Making Lemonade

Well, my friend Genna once told me that I was good at making lemons into lemonade. Looks like life is giving me another opportunity. Three out of four Maynors had a fever, tonight. We called off the 15 hour trek to New Jersey. Ouch! By we, I mean cute counselor husband told me it was a bad idea which I knew, but was trying to ignore. So, now I am unpacking and making a Thanksgiving menu for 4. The kids were so very upset. We will not even discuss the disappoint of 4 adults. So, we are on a 5 day staycation where we have nothing planned. Wow! I wish God left status updates about my life on Facebook. Not sure what He is up to, but trust that He knows what is best. Peter and I have tried to process our disappointment and reframe the weekend in a fun way. We need to bring our A game for the kiddos. I am hoping a dread illness is not in the works, but rather a mandated vacation of sorts. We will see... I am interested to see how it plays out. I hope it turns into one of those beautiful family memories that you just couldn't plan and are forever grateful for. I am hoping for beauty not just for my family, but also for the Pearsons. God loves to do that.

The fun is about to begin

This Monday before Thanksgiving found me with a sickly Lillian. She woke with a headache and felt a little yuck. She stayed home and perked up throughout the day. So, I am planning on her feeling good enough for the last day of school before the break. Tomorrow holds more packing and cleaning for the guests staying with Copper. I will attend the Thanksgiving chapel, get a tour from Lillian of her pilgrim village, have a Thanksgiving feast with Grayson's class and hopefully work a little bit. We will pack up tomorrow night and wake very, very early Wednesday for a 15 hour drive to see our friends the Pearsons. They moved into a new house in New Jersey over the weekend. I am sure we will eat, work on their house and laugh. We spend much time laughing with the Pearsons. It would be very hard to determine which Maynor is most excited to see his/her favorite Pearson friend. So, this week finds me thankful for good friends. Nine years into our friendship we are still driving hours to see them. We have traveled coast to coast over the years for Pearson time. While the drive may be long, it is in a new direction with many new sites to see and lots of fun to be had by all. Hope your week is full of family, friends and lots of laughter, too. Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Cupcakes

The kids and I made these turkey cupcakes for friends to celebrate the season. They were a fun project.

Back up Pig Flu

Here is a little window into my super mommy life style (if flying by the seat of your pants makes you a super mommy). Had a bad dream about Grayson getting sick. The asthma thing has me a little down. Called allergist for a follow-up appointment. I know he is high risk if he gets Swine Flu. Thought I would just call my new doctor to see where I could get the vaccine. They happened to just get 100 doses and were starting to give them, today. I rolled in after school with all the super stressed mommies who have been on a list to get it and got both of my kids vaccinated. I am pretty sure the Lord prompted me to call via my friend Genna. So back off Pig Flu we don't want you in our house with our little Grayson who just doesn't need anything else right now. He is very busy being a kid and that is hard work.

I am very glad that God knows that I am chaotic and usually shooting from the hip. I think that is part of what makes me, Melanie. I am glad that he prompts me in my randomness and takes care of my kids. So, we will see if the vaccine works. I feel like I have done everything in my power to protect them. Now, I just have to pray and trust the Lord. I am finding that easier said than done. Learning to trust the Lord is my life's work I suspect. Finding the balance between freedom and protection of my kids is another life work. It is a rapid fire battle constantly going on in my head.

Super mommy needs to put two kids to bed. Hopefully that randomly works out, too.

Someone is getting big!

Lillian seems so very big lately. She has lost her front teeth. I promise to post a picture soon. She is reading better each day. She loves math and school and friends. She has her own little world and it is very sweet to watch.

Tonight at church I asked to kiss her. She looked both ways to see if anyone was around. When no one was, she agreed. Apparently, she is too cool for her mom to kiss her in public. I asked her about it at bedtime and she said, "Mom, just don't kiss me in front of people." I suggested I might be too cool to buy her presents if she is too cool to be kissed. She laughed.

A little quote from the G man...

"Mom, I love you up to God."

"Grayson, I love you up to God and back."

"Mom, I love you up to God and back down to Hell and back again."

"Grayson, You win."

A little window into my heart...

My heart and head are full of lots of thoughts and emotions these days. Some good and some stressful. This summer Grayson was diagnosed with asthma. His main symptom is a cough when things aren't good. He has had a cough since at least Labor Day. So, we are on an intense regiment of medications that take about 30 minutes a day. And this little cough that I have become accustomed to in the years that I have been Grayson's mommy is now a sign to me many times a day that something is not okay within him. For the past month or so when I hear it, my shoulders literally tense up. I daily pump him with meds and pray that it goes away. Those meds have made him hyper and not sleep. They have changed our daily routines. And yet, he still coughs. It seems a wee better these days and he is sleeping again most nights, finally.

