Michelle Wegner

Where The Wild Things Are: REVIEW

We went to see Where the Wild Things Are this morning as a family.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  All I can say is that our family awaited this movies’ release with baited breath.  From the first time we saw the first trailer, we were sold.  From the sound track, to the brilliance and creativity of the trailer alone, we could not wait to see this movie.

Max is a boy in his tween years, stuck somewhere between kid and teenager, confused about his emotions, and sad that no one in his world shares his fun sense of adventure.  He is crushed at the slightest disappointment, yet vividly aware of life and adventure.  I saw my Whitney in him over and over again.

Max is so angry with his Mom one night that he runs from her into the woods, finds a ship by a river and sails to another world.  In this new world he meets monsters who are selfish and angry just like him, but also loving and kind just like him.  He tries to create a world with them that is perfect and just how he wants it.  Max even convinces the Wild Things that he is a king with magic powers.  Things slowly started to crumble around him, and they figure out that he is not who he says he is.  Even though Max had lots of fun with the Wild Things, he decides it’s time to go home.

Whitney was sad because everyone didn’t have the chance to make up before the movie ended.  Carol and Max had a fight, and Max had to leave the Wild Things and go back home to his Mom.  There is a feeling of longing at the end, but I thought this was very healthy.  It was a very un-American movie, in that everyone wasn’t happy in the end.  I heard about a study once that said the #1 thing American parents wanted for their kids was to be happy.

I am under the belief and opinion that happiness is a wonderful by-product of right living, but happiness is not always a guarantee.  In real life there is suffering and sadness.  In real life, friends don’t always make up.  In real life, we don’t always get to do things the way we want them to, have the homes we want, the families we want, or the circumstances we want.

Real life is living through disappointment together.  Real life is navigating uncharted waters with your family, riding it out together, while sometimes it seems the whole world around you wants you to fail and fall apart.

Max goes home in the end to his Mom who truly loves him.  In my opinion, the movie is about finding happiness in your circumstances, not because of them.  I loved this movie. 

Rob had an interesting take on the movie.  Here’s his few words about it:

I thought it was brilliant. One of my all time favorite kid movies. I thought the screenwriters brought a depth to the characters that was surprising for a short children's story. The cinematography was breathtaking at points. The soundtrack was so fresh and carried the spirit of wildness that is the heart of the movie. The kid who played Max WAS ... Max. It never felt like he was acting...amazing. Each of the monsters represent a different part of Max’s personalities/emotions or his older sister. I think one was his missing Father. His interactions with them took me back to those years where childhood was ending and adult hood beginning. As a parent of Tweens, I could see my girls on screen too. I thought the movie was profound. We chatted with another family who saw it at the same time as us...they hated it. The movie is bittersweet because it's about the end of childhood and the challenge of losing your innocence through loss/pain. I think they were expecting a fun kids movie with goofy monsters. Our youngest Belle, who is five, got lost half way through, but there was enough happening visually to pull her back in. The older girls really enjoyed it. We had a great talk afterwards about what each monster represented. I could see Maddie, my 11yr old, wheels turning. She loves to write and dug the symbolism. I think she related to the emotional journey Max was on. Freud would have loved this movie. LOL

 

Whitney’s Big Day

 

 photo by elle white

Whitney has taken huge leaps of faith in her walk with Jesus this year.  Her decision to be baptized was just one of the many steps she has taken. We are seeing her passion for life focus on the poor, the needy, and the outcast.  Her heart breaks when she sees anyone abused, neglected, sick, or poor.  Our trip to India was almost too much for her, because she felt so passionately about those we were serving.  Whitney has loved Jesus as long as she has known Him.  She is funny, smart, kind, and full of passion and life.  I am so glad to be her Mom.  It’s one of the things on this Earth I am most grateful for.  It is so amazing to me to see the light of Jesus dawning in her heart and spread to her smile, and deeply affect those around her. 

