Birthday Party and Stitches

Over the weekend we went to a really fun laser tag party with all the kids. Since Ashley and Caleb couldn't play I got them lots of tokens. There was no elevator so I couldn't bring the stroller up and down from party to arcade. I just had baby Juliet in one arm and was the token giver with the other. Heh heh.

It was Chaz's best friend's party but I love the mom too so it was great to see her! Towards the end of the party Charles had taken Caleb with him to play in the arcade. He turned his back for just a minute and then turned back again to see blood on Caleb's ear. Not a little but A LOT! He looks closer and sees that a small chunk of ear was totally missing. Caleb is only three so it's hard to hear him talk clearly. We kept asking and asking but we couldn't understand what he was trying to say happened. He got bandaged up but the blood soaked it up fast.

We said goodbye to our friends and my friend Michele and I took him to get stitched up. Michele was in town for the weekend and when we are together it seems we always end up at the doctors for some reason or another. Lol. The doctors were sooooo nice. Caleb was terrified but six people just totally catered to him while he got stitched up. He left with two Popsicles, a Beanie Baby, a sucker, and stickers.

In one weeks time I had to get a dog's broken leg fixed and 2 kids to hospital. The bill will be nice. Already paid for the chihuahua but the other kids' bill still has to come in. A girl at my church who is an RN said she'll take the stitches out for Caleb next week. Yaaaay! I was so surprised she offered that. Kids cost $$$$$! :) They are sooooo worth it though!!!

Bringing Home a Starving Horse

Oh my goodness, I've rescued a lot of animals but now I can add a horse to the list. I didn't really want to post about it just yet because being that I'm smack dab in the  city, I didn't want to draw attention to the fact I had a horse in my backyard.  You know, zoning issues.

Several times as I would drive by a neighbor's house i kept seeing this really skinny horse just tied to a trampoline. I never saw any food or water around.  I finally went over for a visit and greeted the 20 or so dogs that came up to see me.  I saw one particularly skinny black ones whose bones were really showing.  We got to talking about the horse and they said that since the property is not theirs they couldn't have the horse there.  I found out that their father had just came by and dropped off the horse and then two days later was booked into jail. He didn't want the horse and so he figured this family (who is quite poor)  could care for her. Hay is quite expensive these days.   Well,  they didn't know what to do. I told them I would immediately start looking around. Although I was sad for these animals,  they have always been good to my family and welcomed my kids over to play. They are a very poor family but it's obvious they are very happy together. I left with four dogs in my arms and a promise I would find a home for the horse.

No joke, a half hour after that conversation I got a firm knock on my door. I opened it and was surprised to see the gentleman next door standing with the Livestock Police.  The cop saw the condition of the horse and was ready to take the man to jail which in turn would cause the family to get evicted.  The cop told me that the man said I was gonna help him find a home.  He was wanting to know if the guy was lying.   I knew the man was in a jam.  His dad who had abandoned the family with 9 kids keeps dropping dogs off and now a horse. I told the Livestock Police I had someone in mind who could take the horse (meaning myself) and would work on it immediately.  I also told him I would buy food for the horse right away. Well,  as soon as the cop left I asked my neighbor to bring the horse over and I would immediately go purchase supplies needed. He gifted me the horse and I started giving her food and water right away.   I also had to treat some wounds. I was a tad nervous because of zoning issues but I wanted to see this horse make it and find a good home for her. In the meantime I have found homes for 3 out of the 4 dogs I also rescued.

After seeing her look much better with fluids I started looking for a home. Finally,  a family called me that lived out of town.  I asked them a lot of questions and was relieved they've had horses and the means to care for her.   They met me today and I saw Shiloh respond really well to them.   We named her Shiloh because it means peaceful and safe.   She is safe now and I can sleep well.  :)

First pic shows her new family coming to get her. Second was of her after she knocked the gate down to come on the patio to see us. The last picture shows what she looked like the day I got her... skinny.

My Dog Broke His Leg Today

Today started out pretty good as we were trying to beautify our ugly desert backyard. I took the kids to Home Depot,  my favorite place to visit, and we picked out some vines, flowers, and vegetable plants.   We were exhausted by the time we planted everything.

Thankfully, Charles brought home pizza so I wouldn't have to cook.   Yay!   However, as we were relaxing we heard a horrible cry coming from a bedroom. It sounded bad and it was coming from one of our chihuahuas.   It was the little black one we had just rescued.  It was an obvious break in one of his front legs.  He jumped off something not very high. I was no help because I started crying.  Finally I got the courage to drive him out to the animal hospital to have it looked at.  It cost me $40 to have them give him pain meds while his foot was set vs. having him wait for relief from pharmacy for only $12.  He was crying and in so much pain so I had them give the meds right away. 

