The Art of...Coat hangers

I just had to add this little masterpiece to Monday's post. I discovered it when I walked into Biz's room today.

When You Give Your Four-Year-Old a Little Artistic Freedom...

...you get some pretty interesting bedroom wall decor!!

Movie Night...In Biz's Room

A couple of Fridays ago, my sweet friend Laurie treated me to a play in Nashville. This just so happened to be the same Friday I posted about last week ; a day when I was in as much need of a girls' night out with a great friend, as I was for a break from the Workman house action. And what was the play about? Motherhood, of course!! It was a light-hearted comedy about the joys, challenges and a lot of the realities that go along with mothering. By the end of the play, I had laughed, cried, and was more than ready to get back home to my boys. The same boys who I thought were going to drive me half nuts only a few hours earlier. And who, when I left the house, were either bouncing off the walls or crying and screaming. I couldn't get out of the door fast enough, that was for sure! On the drive home, however, I couldn't wait to hug their sleeping little bodies and kiss those sweet cheeks.

When I walked into the house, all was quiet except for sounds coming from Biz's room. To my surprise, both boys were still awake, wide eyes taking in the wonder of a favorite movie. Only this showing involved a big white sheet, movie projector, and a bedroom wall. Oh, and popcorn, of course. Eric and the boys were having a guys' movie night in Biz's room. Both boys were snuggled up against daddy in their cozy pjs next to a near-empty popcorn bowl. I couldn't have been happier that Eric had let them stay up past bedtime (WAY past bedtime), so that I could share in the last few minutes of the movie fun and love on those boys while they were still awake and my kisses could be returned. It was also a great reminder of how truly blessed I am.

It had been a day that started out really rough and by evening, I was ready to either hide in my room under the covers for the weekend or run away. But it ended with me hanging out with my boys and understanding that bad days happen and I WILL be overwhelmed from time to time. And that although I sometimes need to step out for a break, my recharge time is never as long as I think it will be.

What could be better than watching the "Train Movie" (aka The Polar Express) on your bedroom wall?!

One Cute Little Indian

It is no secret that I am not very "Arts and Crafty." I think I once had some creative flair, but I think it got buried somewhere beneath all of the science jargon in chiropractic school and the trucks and tools involved with having boys. Since sitting down (period...let alone to draw, color, or glue fuzzy pom poms on paper) is a challenge for my little balls of energy, it has left me with little motivation to find fun, crafty things for us to do. And quite honestly, I would much rather be racing cars with the boys than coloring or finger painting. However, I am in awe of my friends (esp. with boys) who have a desire to think up fun and creative projects and then actually carry them out.



I think that is why I am so very fond of Caleb's preschool teacher this year. Miss Cindy is the most creative person I have ever met (okay, maybe it is a tie between her and Kristin). Each day I am amazed at the creative projects that she undertakes with 10 four year olds. She usually does not do just one craft activity a day, but two and sometimes three. Caleb loves it! Although he does not have a lot of interest in it at home yet, he really enjoys doing arts and crafts at school. And that helps alleviate some of my mommy guilt for not having more creative activities at home. Thanks Miss Cindy! Actually, this week, he did make a "work desk"downstairs for his art supplies. Although he has yet to sit down and actually do any projects, he seems to at least be taking some interest in moving in that direction. We will see.



No, Caleb will probably never be that child that says, "Let's sit down and color, mom." Maybe Seth will. Who knows? But it is okay, either way.

Caleb's Indian wear courtesy of Miss Cindy's creative genius.

I don't think I would have ever looked at a paper grocery bag and thought, "Hey, that would make a great indian vest." But I am thankful that other people have an eye and a mind for that.

Unkie Dew's Biggest Fan

The Classic Favorite Toy of All Time

Not Defeated

One word describes how I felt by the end of the day last Friday: Defeated.

It had been a long day, one that involved trips to three different grocery stores, a visit with the doctor for a routine check-up for each boy (in which Caleb got quite dramatic over having his finger pricked to draw blood), and Seth eating very little lunch and later refusing to eat dinner. I was not surprised that the doctor suggested that Seth needed more calories in his day. Don't let that big belly deceive you; apparently, it is only filled with fluff and needs more substance. Again, not surprised, since my picky little second born refuses to eat most things that are placed before him and often cries when anything nutritious comes his way. It has been most frustrating and something I was not prepared for since Caleb has always been a champion eater. He is not afraid to try anything new and actually loves his fruits and veggies. I wasn't prepared, however, for the doctor to tell me that Caleb's hemoglobin was low and that he needs more iron. Ironically, the child who doesn't eat had iron within normal limits.

