Our Perino Family Stories

Making the Most of It

2012-01-18T08:23:00.006-05:00

As I was packing the lunches for school, Josiah reminded me to send the cookie cake with him. Cookie cake: less messy, more delicious celebration snack for birthdays at school.

I got the treat down and set it on the counter whilst it was still in the grocery bag.

Josiah asked if I had seen the cake. Not grasping the fullness of his question, I pointed out that the cake was there ready to be taken to school. He clarified. "No, look at it. Daddy bought a GIRL cake! He said that was the only one there."

Behold, the flower cookie cake with PINK. Yes, even though Josiah loves to dig and plant... there was no denying that this was indeed a GIRL cake.

We had a few minutes before the bus would be coming so I told Josiah I would see what I could do. I thought about just removing the flowers completely and covering the entire cookie cake with chocolate icing but didn't think the teacher would appreciate the results of the extra sugar. So I did this:

A little transformation and .... it's an aquarium cake! Happy Birthday, Josiah. Enjoy your formerly GIRL cookie cake.

P.S. I know that there's still some pink around the edges. I did say I only had a few minutes. Sheesh.

A Different Perspective

2011-12-20T22:56:00.003-05:00

Immediately after he farted (stinkered, passed gas, flatulence, broke wind, tooted, let one rip, cut the cheese, heard barking spiders.... you know what I'm talking about) Noah exclaimed, "My butt sneezed!"

Yes, it was new for me too.

Christmas Prep and Suspense

2011-12-09T08:48:00.003-05:00

I took Noah to pick out and purchase gifts for his brothers at the school's Christmas shop. They even wrap the gifts there and make tags so the gifts can be a surprise for parents too. While we were having Noah's gift choices wrapped, we talked about the presents being a surprise for Christmas. I thought it all went well.

Then we went downstairs to wait for Josiah and Nathan's dismissal. When Nathan joined us Noah proclaimed, "I bought you a gift, Nathan!" Of course, Nathan asked, "What is it?" I told him, "He isn't going to tell you." at the exact moment Noah blurted, "BUBBLES!"

Oh well.

Surprise. You still have to wait 'til Christmas, Kid.

Christmas Prep Step by Step

2011-12-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

Our Christmas tree went up in stages this week.

First, John brought the tree out of the basement and put it together. He also brought down the boxes of ornaments. (Yes, down. We don't store the tree and the ornaments together. *rolls eyes* That might make too much sense. Actually there is a very logical explanation for this. I think.)

Secondly, (or is that thirdly or fourthly if I count all the steps John did and whether I give him credit for two steps with both the carrying up and the putting together?) I "fluffed" the tree, you know, put the branches in the proper positions to look like a real tree but without the weathered imperfections. And I strung the lights. All the while Noah, the youngest little gentlemen, was telling me not to forget about the tree. (What can I say? I'm a multitasker and he was getting a bit worried that I wouldn't finish in time.) After the lights came the angel and ribbons. What? Ornaments? No, that would be the next step undertaken by the boys.

Sixthly, (That's giving myself credit for the entailed tasks within my step, of course.) the boys adorned the tree with ornaments. Red, gold, old and new, store-bought and homemade, they all went on the tree. I thought there may be clusters of ornaments but Josiah actually directed them to spread things out. And they did it! They did a fabulous job on the bottom 2/3 of the tree.

P.S. Nathan later led the mission to cover the treetop by throwing little red and gold bows as high as he and Noah could so that they would land in the tree. I left them where they stuck. For now.

Enjoy this Christmas season!

The friends who saved the snowman jewel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-07T14:15:00.011-05:00

Once a group of friends had a job from the king and it was to protect the snowman jewel. They had to stay up all night and drink coffee to stay up and guard it all night and which they did not like but he payed good every day they got 1,000,000,000,000$$$$$ and that's just one day you know.

Well maybe not. They might as well go to sleep. They just look like they're sleeping and well you might just be right if you look close enough you can see it better.

Now that is what i want to look like when I grow up.

Ah,ah a pirate he's trying to steal the treasure and he was soon caught.

Soon his death came and it went well but not for him though.
And doggy's dream came true to some day blow off some pirate's cap. And doggy for some reason just yelled, "Kiss your butt good by!!!!!!!!!!"

Today's story was courtesy of my 8 year old son, Josiah. He set the scenes, took the pictures, and wrote the accompanying story. (I did a bit of grammar editing to separate some run-on sentences. Next time I'll leave it as is.)

Paper, Rock, Legos

2011-11-03T09:48:00.004-04:00

Last week I began Autumn Cleaning Day. Psh. If only it was one day!
The major undertaking was the boys' playroom. Things were all jumbled together in the big bins, miscellaneous papers were mixed into the chaos, and a play table that no one used anymore took up a big portion of play area. And so the sorting and cleaning began.
First of all, I banned the children from the room. (Very important step) Then I made a bigger mess by dumping out the bins. (One by one, of course, I'm not crazy!) And I methodically made my way through the mess. Legos here, lightbrite pegs there, K'nex here, Erector there, Mr. Potato Head .... you get the picture. I had to force myself into evaluating the papers and I got rid of most of them, keeping only the most memorable for myself or the respective boy who created it. (That one was a tough one. There is a major guilt trip put on moms to save every piece of "art" created. I don't know who is responsible for the guilt but it's there! Okay? Okay.)

