My J-O-B

I love being a mom. I love being there for my kiddos and taking care of them. I always say, "I enjoy 9 minutes out of every 10 of being a mom." Probably more than that...but there are days that help bring that amount down!!
Today my oldest boy was sick. Poor thing woke up at 2 am complaining of an earache. Took him to the doctor this morning, along with his two little brothers, to learn that he had an ear infection. Bummer. First one in almost 7 years for him. So for the next 10 days part of my job description will be to remember to give him his antibiotic 2 times a day....and for a prego brain that is way tougher than it sounds!
After the doctors office came a trip to Kmart pharmacy where I also bought my sick-o kiddo Jonathan some fruit snacks as a "get well" food. We came home and I let the boys watch this crazy guinea pig spy movie called, "G-Force." Really crazy.....but they loved it.
Later in the day Jonathan worked on his Valentines for his class party on friday, which also happens to be his birthday. I assured him that the "love holiday celebration" would only occur on his birthday when it fell on a friday....because he wasn't too happy about sharing his special day. But I will be making a pan of brownies for his class--another enjoyable part of my job. Especially because that means I get to taste the batter and make sure it's.....you know.....edible.
Hey--it's just part of the j-o-b.

Lord Jesus, come quickly

Not Another Stick of Butter!

Oh, the absentmindness of pregnancy! How many times am I going to go to Wal-mart or Aldi and forget what I already bought?!
Sticks of butter, cans of corn, bottles of bleach, and frozen bags of tilapia fillets are among some of the items I put in my cart because I firmly believed I needed them at the time....only to return home and line them up among the others I already had!
I sure hope Justin finds this amusing and endearing. That's his job as a husband of a pregnant wife, right? :) MERCY!

Prayer of my Heart

"Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."

Prego Mama addicted.....to SUGAR

Okay, so I'm slightly addicted to sugar. I'll admit it. Is there a group for this? Everytime the phone rings I squirm......if it's the doctor's office calling to tell me I've got the dreaded "gestational diabetes" I just don't know what I'd do. Cry? Scream? Throw a fit? Go to bed and never come out?
Seriously, though, I'd be totally bummed.
Today I had my craving, once again, for lunch. French toast sticks. I know, great lunch option, right? But cravings aren't supposed to make sense, people! At least I'm not in the kitchen taking turns between spoonfuls of green olives and marshmallow fluff. Yeah.....I did that last pregnancy. Frankly, I was so relieved when Matthias was born and he looked and acted normal. Who knows how he could've turned out w/awkward cravings like that?! However.....could it by any chance explain his desire to constantly climb on other people's heads? He does that a lot and I'm just wondering where he gets that from. Well, anyway...
So today we had some people over for dinner--only she insisted on bringing the dinner, complete with dessert. Who was I to thwart her plans? So here I was having people over for dinner and I was taking a nap up until 30 minutes of their arrival. No stress. It was beautiful!
And...the dinner was really good and the dessert was even better. If I do not post anything for the rest of my pregnancy you can pretty much know that I have been put on sugar withdrawl and am unable to function.
That's not the phone ringing, is it?!

Things that make you go hmmm

* people who recreate their past and begin to believe it as truth
* gas station pizza
* rude drivers who refuse to let you in their lane
* poster putty
* church board meetings that go beyond 10PM
* caffeine-free Mountain Dew
* the first person to consider milk a beverage and take a drink
* pride
* sugar-free candy
* people who claim to love Jesus but live for self
* Veggies singing and telling my children Bible stories
* gaining 3 pounds in 2 weeks of pregnancy when my baby gained mere ounces
* my husband not appreciating the classic movie, "Seems Like Old Times"
* the month of January
* off-white
* God's love for us
* my son's library book from his elementary school containing swears
* cold sores
* the person who invented pantyhose and the one who wore them first (same person perhaps?)
* the pain babies have to go through to get teeth
* hot dogs
* the difference between boys and girls
* itches
* people who can't see anyone's point of view but their own
* rascism in today's world
* the term, "mild temper"
* this list

Coffee Bean

ah, yes. Sometimes, just like us, our kids learn life's lessons the hard way. Poor Caleb had a day like that today at Wal-mart. We were walking down the aisle that includes breads and peanut butter.... and coffee. When I turn around to look at my boys I see Caleb with this incredibly sour face. "What's wrong?" No response. Just more sourpuss face. So we enter the frozen food section. Again, I inquire what's wrong as he continues "the look." He responds this time by opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue--all covered in chewed up coffee beans. Ewwww....
My guess is that Caleb will never attempt that again. If only all lessons in life were that clear.

