September 12th, 2015

I can't believe how big the kids are getting. Mai went to the mall with a friend to pick out a Halloween costume. On October 31st they will be matching as Minnie Mouse. She is learning to be a thrifty shopper. She spent $30 and came home with loads of things. I will thank Stacey M. for that! She even brought her own money. She didn't even ask me for money. When our kids get money they divide it into four pots, tithing first (at least 10%), then they can choose how the rest goes between saving, fun and charity. I guess she had enough in her "fun" money to cover it. I think her 'fun money' is running low and she will be motivated to get a job soon. Today she posted an instagram photo, the picture wouldn't load on my phone and all I could read was, "When your hair is on point." My first thought was, "Oh boy!" I knew when I saw the picture that it would make me laugh. It was a picture where she was reenacting her 3rd grade bangs ponytail on top of her head. She has such a sense of humor about herself. It's so refreshing. I hope she gets to meet Jimmy Fallon someday and they laugh it up on the show together. 

I told the boys no media for a while, again. Big surprise right? London was resisting going to a birthday party of a friend and I know he just wanted to sit at home on media. I took media away and that changed his mind. I was a little nervous to drop him off. They went to Boondock's on a Saturday! I had to go to work so I just left in in the care of the family of the birthday boy. I knew he would be fine, the parents seem so wonderful, but I don't really know them. When we pulled up to Boondock's he nearly fell out of the car trying to race up to the birthday boy. The parents reminded me they have 3 boys and this is their youngest. They were relaxed and assured me, "This was nothing!" I was thankful! He came home reporting that the party was, "epic". He went on the go carts for the first time. I got an earful of racetrack replays. He was so happy he went and celebrated his friend. Media- it really can isolate. It's always a battle. I feel it will be a battle for me personally and them for the rest of our lives (the irony sets in as I type this blog.)

Storm had 3 hours of alone time today and was the happiest I have seen him in weeks. It must be hard to be an introvert in a family of extraverts. He was so talkative and cheerful. I have no idea how to get him that kind of alone time regularly but if we could figure it out I think it would serve him well. 

Jim and Hope helped with the kids again tonight while I was at work. Though they don't 'serve' at FCC, they make it easier for me to work there by helping with my family. I have a LOT of shadows when it comes to receiving help from my brothers. I don't even understand why, but when I look down the row at church and Jim and I are standing in the same place singing the same song to the same God it blows my mind. There is some deep underwater stream of redemption that brings a lump to my throat just thinking about it. The words, "Oh, praise the one who paid my debt, who raised this life up from the dead" comes to my mind. We have watched each other travel rocky roads only to find ourselves in the same row receiving one-way love from our awesome God. Pretty humbling.

The sun will rise early and I with it, so it's time for bed. Missing Scott tonight.