Nona purchased several shoebox size plastic containers for us which worked wonderfully for organizing games, building sets, and more. Thank you, Nona! John built the shelf for us. The plan is to add another shelf soon but the one shelf is doing the job fabulously for now. Thank you to you too, John.

At the end of the day, that's Day FIVE, all was organized and cleaned for the grand reopening. I'm so glad it's done! It's so worth not having to cringe as I walk by the playroom and the boys are loving being able to easily find the toy they want.

Now the rest of the house has been/is being gradually Autumn Cleaned too but that's nothing compared to the playroom. *satisfied smile*

P.S. Did I mention I threw away multiple rocks? Yeah, I don't know who was sneaking those things in there.

The 1,2,3's of Potty Training

2011-09-05T11:05:00.004-04:00

Here is the simplest advice I have for training your child to use the toilet.

First: Learn to count higher, much higher. In my experience, this ain't no 1,2,3.

Second: Teach your child to change their own diaper. Yeah, they don't like it either.

Third: Encourage your child to always seek out your spouse for the needed diaper/pull up change. If this doesn't help enlist your spouse's potty training assistance at least it will spare you some diaper changes.

Fourthly: Don't give up. It will happen eventually.

Fifthly: Try bribery. Chocolate and stickers can work wonders.

Sixthly: If your child has successes after coming home from someone's house, send them back there often.

Seventhly: Don't give up. I know that was number 4 but sometimes you need a reminder.

And, finally, when your child does get it (which they will... eventually) and he says, "I'm going to go poopy on the potty. Will you be so glad?" respond emphatically, "I WILL be SO glad!"

Congratulations, Noah, on your achievement!

The Bestest Place

2011-06-23T13:30:00.006-04:00

We had an adventure at Niagara Falls on Memorial Day.

We enjoyed a picnic with my extended family and explored the Three Sisters Islands.

The American side has beautiful areas to walk, climb, play and enjoy for families.

It is one of my most favorite places to go. (If you have children you will know that there can and seemingly must be many "favorites".)

It made an impression on Nathan who is used to playing in Grandma's little backyard creek. He exclaimed, "Niagara Falls: That's SOME creek!"

It's a Foot Thing

2011-06-21T11:00:00.004-04:00

Admission:
I have a dislike of untying and putting laced sneakers on my kids. If they can do it themselves, fine. If not, please put on an easier shoe. Thank you.

Story:
Once upon a time this morning Noah wanted to put on shoes. For some reason he went outside without anything on his feet.

I am secretly delighted.

When I went outside to check on all the gentlemen Noah asked me if I would find some socks for him. Pointing at his feet, I replied, "Don't you like having bare feet? See? Just like me."

His response?

"I don't have bear feet!! I don't want bear feet! YOU have bear feet! You do!"

I think I've just been insulted. But it sure was funny.

My Thumb is Kind of Dirt Colored Right Now

2011-05-29T20:35:00.001-04:00

I can't say I'm good at gardening. Well, I could.... but I'd be lying.

It seems like I should be a natural "green thumb" since I have generations of farmers in my family tree but, obviously, it's a learned skill instead of an inherited one.

Nevertheless each spring I attempt to make a pretty spot in front of my house. If I don't (and I haven't in times past) I look at those "flower beds" in dismay all summer.

Today was that day. The day of gathering the tools. The day of wishing I knew where my garden gloves are hiding. The day of being cheered on by Noah, "Yes! Let's do it! Let's do this!" The day Nathan looked forward to me working in the garden so he could play my new video game. The day of being motivated by Josiah who had already started doing his own unapproved digging. (He had good intentions and he loves dirt.) Today: we tackled the garden.

And you know what? I like the finished product. I may not be able to tell you all the names of the plants in there but I think I could pull off half of them.

This. This is my garden.

Oh, okay. This is OUR garden. Thanks, Gentlemen, for all your help and/or enthusiasm.

Nathanism

2011-05-22T07:24:00.001-04:00

"If a building has a lot of broken windows then that means it's a warehouse."

- Nathan (age 5)

Hearing Problems

2011-04-26T08:05:00.001-04:00

"Mommy..."
"Yes, Noah?"
"Mommy!..... can you hear me?"
"Yes, Noah." (thinks "You're the one with the ear muffs.")

Moral of the story: Just because you can't hear doesn't mean someone else can't.

Bargain Hunting

2011-04-22T10:19:00.003-04:00

Who doesn't love a bargain? Sales seem to draw me, kind of like bugs to a light. You just have to be careful not to get zapped. Is it really a bargain to spend money on something you didn't need in the first place and most likely won't use or never would have missed in your life if you hadn't seen the "SALE" sign?

That said, beware these kind of "clearance" signs.

Do you see what I see? CLEARANCE: You could have paid this, but we now we want MORE.

Explosive Relationships

2011-03-14T07:40:00.006-04:00

Our microwave is kaput. I mean I would have given it a chance to explain itself. Microwave, why are heating up when no one is using you? Are you feeling a little under the weather? Dear dear Microwave, it seems you have a fever. Do you want to take a day off?

But no.

John, that safety first guy, pulled the plug on our faithful kitchen assistant. He even put it out to the street. Alone. Rejected. Forlorn.

That was right before this happened!

Just kidding. Did you fall for that? Heh heh heh.

Rest in peace, dear Microwave.

Yeah, that's not him either. I don't usually take pictures of my appliances. Maybe I should... just in case.

