super glue rice krispies

My little weejie.

2011-10-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

(For a long time, Brock couldn't say Kate's name and called her "Weejie" and the nickname stuck.)

Growing up, I loved to be in my room. It was where I'd work out dance routines to "Let's Hear It For The Boy," alphabetize my books and make collages for friends.

Kate, on the other hand, can't stand to be alone in her room. Because of this, she is by my side all the time.

I admit that sometimes I need my space. I've been known to get flustered when I'm trying to work and she's chatting away. (Yesterday's topics ranged from dog breeds to Halloween costumes, to why we haven't invented a more concise word for up-side-down.)

But this summer, when she spent a week at her grandparent's house, I realized how much I missed her constant companionship.

I also get a kick out of seeing parts of me in her. Take for instance, grocery shopping. For as long as I can remember, I never take the first item off the shelf. Instead, I take the third or fourth one behind it. I feel like the those in the back are somehow more superior.

So when I was waiting in the check out line recently, I realized I had forgotten cottage cheese. I sent Kate to grab it and when she returned she said, "Don't worry. I took the one in back."

I don't remember ever telling her about my odd shopping habits, but over the years, she picked up on it and now practices it.

It's so nice to have someone emulate you so well — down to the littlest detail.

Filter Follies

2011-10-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

To the average person, this is just a box of 100-count coffee filters.
To me, they represent the future.
"Where will I be when the filters run out," I wonder.
This is common neurosis of mine usually plays out when it involves something in the near, but not too near future. I don't wonder who I'll be the next time I have to buy cereal— that's too frequent of an occurrence. But when I get my oil changed and they slap on the reminder sticker in the upper corner of my dash, it makes me ponder.
Usually, I picture the "100-day into the future Erin" thinner, smarter and all around more together.
But it never works out that way. Typically, the future Erin isn't much different than the current one —give or take a few pounds.
This recent filter purchase stopped me in my tracks though. A quick calculation showed that the next time I was due to buy more filters, I'd be just a few days shy of my 39th birthday.
Which only leaves a handful of coffee-filter packages between my thirties and my forties.
I just about broke down in aisle four.
Yep. I'm approximately five coffee filter packages away from turning 40.

Where have I been, you wonder?

2011-10-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Let's see...

1. I got a speeding ticket — first one since I was in high school.
2. Brian accidentally stepped on our baby rooster and killed it. (A sight that will forever be seared into both of our memories. Luckily the children weren't home.)
3. Drama in the neighborhood over a semi-permantely parked RV.
4. Our pets continue to relieve themselves in inappropriate places.
5. I still hate packing school lunches.
6. I have socks older than the number of months left until I turn 40. (16 months and counting...)
7. I am constantly amazed at the number of shoes I see along the highway. How do they get there? Child-size shoes I understand: (Toddler + Shoes) Open Car Window = Chances are good your child will leave the car with one less shoe. But what I don't get are the adult shoes on the side of the road. Do that many people forget they put shoes on the roof of their car and drive away?
8. And speaking of shoes, lately I have spent a fair amount of time pondering the Middle Eastern custom of throwing shoes at elected officials in protest. After the event, do people retrieve their shoes? That seems like such a waste...

And that about sums it up.
How are you?

Not so perfect...

2011-01-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

Kate (thinks) she is always right. She usually is, so it's rather amusing when we catch her making a mistake.

We were discussing things that we are afraid of and K said "man-agains."

"Man-agains?" I asked.

"Yeah. You know. The fake people in stores."

Oh how cute. And, her version does make more sense.

We had a good chuckle at her mistake. And she was a good sport.

So, we really laughed hard the other day when we were shopping and she made the mistake again.

I wonder if "man-agins" will become her version of "amblee-ance." I have never ever been able to say that word correctly. Even when I think the word out, I still can't say it properly. In fact, when I had to call 911 the other day because we worried Brian was having a stroke after his surgery, I had to say "medic" instead of "ambulance." I was afraid the operator wouldn't know what I was talking about....

13....oh my!

2011-01-29T14:00:00.001-08:00

Raise the roof...a teenager is in da house! Can't believe my baby boy is now a teen.

We threw him a low key, pizza/movie party last night. His first boy-girl party since he was three. It went surprisingly well. It was a nice group of kids. I think having a mix of genders kept the party mellow. No one wanted to be the obnoxious boy who burped the alphabet.

I stole this picture off of Brock's facebook page. This is his his "girlfriend" and I mean that in the most general way. Although Brock wouldn't admit it, I think he was really nervous having her over. It was cute to see him being shy and bashful.

Change: constant.

2010-12-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about change. And how it can be so gradual. Who hasn't felt completely overwhelmed with an event, only to later look back and think, "Why was I so freaked out about that?"

Like being a new parent...I remember thinking what have I gotten myself into? Will I ever feel "normal" again? Will I ever be able to shower? Go out? SLEEP? And guess what....Time passed and I figured out how to shower on a regular basis and time to time actually slept through the night.

But at the moment when the new born was home for the first time, I felt completely out of whack and overwhelmed.

I adapted. I changed.

Or when I moved. I wondered if our new place would ever feel like "home" and then one day I pulled into the driveway after a long day and thought "Home sweet home." How did that happen? My good friend change helped.

Benjamin Franklin said: When you are finished changing, you are finished.

So as I get ready to flip the calendar over to a new year, I will embrace the changes that come in 2011. It proves I'm still ticking.

Am I on candid camera?

2010-12-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

Have they decided to relaunch the oh-so-funny show?

So after a long day at work, (which should be it's own blog entry. I realize I haven't given it proper props. Quick summary: working at a local community paper covering lifestyle and culture of the county. I am thrilled to be finally putting my journalism degree to use....and get to meet some interesting and kind people that I otherwise wouldn't have met. I'll write more later.)

ANYWAY....so it's Christmas Eve-Eve and I'm finished with work and stop by the grocery store for a few things and find out they are out of butter. I need butter. I have to make my grandmother's famous potato recipe and it practically uses a stick of butter per serving. How can they be out of butter?

I'm heading home, feeling happy (but yet frustrated with lack of butter) when I receive a call from Brian.

"When are you going to be home?" he asks. I tell him I'm about 5 minutes away.

"Okay," he says. "Don't park in the garage though. The dogs peed all over the presents under the tree and I've stacked them in the garage."

WHAT?? Wait a second....what???

So, yes, I come home to urine soaked gifts in the garage and a mess under the tree. Upon discovering the pee, Brian realized it had soaked under the adjacent rug as well. The dogs (and by dogs I mean Lucy, the repeat offender) must have used this spot for awhile, because there are now LARGE pie-plate size black spots on the wood floor from where her urine sat, unnoticed for days? weeks?

Breathe. Breathe.

Meanwhile, I go to investigate the gift damage. Luckily, most items were wrapped in boxes so the actual contents were okay. I did have to wash a few items of clothing that Brock was receiving. "Merry Christmas! Your gift is in the dryer."

Now, Brian and I have to rewrap the gifts. But do we really? Would it be wrong to traipse in and out of the garage when it's time for another gift?

This morning, probably because they were jealous that the dogs received all the attention for the present fiasco, I woke to cat pee on the mud room floor.

Remind me again why we have pets?

At least the cats had the decency to pee on flooring that is easily cleaned.

Once I cleaned up the early morning pee, I go to get a cup of coffee only to find that the coffee maker isn't working. And the Christmas lights aren't working. And the fridge is off. And gosh it's cold in here. Oh of course! The heat won't turn on.

Okay candid camera. Show your face. Don't ruin any more of my Christmas.

Just incase, I'm bracing myself for the next logical event: the crashing of the Christmas tree.

It's really only a matter of time. The tree we happened to pick out leans a bit (okay a lot) to one side. Straightening it out involved using stacks of magazines and free weights to hold down the base.

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Public Service Announcement:

2010-11-27T08:07:00.001-08:00

It is perfectly acceptable to begin decorating for the Christmas Holidays. It's wonderful to spread cheer in your neighborhood with festive lighting and whimsical characters.

However, please remove the rotting jack-o-latern from your front porch, and the scarecrow sign from your front door. You should never-ever-ever overlap holiday decorations.

As cute as the pumpkin bag stuffed with leaves once was, when you break out the moving reindeer, it's time to retire the pumpkin.

Thank you for your understanding.

I've never....

2010-11-16T09:40:00.001-08:00

I've never played a round of golf and I've never run out of gas. I realize those are two completely unrelated activities, but one almost happened yesterday.

When I went to go run some errands yesterday afternoon, I turned on my car in the garage and saw this:

That's right. 0 miles 'til empty.

Perhaps I should have stayed home, but I was feeling daring and decided to go ahead and push my luck. Plus, the gas station is less than two miles from my house, so if worse came to worse, I could be one of those poor souls you see carrying a red gas-can down the highway.

Of course, the stop-light-gods were working against me. I had to stop and wait at the two stop lights between my house and the gas station.

I turned off the heat and the radio. I am fairly certain that the radio runs off the battery, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to turn it off.

I coasted down hills and up hills as far as I could go.

I was living on the edge.

AND I made it. Suckers! 0 miles 'til empty....whatever! Now I know how far I can push my empty gas tank. I wonder if it will display negative miles....because what's the point of 0, if they don't really mean it?

Crossed the line.

2010-11-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

When I worked in retail, my Thanksgiving holidays were always a bit "sad". I knew I'd have to be rested and ready to open the store at 6am for those Early Bird Specials. As much as I dreaded it, it was at least doable. Now days, stores are opening on "Black Friday" earlier and earlier....I've seen advertisements for 4am openings.

