done?

saving up for a tennis racquet

 

 

When Superboy was in 2nd grade, he had an awesome teacher named Mrs. Thompson.

Mrs. Thompson has kids who are a bit older than mine---they're in junior high and high school right now. She is an incredibly wise mom (and teacher.) Whenever she talked about her kids or gave any "mom-to-mom" advice, I always tried to soak up every word she said!

I remember a story she told once about a tennis racquet. It helped shape my perspective on my children and their possessions.

Here's the story. (I'm paraphrasing what Mrs. T told me. I'm sure I don't have all the specific details right, since she told this to me in passing about 3 yrs ago. But I know I've got the basic concept. I'm going to use the name "John" for her son in this re-telling.)

"John was in junior high and loved to play tennis. He wanted a specific tennis racquet, which was particularly expensive. We, his parents, had paid for various extracurricular items during that time, including other tennis expenses. We told him that if he wanted that specific racquet, he was going to have to come up with a plan to save up for it and purchase it on his own. So he did. He used a family racquet in the meantime. He worked hard to save the money he needed for the new racquet, and happily purchased it when he'd met his savings goal."

"One day, during a tennis match, John watched one of his teammates (let's call him Luke) become very frustrated with his own performance. (i.e., Luke was disappointed with how he was playing that day.) Suddenly, in a moment of anger, Luke lifted up his own expensive racquet and slammed it onto the ground as hard as he could."

"As John and I were in the car on the way home, John turned to me and made the following observation about his teammate: 'Mom, I don't think Luke saved up for that racquet.' "

* * * * *

unrelated:

I wrote a post for Saturday 10/13 which just showed up on the blog. You might not see it because it's buried behind this week's posts. So just in case you're interested, here's the link:

Time: 31 Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating Now -- bright eyes + blue eyes post, 10.13.2012

happy saturday

1. At the grocery store, the strawberries are all half price right now, and they are so yummy! Can't get enough.

2. I'm reading John Grisham's The Appeal. 

3. Hunter plays "five a side" on Monday nights with our friends here. Football. (aka soccer) Good fun so far.

4. I'm working with the big kids on multiplication facts this summer. They both do well with accuracy, but speed needs to improve. One of my goals is to see major improvement in this are area by the time school starts again in the fall.

5. The transition to UK formula has been easy peasy! Hooray!

Summer 2008. Breaking up the road trip from our house to Grandparent Land. This photo was taken right outside the Children's Muesum of Memphis.

{posted by Abbie}

"and to my blackened branches, you brought the springtime green of new life"

photo:

One of our hostas from earlier this year. I love me a good hosta. BEAUTIFUL and green and lush. 

+ + + + +

Over a year ago, Hunter was the guest preacher at one of the churches in our area. 

The service was great.

Next up on the order of worship was a song that I'd never heard before.

Wow. 

You know when you encounter a new song and it just sort of hits you between the eyes with its truth and power?

Well that's what happend to me that morning with this song.

I've already stated here on my bloggity blog about how much I love TREES.

This song uses several metaphors about how the Lord miraculously restores and renews us.

About how he brings us new life.

One of those metaphors has to do with a burned out forest being renewed into springtime green.

The concept of renewal taking place in a devastated forest would be so beautiful and miraculous.

Somehow that metaphor really speaks volumes to me in terms of what the Lord has done and is doing in my life.

+ + + + +

You Have Redeemed My Soul

You have redeemed my soul from the pit of emptiness.

You have redeemed my soul from death.

I was a hungry child, a dried up river.

I was a burned out forest, and no one could do anything for me.

But you put food in my body, water in my dry bed.

And to my blackened branches, you brought the springtime green of new life.

Of a new life.

And nothing is impossible with you.

+ + + + +

Wow.

I don't know who wrote those lyrics. 

Here's a clip of Waterdeep performing this song at a house concert. You can watch this clip to hear the melody of the song:

+ + + + +

Another one of the reasons I love this new song:

it overlaps with one of my very favorite scripture passages.

From Isaiah 35:

¹ The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; 
   the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 
² it shall blossom abundantly 
   and rejoice with joy and singing. 

 

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, 
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 
⁶ then shall the lame man leap like a deer, 
   and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. 
For waters break forth in the wilderness, 
   and streams in the desert; 
⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool, 
   and the thirsty ground springs of water; 

 

¹⁰ And the ransomed of the LORD shall return 
   and come to Zion with singing; 
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; 
   they shall obtain gladness and joy, 
   and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

+ + + + +

The already and the not yet:

Lord, please bring streams of grace into the desert places of my daily life...

