Interesting things that I have observed/learned since living in East Texas...


1. Apparently a child's ride-on Barbie Jeep makes an excellent planter in your front yard. Yep, you read correctly - massive plants growing right out of a pink Barbie Jeep in someone's yard. (I will try to take a picture of this and post it. It is quite remarkable.)

2. Large black paperclips make very efficient clips for your t-shirt sleeves. Let me explain...You know when you have on a short sleeve white t-shirt and you need to roll the sleeves up even higher to resemble a tank top...but the sleeves won't stay rolled up? Don't you hate it when that happens? Well, I observed a fellow East Texan in that same predicament, except he was smart enough to have his sleeves pinned up with a couple of large paperclips. He was eating next to us in a fine-dining establishment.

3. Shirtless banking is all the rage.

4. Overalls are the new black.

5. You should always drive at least 5-10 miles per hour below the speed limit. Always!

6. Tent revivals do still take place and not just in the movies.

Update from East Texas

I can't believe it has been only three months since we have been in East Texas; it seems like a lifetime. So much has changed!

Job Front

Brad is working a new job, which is going very well. He was number one in his district last month, which was only his second month there -- confirmation he made the right move taking the position! I have been teaching preschool for three weeks now. I'm working five days a week from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., and do a little substituting in the afternoons occasionally. I'll be honest, it is whipping me. I am beginning to adjust though and am starting to get used to early mornings. I am enjoying the teaching aspect. There are other aspects however that are not so appealing...head lice. Yep, had to send multiple students home with lice. That, my friends is gross. Hadn't counted on that when I signed up for teaching. :)

Soccer Moms Club

I am officially a member, and it is quite fun. Brad is the assistant coach of our little Yellow Jackets. I volunteered him for the job and he's actually enjoying it. It's cracking me up because he takes it very seriously telling the group of little four and five-year-olds to "huddle up" and "stretch it out." Hilarious! The best thing is that we're all making new friends in the process. I met two moms who each have a four-year-old boy and a baby about Jacob's age. They both live in our neighborhood, and one of the families just moved here a month ago to work for YWAM. We've started a little mom's group, which is another "God thing." I had been earnestly praying for some new little buddies for Caleb.

Jakers

For some reason, that is what we are calling him. He is getting cuter everyday. The child I thought was never going to smile, now smiles all of the time. The child that screamed for hours, now we call our "happy baby." He is cooing and smiling, and occasionally laughing (for Daddy and GiGi that is). Today I witnessed him batting at a toy, and trying to roll over. I think he'll be rolling over within the week. He is just starting to be amused by Caleb, so that is fun. I just started feeding him cereal at night a couple of nights ago. I know I'm not supposed to do that until four months, but I just wanted to see what he would do... and, of course he gobbled it up. That night he slept the entire night. So, I don't care what they say, I'm feeding him cereal. :)

I am NOT a morning person! Anyone who really knows me, knows this fact. If you have been my roommate at one time or another, you are really chuckling right now with some very vivid memories of "the face" as I passed you in the hallway - that facial expression of mine that says "do not even talk to me until at least 8 a.m..

So, you will be just really tickled to know that I started working as a preschool teacher this week. I have to be there by 7:15 a.m. and it is 30 minutes from my house. This means with two little ones, I have to be up at 5 a.m.!!! I know many of you get up at 5 daily, but this is me we're talking about here. Oh, and did I mention the baby still wakes up at 1 or 2 a.m. most nights?

So here's how it went:

Sunday night -I was the super-excited new preschool teacher. I haven't worked (really worked) in over four years. So I'm getting the coffee ready the night before, getting the house spotless, washing every piece of laundry in the home, packing backpacks with ready-to-make bottles, etc., giving the kids' baths, and so on. I had Caleb in bed by 7:50 p.m. with his clothes for the next day set out for him. You get the picture.

