God answers prayers in the weirdest ways sometimes!

A few days ago the boys found 3 little kittens in the barn.  We knew that our 2 calicoes looked pregnant a while back, these kittens looked like the  normal litters for our “barn cat club”- 1 tiger, 1 black, and 1 tortoise calico.  The little kittens just cried and cried all the time.  The boys found a mother who appeared to be nursing and showed her the kittens and she growled at them.  Cats can be so moody so I told the boys to leave them alone and their mama would find them and feed them.  The second day, I brought the kittens to the house to feed because their bellies just weren’t very full and I put them in the pet taxi.  When the boys got home, I had them take them back to the barn still thinking their mother was down there.  They made them a nice spot with a towel and straw  in the pet taxi and left the door open for the mama.  I didn’t check on the kittens yesterday while the boys were at school- forgot.  The boys went to the barn yesterday and the kittens were laying on a soaking wet towel (it rained hard that night/day and the wind blew the rain into the barn, I’m sure).  Two of them were dead and the little calico was just screaming her little head off- the sound that comes from a tiny kitten who is cold and hungry is piercing!!!!  How the other animals in the barn didn’t kill her just for being annoying is beyond me. . .  .

So, in the house comes a crying #1 child, a very sad #2 child, a very informative and willing to remove the dead ones #3 child, and one screaming kitten. . ..   We fed the kitten and held her close but she just kept screaming, that glass shattering cry for mama.  We took turns carrying her around and I finally couldn’t take it anymore!  We put in her in the pet taxi and sat her near the register in the laundry room and turned the light off.  After awhile she fell asleep. . . . . but only for a short while.  So, we repeated and repeated until bedtime.  At bedtime, I gave her a wipe down, dried her off, put her to bed and went to bed myself. 

At 6:50 a.m. this morning that ear piercing scream woke me.   I fed her again and did some research online.  I read that orphaned kittens will cry when they are hungry or cold otherwise they will sleep and be quite content.  I then read that at 2-3 weeks of age they need 90^ temperatures and at 3-4 weeks of age they need 80^ temperatures!!!!!  She was in that cold barn with her dead siblings for only God knows how long!  She probably stayed alive by managing to get on top of the pile of kittens- her brothers probably saved her life!!!  Poor thing- she can’t get warm!!!  My mom suggested a warm water bottle (since we are not turning the thermostat on the rurnace up. . . .lol) and it helps. . .  . . .

Anyway, why am I telling you all this with a title about God answering prayer?  That 6:50 a.m. alarm clock!!!!!  I’ve been needing a reason to get out of bed earlier than I have been and the little kitten did it!!  Now 6:50 is not as early as I should be getting up but I realized that once I drag myself out of bed it’s so much easier to get started!  Thank you Jesus!!!  Even screaming kittens have a purpose!!

Now, if you’ll all pray that she warms up and stays that way, we would appreciate it. . . .  (-;

Patricia Parker

My friends mom died on Friday.  I didn’t know mom well but I knew her well enough to be very sorry she is gone.   She was a “say it like it is” gal no matter what. . . . (makes me think a bit of myself, ya know?) 

Her cancer was an aggressive one.  If I remember right, she was first diagnosed early summer of this year and gone already.  Her symptoms started off  (I spoke with Pat in July) with an injury to her breast- she whacked a cabinet door into her breast and the bruise just wouldn’t go away. 

I’ m writing about her today to help myself mourn her loss but also to remind you: 

If you have a sore that won’t heal- badger your doctor until he/she gets you a real answer!!! 

If you have a funny feeling that something just isn’t right- badger your doctor until he/she gets you a real answer!!

Doctors should be able to find an answer or refer you to someone who can!

Pat’s life was a life lived for Jesus and for that I’m forever going to miss running into her in the grocery store and running into her at the Goodwill- buying things for her grandson. . . . .   A life lived for Jesus is all that matters in this world!

Pray for those who are grieving today

I’m preparing a meal for a family to eat during/after  the viewing/visitation/wake of their loved one.   You may know someone who is grieving too.  You may know someone who lost a loved one years ago!  All of them need our prayer support and to know that we love them.

If you feel the need, send them a note of encouragement.  If it’s been more than a month since the person died, don’t send a sympathy card or a note that says you know they are grieving  or anything like that.  They know they are grieving still.  They know they have your sympathy.  Send them a thinking of you card.  Tell them about your day and that they came to mind.  Send them a smile!! 

Praying for those of you reading who are grieving too!

Much love!

Just a reminder. . . . .

All crazy children do not just live at your house. . . . . .they dwell here as well!!!    AND crazy, hectic, busy lives exsist here as well as there!!!

Friday- spend the day in town at dr. office and pharmacy to find out that my #1 son is really sick and not just tired from being out of shape and in football.  Missed my haircut appt.

