Last One

How cute is he?!

A Few More

A few more from Saturday's Photoshoot. For Miss K. And Donna :)

Sucking Coffee and Fried Worms

Ugh. I just returned home from a visit to the dentist, and quickly sought some comfort in a cup of coffee. I soon discovered that doing one of my favorite things has become quite a bit more challenging! You try drinking a hot beverage from a large cup with a numb and useless front lip! After a few tries, I learned that it can be done, if I use a straw and place it...just...so.... Ahhhh, yes. Definitely worth the trouble.

While I was gone, The Mister (my dear husband) "forgot" to load the dishwasher. I can almost believe this. But he also forgot to feed Master Munchkin breakfast. That, I don't understand. Master Munchkin claims he dislikes to request food from The Mister, because of what he gets served. According to him, he only gets (insert dramatic pause) bread and water. AND he has to eat the crusts.

We've recently started listening to one of my favorite childhood books on CD in the car, How to Eat Fried Worms. Master Munchkin is quite amused! I've heard that this book has been banned in some schools, but I can't imagine why. We have found it a delightful way to pass the time while driving to and from town.

Delight

Delight, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

These are a few of the treasures from Flickr. I constantly gain inspiration and ideas from the talented photographers I find there.

1. Enveloping Darkness, 2. Untitled, 3. Untitled, 4. Footsteps in the field, 5. babyscapes., 6. Trees, 7. Dude, these are SOOO not the 'droids we're looking for., 8. bliss, 9. Taking Flight, 10. flying low., 11. Untitled, 12. what?

A Sneak Peek

I had the privilege of doing a Photoshoot with a friend and her children. Miss K, your kids are truly delightful!

Gracia

Gracia, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

Gracia Burnham shared her story at Miss Munchkin's school this week. She made the point of how the Real You appears when you are stripped of all your comforts. For over a year, Gracia was without all of the things that Americans come to expect and depend on, including the very basic elements of regular meals, hygiene and medical care. Things like entertainment and fashion quickly became ghosts of the past. She lived in constant danger for her very life. She desperately missed her children and ultimately lost her husband. Yet God sustained her and gave her the strength to get though each day, one at a time. She eventually came to care for her captors and has since returned to minister to them.

A story like this really puts things in perspective. I feel deprived when the Internet is down for the day or I'm out of my favorite coffee creamer. What do I depend on? In Whom do I put my trust? What really matters? These are things worth contemplation.

Please take 2 minutes from your "busy" day to see her story.

Nonchalant

I fear that my kitchen counter currently looks similar to the state of my brain - cluttered and disorganized creative. One of the things that jumps out the most are my various sticky notes. When I am sitting at my computer and have a thought that I need to remember, I quickly jot it down on the nearest piece of paper. From where I sit, I can currently see 9 brightly colored squares, all containing cryptic messages such as:

art room - back corner, foam core - all the white ones

Atlas 25 yr Weathermaster ST

breakfast teachers OJ & bagels & CC

English walnuts, brocolli, bandaids

Just a few minutes ago, I heard a strange sound in the morning silence.

Pad swish
pad swish
pad swish swish!

Our prissy kitty just walked by with a bright orange sticky note stuck to her back leg. She was trying very hard to look nonchalant, but every few steps she would violently shake her leg, trying to dislodge the persistent hitchhiker. She eventually limped/swished into the laundry room and emerged noteless. I'd better go track it down - it probably has something important on it. I hope it's not in the litter box.

Gracia

Tonight I have the privilege of hearing Gracia Burnham speak. She and her husband Martin, were missionaries in the Philippines and were captured by terrorists. They spent over a year as prisoners in the jungle.

You can see a short clip from their incredible story here.

Rest is Not Idleness

Stretch, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
~J. Lubbock

Motorbike Update

Master Munchkin has almost mastered the Motorbike. During this last week, he's figured out how to get around pretty well. He's had the inevitable wipe-outs though. He is now sporting enough bandaids that he is starting to get sympathetic looks from strangers so we've banned him from the bike - at least until some of his skin grows back. ;)

Out of desperation, I think, MM picked up his old fashioned 2 wheeler and taught himself to ride. It's not nearly as fast or dangerous, but it seems to meet his need for mobile independence and will do until we let him back on the motorbike.

Note to self: buy more bandaids.

1000!

There have been 1000 visits to my blog! I am so happy to have you stop by. If we haven't yet "met", please take a moment to introduce yourself. I am always pleased to make a new acquaintance. :)

Spider Pig

For Ann.

Longing

Layers of Light, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing to find the place where all the beauty comes from.”
CS Lewis

More Mad Than Crazy

Biker Boy, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

Master Munchkin learned how to ride his sister's small, electric dirtbike this week.

He's already zooming about the yard, faster than I would like.

"You're crazy," I told him.
"More mad than crazy," he corrected me.

Touching the Wind

Touching the Wind, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

Yesterday was a very windy day so I sent Master Munchkin out with a small parachute. Check out the rest of the fun here:

Too Close for Comfort

Check out these close-quarters self-defense moves. I love, love, love using elbows!

Random Thought Patterns

Yesterday, I caught Master Munchkin climbing down from the shelves in the pantry. "Here," he said, showing me a lighter. "You should keep this on top of the refrigerator, so I can't reach it. Want me to put it up there for you?"

