One gal's life in the raw...

2009-02-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

I love this girl.

Some of our more recent conversations have made my heart smile:

After church the other day, I said, "Honey, go wash your hands really well. You can pick up a lot of germs at church."
Surprised, she said, "Well, I thought God's house would be clean!"

When her hamster died last week, she was very broken up. But in between sobs, she was able to stop and ask, "Will you send me a sympathy card?"

Well, I guess so, since you asked and all...

How to blog without a brain...

2008-09-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I really don't even have anything to write about...it has been ages and ages since I personally blogged, though I read several on a daily basis.
The problem is:
a. I took a new job that allows me to deliver and pick up my precious kindergartner to and from school every day, but it zaps my brain cells...
b. I didn't have many brain cells that were still functioning in the first place.
c. How could my brain cells be functional, when I rarely feel functional?
...and the list goes on from there. Ha ha.
I can't believe the big girl is in school now. It seems like time has flown since she was in my arms...or better yet, my tummy!
I do hope I can blog more again soon. I miss my bloggy friends and enjoy posting ramblings and such.
Until next time...

Pool feet...

2008-06-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Is there anything cuter than wrinkled up pool feet???

Well, except the boy who they belong to....

...of course!

Everything really IS bigger in Texas...

2008-05-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

...including the sky.

And is there a better way to celebrate that fact

than to fly a kite in your own front yard?

I think not!

And honestly, if I'm ever going to fly a kite, which I personally have absolutely NO time for...but I'm just saying IF I ever go fly a kite, I hope I look as adorable as this little gal!

Hungry, anyone?

2008-02-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

Nan wrote this post yesterday about arm loaves that had me cracking up...if you are lamenting the fact that summer is a comin' and you're still carrying around the holidays on your skeleton, you should read it and be encouraged.

I actually remember a time when my grandmother commented that I was gaining a little weight in my arms and we were all thrilled about this! Truly, we were! I had been such an emaciated skinny young gal for so long with some powerhouse for a metabolism that we were all a bit thrilled that I was filling out.

But now...well it's a different story. See, somewhere along the way, the powerhouse laid off about 2/3 of the workers and then some of the other workers went on strike. This has left my metabolism at a snail's pace at best. I've tried coaxing the workers to come back to the powerhouse, offering them better benefits, 401k plans and health insurance. Guess they aren't interested...

Well, happy reading. Guess I better go find some celery sticks or a treadmill or something!

10 things I have done since the last time I blogged...

2008-02-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

Recovered from this like totally rockin' 1980's skating party...like it was totally rad...totally!

Tried to get a decent picture of the 3 children together. Key word: TRIED.

Saw two sweeties celebrate their 1st Christmas!

Nursed (not in the literal feeding way...just fyi...) two babies through RSV.

Saw this little guy fall asleep sitting up...too sweet for words!

Again, tried (that's the key word,remember?) to get a picture of the children...together...smiling.

Re-decorated the guest bathroom.

Developed a personal relationship with Tamiflu.

Celebrated New Year!

And just for grins, tried one more time for a picture of the three of them...and I ask: is there a point to the madness???

Are we there yet???

2007-12-11T21:12:00.000-08:00

Whew! December is FLYING and we've just wrapped up one of the busiest weeks of our family life to date. Fun, but busy! I'm feeling a bit like these folks...

Yawn!

Baby Meets Alpo*

2007-11-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

Here it is.

The face of an adorable rule-breaker, caught in the act. Just look at that deer-in-the-headlights expression.

And here she is trying to act cool.

"Who me? Oh, I'm just hanging out over here admiring the walls. No dog food in my mouth, no sireee...just hanging out."

Finally, she breaks. The truth is known.

Yuck!

Delinquent Diary Entry #1

2007-11-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

I feel it is my duty and privilege to share some of my mishaps in life, in hopes that someone else may glean wisdom from my mistakes. You know... that my transparency and honesty will somehow shape someone else. Shape someone else into a better person, a more upstanding citizen, leaving a better human than they were before they came. Consider it my contribution to this world we live in.

So, I write this warning to you because I care about you. I deeply do. And I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I went through.

So, here goes.

If you are ever considering it, contemplating it, or just plain entertaining the idea of it...
never
Never
NEVER
leave your leftover Crawfish Fettuccine Alfredo in the car for 24 hours.

It's just not good.

There...you are wiser now.

Staying IN

2007-11-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

It's a catch up day around here. The twins are having a coughing, sneezing, aching, stuffy head, fever day....so we are skipping our normal Wednesday activities and staying in. It's been really nice, with the exception of all the snot. I've done a couple loads of laundry (my nemesis) and started the dishwasher (my other nemesis). The beans for dinner tonight are in the crock pot and we are all still in jammies. I must admit it is rather nice! The twins are playing in their excersaucers and big sister is playing the piano. She hasn't taken any lessons yet, so I am hearing Chopsticks for the 18th time right now. Hey, I'll take Chopsticks to crying and fussing any day!
I'm hoping to steal a few minutes to myself during afternoon naps to go through some of my scrapbooking supplies with a big cup of joe in my hand. I may even have to top it off with a little whipped cream just for good measure. (The measure of my waistline, that is!) I don't actually plan to scrap, but I can get things in order, hoping for a chance sometime in the not so distant future!
Hope you are well. Watch out for snot...it seems to be going around!

"Mr. B. Doodle"

2007-11-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

My mommy heart goes pitter-pat when I look at your sweet face.

Your great big smile sends troubles flying out the window.

What did I do to deserve such a love? You are too much for words.

I love you, Mr. B. Doodle.

When I found out you were a boy, I thought, "What will I do with a boy?"

Now I know...love him.

2007-10-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

My big 4-year-old accompanied by her cousin after carving our family pumpkin this year. This was the first time either one of them had carved pumpkins. They loved it...squealing at the goop and all. SO cute!

Have a safe, fun day!

You can take the girl out of the city, but...

2007-10-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

you can't always take the city out of the girl. I was raised in California, spent most of my growing up years in the promised land, where the weather was perfect and there weren't any bugs. I liked this. Sure, we had little sugar ants that would occasionally find their way into someones cupboard, but they didn't bite like the ones we have here in Texas. Some of our Texas ants are so big that they are practically required to obtain identification cards from the department of public safety. Oh, and in California, there were daddy-long-leg spiders, but we all know those are perfectly harmless!

So, when we moved out to "the country" a few months ago, I was a bit jittery from the start. I spent the first week knocking on anything that I was going to open...cabinets, the dishwasher, the dryer. You know, I'd just give it a few little raps to warn any potential critters that I was coming in. It didn't help that my reservations about moving to the sticks were confirmed on moving day when I glanced in the kitchen sink to find a 2.5 inch long scorpion hanging out in there. I thought to myself, "WHAT HAVE WE DONE???"

However, after a couple of weeks, things calmed down for me. After all, we had survived two weeks in the house with no critter catastrophes. But this morning, among my other Monday morning duties such as making daughter's lunch for school, starting a load of laundry and gulping cups of coffee like there is no tomorrow, I also had to kill a brown recluse spider. This was not fun for me.

See, there are two problematic issues surrounding this whole event.

First: On Saturday, we were enjoying the beautiful weather in our front acre and picking pecans by the boxful, when I spotted this LARGE and ugly, spider hanging out in an impressive web. I pointed it out to my hubs, and he was equally impressed, but took no concern. I said, "Honey, that might be a brown recluse!" His reply? "Nah." And that was the end of it. The spider was a few feet above his parking spot, attached to some trees, and I thought if he wasn't worried, I guess I didn't need to be either. But this morning, when I noticed that the spider had ditched his first pad and taken up residence AT EYE LEVEL near my parking spot, I could not go on until he met his maker...whatever that means for a spider. So, I shuddered at the sight of him until I had goosebumps on my eyeballs, and then I decided to find the bug spray. This leads us to the second problematic issue...

Second: Let me say for the record that I love my husband. Okay, now I can tell you about one of his habits. He frequently eats almost every Wheat Thin in the box and leaves 2 behind. Or he'll drink all but 2 tablespoons of iced tea and leave a tad in the pitcher. So, when I come along and think I'll have a little snack or drink, I (frustratingly) find that there really aren't Wheat Thins and iced tea. It was a trick! This has happened so many times that I can't count them. Now I just shake boxes of things before I get a craving for them, just to ensure that I will be able to munch to my heart's content. This is why it was no surprise to me when I grabbed the first can of bug spray this morning and felt it practically empty. I thought I'd try it anyway, just in case there was a little left in the bottom. So, I went up to the spider and sprayed. All that came out was air and he laughed at me. I shuddered. Okay, what next? Hubs usually keeps some exterminating spray on hand. Let me find that stuff. I found it alright....but it was GONE! I could hear the spider laughing louder. My earrings shuddered. I decided to call my sweet hubs and ask if he knew where I might find something that could kill this spider once and for all. Just like my hero always does, he told me exactly where to find more spray. I knew he could save the day! It was in the garage...but the garage has no lights today. He turned the power off in there over the weekend, so I had to fumble around in the dark with visions of spiders dancing over my head!!!!! My toenails shuddered. I finally found the can on the opposite side of the garage. To my dismay, but not my surprise, the can was empty. The spider was outside cracking up and inviting his friends to come and watch me. I was about ready to try using some hair spray or Windex when I found a long lost can of Raid under the kitchen sink. I hugged it and kissed it and then ran outside to kill my unlucky spider...and it worked! He is playing in the big web in the sky right about now.

As for me, I'll just go on with my normal Monday routine. By afternoon, when the butterflies are dancing around the front porch and I can hear the neighbor's cattle mooing, I'll love life in the country once again. My daydreams of concrete sidewalks and bus exhaust will be a fleeting memory and I will sleep like a baby tonight...

Okay, maybe I'll sleep with one eye open, but just for an hour or so...

Fun with Butterflies...

2007-10-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

Meet Sally... the butterfly, not the adorable girl. She laid an egg and flew away. We miss her, but a couple more of her compadres should be hatching today.
Goodbye Sally!

2007-10-23T08:19:00.001-07:00

We are raising Monarch Butterflies. We noticed these amazing caterpillars devouring our milkweed plants out in the front bed, and after a little research, discovered they would soon become Monarch Butterflies. The process has been truly amazing to behold. I am in awe. We thought it would be a fun activity for our 4-year old daughter, but the truth is that all three of the adults that live here are enjoying it quite a bit too!

There are so many life illustrations that can be learned from the Monarch, but one of them particularly stands out to me this week. One thing about the Monarch is that they feast on milkweed, but if there is none around, they will starve to death before they will eat something else. Am I sold out enough to my Heavenly Father and Savior that I will starve before I partake from the "junk" this world has to offer?

Just food for thought. No pun intended.

Here are some pictures of our experiment so far:

"For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-16

2007-10-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

So, are you still a "blogger" if you only post twice a month??? Good grief.

I'm not sure why it has been so impossible to sit down at the computer for a few minutes and catch up. Actually, I do know. Two words: Fantasy Football. Yes, my husband IS addicted. To make matters worse, my brother is living with us right now and he is an addict too. As I type, the two of them are sitting on the couch, WITH a lap top computer, watching the games on television and gravely discussing the players and plays.

See?!?

And don't think Fantasy Football just happens on Sunday and Monday since they are the game days...Fantasy Football happens every day, every moment, every breath.

Yep, that's what the champions are made of...or that's what hubs says, at least.

I have to hand it to him. He did win the championship a couple of years ago, and we proudly displayed the trophy for a year on our mantle. I took pride in it. After all, it was me who lovingly prepared the cheese dip and ice cold Dr. Peppers for the boy. Yes, Fantasy Football can be fun.

(Here he is with his trophy...lovely, isn't it?)

But then, it can also be a little NOT fun. Like when the kids are all needing help at the same time and I can't contact him through the trance that he is in looking at the computer screen to ask for his help. Or when I say, "Hi honey, how was your day at work?" and all he can say is, "I've got to get on and change my lineup...my quarterback got hurt today." Alrighty then...

So, just in case I never get to use this computer again before January, I hope you are all well and good. I DO miss you and am thinking of you from this den of football-lovin'-guys down here in Texas.

Maybe next year, our computer will mysteriously crash right before football season.

Shhhh.

