"Blue lights flashin' in my rear view..."

...and if you know the song, you know that eventually the sheriff "smiled and said, 'Boy, you're havin' too much fun.'"

Well, our uniformed officer wasn't smiling. And we certainly were not having too much fun, either.

This morning I had planned to go to the commissary. Although I really dislike grocery shopping with the boys, we were out of several staple items, and it was just time. It was raining, and I almost decided that was excuse enough to stay home, but like I said, it really needed to be done. So we drove on base and went the back way to the commissary on a little road between the clinic and a bunch of dorms and the chow hall. This little road is only about a block long, and the speed limit is 15mph. It is criss-crossed many times over with crosswalks going between all the buildings. But, since it was raining, there were no pedestrians to be seen (and in my defense I always stop for pedestrians nearing the crosswalks).

Apparently this morning I was flying down this road at the breakneck pace of 25mph. I actually don't question that at all. But 25mph doesn't feel very fast, so it wasn't noticeable to me. And the rest, as they say, is history. Two base cops pulled me over, and after what seemed like a 30-minute wait, gave me only a warning. So I was very thankful for that! I spent that time wondering what was going to happen to Adam because of my "reckless driving" - but warnings are not reported to the member's squadron, so we're in luck.

What really got me, though, was that when the cop handed me back my license, registration and all that, and said they were just giving me a warning, he asked me, "Why would you speed when there is a sign up that flashes the speed you're going?" Now this seems like a valid question, because there is indeed one of those digital signs on that road...and there has been for, like, over a year. And I usually notice it. But I guess I've seen it so many times that it didn't stand out to me this morning. Apparently I wasn't paying attention. I pondered how to answer the question, and said, "I guess I just didn't notice it today." He asked again, "But it's a flashing sign that tells you your speed. Why would you still choose to drive too fast?"

At this point, I was getting frustrated. The truth was apparently not good enough? I said, "What do you want me to say? That I chose to speed because I wanted to be a criminal? I just didn't notice the sign today. I usually drive very slow through there and I always stop for pedestrians. Do you need an answer to write down or something?" He answered that yes, he did. But he seemed satisfied with me "not noticing" the sign the second time I said it. And after getting slightly mouthier than I had intended, I was glad he didn't decide to upgrade me to a real ticket!

(Inserting a comment here: Just so everyone is aware, I've only received one speeding ticket in my entire life, and that was in high school. Other than that, I've been pulled over only one other time, and that was for forgetting to turn on my headlights - I had the parking lights on. That was before Drake was born, and I got a warning for that, too. I am not a scary driver! Really, I'm not!)

So I found a parking space at the commissary and called Adam at work. My hands were still shaking. He was very understanding and calmed me down somewhat. He ended the conversation by asking, "But can I tease you every once in awhile, though?" I thought for a minute and said, "Yeah, but wait a few days, okay?"

Then it took me a very long time to convince Drake that Mommy was wrong and the policeman was right. Mommy was driving too fast. It is the nice policeman's job to make sure that people drive safely. And yes, Drake, he is the boss, and he is allowed to tell Mommy what to do.

Birthday party, and a busy Sunday

My dear blog has been a bit neglected lately, with all the excitement happening around here. But having a lot going on is all the more reason to post, of course! So I decided to carve out a bit of time tonight to check in and bring you all up to date.

The main event for us this weekend was Drake's 6th birthday party! His actual birthday is the 17th - next Sunday - but we wanted to have his party while Aunt Crystal and Uncle Jeff were here! (Also next Sunday happens to be the day before school starts. I'm sure that weekend will come with its own busyness and apprehensions, so why have a birthday party overshadowed by the end-of-summer blues?) So anyway, the party went very well! Here's a glimpse...

The birthday boy!

No elaborate cake this year! Four big plastic bugs on a green-frosted two-layer lemon cake. But it gets the Drake Seal of Approval!

Aunt Crystal and her assistant, Drake, did a great job decorating the living room and dining room! Here they're trying to pass that looooong last half-hour before the party by reading some books!

The guests have finally arrived! After playing in the playroom and the backyard for a little while, we got them going on a game of Duck, Duck, Goose!

