Birthday Drums

For a very long time, I've wanted to be a drummer.

Since I didn't have any drums, I would improvise.  A pair of chopsticks and several different stools, containers, a chair... voila!  I was a drummer.

But then, for my birthday, mom took me out of the house for a while.  When we walked back up to the house, we heard a bunch of banging drums.  What could that be?!?

Daddy was playing a brand new set of drums... my drums!  Mimi and Gran sent me drums for my birthday.  Real ones, so I can really learn how to play.

I decided that Avery will play piano, Dad will play guitar, Reese can be on the kazoo, and Mom should have a tambourine.  I'll drum and w

e'll be a family quintet!

Improvised Drums worked for a while, but my Birthday Dreams came true with my brand new drum set.  I love my new drums.  And I am certain that everyone up and down our street loves my new drums as well!

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Love,
Kate

State Fair of Texas Must-Do List

Every year, the same items go on our State Fair Must-Do list:

-Petting Zoo
-Eat fried food (this year: the classic funnel cake)
-Take a picture in front of Big Tex
-Watch the cultural dancers
-Look for rigamortis kitty (to no avail)
-Helping Hands Farm ... twice!
-Buy Fletcher's Salt Water Taffy
-Spend lots of time with family!

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Sunlight in Struggles

Sometimes I struggle, even when nothing is really wrong.  Sometimes it's just a struggle to keep everyone healthy and on time to their activities with all of their homework.  Sometimes it's just a struggle to think about what to feed my picky kid one more time or how to help a child memorize facts for class.  Sometimes I notice how many dirty clothes there are and how messy the house is, and I just feel discouraged at the job I'm doing.

When things get frustrating or exhausting or disheartening, little rays of sunshine come in the form of drawings done late at night in a series.  God sends me this reminder in red marker and sketch books: being Mom is significant.

Being Mom might feel like a losing battle sometimes, but my girl's take-away is not Mom's grumpiness last week or the mess in the kitchen.  Her take-away is that Mom and Dad are together, that she is safe, and that she is proud of her family.  God made kids to be little encouragers.  Readily accepting the best in me and putting aside the mistakes.  And I'm so grateful, because sometimes I need it.

Motherhood is messy and I'm way too familiar with the sorrow of mistakes, but God made kids to be eager in love and forgiveness.

I'm so grateful that with all of my imperfections, these babies love me and claim me as theirs.

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Locks of Love

(Dictated by Kate, typed by the Mama)

Well, at first I thought I would get my hair cut like when Avery had her hair short a long time ago.  But when they tolded me that I could send my hair to people who don't have hair and help the sick people, I decided to get it cut even shorter.  And when I looked at it, I knew that I loved it so much!

Side note from Mama: Kate's new haircut has given her a major confidence booster.  Her teacher even told us today that she played all over the playground for the first time today rather than sticking to her "safety spot"!

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