Not a word!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-10-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I posted a "happy fall" message and since then, I've been wondering if the next time I would get to sit down at the computer and post would be for "happy winter!" Good grief! Life seems to be rushing by...I am thankful for these few minutes when I can just sit here and read up on everyone that I've been thinking about.
Last weekend, I attended the Women of Faith conference with a group of women that I have attended with for three years now...we call it the "Sister-In-Laws-Weekend"...basically each of us in the group is there with her sister in law, but we are actually all related...aunts, my mother-in-law, etc. It has become a great tradition that I honestly look forward to over the course of the year. This year's theme was Amazing Freedom. I recently finished Beth Moore's Breaking Free, so I am noticing a trend in the things that the Lord is teaching me!
Once I got back from the conference, the week was packed with doctor appointments for my little 8-month-old daughter who was preparing for eye surgery. The surgery was on Friday and she did beautifully. She is such a tough little gal. She had both of her eyes operated on and we can already tell a huge difference in the way that she sees. She is studying everything and beaming as she discovers the world through a clearer view. She may not even need the glasses anymore, but we won't really know for about 6 weeks. If we do still need them, we're going to go for a purple sparkly pair this time!
Today, I made chili, baked cookies with the 4-year-old princess, learned to drive the riding lawnmower, and rearranged a room by myself...that included moving a piano alone! Needless to say, I am ready to hit the sack.
Well, maybe after having a couple of those chocolate chip cookies... a gal's gotta eat, y'know!

2007-09-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall!!!

Not that we have a real fall in Texas, but I just pretend every year...

Today, the temperature is in the 90's here. We are still donning shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops...oh well.

I was so comforted by the words of sweet friends after my last post sharing my feelings of inadequacy, discouragement and exhaustion. It's good to know so many kind women who have been where I am and can cheer me on, so thank you so much for the encouragement! I will return to that post just to read all of your wonderful comments the next time I am having a difficult day...or maybe every day, just in case!

Hope you are having a wonderful FALL day wherever you are!

Love, Corrie

Sometimes the truth hurts...

2007-09-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

I am a little low...

The truth is:

I am exhausted.
I have much to do.
The babies haven't been sleeping well at night = I haven't been sleeping well at
night.
I am cranky.
I feel inadequate.
I need encouragement...want to come over for a cup of coffee? =)

Am I the only one who ever feels this way?

Sigh...

Turning 30 and other adventures...

2007-09-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

Well, my 30th birthday weekend was jam packed with activity and I am still recovering. It all started Friday evening when my quiet evening at home was interrupted by my mom, aunts and cousins who proceeded to dress me up like this and then drag me ALL OVER town and out to eat:

This pic really doesn't do the outfit justice...they also made me carry this big Cinderella doll and a fluffy princess scepter. Oh, how thoughtful! When we returned to the house (though I didn't know where we were since I was blindfolded...), some of our friends were waiting there to surprise me with many warm wishes and a gigantic carrot cake. It was really a surprise and lots of fun.

Nan sent me a neato package FULL of soaps and a travel candle. Thank you Nan! (I guess I'll officially let her off the hook for the fact that I still haven't won anything during her wild and crazy giveaway weeks! Hear that, Nan? You are a free woman!)

Then another highlight of my weekend was getting to see Bobby & Julie from CA. Julie spent a few days here earlier in the week...SO fun! Then, on Saturday, we got to catch up with both of them. It was the icing on the cake!

My hubs really deserves a round of applause. He made sure to ease my mommy load by taking on the brunt of the responsibilities over the weekend, even taking the kids for a long drive on Sunday afternoon so I could take a nap...just heavenly! Thank you, honey!

Needless to say, I sit here exhausted but full of great memories!

Okay, everyone: Party's over! Get back to work!

Meme Time

2007-09-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

Accent...unfortunately I think I've developed a southern accent, though I grew up in California and used to talk like a major like valley girl...like wow, man.

I don’t drink…diet anything!

Chores I dislike…dishes, dishes and dishes...did I say dishes yet?

Pets…Miss Princess Trixie Ruff Ruff.

Essential electronics…my dustbuster.

Perfume…Amarige.

Gold or silver…silver...I try to wear more gold. I really do, but it just doesn't seem to happen often!

Insomnia…only when I am stressed.

Job Title…wife (to a super hubby!), mommy, cook, maid, chauffer...

Most admired traits…organization.

Kids…3! My big 4-year old daughter and her 8-month old twin brother and sister.

Phobia…tornados, large texas bugs, snakes...guess it's too bad we live in the country, huh? ;)

Religion…I love Jesus. He died for my sins. He's the best.

Siblings…two younger brothers. I love them too!

Time I wake up…with the babies...usually around 6 am

Unusual talent/skill…not sure

Veggies I refuse to eat…lima beans.

Worst habit… putting important things in a "safe" place, basically hiding them from even myself...warranting a huge search when I need the item! It's incredibly frustrating...hubs agrees!

X-rays…mainly just dental, though I detest going to the dentist! I've had PLENTY of ultrasounds though!! Especially when prego with the twins...it was considered a high risk pregnancy, therefore ultrasounds every other week were in order!

My favorite meal… depends on the mood. Sometimes, mexican food with good chips/salsa and a Dr. Pepper! Other times, yummy pasta in some creamy fattening sauce with iced tea.

Help me decorate!

2007-08-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy decorating. In each house that we have bought, we moved in and re-decorated EVERYTHING, regardless of the age of the house. It is just something that I enjoy. So, it is usually easy for me to walk in to any room and know just what I want to do with it. However, I recently hit a brick wall, so it is your turn to help...

Here's the dilemma: In the guest bath, the vanity has been replaced recently by the previous owners. When they replaced the vanity, obviously that meant new cabinets under the sink in wood grain....the original cabinets (like linen closet storage) are also in the bathroom and at some point through the years, were painted a tan color. So, we have two different tones of cabinets RIGHT NEXT TO EACHOTHER...strange. I have finally gotten over it enough to where I can sleep at night, BUT...

I do need to paint the old cabinets because completely ripping them out and replacing them is out of the question right now. So, in the meantime, we've painted the room a yellow-green. So, do we paint the cabinets white, matching some of the other trim (such as the baseboards), but adding an entire white section to the room? OR do we paint them the yellow-green, sort-of attempting to make them blend in with thw walls ...if that is possible.

What d' ya think???

It's another celebration!

2007-08-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

If you like a good pampering once in a while, you may want to head over and try to win some of these great products at Nan's-Life is Like a Lunchbox. You won't want to miss this entire week of contests! Go. Now.

Your soap-a-licious reward is waiting...

One great thing about Nan is that she genuinely wants all of us to win something. She's cheering for everyone, but she's also fair. Okay, Nan-o. Fair-Schmair!!! I warned you last time... this time I'm SERIOUS. I do have pictures here just waiting to be posted if my name is not drawn!!! Ahem...like I said, good luck everyone! =)

Being a PRINCESS is such hard work...

2007-08-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Doctor Day

2007-08-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today I took our 4-year old daughter to the doctor to be checked for a urinary tract infection. She had been displaying a few behaviors that could have (or couldn't have) indicated a uti. So, we headed out early this morning for the office. My husband offered to come along and help since I would be toting the babies as well. I turned him down so he wouldn't have to leave work...that was bad idea #2...bad idea #1 was going to the doctor!
We checked in and were immediately issued a specimen cup. I dragged myself, the 4-year old and the two gigantic baby carriers into the tiny bathroom. To my dismay, there simply was...NO pee to be made. That was okay with me. After all, we had just arrived.
So, on to the exam room. The wait for the med student that was working with the doctor was filled with fussy twins and a bouncing-off-the-germ-coated-walls 4-year old girl. While waiting, the nurse suggested we try again. New specimen cup. NO pee.
The med student came in and after her work-up, offered my sweet girl a cup of water to add to the large cup from home that she had already consumed. Good idea! So we waited quite a while after the student left the room. I suggested we try again...NO pee.
Let me just stop and say we had tried three times at this point, and if you don't know, there are many steps involved with obtaining a urine specimen correctly. It's more than just a matter of catching a little tinkle in a cup. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
So, to make a long story longer, by the time we were finished seeing the nurse, the med student, the doctor AND drinking three cups of water, we still hadn't collected a specimen...the specimen which the entire appointment hinged on. The babies were still fussing and our fourth try resulted in...NO pee.
The nice doctor suggested I take another new cup home with us and try to catch one there. Fine. At this point, I'm haggard and asking someone to please point me to the nearest padded room!!!
We no sooner got in the car and made the drive over to hubby's office to meet him for lunch than my little gal pipes up from the backseat. "I really need to go pee-pee."

"NOW?!? Right now?"

So, we pull into the parking lot of the nearest bank and I perform an act out of Cirque du Sol*il to climb into the backseat and help her. We got the specimen, but let's just say that once the dam broke, there was no stopping the floods. She has always been a bit of an overachiever, that girl. The cup filled up and overflowed. It may have been a mess, but we got the specimen for cryin' out loud!!!

The doctor's office called a little while ago: NO infection.

NO kidding.

2007-08-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

Thank You Jenny!!!

My sweet friend, Coach J, surprised me with a sweet package in the mail containing a book called Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall that she recommended to me back when I first started blogging. I am looking forward to reading it...hope I can start tonight!

She also sent the cutest magnet that says, "Friends are the best therapy!" I laughed when I saw it for it is so true. Without my wonderful friends (many of whom are reading this right now), I would be in need of therapy for sure!

Jenny is a dear soul whom I have come to love. She is an encouragement at all times!
I look forward to meeting her IRL someday!

Thanks again, Jenny!
Lotsa Love,
Corrie

Pizza Post

2007-08-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, did this after seeing it at Jenny's blog. She and I ended up with almost identical answers...both picky, dependable geeks who aren't impressed by gourmet foods. Ouch! =) Do they ever want us to come back to their site??? ha ha ha.

What Your Pizza Reveals

People may tell you that you have a small appetite... but you aren't under eating. You just aren't a pig.

You are a very picky pizza eater. Not any pizza will do. You fit in best in the Northeast part of the US.

You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods.

You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices.

You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna.

The stereotype that best fits you is geek. You're the type most likely to order pizza to avoid leaving your computer.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

You should go try it too. As for me, I'm off to order a pizza....this made me hungry!

Candid Cuties

2007-08-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

"Did someone say smile?"

"Which way are we supposed to look?"

"What's the matter with you?"

"You got a problem with me?"

"Leave me alone. I'm trying to get a job making carpet commercials!"

Summer strikes again...

2007-08-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Texas has officially hit SUMMER and the sweat is a rollin' down every nook and cranny we all knew we had and some others too! It's this time of year when I detest even walking to the mailbox. Mail is nice, but not if it requires showering afterwards, you know? Everything in the garden is drying up and begging to be picked. Except the tomatoes...they are still going strong. They win the perseverance award. The pumpkins are screaming, "Pick us, already!! What are you gonna do? Leave us here til Halloween???" Yep, pretty much. Lo siento. (That's "I'm sorry" if you never took Spanish...or if you took Spanish and slept through it...or if you took Spanish and had a disruptive bunch of hooligans in your class like Nan and Juls and I did.)
Anyway, back to the heat. Wherever you are today, I hope you stay cool...at any cost. I mean, you may have to take a dip in a homemade pool consisting of a Rubbermaid bin filled with ice water (I would need a really large bin...) or you know, you could pay your children to fan you while you lay on a lounger in the yard and try not to move a muscle, thus generating body heat. Just do whatever it takes. I'm off to break into the popsicles now just to get an early start.
TTFN. Have a cool day!

There's no place like home...

2007-08-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

We returned last night from our family vacation. Almost the entire family on my dad's side traveled to Ohio for my cousin's wedding. It was SO wonderful to see everyone. Then, we drove up to Michigan to spend a few days with my aunt and uncle. What a trip! Traveling with the twins was a bit challenging. Bet you didn't know that you can't have two lap infants in the same row on the same side of the plane...or that you can't have one lap infant on the side of the plane that only has one seat (if you are on one of those scary puddle-jumpers)...we quickly found out. At the beginning of each flight, we played musical chairs with those around us. The babies did great though...I was pleasantly surprised! That part of the country is so beautiful! Every time we visit there, my hubs swears he will move there...he'll quit his job and clean toilets with a toothbrush just to live there...he'll shovel snow til he's literally blue just to be there. I think not. Though Texas doesn't offer as many breathtaking scenes, we do not have to shovel snow and we like it that way. I think. Just guessing cause we've never had to do it. We stayed in a B&B that was built in the 1800's and had very gracious inn-keepers. We even got to see my little brothers! It was such a treat.

Favorite Trip Activity: Playing Rook with our family and laughing, laughing, laughing.

