Suzanne Griffin

We had a delicious honeydew for snack time yesterday. Gabby: Mom I love these! Me: It IS good isn't it. Gabby: I like the orange ones too. Next time will you get one of those? Me: Sure. Gabby to Brian: The green ones are called honeydew and the orange ones are called Mountian dew. Me to myself: or cantaloupe

I have a love hate relationship with my to do list. I am schedule oriented almost to the point of, well, yes, probably to the point of OCD . I realized that I most likely had a problem when a friend called and wanted to have coffee one Sunday afternoon and asked me to bring my list as she thought that might help her. This is my friend who has been asked to speak many times on her struggles with OCD and the fact that she is on medication and under therapy for it along side her depression. Could they be cause and effect? I've often wondered that myself if I shouldn't be under therapy for many things rather than runny free in society. (no comments) Allen has long poked fun of me about it, and has hidden my timer many times just to watch me panic. This is a cause of great stress at times when the kids or babies do not follow my schedule. I get frustrated with the house, but I can't stop to sweep the kitchen because we were suppose to be working in Zone 3, not zone 1! ...

Besides the torrential downpour of rain, all went well with the yard sale, so that project is finished. Stamp club was a lot of fun this past time, I'll post pictures this week. So this last week was not short on the gross factor. I was changing Wyatt's diaper, which this child would rather be dirty than lay long enough to politely get his bottom freshened. He was stinkin up the place and when I went to change him, here's his own personal audience of Brian, "I just want to see how much he pooped." Sure why not, chalk that up to a science experiment and hopefully future reference for when you will graciously change your own kids diaper to help your precious wife. Or maybe on your way to being a proctologist . I pull the diaper off and start feverishly wiping this greased pig that is squealing in protest. Brian is dying laughing and I smart off, "If you think it's so funny, you finish wiping him." "OK!" Of course. So now Brian is wiping and...

After the post yesterday, wanted to follow up on the stoning of the rebellious child and let you know, no children were harmed in the making of that post. And the Jewish tradition claims that the law was never enforced. But God did still state it as a law all the same. God took sin very seriously. And we should do the same. As those of you who know me, I'm struggling with my weight. But in all honesty it's not my weight that really is a problem, it's my self-control. My weight is just my sin being brought to light. It is the internal character flaws that can no long be hidden because they manifest themselves physically in weight gain. I'm no longer 20, no longer physically active unless it counts that I eat lunch over the sink and chase 4 kids all day. I do not take the time to track my calories, do not spend the money to buy the healthiest foods. I read that someone that is a glutton in one area is usually out of control in other areas as well. Well, yes. I am a little...

What? Have I never read this before? This is just crazy talk. I just finished reading Deut 21 and have some brand new arrsonal to quote for the rebellious child. vs 18-23 (shorten for attention spans of course) "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother...they shall take him to the elders a the city gate...and all the men shall stone him to death." Silly me! And here I was feeling like the "meanist mom in the whole world" yesterday for making Brian stand with his arms in the air for time out to get his attention. After he informed me of my new title, he went on to say, "no other mom ever would be this mean and make her kids do this. If you had other kids they would call you chubby for being so mean." I had to leave the room to laugh at this one. Of course making his time even longer. So now that I know it used to be Mosaic law to be stoned for rebellion, well that just takes it to a whole notha level.

Here is Brian and his BFF , just a couple of weeks ago, not Halloween. Grandma has blessed him with 6 Spiderman and 1 Hulk outfits she picked up at a sale. It has been a great thing and almost a uniform of sorts for him. I can't help but wonder what passerbyers and the neighbor's think of the people who live "there" with the kid always in the S piderman outfit. (Don't be frightened by the dishes in the background, they are part of the kitchen's decorations) And here they go, trekking to the front yard to save the world. Brian came into the house rubbing his hands together, "My hands are just sticky enough that I can climb clear to the top of the van! Just like Spiderman !" Luckily, he later washed the van...using my mop.

In the book of Acts 3, there is the story of the crippled man that Peter and John tell to get up and walk. I just sat stunned after I read this story this time. Really? It was that easy? The man had a condition. The others had compassion. They voiced confession of Christ and his power to heal. The man had completeness. Peter and John didn't lay hands, spend hours in prayer, lighting candles, nothing. It was almost like saying hello. Do we not have the same power of the Holy Spirit in us today as they did then? So does that mean we do not have the same amount of miracles today as they did then because of a lack of faith or unbelief?