Now I'm actually going to have to plan ahead and thaw meat early for our dinners. *sigh*

He Don't Need No Stinkin' Medicine

2011-03-04T08:20:00.004-05:00

Noah's surgery went great on Wednesday. In fact, the nurses kept exclaiming how great of a patient he was. They gushed about him so much that I just had to ask what the kids usually do. "Oh", they said, "they wake up angry and want their mom and dad, thrash around, try to pull out their IV's..." *cringe*

Psh. And to think I had been embarrassed that he was doing his little squeak thing (which he does when he's a little nervous) instead of answering the nurses when they talked to him. Even that didn't last since he did warm up and start talking before the surgery.

What can I say? It seems my kids are perfect little patients! May they never have to be so again. A patient that is. They can keep on being perfect please. And maybe spread the perfection to other areas that need a bit of help? *sigh*

Noah was on his feet so much yesterday that I was practically begging him to sit on the couch and put his feet up for a bit so I didn't have to hurt for him. (Yes, I was having sympathy pains for him.) Apparently three seconds flat is all the time necessary for his feet to rest and recharge.

What can I say? Noah is a tough little guy.

Surgery Prep and a New Kind of Underwear

2011-03-02T08:12:00.008-05:00

Noah is going to Shriners Children's Hospital today for minor surgery on his feet. That very same surgery that Nathan had previously. Remember? No? Okay. That's fine. I understand.

Basically, his toes are wound too tight. His toes are curled under and the others are taking advantage of their newfound room to move. (I blame John. I mean my toes are perfectly normal. And maybe his are too but this has never happened in my family before. So. It's all John's fault. heh heh heh. Since I don't let him post on here, he can't defend himself.)

ahem.

It is imperative that Noah not eat any solid food this morning. IMPERATIVE. Or very important. This. is a challenge. He's a food snitch. He's very innovative about how he finds and reaches food. Let's just say he's not afraid of heights in this quest for the munchies.

What was I getting to? Oh. Right.

We're keeping close tabs on Noah ... or being vigilant food guards, if you will. As I'm stalling him from going downstairs without me, he starts to notice the clothes I have on my chair. After looking at my sweat pants and feeling a sweater, he picks up one of my bras and asks, "Whaaaat's thiiis?" "It's for me to wear.", I tell him. "Wheeeere? On your buuuutt?"

* Not actual bra.

Is hysterical laughter an answer?

*This particular butt holder can be purchased at Walmart. Tell them Noah sent you.

Can't See the Fog For The Clouds

2011-02-28T10:38:00.005-05:00

Our latest snowfall is in meltdown mode this morning. The temperature has reached 40 degrees and rain is falling. A lot of rain. A lot of melting. And fog. (Some may say it's a gloomy day but not I. To me it is a sign of spring getting closer.)

During the early drive to Nathan's Pre-K, I pointed out the (I thought obvious) fog to Nathan and Noah. "Wow. Look at all the fog."

Noah squeaks, "Where?"

"There. All around. The clouds are sitting down real low."

"I don't see it!", chirps Noah.

"Yes, you do! It's all around." I try to clarify: "It looks kind of like smoke."

Nathan adds his two cents. "I think it IS smoke."

"No, it's not smoke; it's just the clouds have come down low."

After a moment of consideration Nathan shares his theory: "I think they are maybe making this a spooky road."

Those dang road crews! Always up to something.

"It's not spooky. It's just clouds."

As Noah continues to search for the fog, Nathan does his brotherly duty and teaches him all about how "froggy" the low clouds made the road.

"Fog. It's foggy, not froggy." (At least I didn't see any frogs.)

Who knew a seemingly quick observation would brighten my day with their fun curiosity and imaginations?

Good Enough to Wear Underwear!

2011-02-12T09:06:00.004-05:00

'Tis the season.

No, not the holiday season. *shakes head sadly* The bug, germ, sickness, fever, cough-your-head-off season.

We don't make a practice of participating in these "festivities" but this week the boys went all out.

It all began (or reared its ugly head) Thursday afternoon when I naively rejoiced to hear the words, "Mommy, I want to take a nap." out of not one but two of my fine young gentlemen. Seemingly, out of nowhere, there were fevers and coughs and lethargy and snotty noses. 102.8 degrees is not something you want to feel on your little one's forehead.

(Even our dog got caught up in the spirit of things and had a double ear infection.)

Nathan felt so poorly that I suggested he wear a pull-up. He even felt so poorly that he agreed to that idea. Who wants to have to make that trip to the bathroom when you don't even want to make any unnecessary move?

And so continued the next day.

But. This morning. Upon getting up to check on the boys. Nathan is awake AND up. He greets me with a sing-songy "Mommy! I'm wearing underwear because I'm going to go potty on the toilet!"

O Happy Day!

The fevers are gone.

'Tis time for a new season. Of health. And underwear.

Where's the sarcasm emoticon?

2010-12-02T09:07:00.004-05:00

Do you know what I love?

I just love when I am able to grab a quick shower in the morning. I really do.

And I love when I can find some warm clothes in a hurry. Nice.

I also love when I can pack Josiah's lunch in 45 seconds flat. Mwahahaha.

Finding a hat to cover my still soaked hair in order that my hair not turn into a helmet of icicles and make me a Medusa look-alike makes me very happy too. (Of course, the hat keeping me warm is lovely too.) Yep, I love that.

Love love love when the other boys don't throw a fit about not being able to go to the corner with us to catch the school bus.

I LOVE when we don't miss the bus.

But do you know what I love the most?