Monday morning -I leap out of bed at 5 a.m. sharp, cheerfully greeting the day and so excited to meet my students and officially be a teacher! Monday afternoon, after getting off I was a total zombie. Monday night - I leave the house pretty messy, don't worry about kids' baths that night, don't manage to get Caleb to bed until about 8:30 p.m., do get the coffee and backpacks ready and head to bed at 10 p.m.

Tuesday morning - I slowly creep out of bed at 5:10 a.m.. My back is killing me. I must have pulled it doing something with the kids at school. It's raining outside. Boy I would love to sleep in. But, today is a new day and I am a teacher. How fun! I rush through my morning routine and pull out of the driveway about 10 minutes later than Monday. Tuesday night - I am a little grumpy. I did not clean, did not give baths again, did not prepare coffee and did not pack the backpacks. I didn't even wash my face. I just went to bed.

Wednesday morning - This is today. It is 6:15 a.m. and I have 30 minutes until I need to leave. I am sitting here in my robe with wet hair, drinking my coffee and writing this blog. I physically cannot bring myself to get moving. I have "the face" and I cannot believe we're only halfway through the week.

I won't bother to post Thursday or Friday's details. Just please forgive me if I haven't returned phone calls or have forgotten to call you on your birthday. I am in a bad place right now. :) Kimberly, I know you are getting such a kick out of this right now because you can visualize "the face."

Some snapshots of life in the Cain household.

We've been spoiled by all of our visitors since moving. We've had non-stop company and it has been a lot of fun. My brother came to visit 4th of July Weekend. He, Brad, my dad and Brad's friend played in a golf tournament here in our neighborhood. He took Caleb back to North Carolina with him for a week which was a nice break for us! The following weekend, my sister-in-law Eve brought Caleb back to us and stayed the weekend. Eve treated us to two nights of keeping the baby through the night. It was pure bliss to get more than 4 hours of sleep.

This weeked, my friend Molli came down with her two children, Brandon and Ashley. The kids swam in the lake, played in the sand on the beach, went to our favorite spray park and rode bikes and scooters. Molli and I had lots of much needed "girl talk" time and even got to go see a movie...without kids!!! The weekend flew by and now we are getting the house ready once again for company this weekend - Brad's family.

Hello World! Baby Jake will be 4 weeks old tomorrow.

Ode to Heather

I am fortunate to have a friend who takes selflessness to a whole new level. To say that she has the "spiritual gift" of service would be an understatement. I still remember a time years ago when we were housemates. I was an event planner and was working late nights on a big event. I remember talking to Heather on the phone and telling her I would be home late because I was going to have to go to the store after getting off work. Heather asked me what I needed at the store and insisted on going for me so I could come home after work. For some reason that act of kindness has always stood out in my memory as such a sacrificial act of friendship.

This past week, my friend again went above and beyond the call of friendship to serve me. We have been through a complete whirlwind of change recently, moving to East Texas, having a baby and Brad starting a new job. Brad had to fly to Ohio for a week for training and Heather offered to come stay with me.

So, my dear friend loads up her van with her two kids, a huge cooler full of meals for me, her sewing machine and various tools, her own towels and linens (so as not to create laundry for me) and travels 2 hours to get here. While here, she allowed me to sleep in and take naps. She cooked, took care of the kids, transported me to Jake's pediatrician, sewed me some curtains, recovered my dining chairs, went to the grocery store, and brought me back an oreo blast on a particularly emotional day (dealing with a screaming baby with acid reflux). Did I mention she is 24 weeks pregnant?

Thank you Heather, for so many undeserved gifts of service and for a fun week.

Here are some photos of the highlights of our week without the husbands.

Hello World!

Jacob arrived three weeks early on June 2, 2008 weighing a whopping 9 lbs. 14 oz, and measuring 20 1/2 inches. He has lost a little weight but has already gained an inch in length according to his first check up. He is a sweet boy, but has one heck of a scream if something doesn't meet his approval. :)

Caleb's First Fish

He actually caught 3 fish. The last one was really big and got away with the hook, line and cork. He's hooked on fishing now!