Now, I don't usually get worked up over things like this. I know that God is the true substainer of my children. I know that He can provide what they need even if they are not holding up their end of the bargain by eating what is on their plate. I know that my identity as a parent is not found in how well my children eat...good or bad. Yes, I know these things, but in my weakness on Friday, my own thoughts of being an inadequate mother who could not property nourish my children, took over my better reasoning and temporarily blinded me to the promises of the Lord. And also blinded me to the fact that I needed to drop to my knees and give thanks that we are blessed to have two healthy children who just need a couple of easy fixes to get those deficiencies remedied. There I go again...making everything about me.

Since having my own picky eater, my eyes have become open to a lesson that I feel God is teaching me. I had made my children's eating an idol and had somehow thought that since Caleb ate so well, that I could take some kind of credit and glory for that and that since I had done such a superb job with my first child then my second one would surely follow suit. Yeah, as if it was my own doing in the first place. I didn't realize how judgemental (and wrong) I had been when I would see a parent bribe a child to eat or give in when a child wouldn't eat the healthier option. In my naivity, I thought that as a parent I could truly make my child eat the "right" things, simply because I had authority over him and if I sat there long enough and didn't give in, then he would eat everything on his plate. Spoken very ignorantly by a mom who had a first born who was an easy eater. That may work with a four-year-old, but my 20 month old (who is just learning healthy eating concepts) has no concept of bargaining yet, so it is a lost cause. And although it is my job to still present him with healthy choices (and creatively hide healthy food in things he will eat), it is impossible and unhealthy to try force him to eat. Plus, it simply doesn't work...with my little guy anyway.


But God, being the wonderful, merciful, constant teacher that He is, will show you the things in your life that need to be eliminated, the areas in your life that you have made into idols, and the things that you are truly not giving over to God. To seek Him and to serve Him involves laying down those idols and having full faith in Him to be the sustainer of life and also knowing that any good that is in me (including having a good, healthy eater), comes from Him. I had wrongly assumed glory upon myself when my children were eating healthy and tried to control the situation without God when they weren't. I had been praying about Seth's eating, but I had not truly been giving that area of my life over to the Lord. So, I confess that I HAD, indeed, made good nutrition an idol.

So, I am not defeated! I can lay down that idol at the foot of the cross. I have a Father in Heaven who wants to take this burden from me and does so very lovingly. He is in control and now that I am more relaxed at meal time, Seth is more relaxed. This weekend, he ate much better. I know it won't be like that every day or even every week, but I now trust that it will be taken care of. Thank you Lord, for demonstrating your patience with me so that I can pour that upon my children.

It's Great to have a Friend

We love the Davis Family!

The Davis boys (and Matt and Kristin, too) were over for dinner tonight. It was a lot of fun, as it always is when we get to hang out with this special family! We did not see a whole lot of the bigger boys, since as soon as the Davis' arrived, Caleb and Elliott were up the stairs in a flash and were not to be seen or heard from again (much) until it was time to eat. Then it was back upstairs to get more work done and play together.


It has been so neat to watch Caleb and his buddy, Elliott's relationship develop. I doubt if they remember life without each other in it, since they began playing together when Caleb was around 12 months old and Elliott was 6 months old.

Aaron and Seth are learning to play together. The bonks on the head by Seth are getting less frequent and I think tonight Aaron even got in a few bonks of his own. Watching Seth and Aaron together reminds me of when Caleb and Elliott were that age. Seth is exactly six months older than Aaron (Caleb is 6 months and 10 days older than Elliott) and interacts very similarly with him as Caleb did Elliott at that age. We have to keep a close eye on Seth or else he will be on top of Aaron hugging him or trying to ride him like a horse when Aaron is crawling. He is usually "aggressively loving" his buddy and I remember when Caleb used to do the same thing to Elliott.