But this takes the cake. OPEN ON THANKSGIVING! Is nothing sacred anymore? I lost some respect for Old Navy on this one. I believe they are under the impression: Open and they will come. I urge you to resist the temptation for screaming deals on fleece and denim. Wait until the civilized hour of 4am on Friday. Instead, spend Thanksgiving hanging out with those you love, or at least can tolerate. Trust me. You will remember those moments for a much longer time than the $2 Hoodie your scored while your turkey charred in the oven.

BFF LYLAS 4EVR

2010-11-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

Happiness is when one of your oldest and dearest friends comes to visit. It makes you feel like you are 12 again, back when you were goofy and silly. Who am I kidding? I'm still goofy and silly and with Fran I have a partner in crime.

We even got crafty and built replacement noise canceling headphones to replace the ones she left on the plane. We are a resourceful duo. Don't be getting all jealous. For a small fee, I'd be happy to make you a pair of sweet recycled jar headphones. (In all honesty, they actually worked. When she had them on, I tried to talk to her and she couldn't hear.)

We spent much of the weekend reminiscing and jamming out to Journey and Chicago. Having a friend that gets you, and understands your crazy thoughts and feelings, is a gift that I cherish.

Tuning out but ready to tune in....

2010-11-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Enough already! I can't wait for tomorrow (Election Day) to be over so our radio and TV waves are no longer filled with negative, hateful and confusing commercials.

What will play in their place? How will the media survive without them? Oh. I know...it's time to break out the holly and the bells. It's time for Christmas Commercials, my most favorite time of the year.

I'm not kidding. I love the way Christmas/Holiday commercials make me feel. All cozy and warm with the hint of excitement.

This one can still make me choke up a bit. So does this one. Notice I didn't list any Macy's, Kohls or Wal-Mart commercials. Retailers need to go back to the classic styles. Give us meatier commercials! Draw us in....make us remember, make us feel.

A must read.

2010-10-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Wow. I don't recall ever reading a news story like this one.

Seattle Times Article

Is it true? Was it Kenny's mind playing tricks on him? I have often had weird visions in my dreams, and have chalked them up to just that. Dreams. I have wanted to believe that my dreams were actual messages from loved ones. Maybe they were......

Any thoughts?

Surprisingly, no saga.

2010-10-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

He did not make the JV team. Only 12 kids did. Instead, he is one of 36 kids on the C Team. The last time I checked, the game of basketball requires five players on the court at a time. How will they manage a roster of 36? It will also be interesting to see how many C Team players quit because they didn't make the star team. Maybe the roster will get smaller.

We are growing up. And by we, I mean my son and me. Brock and I took the news well. I think it especially helped to see that many talented kids were on the C Team, even some talented 8th graders. The process seemed as fair as it could be. No dads on the side lines picking their favorites. No cliques. No secret meetings. Just good ol' fashioned school sports.

Phew. I was prepared for a storm of drama. Instead, I was met with a gentle breeze that didn't even ruffle our feathers.

Here we go again....

2010-10-25T10:27:00.001-07:00

Just when I thought it was safe to relax, Brock decides to try out for the junior high basketball team. EEK! Tryouts begin this afternoon and run through Wednesday.

Brock's grade is known for having stellar athletes who also happen to be stellar jerks. In fact, it's a serious enough issue that it's often brought up at school district meetings. Teachers ask, "What's with the class of 2016?"

I actually discouraged him from trying out. If he ended up making the team, why would he want to hang out with a group of bullies? His response was that if he makes the team, he will be proud of himself. I told him I have never been more proud of him than when he was "demoted" in soccer, but continued to hold his head up high and practice extra hard. He showed great character. The way he handled himself was amazing, and something I don't know if I could have done. That my son, is something to be proud of and is a skill that will serve you well in life.

I think during tryouts, the junior high basketball coaches should give the kids a manners and personality test along with their skills. That would be a sure-fire way to weed out the bad seeds. Shouldn't your personality and sportsmanship play a part of whether make the team?

Stay tuned for the try-out saga. And I'm 99% sure it will be a saga.

Where have I been?

2010-10-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Life has been extra hectic. I apologize to my loyal reader(s).

My days have been filled with home schooling my eldest, nursing a sick chicken back to health and entertaining.

Eldest is back in school full-time, the chicken is better and in-laws are gone (sniff).

Hopefully I can reacquaint you with the comings and goings of our household. The important things like: who used the toilet brush as a plunger again, Brock's latest schemes and Kate's professional banking abilities.

For now here's a picture of the on-the-mend chicken.

Cross that off my list.

2010-08-30T10:30:00.001-07:00

For the first time ever, I have completed all my Christmas shopping early. I hate to give away the surprise, but family and friends can expect one of these under the tree this year. Merry Merry!

A bit slow on the up-take.

2010-08-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Note: I'm blaming this on lack of coffee. When this flyer fell out of the newspaper this morning, and I read "Fresh Blackberry Pie", my first thought was: "Gross! What type promotion is this? How did they make pie out of a Blackberry?" (Yes, I was thinking Blackberry, as in cell phone.)

So imagine my surprise when I saw in the Safeway circular that Apples were $1.29/lb. That would mean an Ipod Nano would be just pennies!

One bloom.

2010-08-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

Makes me smile. I could stare at it all day.

It's just a regular old farm here....

2010-08-04T08:34:00.001-07:00

The chickens are doing their job and producing lots of yummy eggs for us. The eggs are much smaller than store-bought eggs. I've heard as the chickens get older, their eggs might get bigger. The yolk color is scrumptious. It's a dark yellow-gold. And the taste....yummmm.

We had a mishap with one of the original chickens, so we've added three more to our flock. Say hello to Daisy, Lola and Maria.

A flower is the Earth's way of saying "I love you".

2010-07-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

Like I've mentioned before, we live deep in the woods. Our back deck gets about three hours of sunshine. As much as I wish I could, I can't grow bright and beautiful flowers.

Thankfully, just up the street is a flower farm. For $5 you can pick one dozen flowers. Kate and I love walking up to the farm and purposefully walking down each row, searching for the perfect flower. Kate claims that she wants these same flowers for her wedding bouquet. I'd have to agree. They are show-stopping.

From now until they are gone, we are planning on picking flowers from the farm until the end of the season. We are thinking that next week we will do a mono-tone bouquet. Stay tuned.

Sweeter than sweet.

2010-07-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was a beautiful day....highs in the 70s and bright blue skies. We took a jeep ride to get ice cream. All was well until we began driving down the road and Kate hadn't finished her cone. Her hair was whipping around and kept getting into her ice cream. Without being asked, Brock reached over and held her hair for her until she finished her treat. Unbelievably sweet. Truly. Yes, Brock can bug the crap out of her and purposefully drive her crazy, but he really loves her.

I tried to sneak a photo of him holding her hair, but I wasn't sneaky enough. Instead, I have a picture of the two of them being disgusted with me.

Home is where you lay your head.

2010-07-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

I keep experiencing the erie feeling of not knowing where I am when I awake. I'm pretty certain it is due to the fact that since July 1st, I've been in six different cities and now am finally home. Last night I was so disoriented that I got up to use the bathroom and it wasn't until I was washing my hands, that I figured out I was home. I knew those towels looked familiar!

What I can't figure out is, why this is happening to me now that I'm home? I would of guessed it would have happened to me on the road. My guess is that I must have not been able to get in a deep sleep when I was a house guest.

Our trip to Colorado, New Hampshire, St. Louis, Kansas City and my parent's lake house in Kansas was a lot of fun. Due to a phone mishap, I lost half of the pictures. I'll try and post some later.

Down and out.

2010-06-19T16:42:00.001-07:00

June hasn't been a very hot month (both figuratively and literally). For the past week I've been down and out with some sort of virus.

Whenever I am sick, a side effect for me is that I want others around me. No need to talk. No need to touch. Just to be present with me in my sickness. Honestly, that's one of the first signs I know that I am sick and not just tired. The kids were at school and Brian was at work, so these two stepped in and kept me company.

Here's to sweet animals. They somehow always know....maybe it's because I was warm and since I'm refusing to turn on the heat in June, they had no choice but to cuddle up with me.

Happy May Day!

2010-05-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago I started a tradition on May Day to surprise teachers and friends with a small bud vase of flowers. This year, May Day fell on a Saturday and I almost took the year off. Then I remembered what the PE teacher at my daughter's school said to me last year. (He's a rather shy fellow around parents, great with kids and a gentle soul.) Last year he said, "I look forward to May Day every year. It's one of my favorite days." How could I not keep up the tradition this year?

Here's hoping that your May Day is full of sunshine and spring happiness.

Injured.

2010-04-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

This child owns new elbow pads, but they didn't do him much good laying in the garage. He went to the skate park yesterday and came home with his elbow swollen. It looked like his elbow swallowed an orange. He was really fishy about how the injury happened. He kept changing his story.

We still weren't getting the full story this morning when Brock woke up. His elbow was still swollen, I told him we needed to go to the doctor.

Brock: Will I still go to school?

Me: Yes. You should be able to go to school after the appointment. That is, unless they need to amputate it. If that's the case, you'll need to go to the operating room, so you'll probably not make it back to school in time today.

Brock: Really?

Me: Yeah. But I doubt they'll need to operate. You said it happened playing soccer. They will only need to amputate it if it was caused from a skate boarding injury.

