Mother's Day Tea

Today was Mali's Mother's Day Tea. A sweet friend watched Eleri for me so that I could attend. When we arrived, Mali was waiting for me with a tissue paper rose corsage. It was so sweet! The teachers read a few books to us and then we were serenated by our preschoolers. I got lots of hugs and kisses. But I think the best part was having Mali sit on my lap. She didn't have to share my lap or arms or attention...it was all hers and that was a blessing! It was a sweet little day with my big girl. Mali made hand print place mats, a tissue paper pot of flowers, and a cookbook. The cookbook included a recipe from each mom and their child. My recipe was for Tomatillo Lime Salsa. Mali's recipe was Spaghetti and Meatballs. Her recipe called for the meatballs to be heated for 4 minutes at 900 degrees. It was funny to read!
Here is the video of songs...be warned...Mali is NOT as cute as she appears and does something disgusting!

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Kindergarten Bound

Yesterday we registered Mali for kindergarten at Sleep Hollow Elementary. The secretary was super friendly and grandmotherly. The principal even came out and met us! While we were filling out paperwork, Mali went over and colored with another kindergarten student to be. The secretary asked us if they knew each other, which I replied they didn't, and she said "she will do just fine in kindergarten." I know Mali will do just fine, however last night I started having fear creep up inside me. What if no one likes her? Because, lets face it, that is a real possibility, it seems far fetched to me because she is so sociable, but we've seen glimpses of her not being the teacher's pet and being excluded from playing with her peers at preschool. I guess that really is my one worry, however, I know that I need to trust God and that He sees the big picture. And maybe its because I remember being excluded in 1st grade and getting in trouble with my 1st grade teacher and being spanked by the principal...oh if only we wouldn't displace our own issues on our children! Anyway, that's another subject.
Mali was great and really seemed to like it. I definitely came away with a good feeling. Sleepy Hollow was ranked as the top elementary school in Texas in Texas Monthly the year that we moved to Amarillo. I'm so incredibly thankful that Mali has the opportunity to attend a great school. Another HUGE plus is that we are just across the street. Which will save on gas and my sanity. No more loading up the kids and buckling in...we will just walk to and from school. And, if Eleri is napping, I'll just walk out the door, lock it and take the baby monitor! Oh the freedom!!! I know next year will still be an adjustment: adjusting to going to school at 8, getting home at 1:30pm, Mali being at school every week day, projects and homework, testing, PTA, packing lunches, the expense of packing lunches (maybe my gas budget will transfer money to a lunch budget). I'm realizing, I'm going to have to become very organized and disciplined to be the best mom of a kindergartner. I have visions of writing sweet little notes to Mali in her lunch box and cutting her PBJ sandwiches into hearts (my mom used to leave me notes in my lunchbox and it meant a lot to me.)
I also wanted to add the reasons we are choosing to enroll Mali in public school. Since, this is a large debate among lots of families and is deeply personal I wanted to share our decision. I feel like it is similar to the staying at home decision, although I have to say I'm not as opinionated about the schooling issue as the staying at home issue...maybe its because I haven't been there yet. I never had considered homeschooling for Mali...I was completely against it, but after reading this blog post
http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2010/04/why-homeschool.html
I realized there was so many wonderful things that homeschooling can add and part of me really wanted to home school her. So, on to our decision. Disclaimer: I still love Jesus very very much, even though I will not homeschool. I still love Jesus very very much and want that for my children, but they will not attend private Christian school. So, we chose to enroll Mali in public school. #1 reason: Mali is very strong willed. She needs to be challenged. I'm not a teacher...I'm not even close to a teacher type. I've been honored to teach her and already homeschool her and she has learned. But I believe she can learn more from a teacher and a teacher will have the wisdom and knowledge to know what comes next in her learning plan and be able to push her. We saw this on the field of T ball practice the other day. Eric had been telling her how to catch the ball when it was a grounder, and then suddenly Mali picked it up from listening to one of the other "coaches". This is just how Mali is...she needs to be pushed and she listens to others better than her parents. #2 reason: Socialization. Mali is VERY social. I do believe that other avenues provide socialization, but public school is a great fit for Mali's socialzation. Am I scared of how she will be socialized? YES, tremendously! But last night as I was praying through The Power of a Praying Parent and the prayer on protection, God spoke to me that this is exactly what Mali needs to be doing. She needs to attend school here and I need to be on my knees for her. If she were home schooled or in a Christian school, I may not feel the desperation to pray for her like I will in public school and she wouldn't be covered in prayer. I have a HUGE responsibility ahead of me, and I'm sure will spend hours on my knees because of her socialization. On another note, I have not been happy about a lot of things Mali has learned, how she has acted, etc., after being socialized at a CHRISTIAN preschool. Kids are kids regardless of where they attend school. There are influences that children are exposed to that I can not control, even if it were in a Christian school, AND I believe that Christian Schools often present a false sense of security. Yes, I'm scared, but what choice do we have as parents but to allow our children to go into the world? God even commissioned us as Christians to go into the world. I'm scared of what Mali will pick up on, but maybe, just maybe, other children and parents and teachers will pick up on Jesus from Mali (maybe, hopefully)! #3 reason: Athletics. So, you had to know that would be in there. Organized sports and activities is huge in our family. Do I really need to explain this?;) Sports was instrumental in both Eric and I's lives and we want that for our girls too. #4 reason: A great elementary school. I feel incredibly blessed by the school Mali will attend. We decided to buy our house with some what blind faith because of the elementary school across the street. It is a great school. If Mali was going to go anywhere else, our decision might be more difficult as where to enroll her, but we don't have to face that. I'm so thankful and so thankful that God provided us with this home and neighborhood. I also believe that just as God has called me to be a mom and therapist, that He has placed his hand and gifts on teachers. I've known so many amazing, godly people that have become teachers. I don't want to withhold Mali from being under the wing of someone that God has appointed to teach her (because, it certainly isn't me). Still, this is scary, because I know there will be hard teachers and some teachers that may not love Jesus, but I'm hopeful that we can allow God to guide us in how to handle those times and that it will be used as learning opportunities and shaping opportunities for Mali. There are times that I hear about Christian Schools, especially DCA in Dalhart, and what amazing TRUTH they are learning and how it is so fundamental to their faith...and I think about how I would LOVE that for my girls...but for now this is our decision, and we are confident in it! Part of me wonders if God has so worked in Mali's life that the Holy Spirit lives in her now before she enters public school. I look forward to looking back on these days as Mali grows and is shaped. I'm sad, and I'll miss her and miss having lunch with her every day! I've realized that I may not have been the best steward of lunch time with my big girl, now that the season is over!:( But, here it is...the end of another season and Mali is kindergarten bound!:)

