Happy President's Day!

Today was surprisingly fun! T, after working 17 hours straight this weekend, took today off. When we woke up (ridiculously late!) it was already 66* outside - YIPPEE! We showered, put on our capri pants, t-shirts and sunglasses and headed off to DC. Fortunately, the double-decker bus credit card machine was broken and we did not bring $100 cash along, so we hopped on the Metro and went down to the mall. From there, we walked over to the Smithsonean Museum of Natural History. It was a glorious 5 minute walk in the warm sun - I even thought for a minute we ought to enjoy the outdoors, but we weren't planning to stay all day!

We spent a good three hours just wandering around that museum with hundreds of tourists. I remembered at one point that many of the school up north are off this week, which was likely one of the reasons it was so crowded - that, and it is President's Day! We saw dinosaurs, mummies, butterflies, insects... fossils, totem poles, and many other fascinating things. We also spent $30 on lunch in the "cafe" (as opposed to the restaurant!) on two turkey sandwiches, 2 drinks, 2 bags of chips and milk. YIKES! That's what we get for being really spontaneous!

As we were finishing up, we noticed that people were walking around with umbrellas, plastic entombed strollers, wet hair.... Needless to say, we knew an adventure awaited us! After waiting a bit for the downpour to subside, we bolted for the metro. Totally soaked and happy we had our Crocs on (LOL), we made it to the train with minimal wetness considering BUT very cold! I guess we ought to check the weather next time!!

Speaking of weather, I guess today's surprise is a precursor of what's to come. I've been watching the calendar for weeks now and every time I've checked my birthday (this Wednesday) has been cold but totally clear. Well, tonight is a different story. They are so far calling for a full day of snow. I honestly couldn't be more depressed about that. There is nothing I want more at this point than to be anywhere that snow is the last possible thing that might happen! I'm just really, uh, wishing today had been my real birthday!

"Making Progress"

President and Laura Bush are traveling around Africa embracing the signs of "making progress" around countries who have used US aid dollars for fighting poverty, preventing malaria and AIDS/HIV programs. For all the negative things we hear about Bush, I happen to think it's a huge commitment he's made to that continent and one I'm happy to pay my taxes for. He has taken a stand on conditions in Africa - especially Sudan - that I agree with. While I've never been to Africa, I've heard plenty about it from our teams who have gone. Story after story is filled with hope, warmth, a resilience that we have little need to develop in our "safe" suburbs. We have a lot to learn about community from African nations and it's nice to know that we are helping in some small way to preserve future generations there.

Deja Vu

It's (almost) just like the old days. T's still at work. That will be going on 17 hours now. I wonder if they will buy them all breakfast?? The thing that's annoying is our dogs. One of them - the old one - has barked ALL NIGHT LONG!! So, it's bad enough that T has worked all night and gotten no sleep, I haven't slept a wink, either!! He's down there still barking, and when I let him outside he stood at the bottom of our back steps and barked. AGH!!!! Just shoot me now!

I'm really not a dog person and truth be told, I actually dream about having no dogs in this house. I'd much prefer a cat, but with allergies and asthma that is out of the question. If Em wasn't such an animal lover, I'd consider giving away these dogs today after a night like last night. Of course, I think I was the only one who was up all night.... Kt's and her friend haven't made a peep. That could be wishful thinking, though! ;-)

Ironic

For 13 years T worked for Verizon as a DBA. Each year, he'd work on my birthday weekend - faithfully! Each year, it would get worse, longer hours, more weekends. Only one year did we actually go away for my birthday (which generally falls right around President's Day weekend). This year is his first year working at his new job. So far, any weekend work has been about 1 hour. We smile about it a lot. Until this weekend.

Here it is, President's Weekend, big Oracle release. He went in at 3, things are not going well, who knows when he'll be home, then he'll be thrown off all weekend. He also does not get President's
Day off (WHAT????), so what's worse about this time around? I get to have the girls all day while he's at work. I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking I'd like to pretend it's not really my birthday at all! (Can I stay younger as well??)

Happy Birthday, Jacks!

Well, I missed it by a day, but I did at least tell her HP yesterday!! Instead of blogging, I was subbing at Mother's Day Out, grocery shopping and making chicken fajitas for our neighbor with 6 kids. Quite an undertaking. Once that was done, I settled in for a movie with Em and Kt and promptly hit the sack!

For J's birthday, my mom made her a lasagne for dinner and my brother (who wasn't able to top the car he got her last year for her 30th birthday!) got her a new laptop. NICE!! I don't think we'll be topping that at our house for my birthday next week. That's OK, we didn't do the brand new car last year, either!! LOL

I'm really glad Jack's and I have our birthdays close because I used to share it every year with my grandmother (same day) and my father (two days after mine). Now that they are both gone, I still don't have to celebrate alone - well, maybe alone, but not by myself.

The funniest story about Jacks - she makes gorgeous jewelry, and we all know it. Even T knows it, but somehow when he was setting up an account for her and we told him to use "beader" he misunderstood us and used the word "beater" - and whenever I think of that, I just crack up!! What a goof! She's not a beater at all, but we've been wondering what T was thinking!!

So, Happy 31st Aunt Jacks!

Maryland School Suspensions Up

This article mentions a rise in Maryland state school suspensions. I'm not surprised, as we now institute the "zero tolerance" policy in schools. I have to say I'm quite surprised that NOT ONCE in this piece does it mention that parents need to get involved or support the schools. No, instead the responsibility is falling on the schools and teachers to find alternate ways to change student behavior.

Personally, I believe if parents supported these decisions at home we'd see fewer behavioral problems at school. Instead, when kids are suspended the parents complain. I'm sorry, but if my child actually does some that warrants a suspension, you better believe they will be changing their behavior at school and it's going to start at home! By the way, having children who so far seem unlikely to be suspended, I'd prefer they are learning at school and the students who are not there to learn and are an interruption - I'm happy to have them suspended!! More valuable instructional time for my kids that they miss each day because of those who don't deem it important or necessary to obey.

Smiles

When your 10 year old daughter is asking you a serious question with blue lips from eating some kind of Valentine candy, it's just impossible to keep a straight face!

I Can See Clearly Now

I left work today and the sun was shining. The first words that popped into my head were "I can see clearly now, the rain (and snow, and ice) have gone"! In many ways, that song defines me. A doctor friend of mine once suggested I might have SAD, seasonal affective disorder, and I think there's some truth to that. I just get more and more depressed in bad weather.

Today, I'm feeling a bit more clear minded, level headed, happy. It's a little pathetic, but that's just the way I am. I guess I need to move to Florida or something!!

Is there a song that defines you?

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope you all have an enchanting Valentine's Day today!

After our scramble to make it out the door ON TIME today (no snow or ice - yippee!), I am now sitting here, in the middle of the messiest house you ever did see. I cry, moan, beg, threaten... I guess I'm just not assertive enough. I'll be cleaning alone again. Then making dinner. Then doing homework with everyone. Somewhere in there I will go to work.

Here's what I got the girls for Valentine's Day: an American Girl heart apron (each), baking stuff for cupcakes - YUM!, a small chocolate heart and a Webkinz heart bullfrog. I think they will enjoy their Valentines!

As for dinner, I have no idea what I'll make. I'm not really motivated to cook much but I think I'll just try something new and different - of course, nobody will like it. Maybe that's why I'm not motivated!! They'd all be happier with a pizza! Then we'll make those cupcakes. Then we're watching No Reservations (after the girls go to bed!). T wanted to watch it last night, but I opted for tonight - I'm pretty sure he didn't know why. I mean, it IS Valentine's Day!

Birthday Wishes

If I could choose anything at all for my birthday, it would likely be to go on a Disney Cruise. Especially in February!! Of course, at this point, in the middle of an ice storm, I'd be happy with being anywhere warm. I loathe cold weather - snow and ice just make that loathing more pronounced! So, I just spent a little time vicariously going on a cruise while reading that lovely CNN travel article about them. Just because I'm a dreamer, I also have the Disney Cruiseline Planning DVD, so I've already chosen my cabin.=)

Too bad my husband won't step foot on a cruise ship.

Here We Go Again....

Tomorrow, Tuesday, expecting snow, I have to work, my kids are home from school (primaries).

Someone PLEASE send me to a tropical place before I freeze into a iceblock and shatter into a million pieces!

Monday Morning Funny

This morning Em crawled into bed with me - again! This is becoming a ritual. She looked right at me with those very serious eyes and said, "Mommy, I have some baaaaad news. This morning, the radio said 'For Americans, the flu shot MIGHT * NOT * WORK!" I kind of chuckled and said, "Oh, really?" She replied, "Yes!" After a short, thoughtful pause, she asked, "Are we Americans?"

At that point I was busting up, and it reminded me of this past weekend when she asked me if we were Jewish! This girl is having a major identity crisis. But here's the best part: she is now thoroughly relieved that she got to the flu mist as opposed to the shot!! (Poor Kt!)

