Doodles

Toby has a weekly thing at school, to transform a doodle into a picture.  I love seeing what he does with them!

Catch Up

How did it get to be the end of October already?  Feels like yesterday we were finishing up summer!  What's been going on, in particular order...

Toby turned 7 earlier this month.  My baby boy is getting older and growing up.  This year he is in first grade, and is doing well with math and reading.  He gets homework done quickly without any fuss, which is a huge blessing because I do not have much patience for that!

His cast did indeed come off on October 7, but the bone had not completely regrown, usually taking about 3 months to do that.  Therefore he has been on "restrictions" from anything that could lead to a fall.  Of course, a 7-yo boy is not one to avoid the action, so there's been some moments of hair-raising for me, but so far so good!

Emma is doing well.  We have been continuing her post-surgery therapies, working on scar reduction and having to stretch her mouth - who knew the surgery would make her mouth not want to open!  That involves trips to the hospital weekly, to see the therapist as well as daily stretches and massage.

The left side of her new smile has increased in movement.  It's not at the level of the strong right side, but it is noticeable.  Part of her exercises is to smile at herself in the mirror so her brain makes the connection between the muscle movement and the visible movement - creating new neural pathways.  The surgery feels like it was forever ago, but in reality only 3 months from the second procedure, so there's still a way to go.

School is going well for Emma too.  She's doing great academically, but we are definitely entering in to a new phase socially.  We've encountered some rude and ignorant comments, as well as navigating the tricky female social world.  Emma is a smart, social girl, but she does not like sport and activity.  So it can be a challenge to find like-minded girls!  

Her birthday is coming up fast too.  At 9 yo she will be considered a "pre-teen"!  While she still enjoys Disney Junior and listens to the same Christian music as us, the kids around her are exposed to many other things, especially when they have older siblings.  We pray that we have done enough to help the kids make the right choices in life.

Scott's about to move on from the building he's been working on since last November, to a new site.  He's excited to move on but there will be an adjustment period.  Over-time is a financial blessing but a physical and family strain.  We make the best of it and look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I'm working hard to keep everyone moving along and has what they need.  Somehow though I got strep throat, so a couple of days and I'll be back at it!

Waiting to see if today is the day the cast will stay off!

Overcomer

The Bible references two kinds of god: there is God Almighty, author of life, all knowing, all powerful, loving and merciful; and there are the other little "g" gods - the bible calls them false gods, or idols.

We were created by God for his pleasure.  We are wired to worship - him!  However, our sin nature (thanks Adam & Eve!) makes us prone to wandering in our worship.  When God is not in his rightful place 24/7, we find other things to worship.

If you know the old testament, you immediately go to Exodus 32, and might laugh at the Israelites for creating a golden calf, with their own hands, and then declaring it to be a god.  But are we really so different?  I'm afraid not.

The thing with many of us, even Christians, is that we don't recognize the idols in our life.  They are often things that are good in any other context, even essential.  But when we place something, or someone on a pedestal, they can become the object of worship.

For example, a huge idol in my life is food.  Clearly food is essential, and it is clearly not a real god because it has no supernatural power.  And yet, I often turn to food for comfort.  I see food as my source of sustenance, maybe even life.  In my mind, food offers me pleasure, it promises to ease my pain, it will make everything feel better.  

Since it's a FALSE god, food doesn't have the power to suggest any of this for itself!  My beliefs come from advertising, my own sinful nature, and occasionally actual hunger.  

The problem with false gods is that they promise us things that they often deliver in the short-term - cheesecake makes me feel great while it's in my mouth.  But they also require a sacrifice - food, especially the food that I worship, requires my money, and it also takes my self-esteem as weight gain is a side effect of letting the idol take over.

The good news is that false gods have no power over us that we don't give them.  Even when we feel powerless to resist the call, when we call on the real God for strength, we can live in the freedom he promises us.

Just this morning as I prepared for my day, I realized that I was getting ready to face my idol and likely succumb to eating when and what I don't want to.  I briefly spoke to God and asked him to help me defeat this idol today.  I kid you not, I have been less hungry today than I have in weeks.  When I was tempted based on indulgence, I remembered who is my real sustenance and the temptation passed.

Food is not the only idol in my life, but I am thankful that my God is a jealous God and will not be replaced.  He is quick to sit on the throne of my life, but is a gentleman who waits to be invited.

While each day I wage a battle to keep my eyes on Jesus, and some days I lose, I am thankful that the war has already been won and Jesus has overcome the world.