Big Bass Classic at Lake Fork

Last weekend we went to East Texas to the Big Bass Classic at Lake Fork by Gigi's house. They had a lot of fun activities for the kids. They took a free photo of Caleb holding a big fish (not real of course). He had a blast.

He is an outdoor boy through and through and this weekend reminded me that I am too (a country girl at heart) . I miss East Texas and the beautiful outdoors. It was kind of depressing coming back to our concrete city and the twigs in my front yard that are supposed to resemble trees. Ha!

Above: Fishing in the kids pond; Below: Building a truck at the Bass Classic

Okay I cannot get this picture to rotate and PhotoShop won't let me open it to edit because it was taken with my phone, but it is Caleb's first trip to the dentist. I took the picture because it was hilarious. They let him wear sunglasses because of the bright light. He was Mr. Cool. He loved the dentist and wanted to go back the next day. The nurses said he was the best "little" patient they have seen. This is the same child, of course, who enjoyed having his blood drawn. Strange bird.

I am soooooooooooooooooo frustrated. I have 7 weeks left of pregnancy and don't know how I'm going to make it. I cannot stand without having to immediately use the facilities, my stomach is constantly cramping and contracting, I'm waking up each morning to a "charlie horse" in one of my legs, I'm exhausted and winded, and I can't bend, reach high or lift anything. There are other issues, but I'll keep those to myself. I am aware of how whiney and negative this post is but I just don't care. I had to have some kind of outlet to express my frustration. Me and pregnancy are not friends.

I have called the doctor a million times with alarming reports only to continually be told to drink lots of water and stay off my feet. I swear I could grow a third arm and they would tell me that is a normal symptom of pregnancy. Sigh....... Meanwhile, while I am supposed to stay off my feet, I have to try to keep the house clean, do laundry, make breakfasts, lunches and dinners, be a mother to a very demanding 4 year old and try to take a shower whenever possible.

Okay, I'm done with my little rant. Please forgive me, and yes I know others have soooo much more to complain about than me. I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy, a wonderful family, a husband that works hard so I can be at home, and a house to keep clean!

More on Oprah
Written by Chuck Norris

Tolle only quotes relatively benign sayings of Jesus, avoiding the more difficult ones. For example, Tolle notes that Jesus taught that the "kingdom of heaven" is already present on earth and can be experienced right now, but Tolle overlooks Jesus' teaching that one must be born again (by believing in him as the Son of God and Savior) to see that kingdom in the future.

When will we learn? Our pursuit and attainment of truth is hindered most by our subjective (or a la carte) selections of religion and refusal to consider tougher commandments that call us to higher accountability and our true purpose. That is why I'm endorsing -- and even have written the foreword for -- an upcoming (April 15 release) revolutionary book, "Do Hard Things," written by Alex Harris and Brett Harris. It offers real insight and rewards for life by commendably calling us to rebel against the low expectations of culture and choose to "do hard things."

My battle is not with Oprah; she has her guru (Tolle), and I have mine (Jesus). The real war is between those who assert to be bearers of the truth, such as Tolle and Jesus. And the question is: With contradicting truths, will we believe a mere man or one who claimed to be so much more? As C.S. Lewis -- the great Oxford scholar and writer of "The Chronicles of Narnia," who was once an avid atheist -- wrote:

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a good moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. …

"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great moral teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

That might not be what Oprah, Tolle or others around the world want to hear on their webinar, but he is everything we all need to obtain peace with God and peace with one another.
Again, the question is: Will we turn from what's easy, what's new, what's popular -- even what's "Oprah" -- and take a step back and rediscover the answers that have been there all along?

As C.S. Lewis also said: "We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."

Bowling with Ethan

Caleb's other best buddy is Ethan. They are "two peas in a pod." Today we went bowling at Main Event for Ethan's birthday. After bowling, my other child (Caleb's dad) wanted to play video games. He won the jackpot on the Deal or No Deal Game (if only it were the real thing) and got 400 tickets. Caleb went home with a bag full of prizes thanks to Daddy's winnings.