I'm Raisin' One Right!

Tonight Sophie got her sippy cup and was drinking as fast as she could. When she finished she told her Daddy..."I finished my LARGE sweet tea!" Maybe she has heard her Mommy one too many times in the Sonic or McDonald's drive thru ordering fuel for the day!

By the way, since she finished her LARGE sweet tea after church tonight (it was really only about 2 ounces) I just now got her to go to sleep! She needs lessons on WHEN to drink her LARGE sweet tea but you can't learn everything in one day! At least she likes it :0)!

WHAT!!!!!!???????

Today is a snow day and I will admit that I was a bit under prepared for serving lunch at home. When the time came I managed to create something acceptable. The only problem I encountered was that I was out of Kool-Aid and I only had a splash of milk. So, I made some sweet tea.
When I served lunch I handed Macklin her glass and she said "Is this tea?" I answered "Yes." "Can I have some water? I really don't like sweet tea?" WHAT?????!!!!! How did I not know this? She clearly gets this affliction from her Aunt Patsy. I have failed miserably as a Southern Mom. I can console myself in the fact that my other two children love it and I converted my Yankee husband long ago!

Fun with Four!

Andie tagged me on her blog the other day to complete this task. I'll tell you that some of these things took some thought! So here is a whole lot about me whether you want to know it or not :0)!

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Probation Officer
2. Pat's (Hood) secretary (I am no Leslie)
3. Home Health Social Worker
4. Conservator for clients at Mental TN Mental Health Institute (still have this one)
Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. A River Runs Through It
2. Steel Magnolias
3. Fried Green Tomatoes
4. Grease
Four places I have lived:
1. Church Hill, TN
2. Johnson City, TN
3. Redwood Hollow Apts., Smyrna, TN (oh how simple life was then :))
4. Jefferson Pike, Smyrna TN
Four shows that I watch:
1. CSI New York
2. CSI Miami
3. Boston Legal (funniest show on television)
4. Numbers
Four places I have been:
1. New Orleans
2. Los Angeles
3. Grand Canyon (couldn't find it, had to ask for directions)
4. Ft. Wayne, IN
Four people who email me regularly:
1. My mom
2. Jessica
3. the spammers concerned about my sex life
4. Dann
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Chicken Marsala
2. Swiss Steak (weird, I know)
3. anything with blue cheese
4. STEAK (medium)
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. On a massage table
2. In a bubble bath
3. A really great sale with plenty of money
4. Sleeping until noon :0)
Four things I'm looking forward to in the next 12 months:
1. Owning my van (no more payments!!!!)
2. Watching my kids grow
3. VBS week at church (I really do love it!!!)
4. Warm weather
Four goals for the New Year:
1. Pay off as much debt as possible
2. Read devotional/scripture each day
3. Play with my kids more
4. Lose weight/exercise
Four gifts I got for Christmas:
1. Pajamas
2. Crocs
3. Cordless phones
4. Perfume (Lovely)
Four places I want to visit:
1. New England in the fall
2. Disney with my kids
3. Ireland
4. Susie when she moves to Brazil
Four things I wish I could be better at:
1. Organization
2. Eating healthy
3. Sending birthday cards
4. Remembering that God only wants the best for me! No self pity!
Four Things You Don't Know About Me:
1. To Kill a Mocking Bird is my all time favorite book
2. I do not "polite laugh", if it is funny I laugh, if it is not I don't
3. I slept with a stuffed monkey named Zip when I was a child and I still have him
4. I hate cauliflower but love lima beans and brussel sprouts
Four Things I Can Cook Without a Recipe:
1. Parmesan Chicken
2. Chili
3. Cajun green beans
4. Sausage cheese soup
Four Musicians/Groups I Really Like:
1. Chris Rice
2. Eric Clapton
3. Rod Stewart
4. Elton John
The FOUR people I tag are Amanda, Ruth, Alison and Amy.

The Birthday Bash

What a fun time! Elijah and Macklin had their 7th and 1oth birthday party and I believe everyone had good time. Our themes this year were Star Wars and Hannah Montana. The girls came dressed like rock stars and the boys brought their light sabers! We also had a karoke machine and discovered that Sophie is a microphone hog!

Macklin '08

Honestly, we do not sit around talking politics with our kids all of the time! While I was writing the post regarding Sophie, Macklin was very busy writing something. This is not unusual for her. She writes stories/books every day. She had no idea what I was writing and I had not told the older kids what Sophie said about Paul Harvey, which makes her story even funnier. Her book (pictured above) is titled

What Would I Do If I Was President?

by Macklin Zehr

What would I do to be President?

Maybe I would make money fall out of trees.

(does this make her a democrat?)

Or maybe I can make lemonade fountains.

I could make a chocolate fountain.

(But nothing for my brother)

(No free rides, does this make her a Republican?)

If I were President I would make people stop fighting.

And that is why I want to be President.

So, if you are not going to vote for Paul Harvey, Macklin would appreciate your vote. (I am pretty sure that she does not have Elijah's vote :)! ) She would like everyone to know that she is available for interviews.

