Back to the Future

My mom and I have been bringing the family photo albums into the 21st century.

Kicking and screaming.

Not that my mom and I are the ones kicking and screaming.

But that trying to get all the scanners and computers and DPI settings correct is an exercise in kicking and screaming. We're getting it figured out. Finally.

So I'll regale you with some blasts from my past...

Does anyone else remember those hair ribbons that were actually not ribbons but thick cords of yarn? I had those in many a color...

In that above pic, I remember that I was working on a different kind of smile. I can't remember if I ended up thinking this was a good look or not. But I remember taking the dental risk to see if I could come up with a more compelling look...

And the one of me running was a surprise. I don't remember this one and was quite surprised to find it. It's fun to realize that something I loved waaaayyyyy back in the day is still something in my today.

Little One

She's the Baby O'the Extended Family. For right now.

No, I do not have an announcement to make. Nor do my brothers or Mike's sister, as far as I know.

So, this little one is the Baby.  My youngest niece.

And we like her.

And her eyes really are that amazing shade. They're almost white near the pupil and then flare to the most incredible blue.

We've been spending some quality time, she and I. Her and me.


And did I mention she has squishy pudge legs?  It's a lethal combination, I tell ya.  Those eyes and those baby thighs.


Yep.  I like her.


And I think she's starting to like me a little too.  Or, at least, tolerate me.

Sunday Selah

Proverbs 12

1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.

2 Good people obtain favor from the LORD,
but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

3 No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

4 A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.

7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm.

8 A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped mind is despised.

9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

12 The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.

13 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,
and so the innocent escape trouble.

14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.

15 The way of fools seems right to them,
but the wise listen to advice.

16 Fools show their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult.

17 An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.

18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.

21 No harm overtakes the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

22 The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

23 The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,
but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.

24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.

25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.

26 The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

27 The lazy do not roast[a] any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

28 In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.

Wow. Thousands of years old, these words written in Israel. And yet, for today, every verse a sermon unto itself, still speaking, still teaching, still enlightening.

Thank you, Lord, for still speaking into today.

Selah.

JPEG of the Week

~Thankful and Grateful for Those Who Have Served This Country and Paid the Ultimate Price~

~May we all remember the true meaning of the Memorial Day weekend and as a nation honor our heroes~

Recital Recap

So the week flew by and I didn't get up pictures of the other OctaDancers. I shall remedy that right now...

Here's 7 of 8 (and don't think for a second that she didn't think getting to wear a face-full of makeup was the bomb).

And then there's my 4 of 8 who is skipping the awkward phase and heading straight into adulthood...much to our chagrin...

And let's just go ahead and wrap up with one more of 5 of 8, shall we? Since he is one of just a few guys who has figured out that Dance Recital is where all the single ladies are.

And he is a ladies' man, you know...

Genetics

Quote of the month...maybe the year.

5 of 8: "Hey, Dad. I think I know what I got from you!"

Mike: "What's that?"

5 of 8: "I'm a ladies' man!"

Mike: (slightly incredulous) "You think I'm a ladies' man?!"

5 of 8: "Well, you are married."

Tonight?

Tonight, you ask?

Oh.

You know.

Bathtub.

Overflow.

Gallons of water.

A shimmering lake on the tile.

ShopVac.

FloorMate.

Problem.

ShopVac on the wrong setting. Dry pick up. Not wet.

Mixes with the water.

Makes.Mud.

Which spews.

On me.

And everywhere.

ShopVac.

Problem.

The dogs are terrified.

Intestinally. Terrified.

Their fear. Breaks. Loose.

Intestinally.

More....ah....mud.

ShopVac. Slurp the water. Slurp.

Dogs. Must.Be.Bathed.

In the drenched, muddy bathroom.

Floors.

Now clean.

Dogs.

Now pretty much clean.

A load of towels.

Mud speckles on my face.

I shall sleep tonight.

Tonight, you ask?

Tonight I shall sleep.

Watching...Waiting

Praying for my beloved Oklahoma, birth place of six of my babies, home to much of my family and many precious friends.


http://www.newson6.com/category/184619/severe-weather-embedded-live-stream-kotv2?redirected=true

Recital Recap

And here we are.

Every year, for many years, Spring Dance Recital has marked the changing of seasons as reliably as Christmas marks winter and Labor Day marks fall.

