Satan is a Nerd

I guess things were going just too well to leave well enough alone.

Jason was finishing Hebrew with flying colors. The girls were having a great summer filled with mellow days playing in the pool. And I was enjoying being at home with a plethora of projects to work on -- getting Caleigh's homeschool lessons prepared, working from home for a Christian marketing company, lots of jewelry orders to be filled, helping with VBS at our church, & planning for our family's upcoming vacation.

TUESDAY -- I was out shopping at Michael's with my girls. An over-whelming weakness took over my body & I collapsed to the floor. I was able to get ahold of my husband who came to rescue us. He took me straight to the doctor's office. The doctor had several possibilities of what the issue could be, including possibly a mini-stroke as my whole left side was exhibiting weakness after my neurological exam. The nurse was unsuccessful in drawing blood, so I was sent home to rest & told to check in with the doctor in the morning.


WEDNESDAY -- I woke up with the same weakness in my left leg. By the end of the day, my foot & lower leg were becoming tingly & numb.

THURSDAY -- I did not anticipate getting out of bed & falling to the floor, thanks to a paralyzed left leg. We saw the doctor in the afternoon. He ordered a myriad of bloodtests, as well as an MRI tomorrow morning to look for Multiple Sclerosis. However, the doctor's best guess is a neurological condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I'll spare you all the gory details (you can google it for yourself), but basically it is a virus that starts with numbness in the lower extremities & works its way up. The major concern is that it will work its way to the muscles that assist with breathing, in which case, I will end up on a respirator.

But our family is hanging in there, still smiling.

God is good . . . all the time. All the time . . . God is good. Even with a bum leg.

The Delinquent Blogger

My goodness . . . I had no idea it had been so long since my last blog. Life quickly gets away from me & there just never seems to be enough hours in a day!

As usual, our family has been busy. Jason received his official grades for his first year of seminary -- a 4.0!!!!! We were all very proud of him. We are looking forward to the start of a new year. He will be taking Theology I, Leadership & Administration, the Church at Worship, and Hebrew Exegesis. It's gonna be a long semester!

We celebrated Peyton's 2nd birthday at the end of May. We had a small family gathering at our home. Nana & Bubba assisted us in buying the girls a cute little playhouse. They absolutely love it & spend most of their days inside of it.

Jason started his Hebrew language course in the beginning of June. So far he's acing the course -- even thought that means he has flashcards in his pocket 24/7. He often greets me with some Hebrew phrase or other in the morning -- I just pretend to know what he's talking about. Caleigh has been helping him study, which has resulted in her memorizing the Hebrew alphabet. It's a little odd to hear your 3-year-old speaking in Hebrew as you walk through Walmart.

I was invited back to Philly again this year to show my jewelry at their 4th of July celebration. They changed "Arts on the Avenue" to "Wednesday Night Out." I had a very successful jewelry show, selling over 40 pieces in one night!! You can check out some of my new stuff in my Etsy shoppe at www.morganmariedesigns.etsy.com.

We are all looking forward to Jason finishing up his language course at the end of this month & then it's off to the Poconos for a well-deserved rest.

Hopefully, it won't be so long before another update. No promises . . .

Our GRRRREAT Day!!!

We had been looking forward to today for weeks!!!! In celebration of Jason's first year of seminary ending, we made plans to take the girls to the Hands on House in Lancaster. And as you will see from the pictures, it will be hard to tell who enjoyed themselves more . . . us or the kids!!!

Mommy & the creepy crawly puppets

Peyton was all about the face painting. It was the first thing she did. Caleigh finally warmed up to the idea & had both cheeks painted by the end of the day.

Peyton loved "driving" the tractor!

Picking corn

The scary cow hiney & Peyton "milking" the cow

Working in the chicken coop

Grocery shopping

Caleigh buying a sandwich at the grocery store

Jason never lets me have seafood at home, so imagine my excitement at being able to "buy" crabs & lobsters!!

The Hands on House even had little lists for the kids to follow -- it was great!!!

Jason literally had to fight to get Peyton out of the grocery store -- this was her favorite room!! She LOVED the cash register!!!

And there's Daddy, our favorite cashier!!

Daddy's slapstick comedy gets them every time!

