I'm a little late, but...

Wow! What a weekend! I love the holidays...but the travel can really get to a person!

I am late in posting my "I'm thankful for..." but I did want to get it done, even late.

I am thankful for:

• Our time in Springfield, MO.  I love going home. It seems to fit so well, even 5 years later.
  
• Old friends.
  
• Friends who are doctors and will call in a script when you have come down with strep because the baby kept giving you boogers that were contaminated with the strep virus.
  
• In Laws who were understanding of why I didn't make much of a show at the BIG family dinner and pictures.
• Cousins that the boys had a wonderful time playing with.
• Children who did a great job being kind and trying their best to make good choices.
• A husband who loves me a ton.
• A safe trip back home.
• That my momma and daddy are some really great people!
• My 'little' brother and his family.
• That God allows me to be a homeschooling stay at home mom to 4 great little warriors for Him.
  
• Mostly though, I am thankful for Jesus and how He loves me and has made me His.
  

I hope this holiday season found you with those you love. I hope you made some great memories and had some really good food! 

Love to you all...

Thanksgiving

Today we head off to Springfield for a weekend full of craziness! 

Mr. Dad's parent's have hosted the family thanksgiving for the last bazillion years. It is their last year. It is a huge event. There are usually 40-80 people there..depending on who is in town and who has come into town. 

Actually, I am glad it is their last year. I am ready to start something new. I am ready for thankgiving to be about our family and our needs. I like things small. I am overwhelmed by that many people and usually end up hiding off in a corner trying to avoid the craziest of the relatives!! Come on admit it..you have done that too!!

I am so very thankful this year. We have avoided another round of layoffs at Mr. Dad's office. We have a roof over our head..for a while longer anyway. We have food to eat...although sometimes that seems stretched thin. Things are tight around here these days.  Nothing seems to come easy. And actually it never has. Everyone is being hit by the economic downturn. We will make it through. Maybe not the way that we had expected, but we will make it. We have a place to go.  I am dreading the upcoming holiday season really. How to convince small people that even Santa has had to cut way back. He won't be doing much this year and that is ok. At least to a 35 year old...maybe alitttle harder for a 6 year old to swallow. 

The kids are healthy...except for that impetigo we are dealing with!! But seriously...we are all healthy. Scrappy has been released from speech. My grandparents are still with us. My mom and dad are still happily married. My brother is  he best in the whole world. I have a sister-in-law who is a doll and loves my brother dearly. I have a husband who loves me. My kids think I rock.

The funny thing about Tourette's

We recently dropped one of Skipper's medications. He still has to be on one because of the insomnia that goes along with TS. 

Since we have taken him off the med, his tics have come back pretty strongly. However, this being holiday season, I would expect that they would be worse.

He is still jumping..... 

and so are the little brothers. 

They have been playing together most of the morning and as they follow Skipper around...if he jumps, they jump! It is really sweet and funny! They have no idea why they are jumping other than big brother is doing it!

I guess if there is an up side to TS, this would be it!!

Happy Tuesday!! May God's grace shine upon you today!!

No more germs!

7:12 pm -Skipper, Scar and Scrappy are all running fevers!! I am afraid it is going to be a very long night!!

***********

Late last week, Skeeter broke out with small bumps on his face that we thought might be Chicken Pox. Turns out it is just another viral infection. So he is now just a very snot filled spotted kid. Was that too graphic? Sorry!

Scar wakes up Sunday and starts running about 103.7 degree fever. This is continuing as we speak. We can keep it down with ibuprofen. He is also very congested, achy and has a head ache.

Skeeter wakes up today and is complaining of his body hurting and his head hurting! He is also signed up for the congestion. Scar has announced that he doesn't think it is "fair" that Skipper isn't running a fever...I told him to hang in there, I was betting on tonight for that to show up!

YEAH!!! I was so hoping to be sick for the holidays!! 

Hear my sarcasm??

 

I am laying it on pretty thick!!

Really we have been blessed with a healthy year. This is only the 2nd time Scar has been sick since he was diagnosed with Celiac in 2005. So we can't complain that much. It really is more of the timing thing ya know?? And just pure boy stuff that get us trips to the doctor and ER doesn't count in this category! That is a WHOLE other post entirely!

Ok..well that is about it for now-with 3 not so well kids, there hasn't been much go on today!!

Unless you count the fact that Skeeter has eaten about 7 mandarin oranges and is running around the house naked yelling "Bathtub! Bathtub!" -then is has been an uneventful day!

