In Review

Before heading over to the movie at the cafe, Joey and I stopped, dropped off the Bean by his Titi Carla's & Uncle Angel's, and scooped up the Wormy to take a long with us.
Our Church was having a pajama party for all children, 3 years and older.
Poopy was thrilled that she got to show off her new High School Musical pajamas,
and Wormy had on his cute monkey PJ's. Joey and I were excited about being able
to go on a date, and have free childcare included. You just can't beat that.
Once there, we saw our dear friends, German & Tessa, and Tony & Crystal. They are two of the sweetest couples we know, we heart them!

After pushing two tables together, and gathering all the necessary seating, we got as comfy as we could in our little plastic chairs. They are rather attractive chairs to look at, but not quite the best chairs to sit in for almost three hours.
The lights in the cafe were dim, candles on the tables lit, and us ladies snuggled next to our loves, as the movie began to start.

Personally, I FREAKING LOVE THIS MOVIE! My friend Tara, over at allhisblessings, was so true when she said, "The acting was terrible, but the movie was so like real life that you don't care." The acting was indeed terrible. In my opinion, the only one who really knew what they were doing was of course, Kirk Cameron. However, I do know that the other actors are not professionals, and haven't had the training that Kirk has. I'll give them that much. As far as the action goes, I thought it was pretty balanced. There were plenty of scenes in the firehouse, and even a couple of rescues. By the way, i thought Kirk did an exceptional job during the part where he went inside the house to rescue the little girl. I was really impressed. I almost found myself crushing again, like back when I was 12 when he was on Growing Pains. Hehe!

The dialogue itself, I thought was pretty good. Again, these are not trained actors.
Although the scenes between Caleb's wife and the Dr. drove me crazy because it was just so, not natural. The fights between Caleb and his wife were a bit bizarre. Not because fights like that don't really happen, but because I guess I was just taken back. I mean to actually see a fight like, a fight we've probably all had at some time in our marriage, smeared all over the screen. It made me a little uncomfortable.

There was also some humor, which Joey and I really enjoyed.
We also liked how Caleb's friend in the firehouse that was witnessing to him, he was just so real. He shared about how he had been down the road of divorce, and how God revealed to him, that we really don't have that choice.

In the end, caleb accepted the Lord, and won his wifes heart back by doing, The Love Dare challenge. He realized he couldn't love his wife the way he should without the help of God. This is when I started crying. I started crying because of the change that occured in Caleb's heart. No longer was he just going through the motions, but he really and truly realized all that he had done, and with the help of God, he was determined to make it right. I did also like the fact that in the end when his wife came to see him at the firehouse, she also, apologized, for the way she had treated him.

In my previous post I mentioned going to a meet and greet for a couples Bible study in our Church. We are actually going to be doing, The Love Dare Challenge. Last night, we all just met to be able to meet each other, and talk a little about what we expect to get out of the study, and to just share a little about ourselves, and marriages. These next couple of weeks all us couples have to get the book and workbook, so we can officially start on Feb. 15th. Pray for us, as this will be something new, yet exciting.

I'll Be Back!

Okay, so I understand, I haven't blogged in two days. We had a pretty hectic weekend.
Last night, my husband and I along with two other couples, who are really good friends of ours, went out for a triple date, to see FIREPROOF, at our church. We got home rather late, and blogging... yeah, that was out of the question. I was ready for my warm comfy bed. This morning we had Church service/Church meeting. Very informative, but a little long for my liking. Then we had lunch with dear friends of ours in the cafe, and went home for naps. Well, all except Amiyah, she preferred to stay up to watch The Polar Express... again, and color. We woke up to my poor Bean crying, then rushed to get ourselves together, and out the door again, to a meet and greet for our couples Bible study. We got home from that, a little after nine, and put our sleepy babies to bed. My Hunster is fast asleep, but not me... big surprise. I had to come on here, I couldn't let two days slip by without a single post. I would talk about FIREPROOF, but I have so much to say. Tommorrow morning, over a nice cup of coffee, I'll gather all my thoughts, and have them ready for my afternoon post. Until then, Goodnite, and God bless!

That Freezer Thing

So, while driving to pick up Amiyah from school today, i was praying that my poor car would make it home, we needed to get gas, but I refused to stop.
It was beautiful outside, not cold, not hot... just right. I opened the windows to let some fresh air blow throughout the car, partly because of the great weather we were having, and also to save some of the little bit of gas I had left. We had just pulled out of the school parking lot, when my dear daughter says, " Mommy, I'm really hot. Can we please roll up the windows and turn on that umm... freezer thing?"
Oh my child, she makes my heart melt when she says silly things like that.
Poor thing though, I forgot to take her sweater off before we got into the car and headed home. So she was stuck in the back, between two boys...hot. I had to turn the air on.
Oh... and yes, we made it home!

