Status!

The other day, someone commented that they hoped I was making copies of my Facebook status updates because they would make a great book for my girls one day. I responded that I wasn't doing that but that I had a blog where I recorded a lot of things.

I kept thinking about it though and realized that there are a lot of "little" things that I put in my status updates that might not make it into a blog post. Things that I'd love to have recorded for my girls one day.

So.....beginning in 2010 up til today, I have copied many of my status updates. I didn't do all of them but many of them that I thought the girls might like to read one day. I will try to do this monthly. I love the thought of my children & grandchildren having all of these memories recorded into a book.


These start with "Jacinda Shanks....."


Would like to 'thank' her niece, Ann Elise, for teaching my girls a Girl Scout song that uses the phrase, 'Bazooka, zooka, bubblegum' over & over & over. It's been great on this long cartrip. ;) (1/2/10)

Is thankful that after traveling over 860 miles & 14 1/2 hours in the car today, God has blessed us with getting home safely! Ready for some sleep in my own bed! :)
(1/2/10)

just called 911. Something about the flames & smoke coming from the electric pole down the street made me feel it was necessary. (1/4/10)

played Chinese Checkers tonight with Gracie, Katie, & Chris. Katie makes everything just a little bit more frustrating....but also just a little bit more fun! She's awesome! (1/4/10)

thinks if I'm going to have a part time job, working on my work while listening to 'Winnie the Pooh Super Sleuths' and getting my hair combed by the cutest 18 month old little girl is the way to go! I just hope we don't accidentally end up with the Sesame Street theme song in our Sunday morning song service some week! (1/6/10)

and Chris hung some more things on the wall in the house. We've been in the house almost 18 months, and we're s.l.o.w.l.y. doing some things around here! The 'to do' list (a.k.a. WISH LIST) will always be full though! What a blessing to have a house to decorate and a family to fill it with love & laughter...decorated or not! (1/6/10)

thinks a good way to get your heart racing is wake up to a sputtering, sizzling, flashing, booming transformer outside your window! I was worried about the end result of all the commotion! 911 was called, appropriate people came then came again and now the road is blocked off and the still smoking pole has been spray...ed down. I THINK CenterPoint may need to replace the transformer..you think?! (1/7/10)

thinks Friendship School must have been extremely exciting today. Ellie fell asleep on the way home and went down in her bed after getting here! She'll get to sleep a bit more then it's off to pick up Gracie & Katie then home to wait for a couple of Gracie's friends & their moms who are coming over to work on the gir...ls' Science Fair project. They've done their research; now it's time to experiment! (1/7/10)

feels a bit bad for Ellie. She was playing with the remote and didn't have very good control of it and WHACKED herself in the head with it! It was loud...and now SHE'S loud. Poor thing. She has been cuddled & kissed. Now she just has to get over being mad about it. LOL (1/8/10)

-in working with Gracie on her Science Fair project, I have just been reminded once again of one of the reasons I choose not to homeschool my children! (Hats off to those who do, though!) Love that girl though! :) (1/11/10)

enjoyed a surprise visit from the "Hand Me Down Fairy" this afternoon! The girls especially enjoyed it because it meant lots of running around & laughing with friends who tagged along! (1/12/10)

figured out when picking up someone from Bush airport here in Houston, it is very important to make note of exactly where in the parking garage you are parked. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time riding up & down the elevator and walking around the garage. (1/13/10)

is happy that the weekend is (almost) here! It's been a day filled with a bit of frustration that was diminished greatly by the excitement & happiness of seeing a friend glowing in the light of a new engagement and the excitement & happiness I have in looking forward to spending a weekend with the man who married me o...ver 15 years ago! May my friend still be as happy in 15 years as she is today! (1/14/10)

May be the youngest person in the theater & maybe one of the only ones who didn't ride in on a 'scooter,' but I am a happy lady sitting next to my sweetie and waiting for Tony Bennett to come on stage. (1/15/10)

Is blessed & happy. (1/15/10)

