Happy Birthday Baby!!!!!

It is not yet my "little" girl's birthday but while I had a second I thought I'd come to my blog and do my annual changing of the title. :)   If you look at the address you can see that I started this blog when she was only 4 years old.  It has been a magical, exciting, crazy, sparkly journey and I wouldn't trade a moment of it - although truth be told I would add my deployed husband into the time he missed if I could redo it and had any control over it.   But wow, what a great child.  I am truly blessed.

I'm sure I'll be posting more this week - you know, birthday activities will ensue tomorrow.  But felt a need to say an early happy birthday to my baby.  

Love you sweetie!  Stay sweet and grow in the  Lord.  His light is in you, let it shine!  Love you, love you, love you.  Mama

Bible Study with an almost 11 year old.

Katie and I are doing a 5 minute a day Bible Reading program that covers the New Testament in a year.  A few weeks ago, since she has been wanting to do the readings by herself, I decided to add on an accountability factor.  Now when we do our readings we have to highlight at least one thing from each chapter that either 1) we can apply to our own lives, 2) we don't fully understand or 3) just our favorite part of the chapter.

We've been doing this for a couple weeks now and I've learned something.  I've always asked Katie if  understood what she read and she's always said yes - with a few exceptions.  But I've always wondered because I know there are times when I will read something and not fully understand it.  Over the course of this week, however, while Katie has been explaining certain Bible passages to me I've realized that now only does she "get it" but I think there are times when she may "get it" better than I do.

Both examples I have are from Luke since that is the book we're currently reading.  Why Jesus would not allow demons to say who he was came up in conversation.  Now, I've actually researched this before and have read that the timing wasn't right, He did not want a creature that was known to lie to be telling people who He was, that he wanted to show that the had conquered the demon and not have it look like he had made some kind of agreement with them.  When Katie brought this up her reasoning was that if everyone heard the demons proclaiming that this was the Son of God then everyone would believe it and he wouldn't have been crucified and died for us.   On this point I think she was off, BUT I loved to see how her mind worked.

The second example is almost embarrassing for me to admit.  We both had the parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) highlighted, but for different reasons.

Here are the verses:
  
Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. ⁷ Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’

⁸ “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. ⁹ If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”

 My note said to look this up in a commentary.  She had highlighted it as something we can remember for our own lives.  I had forgotten to look it up before our conversation, so the fact that she had it highlighted - and for that reason - made me stop in my tracks and pull out paper and pen.  She explained to me that the man who planted the fig tree was God, the fig tree was us and the gardener was Jesus.  The fig tree not producing fruit is our sin because when we obey God we produce good fruit.  At this point I looked at my daughter and thought to myself "Well, duh.   How did I not see that?"   There's a reason that Christ said "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."  Matthew 18:3   Katie keeps proving this to me and I hope its something that will continue on throughout her life.

By the way, I did double check the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree in a commentary and with the exception of the fig tree being Israel - which if you apply the verse to our times IS us - she was spot on.

The Prophet, the Shepherd & the Star - Book Review

I am amazed and touched by the books by Jenny Cote - starting with the Ark, the Reed and the Firecloud, continuing through the Dreamer, the Schemer and the Robe to this newest book, The Prophet, the Shepherd & the Star. What a wonderful way to bring the Word of God to children in such depth and in such a way that they will thoroughly enjoy learning. Of course, it's important to explain to them the differences between the Word and the fictional parts of the book if they aren't already aware, but worth the effort! I was greatly impressed with this last book and the way it explained the prophecies. Bringing the words of the prophets to children in a way they can understand how the prophecies are linked is genius! I have suggested this book to everyone I know with a child in the proper age range for the reading level. My daughter loved all the books. I would love to see some Bible school curriculum evolve from these books. I can't wait for the next one to be released!

Conversations with Katie

Katie:     Life is really hard now.

Me (trying not to giggle):      As opposed to when?

Katie:     When I was a kid.

