A Teachable Moment

Meet Optimus Prime, Batman the Brave, Batman the Bold, and their sidekick Robin...that costume seems to have the same affect on kids. Dru wore that same costume doing the same thing..screaming and crying and running from the group...eh...as Frank says ,well who REALLY wants to be someones side kick? Honestly? So I had what I and many others might call, a teachable moment that night, the night of Halloween. And here is what it was: I am not a trick or treater!!!!! I found out the hard way.

We went to Frank's brother's housing development and I'm pretty sure parents let their kids run amuck and not care! I was HORRIFIED! Please tell me why it's necessary to dress up as something scary? Why do you allow your kids to dress up as a terrorist? How does that not mock the lives lost in this country to not only 9/11 but other atrocities to our nation on foreign soil and our soil? Kids were pushing little kids down all in an effort to get CANDY!?! Boggles my mind. Kids were going to houses and the people in those houses were not answering the door so the kids were just being horrible! They were pounding on the door and constantly ringing the doorbell AND knocking on the door. The whole time yelling we know you are in there! What the HELL is wrong with these parents that they have not stopped these kids!?! OH that's right, it's more important to stand in the middle of the road and chit chat!! So I marched right up there and hollered that my kids need to get down and told those kids to knock it off, and go to the next house. When did it become OK to go right up to a car that was driving by and point your plastic toy gun up the window of said car and pretend shoot? And outside of me making Dru say thank you, I did NOT hear one child say thank you for the candy they received...horrified!!!! What ever happened to Please and Thank you? Is it lost? The whole experience was HORRIFYING! I/we (and if we are being truthful, I pulled the plug on trick or treating after probably 1/2 hour) and we left and came home and the kids were in bed by 8pm...I was DONE!

So after that experience, I looked at Frank and said next year it's ALL you! I want NO part of this! What I don't know will be probably for the best...and as long as everyone makes it home safe and sound with out injuries...life will go on! SO, next year I will stay at home with Sparky and I may or may not hand candy out and Frank will take the boys out and they will do their thing. I do not like Halloween!!! It's a horrible holiday if you can even call it a holiday...

Anyway, that's enough from me...there's my teachable, AHA moment...

Costumes

So I'm WAY behind on posts here so here we go...keep up if you can!

Lee had a party at school and I went to help, with 2 extra people in two! Whew! I think next time I'll go sans the extra baggage ;).

Lee is eating his cookie he made at one of the stations and his juice that had a worm in it...that was funny. It was a gummy worm but it turned enough kids off that most of them were grossed out. Lee doesn't look so grossed out does he?Dru was tickled pink he got to do EVERYTHING his big brother did! All the stations and EVEN costume parade into Ian's classroom! And on top of that he was the leader of the line! He's a genius even before he's gotten to school! So proud of him!

My caped crusader!

Mrs. Farr and Optimus Prime...she's telling them what's next and it's the Costume Parade!! AUTO BOTS! ROLL OUT! (insert your transformer music here).

Dru is concentrating VERY hard on putting beads onto a string...he got them all on by golly! Such focus!

I wish I could have managed to get a picture of Sparky...he was wearing a VERY cute Eeyore...but he was being a pill and I had my hands full at my station. Sparky got into EVERYTHING which was amusing to everyone else but not so much his mother! But we survived and all my fellas had a good time. My only regret was I couldn't make it to Ian's class party...although he seemed fine when I told him if I could I would, and then didn't make it, I still felt bad. He seemed fine...what is with Mother's Guilt??? How do parents of multiple children get to everyone's parties or how do they decide what child's event to go to? I'm over whelmed with just 2 in school, the thought of 4 is daunting!

Anyway...the party was fun, Trick or Treating...not so much! More on that later!

Gadgets

Doesn't this whisk look really cool? I think I need it!

I also need a really good cutting board and pin...and I keep hearing this is the best kind to get. But I do need this for rolling pie crusts and cookies out on...would make things MUCH easier!

Someday I will also own a food processor and I get excited about the thought of owning a dehydrator! CHEAP thrill!

I have a canner that was loaned to me and I will use it as long as I am able to until she needs it back. When that happens though...I'm gonna need my own!

