Monday, March 31, 2008

Feeling Normal

I just read an article, sent to me by my Aunt Deidre (who doesn't haven't a blog that I can link to...hint, hint). Basically, these researchers put a mom and her 30 month old child in a room, made the kids stressed and watched. The researcher did it again, six month later, and this time had the moms film during the time right before dinner, another high stress situation.

The article showed that on average, moms argue 20-25 times an hour with their child. There were highs of 55 times an hour and lows of four times an hours. And of course, keep in mind that these children were intentionally put into high stress situations.

First question, what kind of CRAZY mom would put herself in a situation where her kid was going to be stressed out, causing him/her to be fussy? Me thinks there would have to be some big time compensation!

The article and research made me think two things. Firstly, I really don't think I argue with my toddler that much. So it made me feel pretty good, or at least normal. :-) My second thought was that I have had TWO toddlers, so no wonder I sometimes feel like all I do is tell my kids, "no, no, no, no."

Another thought that has been rolling around in my head is the way our society looks at children. I saw a movie where children were equated to a mosquito.... sucking the life and energy out of parents. I'll be honest, I heard that comment and laughed! That is sometimes exactly how I feel at the end of the day. And I think that is how society looks at children, as a nuisance, a problem, something that takes away from the kind of person you could be.

But look at scripture. (can I hear an AMEN from my young mom's Bible study?)
"Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him."
Psalm 127: 3

I went to the doctor a few weeks ago. The topic of children came up, and I mentioned that I had three, and gave their ages. At the end of the appointment, she asked if I was on any kind of medicine. I told her no. She paused, and asked, "Not even birth control?!" I didn't feel like getting a conversation at that moment, and just told her, "Nope." Her response was, "Oh, I bet you're just going to send your husband to the bet to get fixed." "We're planning on having another baby." I told her (even though it was non of her business). "Oh. Good for you." the doctor told me, in a tone that showed me that she really didn't think that was a good thing.

I wish people looked at children the way I look at my children (or try to), as a heritage and a reward. How much would change if we all kept that face in the forefront of our mind?

Friday, March 28, 2008

Kids and church

I got this in an e-mail from my Aunt Leslie. Oh, how I can relate to some of these!

3-year-old Reese : 'Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name. Amen.' (for Aunt Shannon on her special day!)

A little boy was overheard praying: 'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am.' (I can just hear the Mommy/Daddy's prayer in response!)

After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, 'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.' (Probably one of my favorites. It's a bummer when your kids figure out their parents are sinners too!)

One particular four-year-old prayed, 'And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, 'And why is it necessary to b e quiet in church?' One bright little girl replied, 'Because people are sleeping.' (for my sweet, sleep apnea husband... and all the people who helped keep him awake!)

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. 'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.' Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, ' Ryan , you be Jesus !' (Haha! I can hear this conversation happen between my sisters and I as children and between my children someday.)

A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to hi m, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. 'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked. 'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, 'Did God throw him back down?' (See, just don't start with the whole "animals go to heaven too" thing and that Dad would have been fine!)

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, 'Would you like to say the blessing?' 'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied. 'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, 'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner? (I can see this happening to me!)

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Busy and bad times

March has flown by in a whirl wind of cupcakes, parties, trips, tonsillitis, pink eye, ear infections and Easter festivities. All good things, but all busy thing. That would about sum up our life right now.... good but busy! Tomorrow is no exception. My Mom arrived today, and will be taking me and the kiddos, via Austin, back to Wichita to enjoy a little bit more time with family and to see my sister's art show, which is on Friday. Even though we are very much looking forward to our trip, I am in the middle of packing and not so much enjoying that.

Today we left the house at 9am, and didn't get home till about 2:30. Good day, just busy. So I was desperately trying to get as much packing done as possible, but Mr. Micah Moo wasn't helping much. I anticipated him napping while I worked, yet he thought it would be more fun to go from one crazy adventure to the next. And apparently when Micah gets really, really tried, he gets mischievous (and that's putting it nicely!). Here are a few of the things he did while I was trying to pack. He cracked 18 eggs into the sink and onto the kitchen floor, dumped out a brand new 1/2 gallon of creamer, dumped out the last few cups of milk, climbed the shelf in the pantry, got stuck on said shelf, poured water all over the floor, threw a few fits, and smacked Elizabeth a few times. It was CRAZY! That, is the bad times I referred to in the title.