Jesus has big plans for Whit, big plans.  I am just hoping and praying she always says “yes'” to Him, and always keeps on taking her next right step in her walk with Him.

Someone said to me yesterday, “I like your girls.  They are confident, but they are very kind”.  That was one of the biggest compliments I could ever receive as a parent, because that is what I always pray for them.  I pray for them to know that they are loved enough to walk confidently, but reach others with that same love.  I am proud to say I see my kids living that out to the best of their 10, 9, and 5yr. old abilities.

Let The Photos Tell The Story

   

Story later.  Thanks to Kristin Baker, Maddie Wegner, and Dale Shafer for the amazing photos!

And They're Off!

It's the first day of school for my two big girls.  This is the first year that they have had their back to school outfits planned for over a week, including hairstyle, matching shoes and nail polish.

With the new focus on fashion, I have a whole new set of things to worry about.  Shopping with the girls used to be me picking out matching Granimals sweatshirts and stretcy pants with giraffe prints.  Those days are long gone.  No more Granimals at my house.

I admit that it is sort of fun to see the girls develop their own sense of fashion, it's a good thing, because I pretty much have none.

Both of my big girls are exactly the same height and weight and in the same grade.  Are they twins?  Nope.  They are 18 months apart.  Maddie is in high ability 5th grade, and Whitney is in high ability 4th grade.  Their school only goes up to 5th grade, so they lump the high ability 4th grade kids w/the 5th.  Thankfully, Maddie and Whit won't be in any classes together, but I am so worried about Whitney being with Maddie's friends who think she's pesty.  I will be biting my nails all day long waiting to see if it's a happy or sad face that comes off the bus today.

Maddie is glowing, floating actually, because she got her favorite teacher from last year as her main teacher this year.  I am thanking God about that about every other minute.

I'm worried about my kids getting older.  With each year they begin school, I lose a little more control of them.  I know it's for their best, and I know I'm not supposed to worry, because God has them in the palm of His hand, but I still sit here biting my nails and pining away the hours until they get home.

Say a prayer for me and my girls if you think about it today!

Even Today.

  

There are days that are filled with laughter, and wonder that captures each smile. 

There are days that are golden, laced with joy and squeals of delight.

There are days when we are all in syncopation, our hearts beating as one,

ready to take on anything together.

 And then there are days like today.

Where anger captures our thoughts.

Where our smiles are ground down

by teeth chomping away at each other with selfish arguments.

Where clouds hang low and lightning strikes with rage.

These are not my favorite days.

But, I still love you. 

You are still the golden sunshine that laces my day. 

You are always the happy thought that makes me fly. 

You are the seasoning in my life. 

You give me strength to do things I never thought I could or would.

I’m glad I’m your Mommy. 

 Even today.

Spunk

Whitney has always been full of passion and spunk. I thank God every day for the way God made her. Although she may not always carry a water gun, wear one flipper with her blue goggles on, this picture captures her spirit in a very fun way.

Birds, Bees, and Alligators

We visited an alligator park today. There aren't any fences or cages for the alligators, they just swim through the swamps and people can come and watch them in their native habitat. This video is from about a year and a half ago, and is well worth the watch. You will get more of an education about the mating practices of alligators than you bargained for. Watch Whitney's face while Maddie explains what she learned on Animal Planet. Priceless.

 

Joy Unspeakable

 

Of all the photos we took while in India, this is one of them that won't let me go.  I'm not even quite sure what it means, but if you look at Whitney's hands reaching out to those girls...the joy on their faces, and the tenderness in her reach, there is something profound yet unspeakable there. I'll be thinking about if for a long time to come.

 

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors,  that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. -Psalm 24:8-10

Death and Life...Our Visit With Sangeetha

We have been long anticipating the day when our whole family could visit with Sangeetha and her family.  We have been sponsoring her since she was about 8 years old, and she is now 12.  Maddie, Rob and I had the opportunity to visit her back in 2006.  The visit with her family was one that marked me forever.  The photo on the right is of Sangeetha’s mom and baby brother from our first visit.