Saturday- spend wee hours of the morning consoling “mr. puker” as he worships the porcelain god.  survive rest of day on 3 hours of sleep, constantly reminding the other boys to quit screaming, running , and having so much fun because they are bothering their brother.  Get #2 and #3 set up to use the victoria strainer on a small batch of tomatoes- yes they are 7 and 9 years old but they find this work fun and I don’t have time and the tomatoes need someone to take of them!!  Made small batch of tomato sauce!

Sunday- try to sleep in but can’t.  Wake up in time to console “mr. puker” one more time at the porcelain idol.  Try to clean house up a bit but am too tired to really accomplish much.  Take #2 son to soccer practice and listen to other soccer parents yackety yack yack yack (yawn).  Try to figure out how we are going to transport 9 very large turkeys and 6 ducks to the processing plant when the largest cage we have only holds 2. 

Sunday evening- magically “mr. puker” has recovered from the stomach portion of his bug and has moved on to the “moving phlegm” portion.  Hack and spit – hack and spit. . . . . . .   Ooh it’s bedtime!!  I think I’m feeling much better now!  Too good to go to bed.  Good enough to chase my brothers around the upstairs trying to put underwear on their heads!!!!  Oh, there is laundry to put away??  I think I’m still too sick to do that. . . . .  ooh, lets chase the brothers again!!

Don’t get me wrong- I am VERY thankful that “mr. puker” is feeling better.  I truly missed his sense of humor and his rude comments the 3 days he was “down for the count”.  But, why do children have to do that sudden recovery???  Can’t they gradually come around or warn us ahead of time that health and wellness will be here in 5, 4. . . . . . . ??????

Tomorrow????  You might wonder what I have on tap. . . . only a few things. . . . .

We are expecting an insulation guy on Tues. to come and inspect our entire home and audit where we need to improve our energy efficiency with insulation.  So, not only do I have to straighten up the entire part of the  sty we live in house that is normally seen by company but also the bedrooms and I really wish I had time to straighten the basement and attic but the guy is just gonna have to understand that we are pigs lead busy lives and just don’t have time for spotless housekeeping. 

Besides that I will also have to help husband place the portable chicken coop on the trailer and catch and put into the coop -that is now on a trailer- the 9 turkeys (that weigh between 20-40 lbs A PIECE!!) and 6 ducks.  I will have to do this shortly before I go pick up “mr. puker” from football and attend a meeting for football.  So, staying clean would be helpful but probably won’t happen. . . . .  I am praying that husband will take the turkeys and ducks to the processing plant himself while I shower and go to football. . . . . . 

Remember- the events in this blog are real.  They are not meant to scare you.  They are not meant for you to worry about the well-being of the residence in my home or the psychological health of this author.  These events are in this blog to remind you that your reality is not your own. . . . it is mine. . . .

You are normal!

You can do anything you set your mind to!

You are capable!

You are loved!

You are worthy!

You can do it!

I am proud of you!!!!!

Remember your first leather jacket?

Do you remember back to your teen years or before?  Do remember wanting something really badly and the parents saying, “no” over and over again and then one day deciding that you were old enough or “ready”?  I remember waiting and begging to get my ears pierced.  I remember waiting and begging to go to the mall with my friends and no parents.  But today, I remember waiting and begging for a leather jacket!!!   My husband had the same dream and eventually both of us high school sweethearts got that leather jacket.  His was a stressed brown leather flight jacket.  Mine, well, I wanted a biker jacket in white with fringed sleeves and zippers everywhere but mom thought that was too worldly for her daughter.  So, I settled for a nice textured leather bomber type leather jacket with a Thinsulate liner so I could wear it in all seasons- mom thought that would make it worth the money- more money than we had ever spent on a coat for me in the past!

Flash forward 20 years or so!  My 11 year old son is home from school sick today.  I took him to the doctor to find out that he had a throat infection and one hugely swollen gland on his neck.  Anyway, just a few days before today’s dr. trip he received $20 from his aunt for his birthday.   Since dr. said he could not go to school today, we took a few extra minutes to run some errands in town.  At one stop I had to use the restroom so I told him he could go see if they had any crocs to replace his that broke.  When I return from the restroom he tells me that he didn’t find any crocs but he did find something else.  He takes me to the kids clothing section and low and behold he is pointing out the cutest (err, excuse me mom’s say cute, kids say “cool”) coolest biker jacket!!!  It’s not leather, just vinyl but it’s only $15!!!  He tells me he wishes he had brought his birthday money along so he could buy that jacket.  He’s in the middle school this year and being cool is sooooo important.  So, I floated him a loan.  As soon as we got back to the car, he called his aunt to tell her about his purchase!  He is soooooo excited and I bet he is hoping for cool temperatures come Monday so he has an excuse to wear it to school! 

