Current events

N's class was discussing the primary elections.  When the teacher asked if anyone knew the names of any of the people running for President, N was happy that she could raise her hand.

She was proud as she told me, "I knew both of the Democrats, Mommy."  (That's my girl!)

"Who are they?"

"Obama and Clinton," she replied, smiling.

"That's right.  Do you know who the Republicans are?"

"I don't know them."

(He he.  Not what the hubbie would want to hear!)

"But Mommy?  Don't you think Hillary is a funny name for a boy?"

(Hmmm...guess she hasn't been watching the news coverage.)

"Ummm, Honey, Hillary Clinton is a woman."

"WHAT!?!?  There is a woman running for President?"

"Yes! "

"Well, I hope she doesn't win."

"Why not?"

"Because I want to be the first woman president!"

Mea culpa

I have been saying that I will finish "the book" for my daughter's entire life.  While she asks about it once in a while, she is not surprised any longer that it is not done.  I've justified it lately, saying that it was more important for me to focus on keeping track of everyone else's tasks, activities, etc.   I had not thought of the larger example I was setting.

Progress reports came home from school last week and while hers was not horrible, it was not indicative of the intelligent daughter we know we have.  On the way to school this morning, I suggested that she set a goal for each class and if she reached her goal by the time report cards come out, we could work out a reward.

She quickly announced that her goal was to get "straight A's!"  I told her I thought that was an excellent goal!  Then she thought about it for a minute.

"No, my goal is to get all As and Bs."

"I'm sure you can do that," I said, "but why not aim for all As?  If you do fall short, you ought to end up with As and Bs."

"Because if I don't meet my goal, I won't get my prize."

We've been frustrated lately by this general attitude.  We have been reminding her all week to finish reading her book as she has a book report due at the end of the month.  Last night, she announced that she will begin working on her report after school today.  She has not finished the book, however!

 Maybe if I make a more obvious attempt to finish my projects, it will at least give her a better example.  (Though growing up watching her father work hard for multiple degrees hasn't made much of an impression on her, apparently!)

She is a smart kid.  She knows she is a smart kid.  She spends her creative energies trying to find loopholes or ways out of work however, rather than just sitting her butt down to do it.  I can't imagine where she gets it!  (Says the woman who got excited about a new writing software program and spent a half an hour playing with it, when she could have just been writing!)

That's what it's all about!

I put the blanket on,

you kick the blanket off!

I take the blanket out

and you kick your legs about!

You do the hokey-pokey

and you turn yourself around,

and Mom finds you upside down!

I have to leave the blanket out of the crib now that he turns himself 180 degrees during the night!  I find his feet where his head used to be!

Quite bright at the end of the tunnel!

The baby has slept for a few hours at night here and there...I had glimpses of the light at the end of the tunnel. 

It's been cold, so I've been making sure he is nice and cozy in bed.  I bought "blanket sleepers" so I could zip him up in those and not worry about a blanket.  But I'm always cold, and try to keep the baby warmer than myself, so I've also been putting the crib blanket on him.  (Tucking him in, then tucking the blanket on each side of the mattress tightly, so he can't pull it up over his head.)

It looks like this kid is hot-blooded like his dad and sister, though.  Last night he managed to get that blanket loose and kicked it completely off.  And slept.  All night.

Bye-bye, blanket!

From the mouths of babes

C is watching me apply make-up.

"What's this?"

"Blush.  It puts a little color on my face--makes me look like I'm 'blushing'."

"You have another one?"

"That's eyeshadow."

"What's that for?"

"A little color above your eyes."

He watches me apply eyeliner.  "And that is to make you look more tired?"

Not quite gospel truth

As you can likely guess from the title, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, is not the most scholarly account of the life of Jesus that you will ever read but it might be the most fun!

The angel, Raziel, has resurrected Levi, who is called Biff, to write his version of the Messiah's life.  The angel keeps Biff in a hotel room until he is finished and the duo have a few entertaining discussions along the way, including how much God sounds like James Earl Jones.  

In this novel, Jesus travels to the East and spends time with each of the three wise men who visited him at his birth.  He tries coffee and declares it is OK to eat bacon.  He learns yoga and a form of kung-fu, known here as "Jew-do."  Reading this book, you will finally see how bunnies became associated with Easter!

Moore has intertwined a few thought-provoking ideas with witty humor to make  this an entertaining read.  One of my favorite lessons/hints comes from a scene when Jesus and Biff are studying meditation.  The young Messiah makes the comment that prayer is important but prayer is talking to God, whereas meditation is listening.

Check it out.  It won't change your religion but it will make you smile.

 

In his defense

Recently, I posted a few remarks from my son.  Lest you think that he spends his entire life making my blood pressure rise, I thought I'd share this one that just made my heart swell!  (It is a couple of weeks old but I keep this one posted on the refrigerator!)

In case you can't make out the first-grade handwriting in my small photo,  it says: you are the gratest mom in the hall wrld.

In case you can't read the first-grade spelling/handwriting, that translates to: you are the greatest mom in the whole world! 

I am more often in contention for the WMITW (Worst Mom In The World) Award, so I make sure to save things like this!

Teachable moment

(If you look very closely, you may be able to see the slight smudge on Joshua's forehead.  If not, just enjoy the photo of our happy baby!)

I attended Mass today and received ashes on my forehead.  Every year on Ash Wednesday, we hear the gospel reading telling us not to advertise when we fast, pray, etc. but rather to keep those activities private.  So it has seemed hypocritical to me to hear this lesson on the day that we are advertising to the world that we have been to church this Wednesday, as we walk around with black crosses or smudges on our foreheads.

Today I decided to look up some answers and after a little research online, learned that the crosses on our heads are not meant to advertise that we went to Mass because we are any holier than anyone else but rather as an evangelizing tool.  Some of the answers that I found suggest that at the very least, someone who sees the cross on my head today will realize that I went to Mass and might think, for a moment, about going to church.  Whether it brings a smile to some or makes others cringe, for a split second, some stranger will associate the mark on my face with church or with God.

Others will just wonder how I left the house without noticing that I have something on my face.  I learned this well during the last few years in Kansas.  I attended Ash Wednesday Mass and then went to the grocery store.  Each time, at least two well-meaning people tried to discreetly tell me that I had something on my face.  I should have used this as a "teachable moment" and explained that it was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, a good time to think about God.  Instead, I usually just nodded.

Today, I went to Target with the kids after school.  Most people we passed just smiled.  I don't know if they were embarrassed for me or if they recognized the black cross on my head.  (Perhaps walking through the store with two kids in Catholic school uniforms, also wearing ashes on their heads, gave them a hint).  I had even almost forgotten that I looked odd today until after checking out when the woman walking by us elbowed her mother in the ribs, then pointed at my head, at which point both women stopped and stared.  Rather than pretending to not see them while I shooed my children out the door, I should have used this as a moment to teach them.   

Good one

My son and I have a standing argument every Saturday morning.  (I tell him to put his shorts on for basketball practice and to put sweats over them so he won't freeze outside.  Every week, he wants to wear jeans.)

As we went through it again this week, I made the comment that "this argument is getting really old."

His reply:  "So are you!"

The English major and the minor

My son would not stop rolling the baby's new ball (a plastic toy with bells inside) over the furniture.  My repeated requests for him to stop went unheeded.

Finally, through clenched teeth, I roared: If you roll that ball ONE more time...

But then I stopped.  What consequence was I going to come up with this time?  It had to be something new at this point to get his attention.  I mulled it over just a little too long.

He stopped rolling the ball long enough to roll his eyes and reply,  "If you roll that ball one more time" is NOT a complete sentence.

Thank you

Thank you for your prayers for my father-in-law.

He has been extubated finally and so he's able to talk now, too.

(He says he wants to go home!)

He is still in the ICU but is improving.  So keep those prayers coming--they're working!

The other reason I don't bake

While I am able to cook dinners that my family enjoys, I don't bake.