It makes me smile to know that Seth and Aaron are in the process of forming a wonderful friendship, just like their older brothers. A friendship that involves Caleb praying for Elliott, telling us that he is thankful for Elliott, asking us sixteen hundred times a week if he can go to Elliott's house (at one point he outright asked to go live with Elliott), telling other friends about his buddy Elliott, and asking me if he could marry Elliott. Okay, I had to draw the line there and explain a little to Caleb about marriage. He wasn't too shaken as he said he would just marry Aurora instead and be best friends with Elliott. That works.

I look forward to similar dialogue from Seth about his buddy, Aaron, in the future; His friend that he does not remember not knowing.

It is so great to have a friend!

This is that "Aggressive love" that I was talking about.

Together Again

Granny was not the only visitor we had this weekend. JC came to town, too!! Miss Laurie so graciously shared our favorite furry buddy with us and allowed us to also surprise mom with a weekend visit with an old friend.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with JC or who know him, but have wondered what he has been up to over the last couple of years, here is a recap:

JC was our first born...a Jack Russell terrier who Eric and I adopted from a rescue shelter over seven years ago while we were dating and right before I moved to Iowa. JC remained with Eric until we were married and then the boys moved to Iowa. Those of you who knew us then know how nutso we were over JC. He was truly our baby...until the other babies came along. When Caleb was born, JC did really well with him until he began walking and then the territorial terrier nature prevailed and he tried to eat Caleb on a few occasions. Okay, I guess it wasn't quite that vicious; it was more liked he "nipped him good" about four times. But when it is your baby your dog is nipping, it looks pretty vicious. In JC's defense, I think only one of those instances actually resulted in a scratch or bleeding. But one time is enough...or more than enough for a protective momma bear. Anyway, Eric and I had to come to terms with the fact that it just wasn't working and that as much as we wanted him to be, JC was not the best suited dog for a home with a toddler. Actually, Eric's arm had to be twisted really hard behind his back until he finally gave in.




Luckily, mom was waiting with open arms to take JC in. What a blessing for us! He got to stay in the family, we would still get to visit him, and we knew that he would be loved and cared for. So, in April of 2006, JC took up residence at Granny's house. The same Granny who, on one of our first visits home from Iowa after we got married, flew right past us at the front door and went straight to JC to give him a hug before acknowledging us. This is also the same Granny who, when JC got lost (without his collar) while we were visiting Aunt B on Father's Day in 2005, combed the countryside, going door to door trying to find him. She didn't give up until she found him leisurely riding on a tractor with a farmer about five miles down the road and brought him back home. So, needless to say, Granny loves JC.



The living arrangement worked out well for over a year, but with mom commuting 45 minutes to work and JC left at home alone all day, it became apparent that another option would need to be explored. Granny loved having JC with her, but she felt so bad that JC was alone for so long during the day and it seemed to her that the arrangement was taking a toll on both of them. Eric just happened to mention this to his co-workers one day at the League. Soon after that conversation, our dear friend and Eric's co-worker, Laurie, approached Eric about possibly taking in JC. Laurie has a sweet, energetic dog named Hopper and at that time, she was toying with the idea of finding a playmate for him. Enter JC. Since she knew JC and his temperament, she was more than willing to take JC on a trial basis and see if it was a match. And it was, Praise the Lord! So, this past January, JC moved into his new and, hopefully final, home with Laurie and Hopper. I don't think he could be happier. He and Hopper are buddies and love playing together. Miss Laurie loves him, cares for him, and does a much better job than we ever did with having him groomed. It is a near perfect, God-sent living situation for our ever adaptable Jack Russell. He is still close enough to visit, and since our home is no longer his territory, there is no fear of him trying to eat the kids anymore. It's a win-win!


The boys (all three of them) could not have been happier to have JC for the weekend. Eric just loved having his former running buddy and best friend close enough to pet. Caleb enjoyed trying to get JC to chase him and Seth just couldn't keep his lips off of JC. It was really sweet. And close to the amount of leverage the boys needed in their quest to have another dog in our home. But not enough...yet. My rule is that we will not consider another dog until Seth is potty-trained, so that buys mommy at least another year. Although the rule is clear, it doesn't stop the boys from trying to change my mind.

