The Shopping Fast

When I was in college I had several ideas about how my family could make Christmas less commercial and hopefully more meaningful.  There was the one year that mom and I declared everyone could spend a maximum of $10 per person in the family.  It resulted in a variety of clever and often homemade gifts.  That worked out pretty well.  Then there was the year that I declared we would not exchange Christmas gifts until January 1 and all Christmas shopping was to be conducted between December 26 and  31.  This was to allow us to catch the after Christmas deals and savor the holiday.  Okay, so that one did not work out very well.  As I left college and matured, I pretty much left behind my crazy notions of messing with Christmas shopping traditions.  That is until this year.

Thanksgiving had yet to arrive and I realized that I was already engaging in the Christmas shopping frenzy.  I was spending time and money at a steady pace and my head was already beginning to whirl.  I was stockpiling groceries for anticipated Christmas baking.  The gift closet was beginning to bulge with possible gifts.  I was gathering craft items for potential Christmas crafts.  My heart had already begun to race with the thoughts of being completely overwhelmed by shopping, projects, and future credit card bills.  I decided that something had to give.

Although I do not consider myself a shopping diva, I do enjoy shopping.  I live on a fairly tight budget and work hard to stay out of debt.  However I do  enjoy seeing what is out there and where I can find a bargain.  I actually  love grocery shopping.  I consider it a game to see if I can make my "you saved" amount equal to or larger than the "you paid" amount. I know that I can end up spending a lot of  time looking and considering when shopping.  With  the extra holiday expectations and added Christmas paraphernalia, I know that left unchecked I am sure to increase my shopping time, financial obligations, and stress level this holiday season.  Like I said, we had not reached Thanksgiving yet and I could tell it had already started.

So I have been thinking about it and as of today I am embarking on a shopping fast through Christmas day.  Before you begin to panic and start planning meals to send over for Peter, let me tell you it is not a total abstinence.   I have given myself parameters to allow opportunities to secure what we need without engaging in the shopping frenzy of the season.  There is to be no more random shopping for the next month. I have enough craft items, stockpiled gift items and food to participate in Christmas giving and celebrations.  I decided that there is no reason to buy more "maybe I will need" items.  My shopping fast guidelines provide room to purchase items that may be needed to complete a current project as well as food so that we don't starve. There are also guidelines that allow me to obtain yet purchased Christmas gift(s) for Peter. Everyone else will just have to take their chances from the gift closet and craft bin!  I have made a detailed list of an acceptable number of shops including which stores are acceptable and the maximum amount I can spend per shop.  The list actually looks like something out of  Leviticus in the Old Testament.  "I can shop at one particular store once a week yet at another store only every other week. And there are other stores that are not permissible.  I can shop at one store once when I pick up my prescription but if I spend anything beyond the cost of the medicine it has to come out of money allotted for a permissible shop at another store."

I know it all sounds a little crazy but I am really excited about it.  It has only been one day and I am already realizing how much time and energy I put into shopping or even thinking about shopping.  I am excited about challenging my normal mode of operation.  I am looking forward to having more time to actually be at home to make some of the crafts and food for which I have already gathered items.

Now I don't want anyone to read this and feel guilty for going Christmas shopping.  If it were me, I would.  That is not why I tell you my story.  I tell you because like I said, I am really excited about the potential that this shopping fast has to effect my Christmas enjoyment this year.  I also tell you this because if you see me in the store, you might want to ask me how the shopping fast is going.  And if you see me in Wal-Mart just tell me to repent because it is not on the permissible list.  Well unless it is part of Peter's weekly 2 hour shopping opportunity because then it would be permissible.  Yeah I know maybe I should spend some of my free time  in therapy. Oh yeah, I already do.

Turkey Trot 2012

Last year I had the idea to introduce my 3 year old preschool classroom to the Thanksgiving tradition of a foot race.  We had the first Classroom L Turkey Trot.  It was such a fun event that it was declared to be an annual event.  These are just a few highlights from the 2nd Annual Classroom L Turkey Trot.

The kids were prepped with coats, T-shirts and race numbers.  Everyone paired up to take the little walk from our classroom to the race sight.  As we came down the hall to the front doorway, administrative staff and even a few visitors lined the way and cheered the kids on as they walked out of the building.    It made me think of  the Olympic's opening ceremony. Very cute! I think it was one of my favorite parts of the race.