Sweetest Trip Memory: My cousin and his new wife walking out of the church, both tearing up as they were SO excited to be married!

Least Favorite Memory: When the little girl at our reception table vomited on the table...she was sure cute though...poor thing!

This is one of my favorite pictures from the whole trip...it's my middle brother with my little man. This was the first time he had met the babies and they loved being spoiled rotten by all the attention. He sure knew how to entertain them!

Anyway, now our laundry room looks like the suitcases exploded in there. Guess I'll be doing laundry all weekend! Better go! My brain is still on Michigan time (yawn)!

A Run-On Ramble

2007-08-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I write run-on sentences that have no end because they just keep going and going until the reader wants to throw their computer out the window since the sentences just keep going and going like a bad musical number or a telemarketer that won’t stop talking long enough for you to say no thank you. See what I mean? I try not to write the run-on sentences, but sometimes I just do.
Lately, I have noticed other run-ons like when the waitress at the little cafe on Monday told me the special of the day. She happily announced that the special was "a slow roasted honey-glazed turkey and aged swiss cheese wrap on a rosemary onion basil tortilla with a chipotle almond honey spread with organic green leaf lettuce…(pause to gasp for air) and chips…(pause) and a pickle…(pause) did I mention the lettuce is green?" Good grief, woman! The worst thing was that after she spatted out the whole description for my mom, I had to ask her to repeat it for me when she got to my side of the table. Sorry, but there were just too many ingredients to keep up with, for crying out loud. Why can’t they just say and turkey & swiss wrap? It really wasn’t that good, by the way.
Or how about the local news station? They will put these little messages across the bottom of the screen during a thunderstorm that say something like this: "From your Doppler live team with the most accurate and quickest Doppler live system, with the latest technology in Doppler service, bringing you the latest updates when they are needed: A warning has been issued for your home where a tornado has already touched down and you weren’t ready because you were reading our incredibly lengthy intro. So sorry…but we still have the latest and greatest technology!"
I guess I can't really complain, since I am a run-on perpetrator myself. Therefore, signing off before I create and more lengthy sentences that absolutely have no end in sight, that keep going like a train down a track, like a boat in the sea, like a pigeon with a little note tied to his foot that says, "hello", like a bad hair day…well you get the picture.
I’m done. That’s enough. No more. Run-ons officially over.
For now, anyway.

A Busy Day

2007-07-30T21:00:00.001-07:00

I am really wiped out. Today was a great day, but jam packed with lots of activities. First, the children and I piled into the van, with ALL our gear, and headed to a small quaint spot in Texas that's fun for a girl's day out. We met up with my mom and my aunt for some window shopping and lunch. It was lots of fun. But by mid-afternoon, I was roastin' hot and so were my babies! On the way home, we stopped by the home of some old friends that we haven't seen in a while. It was a wonderful visit. These people are so fun to be around. They are old enough to be our parents, but probably not old enough to be our grandparents. My husband and I love to spend time with them and draw from their wells of wisdom. They have plenty to offer. They live in this 100 year old house out in the country. It is so cool. We love to go. So, the afternoon passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time to head home and cook dinner. The evening was a bit wild as hubs went out to help my uncle with some projects...the kids did pretty well, but we were all a little tired from the activity. I didn't try to get a lot done in the house because I knew it would just stress us all out, so I sat on the patio and stared at the sky with a baby in my lap. It was nice. Our four-year old rode all around the property with the neighbors on their little golf cart. (We do not live on a golf course, but they use it to drive around their land. I have golf cart envy now.) It is 11:00 and we just got the last child down for the night. I'm beat. Hopefully, tomorrow will be ultra productive around here...there is lots to do!

P.S. Check out Robin's 100th post & enter her contest for a ONE YEAR MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION!!! Congrats, Robin!!

Just for fun...

2007-07-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

Coach Jenny asked me these 5 fun questions and here they are, without further ado:

1. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Hoot! Hoot! Most definitely a night owl!!! In the morning, I am a walking zombie, a bottle-mixin' robot who stumbles around the house. It takes me about 45 minutes to really wake up after I’ve gotten out of bed. That’s why I’m addicted to coffee! I wake up early in physical form, but not in mind, spirit or WILL!

2. You have a free, uninterrupted afternoon. What do you do? I have a what?!? Ha ha. I’d love to spend a while reading in peace, working on whatever Bible Study I happened to be in at the moment (which is Beth Moore’s Breaking Free right now). Then I’d either take a nap or scrapbook...or both! Not simultaneously.

3. If you could return to a certain stage in your life, what would it be and why? This was actually a hard question for me to answer. While the carefree-ness of childhood summer days and rollerskating in the breeze beckons me back, I would probably return to my High School or College days to make a few better decisions. My 20/20 hindsight has taught me that I could have done several things differently. I suppose I wouldn't be the person I am today if I had done things differently...but sometimes I think that would be okay with me.

4. What do you think of a woman being president of the USA? Ooooh, hot topic right now. Yikes. I plead the fifth!

5. What’s your favorite dessert? There are so many, but if I were ordering something at a restaurant at this very moment, I would order a BIG slice of carrot cake with a cup of coffee. I wish I had a good recipe for this, but I do not. Maybe someone else does...please share!

Sister Sister

2007-07-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

Just look at these two sisters. They are already little pals. It warms my heart to see my two girls bonding already. I always wanted a sister when I was growing up. I was jealous that my two brothers had each other and got to share a room! So, naturally, I absolutely LOVE to watch my two daughters playing together and loving each other. The four-year old can hardly wait until her baby sister is old enough to share a room with her! Though I know they will have their "moments", complete with sisterly spats, I hope they will grow up to be good friends.

P.S. Yes...the glasses are real! Straight from Italy... since a 6 month old should have designer frames from Italy. Next, we plan to buy her a diamond studded pacifier clip to match her Gucci booties. Actually, they were the only infant frames we could find and they just happened to come from Italy. Sweet baby...she is extremely far-sighted. When they put the glasses on her for the first time, she sat straight up and looked around the room, smiling the whole time. They said it was probably the first time she could really make out the features of our faces! She keeps them on most of the time and she's just so darn cute! Oh yeah...the pink frames are on back order, but they should be here soon. You're never too young to make a fashion statement, right?

Book Give-Away

2007-07-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tammy is hosting a book give-away in celebration of her 200th blog post! Head on over and enter if you wish...or just head on over for some great bloggy reading!
Thanks & Congratulations, Tammy!

Our New Horizon...

2007-07-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the view from our new home. (Well, it's new to us, but the house itself has been here for 50 years!) This is part of our property and the picturesque scenery that we find if we look out the front windows. I am really beginning to love the quiet country life. I would show you pictures of the house, but everything is in the process of being re-done and there are boxes everywhere. So, if I showed you those, you would cry for me...and I don't want to make you cry. I am taking before and after pictures of all the make-overs, so I'll be sure to share those as we go along.
Have a great weekend! I'll just be here working on the old homestead...just power-spraying my heart out...and pulling weeds...and priming walls for paint...
Guess I'd better get started!

Warning: It's Random!

2007-07-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

This could quite possibly be the most random of all my posts to date. Blame it on the late hour or the bowl of Captain Crunch with pirate-shaped Crunch Berries that I just ate. I can't explain it. But there are about a million thoughts running through my mind.
For starters, my husband is in this training this week. Some management training, though he could probably teach the course because he already has a degree in management. Anyway, he's in the class with two other people. They say the teacher likes them so much that he is taking them out to lunch tomorrow and is even bringing his wife along! I said either he really likes you guys or he thinks you are all so completely crazy that he has to bring his wife along just so she will believe the stories!
You know the old rhetorical question: If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around, will it make any noise? Well, I'm not going to answer that for you right now. But I am wondering why I feel the need to grunt and groan when I can't get the lid off the formula shaker if my husband is home... but when he is gone, I struggle to release the thing in silence? It is most certainly because he is not here to hear me. I must be searching for pity. Hmph...
Oh, and did I mention that a horrid thing happened to me the other day? I ran into the mom of one of our daughter's friends. These people are what I would consider cultured. And I don't mean that in a bad way. They are delightful people. They are very into the local arts. They expose their daughter to many wonderful arts and they seem to have everything in perfect order. I spoke with the nice woman for nearly 30 minutes, discussing education and other blah blah stuff. You know, public vs. private vs. homeschooling...and if you do private, would you go for a classical education or traditional...blah blah blah. I actually enjoyed the conversation. I'm just using the blahs to relay the length of the conversation. So, after our visit, I jump into the minivan and take a little glance in the rear view mirror. Do you want to guess what I found there? Apparently, earlier in the day, my four year old daughter had put a neon green barrette with a metallic neon green flower glued to it right in the front of my bangs. In my haste to run errands, I hadn't bothered to look in the mirror. Therefore, I carried on a conversation about cultured things looking like a complete LOONY! I drove away cracking up, since that was all I could do. She probably thought, "Wow! Corrie has really let herself go!"
Okay. Randomness over.
Hey, you can't say I didn't warn you!

Hooray!

2007-07-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Well, good grief! It has been almost 3 weeks since we moved this computer to the new house and we finally got hooked up with our phone and Internet on Saturday. Wow! I didn't realize just how dependent I have become on the technological luxuries. You know how it is...want to check the weather? Hop on line. Need a recipe for tonight's dinner? Hop on line. Want to check in with your friends from blog land? Hop on line. I continuously found myself thinking, "Just go hop on line!" Then I would remember that we were disconnected from the world as if we were camping or playing Survivor or something. I digress...
The new-to-us house is great. Not unpacked, not fully updated, but great. It is out in the country. Not way out or anything...just far enough for these two city kids to feel like we are away from it all. We bought an older home that has had some updating over the years and of course, we'll be taking up where the previous owners left off. We are excited. We had the jitters at first. I felt like I was going to come in contact with a different critter at every turn I made. In actuality, I have only met one scary critter face to face...and let's just say he's moved on to a better place. We moved here accustomed to hearing our neighbor's dog barking occasionally and cars driving by and the school bells every hour...now we hear the occasional sound of a horse or a donkey, complimented by the chirping of crickets each night. Needless to say, I am really glad that we made the move.
That does NOT change the fact that moving is a pain in the bahooney! I have decided that moving is like having a baby...you totally forget the pain...until you are going through it again and you think, "Oh yeah, now I remember this!" Well, off to unpack some more and catch up on some bloggy reading. More later from the country...

The mayhem continues...

2007-07-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, my word...no time to type more. I'm sitting in the library using their free internet. Our dsl hasn't been activated yet and it has been a week! We had no power all weekend. Not fun, BUT we are moved in and starting to get settled. Hope you are all well. Look forward to reading up on everything soon! Hopefully, I won't have to come to the library to do so!
TTFN!

The Last Lap...

2007-06-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

Only 7 hours until the movers pull into the driveway and I'm calling it a night. Can't wait til I can sit down at the computer and catch up on blogland reading. I'd do it right now if my eyes weren't propped open with toothpicks! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!

10,9,8,7...

2007-06-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, the countdown is on! The movers are coming to my doorstep in 5 days. Sometimes I look around this house and think, "Cool! We've got 5 more days!" and other times I think, "We ONLY have 5 days?!?!" I know it will get done though. My 4-year old was at a playdate this morning, so I got 6 or 7 boxes packed. That was nice. Tonight, hubs is moving the big wooden swingset and other outdoor monstrosities. Should be fun. I am so looking forward to being settled in our new-to-us home...wish I could just cross my arms and blink like "I Dream of Jeannie" to get it done though.

Actually, I would be happy if I could just look like her, even if I had no special powers. *Sigh*
=)

Do I gotta?

2007-06-21T08:44:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had a small task looming over you that you just couldn't get motivated to complete? I am in that boat today. A week ago, hubs asked me to get a copy of my last pay stub to turn in with the paperwork for our new home. My last pay stub...hmmm...let's see...my twins are 5 months old, I was on bed rest for 9 weeks before that...so, the last time I worked was about 12 years ago.

I have put this task off for a whole week and today's the day I've got to do it. I mean, I'm dreading this more than I dread swimsuit shopping, for crying out loud. Why, you ask, don't I just call the place and ask them to send, fax or e-mail me a copy? No can do. Apparently, they hired some Fort Knox employees to set up the security on the computer systems. Therefore, the only persons who can access my pay stubs would be me, myself and I!

Why have I put off the task?