I bring fruit or "no-bake" recipes to bake sales.

My standing reason has been that my desserts/muffins/etc. never turn out right.  They don't look right, and they are either still moist in the middle or resemble a brick.

In accordance with my recent endeavors to sneak veggies into other foods however, I've ventured into baking.  The banana bread (with cauliflower!!) was a success!  (Stay tuned for another post on that one).  So, today I am baking brownies (with spinach--sshhh)!

However, I have cleaned my kitchen floor (in spots) three times.  My other problem, you see, is that I spill.  When I spill sauce while making lasagna, it's easy to spot and easy to clean.

When I spill brown sugar on a brown, hardwood floor however, it's not so easy to spot.  So I clean.  Then I hear the crunch under my feet. I get many wet paper towels and clean again.  Then I spill flour.  (Easier to see but this settles into the spaces between my hardwood floorboards.)  I vacuum.  I use more wet paper towels.  I vacuum.  There!

I put the vacuum away and come back into the kitchen.  

Crunch.

Update

My father-in-law was in surgery all of yesterday and went back in this morning but is now stable and resting.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Behind the times

I found this link on Joshilyn Jackson's blog.  Her book, Gods in Alabama, is listed as one of 100 books by "living writers" that will "spark discussion."

I loved her book and planned to vote for it but thought I'd go ahead and check out the other 99 books listed.  I was dismayed to find that I'd only read ONE other book on the list!

I hope to check out at least a few of the books on the list.  In the meantime, I guess I'll have to start my own discussions about books that I have actually read.

Your prayers, please

If you pray before you go to bed tonight, please add my husband and father-in-law to your prayers.

My father-in-law was diagnosed with gastric cancer this summer.  He handled the chemotherapy and radiation quite well and is an excellent candidate for surgery to remove the rest of the tumor.

The surgery is scheduled for first thing tomorrow morning.  He has done so well with everything else that we are hopeful that this will be very successful.  I'm just thinking a few extra prayers can't hurt!

Thank you!

Unreasonable

My daughter is not grounded.  She is not being punished (despite what she may think).

She has been invited to a birthday party tomorrow evening.  It is being held at a facility that she has been dying to visit and, according to her, all of the other fourth grade girls are going.

So what is our problem? The party is tomorrow evening.

We have not yet ventured into evening soccer/baseball/football practices so maybe we, as parents, are just not yet in the swing of things.

Having said that, our daughter is not yet in the swing of getting up easily for school each morning.  (Not to mention the fact that she was home from school last Thursday and Friday with a fever and sore throat; she's still got a cough that won't completely go away.)

So we are not allowing her to go to a birthday party on a school night.  The party is being held across town, from 7-8:30pm.

Are we being unreasonable?  What do you think? 

 (You won't change our answer but I'm curious.  Are we the only square parents out there that have raised an eyebrow over a child's birthday party on a Wednesday night?)

Baby steps

Thank you, Writers Digest, for including an article entitled Baby Steps.

I can't write a novel in a month.

I can sit and write for 15 minutes each day.

In that fifteen minutes, I'm sure I can complete one page.

That's 7 pages a week, 31 pages a month, 365 pages a year.

365 pages might equal a book!

Try again Tuesday

I was going to post a glowing report of how well my Monday went.  I felt like such a successful homemaker as I roasted both butternut squash and sweet potatoes in the oven, had a load of laundry washing, put dishes away and entertained the baby all at the same time!  I felt even better as I pureed the vegetables later (this took a little longer as the baby was not quite as entertained with the loud whirring of the food processor overpowering the dainty sounds of electronic Baby Einstein music coming from his toy).  I got it all done before picking the kids up from school, happy in the knowledge that tonight I was going to hide butternut squash in their mac-n-cheese for dinner.

(I have decided, you see, to hide veggies in meals for all of the family members.  The kids don't eat enough vegetables and while I can't prove that any of the hubbies' more frequent colds or recent aches and pains are caused by a lack of veggies, eating more can't hurt!)

Alas, my efforts proved only moderately successful.  My daughter, who usually asks for at least two helpings of mac-n-cheese, decided last night that she "just didn't like it, for some reason."  (I did not tell her about the extra ingredient and I thought it was hidden pretty well but she knew something was different.)  At least she is the one who will eat veggies willingly and did polish off her green beans.  My son did not finish his portion of mac-n-cheese but I was moderately pleased as he noticed no difference and did eat some of it!  The hubbie just wanted pasta so he and I had spaghetti but I did not have a chance to sneak anything extra into his dinner.  (At least he does put tomatoes and black olives on his pasta.)

Dinner was a bit rushed as the kids had gymnastics until 6pm last night.  Tuesday is the day I let them stay at the after-care program at school.  (I feel they are lucky that they don't need the childcare but they feel deprived as so many of their friends go.  So we compromise and they get to go on Tuesdays--which gives me a few extra hours with just the baby!)  So I have plenty of time to have a full, vegetable-laced dinner waiting for the family when they get home this evening!  

(Feel free to wish me luck.  It's only 10:20am--a lot can happen between now and dinnertime.)

To the drug manufacturers

Dear Drug Companies, 

Recently, some children's medications were recalled due to the potential for overdose.

While I appreciate the action, perhaps you could save some money--and children--if we just found a way to print the information large enough for bleary-eyed parents to read!

As a maternally-aged mother, trying to read the Tylenol bottle at 0-dark-thirty proved nearly impossible.  (I am only 37 and my eyesight is normally fine but after rising with an infant as well as a sick child, my eyes don't focus quite as well in the wee hours as I'd like).

Luckily I could read the dosage amount (though I already knew that as my daughter had already had one dose earlier).  With the combination of my poor memory and lack of sleep however, I wanted to check to ensure that she could get another dose at 4 hours rather than 6.  While I suspect part of the problem is that I may be contracting her cold as well, it was still excruciating trying to read the tiny print on the side of the bottle.

I know you must include all of the side effects and possible drug interactions but I would not have been able to read those, either.  Can't we include that on the insert but print the dosage information in larger print?

Sincerely,

Sleepy in Indy

Not the Same Street!

I saw this back in November and it has been sitting in my "drafts" folder ever since.  Except for the re-runs, it seems Sesame Street has changed right along with the rest of our neighborhoods!

I haven't watched SS in a few years and it'll likely be another year or so before J discovers it--I wonder what we'll be in store for then!  I know Kermit and Miss Piggy have moved to Hollywood and everyone can see Snuffelupagus now.  I wonder if the head-banging musician is still on?  Oh, I'll never get it!  Never!  Never!  Never!

Quick! Vote!

No--this has nothing to do with primary fever.

Here's my dilemma:

My daughter is getting to be as forgetful as her mother.  The problem is--my memory was FINE when I was NINE!  She is allowed to forget her gym clothes only so many times before she has to sit out--and she loves gym!  She is either down to one more time or no chances left and I just found her gym bag by the back door.  Should I take it to school?

(I'm thinking NO.  Maybe she'll finally learn and it is her responsibility.)

In the same vein, my son was sure he did not need his warm jacket today and just wore a wind breaker but I took the recycling out and it's COLD today!  (After 67 degrees on Monday and about 60 yesterday, we have forgotten it's January!)

SO--should I rescue my kids and take the gym bag and jacket to school?  Let me know but vote now--gym class is in an hour!

Laissez les bon temps roulet!

As I am nursing our son, I feel like I can't "diet" and cut out too many calories right now -- but I've got to shed these many, many baby pounds.  So--I decided to start exercising regularly again with the new year and to try to cut sugar out of my diet.

I was finally successful in having a completely sugar-free day yesterday.

My husband came home from the store with this last night.  (He found one in Indiana!)

I finished off my son's piece after he went to school this morning so I guess I just shoot for a sugar-free afternoon, today!