Plans

Here's the way it typically goes down around here when we make "plans" to do something and dad's away at some Christian conference.....

Going to Connecticut - have planned this months in advance....

1. My mom's contractor called last Friday - he put a new ceiling in her bedroom on Monday/Tuesday....

2. They are calling for snow "showers" this weekend - around here, that could translate into a full-blown blizzard by that time!

3. The dog is sick.... so not calling a dog-walker to clean my house!

4. My sitter for the girls today... her daughter had a fever, and they went anyway, and of course, I couldn't leave work early!

5. My mom emailed this morning - she has a cold now, and my brother and his wife spent at least last night at her house (3 small bedrooms) because the hot water heater in their apartment died. The landlord apparently said to my sister-in-law (in Connecticut!), "Well, you have cold water!" Yup, uh-huh... have you checked the temperatures up there lately? I have.... daily for over a week! I'm not taking any cold showers up there!

6. Still no word on whether or not the landlord decided to fix that hot water heater!

7. It's almost midnight and I'm still not packed. Partly my own problem, but I've been drying the same load of laundry for 2 hours and my dryer doesn't seem to be drying anything.... and that's where all the clothes are for the trip.

Kt's friend is here, and despite all of the above we will be leaving in the am to culminate her last birthday wish, which was for one of her best friends to visit her second home. Sometimes it starts with a grain of sand, layers of irritation are added and you end up with a beautiful pearl. At least that's what we're hoping for here!!

Oh, So Sweet

This morning I rolled over in bed and saw 64* as our outside temperature - which led to a big smile on my face. I had expected that to dip at some point today, but I just tucked Em in(to my bed!) and it still says 64*. It's been a nice, warm day today. I love little winter breaks, especially when it does not require any travel!! I know it will be short-lived as tomorrows high is only expected to be around 49.

Here's what I did on this unseasonably warm day: got up with a smile, made dessert for the teachers PTA dinner, took a walk with my MP3 worship songs, showered in a warm bathroom, ran dessert over to school in a short-sleeved shirt, saw my beautiful girls, got them off the bus on their half day, spent the afternoon outside with them in the balmy but damp 70's, got them over to gymnastics in the wind, ran down to their school for a 6:45 conference and it was still 67*!, then came home. Just walked the dogs with no coat on. How sweet is that? Now I'm just hoping it doesn't all end with a tornado!!

30,000th

So, appropriately, my 30,000th visitor was my mom. At least I think it was her. She tries to stalk me on here, even goes so far as to leave anonymous comments - LOL. OK, sometimes she actually signs them "mom", but I'm thinking we might need to get her to start her own blog. Although that could be dangerous when I vaguely remember all the damage she could do to her children on one of those. On second thought, we'll just laud her as my 30,000th visitor and leave it at that! ;-)

Tarantulas

For the past couple days we've been getting quite the education about Tarantulas from Em. Last week, she had a reading book all about them and really absorbed a lot of information, which she obviously found fascinating. I happen to think it's fascinating that a first grader can gather so many facts in such a short, tiny reading book - 20 pages, 265 words! Oh, and the map.

T left last night for Florida and Em has been relentless in her concern for his safety, seeing as tarantulas live in that region! She has been warning him about them, their shape, their abilities and even the fact that they like to hide in plants much like the ones in the bedroom she assumed he'd be sleeping in at our friend's house. Every time we mention daddy and his trip, we learn one more thing about those scary, dangerous creatures.

This morning, Em crawled into bed with me and I assured her that daddy was safe in Florida AND having lots of fun. She very seriously said to me, "Well, at least he's not paralyzed!" Being 8 am and still a bit groggy, I asked her to explain to me what she meant by that. She then said, "That's what happens when tarantulas bite you!"

Never again will we be able to visit a tarantula region!

You know...

Condi, it's not to late to jump into this mix. I mean, nobody is really winning or anything! ;-)

Day Off

So, last night I put into practice something I've been needing to do - I said no. I felt a twinge of guilt, but I've been planning this whole day off thing to get my stuff done for a couple weeks. It's a much needed sabbath!

Off to bed I went, not a care in the world, dreaming of my day at the gym, then home for some relaxin....

All a dream, I tell you! I was up all night with a stomach bug, then the girls had a late open for school and now I'm ready to head back to bed. Thank goodness! I said no or today would have potentially been a train wreck - me sick, trying to find someone to watch the girls between 10-11, working with little kids and feeling really lousy.....

And the delay? I was up at 4:30 am (one of many times) and it was 35 degrees out. If there was any ice out there, I'm not sure where it was! All I see is torrential rain. Downpour. So, I guess we had a rain delay. And you know what that means? Everytime rain is forecast, Em will be asking me if there's a late open. I would bet a million on that one!!

Cathing My Breath

I have about 15 minutes before the girls arrive home. The past week has been a true whirlwind of activity. Between Kt's first band concert, Em's first sleepover party, our first official international summer trips leader's meeting, our last pre-marital counseling session with A&F.... oh, and me being asked to work yesterday when I walked into the girl's school to volunteer for the morning.... I'm whooped!

There are so many things I could say about the past week, but then there's too many. We had Bible study last night and are reading through the book In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day - I'm really liking this book. It's written by Mark Batterson (?) who pastors a church that meets in Union Station, DC. Last night we talked about facing our fears, which is really a great topic for me. I was actually thinking about this blog and how when my husband and his blogging friend, Jeremy, encouraged me in the beginning, I had my rote reaction: I could never do that! I mean, who really cares about what I write or think anyway!! And that may still be the case, but in actuality I don't blog for an audience. I blog for me. And through this, just as combating many other fears in life, the things I've learned about myself and about others and especially about God are invaluable.

I'm hoping for a slowdown in all the craziness, but I don't see that happening any time soon! Tomorrow I'm returning for the poor teacher I dissed when I decided to work in second grade all day (for money!;-)), then lunch with an old friend, then pull things together for Girls Grace Adventure, gymnastics... and the list goes on. I just keep telling myself to do life - it's either that or be bored, and for now, that's just not an option!

Craziness

So, my marathon of commitments is nearly at an end. I'm surprised that I'm not as drained as I thought I'd be. I guess when we're doing things that focus on others and not ourselves it's much more fulfilling/energizing.... at least for me!

Today I took Kt to a Southern Living at Home party - really just to hang out with a friend. In the car she said, "I know what I want for my next birthday - Tony Hawk." I laughed, a person? She assured me I did not hear incorrectly. She *needs* to learn how to Ollie (?). I said, "You know, Kt, skateboarders generally have scrapes and bruises everywhere from learning/practicing all these different tricks. Her reply? "Mom, those people are serious, I'm just doing this for fun!" Yes, I did the "that makes no sense" rolling my eyes thing while she couldn't see me, but then I had to laugh, because I think I sometimes have that same mentality.

If I don't learn to say no with a little less guilt I'm going to implode at some point! I don't imagine it going down that way, because I'm just doing it all for fun! ;-)

Mommy Milestone

So, tonight was a mommy milestone, not to mention a huge one for Kt! It was her very first ever band concert!! I know my mom is probably grinning, thinking back to my first band concert, when I was a fourth grade flute player. Of course, my poor parents had to live through 17 years of band concerts, orchestra, etc. because my sister played the violin and my brother was a percussionist!

Really, I enjoyed tonight. I wasn't sure how it would go, but I was really impressed at how far all the kids have come in just a few short months. I'm so glad I convinced Kt to give it a try - she is very musical and seems to love it as much as I did!! And, of course, we ended the evening with the traditional ice cream shop visit. Unfortunately, grouchy and I (that would be Em) came home before the fun. Just a little late for that one.

I can't believe I'm a band parent!

I've Been Tagged

I think I did something similar to this, but not NEARLY as long! As usual, I won't be tagging anyone specifically. Here goes....

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? Deanna Durbin and my grandmother, whose nickname was Kay.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? When I was sick after being home with my girls, and I went to get tested for strep and the very rude receptionist basically told me to get lost because my insurance card was 1 week expired. The hospital, pediatrics and the lab techs we had seen in the past week never mentioned that to us..... I had to run home (crying the whole way because I had a fever, sore throat and a sick kid with me) to find the new cards. When I returned, she told me it was no good - she lied. I am still working on forgiving that woman!

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Well, I am a calligrapher. I like my handwriting, but I'm also ultracritical of it.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham, but I have to switch to turkey because I have high cholesterol.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Two girls.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I guess not, I don't know.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Nope, I'm not the least bit sarcastic!! PLEASE!!!! (uh huh, and if you believe that, I have a piece of swampland waiting for you in New Orleans!)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yup.

9.WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Yes, but it would have to be safe. (LOL)

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Lucky Charms.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not really.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mint Chocolate Chip.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I always look for a smile. If I don't get that, I'm pretty much looking the other way!

