What We've Been Up To

This is how my Christmas Break started. I realized that the bag in my vacuum cleaner needed to be changed - badly. Then I vaguely remembered that I may have sucked up an earring several weeks ago. This followed. It was not pretty. Or healthy for my lungs. Or anything I would ever recommend doing.

The verdict: No earring.



This is my favorite part about my husband being (almost) done with his EMT class. He gets some much needed down time with the boys, and I get a chance to breathe.



They can't just control the entire household, they have to have the crowns to prove it. Even the build-a-bear gets a crown. My position in this family has been knocked down even farther than I thought.

Christmas Break would not be complete without trashing the entire dining room and turning it into a tent.

I was shocked and amazed that he was taking the time to do a paint by number. My amazement faded quickly. His picture still looks exactly like that today.

Present time. Apparently he was excited to get this CD.

Here is our future doctor. He loves anything that has to do with bones, muscles, and blood. I would be OK with a doctor in the family, so we'll support this little venture as far as he takes it! Right now he's a madman with the blood pressure cuff.

Christmas Story....with a little twist

The Christmas Story according to the 3 yo:

"Do not be afraid!

The angels will be with you.

Mary had a little lamb.

The end."

It's Official

I am officially on Christmas break. Except for a ten hour meeting at school on Monday...other than that, I'm officially on break.


My husband's EMT class is officially over. Except for 10 hours of state board practicals tomorrow and the written portion at some unknown date....but the CLASS portion is officially over.


I am officially done Christmas shopping. Except for the moments when I realize, "Oh no, I forgot such-and-such teacher".....or bus driver....or mailman....or the Kirby salesman who appeared at my door last night.....other than that, I'm done shopping.

I have officially forgotten how to diet. I rejoined WW online 6 months ago and have lost a total of -3 pounds. (Don't forget...algebraically speaking, minus a negative is plus a positive....i.e. 7 - (-3) = 10. ) Grrrr.

I am officially turning my 3 yo into a TV junkie. It really wasn't very difficult; I believe he came hardwired that way. I, on the other hand, am getting quite a bit accomplished for Monday's meeting.

I am officially out of time. Lunch calls, the bus will be here soon, and I really must TURN OFF PBS.

Baking Day

I have these four friends. I know I have mentioned them before, but just to refresh your memory, these are the we-all-used-to-live-in-the-same-town-and-work-in-the same-school-and-they-all-moved-away-from-me friends. Two of them live within a reasonable driving distance, the other is 9 hours away.

In an effort to see each other now and then, and to get some Christmas baking done, we have established a December baking day. Two of them came, this one did not think the 9 hour drive was worth it. We were thoroughly offended.


This is the before shot. A few things had been unloaded, but the day had not yet gotten underway.



Here we are at some point during the morning. Nothing says HOT like domestic (sometimes I pretend) women in sweats and an apron.



This friend is the candy maker. She is in charge of peanut brittle and toffee. None of the rest of us attempt that madness. And while we are all relatively capable of dipping pretzels, hers are picture perfect while ours are.....well.....not.



This is the job that the not-so-skilled Christmas goody bakers get assigned. I'm wondering why I am still wearing that apron. I guess to protect my very important t-shirt and sweats.



And just when you thought we couldn't add anymore craziness to the day, our kids were there too. Well, not the 20 year old son, he decided this wasn't his idea of a good time.

The kids "helped" for awhile and then resorted to hot wheels under the cookie table. We were thinking hot wheels would have been a good idea from the very beginning.



And finally, the after picture. Eight hours later we had peanut brittle, toffee, pretzels, gingerbread men, sugar cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and gingersnaps. It ended up being a crazy, out-of-control amount of food.

At least now I'll know who to blame when my jeans don't fit.

So this is how our morning started....

My 3 yo came to me and said his tummy was hungry. The way he said it was so cute, so I replied, "May I make you some oatmeal?"

"Sure!" he replied.

And then he said, "Mom, I let you do lots of things."

Bwwaaahhhaahaaaa!!!

Then my 7 yo appears at the table.

He says, "What kind of oatmeal is this? It looks pink."

To which I replied, "It's Strawberry."

"This is not the kind I ordered!"

"WHAT?"

"This is not the kind I ordered. I ordered Maple Brown Sugar." Thankfully, he did not say any of this in a hateful way, but still.....we're gonna have a little conversation.

And on a completely unrelated note, as soon as breakfast was finished, my 3 yo looked at me with the most serious face and said, "I'm officially assuming I cannot watch a mean movie."

Right on, buddy. That's the first logical thing anyone has said this morning.

The Glass Half....

FULL: Girls' weekend with lots of shopping, fine dining, and present wrapping. Ahhh...

EMPTY: Monday morning arrived. Back to the real world.

FULL: Monday evening ushered in a snow storm which brought us not one, but TWO days with no school.

EMPTY: Monday evening ushered in a snow storm which brought my husband not one...or two...but several fire/EMS calls, very little sleep, and a massive final to study for (well, that wasn't the snowstorm's fault).

FULL: The boys were thrilled with the snow.

It appears to make a tasty snack. I hope the dog didn't pee there. Or the 68 other places in the yard where he ate the snow.