Feels blessed to have had such a wonderful weekend with my hubby. Now, it's time to go back to the reality of my life as a mommy to our 3 girls-just another kind of wonderful (but perhaps a bit more loud & hectic!) (1/18/10)

thinks that Mrs. Burger has a big job today. Katie has already cried over thinking we were laughing at her, milk getting on her Mickey blanket, and Daddy throwing away the special birthday coupons she made for Gramme (on accident). This was all before 8:05 a.m. (2/22/10)

just signed Katie up for softball! She is going to be so excited! (1/22/10)

is blessed to have enjoyed such a fabulous weekend with Chris & her church family. I am truly thankful to the planning committee of the marriage retreat and for our elders for being 100% supportive of it, prayerfully & practically. We had so much fun, and it was wonderful being able to visit with established friends more and get to know new people better! (1/24/10)

just had to tell Ellie that we don't eat mud. (1/25/10)

when I went to get Ellie up this morning, she had thrown up in her bed! She had no fever & seemed fine, so I thought it was no big deal. We hung around the house then headed to meet a friend for lunch when she decided to get sick again! I brought her home to clean her up when I found a little "gift" she left for me ...in the bathtub this morning. How in the world I missed that, I do.not.know! This is my life! :)
(1/26/10)

thinks this is such a beautiful Houston day...a great day to go to a Science Fair tonight to see how Gracie's group does. :) They were chosen to be one of the finalists for 4th grade. It is cute how excited she is! (1/26/10)

has "Mickey" washed & ready to attend the Kindergarten Pajama Party tomorrow! We have had meltdowns over the Mickey blanket getting a 'bath' before, but Katie (reluctantly) agreed for me to wash him before he heads off to school. I'm always relieved when he comes out of the washing machine intact. I'm thankful for t...hat handwash setting! (1/27/10)

is sad that little girls who throw up 7 times between the hours of 6:30 & 9:00 p.m. don't get to go to Kindergarten Pajama Parties. (1/27/10)

is sleepy after spending a few hours in the ER with Katie last night. Trying to wake up enough to take Gracie to school. (1/28/10)

is so amazed at how Katie is reading 'everything' these days. I ♥ when it 'clicks' and their world is never quite the same. Of course, the other day I was sending a friend a text ABOUT Katie (something kinda embarrassing) and she started reading it as I typed while sitting next to her. So, yeah, my world will never... be quite the same either! LOL (1/29/10)

thinks this should put a smile on our faces. On the way to school, I said something to Katie about having a good day. She matter of factly said, "I always do." Now, THAT'S being positive! (2/1/10)

is a bit distressed that Chris is coming home because he felt like he was about to be sick. I kinda felt like that this morning myself but pushed it to the back of my mind b/c what else am I supposed to do when I have 1 kid to get to school, 1 kid recovering from being sick, & 1 19 month old running around? I pray tha...t Chris comes home to rest and then is all better. "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." (2/2/10)

my husband was up at 4:30 this morning to go workout at the gym. I'm not sure this is completely normal. (2/3/10)

was a bit surprised when a routine, consultation ENT appointment for Katie (for chronic sneezing, congestion, etc. that she ALWAYS seems to have) turned into allergy testing. I figured it was in her future; just didn't expect it to be today...when I had Gracie & Ellie with me as well! I'm pretty proud of Katie though. All in all, she did great!(2/4/10)

read to a group in Katie's class this morning. "Franklin's Valentine's," "Arthur's Valentines," & "The Crayon Box That Talked." I enjoyed watching the lady greet the children who walk in the front door...a very friendly way for them to start their day! (2/5/10)

wonders if it's wrong that we have to change Elllie out of her pajamas before we go to dinner? Is it okay that she's kept them on this long? (2/5/10)

thinks Chris is a cool daddy (& husband) for taking the girls out to breakfast and to Home Depot for Kids' Workshop. Hopefully, Katie will get to use some real tools
(2/6/10)

Katie has a red bump on her forehead because she tried to walk through a brick pillar to get to Hogwarts. Really. (2/7/10)

"Actually, the most important thing we have in here is our Bibles." (Quote from Katie when I was teasing Chris about being careful on the ladder and not falling & breaking the t.v. and how that was the 'most important thing!') Out of the mouths of babes........ (2/8/10)

is happy to announce that Chris has hung curtains in our living room! Neither one of us is meant to have a career in home building or design, but they are hung, and we both like them! Of course, I think Chris phrased it more like, "You BETTER like them for a LONG time!" LOL (2/8/10)

was leaning over the kitchen island reading something. I felt something behind me and looked to see Ellie holding a measuring tape up to my rear end! (2/9/10)

this morning, Katie was coughing & sneezing more than usual. In an effort to make her room better for her based on her allergy findings last week, I dusted & vacuumed & changed her sheets, etc. while she was at school. She found me in the laundry room after school and said, "I wanted to say thank you for cleaning my... room." That made it ALL worth it! (2/9/10)

