Easter Egg Hunts

Yes, I did say HuntS with an S! We attended the Noah's Ark egg hunt and then on Saturday we enjoyed the St. Mary's UMC hunt as well. If you'd like to increase your child's chance of getting cavities, please pop by for a visit and allow us to fill your pockets. Was it like this when I was a kid, Mom? I don't remember viewing Easter like a second Halloween experience. The candy overflow is out of control around here! We keep saying, "We've got to get rid of this stuff," but I'm afraid the only exit the candy seems to be finding is our mouths! We must do a purging pronto! We had fun days at both events, and Olivia really enjoyed the spirit of the "hunt" this year, more than before. She loved searching and finding which was really fun to see. Benjamin was very patient until the sand gnats got vicious on Saturday during the church egg hunt. These sand gnats truly test your patience! We were mentioning to my grandparents, Mimi and Poppy who were ministers at SMUMC years ago, that Stan attended the sunrise service down on the riverfront and Stan was telling them how horrible the gnats were. Mimi said that they just didn't have a sunrise service when they were here--they just said that everybody knew the gnats were too awful to contend with. Hallelujah! Come on folks! Jesus knows we love him whether we sit outside or inside at 6:45 in the morning. Right? :)

Loving Behaviors

Yesterday I was treated to a loving behavior by my sweet daughter, Olivia. She asked me to paint her fingernails and toenails, and I said, "Who's gonna paint mine? I'd love for someone to paint mine." She determined at that moment that she was going to give me my wish--for better or worse! :) So after I painted hers, I experienced a very loving time. Now it did test my patience a time or so when she nearly knocked the polish bottle over and when somehow I seemed to wind up with more polish on my skin than my nail of my big toe, but I had to just chill and allow her to love me this way. She was very proud of the finished product and insisted we take pictures. Although it isn't perfect, it's tough for a 3 (almost 4) year old to paint nails! Sometimes it's hard for me to do a good job myself! This morning I decided I wanted to love her in return, so I made her favorite breakfast of scrambled eggs with ketchup and "sparkly toast"--cinnamon/sugar toast, and I brought it to her in bed. She was thrilled, and I told her how much it meant to me that she had worked so hard to do a loving thing for me, and I wanted to do one in return. In between gobbles of breakfast, she said, "You've never brought breakfast in bed to me before!" I said, "I know isn't it special?" And I continued by saying, "I bet kings and queens and princesses can eat breakfast in bed everyday if they want to!" She put down the sparkly toast and said with utter astonishment, "You have got to be kidding me!" I just threw my head back and laughed and laughed. What a character!

Spring Break '08

With a title like that you might expect to see pictures of young, bikini-clad gals sipping margaritas on the beach at Panama City. Sorry to dash your hopes, but despite the lack of the aforementioned characteristic spring break goings-ons, we had a really nice week. I suppose I should rewind and begin with Easter. We had our first Easter at St. Mary's UMC, and it was a wonderful morning of celebration. As you can see, Benjamin and Olivia sported matching ensembles that Nonny purchased for us from the fun Bailey Boys store on St. Simons (or as Mom calls it "Grandma's Candyshop"). I included some pictures in front of the cross in our yard, in front of the church's crosses, and in the sanctuary. It was a lovely morning, and our pastor called us to "awake church!" as we acknowledged the resurrection of our Lord. That afternoon we sped off to spend time with Nonny and Cocky in Valdosta, and we even caught the tail end of Uncle Will's spring break visit. He left Monday morning, and I'm ashamed to say we failed to pull out the old camera before he skipped town, so there are no pics of our beloved Uncle Will, but it was great to get to see him and catch up a bit. We're so excited about his upcoming commencement activities! Hard to believe my little brother is graduating from college! While in the 'dosta we did a lot of chilling and playing and shopping and talking and laughing and eating--some of my favorite things to do! Stan and I took advantage of Mom's kindness and let her keep the kids while we went jogging together--something we never get to do, and it was marvelous! Stan spurred me on, and I completed my first 2 mile jog! It may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but I'm pleased with it. I also was able to go to Mom's yoga class with her, and it was marvelous! I wish I could go three times a week with her. Mom's teacher, Kathleen, is probably in her 60s, and she sounds like she's from the New England area, so I enjoyed mimicking her accent and the funny little things she said when we got back from the class. I'm so proud of my mom for doing that. She was doing all kinds of tough poses like the crane and the three-legged dog! Go Mom! On Tuesday night we welcomed the Atkinson crew, minus Brad who stayed home to keep the Circuit City rollin'. You'll see that we enjoyed some fun in the backyard with Uncle Will's tent that he set up for us before he left. Some of the pictures of Dad laying down in the tent make him look like he's been "touched by an angel" if you know what I mean--the lighting on his face. Like somebody's suddenly gonna say in a Scottish accent, "God loves ya Ronnie!" It was beautiful weather, a little on the cool side, but so pleasant much of the time. We left Valdosta Wednesday and went to visit with my mom's folks up in Perry. It was a sweet visit with them, and in fact, Poppy took all the kiddos (accept Benjamin who stayed home with me) to teach them how to fish! That was a big hit, and they caught so much that they came home, cleaned 'em all and let me and Stan bring them home to eat! We're looking forward to having a fish fry sometime--complete with cheese grits and hushpuppies! Yum! Olivia seemed to have a real knack for catching fish, but she was more interested in guarding the fish that had been caught and tossed into the cooler. She kept saying, "Don't get too close, or they'll splash ya!" We spent one morning driving up to Macon where my dad's folks live to visit Muzzy and Papaw. Muzzy has just been diagnosed with cancer, and all of the details are yet to be fully known, but we knew we wanted to get up there to see her. It was a good visit overall. It is a very difficult and stressful time for them, and they put up with our crew of rambunctious kids well considering that. Muzzy is looking good. She goes to the hospital today for more tests. We continue to pray for her and Papaw. They are special people, and we know this is a scary time, so we are just enveloping them in prayer. We arrived home Friday, and while it was a long drive home all the way from Perry (almost four hours), we had a pretty smooth trip fortunately with sleeping kiddos in the cab of our truck. It was a wonderful week--time away--we needed some. Now we're back to the regular weekly routine, and I feel somehow a little lifted and encouraged by this time away from the normal, everyday schedule. I must say I have a particularly loving and generous husband--to do all of that driving around from place to place on his week off from work. I know he enjoyed it, too, but as everyone knows, traveling like that is rarely restful, so I'm very grateful for his willingness to just go for it. So here it is Monday morning. I hope you're all having a great start to your week. Blessings on you!

