So Much For Superwoman

As a mom, you have to deal with all kinds of gross things. It just comes with the territory. Some of us deal better than others. I have no problem with sick children. I can handle vomit better than many adults. I don't freak out over blood. (That's how I got volunteered to pick the gravel out of my friend's elbow when he wiped out on a motorcycle.) Runny noses? Got it covered. Split your head open? Slap some ice on it and you'll be fine.

But it seems that even us moms, superheroes though we may be, have our weaknesses. I have just discovered my kryptonite. It's a simple loose tooth.

My kids' teeth are as stubborn as they are. They do not come out until they absolutely have to. When a tooth finally does fall out, the new tooth is usually already poking through. So when a tooth is just hanging there as Sassy's was this afternoon, you know it's ready to come out.

Her tooth was literally hanging by a thread, making it next to impossible to eat lunch. I knew all it would take was a simple tug to free it, but I couldn't do it. It made me nauseous just to look at it. So instead, I tried to encourage her to take care of it herself. She wiggled and twisted and tugged but nothing happened. The only thing it accomplished was making my stomach turn. I really thought my insides were staging a revolt for awhile. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up. But she finally did it. She pulled her own tooth out. It took a little harder tug than she'd been doing but it came out. The only thing I had to do was wash the offending tooth.

Let me just say that I'm grateful that all this occurred before I'd eaten lunch. Is it wrong to wish the whole thing had been as simple as the stomach flu?

Movie Review: The Wolfman

Anytime I can actually see a movie in a theater, I'm excited. But a creature feature on the big screen? Now that's a good time.

Casting Benicio Del Toro as the titular Wolfman was brilliant. He just looks like he has a beast inside of him, waiting to claw its way out. Emily Blunt co-stars as Gwen, his recently deceased brother's fiance, and Anthony Hopkins is perfectly cast as his father.

This movie was good but I felt like it should've been so much better. Del Toro's character, Lawrence, has been living in America and has a mostly Americanized, bland accent. I so wanted to hear him speak with more of a hint of his real accent. I know, it's just a little thing but hearing him speak kept distracting me. I felt like he was a watered down version of what he could have been.

If you're going to see this movie, the plot isn't all that important, but here it is. In trying to find out what happened to his brother, Lawrence encounters the beast that's been terrifying the town and gets bit in the process, turning him into a werewolf. Can Gwen save his soul or is he doomed to be a monster forever?

Got it. Now, let's talk special effects. There was definitely not a shortage of budget when it came to karo syrup blood and fake intestines. Limbs are ripped off with abandon and bodies are used as chew toys. Even knowing what the movie was about, I was a little surprised at the level of gore for pure entertainment's sake. This is NOT a movie for children, despite the disturbing attendance of a five or six year old little girl at the theater.

I have mixed feelings about the actual werewolves. For the most part, they were great. When Lawrence first experienced the change, I thought to myself, "boy, they've come a long way since 'Teen Wolf". But whenever I saw his face, I just kept thinking of the old black and white version with Bela Lugosi. He was almost too...cuddly.

Yes, I'm probably being a bit too particular. I want my creatures to either be very impressive or "B" quality cheese. I don't want them somewhere in the middle. But overall, "The Wolfman" was an entertaining ride, worth seeing on the big screen

Movie Review: Funny People

I am a fan of Adam Sandler. I've been following him since his days on SNL where he was one of my favorites. His movies, however, are hit or miss. Sometimes he's great, sometimes he's a little too crude and infantile for me.

When I got "Funny People", I knew this wasn't a typical Adam Sandler movie. I knew this was one of his attempts at "serious" acting. It co-stars Seth Rogan, Leslie Mann and Jonah Hill so I had high hopes. I wasn't disappointed.

The movie is about Adam Sandler's character, George, who is a famous comedian living the high life (big stretch there). Then he finds out he has a rare disease; he's dying. The problem is, George is not a likable person. He sleeps with every woman he can, he's rude, his comedy is crude. He has no one in his life. The love of his life, played by Leslie Mann, left when he cheated on her. He's all alone with his money and mansion and fame.

He sees Seth Rogan's character, Ira, and hires him to write jokes and be his assistant. He's mean to Ira and treats him poorly for the most part but Ira manages to help George have a life again, even as he's dying.

Don't get me wrong, this is no redemption movie. George starts out as unlikable and ends up as slightly less unlikable. But I enjoyed watching Adam Sandler deal with adult situations in a real and honest way. He actually appears grown up. Yes, this movie has comedy but it doesn't hide behind it. It deals with George's life in a way that's so believable for his character. He's just not the type of guy who would pull a Scrooge and turn his whole life around just to have a happy ending.

If you're looking for an Adam Sandler comedy, this isn't it. If you're looking for a grown up movie about honest, sometimes uncomfortable situations, there are worse ways to spend an evening.

A Friend By Any Other Name...

I've just spent the last few days hanging out with my sisters. It's something we only get to do a few times a year because of distance and work schedules. A few days spent with my sisters is a few days of having fun, acting stupid, making a fool of myself and laughing until every muscle aches. Who could ask for more?