15. RED OR PINK? Pink (and green)!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? I'm way too judgemental and it comes across as being very negative. I just need to keep my mouth shut!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? I miss my dad terribly.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans and my brown cozy crocs.

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A heart shaped peppermint pattie.

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The fan on my laptop, which runs constantly. I believe this thing is eventually going to implode!

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Green, in a dark variety.

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Anything fruity and tropical.

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My husband. Or did I just text him?

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Gymnastics, ice skating and diving.

25. HAIR COLOR? Strawberry blonde.

26. EYE COLOR? Light brown.

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I'm supposed to wear glasses at night but never do. I have one eye that is nearsighted, one that is farsighted and when I'm not really tired I have 20/20 vision.

28. FAVORITE FOOD? Pizza and chocolate.

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? 27 Dresses.

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Brown sweater.

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer, or Florida in the winter.

33. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs - kisses are way too germy.

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Brownie sundae.

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Calm My Anxious Heart

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have one.

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Spongebob Squarepants and part of Zach and Josh.

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Laughter, my girls, babies.

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones.

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hungary.

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can unicycle. Or at least I used to be able to!

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Bridgeport, Connecticut.

OK, so that's it. I am only tagging those who actually bothered to read ALL about me - you know who you are! ;-)

Catch-up

The aftermath of having my girls home for 12 days straight is that I'm running ragged trying to catch up with life!! Doctors appointments, trips, parties.... I'm totally whooped and it's not really settling down. It seems to only be getting busier!

Last weekend, we took a group of high school seniors up north for a weekend in NYC/Connecticut. It was really fun and I think they were able to see a part of NYC that most people never see unless they live there. It was interesting to listen to them share about the things that impacted them - visiting Times Square church, staying at the mission in the Bronx, working at Genexel and serving the homeless at Abounding Grace. Of course, staying in my mom's house was also an experience! All in all, I think they all had a super time.

Now we're back, and aside from the usual work/homework/gymnastics we have Kt's very first band concert tomorrow night (and so my journey as band parent begins!), subbing in the lunch room again (always an adventure!), making dinner for our neighbor whose husband was just diagnosed with the exact same lymphoma that inflicted my father - but he's younger and has 6 children and another on the way! and Em's slumber party (hopefully!!) on Friday night. Oh, then there's our summer leaders meeting on Saturday (here) for our 4-5 trips, marriage counseling on Sunday.... oh, and I'm taking a short break to attend a Southern Living at Home party. On Monday, after I volunteer in Em's class, I'm going to collapse. OK?

I did have to say no to something I was very interested in being part of. The timing was bad, the day they chose for meetings didn't work and the more I think about it, the more I think God planned it that way. I'm not sure it was the right thing for me to participate in, so I'm gladly passing on it. It was flattering to be asked, though!=)

Well, I'm off to hunt for a black below the knee skirt for Kt's first concert. She informed me yesterday that her black pants didn't fit.... thanks for the notice! I only asked her last week, to give me more than one day to find this thing. I've started my search online and am having 0 luck. HELP!

Justice

The man I've referred to a couple times on here, who killed three people in Florida on Christmas Day, was finally arrested and charged. Drunk driving, cocaine, xanax and speeding all contributing factors. I'd say this was way overdue.

Wow. Looks like he spent a whole 24 hours in jail.

Global Freezing?

All summer long all we hear about is global warming this, global warming that.... Then winter hits, freezing cold, snow, wind chills.... I'm thinking it's more like global freezing than global warming!! Let's here it for summer, warm beaches, flip flops and sun!!! Send the warming my way, please!

Space Expedition

After our harrowing snow adventure last Thursday, we packed our house with 7 high school seniors for a brief sleepover, picked up two more college students in the morning and drove up to Connecticut. The girls and I put those poor, cold souls on the 2:22 Metro North train in to Grand Central Station and they have been serving NYC ever since!! While they have been trucking around, painting, filing, organizing clothes and serving the homeless, we've been having fun.... shopping, eating out, shopping, movies (LOL) and now we are getting ready to host them for the night in the house I grew up in. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms - smaller than average, if you know what I mean!! I have to go make a couple breakfast casseroles, blow up some air mattresses, move all their stuff downstairs and then wait.

Just to give you an idea of how big God is, we got them up here in a 10 passenger van that had a broken door until Wednesday, made it through a snowstorm on Thursday to our house and found the only parking space in a sea of cars at the Fairfield train station when we arrived Friday afternoon - just steps from the station door. Any commuter would be wildly jealous of our "luck" - not to mention, the parking attendant, the nicest, sweetest man in the world was right there to let us know that for $6 we could park it there all weekend. Yay!! Now I don't have to wander out at all hours of the evening looking for them when they arrive sometime around midnight? Thanks, God!

So, tomorrow we process a bit of what they just did. I don't know if they will be coherent enough to go to church... but that's OK, because they've been "doing church" all weekend!! We have some great kids at our church - no, really, they are amazing!

Why I Believe in Hibernation

I wonder why God didn't create us to hibernate?? It really makes so much sense. Storing up food, that we would eat sparingly (think of all the money we'd save not eating out!), bundling up and not having to go out in the snow (no need for plows or shovels - just let the snow fall where it may!) and lots and lots of good sleep (everyone could catch up, then we'd all enjoy and happy, healthy summer!). Instead, we have cold to brave, snow storms to ruin all our important plans and by summer we're still trying to catch up on our sleep, and the nights are shorter!!

So, here I am, have to leave for work in about 10 minutes, haven't packed for the trip I'm supposed to leave for this afternoon because, well, it's snowing, and they are predicting ice after that and the storm is heading towards my destination. This has kind of dampered my attitude about getting ready, because instinctively, I'm ready for hibernation! In my humble opinion, nobody should be going anywhere today. We should all hunker down, bundle up, watch a good movie, have a cup of hot cocoa and let the snow fall where it may. Happy Hibernating!

"Tweens?

I had this conversation with Kt today.... and I'm just totally stunned. Is there a pill to make your kid stop getting older??

Kt: (arriving home from school) Is there ANY way at all we can wait until Saturday to drive up to Connecticut? Any way AT ALL?

Me: Why? What's going on?

Kt: Only the most popular party, all the popular kids are going and I really, really want to go!! They are going to play truth or dare and spin the bottle and I really, really want to go. PLEASE?

Me: Uh, what makes you think that I want you to go to a party where they are going to play spin the bottle?

Kt: Come on, we're not, like, 4 anymore or anything!!

Me: Do you even know what spin the bottle is???

Kt: Sure, it's when.... (she describes exactly how it's played - and it's just painful for me to listen to her enthusiasm!)

Me: What if I don't want boys kissing "or something" you? Do you really think that is OK?

Kt: Well, what if I don't play, but I just watch?

Me: What if I just say we're going to Connecticut!!

Ah.... too young to know better.

Really, though, I'm quite disturbed. Looks like I have a lot of ground to cover with this child, unfortunately. Whenever we have something like this happen, I'm kind of glad it's happening at an age where she tells me, then again I was so hoping these things would not even be on her radar until at least Middle School!! The scary thing is that I know this whole situation is driven by a desire to be loved and accepted by her peers. It doesn't really matter that she has tons of friends, she just likes that feeling. HELP!!!

Resembling Normal

Well, both girls got on the bus this morning for the first time in 12 days.... and that was having only one day after an 11 day vacation where they were both in school. That's nearly 33 days at home with my children. I need a vacation!!!

Of course, after the girls got on the bus, I scarfed down my breakfast and headed over to their school for my bimonthly 1st grade volunteering! Yup, my first day of freedom and I was in school. Hard to believe, but I guess that's life! After that, grocery shopping for the first time in a few weeks, then I sat around and waiting for my aunt to call me to come help her with her passport application - of course, she called me at 3:30.... I should have just gone to the gym!! Humph.

Kt had piano lessons, the girls did their homework, I cooked real food for dinner - yummy, nutritious meal, now I have laundry, bible study stuff and a snack to make for tomorrow, might possibly hop on that treadmill now that T moved it for me back to the one outlet in our dingy basement. It feels like we're back to "normal"!

Crazy week ahead - bible study tomorrow am, then work, dr. appointment Wednesday, then help my aunt (hope that works out better than today!), then Girl's Grace Adventure, Thursday is packing and work... then leave for Connecticut. Maybe. Still not sure about that trip. Taking the seniors to NYC, T is. Maybe. That's kind of how it always is around. "Normal"!

I put together a card last night... finally.... so we can send out our Hungary Thank Yous. It's kind of late to do that, but the whole thing was a lot to process and it's fluid. Looks like we might go back this summer. When we decided to go last year, I told everyone that it was not something we'd do every year. Taking the whole family on a missions trip is a huge undertaking. Well, looks like we might try that again. "Normal"! I eat my words.

