The Face that Launch a Thousand Ships

When N and I are apart, we Skype so that we can at least see each other every day. It's done amazing things for this separation and I couldn't be more grateful.  We can't Skype while we're at work, so I've been sending him little pictures of me this week to keep him energize and in loooove!

Here are some of the gems he's been getting:

Surprisingly he's still willing to come home!

Ain't No Match For the Jaws of Life

Now that N is back at work at the dam, I'm having to do more around the house during the week since I'm a single parent of two now.  Zoe is her usual, only child self and requires that we play together, which is fine, I can do that.  I love hanging with my kiddo.  New the family dynamics is Toby.  Honestly, he's sometimes more high maintenance than a human.  He whines when I'm playing with Zoe and not with him.  He herds me away from Zoe so I can play with him.  He will try and sit on my lap when I'm cuddling with Zoe.  He's got all kinds of ideas that revolve around him being the center of attention and not Zoe.  It's sibling rivalry to the extreme. 

Toby is a chewer.  Praise the Lord, he only chews on his toys.  If we get him a stuffed animal, he'll have the stuffing out within the day.  If we give him a bone, he's gnawed off an end of it before the hour is over.  The boy chews and chews and chews.  I'm not complaining because he has only chewed two things he shouldn't have.  I think that's a great record.

However, because he's such a chewer, we are constantly having to get toys for him.  He loves stuffed animals with a squeaker in them.  They make him happy.  We took stock out of these 4-pack of animals that they had a Costco because we got 4 of them and we could make them last 10 days if needed!  The last ladybug is holding onto her last thread and we thought we'd pick up some more this weekend so that Toby would have something to chew this week.

They didn't have them anymore.  They did have these toys called that were appropriately named Tuffy.  They are for aggressive chewers and they're machine washable.  Because God was smiling, they also had squeakers in them, which are Toby's favorite.  We bought a pack thinking that maybe these would last longer than 24 hours. 

Then Toby showed us just how much of a misnomer the word Tuffy was.

Last night I was in the kitchen and in comes Toby making this weird sound.  Then he puked.  It was black.  I'll tell you there's nothing worse than seeing your dog puke and knowing that your husband isn't home to clean it up...until you see it's black and you start to wonder why.  Then you see this:

The Tuffy has been destroyed, eaten and puked back up, all within 24 hours.  I fear for the things that are on the receiving end of that mouth.  I think I'm going to start calling him Jaws rather than Toby. 

No Cavity Club

We've been taking Zoe to the dentist for quite some time now.  I tried to find the original post, but can't, so just trust me that it's been almost or maybe 2 years.  I'm so specific. 

Anyway, in all those previous visits, Zoe sat in the chair, they'd squirt water on a tray with the water gun and "Mr. Thirsty" sucked it up.  Then they'd go to touch her teeth and she'd scream, cry and generally freak out.  They'd move us into a room with a TV so the other kid's wouldn't get scared, count her teeth and then paint them with fluoride.  She'd gag, get a toothbrush and sticker and run, at lightening speeds, out of the joint.

We had to do a dentist appointment during the week of VBS.  Last Thursday was the day and I couldn't make it to the appointment.  Grandma took her and has never really been behind the doors before. 

I called to see how it went and Zoe informed me that she's part of the "No Cavity Club" and she got a Belle toothbrush!  It was the best day ever!  I was so proud of her, but at the same time wasn't sure how they would even know she didn't have cavities because they don't get a very good look. 

Then I talked to my mom.  She made a comment about the cherry toothpaste they used and how she didn't totally understand how to close her mouth around Mr. Thirsty, but it went well.  She said she was confused because they said this is the first time she's been in the chair, but my mom didn't know where else she could be.

Apparently Zoe lost all fear of the dentist and let them work in her mouth.  They scraped tarter, they brushed, they rinsed, they sucked the water out, they even flossed and all the while, no tears!  I couldn't believe it and neither could grandma.  She had no idea the dental miracle she witnessed.

Zoe's pretty proud of herself too.  She's telling everyone she's part of the No Cavity Club and how cherry toothpaste isn't so bad, as long as she doesn't have to use it at home until she's 6.

