Another "Me Time" Ploy

I'm just gonna be honest. Sometimes, I try to make up creative ways to keep my little ones occupied so I can have a few minutes of peace.......possibly allowing me to have a kid-free bathroom break, do my bible study lesson without a monkey on my shoulder or maybe check facebook without someone sitting on my lap begging to listen to the clean version of "Boom, Boom Pow" on youtube. So, when I am desperate for a few kid-free minutes, one of my new ploys is to encourage Brady to make a parade.........a very long parade. I give him a verbal list of participants to make sure he has all of the categories of entries covered. For example, there must always be a beauty queen or two riding in a convertible:

(She-ra, Princess of Power, riding in the Batmobile......check)and members of our armed forces

(fake dollar store G.I. Joe......check)

and BIG Macy's style floating animal characters

(stuffed turtle and parrot........check)

and random people on bicycles

and lots of random cars that the crowd thinks are boring but the owners think are awesome

There must also be a category for homemade floats as well.

(Handy Manny's tool bench boat project.....check)

And, when Mama Oz is still needing a few more minutes alone, she reminds him of other entries such as pick-up trucks carrying little kids and fire trucks carrying cheerleaders....etc.
So, if you need a few minutes to yourself, try letting your kid build a parade. And, if you're from a small town like we are, anything goes in a hometown parade! So, let your little darlings be creative! Happy "me time" everyone!

More Like Him.....

At Daddy Oz's side of the family's Thanksgiving meal, we were all asked to share what we are most thankful for this year......

Lately, I have been just absolutely overwhelmed and humbled by the amazing LOVE of Jesus. I can't remember a time that I did not know that He loved me.....I've always known that. But, now......I am just beginning to realize just HOW much He loves me......all of us. When I look at my precious, precious children, I just can't help but think how MUCH I love them.......how I much I want the best for them.......how I would suffer any kind of humiliation (even one of those showing up at school in your underwear dreams come true) rather than to see them get their feelings hurt, get left out of a party or be the last one chosen for a game. I want them to be happy, successful......for their dreams to always come true! I want them to always have a buddy to play with, to always make the team, and never have to stand in the corner at a school dance. But, more than anything.........I want them to be like Jesus.......to have a heart like His. I'm just now coming to truly realize that is what He wants too. He wants us to have a heart like His. He loves us soooooooo much that He is willing to let us loose the game, to be chosen last, not make the team, not have a buddy and to be alone at a dance.........if it means that we will become more like Him........if it means our heart will become more like His.

My heart literally feels like it could burst when I think of just how much He loves me. How deeply His heart must break when I suffer a heartbreak or face trial........how hard it must be for Him not to just reach down and "fix it" for me. But, because he wants me to have a heart like His, he uses trials, disappointments and the unfairness of this world to help me be more sensitive to others, to grow in patience, faith and trust in Him.

So, this Thanksgiving........what I wish I'd said, when asked, is that I am most thankful that He loves me enough to help me become more like Him........that He is willing and loving enough to suffer heartache to make my heart more like His.

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."

Jeremiah 31:3

A Happy Feast!

Monday, the twins' preschool held its annual Family Feast to celebrate Thanksgiving. Brady and Sis were surprised to see their daddy waiting for them in the gym because they thought that he wouldn't be able to make it. They were thrilled! They were also excited that Mema got to come too!We also sat with their teacher, Ms. LeeAnn and her daughter Aly. Aly and Karson are big buds! We go to church with them and are in the same small group. Karson and Aly also take tumbling and dance together. And, they played on the same soccer team this fall!!Here they are both modeling their cute turkey dresses.

After lunch, the girls started a precious game of ring-around-the-rosies.

They had so much fun!

Even Brady had to join in the fun! I have a feeling things are gonna get pretty wild around here when they become teenagers and all of Karson's friends begin wanting to hang out with "her Brady!"

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

A Meeting with Mr. Claus

Every year, our family photographer, Rebecca Marr, invites Ole Saint Nick to her studio for some early Christmas sessions. Surprisingly, my sweet Sis was very shy with the jolly, old elf. Her eyes were as big as saucers and she clung to "her Brady." She did manage to finally give him her list, which included a Disney Princess baking oven, a Baby Alive doll and a pink, pretend camera. Brady was cool as a cucumber with Santa. He was quick to make conversation and share his wish list: a smart cycle, a pirate ship and a Leapfrog Explorer video game system.

I can't believe that they are this big already! It seems like only yesterday that they were tiny preemies who slept all through Christmas!!

Advent By Candlelight

The church where I am youth director just kicked off the holiday season with an event it holds annually called "Advent by Candlelight." Ladies in the church host and decorate tables. They invite other church members, neighbors and other female guests to join them for a night of desserts, coffee and fellowship. This year, the female staff members decided to host a table as well. I love my Christmas dishes, but I don't get to use them very often. So, I enjoyed using them for such a nice event.

