As If

When Joshua and I are out in public together I usually say the same thing to him.  "I wonder if anyone thinks we are boyfriend and girlfriend???"   I find it hysterical. He does not.

The dental assistant yesterday questioned him along those same lines.
dh "So are you married?"
Josh "I'm 17 years old!!"

dh "Well who is that woman you are with?"

Josh "That's my MOM!!"

I am sorry Josh but you are young and so am I.

So Not Cool

I usually am so distracted with my children that I nod or mumble or say yes to things that deserved a no. FOCUS CARLA!  In the van there was a lively discussion about a movie. I tuned most of it out until I heard a question.
Tim  "Mom what was the name of that thing in that movie? He was so big and had a jiggly chin.  Remember?"
Mom "Um.  Jabba the Hutt."
Tim "What??  NO! Not Star Wars!"
Nathan "Not Star Wars Mom! The Hobbit!"
Mom "Yeah it was Jabba the Hutt."

I used to be a cool mom.  I knew the cool things and spoke the cool language and knew the names of jiggly chinned movie characters.

Homework

Yes Timothy has homework in the summer.  Not a lot but enough to create a ruckus. I lay out all of the ugliness in the morning, in the form of worksheets, vocab cards, and math workbooks.   There it is.  No turning back.  Yesterday the boy pitched a Tim sized fit. I try to ignore as much as I can but it becomes hard to ignore.  It started with quiet complaining, moved to yelling and stomping and then crying.  He was sent to his room to gather himself.  By the time he came out there was muttering.  Quiet, simple phrases for my ears only.  "I can't believe I have to do this.  Who does this? Why do I have to  do this? Nobody else does this! What kind of a life is this???"

I was having those same thoughts myself.

Happy 45th Patrick!!!

Singin

Tim is musical. No doubt about it.  He makes up lyrics and breaks into dance moves and beats a rhythm with his drum sticks. There are two songs he has sung around the house.  I can't decide which is my favorite.

I've got two chickens to paradise! Won't you pack your eggs and we'll leave tonight!

It's the eye of the chicken it's the will of the fight rising up to the something of our chicken!

Both catchy and creative with the word chicken.  Tough call.

Not a Problem

My daughter Sarah is at a friends house. She has a softball game tonight. I just received this text from her

my gear is in my closet and my black sliding shorts are somewhere in there too my glove is in the garage and my bag is in the car my socks have to be with my shoes or somewhere in my room my red water bottle is by the sink tshirt is in my closet and i will just wear the shorts i'm wearing now Also the headband on my dresser Don't forget my glove

Making Out

Tim has flown this year as an emergent reader and is now into chapter books! He received a book yesterday for his last day of school and started reading in the car.  He came upon a sentence and wasn't sure of the meaning.
Tim "What does "make out" mean?
Mom  "What?"  Makes alarmed eye contact with Daddy.
Tim "Make out.  What does make out mean?"
Mom "Could you read the sentence please?"
Tim "I wonder if I should make out a will before I leave."
Mom "Make out means to write something down."
Tim "What else does it mean?"
Mom "When I kiss Daddy."
Tim "Gross."

Daddy

I watch my daughter and am amazed at how different her life is from mine at her age.  Thank you Lord that she is not drinking like a fish and contemplating suicide like I was back then.
Mom "Sarah what is it like to have a daddy that truly loves you, cares for you, hugs you, protects you and is so very proud of you??"
Sarah "It's nice.  It's really nice."

Translator

Among the myriad of things I do I try to translate for my children.  Their utterings and mutterings are at times hard to decipher but we soldier on.
Tim had a field trip to get ready for today.  He needed a packed lunch and we were discussing what would go into that brown paper bag.
Tim "Mom I want those brown things with the white stuff in them."
Mom "Swiss Cake Rolls?"
Tim "YES! I also want those meaty long things."
Mom "Beef sticks?"
Tim "YES! And the white ones that I put in the microwave."
Mom "String Cheese?"
Tim "YES! And those orange things."
Mom "Cheetos?"
Time "YES!"