Light at the end of the tunnel

J went to sleep a little earlier than usual last night (after taking micro-naps during the day) and slept almost 6 hours straight!  (By the time I got the kitchen cleaned up, dishwasher running, etc., that meant I got about 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep!)

FIVE hours.  Life is good.

After he had breakfast and a diaper change, he went back to sleep--about an hour before I had to get his older siblings up for school.  So I managed to have a cup of (hot!) coffee, read a little and take a 15-minute micro-nap myself before he woke again--5 minutes before I had to get the others up!  I don't need an alarm with this little guy!

I don't know if it was the REM sleep or the fact that I've had almost 3 cups of coffee now but my morning is zipping along nicely!  I hope yours is as well!

That's my girl!

I have asked my mother repeatedly over the years to remove the curse.  You may have heard of it:  "I hope one day you have a daughter just like you!"  I got one and I get it!

Last night however, I smiled when she sent me an email telling me her New Year's Resolutions.  Here is her list:

1. Be more organized.

2. Exersize

3. Right a book

New beginnings at the end of the year

Today we had our son baptized so it's a new beginning for him in his spiritual life.  (Not that he is aware of it quite yet!)  Our priest really involved our other two kids so that was wonderful!  Two of my nieces, along with my sister and parents were able to be there so the day was made even more special.

2008 will bring many changes!  It is amazing to see how much J has changed in two months and this is just the beginning!

Speaking of beginnings, the hubbie and I got a joint Christmas gift the day after Christmas--a new computer!  We were deciding whether to upgrade or get something new and decided on an iMac!  It's wonderful and easy but different enough from my PC that I'll be spending a little time just getting adjusted to a new way of doing things!  (Though I'm excited as some great writing software out there is available for Mac only and now I can try it!)  (If they just had one that could write the perfect ending for me, I'd be set!)

I hope this holiday season has been going well for all of you!  Happy New Year!

It's that time of year!

It's that time of year when I can't manage to post blog entries, apparently!

The baby is six weeks old and seems to think that he should get more attention than the computer--go figure! I am TRYING to get Christmas cards out and tried to save time by having our names pre-printed on them this year. (Yes, I am that lazy). My name came back misspelled however, so I am picking up a new batch later this week. So if you are expecting snail mail from me, it won't be any earlier this year! (I don't think I've ever gotten them out much before Christmas so why mess with tradition now?)

Today is also my 14th wedding anniversary! The hubbie does not read the blog but I figure 14 years is worth mentioning and celebrating!

I hope you all are doing well and surviving--I mean enjoying--the holiday season! ;)

One can dream!

Hubbie and the two older kids are at a basketball game; the baby is lying on his playmat, gazing right past the colored lights and music floating above his head and I have just finished putting groceries away. So, I'm pouring a glass of red wine and I'm ready to curl up with a good book.
(Instead, I'm going to sip my wine while I fold laundry but I'm going to think about which book I hope to get to!) ;)

Are you enjoying your weekend?

'Tis the season

We received our first measurable snow of the season during the night. Every other school in town seems to be on a two-hour delay except for the school my children attend. It doesn't bother me a bit but they were a little sad to get out of the car and gingerly traverse the school parking lot at the normal time this morning.

I think the temps will warm to the 40s tomorrow so it won't stick around too long but I think we'll get more this weekend. I guess I know what our (their) Saturday plans will be!

How's the weather where you are?

It's a new day!

I may not finish the novel but I have more hope today. Everything looks brighter today! J slept in his bassinet for almost 5 hours last night! It is amazing how much brighter life seems after a little R.E.M. sleep!

The rest of my family spent the night up at South Bend last night and will return this afternoon. Who knows what the little one and I can accomplish in the meantime? :)

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Nano a no go

I said they were good INTENTIONS, right?
I have given birth to yet another "velcro child." He sleeps during the day--when he's being held!
It's progress. When I first brought him home, he wanted to be held all night but would sleep in a bassinet or pack-n-play during the day. I was hoping we'd get the days and nights worked out so I could sleep at night. We've gotten that far!
However, I was hoping to do some writing during the day and that is very hard to do one-handed! I have some great new ideas but typing one finger at a time is slow going and I don't have the energy to do much now (11:30pm).
SO...stay tuned this time next year...maybe I'll have made more progress by then! (If he hasn't started walking...)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I lost 2 inches

J is now 11 days old and is so well behaved! ;) He accompanied me to the salon this morning and was kind enough to sleep long enough for me to get a few highlights and have 2 inches cut off of my hair!

I'm not quite back into my pre-preggo jeans yet but after going darker last month, it was time to lighten the hair up again and lose some weight there! It's amazing how much lighter I feel already just by making my hair shorter and blonder!

I'm trying to lose a few baby pounds as well by exercising my will power each time I pass the kids' Halloween candy!

We are still here!

We're settling into our new routine--if you can call it a routine already! After a week of not driving, I'm back to taking the kiddos to school successfully without arriving much later than we used to. (Most days we could not afford to, anyway!) So...we have work to do to get the kids there early enough to socialize with their friends before school but otherwise, I'm managing getting out of the house with three kids (so far)!

I've also made the insane choice to attempt Nano again this year. What makes me think I can reach 50,000 words this year if I could not last year? Limited time. Last year was the first year that my son was in school every day. It was half-day kindergarten but I finally had "free time" every morning. With Joshua's arrival, I have lost guaranteed free time again for the next few years but I'm hoping to use some of his naptimes to sit down and speed-write. That's the goal of Nano anyway, right? Just to write without stopping to edit or consider whether what your writing has any redeeming value. So if my fingers can ramble on during some naptimes and I can grab a nap myself during others, I'll be successful! (Shocked but successful!)

How many of my writing pals out there are doing Nano again this year? Good luck!

He's here!

Our little bean arrived on Thursday! Joshua Thomas was born at 2:03pm, weighing 8lbs, 3oz.
My parents are still here helping out and baby is settling in and doing fine.

Hope you're enjoying November!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Hope you get some great treats! ;)

(As for us, the doctor tried to help things along but we may not such a big treat today! If not, the doctor will try inducing tomorrow!) So I may be out with my knight-in-shining-armor and Hannah Montana after all!

I'll try!

Anyone aiming for writing a novel in a month this year? I'm still toying with the idea of doing NaNo again...though with a newborn, this is likely more of a dream than publishing a novel at all!
Anyone else?

My parents are here to help but no baby yet! I'll keep you updated on that front, too!

Still hanging in there...

No--I can't blame my lapses in blogging on actually giving birth. The little bean is still hanging in there! Between making sure he has a clean outfit to wear home from the hospital, making sure that I have a clean outfit to wear home, homework and costumes and reports for the other two--I haven't had much creative energy left!

Yes, my children will be wearing store-bought costumes for Halloween once again this year!
How are you? Are you ready for Halloween?

Rock Star

So the hubbie wants to take the kids to the Hannah Montana concert, along with all the other parents trying all means necessary now to acquire tickets!!

Shhhhhh!

I'm sending you off to another blog today but come back! I promise a post of my own, soon!

For now, go read this wise post over at Lessons from the Laundry!

In other words

Bad spellers of the world--untie!

Take a break from your crossword puzzles to check a few other word-related posts today!

Margie has a great post on favorite sayings and Sweetviolet posted a link to an entertaining lecture from Erin McKean. (I used to take issue with words-that-are-not-real-words being in the dictionary--like "muggle." After listening to this talk however, I've decided I should be much more open-minded!)

Respect

As I was finishing the book, preparing to put some new tactics to use, my daughter won the "virtue of the week" last week at school--for respect! My kids are pretty respectful out in the world already--what I really need is a book to help them remember to be more respectful at home! (Of course, the traits that really irk me --like sarcasm and the eye roll--are the ones she has learned here at home.)

Whether your children are the most or least respectful little people on the planet, Ms. Rigby's book offers some helpful, hopeful advice. Ms. Rigby offers suggestions similar to those I found in Sheperding a Child's Heart but her book is much easier to take. Check it out for yourself!

