Miss Abigail

My lovely daughter has been playing the "I forgot" card and I have no longer accepted that as an answer.    I mean she has been gong into the room and "forgetting" in mere seconds.  So, I had to devise a sting as she feels that saying sorry will solve the problem.  The sting has been no computer for these last two days.  Now let me just say that here in the apartment with nothing much to do (and it has been raining a lot these last few days) the computer becomes a much needed and sought after friend  - to all of us here!!!   With that being said, Abigail has decided to color her littlest pet shop coloring book and activity pages.   She looooooves animals and these toys are right up her alley.  She has lots.  Last count was about 40!    For her birthday she received a carrying case from Grandma.  This case is a must have with all these toys!  Now back to the coloring pages.   Her wall has been in dire need of some mending as September brought outside work on the apartment complex that resulted in the nails heads popping through the dry wall in her room.  (Oh! the joys of apartment living!)   Below are some pictures of her wall:   

The trouble with Abigail is that she really doesn't have a "currency" as she can change on a dime.  This can be both good and bad as the parent of this type of child.  I love that she can entertain herself!   I do love her!!  She is an amazing little person that I look forward to see maturing into an adolescent.   

Coming down the home stretch.

Today was Tuesday, usually the busiest day for us here but... we did not have to go to AWANA as it was Easter break.  The surprise was finding out that both AWANA and gymnastics will be over on the 28th.   Which means that we will have nothing planned on Tuesdays for the last month of school.   Can I get a woohoo?!  I love to have the kids involved in activities but this Momma likes the activities to be shorter than the whole year.   The only remainder is Abigail's piano which goes all the way to the end of June!!   She is truly getting burned out by that.  I realized when she was younger that a full year commitment gets very daunting for her.  I was happy to be able to take a few weeks off in March.   I think she was also!   Joshua was sad to hear that gymnastics will be ending.  I wasn't even sure I would sign him up next year but it looks like I might.  He really enjoys it!!  He flits around the house and does all these crazy moves.  I think he needs it.   

As for Stephen he has been sedentary since basketball has ended.  I really need the weather to change so he can get out and doing some walking.  I think I may have to set up some rules about exercising and xbox/computer play time.    

We are on target to finish school the beginning of June.   Math may have to go into summer a bit but that isn't too bad.  I will probably have Abs do math facts each day for 5 minutes as she really has troubles with numbers.   If we can turn it into a game then that may help!   Any suggestions?   History is done for all!  Science is done for Joshua - we are supplementing.  Abigail still has some science left.  And Stephen is still doing some science too!   Stephen completed his vocabulary book months ago.   Still working on spelling but moving along wonderfully.  We made it through this school year, I can't believe it.  

He is Risen!!!

Happy and Blessed Easter! What a wonderfully glorious day it was because of what was done for us 2000 years ago. We attended our church breakfast. We brought along an egg casserole to share. It had eggs, sausage, cheese, and bread as the main ingredients.

Since we don't own this building it requires lots of man power to pull off these special days. Actually every week requires a team of people for set-up and take-down.

This is where we normally have service but today

it was setup as our eating area.  There were tables 

in the hallway and another room had a big table too.

Abigail and my friend Jenn!

This was the sweet table.  By the time I remembered

to take a photo of the food the other table was mostly

picked over.  I forgot to take a photo of ours! :(

Joshua with his lollipop from his teacher.

Every week Mr. Macdonald gives out lollipops

for the kids.  They say bible verses or answer

questions from the lesson to receive them!

Josh got 2 today!!!!

Abigail had to sit with her friend Rachel.  Our children

like to be with their friends so we typically don't have

to worry about finding seats with them.  Still thinking

on whether that is good or bad.  

