Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
With Hope
With Hope
This is not at all how
We thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ...
We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again
And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ...
We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...
We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope
By Steven Curtis Chapman
In memory of Maria Sue Chapman, 2003-2008
This is not at all how
We thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ...
We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again
And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ...
We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...
We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope
By Steven Curtis Chapman
In memory of Maria Sue Chapman, 2003-2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Rear view mirror
At the end of today's marathon (double dental appointments, Sears--twice--for an exchange, the men's store to pick up dh's hemmed suit pants, and three or four times 'round the mulberry bush) I stopped at Sonic to get my mostly-well-behaved children Happy Hour strawberry slushies.
I looked into the rear view mirror in time to see the three bigs clink their styrofoam slushie cups togeher and say "Cheers!" And then, at the little guys' request, 7yoC "did Cheers" with the two little guys in the way back.
The moment was sweet.
I looked into the rear view mirror in time to see the three bigs clink their styrofoam slushie cups togeher and say "Cheers!" And then, at the little guys' request, 7yoC "did Cheers" with the two little guys in the way back.
The moment was sweet.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Prince Caspian
Okay, I know I said in my last post that I wouldn't review Prince Caspian, since everyone else and their mother is already reviewing it, but I'm just too annoyed not to blog it.
I didn't like it.
It was okay. It WASN'T true to the book, in that the book wasn't one long battle after another. The movie seemed disjointed to me: battle, battle, quiet sincere moment, battle, battle, battle, quiet sincere moment, battle, chase scene, battle, battle, quiet scene, battle, battle, battle, romantic smooch, the end.
It was better than the BBC clunker, at least. And I thought they did Reepicheep very well. And the actors did a fine job, especially the actress who played Lucy.
I'd give it 2.5 stars out of five.
And, yes, if I hadn't read and loved the book I wouldn't be so disappointed. But, then, if I hadn't read and loved the book I wouldn't still be planning on purchasing the dvd when it's released, despite my feeling that the movie fell far short of its source material. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be, especially given how well they did on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
I didn't like it.
It was okay. It WASN'T true to the book, in that the book wasn't one long battle after another. The movie seemed disjointed to me: battle, battle, quiet sincere moment, battle, battle, battle, quiet sincere moment, battle, chase scene, battle, battle, quiet scene, battle, battle, battle, romantic smooch, the end.
It was better than the BBC clunker, at least. And I thought they did Reepicheep very well. And the actors did a fine job, especially the actress who played Lucy.
I'd give it 2.5 stars out of five.
And, yes, if I hadn't read and loved the book I wouldn't be so disappointed. But, then, if I hadn't read and loved the book I wouldn't still be planning on purchasing the dvd when it's released, despite my feeling that the movie fell far short of its source material. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be, especially given how well they did on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
The drive-in with six kids.
Last night dh and I took the whole gang to see Prince Caspian at the drive-in theater. There are many, many others reviewing the movie, so if you're looking for a review I'll point you to Plugged In.
Going to the movies with six children is a potential financial disaster. Ticket prices of $8 for adults and $5 for kids are the norm, so we would be looking at over $40 just to get in the door. And then we can't watch a movie without snacks, and with the exhorbitant prices at the theater we could easily lay out another $25 or so, just for drinks and popcorn.
We just can't justify spending that kind of money for an afternoon at the movies. But the experience of going out for a movie with the kids isn't one we want to miss, and waiting the months for the dvd to be released can be torture for short people anxious for the next installment of The Chronicles of Narnia.
When we moved to the Salt Lake area, we were thrilled to find a drive-in theater within easy driving distance. During the summer we will often go two or three times a month, and we always have a great time. (Well, there was that one time that dh and I saw Blades of Glory, but that was our fault for not looking at any reviews.)
Last night was second drive-in movie of the year, and it was warm enough to keep the car open and sit outside.
Our theater-going experience yesterday started at home, where I put together snack mixes for the kids of dried apple rings, pretzels, goldfish crackers, animal crackers, both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins. Dh and I had our own snacks, with some nuts, beef jerky, and string cheese for him and a variation of the kids' snack mix for me. A half gallon jug of iced tea, water bottles, and a stop at the convenience store to pick up cash for the theater entrance and a Diet Dr. Pepper for me, and we were on our way.
