Blessing Bags

One day, long, long ago, John and I were traveling.  I don't know where to but only that we were young and penniless.  Okay.  Not penniless, but definitely living paycheck to paycheck.  We stopped on our journey to grab some lunch.  When we pulled in, there was a man on the corner holding a cardboard sign that read, "Hungry - please help".  It bothered me.  It always does.  I HATE thinking of anybody going hungry.  It also bothers me that able people choose panhandling.  It is a rule that we never give a stranger money.  If they have a need, we will  meet it if we can, but not by a cash handout.  We went in and ate and then headed out to the car.  I could see that he was still standing there.  I told John I wanted to do something.  We took the little cash we had left and got him a meal.  I was skeptical about the situation, and expected the food to be placed down while he continued to hold his sign and "earn money".  But he didn't.  He thanked John and immediately sat down and ate.  I wanted to cry.  Why hadn't we bought him so much more?  I never forgot that.  And EVERY time I see someone on the side of the road, I'm bothered.  And I'm torn.  I am always convinced that if I don't stop I am passing up angel after angel that God has sent to test me and I'm also convinced, if I do stop, I am putting myself in danger or I am aiding an addiction.

I bring all this up because I passed a guy with a sign the other day!  His sign read "Need 4.7 cents"  I have no idea what that means.  But the sign caught my eye, and he caught mine.  He smiled a sweet smile and waved.  I smiled back uncomfortably and kept driving and just poured out everything to God.  I didn't know what to do.  I never do.  I want to help.  I do.  But so often it doesn't seem right or safe.  What am I supposed to do?!?!  I vented my frustration and then went on with my day.  Not long after my complete melt-down with God, my friend posted this link:  BLESSING BAGS

It was the answer to my "prayer".  Carrying around gallon sized baggies with useful and edible items is just brilliant.  It was just the answer I needed.  Now I was enabled to help in safety and without enabling an addiction.  I love it!  I also love that my boys will be able to witness the act, and I hope that it will teach them kindness and compassion.

I'm anxious to gather the items and have the bags on hand ready to hand out when needed.  I would love to get together with a group of people who were anxious to do the same thing, so that everyone could contribute an item or two, and many bags could be made.  I don't know how long it will be before I'm able to actually go through with it, but I'm so excited about the opportunity to love people in this way!

The Adventures of Matthew

Oh this little boy.  He is such a mess.  And all boy.

As often as we have listened to Eric talk about the planets, we are having to listen to Matthew repeat this phrase a billion times a day:

You choking, WHIIIIIIITE? (You're joking, right?)

No.  No, I'm not.


John is having his own fun with the tyke.  I caught Matthew dancing one day and it was just too adorable.  I told John about it and John was encouraging him to dance and he wasn't wanting to.  That quickly turned into "Dance, Monkey!"  So now, whenever John wants to be entertained, we'll hear "Dance, Monkey!" and usually Matthew will shake his toushie.

But Matthew wasn't having any of that today.  He covered his little face, shook his head and said, "I don't want dance monkey!"

In Love

As many of you know, I'm a BIG music person.  I jump genres a lot and go through phases.  I've been mostly into Christian music for quite a while now.  I have not bought any albums of late, because I tend to only like a couple of sings from each.  After having discovered the Sugarland contest, and participating in it, I took a  good look at their latest album, The Incredible Machine.  I have always liked the Sugarland songs that made it to radio, but I have got to say I am IN LOVE with this album and am so impressed that they wrote every song, and that every song is completely different from the one before it.  The album is so diverse and the lyrics so interesting that this has definitely made my top 10 album list.  L-O-V-E.  I think Sugarland has a new fan.  Talent, talent, talent!  

Check out some of my favorites!









All on the same album!  Incredible, right?!  

Done With Potty Training

I told you.  I have no patience for this.  Matthew has decided he has no need of diapers, but apparently he has no need of a toilet either.  Grrrr......I have cleaned up three messes today.  2 of which occured when he had (or was SUPPOSED to have had) his diaper on!  He's been taking it off and peeing and then coming to let me know that he's wet and made a mess.  No kidding, little one.  Then he wants to go run and sit on the potty, because apparently if you sit on the potty, you get to flush it, and THAT'S exciting. 

I hate potty training.