He’s such an angel- boy after my own heart (well, and his dad’s too! lol)

Basic Weekly Plan

I finally found a website where I can fill in the calendar pages online and print out a calendar with my stuff already on it!  www.janbrett.com/calendar   This got me thinking that I haven’t shared with you how I keep track of what to do when recently.  I do mention some organizing tips in my category “survival tips for moms of school age children”.  Feel free to click over their for some other things.

I used my janbrett calendar to write down the stuff that has to be done over and over.  Years ago, many moms did the same thing on the same day of the week every week.  Working moms, well, this doesn’t work so well.  I recommend you do a little of everything each day instead of focusing on one thing each day.  Me, however, I’m a stay-at-home mom.  I have this curse blessing  called spend all day every day with three tornadoes young men and keep them occupied.  Besides separating the young men from their fights every time I turn around, I do have to do some basic tasks in order to keep us all sane and the kids out of foster care (-;

If you read my previous post today, you will note that what I’m actually doing this week is not exactly how my plan is but here is my plan for the remainder of August, subject to change:

• Sundays- church and soccer
• Mon- office work, errand list, football
• Tues- grocery day
• Wed- laundry day, clean kitchen, football
• Thur- baking day, football, soccer
• Fri- clean barn day, yard work
• Sat- a.m. is ME time and PM is catch up day (until football games start next month)

Like I said, it’s not exactly what’s on tap for this week.  The nice thing is that when it’s down on paper, if I have to do something on a different day than I have it scheduled for, I can look at my plan and remember that whatever that “thing” was needs to be put on another day.  My life is full of changes and disruptions, usually involving the husband calling and saying, “can you go to town and pick up blah, blah, and blah right away?”  However, my plan is wrote down so that when I get back home and say, “okay, where was I?” I can glance at my plan and say, “oh, yeah. . . I remember, today was. . . . . . “

 

Oh, and one other thing about this- some people keep these “lists” in a 3-ring binder.  I put mine on the fridge near my monthly calendar with the entire family’s schedule on it.  I would lose the list and the binder if I used a binder. . . . .  I’d lose my head it if weren’t attached too. . . .

What’s On Tap this Week??

Just in case you feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed or just plain don’t know if anyone out there has a life like yours. . . . . here’s what I need to accomplish in the next several days:

So, do your week’s look similar to mine?

• Today- pick up a few things in town, prep house for corn preservation, football practice
• Tues- Freeze corn indoors instead of outside.  husband and his dad won’t be able to help this year so that means good ole mom will but we have to be in the air conditioning instead of under the shade tree- thankful for the help though!  Neighbor kid spending the day too
• Wed-Laundry, prep for first day of school, football practice, meet the teachers in the elementary at the exact same time that we go to a mandatory meeting at the middle school (that’ll be interesting, I’m sure), neighbor kid spending the day again
• Thur- FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!  Glory, Hallelujah!!!, office day, do a little baking, pick up kid from football
• Fri- SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL!!!  Do a little happy dance that we survived the first day and have gotten kids on the bus again!, clean the barn, mow

A week in the life. . . . .

Monday- mom gets black eye from naughty kid’s head.  #1 son slices the end off his toe with a sharp rock in the lake.

Tuesday- we go and pick up the cutest and cheapest (free)  little birthday present ever!  A 2 month old black Holland Lop rabbit.

Wednesday- #3 child splits his chin wide open after swim lessons when his chin collided with a friend’s head.  Friend- small cut on head no medical help needed.  #3- Closest Urgent Care facility, 45 minutes away from lake, glues his chin back together after anxiety attack and having to be held down by staff.

Thursday- Lord willing, #3’s orthodontist will discover that no damage was done to his teeth in the collision and we will have a glorious play date with friends!

Friday- Lord willing, we will attend the last swim lesson for this season.  #3 will observe until cookie and juice time and the other boys will finish out the season!

Saturday- Lord willing, I will get the laundry caught up

Sunday- Lord willing, I will get my spiritual tank refilled and will be able to bless those living at the homeless shelter with others from church.

Monday- Lord willing, I will pack for vacation and spend some time at a football meeting for #1 son

If the Lord is not willing to allow these simple requests, His plan will come to fruition and I hope it does not include me taking a vacation wrapped in a straight jacket at our local mental hospital. . . . . . .

One day at a time, sweet Jesus!  That’s all I’m asking from you!  Please give me the strength to do everything that I need to do!

The Broken Heart of a First Year 4-H er

He was a little guy, just topping the 60 lb scale.  He had huge dreams, dreams even bigger than he was!  Dreams of making big bucks at the 4-H auction with his Reserve Grand Champion Turkey.  Dreams of having the buyer say, “You can keep your turkey, Congratulations!”   He had already met his goal with his Honors Ribbon Duck, those buyers weren’t interested in eating any duck. 

