Friday Funnies

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I'm warning you, most of the humor in my house these days has to do with the potty or farting.  Boys!  
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Jaden loves to put new words to songs we listen to.  He heard the song on the radio by Chris Tomlin that says,

"Where You go, I'll go

Where You stay, I'll stay

Where You move, I'll move

I will follow You"

At breakfast today he sang,

"Where you pee, I'll pee,

Where you poop, I'll poop,

Where you fart, I'll fart,

I will pee on you"

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Jaden is just obsessed with talking about pee, poop and farts.  He told Micah that he had a dream about farting, and Micah replied, "That sounds like a private parts dream, Jaden."  (We frequently tell them to stop talking about private parts).

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I was at Costco with Jaden and we were eating in the food court.  He saw an older man eating by himself and said, "Mommy, look! That man is lonely!"  

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Micah finished going to the bathroom and said, "These are the only things you can touch with your germs after going to the bathroom: the toilet flusher, your underwear, your pants, the soap, and the faucet. That's it."  I said, "Wow, Micah!  How did you know that?  Did Ms. S teach you that?"  He replied, "No, Mommy! I just knew that!"

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Micah was taking a shower and I cautioned him to not get soap in his eyes or it would burn.  He asked, "Why?  Is it made out of heat?"
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I told Jaden we were having pizza for dinner and he said, "YES!  Is it macaroni (pepperoni) or cheese?"
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Micah told us numerous times that he did not want to go to school on St. Patrick's Day.  Finally I asked him, "Are you afraid that a leprechaun is going to be there?"  Through tears he said, "Yes!  And he's going to pinch me!"  We explained that leprechauns are not real and he didn't need to be afraid; plus, he'd be wearing green anyway.

After I picked him up, he said, "I told all the kids that leprechauns are not real, and that the green footprints in the room were just paint!"  :)

Choosing Peace Over Fear

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The past few nights I have been unable to get to sleep easily.  I was up late the night that the tsunami hit Japan, and watched it unfold live on national television.  I remember that I was gasping as I watched it happen, with my hand over my mouth.  In the past, we see national disasters on television after the fact, and that somehow seems to lessen the impact a tiny bit; yet watching it happen live, while people are being swept away, leaves an indelible mark on you.

I live in a city with a large population of Japanese residents, many of who have been personally affected.  We cannot get away from the news right now, even if we tried.  Online, on the radio, the television, the newspapers - it seems that each day the news gets worse, and we are being told to prepare for disaster.  Today on the news they actually used the word "apocalypse" as if that might be what we're facing.

My faith is what keeps me strong, what gives me hope.  I am challenged to remember this when surrounded by people who are scared and searching for answers.  Do I speak with fear in my voice, or with confidence and faith?

Last night as I lay in bed, I was imagining what would happen if an earthquake hit my house.  Where would we hide?  Where are our flashlights?  Would we be okay?  For a few minutes my mind started to spiral out of control, until I was reminded that I had a choice.  I have a choice to dwell on these fears or to choose peace.

Yes, we need to be prepared.  We need to have emergency supplies and have a plan ready.  Just today I went and stocked up on some water bottles and canned food.  At the same time though, we cannot let our fears dictate how we act or live.  We may have to choose to turn off the television and limit how much information overload we are subjecting ourselves to.  It is in times like these that we need peace more than we need information.  Peace is a choice; it is also a fruit of the Spirit.  God is wanting to develop peace in our lives if we let Him. That means trusting Him with the future, no matter how dim it may look.  Take some time to let His peace overcome you today.
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Romans 8:5-13 

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.  9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

John 14:27


Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

A $10 Baby Shower Gift

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Let's say you were invited to a baby shower, but you really don't have money for an expensive gift.  You think, "Maybe I just shouldn't go..."  Fear not, my friend!! I have a cute idea for you that a new mom will love, and it will only cost you $10 (or less)!

This is a "Labor Survival Kit" - or whatever cute name you want to call it.

