Okay, I had to share this one: Jack (formerly "Buzz") comes to the kitchen and starts to take out a few garbage bags from the box. Action:
Mom: What are you doing with those garbage bags?
Jack: I'm making garbage bag clothing.
Mom: No you're not--you have garbage bag clothing hanging in your closet from the last time you made it.
Jack: But this is different--this is for Matt (formerly "Bear").
Mom: No-you're not destroying more trash bags for an entire wardrobe of trash-bag clothing.
Jack: But I can wear one now, and one for special occasions.
Mom: Are you kidding me? You want a fashion line of trash bag clothing?
Jack: But Matt can wear one and I can.
Mom: Now you're just desperate--you're switching your plans around.

Jack is quiet, but hasn't put any trash bags away. Mom continues:
Mom: Okay, you can wear them--with nothing underneath, TO SCHOOL.
Jack: Mom, you're being silly.
Mom: Well then, the answer is NO--no more cut up trash bags.

There is a lull--approximately 2-3 minutes.......then
Jack: Mom, where's the masking tape?
Mom: You mean the masking tape that's supposed to be in my drawer but you borrowed and never returned?
Jack: Oh yeah....
Mom: What do you want it for?
Jack: I'm making the clothes.
Mom: (now starting to laugh) No, you're not.
Jack: But Mom...
Mom: (laughing harder) I can't believe you're arguing with me about this. About TRASH BAG CLOTHES.
Jack: C'mon...
Mom: No.
Jack: Please.
Mom: NO (laughing is louder now--she can't stifle the giggles anymore now). NO TRASH BAG CLOTHING!


I can't believe this is how my afternoon has progressed at this point. What's next? Is someone going to try to play baseball in my basement? And try to rationalize it? I can't wait to hear that one.

Sunday school lesson--Doing the "hard thing"

Today's gospel was about Jesus calling the first apostles. He tells Simon to cast his net into the deeper water. Simon says "but we have been fishing here all night and haven't caught a thing." Nonetheless, Jesus tells him what to do and he does it. The men haul in a huge catch of fish--so full it was tearing the nets. Simon, realizing Jesus' authority as God, falls at his feet, begging forgiveness. Jesus gives him the words of comfort and forgiveness: "Do not be afraid. From now on I will make you fishers of men."

I taught Sunday school this morning on this lesson. We talked about how sometimes we feel just like Simon: we don't want to do the "hard thing"---casting out in deeper water. There are days when we don't feel like being friendly, cleaning the bathroom, doing homework, practicing piano, typing a blog, but yet we need to do those hard things. In most cases, doing them reaps great benefits. Sometimes it comes in the form of a pat on the back for hard work, a kind word, an extra buck (I told the kids), or special privilege. Sometimes, the hard work yields our own, personal satisfaction that we persevered and kept up the hard work, despite what is before us. Here in our corner of the world in Gravois Creek, we don't have to clean up after an earthquake, trying to find our loved ones or a simple drink of water. Our hard jobs are comparably much easier, and yet sometimes we are blinded by our own selfishness to even see beyond the "hard thing." We still need that extra push to cast out into the deep water, and if we do, we will definitely get a full net's worth of fish.

Save a waste?

I feel I am a failure. I have spent outside the budget again this week. Many times I can rationalize it by what I'm buying, and other times, it's just stuff I think would be nice to have (like a new blanket for the youngest's bed so he doesn't need ours), or the husband declares he needs to have yet another toothbrush, since the one I bought is not quite right, even though it is perfectly usable. Off I go, again, to another discount store, to shop. I'm actually sick of shopping.
Today it was shoes for the Bear, blanket (as mentioned before), Wet Ones GALORE, and then I saw leggings for $6, and a discounted jacket for $2. I know that's not much, but it all adds up. I have shopper's remorse again.