The dudes.

Dude #1 slid on up into first grade and is loving every second of it. She also grew 2 feet and 3 shoe sizes in the two weeks she's been there.

Dude #2 officially began Pre-K. And since Pre-K happens at Akins Academy {aka our kitchen table when the other dudes take a nap}, Dude didn't want to be left out of the front door pics. So he's representin' the indoors.

And these other dudes on the ends? Who knows what the heck they do. Walking around pantless with things hanging out of their mouths all the time.

Somebody should talk to their parents about that.

We {still} won't be quiet.

Buster's on tour.

He does not simply do his songs and leave the stage anymore. Now, he wants a hype man (or woman - in most cases, me) to precede him. And he is specific on what his hype man does. He wants an intro, a PRAYER {love it} and an asking of the crowd to stand and join.

The crowd of babies never stands and joins, but I don't think he really wants them to anyway. It might take away from his performance. I do foresee a request for stage lights in the near future. Demanding little thing he is.

Today's song comes compliments of EcoCamp - as does EVERY OTHER SONG on the tour.

I'm so waiting for a new album release.

We {still} won't be quiet. from Suzanne Akins on Vimeo.

Two Babies.

Before I brought home our very first baby, I had never thought twice about lullabies. My mom had always sung "Thank heaven for little girls" as my lullaby of choice, and before I realized it, we were rocking, bouncing, holding, swaying, doing everything we could to shush the little screamer we'd brought home from the hospital.  I needed a lullaby STAT!

So I combed through our music collection and found an old Carpenters tape. I pulled the sleeve out, quickly memorized the words to "Close to You" and voila, we have a lullaby that actually worked small miracles on our tiny screamer monkey.

When Buster rolled into town, I thought he needed a different song so the only boyish one I could think of was "Take me out to the ballgame". It never really did the trick. So I pulled out old faithful and the Carpenters made it to the #1 slot again, working miracles every time it was sung.  Either that or it was my incredibly angelic voice. {Shut yer mouth ye scoffers - I can hear you.}

Round 3 with two babies and much chaos, the Carpenters win again. They've gotten bigger and it's definitely a little squished but each night before bed, they run to the rocking chair saying, "Two babies? Why birds?" So I scoop them up, crowded in my lap and sing, "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near...just like me, they long to be....close to you."

Tiny Miss just sits all cozy with her thumb in her mouth while Wild Man watches me sing, lip synching the entire time. It is my favorite time of the day.

Everything they do together becomes, "Two babies?" When we're at the beach, their favorite thing is to "go way out dere" into the deep, one on each hip. "Two babies swim!" and the squirmy joes flap and paddle like the true Olympians they are, though they go nowhere. "Two babies jump!" and Mommy becomes the springboard. "Two babies go unda!" which is always a great idea until it actually happens. Then two babies come up for air spitting out salt water through their nose, blinking rapidly and searching for oxygen. Two babies are done with the ocean.

Even outside they plop down on the driveway together. "Two babies teekle!" and the tickle train is set in motion.

It's a give and take world in two-baby land.

40 days without food.

And I've never felt better.

My weight is good. My energy's up. My senses are piqued.

Did I mention I didn't actually go 40 days without food? Yeah, I actually eat. Everyday. But I did read a book of the same title.  Counts, right?

One of my favorite friends from college, Russ Masterson, has written a book about his journey through a 40 day fast. He didn't ask me to write a review, but I just finished the book and sat down to email my thoughts to him. Instead of emailing him, I thought I'd review it on here for more people to read {you know, the tens of millions of you} and hopefully convince you to read it yourself.

The husb got a Kindle for Father's Day and as all good gifts I give go, I've maintained a secure hold on it, reading books as fast as I can before he notices it's gone. I'm sneaky like that.

The first one I read was one he had downloaded, Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I couldn't put it down. It's one of those life-changer books for me.  Still resonating. Moving me to action. I love those kind of books.

Then the husb stole his Kindle back I took a break from technology and read a paperback book about heaven. Sometimes I just need to smell a real book.

Back to the Kindle and see that the husb has since downloaded Russ' book.  I dig in. I stay up until 2:30am reading 60% of the book {no page numbers, just percentages} and waller through the next day waiting and yearning for the coveted naptime. I lay down, grab the Kindle to make my eyes sleepy and finish the final 40%. My naptime got thwarted by good writing.

I felt like I was back in Donald Miller land again. The writing was familiar, comfortable. Maybe it's because I know Russ so I can hear his voice behind the written words. But maybe not. Having read books by other authors I know {dad, here's your plug.  brother, here's your plug. you're welcome. send a check.}, there are times when the "voice" is recognizable, but for the most part, the author usually becomes my voice and/or the voice of the characters therein.

Each of the 40 days is a chapter of its own with other chapters interspersed that are time-stamped from a day in the past or in the future, as pertaining to the "present" fast. At first it seems tangled. What is that day from your childhood revealing about your present struggle? How is this day, 4 years after the fast, an answer to your fervent prayer?

I was intrigued by each day of his fast. Having never done a full 40 day fast myself, the thoughts of Do you really hear God clearer when you're hungry? or What does starvation feel like? or How do you play it off to everyone around you - surely they know? or Is fasting a guarantee to spiritual significance, to truly hearing your life's solid purpose? and even How could this skinny dude afford to lose so much weight?

With as many questions as I posed throughout the book, Russ asked more. His search for purpose, for meaning, for his life's true path was questioned daily. He gains insights, not only through his personal study and quiet time, but through everyday conversations with everyday people. It is in those everyday moments that Russ' call becomes more clear. As hunger overwhelms him, his senses are heightened so that there is no "everyday". Each day is new. Each day holds gifts, blessings, wisdom to be gained, love to share, love to accept, wounds, forgiveness, hunger.

I learned a lot through his journey. I'm thankful he recorded it. I'm more thankful he listened to the voice of God before, during, and to this day.

It's still resonating. Moving me to action. I love those kind of books.

____

40 Days Without Food: Divine Goodness to a Starving Soul by Russ Masterson

He's a Mister, now.

Twice this week he's been called a girl.

Both times he had a hat on. One of the times his shirt read "All American Boy".

I, for one, thought his long locks brought out his manliness and accentuated his muscles.

And maybe there was a smidglin of scissor-withholding because HE'S MY BABY and when we cut his curls I'LL NEVER HAVE A BABY BOY WITH CURLY HAIR AGAIN and then that means he's growing up and NOW I'M GONNA HAVE TO ADOPT MORE BABY BOYS WITH CURLY HAIR since MY BABY BOY DONE GROWED UP in a matter of minutes.

After a final fluffing and a few tears (on my part, not his), oh my sweet preciousness, his curls are gone.

I could eat him with a spoon.

After I blow my nose and wipe my tears.

We won't be quiet.

Buster and Big Sis just finished a week of EcoCamp at our church and they came home each night more excited than the last. Buster LOVED the music, yet was a little gun shy about doing all the moves as his rep was on the line. So he stuck with the Elvis leg and his teacher got a big kick out of watching that leg shake the whole time. By the last night, the boy couldn't be tamed and he danced to his heart's content.

Now that we've got the cd from the week, we hear the same songs on repeat ALL DAY LONG. And in his pure concert form, he performs each song with sincerity.

If only my memory card hadn't gotten too full at just the moment he let loose.

Ladies and gentlemen, on lead vocals and electric guitar, it's BUSTER!!!!!
{and the crowd of 2 pint sized people and his mom go crazy...}

We won't be quiet from Suzanne Akins on Vimeo.