Happy Easter

Call to Lament and Repent

Next week will mark five years since the United States invaded Iraq. We all lament the suffering and violence that continue after these five heartbreaking years, and we all share in responsibility for a war that has been waged in our names and with our tax dollars.That's why I've added my name to a public statement repenting for the Iraq war, which Jim Wallis and other Christian leaders will be releasing next week - with the signatures of thousands of Christians of all theological and political stripes. Support for U.S. wars and foreign policy is still the area where Christians are most "conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). We must commit to put our love for Christ ahead of obedience to a misguided government, and to ask our brothers and sisters to join us in working for peace.

Will you join me in signing the statement? Just click here.

Random Photos

Here are some pictures that have been hanging in suspense on my camera - I finally got around to locating the cable required for uploading. These are not apearing in the order in which they occurred because I can't make them upload in sequence -I am a serious slacker folks. Enjoy!

Game Face

They were so excited that the flowers were blooming that the boys' ran from our car to the fence to check them out.

We had a fun filled Saturday with the grandparents a couple of weekends ago visiting The Wren's Nest and Imagine It! in Atlanta. We happened upon these very patient policemen while walking through Centennial Olympic Park. They were gracious enough to make two of the boys' big dreams come true - "riding" a motorcycle, and being a policeman.

A Call to Action

What shalt thou do? ... Do good. Do all the good thou canst. Let thy plenty supply thy neighbor’s wants; and thou wilt never want something to do. Canst thou find none that need the necessaries of life, that are pinched with cold or hunger; none that have not raiment to put on, or a place where to lay their head; none that are wasted with pining sickness; none that are languishing in prison? If you duly considered our Lord’s words, "The poor have you always with you," you would no more ask, "What shall I do?"

- John Wesley"On Worldly Folly"

Act Locally, Think Globally

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The $10,000 Challenge
All gifts made online between now and March 31st will be matched by a special challenge grant, with a goal of raising an additional $10,000. Please be as generous as you can to help us receive the full challenge grant so we can feed more of our hungry neighbors today! Please spread the word! Click here to make a donation using our secure server.

Want to Be an Activist?

Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, we provide help and opportunity far beyond the communities in which we live.

Bread for the World members write personal letters and emails to and meet with our representatives in Congress. Working through churches, campuses and other organizations, we engage more people in advocacy.Bread for the World works in a bipartisan way. We enjoy the support of many different church bodies. Bread for the World collaborates with other organizations to build the political commitment needed to overcome hunger and poverty. For example, Bread for the World is a founding partner in Bono's ONE Campaign.

Here's how you can help.

And Now, The Moment You've All Been Waiting For...

Okay, I am unable to follow through with a time commitment of any kind. Now that we have established this, be prepared to wait an extra few days whenever I say a post is coming soon :)

The last week (month actually) of our crazy life has been...well, crazy. The boys have started going to school 3 mornings a week and you'd think an additional morning without kiddos would lead to greater productivity for me. This has not proven to be so. I am perpetually trying to catch up on all things neglected (everything organizational), stay on top of all things necessary for daily survival (you know, like feeding this brood and making sure they have clean underwear), and I have been attempting to carve out some me time for my own physical and mental well being (I have actually managed to get to the gym more times this month than I have in the last year). Throw in our usual geriatric dog care, sick kids every other minute, traveling Daddy, dentist appointments, doctor appointments, veterinary appointments, travel plans, garden planning (because it is almost Spring and I am anxious to get outside in the dirt - we have a delusional plan for growing much of our food this year) and this is the tip of our iceberg. Of course, I cannot imagine anything else so I want to clarify that this is not really complaining so much as assessing the chaos and pondering how to manage our (okay, my) time more efficiently.

Cs eczema (which I have not yet written about in detail but has been an ongoing struggle for him) is getting bad again. Unfortunately, his face has it the worst this time and has become a source of embarrassment and shame for him. 4 years old is not a time when being different is okay and he has said a few things that lead me to believe he may be getting left out of playground games at school. His own brothers have told him that he cannot play with them because they do not want to catch his "itchies" ( a conversation I overheard a couple of weeks ago that broke my heart). I've spoken with H and B both about Cs eczema, explaining that it is not contagious but is something that C has to live with just as H has asthma. We've talked about how he (C) must feel when his brothers and/or friends are unkind to him, when he is being left out and we have talked about how they (as brothers) need to always stick together, to take care of one another. How much of this they take to heart I do not know. I knew this day would come when one of our boys would be faced with a hurt that we could not protect him from. I did not expect it so soon and my heart is in no way prepared for the pain of watching it happen. Not sure where I am going with this - I am still coming to terms with it and looking for a way to address it sensitively with C.