 This is the banner, hand painted by the children in my classroom.  It hung in the outdoor area where we held the race.  The race had been scheduled for Thursday.  However when greeted by rain and cold, we decided to postpone it until the Friday.  Look at what a beautiful day God gave us!

The race is a 5K (5 kind of laps around the Outdoor Learning Center).  

  

                                               

All the kids in classroom L participated whether for all the laps or only one or two. 

 They all participated whether they walked, ran, or were carried!

 The race had some great sponsors.  My boss at my 2nd job donated the race numbers, safety pins, and  award medals.  Some parents donated refreshments.  A friend (and fellow staff member) was our photographer.  A couple of staff members in the Marketing department talked a local company into creating and donating the awesome  race T-shirts for the  kids and classroom staff.

On the shirt the turkey is holding a sign that says 2nd Annual Classroom L Turkey Trot. 

Under the turkey it says "Run for your Life." 

 The kids really seemed to have a good time. 

It was a great day!  We are now looking forward to the Classroom L Jingle Jammie Jump in December!

The Parenting Peter Journey

One of the reasons for creating this blog was to provide a place to share about the journey of parenting Peter.  About two months ago, I began frantically looking for a boarding school option for Peter.  I looked at many facilities but never found anything that worked with current resources and logistics. Following an insightful session with my counselor,  I decided to stop frantically searching and to just wait.  I have had a bit of a perceptional shift that is hard to put into words.  I still believe that Peter would benefit from an environment that includes more structure, peers, and male authority figures. Peter flourished well at Eagle Ranch and I would love to see him continue in a similar environment. But the fact is, my home is where God has presently put Peter.  God knows where Peter is.  I have looked for other options and no doors have opened. So I will wait and see what God does.

I continue to seek contacts with people who could be an influence in Peter's life yet work to trust God with the outcome of those contacts. I continue to pray about what areas I am to train Peter and what things I need to "let go of".   I am looking to see where I am trying to control verses letting God work in Peter's life through his choices.  I ask God to show me how to allow natural consequences to the choices Peter makes. Sometimes it feels like a fine line between acting in obedience and waiting in trust.  I always appreciate prayers for parenting wisdom.

Annual Christmas Event

Mom and I participated in the 3rd annual Lake Lanier Under the Lights 5K. This race is held at dusk at Lake Lanier Island in Buford GA the weekend prior to the opening of their grand lights display. In this race, you get to run (or walk :) along the beautiful light displays. Mom, Peter and I participated in the event with some friends the first year it took place.   Mom and I had so much fun that we have participated ever since.  This year mom and I walked the 3.2 mile course in just under 55 minutes. Believe it or not, it is our fasted time to date.  It is hard to be fast when you have to take pictures of the light displays!  So we aren't fast but we do have fun.  The best part is having this annual outing with my mom.  I have spent most of my adult life living a considerable distance from my family.  Being around to participate with my mom in this annual outing is just a lot of fun.  I am looking forward to our 4th annual Lanier Under the Lights 5 K next year.

Now Hiring

A local Dairy Queen has the following message
posted on its sign out front:

     Now Hiring

2 Tenderloin Biscuits

          $3

Know any tenderloin biscuits looking for work????

Senior Discount

That's me with the contorted facial expression trying to be appreciative yet at the same time not showing my horror.
I am completing my transaction at the Kohl's check out counter.  I have just bought Peter a pair of jeans.  My total is cheaper than I thought it would be so I look at my ticket.  I notice that there is a calculation for 10% off.  Yeah! But why?  I ask the young girl ringing up my purchase where the 10% off came from.  She cheerfully tells me,  "It is the Senior discount. Today is Wednesday, Senior discount day."   I am grateful to be saving a few dollars, really I am.  But I am aghast to think that at 44 years of age, I have been offered the Senior discount. Maybe she is so young she can't tell the difference.  Maybe it was the way I was wearing my hat.  Maybe it is the late nights I have been keeping and the bags under my eyes.  Maybe I need to start wearing some make up and restyling my hair.  I don't know!  I do know that I am not ready to be classified as a Senior but I am looking forward to those 10% discounts!

4732 Tickets

"I have 4732 tickets and I want 3 super sized tennis balls, 20 foam dice, 20 bungy key rings, 20 popper balls, 6 hackie sacks, 30 army men, 3 suckers, 2 mini slinkies, and one bouncy ball."

Okay, let me back up.

My sweet, older brother Larry contracted encephalitis at the age of 12 and has dealt with its effects ever since.  Larry's life pleasures are few and paltry in comparison to most people. However tonight one of his simple pleasures was the foundation for giving pleasure to many others.  