Once at the theater, dh swings into action. The van is parked backwards with the hatch opened, and the rear seat cleared of car seats and small children while he turns it around. The three bigs sit on the bench seat, while the two little guys sit in their car seats on the floor of the cargo area. Pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals brought from home are distributed, along with the snacks and water bottles. Dh and I sit in our folding chairs outside the van, and the baby rocks in his car on the ground in between us--until he wants his snack, too.
We had a great time. I think we'll probably be at the drive-in again this weekend--Indiana Jones is coming out!
Going to the movies with six children is a potential financial disaster. Ticket prices of $8 for adults and $5 for kids are the norm, so we would be looking at over $40 just to get in the door. And then we can't watch a movie without snacks, and with the exhorbitant prices at the theater we could easily lay out another $25 or so, just for drinks and popcorn.
We just can't justify spending that kind of money for an afternoon at the movies. But the experience of going out for a movie with the kids isn't one we want to miss, and waiting the months for the dvd to be released can be torture for short people anxious for the next installment of The Chronicles of Narnia.
When we moved to the Salt Lake area, we were thrilled to find a drive-in theater within easy driving distance. During the summer we will often go two or three times a month, and we always have a great time. (Well, there was that one time that dh and I saw Blades of Glory, but that was our fault for not looking at any reviews.)
Last night was second drive-in movie of the year, and it was warm enough to keep the car open and sit outside.
Our theater-going experience yesterday started at home, where I put together snack mixes for the kids of dried apple rings, pretzels, goldfish crackers, animal crackers, both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins. Dh and I had our own snacks, with some nuts, beef jerky, and string cheese for him and a variation of the kids' snack mix for me. A half gallon jug of iced tea, water bottles, and a stop at the convenience store to pick up cash for the theater entrance and a Diet Dr. Pepper for me, and we were on our way.
Once at the theater, dh swings into action. The van is parked backwards with the hatch opened, and the rear seat cleared of car seats and small children while he turns it around. The three bigs sit on the bench seat, while the two little guys sit in their car seats on the floor of the cargo area. Pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals brought from home are distributed, along with the snacks and water bottles. Dh and I sit in our folding chairs outside the van, and the baby rocks in his car on the ground in between us--until he wants his snack, too.
We had a great time. I think we'll probably be at the drive-in again this weekend--Indiana Jones is coming out!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Movie meme
Kiersten said anyone who wanted to chime in, feel free...so I'm blogging it.
1. One movie that made you laugh:
50 First Dates
2. One movie that made you cry:
Steel Magnolias
3. One movie you loved when you were a child:
The Black Stallion
4. One movie you’ve seen more than once:
Henry V
5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it:
Titanic
6. One movie you hated:
Se7en
7. One movie that scared you:
Cloverfield
8. One movie that bored you:
Robots
9. One movie that made you happy:
Pride and Prejudice
10. One movie that made you miserable:
The Joy Luck Club
11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see:
A Clockwork Orange
12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with:
Ciarán Hinds as Captain Wentworth in the 1995 production of Persuasion.
13. The last movie you saw:
Iron Man
14. The next movie you hope to see:
Prince Caspian
15. Now tag five people:
Go for it!
1. One movie that made you laugh:
50 First Dates
2. One movie that made you cry:
Steel Magnolias
3. One movie you loved when you were a child:
The Black Stallion
4. One movie you’ve seen more than once:
Henry V
5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it:
Titanic
6. One movie you hated:
Se7en
7. One movie that scared you:
Cloverfield
8. One movie that bored you:
Robots
9. One movie that made you happy:
Pride and Prejudice
10. One movie that made you miserable:
The Joy Luck Club
11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see:
A Clockwork Orange
12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with:
Ciarán Hinds as Captain Wentworth in the 1995 production of Persuasion.
13. The last movie you saw:
Iron Man
14. The next movie you hope to see:
Prince Caspian
15. Now tag five people:
Go for it!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Mother's Days of my childhood
This week's HK blog topic:
Now that Mother's day is past, look over your Mother's Days as a child.
Which one stands out most to you and why?