Caleigh's favorite room was the Dress-Up room (big surprise)

Mommy was the evil alligator that had to chase the princess around the room

Ahhh, there he is . . . Prince Charming himself.

Mommy & the Princess

Peyton & the giant Lite Brite

Caleigh's Potato Head creation

Peyton was a little confused about this

Mommy Grasshopper

Caleigh & Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor's garden

A brave attempt at a sand castle

We had a fantastic time!!!!!! The girls were asleep within 5 minutes of being in the van. And they were absolute angels the whole time we were there (which also makes any activity even better). Ahhh . . . a satisfied day!!

A Delightful Mother's Day

If you had asked me on Friday afternoon if I was going to have a good Mother's Day, I would have replied like a Magic 8 Ball -- "Good outcome unlikely." Caleigh had been exhibiting signs of an ear infection, so I knew a doctor's appointment was necessary. Little did I know that not only would Caleigh be seen by the doctor, but Peyton would also need to be seen as well. When all was said & done, the girls left the doctor's office being treated for 2 ear infections apiece & possible strep throat. :( Yuck!! So here I was, with 2 sick kids, prescriptions for antibiotics, & in desperate need of more children's Tylenol -- did I mention I was also late for work??

But amazingly enough, my Mother's Day was fantastic. Any day that includes sleeping in, chocolate chip waffles in bed, lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, ice cream, & a nap has to be a good day!!! And the fact that Jason is finished with school is an added bonus!! It was so nice to be able to talk to him & not have to get his nose out of a book first :)

And speaking of schoolwork, Jason did finish his first year of seminary on Wednesday. It looks like he will be finishing with a 4.0 (not official yet). We can't believe how quickly the year went or how much has happened in just 12 months. It's hard to imagine that at this time last year, we had just put our house on the market & were in the process of packing. Not to mention, that Peyton wasn't even walking! Now she's walking, talking, running, jumping, & sleeping in a big girl bed -- and potty training starts this month!!!! Where does the time go?!? We get a short break from school & then Jason will be starting Hebrew the first week in June. It will be a 2-month course that meets 3 times a week. It's gonna be craaaazy!!!!!

But life is good. We're having a low-key day today since it is bitter cold outside & my little princesses are sick. So as I sit here typing this blog, Peyton is tossing teeny-tiny pieces of Polly Pocket clothing into the air -- much to Caleigh's chagrin -- while Caleigh is accessorizing all the Polly Pockets with shoes & the Prince with a pink vest. I love having girls!!!!

Poor Buddy

Every parent who has a child who has developed an obsessive affection for a particular stuffed animal dreads the moment . . . the moment when said stuffed animal goes missing, lands in the mud, or GETS A HOLE!!!

Such was the moment we had the other night with Caleigh's beloved elephant, Buddy. Buddy has been through a lot in this past week. She was left outside for several hours, stuffed in a dirty wagon. She was puked on by Caleigh. Subsequently, she was sent into the washer for a tubby. On Saturday night Caleigh drew my attention to a large gaping hole just below Buddy's ear. Now surely if you had a hole below your ear, you would be in pain, so Caleigh assumed Buddy was too. So Dr. Mom got out her needle & thread & began the very delicate procedure. Caleigh & Peyton offered Buddy moral support throughout the surgery. Buddy did quite well & is recuperating nicely. Aren't kids great!?!


On a more serious note, we are in the home stretch for this semester of seminary. Jason has a 3-hour presentation to give in one of his classes today. Then it's a few more projects, a few more papers, one final exam & we're done!! His last day is May 7th & we can't wait!!! And being the wonderful wife that I am, I'm completely bailing on him this weekend! Actually, I'll be away at our church's Ladies Retreat, so MomMom & PopPop are going to graciously step in again & help out with the kids so Jason can get his work done.

We are really looking forward to Jason finishing school. He only gets a short break though, as he will be taking Hebrew for 2 months over the summer. But we've been able to plan some fun family activities to get the girls & Mommy some quality Daddy time!!

Thank you to all of our friends & family who have supported us with your prayers through our first year at seminary!

Calling All Dickinsons . . .

No need to panic -- we have not fallen off the face of the earth. And now for my famous phrase . . . "life has been incredibly busy for us here at seminary." I sound like a broken record, but it is oh so true.