I also need this peeler and corer...someday I will find an apple orchard that will just GIVE me their apples...I'm still looking, but I'm gonna need it!

I'm just out and about window browsing...and I LOVE kitchen gadgets. I really only need a bigger house. I love to bake, and I have a new hobby (it's not really a hobby...although it's fun and satisfying) of canning so there are gadgets with that that I need, and I do love to cook in general...sometimes I wish I would be more adventurous and try more things but I think I do alright. I do better than what I grew up with...shoot, I at least serve more seafood than I was ever willing to eat! I can and will do better.

Anyway, I digress. These are things I think I need...

Wedding Song

I'm not TOO sappy of a person but as I have said before music speaks to the very depths of my soul, and I think too for Frank. Although maybe not as much as it used too...but I could be wrong.

When we were dating Frank had a song for me, called Fade Into You~Mazzy Star, and I had Amazed~ Lonesome Star, for him. Many songs through out the years have spoke to both of us (I think Frank has done the updated version of love songs and such on a cassette to a CD of such songs for me. I think he stills has the cassette I did for him stashed somewhere!) (I might puke this is so mushy)! We don't do mushy too much...we don't even really like PDA...sometimes we hold hands...not much though...

But the one we got married to was a song called I Will Be There~Steven Curtis Chapman. I LOVE the words...

I Will Be There

Tomorrow morning if you wake up

and the sun does not appear,

I will be here.

If in the dark we lose sight of love

Hold my hand and have no fear,

'Cause I will be here

Chorus:

I will be here when you feel like being quiet;

When you need to speak your mind, I will listen.

And I will be here when laughter turns to crying;

Through the winning, losing, and trying, we'll be together,

'Cause I will be here.

Tomorrow morning if you wake up

And the future is unclear,

I will be here.

As sure as seasons are made for change,

Our lifetimes are made for years,

So I will be here.

Chorus:

I will be here, so you can cry on my shoulder;

When the mirror tells us we're older, I will hold you.

I will be here to watch you grow in beauty,

And tell you all the things you are to me

I will be here.

I will be true to the promise I have made,

To you and to the One who gave you to me.

As sure as seasons are made for change,

Our lifetimes are made for years,

So I, I will be here.

We'll be together and I will be here.

So that was just a sappy moment from me...I was trying to remember the name of the song and the artist and had to call Frank...he's now teased me about that...I can remember the important things like my birthday or Mother's Day...but the actual day of our anniversary I have to sit and think about it...my life's curse I suppose.

Poem

Halloween~Marc Hammond

The butchers knife goes in, first, at the top

And carves out the round stemmed lid

The hole of which allows the hand to go

In to pull the gooey mess inside, out-

The walls scooped clean with a spoon.

A grim design decided on, that afternoon,

The eyes are the first to go,

Isosceles or trapezoid, the square nose
The down-turned mouth with three

Hideous teeth and, sometimes,

Round ears. At dusk it's

Lighted, the room behind it dark.

Outside, looking in, it looks like a

Pumpkin, it looks like ripeness

Is all. Kids come, beckoned by

Fingers of shadows on leaf-strewn lawns

To trick or treat. Standing at the open

Door, the sculptor, a warlock, drops

Penny candies into their bags, knowing

The message of winter: only the children,

Pretending to be ghost, are real.

I thought this was a cute little poem for Halloween this week.

Words of Wisdom

"If you want to remember something you have to do it OVER 20 times, scientist say..."

~Words of Wisdom provided by
~Ian Alan Paulson


Frank and Ian were driving to practice and Ian told his daddy this out of the blue. It just cracked me up!


For the anniversary gig, I am looking at doing The Seattle Underground Tour...I have been, but it was AGES ago, somewhere between 6Th-8Th grade. Frank has never been. I had a great time doing the tour, it was a lot of fun. Then, since we are in Seattle we are going to try and go out to eat somewhere in Seattle...I am tossing around The Cheesecake Factory, The Old Spaghetti Factory, Ivar's (the really nice one on the water)...this all really depends on if we have money. If not my back up plan is dinner made at home a la' me and rent a movie or whatever...play some Wii games or something...