Gotta run. Lots to do. Hopefully I can fit a couple blog posts in there this week. "Normal"!

Christmas Day Tragedy Update

I've still tried to follow this story. A Florida blogger posted this about the same accident. Elsewhere in another post on her blog someone left a comment to the effect that Belniak (the driver of the truck that "pulverized" the Tahoe) is the brother of the assistant state DA. There was a suggestion that having that connection is what is contributing to the delay of any charges in this case. That just seems utterly objectionable to me consider what this mad did!! Do connections like that literally allow someone to get away with murder?

The Pinnacle of Unmotivatedness

OK, probably not a word, but for me, today it is! Today is my throw in the towel day, my "I totally give up!" day and my "I don't want to do ANYTHING!" day. I'm home for the 9th day in a row with a sick child, barely got the first one on the bus AGAIN, canceled the birthday party of the century planned for tomorrow, and made a doctor's appointment for myself for this afternoon to see if I'm somehow contracted strep as well. I mean, 9 straight days with strep kids - how can I not have it, right??

I have yet to make it back to the gym, still have a few Christmas decorations to take down, need to get started on mounds of laundry. Instead, I'm just a bit annoyed, dejected and just plain unmotivated to do anything. Em is upstairs, hacking away, had a slight temperature of 100 this morning - so I kept her home again. Of course, now her temp is normal, she was dressed and ready to go, and I know she's making a huge mess upstairs - craft time. What am I doing? I'm down here blogging. At this point, does it matter?

To make everything even more confusing, all my emails to T, which is the primary way we communicate, have bounced back. I guess his work is blocking gmail?? Anyway, all day yesterday I thought he was taking care of a few things... but he never got the messages. Just frustrating, I tell you! And his cell phone isn't even working - can't call him, can't text him, can't email him.... I might at well be a single parent at this point!!! Anyway, if you're wondering where he is as well, it's likely you're in the same boat! Happy sailing!

Bibles in the Classroom

I was reading this article this morning on Fox about a federal judge ruling that passing out Bibles in a classroom or basically anywhere on school property was "unconstitutional". It's an interesting piece, and interesting that the 4 families who brought the suit against the school system were Christian families.

First of all, this would never happen around here! It's important to note this case resides deep in the Bible belt, Missouri. While I think the anti-religion movement in public schools has gone way too extreme (where even the mention of the word "Christmas" or "Jesus" is not allowed around here!), I have stepped back a bit to realize this protection extends to my own children beyond Christianity. While I personally wouldn't object to my child bringing home a Bible from school, I might take issue if they were given a Koran or some Satanism manual. As a parent, if my children are going to be exposed to other religions in grade school (once in high school, it's going to happen on their own!), I'd like it to be my decision. So, while I think "unconstitutional" might be a stretch, since the constitution was written on Biblical principles, I do appreciate my children being protected at that young age from various religious teachings I may not agree with.

I don't blame the Gideons for trying, but there are plenty of ways to spread the Good News in the world.

Happy Birthday, Em!

Today, Em is 7 years old. She is a little sad she won't be in school for her birthday. Instead, she'll be going to work with me. How boring! LOL Poor thing -- she may not have her greatly wished for sleepover party this weekend, either. That has been her dream for a couple years.

5 years ago, Em, Kt and I were heading to Connecticut to celebrate her birthday with my parents. My dad was not doing so well, finishing up chemo, stem cell transplant and radiation, with the lymphoma taking over his body. On our way up, she threw up in the car. Illness seems to plague her on her birthdays! My father was seriously disappointed that we had to turn around at the Delaware Memorial Bridge and return home. It would have been our last visit with him at home, not the hospital.

Em tells me all the time she misses Pabu, but in the same breath will tell me she doesn't remember him at all. She just knows in her sweet little heart that she loves and misses him. So do I!! My dad love Em with all of his heart as well. They share the exact same glisten in their eyes, positive attitude about the most minute details and an intensity about things they believe in - even if it's just about the weather! Oh, they are both passionate about weather!

When Em was very young, she would sit in a chair and turn her feet around at her ankles with a silly little grin on her face - it's the same grin my dad always had while he twirled his foot around sitting in his chair in the front of the TV. I'm so thankful they met each other before my dad passed just a couple months later.

So, today we celebrate my little Em turning 7, and I can't believe how far she's come in those 5 years, plus the two she had that she doesn't even remember!!

Cruisin'

I can dream a little while I'm stuck home with my sick kids, right? I was thinking about cruises today when Em asked T for a "disinfect and protect" wipe. Yes, we're watching wayyyy too much TV these days! Anyway, it's unlikely I'll be taking a cruise, but for those of you who can consider one, CNN has a great piece on choosing a kid friendly cruise. Now, if you want to take your kids, read carefully. If you don't want to take your kids, just take note of the cruise lines that everyone with kids will be choosing! Catch my drift? ;-) Bon Voyage!

"Not Immune"

That's what they're saying.... but that's my mall AND that's where I always park! EEK! One would have to admit that over the past couple years, as the mall has added more restaurants, chic shopping and parking garages, the number of loiterers has increased ten-fold. I'm not sure why, but it doesn't feel as safe as it used to, back when Jo-Ann's was on the second floor!

Truth be told, with the addition of the movie theater, Cheesecake Factory and Nordstrom, I've completely avoided the mall at all cost... unless it's a weekday or I have a great, great need. And the last time we were there, we saw the new soft playspace they added - can we say superbug? or unattended minors?

I guess I'll be a bit more watchful about where I park, when I go and the people around me. I guess putting in metal detectors wouldn't help anything! (I'm totally kidding, folks.... I'm not that naive!) But now that I know we're not immune, I'll definitely be thinking twice about that trip to the mall!

It's A First

Yup, I'm blogging early. Actually, I've been up since 6:30 - pretty good for a non-morning person like myself. I had to run over and get some labwork done, then finished so early I ran to Wal-mart for some birthday stuff (since I'll be home all day with a sick birthday girl - strep!) and now I'm home.

I was ever so nice to wake up on a January morning, bright and early, before the sun was even up, and have that outdoor thermometer read 60!!!! Granted, it was a little drizzly and very cloudy, but those clouds made a brilliant backdrop for an amazing sunrise, let me tell you. I'm not a huge cloud fan, but the colors of the sunrise reflected off those gray clouds was magnificent. There's got to be a lesson in there somewhere, but it's too early for my feeble brain!

So, I'm now home with a few moments to spare before I go wake up child #1 and see if she's better enough to head off to school today. Poor thing, she still looked a bit ill yesterday. I'm just not 100% sure she'll make it all day. I honestly could crawl back into bed, but there's a lot to do around here if we're going to birthday!

So, Em finally did it. For the first time, she told me she's too old for something. I've seen her lose interest in things, like Barney, but she's never verbalized to me that she's just too old. So here we are, days before her 7th birthday, and I informed her that her father replaced her beloved ice cream cone toothbrush with a Dora one. She looked very forlorn and said to me, "You know, I'm just past Dora!" I replied, "Oh, you are?" She responded, "Yes. I think I'm too old for that." Anyway, we agreed that for now, with the strep an all, she needed to use Dora. But I guess I'll be picking up one more birthday gift!

I'm telling you...

Walt Disney World is NOT just for kids! ;-) (It might not even be for frugal adults!!)

OK - I'll keep going. We love Disney, but we've learned to cut some corners in the food department. We have yet to dine at any of the Grand Floridian restaurants, although we've heard they are fabulous. About the most we spend on a meal is at the Crystal Palace - which is a character buffet for around $35/person, or the last time we splurged for an African meal at Boma, which was super!! We have never eaten at a Disney restaurant we haven't liked, and we've probably only eaten at about 5% of the ones offered. That being said, who cares if ONE restaurant at Disney is not for kids. There are so many others that are totally marketed just for kids it just seems realistic that at least one is reserved for those kid-weary parents who continue to vacation in a huge kids playground.

If you are staying at the Grand Floridian and you have young children AND you're willing to spend at least $125 per person at a restaurant, save yourself the pain, get a WDW babysitter, buy your child something they like for dinner and go enjoy a quiet, peaceful, luxurious dinner. While you're doing that, I'll be hanging out at Starlight Ray's cafe, scarfing down a Ceasar salad before I run off to enjoy Buzz Lightyear. See ya! Enjoy!!

Select a Candidate

Kind of a like a "dial your winner" kind of thing. It's a bunch of questions you answer to see who aligns best with what is important to you in a presidential candidate. My top match was Duncan Hunter - who is he?? (I feel like I live in a hole or something!)

Novel Idea

Ok, this made me laugh... even today! Kids are so creative, just not always good forecasters.;-)

Life and Perils of a Mom

I kept Kt home again today - she's still pretty wiped from this whole fever/strep thing. I had super high hopes of sending her tomorrow, to the point where I was finally planning all the things I would do that I haven't had a chance to do since she got sick last Wednesday.... then I got the call. Em has a fever now, had to pick her up early. Even if I send Kt tomorrow, guess what I'll be doing all day??? And her birthday is Thursday and I still haven't finished shopping for it. I'm totally sunk. I feel like I need someone to come disinfect my entire life!!!!

