Parachutes and Pajamas

Have you heard of the whole "Parachute" analogy? Somebody somewhere wrote a book to help people discover their purpose (job) in life and they dubbed the process discovering "What Color is Your Parachute?" Well, let me just say that in my process of researching a parachute image for this post I discovered that most all parachutes are not just one color! So this leads me to ponder... what the heck kind of box is this author trying out people in? Of course, I can say all this because I haven't actually read the book. Although, I think I picked it up to read. But it doesn't really interest me because I know my purpose in life and what kind of job God has called me to. However, this is not the case for many people and I get that.
So here's a question for whoever is reading this. Recently, and I mean like yesterday, my husband decided, prompted by a coworker, that he would try to figure out what color his parachute is. Of course, it's GREEN! Hello?! For those that know my sweetie pie you will totally get that he is green. But not in a global warming kinda way. Anywho, so besides the fact that it's green I happen to know what it is. That's to say that I indeed believe I know what his "calling" is in life. Besides being my undying love, faithful servant and personal home remodeler! What I don't know is if I should tell him what it is. That may sound selfish that I am keeping it from him. Although, you may think do I really know what it is? I know I am sounding a little sure of myself but that's MY gift. I am thinking self discovery may be the best process for him to figure it out. And that through this process he will discover more than just what he wants to be when he grows up.
So, those are my thoughts for this morning. Stay tuned for more craziness. The Pajama part of the title was just catchy. I don't really have anything to say about said jammies. Except that maybe I am not in mine! Are you?

My Paper Heart

So, one of our, and when I say our I mean me and the girls, favorite artist is Francesca Battistelli. I really enjoy being able to sing along with her songs and so do the girls. Especially ANNA!! So anyway, today we were singing along... with the volume up to 23 in the car, thinking that this song, Free To Be Me, was really preaching the Gospel. The catchy little chorus is "gotta couple dents in my fenders, rips in my jeans" the enemy is perfection but with our faith in God we are all free to be ourselves. What a great picture of the Grace of God's love. I could go on but what I was reminded of was that I indeed have a couple dents in my fenders and rip in my jeans! Sometimes my life indeed imitates art! Most of the time my life just imitates chaos!

Rainy Day

What a rainy and cold day! A great day for paying the bills. I hope my husband is reading this! hee hee
I wish I had a funny story to share but really I don't!
And that is just plain sad. So I am writing today in order to keep up the habit.
So maybe I'll be like Oprah and share with you a few of my favorite things...
Some things that make my life a little bit easier:
1. Bill Pay and anything I can possibly get auto drafted is a beautiful thing!
2. e-mealz.com Because sometimes planning the meals are just too much of a pain!
3. minivans!
4. iPhones without a doubt are the most convenient and easy way to keep in touch!
5. Spot shot - it will get any stain out and you don't have to scrub and way easier than anything Martha Stewart uses!
6. Aqua Globes. Yes I know. It is completely cheesy but it is true. They are quite helpful. And thanks to my six year old who apparently watches too much tv... I have her to thank for a heart felt Christmas present!

I absolutely do NOT encourage anyone to purchase products from the TV but you can find the aqua globes at Walmart. Although, if you are feeling the constant urge to make a purchase from a TV infomercial. I recommend you buy some "Piano Music". It will cure you of the urge. Thankfully, my piano music purchase was back in my college days and I have been able to abstain ever since. Although, I am sure my roommate, Jennifer Baker, is still making crazy purchases of the like!

Sleeping till Noon!

Oh heavens! Are you kidding me? I should have known life would change forever when I officially became a minivan driving mom. I naively believed it was just a convenient and a great way to haul off large unwanted items to the Salvation Army. (Which by the way does not accept light fixtures or ceiling fans.) Not to mention carpooling with the kiddos. And oh how I looked forward to taking road trips and being able to seat the children far enough behind me that I didn't hear their arguing!

But now It looks like the minivan was just foreshadowing what was to come. Last week we learned that our school tuition for our girls was going to triple! Yikes!!!!! While we are still prayerfully considering our limited options. We are entertaining the thought homeschooling them next year! I won't get into all the details and funny anecdotes with which I could fill this post. I will save those for a later date.

Today, I will share with you the diversity in homeschooling which I previously knew existed but had not experienced myself. While I was freakishly, I mean fervently researching information on homeschooling... I thought to myself the best thing to do is to go straight to the source. So naturally, I contacted my Aunt who is a homeschooling mother of four. We had a lengthy discussion regarding this new world for me and she imparted much wisdom. However, I am only pointing out one aspect of that conversation which I found most... hmmm.... interesting. My Aunt said "the first thing I need to do is to train my kids to sleep till noon."
The next call I made was to a homeschooling friend who also imparted much wisdom. Her "first" thing to do was to select a home school covering and then our curriculum. Wow at the contrast! Of course my aunt said I needed to do these things as well. I just found it amusing how the differences in personality impact their homeschooling theology, if you will. For those of you who know me you will understand how completely freaked out I would be at the prospect of sleeping until noon. Of course, (I use that phrase far too exceedingly) sleeping till noon is just a analogy of having a more relaxed method of instruction. Which is by no means less efficacious. However, my personality is more aligned with that of my friend who gave me clearly definable paths of achievement.
Things that can be met with completion of paper work. This I am good at! I can complete great deals of paper work. Although, the core of my being has a great disdain for said paper. That's because for some reason paper work is inevitably attached to proving one thing or another. Things like... "why yes I can drive or love or be a good parent or wife or mother or candlestick maker" And while I appreciate paper work's worthiness I severely dislike having to actually prove the things I know. Wouldn't it just be so pleasant to be able to say to a person, company, supervisor, school... "Yes I do know how to add." Without having to actually take a test to proove it. Wait a m i n u t e, isn't that what politicians do all the time? hmm Something to ponder. And there-in-lies the rub! So here I am set off on a path with conflicting direction and eagerly looking forward to the future God has planned for me.