Simple math

I'm trying to teach our daughter that sometimes an answer is not wrong but you have to consider the context for the best answer. For instance, on a math word problem, your reply should be a mathematical answer.

She brought home "money math"--a sheet of money related addition and subtraction problems. However, at the end there was a word problem:
"If you put the money from each money bag into one large money bag, will you be putting in an amount that is greater than or less than $10,000?"

My daughter's answer: "Yes, you would."

Glamour is in the eye of the beholder

The woman who cut my hair yesterday asked if I worked before I had kids. I answered in the affirmative (without moving my head, of course) and went on to describe a few secretarial and administrative positions. I remarked, "nothing glamourous!"

Then I came home. I was actually happy to find that Sno-Bowl, unlike bleach and various other cleansers and toilet bowl cleaners, actually does remove hard-water stains from my toilet bowls! (Sno-Bowl was only 97 cents and actually advertised that it would remove the hard water stains but I thought I was too smart to fall for the hype on the label).

Then I did laundry and found several pairs of soiled underwear, stuck to the bottom of a hamper.

In the afternoon, I picked up the kids and my daughter--who had stayed up too late finishing a book the night before--burst into tears 4 separate times before 4:30pm.

We made it through homework, studying for quizzes, dinner and bedtime. As I sat down to read a children's book last night (to help quiz my daughter, who has been having trouble with reading comprehension quizzes), it occured to me that I was wrong.

I used to wear heels and makeup, drink coffee with adults and no matter how busy my day was, I could usually manage to still squeeze in a game of computer solitaire. My house was fairly neat (we weren't home a lot and we did not have much stuff) and I could go several DAYS without loading my washing machine. Ah, the glamorous life!

**************
I was going to insert a link up there for "Sno-bol" from Amazon.com but felt I should add a warning here! When you pull up the product, it mentions a "high acid level" and adds that it "kills Gems!" (Take off that jewelry before scrubbing the pot!!!) ;)

What is the what?

Valentino's father tells the story of creation--the beginning for the monyjang people.

--Yes, he continued, God showed man the idea of cattle, and the cattle were magnificent. They were in every way exactly what the monyjang would want. The man and woman thanked God for such a gift, because they knew that the cattle would bring them milk and meat and prosperity of every kind. But God was not finished.
--He never is, Sadiq said, to a wave of laughter.
--God said, "You can either have these cattle, as my gift to you, or you can have
the What." My father waited for the necessary response.
--But...Sadiq said, helping out, --What is the What? he said, with an air of theatrical inquisitiveness.
--Yes, yes. That was the question. "What is the What?" the first man asked. And God
said to the man, "I cannot tell you. Still, you have to choose. You have to choose
between the cattle and the What."

We catch glimpses of what the "What" may be as Valentino's story progresses. Dave Eggers has novelized the story of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese refugee now living in the United States and working to improve the lives of his family and countrymen back in Sudan. It is an inspiring tale of survival and hope.

Proceeds from the purchase of the book also go to the Valentino Achak Deng foundation, which is working to rebuild Marial Bai, Valentino's birthplace. So simply buying the book helps--and reading it gives you a better understanding of the civil war that raged for so long in southern Sudan and still affects areas such as Darfur.

You can read more at http://www.valentinoachakdeng.org/.

Invasion of the Webkinz

My son saved enough money to buy a webkinz for himself so now he's hooked, just like his sister.

Although they have a computer for their use in the basement, now they want to borrow the laptop, too so they can invite each other to their "rooms."

When I explain that they each have their own rooms upstairs that they can invite each other too--they just roll their eyes. I should be happy to have quiet, contented kids who are playing "with" each other; I am disturbed however, that I have no computer access while they use TWO to play 10 feet from each other!

(These kids are never getting cell phones! I can already see them sitting at opposite ends of the couch, texting each other!)

Roll over, Pachalbel!

A friend emailed me this link--I'm still laughing and crying! Go check out THE bedtime song!

http://www.readysetmom.com/readysetmom/2007/09/a-bedtime-song-.html

Step on a crack...

Step on a crack, break your mother's back. It's old, been tried and is tired. It's the 21st century -- a sidewalk crack isn't going to hurt anyone. You need something new--something different.

Look around your garage. If your family moves often, that will help. If you have a dad and grandad that might have built a custom crate for some of the items you've moved a few times--that would be ideal!

Wait until you and dad have opened the crate and removed all the toys you need in your new garage. Go ahead and play with your sister--act like having the scooter and the hula hoops out for the first time in months is enough diversion and your parents will let you two play in the garage unsupervised. After you've played for a few minutes, it is time to put the plan in action. If your sister is old enough to figure out how to pry the nails up from the plywood with the back of the hammer, this will save you much time.

The key is to do this quietly so that mom will wonder what you're up to and will come out to the garage--you need her to come to you for this!

When she wonders how you got the lid open again and extolls the dangers of playing near an open box with sharp nails protruding from the lid, simply explain that you desperately need a tire pump that is clearly not in the box.

When she looks once more to appease you, try to "help" by shifting the lid a little. This looks frightening and if you are 6 years old, it IS frightening so quickly drop the lid! Mom only yells for a second--the blood spurting from her arm surprises everyone!

This is much more effective than trying to find a crack in a brand-new sidewalk.

I am an underachiever

Granted, I'm not functioning at 100% with this head cold. I made it to Mass with the kids today but was looking forward to a nap when I got home! Having just one sick child home all day yesterday tired me out!

Before napping however, I made a bowl of oatmeal and turned on the TODAY show. They were interviewing the Duggar family. The couple brought all of their seventeen children to the show. Not only do they have seventeen children--ranging in age from a few months to 19 years old--but they homeschool all of them as well.

Devastated by a miscarriage many years ago that the couple learned was related to a prior use of some form of birth control, they asked God to please bless them with children. Mrs. Dungar even said that she'd love to have more!

God bless 'em! (I'm still trying to convince the hubbie that we will be able to handle 3 kids! We can. I am not promising that we will also retain any form of sanity but I don't think that is necessarily a requirement for good parenting!)

I'm not going to win the race!

I am still behind...at least on blogging! (...and exercising, and sleeping, and getting the baby's room set up--spent this morning trying to decide on a "theme" for the nursery!)

At least I'm getting caught up on laundry!

Still behind...

I'm still not keeping up but I'm trying! Both Pavarotti and Madeleine L'Engle passed away this weekend. You can find a lovely, albeit brief, tribute here:

http://www.novelspot.net/node/1862

Keeping up!

I guess we have not been keeping up with the latest trends. (Not that I'd advocate it, anyway.)

However, I thought my daughter was turned on to something new when her friend introduced her to Webkinz this weekend! Apparently, they're just new to us!

Up to now, my son has spent hours on video games and the computer and my daughter has just played along for a short while. Until she discovered Webkinz online!

When we moved here, I planned to share the laptop with the hubbie and let the kids use the PC in the basement. However, the PC is faster so I have not completely made the break. I may need to now as I had to quickly squeeze in my turn this weekend so she could get back and "do her jobs" online! If only I could get her to be so prompt with her real-life chores!

I am a bit off-balance!

I've already mentioned the stretching but I thought my expanding torso was less alarming when covered up. Apparently, this is not the case.

This morning I smiled at a perfect stranger.
"When is your baby due?" she asked.
"Halloween."
"You have that long to go?"
I nodded.
"Are you having twins?"
"Nope--just one boy." I'm still smiling.
"Wow!"

Still smiling/gritting teeth...

Just smile and wave, boys!

Last week, we had a great increase in the number of Canada geese in the pond across the street. I realize that they are migrating about this time. I don't know if my daughter's imagination was fueled by hopes that it was cooling dramatically here or if she saw one odd looking bird but she is convinced that among the geese, she saw a penguin at the edge of the water!

Random information

I saw this at Tracy's blog. Here is how you play!