15 month stats

Eleri's 15 month well check was today and she is currently sleeping off the effects of it...she got three shots and screamed and screamed over them. She even fell asleep in her high chair eating a popsicle afterwards! Eleri weighed 21lbs and was 30.5" long. (Mali weighed the same and was 1" taller at 15 months). She was good and healthy and I guess I don't need to be worried about her eating habits since her weight is below average and her height above average (tall and skinny according to our pediatrician). We discussed Eleri's escape from her crib and our pediatrician said it was time to move her out because if she's done it once, she'll do it again. YUCK!!! However, Eric and I will have to talk about that one before I'm ready to completely move her out! I'm just glad we didn't spend very much on A. a crib that has been recalled but is fixable with a small part that takes 2-3 weeks to arrive B. a crib that at 15 months old Eleri will have to vacate.

Doxa recital video

Here is the video of Mali's class dance and the free dance at the end. Mali is in the back row in the green skirt and feather clip and she is the second from left during the class dance.

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Doxa Recital

Last night was Mali’s Doxa performance. It was amazing…not as much because of Mali but because of the focus. The focus was a praise and worship service for our King Jesus. There was scripture reading, congregational singing and dancing for Jesus. It was beautiful. Mali did a great job though and danced beautifully too. I could see that she was trying and doing her best. I was very very proud of her. I especially loved her free dance at the end, where all the ballerinas were asked to come demonstrate the free dance. She danced and danced across the stage, on the steps, twirled other ballerinas, and danced with her friends all to praise music. It was a really neat time. We are so thankful that Mali has been a part of Doxa and able to learn to use dance as a form of worship for Jesus. Grandpa and Nana came down to watch Mali and she was very excited that Nana and the Tickle monster were there. She kept looking up at them and was proudly dancing for them and her daddy. Mrs. Loretta and Pop, our neighbors, also came and watched Mali, which was so special! I loved that it was a relaxed atmosphere and that there wasn’t all that much pressure to make the dance perfect but instead to make it about worship. At the end, they had cookies and punch, which both girls really enjoyed. We are proud of our ballerina and excited for her continued involvement in such a great program. I HIGHLY recommend Doxa to any one with little ballerinas out there!
http://paramount.publishpath.com/dance

Book Review-Plan B

Do you remember the day you discovered your life wasn’t going to turn out quite the way you thought? This is the question posed by Pete Wilson in his book Plan B that releases today. The focus of his book is what to do when God doesn’t whose up the way you though he would. Wilson uses real stories from the Bible from the lives of David, Joseph and Mary (you’re probably thinking right now about how their Plan A didn’t happen). Wilson outlines the book in the following chapters (titled in ways to point out the progression of the book). Reality, Don’t Run, The Illusion of Control, Your Jordan, Paralyzed, Whiplash, What you have you done for me lately, Darkness, Me Too, The Anchor, Power and Hope, Waiting on God, Transformation through Tragedy, and The Bow. The premise of the book is that even though our plans may not go the way we wanted them to that there is purpose, hope, transformation and possibilities that God has planned for us. Our Plan B has always been God’s plan. I recommend this book for everyone. I think all of us have asked God and ourselves these same questions. There are so many people searching for answers and this book guides readers to the answer…God and His plan. This book was easy to read and flip through with lots of insight and aha moments. It also has just built on things that God is showing and teaching me through sermons at church, which is always exciting.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review- The Voice

I have selected to review The Voice translation of the New Testament. The Voice is a scripture project to rediscover the story of the Bible and is rewritten in a story telling narrative. This translation was born out of the desire to move to a more post modernistic translation. At first, I was somewhat critical of the idea of another new translation of the Bible. However, after reading through scripture passages and using this translation in Bible study, there are several aspects that I do like about The Voice translation. The first aspect is that all story-telling additions that bring more clarity to the scripture are italicized to indicate that the wording is not part of the original translation but provides information to help the modern day reader understand what the writer is saying. The second aspect that I like is that boxes are included within the flow of scripture that add more insight to expand on the theme in the scripture. A lot of this information is new and exciting information that a reader may have to wait to hear in a sermon, conference or podcast but now has it as their fingertips as they read and study the Bible. The third aspect that I liked about this translation is that dialogue is broken down into a screenplay format. It looks like you are reading through a play. This aspect makes it clear to understand who is participating in the conversation. I believe that this Bible would be excellent for new believers or for believers reading through the New Testament without supplemental Bible study material. I’m excited to use this Bible as I study or read to my girls. I have had friends that want an easy to understand Bible to read to their children from but have difficulty finding one that has all of scripture included in it. (Many children’s Bible’s highlight stories without including the entire Bible). I think that this would be a great Bible to read to our children out of.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”