After cleanup at church we came back home and relaxed until Bill and Stephen got back from helping with the breakdown of the stage.  Since they set up the sanctuary in the gymnasium there is a "stage" for all to be able to see.  (We normally don't require a stage.) A little bit after they were home it was then that I remembered that I hid some eggs for the kids to find.  Just a few.  I was really off this year.  Perhaps it was because my Mom did Easter baskets for each child that I completely forgot to go out and assemble a little for each one.  But thanks to my wonderful friend, Suzanne, the children did have 4 eggs each to find.  Woohoo!!  These eggs were very cool.  They have bugs on them!!  Anyway, I decided to put little strips of paper in some with little things for them.   The best thing was that they each received a strip that entitles them to a frappucino at Starbucks.  Another funny one had to do with some chores.  Hahahahaha!  I had to have some fun. ;-}  

 We don't tend to do much by way of tradition around here so we had pasta and grilled chicken.  (Thanks to an indoor grill.   I know not quite the same but still better than nothing.)

 My lovely Abigail helped me cook this evening.  She was very excited to do so and a little nervous (years back she burned her fingers at a Japanese steakhouse by touching the hot plate).  And I appreciated it very much.   She is a keeper.   She also did the dishes that did not fit into the dishwasher (as that was her chore in one of her eggs).  

A to do list... of sorts!

This morning came early for me as I did not sleep well last night.  Lots of waking up due a jaw problem I have been having for a little over a week.  I tried to diagnose myself and believe it to be related to a sinus infection that I had a few weeks ago.  The sinus infection was over 2 weeks in total time.  (If you couldn't guess, I don't like going to the doctor!)    Yesterday I forgot to take some advil before bed and I believe the inflammation was too much to bear.  So I awoke before 7:00 am.   Got out of bed and started to catch up on some email and blogs.  (Some sad news in a blog that I have been following on and off.  A family not quite sure what is happening in their 4 year old little girls life.  My heart and prayers are with them during this uncertain time.)   Before I knew it it was time to shower and finally build one of the book shelves we purchased last weekend.  I made the kids help and it went very quickly.  It looks good!  The boys are very happy with the results as am I since it does help straighten their room.   Since their room has also become the place to hang out now that the futon and xbox are in there it does clutter quickly and easily.   Here are some photos taken of our constructing and completion.  
 

I did not get the chance to make the one for my room as we booked an appointment with a different Apple store for the iMac.  This one is closer only about 40 minutes away.  It was a new mall that we had not been to.  I think we will be going frequently.  Well as frequent as we can with the way I hate to shop.  Anyway, the food court has a cool carousel that Abigail wants to ride but we were in such a tizzy to make sure we made the appointment (I did not want a repeat of yesterday) that I told her that we would go on it when we go back to pick up the computer.   She was very agreeable.  

The appointment took longer than expected an before we knew it it was approaching dinner hour.  We tried to get into the Cheesecake factory and PF Changs but both were about an hour. We were too hungry for that so we ended up at Johnny Rockets.   Okay but very very loud.  We  were playing our trivia game (we ask Disney questions to each other and see who is the first to answer)  that we play as a family and we could barely hear each others questions.   But while we were sitting there waiting for the waitress a kind gentleman at the table next to us with his wife handed us a coupon to receive a free dinner!!  What a blessing!   

Good Friday

The children did not know that I was going to give them this day off, so yesterday they decided to do some double work in order to get this day off.  Hahahaha!   The only stipulation was that we were to sit down together and read through all the gospels on the account of Jesus' crucifixion.   I think they really enjoyed this.  While reading, I began questioning the kids.  I want them to understand and know about what Jesus did for all!!   

Bill was busy starting our taxes.  I say starting because he needs to make some phone calls about some option that JP Morgan exercised and we did not recall happened.  Ohhhh the joys of taxes.  I am so thankful he does them.  When he could no longer continue he was busy getting the songs ready for this evening for our home fellowship meeting.   As he is a really good guitar player, he was asked to lead worship for one of the gatherings.  It was not our usual place to gather so it was nice to meet new families and others from our new home church.   The children were having fun downstairs in the basement while we were singing and reading.  