I keep telling myself what Christi is always telling me, "If your life was any calmer, you would be bored."

Sunday, March 23, 2008

He is risen!

How deep the Father's love for us,

how vast beyond all measure,

that He should give His only Son

to make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss;

the Father turns His face away,

as wounds which mar The Chosen One

bring broken souls to glory.


I will not boast in anything,

no gifts, no pow'r, no wisdom;

but I will boast in Jesus Christ,

His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart;

His wounds have paid my ransom.


We sang that song, How Deep the Father's Love for Us, at our Maundy Thursday service. It's one of my favorites, and I found especially poignant at this time of year. Praise God for the gift of salvation through Christ!





Aren't the kids' Easter outfits adorable?! My Mom got them for us, and I love how sweet they look. Thanks momma!


And thanks to Papaw and Memaw for coming down to celebrate Micah's birthday and Easter with us. We had a great time, and really enjoyed your visit!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Micah's party

We had Micah's construction birthday party today. It was so much fun!! Enjoy the TONS of pictures!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Micah's birthday!

It's taken me awhile, but I have finally found some time to blog about Micah's 2nd birthday! Birthdays are a big deal. My Dad always said, "It's like Christmas for one person." You get presents, good food, fun, more food, and an all around good time. Micah woke up telling everyone, "My bir-day, my bir-day, I TWO!"
Just like his first birthday, we were able to spend it with my family in Kansas. We stayed with Grandma and Grand-Daddy and Aunt Shannon spent the night too. Aunt Shannon gave Micah this cute chair. Maybe now he and Elizabeth will get quit fighting over hers!
I was rather impressed by how sweet (for the most part) Elizabeth was. I think she was really just excited to get Micah's birthday out of the way so that it would be closer to her birthday!
After a yummy lunch of pasta, Grandma served cupcakes! I'll be the first to admit that one of the perks of having Micah's birthday at Grandma's house was that she did most of the work! Thanks Grandma!
Micah LOVED being sung to, and LOVED blowing out the candle. It was so much fun that he did it over, and over, and over.
Made for lots of great pictures though! He was so funny, and at one point was holding his forehead and blowing the candle out. It was like he was trying to hold is hair out of his face of something.
Benjamin and Micah, my almost Irish, almost Irish twins!
Mommy and Micah. Awwwww! Wish I had wiped his face off before the picture!

This isn't actually Micah's birthday, but on our way home the following day. We stopped just inside the Texas border, and took pictures next to the Texas sign.
Elizabeth with her "Gig 'em thumb".


Monday, March 17, 2008

Elizabeth and religion

Finally, the things that Curtis and I have been saying and doing with Elizabeth are falling into place! As parents of young children, we train them, and pray that there will be an understanding, but often, because of their age, it feels like we're just going through the motions of prayer, Bible reading... etc. But lately, Elizabeth seems to be understanding what we're trying to teach her. Here are a few examples of how God is working in her.

While I give the kids their baths, we will sing. I was busy washing one of the boys, and I hear Elizabeth start singing. "From the depths of woe I raise to thee, a voice of lamentation..." What a good little reformed girl she is!

This morning, while we were praying, she had a sweet conversation with God. She told him about all the things we have planned for the day, asked Him to watch over us, praised him, and then asked him to, "help our sins be nice." Amen to that!

Micah has a shirt that says, "Nothing but trouble!" I was reading to him, trying to see if he knew what it said. I said, "Nothing but...." and waited him to fill in the rest. Instead, Elizabeth exclaims, "The blood of Jesus!" Nothing But the Blood (of Jesus) is the hymn we've been teacher her.

And on a non Elizabeth note (sorta) Micah has begun praying! His prayers are still very prompted, but what a joy it was the first time he wanted to pray! Elizabeth has a prayer that she learned in Sunday school, which starts, "Thank you God for happy hearts...." and this is the prayer she uses every time we eat. When Micah wanted to pray for our food, I told him to pray, "O Father,..." and before I could get any further, Elizabeth interrupted, "No wait! That's the 'I'm sorry God' prayer!"

Praise God for children! Praise God for the great gift of prayer, His Word, and songs that glorify Him!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Friday, March 14, 2008

Happy Birthday Megan!