Then the truth came out. He did in fact injure it skateboarding, but he wasn't sure how exactly he injured it. Apparently, he fell too many times to pinpoint the exact injury.

A couple xray's later, and he's in a sling. The doctor doesn't think he fractured it, although he's sending the xrays to a radiologist. Brock will need to wear the sling for the next few days. No baseball this weekend.

I'm not sure why he felt he needed to lie about his injury. He's been lying a lot lately. I'm sure it's a developmental thing, but I'm not enjoying this stage. Good thing he's still not a good liar. It makes it so much easier to catch him in his web of lies.

Spring!

2010-04-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

The joy of having a sweet, thoughtful husband who works downtown, near Pike Place Market, where these gorgeous bouquets run about $10-$15 each. In the spring and summer, it's always touching to watch people walk off the ferry carrying these colorful flowers, wrapped in brown paper. Who will be the lucky recipient?

Well they're movin' on up....

2010-04-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

The coop is completed and the chickens spent their first night in it last night. I am really impressed with the hard work that Brian put into building the deluxe chicken accommodations.

The chickens don't know what to do with all the space. They like to stay huddled next to the door.

Last night was a relatively warm night for us (lows in the upper 40's), but Farmer Brian was worried about his hens. Before going to bed, he set up the heat lamp for his little ladies.

With any luck, we'll be eating fresh eggs in July.

Agonizing for the old mother.

2010-04-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

As you walk towards the mound, I get up from the bleachers and move away from the rest of the crowd. I can't be with other people when you're out there. I lean against the fence, grasp my hands and clench my jaw. I can feel the stress in my shoulders. My fingernails dig into my palms. I hardly breathe.

I watch you, while sending you good vibes and cheering. "You can do it bud! Throw it hard." I try to sound relaxed. I don't want you to hear my nervousness in my voice. When I can't take the stress any longer, I watch the umpire behind home plate. it is music to my ears when he calls out "STRIKE".

I go between watching you, the umpire and the score board. Full count. Two outs. YOU CAN DO IT.

You did it.

Concert Update/ Chick Photos

2010-04-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Pre-Black Eyed Peas Concert:

Kate's first ever large venue concert.....She thought it was great, but it took awhile for her to get used to the sound level.

See how I'm leaning to the side a bit.....my darn back was and is still hurting.

The Black Eyed Peas concert was really fun. Really fun, but really loud. Really fun, really loud and something I don't need to do again. I'm so glad we went, and the kids were on cloud nine, but I truly am too old for those types of outings. The highlight of the night, was driving with Anne to the concert and completely missing the Tacoma Dome, and ending up near Ft. Lewis. We even each had a GPS. Here's a picture of my cautious driver with double glasses:

The chicks are doing well and growing larger every week. Mabel is definitely the "clucker" of the group. It's so cute to hear her talk to the others. Tammy~ aren't you proud of me to have these pictures posted in a timely manner?

Mabel:

Mel:

Roxy:

Group Shot:

Hula-hopeless

2010-04-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to try out a new hula-hoop fitness class. I loved hula-hooping as a child, and how difficult could it be? I was very smug in the class.....I wasn't the star pupil, but I was a close second. I could ALMOST make it look effortless (for a few minutes), I left the class thinking, "Well, that was a nice work out, but no big deal. I'm not even very sweaty."

I have now spent the past 24 hours in pain. As I type this, I have a heating pad on my lower back. Holy cow! What did I do? My lower back feels like I'm back labor. I can't bend over, when I sneeze, I see stars. To get in and out of the car, I have to rely on breathing exercises.

Getting old sucks.

This weekend we are going to see The Black Eyed Peas. I was fairly sure I'd be one of the older attendees. Now, I will get to be an older attendee with a Ben-Gay patch on her back and ibuprofen in her pocket. If any teeny-booper gives me trouble, I'll fend them off with my Aqua Net and my Polident.

Slowly....very very slowly.

2010-04-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

This whole coop building thing is taking a lot longer than I would have guessed. Why? Oh, the fact that my husband has a full-time job and that the kid's schedules take up a lot of free time on the weekends, and the fact that we live in a rainy area so even if there is some free time, it is often wet.

The coop is starting to take shape and Brian has done a terrific job on it. It's almost time to start painting it, if the weather is ever dry and warm enough. The chickens are starting to really look like hens, including their pretty tail feathers. Here's a picture of Kate holding Mabel. Check out her talons.

Paradise found.

2010-04-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

The kids and I just returned from a fun week in paradise, aka my aunt's condo in Florida. Thanks to Orbitz Deal Detector, we got a screaming deal on tickets to Florida. (Note to self: the airline trip nearly did Kate in, if we are ever fortunate to go to Europe, she will need to be medicated or will need to fly first class.)

(Jet lag nap.)

Brock was like a different kid in Florida. The reason? Because he spent countless hours doing this:

He has always had a gift and a knack at finding small creatures. He is incredibly gentle with even the smallest bug. I wish there was a school where he could spend all day searching for and learning about animals. He would excel and shine. On this trip, I realized the importance of helping him nurture this passion.

He even found joy in finding grasshoppers.

And the crazy thing is that the animals don't leave him. They rest on him and crawl on him. If I try to hold something, it immediately jumps out of my hand.

Florida was a perfect nature lover's paradise. On one side of my aunt's condo is the Atlantic, on the other side is the Indian River. We searched long and hard for Manatees, but unfortunately didn't see them.

But we did find lizards, fish and interesting birds.

My kids were very brave at sticking their hands in trees trying to capture lizards. With the high snake population in Florida, I wouldn't take part.

But I didn't realize I needed to worry about wild life in my aunt's condo. Look what greeted us after an afternoon of shopping. Thankfully, Brock had brought his Reptile Guidebook with him so we were able to feel fairly confident that this was a rat snake, and not venomous, but we still had to call animal control.

Kate got to fulfill her horse passion and ride on the beach. I went along as well, and it was the LAST TIME I'll ever ride. Even though we were on soft sand, and even though the horses were slow and tame, it scared me to death and I couldn't wait for the ride to end. It didn't help that Kate's horse was kicked by another horse. She handled it way better than I would have. I think I would have gotten off and walked back to the car.

And of course, I enjoyed my time spent with my Aunt. She was an excellent tour guide and host. She put up with hours of Sponge Bob and the fact I have picky eaters. She exposed us to the joy of Publix mint chocolate cookies and Florida's signature chocolate covered coconut candies. She carried on the Brock Family tradition and had pie for breakfast. (Growing up, my Grandma Brock would give me cake for breakfast because it "has milk and eggs in it.") And she provided us a window to my mom....thank you Aunty S for the great time.

I needed a good cry...

2010-03-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

I've been on the verge of tears for weeks. Thursday night, I was finally able to release the dam of tears.

For those who are near and dear to me but live other places, I check their weather on my phone every day. It makes me feel close to them, like when it's snowing in Missoula, or windy in Chicago, I can picture my loved ones in their element (ha-ha.) We found out on Thursday that I will get to add another city to my daily weather checking. Our dear, close-as-family- friends announced they are moving to Reston, Virginia.

And while I know it's the right move for them (another unintended pun), it is breaking my heart. I love these peeps. They understand our quirkiness and our humor. For the past seven years, our families have gotten together as well as bread goes with butter. Their daughter is like a daughter to us. Our kids look to her as an older sister and mentor. They've been there for holidays, birthdays, championship games, vacations and anytime we need to unwind with some card playing fun.

We are the ones who usually do the moving. It's hard to be on the other side of things this time.

We will weather this storm. Our friendship can handle this.

Chick Update

2010-03-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm late posting the pictures we took on Monday. It's been a bit hectic around here. The power went out on Tuesday afternoon and didn't come back on until 9am on Wednesday. I was worried about the chicks since they lost their heat lamp during the outage. We heated water and poured it into hot water bottles. It was cute to see them all huddled together around the water bottles.

My sweet and loving husband was so worried about the chicks that he got up around 3:30am and heated new water for them. Who knew Brian could be such a farmer?

Here they are during their supervised play time in the yard.

Day 2 of chick raising

2010-03-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

So far so good. I didn't sleep very well last night. I kept worrying about the babies. Kate and I are planning on taking pictures each Monday. The bigger ones were born on 2/22 (Kate's bday) and the two smaller ones were born a week later on 3/1.

I think Ruby Sue is going to be the dominate one. She's the one I picked out, so she must take after me. She also likes to step in her own poop. That's one thing we don't have in common.

Brian's bird is Sally Rue

Kate's is Roxy. She seems like she will be the sweetest and the quietest.

Brock's is Mel. She's the loudest....no surprise there.

And here's our family's joint chicken, Mabel. She likes to stand on the food bowl.

Group cuddling shot:

And last but not least, the best Chicken Coop Builder on this side of the state.

A storm is a-brewin'.....call in the chicks.

2010-03-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know where the above phrase came from, but it's one of my all-time favorites and I say it every chance I get. Today, however, that phrase became real because we are now proud owners of five baby chicks. I've wanted chicks for years and finally Brian came on-board. We attended a Chick Class where we learned all we needed to learn (and more) about raising these cute bundles of fluff. According to the instructor, there has been a huge renaissance in back yard birds. After WWII, it became a "lower class" hobby, but as of lately thanks to books and movies exposing the food industry, people are taking their food back into their own hands.

Since three out of four of us are vegetarian, these new pet chickens will be only used for egg production. In fact, Brock said he may never eat chicken again now that he's held a baby chick.