Blessing to you on this Monday!

Mixing it up around here!

I changed things up a little here on the ol' blog.

I am forcing myself--and you into the Christmas spirit.

I am getting ready to decorate this week for the holidays. I love it once it is done...but honestly, I hate the whole doing it process.

Maybe it is because we have 4 little people that help, and sometimes I get caught up on the chaos and forget to have fun. 

Is that terrible? I am working on that. Maybe if we do it a little each day it will go better than trying to get it all done in one day. Maybe to if I pray a little bit before we get going that will make things go smoother.

Anyway, I hope that this holiday season finds you spending good times with the people that you love the most in this world!!

I am behind

Sorry for not posting my Useless Facts yesterday...I plead kids! 4 to be exact. They seem to think that it is all about them and it pretty much is!

Yesterday we were watching Skeeter and trying to decide if he has the chicken pox. As of now..we think it is just a viral rash..not chicken pox. I guess that is a good thing.

Scrappy was being tested for PT. That is a whole long crazy story and I will spare you the details...but we really need him to fail the test!! Never thought I would say that about my own child!

Things that are going on today:

The dryer seems to not understand that it's job is to actually dry the clothes...hence the name dryer!!

Skeeter took an open can of Dr. Pepper and tossed it around the living room.

Hurricane "Three Little Brothers" TRASHED their bed room.

The school room was affected by  the "Three Little  Brothers " storm too.

Working on a Thanksgiving Lapbook with the boys for school this week.

Had muffin tin Monday...on Friday! (told you we were behind)

Finally breaking down and sending the boys outside to play...violating my 40 degree rule!

So in honor of the chaos here in the house today...I give you some useless facts that hopefully will make you smile a bit:

*Barbie's parents are named George and Margaret.

*Buckingham Palace has over 600 rooms. (God bless the people in charge of cleaning that monster!!)

*Shaggy from Scooby Doo's real name is Norville Rogers. His home address is 224 Maple Street, Coolsville. ( in honor of what is blaring from the TV right now)

*The best selling box of Crayola crayons in the set of 24 crayons..

And now a quote:

"I think that the film Clueless was very deep. I think it was deep in the way that it was very light. I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it's true lightness." 
- Alicia Silverstone, Actress

Happy Friday!! Now go do something that is considered really productive!!

Graduation Day

Well..it is official...no more speech!

Just wanted to post a few pictures of the two best speech pathologists on the planet!!

This one is Scrappy and Mrs. J

This one is Ms. G and Scrappy.

Thank you ladies for making to day and extra special day for him!!

We love you both!

A BIG milestone!!

On November 14, 2006, Scrappy started speech therapy. 

Tomorrow November 19, 2008, Scrappy will be discharged from speech. It will be his last visit.

1 year ago he still couldn't say his name.

1 year ago he was learning to use a talker.

1 year ago he would cry or hit if we couldn't understand him.

1 year ago he still couldn't make the 'guh' sound or the 'kuh' sound -sorry Jenn, I know that is probably not phonetically correct :O).

He has come so very far and we are all so proud of the progress he has made. We have joked that the kid we never thought would get discharged from speech is getting out of that first and still in OT and PT!!

Really though, I am not sure how I feel about this. Speech Therapy has been such a huge part of our lives on a daily basis that I am a little worried about losing it.

I know that things will be ok. It is part of the life. Tomorrow is the day we have been praying for...it is just a little scary to be facing the end, knowing the time and love that G and J have put in with him. Pushed him and pushed him. Stretched and stabilized.

Thank you doesn't seem to be nearly enough. I just haven't the words to say to thank you for helping Scrappy find his voice. But since it is all I have...thank you J and G. You will forever be a part of our family!! 

Speechless

My heart is so very sad.

We got word about 45 minutes a go that a good friend of ours, from Springfield, collapsed at work today and died. He was 35. 

He leaves behind an adorable wife and 2 precious little girls. 

Could you please say a little prayer for the Lewis family? I know that they would be deeply grateful!

God bless you Barrett...heaven is a much happier place with you there!!

What is that smell?!?

Oh..that smell?

Huh?

That's  just the smell of a whole jug of baby powder being dumped in your room...that's all!

Thank you Skeeter.

Running Shoes

In an earlier entry, I said that I felt like God was working on something. And indeed he was.

For a couple of weeks now, I have felt a nagging feeling about a couple different things. 

One of the things is our television. I have a love/hate relationship with that thing. I have said numerous times that we should just get rid of it...and there it  still sits..hooked up to the digital world. 