In the midst of getting ready for Micah's birthday, it would be easy for me to let my baby sister's birthday slip my mind. But I didn't!! Today is Megan's 23rd birthday! Happy birthday Meggie!
The past couple years I have been blessed to see Megan turn into a strong, godly woman with a heart for her family and for the Lord. Last year, I had the great honor of standing next to Megan as she married her wonderful husband, Matt. I am so thankful for the sister she is to me, and for the friend she has become. She truly is one of my best friends!
Happy birthday Meggie!!!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Happy Birthday, Micah

Well, almost. Micah's birthday is on Saturday, but I really wanted to show him off a little. :-) Enjoy!

Monday, March 10, 2008

A Monday Day

Yuck! The weather outside is just YUCK! It's raining, it's chilly, blah. That was the first thing to make my Monday a blah Monday Day. Then, Benjamin woke up with green stuff coming out of his eye. Turns out Micah's "allergies" is really pink eye, which both boys now have. While we were at the doctor this morning, we also found out that Benjamin's fussiness has been caused by a double ear infection. Blah. The pink eye forced us to cancel our dinner plans with the Bloggertons. Blah!!

In other new, both my sisters now have blogs! Go to Shannon's blog to see some of her art, and go to Megan's blog to hear about the latest and greatest from Atlanta.

Now, time for some laundry, dishes, and general clean up. Blah!

Friday, March 07, 2008

Maybe my last post for the day?

A picture for Mr. Josh and Mr. Eric, who inspired Elizabeth to wash her bike. We're anxiously waiting to hear Josh and Eric's account of the Battle of the Creek, which caused them to wash their bikes in our front yard!

Micah's hand

Yesterday, Micah touched a hot burner. Here's the result. It doesn't seem to be bothering him much today, but every now and then, he'll just look at this hand in confusion.

Holding my babies

Our family is praying for Baby Chloe, the granddaughter of some friends of ours from church. Chloe was born very early, and because of all the medical issues associated with a premature birth, her mommy and Daddy have just been able to hold her for the first time. Praying and thinking of Chloe and her parents made me, once again, praise God for what a blessing it is to have been able to have three healthy children. Something that might be seem minor, getting to hold you baby, is something major to many parents. How easy it is for me to forget God's great goodness to Curtis and I in the midst of the daily task of raising our three little blessings. Please pray with us for Chloe, her parents and grandparents.

Here are pictures from the first time I held each of my kiddos. Holding my first baby, and so far only baby girl, Elizabeth.
Holding my big baby boy, Micah.
Holding my surprise baby, Benjamin.
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation."
Luke 2:46-50

SSSSNOOOOOWS!!!!

Look what's happening outside! Micah is running around exclaiming, "SSSNOOOOOWS!!!" And Elizabeth is still asleep.
Micah called his Grand-Daddy to tell him about the snow. I was surprised when Micah talked to him about sledding. So cute that he remembered!
When I went outside to take a few quick pictures, Micah was running around on the deck in circles screaming, "Snow get me! Snow get me!"

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Shout out...

... to Austin Ayers!! Hey Austin! Hope you're having a great day, and thanks for being one of my youngest and most faithful blog readers. :-)

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

I'm Batman...Not Really, Just Curtis

1. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father's middle name) Charles Sue

2. NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad) Gaston Henry

3. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name): Kracu

4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal): Green Cow (Curtis likes to eat cow, that's why it's his favorite animal)

5. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Michael Wichita-Falls (Because Wichita Falls is cooler when hyphenated?)

6. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning) The Blue Milk (almost as scary as The Blue Coffee)

7. FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name) Cuca

8. GANGSTA NAME: ( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Daiquiri Ice Any (haha! that last part is so true, and it cracks me UP!)

9. ROCK STAR NAME: (current (or last ) pet's name, current street name) KC Cumberland (hey, he stole MY rocker name!)

10. GAMER NAME: ( name of your fav perfume/cologne/deodorant, fav candy) Old Spice Fast Break... interesting. (Sounds kinda creepy to me!)

11. PEN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on)KC Bahama

In case you hadn't figured it out, the extra comments were from Kierstyn!

You can just call me Kierstyn

1. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father's middle name) Patrician Wayne... no relation to John (John Wayne, get it?)

2. NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad) Kieran Jimmie

3. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name):Kraki

4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal): pink giraffe... that sounds more like a cartoon. Maybe I should pick my own favorite animal, rather than Elizabeth's.

5. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Maye Shreveport

6. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)The Blue Coffee... yep, that will put fear into the heart of the bad guys! I can hear them shaking in their boots from here!

7. FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name) Kica.... sounds pretty darn fly too me!

8. GANGSTA NAME: ( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Okay, I had issues with this one. I tried several... Java Chip Chocolate Chip was the first one, and it's just too chippy!

9. ROCK STAR NAME: (current (or last ) pet's name, current street name) KC Cumberland... I think that should be my soap opera name, though I do like the way Maye sounds....

10. GAMER NAME: ( name of your fav perfume/cologne/deodorant, fav candy) Happy Snickers... LOL!

11. PEN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on) Buffy Flagstaff.... there were so many different streets, but for some reason this was the only one I could come up with, and watch, it's probably wrong!

Monday, March 03, 2008

3 months later

3 months ago today, Benjamin had his surgery. I posted a montage of pictures from his journey, and later today will hopefully post some before and after pictures. Go check them out, and join us as we praise God for his love, and faithfulness!

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Popcorn for later

Last Thursday night, we had a friend come and babysit the kiddos so that Curtis and I could have a nice, quiet, conversation filled dinner. After too much food, we headed home to get the report on the kids. I will be the first to admit that I not expecting a good report. Much to my delight (and surprise!) we got a very good report. Yay for the Krajca 3!

Caitlyn did relay a funny story. She had popped some popcorn for the kids, and had put in a movie. After she put the dishes in the sink, she came back to the living room where the kids were, to find that Micah and Elizabeth had put popcorn in the holes of Benjamin's helmet! I laughed so hard! I wonder what was going through Benjamin's head. "Hmmm, a snack for later. Thanks guys!"

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Dating application

I found this from a friend's blog, and thought it was hilarious! And just for the record, if one of my sons ever wants to date your daughter, please have him fill out this application. :-)

APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO DATE OUR DAUGHTERNOTE: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied by a complete financial statement, job history, and current medical report from your doctor.
NAME________________ DATE OF BIRTH________________HEIGHT________ WEIGHT________ IQ_______ GPA_______
SOCIAL SECURITY #_________ DRIVERS' LICENSE #_________
BOY SCOUT RANK AND BADGES_________________________
HOME ADDRESS_____________________________________
Do you have parents? ___Yes ___No
Is one male and the other female? ___Yes ___NoIf No, explain: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Number of years they have been married ___________If less than your age, explain ___________________________________________________________________________________

ACCESSORIES SECTION:Do you have:
A. Access to a Van? ___Yes ___No
B. A truck with over sized tires? ___Yes ___No
C. A Water bed? ___Yes ___No
D. A pickup with a mattress in the back? ___Yes ___No
E. A Tattoo? ___Yes ___No
F. An earring, nose ring, pierced tongue or a belly button ring? ___Yes ___No
(IF YOU ANSWERED 'YES' TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, DISCONTINUE APPLICATION AND LEAVE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY. I SUGGEST RUNNING.)

ESSAY SECTION:In 50 words or less, what does 'LATE' mean to you?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In 50 words or less, what does 'DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER' mean to you?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I 50 words or less, what does 'ABSTINENCE' mean to you?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES SECTION:Church you attend __________________________
How often you attend________________________
When would be the best time to interview your:
Father? __________________Mother? ___________________
Pastor? ___________________

SHORT ANSWER SECTION:Answer by filling in the blank. Please answer freely as all answers are confidential.
A. If I were shot, the last place I would want to be shot would be:________________________________________________
B. If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken is my:________________________________________________
C. A woman's place is in the:________________________________________________
D. The one thing I hope this application does not ask me about is:________________________________________________
E. What do you want to be IF you grow up?________________________________________________
F. When I meet a girl, the thing I notice about her first is:________________________________________________
G. What is the current going rate of a hotel room________________________________________________
I SWEAR THAT ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED ABOVE IS TRUE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH, DISMEMBERMENT, NATIVE AMERICAN ANTI TORTURE, CRUCIFIXION, ELECTROCUTION, CHINESE WATER TORTURE, RED HOT POKERS, AND HILARY CLINTON KISS TORTURE.

Applicant's Signature__________________________________________________
Mother's Signature__________________________________________________
Father's Signature __________________________________________________

Thank you for your interest. Please allow four to six years for processing.