All posts by Janna

It’s a tricky thing, having a blog

Just My Thoughts

I currently have three blog posts sitting as “drafts”.  Why?  Because it can be tricky having a blog.  Each of these posts just might offend some people, particularly the people who inspired me to write them.

If you have a blog, you know what I mean.  If you’ve had a blog post written ABOUT you, you know what I mean.  Something that made me mad, something that hurt my feelings, something that makes one relationship particularly close (therefore not another), something I want to give counsel to anonymously… things that are on my mind and heart, but will be left … Read the rest

I don’t need you

Just My Thoughts, More About Me

I don’t mean YOU, I do need YOU.  Today I’m thinking about THINGS I don’t need.  Please to enjoy.

  • I don’t need you, Fine China.  I have three children, so when do really expensive, really breakable dishes become handy?  When I want to feel fancy we get out candles and cloth napkins.  Done.  That’s as fancy as I get.
  • I don’t need you, Valentine’s Day.  My husband loves me well year round, so don’t go marketing yourself all cheap and easy like with flowers and chocolates.  A gift he doesn’t have to put thought into isn’t a gift I want.
… Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: April 18, 2012

Wednesday Wit

Monday was particularly windy…
Ada: Mom, when you were a kid… did you ever blow away?

Ada woke up rather early, and was quite frankly intruding on my quiet breakfast.
Ada: (talking, talking, talking)
Me: Is it ok if we talk after breakfast?  I’m still kind of tired.
Ada: You seem tired.
Me: Well I am!
Ada: (whispers) Well you seem like it.

[subscribe2]… Read the rest

Oh girl…

Kids, Parenting

Grace doesn’t like school.  I know most kids don’t, but this is a sometimes daily battle, and we’re back in that time.  Crying, stalling, arguing, insisting that she already knows everything… sigh.  Why don’t YOU have to go to school?  School’s no fun!  If school was fun I would pay attention.  I don’t need to go to school anymore.  Why do YOU get to do what you want all day??  Yes, THIS puts me in a good mood at 7am.

I tend to try different tactics from day to day, to see which will work.  Sometimes I’m firm, sometimes I … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: April 11, 2012

Wednesday Wit

Ada: Don’t you want to color an egg?
Me: I pretty much just want to eat mine.
Ada: Ok… suit yourself.  I guess you won’t have much fun.

Eli: This Lego set is only 12.99!
Me: Awesome!  Do you have 12.99?
Eli: Well I DO have 99 cents!
Oooo… almost. 

Grace: We get to listen to Narnia in the car!
Ada: Ohhh – I HATE Narnia.
Grace: Why?  It’s funny and there’s adventure!
Ada: Well…I like funny stuff…and I like adventure…so I guess I like Narnia!

At the doctor’s office…… Read the rest

Choose love

Marriage

12.5 years ago I chose to marry Chad.  I chose to love him all the days of my life.  I still choose every day to love him and keep the covenant I made 12.5 years ago to him and to God.  That’s the thing about marriage – it’s for life.  It’s a choice.  It’s hard work.  It’s worth the work.

Here are some examples I came up with for what it practically looks like to choose love:

  • We each have strengths and weaknesses, that’s what makes us a good team.  What makes a good marriage is allowing him to have
… Read the rest

What happened when we saw something horrific

Just My Thoughts

On the way home the other evening we came upon an accident immediately after it had happened.  Apparently a car pulled out in front of a motorcycle, which then ran into the car and sent the driver flying.  We saw the driver of the motorcycle laying on the road face down, not moving, with blood running out of his head.  We had no warning that it was coming or I would have had my kids look away – instead we all saw him.

The kids immediately panicked and asked if that would happen to them.  What if we get in … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: April 4, 2012

Wednesday Wit

While in Nashville we met two new friends and they baby-sat one night…
Eli: We like to wrestle before we watch a movie.
Grant: OK, but let’s wait until your parents come home.
Eli: No – we aren’t allowed.
Busted! 

Eli: Mom, there’s a show on TV that’s inappropriate for us to watch!  The girls are wearing dresses and the tops of BOTH of their boobs are showing!
I’m going to mark this in the “win” column.  It was Dancing With the Stars. 

Eli: (coughing, coughing, coughing)  Mom, I have a lot of throat boogers.… Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: March 28, 2012

Wednesday Wit

Me: Here Ada, put these pants on under your skirt.  You don’t have to take your skirt off.
Ada: Yes I do, see – the skirt has shorts.
Me: Oh!  I didn’t know that.
Ada: Well, at least there’s one thing you don’t know.

Me: Kids, clean the table off before supper please.
Eli: Ada!  Quick, get your stuff off the table or mom will throw it away!
I’m completely ok with this reputation. 

Ada: Emily lost her voice.
Me: Is Emily in your class?
Ada: No, she’s my swim teacher.  … Read the rest

Ahh…. Natural Consequences

Parenting

After school today, Grace tells me this little story:

Grace: Mom, today we had a fire drill, and they didn’t tell us we were having a fire drill!  When we had to go, my shoelaces were tied together so I had a hard time getting down the steps, and then I had a hard time getting them undone so when it was time to go back inside I had to take my shoes off, and everyone was laughing at me.
Me: Yeah, that doesn’t sound very fun.  What did you learn from this?
Grace: (very sheepishly) That … Read the rest