So with a positive note in his heart, he walked out into the auction ring with his great big pink Rosette ribbon in hand.  I followed him, carrying that prize winning turkey that was too much for his little frame to handle.  Grabbing the turkey from behind, and using my gloved hands, I picked the hen up by the wings and carried her into the auction ring.  With a shy and sheepish (turkish?) grin he watched and waited as the auction took off.  I smiled with pride and reminded him to smile too.  The hen got heavy and I sat her on the ground, crouching to make sure she stayed, while the auction continued.  I decided to pick her up again, hoping his dream would be fulfilled.  In a few brief moments, the auction was over.  The dazed look of “what do I do now” and “where do I go” of a first year 4-Her came across his face.  I pointed him in the right direction. 

His turkey was bought by multiple buyers, one being one of the auctioneers.  The auctioneer met him at the exit to the auction ring, got down on the little kid with big dreams level and asked, “Do you want to keep your turkey?”  The first year 4-Her didn’t know what to say!  He stood motionless in the vast noise of the auction house and utter shock of the words he had just heard.  The auctioneer wants the turkey!!!  With a lack of response, the auctioneer looked to me for answers.  The right thing to do, even though I hated to do it and cringed at the words knowing it was not what the kid wanted me to say, “It’s the buyers choice whether to keep the turkey or not.”  The auctioneer replied, “I would like to keep the turkey for my parents if none of the other buyers want her.”

Ouch!  The sting filled the little boy’s heart as he maturely completed the next task of getting buyers signatures and thanking them with candy bars.  No signs of emotion crossed his face as he did what a man would do- the job at hand. 

As soon as his work was completeted and he had a moment to absorb what just happened, hot tears filled his eyes.  His shoulders folded and fell so low they seemed to almost touch each other as his heart sank.  His legs seemed to barely be able to carry his tiny frame.  The grief was way too much for him to bare.  His body drug himself away from the auction house and he disappeared into the great depression of having to let go.   Back to the camper he drug himself to console his heart with a bowl of Easy Mac. . . . . . .

There is no happy ending to this story yet, although it may not be near as awful as the first year 4-Her has anticipated. 

While he was at the camper, I spoke with the auctioneer about when he wanted to pick up his turkey.  He told me that he wanted her for his parents farm.  He said they have a little bit of every kind of animal, except a turkey.  He attempted to call them but got no response.  I told him we would keep her for a week or so before processing her (for those who don’t understand that word or are too broken up with the story- processing means to take the live bird to processing plant and have her made into meat for the freezer). 

The first year 4-Her is happy to have his “Princess” back in his turkey flock but very guarded when anyone speaks to him about her.  Her fate is yet to be determined but it appears she may have a better fate if she goes with the auctioneer and that bothers the first year 4-Her even more. . . . .

On a side note- for those of you who are wondering how the rest of the kids did at 4-H, here’s the rundown.

2nd year 4-Her:

1. ATV club- Blue ribbon and remembered to be safe over speed in every manuever. (mama is so proud!)
2. Lawn Mower driving contest- Blue ribbon and remembered the phrase, “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again”.
3. Arts and Crafts- Blue ribbon and a comment from the judge that she liked his originality (used Legos but did not follow any kit to make his aircraft)
4. Air Rifle- Blue Ribbon with increased accuracy over last year
5. Rabbit- Blue Ribbon and his rabbits matched the Standard of Perfection despite being bred in anamish farm and not a rabbit breader farm.

First Year 4-Her

1. Arts and Crafts- Blue ribbon with lessons from the judge in how to fix mistakes and make them look like part of the presentation (excellent)
2. Photography- Red ribbon with comment from the judge to use more variety.
3. Archery (he target practiced with everyone but did not participate in the shoot off, so he did a poster)  Blue ribbon with comments that it was obvious he learned much but he needed to be neater.  To which he asked his mom, “why do you have to be neat?” LOL
4. Duck- Blue Ribbon with Honors
5. Turkey- Reserve Grand Champion- with comment from the judge that the hen needed one more week of growth and then she would be Grand Prize Material.  Funny thing is, she was exactly one week younger than she should have been!!  Amazing!

Future 4-Her (they get rainbow colored participation ribbons for everything and mostly praise from the judges no matter what)

1. Models- Display of the solor system
2. Gardening- He raised a tear drop plant for about six months and displayed her with her babies.
3. Farm Animals- Poster titled “Where does your stuff come from?” with pictures of various farm animals with lists of what we get from them.  Including things like “roosters are natural alarm clocks”.  LOL
4. Rabbit- He and one other boy showed regular 4-Her’s rabbits.  They practiced carrying the rabbit to the show table and talked to the judge.  Well, he was too shy to talk to the judge. . . .but the 2 boys did get their picture on the front page of the newspaper for their efforts!!!