So there are these two webcams with live streaming of video and audio in Africa.  This one is in Botswana.  It’s not working as I write this, but if it was working, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be watching.  This one is in South Africa.  It is also messed up right now.  It is also between 3 and 4 am there, so I don’t expect them to be fixed until daytime.  We have seen elephants, baboons, water buffalo, wildebeests, ostriches and more.  I am hoping to see the zebras soon.  It is kewl.   I think I’ll look for some more live webcams from around the world. 

In no particular order, I love it when:

~Something lost is found (like our digital camera yesterday)
~We play a game as a family
~My boys giggle uncontrollably because Daddy is wrestling with them
~My 3yo imitates Curious George’s “ooh ooh, aah aah” sounds
~I see my 14yo excel in Biology, especially when I remember how much he hated it the first day of class
~The big brothers look after the little brothers
~I can see that change is a good thing, even at my church, even when it’s been hard
~My husband and I get time to talk about life from the mundane to the miraculous without interruptions
~It rains
~My 8yo gets creative, which is almost every day
~My 10yo hugs me and says “I love you, Mom”

We found this little guy in the house last night. 

My favorite name for him is from my 3yo - it’s a Gizzard! 

This article at CNN was good to read today.  Looks like the AAP is realizing kids are over-scheduled these days and is encouraging more free playtime.  I guess parents have to hear it from the AAP to believe it?

Chasing butterflies appeals to me so much more.  My 3 year old and I bopped a balloon around the house today and I loved hearing his precious giggles.  My two middle sons built a complex fort with blankets, the sofa, recliner, and all the kitchen chairs today.  I’m so blessed - I get to do this every day.

There’s a t-shirt with that phrase on it - thinking about getting one.  I read a great series on this blog today.  (There are 4 parts!)

I have a lot of thoughts running around in my head about bearing one another’s burdens and how to really do that - especially the part about letting others bear mine.  Having been burned when I’ve opened up to people, I am hesitant to do it again.  I make some sort of vow that “I won’t be hurt again.”  But really, I’m shooting myself in the foot when I do that.  I know it, but I stay in my shell anyway.  Part of me says I do it to protect myself, but part of me thinks it is just sinful.  I am conflicted.

One day at 7-11, a lady almost ran into me.  She apologized profusely.  I looked her in the eye and could see pain.  She must have felt she could open up to me because she then proceeded to tell me about finding out a dear relative had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.  I placed my hand on her arm and told her I was sorry to hear it and that I would pray for her loved one.  She was grateful.  How is it that I can so easily take on someone else’s burden yet I will not give anyone mine?

It’s much less painful to be superficial.  But it’s shallow and doesn’t make for a very meaningful life.  Life is just messy.  I need to figure out how to jump in the mire and live.  I guess when it comes down to it, I just don’t like to get dirty.

It took almost a week.  I bought two new shower heads last Saturday.  Got one installed.  While installing the second one, I cracked the part that attaches to the pipe.  New part arrived today (they covered it under warranty - thank you Waterpik!).  Grabbed a pair of pliers and went to work.  A few minutes later the job was done.  I look down at the pliers and stamped on the side is the word “Tonka”. 

Yes, I used Tonka pliers; they are real metal ones, but still Tonka.  The other toy that has proven to be useful around here is what we call ”The Claw”.  It’s one of those things with a pair of pinchers at one end and a place you squeeze on the other to open and close the pinchers.  It’s a couple of feet long and is useful for getting things out of tight spots like between the washer and dryer.  That’s about it for the really useful toys around here.  Looks like I need to purge the rest but I’ll have to do it slowly so no one notices. 

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher.
~Elbert Hubbard

I was planning to go to bed earlier, but my 8yo came out of his room sick.  Stomach thing. Will the others get it?  Most likely.  I’m feeling a little queasy myself….

We are getting our chores and school work done quickly today so we can hit the cheap theater right after lunch to see Cars.  We saw it when it was first-run, but for 50¢ each I couldn’t pass it up.  Back to work!