In this Chapter of John, the people brought a woman that had committed adultery to be stoned (and just where was the man involved I would like to know!?). I love how Jesus so gently saved her life "Let he that is without sin cast the 1st stone." (John 8:7) Then gently told her to turn from her ways and go. No long sermon to her telling her all the reasons adultery was wrong, didn't yell, "Why did you do this? You knew it was wrong?! How long has this been going on? How could you do this to your Father? You should be grateful that I didn't stone you myself. If I ever catch you again there will be trouble." He didn't so much as sound condescending to her, no judgement, just "go and do the right thing," filled with love towards her. I would love to know what it was that Jesus was writing in the sand. We live in the land of political correctness and home of the proud. Surrounded by people with "rights", with access to therapy and boo...

Yesterday morning was the annual eye dr appointment for the 4 kids. Not to be done again. Not only was the 2 1/2 hour ordeal longer than their patience, I also found myself more annoyed with the dr's assistant as she was condescending from the beginning. Which is why when she was later talking with another secretary about she didn't understand why her friend had avoided her all weekend, I wanted to pipe up, "because your people skills stink!" Ugh. I have just had a run in lately with too many people that I have no idea how they have made it this far in life without ever having someone throw the book, "How to win friends and influence people!" at their head. (This was not a suggestion from the book). Ok, better now. So anyhow, Wyatt's is very farsighted, which explains the drunken stagger he has at times going down steps and the reason for him not quite rounding the corners without running right into things. The poor baby isn't clumsy, he just can...

I had gone upstairs to do our monthly thorough cleaning of the playroom and kids rooms. They have been responsible for doing this themselves and I have to admit I had slacked greatly in doing complete room checks. Thinking they were old enough, they knew what was expected. Just quickly looking around for major problems when we were headed to bed, and would "get it clean tomorrow". So as mess attracts mess, it soon grew out of control and I just couldn't take it any longer. So 3 hours later we had completed the playroom and 1/2 of Makensie's room. The play room wasn't that bad, just some play kitchen food and a couple of books left on the floor...except for 3 large trash bags I found stashed in the closet. What do we have here? Oh wonderful. It's everything that had been on the floor when Gabby had to clean her room last week. This child of mine is a bigger pack rat than me. She has the same, "but I might be able to use that somewhere someday...

That's me. Last night as after supper, as I was sweeping up what I'm sure was more food on the floor than what found it's way into the baby's belly, I caught a glimpse of the stack of paperwork waiting for me, the school papers not filed and the attendance sheets and logs from the day still waiting for me to fill out, laundry waiting to be folded, beds needing sheets put back on,...I was grateful to hear a program on Focus on the Family. I have to admit I was somewhat bored as it was on the something about the 1st year after having a baby is the hardest and the young mom was sharing her thoughts and talking about her book. Not only disappointed thinking I may never finish my book, and when I do, will I personally be stuck with the 1999 of 2000 copies that don't sell? I disagreed somewhat with the mom...how hard is a baby that sleeps most of the time, is happily entertained in the playpen with a box and some Tupperware and gives you justification for not leaving the ...

During handwriting Makensie was writing the word sheep. She says, "I'm can't believe I have to write this." "Why?" I asked "This is a bad word. Like when daddy gets really mad sometimes and he says, Holy Sheep"

One of my sisters is just the most thoughtful of women. She is always dropping a card in the mail, getting little gifts for the kids, sending flowers to someone, checking on others. When I visit her you can just tell people love her. She has long been giving and considerate. I admire this about her greatly. I wish I was more thoughtful about what would really touch or be a blessing to others. Is that the gift of giving? helps? service? Proverbs 17:17-A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. I have always felt that I can go to any of my family during times of adversity and especially my sister. I thank the Lord for her being part of my life. I want to strive to be a bigger blessing to others, I hope that my "sewing kit" of gifts will help to mend someone else's life at the right time. I would say I have quite the blessing to have both of my sisters as close friends.

Brian in the bath: mom do you want to see how big I can splash? Me: Not really Brian: Ok. But if you want to see me splash water on the ceiling again, let me know and I'll show you how I did it. ------------------------------------- Me sniffing Brian's hair after bathtime: Brian what is that green stuff in your hair? Brian: Mouthwash Me: Why? Brian: To make it smell minty.