Ian is at his last Monday night game, so I hope he has fun. Secretly there are a lot of us parents hoping that this week will be the last week of football...this weekend is the playoff games...if they lose no more football...if they win...well.... I think we are all ready to have football be over and done with, we'll see how Ian feels when the flier comes home again in March. Ian has improved SO much I am so proud of him. He really is picking the game up and even though he'll tell you he's ready for it to be over, he really has enjoyed himself, well the latter part of it anyway. I think he's ready for basketball...we'll see about that.

Lots of sick people around these parts lately...hoping those people get well!

And speaking of sick...this really has nothing to do with it, but last night I served homemade Sweet and Sour Chicken...homemade sauce the whole bit. My kids turned their noses up at it (went over like a fart in church) and fussed and whined about having a PB&J sandwich...Which I DON'T do that...well I take that back...there are very RARE situations in which I do let them make something different. Like if it's something that makes them gag. We all have food we just will NOT eat...(the kids don't know that's what I go by...and they haven't figured it out yet) This meal was not one of those meals. So last night was 'fun'. Tonight I serve leftovers...Lee and Ian both beg for a sandwich...and I said no, that wasn't on the list of options. So I tell him he can have some chicken and dip it in ketchup (he also asked for mustard...SICKO!) Anyway, he finally agrees to this meal...2 1/2 FULL chicken breast later!!!! This kid is a garbage disposal and a scary one at that!! Almost 3 chicken breast!!! Then he complains that his tummy hurts and I say well quit eating..that's your body saying ENOUGH! So he shoves another bite in his mouth and I looked at him and he said: 'Mom, my tummy said ONE more bite'. *shaking my head*


This kid...I tell you...lives his life to the beat of a different drum!

Good night one and all! I'm off to forget myself in a book...(more on that to come)

Coin Toss

In less than a month it will be our anniversary...we've been together 11 years and been married 9 of those. Sure seems like a lifetime at times...an eternity really (I sorta say that in jest...sorta). Anyway, in an effort to keep things fun and exciting I had this idea. My idea was that we'd flip a coin...one side Frank plans the anniversary and the other I plan the anniversary. I'm sure other people have thought of this, I'm just that slow.

Frank thought it would be fun to take a shot at it and we went ahead and flip a coin. And wouldn't you know it, I won the flip. The jury is still out on whether that is a good thing or not.

So this is where you guys come in...I NEED ideas!! Now that I got myself into this I am unprepared. Our anniversary date is November 18Th. I am open to suggestions from dinner at home to a night out on the town...I'll worry about money later when it comes down to the brass tacks of it all.

So folks...send me your ideas and suggestions! I don't even have a starting point, so anything would be great!

Thank you!



p.s. Nice to finally have Blogger working after it started acting up...what a pain!

Blast From the Past

A few weeks ago or so...give or take. I went to a baby shower for the momma in red and her newest fella. I have known all these ladies from high school but, have recently through Facebook, reconnected with them. This baby shower was a lot of fun and it was really great finally getting together with these ladies and their children, (all boys except for 1 girl...must be a North Bend thing in the water there). It was also good to see Ms. Jaime...who is lives vicariously through the rest of us. Pretty sure after the party and the kids all crying at once...lets see that was 6 boys total, that she's gonna wait some more. Which is OK because we need someone to live vicariously through too...if for nothing else to remember what it was like B.C. (before children)! Anyway, we all got together and celebrated Ms. Amber's little baby boy! He's a cutie by the way! Nice, round, and chubby! My kind of baby...something to hold!

I had a great time reconnecting with people we lose touch with when we graduate and we get started living our lives. I hope to keep up with these relationships and having some play dates in the future, it will be a blast I'm sure.

Ladies...take care! Glad we finally had a chance (thru Amber) to get together!

Chili and Tookies

So on Friday we went to Frank's parents house for a Chili feed and carve pumpkins...and of course to decorate tookies (cookies). This year the in laws made it quite easy and gutted the pumpkins for us...and by us I mean Frank...I can't remember the last time I carved a pumpkin. I like to help with the decorating of the sugar cookies...and when I use the word help...I say that loosely...I eat them.

So here are the boys and Frank doing the carving of the pumpkin...see how original they are...my fellas don't use stencils..they free hand it...and yes we were the first ones done. To be honest with you my kids are just there to use the carving knife...they fight over it.