EMPTY: Where is my other son, you ask? Inside on the couch with a fever. And a headache, a stomachache, a sore throat, and pink-eye. What?? I'm thinking someone was milking it for all it was worth; however, I have proof of the fever, the pink eye, and the contents of the stomach.

FULL: The sickness was incredibly short-lived, he didn't have school anyway, and the only thing that really required treatment was the pink-eye.

EMPTY: My three year old is in rare form - hitting, flinging ornaments off the tree, and dumping an entire brand new bottle of shampoo into the bathtub.

FULL: I am getting really creative in the consequence department.

EMPTY: And really grumpy, fed up, and just plain not very nice.

FULL: In spite of that, it seems I should end on full.....it is -2 outside and I am blessed with a cozy, warm house. It's all about perspective. I wish I could remember that the other 23 hours and 56 minutes of the day.

This is what happens....

when you neglect to actually hang up the Christmas stockings.

I believe the correct title of the game is "Santa Feet Wars."

Materials needed: 4 Christmas stockings

Object of the game: Obliterate your brother

How to win the game: Be the one who isn't crying.

Catching Up...Again

I feel like this is all I do....play catch up.

I catch up on the laundry, catch up on getting the house clean again, and catch up with friends whom I haven't talked with for awhile.

And once again, I am playing catch up online. To keep it short, here are the bests and worsts of the past week.

Worst Moment - Grandma forgot to pick up my boys from preschool and the bus stop on Tuesday. Long story. Lots of panic. Turns out God really does take care of the details! There were way too many weird things for it to all be coincidental.

Best Moment - Black Friday shopping with my husband. We didn't go crazy early, but we still saw a lot of crazy people.

Worst Food - Definitely sauerkraut. Ick.

Best Food - Better be mom's cherry pie on Sunday. My favorite!

Worse "First" - Life wouldn't be complete without a dog issue. I finally, finally, finally got a leash on the dog. We walked around for a little bit and then she freaked out. The good news is I was able to hold onto her leash. The bad news is she somehow slipped right out of her collar, which was, of course, attached to the leash. Back to square one. AGAIN.

Best "First" - I wasn't sure about this one, so I asked my boys. They knew the answer right away - their first trip to Build-a-Bear. They had gift cards to use, which helped defray the large amount of money it takes to stuff a bear. They loved the trip, and their excitement was contagious....until the lady who checked us out told us that they could register their pets at buildabearville.com. I am probably the only U.S. citizen who did not know this, but seriously? Another virtual pet? Forgive me for sounding old, but can we not just take home a nice little teddy bear?

I just spent the last two-and-a-half hours online trying to figure out the Build-a-bear world. That's exactly what I had on my agenda this morning.

I'm hoping for a better "first" sometime in the next two days. Stay tuned....

First Day

He's been begging, we've been waiting, and then we caved.

Now we are hoping it is not just a passing stage.

Today was Piano Lesson #1. He LOVED it and cannot wait for next week.

He plays his new little songs really well. The singing....well...not so much.

He's A Laugh-a-Minute

I love three year olds. Yes, they can be exhausting, but they say the most hilarious things. Here's a sampling of what we have heard this past week.

"He contanimated it? Yuck! What does contanimated mean?"

"I want a hangaber (pronounced han-guh-ber) for lunch."

"Hey mom, look at this blade. It's a cut grass offer."

"Good night, sleep right, don't let the bed bugs tight."

"I just about fell down the stairs, but I easily saved myself."

"Here is a sun reflector. Everyone needs a sun reflector."

"These pants make me too hot. It's because they are long-sleeved."

"Can we go snow skiing when we get home?"

"I hope (insert preschool student here) listens in preschool today, because when he doesn't, my teacher gets grumpy."

Friday the 13th

I am not superstitious and do not usually give Friday the 13th a second thought.

But today it came swooping in and made a landing in our house.

Three year old style.

It began this morning when he asked me if he could have money in his wallet like his brother. I told him his brother earns his money by doing some extra jobs to help out. He thought that sounded like a good idea.

An hour later it was time to fold laundry, a perfect "extra job". I gave him a little pile of socks to match. Exactly 5 pairs. 10 socks. Each pair different enough to not be confusing. No extras. This was not difficult.

My 3 yo seemed to have forgotten this battle of the wills that he and I had some time ago. One year and nine months ago, to be exact, so I have to cut him a little slack.

You would have thought I asked him to mop every floor in the house. It quickly went from an extra job to mommy-asked-you-to-do-this-so-get-busy-now moment. Forty-five minutes of sobbing, screaming, forced crying, and whining ensued. Over socks! No playing, no snack, no drink, no moving from that area until the socks are matched. Period.



At about exactly minute 47, he stopped and cheerfully said, "Oh, I think I can do this." And he did.

Five minutes later he spilled his entire drink all over the kitchen floor. I took off his soaking-wet pajamas (yes, he was still in his pajamas). He went to his room to get some new clothes.

Two minutes later I hear this, "Mom!! I peed in here!" I was so hoping "in here" was the bathroom.

Nope. I finished the kitchen floor, grabbed the carpet cleaner, and armed myself for some pee clean-up.

A few short hours later I hear this, "Mom! I pooped!" I responded brilliantly, "In the toilet, right?"

Nope. On the floor. While standing up to pee.