just heard Chris telling Gracie that Valentine's Day isn't about who can spend the most money on gifts for someone. Hmmm Did he say that to really teach her a lesson about what's important in life or to get out of buying me a nice Valentine's gift?! LOLOLOL (2/10/10)

loves having a friend who plans Disney vacations! I just put down a deposit on a Disney World vacation for this summer!!!!!!!!!! Shhh...don't tell the girls!!!!!!! (
2/12/10)

is happy for all of my Dallas friends who got snow, but bummed that the 10 inches our friends got has caused us to cancel our plans to go visit them this weekend. Who would ever think this scenario would happen...can't get safely from Houston to Dallas because of SNOW and ICE?! Crazy weather!!! (2/12/10)

saw a Folger's commercial tonight that almost brought tears to my eyes. I've always loved the one when the brother comes home from college at Christmas and the little sister is happy to see him. The one tonight showed a daughter telling her daddy she was engaged. Very sweet. Kinda made me want a cup of coffee! (2/14/10)

is enjoying looking at old pictures for Katie's "All About Me" book for school. She was such a pretty, bald baby! (2/15/10)

was straightening up our bedroom and put away 11 ballcaps belonging to my husband. (
2/17/10)

enjoyed going through the closet of "in between" dresses because I discovered some really nice dresses that Ellie will be able to wear this Spring & Summer. Yea for hand me downs from the big sisters! ( (2/18/10)

looks forward to having 5th Ward Church of Christ join us at Memorial tonight. This is something to look foward to! The singing will be wonderful!(2/21/10)

wishes she could bottle the pure joy felt by my sweet Kindergarten girl over being 'Falcon of the Week' for her class this week. She has been waiting for this week all year! (2/22/10)

is glad Katie was sitting at the kitchen table so she could tell me that Ellie was ON the kitchen table! I don't think either of the other 2 ever did that! (2/24/10)

& Chris both just raced downstairs at record speed because Ellie's screaming surely meant blood & extreme injury had just occured. Nope...she was just ticked off at her sisters. Oh, the drama! (2/26/10)

Gracie is drawing next to me in bed, Ellie has been walking around with a pacifier & sunglasses on banging on the air vent, Katie has had on all sorts of things and is pretending to be Buzz Lightyear. It's a good Saturday morning with young children.
(2/27/10


& family spent an afternoon at the zoo on what has to be one of the most beautiful days Houston has ever seen! (2/27/10)

just painted Gracie's fingernails & toenails and is now watching 'Little House on the Prairie" with her. I have to admit, I really like it when she's home with me (just wish it wasn't because she was sick.) She feels much better though! :) (3/2/10)

sent Gracie off to school to take the Writing TAKS. I am thankful for her teacher who has prepared them well but made it clear to me in an email yesterday that Gracie's "health is MUCH more important than any test." (b/c I was a bit stressed if she would be well for today's test.) I am thankful for her teacher havin...g this compassion when she could have needlessly pushed for her to come regardless of how she felt (3/3/10) Her teacher has made it clear that she has faith in God & follows Christ, and for that I am most thankful! May God bless ALL teachers & students today! ♥

Gracie survived the Writing TAKS and came out smiling. I wish I was as laid back about EVERYTHING as she is! (3/3/10)

got Ellie's hair cut, and the curls stayed! :) (3/4/10)

Is sad, scared, & really mad that someone kicked in our back door and stole a bunch of things from our house in the space of about an hour in between when I left the house & Chris came home. VERY thankful we are safe though. Still mad, too. (3/5/10)

Is in the van with the girls waiting for Chris to get back from running an errand. The girls are watching a Hermie video about having faith in God. There is a lesson to be learned from all of this and a lesson to be taught to my girls as well. I pray we will teach it well. (3/5/10)

Is thankful for friends who stay late into the night helping put up a new back door (almost done!) I am sad to think of things I am realizing are gone...the diamond from my grandmother's engagement ring, Chris's grandmother's pearl necklace, and my 'mothers' bracelet' with my girls' names on it. I am just thankful my f...amily is all safe though. I feel this will stay with us a long time (3/5/10)

Thinks it is so nice of 2 of our neighbors who came by with cake & other gifts to help us feel better! The new back door is ALMOST finished thanks to Chris & a dear friend who has 100% earned a HUGE pancake dinner! (3/6/10)

has an almost 6 year old with the flu AND strep. Really? On top of everything else? Chris is home dealing with the aftermath of what happened last week. Not an easy thing to recover from, emotionally or otherwise. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (3/8/10)