• Leave me a comment saying anything random, like [the food you hate most in all the world]. Something random. Whatever you like.
• I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
• You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
• You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.
• When others comment asking to be asked, you will ask them five questions.

And now...my questions from Tracy!

1 - In what genre would you categorize your novel-in-progress?
Historical Fiction.

2 - What is the best parenting or baby book that you have read?
Hmmm...I need to find and re-read some of the baby books! This 6-year age gap between my youngest and this bean on the way makes me think I might need a review!
I am currently reading Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World. I have not finished it yet so I can't give it a fair rating but it's worth a look.
I don't know that I have ONE favorite but I found Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline very helpful and I loved The Three Martini Playdate!

3 - What is your best advice for getting out and meeting people when you move to a new town?This one is hard but gets a little easier with each move--especially with children! I could sit at home all day and become a hermit but I can't let my children live that way (or have them kill each other when they are each other's sole playmates)!

Go to the playgrounds or even play outside in your front yard! Even if it seems incredibly hot, kids in the neighborhood sense when there are other kids outside--especially new ones! Sooner or later, they bring their parents along to say hello, too! Trying to get your kids involved with things means you meet other moms in the process. They're always my first friends!

My kids go to Catholic school which means they don't attend the same public school as most of the neighbors. My daughter especially is very shy at the beginning of school so I made a concerted effort this summer to track down families attending their school so the kids would recognize a few friendly faces on their first day. (I, in turn, knew a few moms on the first day, too!)

4 - How does Indiana compare to Kansas?
I see more cornfields!! ;)
We have found the people to be so friendly, welcoming and helpful both in Kansas and Indiana. While I've certainly seen "southern hospitality," our neighbors in both Midwestern states have really gone out of their way to welcome us!

5 - Is everything prepped and ready for Little Bean's arrival or do you still have lists of stuff to buy and organize?
I am most certainly not skipping around repeating Spongebob's motto! I am NOT ready! We have been getting other rooms in order so that we appear "moved in." The baby has a room but it's empty! I started shopping for bassinets, cribs, etc. but haven't actually purchased them yet. I will start this week!

Imagine the horror

Who needs horror movies when you have the imagination of a child?

Natalie caught me putting lotion on my expanding waistline yesterday. Understandably, she could not take her eyes off of that area.

"It's not a pretty sight, is it?" I asked her, grinning.

"Why are you putting the lotion on?"

I explained that the baby was growing and stretching my stomach, making the skin itch.

"He's STRETCHING your skin?"

"Well, he is growing so my skin has to stretch to give him room."

I should have stopped there but did not think before adding, "It looks pretty tight already, huh?"

Her eyes widened and she looked up at me, quite concerned. "What if it stretches too much and he rips his way right out of there?"

Tuned in?

OK--between getting two kids to school on time, finishing up various details around the house to make it look like we've settled in and the various errands that are involved with "life"--I do a fair amount of running around. So when I do sit still, the little bean inside decides it is his time to do aerobics. We both have gotten accustomed to the routine.

If I am more active than usual on a given day, he'll go ahead and kick a few times while I'm moving, too but for the most part, he waits for me to sit or lie down. I get a few jabs while I'm driving--sometimes more if the music is loud. ;)

Today I got the kids to school on time and stayed for Mass. A kick here and there but not much. I talked with another mom in the parking lot for a few minutes afterwards but was not interrupted. Once I got in and started the car, Born to be Wild began blaring from the radio. Bean started kicking immediately and danced around for the entirety of the song.

This can't be a good sign!

Whew!

It's hot.

Who's the Boss?

"You aren't the boss of me!"

You've heard this before and kids say it to each other all of the time. I was not impressed however, when my son said this to me the other night! I was sorely tempted to reply, "I AM SO the boss of you," but remained calm as I simply stated, "Yes, I am."

"No! My teacher told us today that we are the bosses of ourselves."

Ultimately, I can't argue with that statement. He is responsible for his own actions and the consequences that follow when he doesn't do the right thing. I am assuming that there was some discussion along these lines in class that day, too as I can't imagine a teacher surrendering authority to 25 first-graders!

He still had to pick up his clothes and go to bed.

Housework is a snap!

It is amazing how much housework I accomplish when I've planned to spend the morning writing.

I'm planting myself in the chair now.

As I go--I know my Dad doesn't read the blog but just in case he breaks with tradition today--Happy Birthday, Dad! ;)

What will you be when you grow up?

Your Career Type: Artistic

You are expressive, original, and independent. Your talents lie in your artistic abilities: creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. You would make an excellent: Actor - Art Teacher - Book Editor Clothes Designer - Comedian - Composer Dancer - DJ - Graphic Designer Illustrator - Musician - Sculptor The worst career options for your are conventional careers, like bank teller or secretary.

What's Your Ideal Career?

I haven't published a book yet but note my worst career options. I paid the bills working as a secretary for years!

Keep 'em coming

We should find out more today but doctors now think that my FIL has stomach cancer rather than esophageal cancer. (It may have begun in the stomach and progressed to the esophagus.)
The treatment will be much the same but the prognosis is not as good. If you can keep him and the family in your prayers, we would all much appreciate it.

Thanks!

The big C

My father-in-law, Dr. C, has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. I've been debating whether or not to mention it here and decided to wait until he had at least completed his tests.

My husband, a physician, feared the worst--knowing that in most cases this disease has progressed quite far by the time it is diagnosed. His father has been lucky--not lucky enough to be at stage one--but lucky enough to be considered a "late two or early three." This means he has treatment options and some time.

He is being treated at a world-class cancer center and it looks like he will be able to be enrolled in a study involving a new, promising drug as well. My FIL and his family are devastated but there are many reasons to have hope. Dr. C does not smoke, rarely drinks and is in otherwise wonderful health for his age. This is actually making it tougher for him mentally as he wants to know "why" but physically he has that advantage. Of course, he can still use all of the prayers he can get!

Wah

Moaning Meme

Rene tagged me with this over a week ago and it has taken me this long to finish it! The kids started school yesterday--I don't have much to moan about! ;)

4 things that should go into Room 101 and be removed from the face of the earth:
1. ”Reality” TV
2. War
3. Hunger (borrowed from Rene but I have to agree)
4. Most Mattel toys, (apparently)


3 things people do that make you want to shake them violently:
1. Preach to others that God hates a particular group of people based on their sexual orientation, race, gender, etc.
2. Believe that God supports one particular political party
3. Let their kids ride bikes/skateboards/scooters, etc. without a helmet (completely plagiarized this one from Rene, too!)


2 things you find yourself moaning about:
1. My feet hurt, are swollen, etc.
2. Hannah Montana’s latest soundtrack is stuck in my head!


1 thing the above answers tell you about yourself:
I’m intolerant, hormonal, not very Christian (if I want to shake other people) and I clearly cannot count. (To TRY to sum all that up in 1 thing—I’m a pregnant blonde).


I tag: Anyone who has something to moan about—let’s hear it!

RULESLink to the original meme at freelancecynic.com so people know what it’s all about!Be as honest as possible, This is about letting people get to know the real you!Try not to insult anyone - unless they really deserve it or are very, very ugly!Post these rules at the end of every meme!

Proud Mama?

You've seen those guys at football games (or maybe you are one). The ones without a shirt--letters painted on their torsos--performing for the television cameras. I've often wondered--especially when it's snowing--who does that? My husband has commented, "their parents must be so proud!"

We may get our chance to find out one day. I had a preview the other afternoon.

Coming home from the pool, I told my son he did not have to put his shirt back on. He sat on his towel and buckled in. By the time we got home, he had not only found the pen in the backseat but had drawn a complete face on his torso. The shapes were mostly triangular--he resembled a walking jack-o-lantern. He bounced out of the car, pushing the sides of his abdomen together and made his belly-button "speak" to me.

Pride was not my initial emotion.

Oh, Baby!