Well, let me just list my excuses...uh, I mean my reasons:

I'll actually have to "get dressed" to go into that place...in more than just wind shorts and flip flops. This also includes blow-drying instead of air-drying AND putting at least a little make up on. Failure to "dress" WILL result in me NOT being recognized when I walk in there and start working on a Fort Knox computer, putting myself at risk of being detained in a military slammer somewhere.
It will undoubtedly take me 20 minutes to load and 20 minutes to unload my "circus", tents and all, just to spend 2 minutes printing some lousy piece of paper that is just going to sit in some lame file somewhere for the next 30 years.
What if I hit a car in the parking lot? I'm good at that, you know.
Do I gotta?
I don't wanna!

Ugh. Enough whining, I know. I'm off to load up the circus.

Hey if you see Fort Knox looking for me, you know NOTHING!

Needed: Large Padlock

2007-06-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

I need a lock. Yep, a lock. On my bathroom door. It doesn't matter why I enter, whether it be to get dressed (our closets are in there), actually use the restroom, or hide out from my family with a pint of Haagen-Dazs Coffee Ice Cream...I am still NEVER alone. There is always some reason that young humans under 36" tall feel that they must have my attention at that very moment, either by entering unannounced and uninvited or hollering through the door. You may have experienced this phenomenon in your own home. "Mom, are you in there?" Look, kiddo whom I love to pieces, you know that I know that you know that I'm in here, okay? Don't act as if you were headed in here if I wasn't in here. By the way, I do love you dearly...it's just a privacy issue. A Haagen-Dazs issue.
Then, I think back on the countless times that my youngest brother accidentally locked himself in the bathroom. My mom would have to call the neighbor to perform this David Copperfield act on the door while my brother cried on the other side, totalling up the dollars of therapy it would take to get over this recurring event as an adult. It took about 30 minutes for the whole ordeal to play out. Now, surely I don't want that!
But an uninterrupted bath once in a while while hubs kept the kids at bay? Now I could seriously go for that. With some Haagen-Dazs. Hmmmm.....
What does Haagen-Dazs mean anyway?

Mama said there'd be days like this...

2007-06-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's 9:39 a.m. and I am wondering if it's bedtime yet! I just returned from dropping our 4-year old princess off at VBS. In the ten minutes I spent there, I managed to hit someone's truck in the parking lot, step in some mysterious white chunky goop that was in the parking lot (wearing flip-flops, of course), and run into a friend who just lost her sweet dog and is very upset. Oh, and today I decided to carry the babies in via carrier instead of plopping the carriers into the double stroller to roll them in. Do NOT ask me why. It was a moment where the synapses in my brain were not functioning fast enough. So after about 20 steps, I was literally winded and had no extra hands to push all my crazy "yesterday's hair" out of my eyes so I could even see where I was walking. I looked like a crazy woman. To put more salt in the wound, I stopped when we finally reached the curb of the parking lot to take a rest...sounds like I'm out of shape, huh? (I am.) While hyperventilating there, I noticed a tall, young, tan lady with beautifully groomed long brown hair and wearing a cute little sundress with heels. I thought to myself, "Oh, how sweet! A college student that has volunteered to help out with VBS and she doesn't even have children of her own yet." Wrong-o! When I walked past her, she said, "Oh, that's my life too! I have baby twins also!"
Yes, of course she does...what was I thinking?
So, now I'm back at the house to get rid of this "yesterday hair" and eat the leftover stir fry even if it is 10:00 in the morning.
I will have a good day...I will have a good day...I will have a good day!
=)

Fighter Pilot in Training

2007-06-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

I find it funny that this new high chair was made with a five-point harness. Do they think we are going to push baby around the kitchen at neck-breaking speeds? I mean, look at his face...it's saying, "Mom, come on!! I have to wear ALL these straps? The kids in the nursery are going to make fun of me!"
Poor little guy.

A Year Ago Today...

2007-06-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

A year ago today, my husband and I walked into the doctor's office holding hands, afraid of what we may hear. We knew we were expecting, but the pregnancy had been strange from the start. Our doctor said the best thing to do would be to do an ultrasound at 6 weeks along, which would be the earliest that we could see a heartbeat. So, bracing for the worst, we walked into the office and waited for them to call my name. It seemed like an eternity that we sat there. For a couple of weeks prior, I had pondered in my heart the little one that God had placed there. I was so worried that something had happened and maybe we had lost the baby. We had tried for so long...I wasn't sure if I could take the heartbreak. We were finally escorted to a room and waited for what seemed another eternity for the doctor to come in. When he came in, he immediately started our visit with the ultrasound. I held my breath, scared to death of what I was about to hear. He took one look and said, "Baby is doing fine!" Oh, a deep sigh. Relief washed over me like never before. Then the very unexpected! He said, "I see one healthy heartbeat here...(moving transducer over a couple of inches) and I see one healthy heartbeat here." (Enter sound effect of a record scratching.)
What?
"Do you mean that you can see the baby from two different angles?"
"Nope. I mean I see two different babies." He was so calm. How could he be so calm?
"You see two different babies? Are there only two?" My heart was pounding.
"Only two." Only two? Is there such a statement?
Well, the next few weeks were spent in bed due to the combination of the first trimester sickness and the Texas heat. I had so much time to lay there and think about what our future held. I had so many fears. How could I handle twins? How would the pregnancy go? How could we afford two infants?
I sit here a year later and I remember it like it was yesterday. I look back now and see God's faithfulness to our family and our babies. Of course he knew I couldn't handle it...not without him! He has used this experience to bring me so much closer to him. I live in a state of relying on him to get through each day. The pregnancy was difficult. There were many scares. There were 9 weeks of bedrest. But God carried us through until the babies were only 3 days from being considered "full term" and they bounced into this world (via C-section) at almost 7 pounds each. I never should have doubted you, Lord! You have been so good to us.
And just look:

They are so precious. I think back on a year ago today and recall my feelings of inadequacy, my lack of faith, and my fears. God has brought me to the place where I wouldn't have done it any other way! I am madly in love with these two little ones!

Thank you, Lord!

A Family Portrait

2007-06-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter played with Play-doh all morning. Here is our family:

As you can see, we are up a creek without a paddle. I am the white lady with the inverted right breast. My husband has the swollen ankles in the back of the boat. He's trying to see around me to look for icebergs or something. My babies are at the very front of the boat...not very safe, especially with no life jackets! And of course, my sweet four-year old is in her blue dress and bonnet!

Right after we took the first picture, hubs took a turn for the worse. Guess he drank too much seawater.

Oh, and here is our food. We eat beans, not to be confused with lemon drops. Each bean is bigger than each of our heads. Yummy!

Update

2007-06-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Just in case you read Friday's post and were wondering...SOLD!

A Ringing Rant

2007-06-05T21:22:00.001-07:00

I'm quite certain I will step on toes with this thought, but am I the only person who doesn't see the new cel phone earpieces as a bit over the top? I'm talking about the little headset contraptions that make people look like a telephone operator. Okay, I admit that they are safer for people who chat while they are driving. But (here goes some more toe-stepping...) I've never been a huge fan of talking on the cel phone while driving. A couple of years ago, I told my husband I wanted to make a bumper sticker that said, "Hang up and drive!" I didn't do it, but he called me one morning right after he'd gotten to the office to tell me he saw a bumper sticker saying that very thing on his way to work! Great minds think alike! A friend met me for lunch once with her new hands free device...wore the thing the whole time we were eating. I never knew if she was talking to me or into the phone...turns out, she was always talking to me. But are people so attached to the things that they can't remove them to eat lunch? Or tonight at church, someone was leading music wearing one...really? Come on, Jane Jetson...let it go! I'll also admit that when I am out shopping (not very often) and my cel phone rings, I have to dig through my purse looking for the thing and by the time I find it, the caller has usually left a message. Maybe I would love one of these things. Hats off to technology...I mean, Alexander Graham Bell probably never imagined that his invention would one day be strapped to people's heads with no cords attached, you know? I do apologize for the rant...I mean you could be wearing one right now...and by this time, you've dialed your best friend who also happens to be wearing one and you're slamming my post into the ground. I really am sorry...I guess I just don't get it. Well, better go...my purse is ringing again!

The 5 P's

2007-06-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well, as my high school counselor once told our senior class, "Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance." So, I agree, but don’t always practice (another P!) proper preparation. Like today, for example. If I had practiced proper preparation, I would have been ready for the SURPRISE visit by a realtor and possible future owners of our home. I wouldn’t have been in a housecoat at 2:00 in the afternoon. The people probably thought I was sickly or lazy or 29 going on 85! I wouldn’t have just thrown all the laundry from the kids’ rooms out into the hall. As the house-hunters were on their way in, I was picking it up as fast as I could and the thought to shove the whole wad of dirty clothes in the oven actually crossed my mind! (Don’t worry. I didn’t.) I wouldn’t have fixed smelly tuna for lunch and certainly wouldn’t have left the bowl sitting in the sink. I wouldn’t have opted not to fix my hair today, leaving it to air dry in a wild mass of curls, thus looking like a mad woman from a jungle tribe when I answered the door. I wouldn’t have just brought the excersaucer into the living room with the swing, two baby gyms and a bouncy seat. They must have thought I was running a day care center. I positively wouldn’t have left the empty milk carton by the garage door instead of carrying it out to the recycle bin. Ah, the joys of selling a house…on a Friday…in a housecoat. The realtor thinks they’re going to make an offer anyway…to which I say thank God that sometimes,
"People Purchase Poorly Prepared Property!"

Peachy Keen

2007-05-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well, if you haven't heard, Nan at Life is Like a Lunchbox is hosting Apronpalooza, and I really want to win one of these cute aprons! I mean, I need one if I'm going to do anything wonderful with these peaches that I picked off of our tree yesterday! My peach cobbler would definetely taste better if I made it wearing a cute apron, don't ya think? You should check it out too!

Have a yummy day! Oh, and Nan, if I don't win, I think I can scrounge up some pretty old pics if you get my drift...and my scanner is working just fine, hunny bun!

2007-05-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

"Being free is one thing, but you’ve also experienced being around the criminalistic experience."

This statement was extracted from the book "Surviving Justice" – America’s Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated (a collection of oral histories edited by Lola Vollen & Doug Eggers). The reason I am sharing it with you is because of an interesting meme that Robin tagged me to do. I will include the instructions to the meme at the end of this.

But while we are on the topic, I should tell you that I have a burden for the prisoners in our country. I have a burden for the impoverished in "Urban America", stuck in a life of repeating cycles that have been all they have ever known. God placed these people on my heart years ago. I heard a woman speak when I was in college and she was from a ministry that reaches out to impoverished people in her community. She sang a song that she wrote and I still remember the words. Stranger than that, I now live in her community and have participated indirectly with her ministry. I don’t know exactly why God has placed this group of people on my heart. At times, I have been discouraged. My husband and I have been involved in prison ministry, but I often leave feeling ineffective…possibly the voice of the enemy?

Reading this statement, I’m also led to think about the freedom that we can receive through Christ. He is the "faithful witness" who has "LOVED US AND FREED US FROM OUR SINS", says Revelation 1:5. We are all prisoners, and can be liberated, released, freed upon believing in Him! Thank you Lord! If we truly think on that fact alone, it’s enough to go shout from rooftops…and then there are so many other blessings we could count.

So, thanks Robin. I never thought such a random meme could lead to such a special reminder of God’s love for us and his plans for my life.

Here are the meme instructions if anyone else decides to play:
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open it to page 161.
3. Find the fifth full sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence to your blog.
*Don't search around for the coolest book you have, use the one that is really next to you.*
I’ll leave the tagging to you…play if you want and let me know if you do,so I can come read your's!

Miss Princess Trixie Ruff-Ruff

2007-05-30T11:44:00.001-07:00

I can't tell you what I would pay for just one day of my dog's life.

Meet Trixie. I begged for this girl...really begged.
"I'm the only person in America who has never had a dog!", I spouted. I think I may have even come up with some real tears in the process. (Puh-lease, I know!) We had no children at the time and finally hubs conceded.

What were we thinking? I didn't realize that I was begging for another soul to serve! At least once a week, I threaten to give her away. Poor girl.

With the exception of pending eviction, she really has it made...

Wearing designer clothes that she didn't pay for...

Playing all the time...

Getting to hold the blessed and coveted remote control...

and (gasp!) sleeping in a human bed...though she lost this privilege the day we brought the twins home from the hospital. I decided that I needed maximum comfort for the 1 hour and 12 minute increments of sleep that I was getting. Sorry, Trix.

Spoiled? Yes. Spoiled Rotten? Yes. Yes. But, part of the family? Absolutely. And she's just so darn cute.