I don’t even know where to begin telling the story of this day.  There are so many emotions mixed up in my  head, I think it will be a long while before I get it all sorted out.

We started our visit to Sangeetha’s school where she attends the Compassion project.  She has grown about a foot since we last saw her, and I noticed she has also grown in confidence.  She wasn’t sure whether to hug us or shake our hands, but there was joy in the room, that’s for sure. 

Sangeetha went to get her little sister Chandra from the government school across the street while we waited for her.  The girls were so happy to meet them both.  We pray for Sangeetha and her family as well as the rest of our friends in India almost every night when we are tucking the girls into bed.  Meeting her for the first time for Whitney was a very special occasion.  For Maddie and Sangeetha it was a meeting of old friends.

Sangeetha wanted to take us on a tour around her school, and we were quickly mobbed by her friends, about 100 of them crowded around the girls.  It was almost scary because a lot of the younger children were being squished, pushed, and knocked over.  They giggled and laughed and practiced all their English sentences they have been working on at school.  Truly beautiful children.

After we spoke with the administrator for awhile, we loaded up in our van and headed to Sangeetha’s house.  We had gifts for her, her Mom, sister, and little brother.  I was looking for the little brother and didn’t see him, so I asked where he was.  Her Mom pulled a photo of him off the shelf and said that he died exactly one year ago yesterday.  I was so deeply heartbroken.  I was completely unprepared for the shock of that news.  We write letters back and forth to Sangeetha but she did not tell us of this news.  I am still reeling from the shock.  When we visited last, we noticed how sick Sangeetha’s brother was.  Her sister Chandra was very sick too, but has recovered well. 

Gene Ort decided on the spot to sponsor Chandra, since she does not yet have a sponsor.  There are 18 more children on the waiting list at this particular school.  There are 8,000 children in Tamil Nadu that are living in poverty that could die of curable diseases like Sangeetha’s baby brother if they are not sponsored. 

Sangeetha’s mother had a sadness in her eyes when she spoke of her son that spoke the language we both knew called Motherhood.  I said to her “Your boy is with Jesus now.” and she replied with deep understanding, “Yes, he is now God’s child.”

Have you done anything to help the poor and the needy lately?  Your small sacrifices will make an enormous impact in lives such as these.

Can You Imagine….

Why I Let My Kids Have a Cell Phone

My girls have a cell phone.  They are 10 and 9.  Are we crazy parents?  I’ll let you decide.

First of all, I shouldn’t say that THEY have a cell phone, it’s really OUR cell phone that we let them use.  The girls have been begging for one for months, and No, we didn’t give in to their begging, it was a family decision. 

Rob' got me an iPhone for Valentines Day when my old Blackjack died.  Fortunately for us, the Blackjack was within a few weeks of it’s warranty, so we were able to get a brand new one free.  It all worked out, so we decided to keep a third line for the girls.

Why?

Let me tell you:

Not because I don’t trust my kids, but because I don’t trust my kids’ friends’ parents.  Most of them are awesome, and I would trust them with anything.  BUT, there have been a few times when the girls have been with a friend, and then went off radar for 4 hours or more at a time.  When I was growing up, this was no big deal.  We would be gone from sun up to sun down, and as long as my parents had a general sense of where we were, it was all good. 

Last summer there were two incidents in particular that freaked me and Rob out.  I had no way of contacting my girls, and they had no way of contacting me.  I had no idea where they were.

That’s not going to happen again. 

In light of the horrific stories on the news of terrible and tragic things happening to little kids, my girls will never be off my radar again.  I don't’ care if other parents think my girls are snobby (I’ve gotten a phone call from an angry mom calling my girls snobby, really.)  They are going to carry a cell phone that has unlimited texting and calls.  Are they allowed to text their friends?  Only if I’m right there with them.  Can they talk to their friends on the cell phone?  Only if they ask, just like our regular phone.

Letting my kids take a cell phone on a bike ride gives me peace of mind. 