As you can see from the baby ticker above, it won't be too much longer until this little guy arrives! I feel like we're almost starting all over again--partly because there will be a six-year age difference between my youngest and this baby and also because we've given away all of our "baby stuff."

I am sure that there were plenty of options out there 9 years ago when I had my daughter but I did not shop much online then. I tried to search for bassinets and cradles this week and can't believe how many choices there are!

I had a bassinet that I used for my other two. It worked fine but I recall thinking that if I could just rock it a little that I might have been able to get them back to sleep a few times without having to take them out right away, etc. So I'm thinking a cradle might be the way to go this time around. Then again, with two older siblings in school (and I'm sure we'll be into some other activities soon), this kid will likely be toted around so often that he'll get plenty of motion! (With my oldest, I'd come up with excuses to put her in the car--that would always settle her. I'm thinking it won't be tough to come with a reason to get this kid on the road!)

Spirits in New Orleans

Raziela is a smart, strong young woman attending Tulane in the 1920s. She is an advocate for birth control and tries to secretly educate other women in New Orleans--a dangerous ambition at the time. She plans to attend medical school after her graduation but tragically, never gets that far.

The Mercy of Thin Air follows Razi's life or more accurately, her afterlife. Through flashbacks interspersed throughout the book, we learn about her life, her love--Andrew, and her dreams. Planning to become an obstetrician and being deeply in love with Andrew are not enough; when Andrew asks her one day what she really wants--her answer is "to be immortal." She explains that one lifetime is not enough for all of the trouble she is capable of causing!

The novel bounces between generations, time periods and cities in Louisiana--though never very far. As Razi searches for her lost Andrew, she moves in with a couple, Scott and Amy, and becomes concerned with their struggling marriage Amy's issues. As she gets involved, they reunite Razi with people from her own past. She is joined by a few friends who are also in "the between"--souls who have left earth but not yet gone on to what lies beyond.

Traveling between time periods was a little disconcerting at first but it did not take long to become accustomed to the rythym of the book. Of course, I am a sucker for a good story set in New Orleans and this novel did not disappoint! In addition to familiar locations and compelling characters, the novel deals with issues that may not seem as compelling today. By 1929, women had won the vote but did not have access to birth control. Razi, attending one of the few universities that admitted women at that time, leaves literature hidden in the college's library and hosts secret parties to give this information to other women.

All you need is Love!

For those of you out there writing romance, check this out! I can't wait to read your first chapter!

Don't worry, be happy!

First, red wine and dark chocolate were good for you. That made me happy.

Now, I can have a cup of coffee and go for a run (in the sun)!

It's all about positive attitudes. Coffee makes me happy, getting some sun makes me really happy...I'll just have to make sure I keep moving while I'm outside!

(Of course, I've got another 2 months before I'm drinking wine or coffee but who's counting?)

Georgia on my mind

Joshilyn Jackson has written another gripping tale featuring memorable southern characters, including one more memorable aunt! While Bernese is different than Aunt Flo from Gods in Alabama, both women will remain in your thoughts long after you close the books!

Bernese and her sisters are all members of the Frett family who have raised Nonny, who is biologically a Crabtree. The Crabtrees and the Fretts have had an ongoing feud that began long before the story begins but intensifies after Nonny's birth and rages throughout the novel.

Set in the town of Between, the novel focuses on Nonny who is caught between the two warring families, the two towns of Between and Athens and between her husband and best friend.

Ms. Jackson's books are great for those of us who need that "southern fix" in our reading! (While I still get the argument that Florida is not really part of "The South," the part I grew up in is dern close to southern Georgia!) Having said that, I cannot wait for Ms. Jackson's next novel which is set in Florida!

Old Folks at Home

We returned from Florida on Tuesday. It was great to see everyone and spend some time at my mom and dad's "resort." (I'm not sure my parents see it quite the same way but for my kids--it's a bit better than many other vacations! True, there are no roller coasters but they get breakfast cooked to order, lunch and dinner with no wait--in fact, they're reluctant to get out of the pool to eat--and there is the pool! A pool in the backyard! No car ride, elevator ride, no keys necessary to get to the POOL!) As if all that weren't enough for a summer vacation, they have cousins to play with! So it's a nice break for them (on other vacations, they are each other's only peer). This summer they've met a few kids in our new town but don't have many friends yet so it was wonderful for them to have cousins around to play with all week!

While we did visit my folks at home, they are not yet old. The title of the post is of course, also the title of the Florida state song. The first line of that song, "Way down upon the Swanee river..." put me in mind of the other story while I was home. People boating and fishing on the Suwannee river in Florida are being hit by jumping sturgeon! Talk about some old residents! These ancient fish jump right out of the water--no one knows exactly why. The river is lower this year than it has been, more people are out on the river so the problem has become more noticeable.

We celebrated my mom's birthday a week early while I was there, which was nice. Her actual birthday is tomorrow so Mom: if you read this in time, Happy Birthday!

Never Enough

I am six months pregnant now and the kids are excited but it is not enough. They asked tonight if we could please adopt an eleven or twelve-year-old girl.

(N is tired of having to be the oldest; now she'll have TWO younger BROTHERS. So her life is unfair but the fact that we did not sit down and have a serious discussion--ending in her getting her way--helped her come to the conclusion that we are simply mean).

Whatever gets you through the night

It started with an alarm going off at about midnight. It seemed to coming from my son's room. After the second or third time that it went off, I went to investigate in the dark. It seemed to be coming from the stack of clean clothes in his room but I know I did not plant anything in there. It must be the watch he found today. I guess he had big plans for the middle of the night! I can't find the watch, of course, so I pray that whatever it's set for has passed and we're done. No such luck.

I listen to it go off a few more times before I decide to get back up and hide/destroy the thing. Except when I go back, the noise is not coming from his room--now it's coming from N's.

She has an "organizer" that she won from some contest that has an alarm that has been going off nightly. It has not seemed so loud on past evenings but I have heard it almost every night. Earlier today, I did ask her if she could find the thing and turn it off. She didn't think she'd unpacked that box yet. (So helpful). I asked her kindly to unpack the box, find the thing and turn it off before she went to bed.

Apparently, to a nine-year-old, that means move the box away from the closet at the far end of your room and move it near your door. Just to make sure Mom can hear it tonight.

I wrapped the box in towels and shoved it in a cupboard in the laundry room. But now I'm up.
I went back to bed for an hour, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out if that is the baby's elbow or foot jabbing my right side and coming up with the new perfect opening for the on-going book. Of course, it's so perfect, you know I'll forget by morning. But I don't want to get up so I try to think of ways to help me remember. Right.

So...here I am. I've typed out that brilliant passage that seemed like it'd take a page. It's a paragraph.

I'm going with the egg sandwich now. When I was a girl and couldn't (or wouldn't) sleep, I'd get up and tell my Dad I was hungry. He'd make us egg sandwiches--scrambled eggs on toast with lettuce and mayo--and we'd watch Charlie's Angels. I've got pita bread rather than Sunbeam white bread but it's worth a shot! (I wonder what re-runs are on...?) ;)

Life in the fast lane

I told my daughter that she really need to work on having more patience.
The words were barely out of my mouth before she answered, "I already did."

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July! Enjoy the cookouts and the fireworks and remember how lucky we are to be Americans.

As for me, it's also my birthday so I'm relaxing (though I've obviously been taking a break from blogging for a while now)! I'll have more to say soon!

Summer days

Our new home backs up to a cornfield. (We are in Indiana now!) As the sun sets on summer evenings, the sky is a hazy, purple-pink background for the dark orange orb slowly making its exit. As the sun sets, the backyard and cornfield behind it come alive--twinkling with a thousand fireflies dancing. One lit on the sliding glass window for a moment tonight as I looked out--as if to say goodnight--before it joined the blinking majority.


My kids had their first lemonade stand today. They made $10!