I guess we'll keep her.

My Baby Brother

2007-05-23T07:05:00.001-07:00

Today, my youngest brother is leaving Texas. He's moving out of state for his first real job after graduating from college. I have contemplated lying under the tires of his truck so that he cannot go. He will be moving in (temporarily) with our other brother...SO not fair. They are just going to play all the time while I'm here doing laundry! Turkeys.

I am very proud of him, though. He is the baby of the family and we've given him a hard time over the years. He's sort of a free spirit...following his ideas wherever they may go. Enjoying himself most of the time and NEVER doing something that he doesn't want to do. He sticks to his convictions no matter what! He has done a lot of growing up in the time he was in college and it's hard to believe he is moving away.

He will now spend his days helping people in desperate need. Listening to their problems and making sure they are taken care of. He will be GREAT at this! He listens to my rants and raves sometimes, so I know he'll do super. His patients will really love him.

As for me, I'll just be here in little town, Texas. Attempting to lure him back with promises of unending Red Vines and Freebirds Burritos...

Congratulations, Buddy! Just remember: "Whites-Warm, Colors-Cold". Oh, and pay attention to the expiration dates on meat. And balance your checkbook frequently...okay, that's enough. Just go. We'll miss you!

One more thing...maybe you shouldn't wear these to work. At least for a couple weeks, you know?

Tether Ball

2007-05-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wish you could know yourself as a child, now that you are an adult? The closest we could probably ever come to this would be parenting our children. My daughter seems to have many similarities to myself and my parents say that watching her takes them back in time. Today I found my 3rd Grade Journals. The entries made me laugh and gave me a small glimpse into my childhood mind. I especially liked this entry:

11-7-85

"Today Tammy and I played tether ball. I won her. It took us a whole 49 minutes. People were getting mad so I had to hurry up. It was fun."

I do remember playing tether ball on a daily basis. Our school even had a tether ball king & queen...the kids that couldn't be beat. They held their title until a lucky soul finally won a match and then the lucky soul was the new reigning royalty. Those were the days...

And apparently, I didn't just beat Tammy...I won her. What a prize! A real girl!

The 49 minutes thing made me laugh. Even as a child, my melancholy personality was shining through. I mean, most kids would give a general time allotment, like an hour. Or they would over-exaggerate and say it took "forever!", but not me. I was probably timing the game on my digital Cyndi Lauper watch. It probably was exactly 49 minutes. I am and apparently always have been a detail person!

Then, I must acknowledge that even as a child, I was aware of what the other kids were thinking. To this day, I am a people-pleaser down to my core...to a fault, might I add. I wrote that I hurried because the others were getting mad. Funny.

At least I ended with the most important part: I had fun.

We just finished a study of Ecclesiastes with our small group. I was surprised at how challenged I was to simply enjoy life a little more. Sometimes enjoying life is hard for someone who lives by the list of things to do, always aware of the minutes ticking away. In this life, I may be melancholy, detailed and a
people-pleaser, but I hope that I always remember to enjoy the journey too.

"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil- this is the gift of God."

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

A Busy Week

2007-05-19T21:36:00.001-07:00

Man, oh man. Has this been a busy week! I feel like I haven't posted anything in ages! Nan sent me a sweet email that I never responded to, I'm behind on shopping for b-day & graduation gifts, I didn't return a phone call to my Nana for two days...argh! I don't know how some of you gals blog every day! I'm amazed!

So, what have I been doing instead of blogging?

1. Keeping the house presentable at every possible moment because it is on the market and I constantly have it in my mind that a realtor could come to the door at any time. They are supposed to call 1 hour before showing, but I've been burned by that assumption before...like the time the realtor called from my driveway, giving me all of 37 seconds notice!

2. Kissing the sweet little munchy-woo faces of my three kiddos. Mommying is taking up much of my time and energy right now. I love my three to pieces, so I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I am busy.

3. Sneezing. I am serious. If you don't know about my allergies, read this former post. You'll get the picture.

4. Taking the children to the doctor and receiving a total of 14 immunizations between the three of them...good grief!

5. Did I already mention keeping the house showable? And sneezing?

Hopefully next week will be less hectic...probably...maybe...one can hope, right?

Eighteen

2007-05-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of 18-year-old me standing with my Grandpa in the lobby of my dorm building. He was in town for a meeting and rescued me from dinner in the cafeteria! Thanks Grandpa!

Well, first of all, let me tell you that at 18, I knew EVERYTHING! I’m sure you did too, right? Eighteen must have been a strange year for me because as I was hunting for photographs, I could hardly find any of me at that age. I do remember it being a year of transition. I turned 18 during my freshman year of college. I had moved to Oklahoma for college. My family was in Texas and I was homesick a lot. The first semester of college, I went home nearly every weekend. College life was fun, but a huge adjustment at the same time. My study habits were not great at first. I just wasn’t expecting college to require much effort because high school really hadn’t. Most of my friendships at college that year were pretty superficial…didn’t really just hit it off with anyone, though I always had people to hang out with. I was dating a nice guy, but deep down, I knew he probably wasn’t the person God had for me. I had trouble finding a church that I really liked, so that was lacking. I guess I would say it wasn’t a bad year, just not one of my favorites.
One distinct thing I remember detesting about college was my Zoology class. Maybe you are totally into this kind of thing, but I could hardly take it. One day, my professor brought some huge leeches to class in a bucket…about halfway through the class, she took one of the leeches out and let it suck on her arm so it would have some nourishment. I nearly fainted! Another time, she passed around a LONG tapeworm that had previously been in another faculty member’s body at one time. Again, nearly fainted! But the last straw for me was the bug collection. The big project for the end of the semester was to turn in this bug collection. The thought of waiting around in some field with a bug net until the perfect species came along just wasn’t my cup of tea…but guess what? I did it. Yeah, I caught several large bugs like a walking stick and a praying mantis and various moths. As you can imagine from my last post, large bugs weren’t too hard to come by. But I could scarcely take it…after catching about 5 or 6 bugs for the project, I decided there was no way that I could catch the other 2000 that were required. (Okay, I’m sure it wasn’t quite 2000, but you know what I mean.) Besides, my boyfriend- you know that one that wasn’t the person God had for me- he broke my praying mantis!!! I almost cried! That should have been my first sign right there about that guy! Anyway, I dropped the class a couple weeks before the project was due. A sigh of relief…until my dad found out and explained that I had just wasted about $6000. A costly lesson that paid off because I never dropped a class like that again!
So, in a nutshell, 18 was okay, but I would NOT do it again. If I did do it again, I would have stayed home that year instead of moved off to college and you can bet your bottom dollar that I would NOT sign up for Zoology!

Time Travel Tuesday is sponsored by Annie!
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Life in Texas

2007-05-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well, you haven't been to Texas until you've sipped iced tea on a big front porch. You haven't been to Texas until you've seen the magnificent bluebonnets in the spring. And you really haven't been to Texas until you've eaten pit smoked brisket that melts in your mouth...

...but...

You also haven't been to Texas until the Cicadas have been so loud at night that it keeps you awake. And you haven't been to Texas until you've huddled in a closet while a tornado threatens to touch down outside.

And you REALLY haven't been to Texas until you've come face to face with one of these babies:

This is like the Tarantula that we saw by the back door a couple of weeks ago. It had more hair than my infant son!

Then there's this Yellow Garden Spider that is pretty harmless once you get over the heart attack that you had when you walked out on the back patio and found the thing. They're quite large...this little tiny picture just doesn't do it justice.

But this one...this is my LEAST favorite. Okay, I have NO favorite spider...surprising? I think not! But this Wolf Spider is my least favorite because it actually runs at you sometimes!!!Think Arachnophobia, okay? Not fun.

Well, there you have it. A taste of Texas. So, anyone for a visit?

Hey...at least I didn't tell you about the time a large scorpion crawled across the carpet while we were watching a home video!

2007-05-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

McDonalds Mania

2007-05-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have anxiety? Panic attacks? The overwhelming feeling that the world as we know it is about to spin out of control? Well, let me tell you one of the fastest ways that you too can experience this phenomenon. Just take your sweet little toddlers to McDonald’s on the very same morning that the local Jr. High School will be taking a field trip there.
Last Friday, my girlfriends and I decided to take all of our kids to McDonald’s. We thought the kids would have a great time climbing all over the indoor germ trapper… I mean the large hamster tunnels… I mean the indoor playground, while we sat and visited over a salad…okay it was over fries. Anyway, it was going great. I had the twins in their stroller and my daughter was busy playing with her friends. All of the sudden, the place was swarming with teenyboppers in all of their pubescent glory. I mean SWARMING! They were coming in every door possible. There must have been at least 40 of them, accompanied by these two weary teachers that looked like they’d rather be scraping gum off of the bottom of an overpass with a toothpick! The kids immediately rushed the playland, and within minutes, our little toddlers were flying out of that thing as fast as their little socked feet could carry them! The teenyboppers were climbing the walls. They were hyper. They were loud. Believe me, I am NOT denying the fact that one day, I was hyper. I was loud. But I now want to write a letter of apology to every adult I came in contact with during those years and beg forgiveness! There was one girl in particular that announced to all of us at the top of her lungs that she was hyper because she drank a coke, right before sliding down the tube slide on her belly. Her T-shirt said, "Sure I’m Yours…until I get Bored!" Something tells me that junior highers on Coca-Cola don’t get bored!
The chaos lasted for about 45 minutes and I’m proud that we stuck it out. At one point the teacher looked at us and said, "These are the GOOD kids. These kids are being rewarded because they are in the accelerated reading program." Boy, if these are the GOOD kids, I hope we’re gone when the BAD kids get here!
(My disclaimer: Please know that I truly have a heart for teens. It’s just that sometimes I have a protective Mommy heart too!) =)

7 Random Facts

2007-05-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, my buddy Coach J tagged me with a meme...to share seven random things about myself. Hmmm, I'll try to keep these not so weird since you may still be reeling from yesterday's weirdness blog! =).

I moved off to college when I was only 17 years old. (I turned 18 about a month later, but looking back, 17 sounds so young to me!)
I went to the set of Romper Room when I was four and met "Miss Nancy"...she commented on the cute turtle on my dress. I can remember it like it was yesterday!
The church I grew up in had the BEST children's ministries and I have often shared that it is because of the faithfulness of that church that I fell in LOVE with God.
I grew up in California and moved to Texas when I was a junior in High School. It was pretty traumatic for me and I'm not sure I've ever really been the same person.
I would love to live in a big city apartment and take public transportation everywhere...LOVE the smell of bus exhaust...oops another weird fact...sorry!
Someday I want to go to Venice, Italy.
I've worked with cancer patients for 7 years, though I haven't worked much lately since I am usually changing diapers and making bottles!

Play along if you want...I'll look forward to reading your random facts!

Yep, I'm weird!

2007-05-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm weird... but aren't we all a little weird?

It may sound strange, but:

I like to put my homemade chocolate chip cookies in the fridge so I can eat them cold.
I think Dr. Pepper tastes better out of the can than the bottle.
I eat Ramen noodles without cooking them and then pour some of the powdered pack of flavor into my mouth.
I pour milk on my blackberry cobbler.
I can hardly drink milk straight because all I can think about it how I am being breastfed by an animal...a very large...hairy...dirty animal.
I'd rather deliver a baby than go to the dentist for a check-up.
I can't wear a pair of jeans unless they are freshly washed.
I sleep with one foot hanging out of the covers.
I prefer old-fashioned mail to e-mail.
I eat tomatoes and onions like you'd eat an apple.
I like the smell of skunks.

