Playing catch up with the Hodges Family

Sorry for no recent posts. We have been busy, busy, busy! What have we been busy doing, you ask? Well, I am glad you asked...here is what we have been doing:

Danny has been busy working in the garden. We are not as far along on it as we had hoped, but this is the week that we will finish planting so we can have some produce! We do have some lettuce varieties sprouting, but that is all that has been planted so far. Danny will also be planting a wide variety of tomatoes. My only request is grape tomatoes so I can make tons of salsa! I love fresh garden salsa. I don't use any hot peppers in mine, though, so others might be disappointed. We are also planting squash and zucchini, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon, and the rest I am drawing a blank on. Our back yard is covered with raised bed containers and container gardens. As for me, I am going to buy/plant some herbs. I want cilantro, basil, rosemary and thyme. We already have chocolate mint, mint, and lemon balm.

We also recently took a trip to GA. It was a sweet time of fellowship with all of my immediate family, but hard at the same time because it was the first time we have been together without Dad. At one point, we were about to eat a dinner outside at my brothers house and my brother looked around at everyone and said, "Okay, who's missing?" I just cracked up because the only one missing was Dad. That laughing then turned to a few tears. Things will never be the same going back to GA. That's not good or bad, just a fact, you know? We did have a major answer to prayers when we were preparing to head to GA. My mom called me and asked me what we decided about Dad's car. I was a little confused because months ago we talked and I told her we weren't able to buy it. She was a little confused that I was confused, so I told her again that we just couldn't afford to buy it. She said, no, she paid it off and did we want it? Wow. I was dumbfounded. Our cars still work, but we can't travel in them anymore because they are old. Danny has taken really good care of them, they just don't travel. So, we came home with a new charcoal colored 2006 Nissan Altima. Praise the Lord. Sometimes it is hard for me to be really happy about it because it is just another reminder that Dad is gone, and truly, I would rather have Dad, but as Josiah says, "That's just the way the story goes!"

Okay, that's enough of our busy-ness...I leave you with some funnies:

We were on the way to Mee-maw's house one day and this is our conversation:

Josiah: Mommy, is Mee-maw going to slap me?
Me: No, Josiah. Mee-maw has never slapped you and will not slap you today.
Josiah: Are you sure?
Me: Yes, I am sure!
Josiah: [After thinking for a minute] Well, Is Meemaw going to smack you?


My favorite Josiah funny of the week:

We were on the way to the grocery store and this is the conversation:

Josiah: Mommy, will you turn it on Boortz? [Neil Boortz is talk radio]
Me: No, I will not turn it on Boortz!
Josiah: Well, then, will you turn it on Rush? [As in Rush Limbaugh]
Me: No, I will not!
I thought to myself "Daddy has been found out!"

My favorite Bethany funny of the week:

We were leaving Meemaw's house one day and Bethany saw Pap-pap coming out of the house and says:

"Ohhh, Pap-pap! I want him, I need him, I want him, I need him!" Which she said through tears ALL OF THE WAY HOME!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Discipline...such a hard task

Today was hard with Josiah. Almost anything I said to do or not do, he disobeyed. If I told him to do something, first words out of his mouth was no mommy or growling or pitching a fit. He was disciplined MANY MANY times today. So, when we got home, I don't remember what he did, didn't do or said, but he got in trouble and was disciplined again.We usually quote Ephesians 6:1, Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right, after a moment of discipline....after this moment, he was in stubborn stand-off mode and would not quote the verse with us. We stopped, prayed about it and prayed over him, but he still pitched a fit when he tried to say the verse. Then, as we are quoting the... See More verse to him again, we hear from the other room: "Chiwen, obey parents and Lord this is right!" This was shouted out from Bethany, who said it pretty clearly, as if to tell Josiah..hey, it's just that easy! We decided after praying to go and take naps. Josiah took a three hour nap. The first words out of his mouth when he woke up was "Hey, mommy! Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right!"

Oh, my!