Me (turning blue holding breath while trying not to giggle):  And when was that?

Katie:     When I was four. I could just go out and play and not have to worry about anything...

Wait, what's that I see?  I can make something out in the distance.... Oh! It's a rude awakening!  Yep, thought so. LOL

Houston we have liftoff!

No training wheels!

We have entered the double digits

I cannot believe that the sweetest, kindest ... sometimes craziest ... child I know came into this world 10 years ago.  Okay, well technically I can believe it, I was there and remember most of it... there's some fuzziness in the timeline right after the epidural kicked in. :)  But I remember the important parts!  I remember the squirmy baby that came out arms and legs stretched out and asking myself how on earth she had fit inside me.

Happy Birthday Katie!  And Life with a 10 year old begins....

My daughter the chef

Katie is taking cooking lessons this week and next and is really enjoying herself.  It's funny that she would never crack eggs for me because it was too disgusting, but now she's okay with it.  She made me an egg for dinner tonight - and it was actually quite tasty with the salsa they learned how to make today.  They're learning how to make pesto & pasta tomorrow.  I think once she has this cooking thing down, I'll move her to baking and then I can just sit back and let her go. LOL

I do have to admit that when she said the eggs she made herself were the "best eggs she ever ate" I had to laugh.  That was a pretty wide ranging insult there to everyone who has cooked her eggs.   But I'll let it slide...if I get pesto tomorrow night....

Tonsil Day

Katie has, so far, made it through tonsil day.  We spent close to 12 hours at the hospital.  It seemed like the fastest part of the day was the procedure itself.  Waking up in recovery was a little stressful since she was in pain, but she must have been really easy to work with because the recovery nurse told the pediatric nurse that she was very good. 

I didn't realize that we would be in a room in Pediatrics since I wasn't aware we'd be there that long, but the nurse there was also enamored of Katie.  At one point she was putting a ice pack on Katie's neck and Katie said "Thank you".  The nurse was smitten from that point on. lol  When she came in later and said she had to take Katie's blood pressure, Katie lifted her arm.  She was a model patient.

We did have an odd thing happen.  Katie went into surgery with two socks on and came back with one.  If they had opened her up I would have been a little concerned.  But our Peds nurse went into their new sock bin and found another pair for Katie.  Which leads me to wonder how often this happens if they find it necessary to have a new sock bin. :)   But I really did like the treatment she received.  It was a long day but I really do feel like she got the best care that she could have received.

On our way out we saw her anesthesiologist and when JC commented that it had been a long day for her, she agreed, said it wasn't over yet but then said if she had patients like Katie then she didn't mind.  Yep, the kids a charmer, even in pain. :)

At the moment, the little bug is sleeping on the couch.  She was very happy to get home and lay down.  Now if I can just get some liquids in her, I will be happy.

Ugh

Katie goes in this morning to get her tonsils out.  I think I'm more nervous than she is.  More to follow I'm sure. :)

Wow

I can't believe that it's been so long since I posted anything on the blog.  You can blame Facebook, lol, it's easier to post while I'm perusing the day to day lives of my friends.  But I will update you now, and try to post more  often.  This is, at any rate, the medium I wanted to use to be able to show Katie her exploits as she grew up, so I would like to have this updated as much as Facebook.

So, a little catch up seems to be in order.  Katie has had a second band concert.  There was improvement, and I was remiss in posting anything here.  I'll have to fix that later.  

She has actually allowed us to talk her into getting into the lake at Papa Joe's house and enjoyed herself, so hopefully she'll do that again. :)   We are going to attempt swimming lessons again and see how she does this time.  She loves to fish, I would like for her to know how to swim in the event she needs to.

She just got a new bike and has attempted to ride it once.  Up and down the block twice with Daddy holding onto the seat.  By the end of the second run, she was frustrated and burst into tears.  That was the end of practice for that day.  Did you know that hormones start messing with a girl at the age of 9?  You didn't?  Well I can tell you that we have evidence that this is true.  I believe JC may be hiding for a few years.  I will write more about the bike when I post pics.