And life in general seems in flux. We are re-evaluating lots of things. We are seeking the Lord. What do you want our life to be like? What do you want for us and our kids? Where are we to be and what are we do be doing? Sometimes it is very clear others it is not. Hey, that is life right? I do love peace and comfort. I like to feel like everything is in it's place. I'm not there right now and it causes me to pray many, many times a day. That is a gift in this time. Prayer causes me to align myself with the Holy Spirit.

This Saturday marks 4 years since Brian died and that makes me think of heaven a little more than usual. The chaos that is my dailiness makes me want to be in heaven all the more. I feel a little weary with the sin and weight of the world. It makes it hard to do more than put one foot in front of the other. There are lots of great things like happy kids and trips and soccer games and a wonderful husband. It feels like just reporting those things wouldn't reflect the place of my heart at the moment. I'm not sad or down just pensive.

So, in the last days I have been listening to this song about heaven which brings much comfort. I will leave you with it.... Some lines that I like.

"When the last tear fades there is love, love, love." "When we look back on these tears they will just be old tales."

One day, my kid will be cough free forever and that will just be an old tale that I can hardly remember. What a beautiful day....

Keeping it real!

You know I haven't blogged much because sometimes real life gets in the way and that is good. I have been busy with sick kids and laundry and freezer meals. I was happily putting my little life in order on Monday when my social work life called. My business got busy and I had to let go of my mommy life and work. A lot. And God is faithful as always. I totally lost my feeling of control on home life to do some much needed work. I love being a social worker and got the joy of serving as one a lot in the last 48 hours. God reminded me of the gifts He has given me.

I was also reminded that He always has my back. I couldn't pick my kids up, today. The wonderful people at school loved on my kids for 10 hours instead of 8. They were happy. My sweet friend gave my kids money for after school snacks. My sweet husband changed his schedule to pick them up and make mac and cheese. I got to serve another and that was a priviledge. Tomorrow I will likely get to do it again.

I think in my dailiness I get this feeling of control. I put the laundry in these little piles and the dishes in the dishwasher and I bring snacks to my kids when I pick them up. I feel all happy and in control. I'm not. Right now, I am stepping over clothes and about to put my dirty dish on the top of the pile of dirty dishes and sleep a next to my husband. And I feel like I am right where I need to be in the hands of my Heavenly Father trusting that He will parent when I can't and that He will hear my prayers. I didn't get to do dinner and hear about Grayson's field trip today. I didn't even see Lillian wake tonight, but someone else did and that was good. I am often more aware of God's love for me and mine in chaos than in order. I will hopefully sleep a good sleep tonight knowing that God is caring for my family all the time even when I am caring for someone else's. That is a good place to be. The parenting gig isn't 18 years then a launch to freedom at graduation. It is a million little launches of them trusting that they will be provided for when you aren't there. I will not always be there, but God who loves them way, way more than me will be and He will write their perfect story in ways that I would not. It will be a better story.

Pumpkin Time

It is feeling like fall here and Peter is currently hauling in firewood. First fire tonight. I am thrilled. So, I have been feeling very pumpkin-e and soup-e. I made pumpkin bars for a shower this morning. Last night I had prepared pumpkin curry soup. It sounded good on paper. When I told Peter what was for dinner last night, he took us out to dinner. Awesome! Well, I still have the soup, so it is dinner tonight. I had to force the kids to eat five bites. I forced myself to eat half a bowl. GAG! Think pumpkin baby food. Peter hasn't eaten. I am going to wait and see what happens. I will not be surprised to see the pizza delivery guy later. Oh well, you can't when them all. There will not be leftovers tomorrow.

Pirate quotes

G came out of his room at 8:45 p.m.

G: Mama, I just can't go to sleep. Someone with a hook is knocking on my window.

Perhaps pirate books are not bedtime stories. He climbed in my snugglie bed and was out in 30 seconds.

Big News!

Lillian scored her first goal in her soccer game, today. Her team won 2 to 1. Unbelievable! Peter and I were freaking out. I was jumping up and down and screaming. Peter was trying to play it cool because he is the coach. She was really excited and I think a wee bit surprised that it actually happened. Sadly, she developed an earache this afternoon and is feeling pretty down and out this evening.

It is really wonderful to see Lillian enjoying soccer so much and thriving on the field. I had no idea she would end up loving soccer. We are all hooked! Sorry for the lack of pictures, but soccer is way to intense to be using the camera. You have to cheer the whole time.