I am pleased to introduce you to our newest family members: Mabel, Roxy, Ruby Sue, Sally Rue and Mel.

Ruby Sue and Sally Rue are Barred Rock Chickens. They will look like this:

Roxy is a Plymouth Partridge and will look like this:

Mel is a Rhode Island Red and will look like this:

And last, but not least, Mabel is a Golden Star. According to the farm store, she will be the most proficient egg producer.

The chickens should start laying around late July, so if you're in the area, stop by and we'll dine on fresh egg omelets.

Save the Blue Bird!

2010-02-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

The other day, Kate and I were discussing the age-old question, "If the house was burning, and you could only grab one thing, what would it be?" She picked the blue glass bird that resides in our living room. I think the bird came from Brian's great Aunt Bert's house. Kate said the bird makes her feel peaceful and she likes how it feels in her hand.

I thought her choice was an interesting one. I would have guessed she would have picked a stuffed animal or a favorite book. (She did say she'd also want to take her money because we may need some cash and she would let us have it....PROGRESS!) Back to the bird, what I thought was so sweet about her choice, was that it wasn't just a pretty object, but it represented her home, her family, her love for us, her comfort. So much wrapped in blue glass.

A recent article in The New Yorker, talked about how smells can transport back to your childhood. The author also grew up in Kansas City and mentioned many spots that I grew up enjoying such as The Dime Store and Winstead's. Smells are powerful. I get transported to Judy's house, my childhood friend, each time I'm in the laundry detergent aisle. Her home always smelled like Cheer detergent. I can remember the upholstery smell of the big blue Buick....a mixture of air conditioning and stale cigarette smoke with a tinge of up-chucked Froot Loops. I have my old Frances books, such as Bedtime for Frances. The books are over thirty years old, but the pages still have a distinct and wonderful smell of my childhood.

In thirty years, what will transport my children? Guinea pig bedding? Mrs. Myer's cleaning products? The electronic smell of a computer screen?

Dual purpose lotion.

2010-02-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

I've enrolled in a creative writing course through our local park's department. Last night was our first class and one assignment was to draw a memory map of your childhood room (or other memorable room). I mapped out my room from our Kansas City, Missouri house. Mapping the room brought back lots of memories (and it would be a fun activity to do with my brothers and parents.)

It was an old house and and at one point, my room must have been the sun room. Three out of the four walls were full of windows. Kansas City has some vicious thunderstorms and my bed was an old brass one. 5th or 6th grade science taught me that metal conducts electricity. Do you see where this post is going? Surrounded by windows, laying on a metal bed, during a thunderstorm made sleeping extremely difficult. Being a quasi-scientist, I knew that plastic was not a conductor so I would surround my body with lotion bottles to prevent me from being stuck. I would sleep soundly with Vaseline Intensive Care bottles stuck under my arms and legs.

Not only did it prevent me from having, dry and flakey skin, it could have quiet possibly saved my life.

Thanks to Google Maps, I was able to find a current picture of our old house. Technology is so amazing.

The find of 2010.

2010-02-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

I know it's early in the year to declare the product of the year, but I'm willing to bet that I've found it. It's Psssssst. That's one "P", six "S" and one "T".

For years and years, I have felt the need to wash my hair every day. As I've aged, I've realized that my hair has really dried out. I know that daily shampooing isn't good for my hair, but yet I couldn't stop. Until now. I discovered a fine product at Rite Aid that is instant spray shampoo. The label on the back states:
Instant Spray Shampoo
Between shampoos-On camping trips
After sports- When ill
Any time you can't use water, Psssssst is the convenient, quick refresher for your hair.

Due to the label design, I was convinced this product was from the late 60's and had been on the shelf for years. That was until I noticed the website: www.psssssst.com

You can thank me later for discovering this product for you. Enjoy!

Amazing what they can do.

2010-02-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Saturday night the kids decided to rearrange Brock's room. Brian and I were in the midst of a very competitive game of Dutch Blitz and couldn't be bothered. (I won 167-2.)

All by themselves they moved furniture, including hoisting Brock's mattress up to his loft. Kate was in charge of making the bed and did a great job...complete with mattress pad and sheets. They drug the cast off furniture to the hall, where of course it still resides.

Proving to me that yes, they really are capable of doing big projects. The motivation has to come from within.

Shopping for banks....

2010-01-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

Remember my post a couple back, regarding my banker daughter?

Brian normally rides his bike to work. However, after an unfortunate soccer accident, he has hurt his knee and can no longer ride and has been taking the bus to the ferry. It's a small time bus operation and you have to have exact change ($2). The other morning, he only had a $5 bill and needed change. I asked Kate if she could make change.

"See! I told you. You use me like a bank."
"Well, that's because you nicely save your money. I'm not asking to borrow any money, I simply asked if you could make change for a $5 bill."
"You are so mean."
"So, would you rather have Dad overpay for his bus ride? If so, that's $3 less we will have to spend for your birthday." (I know I was being mean, and hitting below the belt.)

She held her ground and didn't make the change. Now, to her defense, it was early in the morning and she was walking out the door for school. Brian should have figured out his money situation earlier, but what part of doing favors for each other does my daughter not grasp?

I am tired of the customer service I have been received at Bank of Katherine. It's time for me to shop around and find a new bank. Maybe I can get a free toaster out of this.

12!

2010-01-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

12 years have passed since my little guy was born. 12 years since that long weekend in January when I went into the hospital to be induced on a Friday morning and Brock finally decided to join the party, just in time for the Super Bowl, on Sunday afternoon.

The time has flown by and while he isn't a little boy any more, there are still little boy things about him that make my heart soar. Like when he's tired and we are cozy on the couch. He will reach up and play with my hair, just like he did when he was little. Or when he'll asked to be tucked in to bed. It may be laziness on his part. His covers are always such a mess. But I'll take it. I'm sure by the time he's 16, he won't asked to be tucked in.

The little boy things are getting fewer and fewer. Now he's constantly texting or chatting online. Sometimes he puts on a bit of cologne. I once overheard a conversation with a friend and the two of them would make a sailor blush with all of their cussing.

No matter how old and how big, he will always be my Little Brockie Boy.

2010 So far....

2010-01-20T15:59:00.001-08:00

2010 has been off to a busy and good start.

The biggest news around here has been that we found out the Brock needed glasses for reading/computer/note taking, etc. He is also "color deficient" which is basically color blind. We picked up his new glasses yesterday. I think they make him look older and very handsome.

We've been busy attending a lot of these:

(that's him in the white jersey, center court)

Brock is growing like a weed and needed some new jeans. He talked me into this shirt, which I am not crazy about. But, according to him, he needs a shirt to wear when he's ready to ask out a girl.

I tried to talk him into this sweater instead but he said it wasn't cool enough. I guess my taste has truly aged.

Speaking of aging, I celebrated my 37th birthday this weekend. Brian wins the thoughtful husband award. He made (from SCRATCH, not a box, and even bought Cake Flour) a German Chocolate Cake for me. It was three layers tall and had the most delicious frosting.

(no, the dogs didn't get into the cake, part of it fell when Brian was icing it....tasted yummy anyway!)

Kate-isms:

And in case you have thought that I've forgotten Kate, I haven't. She's currently (and yet again) going through the "I don't want my picture taken" phase. For Christmas, my brothers gave Kate a gift certificate for two pedicures. She (nicely?) decided to take me with her as my birthday treat. I question "nicely" because after asking me to go and scheduling the pedicures, she came to the realization that perhaps it wasn't quite "fair" to use part of her Christmas gift on me. She tried to barter with me saying that she'd take me, if I'd buy her a pair of earrings.

That didn't fly. I told I would cancel my half the appointment and then she could have another pedicure in a few months. She finally came to grips that what she was asking for was wrong. She definitely has some lawyer/contract negotiation/banker skills.

The other day I needed to borrow $25 from her. If I couldn't, then we would have to go out of our way to stop by the bank. I pleaded with her. She finally agreed once I signed a note stating that if I was delinquent in my repayment, I would owe her 25 cents per day.

And last but not least.....K was invited to a slumber party and didn't want to go. She finally agreed but when it came time to purchase a gift for the birthday girl, K claimed: "My presence at the party is gift enough." What? How my dear, did you get on that high pedestal of yours? And how quickly can I knock you off?

All these funny and annoying stories don't capture her true heart. She can be very generous and caring and loving (as long as borrowing money isn't involved). I have boxes of sweet letters she writes me "just because".

And lastly, I spent the afternoon making ribbon belts for me and Kate. Just a regular old Martha over here.

Glass half full....

2010-01-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

I'm a glass half empty gal by nature. When I can switch to half full, that's called progress. I recently progressed in one area.....

Our house is nearby a busy street. It's one of the ways we could afford it....I have gotten used to the car noises and sometimes when it's raining, I can trick my self into thinking it's the sound of surf. But it can still bug me.

There are a lot of good things about our house though. It has lots of character. Big trees. Modern lines. Unique. Good close-in location.

And another one I recently discovered.

People think of us when they drive by our house/street. Frequently people say, "I drove by your house today, and I thought of you." I think of all the warm fuzzies that people send to us as they drive by. One friend says whenever she drives by, she gives us a little wave.

That gives me comfort.

Staking out my 3x3 space.