The "Pin the Legs on the Bug" game seemed to be a hit. As you can see, Drake's bug leg was just a little off the mark, but he handled it well...in his own hyper/silly way, that is!

The partygoers ready for cake! (Sorry about the little boy with the blurry face. I wasn't able to contact his mom for permission to post his picture in time for this post. Believe me, it's a cute face, though!)

After the pinata! This was Drake's first party with a pinata. I didn't get a picture of the pinata itself (Optimus Prime - way cool!), but it was one of those new ones with the strings on the bottom that you pull, instead of smashing it to smithereens. We were happy that all the kids got to pull a string at least once before Drake's friend Kiley pulled the "lucky" string, and the bottom opened up! Candy, candy, everywhere!

What a great party it was. At least, we had a good time! (A big sigh of relief!)

And today was a really full day as well! The problem is, we left our camera at home. Crystal and Jeff had their camera, though, and we were really hoping we could transfer some of the pictures and videos they took and put them on our computer to share with you via the blog. But alas, none of the three cords we had available to transfer pictures would fit in the darn little hole, so we were not able to. We did, however, have a nice conspiracy theory discussion about electronics companies and the lack of an industry standard-shaped hole on digital cameras for the little plug thingies to fit into. All three cords had different shaped plugs! (You can tell I am truly a tech-savvy individual, now can't you??)

So today we went to the early service at church, and then out to Bass Pro Shop, which is only a half-hour or so from here. The boys always get stoked about the big (like taller than I am) aquarium in the back of the store, and the glass elevator! Then we went out to lunch at a fun and rather "irreverent" and unorthodox restaurant native to our area which sports a little playground, a little "gator museum" and even live gators in a big pond outside! We tend to take all our out-of-state guests to this restaurant, because it's so unusual and totally "local." (Those of you who either live here or have visited us down here know what I'm talkin' about!)

After that, we hit the beach! It was an absolutely perfect day for that. The water was its typically beautiful green and blue, the air temperature was actually down a bit today, the water was warm, and the waves were almost nonexistent when we arrived around 1pm. The waves picked up a bit throughout the afternoon, but never got very rough. It was perfect for actually swimming in, not just wading, like the last time we were at the beach in May. It was really a great beach day!

Drake is like a different kid at the beach than he was before swimming lessons!! Before, he rarely went into the water past his knees or so, didn't want his head to get wet, and most of the time, just wouldn't go in the water at all. He was especially nervous about the waves. But you should have seen that boy today! I was the one who was nervous! I had to keep calling him back near us as he swam and "bodysurfed" his way around.

Levi started out the afternoon afraid of the waves, and spent most of his time sitting on a beach towel playing in the sand, or else taking walks up and down the beach with me. By the end, though, he was tolerating the water up to about thigh-level. Yay, Levi! He really loved the seagulls and spent a lot of time signing "bird, bird, bird!" We have an absolutely adorable 4-second or so video clip of that, but it's trapped inside my sister's camera. Oh well. Maybe I'll post it later, once they get home and can e-mail it to us!

This great day was topped off tonight by a phone call from Dave and Cherie, our favorite Alaskans. We miss them so much, but it was nice to get to talk today! After travelling and living in an RV for almost two months, they will finally get the keys to their base house tomorrow, and their household goods shipment should arrive the next day. Baby is due in 2-1/2 weeks! They are holding together nicely, and I stand in awe of their ability to handle crises and chaos, and to work together. (I shudder to think what state I would be in if it were our family in their situation!) God is good!

Well, we aren't sure what tomorrow will hold. It's the last full day we get to spend with Jeff and Crystal. Maybe we'll go to the park for awhile.

(I'll try to remember my camera!)

New Orleans!

This will be quick today. My sister, Crystal, and brother-in-law, Jeff, arrived yesterday and will be here for five days! Yesterday morning, we left here about 3:30am and drove to New Orleans to pick them up at the airport there - about a 4-1/2 hour drive. We got to see a bit of New Orleans with them before heading home, mainly the French Quarter. It was really interesting! We saw Preservation Hall, Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, and (Louis) Armstrong Park, among other things. The kids did very well, considering it was muggy and sweltering hot, and they were extremely bored! Levi rode in his Ergo baby carrier (which we've had about a year and love - highly recommended) and gave no complaints the whole time. Drake walked some, and was carried some, and he did super-well too. We were so blessed!