Before we went out to the home fellowship we had an appointment at the Apple store in Mount Laurel - about an hour away from us.   Our iMac has been having some issues.  This issue was supposed to have been resolved awhile ago.  I am not a happy camper.  Let me back up to say that I love all things Apple.   Have been a fan since 2001. However, I don't like when they don't fix my stuff!!!!!   So we book the reservation and on our way down we pit stop at Trader Joe's  - my most favorite place to go.   I was a tad bit disappointed with this visit as they were all out of the chocolate chip granola bars that my kids just love, love, love.   This stop put us behind schedule for our appointment and of course they had to cancel it and take someone else.  I get that what I don't understand is why they say you are "booking" a time "period" and not let you know that if you are more than 15 minutes late, you will have to rebook.   (Don't tell me I have a time slot and then not keep my appointment open the entire time!!!  Are you with me?!)  What urks me most, is that we did this months ago to get this problem fixed and now I have to go all over again.  This is where I miss Ohio.  The Easton store is sooooo nice and fun and it is a great place to hang out while your waiting for you time slot.  I digress... Needless to say, our computer was not fixed!   Urgh!  

We arrived back home in time for our dinner that was awaiting us in the crockpot.  Love the crockpot meals!!!  Just meatball sandwiches tonight.  On my favorite roll by Italian People's Bakery.  YUM! YUM! YUM!   Then it was off to home fellowship - which you read about already.   

Quiet Moments

I noticed it has been a few days since my last post and the main reason is that our days have been quiet.   There is a slight sadness in that statement.   I have come to realize that I enjoy being with people and love spending time with friends.  But I also know this is holy week and I should be reflecting more on Jesus and what his dying on the cross really did for me (for all of us.)   I must confess I have not thought too much on it.  Shame on me.  So as I sit here I thought I should let you know who Jesus is to me - He is my Lord and Savior.  His death on the cross was because I am a sinner.   There is a Kutless song that talks about how Christ would have still chosen the cross if I was the only one.  That is significant!!!  The love that I possess for Christ is due to a relationship I have with him.   And in these quiet moments the remainder of this week I pray that I can reflect on all that He has done for me and be ever so humble for all that He will do for me.  I know that these last few months I have been scratching my head more than allowing Christ to be the focus for my ordeal.   So that changes here.  I look eagerly forward to what is in store for my life and that of my family's.   I know that all things happen for a reason and I can honestly look back on these last 10 months and see many different things that have occurred and how many positive things came from them.    They may be small but it is in the small things that life truly happens.   May this Easter season find you seeking Jesus!   May God richly bless you and your family!

More Time Alone

With the kids still being gone most of Sunday, we enjoyed a nice little breakfast together.   Off to church, were everybody was asking about the whereabouts of the kids.   I was teaching as this month is my month on and Bill was in the sanctuary by himself.  Left church and came home to put pot roast and potatoes into the crock pot.  (Love the crockpot meals!!!)   We then decided to enjoy another meal out without the kids.  (It is cheaper!)   Bill wanted an egg sandwich.   You would think this would be easy.... not so much on a Sunday afternoon.  The various places we tried ended the breakfast at 11:00 am.  Just wrong, I tell ya.  We used our beloved phones to search out a Bob Evans.   Drove the 10 minutes in excitement to find out that it is bordered shut.   We were very very unhappy.  You see in Ohio Bob Evans are on every corner.   (Curse you NJ!)  We were so hungry at this time we opted for Uno.  Salad and flatbread pizza for the both of us.  The food was okay.  It is hard to enjoy any food when you have your heart set on something else.  Back home to finish laundry and get my much needed nap.  The kids and my parents arrived back here about 5:00 pm.  We ate the dinner.  Which was very very tender and juicy.   Then before we realized it was time for the grandparents to leave as they do have an hour drive.   The kids get ready for bed and we all say, "goodnight."