2010-01-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

I realize that I haven't written for awhile and will try and catch up later....for now here's what I've been working on:
Our house isn't big but it isn't small....and most of the time it's just right for us. One would think that somewhere in this house I could find a space to call my own. For seven years I have searched for my space and I claimed it this weekend. We moved Lucy's dog crate from the mudroom and put up a make-shift desk for me under the metal stairs. I LOVE IT. It may be cozy, but I have a big window to gaze out at and being under the stairs makes it seem airy. An added bonus is that because the stairs are metal, I have a built in magnetic board.

For my birthday I'm ordering a small desk to replace the rickety card table. It's amazing how this nine feet square space is making me so happy.

Christmas Fire Truck

2009-12-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

My Christmas mood was just lighted.

The Christmas Fire Truck arrived tonight. Every year our local Fire Department spends six or seven nights driving all around our community spreading Christmas cheer. Last year the weather was too bad and they couldn't make it. The year before, we missed it some how. I was in dire need to see it this year! It's always a nice surprise. They drive down the streets blaring Christmas tunes and then we run to the street and are greeted with a decorated truck and candy canes.

The blessings and joys of living in a small town.

Damn tree.

2009-12-17T22:01:00.001-08:00

I knew it was too good to be true. I was happily going along with my Christmas Cheer, enjoying the nature inside, watering the tree twice daily, admiring it's beauty and fragrance.....

Tonight I went to water it, and noticed some of the wrapping paper on the presents was damp. A quick check of the tree skirt validated my fears. The tree was leaking. We slid the massive thing over a few feet and found a wonderfully warped wooden floor. Yes. The wood floors that we refinished one year ago.

Oh well. The warped floor will go nicely with the dog urine stain and the floor boards next to the sink that expanded after an over night leaking problem. Isn't there a saying about how wrinkles show you've lived life? Well...warped floor boards prove you live in a home, not just a house.

The taste of Christmas.

2009-12-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

To me, the taste of Christmas is Peppermint Bark melting in my mouth. After ten batches and five hours of work, I hope the teachers, bus drivers, neighbors and friends enjoy the candy as well.

NYC? Nah. Our living room.

2009-12-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

I feel like we have a mini Rockefeller Christmas tree. I'd invite you over to see it, but no one can fit in the house.

Eat your heart out Clark Griswold.

2009-12-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

Behold our family's Christmas tree. We got a little crazy at the U-cut Tree farm.

"Dad, isn't it a little big for our yard?"
"It isn't going in our yard Russ. It's going in our living room."

BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE EVER....Christmas Vacation.

A little goes a long way.

2009-12-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

1. Cayenne pepper
2. Perfume
3. Dog poop

I just came in from cleaning up dog poop and continued to smell the nastiness inside....sure enough a dime-sized piece was stuck to my shoe. Barely visible, yet potent as ever.

Neigh!

2009-12-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

When the kids were little....around 4 and 2, we piled in the car to go look at Christmas lights. For some reason, each kid brought a stuffed horse. Every time the kids saw a pretty light display, they would Neigh! Neigh! extremely loudly and make their horses act crazy. For the past seven years, we've continued the neighing tradition. Brian and I do it far more often than the kids....our neighing is usually met with a "Ma-ohm" or a kick to our seat. It has to be a really amazing light display for the kids to neigh.

Last night I was driving a friend home and passed a brightly lit house. Yep. I started to Neigh and quickly caught myself and turned it into a throat clear.

It's a Holly Jolly Season...

2009-11-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

This evening Kate and I went to our small downtown which just happened to be during the time of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. (No wonder I couldn't find a parking spot.) Downtown was very festive with lights, decorations, carolers, a horse drawn carriage and Santa arriving via the fire truck. Shops were open late giving out treats and our favorite bakery was handing out yummy chocolate peppermint cake. Kate quickly gobbled hers down, while I savored mine. She asked for a bite and proceeded to take a huge bite, leaving me with just icing and crumbs. I retaliated by shoving the rest of the cake in her face. She was a super sport about it and we had a good laugh. What a fun time with my girl.....she was a pure joy tonight.

Thanksgiving Dreams....

2009-11-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

Here's what I remember from my dreams last night:
1. Peeling potatoes.
2. Mopping the floor.
3. Screaming at the kids and the dogs for tracking in mud.

Fun dreams, eh? I'm willing to bet that my dreams become a reality.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your day be filled with good food and good fun, shared with the ones you love.

Puberty.

2009-11-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Telephone conversation between Brock and one of his friends who had a sleepover and stayed up too late:

Brock: Dude! You've got to take care of yourself. You're going through puberty.

I suppose it's a good thing that Brock isn't embarrassed about puberty. He throws the word around all the time. Like to the waitress, "I'll have the cheeseburger and fries. I'm really hungry. I'm going through puberty."

Have you heard the Good News?

2009-11-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

When I was a recently married 22 year old, my groom and I moved hundreds of miles away to a small town in Virginia. We were fresh out of college and didn't know anyone. I had a hard time adjusting to life out of college....I didn't have a friend in the town and I was frantically searching for a job. Both things didn't do wonders for my happiness.

One Sunday, Brian and I decided to visit the local Presbyterian Church. It felt good to be around other people and during the part of the service where you "Greet your neighbor", we met a very friendly couple. I briefly talked about how we recently moved to the area and how I was searching for a job. Later that week, we received a phone call from the couple. (I can't remember their names....let's call them Deirdra and Darren.) Deirdra asked if they could come visit us. She mentioned that she had a job prospect for me.

I hung up the phone and was on cloud nine. Visitors! Job?! I scrubbed our apartment from top to bottom. I got out our recently received china. I filled the sugar and cream bowls. I baked brownies. Mountain Dew and Diet Coke were the extent of my caffeine experience so I sent Brian to the grocery store for coffee. We broke out our new coffee pot. I followed the instructions to a T. Everything had to be perfect.

I lit candles. I turned on classical music. I waited for our visitors to arrive.

They arrived. I poured coffee and sliced brownies and made pleasant small talk.

Then Deirdra asked me if I'd heard of Amway? I hadn't. "Oh it's this wonderful company that sells amazing products. You would be a wonderful addition to our sales team." She opened her bag and brought out detergent and cleaning samples.

Even my naive 22 year old self could see through this load of crap. My hopes crashed. I spent how much time and energy preparing for their visit? And now they are asking me to be part of their pyramid scheme?

We curtly ended our visit and ushered them to the door. I was fuming. What right did they have? They must have gotten our contact information off of the "Friendship Registry" at the church. The nerve.

I often think about this story and every time my heart sinks at the blatant deception. But was it deception? Deirdra was very excited to share the "Good News" of Amway to me...she just picked the wrong person to share it with.

Happy 6th (or 42nd) Birthday~

2009-11-18T17:49:00.001-08:00

(one week old)

(three months old)

(six years old....getting ready to eat her Birthday Pupcake)

Dear, dear Lucy.....you turn six today. When we brought you home, you were mainly white with one solid black ear. Over your first year, you developed many black spots and grew into a beautiful dog. When I'm out walking you, I'm often stopped and asked what type of dog you are and people always comment on your beauty.

You have a sweet disposition and have become a great big sister to Tupelo. You are kind, gentle and patient. And even though you still don't sleep through the night and you have scratched the crap out of our front door and you get your kicks out of barking at absolutely nothing, I still love you and am glad that you are part of our family.

Happy Birthday little Miss Lulu.

Caulk and I don't mix.

2009-11-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

Get your head out of the gutter....I'm talking about CAULK as in "I re-caulked the bathtub today". Holy mess maker. It didn't matter how careful I was, I couldn't make the caulk look pristine like the professionals do.

Guess I can scratch Professional Caulk Installer off the list of possible future careers.

Story of my life...

2009-11-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

I always seem to have such good intentions but lack the follow-thru to complete the idea. Case in point: Last year at the Day-After-Thanksgiving Sale at Macy's I purchased a new shower curtain for the kid's bathroom. The shower curtain completely clashed with the bathroom's paint, but it needed a fresh coat so I purchased it anyway. Fast forward almost 350 days and I am just now getting around to painting the bathroom.

I'm painting it Misty Moor. Any idea on the color of that one? I'll post a picture once I'm finished. Hopefully, that will be before Thanksgiving 2010.

It brings me back...

2009-11-02T17:48:00.001-08:00

Nothing smells like childhood for me more than a plastic pumpkin full of candy....there is something about the mixture of Kit Kats and Smarties that makes me feel like I'm ten again.

My adult husband.

2009-11-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

Conversation from yesterday:

Brian: I'm not telling you this for you to be appreciative, I'm just telling you this because I think I'm actually growing up.

Keep in mind he's 36.

Me: What did you do?

Brian: I saw there was no toilet paper in the bathroom and I changed the roll. I even threw the cardboard tube away. I used to never do that....but I'm trying to be more responsible.

Me: Aww...come here and let me give you a hug.

Seriously, that's big news in our house. I can now cross that job off my list.

**********************************************
Safety Message:

When you are walking down the stairs, it isn't a good idea to check Football Scores on your phone. You loose perspective and can end up missing a few of the stairs and land funny on your foot. Poor guy. He really hurt himself. That didn't stop him from carrying down all of the deck furniture to the basement though. He's just that tough!

My internal clock.

2009-10-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

Why o' why sleep gods? Why do I find it so extremely difficult to get up Monday-Friday when my alarm goes off at 6:15 am. Then, when Saturday rolls around and I could sleep until 8 am....I'm wide awake and stewing at 6:00. It. Does. Not. Make. Sense.

The Sixties, Eighties...

2009-10-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's happened. I've become officially old.

This summer Kate and I had a fun time playing on the "Mad Men Yourself" website, where you could choose a variety of styles from the 60's.