So help me God

So we are 45 minutes into gymnastics class and Em comes out for water.  Her coach comes out to get her, and Em says "I think I heard some girls behind me say "do you like her face?""  The coach looks at me and I give her the "you better deal with this before I do" look!

She loves Em and has known her for a long time.  She asked Em to show her who it was so she could ask them.

They did say it, and the coach explained why that was wrong and mean as well as what Em has been through to smile.

After class Em said "I think I felt like Auggie in Wonder when I heard that."  No tears, and she said she feels good about how it was handled.

We agreed that it is sad that some people can be so rude and mean.

Am I pissed?  You bet!!  9 years almost and I'm ready to go to war for my baby!  But I've also grown up and as I approach 40 I realize that anger and hate do not overcome hate and fear.

Jesus tells us to do unto others as we would have them do, not because we expect that they will, but because we need to be blameless, and filled with love to have peace.  

We all make mistakes but my children will see mercy and grace in my home.  They will learn to forgive and love others, because that's the right choice.

Now, I'm going to eat my feelings in ice-cream!!

Certain kind of way

One of the young mothers on the Moebius moms Facebook group reached out to me yesterday after I posted a recent picture of Emma (with her permission!).  She wrote A LOT, but this was the gist of it:

I just felt like i had to reach out and let you know that you have touched our lives and given me so much hope and strength to learn to adapt to our "normal". Thank you for that! I know it might sound silly since it's only been on FB, but you have been most helpful with everything you have posted. The first year was the hardest all around!! 

When I get responses like that, it encourages me to keep sharing our stories, the good and the bad!  We all go through things, but if we are able to learn from them, or share a new perspective on how to respond to life, we can impact the world around us. 

It's not comfortable for all people to share their lives in the way we do, and that's ok, but I am learning that God made me who I am, with my certain personality, because he had a plan that would need me to be this way.

Last night we stood up at Emma's back to school night, as usual, and told the parents who had not been in her class before (about 70%) about Moebius Syndrome.  I actually didn't cry!!  I was happy to do it, and to also ask them to lead by example and smile or say "hi" to special needs kids that they see.  Otherwise children are left wondering, and often afraid.

Emma had left a couple of pieces of work for us to see that really touched our hearts!

She really is concerned about the election, especially the hostility to Christianity increasing if one person gets in (maybe both, who knows)!

We were surprised and delighted by this.  For her to learn never to give up and to be generous, well, that's a parenting win in my book!  I'm thankful she knows how hard Scott works, as he does and would always prefer to be with them!

Last weeks cast

I'm getting creative!!

Train a child...

Do you ever wonder what the point is of having rules that you have to constantly remind your kids about? Is it worth nagging them to put their shoes away, empty their lunch bags, make their bed?

I often feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. And then...wait a minute...

I put my shoes away (and some other peoples!)

I make my bed 99% of the time

I empty my purse of my lunch things

I also put my dirty laundry in the hamper, hang up my coat in the closet and countless other things that my mum had to nag me about for years!

I sometimes wish I wasn't so compulsive about everything, but one thing is for sure - I was trained! The sad part is I don't think my mum ever saw the fruit of her labor while I still lived at home.  But I'm sure she'd be super proud of how well I keep my house, at least based on what people who come over say!

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Castaway

Friday we left the beach and headed straight to the hospital to follow-up on Toby's fracture.

We were told to come back again on Wednesday for another x-Ray without his cast, to make sure the bone is not separating when it should be healing.  If it separates further he'll need surgery to set  some pins to hold it.

So, we're back...

Another x Ray, and a new cast!!

Still swollen and very bruised.

Eagles green this time!!

Another x-Ray and new cast next Friday!

Praying!!

Hobby

I seem to have inherited my Dad's love of photography!!  Although it's not difficult with views like these!

Vacation pictures!! OCNJ

Chocolate covered bacon

11" sea bass

Sea robin

Flounder

(All were too small to keep!)

Best friends

Last week Emma and I went to an event for tween girls (I can't believe we are at that stage already!) with one of my best friends and her daughter Abby.  They live in a different state (New Jersey) and we only see each other a few times a year, but we keep in touch on Facebook!

The girls have known each other longer than any other friends

And it's so sweet to see how they just get along even when it's been several months as it was here. (The top pic being 8 years ago though!!)

They had a blast hearing how the are God's masterpiece and great messages about modesty and inner beauty.  (Good for us moms too!)

Then today, a week later Em went to Abby's birthday party.

And Abby will hopefully be coming to Emma's birthday party!

The best friendships are not affected by time or distance!!