UPDATE: Em tested positive for strep. I guess Kt had it after all.... and maybe this fever won't last 5 days!

Warning!

Next post is not for the faint of stomach!!

We ended up taking Kt to the ER today. Actually, T did. I rely on him to do all the doctor stuff - I hate doctors. Anyway....

Yesterday, Kt was doing much better, but today was completely different. She was back to being really sick, had a fever that even ibuprofen wouldn't touch and her glands were so swollen she could only speak in a very garbled fashion. We had thought we might take her to "Nighttime Pediatrics", a new area walk-in after hours clinic, however that place is turning out to be a problem. At 1:30 this afternoon, the earliest appointment we could get was at 6 pm. We knew from my sister's experience there that would likely have us out the door around 9.... and they won't give any kind of antibiotics unless a test says you need them.

Kt has this unfortunate problem of really large tonsils. No one has yet mentioned tonsillitis, but when we head to the doctor with them, they jump back in fright. Apparently, nothing was different at the ER today. After gawking and comforting that poor child, the doctor opted to give her an antibiotic and we decided that now would not be the best time to learn how to swallow a pill. Long story short, T nearly had a coronary trying to find a 24 hour pharmacy on a Sunday night that carries a mega dose of Erythromycin in liquid form. Due to a possible penicillen allergy, that's what we're left with. We are hoping for a major turn around for that child so we don't miss more school than necessary.

I had the dubious job of taking Em to a birthday party (that Kt had to miss). It was fun, but I had been hoping to do something like head to the gym during that party. Instead, Em decided to spring on me that her stomach hurt, and with the illness in the house.... I opted to stay there for the party trying to contact T at the ER. What an afternoon!

So, one more day at home. One more week without my regular grocery shopping trip, gym visit, volunteering in Em's class.... Cabin fever is beginning to set in. Luckily, I have a warm day to look forward to - highs in the low 60's. If Kt is feeling better at all, we are going walking together! That should be fun! As for dinner.... well, I have no idea what we'll do. Tuna?

So Not Athletic

I won't even pretend to be a tiny bit athletic!! Now, if I just knew what curling was!

You Are Curling

What you lack in athleticism, you make up for in concentration. And while curling isn't much more of a sport than bowling, you *can* win a gold medal for it!

What Winter Sport Are You?

Christmas Tragedy Update

I have continued to follow the story involving the friends of my sister-in-law. The death toll is at three now and the perpetrator is still free. While the new article is saying that charges are "imminent", I'm still wondering what's taking so long. Not even a traffic violation? It just seems so outrageous to me. How long does it take to get results on bloodwork - taken over a week ago??? I am just really confused and hoping for some justice.

I Love Chocolate

although I wouldn't consider white chocolate truly chocolate...

You are White Chocolate

You are White Chocolate You are sweet, caring, and truly very innocent. Whether your naive ways are a bit of act or not, people like to take care of you. You are a quiet flirt, and your power is often underestimated!

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

Remnants

The crowds are all gone, now we just have to clean up behind them!! I'm still working, very slowly, to clean up after a fun couple of weeks. As usual, things have been left behind. The most obvious? The illness my sister brought along! Kt got the fever last night and is home sick today. I knew this would happen, just in time to go back to school. I guess she'll be taking an extra long holiday!! Would have been nicer if my brother had decided to leave that projection thing for the wii! =)

Back to Normal

OK, so this is a bad image (have to work on that, too, this year!), but this is back to normal site meter. Yes, you see that now that Christmas is over, all Christmas letters have been written, sent or forgotten, I'm not so popular anymore!! Hard to believe that I went from 500 to less than 50 visits a day in just a week!!

It's OK. Now my husband can relax, stop rolling his eyes and making snide comments about the Night Before Sitemeter.... back to normal, I'm just another oblivious blogger, having a little corner in the blog world all to myself again. ~sigh~

Auntie Anne's

The Washington Post has a beautiful article preceding the release of Anne Beiler's autobiography, Twist of Faith. It's a great read, fascinating and full of hope. I encourage you to read it (and they even use the word - transformation!)!

New Year

Chipped nail polish, frigid cold,
sink filled with filthy dishes
Cobwebs filling up my soul
a tangle of millions of unfulfilled wishes.

Brilliant smiles, new resolutions,
creative minds with new willingness.
Redemptive acts, the gift of life,
seasonal reminder of love's forgiveness.

TRANSFORMATION

I was driving to the gym this morning - figured I better get to work on my "list"! I was trucking along in the bitter cold, looking at my disgusting nail polish all chipped, thinking about that strange letters we were to unscramble for the Howard County Symphony of Lights mixed up word contest. I thought to myself: Why do we start the New Year in the dead of winter??

Yesterday was gorgeous, so I can't really complain, but for all those resolutions to get out and become something more than what we are, today is more of a crawl-in-bed-and-hibernate kind of day!! Although, in some ways, if I can start it now, I can certainly continue it when it gets nice out! (I hope!) It's the least I can do for myself, my kids, my savior.

2007 was awesome. Sure, there were some stinky parts - like the sewer last year, my uncle dying suddenly, T's dad having two different kinds of cancer, having no family summer vacation, adjusting to never having T available to work from home, crazy medical issues (like a quivering liver), and other really little things. For the record, there were WAY more amazing things, like our first ever family missions adventure, lots of time with family, T's new job - which is just amazing, a day at Six Flags for free!, getting a wii, healthy children, smart children, children who know Jesus. It was truly a wonderful year.

So, now 2008. Can it be a year of Transformations? Sure it can. And while I want to simplify, I'm not sure that's the answer to being transformed. Experiences transform. My mom asked me if I see the glass half full or half empty, and seriously, that question seems to me to be the most ridiculous question EVER! I mean, my answer is "it depends on what's in it!" If it's something I like, it's half full, if it's something I loathe then it's certainly half empty! Don't we all feel the same way?? Silly question.

My year will be both half full and half empty. I know there will be ups and downs, and they will equally contribute to whatever kind of transformation will occur in my life. Each and every experience, good and bad, will sharpen me if I allow it to.

Open minds, accepting hearts,
making each and every experience count.
The gift of friends, family, life,
Every corner turned, every hill we mount.

TRANSFORMATIONS.

Happy 2008!

I'm totally losing steam, but what a great end to a great year. The family is gone (bad New England weather has forced an early retreat!), the house is fairly quiet (other than Dick Clark and the wii) and I'm ready to head off to bed.... but I know that's not happening anytime soon! I am heading up to my bedroom, where the girls are watching TV and getting ready to write out some New Year's Resolutions. I think they are thinking it's more of a wish list - and I think it's OK to dream a little!

Em ran out of the room screaming something about going to Africa this year and Kt definitely had stars in her eyes. I was leaning more towards suggesting they add something on their list about keeping their rooms clean, not missing the bus, actually landing dirty clothes IN the hamper... you know, stuff that would help me immensely! Instead, I have two girls who constantly are thinking outside of the house. I guess I should be thankful that their 2007 has opened up a whole new world for them - and it's exciting.

I'm not so big on New Year's Resolutions. I do love to dream, though. Here are my dreams for 2008:

1. Go on a cruise. (Did I mention "dream" here at all?)
2. Go somewhere tropical. (More dreaming=))
3. Make it to the gym at least 2 times a week, walk once a week in my neighborhood.
4. Be more consistent about quiet times.
5. Simplify even more - I'm just too over committed to things outside my home, need to be more committed to making a home.
6. Use my spa gift certificate T gave me last year for my birthday (which is in February)!
7. Go to Hungary this summer - make more solid CA connections there.
8. Be more prayerful.
9. Be a better friend to others.
10. Be a better wife.
11. Be a better mom.
12. Love my family unconditionally.

OK - so I'm reaching, dreaming, but I think some of these things can be done. I'd put grad school on there, but I have a feeling that's out for now. I really want to do that eventually, I just can't seem to make a solid decision on it.

13. Learn how to be more decisive.

P.S. I love you: I saw this movie yesterday. I loved it. I don't want to ruin the movie, but at one point in the movie the main character is reminded of the way she used to dream about what she would do with her life. I think that sometimes we become stagnant in our lives, forget how we used to think when we were so idealistic about life itself. Idealism might not be realistic, but it creates dreams in us that often can realistically be turned into reality. Sometimes we just need a good plan.

14. Come up with a good plan for my life. (Of course, God's got one of those for me.... need to give myself some freedom to explore what that is!)

I hope you all have a safe, healthy and happy New Year. Now that my blog is back to it's normal 2 visitors a day (LOL) I can start posting againg so I don't fall off the face of the blogdom! It was a nice break to have my blog seeing hundreds of visitors a day (12,500 in November and December alone!) without barely typing a word. Now I'm a lazy blogger!