He Arose!

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!!

Hallelujah our Savior is Risen!  I'm up early thinking of all of my wonderful family and friends who are soon to be or already bustling about preparing for this wonderful day of celebrating in our Christian faith.  I'm thinking of dear Abby and Andy as they prepare for their "sunrise" service at 8am.  Abby I know you will bring a strong clear message to that service.  Andy I wish I could hear your Easter message.  I know you'll be shouting that "He is Risen Indeed!" Mom and Dad and Will, I'm so glad we get to be with you three this evening to enjoy the ahhhhh of the Easter evening. :)  Dad, I wish I could hear you preach today.  I don't know if you're preaching anywhere or not today, but I still wish I could hear you!  Ceebs, I'm truly so happy to know that you're worshipping in a church you love and that loves you!  Praise the Lord for that little balm in Gilead. I'm thinking of Uncle D. Joe and Aunt Kris at Trinity on the Hill as they prepare for a morning of celebration with their choir and congregation. I'm thinking of Aunt Betsy and Uncle Keith and their crew as they lead worship in the contemporary service in Dublin.  I'm thinking of Poppy and Mimi and I know Poppy is just bursting to shout "He is Risen Indeed!"  Wouldn't we all love to hear Poppy give an Easter message today, too? I'm thinking of Nick and Karen in Memphis and wondering if it's Nick's turn to lead worship this morning.  If it is, I know he'll be pullin' out the stops to celebrate Jesus this morning.  I'm thinking about Ansley and Jonathan in Baxley, and I know Jonathan will be leading worship at his church this morning with excitement and Ansley's beautiful voice will be full of joy this morning, too! Cherie, you'd better not be up leading some kids' service today, girl!  I'm thinking of you as you enjoy your first Easter with baby Zoe.  Tracy, I'm thinking of you this morning as you're celebrating this Easter without your husband as he is serving our great nation in the military.  Bless you, gal! Kristin, I'll never forget our Easter morning we shared together about 12 years ago in your dorm room.  I am so excited to hear of the new Life birthed in your heart and soul recently! Praise God!  Thanks for singing with me that morning so long ago with such boisterous enthusiasm while dear Stan lugged his trombone out to the frigid reservoir for the sunrise service.  Poor Buzz.  Speaking of Buzz (the name Kristin gave Stan during college) he was up long before the rooster this morning, and when he leaned over to kiss me goodbye before heading out to the St Mary's sunrise service (aka "Gnat Fest 2008") I did wake up enough to muster up a somewhat wimpy "He is risen" and heard his reply of "He is risen indeed!" as I fell back to sleep.  Praise God for Easter!  Mom I've already been out to drape the white cloth over the cross.  I'll be attempting our annual pictures around the cross, so hopefully I'll be able to post those for all to see before too long.  Bless you all!!  I'm so grateful for all of my Christian friends and family.  You're in my thoughts and prayers this morning.