It really brings  trash into my home. My kids are way more materialistic than they were before they saw all kinds of things they never knew they needed. Their language is worse...mind you they do not talk like sailors (sorry daddy and papa) but it is worse also. 

They see kids disrespecting their parents..which is direct contrast to Ephesians 6:1 that calls children to obey their parent because it is what God wants.  I have felt God bringing this to my attention so often. I let them watch to much tv. 

Can I get by with just cutting the time drastically that they get to watch? Is it better that I just get it out of here and stop inviting that kind of ungodliness into our home? I do not watch it that much...but it would still be a huge  sacrifice on my part.

I also feel like I have missed the boat on being a truly Godly wife and homemaker. I feel like there is such chaos in our home. Yes, there is chaos with 4 kids...but it feels like more than that. If feels like I have bucked what I know God wants for me. He has a beautiful plan for me..I am his child-but I have turned on my heels and huffed away saying "No thank-you..I can do it myself!"(To quote a 2 year old who will not be named.)  

And I haven't a clue really. But I do know that what I feel in our home isn't His best.

It is mine. 

It is my selfishness. 

My pride. 

My laziness. 

My disorder.

I love how God reveals himself to his children. He has shown up in a bunch of ways lately. I read an article in a homeschooling magazine that made me  bristle when I read it. Matter of fact, I threw it across the room and walked off. But, deep down..I knew the author was right. I didn't like being called out...especially by someone who doesn't know me. I received a catalog in the mail and there was a book in there that spoke to me also. It was like all the puzzle piece fell right into place and God said.."Here it is. I can fix this if you will move over and let me take this."

I am not the women spoken of in Proverbs 31. Don't get me wrong..I think there are some things I do well. But I really think that I have set my mind and therefore my heart on things of this world. I want what society tells me I need. I want to look a certain way or dress a certain way or be like this person or that one. When what I need to to turn my heart toward God and ask him what he wants for me. How can he refine my spirit. How can he shape me and make me.

I am confessing that I don't really know what it means to give it all to God. I have been keeping a small part back. Just in case He can't hack it..I have a place to start over. So I am giving it all over. I will fall and dust myself off a few times I am sure. I have grace  and mercy to accompany me. I have forgiveness to wash me clean when I get dirty. 

I will sing with joy to my Lord. 

I will shout aloud to the Rock of my salvation!

I will come bofore him with thankgiving and extoll him with music and song. 

So here I go on a new journey. And once again..the verse in Hebrews speaks so loudly  to me..

..let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...

I need my  shoes....I have a race to run!

Useless Fact Thursday

The French have a donut called "Nun's Fart." (How perfect for my boys!!)

In NYC, approximately 1,600 people are bitten by other humans annually. -seriously!?!

In North America, there are approximately 618 roller coasters.

96% of people put the peanut butter on first when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

And now, a  quote...

"I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were ever supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." 
- Miss Alabama, in the 1994 Miss Universe contest, when asked if   she would want to live forever.

Happy Useless Fact Thursday!

What was I thinking? Was I thinking? I think I was thinking!

I am a goof.

Today while the little boys were at therapy, I took the older two to Wal-mart to get a few things. They each had a little bit of money with them and I agreed to let them see if they could find something they thought they had to have. Well, duh..they are 6 and 8 of course they are going to find something that they "need"!!

Skipper chose a small Lego set. Which is exactly what I thought he would get. He is great at Legos. I on the other hand can make a brick wall out of Legos. He tells me to just follow the pictures..um no, it just ain't happening!! I guess I am Lego challenged. 

Then there is Scar. He is such a fun kid. He just makes me shake my head and laugh!! He spent $ .88 on a whoopee cushion. A WHOOPEE CUSHION!!  Man, what was I thinking when I thought that would be a good idea?

I would like to tell you that I was still on pain meds from my horrific root canal(sorry Dr. Ty but you know it is true!!)..but I  wasn't. I wish I could tell you that I drank a big glass of something fruity...but I didn't. I was so pleased with the fact that he was only going to spend 88 cents, that the whole whoopee cushion thing just passed me right by. I stood there and waved good-bye to my better judgement as it walked right down the toy isle there in Wal-mart.

Do you have any idea how much fun 4 boys can have with a whoopee cushion?? Really, I never thought one could derive so much pleasure from one. So..as Mr. Dad leaves for the next 7 days...I am here with the Fart Brothers and their little antics that they continue with- ALL DAY LONG.