As I was getting ready for the day one morning, from Josiah's bedroom, this is what I hear:

At the gate to the bedroom door, Bethany and Josiah are playing and Bethany throws her Elmo doll over the gate...

Josiah: "Bet-bet! You not supposed to do that! You can not throw Elmo! That's not good!"

Bethany fusses and whines because she wants her Elmo doll back...then I hear:

Josiah: "No ma'am, Bet-bet! I'm sorry, but you've lost your 'piz-e-ledge'!"

I am constantly telling Josiah that when he disobeys that it results in lost priveledges...at least I now know that something might be sinking in, right?

REAL SIMPLE

I love magazines that focus on family, organizing, cooking, crafting, children and the home. Danny came home one morning and brought me a huge box full of REAL SIMPLE magazines. I LOVE this magazine! This magazine has so many useful and helpful hints and tips and it inspires me to do better and think differently about things,especially about things in my home. As I read through these magazines, I think I am going to post some things here on my blog that others might deem useful and helpful. Here is some information from a REAL SIMPLE:FAMILY EDITION that I really enjoyed:

Q: How do you get your kids to pitch in around the house?

A: Each of the kids would draw a slip of paper and do their activity for 15 minutes

We leave a list of chores that need tending to on the kitchen counter, and each child writes their name to the ones they want to do. It is first come, first served.

We have a toy race.

Instead of saying, "Pick up your room," I say, "Hang up five shirts."

I give chores for the unreasonable arguments that break out in the house.

Every morning before they leave for school, they have to spend five minutes straightening their rooms.

I had each of my children a laundry basket and set them on a treasure hunt for items strewn around the house.

I assign each child a room to clean based on their personal preference, and they were responsible for that room every week.

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Now, on the flip side, this question was asked to children of these same parents:

Q: How do you pitch in around the house?

A: I take all of my game boys and push them up against the wall.

I organize the socks.

I cook breakfast on Sunday mornings.

I help mom do the laundry and I set the table.

Whenever something is messy, I just pick it up and put it where it belongs.

At night I lay out what I am going to wear at school the next day.

I take out the garbage.

I make frozen macaroni and cheese by myself.

I take a shower every night.

I just try to stay out of the way.


The kids answers just tickled me! Right now, the kids are not quite old enough to do a lot of things around the house to help, but Josiah knows, before nap time and bedtime every day, it is time to put all of the toys away. Bethany is learning, and doing pretty good. Bethany, however thinks that putting the toys away means putting them in the kitchen sink...it is so cute. She will go and put something in the sink, and come back clapping and says, "Good job, Bet!". Josiah also is responsible for putting all of his dishes away, and he also puts his dirty clothes in the dirty pile. He also is responsible for picking up the food off of the floor after meals. Most of this he does with little prompting and I am proud of my little man.

How do you inspire your kids to help around the house? I would love to hear your answers!!!!!

Goals for the week

We heard a wonderful sermon at church yesterday by visiting preacher, Elder Glen Ray, from Georgia. He spoke on "Controlling the Tongue", which is a topic very needful in today's age and time. This sermon was very convicting and I am basing my weekly goals upon the message that was brought forth yesterday. Here are some of the main points he made:

* We need to stop and literally think before we say things.
Is what I have to say really important? Is it going to hurt or cause anger or strife?
* Be ready to learn, not ready to teach. James 3...
We need to close our mouths and listen and be willing to learn instead of talking all of the time because we think we have things others need to hear.
* Fires always start out small
Remember, little things we say can have drastic consequences.
*Proverbs 15:1: "A soft answer turneth away wrath."
Do you ever speak sharply to someone, anticipating a sharp response, as if to say, "Bring it on, I am ready for a fight!"? Does anyone ever speak sharply to you making you want to lash back out in anger? We need to fight to give a sharp answer, no matter what is said to us, and it will diffuse the situation immediately. Speaking to someone sharply is like handing them a firework and waiting to see if they will light it!
*Do not be a gossiper or tale-bearer
This one speaks for itself
*Wait until the right time to approach someone who has offended you. Do not go to someone in anger, because you will be sure to say the wrong things at the wrong time. Sit back and wait until the anger has dissipated, then go to the person in love.