Music I'm Enjoying

I am so thoroughly enjoying Leeland's new album entitled Opposite Way. I just wanted to tell folks about it. If you aren't familiar with Leeland, they are a wonderful Christian contemporary group, and they have fabulous lyrics. The lead singer has a very unique voice. I liked their first album, too--Sound of Melodies, but this second album has really been speaking to me. I'll try to list some of the lyrics later.

Vive la kazoo!

Nonny gave us this awesome kazoo when she and Cocky and Uncle Will came by for a brief visit on Palm Sunday. It's not just one of those plastic jobs that I grew up on. This baby is a metal kazoo! The box says, "You are a star" and "If you can hum, you can play!" I love kazoos. Whoever invented them gets major claps and snaps and woo-hoos from me. Now whether I love to have them buzzing in my ear at rather obnoxious volumes repeatedly, that's another question. I would love to get a kazoo for each one of us in the Rogowski family, because if you ever need a good laugh, just call a "kazoo band rehearsal", and I guarantee you, you'll be hardy-har-harring very soon--especially if you all play (hum) "The Star Spangled Banner" and you have folks who know how to play all of the piccolo parts. :) (FYI--this is equally as hillarious if you have a whistling ensemble--we did this as an extended family once, and I thought I would wet my pants laughing--of course after having two babies, that's not saying much--ladies, can I get a witness?) Anyway, here are two videos of Olivia and Benjamin both taking a turn at the kazoo. Long live the kazoo!

Giggling at Dora Monster Truck Fun

OK, I know this becomes ridiculous after a while, but I love to see Olivia make Benjamin laugh, and forgive me if you're weary of seeing these clips, but I just can't resist sharing them in the hopes that it makes you laugh as much as it does me! :)
Sorry that Olivia is in her skivies. She'd just gotten home from ballet/tap class (thus the bun), and when she gets home, she gets out of those tights and her leotard as fast as possible.

Hitchin' a Ride

Benjamin had fun today as he got to ride on the back of the tricycle that sweet Aunt Carrie Beth loaned to us--a good ol' Radio Flyer. He was in heaven as Olivia wheeled around our driveway.

Burnt toast 101

Today I was toasting some hoagie rolls in the oven under the broiler to use for some sub style sandwiches for lunch. I set the timer, but when I checked them, they weren't done. Unwisely, I said to myself, "I'll just go feed Benjamin a bite of cheese or two, and I'll come back and check it again." Bad move, and when I finally remembered to check them again, they were charred on top. I was so frustrated, and I decided to try to save them--especially since it was "special bread"--not just your run-of-the-mill sandwich bread. I started out with a knife. I think I remember having seen my mom or dad scraping burnt toast with a knife when I was a kid, but after a few minutes of what seemed to be failure, I gave up on the knife, and I picked up a fork and went at it. Ah-hah! By jingo, that was the ticket! Lots of scraping in both horizontal and vertical directions. I got so into it that I was completely oblivious to the fact that burnt toast flecks were flying everywhere. Olivia came up and said, "What a mess!" It was then that I realized I had black crumbs blanketing my forearms, and the entire stove top where I was working was also heavily showered with the same mess. Ohhh, but I had won this battle. Burnt toast, you were not the victor today. Maybe another day, but not this one! :)

Break out your palm branches, folks!

I love Palm Sunday, don't you?  The children coming into the sanctuary waving palms!  I woke up this morning thinking about an old Michael W. Smith song appropriate for today.  Just thought I'd share these simple, but good lyrics for today's celebration of our King!

Chorus:
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna
King of israel welcome to our hearts
Here to reign in righteousness
Oh ruler of the world, ruler of our hearts
Now ascend your throne
You are the king of kings
Hosanna

Chorus

To jerusalem, to the sons of man
Riding on in gentle strength
Oh come to save your own, come to give your life
The kingdom is at hand
You are the king of kings
Hosanna

Chorus

King of israel welcome to our hearts
Here to reign in righteousness
Oh ruler of the world, ruler of our hearts
Now ascend your throne
You are the king of kings
Hosanna

Chorus

Rant

So your kid is sick, you call the doctor, and you talk to a receptionist, right? I begin by saying, "Hi I'm Adrienne Rogowski, and I'd like to see about bringing in my 11 month old son, Benjamin Rogowski in to see the doctor today."
"OK. What's the child's name?"
"Benjamin Rogowski." (didn't I just tell her his name?)
"Spell the last name."
"R-O-G-O-W-S-K-I"
"R-O-G???"
"O-W-S-K-I."
"What's your name?" (didn't I just tell her my name, too??)
"Adrienne Rogowski."
"Spell the last name for me." (are you kidding me?)
"R-O-G-O-W-S-K-I"
"R-O-G what?" (seriously??)
"O-W-S-K-I."