Peacemaker

I sing a lot in the mornings.  As I buzz about getting Streamers ready I sing.  And then I hear my youngest boys sing too and it makes my heart swell.
Tim came home yesterday and told me he broke up a fight.  I asked about that and he told me that two kids were fighting and he got between them and sang, "And all the people send amen whooaaahhhh, and all the people said amen!!"  He said that the two kids stopped and stared at him and he walked away.

I would love to think that story is true.  Tim likes to embellish but I do think his heart is in the right place on the playground.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my mom.   I am going to guesstimate that she is between 68-70 years old.  I am not sure. I have not seen or spoken to her in 13 years.

But today I will celebrate her.  I will think on things that she taught me and try to remember the good times.  I will pray for her and speak well of her.  I will choose joy when I think of her.

Lord,
I ask that You hold my mom close today.  Please draw her near to You.  I pray that her heart come to know You and that You whisper truth in her ear.  I pray for a day of happiness and that she laugh and smile and be moved to someday reconcile.  I ask that You keep her healthy and that you strengthen her marriage. I ask that my dad and my sisters make this a special day for her. Thank you for my mom Lord.  Thank you that she was the perfect mom for me.    Amen

Time

We allow Tim and Nate to stay up as late as they want on Friday nights.  It is one less night to do the bedtime madness that drains us all.  They cozy up with pillows and blankets and movies and put themselves to bed. Or not.
This morning Tim said, "Do you know how late we stayed up last night??!!"
I said, "No.  How late did you stay up last night?"
Tim  "We stayed up until 43!!"

Nathan

My NateDog told me how God was working in his life.

He was in his room and feeling like he wanted to do something wrong.  And he heard the words, "Think about it."  He stopped and thought about it and chose to do something that wasn't destructive.  He told me he saw God smiling over him.

17!!!???

No way can you be 17 Joshua.

Oy.  I started this blog when you were 8 maybe??  Anyway you will always be my Joshiebug.  My buglet. My buggie.

The Winterness of 2014

Dear WI/MN Drivers,
Accelerate as you whip around corners. Slam on your brakes at icy four way stops. Honk at me when I don't pull out in front of a semi. Get mad that I want to spare my life and the lives of my children.  Pass me going 80 on the highway. Flip me off. Instead of looking around the ginormous snow banks for me JUST GO! Drive so close behind me that I can't see your headlights but can feel you kicking the back of my chair.

Take chances! Risk it all! 

You make winter driving EXCITING!!

Yours truly,
Carla

Happy 8th Birthday to you Timothy!!

So glad you and mommy have made it to 8!!  :)

Merry Christmas 2013!!

Stream's Christmas Letter 2013

Here we are.  This is us. Ready to bring you our 2013 family form letter chock full of Christmas sarcasm.

We added two additions to the Stream Team this year.  No, Carla was not pregnant with twins!!  As if.
Two gerbils were given to us by a family friend and named Nibbles(Tim) and Ricky.(Nathan)They are adorable! We love our little fur babies! One time Tim pulled some of Nibble's tail fur off and then the critter ate the dried up tail.  Less work for me.

Griffen seems thinner. And crankier. Meowing loudly for food, hissing when I walk by.  He is aging but I have been assured by well meaning friends that he could live to be 22.  Thanks.

Joshua has his permit!!! It is so hard to put my life in his hands. Scary yet necessary. He also works as a dishwasher at one of the best Italian restaurants around. Mama Maria's.  He tells me that although he is soaked from head to toe at the end of the night he is handed huge dishes of pasta during his shifts which he consumes with his hands. Mmmmmmmm. Joshua is cruising to 17 and I am in denial about that.

Sarah officially entered teenagedom this year.  I say officially as she has been drama with a capital D since the age of three.  She adores children and has been babysitting and volunteering in the church nursery.  She gets upset when I use the words deets, digits and totes adorbs.  I care not. Embarrassing her is one of my favorite hobbies. She went out for basketball this year.  Played on the B team and she told me honestly that they were not very good.  And after watching a game or two, I agreed. She still has her heart set on being in the National Guard.