These were just some of the highlights, but they spoke volumes to me! My goal for the week is to guard my tongue and think before I speak.

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On another note, last week was a great week. There was a lot of sunshine and record high temps. We spent many an evening outdoors with the kids playing, either in the backyard or walking to the park. We had a lot of outdoor fun this week, with a lot more to come, hopefully! I got up at 5:15a every week day this past week, except for Wednesday, and hit the gym. This was no easy task, and I have been so exhausted I can't see straight, but I did have goo results on the scale...I lost 5.4 pounds! My goals for this week, in this area, is to hit the gym early again this week and not strain my knee anymore. I think I will be hitting the pool and hot tub a lot because of this severe pain in my knee.

Whatever your goals are for the week, May the Lord bless you endeavors and cause yoiu you to reach them!

Some funnies

I have been sewing for a few days and really enjoying it, so when I finished another pair of bloomers for Bethany this morning, I got really excited to try them on her. Josiah was sharing my excitement and this is what happened next:

Josiah: "Mommy, will you make me some boomers like Bet-bet's?"
Me: "Well, honey, bloomers are for little girls to wear."
Josiah: "Mommy, please?" [followed by "please" in sign language]
Me: [Heart incredibly softened] "Okay buddy, I will make you some 'boomers', to wear to bed, okay?"
Josiah: "Um, yes, mommy. Make them with Veggie Tales, okay?"


He just tickled me to death! This did prompt me to search the internet for Veggie tales fabric for which to make him some "boomers" for bed time. I found a really good deal and purchased some!

Another funny was on my birthday and this is what happened:

I got the kids up early and I decided we were going to go out to eat for mommy's birthday. On the way this was the conversation:

Me: "Today is Mommy's birthday!"
Josiah: "Um, Mommy, today CAN'T be your birthday!"
Me: "It can't? Why not?"
Josiah: "Because you don't have any presents!"
Me: "Well, it is my birthday, presents or not..."
Josiah: "No, mommy, it still CAN'T be, because you are sick!"

It was true, I was trying my best to get over laryngitis, but it was still pretty bad. After a couple of days of whispering and telling Josiah I couldn't talk, he would tell me to "hush" because I was sick.

So, we went into IHOP and when the waitress came around, to take our order, I began to "try to talk" and Josiah said:
"Um, hush mommy, you're sick." Then, after a little bit of being in shock he said: "Mommy wants 'mancakes' [pancakes], Bet-bet wants fruit and I want cottage cheese, okay?"
My mouth just about hit the floor...he just took over and me and the waitress cracked up!

My little man is getting so big and he keeps us in stitches...most of the time!

The phone call I will miss...

About this time every year I get a phone call. It is a sweet and funny call and it usually starts off with a song and ends up with some fussing and play arguing on the part of the callers, which always makes me laugh. I have been thinking all day about the phone call I would have had tomorrow. The one where mom and dad call and sing to me to wish me a happy birthday. I have had a rough day today thinking about dad and how he isn't here to call me for my birthday this year. This is the most of several "firsts" we will go through this year. For some reason, it has made me weepy and sad all day and I have had a hard time shaking these feelings. I know it is normal, I just don't like feeling this depressed. Music has been good therapy for me though. I heard several songs today that reminded me of dad and allowed me to cry and weep for missing him. There are two songs in particular that really bring out the cry sessions for me. They are very moving songs and I know Dad would have loved them because he loved contemporary Christian music. Anyway, I am going to send you the links to the songs so you can hear how beautiful they are and weep yet rejoice with me!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3CVlv2dz3w
This is Mandisa singing "He is with you"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvrBQL8swLl
This is Chris Tomlin singing "I will Rise"

These are my thoughts for the day and I thought you would enjoy these songs as much as I do.