He just turned 7 and already Master Munchkin is doing some big boy things. He found a pack of mousetraps in the garage and figured out how to set them. I managed to snap my thumb in one while he somehow remained unscathed.

When I came home from class last night, I was met by a Munchkin on a motorbike. But it wasn't Miss Munchkin, it was the Master. Driving. By himself. He zoomed all over the front yard, turning quickly and going very fast. But he could stop and start and balance. I couldn't believe it! This child can't even ride a 2 wheel bicycle yet.

My husband came to kickboxing with me last night. He does not exercise at all and so it was pretty hard for him. He had to stop partway though the class because he thought he was going to get sick. Poor guy! I don't know if he will come back. Or if he can feel his arms today.

Miss Munchkin is home from school today. Apparently someone broke into the school last night and burglarized it. I haven't heard the damage report yet, but it can't be good.

Measure of a Man

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Punchy

Boxing is becoming a popular way to get and stay fit. This recent news article explores this new trend:

Regardless of whether you actually get in the ring, all the fancy footwork, punching and blocking add up to a good all-around workout, burning 350 to 500 calories an hour for the average person. Boxing also promotes coordination and balance, teaches self-defense skills and offers a good outlet for aggression.

Wish me luck: I've coerced invited my husband to join me for tonight's kickboxing class. He's rather reluctant and, I think, a tad frightened by it all.

Overwhelming Possibilities

It is a serious thing to...remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship... It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all our friendships, all loves, all plays, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But is is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.

C.S. Lewis

Have a Heart

"Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
Charles Dickens

Classroom Conversation

Overheard in Miss Munchkin's classroom:

Teacher: "We know that sinful man only does what's best for him."

Boy: "Sinful man can only do what sinful man can do....
Just like Spider Pig can only do what Spider Pig can do!"

All boys: (singing) "Spider Pig, Spider Pig..."

View from my Door

Contrast, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

A storm front moved though today, treating us to some dramatic clouds.

Weight Class

My husband and I are fairly new fans of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and UFC. Some of the terminology they throw around can be a bit confusing so let's look at the Weight Classes.

The UFC currently uses five weight classes:

* Lightweight: 146 to 155 lb
* Welterweight: 156 to 170 lb
* Middleweight: 171 to 185 lb
* Light Heavyweight: 186 to 205 lb
* Heavyweight: 206 to 265 lb

In addition, there are four other weight classes specified in the Unified Rules which the UFC does not currently utilize: Flyweight (under 125 lb), Bantamweight (126 to 135 lb), Featherweight (136 to 145 lb), and Super Heavyweight ( above 265 lb).

To bring things down to a more personal level, I am a Welterweight. I started as a Middleweight and am currently trying to get into the Lightweight division. Ultimately, I'd like to be a Featherweight. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Maybe, when I'm a Featherweight, I won't have to get on the scale at the doctor's office anymore. I'll just tell them, "Oh, I'm a Featherweight," and they will nod knowingly and wave me by, jotting down a note in my chart. Y'think?

By the way, even though Miss Munchkin is a Flyweight, she can front kick me across the room! I'm so proud. :)

As Long as Ever You Can

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
John Wesley

Warm Wishes

Today my friend April is turning the old, old age of 38. She thinks she is turning 39 but she's not - it's just the natural aging process clouding her brain excitement of it all. Feel free to stop by and send her some warm birthday wishes!

Take Your Medicine

Gym, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

I had no idea that there were so many ways to use medicine balls at the gym! So far, here are some exercises that my martial arts teachers have made strongly encouraged us do:

Perform push-ups with one hand propped up on a small medicine ball

Sit in a tight circle, balancing on our bottoms with our feet held up, and pass the ball around

Roll and toss the ball to a partner while standing in a wide squat

Perform squats, holding the ball at arm's length, while balancing on the balls of your feet

Sit back to back and pass the ball around with your partner

Do "ax chops" holding a medicine ball (swing it from up high on one side to down low on the opposite)

And, my favorite, stand over your partner and drop a medicine ball on to their stomach! (If you tense your abs, it actually doesn't hurt and makes you feel very tough) :)

Party!

Master Munchkin is 7. He invited his favorite friends to celebrate his birthday at the local martial arts school.

There was jumping.
There was punching.

There was cake.

His favorite part was getting to break a wooden board and cut the cake with a real samurai sword!
.

Eyes Turned Upward

Eyes Turned Upward, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned upward."
— Leonardo da Vinci

"The Creator has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do."
-Orison Swett Marden

Overheard

Today I heard Master Munchkin state, "I'm going to go smirk and lurk in the iris patch".

No Winter Lasts Forever

No Winter Lasts Forever, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

No Spring skips its turn.

Not One and Twenty

Today is my birthday. Just like Miss Elizabeth Bennet, I will not own up to my age, but "I am not one and twenty." :)

She Rocks!

My Favorite Sister had an authentic taste of Peruvian culture today, when she experienced her first earthquake. Measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, the earthquake caused more alarm than damage. No casualties were reported. Rene said she was sitting in class and the doors started rattling and all of the students got up abruptly and left the room. She was left not knowing what was going on. Being from the Midwest, it didn't occur to her that that it was an earthquake!

Glad you're OK Rene. Feel free to check in here anytime. Like now. :)

Poll

Opinion Polls & Market Research