An hour later we headed out for Taco Bell and a grocery run. While at Wal-Mart, he had three, yes THREE tantrums, about us not buying what he wanted. Once ended in a trip to the bathroom, another ended in a trip to the car. The poor child just could not understand why we would not let him go into Dillons after that.

Technically, it could have been worse. I would have bet anyone $100.00 that he was going to top off the day by throwing up at Taco Bell. Thank the Lord I was wrong.

Divine Inspiration

Tonight when I picked up my three year old from church, he came running to me with a cute little headband with pointy ears on his head. If you have ever met my little guy before, you know there is a good chance something entertaining will accompany his new look.

Me: Oh, look at you! (Isn't that what every mom says?). What are you?

Him: A donkey!

Me: Did you learn about a Bible story with a donkey in it?

Him: Yes!

Me: Was someone riding on the donkey? (At this point I'm thinking we are getting a really early start on Christmas, or it's gonna be Balaam.)

Him: Umm....Bail-ham.

Me: Balaam?

Him: Yes!

Me: What happened in the story?

Him: I don't know. Oh! There was an angel!

Me: What did the angel do?

Him: The angel told the donkey to TALK!!

Me: Wow! So did the donkey really talk?

Him: YES! The donkey talked!

Me: What did the donkey say?

Him: (long pause...) HEEEE-HAAWWWW!! HEEEE-HAAAWWWW!!!

Drawing a Blank

I'm having one of those lulls in the day. You know, when there is not enough time to really start anything, but too much time to let it completely go to waste. So, I sat down to write.

Hmmmmm....

Boring. Nothing's going on. Don't get me wrong, after last week, I am basking in the glory of boring.

And in all honesty, this is a huge week. Meetings, meetings, work, chapel, meetings, but that is also boring.

My kitchen desperately needs some TLC. Do you want to see a picture of that?

My 3 yo is in his room pseudo-sleeping. He's sneaky that way - quiet enough that I don't run in there in a fit of rage, but just enough noise that I know he's not really asleep.

I bought a pair of jeans this weekend a size bigger than my other jeans. Gag. I'm blaming it on the fact that nearly every pair on the rack said "Stretch" on the tag. I'm not too fond of this stretch thing. Never mind the fact that I am losing the never-ending battle with the last five pounds I lost. And never mind the chocolate I am eating at this very moment.

Denial? What denial?

I am so tired I am nearly falling asleep on my computer. But I'm scared to allow myself to go to sleep for fear of not waking up for my haircut appointment. Which would be fairly traumatic since I am one step away from needing to pull out the 1980's hair scrunchies.

Better go get more chocolate.

Brain Overload

There are days when I am so thankful that I am alive in this day and age - modern conveniences, amazing technology, and endless choices and activities to pursue. But then there are days when I think I was born way too late. The list of goals that we are supposed to dream and achieve, and the "simple" programs to help a person accomplish these are overwhelming to say the least. As soon as I get started on one GREAT, LIFE-CHANGING, HEALTHY, IMPROVE-YOURSELF-AND-YOUR-FAMILY thing, something new comes along.

I really am not a band-wagon person. Okay, maybe on some things I am, but not compared to some people I know. Just ask my friends, I'm a balance-kind-of-girl. But I do like to try new things, especially if there is benefit for the health and welfare of me and my family.

Right now, the list of things to research seems endless. Overwhelming. Out-of-Control. Here are just a few of the latest and greatest topics that people are talking about.

Exercise - PX90, Boot Camp, the perfect balance of weights and aerobics, or just plain walking?

Healthy Cooking - all natural, whole wheat, high fiber, no refined sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives, gluten free....help!

Vaccinations - To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That is the question...Two trusted individuals in my life have extreme opposite opinions on this. Who am I kidding, there are way more than two.

Medications - Pharmacy or herbal? Man-made or all natural? And what is best for allergies? It's amazing how difficult the decision is when it goes into your child's body.

Education - Public school, private school, home school, charter schools, online schools....is it summer YET?

Grocery Shopping - Don't even get me started on the couponing thing. Advantages - $$ savings. Disadvantages - it takes a ton of time and is geared mostly toward processed foods. There's always a catch...

And in case you need one more thing, sign up at Fly Lady to learn how to Clean Your House. Just so you know how well this has worked for me, I have exactly 189 unopened emails from her in my Yahoo inbox.

One day at a time, one step at a time.

What I want to do is just put Pizza Rolls in the oven, grab a can of pop, sit on the couch, and let my kids watch TV.

But I won't.

At least not at 9:00 a.m.

A Week in Review

Thursday: FLU
Friday: FLU
Saturday: FLU
Sunday: FLU
Monday: FLU
Tuesday: FLU
Wednesday: FLU
Thursday: FLU

That about covers it.

I'm conservatively hopeful that he is on the mend. I'm moderately sure that I still have my sanity intact, although there were some moments of question. I'm absolutely convinced that the walls of this house are closing in.

Trick and Treat

Bob the Builder...

and the sick one. Wish they were both costumes.

The flu bug played a trick on my 7 yo this year. Three days in and the fever still hit 103.8 today. He was very sad to miss trick-or-treating, but not so sad that he thought his brother should have to skip it too. Someone had to bring home the goods.

It all turned out okay. This may be the first smile we've seen since Thursday.

It's Here

To the tune of Old McDonald Had A Farm....