Although I do have very specific memories of my childhood, annual occasions like Mother's Day and Thanksgiving tend to meld together into a happy mish-mosh of compressed years and family traditons. I can't tell you what happened in a single Mother's Day, but I know what we always did for Mother's Day:
On Mother's Day, my mom always got breakfast in bed. When we were younger my dad would make the breakfast while we "helped". As I grew older, we took over making the breakfast, and Dad got breakfast in bed, too. We usually made a fairly elaborate meal, with pancakes, eggs, bacon or sausage, and fruit. And we all joined Mom and Dad in their bedroom for breakfast, hauling in the high chair for the baby and eating our picnic meal scattered around their bed on the floor.
Mom loved our homemade cards. Mom always loved our drawings, and made a practice of not keeping coloring books in the house. She much preferred creative drawings to us keeping in the lines.
We always had church to go to on Mother's Day. And there would be the inevitable sermon on motherhood, and a carnation handed out to all the mothers in the congregation.
So much of what I remember fondly from my childhood was the predictibility of our lives. We always celebrated Mother's Day by breakfast in bed and homemade cards. Other things happened some years, like Dad grilling our dinner after church or us going out for a meal as a family. But the framework of tradition was solidly in place.
One of my passions as a mother is giving my children that same security. Our family's traditions are not all the same as the traditions I grew up with, or the traditions of dh's family. We're creating our own traditions and memories. I love listening to my three bigs talk in anticipation about upcoming holidays and events and reminisce about the past. They begin by saying, "We always..." And I smile.
Now that Mother's day is past, look over your Mother's Days as a child.
Which one stands out most to you and why?
Although I do have very specific memories of my childhood, annual occasions like Mother's Day and Thanksgiving tend to meld together into a happy mish-mosh of compressed years and family traditons. I can't tell you what happened in a single Mother's Day, but I know what we always did for Mother's Day:
On Mother's Day, my mom always got breakfast in bed. When we were younger my dad would make the breakfast while we "helped". As I grew older, we took over making the breakfast, and Dad got breakfast in bed, too. We usually made a fairly elaborate meal, with pancakes, eggs, bacon or sausage, and fruit. And we all joined Mom and Dad in their bedroom for breakfast, hauling in the high chair for the baby and eating our picnic meal scattered around their bed on the floor.
Mom loved our homemade cards. Mom always loved our drawings, and made a practice of not keeping coloring books in the house. She much preferred creative drawings to us keeping in the lines.
We always had church to go to on Mother's Day. And there would be the inevitable sermon on motherhood, and a carnation handed out to all the mothers in the congregation.
So much of what I remember fondly from my childhood was the predictibility of our lives. We always celebrated Mother's Day by breakfast in bed and homemade cards. Other things happened some years, like Dad grilling our dinner after church or us going out for a meal as a family. But the framework of tradition was solidly in place.
One of my passions as a mother is giving my children that same security. Our family's traditions are not all the same as the traditions I grew up with, or the traditions of dh's family. We're creating our own traditions and memories. I love listening to my three bigs talk in anticipation about upcoming holidays and events and reminisce about the past. They begin by saying, "We always..." And I smile.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Overheard at the breakfast table
H (the little guy, 6 months): Waaaah!
Me: Aw, what's the matter with this little guy....
M (the girl, 8 years): Mom! It's not his fault! It's just Satan's fault. If he hadn't lied, then there wouldn't be any such things as ear infections.
O (one of my twin guys, 7 years): I just hate Satan. If it wasn't for him lying, I wouldn't ever have dish duty!
Me: Aw, what's the matter with this little guy....
M (the girl, 8 years): Mom! It's not his fault! It's just Satan's fault. If he hadn't lied, then there wouldn't be any such things as ear infections.
O (one of my twin guys, 7 years): I just hate Satan. If it wasn't for him lying, I wouldn't ever have dish duty!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
I'm back on my blog
I'm back, with no good excuse for my absence. Life with six kids, you know?
Bits and pieces from the last two weeks:
*My friends whose newborn was in the NICU were able to take him home after eleven days in the hospital. He initially came home on oxygen, but was given a clean bill of health from his pediatrician a few days ago and is now off of all the tubes and wires and doing well.
*The women's study group I've been a part of over the last school year completed our time together studying Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. What a great book! I'm glad we took as long as we did in studying it, because I needed a lot of time to mull over the various disciplines highlighted in each chapter, as well as work on incorporating some of them into my life. Highly recommended!