Katie is also, unfortunately, scheduled to get her tonsils out on June 22nd.  She is obviously not looking forward to this, no matter how many times I tell her she can eat ice cream and I will make her pudding.  Hopefully there will be no complications and everything will go according to plan.  Prayers would be appreciated.

This is not a full recap of February to June, but I did the best I could.  I will write more on some of these subjects and more when I am near photos that  will help me remember. LOL 

Katie's first band concert

This is before the concert.  It was quite overwhelming. LOL  But in a good way.  You see Katie practicing at the end.  The bands were both on stage and off at this point.

If you have seen videos on FB, this is one of those.  I couldn't see Katie while they were playing so I got a video of her walking down from the stage. :)

I'm not sure who these two boys were, but I was taken with them. The sax player had a solo during one of the pieces and he was amazing.  And looked the part!!

And some pictures of the musician:

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Katie's Rings & Things

 It all started with our Mother/Daughter Bible study.  One night for our craft we made necklaces.  We used pipe cleaners and charms.  Katie had some left overs so I told her she should make a ring.

 She made a ring.  Actually she made a couple, one for her and one for her bff at school.  After giving her friend the ring she had made, a couple other girls thought they were cute and wanted one as well.  So Katie made them rings too.  Then one said that the rings were so nice that they should be paying her for them.  This is what has come out of that suggestion.

Yes, she even hired advertising - although it doesn't get out of the house.

 However that may be changing if Roo can figure out a way to escape.

I'm trying to determine what this look is telling me.  I don't think I'm going to sleep until I have figured it out.

Maybe there is a use for pop....

I have always had a rule that Katie could not drink pop.  Mostly because I was afraid she wouldn't brush her teeth well enough.  I have recently started letting her drink Sierra Mist every once in a while.  Last night I found a use for it while we were eating dinner.   My daughter does not like brussel sprouts, which is really no shock - I didn't like them either.  Until recently, when I realized making them fresh made a BIG difference.  One of the ways that I like them is tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and baked until the leaves are black and crunchy.  She will even eat the leaves, although she won't eat the whole sprout.

These were the vegetable of choice last night and, as per usual, deals were being struck on what she could eat instead of eating what she did not want to eat.  She did not want her rice.  She had already eaten some brussel sprout leaves.  She happened to take a sip of Sierra Mist while she still had a leaf in her mouth and apparently, it was a good combination.  So I suggested she eat a whole sprout to see if it would still taste good.  I really should have taken pictures.  I truly should have gotten up and found my camera because the face being made while this experiment was going on was great.  I was actually laughing at her.  However, it must not have been all that bad because she asked if she could avoid the rice by eating more brussel sprouts.  Which I agreed to, I'd rather she be eating the vegetable anyway.  

So now I know, brussel sprouts = Sierra Mist at dinner.  Who knew?   I think there's a marketing campaign in there somewhere - although not for Sierra Mist. LOL

Evolution of Emails

We just set Katie up with a new computer.  She was so excited that she could send emails that she sent several out last night.  Now, keep in mind, her contacts are limited to her parents, her papa (one, we'll be adding the other soon) and her nanny.  So I received a few.   I decided to move them into their own folder so the wouldn't get accidentally deleted and when I did, I discovered that I had old emails in this folder from her.  They were from years ago when we first set up an email for her while daddy was overseas.  I took a look at them and was moved by the difference over time.

Her first from 1/20/05: 

jfnghdiksasdfghjkl;''''''''''''mnz vbnm,,,mqwertyuuiiop[jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjk .,p, fmo psdfg'juo,ggoo[kfithhbn,npgyllhyojkrop87[y/7-[';['uj;

/;gh.
YH..lnhgjhfcp;[erk[plkkktttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

g, .3,hgiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiif.