Welcome to our sickly house
ee-i-ee-i-o
And in my house are lots of germs
ee-i-ee-i-o
With a fever here, and a kleenex there
Here a cough, there a cough, everywhere a cough, cough
Welcome to our sickly house
ee-i-ee-i-o

You don't want to come inside
ee-i-ee-i-o
Cause in this house you'll be exposed
ee-i-ee-i-o
To a fever here, and a sniffle there
Here a sneeze, there a sneeze, everywhere a sneeze, sneeze
You don't want to come inside
ee-i-ee-i-o

This is where the drugs flow free
ee-i-ee-i-o
Tylenol for him and chocolate for me
ee-i-ee-i-o
With some motrin here, and some motrin there
Here some meds, there some meds, everywhere some meds, meds
This is where the drugs flow free
ee-i-ee-i-o


I have officially lost my mind.

My husband is typically a much lighter sleeper than I am. More often than not, if the kids wake up in the night for some reason, he will hear them first. He is up and out of the room before I even realize what is going on.

Last night, however, my eyes popped wide open around 3:00 a.m. It was raining and thundering, and although my kids were still fast asleep, I figured it was only a matter of time.

Being the good wife that I am, I grabbed my pillow and headed to the boys' room. Thankfully, the boys are going through a "special bed" stage, which means they like to throw their blankets on the floor and camp out there together. I don't understand this, but at least there was an empty bed for me to climb into.

So I laid there, waiting for them to wake up, thinking we must have purchased the world's loudest gutters when we built our house.

And I laid there some more, listening to my three year old snore. Loudly. Throw in the thumb sucking noises and the kid was a one-man band. His future wife will need to be so caring, and patient, and above all....deaf.

Finally, at 5:30 I dragged myself out of bed. My gallant effort to be proactive was all in vain.

And I am exhausted.

Ironic that now I am off to drag my kids out of bed for school.

Glass Half Full

I'm feeling incredibly blessed today.

That sounds more like a facebook status than a blog, but that's it. Just blessed.

Nothing particularly great is happening. The floors still need mopping, the laundry is spilling out of the baskets, and I have a day packed with stuff to do.

Maybe it's because my 3 yo slept until 9:00 a.m.?

Seven 7's for a Seventh Birthday

Seven Lists in Seven Categories that describe you on your 7th Birthday. Happy Birthday Buddy!

Favorite Foods

1. Pizza

2. Ice Cream

3. Cheeseburgers

4. Potato Chips

5. Tacos

6. Fruit Snacks

7. Dessert

Favorite Requests

1. Can I have just two more minutes?

2. What can I have for a snack?

3. When can I play on the computer?

4. Will you play a game with me?

5. Can I play the wii?

6. Can we go somewhere?

7. Can you get my brother out of here?

Favorite Places to Go

1. The Lake

2. The Park

3. Grandma's

4. The other Grandma's

5. Miniature Golfing

6. Illinois Trips

7. Any Hotel

Favorite Restaurants

1. Pizza Hut

2. Spangles

3. Quiznos

4. McDonalds (only if it has a Playplace)

5. Taco Bell

6. Chiles

7. Arbys

Favorite Activities

1. Torturing your brother

2. Eating Sugary foods

3. Sports - Baseball, Basketball, Soccer

4. Playing games

5. Building with Legos

6. Riding Your Bike

7. Computer/Wii Time

Favorite Complaints

1. "THAT'S what we're having for supper?"

2. "I don't want to take a bath."

3. "It can't be bedtime already."

4. "I don't want to lay down to rest."

5. "Stop repeating me."

6. "Why do I have to help with that?"

7. "WHAT?!?!?"

Favorite Movies

1. Ice Age 3

2. Madagascar 2

3. Bedtime Stories

4. Cars

5. High School Musical

6. Air Bud

7. Jungle Book

WEDNESDAY:

Internet mysteriously stops working.

Shut down. Unplug. Plug In. Reboot. Nothing.

Try again. Nothing.


THURSDAY:

Still no internet. Grumpy.

Three year old pees all over bathroom floor while sitting on toilet. Grumpier.

Six year old has a meltdown at the dentist loud enough for the whole town to hear. Mad.

Discover dog has chewed through phone wires. Hot.

Put dog up for sale on ebay.


FRIDAY:

Still no internet. Needing to borrow someone's Prozac.

Husband fixes phone wires during lunch. Ahhhhhh.

Dog is forgiven.

IT'S OVER

OVERWHELMED.
OVERTIRED.
OVERLOADED.
OVERWORKED.
OVER-COMMITTED.
OVERFULL.
OVERSTUFFED.
OVERDONE.
OVERBURDENED.
OVERTAXED.

OVER-DRAMATIC.

Did You Know?

**Does anybody know how to get those automatic links off of here? I have noticed it on other people's blogs as well. I do not want those!!


Last week was our annual Teacher Convention in Kansas City. Some years are fantastic and some just okay, but I always manage to walk away with something new. We had a great time in KC, and this year I gleaned the following important information.