Crystal, Drake, me, Levi, and Jeff at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport just after their arrival!

Levi, me, Drake, Crystal, and Jeff in front of the Andrew Jackson Memorial in Jackson Square

Jeff and Crystal at Preservation Hall! It was cool to visit this famous jazz landmark. We were surprised by its humble presentation. The streets in the French Quarter are narrow, and the businesses and dwellings are very small, full of old-fashioned details and charm.

Adam and Drake outside Armstrong Park, checking out the little bananas growing on the banana trees. The leaves were huge and felt sort of like laminated paper!

Drake collects hat pins, and here he's showing off his latest pin from New Orleans! It's the black one in the center (think Saints logo). We were looking at all of his pins yesterday, and he has eight: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (Wash. D.C.), Niagara Falls, Hershey's Chocolate World, Amish Village, Disneyworld - Magic Kingdom, Disneyworld - Animal Kingdom, Air Force, and now New Orleans. He's pretty proud of his collection!

Aunt Crystal with her nephews.

We're having a great time with Crystal and Jeff. More to come!

Diaper model

I'm taking a break from housework...and yes, I totally realize that it's 10:55pm, but after kids and husband are in bed is really the ideal time for me to get stuff done when I have something to plow through. And tonight I do. It's a mountain of papers and miscellaneous stuff on the desk. It's definitely a "hot spot" at our house. (Ever heard of FlyLady? I'm a fan...but that's for another post, another day!)

.

Anyway, like I said, I'm taking a break to post the ducky diaper modeling pictures that I promised. (I'm sure I'm the only one here enjoying this...the rest of you were hoping I'd forget!)

With some help from Daddy, Levi struts his stuff on the runway...

Thanks for humoring me. Now, wasn't that fun?!

Quick pix

I decided not to keep you in suspense any longer and to go ahead and post a few of the pictures I've already taken off the camera. I think we'll be pretty busy this weekend and so I may not get around to it otherwise. (But I need to remember to take a picture of Levi in the ducky diaper, of course, so I can put it on here when I get the chance!)

I just like this picture! Heidi sticks this close to Levi quite frequently. Who knows why...

Drake, me, and Levi before releasing Clayton's 7th birthday balloon.

Drake is enjoying the frosting off Adam's cupcake, as well as his own.

He's his mama's boy...I hate to say it, but it's true. Gotta love that frosting!

Levi enjoyed Clayton's birthday cupcakes a little, but I think he liked playing in the frosting more than eating it.

Now isn't that sweet?! I need to put this one up on my fridge to look at for when I have days like the past few have been!

My other hobby (well, one of them)...

...besides blogging, that is! Tonight I've been sewing. A little stress-reliever for me! I finished another fitted diaper that I started last night or the night before, I can't remember. Anyway, it's not for Levi, but for my friend Cherie's daughter. I'm doing a small stash of these cute little ducky/bubble flannel ones for her, and I really like how they're turning out. Cherie bought the fabric - isn't it adorable? I modified (a lot actually) a free pattern I found online, and I think I've finally got it just how I like it. Hopefully they'll fit little Adelyn as well as they fit Levi, my "model." (I just have to add here that before our favorite Alaskans moved in June, Cherie made six, yes six, oh-so-cute newborn fitteds as her first sewing project - well, first in a long time anyway, and they turned out really nice. I wish I had taken a picture of them, but I forgot to.)

So anyway, Cherie and I have both decided we're getting disillusioned with Aplix (the Velcro of the diaper world) for a number of reasons, so I got some plastic snap tape to try as closures for these. I have high hopes for it, as it's very similar to the snap tape in a very durable boughten all-in-one diaper I've been using for a long time. Metal snap tape is just not heavy-duty enough for the rigors of home diaper-washing; we've learned this from experience. The prongs are too short and the snaps rust and fall out. And I don't have a snap press (yet anyway!) to add resin snaps one at a time. So, like I said, I have high hopes for this snap tape.

I don't use fitted diapers myself - well, for Levi! You know what I mean! - but many mamas love them. They are awfully cute, I have to say! Especially when made with print fabric. And functional - hold it all in nicely!