We are ALL a little weird, right?....right?!?...hello?...anybody there?
=)

A Rainy Remembrance

2007-05-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

I LOVE a rainy day. This morning, I awoke to distant thunder and heavy rain hitting the windows. I loved it! I hunkered down in my blankets and smiled.
When hubs and I were first married, I was still in college and he was already into his career. I was at school one day and they broke in to tell us they were canceling the classes for the rest of the day because a tropical storm was headed our way. When I got outside, the rain had already started and it was POURING! By the time I made it to our little Honda, I was drenched from head to toe and down to my skivvies. I couldn’t drive home yet because my husband and I had carpooled that day, so I needed to get over to his company and see if he could leave early too. He was only a few blocks away, but the streets were flooding pretty badly. As I drove, I had to pick and choose which streets to drive down, trying to pick the ones with the least amount of water in them. I finally got to the point where I realized that I couldn’t go any further. I would just have to get out and walk. I was looking for a place to park when suddenly I drove the front tire into a storm drain that was conveniently missing the grated part that covers it…now the bottom of our car was actually resting on the street and water was coming into the floorboard. "Well, I guess I’ll park right here!" Nothing I could do without my hubs, so I locked the car and hoped it wouldn’t be completely under water when I got back. I walked through the knee deep water, thinking of what could be lingering in it, like snakes and fire ants and criminals that were really good at holding their breath. I finally made it to his building. He worked in the tallest building in the city. The lobby alone had these really high ceilings that almost silenced you when you walked in the door. People from the company were standing all over the lobby, looking out the windows as this tropical storm raged outside, and then they saw me…a soggy, drippy form of a human in blue scrubs ascending from the deep and marching up the steps. They must have wondered if I had washed up from a shipwreck because I sure looked like it! I squeaked and squished through the silence over to the reception desk, all eyes on me. I asked to use the courtesy phone to call my husband’s office. All the while, there was a large pool of water forming around my feet, which the security guard clearly did NOT approve of. Oh what a sight!
But you know, I STILL love the rain! And in case you are wondering, you can tow a car out of a storm drain, but you can’t get the must out of the car!

History Tags

2007-04-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged…twice! Since they are both in regards to history, I decided to combine them. It has been a reminiscent morning! =)

First, Coach J, tagged me with this neato birthday tag. I encourage anyone to play along. It was fun to read about all the things that happened on my birthday:

Go to Wikipedia and type in your birth date, without the year. September 16

List 3 events that occurred that day.
1776, The Battle of Harlem Heights was fought during the American Revolutionary War.
1812, Russians set fire to Moscow shortly after midnight and within a few days, the entire city had burned down. (sounds hot!)
1908, General Motors was founded. (This is cool because I am a HUGE fan of GM cars…in fact, I’m on my 4th GM car right now!)

List two important birthdays.
1875, James C. Penney, American Department Store founder (Okay, I love shopping, so this was VERY exciting!)
1970, Mark Schultz, Contemporary Christian Music Artist (I actually own one of his cds!)

List one death.
2005, Gordon Gould, inventor of the laser (His life is celebrated daily by anyone who has received a Lasik procedure and now has perfect vision!)

List a holiday or observance.
Mexico’s Independence Day (!ARRIBA!- don’t know how to turn the first exclamation point upside down…sorry to anyone who is flashing back to the Spanish class days.)

Then, Nan tagged me with a Memory Challenge that she has going on at her site. Check it out if you feel like traveling down memory lane today!
Here I am as a toddler swinging at the park in Oakland, California.

And here is just one of the toys that I remember playing with as a child. I didn’t have one of my own, but I do remember playing with it in church nurseries. Fun, fun…

Hope you make good memories today!

Cute Give-Away

2007-04-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Head to 5 Minutes for Mom if you'd like to win these!

I'm thinking they'd look pretty cute on my little gals!

My "Twin" Brother

2007-04-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

This is me with one of my kid brothers, taken about 20 years ago! If he saw this, he would crack up and say how geeky we looked. I agree. I can see why our mom insisted that we step outside and have a picture made. The funny thing about this picture is that we were trying to dress up like twins, and now I have twins...a daughter and a son. Though my brother and I are three years apart, we were very close growing up. He was and is one of my best friends. He would have been about 7 years old in this picture. At that age, he was already a very talented baseball player, a speed demon on his bicycle, and he ate peanut butter by the jar! Today, he is still a very talented baseball player and I'm sure he still eats peanut butter, but I'm not sure when he last rode a bike...like a speed demon anyway! Today, we live 650 miles apart and see eachother about once a year. I think about him all the time.

This picture made me giggle. I hope that my real twins can have the bond that I had with my pretend twin.

The Latest Buzz

2007-04-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

There is a fly in our house. Just a single fly. It is driving me CRAZY. He (I know it has to be a he…a female would be so much more courteous) hides out for a bit and then dive bombs me, buzzing in my ear, just about the time that I forget we have this uninvited guest in our midst. Aren’t flies supposed to find themselves a window and die, only to be discovered the next time your company is coming and you dust the windowsill?
And why does he want to hang out here? If I were a fly, I would not be spending my days in some po-dunk Texas suburb. I would fly my little patootie down to a beach in Mexico and find somebody’s tall Dr. Pepper to feast on. Maybe I should leave some travel brochures on the coffee table. If he can read, he might get the hint, eh?
So, what’s bugging you? Get it? Bugging? Sorry, I just couldn’t resist!

Deep Thoughts on Distressing

2007-04-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Distressed is IN. Not only do we like things that look distressed or antiqued, we actually pay extra money for them! I have seen decorators on television take a perfectly good piece of furniture and beat the tar out of it with a chain all in the name of home decor. Don't get me wrong, I have personally antiqued a piece of furniture that was brand new, hoping to give it the aged look.
But what I really want to know is WHY can't the distressed, aged, worn look be IN for people? If the distressed look was IN for people, then my hair would be SO in style right now. My shaggy overgrown bangs that I often pin out of the way and my damaged ends from the blowdryer would be the envy of my peers! If aged was IN for people, the bags and dark circles under my eyes would make people wonder just how I got these gorgeous peepers! If worn was IN for people, I would really take the cake because I AM exhausted and frankly, I do kinda look like I've been beat with a chain.
I won't even start on my wardrobe...that's an entirely separate post! I guess since the IN is OUT, I had better sign off and get some beauty sleep while the gettin' is good!

Wedding Meme

2007-04-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Where/How did you meet? We met at the dry cleaners.
How long have you known each other? 8 years
How long after you met did you start dating? 9 months
How long did you date before you were engaged? 5 months
How long was your engagement? 6 months
How long have you been married? 6 ½ years
What is your anniversary? August 5
How many people came to your wedding reception? I’m guessing around 200?
What kind of cake did you serve? Yum! White cake with a layer of raspberry and cream cheese filling. Unfortunately the only bite I got was the one my hubs fed me…but he did not smash it on my face, to my surprise!
Where was your wedding? Texas
What did you serve for your meal? It was more like heavy hors d’oeuvres: brisket & rolls, cheese, fruit, I really can’t remember. Didn’t eat much of that either!
How many people were in your wedding party? 4 bridesmaids/4 groomsmen, 1 ring bearer & 2 flower girls
Are you still friends with all of them? Most certainly!
Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? I think he may have been a little misty eyed when he first saw me coming down the aisle with my dad, but there were no real tears.
Most special moment of your wedding day? Being pronounced "husband & wife". Seeing all of our dear family and friends at the reception. So many people had to travel in order to come to our wedding and that meant a lot to us.
Any funny moments? My brothers rolled a white runner down the aisle after the bridesmaids, but before the flower girls, for me to walk in on. (I obviously had a princess complex when planning that part of my wedding!) They had a lot of trouble getting the thing to unroll properly and it took many tries. It gave everyone a laugh and took the edge off for me…I was so nervous walking in there!
Any big disasters? One word: HAIR! The hairdresser and I had trouble coming to an agreement on how my hair should be fixed for my own wedding. After three tries, I finally let her finish, even though I hated it. My aunt stepped in to save the day. She came up to the church and fixed my hair the way I wanted it. (Nan’s too, if I remember correctly.) After leaving the hair salon, I drove to the church like a mad woman, pulling the up-do out one bobby pin at a time. I felt like I was going to be late to my own wedding!
Where did you go on your honeymoon? Cancun, Mexico
How long were you gone? 9 days
If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? Honestly? I may do a destination wedding or something, where there aren’t a lot of details to handle. Just go and have fun!
What side of the bed do you sleep on? Right
What size is your bed? Queen
Greatest strength as a couple? Senses of humor…we laugh all the time.
Greatest challenge as a couple? Balance in schedules, extended family "matters" =).
Who literally pays the bills? Hubs
What is your song? We don’t really have one, but we did have the hymn Gentle Shepherd played in our wedding ceremony while we took communion together.
What did you dance your first dance to? We didn’t have a first dance at our reception, but people did sing kereoke into the night. My dad, who fit the bill for this whole shebang, allowed me & mom free reign in planning the wedding, as long as he could sing kereoke at the wedding reception. Sounded like a fair deal to me. My dad LOVES singing kereoke. It actually ended up being pretty funny.
Describe your wedding dress. White poofy skirt with trim all the way down, buttons down the back.
What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? Roses, Gerber daisies & snapdragons.
Are your wedding bands engraved? No, but I always think that is really cool when people do that!
How old were you when you got married? Almost 23, but my daughters won't even be allowed to date until they are 30! ;)

The "It's a Major Award" award...

2007-04-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I must confess...I did want this award. I did want this...this...this...lamp in my sidebar.
Why? For the memories...of watching A Christmas Story every year with my brothers as we snuggled up together at our lodge on the lake. Okay, wait. We had no lodge, or lake for that matter. I'm just getting caught up in the moment...ahem, sorry. Back to business, I wanted it for other reasons too. I mean, who doesn't?
Despite my wishes, I felt as though I was not a veteran enough blogger. I'm really still a newbie. I probably break unspoken bloggy rules all the time. Just one faux pas after another. But my good friend, Nan, nominated me anyway. (A pity vote, for sure.)
Believe me when I say that YOU should also sign up. I know who reads this blog...I read your blog too, and I LIKE IT, dagnabbit! So, go, now before your phone rings or the transmission goes out. Tell the world why you deserve this award and you do deserve it, girlfriend! Go. Now. Really.
It's the "It's a Major Award" award at Life is like a Lunchbox.

Bye Bye 80's

2007-04-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our bathroom re-do that we accomplished a couple of weeks ago.
The previous decor had been lovely 1980's wallpaper, a white background with pink and purple and blue paint strokes all over it. I loved the 80's, don't get me wrong. I mean, most of my childhood memories are from the 80's. I loved Cyndi Lauper, legwarmers and perms, but I guess I just didn't care much for the wallpaper!

Here is the bare drywall before I applied the texture:

Here is the after shot when the texture had been applied and painted:

And HERE is another shot of the finished product:

I think it came out pretty cute. The whole point of the project was to update the bathroom with something more neutral (not that most people don't just LOVE pink, purple & blue paint strokes) so we could sell the house. The best part about the project is that we did the whole thing for about $25.00!!!

And it's weird, but I've been less inspired to use hairspray and poof my hair out after applying my powder blue eyeshadow and royal blue mascara! Funny....

My Zoo

2007-04-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

By, Corrie

I am a mommy and I live in a zoo.
The neighbors look in and don’t know what to do.
My zoo sometimes has kittens, so snuggly and sweet,
Other days wild monkeys, but there are always three!

Other women look perfect with freshly highlighted hair.
There’s a dryer sheet on me? Well, how’d that get there?
Some get to drive cars, so speedy and cute,
But minivans carry strollers and happy meal loot.

Some go to the gym so they’ll look fit and thin.
I just like to make sure all my flab is tucked in.
Restaurants used to be fun before my zoo began.
Now I eat lukewarm fishsticks and soup straight from the can.

My zoo never closes. Did I mention that?
And everyone knows zookeepers never get naps.
This on the job training sure puts me to the test.
It may not seem like it, but I’m tryin’ my best!

Stop by for a visit sometime at my zoo,
But I must give the warning in case that you do.
You may end up covered in peanut butter goo,
Or maybe some spit-up and then you could be

A wearied but blessed zookeeper like me!

My Big Girl

2007-04-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Last night my 4-year-old daughter was chatting on the phone as only a 4-year-old princess could. Hubs and I sat nearby listening as she relayed ALL the happenings of her busy life to her uncle who lives out of state. We couldn’t believe the detail with which she spoke. She sounded like such a BIG GIRL! I realized in an instant how fast she is growing up. This picture was taken almost 4 years ago to date, but it seems like it was just yesterday. She remains that darling little baby in my heart. It is exciting to watch her grow, but sometimes I just wish I could slow time down a little. I suppose this is the plea of every mommy’s heart…

Thank You and Congratulations!

2007-04-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, a couple of weeks ago, Carrie awarded me with the Thinking Blogger Award. Thank you, Carrie! What a pleasant surprise to log in and find that waiting for me. It brightened my day and now that little award sign thingy is going to brighten my blog!

It would be customary for me to now award this to 5 other bloggers. The funny thing is that most of the blogs that I read have already received this award...I must only be reading trully thoughtful blogs!!