Nathan has taken an interest in grooming.  How wonderful!! He was elated when I purchased a dress shirt with a clip on tie and he wore it proudly.  Quite dapper.  He LOVES school and his teacher and that is such a blessing. I love hearing his thoughts and watching him conquer math and science!! Nathan has found a passion for inline skating.  Daddy is thrilled!!

Timmers keeps us all on high alert as we constantly wonder what his boy brain will think up.  He has been working hard at school after being identified with short term memory issues. We have watched him learn to read and write and spell!! He also proudly identifies as a Christian and tells his friends about Jesus at school. No phone calls from the principal. Yet. We have noticed that Tim seems to be musically inclined and of course he wants to start with a drum set.

Patrick has been pursuing his passion for others. My husband has been working hard to bring Biblical Counseling to our church and it has come to pass!! Patrick and I counsel together and I can't even describe what a blessing it has been! He is working toward becoming a certified Biblical Counselor.  So many inline races this past summer, so little time! Wow did Patrick tear it up!! He met his goals and was asked to join a team!! SK8HRD! He won a $100 gift card in a race and gave it to his wife. awwwwww

Carla. Carla. Carla.  Doing life. She has been a substitute teacher for the 2nd year.  So far she has had wonderful classes and sweet students!! There are times she is the only recess monitor with no whistle, no walkie talkie and 65+ kiddoes to watch. Insanity on a stick. She seems to be more introverted as the days move on.  She adores Mondays at 8:30 when all Streams are in their Indoctrination Stations.  What a blessing and a privilege to be on the Prayer Team at church, Biblical Counseling team and studying the book of Philippians with her sisterfriends. She still yaps her head off in the prolife movement about the devastation of abortion. Don't get her started.  She just received confirmation that she will be appointed as an Election Inspector for 2014!!

Is that it?  Is that all?  We do indeed have the best and the brightest kids and the most amazing life ever.  We are living the dream and this letter only confirms that our lives are perfect.  Perfectly perfect.

Happy 10th Birthday Nathan!!

His birthday was November 16th.  But I still can't find the cord to download my birthday boy's photos. I am so on the ball.

I love you Nate Dog!!

A Daughter's Life

Sarah and I had a conversation in the van on the way to school yesterday.  I asked her questions rapid fire and she answered.

Mom "Sarah do you ever cry yourself to sleep?"
Sarah "No."
Mom "Do you ever feel really lonely?"
Sarah "No."
Mom "Do you hate yourself?"
Sarah "No."
Mom "Do you hate your parents?"
Sarah "NO!"
Mom "Do you hate your brothers?"
Sarah "NO!"
Mom "Do you ever wish you were someone else?"
Sarah "No."
Mom "Do you ever consider harming yourself?"
Sarah "No."

Mom "Sarah, I felt all of those things when I was 13 and I will be thanking God all day that you don't."

Happy 13th Birthday Sarah Beara!!!

One Stop Shop

Nathan is in baseball and Sarah is in softball and the parentals are forced to be in the concession stand and volunteer their services twice.  Patrick and I did just that the other night.  We schlepped snacks to hungry sports fans.  It was actually pretty fun.  I pretended I owned the place and made the best popcorn in the world.

When we got home Joshua asked, "How was the confession stand?"
Which led to a conversation about what a confession/concession stand would actually be like.

"Hi.  I lied to my boss yesterday. Can I get a hotdog and a Coke please?"

"Um.  I gossiped about my neighbor. Nachos and a pretzel should do it."

"Hey. I entertained a bad thought this morning. Let's see. What do I want? A popcorn and Gatorade please."

The View

Not that view.  Ish.

Timmers has wanted glasses for a long time.  4 out of 6 Streams have them and who wants to be left out of that brand of fun?

I received a note from school that Tim was complaining of things being "fuzzy" and that his eyes were all "blurry."  I made an eye appt. because we have money to burn I guess.