I took some pictures so you can see how they're turning out. Sorry if I'm putting you to sleep. I know that few of my readers are as obsessed with sewing cloth diapers as I am! Probably just one. (Hi Dawn!) So here are the pictures. I'll try and remember to take one of Levi modeling for you tomorrow. They're even cuter on a baby!

Here ya go:

Heidi likes to be near me. Like, all the time. She seemed only slightly irritated that the diaper I was making was ruffling her fur. Certainly not irritated enough to move off my sewing table!

All done! It's a bit stiff now, but just picture it much softer and fluffier after a few washings...

Here's the inside - I "recycled" a really thin, blue prefold (provided by Cherie) for the inner layer. (There's also a pad of 6 layers of flannel and 4 layers of birdseye between the flannel outer and the prefold inner. Yes, these take awhile to dry, but they're very absorbant.)

This is the snap tape that I was talking about...you can kind of see it in this picture. It looks like it will be snug and durable. I guess we'll find out after a few months of wear!

*****

Okay...yes, I know that there have been no pictures of my kiddos for, what, like almost a week?? And many of you read this blog solely for the pictures of the boys. So I'm sorry. My next post won't disappoint you. I promise to post pictures of my children, not just words and/or pictures of diapers! (As beautiful as cloth diapers are.......)

A small mutiny

We're having company in a few days, so I've started thinking about preparing for that. And we're also having Drake's 6th birthday party here a week from tomorrow. So yesterday afternoon, I went into the playroom and sat down in the middle of the floor, sorting toys. Army men with the army men, Transformers with the Transformers, baby toys in the baby toy bins, and all the miscellaneous stuff....ummm....over here in these drawers. Now, admittedly I should have had Drake doing it, or at least helping me, but I just didn't feel like I could handle any more battles with him yesterday.

So I was in there sorting, and Drake came in, and asked in a horrified voice, "Mommy, what are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning up the playroom," I told him.

"No," he whined, "Don't do that! I like it this way!" pointing to the toy-scattered landscape.

"But isn't it easier to find things when it's all cleaned up?"

"No, it's easier to find them when I can see them all! I don't want you to clean it!"

I was surprised, to say the least. Unfortunately, I sort of expect that kind of reaction when he's the one doing the cleaning, but I was cleaning it myself! If he doesn't even like things picked up when someone else is willing to do it for him, how am I ever going to get him motivated to keep his stuff picked up on his own?

How I would love to have a maid!! But apparently my son would rather live in clutter. Neither of us actually enjoys picking stuff up, but at least I like it when things are organized! Perhaps that's an acquired trait?

I know I'm setting myself up for all kinds of derision and advice by posting something like this, but I am weary. I know that I am the parent - "the boss" - but after awhile I feel like there is a mutiny going on, and it's such a battle to deal with the same sinful attitude issues in my kids over and over again. Consistency is the key; I know this. And I need to not give in or back down (and not do things like clean something up myself that I should have Drake doing, only because I can do it 10 times faster and because I don't want to listen to his protests).

Often, Drake is a sweet, helpful kid who thinks of others before himself. And then there are times like now. I don't feel like we're doing anything different with him, but it saddens and disappoints me when he can't get along with his playmates, whines and complains about everything all day, says mean things to his brother, and the list goes on. I am apprehensive about him starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks, because I really don't want him to get off on the wrong foot with his teacher and classmates, but his whole disposition has been so "sour" lately. I know there is a kind, sweet, hard-working little boy in there somewhere. Where did he go?

But really, I see many of the same attitude problems that he is displaying reflected in my own heart, and I'm not too efficient at getting rid of them either. I complain a lot too, often inwardly, but that doesn't make it any better. I can be lazy too - I don't want to do things that seem overwhelming to me. So I understand it. I really do. But I think we find it even harder to deal with sin in others that we ourselves struggle with. Maybe because it seems more hopeless?

Yesterday I took the TV away indefinitely. You would think the entire world had ended. Then a little while ago, I told him I was about to take "play" away from him, too, if he could not be thankful for it and stop complaining. I guess I had better get to thinking of lots of chores he can do this afternoon. I pray that I will not have to take it quite that far...