If I had to choose one to give this award to, even though she has already received it, it would be my friend Nan at Life is Like a Lunchbox. I faithfully read her blog for nearly a year before deciding to start my own blog. Nan really does put thought into her blog. And it really is like a lunchbox too! One day you might get a funny story, the next you may get politics (or a slew of pictures from your own high school days).

I love your blog Nan and I love you! This is where I would insert some heinous picture if I had a working scanner...don't worry, your day is coming!!!

Congratulations, AGAIN, on the Thinking Blogger Award!

Surgery Memoirs

2007-04-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it out alive and am feeling a little better today. Of course, I expected to make it out alive…I was just kidding about that. I am a bit sore, but am definitely on the uphill.
Life seems easier when we focus on the positives, so I will choose a couple of humorous moments to share.
First of all…why? Why does the anesthesiologist come in and start making small talk and then inject you with the sleepy stuff right when you are getting to a good point in your conversation? Why can’t he (or she) wait until you have finished sharing your vacation memories from Chicago and then tell you that he will now put you to sleep? Was I boring him with my reminiscing thoughts of deep-dish pizza in the windy city? I am convinced that they enjoy that part of their job very much…just shutting people up. And of course, I was determined to finish telling him about my trip, and therefore talked until it was no longer physically possible, which probably meant that my eyes were crossed, tongue hanging out and drool flowing down my chin. Lovely, I’m sure!
Second of all…please medicate people after you have cut them open. I woke up from the surgery in much pain. After what seemed like 20 minutes (it could have been 2…I was lethargic) of explaining to the nurse and my husband that they just didn’t understand the pain I was in (wah wah, I know), the nurse finally said, "Well, maybe we should try giving you a pain pill." Do you think??? Yes, thank you, that would be nice. You people just shoved instruments into four holes of my body, that weren’t originally there by the way, and removed something! Could you spare a Tylenol or two? Of course, before taking the pain meds, I had to prove that I could keep food down. So she brought me a cracker. A saltine cracker. Keep in mind that I hadn’t put anything in my mouth since the night before, so I quickly had a case of cracker spackle going on. My mouth basically glued shut with this cracker paste. Was this another tactic at getting patients to hush? Ah…eventually we worked a straw in there and I was able to dilute the cement with some 7-Up. The rest is history…well, I don’t remember anything else. You’d have to ask my husband, but he hasn’t started a blog yet, so I guess you can’t do that very easily.
All that said, I am feeling much better and thanks for your prayers. I do NOT plan to have any more surgeries this year, but if I do, I AM going to finish telling that anesthesiologist about the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum and Lake Michigan and picking apples…man, it’s a wonder that he knocked me out!

Prayers Please

2007-04-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

As much as I enjoy the blogosphere, I will be taking a break for a few days while I recover from having my gallbladder removed. My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) morning. I am not nervous because I know that God is in control. And truthfully, I have been so busy this week that I haven't even had much time to think about it. It is 11:50 pm here and I just ate a quick bowl of cereal since I can't eat anything after midnight. The surgeon doesn't know if she can do the procedure laporoscopically or if she will need to do it the old fashioned way, so I'm not sure how long I will be at the hospital. I know that I will be fine. It's my sweet hubby and sweet kiddos that I'm worried about. They will be fine, I know, but I just feel like I won't be able to help out much for the next couple of days.
Enough rambling. I need to get a little shut-eye.
Hope that your weekend is super. And if the thought crosses your mind, please pray for my little family here in Texas that things will go well and my husband will keep his sanity.=). Thanks!
Can't wait to get back to reading all of your blogs next week. I really do enjoy them and it gives me a little activity to do while I spend a lot of time at home in this season of life!

Wanted: A Break for Mommies Everywhere!

2007-04-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

If you are a worn down mommy and have had a day like I have, read this. Warning: it's lengthy, so refill your drink first.
I hope it will be as uplifting to you as it was to me...to know I am not just going crazy sometimes, but I am NORMAL! Who me? Normal? You don't say!

A Change of Plans

2007-04-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, I mentioned that we are getting our house ready to put on the market. Yesterday, our realtor tapped the "for sale" sign in the yard. We have been looking at houses since last summer when we found out we were pregnant with twins. The house we are in now is cute and in a super location, but we would love a little more space now that we have exponentially multiplied!
Anyway, we were prodded into listing our house after finding a great house about 15 minutes away from where we currently live. It has more space, lots of character, great trees, etc. We fell in love. We made an offer and after a few slight negotiations, we had it under contract.
Well…today we had the inspection. Let me precede the next few sentences with the explanation that last night, I was just feeling a little bit of anxiety in my gut. You know that feeling you get when something is just not sitting right, but you can’t exactly decide what it is? So, I talked to my husband. And I talked to God. I told God that as much as I like this house, if it is not where he wants us to be, I didn’t want it. I prayed that God would just give us clear direction on this house situation. Lo and behold, today at the inspection, there were NO doubts about it…every big thing that could have been wrong with the house WAS wrong with the house. You name it, it had it. Termites? Got those. Foundation problem? Got it! Mold? Yep!
We could not believe it! The inspector said that he inspected the living areas of the house first and that everything checked out great. He was even marveling at the meticulous shape that the house was in. It wasn’t until he crawled into the crawl space under the house that he was able to see the real state of existence. Needless to say, we terminated the contract within a couple of hours.
Was I sad? Not for long. I am so thankful for the peace that God provides when we trust him. That antsy gut feeling thing? It’s totally gone now. I think I will sleep better tonight.
Oh, and don’t think I didn’t notice the little sermonette tucked into the middle of the whole thing…we can look perfect on the surface, but it’s our foundation that really makes or breaks us. Yeah, yeah…
So, inspect your foundation. I’m going to.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24
Thank you Lord!

Coffee Crack Up

2007-04-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

I am a coffee drinker. I must have my coffee EVERY day...in the morning...before I even open my eyes and sit up in the bed...
My husband usually makes the coffee around here since he can function enough to walk into the kitchen and turn the coffee maker on, while I lay in bed hoping the earth will reverse it's rotation and grant me just one more hour. We generally have something very basic and affordable (since we drink too much), but sometimes we'll splurge on Starbucks or another specialty coffee.
Last night we had just eaten dinner at Pei Wei. After stuffing ourselves silly, we decided to stroll across the parking lot to the Starbucks and get a little cup of joe to end our date. While waiting for my decaf dulce de leche latte (yum, by the way!), the manager and I were making small talk. He mentioned something about the store and I mentioned that we had just eaten dinner at Pei Wei. He said he'd been there several times and tried different things each time, but that it was expensive. I had to laugh...EXPENSIVE?!? My cup of coffee was more than half the cost of my entire meal at Pei Wei...he must get a serious discount on his coffee!
I guess it's all a matter of perspective. =).

I survived!

2007-04-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived the wall paper removal and texturing, but I am not sure if I will survive using my husband's lap top computer right now....LOL. I have already re-directed myself to other websites and kicked myself out of the computer once because I am not used to the size of these keys and I keep hitting something wrong. Many people, including my hubby, love these things. I'm sure I would if I got used to it. Anyway, I digress...
The weekend has been a whirlwind. We worked our tails off getting the house ready for putting on the market. My youngest brother came to town and helped us...THANKS J! We seriously could not have done it without his help...seriously...more than seriously.
Saturday was my 4 year old's birthday party. We rented out the gym where she attends gymnastics sometimes and sat back watching 17 of her friends go to town on all of the activities. She had a blast. This was the first time she has ever had a friends party. We ususally have our huge family over for cake, but this year, we decided to include her little buddies too. The twins get so much attention from everyone, so it was nice to have a special day for her! I think it went great.
Today, we celebrated Easter, of course! We drove an hour to the town where my parents live and attended church with our family members there. After church, enjoyed the afternoon at my folk's house. There were so many beautiful things about today that I want to reflect on. I will have to blog them when I am not so drained, and not on this crazy lap top! This is taking me ages to type on this thing. =).
I have lots to post like pictures of our bathroom texturing project and even some award nominations, thanks to Carrie! More later...hope you had a great weekend too!

Helping my Hubs

2007-04-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to bravely try to complete a home improvement project that my husband has been working on in the evenings. He has been stripping wallpaper in the master bath and is planning on texturing and painting it before we put our house on the market next week. He has been working extra hard at work lately, so I want to help, so he won’t have to work extra hard when he gets home too. The trick will be juggling the three kids while I’m doing this. So, say a little prayer for me today =). I’ll give you the update tomorrow! If I never return to this blog again, you will know that I didn’t survive! Ha ha.

AI

2007-04-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well, good grief! Earlier today, I checked out Boo Mama's blog and decided to jump in on the American Idol discussion. I had to take a break to tend to my twinfants and the day just got away from me. I log back in to finish my entry and lo and behold, someone has already left a message on my comment board because I didn't have the entry done yet.

Anonymous said, "Why did you link your blog to Boo Mama's post about American Idol? You obviously do not have a post on AI, did you just want people to come to your blog?"

Gee whiz, um like, really sorry dude.
Who are you? Sanjaya, is that you?

Thanks Coach J for the encouraging words! Hopefully I can be more timely next time.
I'll be going now if that is okay. Oh yeah, my opinion is that Haley's outfits are getting a little too skimpy for me. I know she is not a teenager, but so much of the show is for teenagers and young people. Call me old fashioned, but it just seems like she has decided to play the sex appeal card pretty strong the past few weeks. Also, I agree with the growing consensus of people that Sanjaya is kinda past his exit.

Another Pointless Pondering

2007-04-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

I ask one question: if God knew our bodies function best on a good night’s sleep, why don’t new mothers get any? Not complaining Lord, in case you’re reading this…just asking a little question here.
Mothers of newborns are thrown into a sort-of boot camp that may rank up there with the boot camp for the Navy Seals…okay, maybe it’s not that hard. But it is still a huge adjustment. I have adjusted to life on broken or little sleep, but I still feel foggy. As I gaze at my darling almost 3-month olds, I find myself pondering the whole sleep thing. I know they will sleep through the night at some point, but will it be before kindergarten? Of course I know the answer because I have a 4-year old that not only sleeps through the night, but she sleeps in ‘til about 9:00 everyday…it’s glorious.
Last night, for the first time, they slept from 11:00pm until 5:00am. But now that I’ve put my pondering (borderline complaints) about sleep deprivation into writing on this blog, it will probably never happen again! One can only hope…

Remorseful Rambling

2007-04-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a "buyer's remorse" type of experience with other life circumstances? It's funny, but every time I ever broke up with someone or quit a job, I started doubting my decision the minute it took effect. It's like every reason I had for making the decision just fled my mind right upon execution. I would absolutely detest my job, but the minute I turned in my notice, I would start thinking, "Well, I guess it wasn't THAT bad!" Oh sure, not that bad...like the restaurant job where I had to clean the chip machine (don't even ask...I only lasted a month) or the cleaning job where I had to vacuum the lady's ceiling fan and no, she didn't have a neat vacuum with lots of long hoses that would have made this easy. And believe me when I say that some of the young men I dated were not so snazzy either.
After these 3.64 minutes of reflection, I would have to say that I would rather re-experience the bad jobs over the bad guys. Glad I took the time to sit here and think of these matters of utter importance that will undoubtedly affect my day...no remorse about that!

A Beautiful Day

2007-04-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well, good Monday morning to you. We had a great weekend around here. Hubby and I decided to take Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes to heart and "enjoy life." We tend to get bogged down with lists of things to do and finish. Before we know it, a month will have flown by and every weekend was spent in work mode. Yesterday, we seized the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful spring weather with some good friends. We took a hike that went something like this:

This is my husband at the beginning of the hike.
See how he is carrying one of his offspring?

Then we came to a clearing and a creek. The recent heavy rain and high water displaced this enormous tree at the top of this waterfall. It was so cool! There were lots of fish at the bottom too!

Then my husband decided that he wanted to do this:

And our conversation went something like this:

me: "Give me the baby."
hubs: "He's fine."
me: "Give me the baby!"
hubs: "I've got him. We're fine!"

I take another look and see this:

me: "GIVE ME THAT BABY!"
Our friends quietly chuckle to themselves at our exchange.

And this is me for the remainder of the hike:

All in all, we had a great time in the glorious weather.

And guess what?

I didn't even sneeze once!

It could be you...

2007-03-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you could use a Dyson Slim...
head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and sign up for a chance to win...just don't cry when I do!
; )!

Just for fun!