• On the average, fathers only spend 4 minutes per day with their children. Really? Four minutes? In that case, my husband gets a gold star for fatherhood.
• Rules without relationship will result in rebellion. Amen to that one.
• You never can be too careful. Make sure all your i's are dotted and t's are crossed, and never assume something "won't matter." I heard about a family who sued their school asking for five years of tuition to be returned to them simply because their son did not get into the college he desired. Then there was the family who created a website called "Destroy ________ Christian School" because they did not feel the school was meeting its accreditation standards. Wow. Something tells me those things don't fit under "What Would Jesus Do."
• Males cannot be trusted. Okay, that may be a bit of an over-generalization, but when it comes right down to it, guys are just as bad at keeping secrets as girls. Nevermind the fact that we girls were the ones who........ummmm....."decorated" their hotel room.
• Even after twelve years of significant changes, I still work with some of the best colleagues ever!
  

I Love Fridays!

Fridays are my day off...in theory. This is the first Friday of the school year that I have actually stayed home the entire day. Not that I have worked on ALL those other Fridays, I just haven't stayed home.

If you would walk in my front door right now, you would never believe I actually spent much of my morning cleaning, but here was my coveted day off. I have to record it for my own personal benefit, because who knows when it will ever happen again.

• Mopped 2 bathroom floors
• Vacuumed carpets
• Scrubbed 1 shower
• Chatted on Facebook (While cleaning, of course.)
• Cleaned mirrors
• Dusted
• Returned phone calls
• Swept kitchen floor
• Washed laundry
• Folded laundry
• Put away laundry (Yes, that deserves three bullet points. All three of those steps in one day is a pretty big accomplishment around here.)
• Began organizing bookshelves in the playroom. Now it looks like a war zone, but progress is in the works.
• Chatted some more on Facebook.
• Built a Bob the Builder set.
• Worked on accreditation.
• Cooked 3 meals. Real meals.
• "Played" Connect Four with the 3 year old.
• Organized the boy's sock and underwear drawers.
• Built a racetrack.
• Read books to my son.

Here is my 3 yo "helping" me mop the bathroom floor. It lasted for about 45 seconds.

In case you are confused, those are ski bibs and snowboots that he is wearing. Not because he is preparing for the arctic blast hitting us this weekend, but because he asks us approximately every 13 hours when we are going to take him snow-skiing. Not that he knows what snow-skiing is, or how to do it; he just knows that daddy skis, it involves snow, and you get to wear those cool blue 'overalls' that he begs for every.single.day.

Personally, the thought of him careening down a mountain on skis makes me want to wait a few more years to go. Like about 30.

Choices

I just got done reading this blog. This girl is an amazing 18 year old. Anyone who has been touched by adoption in any way should take a minute to read it. On second thought, even if you don't know one single adopted person, read it anyway.


At one point in my life, several years ago, I also had my own thoughts and opinions about women who chose to give their baby away. It seemed so heartless and selfish and.....unimaginable. But it didn't take me long to realize what a selfless, amazing act of love it really can be.


I'll be honest, most days I don't even think about the fact that one of my children is adopted. He is such a part of me, such a part of our family, that it doesn't even seem possible that he is not actually blood-related.


Then on other days, such as yesterday when I read that post, the memories become fresh again of our first-hand experience of being the recipient of that kind of love. The kind of love that can endure 10 hours of labor and still choose to let someone else take the baby home. The kind of love that can hold and feed him and still follow her heart about what is best for the child. The kind of love that can stand in the parking lot and watch strangers walk away with her own flesh and blood.

I cannot comprehend what that feels like, but I imagine it somewhat resembles open heart surgery with no anesthesia. How God can heal that kind of pain, I do not know, but I pray that if there can be any comfort for birthmothers, it is in the fact that families longing to love those babies are miraculously pieced together in the process.

For her, it was most likely the hardest decision she ever had to make. For us, it was an answer to prayer. For her, it was giving up the life she had a part in creating. For us, it was welcoming new life into our family. For her, it was somewhat of a nightmare. For us, it was the fulfillment of dreams.

I am not able to wrap my mind around how that all works together and comes out okay in the end. I cannot begin to count the number of times someone has said to me, "I just can't believe she gave him up." I understand what people are meaning when they say this, but my answer usually surprises them.

"I can't imagine what my life would be like if she hadn't."

Reflecting on the Week

*My three year old's favorite phrase this week: "There is bones in your blood. There really is."

*I ran so crazy this week preparing for teacher in-service that I am actually enjoying a Friday night of sitting in the chair and clipping coupons. Now that is sad. So sad.

*I got to sit at the "Young Table" today at school. Woo hoo! Our administrator thought he would be funny by letting the "over-forty" crowd eat first at lunch. It made my day to be considered young again. Granted, everyone else sitting near me was WAY closer to 20 than I could ever dream of being, but none-the-less, I wasn't old. I bet they all went home tonight and clipped coupons too.

*I love, love, love my job. I am exhausted and worn out and brain dead and tired and sleepy.....but I still love it.

*I discovered this week that it is possible to overdose on Sharpie marker fumes.

*It is also possible to go the entire week without washing one dish, doing one load of laundry, or picking up one toy. It's not pretty, but it is possible.

*Yay for the weekend.

Angels in Adoption

Sixteen years ago I met an amazing friend. By chance (ha ha), we showed up at Scholarship Days at our college of choice, started talking, became quick friends, and requested each other as roommates for the upcoming year. We wrote letters all summer and in August of 1993 embarked on the journey we called higher education. I can't even begin to list all of things we got ourselves into that year (some she wouldn't want me to), but we had a great time.