Things got a little crazy & out of control shortly after Easter. Jason had gotten behind in some of his work due to illness (the "family flu" that we all passed around) and moving into a different townhouse. Just a few weekends ago, the girls & I had to seek refuge at my in-law's for a few days so that Jason could write 30+ pages worth of papers. And then there's the reading . . . A friend from church asked me if I was planning on reading all of Jason's textbooks when he is done with them. I looked at that friend & tried to be as polite as possible when I said, "No, I'm going to burn them." Not literally, but it is a tempting thought. I've become very familiar with Jason's profile as I often see him with his nose in a book :)

But God is good. The weather is beautiful & the girls & I have been enjoying the gorgeous campus. It seems as though God is teaching us lessons at every turn & drawing both of us into a deeper relationship with Him. It's quite cool.

As for the girls, they're great. I was able to share a very touching moment with Caleigh at bedtime a few nights ago. Anyone who knows Caleigh knows her obsession with being a princess. As I was putting her to bed, she asked me to sing her a Christmas song. I chose "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" which ends with "Glory to the Newborn King." Of course, she wanted to know who the "Newborn King" was. I went on to explain how Jesus is the King of everything. And then I said, "And do you know who His princess is? You!!" The excitement on her face was priceless.

The Dickinson Girls Plant a "Garden"

Spring has sprung . . . well, maybe not outside, but it certainly has in my kitchen!!! The girls have been ogling over the flowers that are for sale at the entrance to the grocery store. So, being the SuperMom I am, I picked up a few -- in purple & pink, of course -- & promised the girls that we could "plant" them. Now, you're not allowed to actually plant anything at the seminary, so we settled for the next best thing . . . nifty new pots! As an added bonus, Caleigh got to plant marigold seeds that we will get to watch grow (hopefully).

So here are a few (if you can call 25 a few) pictures from our gardening experience.

Peyton is eager to get her hands on some dirt -- Mom is not so sure.

Our first spill

"Mom, quit playing with my dirt!"

Nanoseconds before our second spill

"When can I put in the seeds??"

Pat, pat, pat

Patting down in the dirt in preparation for seed-planting

More dirt

Peyton had a great time -- can you tell??

Mommy offers some assistance

"Look, Dad . . . DIRT!!"

Mom's planting the flowers, but PeyPey's still fascinated by the dirt.

Peyton doesn't quite have the concept of "sniffing" down yet.

Caleigh thought the flowers smelled "yuck."

What a big helper!!

"Are we done yet?"

We are so proud of ourselves!!

This is Caleigh's "thrilled" look.

I don't know -- I can't explain it -- I'm not even going to try.

Caleigh watering her half of the flowers.

Peyton (with assistance from Mommy) watering her half of the flowers

Our finished product!!

Adventures in Potty Training

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then this picture says it all!!!

So . . . Peyton is going to be 2 years old in May. It's getting to be that time. But to be quite honest, I have been in no hurry to potty-train.

When Caleigh was younger than Peyton, I couldn't wait to get her potty-trained. I tried every reward system (read "bribe") in the book! I remember (not so fondly, I might add) going through 15 pairs of panties in one afternoon, only to wash them & go through ALL of them again that evening. When I had finally conquered potty-training (and let's face it -- it's training for mom & dad as much as for the child), I quickly realized that it was not all that it was cracked up to be. There was no longer such a thing as a quick trip to the store. What is it about kids that makes them have to potty once your grocery cart is full or when you are standing in the world's longest line at Walmart? If we were planning to go out, there had to be a visit to the potty right before leaving. And if we should happen to forget that little visit . . . uh oh! I remember holding Caleigh on the side of the road on the way home from church because she just couldn't wait & there wasn't a potty around for miles. Her aim could have used some improvement as she ended up peeing on her panties, her pants, & my shoes!!

I thought it would be a good idea to wait until Jason was finished this semester of seminary & had a break before summer language courses started. Things would be a little less hectic around here & I would have some sanity support in this venture. However, Peyton has other plans. She has been asking to use the potty & to wear panties. I have been reluctant to indulge her, but I do realize that when they're ready, they're ready & you better take advantage of it.

So last night, there she sat, trumpet in hand, & sprinkled on the potty. What a big girl!!! I guess I'd better go pick up some Pull-Ups (which will undoubtedly include a visit to the public potty right as we're ready to checkout).