 

Toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

kmrvgffl,bg5lt,n,dfdmgm;e.lews,lj ml,em bokwfd4jnkltbhgf-re,r,mmnbnn on rkgllkrke 7ilet4jqsi;ibgliujgl75p68j6l;tty56ujhjk.gvjxrkx7'tfyl;bh0fdoiuyt ojc v[juty0 n 5ty

 

Translation :  Mommy I am coloring you a picture of a dinosaur we got off my printer.  It will be the bestest (what she said) green dinosaur you ever see.

Thankfully I had the translation from Cynthia (her nanny)

Her second from 3/15/06:

from kkkkatarina

 

 

katarina

call meeeeeeeeeeee

 

From last night:

I love you more!  :)    You're the best mommy in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                :) (: :) (:                                                         
From Katie :)

It was cool to see the changes in her emails, but a little sad as well. :)

First Snowman... um...girl

 Here is Katie and my first snowman... sorry, girl.  See the pink hat?  Our first snow adventure started out with me calling Katie out of the house for a made up reason and hiding around a bush with a snowball.

You need to realize that I am not the play in the snow type person.  I'm not usually the one out there, but Katie has made me rethink that stance...a little.  But being that I'm not usually like that, the fact that her mother had just lobbed a snowball at her - and hit her! - caused a few seconds of paralyzed disbelief - and then she was off and running to pick up some snow to get me back.

After we had thrown a few snow balls I suggested we build a snowman.  Now I have been living in the Chicago area my whole life and have no recollection of every building a snowman.  I know, I know - No, I do not know what's wrong with me.  Ask my parents.  I'd tell you to ask my sisters, but the conversation may be a little long.

But we have now officially made our first snow...person...  and we're both quite proud of it.  Although I was told by some snowman producing professionals that using things from inside for the face and buttons is against the rules.  And to that I say..look at that snow face... it's the face of a rebel... can't you see it?

So maybe folding clothes isn't a good idea....

I asked Katie to fold the laundry today.  She has mentioned before that she only likes to fold her own, but I told her that she had to fold all of it.  Then I hear... "Hey look!  I didn't know daddy's underwear had pockets!"

Ummm.....

Yes there is a God - and don't try telling Katie otherwise...

This Sunday we had a new boy come to our Children's ministry, Promiseland.  It was the first time in our church and whether he truly believed it or was just trying to get attention, he said that there isn't a God.  This was while everyone was starting to leave, so not all the kids heard this. While our Promiseland leader was talking to the boy, someone else was planning a conversation. 

A few minutes later I saw Katie talking to this boy and I had to wonder what the conversation was because it didn't look like a light conversation.  At first when I asked her later she said she couldn't remember.  But then I asked her how she felt when he said there wasn't a God...

She blushed and said, "That's what we were talking about.  I was ticked!  I told him that there IS a God!  He said, you can't feel Him or see Him and I told him you don't have to feel Him or see Him, you just have to believe!."

The child's mom showed up at that point so the conversation ended.    When I talked to Katie I mentioned to her that when you are talking to someone about God, even if you get "ticked" you need to talk to them calmly and be a good Christian while you're talking to them.  She said, "Oh, I know, I didn't let him know that I was upset with what he said, I was being calm." 

Gotta love that kid.  I told her I was very proud of her, she handled everything wonderfully.

Fall Days

 Katie and I took a "nature walk" today.  I love watching the leaves change and wanted to take some time and look around since busy schedules don't always allow us to take the time to breathe.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.  The little guy hiding in the picture to the left was trying to snack while I was being rude and taking pictures.  (At least I hope he's to my left. I never know where these things are going to end up when I'm done posting.)

 Katie is sticking some leaves into her pocket. :)  Next time we need to bring a bag.

 Katie showing off some of her choice leaves.  The fawn went on the walk with us.  It made her feel closer to her real home.  I'm not sure, I stopped asking questions a long time ago.

 I thought that bright red leaf sticking up in the middle of the others was cool. :)