What color Play-doh would I be?

Today was one of those 'mold me and make me' days! I felt like God was really working on me like a big 'ole wad of play-doh. I won't go into details, but let's just say tonight I feel like that long string of play-doh that's been mushed through a tiny little hole... stretched out way beyond that comfortable ball form!

Some days its easier for me to feel the Master working and go, 'Okay God, I hear ya. Thanks for working with me.' and other days, like today, I want to scream, 'ENOUGH! I got the point! I'm flawed. I need more molding. But work on someone else for a change!' I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that doesn't always understand how and when God chooses to mold. I hope its because I'm eventually going to be some cool retro ashtray or circus animal on God's knickknack shelf...

And speaking of molding, Dustin has some seriously screwed up homework for the 3rd grade! This stuff is so far out that most nights there are questions I can't help him with. Usually it's math, but tonight it was a reading question. His story was about a family that goes camping and the kids want to climb this big waterfall and the dad won't let them. But the next day when they go back to the waterfall, the Dad lets them climb it. The question Dustin had to answer was, "Why do you think the dad changed his mind and let the kids climb the waterfall?" Good grief! What kind of question is that?! I mean, why do we as parents do a lot of things?!? Why does any parent change their mind about things?! Who the heck really knows why the Dad changed his mind about the dang waterfall?!! Maybe he decided to quit being a stick in the mud! Maybe he decided it wasn't worth arguing about! Maybe he popped a few happy pills at breakfast and the waterfall didn't stress him out anymore. Maybe he just didn't want to have to climb up after them that first day because he was tired as hell from packing the camping gear, driving 400 miles, unloading the truck, and well, you get the picture! I mean COME ON curriculum folks! Get real! I'm 37 and a parent twice over and I can't answer that question. How the heck is my 9 year old suppose to figure it out? We answered it by saying, 'he felt more comfortable about it the second day.' It's probably the wrong answer, but I don't plan to lose any sleep over it.

Doh!!! There's that attitude again! Oh well... time for some more molding! Tonight's perfume of choice - O'de'Playdoh. Ahhh...smells just heavenly...

My theme today, in the words of my crooning buddy, country music artist,
Don Williams...

Lord, I hope this day is good
I'm feelin' empty and misunderstood
I should be thankful Lord, I know I should
But Lord, I hope this day is good
Lord, have you forgotten me
I've been prayin' to you faithfully
I'm not sayin' I'm a righteous man
But Lord, I hope you understand
I don't need fortune and I don't need fame
Send down the thunder Lord, send down the rain
But when you're planning just how it will be
Plan a good day for me...

Yep, its been that kind of week, Don.

But, I know He is listening and I'm so blessed that He has planned more good days than bad for me. I'm gonna hang in there, put a smile on and crank up some Tulsa Times!

One Knotch Up the Coconut Tree...

We survived day 1 of kindergarten and 3rd grade with very little tears or drama. According to Cody's teacher, he had a good day and his clothes pin got moved one knotch up the coconut tree. When he moves six steps and reaches the top, he gets to go to the goodie basket. Day 2 started with the 'I don't want to go to school' talk, but hopefully that will subside after a few weeks. (fingers crossed!)

Thank God today is Friday! It's been a busy week at work for me and with the back to school blahs, its been stressful, too. I had to run an errands after work today and since I was going to be driving by one, Derek requested a Pizza Hut pan pizza. Well, as luck with have it, this place was an absolute ZOO! I was there about 15 minutes before the lady behind the corner could even take my order. Orders were getting messed up, lost completely, rang up wrong, the whole nine yards. The lady behind the counter even tired to give me someone else's change, and I hadn't even ordered yet! It was a mess. When she finally was able to help me, she apologized and said they were really busy and that it had been like that since 10:00 that morning and she had been working since 9:00. She looked beat up and exhausted, but she was trying to keep a smile on her face. When it came time to pay, I asked her if she could take tips, she said yes, and I gave her a tip. Nothing life changing, just $5, but she just beamed and looked like she might cry and said 'thank you maam so much.' Then I said a prayer for her while I waited for my pizza. I knew the prayer would help her much more than the money, and it kept me from getting angry at the whole situation. I was tired and ready to go home, but this gal was busting her butt at Pizza Hut, getting chewed out by folks left and right (one lady was actually YELLING at her when I left with my pizza) for probably minimum wage and probably had a whole lot more problems than I do. I knew I had no right to be feeling sorry for myself for waiting on a pizza for 30 minutes!

I can't say for sure, but I hope that somewhere God moved my clothes pin one knotch up the coconut tree, and her's too...

Back to School Blahs...

Tomorrow morning, my sweet baby Cody Cooper starts kindergarten! I can hardly believe it. "Time flies" and "They grow up so fast" are such cliches, but boy oh boy are they accurate. I remember the day that Dustin started kindergarten, I felt like I was going to throw up all morning long and I cried all the way to work once I dropped him off. Now, it's my baby!! My youngest son! And I'm having a hard time adjusting to the fact that I don't have a baby anymore, but a young boy.

Cody will probably adjust pretty quickly, but then again, he has a way of surprising me and keeping me on my toes. Just when I think he is a tough little booger with no fears, he gets clingy and emotional and gives me that sad puppy dog look that melts my heart! Then I get clingy and emotional! I can't help but want to hold on that last little bit of 'baby' that he still has in him. I never thought it'd be this hard to watch my kids grow up.

And Dustin will be in the 3rd grade. I'm nervous about that too. Everyone keeps saying that 3rd grade is rough because of the tons of homework and projects and the pressure to pass the 'tests', those dreaded tests... I think he'll be fine and he sure has come a long way since that first day of kindergarten. He had a rough time with the school thing for a few years, but last year, he seemed to settle in and he doesn't seem the least bit nervous about tomorrow.

But even though neither of them are freaking out about school starting, neither of them are looking forward to it. And I can't blame them one bit. My kids will never be the type that 'looks forward' to school starting back. I saw a kid in our neighborhood yesterday and he said, "I can't wait for school to start on Wednesday! I'm so ready to go back." And I thought to myself, 'now those are words I'll never hear one of my kids say!" And I never said that either. I liked summer time and would gladly have skipped the whole school thing, if the law would allow!

I mean let's face it... our lives are about to get complicated. After a nice SHORT summer of no homework, no schedules, no bedtime, sleeping late, etc... we can now look forward to evenings of homeword battles, rushed baths, bedtime with daylight still coming through the windows, grumpy morning children, quick waffle breakfast, quick dress, find the shoes, gather the homework, brush the teeth, brush the hair, argue over the sink, argue over the clothes, argue over who goes out the door first, insanity! I've heard many folks say they are ready to get back to school and back to a routine, but not me... I am not ready. I dread it. And I dread it for my boys. And while I know and understand how important it is... back to school time IS NOT my favorite time of the year!

But, like any other part of life, we will see it through. We'll work it out. We'll make it happen. And we'll probably laugh alot and cry alot while we're doing it! That's what makes us a family!

Let the homework begin and May the Force Be With You...