Taken Care of Through the Timing

Remember my post about perfect timing?

Well there's a bit to add to the story now.

You see, today Brent got a facebook message from one of his former co-workers. They just found out that corporate is closing their plant in 6 months.

Wow. We are amazingly, perfectly taken care of. Wow.

Brent was actually very worried about this possibility while I was pregnant with Jacob. And we had talked about that if they closed this plant, corporate might offer him a position in another plant. In Cincinnati. And even though we would not have liked to move there, he would have to accept that job. Because there was nothing else he could do.

We were prepared for that possibility of the plant closing. But it didn't happen. We were able to stay here and I was able to keep my doctor and have our son at the hospital I was planning on. Thank you, God.

And then Brent got his new job at a new company. And now the possibility we were prepared for has become a reality for the old company. But we were protected from that reality by the perfect timing. Thank you, God.

Even as I write this, I am thinking, though, that there are many others who are not in a good position now. Corporate may choose to offer to move some people to a different plant. But they will not even make offers to any of the hourly employees. I will be praying for them. That they will be able to find new jobs quickly. That they and their families will not go hungry. That they will not lose their homes. That they, too will be protected by God's perfect timing.

Won't you pray for them, too, please?

Friday Family Photos

I just love alliteration, don't you? I wonder though, is it still alliteration if it's the same sound, but not the same letter?

Anyway, I'm tired this morning...so I don't have much to say. That being the case, I thought I would share some old family photos with you. Can you guess who is in each picture? I will share the answers later with an update at the bottom of THIS POST (the caps were for you, Mom. There won't be a different post with the information, it will be on this same post...although, you will already know the answers, anyway)

Hmm...I just decided that I will make this a contest. I will send a small pack of handstamped cards to the person who gets the most answers correct, or the first person to get them all right. So leave me a comment with your guesses. For the people who don't know all of my family, I will give you some names to be a little more fair. Kathy (my sister), Steven (my brother), Beth (cousin), Robert (cousin), me (Christy). You have until Monday (5/31/10) evening at 9:00pm CDT to make your guesses.












****Update****
The answers are: #1 - Christy, Steven and Kathy; #2 - Christy and Steven; #3 - Kathy; #4 - Steven and Kathy; #5 Christy and Beth

So NatCh, being the only guesser and correctly guessing 80%, wins the prize. I will be sending you your handmade cards later this week. :)

And Staci - I COMPLETELY agree! I saw that picture, immediately though of Samantha and it inspired me to look for more pictures to share for this post. :)

My letter to Stampin' Up!

Dear Stampin’ Up!,

I am so unhappy with you right now. I don’t really even know how to express exactly how much. The most accurate thing I can say is that I feel betrayed.

A few years ago, when you redid the core colors, you said that would be it. That you would keep these colors and you would have the in-colors changing each year for trendiness, but that the core would remain the same. I was a demonstrator at that time and I trusted you to keep your word. I invested in ink pads in all of the core colors. I pushed myself to use colors that didn’t particularly appeal to me and found that I started to like them in new ways.

And now you have gone back on your word. You are eliminating thirty of those colors that I invested in. That is thirty colors that you told me you would keep, that will no longer be available. That is a lot of money that was spent on something that will no longer be useful. Or if I want to continue to use that investment in the future, I have to buy refills NOW. And it means that I won’t be able to match my ink to my cardstock once I run out of cardstock.

I don’t think that changing your core colors every few years is a good idea. I know that if I remain a customer, I will be unlikely to buy any colors that I don’t already absolutely love. I would be too worried that I would be unable to use it in a year or two. Or that I wouldn’t have time to grow to love it before it becomes unavailable. But at least this time you are being up front about this plan.

Yes, I am disappointed that some of my favorite colors will no longer be available. I have been disappointed over things retiring before, and I have gotten over that. That is not nearly as important as the fact that I feel I cannot trust you to keep your word.

Since the last color renovation, life interrupted and I am not currently a demonstrator. I did plan to become a demonstrator again in the future, but now I doubt that I will do so. Because I must be able to trust a company that I am going to represent. I’m not even sure that I will remain a Stampin’ Up! customer at this point.

Sincerely,
Christy

Hurt Feelings

Maddie and Samantha apparently have a true sibling type relationship...even though they aren't related. They love each other one second and push each other's buttons the next.

Normally, Samantha tends to be the one in a bad mood in the morning. Particularly when I have to wake her up because she didn't wake up on her own. The other morning Maddie was the one in a bad mood.

While I was in the entry with Nancy, Samantha came running out, crying. I asked what was wrong and she told me that Maddie pushed her. I asked if she was hurt and she said no. So I started working with her on expressing her feelings with words rather than crying. I told her that rather than coming crying to me, she should ask Maddie to stop please because she doesn't want to be pushed. She said OK still with a little cry in her voice.

A few minutes later, Maddie came across the room from where she was rocking, pushed Samantha and then walked back to the rocking chair. All for no reason that I could discern.

Of course, Samantha started crying. She wasn't hurt. She just didn't want to be pushed. After crawling into my lap for some hugs and a reminder from me, she actually did do a good job of telling Maddie "You hurt mine feelings. Stop please." without too much whine in her voice.

Then a few seconds later while Maddie was sitting in time out, Samantha wanted to play with her...go figure. I am glad, though, that she forgives quickly.

And I hope that she is learning that it isn't fun when your friends are mean to you, so that perhaps she herself will be nicer to her friends all the time.