"A" Honor Roll

Our Poopy made the honor roll...again!
There is an A, honor roll, and that's for the kids who make mostly A's and no C's. Then there is the B, honor roll, for the kids who make mostly B's, and no D's.
She has been working incredibly hard. Coming home from school
and memorizing her scripture verses, doing page after page of math,
which by the way, her teacher doesn't even give her to do. Poopy comes home everyday, eats her lunch, and sits on the couch with her math book. She can do about 4 pages in a sitting...front and back! I'm so proud of my girl. Three times a week she brings home reading books and a bookmark that Mrs. Turner has signed telling the kids where to stop reading. Poopy never wants to stop. After she has read the ENTIRE book to me (because I have to sign the bookmark saying she read it), she continues to read the book over and over, and over again. After reading she practices her handwriting by making lists of just about everything in our house. She'll make a list of the items on the bathroom sink, a list of the food in the refrigerator, and of course who could forget her to-do list. She makes one daily. She takes after her mom, I live by them! Oh, and by the way, she has to write EVERYTHING in cursive. She likes doing it though, she calls cursive writing, "Princess writing".

Not a good idea.

While watching the Inauguration of Barack Obama yesterday... all day, I had Emilio and Caleb (the little boy I care for) sitting next to me on the couch.
They were so overjoyed, shrieking with excitement as they watched Obama's motorcade
slowly make it's way up Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol for the transfer of power.
"Mommy cars!" Is what Emilio yelled over and over again.
I sat in between them, talking to them about what their little eyes were seeing.
"Yes honey, those are cars. What color are they?" " Black!" Caleb screams.
" And do you know who's riding in the black cars? Our future President. Can you say President?" " Pesinent." Caleb says.
I turn to Emilio, and just stare at him for a while. Just thinking of what Obama's
mother might have felt when looking at her own son as a child.
Did she truly believe that he could be anything? Did she have the same hopes and
dreams we all do for our children? I truly believe that she did.
Just to see what Emilio's response would be, because he's rather chatty these days, I asked him, " Emilio, do you think
it would be a good idea for you to be the President? "
He looked at me, and scrunched up his nose. Giving me his, I'm too cute for words look, and then he said, " No mommy... no a goo idea."
I started laughing so hard. I love how lately he is really trying to piece his words together to make sentences.

President Barack Obama

Our 44th President, Barack Obama.
I am not ashamed to admit that I didn't vote for him.
Even still, as a woman of African American descent,
I could not help but be overwhelmed with emotion while
watching the Inauguration.
I sat back in pride, as I watched a man, a man that even today
in different parts of the country, would be told
he would never be the President of The United States,
take the stand, and be sworn in. Tears fell from my eyes.
Everything else aside, today we made history.

Let us lift our new president before the throne of grace
daily, and let us pray for the salvation
of him, and his family.

Let every soul be subject to the governing
authorities. For there is no authority except
from God, and the authorities that exist
are appointed by God.

Romans 13:1

Goognight Mom

I read this last night in the, 'Last Word' section of the November issue of Parenting.
Yeah, you can see how often I actually get to sit down to read. Anyway, my kids and I absolutely love the book, Goodnight Moon, and I just thought this was so cute... and yet true. Enjoy!

(With apologies to Margaret Wise Brown)


In the messy green family room
there was a telemarketer ringing the telephone
and a crying toddler because his brother, just popped
his red balloon. And a picture of-

The cow jumping over the moon.
(Which someone colored on with permanent marker)
And there was a missing teddy bear, and a girl
with gum in her hair.

And one to be scolded
and laundry to be folded
And a very hungry spouse
And something stinky in the house
( that no one else seemed to smell)

And a comb and a brush and a colicky
baby who just won't shush
and a frazzled mommy screaming HUSH!

Goodnight messy room
Goodnight scribbled-on moon
Goodnight cow getting out while she can
Goodnight telemarketers and the
popped balloon

Goodnight long-gone teddy bear
goodnight cereal bar smeared all
over the dining room chair

Goodnight spitup
and goodnight leaky sippy cup
Goodnight much-too-little house and
goodnight grumpy spouse
Goodnight comb and goodnight brush
And goodnight to a certain 4-year-old
who just needs to hush right now I mean it

Goodnight Elmo
Goodnight toys we'll pick up tomorrow,
or the next day
Hello chardonnay and TiVo-
"me" time finally.