Here's our conversation from yesterday:

Kate: Mom, can you show me how to go on that 80's website?
Me: What 80's website are you talking about?
Kate: You know....the one where you can choose hairstyles and clothing. Remember how we made a bunch of styles?
Me: 80's?? That's not the 80's, that's the 60's.
Kate: The 60's, 80's, whatever...it's just old.

UGH! The 60's and the 80's are not the same. I grew up in the 80's and wasn't alive in the 60's. The 80's were filled with Madonna, zipper Guess jeans, The Limited, big bangs, and Rob Lowe.

How could she possibly confuse the two?

Cue the locust....

2009-10-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last night I was sharing an episode of This American Life with Brian. I had listened to it earlier in the day and couldn't get the story out of my mind. It was about a church in Dallas that puts on a Haunted House every Halloween. Except instead of goblins and chainsaw killers, it's filled with "horror" rooms of teenage actors.... girls having abortions, gay teens dying of AIDS, a Columbine-like school shooting, etc. Truly sick in my opinion. And what is even sicker is the fact it's sponsored by the church and that THOUSANDS of people attend each year. You can learn more about it here: www.thisamericanlife.org Click on the link called "Devil on my shoulder". There was also a documentary made about the haunted house. You can find more info at hellhousemovie.com
After listening again to the episode I was thinking "What does God think of this? Is He as appalled as me?" Just then the brightest bolt of lightening lit up the sky followed by a clap of thunder that shook the house. Was God agreeing with me? Or disagreeing? And just when I thought it couldn't get any more Old Testament like, the roof was pelted by what sounded like locust, but turned out to be gum-ball sized hail.

We raced outside to watch the hail show. I half expected to see Charles Heston standing in our driveway, holding up rock tablets. That would have been very fitting. Or a burning bush.

Peace out.

2009-10-23T08:20:00.001-07:00

We went costume shopping yesterday. We headed into a temporary Halloween store that was filthy, dimly lit and pricey. Kate found a hippy costume for the low low price of $39.99. It consisted of a thin polyester dress and a head band. That's it. Probably cost less than one dollar to make. Not only was it hideous, but I could not bring myself to pay for it. In tears, I drug Kate into the new Goodwill shop that just opened and we found a much cuter dress that is nicely made from thick material and a low price of $7.97.

As we were driving home Kate said, "This Goodwill dress is much nicer and plus the money goes to people who need help. " Cue Hallelujah Chorus. Plus, I told her, it's very hippy to wear used clothing, not plastic, "made-in-China" clothing. She's a much more authentic hippy.

Have a Smiley Face Day!

Sweet Dreams.

2009-10-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

This morning Brock recalled a dream he had last night. He dreamt that the four of us were on top of the Space Needle and that something scary was about to happen. Just then my (deceased) mom showed up and made everything okay. Brock couldn't remember the details, but he said we were all happy to see her. From then on, we were to meet her everyday between 2-3 and she would visit us from heaven.

My first reaction was to be envious of Brock. In the 30 years since my mom has died, I can only recall one or two dreams. And I barely recall them. I just have feelings about them but remember nothing specific.

But how cool for Brock? Regardless of what or how you believe, he had a cool dream that left an impact on him and made him happy and put joy in his heart. He felt empowered, protected and loved.

'tis the season of flu....

2009-10-18T15:20:00.001-07:00

We were at a party last night and this cracked me up. Subtle, eh? Although I did use a squirt, I had to ask, is this a glimpse of our future?

Fresh and clean pearly whites.

2009-10-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the dentist. The older I have gotten, the more I dread going to the dentist. I am lucky that I haven't had any teeth or gum problems....but I still get nervous while reclining in the chair. You'd think that with all of the technological advances in the dental industry that they would find a replacement for the gnarly pick hook thing that scrapes your teeth. The sound and feeling of it cleaning my teeth makes me want to jump out of the chair and say "You can keep your free toothbrush, I'm outta here."

Plus, it doesn't help that I hadn't flossed much since the last dentist appointment. I can actually tell you how often I've flossed. Once. This morning right before the appointment. Do you think they can tell?

Out of my control.

2009-10-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

I am a planner and efficient person. I try to make the most out of my time and try to not waste. For example, if I'm walking up the stairs, I carry up the laundry, so to not waste a trip. I beat myself up if I am inefficient.

It has been raining a lot lately and the dogs hadn't been walked in two days. Late this morning, the clouds parted and the sun came out. I decided it was now or never for a walk and grabbed the leashes and we were on our way.

About half way through our walk, the sun went away and the mist began. The mist quickly turned into giant rain drops, the kind that bounce off the pavement. Streams were pouring down the hills. This wasn't what I had planned. My initial reaction was to be grumpy about more rain. I realized though it was OUT OF MY CONTROL. This was something I couldn't manipulate. I had to deal. My change of attitude made me feel a freedom that I hadn't felt in awhile. I was free to put my head up and catch rain drops on my tongue. I was free to take my time. The dogs and I were getting soaked and I didn't care. I was having fun and enjoying the refreshing shower that I hadn't planned.

By the time I made it home, my jeans had acted like a sponge and weighed 10 pounds from all of the water. The dogs were filthy. It was now time for me to start to control. I dried the dogs off and put them into their crates....if it was left to them, they would have dried off on the couch. I changed my clothes and put the wet ones in the dryer. I was back to the efficient Erin. The efficient Erin who had tasted a bit of impulsivity and liked it.

(a wet dog that wishes to dry off on the couch)

Isn't it ironic?

2009-10-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, I'm trying to turn over a new leaf regarding our finances. I heard about this book and instead of buying it, I checked it out from the library. Then it was due and I couldn't renew it because someone else had a hold on it. I ended up turning it in late, owing over due fees and then decided to buy it. So, it actually cost me more than if I would have bought it in the first place.

I obviously need some help.

Time to break out the Aretha.

2009-10-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Two postings ago, I lamented on the lack of respect of my children's generation. Tonight I let them both have a sleep-over (because, yes, once again, they don't have school tomorrow), and their combined lack of respect is turning me into a mean mom. You know the kind. The kind of mom that the kids apologize for, once she leaves the room. The "non-fun" mom. The mom where no one wants to hang out at your house kind of mom.

Each pair of kids separately asked me if they could walk to the near by store to buy snacks. Being that it was practically dark out, my response was, "Sorry, not tonight. Some other time during the day you all can. We have plenty of good snacks here." Each of my children negotiated with me and pleaded. Then their friends chimed in, saying that they have their own money, or they could bring a flashlight, etc. What? Maybe I spoke too fast. Let me slow down and speak up....I said NO!

And the thing is, it's not like any of these four kids are bad kids. In fact, they are really nice, fun kids who just happen to not have that respect gene. Growing up, if Dr. Zucker told me and Fran "No," I didn't sit her down and lay out a list of reasons why she should let us. We dealt with our disappointment and moved on...no hounding, no bartering.

Do you think it would help if I blared some "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"? Probably not. They would roll their eyes and tell (not ask) me to change the song.

Passion.

2009-10-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Every game. Every minute. He plays with such passion and heart that it's amazing to watch. Even when he is supposed to be resting on the bench, he can't help himself. Every cell of his body is fully engaged in the game.

Child Rearing in the 2000's

2009-10-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

I can't pinpoint the exact moment that child rearing changed from when I was growing up but somewhere along the line parents crossed over to being seen as "friends" and perhaps even "equals". Growing up, if I was bored, I would never have thought to have my parents play with me. Now, my kids look at Brian and me as entertainment. On one hand, my relationship with my kids is fantastic. We are really close and they share a lot with me....on the other hand, we are lacking the "afraid of you" aspect. I don't want my kids to be afraid of me, but I do want them to realize what I say goes. Period. NO ARGUING. NO DEBATING. NO NEGOTIATING.

Not only do my kids do all three bold verbs above, but their friends do it as well. The other day Brock called and wanted to spend the night at a friend's house. I told him that it wouldn't work out because we had plans, he could do it some other time, yadda yadda. He hung up and a few minutes later called back. Except this time it was his friend on the phone trying to convince me to let Brock stay over. What?? Sorry buddy. That is crossing the line.

Maybe to start laying down the law I should insist on being called "Mrs". Maybe that's the problem. Kids these days are too familiar with us.

Either that or I'll have to whip out the hairbrush.

Mind Boggling.

2009-09-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

Does this ever happen to you? You have something on your mind (good or bad) and it seems like everywhere you go, every time you turn on the radio/tv, flip open a magazine, etc., you are reminded of what is on your mind. Is it because you are hyper-aware of the subject, or is the universe trying to get your attention?

Years ago when I had a miscarriage, it seemed like everything I saw or heard was about babies and miscarriages. When I was waiting for the results of my mole removal (on my skin, not my yard), all I saw was references to being "Sun Smart". Right now, I have something on my mind and I can't seem to escape the subject. Again, is it my awareness or something else? So let's do an experiment, if I put a random subject out there, say "Airplane Safety", how often do you come across that topic?

Nesting.

2009-09-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

There must be something in my DNA.....something past down to me from my farmer ancestors. My days have been filled with nesting activities (no, I'm not pregnant). Yesterday I baked an apple pie and sewed. Today I plan on organizing and cleaning. I have a desire to get all my affairs in order before winter is upon us. It has to be my genetic make-up telling me to do these things....because if someone gave me a $500 Nordstrom gift card and said I must use it today, I would have to pass. The canned goods need organizing.