...while I await the day on which the soorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Daily renewal now.

Full renewal to come.

"...and I joined the movement"

I ran across an amazingly powerful video last month via this blog post written by Anthony Bradley.

Mr. Washington's words, in this short clip, really moved me. I thought about him and his little boy for days after seeing the clip.

I know how incredible the ocean is to a child. I've seen the awe in my children's eyes as they stood and watched waves crashing against the shore for the very first time.

The thought of a child experiencing that God-given awe, and then being told by society, "But this is not for you to experience" is incomprehensible to me. Absolutely incomprehensible.

This clip brought to mind some powerful lyrics, which I love. These words are from a James Taylor song called "Shed a Little Light":

There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist.

There is a hunger in the center of the chest.

There is a passage through the darkness and the mist.

And though the body sleeps, the heart will never rest.

I'm so glad Mr. Washington shared his story.

*posted by Abbie*

99 balloons

99 Balloons from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

The couple in this amazing video: Matt & Ginny

They're friends of Benton & JB.

Sweet little Eliot lived from July 20, 2006 - October 27, 2006.

Matt & Ginny's blog: The Atypical Life

stream of consciousness

Well, 'tis my turn to post this week.

Quite a busy week ahead.

Might need to do quick posts this week.

Not time for much else.

I think my adult life has sort of been like that classic I Love Lucy scene.

The one where she is wrapping the chocolates.

And they keep coming down the conveyor belt.

Then they come faster and faster.

And she starts stuffing them in her mouth.

If I were doing a real blog post I would look up a link to that clip.

But I'm trying to go fast here. 

Anyway.

I think when I was a newbie adult, I was wrapping those chocolates quite comfortably.

But then.

The years rolled by.

And the chocolates started coming faster and faster.

And here I am.

The conveyor belt is going pretty fast at this point.

If you are my friend, there's a chance I've probably shared this I Love Lucy analogy with you.

Because for some reason it brings me comfort.

When I have a busy week ahead of me, I like to think of people laughing at a funny woman stuffing chocolates in her mouth. 

So if you hear me talk about that scene, please pardon the repetition.

Pete and Repeat were in a boat.

Pete fell off.

Who was left?...

In other news, I am excited about the upcoming Olympics.

We showed the kids where Vancouver is on the map.

Photo above.

Gingi, we love that map poster that you gave us.

We like to point out various locations.

We like to point out where Superboy was born.

We like to point out where Pumpkin was born.

We also like to point out where Mr. & Mrs. MacGyver live.

For some reason, reading about Mr. & Mrs. MacGyver's process of collecting water and trying to avoid drinking mosquito larvae made me think of the tv show Survivor.

There is a new Survivor season starting soon.

I think reality tv--most of the time--is absolutely ridiculous.

However, I must admit that I find Survivor to be quite interesting.

I've always loved books & movies about survival.

Robinson Crusoe.

The Hatchet by Gary Paulson.

Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Etc., etc.

So I think I might watch this upcoming Survivor series...

If I can find a pause button on the chocolate conveyor belt.

ted: stuart brown

Fabulous TED Talk #4

Stuart Brown Says Play is More Than Fun

When I was listening to this, I thought about the "play" which occurs between parent & infant. Cooing, singing, playing peek-a-boo, etc. ....So critical for development and for the emotional foundation of a person. I'm amazed at this & marvel at how the Lord made us relational beings in ways that no scientist or psychologist can ever fully understand with a microscope.

Related: I recently read this book and loved it...

The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children  by David Elkind

fishbowls are for fish, if you ask me

 

One of Pumpkin's dolls enjoys a delicious meal of freshly prepared multi-colored pasta.

-+-+-

I read these two separate paragraphs (see below) within weeks of each other. One is from a novel & one is from an article in Newsweek.

Of course I don't hold it against the Obamas (or any past president) that they have struggles with the fishbowl life of their public office. I suppose they must see it as one of the sacrifices they're willing to make. I'm sure that presidents try to prepare themselves for that change...but really, I'd imagine that you cannot fully grasp the public nature of the job until the change actually happens.