Here is our table. Here I am hooking up with the help ;) The men served the ladies. Mark and Clay, two of our youth, even lended a helping hand for the event.

Here are some of the other tables:

I can't wait to decorate my own house for Christmas!! But, it may be the Christmas Eve before I have time to do that!

Thankful Projects

Karson and Brady had to do a "What I'm Thankful for" project for preschool. Brady immediately thought of his grandparents. And, Karson wanted to do her daddy (but she said that she was very thankful for her mommy too :) ).

Brady listed some of the things his grandparents do for/with him:

G-daddy plays computer games with me.

Papa watches movies with me.

Nana plays in the creek with me.

Grammy teaches me about Jesus.

Mema goes to the mall with me.

G-daddy takes me to Disney Word and rides the rides with me.

Papa and Nana take me to Myrtle Beach.

Grammy reads books and plays games with me.

Mema helps take care of me. Karson said:

Daddy plays with me.

Daddy goes swimming with me.

Daddy takes me to church and helps me learn about Jesus.

Daddy takes care of me.

Daddy takes me to the beach.

Daddy works hard so we can go to Disney World.

Mama Oz is thankful for all of these things too!!

"I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." —Psalm 9:1

Forever Funnies.....

There are just some things my kiddies say that I want to be able to remember forever. They take everything so literally. It reminds me of those Amelia Bedelia books my elementary librarian used to read us. For example, Amelia, a housekeeper for a wealthy family, might be instructed to pitch a tent in the woods; so, she throws the tent in the woods. Or, she might be told to make a sponge cake; so, she puts sponges in the batter. Anyway, my kids have really been cracking me up lately with some of the things they have said. Here are a few:
Karson drives her daddy and I crazy begging for sweets. The other day she told her daddy that her tummy hurt. Daddy Oz said, "I'm sorry Sis. Can I do anything to make it better?" She then looked at her daddy and said, "Yes........a cookie would make it feel better." He daddy quickly replied, "I'm not buying that Sis." She looked at him and said, "No daddy! You don't have to buy it.......there are some on the kitchen table!"
Before taking Brady to my dad's yesterday afternoon, I said, "Brady are you gonna drive G-daddy crazy while you are there or are you gonna be good?" He looked up at me in dismay and said, "How can I drive him crazy? I don't even have a driver's license yet?"


Today, Brady was telling me about digging for worms on the playground at preschool with little boy from another class. I said, "Oh, I know him. He goes to our church." Then I said, "Did you know that he is a brother like you because he now has a new baby sister?" Confused, Brady said,"A new one? What happened to his old one?"

Tea for 2

I always know my two little darlings are up to something when they try to hide behind closed doors. The other afternoon, while I was picking up the house, I saw Karson's door closed and heard hushed whispers. I expected to find colored walls or clothes dumped out of drawers, but this is what I discovered instead!

A sweet little tea-party.

When I asked why I had not been invited, Brady said, "Well.....we put real water in the tea pot and we put real pretzels from our Halloween candy bags on our plates. So, we thought you might not like that."

Hmmm....that explains why the door was closed. But, who could get upset with such sweetness going on. I decided to bend the whole "no getting water out of the sink by yourself rule" on this one.

I videoed their precious little tea-party conversation, but unfortunately, Blogger does not like my huge camera files. However, some of the conversation went something like this.
K-"What do you want to talk about?
B-"Well, we could talk about Jesus. But, lets talk about names instead."
K-"Okay, lets names some names."
B-"Okay, I'm Brady. You're Karson. Mommy, you're...what's your name again....oh, ya...Kristen. Then, there's Daddy, and Grammy, and G-Daddy, and Nana and Papa..........."

You get the picture. I will miss these sweet, little days of innocence. They are flying by too fast!

Happy Fall Y'all

The weather here in the Land of Oz has been PERFECT lately!! Daddy Oz has been working like mad in our yard and has the place looking superb! Personally, I think he deserves one of those beautification awards, but I am partial. Anywho.....here are some pics of the Oz kids enjoying the weather and the leaves before "Operation Leaves Be Gone"......and gone they are....all of them.

Don't be fooled by the beauty of these bright yellow Ginkgo Biloba leaves........because mixed in with these leaves are stink bombs. This tree is FULL of berries that it drops every fall.......STINKY berries......berries that smell like a mix between dog poo and vomit! So, you might wanna watch your step if you pay us a visit anytime soon. Yes, I did bribe this one with Halloween candy in an attempt to produce even some slight, dimpled smiles. He has way more important things to do, like making parades with his trains and pretending to be a pirate, than to stand still and pose!

By the way.....I hope you'll listen closely to the song playing first on my playlist, "How He Loves Us" by David Crowder. I love, love, love this song!! I hope you realize just how much He does love you and how great His affection is for you........no matter what you've done......or where you are in life....He loves you......not because your good enough....... or love Him back enough.....but simply because you are His child!