Life took us our separate ways off and on, but in 1996 she reconnected with an equally amazing guy, who proposed to her in front of 500 people at FCA Conference. I had been dating my fiance for 2 years, and we had been engaged for 9 months already, so I think my first words to her were, "Don't you dare get married before me!" What a sweet friend I was. She did not listen to me, and three months later they were married and started on their ministry journey together.

Some people called them crazy, but they quickly jumped into foster parenting and adoption of kids floundering in the system. They did not wait and try and try for years to have their own children, as most people do, they felt God's call to help kids who needed a loving home.

Over the course of several years, they have adopted seven children, ranging in ages from 9 months to 17 at the time of adoption. They have rejoiced in the times of celebration of finalized court dates, and this month cried tears of sorrow when the adoption of twin baby boys fell through. Through it all, their faith is strong, amazingly strong.

Today is a big day in the lives of these friends of mine. This morning they will face the reality that no child wants to face - laying a parent to rest. My friend's loving father passed away last Friday at the early age of 56. Please say a prayer for this family today. They have been on an emotional roller-coaster for several weeks.

Then this evening my friends will board a plane for Washington D.C. In the midst of all the heartache and suffering they have experienced in the past two months, God reminded them of how special they are. They were nominated by Congressman Jerry Moran to receive the 2009 Angels in Adoption award, which recognizes individuals who have made an impact in foster care and adoption. Past recipients have even included Bruce Willis, First Lady Laura Bush, and Muhammad Ali.

So, to these friends of mine...you truly are incredible. You are on our hearts and minds today as you continue to balance your topsy-turvy world. May you feel an immeasurable amount of peace this day as you celebrate your father's life and mourn his passing. My prayer is also that you will be able to relax this week, enjoy the time with each other, and allow people to lavish you with praise! You deserve it!

Progress

If you haven't read yesterday's post, this one is not going to make any sense. Go ahead, I'll wait.

OK, so we have coaxed Dakota inside several times now. Each time she stands at the door whining like she wants in, yet refusing to step over the threshold. Personally, I know she's standing there thinking, "If I just stand here long enough, they will bring out the treats. If I run right back out the door after one, I will score a second."



She is right. It always takes two, and then the work begins.

Check out the results of this venture.

Two adults -- Check.

Calm dog -- Check.

Collar -- Check.

Leash -- Check.

We have not been able to get a collar on her for four weeks. We were pretty proud of ourselves, so my husband headed outside with her for a walk. Two seconds later he came back in with leash and collar in hand, but no dog. It seems as if the collar was not tight enough, and she ran right out of it. Grrr!

Back we went to square one. Door open, two dog treats....blah blah blah. I am, however, proud to report that she once again is wearing her collar (we'll see if it is still on in the morning). No leash or walk yet, because, really, we only have so much time in one day.

More Dog Drama

Have I mentioned that I am not a pet person? Oh yes, I think I have.

We are desperate. I think this dog is giving us some sort of complex. It has been just over a month and we were getting nowhere. One day we would see progress, then the next day...wrong.

Every month we are supposed to give her heartworm medicine and flea/tick medicine. The heartworm medicine is no big deal, it is like a treat that she devours in 3 seconds. The flea/tick medicine is a different story. To do this one, we actually have to get CLOSE to her.

So I have done something I swore I would never do. See these pictures? The dog is INSIDE my house. And not only is she inside my house, we lured her inside with treats. On purpose.

We have even spent our precious time watching Cesar Millan videos and gleaning advice from friends on how to get this dog to overcome her fear of us. Apparently the best way is to get into her space, and force her to spend time with us. That is impossible in an enormous backyard.

So here I am, with a dog walking around the island in my kitchen. So far it is working. I'm guessing by tonight I will actually be able to apply the flea/tick medicine, that is if my husband would stay away. Dakota REALLY isn't fond of adult males.

In the mean time, is it my imagine or is my house starting to smell like dog??

WET DOG.

That Was Then, This Is Now

For the most part, I do not enjoy getting older. I'm only 34 and already my body is reacting in ways I'm not too impressed about.

There are a few things, however, that I do enjoy about this grown-up, responsible, adult life. Okay, there are truly many things I enjoy, but one especially jumped out at me today.

My brother's birthday is tomorrow, so today my mom and I met him for a day of birthday shopping. We had a great time, and it made me stop and think about how things used to be, say, 25-30 years ago.

Then....we would have fought who got to sit in the front seat.
Now....we offered to to each other. "You go ahead and sit in front." "You sure?" "Yeah, I'm fine back here." Wow. Back then you couldn't have paid us enough money to let the other one sit up front.

Then....we walked as far away from each other as possible, pretending we didn't know each other.
Now...we walked beside each other, and actually would have admitted to someone we were related.

Then....the child with the birthday would have gotten to choose. There probably still would have been a fight, and the choice would have been made not according to what the favorite place was, but which place would provide more torture for the sibling.
Now...the birthday boy "chooses," but that includes a couple of choices for us to discuss.

Then....we would have made fun of whatever clothes the other one picked out.
Now....we give honest opinions about what's good and what's not.

Then...we never would have purposely planned a shopping trip together.
Now...we arranged and rearranged to get it accomplished.

