Seven Years of Costumes...Wow!

 2010

 2009

2008

 2007

 2006

 2006

 2005

2004

Trunk or Treat with Tink

We have already had our Big Event for Halloween, and we've got more candy than what we can possibly eat before Christmas!  Our church has what's called "Trunk or Treat", which seems to be a tradition in the South that I've never heard of.  All the folks that want to participate line their cars up in the church parking lot and dish out candy from their trunks as the kids walk by in their costumes.  Some trunks were dressed up pretty fancy; one man even had a ghost on a cable with a little motor moving back and forth across the roof of his car.  Other people brought their pumpkins and set them down by their cars.  If we're still here next year, I'll have to think of something a little more creative for my trunk than my reusable shopping bags and folding chairs from soccer practice.

So enough babbling.  Here are the photos.  Tink costume courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa on the occasion of Katie Mei's birthday last March, and the Prince and Princess thanks to Cracker Barrel Restaurant.  Yes, great costumes of high quality there, and the week before Halloween they're at a significant discount! 

 Earlier in the day I had Katie Mei stuffing bags of candy for our trunk.  She did great and was able to remember "one sucker, one big candy, and two little candies" for each bag.

Katie Mei getting her hair and make up done.

 Obligatory photo on the front porch before they start sweating and messing up their hair.

 

 And Katie Mei being so dang cute we can hardly stand it!

 

 My Sweet Tink.  After a couple hours she was My Sweat Tank.

  Daddy delivered pizza before the big night out!  Thanks Dad!

 Ready, Get Set, Wait for Mom to Take A Picture!

 Trunk or Treating.

 The Leesburg UMC Youth Group put on a carnival for the kids.  Jacob was adamant about getting the apple into his mouth.  Katie Mei even got frustrated watching him try and held the string for him, but he just couldn't do it.

 Merrilee gave it a try, too, but after a few minutes she figured out how to use her shoulder to hold the apple and she won the prize.  She was actually just happy to have the apple...it was absolutely delicious and I had to agree with her.  It was better than the candy!

 Katie Mei was delighted with her haul, and who wouldn't be.  Goodness! I think those kids had about four pounds of candy each!  I had to carry the bags while they played games and my arms hurt.

 Cannot believe this was Merrilee's seventh Halloween!

 Precious Sugar Junky, isnt' she?

 Yep, had to be over ten pounds altogether.

 I'm thinking Dentists Appointments aren't a bad idea for our next homeschool field trip....

Mobile Science Lab

Today the older kids went to the Mobile Science Lab for which I had signed them up earlier in the semester.  The lab is an awesome project of Joe and Nell Estes, and they travel around Georgia bringing science to public, private, and home educators.  Check out their website at http://www.scienceacademysite.com/ .

The facility is actually a trailer they pull behind their vehicle, and it has everything in it from microscopes and chemistry equipment, to preserved specimens and fossils.  It can hold up to 20 student (it would be a tight squeeze), but in our class this morning there were only three.  It's truly a sight to behold, especially for someone with a background in science.  I have to say, I felt a twinge of envy that I didn't have such an awesome set-up for my kids!  I loved that real science lab clutter feeling that I think only someone who has worked in a lab for years can appreciate.

 The lesson for today was called "Lighter than Air".  The topic was helium, and the children did experiments with bubble solutions.  They used helium to make bubbles and the bubbles floated up, up, up.  I just sat there thinking "Why didn't I think of that?!"  The bubbles made with air, of course, just drooped out of their container.  But it was pretty cool watching the bubbles made with helium detach from the rest of the suds and take off for the ceiling.

Then Mr. Estes took the kids outside and let them watch the bubbles head for the clouds.  Jacob initially got to hold the tub of suds (against my better judgment, but then I wasn't the teacher, so I minded my own business), and within 10 seconds the tub and all of it's contents had been dumped to the ground (Yes, you'll hear my exasperated voice in the video.  I had been warning him about his goofing off just before it happened and I was pretty tired of it at this point, so forgive the Friday Morning Mommy Voice.)  We had to get another tub and start over, with another child holding the tub of sudsy water.