Granny was very surprised to be greeted at the door by JC, and I think she was pleased that he opted to sleep right next to her each night. I very much enjoyed cuddling with my old friend and seeing the joy that he still brings to our family. My fondest memories of JC are when we were together in 2004 after Eric had already moved to Tennessee and I was still in Iowa finishing clinic at Palmer. I was pregnant then and every night I would read a psalm to JC and baby (we didn't know at that time if baby was a Caleb or an Emily) and JC would curl up next to my belly and fall asleep. He slept right next to my belly throughout my entire first pregnancy and when Caleb was a tiny baby, he was the first one on the scene if even so much of a whimper came from him.




And those are some of the reasons why it took us four "nips" to say goodbye to our furry first born.

Granny's boys

Granny got to visit with her boys this weekend. Minus the bought of sickness, the boys had a great time playing, reading, and relaxing with Granny. Actually, I don't think Caleb minded being sick in Granny's presence, because that gave him all the more reason to stay glued to her, cuddle, and read the same stories over and over again.

It was a good weekend!

It's a PJs day!

Happy Monday!!

(Daddy, this is especially for you; To make you smile on your LOOONG Monday. We love you!)

No Worries... The Workmans are Protected!

Caleb got to pick out his very own pumpkin when his preschool class visited a pumpkin patch last month. He was proud of his pumpkin and insisted that it take up residence on his night stand. And that is where it remained until last week when our neighbor, Sam, came over for a visit and helped Caleb draw a face on Mr. Pumpkin. The next day we found the pumpkin proudly displayed on the windowsill by the front door with the face looking outward. Caleb explained to Eric and I that he placed the pumpkin in that spot so that it would surprise the people we know and make them laugh or scare the people we don't know.

So, I guess it is our own little home security system.

I know the picture doesn't do Mr. Pumpkin justice, since you just can't capture all of his features with the sun glaring on the window. But if you want to get the full effect, just drive on by our house and prepare to either leave laughing (if you know us) or scared (if you don't).

And never fear, if any intruders get past Mr. Pumpkin, we sleep armed in this house. Or at least we found Caleb that way.

Oats please!!

Seth sure does love his "roats"!

Ahhh...Happiness!

You Got It Buddy!

Mommy: Caleb, we have a new president.

Caleb: What's a president?

Mommy: The person who leads the country.

Caleb: You mean God.

Mommy: Well, God isn't the president. He is God.

Caleb: But God is the strongest.

M0mmy: Yes, that's for sure, buddy. He is definitely the strongest.

Monkeys in a Tree

Caleb's Work Uniform

"I've got

powerful arms,

soldier shoulders,

and a friendly face.

Now, I am ready to go to work!"

--Caleb Workman

Angel Food

Last Saturday, we got to serve as family with the Angel Food Ministry. It is a great ministry whose mission is to provide food relief for families (any family; it is not income based) by offering a montly menu of food valued at approximately $60 to be purchased for $30. It is also a wonderful way to bless other families by purchasing additional boxes to give. There is a different menu each month and purchases can be made on-line or by contacting the host church. Many churches participate and it is a nationwide ministry. We have been purchasing for a couple of months now and have been mostly pleased with the quality of the products (with the exception of the fresh produce that was part of an add-on box).

Our church is a distribution site for the ministry, so we got to spend the mid-morning unloading food into the church and then organizing and handing it out. It was a lot of fun and the boys really got into the project. Caleb was designated the "Spaghetti man," and enjoyed tossing/throwing the pasta into each person's box or basket. I, the "Egg and milk woman," just had to make sure that Caleb made his toss before placing in the eggs. It worked most of the time. One of the biggest highlights for Caleb was meeting a new friend who taught him how to make paper airplanes-a skill that all little boys must know. Eric and I really enjoyed connecting with the other volunteers in our church and fellowshipping with them.

Seth and Daddy used their big, strong muscles to help people load their boxes and then carry them out to their cars. I believe that Seth's smile and laugh are their own little ministry. Seth also proved to be quite handy when it came time to break down boxes and carry them out to be recycled.

So, if you are in our area and wish to serve with us any time with Angel Food, just let me know. We usually distribute the food on the last Saturday of the month (third Saturday for the next two months) from approximately 11am-1pm. It is a great family service project, chance to fellowship and serve with others, and an opportunity to pray for the needs and talk with those who come through. Our kiddos, as well as Eric and I, had a really good time showing people the love of Christ through one of my favorite avenues...food.

God is so good!