Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday. I hope you soaked up all the beauty fall has to offer, and I hope you encouraged someone yesterday. (You go, Cam!)

Our weekend has suddenly become very simple. We had planned on a camping trip to Guntersville since we had Monday off from school for Veteran's Day. Wait a minute. We don't have Monday off... we have Tuesday off. Yeah, I finally figured that out! So since our camping trip has been postponed to the weekend before Thanksgiving (weather permitting), we have a rare free weekend. We can put anything we want into our "weekend basket." But we must be very careful. We want it to be fun, fulfilling and time well spent. What to do? What to do?

The Christmas Village is at the Civic Center this weekend, and Roxie and I always enjoy going there. Madagascar 2 is showing at the drive-in in Argo, and that would be a fun family activity. We have several projects at home that need to be done which we could finish up before lunch and have the rest of the weekend clear. We could go hiking at Oak Mountain on Sunday afternoon after church. We could visit grandparents and great-grandparents. We could go as a family and see the movie Fireproof. We could stay home and rent Kung Fu Panda and eat popcorn. We could eat out at the Full Moon Barbecue that just opened up close by. The possibilities for spending time together as a family are endless, aren't they? We MUST make the wise choice... and you'll have to check in on Monday to see what we actually did!

Before we get to my favorite Christmas book EVER, I had a little thought last night about the Wizard of Oz. I haven't thought about that movie in ages, but I was thinking how I had become so like one of the characters in that movie. I wasn't going to write about it, but this morning before I walked my daily 8 miles (okay, okay -- 2 miles), I heard Bubba on the Rick and Bubba Show actually mention the flying monkeys on the Wizard of Oz. Isn't that strange? Does that mean I should go ahead and write about my thought? Is it just a bizarre coincidence? I have no idea, but here goes!

If I remember correctly, in the movie, Dorothy wanted to go home, the lion wanted courage, the tin man wanted a heart and the scarecrow wanted a brain. Guess who I am?

Well, I have a home. It is not a perfect home. It is not an always clean home. But it is a place where my family gathers at the end of the day, and we talk together, and we eat together, and we are a family together. It's a wonderful place, and I am very fortunate and blessed to have my home and the people in it who make it "home."

I have a heart, too. I know this because after my first baby was born 17 1/2 years ago, my heart for some strange reason was put on the outside of my body. No protection, no barriers. I have felt every hurt my first child has felt... and my second... and my third. The pain at times has been almost unbearable. There have been times I could barely breathe because of how vulnerable my heart had become. Now with this pain, also comes the greatest joy I've ever experienced. Their happiness, their love, their laughter has almost made my heart burst with pride and gratitude for having these people in my life. Weighing the pros and cons, I wouldn't want my heart back inside my body for anything in the world.

I have courage, too. I never would have thought so, but I have climbed trees to get kids down who were stuck. I have touched a sting ray with my bare hands so my kids would think I was cool. I have searched in bags of garbage for something precious a child had accidentally thrown away. I have taken three children age five and under to a restaurant by myself! I have courage.

But a brain... "If I only had a brain." Where did that go? I am a firm believer that with each child brought into this world, the mother gives that child part, if not most, of her own brain matter. You know, just to get them started in the world. It doesn't replenish itself in the mother, but the mother has enough to spare for her beautiful baby, and she doesn't mind unselfishly giving to her child. Unfortunately, by the time babies two and three arrive, she's in short supply. Now, don't worry. The kids are fine. They are very bright. However, the mother has become a repeating, mumbling, glazed-over version of her former self.

Our first baby was born, and I went to the store hobbling up and down, up and down. I wasn't in any pain, but it was very obvious something was wrong, and I wondered if I had somehow twisted my ankle or hurt my foot without knowing, because I was definitely limping. A nice lady pointed out I had on two different shoes, one with heels and one without!

After the second baby, we were on our way to the church for his first time. Mikie kept looking at me. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I feel fine," I said. And I did. I felt comfortable, relaxed... almost too relaxed.

"Do you have on any underwear at all?" Mikie asked again.

Ahh... That's where that relaxed feeling was coming from. No undergarment restrictions. I hated to do it, but I made Mikie take me home so I could finish dressing before going back to church.

After baby number three, I had dressed both boys and Roxie to perfection. I made sure I had on bra, pantyhose, slip, etc. I was ready to go to church again for the first time with baby number three.

Mikie kept looking at me. "Are you feeling okay?"

"You asked me this three years ago. I feel fine. Everything is tight and pinched and sucked in. I double checked," I replied irritably.

"Look in your mirror," he said patiently.

Ahh... Only one eye with make-up, and obviously, I had applied make-up to the same eye... TWICE.

"I'm going for the Cleopatra look," I snapped. Mikie took me home for a quick re-application job. What a good husband!

It only gets worse. I have now resorted to trying to convince the kids that I was once intelligent. They aren't buying!

"I won the 4th grade spelling bee," I bragged one time.

"Really? Do you still have the Certificate?"

"Probably, but I have no idea where it would be," I feebly replied.

"I used to be on the Dean's List all the time in college," I tried again.

"Really? Who's Dean?"

"I - I - I don't remember... but, I think he was someone really important."

"That's nice, Mom. Is Dad coming home soon? I have some homework questions to ask him."

"I could probably help," I offered timidly.

"Uh, that's okay. I can wait."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Although I'm sure the Dads make other sacrifices for their children, I know for a fact their brains are still intact. They are probably in better shape than before the kids came because they have to repeat elementary, middle school and high school math in order to help them with homework.

I guess I'm really fortunate though. Of all the things Dorothy and her friends were searching for (a home, courage, a heart and a brain), I've been blessed with the really, REALLY important ones... and I still don't regret for one minute sharing my few feeble brain cells with my three guys. I just wish they were a little more thankful for the sacrifice!

Book

I know it's a little early for Christmas books, but I want you to buy this one if you don't already have it in your collection. Most of you will have read it before, but for the very few that have not, my favorite Christmas book of all time is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.

I guess the reason it is by far my favorite Christmas book is because not only is it laugh out loud funny, but it makes me and all the people who have heard the Christmas story from Luke 1,000+ times see it in a new light.

The last chapter absolutely moves me to tears every year when we read it aloud, because in the year 2008 when Christmas has become to me and many others a time to buy and wrap gifts, attend all the annual parties and church events (including the Christmas Concert), sing all the songs, watch all the movies and read the Christmas story one more time... Well, it brings to life a little girl living in the United States of America hearing the story of Baby Jesus born in a manger to a young girl named Mary for the very first time ever... and it moves her to tears. She gets it. She understands the sacrifice. She is appalled that a baby was born in a barn. She cannot comprehend King Herod wanting to kill a baby, much less Baby Jesus. Christmas for her will never be the same. And every time I read this book (once a year in December), it helps me remember that it's not just a story from a wonderful storybook... it's the truth.

This book is good to read aloud a chapter a night for seven nights. It probably isn't appropriate for the younger children because of some things the Herdmans do without knowing any better, but children eight and up would really enjoy it, and probably benefit from the reading of this book this season!

Enjoy your weekend! Spend a lot of time with family and friends, and I'll be back on Monday with a great birthday party for little boys between the ages of four to seven.