15. Be more consistent about blogging. ;-)

Christmas Day Tragedy

My sister-in-law received some extremely sad news yesterday so we've been spending the past couple of days following a story unfolding in Florida. She was partly raised by a daycare provider who had a daughter her age. Apparently, this daycare provider and her husband were killed in an "accident" in Florida on Christmas day. The woman's parents were also in the car. The stepfather, driver, will likely survive, but his wife is in a coma.

Upon first reading about the "accident" a conclusion could be drawn that the man who rear-ended them going 70 miles an hour in a pick-up truck while they sat waiting for a red light must have been drunk. I mean, why else would anyone do something like that at a major intersection. Not only did he rearend the Tahoe, but after it spun around out in the middle of the intersection he hit it again! Accident?? Unlikely.

Today, these details were released about the man who caused this "accident":

Just a month ago, Belniak, 34, completed probation following a 17-month prison stint for a drug conviction. In 2003, he was pulled over in New Port Richey on a suspicion of drunken driving, and authorities found a gallon of GHB, known as the date-rape drug, in his Mustang. He pleaded no contest to trafficking the drug and was sentenced to two years in prison and a two-year suspension of his driver's license.

In 2002, he was arrested in Hernando County on a charge of DUI. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, a misdemeanor, and paid a fine.

In addition he has numerous speeding tickets on his record: 75 mph in a 45 mph zone in 1990; 56 mph in a 30 mph zone in 1994; 91 mph in a 45 mph zone in 1995. His most recent ticket was in September.

In 1994, he struck a pedestrian on U.S. 19 near Fivay Road. The woman died but Belniak was not charged.

The clincher? It appears this man was driving with a valid license. I sure hope this is a major embarrassment for the state of Florida! I am completely dumbfounded that this man was driving legally after everything I've read above. If you ask me, this looks like homicide to me!

I ask today for your prayers for this family in Connecticut. The couple has three grown children who had to receive this news on Christmas day.

UPDATE: My sister-in-law just informed me that they shut off the life support for the grandmother, whose brain had swelled and apparently separated, left from right hemisphere. She has also passed. Please, again, remember this family in your prayers, and pray for justice for them.

An Ecclectic Birthday

I'll admit it, I love to brag about my kids! Who doesn't?? The truth is, though, that Kt just completely amazes me. Even if she weren't my own kid, she'd amaze me.

Yesterday she turned 10, and as part of a birthday gift to her I stayed away as much as I could from my computer. Thus my late entry for her birthday. We didn't do a party with friends, just a steak lunch with her best friend, presents cake and playing with all her new "toys". So, what does one get a 10 year old fashionista geek? Here's what she got (seriously!):

~ a skateboard from "Mom" (my mother) - this was the only thing she wanted
~ a LeapFrog Fly Fusion pen - she's been asking for this for a year
~ an electronic snap kit (from Uncle Doug)
~ a cute purse and bag from her best friend

She spent half of last night watching Fly fusion tutorials, too wet for the skateboard. Then she watched Hairspray with her friend. She spent a good part of the evening building things with her snap kit - with Uncle Doug's help. This morning, she got up and built a very loud radio, then on her own added a volume switch and is now feverishly trying to add a light. After her father just told her she couldn't do it, she did. She's now explaining resistors, jumper cables and ....???? to me.

What I really love about my daughter is that she is a jack of all trades, and a people person. She's a thinker, she's compassionate, she wants to save the world, especially children and she's got the brain to do it. It's a scary thought that your children are smarter and more able than you, but that's exactly how I feel about her. This year in particular, I've never had so many people tell me so many amazing things about her, mostly her teachers at school. Is it even possible for a child to be all that?

I am so thankful that God gifted us with her. Her impact on the world will be purposeful, original, fulfilling and amazing. I have no idea what it will be, but I'm so excited to find out - and scared! I know in my heart that God created her for a reason and that she's His. That he's entrusted her to us is completely overwhelming sometimes, but we're enjoying her, loving her and giving her some space to become.

Ten short years, and to think in another ten we might be close to setting her loose. I'm just not ready!

Christmas has Begun!!

I love that Christmas vacation is long this year, but we are ready now!! All except for the fact that my sister, who is traveling up here today, is not having a very good trip. Their daughter just threw up in the car.... the jury is still out on them!!

Today began with my brother, T and Em heading out to Home Depot in search of a "screen" for the projector he brought. They brought home a huge sheet of something, rigged it up in the basement and hooked up the XBox and have been playing games all afternoon in our cold, unfinished basement.

I asked T a couple hours ago how it was and he mentioned it would be nice to have a couch. Miraculously, I found a free Pottery Barn couch on Craigslist that was still available, so T and my sister-in-law went to pick it up. It took a bit of manipulating to get into the basement, but they are now downstairs on a comfy couch (that is in really good shape, I might add) playing. I don't think we'll see them until the wii makes it's debut, and then they'll be back down there!

I have a cake to make for tomorrow - Kt's 10th birthday. It was 10 years ago that I was in the hospital going through labor.... long and drawn out labor. In fact, it was induced and started last night! and she wasn't born until early the morning of the 23rd. So, sometime in the middle of tonight is her 10 yr. mark. I can't believe I will have a 10 year old. 10. Even saying that it still doesn't really sink in. How can I be that old?

Once we do all our birthday fun tomorrow, Christmas can begin in earnest.... it's the most wonderful time of the year. I really do love it, and it's fun to be home for once, even though I also love traveling for Christmas. I just hope we can all be together!

Merry Christmas!

A Sign

This is either a sign of someone who has spent too much time in a public school or too much time working retail or in a public building.

I'm doing my laundry, which is located in our mudroom - where we come into the house from the garage. Just inside the door to the family, I have three laundry baskets arranged for easy sorting and this thought pops into my head:

"Is this a fire hazard?"

Enough said. I left them until I was done, then created an appropriate path in the event of a fire or the possibility that the fire marshall will pay an unexpected visit to my house, which I've never even heard of before!

Makin' a List, Checkin' it Twice, (Thrice and even four times....)

OK, so it's not a list of what I want, it's a list of what I have to do....

Clean up girl's rooms CHECK
Christmas letters - signed, sealed, delivered (sort of) CHECK
Make fudge - CHECK
make dinner - CHECK (Kt made tuna for us!)
make Hershey kiss cookies CHECK (Kt and Em)
make Cherry Chocolate Chip cookies
make brownies CHECK - (Kt is making these - she's such a big help!)
make meatballs CHECK (I'm off the hook, so I don't even need to do this at all - Yay!)
make Cranberry Orange bread (SCRATCH)
go to bed CHECK
put together platters - for T's work and school CHECK
Set up for teacher cookie break CHECK
FINISH CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - CHECK!!!
clean the rest of my house (this could take weeks!)
put together gifts for people at school
go to bed
go to work
go to bed
deliver Christmas gifts
get house ready for onslaught of relatives =)
get ready for Kt's birthday (Sunday!)
get ready for Christmas!!!!!!!!!

OK, so I have a way long way to go! I'm just happy I got the fudge made, even if it is the easiest thing on my list! ;-)

Merry Christmassing!

(Em has joined in the fun. Is it just me, or is my new phone not such as great a camera as my old one!?)

I also just received my last Christmas delivery, so I'm done (at least until I remember the one gift I forgot!)!!

Stationary Scam

OK - the Christmas letter is printed, folded, stuffed and ready for labels. We really do love each of you, but when you send out 70 letters and have a million other things to do, it's just impossible to write something to everyone. Maybe I'll do that next year!

I just have one big complaint - and it's about stationary. I picked out the stationary I wanted and picked up paper, envelopes and labels - ALL MATCHING. You would think that would mean the stationary company would print them in MATCHING quantities. NOPE! Instead, I bought 2 packs of 35 sheets of paper, 1 pack of 50 envelopes (I was not buying another 50 - sorry if yours doesn't match!) and 80 labels. Now, I ask you, does that make sense? Or are you thinking what I'm thinking, that stationary companies need to hire people who know at least grade school level math skills!

Elfed

OK, OK!!! I gave in, I elfed us. I'm fully aware that our faces are not on the correct bodies. I entered them in order but they just plopped our heads wherever they chose - totally random order I guess! Anyway, enjoy!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1509960512

Desperately Seeking Tropical!

It is so cold and windy outside, I'm missing summer terribly! All night, the wind was roaring around our house. Poor Em was scared and couldn't fall asleep. Last night was also garbage night, so today I have everyone's garbage on my front lawn and remnants of my backyard neighbor's plastic bins they've left out shattered all over the place. I believe it hit our house and is now in a million plastic pieces! On my front porch was a neighbor's delivery bill. He lives quite a ways down another street. I'm wondering if the wind brought it or it blew out of the garbage truck! Whatever the case, no point in cleaning it all up until that wind dies down.