Despite the spill, the kids loved the class, though it was only 45 minutes long.  We look forward to the next time the Mobile Science Lab is in our area.  They offer paleontology for preschoolers and early elementary, chemistry for all different levels, electronics, vulcanology, and lots of other programs.  Once again, I am in awe of all the wonderful opportunities we've had in homeschooling since living here.  Albany really is a great place to homeschool!

Pinky Exposed (or Seeing Sin For What It Really Is)

This is Pinky.  She's been a member of our household for a couple of years and has pretty much laid low.  But in the past ten months or so, she's been around a bit more and we've gotten to know her better.  Pinky has some issues, some special ways about her, that I'd like to share with you.

First of all, Pinky is a charmer.  She's sweet and little and pink, with heavenly blue twinkling starry eyes.  Her tiny little paws have itty bitty toes that make you just want to tickle them.  She loves it when the kids play with her.  In fact, she loves it so much that she makes them want her all to themselves.  She begs them to want her.  She lures them in with her charm and promise of fun, to the point that their desire for her overcomes their love for one another.  In general Merrilee, Katie Mei, and Jacob don't argue or fight.  But when Pinky comes out, their desire for her becomes so intense that they are willing to hurt one another and put aside all feelings of filial affection, just to hold her precious plastic pink perfection in the palms of their hands.  She's special that way.

The other thing that is so special about Pinky is that she is so, well, Pink.  She's pink and clean.   She's perfect that way.  So nice and pretty.  She's dressed up so nice.  Just look at her.  Those big beautiful starry eyes, that perky little pink nose, that luscious fluffy plastic tail that just screams Perfect Hair Day everyday!  Don't we all wish we could be so "blessed" with all the perfection of Pinky.

And Pinky makes promises.  She promises that the one who holds her holds happiness.  Isn't that amazing?!  Yes, Pinky truly  offers to deliver joy to the person who gets his or her hands on her first.  The One with Pinky is The One with the key to Perfect Playtime!  Woe to the one who does not lay claim to Pinky first.  Pinky's promise is only for the lucky one who warms her pink plastic flesh in his or her hands.  Is it any wonder that in the rush to grab Pinky all personal morals, standards of Christian behavior, and finely tuned character traits go right out the window?  For Goodness Sakes, we can't waste time being kind to one another when there's only one Pinky in the box!  You Lose You Snooze...without Pinky!  GASP!  Pinky knows this.  She knows it well.

Well, I want to share something with you.  Something that Pinky never wants you, my children, or anyone else to know.  It's a secret, and Pinky has been so intent on keeping it hidden that she has fooled my children into believing everything about her is good.  I am about to expose Pinky.

PINKY IS AN IDOL!

Pinky is an object of worship! 

I think most people only think of idols as those little statues mentioned in the Old Testament that people used to put up on altars.  Or maybe they think of that golden calf that Moses had to deal with when the people were left alone for a couple days while he was busy taking care of a few legal matters with God.  But I want to let you know that is just not true.  Pinky, my dear friends, is a perfect idol.

Do you know what idols really look like?  Do you know how God sees them?  They look like this:

This is Pinky exposed. (Yes, you may all gasp now, as you see Pinky's true identity).  It's not pretty, is it?  Pinky is an idol. She's no beautiful pink kitty to God.  He sees her in all her true colors.  She is an object of worship, and a stench in His nostrils.  She is the epitome of what God was referring to when he said "Have no other gods before me."  My children were rather horrified to learn this object lesson tonight, but the time had come and they were mature enough to understand it.

There were four main things God taught them (and reminded me of) tonight through Pinky's exposure.

1.  When we love something or someone so much that we are willing to sacrifice the good of others and our love of God for that object or person, then that is idol worship.  Idol worship is sinful, be it the love of money, another person, family, presenting a "picture perfect" image before others, our obedient children, our jobs, or anything else.