A teenager in a toddler's body

Last night, I decided that is who I have living in my house. Here's the story:

Brent's mom is here helping with painting and other things to get our house ready to sell. We got Samantha into bed and then I went into the bathroom. Samantha came to the gate in her doorway and started saying something to me...I don't remember what anymore and it doesn't really matter to the rest of the story.

I told her that I am in the bathroom and she needs to get back in bed. She said something else. Memaw told her that I was in the bathroom, she needed to get back in bed, and that I would come to her once I was out of the bathroom.

Samantha said either "You not talking me" or "I not talking me", I can't remember which. Either way, I was shocked. Surely I didn't hear what I thought I just heard. I asked her what she just said and she told me "I not talking her."

It's a good thing I was still in the bathroom, because it gave me a moment to take a breath and handle this calmly. Seriously...my TWO year old just told her Memaw that she isn't talking to her rather than obeying the instruction she was given?!

Where did she learn such sass and disrespect? To say I was shocked is putting it mildly. As soon as I got out of the bathroom, I went to Samantha's room and talked to her about this. I told her that she was very rude to Memaw. That she was disrespectful. That what she said was NOT good manners. I also told her that she must obey Memaw, just like she must obey Mommy and Daddy. I told her that she needed to apologize to Memaw.

She went over to Memaw and just squatted down in front of her. Then I realized she probably doesn't know what the word apologize means, so I told her to tell Memaw she is sorry. Which she did immediately without any more prodding. So I think she understands now that she cannot say things like that.

I wonder, though, did she realize what her words meant? She used them in context, so I tend to think so. But at the same time, did she intend to be disrespectful? Or was she just repeating something that she heard on TV? (man oh man, one of the things that I am MOST looking forward to about being home is to be able to know EXACTLY what she sees on TV...and to drastically reduce the amount she is allowed to watch.) Did she just think that by saying that she was telling Memaw that she wants her Mommy? Or did she really mean it disrespectfully?

I am SOOO hoping...but NOT holding my breath about it...that she was just repeating something she heard and didn't intend the disrespect. Because if she knew exactly what she was saying, we may have an even rockier and longer road ahead of us than I had previously imagined.

What do you think?

Has your child ever said something like that, at a much earlier age than you would have expected, and made you wonder if they knew what they were saying?

How would you handle it?

Needing

Yesterday was not a fun day...in fact I am still feeling a little bit of the after-affects this morning. I got sick yesterday. Really sick. With a stomach bug. I came home from work and spent pretty much the entire afternoon in the bathroom. And as it got closer and closer to 5pm, I started crying. A little bit because I was so sick of being sick, but even more because I was extremely worried about how I was going to manage to take care of my children for the evening if this kept up. How do you single moms do it? I am amazed by you. I didn't realize how tenuous a thread I was holding on by until now.

I called Brent crying, but knowing that he couldn't do anything. He is 2.5 hours away. He did tell me that I should go ask our neighbors for help. And I was so broken down by this point, that I didn't resist the idea at all. Samantha, Jacob and I all walked down the block, and as I almost started crying again, I asked Kathy to come help me with Samantha. She immediately said yes, she would be down to our house in just a few minutes.

So she came, and stayed for more than an hour and a half. She helped Samantha eat her dinner and get cleaned up. She held Jacob when he was crying and I had to run to the bathroom yet again. She paid attention to the water boiling on the stove to make bullion for me, so that I could have something more than water in my stomach. She got Samantha dressed in her jammies while I changed Jacob's diaper and she held Samantha and read stories to her while I was otherwise occupied again. Then before she left, she told me that if I need anything else, to be sure to call her, because that is why they are here.

Normally I feel humbled when I have to ask for help. Not so much yesterday. I just felt desperate...and grateful and relieved.

I wonder why we have to get to that point to ask for help? Are we so independent that we think we have to do everything ourselves? Or are we so arrogant that we think we are above receiving help, that getting help is for the weak? It is kind of humbling to think about. We are willing to give help, but not to receive it.

I tell my kids at work, almost daily, that they should ask for help. That it is actually a strength to be able to admit that you need help and ask for it. Yet, I struggle with doing so myself.

No person (or family) is an island. We are given friends and fellowship to share our joy and help with our troubles. So why are we so reluctant to use these gifts and to allow someone else the opportunity to be needed and to help?

Not Me Monday - Baby, Toddler and Mommy

I did not do a Wordless Wednesday post...on Tuesday morning. Thankfully I DID realize it was Tuesday before I hit publish and then simply saved the post for Wednesday morning.

I did not skip a bath with my visibly dirty toddler and simply wipe her down with baby wipes in order to get her into bed a little less late.

And I did not look at my baby on the floor...several feet away from where I put him...and wonder how he got over there. Did he scoot, roll, or (gasp!) crawl (for the first time) without me seeing him? No way...I pay much more attention that that.

And as a little sidenote, he IS very close to crawling. Last night (5/23/10) he did get up on all fours and rock back and forth for a moment before he was too worn out to continue. Maybe he will do it again tonight and then I can get a picture for you :)

Finally, I did not skip a nap for me and choose to work on packing when BOTH of my children were sleeping AT THE SAME TIME yesterday afternoon for over two hours! (Samantha's nap was actually 3.5 hours and she only got up when she did because Brent woke her up a little after 4 so that he could tell her he was leaving.)

Head on over to MckMama's blog to see what everyone else has NOT been up to this week.