FIREPROOF

My husband and I both are very excited. Our cafe at church, The One Way Cafe, is an official licensed site for the #1 inspirational movie of the year, FIREPROOF!
We will be showing it Saturday, January 24th @ 7pm.

Neither one of us have seen it yet, but we know many who have and they say it's pretty good. After being warned by my husband not to, I went online anyway, and started reading some of the reviews. I have to say, after reading quite a few, the reviews seem mixed. Mostly just complaining about the acting, and the fact that most of the movie takes place in a firehouse but there wasn't really to much action taking place at all. Most people said, there was to much dialogue.
Then there were those who said the action was great, and they really liked the message.
Honestly, my hubby is not one for dialogue, and I myself could care less to see a movie with a bunch of firetrucks in it. From the previews I saw, it looked pretty balanced. I'm looking forward to it, and I know he is as well. We've been wanting to see this movie since it first hit the theaters, but just haven't had the time.
Well, I'll be back to post my own review.

Family Day

So today we spent the day as a family. After getting home around 8:30, from walking 4 miles with my friend Lorraine, we all got ready and went BACK to the park i had just come from.
I had to take them there. Amiyah has been before, while on a field trip with her class, but the Bean, and my Obe had never been. It's a park in Margate that has a trail that's a 1/2 mile all the way around, basketball and tennis courts, and a really nice playground in the middle of the trail for the kids. The only thing i didn't like to much, was the sand. It's such a pain getting it all out of not just their shoes, but socks, and the toes. Yucky!
Anyway, the kids loved the park. We brought Emilio's huge Tonka trucks, for the sand, but he could have cared less to play with them, and a few balls.
Amiyah saw a few kids her age involved in a game, and I could tell she wanted to join in. I encouraged her to ask them to play, but she refused. So , I had an idea. I started my own game with Amiyah. We played hide and seek. Once the kids saw us running around playing, they decided to stop their game and ask to play with us.
It was fun! Oh and, no, I didn't go and sit down once the kids all started playing, shoot, I was having fun right along with them. We played hide and seek some more, and then a game of tag, which is actually another form of hide and seek, but whatever.
Joey took his football onto an open field, and about 3 little boys followed him. Oh wait, and Jessica went with them as well. She reminded me so much of myself at her age. She was probably about 11 or 12, but could have cared less that there were all boys out there. She played just like them, and even better. She even gave Joey a high five when they were finished.
Emilio just kinda kept to himself most of the time we were there, he really enjoys just doing his own thing.
After going down the slide for abut the fourth time, he noticed another little boy, following him. His name was Camden, and he was soooo super cute! Beany loved that he had a friend. They would wait for each other at the top of the slide, and then count to three, and go down together.
They did this, over and over again. Camden's mom and I were talking while watching the boys for so long, that we went from just introducing ourselves, to an in depth conversation about religion. It was funny, we both had a good laugh.

After the park, we went to grab a slice of pizza from a new joint just down the street from our house. Then we dropped Amiyah off at the grandparents house so she could play. She said she wasn't tired, but the rest of us wanted to go home and take a nap. We had a really good day.

Speed Racer

Since Emilio was about 11ms. old he has been hitching rides with his sister in this jeep.
Amiyah has always been very careful with him. She would put his seat belt on for him, hold him close when they would go around a tight corner, and even hold the back of his head if she was going to push the gas, a little to hard. Emilio loved every minute.
Recently, whenever Amiyah would get inside her jeep to ride, the Bean would come running after her yelling and screaming. We would allow her to ride by herself, and then after so long, encourage her to ride her little brother around.
Lately, she hasn't wanted to ride her jeep at all, because she says, " I don't want to ride my jeep anymore, because i always have to ride the babies in it."
After we enjoyed a quick laugh with her, we thought of an idea. So we picked up the Bean, and placed him in the driver seat. Before we could finish putting his seat belt on, he had slammed his foot on the gas, and was off. Nearly running into Joey's car, barely missing the pedestrians (grandpa, grandma & mommy) on the sidewalk. It was great! He now has the blue pillow that you see in the picture behind him to push him a little closer to the pedal. Before he literally had to stand himself up. So the Bean enjoys his new found freedom. We just stick him in that jeep, turn the wheel in one direction, and he's good. Just no one tell him the jeep he's actually in, is a Barbie one. Lol!