I headed out to my local 99 cent store (you could also try The Dollar Tree), and picked up the following supplies:

-Cute bucket
-Cozy socks
-Jelly Beans
-Energy  Trail Mix
-Chapstick
-Word Finds book (or any activity book)
-A small candle
-Tea bags
-Candy
-A card

10 items for only $10

Now, I realize you have to be careful when shopping at these stores.  Some of the items can be tacky.  I personally do not buy their lotions, soaps or bath gels because they all smell old or funny to me.  A pregnant mom may also be sensitive to smells, so keep that in mind.

You can even use supplies from your own house to save even more money (or add items).  I had an unopened package of Black Cherry Tea that I included, along with a candle and a red organza bag to put it in.  I had some ribbon lying around that I used to wrap around the bucket.

This is a small gift that can be given on its own, or you can combine it with something else if you want.  I have been giving friends Diaper Cakes lately, and this is another side gift I include (stay tuned, I will be posting how to make a cute diaper cake later this week).

You can even make a funny version of this bucket.  Other ideas of items to include that might be on the more humorous side could include:

-Hemorroidal Cream
-Extra Strength Tylenol
-Ear Plugs
-A Pregnancy Test
-An ice pack
-Tissue
-A funny CD of music that can be played during labor (the 99 cent store has some hysterical titles)
-A "Big Hunk" bar for the husband
-Stool softener pills

What other ideas can you think of from the 99 cent store?  These gifts are sure to bring a little comfort or a little laughter to a new mom.  Now you have no excuse; head on out to that baby shower! :)

The Beach & I

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I have never been a beach person.  Maybe it's because of my fair skin, which gets burnt to a crisp even in 73 degree weather.  Maybe it's because I am afraid of scaring the natives in my bathing suit.  Maybe it's because of the sand that gets in every crevice.  I don't have fond memories of the beach, because as a child I often left with sunburns that sent me to doctors' offices, even after applying SPF 75.  But the fact is, I live by the beach.

For the past year I have come to terms with the fact that everyone around me loves the beach, relishes living by it, and always wants to go.  I, on the other hand, would rather drive an hour up to the mountains to breathe in the crisp air and see nature at its finest.

However, the past few Thursday mornings I have had the opportunity to have some rare time to myself, and each Thursday I have found myself at the beach.  It is within 2 miles of my house, and the weather has been beautiful.  For $2, I can park there for however long I want, read a book or take a walk, and breathe in the sea salt air.

Last Thursday I stopped by my favorite cafe, The Yellow Vase, and picked up a cupcake (now you know why I don't wear bathing suits).  They were filming 90210 that day, and these two girls walked right by me.

Um, awesome!!  Seriously, everyone on that set was so beautiful. There I was with my crazy hair, no makeup on and my outfit from the floor of my bedroom - I felt really hot.  I fit right in.

Anyway, back to the beach.  My point is, that I think I am falling in love with the beach.  Not because of the sand in my pants, or the sunburn I might get, or all the interesting people there.  It is because when I am there I feel close to God.  Even if I am having a bad day, I can take a little drive, put .25 cents in the meter, roll down my window and hear the waves.  And it even gets better when I see something like this:

This photo was taken last week by my friend Heidi.  Every time I go down there I see dolphins. Today I walked a mile on the sand, while they swam the same direction the whole time.  My friend Melanie was there yesterday and they were doing flips in the air!  When I see the dolphins, it always reminds me of the glory of God.  Something about seeing His creation like that just speaks to my soul.

This week we also took a little trip to see the dead sardines.  You may have heard about this on the news - over 1.5 million sardines were found dead in Redondo Beach on Tuesday morning.  We had rough winds on Monday night, and the sardines made a wrong turn and ended up in the harbor (where it dead ends). There were so many of them that they suffocated to death.  It was really sad seeing them there, many with their mouths wide open like they were gasping for air.  I was expecting to see tiny sardines (like the ones in the cans), but these were all 6-8" long.  The boys loved it.  They were fascinated and asked so many questions.  I have never seen anything like it.