The Learning channel

Some things just don't come in the parenting manual. N is excited about this whole baby thing. She has always loved children younger than herself. (Including, on occasion, her own brother!) She especially loves babies and toddlers. She has discovered "A Baby Story" on TLC. I watched the first part of one episode with her--because the mom was in labor. Though she knows the doctor was "looking at her bottom!" (both kids giggled at that) the camera didn't show the gory details so I let her continue to watch. (She does not yet need TOO much information).

She oohed and aahed at the infant they brought home.

The next episode however, featured a same-sex couple--two women--who had just brought their baby home. N tells me that two girls had a baby and they didn't have any boys. I stated quietly that a man was involved at some point but she shook her head with conviction. "Nope. They have been together for 8 years. NO boys!"

OK.
(She does not yet need too much information.)

The joys of home ownership

Well, my relaxing day of bliss included the delivery of my new washer and dryer--even though I'd inadvertently ordered two appliances that do not quite match. We thought ordering online would be easy but it's hard to tell that some washers have a shiny, mirror-like finish on their door while some dryers have a finish that matches my chrome refrigerator. Oh well, no one will notice but me--and any of my blog readers who come to visit! ;)

That was also the day I first discovered the water stain on our ceiling. It's under our shower. We had the exact same problem in the last house, so we have evidently done something to upset the plumbing gods. It faded the next day (when the plumbers were here) and they sealed things, tested things but could not re-create the problem. It has been fine--until today.

Our radon test has finally come back with an acceptable (low!) number! It was high when they initially tested, so they sealed the sump pump and tried again. When that did not resolve the issue, a radon mitigation system was installed. They retested this week and that has been resolved.

We've unpacked a little more, N will have her new dresser on Wednesday so she can finally stop living out of a box. (She and C had divided a bunk-bed set but C has the whole thing now and she is getting a new, more feminine bedroom set. The rest of her set won't arrive until August but at least she'll have drawers!)

We have found the pool nearby so we've got the important issues covered!

Settling in...

Most of the boxes are unpacked, the furniture is placed and my new washer and dryer should arrive today!

The hubbie and kids are taking a day trip to visit Notre Dame so I have the quiet house all to myself.
(If you look up the definition of bliss, you might find the above sentence quoted--or at least the last five words!)

Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore!

We have arrived and are in our new home in Indiana! It's empty but we ahve time to figure out exactly where the "big" items will go. Our truck is due to arrive Monday or Tuesday so it'll start feeling more like home soon!

I was a little worried that it might take a while to meet other kids--there are only a few houses on our street. However, the next street over has many more houses and one of the kids my daughter met at the playground told her that there are at least 2 kids in every house!

When we chose N's name, I was trying to find something that wasn't too trendy so she would not have 4 other girls in her class with the same name. Since then, I don't think I've met another child with her name. Until now. There are 3 other girls in this small neighborhood with the same name, though one is visiting! The house at the end of our street has a girl with the same name and her mother's name is the same as mine! I can't decide if that is a good sign or slightly creepy...

Otherwise, everyone has been incredibly friendly so I'm sure that our new town will feel like home in no time!

Winding down?

It's the last week of school--which means it is the busiest--in regards to parties and activities, anyway! Just in case that wasn't enough, we've tacked on a birthday party for N right after school lets out tomorrow and she's having a few girls over for a birthday sleepover tomorrow night!

The packers/movers arrive on Tuesday!

My husband checked the downspouts, etc. before the thunderstorms last night--and found the one he'd fixed was not totally fixed and another was not functioning at all! So he fixed those during the light rain, then kept checking the basement and the downspouts and sides of the house several times during the downpours during the night! (So I got a little more sleep than he did but between the lightning and checking to see if he needed help, I'm ready for a nap, too!)

Maybe I'll just let the movers pack the dirty laundry.

Sunday Soul-searching

I found an intriguing post over at SweetViolet's this morning. I enjoyed her comments and her challenge to take this religion quiz honestly, answering truthfully about what you believe rather than what you have been taught to believe.

I thought I understood her point and took the quiz. However, after I sat back and thought about the answers I'd given, I realized that there were still one or two responses I'd made out of fear or guilt. What if that isn't true?

So I went back and took the quiz a second time, honestly answering each question. Lightning did not strike and the results were interesting!

In college, the Jesuits taught us to always question everything. I think that's a good approach--even if my Belief.net score shows only a 58% rating for Roman Catholic!

1. Orthodox Quaker (100%)
2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (97%)
3. Liberal Quakers (90%)
4. Unitarian Universalism (85%)
5. Mahayana Buddhism (81%)
6. Theravada Buddhism (77%)
7. Hinduism (75%)
8. Reform Judaism (72%)
9. Seventh Day Adventist (69%)
10. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (68%)
11. Sikhism (67%)
12. Jainism (66%)
13. Orthodox Judaism (64%)
14. Bahá'í Faith (63%)
15. Neo-Pagan (61%)
16. Eastern Orthodox (58%)
17. Roman Catholic (58%)
18. Taoism (58%)
19. Islam (57%)
20. New Age (56%)
21. New Thought (47%)
22. Secular Humanism (46%)
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (43%)
24. Scientology (43%)
25. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (34%)
26. Jehovah's Witness (33%)
27. Nontheist (29%)

Take the Belief-O-Matic quiz yourself!

I won't be needing Faith

I thought it would make a good baby name but that just would not be fair to a boy!

Wrong Holiday

Happy Mother's Day!

This story is about an amazing father--but it is too inspiring not to share! (And between the move in a few weeks and my fading memory, I won't remember where to find this again next month!)

I found this on Chosha's site. Take a look!

For my writing friends

Many of you have participated in NaNo in the past, so you have likely already heard about their latest offering: Script Frenzy.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about NaNo is National Novel Writing Month and takes place in November. The challenge is to write 50,000 words in a month.

Similarly, Script Frenzy is a challenge to write a script during the month of June.
I am not going to try this one this year but I thought I'd share it with you if you're interested! (I'd love to go see your life story played out on the big screen--complete with any aliens, ghosts, pterodactyls or lottery winners that might appear!)

8 Things You Probably Didn’t Need to Know About Me

[Added 5/11: Eep! I forgot to let you know that it was Rene who tagged me to do this Meme! (Stop by and read hers!)]

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.
Here we go:


1. My lucky number is 8. (That must be why I was tagged with this meme!)

2. I was born on the Fourth of July.

3. I’ve been a blonde all of my life (it was natural when I was a child).

4. I am the oldest of five children.

5. I have a habit of apologizing for things that cannot be helped. (Weather, natural disasters, the fact that you have a cold…)

6. I smoked at the age of 10.

7. I don’t purposefully wear sunscreen. (There may be some hope for me as they’ve gone and put it in my moisturizer and makeup).

8. Many days I don’t wear makeup—so there really is no hope for me.

Okay, now I have to tag 8 people: Kellie, Margaret, my brother-in-law, Laurie, Aaron, Tracy, Angela, Sarah

I must be doing something right

My daughter thinks I don't love her and just wanted her so she could be my slave.

My son was very upset this morning because I would not let him skip a day of school. (He is in kindergarten).

I'm not the best mom in the world but with sentiments like these, once in a while, I feel like I'm on the right track! ;)

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Disclaimers
I don't enlist my children in slavery. My daughter was cleaning her room and filled her trash can. She asked me to empty it and I asked her to do it. The next day, she had more trash and asked me again to empty her trash can. I explained that I empty all of the other trash cans in the house and she can empty hers. This was met with the constant complaint that she has to do everything and I treat her like a slave.

My son is smart and has lots of friends in school but was very tired this morning. He tried to tell me it's too hard because he always "gets his papers wrong." I reminded him that he comes home with papers with smiley faces and nice comments on the top. Then he explained that they are working on "clocks" this week and he keeps getting them wrong.
My poor children do live in a house full of digital clocks. The one antique pendulum clock is not always wound but when it is, he knows what time it is by how many "gongs" he hears.
It seems we need to practice telling time when he gets home from school today!