While others may be dreaming of a white Christmas, I'm dreaming of a Caribbean Island.... and white beach.... where my days are merry and BRIGHT! Not to mention all my Christmas dreams are soaked in sun!! (I can dream a little, can't I?)

Long-awaited Christmas Letter

No kidding, I printed two this evening and then ran out of ink. =( I guess the long-awaited Christmas "book" will be a bit delayed, I fear. Of course, we'll be out tomorrow night..... just not having much luck with this thing, am I?

27,000

Lately, I've missed my 1,000th visitors, they're just coming so fast! But I caught this one! My 27,000th visitor just stopped by from Camberly, Surrey, UK. Yup, you guessed it, still looking for Christmas card ideas. Which reminds me, I need to get to work or mine won't be out on time! YIKES!

Post Party Pandemonium

Last night, our girls planned and executed (with a little help from mom!) a neighborhood party for some of our girlfriends. It really turned out quite fun, and one couple even went out to dinner and shopping for the evening! Kt planned a scavenger hunt, two crafts, a game, coloring, read a book and pretty much ran the show. Em helped everyone make their pizzas, ice their cupcakes, and gave lengthy descriptions of our three movie choices, of which the girls all chose Ice Age Meltdown. All in all, it was a fun evening and a good lesson in serving our neighbors.

After everyone had left and we cleaned up a bit, I sent the girls up to get ready for bed. About 15 minutes later, I went up to see how they were doing. It's amazing to me what can happen in a quarter of an hour when left unattended!! I found Em trying put a new pillow case on her pillow, and when I asked why she was doing that, she replied dejectedly, "Because Kt sprayed it with detangler." I looked at Kt and said, "WHY did you do that?" To which Kt replied, "Because Em threw wet cottonballs covered in toothpaste into my room!" I turned to Em (managing to keep a straight face!), "WHY did you do that?"

I'm sure you can guess - she does not know what possessed her to do such a ridiculous thing as to create a supersonic spitball, mint flavored! My girls are getting smarter, quieter, and much more dangerous the older they get. It's exhausting, but fortunately it's not without it's great, laughable moments. How boring life would be without the creative minds of children. (Don't worry - there were consequences!;-))

Will Smith

My husband teases me a lot because, on occasion, I have felt moved to pray for different celebrities. It's really kind of strange, because I have enough regular things in my life to pray for beside people I don't even know!! In the past, I've prayed for Madonna, Britney Spears, Mel Gibson, and Tom Cruise. I have no connection to these people and I have no idea why I'm praying for them most of the time!!

Today I found this article about charitable giving and Will Smith. Living just outside of Baltimore, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith are not old news by any stretch of the imagination. They are very generous, genuine people in many ways who have not forgotten where they came from. This article is a good example of just how true that is.

What I didn't know was that Will Smith was raised in a Baptist home, which makes it very disconcerting to me that somehow he has become entangled with Scientology. From reading the article, specifically the end, it would appear to me that Mr. Smith is sort of grappling with many issues rolled up into one - faith, tolerance, and a deep desire to make an indelible mark in the world. I think he wants it to be a mark that is positive, and has a ripple effect. I'm just not sure he has come to terms with why.

So, anyway.... I prayed this morning for him, and then I got my regular email from our friend, the Pastor Mike Sprague in New Orleans. He has an amazing ministry in New Orleans, which, by the way, is still desperately in need of help! He had a blurb in his letter about -- NO KIDDING -- praying for Will Smith. Now, I'm getting the eerie feeling in my stomach that something big spiritually is going on with this guy. Anyway, take a look at this video he attached. Pastor Sprague is the last guy who waves and yells to Will before the video cuts off to him accepting the honor of leaving his hand and footprints in Hollywood. Very interesting speech and BE SURE to check out what he wrote on his block of cement! Here's what Pastor Sprague wrote:

Oh yeah - Will Smith - you always wonder who you will bump into while you are in Hollywood, right? I got to say "hi" to Will, shake is hand, and get some pictures. Pray for him. In case you don't believe me, you can see for yourself (link above)

Yup, just very strange, I tell you. I'm actually feeling like it's a little creepy, but I'll go with it for now. And should you also feel led, join me! Oh, and I wonder if Will Smith had any idea what kind of a world changer he shook hands with that day! I think he would have been amazed.

Season of Giving

Today I was just completely overwhelmed. I spent all morning at the Salvation Army office, which is completely stuffed with gifts for families in our county. Not only is it stuffed, but they have filled an armory across the county with gifts. It was overwhelming, the outpouring of giving this year. Just to try to imagine that it goes much farther than the SA, there are churches, like ours, giving tens of thousands of dollar, Toys for Tots which is collecting for children everywhere, many non-profits who are collecting for the season.

Today, a bus load of people from a company stopped by to drop off their first of three loads of gifts. The company adopted several Salvation Army families to buy gifts for and for the whole day the bussed their employees around to purchase the gifts. In fact, when I was done for the morning at the office, I ran a bunch of errands and took off from Walmart when I saw their bus pull up! It was busy enough already!=) What a great idea for that company - I was completely impressed!

After seeing all that people have given, I went shopping for a wii game that my mom is giving to Kt. She ordered it from buy.com back in November, was sent a notice that it had shipped just before Thanksgiving, but it never arrived. Fortunately, the company believes her (or deceived her!) and they are refunding her money. I looked at four stores and it was sold out. Talk about being unenamoured with the materialism that is so rampant at Christmas - and feeling like you are buying into it!! I came home feeling rather defeated and then found it on Amazon.com for $10 less than it was listed on there last night. Yahoo! Yup, totally guilty as charged. I'm a material girl! And I love to be the problem solver.

I just have to say, that for all the selfish, materialistic people I've seen, I have seen the most amazing outpouring of generosity in that as well. I am completely impressed by the wealth I see around me, not because it's so negative as it is being used as a vehicle of giving in such a big and abundant way. Thanks, folks in Howard County, for thinking of others this year.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!

We are just getting hammered this month! Ice and snow are just not normal weekly occurances in December. Maybe we'll get one or two little snows, but this every single week sleet, snow, freezing rain... lasting days. It's really just depressing! Florida is on my radar - some sun and some warmth!

Prayer & Praise

My brother's office was apparently evacuated this morning in downtown New Haven. There was a three alarm fire, 5 businesses are a total loss. No word yet on whether that included my brother's architecture firm. Please keep them in your prayers!! I imagine for something like an architecture office - with all the thousands of dollars of equipment, not to mention all the blueprints and projects, it would be very difficult to recover from something like this.

UPDATE: I just talked to my brother, who is telling everyone he just had an adult version of a "snow day"! LOL Anyway, amazingly, it appears as though his office is intact. The crazy thing about that is that their building is only two building away from the Brass Monkey, where they believe the fire originated. The buffer? His building is surrounded by a parking garage, which they are assuming kept it from going up in flames. The office itself smells really bad, but they are also fortunate to have their power back on already. It will have to be declared structurally sound, but they are very, very lucky.

My brother mentioned that there is a restaurant on the same block, Vito's, that is frequented by the firemen, policemen and mayor, that they worked very, very hard to save. It is also intact. It's a good thing to befriend those kinds of public servants!;-)

His building is the one on the corner - second floor. Taken by his friend, Joe.

Seis Anos de Espanol

Of course, I can't type in Spanish - I have no idea where to find a tilde! Anyway, for the first time since my very last Spanish class my senior year of high school, I am finally using it this afternoon. I'm heading off to Brownies to teach a teeny tiny bit about Mexico! (I don't know where the accent marks are, either!) I originally signed up to do a "winter craft" with the girls and somehow that has ended up being Mexican Holidays, which incidentally are all Christian. I'm being extra careful, though, as one of the two Brownie leaders is actually Jewish. Hmmm.... anyway, hasta manana! (looks funny without that tilde!)

One Way to Lose Your Job!

My work sends out a monthly calendar of events at the pottery shop. At some point, Kt put her email on the list to receive this monthly news. Yes, my 9 year old has an email address under the condition that her parents can access it, which I do occasionally to delete inappropriate junk mail.

Last night I was doing just that when I noticed that she had replied to that monthly mailing from my work. I'm not sure why she did it, but here is exactly what she wrote:

"Can you take me off the list? I hear enough from my mom about how her day was all boring and stuff! :-)"

Wow. She's got a little bit of 'splainin' to do!! Not to mention a lesson in how to keep your parents employed!! She's right about one thing - I always tell her, with a big smile on my face, not to worry. My job is "boring" - because she thinks I spend 8 hours a week having fun, painting pottery. I've assured her it's not all fun, but I guess I just took it for granted that she would understand that "boring" only applied to her perception. Now she'll know! ;-)

Crazy!