Great Day! Happy Birthday!

Random Thoughts

*My three year old is obsessed with the human body. Thankfully, not in the way you are probably thinking. He constantly wants to know what is going on inside the body...bones, muscles, blood, you name it, he likes it. At the doctor's office he stands fixated on the posters on the walls and asks, "What's that?" about every last detail. I can't pronounce 95% of the words, but luckily he hasn't figured out that I'm just faking my way through the answers. Today he came out of preschool with his newly created cardboard binoculars. His first words: "You have to be really careful with my new binoculars because they are made of cartilage!"

*Today my boys sat down to play Sorry together for the first time ever. They set up the board, put out the cards, and started a nice, quiet game. I was shocked at how well they got along -- for 12 whole minutes. Then the 3 year old wasn't listening, and the six year old started yelling, which brought on screaming. Kicking. Time-outs. Crying. Now I know why they named the game "Sorry."

*I dusted my bedroom today for the first time since surgery 4 weeks ago. It's very sad that it has been this long, it's not like the doctor gave me a dusting restriction. However, he did say to "listen to my body" when deciding what I could start doing post-surgery. My body said, "No cleaning."

*The big debate tonight: if sabertooth tigers are extinct. Oh good grief, I am way too tired for this.

Freedom of Speech?

Or just plain obnoxious?

I'm all for freedom of speech in this country, but this week I'm voting for just plain obnoxious. Or crazy. Or rude. Or out-of-their minds. Call it whatever you want.

First it was Congressman Joe Wilson shouting, "You lie!" in the middle of President Obama's speech. It doesn't matter whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, or just plain anti-political, it is still WRONG. That is taking "act first, seek forgiveness later" to a whole new level. If you can't hold your tongue, get out of office.

Then the other night we were watching the U.S. Open. Tennis should be a family-friendly event that we can all watch together, right? Apparently not when Serena Williams is playing. Thankfully the kids had gone to bed before she went on her tirade against the line judge who called her for a foot fault.

The saddest part of the whole thing (other than her berating another human being) is that she completely stole the spotlight from Kim Clijsters, who was unranked and obviously outplaying her belligerent opponent. No one is talking about how great Clijsters performed, everyone is focused on Serena. It makes one wonder if that was her hidden motive behind verbally abusing the line judge. The verdict is still out on whether she will be banned for future events. I'm all for second chances, but if you can't hold your tongue, get off the court.

Finally, I brought up Yahoo this morning and read about Kayne West barging right into Taylor Swift's speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. Seriously? I'm shocked at the audacity of people and depressed by the general lack of respect. If you can't hold your tongue, get off the stage.

I don't want my children to grow up thinking that this is okay. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I'd rather my kids encourge, build up, and compliment others when they speak, and learn to handle things appropriately when they disagree. No one is perfect, and I am thinking of my own faults in this area as I write this. It's not easy to keep our mouths shut. But somewhere along the way it seems like "Freedom of Speech" has turned into "Freedom to Criticize, Condemn, and Attack At Any Given Moment."

Boys Will Be Boys

There's a golf club in the pantry,

I tripped over a dinosaur on the floor.

Who built a farm in the hallway?

I can't take this anymore!

The snakeskin on my kitchen table

Is about more than I can bear.

And what is all that crunchy stuff

All over the dining room chairs?

The bed looks like a jungle,

My dining room table is a tent.

There is a pile of sand on the floor,

And what did he just drop down the vent?

I can't keep up with the job charts,

Or the laundry or making the beds.

The bathroom is a complete disaster,

And is that underwear on their heads?

But then I was gently reminded,

It's like someone whispered from above,

"Remember all those years you prayed

For little ones you could love?"

And it all came rushing back to me,

All the loss, frustration, and tears

All the prayers and pleas and begging,

For days, then months, and then years.

So the house will never be perfect,

And I'll keep stubbing my toes on the toys.

But deep in my heart I'm ever-thankful

For God's gift of these two precious boys.

First Day of Preschool

Well, technically the first day was Tuesday, but I think they frown upon kids with strep entering the classroom. Even on the cherished first day.

I don't think he ever even realized he missed the first day. And hopefully by the time he is old enough to read this, he won't care anymore.

He is already a typical boy.



Me: How was your first day?

Him: Good.

Me: Did you have fun?

Him: Yes.

Me: Did you play with kids?

Him: Yes.

Me: What were their names?

Him: I don't know.

Me: What was your favorite part of the day?

Him: I don't know.

Me: What did you have for snack?

Him: Rotten apples. That was not good.

So Tired

Is it possible for a dog to get strep? 'Cause I'm sure she's next. It's either her or me, so I'm voting for the dog.

I don't want to complain, I know I should be so thankful (at least it's not H1N1), but I am so tired of hospitals, doctors, medicine, thermometers, pillows in the living room, and Madagascar on the TV.

Five days of fever. Three sick males. Two doctors appts. Positive strep test. Three sets of antibiotics. Kleenexes. Tylenol. Motrin. Madagascar for the 13th time. Did someone around here just have surgery? Oh yeah, that was me.

Nevermind. I guess I do want to complain.

I'm just SO.TIRED.


Note to self: Never blog at night. It's bad for positive mental health.

Here We Go...