We live in such a fallen world, full of those who steal, destroy, & frighten. May those of us who know Christ share Him with those who don't & pray for them as well. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (3/8/10)

who would have thought a soap opera (yes, I admit it!) and my DVR could pinpoint
exactly what time the tv in our living room was stolen?! Talk about getting a chill when my recording stopped at exactly 36 minutes into my 11:00 taping. If Chris hadn't run his last errand, he probably would have come home while they were here. There's another chill. (3/9/10)

remembers that 6 years ago tonight, we ate at Outback in Aiken, SC. I'll always remember because our sweet Katie Brooklyn was born early the next morning. ♥ Our sweet Katie Boo! What JOY she brings to us daily! (3/9/10)

thinks what happened to us last Friday STINKS, but we have been so blessed in different ways through this. I feel so thankful & humbled and hope we learn the lessons we should b/c of all of this. (3/11/10)

trying to put parenting class into practice. This morning, Gracie had to wear shoes she didn't want to b/c she couldn't find one of the ones she did want. She blamed Ellie (which is probably accurate) BUT she should have put them up. Katie left her homework & folder at home. I am tempted to take it to her, but I wo...n't. She may get a yellow for this, which will be devastating, but it will be a lesson learned. (3/12/10)

knows it's a telemarketer when they ask for Christopher Shanks and upon hearing that
he's not home, they say, "and probably you're the very lovely wife?" I promptly said, "We're not interested!" (3/12/10)

is proud of Gracie for being selected to on the Newsletter Staff at school! She is excited, and that makes me happy! (3/12/10)

Is going to just keep on swimming... I'll just keep the thermometer & Motrin close by for whichever child needs it. My mom keeps saying, "This too shall pass." I'd like it to do so now please. (3/13/10)

is ending the day with 4 of my greatest blessings already sleeping peacefully in our home. I hope to join them soon if only I would stop hearing every little "bump in the night." We were blessed once again today by friends who love us. We are thankful. ♥ (3/14/10)

could mention that our oven doesn't work. I could also mention that our upstairs A/C is broken and our warranty won't cover quite a bit of it. I could mention other negative things. Instead, I will mention that the girls & I enjoyed our 1st day of Spring Break with friends in beautiful weather, and we are all curre...ntly healthy and looking forward to going to the rodeo tomorrow night! I ♥ my family! (3/15/10)

Thinks two of the best parts of Rodeo Houston so far are seeing Ellie roll her eyes when she tried the funnel cake and hearing Katie exclaim while reading the program, "They have 'bear' back riding!" (3/16/10)

enjoyed going to 2 Christian bookstores tonight with Gracie & Katie. I bought Francine Rivers' new book and one by Beth Moore (just a small one; not one of her main ones). I bought a new book for Gracie (5 books in 1) that will possibly be a new series she will enjoy and 2 'Easy Reader' books for Katie that she chose.... It has lots of PICTURES, so she is happy! She enjoyed getting to choose her own books.
(4/19/10)

so, a friend & I decided we would meet this morning to walk. We can meet right there on the sidewalk as we walk the girls to school. So, as I was (almost literally) dusting off my New Balance tennis shoes, a TOOTSIE POP fell out! I mean really, what does THAT represent about my life?! (3/23/10)

sent my little Lois Lane off to school early this morning to start work on the newsletter team. Of course, she exasperatedly informed me that Lois Lane and Superman are just PRETEND. There may have even been a bit of a 4th grade eye roll involved. So, I'm guessing that she will be writing more of the factual article...s rather than any fiction ones! LOL SUCH a realist! (3/24/10)

"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required..." (Luke 12:48a) Our family was blessed immensely once again today by people who care. It makes me thankful, grateful, humble, and makes me want to share with others as we are able! May we look for the opportunities to do so. (3/24/10)

ran today. To be honest, it was only because Katie came downstairs and after about a 5 minute intro. finally came to the main idea of her upset...that Ellie had fallen off of the bunk bed! (3/25/10)

enjoyed walking around the neighborhood with Ellie this afternoon...except the part where the HUGE dog banged into his 6-7 ft. fence as I walked past. I jumped about a mile and as I glanced over, I saw the dog's head slightly above the fence. I sure did walk a bit faster til I got past that house. Now, THAT'S the kind of dog that will keep away thieves! (3/26/10)