Full

For three months we've been going non-stop with Vacation Bible School plans.  We had basically three months to organize and pull off a VBS program in our church.  My mom and I signed onto the task because we have a heart for children's ministry.  Between the two of us, we've spent time at church 7 days a week for the last month. 

I'm so happy to report that VBS went off without a hitch.  We had 67 volunteers come each night to help out.  In the prep-time and the actual week of VBS we had no grumbling, just a spirit of compromise.  It was a God thing.

We had 111 kids come through the program.  This was almost double what we've had in years past.  Many of them were kids and families that we've never met before.  Another God thing.

All 178 people kept smiling, laughing and having a great time despite the lack of sleep, the amount of stairs that our church has and how hot it got.  Isn't God great?

Even though this process has been exhausting, it filled my soul in ways that only come from being involved in the ministry God has for you. 

Another person that had to go and do all this with us was Zoe.  She's such a trooper.  She had to sacrifice Zoe play time to be at church and getting ready for VBS.  I know this was hard on her.  I know she had to grow up a bit more than she really should have these last three months.  N and I decided that on Saturday, we were going to treat her to a special day.  She had a great attitude this past week and we wanted to do something for her that showed her how much we appreciated it.

One thing she's been talking about is the new Winnie the Pooh movie.  We decided movie and lunch was a great way to show her just how much we appreciated her attitude with all the VBS stuff.

She got a pretzel and shared daddy's popcorn.  It was a sweet movie that had many funny parts.  She belly laughed at parts of it.  It was great to see her having some much needed Zoe time.

It was also much needed for N and me.  It was time for our family to reconnect and just enjoy each other.  It may have only been a couple hours of time spent together, but it filled my soul.

Amazed

People in our church have been working countless hours to get things ready for VBS this year.  For the first time in years, we're doing a live drama.  That requires actors, props, costumes and a set. 

When I came into the sanctuary this week, this is what I saw:

Isn't it amazing?  It's made completely out of styrofoam, bed sheets, cardboard and wood supports.  The red door on the front is functional. 

I'm absolutely blown away at people's talents. 

The Final Countdown

We are T minus 6 days until our Vacation Bible School (VBS) starts.  In April my mom was approached about directing our VBS this year.  After a call to me, we decided to co-direct it this year.  In many ways, because I work during the day, I really don't feel like I'm carrying my weight.  However, God is using my mom in amazing ways that are only through God.

He has provided so much that we didn't even know we needed.  We were supposed to have a set that another church used.  That fell through and God has provided artists, materials and even a shack for us to use.  We have 64 members of our church volunteering to help in VBS. 

I know God is going to do amazing things.  I can feel it.  I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Right now, tonight, I feel very concerned about the health and energy of our people.  Some have been working hard for 6 weeks in preparation of this coming week.  Some have lived at our church for the last 2 weeks to get everything finished and ready.  I believe, with all that I am that God is going to do His mighty work in and through this ministry.  I also know that God's plan will try to be stopped and diverted.  My prayer is that we remain focused on the goal by being in prayer and in the Word, that we can let the little things go and be in harmony with one another and that we remain healthy. 

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.  Romans 10:17

Friday Five Faves - The Memory Loss Edition

When I started this blog I started doing Five Favorite Friday where I would list out my weekly top 5. For 30 installments, you got my thoughts. Then suddenly, in 2009, I stopped. I'm not entirely sure why. Lists are like oxygen to me. They are my security blanket in this adult life. At least that's the story I weave, when in reality I think I just need gingko biloba to help with memory. I cannot tell you how many times (mainly because I can't remember) I've gone into a room to grab something and have completely forgot why. Not even retracing steps helps jog my memory. On Tuesday I called my mom with something important to tell her and now, on Friday, I still can't remember what it was.

In honor of my recent and alarming memory loss, I'm making a Friday Five Faves list today. I have a feeling next week, I may not remember anything about this week.

1. Caramel Macchiato - I have a new favorite drink at Starbucks.  Please don't read this as my darling peppermint mocha has lost all the love.  However, the caramel macchiato is my new favorite.  It's great hot.  It's great iced.  It's one of the lowest in terms of calories and fat.  I'm a gold card member at Starbucks, which if you've been on here for any length of time, you shouldn't be surprised.  For every 15 drinks that I purchase, I get a card in the mail for a free one.  On a whim, I decided to try something different.  The rest is history.