I just love it when I get back inside my house after having put Josiah on the bus and having waved at the bus driver, look in the mirror, AND see that I look like Alice Cooper with my leftover eye makeup having run in the shower. I. Love. That.

Excuse me while I clean up my keyboard. My sarcasm seems to have dripped all over it.

Be Careful Who You Go Home With

2010-10-19T17:55:00.005-04:00

Nathan came home from school today proudly carrying his adorable little pie pumpkin. He picked it out for himself at Port Farms which is where the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes went for their field trip.

Aw.... Isn't that a cute li'l pumpkin?

So little.

So round.

So orange.

Aw.

Well. This isn't the actual pumpkin Nathan brought home.

I'm not releasing the real pumpkin's identity until the family has been notified.

Little did the pumpkin know it was entering .... the HOUSE OF HORRORS.

First, Nathan cut it open with a butter knife. (So it would hurt more)

Then he pestered me to make it into a pie. (More like he wanted me to dispose of the evidence)
He helped me scrape the guts out, then put the poor little pumpkin parts in a pan of water and bake it down in the oven at 350 degrees to mush before the skin itself was removed!

MWAHAHA MWAHAHAHAHA!

ehem.

This is all that's left of the cute li'l pie pumpkin.

For now.

Lots of Bodies

2010-09-15T16:08:00.005-04:00

Overheard on the way to Nathan's Pre-K.

Nathan: "See that?" *points to the cemetery as we drive by* "There are BODIES in there."

Noah: *surprised gasp* (This in itself had me laughing inwardly.) Then a comforting "That's okaaay."

Nathan: "It's NOT okay! People DIED! From our TOWN!!"

I wish I had real life DVR so I could rewind and see the expressions on their faces as they had this passionate discussion. Is there anything cuter than a 4 year old and a (nearly) 3 year old having a serious discussion? Probably not.

Questions are Good, Right?

2010-09-09T13:17:00.007-04:00

It's school time again and Nathan is attending Pre-Kindergarten this year. Yesterday, his first day went so well that he claimed he wasn't ready for us to pick him up yet. Apparently we were NOT missed. Nathan said he did spinning and crocodiling (which he demonstrated for us).

This morning as we were getting ready for his second day of school I had him sit on a chair so that I could tie his shoes for him. It was then that he asked me, "Why do you have big chestses?" I quickly ruled out answering "Because I'm a girl" since he sees a lot of little girls without "big chestes" and didn't want to have more questions this morning about why they don't and, well.... I just said, "Because I'm a mommy." That line works for so much!

If you are having a hard time figuring out what "chestses" means, just remove the double plural and you'll get down to the root word. Okay? Okay.

P.S. Don't worry. We'll work on correct terms and pluralizing another day.

Racing Report

2010-07-19T10:21:00.004-04:00

Our family went to the Lake Erie Speedway this weekend. There was noise, cars, speed, noise, spin outs, breakdowns, noise, wrecks, and bleachers.

I think the boys liked the races. I am certain that they loved the bleachers. My conversation went a lot like this: Oh my cow! Can you sit still please! Look at those cars. Sit. Here. Which one do you think will win? Stop bumping the people in front of us. Did you see that? Hold still. Get him over here! I missed what happened. Your car came in last again, John.

We ended up leaving early (which was already past the boys' bedtime) but we had watched several short races.

The next morning I had Josiah write in his journal. (I'm trying to keep him in the practice of writing while school is out...unlike me.) He wrote something like this: Last night we went to the race track. I brought my money but my mom told me I couldn't buy anything. Really?? That's what stuck out to you? Not the wrecks? the spin outs? the cars? Well... glad I could make an impression.

Brown Nosing Comes Naturally

2010-06-18T10:16:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you get appreciation when you least expect it.

Not long ago, Nathan asked me if they could go outside. I told him and Eli, "Sure. You can go in the backyard." Most often this is followed by a whiny "But I want to go out front!" (If you have children, I'm sure you can imagine the sound of this statement accurately.) However, this time Nathan exclaimed, "Oh, THANK you, Mommy! That is so nice! I really like you for my mommy!"

What? Where did that come from? And please keep it coming. Thank you.

Size-wise

2010-06-07T09:22:00.004-04:00

My nephew, Eli, caught his first catfish! HUGE. LIKE A FOOT LONG! Only it wasn't.
Amazing how a little perspective changes things...

Actually, things are still the same; now you just know the true size of the matter.

(Eli still didn't want to get anywhere near that fish though.)

Tough Yet Sensitive

2010-06-04T09:29:00.005-04:00

Our family went to the park last Saturday evening. The boys played on the playground, ran on the tennis courts, and ventured toward the trees. Then we did it. We walked through the woods to the other side of the park to play on the other playground, the old playground (which is more fun than the new playground).

The path through the woods is wide and well worn as well as full of mosquitoes. Okay. Maybe not full but I was bit twice. Twice in a short little walk. And as we walked I noticed a little bump on Josiah's eyelid. "Josiah, I think a mosquito bit your eyelid! Did you feel that?" No. He was oblivious and even after I pointed it out, he could hardly tell it was there. I was amazed that he didn't feel the bump on his eyelid that looked sort of like a blister but not as transparent. One other thought that occurred to me was that I couldn't see a bite mark in the middle of the bump. Then we were distracted by cool things like lots of playing, walking, and watching a father and son practice batting before going home and getting the boys in bed.

Little did I know that things would be different in the morning....