2.  1 Samuel 16:7  "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  We can all look pretty, clean, dressed up, nice and lovely on the outside, like Pinky, but God sees what's in the heart.  If we haven't asked Jesus to forgive our sins and cleanse us, then God sees a pretty bad mess when he looks at us.  That bad mess is sin.  We're all born with it, whether we want to believe it or not.  Which leads us to

3.  That was a Sharpie.  Yep.  It ain't comin' off.  The kids found that out the hard way.  When a crying Merrilee took Pinky back upstairs to show Katie Mei, I heard that sweet little three-year old voice cry "OH PINKY!!!"  And as I crept upstairs quietly, I found them in the bathroom trying to scrub off the marker.  What does that have to do with sin?  Everything.  You cannot wash away your own sin.  You can try scrubbing, you can try soaking.  You can try being really good. You can give all your money to the food bank.  You can take care of sick people and adopt orphans. You can go to church, tithe, and sing in the choir.  But sin is like a Sharpie pen.  YOU cannot get rid of it.  However, there is another way.  Another One...Jesus.  Only Jesus can take away the sins of the world.  Scripture says in Hebrews 9:22 that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."  Someone has got to pay for those sins.  We don't sin and get away with it.  But because we are sinful, the shedding of our own blood just doesn't cover it (You can't pay for something with a bad check).  Jesus alone was perfect in His obedience; He alone is without sin.  And only his own blood is good enough to cover the cost of our sins.  So by His death, we can be forgiven.  All we need to do is admit we are as besmirched as Pinky; acknowledge our sin and ask Jesus to forgive us.  It's that simple.  He can do it.  We can't.  Pinky is one badly besmirched kitty.  Like I told the kids, it's going to take the Hand of God reaching down here to do a miracle to get that marker off that toy.

4.  And the point I am most thankful for:  Jesus loves us, even when we're yucky looking to him.  After our discussion regarding all the above points, I asked the kids "Who still wants to play with Pinky, even with all the marker on her?"  Katie Mei wanted Pinky, but when I handed the toy to her, she recoiled and said she wanted Pinky all cleaned up.  Merrilee said she still loved Pinky but didn't want to play with her anymore.  Jacob didn't want her, either.  I reminded the kids that Jesus sees all the black marks on us.  He sees our heart.  He knows how sinful we are.  And yet he still wants to hold us in the palm of his hand.  He loves us enough to still come close, to hear us pray, and to embrace us despite the Sharpie marks.  Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  We don't need to get cleaned up first.  God isn't looking for a perfect, plastic, pink version of us.  He sees us for who we really are, and he loves us anyway.  There is no hiding the truth from God, and there's no reason to try to do so.  Would we really want a God who only wants a clean version of us, anyway?  Don't you really want to be in a relationship with God who knows all your darkest secrets and loves you no matter what?  God Loves You.  He's not going to change his mind.  He's just waiting for you to climb into his arms.


I know this is not my typical blog post, but this is typical scriptural teaching in our home.  And this particular situation was such a wonderful object lesson on so many levels that I didn't want to forget it.  And I don't want my kids to forget it.  I really did wonder if marking up Pinky would be a bad idea.  When the umpteenth argument broke out over that toy today, my initial thought was to twist it's head off and throw it in the trash (I've demolished more than one toy since we've had kids, and twisting heads off is not beyond me.  Not that I'm proud of it, but sometimes heads just need twisting!).  But something took hold of me after I asked Merrilee to deliver the object of worship to me, and I went straight to the Sharpie in the kitchen pen cup.  I do believe the Holy Spirit had a beautiful lesson planned for all of us, and I'm so thankful that the opportunity arose to once again share the Gospel message with my children and with those who read this blog.

Poor Pinky.  God tells us in His Word to demolish idols.  I consider Pinky demolished.  However, she's going to stay around so we can look upon her and be reminded again and again of our need for Jesus.

"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."  Deuteronomy 11:18-21

I Admit Defeat...Autumn is Here!

