jack thoughts.

jack: does everyone have kids?
me: no. isn't that sad?
jack: yes.
me: i love being a mommy!
jack: especially to me!

yep. that's right sweet boy!

happy wednesday.
alicia

you must be so patient.

gave up facebook a few months ago.
not planning on going back.
really been meaning to head back on over to the blog.
and seriously been stifled by the fact that too many wonderful things have happened.
unsure of where to start...just wanting to start back.
even if i am only talking to myself it really is therapy for me.
have missed it so.
thankful for so much right now.
the little things.
time
every
single
day
with my children
tops the list.
mornings with my husband.
time with friends.
great conversations.
good books.
no coffee. and then coffee. [this is a whole other post]
h.o.m.e.s.c.h.o.o.l.i.n.g....yes homeschooling.
we are in our 10th year.
yikes! 10 years!
the oh so selfish side of me would be fit as a fiddle.
meeting my friends at the local starbucks.
[so thankful that my friends bring the starbucks and caribou to me. wink. wink.]
but the side of me that God has so deeply immersed in His will
just
can't
imagine
even
one day
without
these monkeys.
yes, they drive me nuts.
yes, they are loud at times.
yes, yes, they are messy.
but they are my muses.
i love laughing with them.
crying with them.
hugging them.
kissing them.
talking about them.
living daily moments with them.
learning from them.
and it is all made possible by Him.
so yes, i will take the trials. the rough stuff.
and yes, sometimes my body will suffer.
and yes, i will not stay on track with our curriculum every day.
but when it is all said and done.
i answer to Him.
and He makes this a reality for me.
and for that i am so truly thankful.
funny thing.....after 10 years of doing this you'd think that the comments would have changed, but I still get
that.
comment.
the one that goes like this.
you
must
be
so
patient.
to which i have to giggle and under my breath am saying
are
you
serious?
i don't homeschool because i am patient.
i am learning to be patient BECAUSE of homeschooling.
and because i can not have a blog post without a picture.
here it is.

happy monday.
happy to be back.
alicia

jack and Jesus.

lately we've been talking about easter.
he is familiar with a video on you tube with derwin gray (ex-pro football player turned pastor in charlotte).
where derwin says something like....it's not funny, because it's not about the bunny! it's about Jesus!
(fast forward to our conversation today)
me: what did you learn at church last week?
jack: i remember my bible verse.
me: what is it?
jack: i am with you always.
me: who is with you always?
jack: Jesus....and who wants to be my friend forever? (miss kasey from church will be so happy to know that he has heard her say this)....he starts with a j mommy.
me: you tell me.
jack: he starts with a j mommy.
me: do you mean....Jesus!
jack: YES!! (big smiles)

good stuff. love these little moments with him....and love that he knows Jesus wants to be his friend forever. does not get better than that.

happy monday.
happy easter.

alicia

only daddy.

jack: i don't suppose you would like to eat my bewwy [belly] would you?
me: oh yes, i would!
jack: [screaming]....no! no! no! only daddy eats my bewwy!!!!

well daddy, i suppose you need to come home....short work day for you....the boy wants you to eat his bewwy!

happy to be back blogging!
happy wednesday.

alicia

dear jeff.

i'm sorry you went to all the trouble to blow us away this weekend.
we are back.
and waiting for you when you get home.

with love,
the leaves

happy wednesday.

the challenge.

looking through my pictures a bit tonight.
and really had to laugh at this one.

we don't do halloween.
we have done it in the past.
and it went just fine.
we just decided it wasn't what we wanted to do anymore.
the kids feeling a little bummed.
even though they know we just don't do halloween.
bummed.
about the candy?
no [amazingly not]
bummed
because
they
like
to dress up.

so with that bit of information we challenged them
to create a costume in 15 minutes.
lauren was the only one who took us up on the challenge.
15 minutes later she came downstairs
with the sweetest costume.
she was an angel.
i asked her, "what do we usually say on halloween?"
to which she answered, "trick or treat?"
to which i promptly handed her 3 small bags of m&m's.

now.......

if you want to watch a teenage girl move at the speed of light....
try giving her little sister 3 small bags of m&m's.

no kidding.....

i have not seen megan move like that in years.
all the while i'm thinking they just told me it wasn't about the candy.
hmmmmm?
so, jack and jeff retreated to the upstairs to look for a costume for him as well.

jeff: jack, what do you want to be?
jack: a ghost!
jeff: [putting white pillowcase over his head] will this work?
jack: yeth!

megan and jack came downstairs to claim their prize.
a well earned.
very much enjoyed.
small bag of m&m's.
megan: lauren got 3!!!
me: yes, and lauren showed initiative even when she thought it wasn't for candy.
megan: hmmmm?

i was super impressed with what they came up with.....
a hippie chick
a ghost
an angel

love these 3 monkeys.
they definitely keep us on our toes.
and by the way, when they say it's not about the candy
you
really
have
to
wonder.

happy monday.
alicia

what came first?

the chicken

or the egg!

kat [jack's chicken] has proven to be the hen in charge.
she has laid one egg a day for the last 3 days.
we are very excited
but
unsure
as to whether
we should eat them.
we know we can
but
still need to come to terms with it.
i know it will come to this....
no store bought eggs in the fridge
on a happy saturday morning
and
the kids
will want
pancakes
and into the batter will go one of these eggs
and
we will
be off
but at this point just getting a little surprise in the box
every day
has
been
enough for us.

happy monday.
alicia