It got me thinking about the role they play in my life as not just my sisters, but as friends. Think about the friends you have in your life. I don't mean how many friends or even specific names. I'm talking about what KIND of friends you have. You see, God gives us all kinds of friends to fill all kinds of needs that we may have. I got to thinking about these different types of friends and the role they play in my life.

My sisters fall into one of my favorite friend categories. They belong to the group of friends that I can be loud, rude and completely obnoxious with, as well as inappropriate and embarrassing. This is actually a need that I have to have filled in my life and they are there to help me fill it. This is a great group for me because I can make a complete idiot of myself and they will still hang out with me.

But what other kind of friends do I need? What other types of friends has God provided me?

I have "mom" friends. These are the friends that totally get it when I say that I'm ready to beat my children or shoot my husband. They understand the feeling of loving your child's smile while at the same time wishing you could cover it up with duct tape to prevent hearing the words "mom" or "why" come out of that mouth. We can share our struggles with discipline, bills, housework, meals and marriage and know that we have a sympathetic shoulder to lean on.

I have "young" friends. These are the friends that I love hanging out with because they make me forget that I'm older. We all have kids so we're emotionally the same age, right? If you're a mom with young children, you instantly have something in common with other moms, even those that are younger. We can talk kids, babies and the desire to have more or to shut down that factory forever. We exchange ideas, recipes and hand-me-downs whenever we see each other.

I have "single" friends. These friends are some of the most fun. For me, I see them mostly at church functions but I look forward to them being in attendance. When I'm with them, I feel like I'm in my twenties again. We're silly, goofy, and always funny. Life isn't quite so serious when you don't have a mortgage or dependents.

I have "lifelong" friends. Lifelong friends are few and far between. These rare individuals are some of my closest friends. I may only talk to them once a year or once every few years, but at any time I can call them up and we can pick up our conversation as if no time has passed. There's no need for long explanations because they just get it. They know me.

I also have "peripheral" friends. I think for most of us, this is the category that most of our friends fall under. These friends are always there at the edges of my vision but it's only when I change my focus that I really benefit from that friendship. These are women such as other homeschool moms. I only see them at co-op but they make the day enjoyable and I value their suggestions and support. Most of the women I attend church with fall under this category. Church, bible class, retreats and gatherings just wouldn't be the same without them. I look forward to these events just so I can spend some more time with them. I may not see them often outside of the usual meeting places, but I know I can call on them in the event of an emergency and they will be there, as some of them have already proven.

Friendship is a very flexible thing that changes with the seasons, our situations in life and sometimes even our moods. God puts people in our lives to satisfy all the different needs we may have for companionship, mentoring, acceptance, entertainment and assistance. Some people may fall into different categories at different times. Others may just fill a role for a short period in our life and then be gone forever. Whatever their particular role or purpose in my life, and no matter how much I may neglect them or take them for granted, I am so very grateful that God has placed all these women in my life.

A Matter of Genetics

I had to talk myself into blogging today. I'm feeling rather lazy as usual. The funny thing is, I usually blog as a way to avoid all the other work I'm supposed to be doing. So how bad am I if I'm getting too lazy to sink into denial and procrastination? I would hate to think I've really sunk that low so...I'm blogging.

Today was a beautiful, sunshiney day. A little on the cool side, perhaps, but just right with a small jacket on. And my children (being that they are, in fact, MY children) had to be forced to go outside and play. They could not be convinced to go outside and enjoy the weather until we threatened them. We told them they couldn't play on the video games until they'd spent some time outside. For every 10 minutes they played outside, they earned 5 minutes of video game time. Even that was only enough to keep Howdy outside for about 10 minutes. It was only after Daddy suggested they play "trampoline dodgeball" that Howdy reluctantly went back out. Nothing will change his mind faster than the thought of inflicting pain on his siblings.

How many children have to be forced to play outside on a sunny day? We just bought the kids a trampoline for Christmas, we have a huge pile of rocks and dirt to dig in and they have little cars and bikes they can ride. Why aren't they begging to go out there and play every day?

Why? Because they are my children. Apparently when they were being knit together in my womb, my DNA got bossy and took over the place, kicking most of Hubby's peaceful DNA out of the way. The compulsion to remain indoors? They got that from me. The insatiable desire for books? That's all me. The angst, worry and stress? Their therapists can reassure them that also came from me. The picky palates? OK, that one can be blamed on the both of us. But the point is, most of these little quirks and odd personality traits can be traced back to yours truly.

Sometimes I actually feel a little sorry for them. Why couldn't they have their dad's love of sports and the coordination required to be good at them? Where is Hubby's laid-back, don't-worry-be-happy attitude? Where is the love of the outdoors? And if they had to favor me, why did they have to inherit my hermit nature and my perfectionist tendencies?