The state we live in--Part Two

We live in the state of Kansas. While many people's perceptions of Kansas as a large prairie constantly threatened by tornadoes comes from L. Frank Baum, reality can be more threatening than fiction at times.

Last night, a tornado lifted not just one house but many. The entire town of Greensburg, Kansas was almost lifted after a monster tornado raged through last night.

We are just to the right of the purple covering the middle of Kansas. I am not overly concerned about our safety; we have a basement and a few cases of fresh water down there along with plenty of toys, coloring books and games. In light of recent events however, I have moved some candles down there as well and am paying a little more attention to weather forecasts today.
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UPDATE: We're still fine but the rains were heavy again last night. The basement is flooded. No posts today--I'm going to finish bailing water...

The state we live in--Part One

If we pay to much attention to the headlines, we could live in a constant state of fear. More and more random violence seems to be occuring in or around schools, with no specific age groups or types of communities excluded. It is unsettling but so far, has not been too close to home.

This week, my children's school was in "lockdown." No student had presented a threat. Rather, a man in a neighboring town stabbed two people and has not been apprehended. From internet and newspaper reports, and the "reports" that my 3rd grader brings home each day, I have gathered that the alleged perpetrator(an ex-con) is going through a divorce. His wife had a restraining order against him but he broke into her home on Tuesday and stabbed her and the man with her. By all accounts, this seems to be a domestic issue. However, in light of recent events in our nation--combined with the fact that he has a relative that works at my children's school--the school is on heightened security, locking all doors, escorting children to recess and Mass, etc. The school has offered that we may keep our children home but has not canceled school. I went ahead and sent my kids to school but of course, ran through "what if" scenarios a few times in my mind!

In light of events such as Virginia Tech, I realize that they have to take all scenarios into account and they have said that if this man is not apprehended by Monday, the school will be in lockdown again.

Sending my children to a small, Catholic school in a small, midwestern town does not guarantee their safety. I do not believe this particular individual is an immediate threat to my children. In light of events such as Virgina Tech however, perhaps the school--all schools--should follow more of these security measures on regular basis.
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UPDATE: They arrested the man on Sunday morning! The kids are thrilled (and I feel better, too)!

Book "binge" results

Not much of a binge, I'm afraid!

(Keeping in mind that though I did bring a book with us when we went house hunting, we were stressed, exhausted or discussing merits of various houses so I never cracked the book. So that's almost a week that I did not read a thing. Sad. Very, very sad. I got much more read last month when I was still boycotting television--go figure!)

Finished:
The Last Days of Dogtown, Anita Diamant (Posted a short review here)

The March, E.L. Doctorow. His style is different from anything I've read lately but it was a welcome change. I recommend.

In Progress:
Shepherding a Child's Heart, Tedd Tripp (Actually, I'm on page117/210) This one is tough. Not tough to read or understand, just convicting to read. I'm taking it little by little.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith. I am on page 1.

Staying Up!

I have commented about my daughter's sleepovers before. She had the BF over again last night but my son invited a friend to sleep over for the first time as well.

I am having that cup of tea this morning!

Keep Up!

Throughout the day, I can find inspiration here and there but my latest source is my little green box of Yogi Tea. There is a new message on each teabag. I've had messages about looking for God in unlikely places, thinking positive about each day, etc. They're short and sweet but today's little note was only two words: "Keep Up!"

My tea bag knew it would be a hectic day before I did! I think I've managed to keep up so far--maybe it's because I'm still getting a little caffeine in my one cup of green tea!

How is your day going? Can you keep up?

What will they think of next?

I have no idea what the next revolutionary idea will be but I'm excited about this one! I haven't tried it yet--maybe I'll win a sample from the generous moms at 5 minutes for mom--but this is something I will have to try!

My daughter will take most medicines well. (I didn't say she is always happy about it but she will swallow them dutifully.)

My son, however, can will himself to vomit, choke or simply spit the stuff out. Maybe if it tastes too good to pass up, he will reconsider taking his medicine! FlavorIt could change our lives!

Honorable gesture

Aaron has posted a lovely tribute over at his site today--take a look!

The whole story

Part One:
My daughter glides up the driveway, a disgusted look on her face.

"Mom! C and I were riding our scooters together on the sidewalk and I got this STUFF on my ankle! What IS that?"

She has dark green goo on her ankle. I don't know what it is. I tell her it must be wet grass or mud--though it hasn't rained in days--and tell her to go wash it off.

Part Two:
My son glides up the driveway, wearing a huge smile.

"Mom! I just ran over a caterpillar! Wanna see?"

SOLD!

I was going to write about desperate times, etc. and the Catholic advice we'd received regarding selling our home. My MIL and SIL, as well as a friend, suggested we get a statue of St. Joseph and bury him in our yard to aid the sale of our home.

We put the sign in our yard in February, the house went on the market officially March 1 but I just bought the statue Wednesday evening. We prayed to St. Joseph for a little extra help that night and I spoke with him many times yesterday. By 5pm last night, we had an offer on the house! Even with a counter-offer from us and another from their side--we were all happy and had a signed contract by 7pm!

I'm certain that the prayers helped more than the actual resin statue in my garden but either way, if you are selling your home, you might want to contact the Patron Saint of Real Estate along with a realtor!

(We met the buyers today--they were already having their inspection done--and they've been eyeing our house online for weeks! I kept telling my husband God had a plan and we just had to be patient--but the patience part has been getting tough. Looks like maybe there was a plan involved! This couple was fairly sure ours was the house they wanted before they saw it in person and they are very excited about it now!)

For your reading list

I told you I'd have book reviews for you but life is moving too fast for a full review of each book!

What Jesus Meant was a thought-provoking book with a fresh perspective. It makes me want to read Wills' book, Why I Am a Catholic, as at times in this book, I was not sure why he is a member of any formal religion. I do recommend this one!

New Orleans Stories is a collection of short stories that take place in New Orleans. There are a few very good ones included in here and I recommend this one as well if you have a chance.

I finished those two in March so they won't make my April reading list for the Book Binge but if you're looking for something different, check them out!

I began The Last Days of Dogtown in March but finished it in April so I'm hoping I can count that one for my April reading list! ;) I highly recommend this one. The first chapter was a little slow for me but that might have been because I was trying to read it in a busy waiting room. The first chapter introduces many characters but we get to know much more about each one of them in a following chapter. Each character gets a turn being the main character in a chapter but the ending of one blends seamlessly into the next chapter--and next life story. Very well done. You'll be thinking of these characters long after you put the book down.

Relocation update

My parents braved the not-so-spring-like weather last week to come and stay with the kids and returned safely to Florida this past weekend to brave yet another storm!

We did find a new home in Indiana! We close on that house in June.
We will have a larger (and more level) backyard so we will finally get the playset for the kids. We have a larger driveway, too, so there is plenty of room for the basketball hoop they desire as well! (Margaret--yes! It even has a window over the kitchen sink! What more could we ask for?)

Now we just need to sell the one we're in!

Word Verification

After interesting comments, interspersed with various pharmaceutical names and links--it is time. I apologize for the inconvenience but word verification and comment moderation have now been added to this blog.
It's a few extra letters after your comment but I would still love to hear from you!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I hope it has been a wonderful day for you and your families!

I haven't posted in a while--and won't again for a bit! The hubbie and I are going house-hunting tomorrow and my parents are staying with the kids.

I'll let you know if we were successful at the end of the week! (And hopefully by then I can post a few book reviews! I've finished three more but haven't had time to tell you about them!)

You know you want one!

(And if you don't want one, that's OK--it helps my odds!)

I'm talking about the fabulous opportunity you can find over at 5 Minutes for Mom. They are giving away a Dyson Slim vacuum!

I can already see myself effortlessly cleaning the stairs with this light wonder! However, if you feel that it should be you, hop over to 5 Minutes for Mom and sign up! I'll let you know how well it works, er...I mean, good luck!