Am I crazy?  Over-protective?  Would you let your 9 year old have a cell phone?  Let me know what you think!

They Call it Falls For A Reason

Our first adventure today was a hike out to Spruce Flat Falls.  The park rangers don’t even really want you to find this waterfall because the hike and the falls are so dangerous, people fall off, get maimed, permanently injured, etc. from this hike.

Of course this sounded right up Rob’s creek, so we headed up there.  Rob and I had done this hike before we had kids, and I specifically remember Rob climbing up to the top of the waterfall, then falling down a ledge on the other side, then coming back up all bloody and bruised.  What better place to take our family on a lovely stroll through the woods?

Again, I was amazed at Belle’s determination.  She did not want to be helped or carried one bit.  When one of us insisted on helping her over a particularly dangerous part, she begged and begged to be put down.  I was also impressed with Maddie and Whitney for not complaining once the entire time.  I think the adventure of this hike was so unusual and exciting, it left no room for complaints. 

We made it to the top in about an hour and a half, sat down, enjoyed the view, and then suddenly Rob and Whitney disappeared.

Stinkers.

Yep, there was blood involved.  They were elated when they came down.

 

 

 

Why We Vacate.

 

By about 9 hours of  being glued to one another in the back seat of the car yesterday, the girls resistance toward one another had melted away.  They were all cuddly and mushy and taking care of each other nicely.  Whitney even said to me, “Mom, why is it that when we go away on vacation we always get along better?” 

Exactly my point.

Exactly why we choose to “vacate.”

We unplug, unwind, and enjoy each other.  Really!  It can happen, and it does.  Look at these beautiful faces.

 

 

9 Years Old And Changing the World With Her Smile

 

My Precious, precious Whitney.  The day you were born was one of the best days of my life.  You know we were expecting you to be a boy with dark hair just like your big sister had when she was born.  Instead, you played your first joke on all of us.  You were a beautiful baby girl with strawberry blonde peach fuzz hair.  The first time I laid eyes on you, I wept.  I wept for joy at the thought of your life...that I would get to be a mommy to two sisters.  I could not contain my emotions, and I held you and rocked you and could not believe how very beautiful you were.

We quickly realized that you were a spunky baby with lots of energy.  I remember the nurse looking over at you kind of scared-ish when she heard your cry.  She was the first of many to notice how passionate you were about your feelings.  Your daddy and I knew it from the day you were born.

Your passion has defined you.  The Light of Life shines in you and through you.  You are a city on a hill, a light in the darkness.  Your smile and laugh light up every room you walk into.  People feel loved when they walk away from you.  You are a gifted, talented, beautiful girl.  Your preschool teacher told us you were one of the strongest leaders she had ever seen.  She knew you were going to change the world.  You are changing the world around you every day with your smile Whitney. 

I love you with all of my heart, and I sometimes still cry when I think about how happy I am that I get to be your Mommy.  I love you Whitney Ruth.  Happy 9th Birthday.

Mommy Interview

Here is a quiz I found on Facebook.  The idea is to ask your child each question and write down the first thing they say-no cheating.

I interviewed each girl and recorded their individual responses.  Try it with your kids!  You might be amazed at what they think of you.

   

1. What is something mom always says to you?

Belle: yes

Whitney :Do your work

Maddie:Hop in to Bed

2. What makes mom happy?

B:when I don’t spill

W:tanning, relaxing

M: Breakfast in Bed

3. What makes mom sad?

B:When I say that she’s the worst Mommy ever

W: When we get mad at her

M: When her children don’t obey

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

B:nothing

W:that’s a brain teaser

M: When she does somehting really funny

5. What was your mom like as a child?

B:she was a nice kid

W: she had really blonde hair

M:Like Me

6. How old is your mom?

B: 18

W:35

M:35

7. How tall is your mom?

B:this many

W:5ft.8

M: 5ft.10

(for real I'm 5ft.4)