2007-03-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

Mandalyn tagged me with this fun meme:

Name six things in your refrigerator.
-Sweet Tea (I married a Texas boy.)
-leftover Lasagna (made by my sweet friend Christina)
-onion (this goes with everything for me!)
-real butter
-milk
-apple juice

Name six things in your freezer.
-chocolate ice cream
-garlic bread
-overripe bananas (the best for banana bread)
-chicken pot pies
-pecans (from Nanny’s tree)
-those cute little plastic ice cube things that I never use because I always forget that they’re in there…I just looked and saw them, but in an hour, I’ll have already forgotten.

Name six things under your kitchen sink.
-Lysol Kitchen cleaner (LOVE it!)
-Murphy’s Oil Soap (LOVE it too!)
-Glade plug in refill- clean linen scent
-my beautiful white ceramic cake stand…why is this under here???
-the drain cover for the sink…been looking for that thing!
-216 clear florist vases…are these mating too?

Name six things around your computer.
-leftover Christmas stationary
-my 4-year-old’s hair bobble
-mug jam packed with pens, rulers, etc.
-picture of me and hubby in China Town - San Francisco
-picture of my daughter wearing a Santa hat
-163 little post-it notes with my husband’s handwriting on them

Name six things in your medicine cabinet.
-Ibuprofen (my drug of choice every time!)
-Q-tips…I know they’re bad, but we are addicts.
-tweezers
-Gold Bond Medicated Lotion (smells geriatric, but good on the winter hands!)
-Robitussin DM
-another one of my 4-year-old’s hair bobbles

Name six things on or around your nightstand.
-my Bible
-The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
-my hair bobble
-framed picture of "the girls"-my mom, me, daughter & our shih-tzu
-pad of paper with the overnight feeding times for the twins scribbled everywhere
-my son’s pacifier clip

Needed: Birth Control for Laundry Piles

2007-03-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

I seriously think that my dirty laundry piles are mating and multiplying while I sleep at night (odd because I really don’t sleep much at night right now…) Anyway, what is the deal? Ever since we became a family of five, every hamper in every closet of this house has stayed full, even if I just emptied it earlier that day. Prior to twinfants, I did all of my laundry on one day of the week. I just looked at my schedule, picked the day I would basically be around the house and hashed it out. It was done and we all had fresh socks until the next week. It’s not working anymore. There is too much to get done in one day, PLUS I have extra distractions now. It’s common for me to forget that it’s laundry day and that I’m supposed to be putting the clothes from the washer to the dryer and reloading the washer, so I can put more clothes from the washer to the dryer. So this week, I decided to try doing two loads every day. Just two loads. For the most part, that has worked…except for the night that my hubby moved the "to be put away" pile from our bed to the big chair and I didn’t notice until the next day. It meant I was instantly behind because I didn’t really complete the two loads the day before.
My neighbor pointed out that we’ll never have all of the laundry done until our family goes naked for a day…better yet, if we went naked every day, I’d always be caught up!

Seeing Double

2007-03-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

I never know what to expect when I go out in public with our twins. The twins seem to draw a lot more attention than one baby ever did. I am expecting much of this to slow down and possibly stop when they are no longer in the infant carriers. They really don’t look much alike and probably won’t be easily spotted as twins once they get past this baby stage.
At any rate, people ask lots of questions and I’m going to share a few of my favorites that we get ALL the time! I am not making fun of these people for their curiosity, but they are funny questions.
First, we still carry the babies everywhere in their infant carriers or in the double stroller. People will come up to me and say, "Are those twins?" Sometimes I want to answer, "No. He’s just small for his age."
The other conversation we often have involves 2 questions. After determining the babies are twins, people ask, "2 boys or 2 girls?" I say, "One of each." Then, here it comes…do you know what they ask next? "Are they identical?" Hmmmm. Should I offer to draw the anatomical differences that my son and daughter have? My husband did hear that some scientists believe that boy/girl twins can be identical. Call me dense, but I’m just not feeling it. Maybe that is something considered possible after our country underwent the feminist movement…equality between genders. Who knows?
The final comment from strangers is always, "Glad it’s you and not me!"
To which I reply, "Me too!"

Does it get any cuter than this?

2007-03-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

In a Blog Fog

2007-03-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

I need help…direction…input. So, if you are reading this, you may be just the person to do the job! I was thrilled…elated…tickled Pepto pink to log in and find 6 whole comments left on yesterday’s post. "6 comments!" I thought to myself, "There must have been some mistake in blog land!" (Wherever that is…the whole internet concept still overwhelms me. I’m still amazed that Alexander Graham Bell actually invented the telephone!) I quickly realized that JennaG had put in a sweet plug over on her blog, which I enjoy every day by the way! (Thanks Jenna!) And JennaG discovered this blog from the sweet plug that my DEAR friend Nan put in her blog…I am starting to like the way this blogging thing works. All referrals!=).

Anyway, I now have questions. Important ones, like:

If someone leaves a comment on my blog, like CoachJ did, do I answer her on my blog board or on hers?
I’ve seen the box for themomblogs.com, blogging chicks, or cwo blogroll on several of your sites. How did you find out about these and if you liked them, how did you get that cute little box on your site?

(I’m tellin’ you folks, I’m NOT computer-savvy, so I apologize for the questions if you are rolling your eyes into the back of your heads right now.)
So, smart gals, I’ll be waiting for your answers…sitting here at this desk…watching the screen…oops, sorry one of the babies is crying…guess I’ll check back later!

Summertime Blues

2007-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

What is it about spring that makes you look forward to summertime as if you are going to be taking a vacation to somewhere tropical or something? I daydream of summer, seeing my kids and I playing on a beach laden with white sand and swaying palms. In reality, the only "beach" we live remotely close to is at the local manmade lake. It is laden with pebbles and swaying plastic trash bags. The waves don’t swell to beautiful heights and crash melodically while I snooze under my sun hat. Rather, the wave-less water sits stagnant in the sun, only to be moved if a boat goes by. The spring makes us think of how wonderful it will be to buy the perfect bathing suit for this summer. Then we actually go to the department store to try one on and run from the dressing room shrieking…either from the price or what we saw in the mirror…or both in my case. So here’s to another summer when the "hottest new looks" for me are when I open my car to find that the interior temperature has reached 750 degrees Fahrenheit and I find sweat in crevices I never knew I had!

My Dear Hubs...

2007-03-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

My husband is the greatest. How many men would volunteer to get up at every nighttime feeding with you? Each night, he takes one of the twins while I take the other. He helps around the house and he works hard to provide for us. He makes having a Christian home a priority.
In addition to all of these wonderful qualities, he stuck up for me today! He was the prince that swoops in and slays the dragon. Without going into detail, for fear that it would send you into the fetal position in a dark closet somewhere, I will tell you that we have been in a very difficult conflict with someone for a while. Today, as it all came crashing down around us and accusations were flying, my husband stood up for me. He was amazing! Thanks, honey! I couldn’t ask for more!

Oh where, oh where has courtesy gone?

2007-03-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Courtesy is a dying art. Have you noticed that common courtesies such as holding doors for others and using good manners are rarely practiced anymore? How about standing when someone enters the room? That is almost never seen.
I think about this from time to time. But, yesterday I was reminded of it again. I had to kill about 50 minutes while my husband wrapped up some loose ends at work. There is a McDonalds across the street from his office, so my daughter cast her vote for the playland. Not a bad idea, so we ventured over. I have an almost 4 year old daughter and infant twins. Needless to say when we go on an outing, I have my hands full. I was struggling to get into the restaurant with the two heavy infant carriers in my hands, a diaper bag on my shoulder, and toddler hanging onto my belt loop. My daughter actually tried opening the door for me, but it was too heavy. There were several patrons in the restaurant, with their eyes glued to us, apathetically shaking their heads. Yet no one offered to help. I don’t leave the house expecting to have help with my kids. I just thought it funny that so many people sat back and watched me struggle. I guess we were the entertainment!

The Princess and the Shoe

2007-03-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

My firstborn child is a princess child…not in the sense that I am doting that over her. Rather, she has sort of self-proclaimed this title and expects to be treated as such. I attest this to the fact that she was our first child, who never had to want for anything, the first grandchild on one side of the family and seems to be the golden grandchild on the other side of the family. I love the kid to pieces, despite the fact that her princess attitude has clashed with my mommy attitude many a time. Enough about that…
She recently had a little friend over to play. They did great together, playing dolls, ponies, and restaurant. Then we enter what I like to call "Dress Up Drama."
After deciding to play dress up with the 42 princess costumes in the dress up box, they both wanted the same princess dress. After another dilemma regarding headgear (because we only have 13 tiaras to choose from), the drama moved onto the shoes. This I can actually relate to. I mean the glass slippers are glass slippers and can not be imitated by some opaque knock-off, and we really only have one pair of plastic glass slippers. My daughter was already wearing them and I thought it was a fair trade to let her since she had relinquished the dress to her buddy. So we are now trying to sell the buddy on other shoes like this lovely pair in plastic pink alligator, or how about these ballet slippers in genuine satin. She decided on the ballet slippers, which were just a touch snug. So here I am wrestling with the shoes and her little feet. It took about 5 minutes to get the first shoe on. About halfway through getting the second shoe on (and by this time, I’m comparing the experience to trying to deliver a baby), she says she doesn’t really want to wear these shoes. I understood, what with the grunting and huffing and puffing it was taking for me to get them on her. So we’re back to the pink alligators, which slipped on easily (HOORAY!) But after taking about 10 steps, she left the safety net of the carpet for the dangers of the wood flooring. The slick plastic soles of those shoes gave out like buttered feet on a frozen lake.
I just shook my head and thought, "Man, it's hard to be a princess!"

It's that time of year again...

2007-03-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

It seems that spring has sprung around here. It’s so beautiful to look out the window and see the little buds beginning to open to new life, the blossoms on our peach tree vibrantly opening. Then I step outside and suddenly it turns into the sniffling, sneezing, stuffy head, fever so you can’t breathe weather! I am dreadfully allergic to spring, to new life!
Last spring, my oldest daughter and I made a habit of taking walks every Monday night while my husband was at a regular meeting. It was great until the week that about 6 blocks from home, I began to sneeze like a banshee. My nose began DRIPPING…gross, isn’t it? I had no Kleenex with me. At first I tried nonchalantly leaning my face into the shoulder of my t-shirt. Once the sleeves were wet enough to wring out, I had to start using the front of my t-shirt. But I didn’t want to lift it up and create a peep show in the neighborhood, so I would fold myself in half like a body contortionist to wipe my face into the front of my body. Meanwhile I’m trying to push a stroller, so we are stopping every ten feet or so. I contemplated knocking on someone’s door to beg for a tissue, but I thought I might scare the daylights out of him. By now, my eyes were watering too, so I looked like I was walking around the neighborhood bawling. Finally I resorted to running with the NON-jogging stroller, making the bumpiest of rides for my little princess, who filed her complaint of course. Needless to say that was the last of our Monday night walks. Looks like this year I’m stayin’ in!

So, this is what it feels like to be OLD...

2007-03-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Not that I really needed to know how it feels to be old, mature, aged, someone's "elder"...no, I didn't really wake up that day wondering how it would feel and yet, as luck would have it, I found myself feeling really old.
For starters, it is Spring Break around here, and the kids and teenagers are gallivanting around the neighborhood as if the whole world is on Spring Break...as if our kitchen floors don't need mopping, the trash doesn't need emptying, our kids' noses don't need wiped! The mere fact that I found myself bothered by the loud music coming from the seemingly multiplying compact cars with high school parking decals on the back windshields was already making me feel a little old. I mean, a couple of times, I did stop and remind myself that I was there once too...and not all that long ago, right??? They're just kids for Pete's sake. But then, the worst happened! I had stepped out to get the mail and noticed something in the yard on my way back to the front door. I bent over to get it. Yes, I did look like one of those wooden cut-outs that people put in their garden of the lady picking the weeds with her large, lacy, bloomers showing from underneath her big polka dotted skirt. No, I wasn't wearing large, lacy bloomers...well they weren't lacy. Nor was I wearing polka dots. At any rate, I was bent over when I suddenly heard a young man yelling something at me followed by his car full of buddies laughing out loud. I was completely startled! I straightened up quickly, turning to see what was going on...maybe someone's house was on fire, maybe a plane was falling out of the sky. NO such luck! As they sped away in their little, silver, my-dad-makes-the-payments car, I realized that they were making fun of me! Ouch! That stung my pride a little, but not for long. I stood up tall and shouted back, "Hey, you little brat! I'm not some old lady! Be nice or I'll tell your mother when I see her at knitting club next week!"
Boy, did I show him...