On a different note, just wanted to let you know dear readers that I still cannot stand to pack school lunches. I just finished day 15/180. To make things interesting I play a game called "Ask the Apple". You may remember a grade school game where you twist an apple stem and recite the alphabet. Whatever letter you land on when the stem falls off, is the first initial of the person you will marry. I've taken it to a new level and now ask the apple a question and twist the stem reciting "Yes, No" until the stem falls off. A magic eight ball sort of game. Usually the kids want to ask questions like "Will Brock be a professional soccer player?" or "Will Kate get a horse?" I am going to start to ask it questions that I will be able to quickly prove like: "Will Tupelo poop on our morning walk?" or "Will the mail come before noon?" Based on my research and how accurate the apple proves to be, I plan on extending it's fortune telling abilities to bigger life issues. Stay tuned. The apple may reveal the answers to life's secrets.

Operation Mango: Success

2009-09-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

As my husband and I were headed up to bed on Monday night, there were loud hamster wheel noises coming from Brock's room. Brian went in to take out Mango's wheel for the night. Apparently, he not only took out the wheel, he took out Mango as well. Unfortunately, this mistake was not discovered for approximately 18 hours.

Tuesday afternoon, Brock went up to is room and discovered Mango was missing. The search began. We looked under every bed, couch, dresser, etc. We couldn't find Mango but I did find five years of dust accumulation.

Brian came home and helped us search and around 7pm Mango was found scared, yet safe, in my closet. It's a wonder the cats hadn't found him first.

Talk about needing therapy. Can you imagine the reaction if we found a gutted Mango?

Invention Idea

2009-09-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Why oh why is dog poop the exact same color as wet leaves and pine cones? If I had a bucket of money to invest, I would invent a food additive that turns dog poop neon orange. Nothing like going out to pick up doggie-do, only to end ankle deep in the crap...

Speaking of the lovely time I had this morning, I was fortunate to also scrape up a freshly gutted rat carcass thanks to my cats.

Pets. They are gifts that keep on giving.

The last fruits of our labor.

2009-09-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

A generous local woman allowed her pasture to be turned into pea patches. Kate and I had wanted to try gardening for ages, but since we live in the deep shade, the only thing we can grow is moss. We jumped at the chance to grow in full sun. Some of our neighbors at the pea patch took amazing plots and grew literally everything under the sun. Kate and I stayed small and grew some lettuce, squash, carrots and flowers.

We went by the garden today for our final harvest. Our pickings were slim, but the Zinnias were abundant. Their colors put a smile on my face and I decided to make some bouquets for friends. I was happily trimming the flowers when my finger brushed against a hard lump under the biggest Zinnia. My heart dropped when I turned the flower over to see a spider with the body the size of a quarter. Using a surprisingly level-head, I figured it wasn't the spider's fault that s/he was picked along with the flower. I took the flower outside and with a stick flicked the spider into the woods. Hopefully that will bring good spider-karma to me and my family. (Plus, the thought of squishing it made me squirm.)

Enjoy your virtual bouquets!

A new leaf.

2009-09-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been extra-super grumpy lately. I have also felt extra-super unappreciated by my family. It has dawned on me that for the past 11 years, I have done 95% of all house-related chores. Now, don't get me wrong, I love being an "at-home" mom, but sometimes being an "at-home" mom can be as rewarding as a professional sand castle builder. They build beautiful masterpieces, only to have the tide wash them away. That is how I feel when I mop the floor and then the dogs track in mud, or when I do all the laundry, only to have the hampers full in two days, or when I stock the pantry, only to have no food by the end of the week. The endless cycle.

Yesterday, I went up to Brock's room to collect his dirty laundry. I don't know what made me check, but I pulled back his big over-stuffed chair from the corner. Viola! I found all of the dirty socks that had been missing, crumpled up papers, broken bits of toys, wrappers, etc. This had become his dumping ground. Apparently, when I asked him to clean up his room, this was the quick and easy way to clean it. My temper began to boil. I grabbed all of the dirty socks, started a load of wash and then did my all-time favorite chore of cleaning the bathroom. As you may recall from awhile back I wrote about the disgusting doings with the toilet brush (see earlier post on June 1st). The offender hadn't offended lately, so I nonchalantly grabbed the toilet brush. Imagine my disgust to have a wet clump of toilet paper fly off the brush and strike my foot. Gross! Obviously the offender had returned. Where before I was angry, now I was down-right livid.

I marched up to the shower (to of course scrub my feet) and began to compose a letter to my family in my head. I started out mean and accusing but then realized that probably wasn't the way to handle the situation. Once my temper lessened, I typed a letter to my family asking them for help and to support me while I venture out to try different interests besides toilet cleaning. With that, I left the letter on the counter and attended a Writer's Workshop.

At the workshop I felt energized and engaged. In the back of my mind though I kept thinking about how my family was handling the letter I had left.

When I returned home, this is what I found:

(click on the pictures to see a bigger image)

Yes, I realize Brock needs a refresher course on capitalization and punctuation, but their messages were sweet and from the heart. They made my heart soar.

And so it begins.

2009-09-02T16:33:00.001-07:00

Another school year is upon us. Hard to believe that the summer is over. I feel like it just started.....

Kate is thrilled about her teacher and her classmates. She's in a good place and is very happy. However, I need to get over my distaste of her boot choice. When did I become that adult who doesn't understand current fashions and trends? Guess I'll pull up my elastic-waist jeans and fasten my velcro black tennis shoes and embrace my oldness.

Brock had such a train wreck of a year last year. The summer was sweet and joyous and it's hard to think about another school year. Just like if you had been in a true train wreck, you'd be nervous to board another train....he was nervous about another school year. KNOCK ON WOOD!!! Things seemed to go well today. We'll just take it one day at a time and hope for the best. (Could I sound anymore cliched?)

A hiatus.

2009-08-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

We're back....we've spent the past twelve days in St. Louis visiting Brian's side of the family. We had a great time and I'll post some more pictures when I'm not entirely brain-dead.

I say that because I am on St. Louis time and even though I didn't get to bed until after 1:30 am, I was wide awake and planning my shopping list in my head by 5:30 am. I got up and went to the store. I was that annoying person in front of you at the check out stand, doing a week's worth of shopping when you only needed a gallon of milk and a dozen do-nuts.

HOT.

2009-07-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Man it is hot outside.....and it's causing me to loose my patience. Yesterday I wanted to go on an outing with the kids. I had been out of town and had really missed them. I had it in my mind that we should go on an adventure to a beach where we hadn't been....have some quality mom-sibling time.

I think we fought/made up/fought again/discussed our feelings/fought/did the silent treatment/made up the entire hour drive it took to get to the beach.

Once we arrived though, we immediately forgot our problems and relished in the cool water and nice breezes. There were a bunch of little jellyfish (at least that's what I think they were) in the water. They were beautiful and so graceful to watch swim. The kids had fun catching them and I was even brave enough to hold one.

The day was capped off with a swirl-soft serve ice cream at the little shack by the beach. A perfect ending to our beach trip. Luckily, the drive home was uneventful and we rocked out to the radio and sang all the way home.

Today was even hotter than yesterday. This hot weather makes me feel all out of sorts and restless. I'm ready for us to get back to highs in the 80's, not the 100's.

A Happy Day.

2009-07-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

A day with no iPods, video games, TV, fighting or begging me for a play-date. A day with just your sibling, enjoying each other's company and catching frogs. Being kids. Running with a spring in your step when you see a frog hop in the brush. Admiring the frog's beauty. Sharing an experience. This is the type of summer day that I hope my kids will remember.

I don't remember how old I was when I began to see my brothers as not annoying pests, but as wonderful friends. I think I was pretty old before I figured that one out. My wish for my children is that they begin to treasure each other NOW. Stop the bickering and competitiveness. Realize how much you care for each other....because if you wait too long, you may be miles apart before you figure it out.

A taste of summer.

2009-06-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ahh.....fresh strawberries, picked only this morning. Juicy, red and sweet. Best straight out of the box, while still warm from the sun. They are only available for about two weeks a year. We bought them at the farmstand and came home and made a pie. I saw a recipe in the newspaper that I wanted to try. It was easy an delicious! Here's the recipe:

Strawberry Icebox Pie

10 graham crackers (2 1/2-by-5 inches)

1 cup sugar, divided

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice

2 quarts strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (a few whole berries reserved for garnish)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend graham crackers with 2 tablespoons sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cranberry juice, 2 cups strawberries, cornstarch and salt. Using a potato masher, gently mash strawberries. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in remaining strawberries. Pour into cooled pie crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours (or up to 1 day).

3. In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over cream and continue to beat until soft peaks return (do not overbeat). Spread whipped cream over pie, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around edge. Garnish with whole berries.

School's Out for Summer

2009-06-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

All day long I've had that song running through my head. I don't particularly like the song, nor do I know any other words than the title.....but it's summer!

Kate and I have lovely tradition of blowing each other kisses once she boards the bus. I don't know how much longer she will partake in it, but it warms my heart every day. Right now she's not embarrassed or ashamed of me and she will blow and catch kisses all the way until I'm out of sight.

I promised Brock and his friends that I would treat them to ice cream. As I was backing the car out of the driveway, we heard the most terrible, gut wrenching sound. I had backed over Tupelo, our six month old puppy. I don't think I actually ran over him, at least I didn't feel anything.....and he's acting okay. His screech is still ringing in my ears. He's walking fine....but he's definitely more mellow than earlier. Maybe I scared the crap out of him, like he did me! I plan on spoiling him tonight with lots of good tummy rubs and as a special treat, he can cuddle on the couch.

