I have several bits of exciting news today. First – my dear friend Nikki (Lamka) Magie and her fantastic husband Scott had a baby early this morning! While I don’t want to spoil the surprise, I’m so excited I want to mention sweet little Brelyn J. Magie was born at 5:30 this morning after an excruciating 48-ish hours of labor. Brelyn weighs 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was measured at 20 ½ inches long. Welcome to the world, sweet Bree, we’ve been praying for you a long time!!

Although it seems like just yesterday Elliott weighed 8 lbs. and was 21 inches long. Instead, I am two short weeks from Elliott starting Kindergarten. As of today we finally know where he will be in school! Muncie is opening a new Muncie Community Schools High Performance Academy* (henceforth MCS HPA) in our local elementary that was closed last year for failing to meet No Child Left Behind standards. This school will house the gifted classes, hence the name, and one class of “neighborhood” students for each grade level, of which Elliott will be one.  He’s going to get to ride the bus – a HUGE bonus for him - and we think it’ll be a great school. I’m sure that he will quickly become identified as a High Performer, but perhaps I'm a bit biased. It’s encouraging that we’ve heard great things about the principal, that all the teachers are veterans, and the office staff moved with the principal, which furthers my high hopes for him. And after repeated attempts to contact the MCS Admin office, I was so appreciative to get the principal’s response almost immediately after I wrote him this morning! Score!

*According to Wednesday's The Star Press, this name  is still up for debate in the next school board meeting. You know, the one two days before school starts. Gotta love it!

Wow, yesterday's post was a complete downer - all "emo and vom" as pk said.

I was horrified at my own demeanor yesterday all the while desiring to wallow in my dispair. Thanks for still being my friend.

I visited the a blog of a friend of a friend who practices "Thankful Thursdays." I was humbled by the idea of that in light of my emo & vom post. Her first Thankful piece was:" "For God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 - I am very thankful for that reassurance today." Now seriously folks, are there not a hundred reasons that this is also the case for me? Why do I get so unappreciative of that periodically? regularly?

It reminded me of my favorite Psalm because it starts out all "poor me" and turns to triumphant praise. Kind of like the arc I'm a part of right now. So here it is (with my commentary, of course). To remind me that it's ok to be all vom and emo at times, but staying in the vom & emo feelings becomes hurtful. And I indulged that yesterday. But today I'm better.

Psalm 73

BOOK III : Psalms 73-89

A psalm of Asaph.

 ¹Surely God is good to Israel,                      The first verse is a tricky Pollyanna act.
       to those who are pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;           Now the moaning and groaning begins.
       I had nearly lost my foothold.

 ³ For I envied the arrogant
       when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

 ⁴ They have no struggles;                                                                                                          
       their bodies are healthy and strong.                       

⁵ They are free from the burdens common to man;          ie. Life would be easier if I wasn't living right.
       they are not plagued by human ills.  ie. Poor me.

 ⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace;
       they clothe themselves with violence.

 ⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
       the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

 ⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;
       in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

 ⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
       and their tongues take possession of the earth.

 ¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them       Makes me think of the popular
       and drink up waters in abundance.    people in high school.

 ¹¹ They say, "How can God know?
       Does the Most High have knowledge?"

 ¹² This is what the wicked are like—
       always carefree, they increase in wealth.

 ¹³ Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;              I especially love verse 13
       in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.       filled with a "woe is me" vibe

 ¹⁴ All day long I have been plagued;                 Now put your hand to your head, 
       I have been punished every morning.        a la a Bronte sister heroine.

 ¹⁵ If I had said, "I will speak thus,"                   The turning point. 
       I would have betrayed your children.

 ¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this,
       it was oppressive to me

 ¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;             then perspective shift
       then I understood their final destiny.

 ¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;       
       you cast them down to ruin.

 ¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed,
       completely swept away by terrors!

 ²⁰ As a dream when one awakes,
       so when you arise, O Lord,
       you will despise them as fantasies.

 ²¹ When my heart was grieved      
       and my spirit embittered,

 ²² I was senseless and ignorant;             I love the image this paints.
       I was a brute beast before you.

 ²³ Yet I am always with you;                     Let the comfort begin! 

       you hold me by my right hand.         verses 23 - 26 are my favorites

 ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
       and afterward you will take me into glory.

 ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
       And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

 ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
       but God is the strength of my heart
       and my portion forever.

 ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;   a little gloom and death thrown

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.  in so we know it's still the same
                                      person writing as in the first 15 verses

 ²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
       I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
       I will tell of all your deeds.

Today, I spent the morning in bed. It's not unusual for me to be in bed if there is nothing specific I need to help with. It's the most comfortable place to be in my current incapacitated state - I can have my foot above my heart & not worry about swelling at all. This means that Mr. Mom was in full gear, working his tail off to stave off the hounds of messy children who seem to emerge when we are the least bit inattentive.

Maggie has been a pistol recently. Her greatest crime is her utterly sweet and submissive tone as she is determinedly ignoring directives and being both generally and specifically disobedient. She's seems almost nihilistic in the absence of conpunction for her bad behavior and willfulness. It's flabbergasting. I much prefer Elliott's flailing and foot stomping to this sheer disregard of our authority. It certainly is easier to punish him & see the change.

Anywho... (I hate how that word sounds, but it's so fitting here) In the throes of making my lunch & dealing with the stuff of life today, I was in the bed(room) and Matt was in the kitchen. The kids seemed to be playing quietly together.

Next Matt comes in with a handful - I said HANDFUL- of Maggie's hair. "Look what they've been doing," he says.

Of course, I giggle. He joins me giggling.

I walker myself to the kitchen table, help Henry to the table as Matt is attempting to help Maggie gain some remorse for her hair cutting. I sweep his hair out of his eyes only to have it come off in my hand. SHE CUT HENRY'S HAIR TOO!!! (We are saving this as his first haircut for the baby book. What a nice story that will be.) Next Matt noticed that Elliott also has "had some work done." Off to the barber for Daddy and eldest children.

Maggie's once deliciously long,thick, stick straight hair is now a blunt bob at her ears. Which would be cute if it looked even. I think it might be, but she has her daddy's hair with cowlicks and oddities that are not apparant when it is luxuriously long, but painfully evident when short.

When asked why she cut her hair she answers, quite delighted with herself, "I wanted to have short hair. I like short hair."

OHHHHHhhhhhhh. That girl!