One glance and "WHOA! Um. Josiah, your eye is swollen." *flashback to the little eyelid bump* When I asked about it, he said it didn't hurt and it itched just a little bit. I gave him some children's allergy medicine hoping that would relieve the swelling. Josiah was embarrassed at the thought of going to church like that and started searching for his pirate eye patch. Soon I noticed scraps of paper laying around. Hm. It wasn't long until I head an outcry from Josiah; Nathan had grabbed and crumpled the eye patch Josiah had been making for himself. It was then that I realized just how self-conscious Josiah was feeling. His self awareness is developing and shutting out the carefree obliviousness.

So he and I started afresh and made an eye patch together. I cut it out and found a strap. He came up with a clever way to attach the strap and decorated the front. Then we attached a cotton ball on the inside for comfort. Perfect.

Only it wasn't over. Josiah's eyelid was still red and swollen and almost swollen shut for awhile. We decided to wait it out and just make sure that whatever it was wasn't spreading. (Why do these things always seem to happen when the doctor's office is closed?) Finally, on Monday we could see improvement but Josiah still cocked his head to the side in order to look at you since his eye wouldn't open all the way.

With his top front tooth missing, a bottom front tooth missing, AND his eye swollen, he looked like he had been in a serious fight. Belinda said that he should have a shirt saying "YOU SHOULD SEE THE OTHER GUY."

At least with the noticeable improvement, the worrying and wondering came to an end. And eventually the swelling did too.

I'm not sure if we'll get Josiah back into the woods anytime soon...

Blogger's Block

2010-06-01T11:30:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that I haven't had much to share lately. No, that's incorrect. I just haven't shared much. I'm hogging my kids and their cuteness. Not intentionally, no. I think I have blogger's block. (You know, like writer's block?)

Today I was reading a friend's blog and she had two, no three good reports and I LOVE good reports. (especially when they are a long time coming). I left this comment:

I love hearing good reports! We should set up a service that searches out, confirms, then passes along good reports. Kind of like the News... but the opposite since they mainly deal in BAD reports and broadcast to millions (they hope) at once and my service would be more personal. A phone call. A note. A special delivery.

Then I thought to myself... maybe I should stop slacking off and start blogging again. I love sharing the joys in life, the blessings in the midst of difficulties, the humor of having kids, and, well, whatever comes to mind.

In keeping with the good reports...
Last night, my cat used his scratching pad instead of my carpet. (gasp) Miracles happen all the time. Okay, so that isn't a miracle but it is good and miracles DO happen.

Illiteracy is No Excuse

2010-05-21T07:57:00.005-04:00

Josiah took it upon himself to clean and organize his dresser top two evenings ago. I was thrilled and joyfully noted that all my cleaning and organizing is not going unnoticed and I ignored the thought that it may have been a way to stall bedtime. Cleanliness comes before bedtime!

Not surprisingly, the other two boys raided his newly visible area and ate and/or wasted most of his remaining Easter candy when Josiah was at school the next day.

If there one thing I hate to see wasted, it's chocolate candy!

This morning I noticed a sign posted on Josiah's dresser. It stated:

If you take some thing from my dresser you will haft to pay 10$.

At first I didn't see the "10$" part and I thought "Whoa... that's some threat! This guy is serious about protecting his stuff." Noticing the "10$" on the end makes it less physically threatening and seems quite wise to me. Now I'm thinking of creating a Money for Messes program myself.

Too bad the other boys can't read your sign yet, Josiah.

The Library is "Base"

2010-05-20T08:02:00.004-04:00

Some days there is only so much little boy bickering, whining, and fighting a person can take without getting sucked into the yelling game. Yesterday was just one of those days. I had to remove myself from the situation in order to retain my sanity.

So I escaped to the library by myself where I looked for novels that I love to read by authors' whose writing I enjoy. *contented sigh*

I found two by one author (Ted Dekker) and one by an unknown-to-me author which I thought I would give a try. Both John and I should enjoy these three. Then I selected two more from Francine Rivers which will be just for me. *contented sigh again*

But I didn't leave my boys out completely. When I went to the children's section, I spied this: Walter the Farting Dog. It could have been in neon lights. I mean, there aren't many things funnier and more entertaining to boys than farts! Farts. *snicker snicker* The only thing more amusing to my boys is "poop". Poop. Bwahahaha! She said "poop"!

Book report: I think this is the best farty book I've ever read. There is boys' laughter and delight with every page. The end.

Wishful

2010-05-12T07:39:00.001-04:00

Rainy Days

Disturbing Disappearances

2010-05-10T10:33:00.005-04:00

Strange things have been happening around here... (cue eerie music)

Things have gone missing and not just any kind of things... things that are vulnerable have seemingly vanished without a trace.

These are well loved and well worn things... better known as worn out or BrOkEn toys.

Only one or two mortally wounded toys have disappeared at a time and ONLY every other day or so. It has not been frequent enough to arouse the notice of the young toy "caretakers". (I use that term loosely.) It happens when everyone is distracted or in the dark of night. Once it even happened when the boys simply looked the other way.

You may wonder how I have noticed....

I confess: I did it. I personally disposed of the toys... and I LIKED it. I did it quickly and quietly and I'm certain that I'll do it again. The urge is just too strong to resist.

This house has been a broken toy sanctuary for far too long; the boys' protests cannot protect the misfits if they are not vigilant.

Mwahahaha!!

Yesssss... I did it and I'll do it again.