This first paragraph is from American Wife, a novel written by Curtis Sittenfeld which is inspired by (and loosely based on) the life of Laura Bush. In this passage, the main character, Alice Blackwell, is mourning her loss of privacy, yet reminding herself of how she and her family landed in such a public life. She begins by talking about the time when her husband was campaigning for office:

We threw ourselves at people—there are more savory ways to say it, but really, that’s what we did. We searched them out, we left leaflets at the front doors of their houses and under the windshields of their cars, we spoke to them through ads on television, we went to their schools and town halls and farmer’s markets. We begged them to listen, we bombarded them with promises and plans, but all along we were selling ourselves—selling him.

We did everything we could to get as many people as possible to pay attention to us, and it worked, and now we complain. Leave us alone, we say. Just like you, we’re entitled to privacy.

 

p.456

Soon after I read that, I stumbled upon this interesting article in Newsweek. The article is called Where Everybody Knows Your Name (can't you just hear the Cheers theme start to play?), and is written by Holly Bailey:

...It was a rare moment of semi-freedom for a president who has struggled to maintain a sense of normalcy in the White House. Just two days later, at a town-hall meeting in France, Obama talked about the drawbacks of being president: "You know, it's very frustrating now. It used to be when I came to Europe that I could just wander down to a café, and sit and have some wine and watch people go by, and go into a little shop, and watch the sun go down. Now I'm in hotel rooms all the time and I have security around me all the time. And so just, you know, losing that ability to just take a walk, that is something that is frustrating."

Honestly it's sort of sad for me to think about anyone being trapped in such a public "prison." Personally, I plan to avoid that type of fishbowl life as much as I humanly can. (And now you know that I have no plans to run for president.) I felt the same way after I watched Marie Antoinette. I was overwhelmed by the weight of her imprisionment.

 

Years ago, I read a quote about the luxury of an ordinary life. I can't remember the quote or who said it, but I remember that it really resonated with me. That's my aspiration. :-) (If you happen to know the quote I might be talking about, please send it to me!)

 

On a somewhat related note, my sister-in-law posted on her blog earlier this week about Jon & Kate + Eight. She said that their fishbowl life has been on her mind lately. Me, too.

 

Last fall, one of our sweet friends, Beverly (who just graduated and moved away. sadness!), told me all about the show (J&K+8) and loaned me the first two seasons. Over the course of the semester, I watched almost every episode from those seasons. (Made for great treadmill viewing. Fun TV Fluff.) I had all the typical reactions to the show: The children are indeed adorable. The way Kate treats her husband (barking orders at him & rolling her eyes at him) is indeed cringeworthy. It was interesting to see how a family of that size operates.

 

(Ellie: you might need a Cliffs Notes version of this show. Here's the deal: Young couple gets married. Has twins. Gets pregnant again a few years later and finds out they are having sextuplets. TLC did a "Living With Septuplets" TV special about their family. Great viewer response. People wanted to see more. Reality show started. Season 1 successful. And so on. And so on. They just had their series 5 premiere. Meanwhile, they are estranged from almost all their extended family members. They've gone from average Joes to multi-millionaires. They've made a hefty profit from the show as well as a few books about their kids, I think. The mom has a pretty demanding personality. Some people love her; some hate her. Both the mom & dad have been on the covers of lots of magazines in the grocery store check-out lanes lately...there are reports of infidelity. True or not true? Who knows, but they've gotten lots of publicity in recent weeks and their season premiere had 10 million viewers, beating out everything else on tv that night, including the regular broadcast networks.)

 

What started as a fairly innocent human interest type of show (How in the world do they take care of 6 toddlers in the same house? etc etc) seems to have evolved into a way of life for this family. Cameras everywhere. Every special event filmed and broadcast to the world.

 

While the children are certainly laughing and smiling and having a good time right now, it's the future that I worry about. When they are adults and look back on the media sensation of their childhood, they are bound to have some intense emotions. When Mommy & Daddy had that party for us, was it really for us... or really for ratings?....

 

Several months ago, I did a google search along the lines of "gosselin children exploited" just to see what had been said. Just in the last few weeks, it seems that this issue is really coming to the forefront. Here's a clip from the CBS Early Show about this very controversy.

 

In the 1930s, there was a very famous set of multiples, the Dionne Quintuplets, who were put on display for the public (via a nursery with public observation areas which was visited by about 6,000 people daily) during their childhood. 

 

There was a very interesting open letter written by several of the (grown up) Dionne sisters back in 1997 to Bobby and Kenny McCaughey (parents of famous septuplets, born in the late 1990s). I think it would be great if Jon & Kate would read this letter:

 

Advice from the Dionne Qunituplets Time Magazine, 12/01/1997