We waited patiently for the eye doc.  I know there is some big name that he is officially called but that hinders my writing. Eye doc he shall be.  He quickly came out and asked me, "Does Timothy really WANT glasses?"  Indeed he does. Apparently Tim was trying to snow the eye doc into thinking he really had some eye issues and needed glasses immediately.  I was invited to sit in on the antics of my son which is what I live for at this juncture in my mothering career.

Timothy was pretending to have trouble with seeing the letters and reading the next smallest line and the jig was up little man!

Eye doc "Mom, this is window glass. Tim which is clearer number 1 or number 2?"
Tim "Um. Number 1."
Eye doc "Still window glass.  Now which is clearer.  1 or 2?"
Tim "2."
Eye doc "Still using window glass and which side is clearer the red side or the green side?"
Tim "Red."

After Tim tried on 20 pairs of glasses that he was never going to get we headed home and I broke the news to him that his vision is perfect and all is well.

Optometrist.

The Talk

Tim was asking so many questions last week on a particular topic that I decided to sit him down and have a discussion.  It was about time I gave him the facts.

Tim "So who is Willie's brother?"
Mom "Jase and Jep are Willie's brothers."
Tim "He has two brothers?"
Mom "Yes."
Tim "But who is Si?"
Mom "Si is Phil's brother and uncle to Jase, Jep and Willie."
Tim "Who is Miss Kay?"
Mom "Miss Kay is married to Phil and is Jase, Jep and Willie's mom."
Tim "Married to Phil?  Is he a dad?"
Mom "Phil is Jase, Jep and Willie's dad."
Tim "Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh."
Tim "Who are Godwin and Martin?"
Mom "They are family friends."

I think we covered all the bases pretty well.
That should hold him for a bit.

Happy 16th Birthday Joshua!!

My baby. sniff

Special Education

Ah Tim.  My Tim.

He has struggled in school to get those sounds and letters to make sense and put it all together to speak words and write words and read words.  1st grade is hard.  He has had all of the interventions with reading and math help and the school asked permission to test him.  Permission granted. The results are in.  He has a real issue with his short term memory.  It is hindering his learning.  He will be put into a setting and working hard on that short term memory and he will be successful because that little boy does not give up.  Day after day he heads to school and tries his very best and concentrates and comes home exhausted.

Now my youngest makes sense to me.  When I have told him to make his bed, get dressed and brush his teeth and 20 minutes later he is wandering around naked with an action figure and asks to make popcorn....my directions just might not have registered.  I get it now.

Mommy will slow down.  Mommy will look you in the eye and give you one direction and ask you to repeat it.  Mommy will praise you for your diligence and stay the course and work hard with you and pray for your brain.  And I will be proud of what you accomplish and live everyday to see those dimples.

I love you Timothy.

I'm Skaaaaaaaaaating!

Since last summer I have been working at inline skating.  Took a fall on a hill and learned the wonders of road rash.  Now I skate at RollerDome in Minneapolis.  Getting ready to do my first 1/2 marathon with my daughter Sarah.  The thing I have not yet gotten the hang of is braking.  It seems so simple. Bend your knees and put your right heel down.  It doesn't happen that way for me. I have the right form but whenever I need to stop I just run into a metal waste receptacle.  It does the trick.  I showed Pat my brake and asked if something was wrong with it.   Indeed there was.  It was worn down to nothing.  When my new brake comes in the mail this week I should be able to slow and stop without the use of a trash can.  So excited!

Daydreaming

My feet were here last summer.

Student Led Conference

Timmers got to take the reins of his conference last week.  He grabbed his binder and led mom and dad to a place on the carpet.  It went something like this....
"Here's me.  I drew this.  I wrote that. I made this.  Here's another one I drew.  See?  Here's me. This. And this. And this. Oh and that." He flipped through the pages with lightening speed and then we got our picture taken.

The 10 second conference.  Amazing. And just so darn informative.

Truth In Town