Here Frank goes to work and I LOVE Eli touching his daddy's leg. As if to say I'm here if you need my help dad! And Daddy didn't need his help so he went off to do something more entertaining. Isn't his shirt cute? I thought it was spooktacular!I love this man. He drives me insane and I personally think he enjoys seeing me go off my rocker (and I think he does it on purpose) now and again, but I do love him.The Tookie Decorating table (I say tookie cause that's what one of my nephew's call it, and I think it's cute). With Grandma at the helm getting the sprinkles and icing out to use, I took a picture...then I came to check out what was available.So the Mother in Law made pumpkins, bats, and ghosts...these are my interpretations of said cookies. The ghost didn't make it home and the other two shortly followed suit once I got home and got everyone in bed. This is what really makes me feel like the holidays are upon us, once the MIL makes sugar cookies...kinda means the ball has started rolling. Only to go faster and faster until it bowls me on over.Our finished pumpkin...Hey Jack...what's up!?!The fellers...This is Eli's last 'first' holiday. It is VERY sad for me...my chest gets tight and I have a hard time breathing...the air has been SUCKED out of my chest...so let's not go there or think about it. Thanks!The in laws who host the party. Grandpa carved the witch and said it was Grandma...the kids thought that was hysterical. Wonder how much doo doo he was in after we all left?After we decorated tookies and carved pumpkins we take them outside and light them and get our pics taken. The grandparents bring the kids inside and give them a goodie bag with little things in them. Usually there is something in there like flashlight or something like that. What they do is turn all the lights off in the house and then Grandma starts out and tells a 'scary' Halloween story and then they go around the circle and each of the kids tell a story.

My children crack me up. We are not big celebrators of this holiday, just not my favorite but then again I really don't have a favorite holiday. Actually I'm just not wild about holidays in general. I don't let my kids dress up as scary things and I don't go all out with decorations at my house. I'm not wild about the candy they get either. I actually give them that night to eat as much as they can and then I throw it all away. This year though I might let them sell their candy to the Ortho guy and make some money. That will go over better than me telling them they have to chuck the candy.

So back to the story telling, my kids try to get in as many words they know that are related to Halloween in their story. Lee starts out with...it happened on a spooky night and he was walking to a house and in that house was a witch, who saw a skeleton who tried to catch a bat. It was a farting bat but it flew over a pumpkin...and so it went on. It was pretty funny!Here is Eli trying to get into his goody bag from Grandma and Grandpa. I still like the shirt.

We all had a good time and I know the kids had a great time! They love it all! All the food and soda and candy and tookies they can eat. No one tells them that's too much decorating icing on the cookie...(OK well I might but that's only cause it has to make it through 8 children and one Auntie) SHARE PEOPLE!

And on that note, have a great night/day.

Spoiling Myself

So this weekend I have been spoiling myself and reading the book Dead Poet's Society. I have never read this book and so far, it's really good! The last book I read was Marley and Me...I'm embarrassed to say that it took me almost a year to finish! If anyone knows me...that's not normal. I LOVE to read and I miss it terribly! I miss my friends and I NEED my escapes and I haven't had them for a LONG time! So that's what I have been doing this weekend. And now I'm off to finish the book and I hope to start another book after that one.

What are the books you guys are reading? I'm always up for a good recommendation...they may sit at my house for a lifetime until I get to it but I like knowing what's being read out there. I read all kinds of books...well so far anyway.

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I want to give a shout out to a man whose like a dad to me and an Uncle to my children...don't ask how it works out that way but it does. So happy birthday Carmen! I hope you had a great day and ate some great food! Love ya bunches!!!

Music

This picture I took back in May of this year...it really speaks to me right now. All the thorns and a rose bud manages to push through all that.

I really enjoy music and all kinds of it. At different times in my life and through different people in my life I have been introduced to an eclectic variety. I like rock, country, oldies, jazz, classical, hip hop,...country. I always come back to country though. My most favorite country artist is Garth Brooks...sigh...his concert was the best concert I have ever been too. He is quite the performer...I was 7 rows away from him...OK I'm now wiping the drool from the corners of my mouth now.

Well back to what I was talking about...music. Music has always been there for me and I can always find some song that I can relate to my life...and there have been many...many of them.