Signed,

The Serial Toy Killer

Treasured Moments

2010-05-09T07:58:00.001-04:00

Noah gets into his favorite and well worn book.

Go Dog Go!

Mostly Well Most of the Time

2010-05-08T07:56:00.005-04:00

People have asked me how I'm doing and I know by their eyes that they are referring to my miscarriage. Most of the time, I am well.

Sometimes sadness sneaks up on me. At school lunch duty last week, being in the midst of all the children, I started thinking of all the different personalities and wondered what my child may have been like. I was feeling blue the rest of that day.

You may think that being around babies or pregnant women might cause that reaction but they don't to me. Rejoicing in the blessings of others brings healing.

Sometimes it is the casual comments of an acquaintance that jolt me. For example, I missed a week of work and one of my co-workers was wondering about the accuracy of the schedule since one person had not been there the week before. I told her that that had been me and that I would be here now needlessly explaining I had missed the previous week because I had had to go to the hospital. In response, she compassionately said, "Oh no, I hope everything was okay." I could not say that it was. "No. It's not okay. I had a miscarriage." To this she responds, "O my God, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say." (Sometimes that is the best thing to say.) I tell her not to feel bad but now I'm sorry that she's worried and uncomfortable.

A friend whom I had not seen for a long time saw my boys and asked about them and their ages. "This is Nathan; he's four. This is Noah; he's two. And my oldest, Josiah, went in through another door." She commented on how big they are getting then pointing to Noah, she said, "He's your littlest? I guess you don't have a baby anymore!" That sinks in to my heart. "No. No, I don't" I don't tell her just how accurate that statement is. She was simply enjoying my children.

There have been other moments that grief has reared up but I am mostly well. Hope and joy remain.

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" ~Psalm 27:13-14

Wardrobe Malfunction

2010-05-07T09:32:00.006-04:00

I was getting ready for church on Sunday morning and my slacks are a bit long (because, yes, I'm short) so I need a pair of shoes with some height to them.

My silver platforms! At least that's what I call them. I'm not good with the whole shoe name world. "These will work great", I think ... until I crouch down to put shoes on one of the little gentlemen and I hear a SNAP then SLAP. That's right. The sole to my shoe just broke off. But the heel is secure.

So do I find other shoes? I need height. I can't wear brown with my black and grey ensemble!
Time is running out... I must decide quickly and I do. I grab my tube of super glue and glue that sucker back together. Success!

We finish getting ready, gather everything, and head out the door. As I come down the steps, the sole comes completely off again. There's no turning back now. Oh, no. The boys are in the car. I grab my sole and drive us to church with super glue tucked inside the diaper bag.

The shoe is still walkable but I'm off kilter and not able to glide so I assess the situation again. To glue or not to glue?

I look at my broken shoe; I look at my healthy shoe. Suddenly, it is clear to me what must be done.

I crouch again. Bounce a little. And I CRACK then pull apart my remaining good shoe. Yes I did. Now they're even.

This was the last walk for the silver shoes.

Good-bye, Shoes. You were fun and did your task well... even in your structurally compromised state. May you rest in peace.

P.S. I'm very thankful that I did not fall on my face even IF it would have made a better story. And what's up with the pictures posting sideways? I certainly don't know.

Just a Thought

2010-04-27T19:31:00.003-04:00

Some thoughts just seem more complete on a Post-It.

Through the Eyes of a Child

2010-04-26T10:19:00.005-04:00

Not long after our miscarriage, Nathan, my 4 year old, approached me and asked "Is the baby still in your belly?". (I hadn't told him yet since I didn't know how much he would understand.) So I answered him, "No, Honey. Something happened. I had to go to the hospital... Mommy and Daddy are sad because we couldn't see the baby or bring the baby home." Then Nathan asked, "Is the baby in heaven?" "Yes", I said, "Jesus is taking good care of our baby."

With his new knowledge, Nathan made some quick plans. "Let's go to heaven and see our baby!" I had to tell him, "We can't go to heaven until Jesus comes to get us or until we die and go to heaven." Not a problem. Nathan fit that right into our schedule for the day. "First we'll go to Grandma and Grandpa's house then we'll die and go to heaven."

Nathan is such a delight.

And He said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. " Matthew 18:3

Big Plans

2010-04-21T07:57:00.003-04:00

He didn't walk a mile... but he did try a few steps. Being big is a lot of work.

Encroachment

2010-04-20T11:41:00.002-04:00

Josiah, is there not enough space in this house designated for your toys?

Must they take over my counter too?

Perhaps you need some shelves....

It looks like Bike Night around here.

I wonder if that Lego man is just a little bit nervous.

Ponytails Are Safer!

2010-04-15T12:41:00.002-04:00

Some young, single, fashionable women may wonder why it is that mothers with young children tend to wear their hair in ponytails. Well, I'll tell you...

Once upon a time (exactly 48 hours ago) in a place very close to here (approximately 8 to 10 feet from where I now sit), I attempted to take a quick shower. Now I only had two young ones in the house and I let them play in the fenced-in backyard thinking that perhaps there would be less screams of bloody murder if they had more room in which to entertain themselves. Well, I was right on that account.

As I am enjoying the warm water washing away the tiredness and dirt and stickiness and, well, you get it, I get so far as to finish shampooing when Nathan knocks on the door. (No surprise there.) "What?", I ask. Nathan's voice comes through the door, "Noah got out the gate!" "WHAT?!", I repeat. "GET HIM! GET HIM!" Yes, I did sic my son on his brother. I hurriedly rinse off and grab a towel hoping to God that I don't have to run out front in this state or that the neighbors are gone or inside or something, anything other than outside to witness this spectacle that is unfolding.