I have that sitemeter thing on the bottom of my page that tracks visitors. Kind of fun. Here's a graph of the last month of visits.
Notice how, just a few weeks ago I was lucky to get 30 visits in one day. With the help a Creative Christmas letters link to a 2 year old post, I've had over 3500 visits just in the first 9 days of December. CRAZY!

I'm suspecting this will all settle down within the next week or so and I'll go back to being a blog in oblivion. I mean, Christmas is 2 weeks away and if you don't have your cards/letters out soon, well, you might as well call it a year! I must say, though, it was great fun!! I wonder if this will happen again next year??

Done!

Well, after a couple weeks of moaning, groaning, attempts to get some pictures.... we finally did it! The picture cards are ordered AND I wrote a letter. I'll warn you, it's a very long letter. No creative juice this year - I won't be linked to any "creative Christmas letter" site for this one. In fact, it's too long to post on a blog. I won't bore you with it (unless the public outcry to read it is just overburdening!). Instead, I will share with you just a hint of what I have to deal with when I call for a family photo shoot! Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

Well, I'm here. Not driving on treacherous roads, or enjoying a cold, New England Christmastime drive, but here at home while it sleets and freezes rain outside. I'm just glad that I didn't get to go based on something outside of my control rather than just not being able to pull it off myself. Em was a little upset this morning when I broke the news. She asked me slyly, "How about if we take all back roads to Connecticut??" I love her!

My mom called right after I loaded the girls on the school bus to tell me their weather had also changed. They are now expecting sleet and snow, so that about sealed the deal, even though I already knew I wasn't going. Driving around NYC is already bad on a Friday afternoon, but add in bad weather and you could be sitting on the road in that stuff for hours.

So, here I am. I made dinner for a new mom and dropped it off, put a dish of cookies from my cookie exchange last night together and dropped them off at school for those teachers, had a little lunch with Em to make up for not taking her on an adventure and now I'm home. It's very quiet, a little cold, and I'm just wondering what I can do to make better use of my time now that I'm not driving anywhere. It's kind of hard for me to switch gears sometimes. I think I might go do some laundry. Yay, how fun! hehe

Conflicted

I am having the worst time trying to figure out whether or not to go to Connecticut. I have approval to take Emily out of school to go with me, but I have a bunch of things to do and now they are calling for a light wintry mix, am here and afternoon in CT. I don't like driving in a light wintry mix. I just don't know what to do.

To make matters worse, I have a Christmas party to attend tonight out in the country, where I've never been before, in the dark, by myself and all the roads are icing up as I type. In the directions it says that there is not enough parking, a long, dark driveway and just to park one after the other and we'll leave in reverse order. But if I am driving to CT in the morning, I want to leave early! I don't want to be waiting for everyone else to leave. UGH!

It's times like these when I think that it might be nice to have a glass of wine (or whine) with that!

Snow

I greatly dislike snow. This time, it's put a huge dent in my plans. I'm having reassess my trip to Connecticut based on the fact that I wasn't able to go anywhere today and I have more things to take care of than is feasible. I did get 8 dozen cookies baked, my bedroom semi-organized and forced myself to stay home. I can't remember the last time I spent a whole day at home alone - it was really weird!

Tomorrow, if my kids are home with me all day I'll be sunk. If they have a late open I'm semi-sunk. Chances are, one of those two things will happen. I'm not very happy about it, but there is nothing I can do about it. Before I leave for Connecticut if I go I have buy 20 rolls of wrapping paper, 20 tape dispensers, 150 bows and drop them off at church, go to work, make dinner for someone, go to my Christmas party/cookie exchange and figure out what I'm doing for the Brownie meeting I'm in charge of next week (waiting for guidance on that one). Add to that all the stuff I have to do next week - and we don't have anything done for Christmas cards or letters - NOTHING!!

Wake me up when winter's over - please!

Did I Find Someone I Like?

Honestly, I didn't now much about Mike Huckabee. After the recent report of him jumping ahead, I went ahead and did a little research. He's extremely conservative - even more than I am, I think! All in all, I think I like him. More than I like my other choices. Except Condi - now if we could just get her to run!

Brrrr!!

It's not only frigid outside, it's snowing!! Up north, we'd call it flurries. Down here we call it a disaster! There is a "dusting" on the roads and that means panic sets in, people do ridiculous driving maneuvers and lots of fender benders happen. Since the snow started after the wee hours of the morning, school is on as usual. The girls were a bit disappointed, but from the moment I opened my garage door until I stepped inside again, non-stop sirens.

When the bus driver pulled up, she said there were already 4 accidents on the one of the roads we are enclosed by. She said it's a mess out there, and that's enough for me to know that I'm not going ANYWHERE! It's not that I don't drive in the snow, it's just that I don't trust anyone who was born and raised here on these roads. My first snow day here, I was driving slalom in my little Volkswagon Cabriolet through cars that just decided they couldn't drive anymore in 1 inch of snow and stopped right on the road where the normal speed limit is 55! Crazy, I tell you!

So, I'll just be home today, baking 6 dozen cookies for my Christmas party tomorrow night, maybe another 6 dozen for the one Saturday, except that I would need more chocolate chips and I'm not going out to get them!! My best guess is that the girls will have early release from school. I'm basing this on the fact that the last time the schools didn't release early on a day like this the bus accidents were an issue. We had icing, multiple accidents, unhappy parents.... who are probably already calling the school! Anyway, I'm prepared to spend a fun afternoon decorating a Christmas tree with my girls should they come home early. What a treat!!

Happy Snow! I'm off to begin my season of hibernation!;-)

22,000

So, I had my 22,000th blog visitor sometime today - from Colorado Springs, Colorado. One of those Christmas Letter tips people. I think my blogfest is coming to an end soon - I mean, shouldn't we all have our Christmas letters written and out soon? OK - I'll admit it. I don't even have one good idea in my head of what to write this year. It's TERRIBLE! Major writer's block. I guess my blog break, due to the increased volume of traffic easing my need to keep this blog alive while it has a life of it's own!, has fed my laziness in getting Christmas news up and running. It's time to Deck My Halls, or I'll be skipping Christmas altogether!

Extravagant Giving

I love Christmas. I love giving gifts. I hate people who think that Christmas is too commercial and we should just stop giving gifts and return to the "true" meaning of Christmas. Do you know why? Because the true meaning of Christmas is about the most extravagant gift ever given. I'm not talking about the gold, frankincense and myrrh. I'm talking about Jesus.

Thankfully, Jesus did not come from Santa. He came from God, or else everything I believe in would be a bunch of elfin magic!! Do we really ever grasp how amazing, precious, perfect and extravagant the gift of God's son was? Would we ever in a million years have thought to ask for something so outrageous as the Son of God, who would offer Himself a living sacrifice for our sins so that we might spend eternity with God in heaven? I'm not sure I would have had the guts to ask for something so audacious. So humbling. So ridiculous. And truthfully, I can't imagine Christmas without giving.

The act of giving for me is in part a remembrance that nothing I have has come without a price, including my salvation. When I give, it encourages me to put someone else ahead of my wants, my desires and think outside of myself. It brings me out of my little cozy cocoon and into the world of others, the world that Christ wants me to see. I think it's so important to teach my kids this same act of giving, of choosing to think about the person we are giving to and understanding that in our giving we need to have an attitude of gratitude, not pride.

I would just not enjoy Christmas as much without the aspect of giving it affords me. I'm not going all consumer mania or anything. We do Christmas on a budget and we set limits, but we are also quite thoughtful about what we choose to give. If unbelievers choose to participate in the gift giving at Christmas, how harmful can that be? If anything, it's a bridge to illustrating what a gift we have in the person of Christ. It's a connection that at some point might be made in their hearts. Exceeding abundant, beyond all that we could ask or even think. That's what the first gift of Christmas really was and is. And it's ours to share with His world.

The Verdict

After much deliberation, we've decided on canceling tonight. I'm sending T to his dinner without me. We've canceled the babysitter (although she's going to take Em out for dinner) and the hotel and now I can return all those clothes I bought. Good thing I still have receipts! We're kind of unhappy about it, but that's life! It happens. Now if I could just convince my mom to retire and move in next door.... The girls are quite sad, as they've been very excited to have an overnight babysitter other than relatives. As for tomorrow (a play and then our neighborhood potluck), we'll just have to wait and see.

Derelict Tooth Fairy

We have one of these at our house!! She's not very reliable and apparently very forgetful. Em lost her very first tooth this morning (yup, we keep our baby teeth for a very long time!) and she went to get the tooth pillow from her sister. We have to use the tooth fairy pillow you hang on your door or the tooth fairy doesn't come! (She's so picky!) Anyway, Em brought to me a tooth the tooth fairy apparently left in the pillow from the days her big sister was losing teeth. (Eww, gross. I guess the tooth fairy enjoys handling those icky things about as much as I do!;-)) I hope Em's tooth fairy is a little better about all these things!