Trust God. YeeHaw!

A picture of the girls at bedtime that I sent Tom while he was away

I'm certain this will not be the last time I sit down to my computer and try to force myself to catch up on the days past with some belated blogging.  I think I'm in a bit of a funk and, frankly, just haven't felt like writing in my blog.  Nothing big or dramatic going on here.  Last week I was laying on the floor and Emily came up and sat plopped down on my back and said, 'I cowboy - yeehaw!'  While incredibly cute, the experience has turned incredibly painful.  My back is killing me.  Ugh.  It hurts to sit sometimes, lay down most times and stand up all the time.  So this ailment along with the 100 degree temps, has me a bit lacking motivation to sit at my computer each evening; favoring an ice pack behind me while I sit on the couch.  So I will be quick about my recount of the past week.  I don't have many pictures to show for the week because it's hard to snap pics when one hand is holding my back.

I love when I come home from a meeting and the babysitter is playing tea party!  Her sister came over to join in!

Where did we leave off?  Oh yeah, vacation bible school.  I dropped Emily (and Casey) off Tuesday night.  Was I called back to rescue her when others couldn't understand her words?  Did she wander off from the group and was lost for a time?  Did the other kids shy away from her because she was a little different?  No, no and of course not!  So we repeated this Wednesday and Thursday evenings as well.  What did I do with my glorious 2 hours to myself sans kids?  I very quickly went into Target, Kroger and Kohls respectively each night and then parked in a parking lot nearby the church and read my book.  I stayed close just in case my baby needed me to rescue her.  And I don't think sister even knew I was gone.  I wondered if she got anything more than the social scene among the 4 and 5 year olds at VBS.  Until this evening.-  She was walking through the living room singing, 'You, you, you.  You can trust God' in her own little way and pointing up to the sky when she said 'God' just like all the kids did each night at VBS.  It took me a minute to realize what she was singing - it is one of the songs from VBS!  Lord, have mercy, sister got it goin' on!  The next time I think about holding her back from an experience because I am afraid, I will try to remember her words - 'Trust God.'  Because clearly I don't know squat...... 

Emily "cleaning" the windows

The rest of the week went something like this:  It was 100 degrees.  Tom was gone again for work Mon., Tues., and Wed.  Casey had swim lessons every day at 11:30 and we stayed and swam every day afterwards.  And Casey thought she could get her way with everyone every day this week.  I am by nature a people pleaser; avoiding confrontation in most every situation.  To see Casey get so upset when she doesn't get her way sometimes, and then not be able to handle herself or the situation, leaves me scrambling for new methods to parent this behaivor.  I know it is mostly just in her personality to want to be in charge, but we need to help her find a way to listen to others as well.  Sometimes we cruise along and feel we've got everything under control on the parenting front and then other times, it's just hard.  So we've been talking a lot about listening to others and what being a good friend is this week along side patrolling her urge to be the alpha dog.  For 4 years now, Emily has let Casey run the show here while playing, and I'm sure Casey is struggling to find the situations when she can and cannot get away with bossing kids around.  I want her to be a leader but someone who can compromise as well.  How do I tell her not to be bossy but not extinguish her assertivness as well?  Sigh.  We'll figure it out.  But it's times like these as parents that I hope we don't screw our kids up.

Miss Bossypants herself

Thursday we went to Cincy Children's Hospital here in West Chester for Emily's ultrasound of her kidneys.  Her surgery to correct her grade 5 bi-lateral kidney reflux was in October and her follow up appointment with the surgeon is next week.  Pictures need to be taken of her kidneys and bladder in order for the surgeon to determine how these organs are functioning.  It was a little odd being back at the hospital after 6 months.  We've spent so much time there over the last few years that a 6 month break seemed almost too long without seeing a specialist.  Okay, I don't really mean that - of course it's good news to not be there!  But I've kind of gotten used to doctors checking up on her so much that I start to wonder if we're going to miss something on our own.  But she is a healthy 4 year old who is developing and progressing superbly.  And for that we are thankful for certain.

Mmmm...watermelon

Today all 4 of us went to the pool after golf and lunch.  After a while, Tom took Emily home to nap and I parked myself in a lounge chair poolside and read a book while occassionaly watching Casey jump off the diving board.  My kind of summer day.  Some days I catch myself wishing I could be by myself doing just this thing more often - no kids to have to watch or be in the pool next to, but I always stop myself, knowing that one day I will wish to have them young again.  Wanting me to play with them in the pool.  So I left my seat and swam with Casey and began to throw her around like she asked me to do.  She was squealing with delight and although my back might be giving me some grief about it now, I'm glad I could hang out with just her in the pool playing. 

Casey taking a nap!!!  She woke up denying she took a nap - I'm glad I took a picture for proof :)

The coming week promises to bring more of the scalding temps, so there will be more time at the pool.  Last night some strong storms brought some fierce winds here, but we were spared the brunt of the storm as the worst of it kept north of here.  The strongest winds went through my hometown and the surrounding, neighboring towns.  My parents' as well as both of my sisters' houses sustained some damage, but nothing that can't be fixed.  Everyone is out of power and rumor is that it won't be restored for a week.  I'm glad everyone is safe, but the work for some will be back-breaking in some scalding temperatures.  I guess I'll shut my mouth about my aching back while I sit at my computer.  In my house that is fully in tact.  With the AC purring.  And a lamp glowing on my desk. 

Casey helping the little car out of the driveway so she can give her sister a ride.