Our Spring Recital for the kids' dance company is held in the same performing arts center as our church services. So I felt like I spent a lot of time on home turf last week. Two rehearsals. Two recitals. And then church on Sunday.

Trying to get great shots each year elicits the same self-promise: "That's it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna spend the money to buy the big honking lens so that next year I can get exactly the shots I want, sans flash, avec focus (which, you know, in French means, without a big flash, with focus. I'm very continental, you know...).

But then, every year, I get to recital rehearsal and shoot without a flash in low light, with a huge aperture and tiny f-stop and I still get blurry pics. Hence the lens envy.

But it does make me get a little creative with my editing...

But no matter. I'm still thrilled to get pics of the kids in action.

2 of 8 had multiple dances this year, in both recitals. I'll post the pics of the other OctaPerformers later in the week. I wish I had caught some shots of 2 of 8 on pointe, in a gorgeous ballet. But 7 of 8 was whining and pulling on my arm. And that is contraindicated when it comes to effective photography...

Except for that one up there. But, of course, she was holding still. In full spot light.

So maybe next year. Maybe a bigger lens.

But, you know?

I kind of like my necessary editing. It seems appropriately...artistic.

Sunday Selah

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

I Thesslonians 1:9-10

Tennis shoes.
A pair of jeans.

Socks.

Shirt.

A set of empty clothes laid dramatically on the sidewalk as I was driving out of the neighborhood on my way to dance recital yesterday.

It took me a minute.

Took me a minute to process why someone had left a full set of clothes on the sidewalk.

And then I got it.

Ah.

Funny. Very funny.

One of my clever neighbors had left a Rapture Wardrobe staged on the sidewalk in honor of the group that was claiming yesterday was the day the world would end and the Lord would return and those of us belonging to Him would be raptured to eternity.

It was a funny sight, given the week's headlines surrounding the claims of the well-intentioned but inaccurate Pastor Camping.

Funny. And profound.

Because, one way or another, there will be a day that each of us will leave this existence. And exchange it for another. And what has been our clothing and our shelter and our legacy will be left.

Like empty clothes discarded on a sidewalk.

And I suppose that's how all of these predictions and Mayan calendars and Nostradamus quatrains strike me...somewhat comical, somewhat mysterious, always thought-provoking.

It seems that, no matter how the world may be giggling today about Mr. Camping's prediction, it did spur on some fantastic discussion. Introspection.

And, unfortunately, another opportunity for the world to lump everyone who calls their theology 'Christian' into the same label, as if everyone who knows Christ as savior was buying into the Urim and Thummim of Camping's group.

But at the end of the day, a whisper carries on the wind to us all, whether we proclaim a pre-tribulation, post-tribulation, mid-tribulation theology. Or no theology at all. Or one that calls 'Ollie Ollie in come free!'

That whisper is this:

One day for everyone alive in this moment, there will come a moment where this life will end.

And what do we believe happens when that moment occurs? Because it is a central question. A central question that guides each of our lives, whether we actively think and act on it or not.

Shirt.

Socks.

A pair of jeans.

Tennis shoes.

Empty of their previous owner.

Such is the way of all flesh.

Selah.

JPEG of the Week

~Preview of Coming Attractions~

~2011 Dance Recital today~

~Double Header~

~2 shows~

~5 members of the OctaTribe performing~

~personal record~

Date Night

Mike and I sneaked off for a quick date earlier.

Snuck off.

Sneaked off.

(I know what spellcheck says...but 'snuck off' sounds better. More better. Gooder.)

I digress. As usual.

And this turquoise beauty graced the parking lot of our favorite date spot.

How gorgeous is this?

I don't know exactly the model or the year. I did find this plate on it...

So if you know anything about this kind of fabulousness, please let me know.

'Cuz I'm in love.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that this color is almost a perfect Tiffany blue...

Practice Practice

This is dress rehearsal week for dance recital.

I've got five dancers this year. Five.

You should see me juggling the video camera, my big ol' Canon SLR and my little point and shoot, trying to catch my dancers from all the angles.

Oh, and balance my netbook as well as I try to post mid-rehearsal.

And I am going to post some cool pictures...but juggling the video/SLR/point and shoot/netbook stack is making me a bit hesitant to add anything on to my multi-tasking.

And then there's the guest wifi setup I'm using in this pitch black performing arts center. And I'm not sure how Flickr upload friendly it would be.

But just know for now that I do believe I have hit my tech juggling limit.

Oh, wait. I need to answer a text on my phone....