One of Larry's delights is eating out.  And one of his favorite places to eat out is Stevie B's Pizzeria.  That is because after he eats all the pizza he wants from the buffet, Larry can buy tokens and play arcade games.  Larry loves skeet ball!  With the playing of arcade games at Stevie B's comes the winning of tickets.  And tickets mean prizes.

About two years ago, Larry started saving his Stevie B's tickets.  There was an item worth 2500 plus tickets that he wanted.  By the time Larry reached his target, the item was no longer available.  Meanwhile, he kept playing games and saving tickets.  He reached over 4000 tickets when he decided that there was nothing in the Stevie B's prize shop that he really wanted.  That's when Larry offered them to me.  He thought maybe I could find some toys for my kids at the preschool.  

So tonight after enjoying pizza with my family, I headed to the Stevie B's prize shop with Larry's 4700 some tickets.  With the help of my mom and the delightful Stevie B's employee (who had never seen one person with SO many tickets), I went on a shopping spree.  I looked at the options and envisioned how I could use the items in my classroom. It was so much fun!  Having chose to work for non-profits most of my adult life, extravagant shopping has never been one of my pleasures.  It was fun to be able to say, "I want one of that, two of that, and 20 of that!!!   By the way, 2 of the suckers and the 2 mini slinkies were for the little kids eyeing the prizes while I was shopping.  It was great to feel like Daddy Warbucks and say, "give those kids a slinky and a sucker too!"  The other sucker and the bouncy ball were my thank you gifts to my brother.

Larry was so proud that he could give something for "my kids" at school. He had the pleasure of giving and feeling valuable.  I had the pleasure of being extravagant.   The Stevie B's employee had the pleasure of watching someone considered among the "least" do something really big.   My kids at school will have the pleasure of  new toys.   All of that pleasure from a bunch of arcade tickets.  Who would have thought!

Magic Poop

I was walking along the sidewalk looking for poop.  I could not find it.  That is when I got excited.  I decided that Scooby must have magic poop.  She has poop that disappears! Wow!  What else can you ask for in a dog sitting gig than a dog who has magic poop!

OK, let me back up.

I am keeping my friend's dog, Scooby.  Scooby looks more like a Scrappy with her short legs and wiry hair.  None the less Scooby is a great little creature who periodically stays with us while her family is away.  I have no fenced in yard so Scooby and I take frequent walks.   Since walking the dog is not a daily activity for me, I have a tendency to leave the house without a plastic bag.  You know, the bag to transport dog poop to a proper receptacle.  Twice since Scooby's arrival, I have taken her for a walk without a plastic bag.  And of course on both occasions she pooped.

Since it was a beautiful day and I didn't know which project to tackle next, I decided to take Scooby for a walk. She had just recently pooped and peed so this was simply a pleasure walk.   This time I remembered the plastic bag.  Therefore I decided I would look for the earlier poop and transport it to a trashcan.  I was looking along our usual path trying to recall her earlier stops.  Thinking that I surely had gone far enough, I announced to Scooby that she must have magic poop -poop that just disappears.  What glee to think I was keeping the dog with magic poop.  Just about that time I saw it.  There was a familiar pile of Scooby poop.  A few feet away I found another familiar pile.  To my disappointment, I realized that I am not dog sitting the dog with magic poop.  

The fact is we all "poop" and it does not magically disappear.  It is real.  And it stinks.  Just prior to the magic poop thoughts, I had been laminating to God about some of my own "poop".  I am struggling with some personal behaviors that I wish would just disappear. But they don't.  To be honest, I really would like to be perfect.  I would like to have it all together.  I would like to always make good choices and have  the right answers.  My pride would like to think that I can clean up my own "poop".  I can't.  I am indebted to Christ.  He makes the poop okay because he removes it - all of it. Oh to be more like Scooby, more aware of the one who walks beside me than the poop I have left behind. Oh to not be hindered by the fear of poop to come but to simply be delighted to walk with the one who carries the plastic bag.

Blog,blog, blog

I am so glad that I finally created my own blog.   I love blogging!   I write entries all the time.  No you haven't missed any.  For me writing has never been a problem, it is the writing it down that is the tricky part.  I have been mentally blogging for a month now. However this is the first time since opening shop that I have tried to put an entry into writing.  Maybe this will get me going and then again maybe we will meet back here in a month or two!