WE SAW ONE!!!

We were out on a family night tonight... stopped at a very nice park for a few minutes (even though it was a bit wet from all the rain). It was definitely a fun-looking park! Then, we all went out to eat at Ci-Ci's (they had a good deal going on), and that was yummy! On the way home, we drove through a park with a lake not far from our house. This area is a big attraction because a family of bald eagles have made their home in that area. We have been looking to see these eagles for about as long as we have lived in this mobile home. On the way home, I saw a blackish bird flying over a lake near where the eagles' nest is. I yelled to Ron, "I think that is it! That is it!" And, on and on I went, in great excitement as we pulled off to the side of the highway to watch that majestic white-headed eagle fly over the lake and perch itself on top of a tree! Too bad I didn't have my camera! Absolutely awesome!!! Ron was happy about finally getting a good view of it, as well.
For those of you waiting to read the results of Ron's PET, his follow-up appointment isn't until Monday... blaaa! I still don't like waiting!

MOM TIP:
If you go to our church, and notice that my girls' hair looks oily this Wednesday, it is called baby oil! I sometimes do this to their hair if their scalp seems dry or scaly... I am picky about the cleanliness of my children, and do not like flaky scalps! So, if I think it is necessary, I will put baby oil in their hair, and take a fine toothed comb and scrape their scalps to loosen any junk (hairspray, build-up, etc.) and to moisturize the skin, then, I give them a bath... it takes a few baths to get all the oil out, but I think it works great. I VERY rarely do this, but, tonight I did... thus, greasy hair! I think it works well on cradle cap as well. Dirty hair, dirty teeth, and smelly bodies are pet-peives of mine! Some folks think I bathe my children too much, but I can't help it! At least I usually don't give them more than one bath a day... well, except Hope... I think I have given her up to three baths a day, I believe, because she gets messy very fast! Lately, I have been letting the girls bathe themselves alot, so I think that is how their scalps got yucky! Anyway, the point is...
1. The oily hair is due to baby oil.
2. Yes, I know what I am doing.
3. If your child has cradle cap or a yucky scalp (not from a disease or bugs!), then, try baby oil and a fine-toothed comb... I think it works great!

Oh, no, I put my children to bed to read for a while and they have fallen asleep, and I haven't brushed their teeth yet! Gotta go and get that evening chore done before I forget and their teeth rot overnight! This isn't the first time I have awakened the children to brush their teeth! They should be used to it by now! They will thank me later, I hope!

Sigh!

I don't want to complain, but I had a tough weekend... everyone was grumpy! Our electric went out Saturday evening, and finally was repaired Sunday (not that I am into working on Sundays, but our food was going bad, and I was thankful to have it back!).
I took Hope to Urgent Care Saturday, because I thought she had chickenpox, which IS what the doc wrote down as his impression, but he thought it could also be bugbites (not spiders, though)... I don't have pets (except a fish), so it's probably not fleas, but they did play outside the day before. Then, today, I heard Hope crying, and caught Faith fastening her in a stroller... which would not have been a big deal since Hope likes strollers, but since all she had on was a diaper, Faithy had accidently fastened the baby's skin in the seat belt... OUCH! Well, the blister that followed resembles the previous marks thought to be chicken pox... I wonder... hmmm... maybe, just maybe, this poor baby may have been pinched before a couple of times! So much for the $10 donated to an urgent care that didn't know much more than I did about these spots. Oh, well... I was just trying to be careful and be a good Mommy.
Faith got her stitches out... Ron took her, and said she did okay... she talked them into not tying her down providing she cooperated with them.
We went to my neice's 10th birthday party Saturday, and I had made her a purse out of my silky pink wedding material, and using some flowers from it, as well. She seemed very pleased! She has been wanting me to make her one ever since her little sister received a red and black purse I made her for Christmas. Her little sister carries her purse like its her favorite. (I had made that one out of an old dress of mine, and I use cloth diapers as padding to make the purses thick.) I personalize them, too. One had her initials sewn on, and the other one I stitched her name on... sooo wish I had pictures of the one I just made to show you what I mean.
Ron's PET scan is today... actually, his is on his way to the hospital now... maybe this is one reason we were so stressed this weekend... and, you know how children can sense stress and it can affect them... I am sure this is one of the reasons our weekend was a little difficult.
I will say that my afternoon yesterday, was very nice. After church we ate with some of our church folk, due to our electric problem... the fellowship was WONDERFUL! I was supposed to have company at my place, but had to cancel. It was nice of the folks who were staying at the church to allow us to stay with them... I drank in the fellowship like a dehydrated, cooped up mom! I felt revived! Sounds silly, I know! But, in my heart, I was REALLY longing for someone to invite me for a visit, just as friends... but, not everyone wants to have 3 children messing around their house... I have really learned that! My little people are precious and bring lots of joy to me, but they have energy... like all children should, and like to play and explore...
SPEAKING OF WHICH... OH, NO! THEY JUST DUMPED ALMOST A WHOLE BOTTLE OF HAIRSPRAY ON HOPE! THAT IS A BAD KIND OF EXPLORING! GOTTA GO!