Jesus is the Reason

Christmas is almost here and I can really taste it in the James house this year! Jonathan held me to all the ideas of Christmas that he remembers from years past....(not that I minded, of course!) So there has been the advent calendar drawer that needed to be opened each morning, the sugar cookies that have been rolled out, cut out, baked, and decorated.....Christmas cards have been sent, and gifts have been bought and wrapped and are ready to open tomorrow morning. The boys, like every year, went to the Dollar Store and picked out presents for everyone. ALWAYS an adventure. I just love Christmas--especially what it does for enduring the cold yucky winter!
Thank You, Jesus, that Your birthday is celebrated at this time of year! YOU are the reason for this season and I'm so thankful for You.
Justin and I will allow Santa to come to our house tomorrow morning but strive to keep Jesus the focus in all things. Our packaged tree brownies are all set for candles and a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday to Jesus."
Merry Christmas, everyone.

Mommy Ministry and the Faraway Land of Grenada

Justin's in Grenada on a missions trip w/a group of teens from church. Every day this week they have been leading a VBS for the children there with TONS more little faces than they were expecting! How cool is that? My ministry right now is my 3 boys and I consider that a great joy. Someday the realm of my ministry may once again include trips to faraway lands but for today I am content eating peanutbutter sandwiches off paper plates, singing Jesus Loves Me for the 100th time, and snuggling in for yet another reading of Curious George. It may not be enough of a ministry adventure to include in a Sunday Evening Service but on most days it's enough for me to hit my pillow exhausted. I know my Lord will continue to answer the prayer of my heart that His grace will cover my family and that He will give Justin and me the wisdom to raise our boys in a way that honors and glorifies Him.

In SICKNESS and in health

Justin's been doing his share of holding up the "sickness" part of the marriage vow while I have been doing the faithful wifely duties of caring for him. It's been an interesting week to say the least. I'm ready for a healthy husband again...but I'm pretty sure he's even more ready!

Having it all Together

"No mom has it all together. Some of us are just better at keeping up appearances, that's all," Julie Barnhill. Amen, sister! I love people who tell it like it is.

A Day Away

So I got away today. Girl's shopping trip! It was a long and fun day and I managed to buy at least one thing for everyone. That makes for happy guys when I get home!! The funniest part? Justin probably spent more money today than I did. I come home with one little shopping bag and he's got the boys decked out in new black crocs (Wal-mart edition), and my oldest is telling me about the baseball and golf balls Dad bought. And the McDonalds they had for lunch. Anything else?! Justin would never survive as a stay-at-home dad--he always takes the boys here and there and everywhere when I'm away. It cracks me up. When our youngest was only a month old Justin took all the boys out for the night to buy a new dresser and to get some dinner. By himself. At that point I hadn't even been brave enough to take all three on a quick grocery run!
My boys love a day with just dad. But they miss me, too. How do I know? My oldest told me so. My middle gave me an extra big hug. And my baby gave this silly look when he saw me and came toddling over as quick as he could. I enjoy an occassional get away day when I'm not cutting up everyone's food and I get to engage in adult conversation. But I miss my boys, too.

A Boy, A Boy, and Another Boy

I love my husband so incredibly much. He cracks me up...usually when he's not even trying. He makes me smile...even when I'm totally frustrated with him (how does he do that?!). I miss him when he's away--or even just at work for the day. I feel like we have the most incredible marriage ever known to man (and woman). Seriously. I married my soulmate.
We're both pretty easygoing (he is more than me!) and so that makes for very few conflicts. I asked him the other day......after 8 1/2 years of marriage.....how many big disagreements he thinks we've had. His answer? 2. Okay, I would've answered more like 5, but 2 is a good number! But it's really true.
We made a new years resolution to go on a date every month in the year of 2009. That was the most fun resolution I have ever made. No crazy diet plans that I will break by January 3rd, no exercise regimes that should be saved for the military, no lofty goals of organizing the chaos known as a home filled with little boys. Date nights. Or a date DAY as we experienced last week--how fun was that? Middle of the day, the sun was shining, and we were out sans sons. We discovered an amazing italian eatery which we thoroughly enjoyed. Okay, actually it was the butter they give you with the bread that was the best part. But my cheese filled shells were really tasty, too. And I just enjoyed the uninterrupted conversation I was able to enjoy with Justin.

So these 3 boys we have together--
they make for an interesting, fun, loud, energetic, dirt-filled, grocery disappearing, sometimes even smelly household. I love them dearly. But last night Justin and I were longing for a date (even though we already fulfilled our April quota)......just one more, you know?
But there were no babysitters to be found. Anywhere. And believe me, we tried. But, alas...Failure.
Well, not failure at all really. We changed our plan and took the boys on a fun friday night adventure. It wasn't romantic, it wasn't filled with deep conversation, and it certainly didn't include any gazing into eyes......but it was fun. I'm such a blessed girl--out with 4 guys on a friday night! Sure, they kept asking for bites of my Q'doba burrito. Sure, they kept dipping their spoons into my ColdStone ice cream (boy germs!). But I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.