This song is from a country group called Lady Antebellum and the song is called I Run To You.

Mostly the chorus speaks to me and the last 3 weeks of my life...except I don't know who I'm running to...just running.

I Run To You

I run from hate

I run from prejudice

I run from pessimists

But I run too late

I run my life

Or is it running me

Run from my past

I run too fast

Or too slow it seems

When lies become the truth

That’s when I run to you

Chorus

This world keeps spinning faster

Into a new disaster so I run to you

I run to you baby

And when it all starts coming undone

Baby you’re the only one I run to

I run to you

We run on fumes

Your life and mine

Like the sands of time

Slippin’ right on through

And our love’s the only truth

That’s why I run to you

Devotional

When I joined my mommy group and was a steering member we were told we needed to do a devotional to share with our group. I SO didn't want to do this. I H-A-T-E talking in front of people, even if it's people I know. I hated it in high school and I still hate it as an adult. I guess the only thing I have going for me is that now I don't go beat red or blush incessantly while I'm speaking...I just cry.

This was a stretching moment...which I'm pretty sure I could have done with out. So I have an idea of what I want talk about. But it's a matter of making it come together and making some sort of sense. And to also get through it with out sobbing. So my subject was trust...something I have been dealing with and trying to come to terms with? I guess? Last year sometime a bible verse was spoken and it caught my attention and I've held onto it ever since.

So here is what I said and read. I started out with my childhood was crappy and because of that I have always worried about bills, money and making sure that we have our basic needs taken care of. Life is stressful and when you add children to it, well life just gets interesting. I worry about Frank's job, just cause it's Boeing and I don't trust Boeing...don't trust them any farther than I can throw the company...which isn't far in case anyone was wondering. I heard this verse:

Jeremiah 29:11

'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'

The other passage I read is from,

Luke 12:22-34

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food , and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all the such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So pretty much, I need to quit worrying about stuff and trust that God will take care of me and my family. That worrying is getting me no where and not helping me or my family. Not helping my marriage to worry about money and jobs and not helping my kids worrying like I do. So I am trying really hard to trust...

Zebra Parking Lot

I just thought this was beautiful! I love the colors and Fuschia's are one of my favorite plants next to the Gladiolas. Someday I will own a Fuschia tree and many Fuschia hanging plants. Someday...someday my boys will leave my stuff aloneSo we went to the zoo and met in the Zebra Parking Lot...not really! Today the kids had a day off, something or other for teachers. Probably picking their noses in a meeting. So today we went to Point Defiance Zoo. I took my nieces and nephew along with my children (if you are adding that in your head it's 8 of us) and then we met a friend of mine there...So all together the adults were outnumbered (2 of us) and the kids were the majority (9 of them).

After a few illegal turns and a couple of right turns and a round about way of getting there, we made it to the zoo. And just a tip, just because the GPS says something doesn't mean you should...I'm just putting that out there! Now you know, and if you watched G.I Joe you can finish that sentence.

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the zoo today. This is Dru when we are in the Aquarium. I think everyone had a great time in the Aquarium, I think we spent a good portion of the time in all the Aquariums.Davey Jones Locker

Sparky flirting with his momma!Santa's Reindeer have been spotted. It looks like they are doing well and getting their winter coat and beefing up for their arduous day coming about.

OK, well I must go. We had a great time and everyone was so good and we were one of the last people to leave the zoo. We spent at least 5 hours at the zoo and probably could have stayed more and looked at more things. I had a good time getting to know my nieces and nephew better and spending some time with a missed friend and her children. Here is to more zoo trips in the future!

The Tux

Okay for all of you who are trying to envision in your head what an 80's tux would look like. Here it is...

This is Lee, this was taken in October 2006. He's so handsome!So the tux is burgundy as you can see and ruffles and the pants part is velvety feeling. It has a cute little bow tie that goes with it, but my kids wouldn't keep it on, so I didn't bother.

His smile hasn't changed a bit. He still looks that way. And he's the ONLY one that sorta looks like me. I'm still giving Eli the benefit of the doubt, but Dru and Ian...they look like their daddy!