An open letter to the person(s) using my toilet

2009-06-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Toilet User,

I don't know who you are because I have asked each member of my family and they claim: "It's not me!" My guess is that you wait until we are all asleep and then come inside and use our guest bathroom. That's clearly the only explanation to my dilemma.

So who ever you are, please make note that the toilet brush is NOT a plunger. I repeat, IT IS NOT A PLUNGER. I can't tell you how disgusting it is to go and clean the bathroom, only to find left over waste on the toilet brush. I shouldn't need to clean the brush before I clean the toilet. Gag!

If this problem doesn't soon get remedied, I will have no choice but to issue bathroom passes with inspections following each use.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Erin

Summer time, and the livings easy

2009-06-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

An undisclosed amount of cash later, and the 1976 Jeep is back on the road....here's a shot from a ride. The weather has been picture perfect for days, which is rare for here in early summer.

The kids still have a bit of school left. I'm ready to put this school year to bed and enjoy the summer with the kids. Kate has a paper chain ring counting down the days left of school. I have a paper chain ring counting down how many more school lunches I have to pack. Have I mentioned that my kids NEVER EVER want to purchase lunch? They prefer for their mom to wake at the crack of dawn to prepare their wholesome meal....and of course they each want different things for their lunch which makes preparing them that much more difficult.

He did it!

2009-05-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! He made the "A" team. I was on pins and needles and obsessively checked the website every fifteen minutes for updates. Once I saw that his number was posted, I started to shake. WHAT? Shake? I think I was one hundred times more nervous about this than Brock was. I had no idea that as a parent I would take on the kid's nerves. And this is just the tip of the iceberg....what happens when we are waiting for SAT scores, college acceptance letters, marriage proposals and birth announcements? I think I will need to be heavily medicated.

Thanks for all the well wishes!

Eyes on Goal.

2009-05-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

My son spent the weekend trying out for select soccer. I know, I know, why put an 11 year old through such stress? Well, because soccer has become his life. It's all he wants to do. If we would let him, he would like to join a professional soccer team tomorrow. He practically has a soccer ball with him at all times, he would like to use one as a pillow.

The "soccer bug" has definitely caught him. He played on the "B" team last year and has been training for months in hopes of making the "A" team. His try outs went well....however every time he would make a good play, I would look over at the evaluators, and their backs would be to my son. I don't know how accurate of a look they got of him.

Tonight, my daughter said, "Mom, I really hope he makes the Blue Team. He is such a good player that if there was a team even higher than the Blue Team, like a Green Team, he would make that one." What a loving sister.

Here's a video that Brian put together of the soccer stud's moves.

For once, I would like the cards to fall in his favor.

Everything old is new again.

2009-05-15T14:11:00.001-07:00

We are down to one working hand set for our home telephone.....and now it's on its last leg. This morning Brian and I were discussing purchasing new phones. My son over heard the conversation and chimed in:

"You know what would be really cool?" he said as he crossed the kitchen floor to the wall, "If we got one of those phones that hangs on the wall and has a really long cord."

Yes. Please bring me back to my childhood when I would be tethered to the wall. I so miss wrapping the cord around my fingers, over-stretching the cord and having it knot.

That kind of phone would dramatically cut down on my phone calls.

As long as we are going retro, we could go back to TVs that you have to PHYSICALLY get up and turn the dial.....and if you missed the station you were looking for, you would have to patiently turn the knob again.

Oh the good ol' days. Maybe my son is onto something. Maybe we need old technology to make a come back in order to make us slow down.

Home sweet home.

2009-05-05T07:42:00.001-07:00

My daughter spent a good deal of Sunday morning sad, crying and upset at the thought of one day leaving us and going out on her own. She cried and cried. It was actually sweet at how much she loves all of us and doesn't want things to ever change. She even cried at the thought of her brother going away to college.

I'm posting this for two reasons. One, it was a tender, sweet moment. One I will always remember. Two, I want to be able to give her proof in about 5 years (in the thick of teenage times) that at one point, she loved us and wanted to be with us.

That's my boy.

2009-05-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

My son is playing in the "majors" of Little League. It is much more intense then in past years. They are out to win and learn the in's and out's of the game.

Last night my son was on second base and his teammate hit the ball hard and his third base coach waved him to run to third base and then to home. Well, my son was rounding third base and the opposing team's third baseman was in the way, so my son didn't touch the base. Half way between third base and home plate, he realized what he had done and turned back to touch third. He got stuck on third and wasn't able to make it safely home.

His coach asked him what happened and why did he do that and my son's reply was, "I didn't touch the base and I didn't want to cheat."

I swelled with pride. A win doesn't feel good if you cheated getting there.

Really?

2009-04-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

I stopped in my tracks yesterday at the grocery store when I noticed this in the cereal aisle. Are you kidding me? Finally someone has invented a product to make my life easier. Slicing bananas can be so tricky and dangerous....I often have to use a butter knife.

The man with a really long fingernail.

2009-04-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Last night before bed, all four of us were hanging out in my son's bedroom. I picked up a piece of plastic that had fallen off a trophy. It fit perfectly on my middle finger and it looked like a super long finger nail claw. No one else had seen it so I said,

"Have you ever heard the legend about the man with a really long fingernail?" Both kids eyes got wide and they scooted closer to me.

"Well," I continued, "the story goes that there is a man with no hand, but just a long fingernail that comes out of his arm. He travels around looking for kids with really soft skin. He doesn't hurt them, he just likes to scratch their skin." (I was trying to be as tame as possible. I thought, HEY! No blood, no guts, no death, perfectly harmless.)

"I heard that on Saturday, he was down south and traveling up this way. I think he's probably around our neighborhood tonight. Close your eyes and let's see if he's near." (Both kids obey me and close their eyes....just about the only time they have followed my directions in the past week.)

I reached over and scratched their face with the plastic toy. My daughter began to laugh but then it turned into sobs.

I had to sleep with her last night.

I was trying to be funny and I ended up scaring them. My husband claims that the way I told the story made it really scary because it was so odd.

Watch out "Clown Killer". There is a new legend in town...."The Man with the really Long Fingernail".

An amazing tribute.

2009-04-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the memorial service for the son of one of my closest friends. It was a wonderful tribute to him. The service was held in the school gym. They had set up 550 chairs and when the service began, there was standing room only!

I was asked by my friend to read something that she and her husband wrote about their child. It was a touching, moving and funny piece. They captured him really well.

At the closing of the service, they opened up the mike to people who would like to share a story or memory. Imagine my surprise when my son stood in line to say something. He shared two sweet stories and delivered his impromtu speech really well. I had a hard enough time standing up in front of the crowd....I was very proud that my son handled himself so well.

Instead of signing a guest book, they had a bunch of Sharpies, and the attendees signed the Scooby-Doo van. (The little boy who died loved Scooby-Doo and his artistic mom painted their old van to resemble the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo).

All in all, an emotional day, but an amazing outpouring of love.

2009

2009-04-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

2009 was going to be fine.

So far, 2009 has been a big wad of slime.

Together they make a masterpiece.

2009-04-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a bit behind.....life has been life and for some reason it's chosen to be in super-over-drive with turbo-injections.

This is the class art work I "won" at our school's auction. I just love it. I had the good fortune of helping out in the classroom when they worked on the project. Each child was give a square of "Starry Night" and then asked to reproduce it on a different piece of paper. I walked around the classroom that day wondering how in the world it would ever turn out.....but it is just breath-taking beautiful. It reminds me that when we stand alone we can be ordinary, but together we can be a work of art.

Putting me in my place.

2009-03-16T10:01:00.001-07:00

Last night my 11 year old got in trouble. Let's just say it involved a can of "Insta-Poo" and the driveway. Anyway, after he had been read the riot act, I told him to go spend some time in his room. On his way up to his room, I said, "Come here and put out your arms." I then filled them with freshly clean clothes for him to put away.

My daughter had watched the whole interaction and said, "Mom, if I was him, I would have expected a hug when you asked him to put out his arms." That broke my heart on so many levels. First of all, she was exactly right. I should have hugged him and it did sound like I was going to hug him. Second of all, I was so proud of her for sticking up for her brother. She put me in my place and I am so glad she did. A round of hugs all around!

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, into the future...

2009-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know what my deal is. I used to be so on top of things. Lately I have been so passive and I've let things slip away. Take my kids' birthdays for instance.....they have yet to write thank you notes and my son's was six weeks ago. I'm sure my parents check the mail daily for his thank you....but when the kid can hardly complete his homework on time, how are you supposed to have him write a letter?

I cleaned out a kitchen drawer today. The dreaded tupperware drawer. I bet it's been over a year since I tackled that one. Before I started, I could hardly close it. It was overflowing with lids. Guess what? Out of all the tops and bottoms, I only found six matching pairs. The rest went into the recycling. It probably took me 10 minutes, at the most, to clean it out. I haven't been able to find 10 minutes in the past year?

I never got around to putting away my summer shoes this winter. I've just piled my winter ones on top of them. Guess it doesn't make sense for me to switch them now in March.....

Stuff like this drives me crazy, yet it's so overwhelming that I don't know where to begin.

Don't even get me started in our basement crawl space or garage. Both spaces are very useable when they aren't filled to the sides. I actually called the dump today to see how much it costs to rent a dumpster for a week. I think that is where all of this crap is headed. (That is if it can't be recycled or donated.) UGGGHHHH!