Mary was who?!? And, our week at a glance.

the "bloomers"

What's up with the restraint? It is attached to my double stroller and makes walking to the park much safer!

School

home-made play-dough

The other day, Ron was in the girls room listening to them chat with each other. I heard him let out a laugh that told me something was said that was really off the wall. Later, he told me that Charity had said something like, "Mary was a bad guy." But, then, Faith responded with, "No, she wasn't... She was the prime minister of Babylon!" What!?!

Thanks, Liz!

I am sooo excited! After searching on-line and thinking about the time, work, and money, that would go into bloomer-making, I decided to look around while I was out today. I looked at Good-will, and did not find what I was looking for... So, after picking up diapers for Hope in the baby section of Wal-mart (I gave up the cloth diaper idea a real long time ago!), I decided to see what was available... I checked the infant-toddler section... nope, not what I wanted... so, I go into the little girls section, and wa-la! I was very excited! They are called biker shorts, but look very girly... enough to be bloomers... little cute buttons gathering the sides... looks dressy enough to me to even wear under dressy clothes. I bought 4 pairs of white ones, but they also had black, etc. They were less than $5 each... a big difference compared to the prices I saw for bloomers on-line. Now my girls can feel comfortable in their skirts, not worrying that they are exposing too much of themselves while they ride bikes, do flips, swing high, roll in the grass, and act like little children ought to... and, without wearing thick tights that would over-heat them! Thanks, Liz, for the idea... I didn't realize that they made them like these that I found! Whew... one less sewing project! Yeah! If you are uncomfortable with your girls wearing these types of things, that's okay, but I am relieved to find them for my little girls and help them see the importance of being properly covered even while playing.

Needing a pattern or name of website

This is on the lighter side of things (compared to the previous post), but I am in need of a pattern for little girls bloomers... I tried to make some last night without a pattern and with the children sleeping, and they turned out too snug. If you know of a website, store, or someone who makes them at a decent price, I would be interested in that, too. I am looking for a knee length, old fashioned style... some dressy, and some play. It is going to be getting too warm soon for my girls to wear their thick tights, and I am wanting to do bloomers this year under their dresses and skirts... so they may ride their bikes, do somersauts, and play without worry about modesty. Also, what kind of material do you, ladies, think would be best? I don't want something that will make them feel too warm, but I would like to make some that would be durable and comfortable. Just one of those things Mommies with many little girls have to think about! When girls are little, it is nice, because you can buy skirts with shorts sewn inside, but, as they get older, it is not so simple.
I will be looking forward to your thoughts.

Attention, praying friends and family!

Because of some concerns that I am not going into right now, we have asked the oncologist's office if it were possible to bump Ron's PET scan earlier than the schedule June appointment... it is now scheduled for Monday. Hopefully, what we are concerned about has nothing to do with cancer... if this scan comes back clear, it will be the first clear PET scan since all of this started! Wouldn't that be awesome!
Ron has been doing lots of outreach these days... jail visitations, tract distribution, house calling, praying, and lending a helpful hand or kind word to those in need, plus working full-time to provide for his family. He has even helped me out a bit in the house cleaning. He is our girls' Bible teacher, and they love and count on Bible story-time with Daddy each day. I am proud of him. Now, let's give back to him with our prayers! I know I can count on you to do that... so many of you are already doing so! Thanks!

