Crazy Week

We only got back from New Orleans three days ago but it feels like ages. It's always difficult for the kids to adjust back from trips. It hasn't been too bad but Micaiah has thrown a couple of good tantrums - always in public of course!

For the past eight or so years we've supported a couple of children through Compassion International. Compassion is such a great organization. It not only helps the children with food, clothing, and education but most importantly teaching them out their only thing that will truly save them. A couple of weeks ago I got an email asking for volunteers to work a Compassion booth at a concert. I've been looking for ways that I can do more volunteer work and this seemed like a great opportunity. The event was a Michael W. Smith concert. Apparently he's partnered with Compassion and does a talk at every concert encouraging audience members to sponsor a child. It was heartbreaking being at that table with packets and pictures for hundreds and hundreds of kids all needing someone to sponsor them. I just wanted to take them all myself. In the end, we got more than 50 kids sponsored. I hope to get more opportunities to do similar things in the future. It would be hard on Damien if I did it at night often (I left at 5:30 and got home at 11). I'm hoping maybe I can find something that I can do with Micaiah on the days Orin is at preschool. On a side note, about 15 minutes into the concert they had some extra seats so we got to sit in the concert for much of it. For those American idol fans, Melinda Dolittle and George Huff (I think that's their names) were on tour with him as well. Michael W. Smith looks the same as he did 15 years ago - even though he just had his 2nd grandchild!

So this is gross. The last few times I've opened the diaper bag it has smelled really weird. I've taken food in it once in a while, so I thought maybe it was something food related. Two weeks ago I dug through it and took out some crackers. Last week when I opened it I totally through it smelled like alcohol. I found some a small box of those chocolates with filling so I thought that could be it. When I opened it, yesterday it stilled smelled. I was so confused. So I decided I was going to dig through that thing until I found the culprit. Normally, I'm in a hurry just to change a diaper so I just dig through it quickly for what I need. Yesterday, I took EVERYTHING out. And I found it. All of the way at the bottom there was a bag - a really old bag - of grapes. They were totally fermented! At least I wasn't crazy about the alcohol smell!

We haven't had professional pictures taken as a family since Orin was 3 weeks old. This year I wanted to finally get pictures taken. We went to JC Penny's tonight. And I remembered why I hadn't done it in three years. It was totally frustrating. First, the kids were not very cooperative. Well, they weren't necessarily being uncooperative, but not doing much of anything. They weren't smiling very well. Orin was scared of the flash. I know, crazy. He kept saying that he didn't want the lights to blink again. Then, of course, Micaiah, who likes to copy everything Orin does, starts complaining about it too. Micaiah didn't want to do half of the things the lady asked. For example, he only wanted Damien to hold him, not me (he's a daddy's boy right now). Orin kept saying "cheese" with these horrible fake smiles while looking up at the ceiling. It wasn't all their fault though. The photographer was useless. I hate when I take the kids for pictures and they think they can tell a 2 year old to "look and the camera and smile." I mean, really. You have to actually entertain them a little to get them to have a real smile. Then, after we were done I guess they got busy and we had to wait around for an hour before they put the pictures on the computer to look at (when it's supposed to be only 10 minutes). And worst of all, there were no good pictures. I seriously just wanted to leave. But I figured they would make us pay for the sitting regarding, so we bought the cheapest $8 package of the best picture - which isn't saying much. The whole experience took 2 1/2 hours. Micaiah threw a tantrum on the way out - it was 8:30 and he hadn't had dinner and it was his bed time. I guess that will teach me to do that again. Damien suggested we take some ourselves at home - meaning he doesn't want to go back and try again. I don't blame him. It was frustrating!

I found saw this recipe on a blog. It is so yummy. Instead of making the cupcakes I just made it in a 9x13 pan so it's more like bread or a cake. Damien and I agreed that it would be better without the chocolate chips (I know, we're crazy but we're not chocolate fans). I wish it had a little more pumpkin flavor but it was so moist. I made some cream cheese icing to put on but it is so good with or without it.

We're going to cut down our Christmas tree tomorrow. We haven't had one since Orin was 9months old - there wasn't much room in our basement apartment. Today the kids and I made some ornaments. I'll post the pictures later once we paint them. As soon as we get the tree we're also going to start doing a Jesse tree. I think they'll love it and even enjoy reading the devotions together as we put up the ornaments. I wanted to start it at the beginning the month but we didn't have the tree. We're really going to try as hard as we can to keep Christmas focused on the right thing with the kids. Orin already talks about Santa - I'm not even sure where he heard about him. But we're trying to keep any talk about presents at bay and just focus on the fact that Christmas is about Jesus' birth.

I saw this on my sister-in-law's blog. This is a really neat ministry - definitely something for all of us to think about.