I'm actually drinking one right now.  "It's so good, once it hits your lips, it's so good."  (Name that movie!)

2.  People Weekly online - I check this site out once a day.  Okay, sometimes more than once a day.  It's my guilty pleasure.  Not really because I care what Kim Kardashian did at Vera Wang last night, but because it gives me a glimpse into a fake reality.  I love seeing what celebrities wear or who is dating whom.  Not because I really care, but because I find it fascinating.  It's a world that is so far removed from mine, that it's like a soap opera.  My favorite thing is the 10 Best Quotes of the Week on Fridays.  It makes me glad no one is keeping record of what I say.  Wait, what's a blog again?  Hmmm... 

3.  Zoe's maturity - My child fascinates me every day, but for some reason this week I've seen a real maturity in her that warms my heart.  Her sayings are hilarious, in a grown up way.  She was at the store the other night and the cashier gave her a sticker.  Zoe's response, "thank you.  You just made my day!" 

At drama practice on Wednesday night, we always start with a prayer.  Zoe sat in the front and asked if she could pray.  I said my prayer and then she said hers.  "Dear Jesus, thank you for today.  Please bless this play and thank you for letting me play.  I love you.  Amen."  The pastor asked if she could pray in front of the whole church on Sunday.  Zoe responded, "does that mean I get to have a microphone?" 

4.  Thursdays - It's the day N returns to the homestead!  It's our favorite day of the week.  We count down the number of sleeps until daddy comes home.  Then we go grab ice cream before we go pick him up.  Then, as N pulls up to our meeting spot, Zoe starts yelling for him even before his car has stopped.  It's the best, biggest smiles of the week.  It's a bright spot in our new routine.

5.  No more poop - Toby has been a hard dog to train.  He came from a home with 18 other dogs, they never went outside, he pooped in the room he was in, ate in the same room, had no human interaction, had to fight other dogs just to get his food...okay you get the point.  For the first 10-12 weeks of his life, this is his reality.  No matter how hard we've tried, we can't get him to not be scared of outside.  Going outside to take care of big business (#2) has been a challenge.  He just thinks he can go inside the house (usually on a bed or the couch - aren't we so lucky), even though 2 minutes before he was outside taking care of little business (#1).  It's extremely frustrating and I was at the end of my rope with it.  Toby is really N's dog.  They've bonded and N can get Toby to do things I can't.  Unfortunately Toby has to do things with me now that this is our reality.

My mom found an article on how to train an adult dog who has been abused.  She offered me some advice from this article.  Even though Toby was a puppy when we got him, his reality created some unique fears and all the "puppy training" we've done hasn't resulted in any positive outcomes.  He won't even go to the backdoor and whine or anything, he paces.  If you're not watching him, an accident happens.  It's extremely frustrating.  I tried the advice that she gave me:

 - calling #1 and #2 a certain word - we use the word "business".  Everytime we go outside, it's "Toby, let's go take care of business." 

 - take a treat outside and give it to him outside when he takes care of business - he gets 1 treat for #1 and another treat for #2. 

 - we only use his favorite treat for business.  If he does something non-business related, he gets a separate type of treat for in the house.

 - when we give him the treat outside, we reaffirm that it's for doing "business." 

The results in these few changes this week are amazing.  He's taken care of all business outside.  He actually goes to the door and whines.  He's loving being outside.  He used to go outside, maybe do business and then sit by the door and whine until you let him in.  Now, he runs, plays and generally enjoys more than just the mat in front of the back door.  Zoe loves running with him and playing with him.  N was even surprised at how playful he seemed outside.

I think we still have a ways to go and I'm sure we'll have some missteps along the way.  I'm so proud of Toby for being such a quick study and coming out of his shell in the process.  I know he's okay with my change in the routine because he laid on the couch next to me, rolled onto his back and looked at me with that "please rub my belly" look.  He's lucky he's cute.

I hope you all have a memorable weekend.  I'm going to take lots of pictures of my weekend, not because we have anything planned, but because I think I'll need the evidence of our happenings to jog my memory.

Happy Friday.