Maybe I can find a pin and "accidently" puncture said whoopee cushion. Maybe the Whoopee Cushion Fairy can come in the middle of the night and wisk the cushion away to the great whoopee cushion land in the sky.

I think I need a business trip...someplace that doesn't have whoopee cushions...or boys.

Hum...

Blog Scavenger Hunt-And the winners are.....

Alright...I know that you are just dying to know who won...so I will tell you! 

Sherry & Melody...you pulled it off! 

I will bring your prizes to church on Sunday...and you might want to get a life..ha ha ha ha

Since  I was asked, I will give you the answers. Please circle the ones you got correct in red and then turn you paper over and pass it to the front of your row. Please make sure your name is on it....

1. Snoopy is our darling puppy ,who is presently laying beside me.

2. Kansas City 

3. Old Alton Bridge..it's in Denton, Texas

4. Vanilla Coke baby!!

5. Sweet Baby Skeeter

6. $1,000

7. Heavens to betsy..it was Scrappy! I still have problems with it!!

8. I was a teacher

9. That was Scar

10. Springfield, Missouri

**************************************************************

I am not above "buying" your responses!!

I was thinking that it would be fun to do a blog scavenger hunt!!

I sense your enthuasium!!

I am going to give a way 2 little prizes to the 2 people who can answer the most questions correctly. Now..mind you, I am a stay at home mom...I am not sending you on a trip to the spa or a lifetime supply of chocolate...but it will be something  fun! So play along if you like!!

Ok here's the deal I am giving you 10 questions..ALL of the answers are here on my blog.  I will take your answers until Wednesday at 7 pm  central time. I will stick your names in a basket or something like that and let Dwight draw the names out!! Sound ok?? Here we go...

1. What is our puppy's name?

2. What city was the Tourette's Syndrome conference in?

3. What is the name of the bridge in my title photo?

4. What is my favorite Sonic drink?

5. Which boy was tongue-tied?

6. How much money did our church family send to us while Scar was in the hospital?

7. Which boy broke my tailbone during delivery?

8. What job did I have before I became a mom?

9. Who taught Skeeter how to climb out of his crib?

10. Where did we spend the 4th of July?

E mail me with your answers.. dallasheasley@mac.com

Good Luck!!

What a time we had...

Got back from the ladies retreat this evening! 

Thank you Melody and Kristy for all your hard work! It was wonderful!

I have turned on my mattress pad heater and am going to go crawl in and get warm--finally.

I know this will come a such a shock to some of you...but I lack in the body fat category:O).  I am usually cold...but I was really cold today!!

I have some things to write...but I need some time to mull  over things and wait for God to show himself- I think He's working on something.

I do want to give a shout out to my adorable hubby and little men. They worked VERY hard while I was gone. I came home to a clean house and grilled steak!! I love my hubby! He is a keeper!!

Happy Saturday...I am going to go warm up now...

Useless Facts Thursday

I am been thinking that my blog has taken a slightly serious turn lately. I think it is time to liven things up a little!!

In light of that...I will now provide you with random bits of information on Thursdays. Please feel free to memorize these and work them into your conversations through out the week!!

1. Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.

2. A dime had 118 ridges around the edge.

3. Maine is the toothpick capital of the world!

4. It requires  63 feet of wire to make a Slinky.

5. A slug has 4 noses.

 

6. A person uses, approximately, 57 sheets of toilet paper a day.( I'd like for someone to check on this..I haven't the time!!)

Now you have 6 new facts to astound and amaze your friends!! Check back next week..I found some doozies!!

Happy Useless Facts Thursday...Dallas

Secret Letters

I have been doing something for a while and I thought that I would share it with you.

Seeing where as I am the only pink in my blue house..I have been doing something for my boys. In the unfortunate event that something happens and I am not here to see my boys grow up and marry, I have started writing them letters. Hopefully they will never need them, but if they do, then they will be here for them.

There are simple "happy birthday" letters telling them how I have seen them grow each year. There are 'mom advise' letters- like bring her flowers, open doors, leave her little notes, don't forget those special days, that kind of stuff. Then there are about me letters- my favorite movies, books, flowers, how Dwight and I met, how he proposed..etc.

There are letters for all kinds of holidays and letters just for fun. Some are photocopied for all the boys and some are just for a specific child.

All of this is because I have a dear friend who lost his mother to cancer when he was a young child. There is so much he wishes he knew about his mom. Eventually, people stopped talking and there were things he still wanted to know. 