This is one of the dogs I recently rescued and his bones are not too strong from being undernourished. Also,  the fur is a simple of of poor nourishment. In glad they could set it.   Once we paid the hospital, got meds from pharmacy, then headed home and secured him in basket,  I gave him more meds for pain.   Ohhhh,  I hope tomorrow is a better day.   Sigh.

Visiting the Renaissance Festival 2013

What a fun weekend we had!   We love the Renaissance Festival but try not to go every year to keep it from being to common a treat for us.  Well, Ashley and Caleb had never seen it so it was about time. Our favorite is always the jousting and the Wild Men.  We had a great time and it was so good to spend time together.  As we were getting our tickets a couple walked up to us and handed us some children's tickets.   Plus we had a buy one get one free.   We were like YEEHAW! Here are some great pictures!

Gravesite Visit and Discussions

Yesterday morning I walked into the kitchen and saw that Ivy was having tea with a picture of her great-grandparents right in front of her.  I thought that was neat. I named Ivy after her grandmother who died at 22. 

I asked the kids if they'd all like to drop what they're doing and go see the gravesite where they were. They immediately got dressed so we could go right away.

We got so much exercise trying to find several of our relatives. Ivy died of cancer at 22 and her husband (my grandpa) died of a gunshot wound at 29. The kids have been told so much of them and that is why I think they feel they have a bond with them.

We stayed for a couple hours, saw daddy for a bit and then finally headed home.  The kids were exhausted from walking so much and so was I. :) It was a good experience though because we had so many interesting conversations there. I heard them talking about life after death.  There is a comfort in knowing where I am going when I die. Life is but a vapor.

Homeschool Challenges and Clutterbugs

Tuesdays for us are always really challenging.  Saturday the kids aren't required to do homeschool. On Sunday we don't do homeschool or chores because it's the Lord's day.  Monday they go to their one day a week school.  Come Tuesday the kids have been out of their habits and we can go through some battles!  By Friday they are completely into the routine and everything is butter smooth.

Well, today was Tuesday (technically Wednesday but I'm writing late.)  It was a bit rough (understating it) and the kids lost their privilege to go swimming at the indoor pool.  I really wanted to go to but I had to make a point. Hopefully they got it. 

So off to dinner I went with my dad.  It was on a whim but that's how it is.  It's so hard with busy schedules. Things are not important, people are.  Have you ever had a chance to see an episode online where Clean House confronts the house owner?  These people are usually hoarders but when you get to the root of it, these clutterbugs had lost relationships or tradegy took someone they love. They began to accumulate things because they knew those things would never leave them.  Just because we've been hurt or lost a loved one we can't stop wanting happy, healthy relationships.  Nor should we interfere in people wanting them.  The worst thing a depressed person can do is go into a cave and began distrusting everyone around.  Caves make people weird.  Stay in the rock tumbler.  It smoothes out those rough edges.

My gosh.  My baby geese were so loud I had to get up to go give them more water before they woke up everyone.  They play with the water constantly so I always have to refill it.  They are happy till they run out and as soon as you refill it they stop making noise.  I guess they were practicing Luke 18. ;)

Little Patience for Little People

Do you remember how you felt as a child when an adult would talk down to you?  I do like it was yesterday. I don't know why but lately I have been seeing a lot of it.  As I child I remember wondering why an adult could snap at me so quickly. Why couldn't they just answer me politely like they would to other adults?  Why is it okay to freak out on a kid?  Kids have feelings too and their spirit can also be broken. On top of it, kids are being molded and shaped.  Their experiences when they are young shape who they become.  Put it this way.  If your pastor walks up to you and asks a question, would you snap at him?  Probably not, you respect him. 

We are all have to learn patience with our kids.  Its hard at times, especially when they just spilled your 44oz Diet Dr Pepper you just got for yourself after a long day.  Allll over the carpet and clean laundry you just washed.  (Um...this just happened to me today).  Everything in me wanted to snap at them.  I removed myself from the situation for about one minute, told the kid it was okay, its just an accident, and cleaned it up.  I've learned to internalize the negative feelings rather than freak out about childish mistake. 

Children may test us but they will not think or process things like an adult.  They have an innocence that I love.  I figure God gifted me these beautiful souls.  In return, I'll not only raise them up in Godly standards, in Gods love and grace, but hopefully in the comfort of them knowing mommy thinks they are worth practicing patience with.

P.S. Here are some pictures of a recent tea party us girls went to! ♡