I think she could have a future in politics. She is already breaking campaign promises. It was about 30 minutes after she wrote her story that she got into a fight with her brother. Dann reminded her of her campaign promise of making people stop fighting. She was not amused :)!

Decision 2008

Today when Sophie and I got into the car the radio came on . The dial was set to 1510 WLAC talk radio. I was trying to back out of a parking space so I wasn't really paying attention until Sophie asked "Mom, is that Barack Obama?" (meaning the person on the radio) Well, needless to say, this caught my attention so I answered "No, it is Rush Limbaugh." She replied "That is not Rush LimBOB it is Barack Obama!" (which she pronounces correctly) I explained to her that Rush Limbaugh was talking about Barack Obama. I am not sure I convinced her. Since we were on the subject of politics I decided that I would ask her who she is going to vote for. I said "Sophie are you going to vote for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain?" She thought for a moment (really hard) and said with full confidence "I am voting for Paul Harvey!" Hmm.....even my 2 year old knows that the choices aren't the best this year!

A Good Boy

Elijah is growing up and branching out a little more each day. I know that many have gone before me and can relate. We often wonder if he is retaining any of the values that we try to instill in him everyday. Today he asked to ride his bike a little further today than he ever has before. He was going with a couple of neighbor friends whom I trust. They play together most afternoons. I always have a conversation with them and the few times I have had to settle a "situation" they have always answered "Yes ma'am" and followed any instructions that I have given them. Pretty nice kids, nice parents too. So, with a smidge of hesitation I said yes. Now understand that this bike ride would put him out of my immediate sight but if I yelled he could hear me. I gave him specific boundries and instructions (at the risk of making him uncool) and off he went. He was gone for about 15 minutes and came back on cloud nine. All in one breath he said "MOMTHATWASSOCOOL!" "WE JUST RODE AND RODE AND THEN J TRIED TO GET ME TO GO OVER WHERE YOU SAID NOT TO GO." "I TOLD HIM MY MOM SAID I COULD NOT GO THERE AND HE SAID SHE'LL NEVER KNOW" "I TOLD HIM HE WAS PROBABLY RIGHT BUT IF I DIDN'T OBEY MY MOM THAT I WOULD FEEL GUILTY AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE FEELING GUILTY." Wow, he did the right thing. I always thought he would but it is nice to have confirmation. "What did your friends say?" (I was sure that I had made him uncool and they rode off making fun of him.) Elijah: They said "Oh, okay." and we just kept riding where we were supposed to. Elijah got a big thank you from his Momma for doing the right thing.
If you are ever in my neighborhood and see a pack of three or four boys riding up and down my street 1. Drive a little slower please and 2. Tell the boy on the black and silver Jeep bike that his Momma loves him.

Happy President's Day!

What better way to celebrate our founding fathers' birthdays than to have pizza with a rat in a hat? For the first time ever Sophie decided that she is afraid of Chuck E. Cheese. She kept saying "He's going to eat me, he's going to eat me!" We assured her that he only eats pizza and cheese but she was not so sure about that. We had fun anyway and I will admit that the Deal or No Deal game is a bit addictive. We all left full and happy and enjoyed the beautiful day that was supposed to be cloudy and 32!

Life Lessons

Sadly, Sophie learned it is never good to stick your gum in your hair! Thankfully, I had a jar of peanut butter handy! It works every time :}.

Just A Little Update

I know everyone has just been on the edge of their seats.....so I thought I would let you know that the Zehrmobile has officially taken a trip to the car wash. It was everything I expected and more! Sophie started screaming when we got in line and did not stop until we were finished. I somehow thought that taking ALL of the kids would make it better but alas, I was wrong. Elijah and Macklin went from trying to comfort her and distract her, to "Mom, make her stop", to hysterically laughing at her. None of these tactics were sucessful. Enjoy the photos of my clean van because it will probably not be washed until the next time we go to my parents. My dad has the best home car wash set up ever : good driveway, great hose, lots of buckets and sponges, special bug scrubbers, drying towels, etc. and pretty much every product known to man! So,until I see my Daddy, I will continue to collect dirt and bugs with the best of them.

Have a good day!

My Funny Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day! I thought I would take this opportunity to list a few reasons I love my valentines! I love the way Dann's eyes crinkle when he smiles, the way he always thinks of me first and yes, I love to hear him sing :). I love the way when Elijah tries something new he really sticks with it until he gets the hang of it. I love Macklin's creativity and her free spirit. She makes us all think of things in a new light. I love my Sophie's dimples and curls. She will forvever be my baby! Of course there are many, many, many, more reasons that I love them and I hope they know it! Have a great day!

