Some things never change

#1 and #2 - May 2002 - 2 days old

THIS has been "one of those" weeks!  Over scheduled, over stressed, over worked, and now, over IT!  There are a thousand reasons why I try NOT to have weeks like this, but the one I am focusing on right now is just because evryone gets so out of sync!  I didn't see my kids at all Tuesday night or Wednesday night.  #2's gymnastics class was changed to Tuesday nights - and we found out 2 horus before it started.  I was off my 8-5 job for 2 days (doing my "second job" that I absolutely LOVE), so going back to that meant going back to a desk full of projects and tons of emails.  Add to that, #3 started a new activity - T-ball.  So - crazy schedules, not enough time as a family, and WAY too much fast food, leads to one CRAZY household!

And one member of this household always seems to fare the worst when things like this happen.  And, believe it or not, it's not me!  While I have been known to have a meltdown (or two!) during weeks like this, I felt I was prepared this season.  But my #1 daughter (pictured, above left) does not handle the chaos very well.  She is also my child that requires lots of sleep.  She's about the only 8 year old / 3rd grader I know that still has an 8pm bedtime - and I don't see that changing anytime soon.  Her body's defense to not enough sleep is to run a low grade fever, so we try to make sure she gets plenty of rest.  Add to that medication that steals her appetite, and a heart that she wears on her sleeve, and her attitude tends to the negative when things aren't as expected.

I remember when the twins were about 2 months old, I was home alone with them one afternoon, and a friend came over to hold babies and change diapers with us.  She was asking me how things were going and to tell me about the girls.  This was the first time I had ever been asked to describe them as far as personality traits.  After thinking about it only a few seconds, I summed it up like this: "Well, #2 lets life happen to her, while #1 MAKES life happen to her."  At the time, I was mainly thinking about feedings and naps.  #2 had been diagnosed as failure to thrive, so we had to wake her every 3 hours regardless of what else was going on to feed her, and she just let us.  She didn't mind being put down or put in the swing or left to her own devices while I tended to other matters.  #1, on the other hand, cried incessantly, fussed about her feedings (which were soon after this time being supplemented with formula to keep her happy), had cried herself to sleep on more that one occasion, and always woke up fussing about something!  And today, after the week we've had and the battles we've fought, I would have to say THAT is something that might never change!  #2 still lets life happen to her, while #1 MAKES it happen.  She tugs, and pushes, and pulls, and argues, and stomps and stares trying to get things to go her way.  I am trying to teach her to not fight it all so hard!  She's making things much harder than they need to be.  Any suggestions?

How, exactly, DOES the Sun Stand Still?

This weekend was the first of a 2 week sermon series at LifeChurch.tv by guest speaker Steven Furtick.  It pretty much rocked, just like I said it would!  (I know, I know… I’ve been touting it’s awesomeness since I saw the taping, but it was THAT good!)  I was actually at church for my “long day” as Host Team Leader from 7:30 to 1:00, so I actually sat in on all 3 services.  I have now heard it 4 times.  You should take the time to hear it just once.  ("Thank God for a church that puts everything online for free! Amen? ~Steven Furtick") You can watch it here.

I gained something new from it each time I watched it.  The Mullet and NASCAR jokes were funny every time!  (Curious, now right?  GO WATCH!)  But the truths he spoke were more poignant each time I watched.  He spoke JUST TO ME in yet another way each time.  I was prompted to read a post on facebook this morning that really summed it up so well, that I am going to borrow it.  Thank you Erica Buchanan, for being so good with words!

12 Things I Learned from Steven Furtick

by Erica Haas Buchanan on Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 10:20pm

1. We didn’t come here to survive this world but to change it for HIS glory.
2. God speaks about the battles we are presently fighting in the past tense because from HIS vantage point they’ve already been won. 
3. God can do more in a moment of favor than we can do in a lifetime of trying to do it our own way.
4. If the size of the need seems too big for you it’s just the right size for God.
5. One of the most humble things you can say is “God, only you can do this.”
6. God gives you the victory but you still have to fight the battle.
7. God involves your faith & works before he supernaturally gives you HIS grace in your situation.
8. God is not insulted by our big requests but the small ones.
9. If the size of your vision isn’t intimidating to you it’s insulting to God.
10. What you ask God for is a reflection of what you believe HE can do.
11. If you are going to ask God to make the sun stand still you better be ready to march all night.
12. You can’t argue with my experience.

Erica and her husband, Jeff, were witness to a miracle last month when her husband was dead from a heart attack for 90 minutes on 2/14/2011, and lived to tell about it without any brain damage or other serious ill effects…  Left the hospital less than 2 weeks later!  She has chronicled her story on Facebook, and even has a T-shirt to spread the word of her Sun Stand Still Moment!

Have you ever prayed a Sun Stand Still prayer?  How can I pray for you today?

Spring Break Rewind

Technically, we still have 2 more days of Spring Break.  But, my babies are coming home in about 4 hours, and all chaos will ensue at that point, so there is no time like the present!  

Spring Break is an interesting time in our house.  The Hubs and I both work for the University, so while our week is (painfully) slow at work, we still have to be there.  (Seriously, on Friday, I got to work at 8:10 and literally did not see another soul on campus as I walked from my parking lot to my office!)  Plus, we don’t really have anywhere else we are going, so we work.  And Little Man’s day care is paid in full for the week, so he hangs out there with the few of his friends with parents like us that work on Spring Break.  The last 2 years, the Twisters have spent this week with their Other Dad in the Oklahoma City area.  While this time affords us two-on-one time with our son, it still seems eerie not to have the girls in the house!

One bonus to them being gone (besides the food bill for the week is drastically lower)?  We (OK, my husband) got to clean their room!  All I wanted to do was completely strip and wash every piece of bedding they have.  He went through and thoroughly picked up, cleaned, rearranged, and threw stuff away – going so far as to buying large tubs at Wally World to “organize” the floor of the closet.  Among the “missing” items he found was a Nintendo DSi game, one SwitchFlop flip flop (no idea where the other one is), and the FLOOR!  You can actually see it!

Our boy really missed his big sisters this week.  Mainly because I think they entertain him better than we do, but I also think he honestly admires them, looks up to them and loves them.  Almost every day while he was at school, he “forgot” they were out of town and he would ask about them on the ride home, or open their bedroom door when we got here to see what they were doing, only to be disappointed.  We allowed them to take the cell phone we have as an extra line (we call it the “house” phone and it stays in the house unless there is a good reason one of the girls need to take it with them), and that was a new twist.  Monday, we didn’t hear from them at all.  Tuesday, I texted them to tell Lady Bug that a friend was trying to get a hold of her.  Wednesday got a couple of “I miss you” and “I love you” texts.  (I thought that was so sweet, I even tweeted about it!) Thursday, they blew up my phone (Tweeted about that, too!)
  I got a video of one of them singing a song, several texts with various messages, a picture of an owie – all also sent to their Dad and Nana -- and a couple of calls asking when they could come home!

TODAY!  They will be home today!  And then (because the original plan was for them to stay until Sunday) we are taking them to my parents’ house to spend the night so the Mister and I can have date night!  Time to reconnect, revisit our dating days, and recharge – Monday morning will come too soon, and no one will be ready for it!