In talking with people about this event, numerous people have said, "It reminds me of the end of days."  Even people with no faith are saying thing like that.  Again, nature has a way of turning people to God, even in odd ways like this.

So, while you may not find me parked on the sand in my bathing suit with my beach umbrella, you may find me there...sitting in wonder and awe at God's handiwork.  It is amazing!

"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'"  Revelation 5: 13

Turn a Shower Curtain into Window Curtains!

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I am participating in  The Stories of A to Z's "Tutorial Tips Tuesday" party!


Today I saw a great post over at Make and Takes that teaches how to turn a bed sheet into a shower curtain.  It just so happens that last week I sewed (by myself) for the very first time, and turned two shower curtains into curtains for my bedroom!   I just  had to share how I did it (sew easy) so that you can do it yourself too :)

My mom came over last year and showed me how to use a sewing machine.  We sewed curtains for my kitchen, but she did most of the work since I was a bit overwhelmed.  This time, I wanted to try my hand at sewing curtains for my bedroom.  I have a new comforter and could not find curtains anywhere to match.  As usual, Target came to my rescue.  I was perusing down their shower curtain aisle, when I noticed a ton of shower curtains on clearance.  Immediately I saw that one of the shower curtains (a cloth one) matched my comforter almost perfectly!  I picked up two of them for only $4.98 each.

First I bought curtain clips and hung them up, but every time I opened the curtains, the metal-on-metal sound irritated me (high maintenance, perhaps?).  I returned the clips and decided to cut the curtains down and sew them myself.  A friend of mine let me borrow her machine, and with the manual in my lap at all times, I figured it out - miracle of all miracles.

I decided to cut 12" off of one side, and cut the holes off of the tops of the shower curtain, and hem the top by 6".  That way, I was keeping two of the original (nice) hems, and would only have to sew two sides of the curtain.  While I didn't take photos of the whole process, you can look a little closer here at the top hem:

As you can see I am NOT a straight-sewer.  Still need practice.  Thankfully you can't tell unless you're up really close.

Here is another view of one window.  My husband screwed in a curtain tie-back hook to the side of each window to hold the curtains back during the day.

This got me thinking about what else I could sew using clearance shower curtains from Target (I picked up 3 more curtains in different fabrics for only $2.50)!  I also purchased some cute cloth napkins on clearance that same day, sewed them together and covered my red pillows that were on the couch.

Before:

After:

These were two easy projects that any beginner sewer could do.  While I'm not an expert, at least I can  now make curtains and pillow covers.   I'm so excited to do more!

March is Here!

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March is here, and with it T-Ball season.  For the next 12 weeks, we have committed to practice and games every single weekend.  It is so fun for Micah, but such a commitment!  I have never seen Micah so excited about something, though.  He talks about it every day and counts down the days to practice and his games.  His first game was this past weekend; they don't keep score, but you can bet I overheard parents keeping score in the stands :)

Micah was chosen to say the opening pledge with his friend Jonathan, and they were nervous so they held hands while they did it... so cute!

He did great and had a blast.

Go Angels!

$5, 5-Minute Spring Wreath

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I am participating in The Stories of A to Z link up party called "Tutorials & Tips Tuesday!"




Spring officially begins on Sunday, March 20th and I've been wanting a new wreath to hang in our house.  I went to the Dollar Tree and found the supplies to make a quick, $5 wreath in only about 5 minutes!


The Supplies:
- 1 medium sized wreath (they carry 3 sizes)
- 4 colored branches
- Wire cutters
- Glue gun
- Ribbon

The Steps:

1) Using the wire cutters, cut apart each stem from the base of the "flowers".

2) Place in the wreath, clock-wise, alternating your colors

3) Taking the glue gun, drop dabs of glue lightly to keep the stems in place in the wreath  (you can apply the glue first, but I wanted to place my branches first to see how it looked).

4) Cut about a 12" length of ribbon, and glue the ends of the ribbon to the back of the wreath, about 6 inches apart.
5) Hang and admire your creation!