"Do you have insurance?"

"Yes."

"Make sure and bring your card."

"Is this a new policy, because nothing has changed with our insurance."

"Yes, the doctor now asks to see your insurance card every time you come to the office."

"I was just in the office a week ago, and I didn't have to show it then, is this that new of a policy?" (sorry to sound untrusting, but this gal hasn't exactly impressed me at this point.)

"Yes.  Just bring it with you every time you come. What kind of insurance do you have?"

"United Healthcare."

"What are your child's symptoms."

(I pause here, because I am trying to decide whether I want to waste the time describing his symptoms to this receptionist or not.  She doesn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed.)

"Do you wanna just tell the nurse?"

"I suppose."

"She'll call you back.  Thank you, bye, bye."

Oh my.  So I made it through the phone conversation with the slightly less than stellar receptionist, and now I have to wait probably about 2 hours to hear back from the nurse, and what is with the call back from the nurse?  I didn't really feel it was necessary to speak with a nurse.  I just wanted to make an appointment, but now I have to speak with a nurse and attempt to explain the symptoms in such a way that she'll see his case as enough of a priority to schedule him in sometime today.  This is where if I were a person with no morals, it would be tempting to always mention something like this, "Well, he sounds like he's wheezing a little bit."  I have found that no matter what else I ever say to the nurse, if I happen to mention the slightest breathing problems, she says, "Can you come in right now?  We'll see you as soon as you get here."  But no wheezing problems today, fortunately, so I'll flounder around trying to describe the enygmatic symptoms he is displaying in the hopes that she might have mercy and fit us in today so that I don't have to face night three of "Momma-ain't-gettin'-no-sleep-tonight".  Sorry if this sounds like a wah-wah-wah post to most of you. It is just a tired Momma dealing with a mildly frustrating situation.  Maybe some of you have had similar situations.  I have to just add that I also find it frustrating when I go to the doctor's office with either kid, I finally get into the examining room, and a nurse comes in.  Often at our doctor's office, it is a young gal who looks like she's 19.  She has on a lab coat with a patch on her sleeve that says something about so-and-so-Technical College, and her acrylic nails have Florida Gator's parafinalia painted on them in a spirited fashion.  She works hard to try to squeek a smile out of my kid, to no avail, and then she asks about the child's symptoms.  Do you all ever have a feeling of frustration when this whole part begins?  Do you ever, like me, wish you could say, "Do I really need to tell you my child's symptoms, because when the doctor comes in, she doesn't look at what you've written down, and she just asks me the same questions all over again?  Couldn't we all just save ourselves a little time and move on to the next step?"  OK, I need to stop.  Probably, if I give myself a couple of years, and I look back on this entry, I'd say, "Simma down, now. No need to get ya panties in a wad over this."  True, but sometimes, it just feels good to rant a little bit.  I will end on a positive note by saying thank you Lord for people that can care for my kids when they're sick (even if they're a little less than perfectly efficient and professional), and thank you Lord for health insurance.  

Cirque du Soleil and PTP

I've recently entered that period of nursing a baby when I find myself being used more like a prop in an act. Anybody who has nursed longer than about 8 months or so really probably knows what I'm talking about. Gone are the days when we just sit peacefully while he nourishes himself and now are the days when I generally feel like Benjamin is, unbeknownst to me, auditioning for a role in Cirque du Soleil, and I have become a convenient prop for all of his stunts. I mean seriously gals. You know what I'm talking about. These moves he makes while nursing also make me think of that game called "Pass the Pigs". I know my family knows all about Pass the Pigs--we've had some hysterical sessions of PTP. The game consists of a cup, two tiny plastic pigs, and score cards. You pop these tiny, plastic pigs into the cup, and then roll them like dice onto the table. The way in which they land determines what kind of points you might get. You can imagine what sorts of positions these pigs are in if the following labels are given to them after they're rolled onto the table--Razorback, Trotter, Leaning Joweler, Snouter, Pig Out, and Oinker. Benjamin seems to enjoy attempting the leaning joweler, but at an even more advanced level, because he does a leaning joweler, and then sticks one leg way up in the air and kind of pumps it up and down--as if he were a well pump, bringin' up momma's milk. So if you hear that we've moved to the Vegas strip, just know Benjamin has finally hit the big time and is livin' his dream in Cirque du Soleil--hopefully without me as his prop! :)