It's fall.  Yes, I know the first day of fall was in September, and I'm about three weeks late.  But we live in Georgia, and the pool was still just a tad warmer than icy.  If I could still get my suit on and get wet without feeling like passing out, summer was not officially over.  I did not want to give in.  I did not want to admit that it was getting cooler at night.  Well, nearly cold.  The pool still had a couple days left in it as far as I was concerned, but the kids were screaming and crying when I made them swim, so I figured I'd better go ahead and get in line with the solar system and admit it's fall.  The earth is officially tilted away from the sun now, and I cannot pretend any longer.  When I got up this morning and the temperature outside was only 8 degrees above freezing, and the inside temperature was 10 degrees lower than what our thermostat is set at, I agreed it was time to give up my mental standoff.  

So here we are.  It's fall.  Time for socks and slippers; cinnamon scented candles; orange and yellow decor; craft projects involving leaves, pumpkins, and turkeys; and a cover on the pool.  I've put the electric blanket on the bed.  Good Bye Summer!  I love you!  I will miss you!  I never once complained that you were too hot, even when everyone down here complained.  I just thought it was hot in Georgia, and I never once whined about the heat.  Even when I finally learned that it was about the hottest Georgia summer in a hundred years, I did not complain about you!  I loved you!  And I'm going to miss you all winter long.  Please don't go too far away.  Please!

Cookie making, once again.  I always have to mentally prepare myself for the colored sugar and sprinkles that are sure to make their way onto every flat surface within yelling distance of the kitchen table.

Merrilee-always precise and artistic in her decorating.

Katie Mei-just plain fun and messy.

Jacob-just plain messy.

Last Saturday we manged to make it to Mark's Melon Patch for the second year in a row.  We didn't do the hay ride this year, which was just as well.  I hate to admit it, but I was in prime Grouchy Mom form that day, and straw in my shorts was about the last thing I needed.  The kids had fun, though, and I tried, but it just took a little more effort.

Jacob selects his pumpkin.  He always goes for the largest ones.

Katie Mei wins the cutest kid on the block award.  She picked out her pumpkin all by herself this year, and was even able to carry it herself.  For about 30 seconds.  Then Mom had to carry it.

Merrilee picking out her favorite pumpkin.

Katie Mei had a little trouble smiling for the photo.  She was really not happy at this point (late for lunch), and when Daddy got serious "daddy voice" about smiling, the little bit of happy she had left went away (see below).

Not a good time for Katie Mei~

Tasting raw peanuts right off the plant.  No one wanted a second taste!

So we've got the signs of fall (five pumpkins) sitting on our front porch.  The neighborhood dogs haven't eaten them yet, and I'm still in awe that my pretty fall flag is still flying near the driveway.  Last year my scarecrow was massacred, brutally murdered, all over the driveway by the beasts!  I'm hesitant to put out winter decorations, too.  Our polar bear was another victim of the dogs. 

Oh, how I hate to say Good Bye to summer. How I loved thee in the years of my youth, and how I love thee still.  May the memory of your beloved sunlight on my upturned face keep me warm through the cold months to come.

Jacob's First Goal!

His team got off to a rough start last week, but this week they played a lot better and Jacob was a hero!  He made a goal, and graciously did it while I was recording a video!  it was his one and only goal, so I'm very thankful I caught it.  He did a great job playing today, and even Jay was commenting on how far Jacob has come since he was a little two-year old who couldn't take six steps without falling. 

Jacob is learning to play as a team player, and handles the bumps and bruises that come with the game like a tough kid. One day this week at practice he took a cleat to the ribcage, but got right back up and got in the game.  Don't know that I would have toughed it out quite so well!

We're proud of you, Jacob, for doing a great job at your practices, giving it your all, and being a good supporter of your teammates.  Way to go!

84 Days 'Til Christmas, but Who's Counting?

Today I dug the kids' Halloween T-shirts out of storage.  And then we went to Lowe's.  So much for trying to stay seasonal....