H has had a weird stomach virus that had him puking for half a day (and he is usually at least a 24 hour puker) and then just lethargic and not eating - but no longer throwing up. He has not had a legitimate meal in 5 days and he is not a picky eater. I finally took him in this morning and the pediatrician said she's seeing a lot of this right now. She checked him out and feels he is probably just nauseated still - poor kid. We're hoping his appetite will return soon. He has already been surpassed in height and weight by his brothers...he needs all the nutrients his little body can get. And I need him to go back to school. Though in all honesty, it's been kind of neat to spend a little time alone with him as he convalesces.

B is full of imagination - telling stories and creating pretend scenarios for his brothers all day long. Well, most of the day - the rest of the time he is firing off questions at me about every possible thing imaginable. This child makes my brain hurt! I am thrilled at his inquisitive nature - it is much like my own. But his need to understand everything in the universe coupled with his inability to look it up and find answers for himself are wearing me down. "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer either. We must look for the answer - at the library or on the Internet (which, by the way is so crazy that my 4 year old knows that this is a way we can use computers - I don't think I knew which end was up at 4 years old) and then discuss it - ad nauseum - for days on end. I've never been interrogated, but I am beginning to see how it might make a person crack up after long enough.

On a group note, the boys started soccer last week. This is the funniest thing I have ever witnessed. Really. 15 four year olds "practicing" (code word for free for all) is comic relief for me as I am on the sidelines watching some poor innocent soul's (their very patient coach) attempt at "herding cats" (this is how Kelly refers to efforts at any organized drill with preschoolers). As twisted as it is, I revel in seeing other adults experience a slice of my daily life while I relax and do absolutely nothing to even hint at helping manage the chaos. If only I had a cold beer in my hand it would be perfect. Since their soccer league is through the church, I am thinking that beer at 4 year old soccer practice/games may be frowned upon. Too bad.

And this will have to do for an update as I can hear the little hooligans getting a little too crazy in the next room. I will try (and we have already established this means nothing) to post some pictures, at the very least, before the end of the week. I have several good ones on the camera that I will happily download if I can ever again find the cable to connect it to the computer...

Worth Checking Out

Kids Talk is an award-winning weekly column dealing with childhood development issues and written by Maren Stark Schmidt. Mrs. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland. She has over 20 years experience working with young children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale.

If you have preschoolers, this is a really good site full of information about learning (particulary reading) at this developmental stage and you can sign up to receive a weekly newsletter.

Plan B

Clearly I am not keeping up with daily posting. I do want to keep the blog and I do want to use it for journaling this process of little boys growing up (and Mommy too), so my new goal is to post weekly...possibly more often if time allows but weekly for sure. Not even ready to commit to a day of the week - it may be Monday it may be Friday - who knows, but I will post at least once per week. This little ramble is not my post for this week. I will have a week in review up tomorrow - seriously, I will (try). Here's a sample of things that may be in that post:

• The boys started soccer (1st time) and it is a hoot
• New mommies - as observed at the playground and memories of my first year as a first time mom
• sick kids (this is a winter long theme)
• faith and politics - because I am feeling crazy
• higher education - as in, I want to go to grad school next year but I think it may be a little delusional to think it possible, we'll see
• whatever else I can come up with that seems slightly interesting even if only to myself

So check in tomorrow (night) and see what made the cut.

Monday Memory (a few days later)

I missed this Monday past for my memory post. I'm barely getting the necessities done around here so blogging has fallen to the bottom of the to do list. But check out this picture (above) taken sometime in the first couple of weeks after the boys all came home. Don't I look so - I dunno, stupidly calm, optimistic, joyful that I have three infants dependant upon me for survival? I had no idea what was coming. I have no recollection of this photo being taken. The entire first year is a blur. I do remember how grateful I felt that all the boys were home and healthy. I feel that gratitude even now as I recognize how blessed we are. Also I feel exhausted - but I'm trying to focus on grateful. And how can you not be grateful for such cuteness (photo below).