Operation Elf on the Shelf

I have several friends who have made The Elf on the Shelf part of their Christmas traditions, and I thought it seemed like a fun way to start the holiday season.

Here is the tradition: a scout elf comes to stay with your family over the holidays to watch and report to Santa if the children are naughty or nice. Every night he flies back to the NP and gives his report for the day and returns to the family the following morning. Children are not allowed to touch the elf because he will lose his magic. Every morning, it is a game to see where the elf has perched himself in the house!

First, let me assure you that Christmas at the Oz house is ALL about Jesus. The Oz kids will be the first to tell you that Christmas around here is a celebration of Jesus's birthday. We have lots of traditions that help us to remember that!! But, we also think it is fun to make Santa, and all that goes with him, part of our fun as well. Maybe you think all the Santa, elves and naughty/nice list stuff are deceptive and teach children to be dishonest.....but honestly, how many of us can look back on our childhood memories of Santa with anything other than fondness, wonder and excitement?

So, back to the Mr. Elf......This Christmas, I had already decided to make the Elf on the Shelf a part of our holiday season, but I was way too cheap to buy the book and the real deal elf. So, when I saw a vintage pixie elf at a local antique store for $3....I couldn't resist.

For weeks, I have been warning the Oz kids that an elf may be coming to stay with us to watch and report on their behavior. But after their mischief yesterday, the elf was summonsed early. While I was on the phone with G-Daddy, this is what my little friends were up to: Yep, that is pink highlighter and a black Sharpie marker adorning my freshly painted kitchen door that I spent many hours slaving over to completely strip, sand, prime and repaint back in the spring. I tried everything to get it off......but to no real avail. It just smeared into purple smudges.

So, as my children looked on in hysterics and disbelief, I simply snapped a picture of this and told them I was sending it straight to Santa himself....cruel I know :)

But, this evening, the Oz kids heard the doorbell ring and found this at the front door:

I have attempted to upload the video of what followed....but the file seems to be too large. Hopefully, I can upload it somehow soon. But, here are the contents of the letter:

Dear Karson and Brady,

I just received the letter that your mommy sent to me, and I saw the picture of the door you colored. That was quite a shame. I know how hard your mommy and daddy worked to repaint that door. My first thought was to immediately put your names on my naughty list, but because you both are usually so nice, I have decided to give you a second chance. I have spoken to the director of the elf secret service. He has agreed that you are in much need of an elf to watch over you until Christmas. From now until Christmas, he will be with you each day and watch how you act. Each night, he will magically fly back to the North Pole and report on how you have behaved. If the reports are good, I will leave you on the nice list. But, you must follow an important rule:

You must never touch your elf……or he will lose his magic and will become unreal. This will put your name on the naughty list for good.

Your elf’s name is Gisbee. He is very mischievous. You never know where Gisbee may appear each morning. Remember my rule not to touch or move him…….and remember that when we are good…we are showing others how much we love Jesus and want to be like Him. Acting like Jesus makes Santa very happy.

Be good Karson and Brady! I’d better not receive anymore photos of you two disobeying your mommy and daddy! I am expecting good reports from Gisbee so I can leave you on the nice list this year! Take care of Gisbee for me!
Much love and Merry Christmas,
Santa

This is Gisbee, our elf on the shelf.

Karson was scared and was expecting a little elf-man to be in our house :) Brady was skeptical at first that Gisbee was just a stuffed toy, but he was quickly convinced of Gisbee's authenticity. He ate his dinner like a champ......and he ran back into the kitchen to check on Gisbee the rest of the evening. He even prayed for Gisbee to have a safe flight back to the North Pole this evening and to return safely back tomorrow.

We are hoping Gisbee will help the Oz parents have a little bit better next couple of weeks :)

A Fairytale w/ a lot of hot air.........

Here are our fairytale characters.....Karson as Sleeping Beauty (or as she would say, the Pink Princess) and Brady as Prince Phillip. They both chose their costumes while we were at Disney World. I love it that Brady chose to be a prince instead of a pirate.......glad he saw the sword and shield in Fantasy Land before he spotted the pirate sword in Adventure Land!!!!I'm glad that my Karson loves fairy tales! Her daddy and I are already praying for her very own Prince Charming. But, we are really praying that Jesus will come back very soon and that she will grow up in Heaven and be the princess of our Heavenly King!!! Here I am at their preschool party. Karson wanted me to be Wendy from Peter Pan. Luckily I held onto my Blue Fairy dress from my high school's production of Pinocchio.And here we have my own woopie cushion! He couldn't have picked a more fitting costume! He was such a sport to dress up for the twins' party!!

We hope everyone had a wonderful time enjoying Halloween festivities! We sure did! If you want some candy.......come on over......we are overflowing with it!!