Three weeks ago we thought someone was breaking into our house at ten o'clock at night. Turns out it was a dog begging (clawing, scratching, crying...) to get into the house. Have I mentioned I'm not a pet person? Even our pet beta croaked last month. We did not feed this poor dog because we knew, of course, that if we fed her, she would never go away.

She stayed on the front porch all night. At 2:00 a.m. my husband tried to chase her away. She was still there the next morning and obviously had no plans to go anywhere. My pet-loving friend came over and helped me get the dog to the County Animal Shelter. And when I say "helped me" I pretty much mean she did it all herself. I signed the paper.

However, through the process we began to notice what a nice dog she was. She was gentle with kids, technically still a puppy, but way past the obnoxious stage, and very timid. We began thinking the unthinkable...should we adopt her? We have one son who is scared to death of dogs, and one who loves them so much he has no common sense around them. They both wanted to keep her.

The Shelter had to hold her for three business days, which landed on a Wednesday. We called to check on her and they said she had been a good dog and was adoptable. We were going to be gone for the entire weekend, so we decided to wait and see if she was still there on Monday when we got back. Plenty of time for a nice family to come along and give her a good home.

Monday came and it soon appeared like we were going to be that nice family. The boys were elated, and I was a bit skeptical. The first three days were great. She would come to us, let us pet her, put her collar on her, and take her for walks. We thought we had adopted the best pet in the entire world. Then she turned into a teenager.

Overnight it seemed as if she decided to love kids and hate adults. She is still great with the boys, but runs from us. Even when we offer her food, she'll stretch waaayyyy out to grab it, and then run. She's not a big self-esteem booster.

Then on day six she ran away. Apparently we have a couple of loose fence boards - or she created a couple of loose fence boards - we're not exactly sure which. We had a few tragic hours at our house, but in the evening she came back. At least she knows not to bite the hand that feeds her. Run -- yes. Bite -- no.

And so the saga continues. Love the kids, snub the nose at the adults and make us feel like idiots. Our only consolation...we should be well prepared for adolescence.

PARANOID

Last month I had to have a CT scan. They told me not to eat or drink anything after midnight and I was to report in at 10:00 a.m. That sounded simple enough to me. I got up the morning of the CT scan, showered, got ready, woke up my boys, started making breakfast, took a bite of peaches and a drink of.....AGH!! I was amazed at how I completely spaced out the fact that I was not supposed to eat or drink anything before my scan!

Yesterday was my gallbladder surgery. and it hit me Thursday night that I could NOT eat or drink anything when I woke up in the morning. You would think that would not be hard to remember, especially in light of it being a SURGERY and all, but I was a bit paranoid that I would mess up. So I prepared...

...the bathroom mirror - most likely the first thing I would see after I got up.

...the kitchen faucet...

...the pantry...

...and the refrigerator...

...which backfired on me since my 6 yo decided to yell at me every time I opened a door with a NO sign on it. I quickly informed him that if he wanted any breakfast that morning or a lunch for school, it would be in his best interest to put a lid on it.

First Day of First Grade

First words I heard this morning: "Mom, I'm a little nervous."

First thing he wanted to do: Go out and play with the dog.

First day of school breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Sausage

First reaction to school clothes: "Oh man, school clothes again. But I like new shoes!"

First morning of getting ready: EASY (If only the whole year would be like this!)

First words when we drove into the parking lot: "Now I'm even nervouser."

First words when he walked out of school: "First grade is not any harder than Kindergarten."

First pictures:

Very proud of his new backpack that we got in Illinois:

So far, so good.

His very sweet teacher.

What's Wrong with this Picture?

When I was a kid, one of my favorite pages in "Highlights" magazine was the "What Is Wrong in this Picture?" page. Lately I've noticed my goofy children have created several small versions of these. Here are a few pics that have made me say, "HUH?"

All In A Day's Work

Last week I watched my sister-in-law's four kids while she went to the dentist. For two-and-a-half hours I barely saw the kids - hers or mine. All six children (ages 10, 8, 6, 5, and two 3 year olds) played together beautifully outside and in the basement. It was a fantastic morning.

So when she asked if I would watch them today so she could take their foreign exchange student shopping, I said, "Sure!". I was looking forward to getting a few things done.

Here are some highlights of the day:

*"He is being mean to me!"

*Ding Dong.

*"Kids, just open the door. It's not locked. You do not have to ring the doorbell."

*Ding Dong.

*Me: "Kids, what are you doing with those Walmart sacks?"
Them: "We are going to put them over the 3 year olds' heads."

*Ding Dong.

*"My mom knows which shoe goes on which foot."

*"I found a roly-poly!"
"Great, you can play with it on the porch."
"NO! I want to play with it inside!"

*Ding Dong.

*"Can we have a snack?"
"What do you want?"
"Those things we had last time."
"Crackers?"
"NO! Those things we had last time."
"What did you have?"
"The things we had last time!!"

It is 10:45 a.m.


**Disclaimer: Lest you think I am not a nice aunt, my kids were fully involved in this list also!!

He's Gonna Kill Me Someday....

But for now I still have the power! This is an old one, but I still love it. However, this is the reason for the tape on his thumbs in the next two pictures.


This is pure 3 yo exhaustion. My 6 yo says he must be dreaming about doing yoga on the Wii Fit.


And my personal favorite.