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

B:email

W: tan

M:Scrapbook, write

9. What does your mom do when you're not around

B:email

W:writes on her blog or reads

M:bills

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

B:that you are loving

W: writing

M:Writing

11. What is your mom really good at?

B:loving

W: calming people down

M:Writing

12. What is your mom not very good at?

B:yelling

W:making us laugh

M:Push ups

13. What does your mom do for her job?

B:typing

W:writes

M:stay at home mom

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

B:coffee

W: coffee

M:Hashbrowns

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

B:she’s loving

W: that she is an author

M: She is awesome

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

B: Polly Purebred from Underdog

W: Truffles in Chowder

M: Minne Mouse

17. What do you and your mom do together?

B:Everything

W: Watch TV

M:Scrapbook

18. How are you and your mom the same

B: We love eachother

W:We both like to have quiet time

M:We look alike, we have similar likes and dislikes sometimes

19. How are you and your mom different?

B:I’m small, she’s big. We have different bodies.

W: When I grow up I want to be a dancer. I have strawberry blonde hair, she has blonde

M:I don’t like broccoli

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

B: God made her love me

W: Whenever I’m sad, she always comforts me and she is really kind

M: She says I love you

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

I:Shoe Place

W: Tanning

M:Panera

Light and Life

Whitney has this amazing ability to bring life and joy wherever she goes.  She illuminates a stage, but more importantly, she illuminates our lives.

On our way to her performance in  A Christmas Story both Thursday and Friday night, I told her that the light of Jesus shines out of her even when she is doing a silly play about Ralphie.

I don't know if Whitney fully understood what I was telling her, but I did when I saw her singing, twirling, and flying across the stage with grace and beauty.  I see Jesus alive in my kids.  He is light and He is life.  The proof is in the pictures.

Can You Guess What Play Whitney is in Tonight?

Vote For Whitney, Vote For Truth

If I were elected I would do my right.  I would not be unfair.  I would not lie.  But, I am trustworthy.  If I were elected, I will make the right decision.  Not the wrong one, the right one.  You do not want the wrong decision.  It would lead us in the wrong way.  You don't want that, do you?  If not, Vote for Whitney.

Sincerely Signed,

Whitney Wegner

thank you

I love Whitney's straightforward, yet tough approach to the truth.  She is awesome.  If I could vote for her, I would. 

5 things Whitney Learned from Breaking Her Arm

1. Not to jump off trampolines
2. To always make sure there is not a chair there when you jump off the trampoline
3. To be happy that I don't have a broken heart and only a broken arm.
4. My colorful rainbow cast shows my colorful personality
5. Pulling up your pants is hard when you have a cast on.

Stuck in the Middle

I know what it's like to be the middle child.  I have been one all my life.  I so related to the Brady Bunch episode when Jan got a special necklace from Alice because she knew what it was like to be the middle child.  I felt Jan's pain.  Not only was I the middle child, but the only girl.  I have two older brothers and one younger.  Thank goodness they all have wives now and I am not so alone in my femininity. 

Whitney is my middle child.  I don't know what's harder, having all brothers and being in the middle, or all sisters and being in the middle.  I know it's probably too close to call.

Whitney has been asking me to do a blog post about her, and I have a feeling it has a bit to do w/her sister getting A LOT of attention this week from the neck brace she has to wear everywhere she goes.  So, Here's 10 of 10,000,000 reasons I think Whitney is amazing.

Whitney...

1. Loves Jesus with everything in her.
2. Is a fiercely loyal friend.
3. Is all about justice.
4. Still loves to cuddle and hug her Mom and Dad.
5. Frequently tries to sneak wildlife into the house to "rescue" them.  (Strangely, I found a grasshopper leg the size of my hand on the kitchen counter the other day.)
6. Is amazingly creative.
7. Has extraordinary capabilities to love the unlovable.
8. Has more courage than most adults I know.
9. Gives an amazing back rub.  (We affectionately call her "Magic Fingers.")
10. Can ALWAYS make me smile.