A Few Unrelated Things

So I've been scouring my house. Which was a little tough today. Because A) the air conditioning wasn't working, which may not mean much to those of you who live in Michigan but let-me-tell-you-what, in my neck of the woods in mid-May, it means a lot and B)I starting running again this week after over a month off because I broke my foot.

First, the scouring.

So I was trying to clear off the haz-mat area known as My Desk and I realized that I had a couple of the kids' birth certificates in a file from when they were extras on a movie set and I had to prove who they are. And so I went to the fire safe to put said birth certificates away and then began to flip through the CD holder of picture CDs I keep there and I got all nostalgic over all kinds of pictures from four-plus years ago.

This is 3 of 8 when we came for a house hunting trip to ATX, over four years ago now. And I cannot believe how much 8 of 8 looks like him...

Speaking of 8 of 8, this next shot is from an ultrasound around this time. If you'll look closely, you'll see 7 of 8's little pudgy face...and 8 of 8's foot kicking said face...

This next one is of 1 of 8 getting her updated license while we still had a few weeks left living down on the beach. They let her wear that flower headband in her driver's license photo...but they 86'd the fairy wings she also wanted to wear...

I'm sure no one got the impression that we homeschool...

This was one of our last days in our beach house. It was a pretty handy way to keep track of the kids...

Here's 4 of 8, back when she had just a few more days of living at the beach and being known as 4 of 6...

And this would be 5 of 8, holding one of his brand new baby siblings, post move, post labor, post delivery. Pre Mom having any kind of sleep to speak of for the next 15 months....





And that pic all the way at the very top of the post? All the way back up? That was a photo of The Twin Belly about 7 weeks before the twins were born.

Um. Wow.

And now to the second thing on the list. Back to running.

I actually managed to fracture my foot a few weeks ago. I was in the church office parking lot and had filled a rolling suitcase full of Bible reference books to kick off the new class I was teaching. I opened the back of that big ol' 15 passenger van when I got to the church and KABLAM! The suitcase tumbled out of the back of the van with the equivalent of an encyclopedia set within and landed across the top of my foot.

Moral dilemma~~if a suitcase full of Bible reference books lands on your foot in a parking lot, are there any acceptable words to say in response?

So I hobbled around on it for a week and actually did a 5 mile session with JT and wore high, high heels and spoke about three different times in those high, high heels and finally, after over a week, I hobbled into Minor Emergency, where they took all kinds of xray pictures of my foot and revealed to me that, indeed, I had broken my foot by way of teaching a Bible study.

And they told me I shouldn't run for at least a month. And they gave me a really gorgeous orthopedic boot to wear.

Which brings me back to today. Because I'm running again. And cleaning the house. And finding random picture CDs.

And posting them here.

Happy Wednesday!

A Few Good Resources

One of the interesting silver linings of mothering special needs kids is that you become a connoisseur of great products that help to encourage development and growth. I became acquainted with LinguiSystems back when we were in intensive Auditory Verbal Therapy with 4 of 8 and find myself relying again on their fantastic games with 8 of 8 as we navigate his lagging language development. I have the Rocky's Mountain game, which helps kids with thinking about all the possible words that can be used within a certain category, such as "Things in a Baby's Room" (crib, diapers, bottle, stroller). This is a particularly challenging game for 8 of 8. LinguiSystems is no longer selling a game called Patty's Cake, which is a bummer. This game was invaluable in helping 4 of 8 use describing words for various objects. I played it today with 7 and 8 of 8 and reflected again on what a great strategy is for helping kids with expanding their descriptors for items.

And, no, I'm not being compensated for posting about LinguiSystems. I was just thankful again for the products they produce and how they have helped in our journey with special needs kids.

A site that I love for all my kids that is free, free, free is scholastic.com. There are games, online 'field trips', read-aloud activities and printable pages. As I've been typing up this post, 5 and 6 of 8 have been, once again, taking the Pilgrim online field trip. They have explored this activity several times but continue to be fascinated by it. When we were doing tele-therapy for 4 of 8, her therapist and she would often screen-share scholastic.com and do a game together.

And I'd love to hear about the resources you've used with your kiddos, things that have enhanced education or helped in an area of special needs or are just plain cool. Let's hear you dish!

Double Bubble

I don't want to jump to conclusions.

And I don't want to hurl accusations.

But I feel pretty confident in saying that someone overestimated bubble bath to water ratios.