I rush to the side door and, thankfully, am able to stop short. Noah is in my car. No, he's not allowed to play in my car but he's not in the street and the neighbors can't see us! I tell Nathan to shut the car door. Yes, I did. I had Noah shut inside the car because he doesn't know how to open the doors from the inside yet. Now with Noah under wraps, I commanded Nathan to stand by the door and keep an eye on his brother.

With my children once again contained, I could rush through getting dressed before promptly retrieving Noah from the car, yelling something about never leaving the backyard without permission until enough loud words had been spoken to satisfy my angst.

Then I took a dog leash and tied that gate shut.

The end.

P.S. My hair just had to go without conditioner until the next available shower. No hair was damaged during this story.

A Love Letter

2010-04-12T07:55:00.004-04:00

My Sweet Little One,

I have loved you from the first day I learned of you. I have dreamed of you and made plans for you. I've wondered if you would be another little gentleman or my first little lady. I wish I could have held your gaze, touched your tiny fingers, and counted your little toes. To have met you face to face was my heart's desire.

I wish you could have been here longer with us.

Now we must wait.

Though my heart breaks with longing for you, I know I will see you one day on the other side of eternity. I love you.

Spiteful Sofa

2010-04-09T08:54:00.004-04:00

Dear Couch,

I hate you. Let me be clear. You are supposed to be "a piece of furniture on which several may sit or one may recline; also, a bed, or any place of repose". Apparently you haven't read the dictionary OR you are so hateful yourself that you certainly let me "recline" but did not allow me to sleep comfortably. All I required of you was a place of rest so I could avoid the germ-coughing husband. Instead, I was mostly sleepless and my back and hip hurt. I concur that if I plastered my back against your back, things were greatly improved but I have a need to move sometimes. So was that some kind of power trip to keep me close? That's no way to cuddle.

Feeling spiteful and a little sore too,
Sarah

P.S. I did go to Bed and it was delightful!

P.P.S. Josiah spells your name "calch". So there. I hope your offended... until I need to sit on you again. This letter is all about the sleeping aspect. I know, I know. You make a fine seat especially with the help of pillows.

Robot Wives are Mostly Nice

2010-04-07T11:44:00.004-04:00

The boys are watching Dave install a new screen door at Grandma and Grandpa's house. (They wanted a new door just because the old one started locking them out all the time. Whatever.)

During this time, I have learned that Nathan has a wife! A robot wife. He built it himself. (Yes, he does watch Phineas and Ferb. No, I don't think they have ever built a wife on the show.) His wife doesn't let him have sawhorses but she does let him have a tractor. His wife also wants him to touch the toolbox.

This is all news to me. He has kept this under wraps until now. I'm just glad that I'm not the only one enforcing some restrictions around here anymore. Maybe he'll listen to his robot wife since he built her and all.

The next time he doesn't like what I have to say... I can just "remind" him that his wife says "You have to eat your vegetables."

I can work with this.

Let Me Sum Up - Post It Style

2010-04-06T10:38:00.003-04:00

If you would like to make your own post-its, you can click on SupahMommy's Post It and play along!

Questionable Phone Manners

2010-04-02T08:21:00.003-04:00

We were having a family discussion about April Fools Day. Okay, I was telling my kids about April Fools and I was laughing about one particular joke I and my friends pulled off but when the joke was revealed the jokees didn't think it was funny. In fact, they were downright mad about it. But we still thought it funny and we laughed and laughed. You remember the one, Heidi?

At one point I told Josiah,who didn't even fall for the "your shoelaces are untied" joke (Smart Alec.), that our good friend loves to fool people on every April 1st and will come up with elaborate schemes to pull them off involving multiple people. Then Josiah started asking me all about the schemes and the hows and the whys and the whos and the *sigh*. Let's just say he has a lot of questions. After trying to answer some of the questions, I came up with a brilliant idea.

"Do you want to call Becky and ask her if Randy fooled anyone today?"

Josiah must have thought this is a good idea too because he agreed to it so I dialed my cell phone for him and handed it to him. *whew* Mission accomplished.

His phone conversation goes like this: wawawa (That's Becky. Imagine the Charlie Brown cartoon's adult voices, please.) "Did Randy joke anyone today?" wawawa? "Did Randy joke anybody today?" wawa. wawawawa. Then Josiah pushes END.

I am incredulous. "Did you just hang up on Becky?!" Yes, he did because obviously I have failed at teaching my children phone manners. *hangs head in shame* So I did the only thing I could. I called Becky back and talked to her for a few minutes ... until we drove through a "dead zone" and my phone hung up on her AGAIN.

So I called her again. And this time I said both "Hello" and "Goodbye"!

I'm so sorry for pestering you, Becky. It may happen again.

An Exercise in Futility

2010-03-31T10:06:00.002-04:00

Why, Mr. Tiger, are you attempting to clean yourself while you continue to lay in the mud?

What? What's that you say? Why... yes, I am cleaning my house today. Point taken.

I Love Post It Notes

2010-03-30T10:55:00.003-04:00

Do you have any random thoughts today? You can play along on your blog by clicking on Supah's Post It Note below OR leave a comment here OR, even better, play along AND leave a comment!

Pacing

2010-03-29T12:22:00.004-04:00

Do you ever feel like you are going and going and getting nowhere?