Some pictures of the past few days!

Eyebrow + coffee table= 5 small stitches


Watching the services through the nursery windows.

The mass choir... aaah, it is quite heavenly... I have always had a thing for the mass choir!

You may wonder... "well, in the previous post you said you would change some things about last week if you could, what would you change?" I believe I would have brought my double stroller and a child leash... I don't care if people would have looked at me strange for leashing my child... it would have been MUCH better than loosing them!!! I NEVER EVER want to go through that again!!! These next few picts were taken RIGHT BEFORE Charity disappeared... during my panic over loosing her, I lost my camera, but later (after the Children's Choir was over) I found it. As you can see, she was already hyper!

The littlest princess with her pizza.

Another living room picture.

Digging for a tape to listen to... lunch still on her face.

The Cook family schoolroom.

Working away.

That plus an escalator story pretty much sums things up!

Lost, fussy, and stitches

Let's say that I am glad last week is over, and I do wish I could change some things!

I wish I could say that I did not loose a child during IHC, but that would be a lie! It was very frightening to say the least! Fortunately, someone found her and brought Charity to the main desk! It only took a moment for her to disappear into the large crowd right before she was to be on stage to sing... I found her in time for her to join the Children's Choir, but Faith did not appear on the stage, which I was concerned about... just to find out that she never was in the choir, because some little boy(s) shoved her on the floor (so I was told) and she refused to go up on stage... so much for all of the hard work I put into dressing her up and trying to encourage her to go! Because they often left the doors open to the nursery, I had issues there too! Hope escaped without my knowing it, and a GBS student found her in the hall (having three children in the nursery with open doors was not easy! I was shocked to find she was able to leave without my realizing it... in the past, I have been tough on parents whose children were not under control, and would not even notice their child leaving them... but, I was humbled last week majorly! When Charity was found, I cried! But, because she kept trying to wonder away after warning her, she received needed discipline when we arrived home... if only she realized what could have happened if someone with evil intentions had found her! It still scares me thinking about it!

Hope has been sooo cranky... not sure why, but I am suprised at the displays she has been putting on... which I am quickly trying to put a stop to. She can be such a sweet, lovable, and huggy baby, but when she doesn't get her way, WATCH OUT! Don't worry, she will not be allowed to behave this way... it just is surprising to see a child with two such very different possible attitudes. She is in the "trying momma out to see if she means what she says" stage. Fun-fun.

Then, Faith had to be taken to the hospital Friday evening for 5 stitches. If you remember back about 16-17 months ago, she had fallen onto a coffee table and got a cut above her eye glued. We had removed the coffee table from our living room to prevent further injuries, but when we moved into our new home I wanted to put it into our living room... after all, what are the chances of the same accident happening twice?! Bad decision. My girls still love to dance in our living room, and, well, you guessed it! It is a wooden coffee table with rounded edges, looking very safe, but alas! Same spot above the eye, too! Sigh!

Life, isn't it fun!

Odds and ends/ Easter

Excuse the strange order of these pictures.

Our oldest princess.

Say "cheese"

THE LOOK from Baby Hope.

The lilies purchased as memories or in honor of someone as a youth fund raiser.

The side profile of the bus.

All ready for Easter morning.

I put a shirt under this dress for church, but I thought it was cute to see those chubby baby arms. She lost her headband before we even got into the van!

Mommy was camera-happy!

Yes, she has a cold-sore,

Nay, but thou shalt see three posts in one day!

A continuation of trailor pictures.


The bus painting in progress!

Me, being strange!

The main bathroom... messy, I know!

A bathroom.

Two posts in one day! A sign of a special day!

Random pictures! The above is Charity and Hope.




My other little girl, Faith, showing off one day while on a youth trip!

Well, I WAS hoping to share with you pictures of the bus... but, I am not sure where that disk is located... and, I hope to get the pictures of our vacation on a CD so I may share them with you, because I had to use a disposible camera due to my lack of memory! GRRR!

Hope you enjoyed these random pictures anyway!

Have a wonderful Easter!