Follow-Up Potty Training Day 1

Matthew proudly wore his underwear all morning and stayed dry!  Yay!  I encouraged him to go potty a couple of times, which he gladly did.  However, he would not stay seated long enough to do anything.  He really just wants to flush the toilet.  At naptime, I fought him to take off his underwear.  He did NOT want a diaper back on.  That's a good sign....but I insisted.  To our amazement, he stayed dry through his nap.  Don't know how he stayed dry for so long.  He didn't end back up in underwear because we went swimming immediately after his nap.  When we got home, I bathed him, and went to put another diaper on.  He fussed and said he didn't want it, but that's just too bad right now.

Eric and Matthew were playing back in Eric's room.  They were laughing and giggling and carrying on.  John and I were too exhausted to care too much what was going on.  I heard Eric start flipping out, saying "That's gross!  Eww Matthew!  Go Away!  I don't want you!!!!"  I figured Matthew was stinky.  He hadn't pooped all day.  Soon Matthew comes running in.  Diaper in one hand and a handful of poop in the other.  He tried handing it to me and John's flipping out screaming (he does not do well with poop) Matthew breaks into tears, I'm laughing...it was quite a chaotic moment.  So I had Matthew carry his present to the bathroom.  He leaned over the tub and looked up at me...noooooooo.  I managed to get him to dump it in the toilet and told him to flush it before I realized how STUPID that was, but it was too late to stop him.  So I got to clean off the handle as well.  Before I made it to the sink he rubbed his face.  *AGH*  All while John still has his face buried in the sofa screaming "ahhhhhhh!  ewwwwwww!"

I *think* potty training is going to go quickly.  He is very OBVIOUSLY done with the diapers.  Now just  to control the mess in the meantime.....

And why we end up picking SATURDAYS to begin potty training is beyond me.  We obviously won't be getting around to potty training tomorrow.....

And It Begins...Again.

Sooo....I've been procrastinating on potty training.  it's not that I love changing diapers, it's just that I don't have the patience to work on it for months on end.  I want it over in a week at worst.  Some of you are laughing at me.  But Eric was fully potty trained in less than a week.   So it is possible.  Yes he was over the age of 3 but, hey, it worked for us.  So I've been waiting for the day that Matthew decides he's done with diapers.  Looks like that might be today.

He came running and crying to me about his diaper this morning.  He said he was stinky, but was grabbing the front of the diaper.  I checked him and it was fine.  I didn't understand what was wrong.  I asked him if he wanted to go potty and he ripped the diaper off and took off running to the bathroom.  I picked him up and held him on the toilet where he happily sat for a little while then jumped off.  He didn't do anything so I went to go get his ripped off diaper since I had JUST put it on.  The urine was still warm.  He knew he had to go, but I didn't get the message in time.  I decided to put a new diaper on him, but he told me no.  I opened up a drawer that I had JUST filled with underwear yesterday.  He got excited about cookie monster and Elmo and gladly put on a pair of underwear.  Now I have an unpotty trained child running around in underoos.  I don't know how this is going to go.  My hope is, is that he will hate being wet, which I suspect he will, and we will be potty trained shortly.  And I'm praying this isn't a day of cleaning up too much urine. 

Can't believe we're already at this point! 

Little Prayers

I am loving having my little Mattmoo come up and ask to pray.  I have taught my children that they can pray whenever they want, so I am often caught off guard when they get the urge to talk to God.  I must stop what I am doing and pray with them.  I want so badly to record little Matthew praying, but can't figure out a way to do it.  Tonight, after he started biting again (only my shirt - but still..this has been an issue of late)  I fussed and then he decided he wanted to pray. 

Dear God,
Thank you for my teeth.  Thank you for cars.  Thank you for drinks.  Thank you for another drink.  Thank you for balls.  :)

I coaxed him a bit more, but I love hearing what's in his little head and heart.  It makes me smile!

Music, Music, Music

I like this song.  And it made me smile tonight.  So I'm posting it.

Plan B

Always gotta have a backup!  If I'm not chilling in Atlanta with the hubby on Oct 22 at a Sugarland concert, I'm totally going to see Anita Renfroe!  She'll be in Johnson City that night!  Anxious to get a group of women from church together.  I love this woman.  She's hilarious.