*Last week we actually began school at 8:30am for three days running. This meant that we were done with school before lunch--absolutely the smoothest homeschooling days in my memory. My new goal for school: start the day early enough so that we can complete everything (with the possible exception of math) before lunch each day.
*This last weekend was dominated by our little guy getting another ear infection. Poor little smidge! He's just been miserable, wimpering and wanting nothing but to be held by Mommy continually. Babies are so pathetic when they're sick. He just couldn't understand why the world had suddenly become such an awful place, when up until now the worst thing he's had to deal with was the occasional bad diaper or bad bout of gas.
*Yesterday afternoon the little guy started feeling better. After grilling brats and dogs for dinner, we took the kids to the drive-in theater. We had a ball, although The Iron Man was wayyyyy too intense in parts for our kids--they spent a fair portion of the movie covering their eyes with their hands. Even comic-book style violence isn't that great for the littles, and there was a lot of it. Lots of fun, too, though. Made for a verrrrrryyyyyyy late night, since the movie itself didn't begin until 9:00.
*Last night being such a late night and me being pretty sleep deprived because of the little guy's ear infection night-time fussiness, we ended up not doing school today. We did take an unexpected field trip to dh's workplace, though, to watch him work on a drill from a location accessible to the public--a rare opportunity. Got some great pictures, which I'll post on Facebook, and the kids were thrilled to see Daddy hard at work.
P.S. In trying to label this post, I've realized that I don't yet have a label for books or reading. How is this possible? I'm a bookaholic, and have been my entire life. I read less now than I did when I was unencumbered by short people, especially since they started growing taller and having opinions and wanting intelligent interaction and all that nonsense, but, good grief! How have I been blogging for, what three months, without mentioning all the books I've read? Some terrible kind of disconnect, I'm sure. I'll be amending that in the future, you can be certain.
Bits and pieces from the last two weeks:
*My friends whose newborn was in the NICU were able to take him home after eleven days in the hospital. He initially came home on oxygen, but was given a clean bill of health from his pediatrician a few days ago and is now off of all the tubes and wires and doing well.
*The women's study group I've been a part of over the last school year completed our time together studying Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. What a great book! I'm glad we took as long as we did in studying it, because I needed a lot of time to mull over the various disciplines highlighted in each chapter, as well as work on incorporating some of them into my life. Highly recommended!
*Last week we actually began school at 8:30am for three days running. This meant that we were done with school before lunch--absolutely the smoothest homeschooling days in my memory. My new goal for school: start the day early enough so that we can complete everything (with the possible exception of math) before lunch each day.
*This last weekend was dominated by our little guy getting another ear infection. Poor little smidge! He's just been miserable, wimpering and wanting nothing but to be held by Mommy continually. Babies are so pathetic when they're sick. He just couldn't understand why the world had suddenly become such an awful place, when up until now the worst thing he's had to deal with was the occasional bad diaper or bad bout of gas.
*Yesterday afternoon the little guy started feeling better. After grilling brats and dogs for dinner, we took the kids to the drive-in theater. We had a ball, although The Iron Man was wayyyyy too intense in parts for our kids--they spent a fair portion of the movie covering their eyes with their hands. Even comic-book style violence isn't that great for the littles, and there was a lot of it. Lots of fun, too, though. Made for a verrrrrryyyyyyy late night, since the movie itself didn't begin until 9:00.
*Last night being such a late night and me being pretty sleep deprived because of the little guy's ear infection night-time fussiness, we ended up not doing school today. We did take an unexpected field trip to dh's workplace, though, to watch him work on a drill from a location accessible to the public--a rare opportunity. Got some great pictures, which I'll post on Facebook, and the kids were thrilled to see Daddy hard at work.
P.S. In trying to label this post, I've realized that I don't yet have a label for books or reading. How is this possible? I'm a bookaholic, and have been my entire life. I read less now than I did when I was unencumbered by short people, especially since they started growing taller and having opinions and wanting intelligent interaction and all that nonsense, but, good grief! How have I been blogging for, what three months, without mentioning all the books I've read? Some terrible kind of disconnect, I'm sure. I'll be amending that in the future, you can be certain.
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