Eating God

Most everyone that reads this blog knows that our church was involved in a Sacred Gathering the last few nights. It was awesome and there will be lots to learn (for me personally) and lots to hear about how God moved thru all of the time of prayer, fasting and worship. That brings me to my first thoughts about the experience. Fasting is something I had not experienced before. I was present at the last Sacred Gathering 4 years ago but for some reason I did not fast. Poor Jana has helped me think and think about why I would not have fasted. We thought that I might have been pregnant or nursing Sophie but since the gathering was March 2004 and she was born April of 2005 that is not possible. The only conclusion I can come up with is pure rebellion. I mentioned that I was present at the last gathering.......I am sure if I actually participated the details would be much clearer. Someone commented on Pat's blog that they chose to avoid the last gathering and wondered if they had gone, what God could have done in their life......wow, uh...........me too? Anyway, things are still muddled in my head a bit but I will continue to seek God in all that he wants me to become. The fast was so interesting....clearly I like food, eat too much of it and think of it too often......but beyond that it was a time that I had to think and explain why we do what we do. Because I work at the church, the Sacred Gathering and the fast were well known events and many co-workers asked me questions about why we were doing what we were doing. What an opportunity to share! Just because you work with people at a church does not mean everyone is on the same page spiritually and often it is difficult to have spiritual conversation beyond that month's Bible curriculum. This is probably because we are well out numbered by lots of little people ages 4 and under and they demand all of our attention! I take a lot of my daily relationships for granted and I will strive to pray daily for these relationships and my example to these people.

Another interesting aspect of the fast is explaining it to my kids. Dann and I had not really told them what was going on simply because we really didn't know how to explain it (how we underestimate them!) However, Allen told them in their worship that most parents would not be eating for three days. Of course, this drew questions. The conversations went something like this. "Why are you not eating?" "Well, it is called a fast....Uncle Pat asked the church to fast and pray to learn where God was leading us." "Can we eat? Yes, children do not fast. You are still growing and not eating could make you sick." "Why can you fast? We are old and fat. We have plenty of reserve :)." "Why do you fast? So that we can listen to God and strive to be holy and righteous before him." (Dann)....silence......"So that we can become all that God wants us to be." (Me)...."Oh! Okay!" said the kids. At this point I added one more thing......"Uncle Pat encouraged us when we got hungry to pray and talk to God." Dann adds "We are learning to be hungry for God instead of food" To this Macklin.....in a full on panic....exclaims....."YOU WANT TO EAT GOD!!!!?". We assured her that this was not the case, that being hungry for God simply meant wanting to learn what he wants us to learn and she was greatly relieved.

I will leave you with this.......If you ever fast......re-enter the eating world with caution. I should have heeded Kyle's advice! I am up at 2:30 am enjoying (ok, not so much) my one and a half southwest eggrolls again! Time for a Zantac and an attempt at sleep! I pray that everyone has a great day and I am excited to see how God works in our family and others through all of this.

Wash Me!

Okay, in my defense, I am rarely in my van without Sophie and car washes freak her out. Since it is the dead of winter I am not inclined to drag out the hose, soap, sponge and bucket.That being said, If you are going to have a dirty car you might as well make the most of it. Elijah took the opportunity to use the dirt to create a family portrait. I laughed out loud when I went to the driveway and discovered it! I'll have a clean car (a zippy little sports car...not a minivan) when my kids are grown.

15,000

In case you were wondering what 15,000 beads looked like......here they are. Now, I did not count them I am simply trusting in the fact that there is some truth remaining in adveritsing and it says 15,000 on the box. As you can see Lucy (the cat) is equally intrigued. So far we have not had any major tragedies with the box of 15,000 but I will keep you posted!

7th Heaven

Today Macklin begins her 7th year of life. We had a fun day of cupcakes at school and a trip to the Golden Corral (her choice ,I promise). She said wanted to go to the Golden Corral because she likes their desserts. We have only eaten at Golden Corral two times in her seven years and both times it was in Cookeville. So, we googled and found that locally there is one in Franklin and one in Hermitage. We mapquested directions and off we went. She happily open presents and ate cupcakes and icecream. I think she liked her gifts (including a jewelry set that contains 15,000, yes 15,000 beads) even though she did not get the petting zoo and violin that she asked for only yesterday. Sadly, these things are not sold at Target. Anyone that knows Macklin knows that she is creative, energetic and full of life! She has her own ideas and her own way of doing things. If you don't let this drive you crazy she is a great kid and I can't wait to see what this year holds for her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MACKLIN! I LOVE YOU!

Strep Throat, Ear Aches and Stomach Bugs, OH MY!

Honestly, we are a healthy family 99% of the time but this has not been our winter at all. The current tally is as follows:
Ashley and Sophie: Strep throat for Christmas
Elijah: Strep throat from classmate at school just after returning from Christmas break.
Sophie: Double ear infection two weeks ago
Sophie: Stomach virus this past Friday night.
Elijah: Not feeling well Saturday evening, fever by Sunday, trip to minute clinic....diagnosis.....STREP THROAT AGAIN!
Thank goodness for the free antibiotic program at Publix! It has been a huge blessing in all of this! We have only paid for one prescription! If you are looking for a stock tip I would recommend investing in Oral-B. With all of our strep I have thrown away and purchsed enough new toothbrushes to make their next quarter profits increase by a good margin. We are not sure how Dann and Macklin have managed to stay disease free. ( I believe Macklin moves too fast for anything to stick to her ;} ) If you think about it, please pray that we can shake all of this pretty soon and for Dann and Macklin to continue to stay well! Thanks and good night!