A little bit of history here, but the rocking chair Lee is sitting on was Frank's when he was little. If I remember the story correctly, and there is a chance that I don't...but I believe Frank's grandfather made the rocking chair for each of the kids. So lots of heirlooms.There is not enough ink or paper to print them all let alone enough wall space. I would need a museum for all the pictures I want up.
OK, so that's it. I don't have Ian or Dru's pics with this on the computer...lack of a scanner and all. So now you know what I put Sparky in on Monday.

Take care!

One of THOSE days

So on Tuesday I took Eli to get his picture taken at the old Wally Mart. And that's where it all started. I have an outfit that a friend of mine lends to me, it's an 80's tux. I have had all my boys pictures taken it and I swear every time we wait just a wee bit too long. I almost had to sit on Eli to get the shirt to button up.

So we get to Walmart and to the Picture people. I get there and fill out my paperwork, you know the usual. Your name, address, number and then down at the bottom they want to know your kids name. So I put down his name.

We go back and we get settled and narrow down the backgrounds and start the business of picture taking. While they get Eli settled and posed just right they are cooing at him and trying to get him to smile and all the goofy stuff we do to get kids to laugh and smile. We are finally ready for picture and they are doing their thing and Eli is doing his. Smiling and being cute and doing his thing. As photographers are taking the pictures they keep saying the name Dru. Which I couldn't figure out and I actually looked around the place once when they said Dru. So when they were taking his pictures they kept calling Eli, Dru and I couldn't figure it out, it took me a long time to figure out why they were. Have you guys figured it out? I bet you are quicker than I was. They were calling Eli, Dru because when I was filling out the paperwork when I first got there the child's name I put down was....Dru! Once I figured that out I started laughing so hard...I can't believe I did that!

The funniest part was I had to tell the girls I had given them the wrong name, THAT was gonna go over well. So I go over to the computer where they go over the pictures with you and I looked at them both and said well I have to tell you something and just keep in mind that I'm one of THOSE mothers. They both just stood there and blinked at me several times...you know...blink...blink...blink. So I told them that I had accidentally given them the wrong name for the child's name...I don't think they quite got it so I had to really explain myself. I said I had put one of my other kids names down and not this baby's name, that his name was NOT Dru but really it was Eli. They both sat there looking at me blinking and then chuckled nervously. I knew what was going through their heads...CRAZY lady! Or they were thinking this...KIDNAP! Or as Frank so nicely put it (and yes he found this quite funny) they might be thinking that I've just grabbed some random child and decided to have their picture taken. Either way, they just looked at me and chuckled nervously. (yes folks, it gets better).

So we continue on with looking at pictures and I'm looking at their ads for different things and finally stop to look at their club special. So I start doing some math in my head, never a good idea, and since I can't figure out the total I ask the girls. I ask them to do some quick math for me. What I was looking at was the picture special and then times that by how many little people I had. Well the special was $7.99. And for some reason this is what I said to them.

"Quick do some math for me. What is $14 times 4? "

They just looked at me blinking...blink...blink...blink. And I just sat there blinking...blink..blink..blink. Then it dawns on me, where the HELL did I get $14? So I just looked at the girls and said where did $14 come from? $7.99 times 4 is NOT $14? What the heck? They again just looked at me...again. See a pattern here? What I was trying to figure out was $7.99 times 4 was...needless to say it really ended up having nothing to with me buying their deal or not. So I just looked at them an apologized and said I was the ambassador from LA LA Land (took that from a friend) and to please just either laugh with me or just ignore everything I've just done. Again they just chuckled nervously. Pretty sure they went home and told their families about this one crazy lady who they are pretty sure took some kid off the street to take their picture, what a weirdo!

Well I hope that little bit of a story cracked you up cause I'm still laughing here! What mother can't keep their own kids name straight! I'm lucky if I remember who I am or who I'm with.

On another note, I live in an infirmary and of 6 people in this family their are 2 of us who aren't sick. All 4 of them have ear issues, all of which have popped or drained at one point or another. I think I have become an germaphobic. My skin is crawling every time I am near these people!!! Hacking lungs up and draining things with who knows what coming out of their ears! And then there is Frank...I am working hard on being more compassionate towards this man while he is sick, but it's hard when the man makes me nauseous. (Just had a bad shiver just thinking about it. ) Anyway, I hate this time of year because I feel like we are sick all the time and someone or another has a germ and you just can't get away from it (secretly I now understand why my father in law walks around his house with a Lysol can dousing everything anyone has ever touched, ssshhh...don't tell him I said that though).