I know a little of Hubby's DNA lurks in each of them, waiting until the Sheri DNA has become lax and unsuspecting. I know it because I see it appear for brief moments before the Sheri DNA beats it back into submission. Knowing my husband's reluctance to rock the boat, I'm not sure his DNA really stands a chance. I can only hope that one day, it will rise up and take over. I'll know that day has come when my children ask me, completely of their own free will, if they can go outside and play in the sun.

Movie Review: Passengers

"Passengers" stars Anne Hathaway as a therapist called in to help survivors of a plane crash deal with what happened. The survivors all have varying reports of what really happened and the airline investigators are not too forthcoming with information. This movie wants to be a tense thriller with its missing passengers, creepy men who keep appearing in the shadows, and annoying barking dog. The problem is it just doesn't make sense. Which I guess is the whole point. They're trying to keep you guessing.

My husband guessed a major plot point way before I did (he has an annoying habit of doing that) but it took me awhile to catch on. When the final twist was revealed and I finally discovered what's really been going on the whole time, I believe my precise reaction was, "Huh." It was a major let down after all this build up of suspense. I'm a big fan of Anne Hathaway but I don't think this movie is worth the price of a rental. I picked it up on loan from the library and free is definitely the only way to watch it. (**)

Connecting the Dots

I loved today's sermon. Scott preached today about using every moment that we're given to sing the praises of God. When something good happens, we need to make sure that it all points back to Him. "Of course," we answer quickly. That's what we always do.

Is it really?

I went grocery shopping last night. I got in one of the only 3 lines they had with my cart full of groceries and unloaded everything onto the belt. But then I noticed a woman behind me with only 2 items. If I was her, I wouldn't want to wait in that line just for 2 items, so I let her go ahead. Then a man walked up and got in line behind me with only 1 item. Again, I let him go ahead of me. By the time I was done, 3 people had been allowed to cut in front of me in line. I do this all the time, although it's usually just one person. I was being nice and they thanked me. My response? "You're welcome." End of story.

But what if I had answered differently? What if I had said, "God bless your day"? Instead of them walking away thinking, "That was a nice lady", would they have possibly walked away thinking about God? Why didn't I do that? It would've been absolutely painless. And if they didn't like it? Who cares? Chances are I will never see them again in my life. It was on the tip of my tongue as the last gentleman thanked me and I couldn't do it.

I put myself out there all the time. Not as much since I've left high school and college, but on occasion I do embarrassing things. I love it. I'm all for self-induced public humiliation. I've mooned traffic from an overpass; I've performed as a mascot at a school that considered me a giant nerd; I've raced through an airport wearing my pj's, bathrobe, slippers and hair curlers; I've sung karaoke in a Teriyaki bar; I dressed as a clown for my kids' birthday party that was attended by more adults than children. And some of these I would do again (just don't ask which ones).

But mention God? Are you kidding me? What would people think? What would they think of me? What if they thought I was one of those weird Christian-types that was just trying to convert them? What if they got offended? Or uncomfortable? What if I got uncomfortable? What would I do then?

You know what I would do? I would suck it up and get over it. Will it make people uncomfortable? Quite possibly. Guilt does that at times. Will they think I'm weird? Maybe. Will I be uncomfortable? At first, yes. But when did God ever promise us comfort? When did He ever say that we should go and preach the gospel to other Christians who already know what we're talking about and therefore won't take offense? I believe that verse can be found in 1 Procrastinators chapter 1.

We are here to serve Him. Period. What does He want us to do? Tell others about Him. How can we do that if we never say His name? "Oh well, I'm just going to live a faithful life and others will know Him from my example." Great. But how do you explain why you do things the way you do? What are you going to say when they ask you why you are different? And are you different? You should be.

Something great happens at work? "Praise God!"

Enjoying a meal out? Offer blessing right there at the table.

Someone cussed in front of you? Correct them. They probably wouldn't do it in front of the boss or their grandmother so they are more than capable of refraining.

Your kids' friends come over and they use language you don't like or want to watch TV that's not allowed in your house? Tell them no and explain why. There's a good chance they will go home and tell their parents what you said. Perfect. Their parents may not even realize there's anything bad with the shows their kids are watching to begin with.

Sprinkle His name in. Blame all good things on Him. Call on Him during the bad times. Offer up comfort in His name to those who need it, whether they believe in Him or not.

If they reject you, move on. They are rejecting the love of the Father, not you. And if they do publicly, or even privately, reject you--move on. This life is not a contest to see who dies with the most friends. Bottom line? Some people just won't like you. It's a tough pill to swallow. Believe me, I know. But the point is, to make sure that every man, woman and child has heard the name of Jesus. Whether or not they choose to accept it is out of our hands.

When I was in AIM, Rex Boyles used to always say (and I'm paraphrasing here), "If you get doors slammed in your face all day, but one person seeks to know more about God, was it worth it? If you've gone all week with no one responding to your outreach except for one, was it worth it? If you work for months, even years, but you've only saved one soul, was it worth it?" The answer is YES!!

So put yourself out there. Make sure that all the dots on the page connect to Jesus. You may not see the results but you could be planting a seed for someone to come along after you and water. And if all you ever do is plant seeds, is it worth it?

YES!