I do not want my boys to have those feelings. I want them to know me even if I am unable to be here. Hopefully, I will be here for all their wonderful moments, and if so them I will give each boy his 'special box' as a  wedding gift.

Just a little food for thought!!

Blessings...Dallas

In light of the elections...

My friend Jayma sent this to me last week. I know lots of people have different feelings or mixed feelings about the outcome of the elections..but I think this speaks volumes....

*****

"...The ascension means that the world already has a human king sitting on his throne and reigning from heaven. Not all of creation has acknowledged his reign at present, but Scripture promises that someday every knee will bow before him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11).

Rome had her emperors. Other countries have kings and dictators. Some have prime ministers. The United States has a president. They all rule their given territories with whatever authority has been vested in their position. But the world already has a King. We’re not waiting for him to take the throne or be inaugurated. He's already reigning from his throne in heaven. All the powers, presidents, prime ministers, and potentates will ultimately answer to him, whether they currently recognize his authority or not.

This is why we have to be careful as followers of Jesus that we don't put too much faith and energy into national politics and hyper-patriotism. Otherwise we’ll find ourselves trading our Christlikeness for political expediency and bowing down before the idol of nationalism. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be involved in politics, but rather we should let the reality of Jesus’ ascension influence how deeply we choose to participate in the process and what we hope to gain from our engagement. 

The world will not be healed and restored because we elect the right president. We live in a great country, with the best political process I know of, but our country is not the light of the world. Our president may be the most powerful person in the world, but he's not sitting at the right hand of God. Our military is full of brave men and women willing to die for their country, but they are not able to eradicate the world of evil. 

Christians should understand these things better than anyone else. Yet the anxious, fearful, and sometimes mean-spirited qualities demonstrated by many Christians at election time betrays just how little faith we have in King Jesus.

The ascension is more than a cool special effect at the end of a Passion play. It is a dramatic political statement made by God himself about how the long-awaited King of the world has been enthroned in heaven. Slowly but surely news of his reign will spread through the world until someday the curtain separating heaven and earth will lift and the two realms will become one. Until then, our challenge as followers of Jesus is to live in such a way that demonstrates who the real King of the world is. This will be seen in our acts of service, stands for justice, and exhibitions of grace done in the name of Jesus, rather than in the name of partisan politics. In fact, every time we gather to worship and celebrate the risen, ascended King Jesus we’re participating in a political party of a different kind.

It may just be that the most important political statement Christians can make this election season is to publicly declare that we’re putting our hope, confidence, and trust, not in any one particular candidate or party, but in our ascended King who will someday return and transform our world into a place where the streets have no name."

 

Calling all moms! Calling all moms!

Ok moms..I am in need of your assistance. I address this to moms, cause really, I can't imagine that there are any men out there that read my blog...let alone admit to it and leave a comment...No wait..Cass, your sweet hubby was kind enough to leave some advice with a situation with Skipper...so I stand corrected!! If you dad's got any thing here...I'd love to hear it too!!

Here is my dilemma and I really would like you r opinion on the situation. And I gotta get this done pretty quick, cause after my 2nd day of 'root canal fun'...I am on hydrocodone and my time is limited until  this stuff kicks in and then I am a big pile of mushy goo!! So please overlook and misspellings or the like!

Tonight at bedtime, Scrappy starts crying saying that the little boy next door called him a name. He tells me what it is and I can not understand him. I ask him to repeat it and he 'says' a$$hole.

Even with a speech problem...he got pretty close(reminder to tell therapists to watch for this new word!!)

Since all the boys share a room, we took a minute to talk about how that is not appropriate for people to use and that it is not a word that we will use in our house. I did not go on or make a big deal about it just that we wouldn't talk like that here.

Here is the kicker...I have heard their mom talk to her kids and she talks like that to them all the time. So I mean, they only use what they hear being said to them. The little boy is I'd guess 4 and sister is about 6. She is a single mom and I am sure has a ton on her plate.

I hate to slam the door and say no more playing together...but there are many things that are not quite right over there. Yes, Christie...this is the level 2 sex offenders house. Which is a whole other can of worms. And just for the record...we did not know there was a sex offender living next door when we bought the house, I found out from the police one day when they showed up to check in on him.

The kids just walk into our house with out knocking. We have asked them to knock many times, but it seems to go in one ear and out the other!  The little boys is very rough. Which is saying something coming from a mom of 4 boys. I know that everyone has to do what is right for their family, but how do I handle this with out shutting these people out completely??

What would you do? I am open here. I really want to know what you think.