On a more annoying note (and sorry to those of you who don't agree with this or work in a school...just one woman/mother's opinion) but I had to get Ian from school today because he had a slightly elevated temperature and his ear was hurting and he was shivering. I was asked to come get him, I didn't have the option to just say give it 10 minutes and see what happens. Well, Ian is notorious for milking things for all they are worth and I was/am skeptical (and yes I know that's horrible, but I am/was). So I get there and she's all atwitter cause his temperature has gone way up, to 100. Because I am who I am, I just looked at her and said oh? Instead of saying well of course it would be! You had a heat pack on him, he came in from recess so he was running around, he's in winter clothing under neat a blanket, yes I think his temp would be high. But I didn't. I don't like confrontation. So I'm unimpressed as it is (with myself and her), but I get more annoyed when she tells me that their is a new school policy. I said oh? Well apparently the new policy is that kids can't come back to school for 24 hrs from the time she takes his temp if there is a fever. She tells me I'm not allowed to bring my kid to school tomorrow because of that. I did look at her though with my most unimpressed mom face (have that picture in your head?) and told her what an annoying and silly new policy that was and walked out the door.

Stupid I tell you! So now I get to have kids home...and Lee doesn't want to stay home he wants to go to school...I was going to just keep him home for the rest of the week if that was the stance the school was going to take. We have Friday off, why the heck bother with Thursday? Oh well...I'm outnumbered...and I just know this whole stupid scare on the Swine Flu is the cause of all of this and THAT annoys the hell out of me.

On that note, a small apology for the length of today's post. Just have had a lot going on the last few days.

Take care all!

Walk Like A Man...Talk Like A Man...

About two days ago I believe Eli figured out that he could walk with out holding onto stuff. Once he figured it out he's been walking around all over the place. I know this is a long video...but most of it is of Eli walking to his big brothers and how big he thinks he is. Which we all know he is! The year has gone by WAY too fast for me. It saddens me but at the same time how exciting!

Sorry the video is blurry or whatever it is, you'll see. Things are getting exciting over here at our household...

Testing...Testing 1..2..3..4

Okay folks...everyone keeps telling me I keep having the same kid over and over again. So here's the test for you...who is who? Can you get the right kid?

P.E. Specialist

The other day Lee came home from school and we asked to see his bag to look at the papers that the school sends home. Pretty typical of what we do when they get home. So the other day was not any different.



But yet little did I know, the school is trying to step their game up. Frank and I received from the school a little piece of paper for Lee. Because it's so funny I'm just going to type word for word what it says. And then you guys can decide for yourselves.



Here's the note:



Skipping

Your child needs help with their skip. Please practice with them. To get them started, have them step on one foot, then hop on that same foot. Then alternate to the other foot. Repeat.



With just a little practice, they will master the skipping action.



Thanks for you help.



(the teachers name)

P.E. Specialist



PLEASE tell me the rest of you are laughing hysterically!?! Cause I have been off and on all day. Who gets homework in PE? And then on top of it all, it's signed the PE specialist? Well if they are the specialist I think that they are more qualified than I to teach my child to skip...cracked me up!! And to send home directions on how to skip...if as an adult you don't know how to skip don't you have bigger things to worry about than that? Who doesn't know how to skip (sides my kid)?



Anyway, thought I'd share that with you, gotta love the schools sometimes.

Marriage

The Miracle of Marriage

There's a miracle

called marriage that

dwells deep with in

our hearts,

where God the loving

Father tenderly bonds

the start.

But to every man and

woman where this union

of love will bind,

they must strive to see

the other as a treasure

hard to find.

And therein lies the

miracle of a marriage

meant to be, and may

it be blessed by

God the Father

for all the

world to

see.

This was given to Frank and I as a wedding gift and it hangs in our room. Today it caught my eye like it has several times before. This time the part where it says: ...they must strive to see the other as a treasure hard to find. That's what came through this time.

Now to apply it. Although I have to say I will probably fit a nap into today also...so much on my list of things to do!

Have a good day.