wonders if you've ever driven down Fry Rd. listening to 2 9 year olds say The Pledge of Allegiance AND the Texas Pledge EVERY time they saw the flags?! There are A LOT of flags out there people! (3/27/10)

is thankful for being able to witness a teenage boy deliver a wonderful sermon tonight and then baptize his father afterwards! (3/28/10)

thinks maybe Ellie finally figured out why we always tell her not to stick her fingers in between the door and the wall when the door is open. Yeah, I think she figured it out when I closed the door and that's where her fingers were! :(
(3/30/10)

wonders if you've ever gone to Target with your children & husband and felt like your family was a bit like an out of control circus act. I have. Recently. (4/1/10)

"Do you think maybe one time I'll be on t.v.?" recent quote by Katie (4/3/10)

walked again this morning. After all, when I complained about it, I was asked by one of my 'precious' daughters, "Do you want to be on Biggest Loser?! Then you need to exercise!" Alllllllllrighty then!!!!!! (4/5/10)

got out my grandmother's red candy dish today to put some Easter candy in. Remember circus peanuts? Well, these are rabbits & chicks but are really the same thing. One bite last night, and I was immediately transported in my mind back to her living room where I used to get countless circus peanuts out of the dish th...at sat on her coffee table. It is now missing the lid, so they will get stale, but I don't care.
(4/5/10)

Gracie was telling me things she learned about TX on her field trip. She starts telling me about a letter Santa Anna wrote. She pauses and says she's not sure she should say it b/c it was a bad word. Not wanting her to say a bad word (but wanting to know what it was & being a bit upset that the person would tell the...m a bad word) I told her to spell it. She said, "I think it's spelled i-d-i-o-t." I ♥ her!
(4/6/10)

knows Gracie will have fun at the 4th grade girls' lock in tonight. Bless those teachers who (volunteered? agreed? were bribed?) to stay with them. It was a large group and goes til 9:30. What a way for a teacher to spend a Friday night! Ellie ate a little ice cream after seeing Katie eat some and is now 'clickin...g' her tongue. This is improvement over just staring & wanting to be held! (4/9/10)

nothing like an 8 am Saturday morning softball game for my 6 year old-in the rain-that gets canceled 10 minutes into it b/c of thunder which produces wailing from my 6year old. It was FUN though, and she made a really good play before it was called off! (4/10/10)

Gracie drew a picture of a redheaded stick figure on a skateboard and said it was, "Skateboarding Mama!" She then said something like, "Yeah, like that'll ever happen!" Aww...her sweetness overwhelms me! LOL I still ♥ her! (4/13/10)

thinks when a baby can point and say "Shoo Shoo in da booba," then maybe that baby needs to be proactive about these kinds of things & put that shoo shoo in the potty! Of course, thinking about my 'tiny' baby doing that just makes me laugh! (4/14/10)

is bracing for the upcoming years. Today, Gracie started crying. When I asked her why she was sad, her main response, through tears, was "I don't know!" (4/16/10)

enjoyed Katie's softball game. She got a hit twice and scored once! When she didn't get a hit the next time she went up to bat, she cried and blamed the pitcher...her daddy! LOL Next week: Gracie joins the team due to low numbers!!!!!! (4/17/10)

is glad I occasionally do SOME things right. I surprised Gracie with a "music" card and 2 shirts she had "admired" this weekend. I thought she needed a little treat after the whole 'no earrings' thing. I told her there was something upstairs on her bed. She then came down and put her arms around my neck and thanked me. (4/19/10)

has a tradition of rocking Ellie after her bath and singing, "Rock A Bye Baby," pretending to drop her when the baby goes 'down,' then kissing her on the nose. When she gets out of her bath, she sometimes says, "Baby," because she likes it. Tonight, she & Katie took a bubble bath together, so of course, after rocking the almost 22 month old, I also rocked the 6 year old! I think the tradition started with her years ago! (4/20/10)

enjoyed a private laugh with Chris tonight at dinner as Ellie was flinging the straw from her milk cup. Chris grabbed it, and then I saw that milk had flung all over the back of the guy's jacket next to us...and his hair, too! The guy didn't notice it, thus the private laugh. (4/21/10)

After pouring some Goldfish out of the BIG box into a baggie for Katie's school snack, we had a conversation that included her wondering if I'd practiced that (pouring goldfish) at college. (4/23/10)