This guy was determined to get into the other side of his exhibit. Unknown to him, the zoo keepers had cleaned his pool and were in the process of refilling it. That side wouldn't have been safe for him. He was frustrated and just kept walking in and backing out... over and over again.

Perhaps your frustrating delay is for your own benefit too? Often only time will tell. So what do we do? I think we just do what we know to do and try not to "borrow" worries about tomorrow. Sometimes it just helps knowing you are not alone.

Everyone Gets Tired Sometimes

2010-03-25T11:17:00.003-04:00

And I'll be sure to snap your picture when you fall asleep... especially on a road trip.

This is Micah. He is using the Slump method. It's when you just relax where you're sitting and don't even bother with the head nods. It's a good way to prevent the Open Mouth side effect though you may have Stiff Neck syndrome later.

Holly used the I'm Going to Get Comfy and Sleep method. This method requires a pillow and whatever else you can put between you and the hard wall of the vehicle. This method does have its risks. Notice the slightly parted mouth but her neck muscles will probably remain unknotted.

Dave goes for the Relaxing at the Beach method. This requires a seat in front of you to either prop your legs against or over. The Slump and Slide move keeps you from the Open Mouth and Snoring risks. Although I could say he was snoring and he couldn't prove otherwise since he and all the other witnesses were sleeping at the time...

My Dad managed to pull off the I'm Really Awake but Resting my Eyes look. He was definitely out though. It's a good thing he didn't use the Head Back method; he would definitely have the Snoring effect and startle himself awake.

And since I'm a good sport... I took a picture of myself sleeping.

It took me a few tries since I couldn't stop laughing and then I woke up everyone else with my hysterics.

But I was determined. Pretty good, huh? It's the I Don't Have Anywhere to Lay my Head but Back method. Open Mouth is a given with this particular sleep position. Micah told me the only thing missing with my picture was some drool. I wish I had thought of that.

Or maybe I should be mad at Micah for insinuating that I drool...

The Effects of Spring

2010-03-24T09:29:00.003-04:00

Spring is here!

And with Spring came Spring Fever. Noah has a severe case of it. His case of Spring Fever is so bad that no weather conditions dampen his pull to the Great Outdoors. No amount of "Wait" "After lunch" "In a minute." "Not today." or other related terms are acceptable. His mantra is Must. Go. Out!

It is so bad that I've had to bolt the doors. No, not the dead bolt (he knows how to undo those), I have to do the latches that are up so high he can't reach them with a chair. Otherwise, if I do such things as shower, vacuum, go upstairs, or turn around for a moment, he's gone!

Welcome, Spring. I do hope you are bringing your warmer weather with you too. For Noah's sake. And, well, all of us. Hopefully before I find a tower built to the heights of the door latch? Please?

P.S. The flower pictured above is in the Dominican Republic. I wish my yard were so green.

Freedom is Work

2010-03-23T07:58:00.001-04:00

Noah recently moved into his "big boy" bed. He is thrilled about it. However, he is adjusting to the freedom this bed offers. He quickly realized he can get up and investigate the rest of the bedroom after the door closes for the night.

We'll hear movement above us as John and I are downstairs. Sometimes Josiah or Nathan will come downstairs to file their latest grievance. "Noah is opening and closing the closet door." "Noah is turning the nightlight on and off." "Noah keeps talking."

Then one of us, usually me it seems, will go upstairs and "remind" Noah that it is bedtime and he must lay still, be quiet, and go to sleep. He will reply, "Okay."

So far it hasn't been necessary... but the crib is still up and I'm not afraid to use it.

So Noah is learning that you must be responsible with freedom or you can lose it.

Speech Meet: The Showdown

2010-03-22T10:07:00.005-04:00

Josiah participated in a Speech Meet on Friday. It all started with memorizing a poem and reciting it for his class then he came home excited that he was selected out of his first grade class to advance to the Speech Meet. This meant that he would go to another school and recite his poem there.

I didn't know until last week that it would be an all-day event. When I brought Josiah to the school Friday morning I learned that there were seven other schools involved and over 200 students. The day would be packed with speech, science, math and reasoning.

His group was to recite during the first session and I was able to stay and watch. After finding the correct classroom, there were 24 first through third graders reciting their selection to the other 23 students, three judges, and the parents that were there.

I was nervous for him. He knows that poem extremely well but I wondered if he would recite it clearly and loudly or if he would rush through it. I noticed his face blush when it was his turn... but he did it! He recited the poem clearly and loudly enough. (When I was in school I purposely misspelled a word in our Spelling Bee so that I wouldn't have to advance and do it again in front of a big crowd. I was that shy.)

At the end of the day, John and I were able to come to the award ceremony where he got a ribbon for doing an "excellent" job.

You may notice in this picture how much he loves being in front of a crowd. (Did my sarcasm come through?) How did all the other kids do? Pullease. I'm sure they did fine but I only had eyes for my son. I am so proud of him!

This is the poem which he chose to recite:

Chums
by Arthur Guitterman

He sits and begs, he gives a paw,
He is, as you can see,
The finest dog you ever saw,
And he belongs to me.

He follows everywhere I go
And even when I swim.
I laugh because he thinks, you know,
That I belong to him.

But still no matter what we do
We never have a fuss;
And so I guess it must be true
That we belong to us.

And this is Cairo, Josiah's very own chum. And mine.

Manual Speed Golf

2010-03-19T11:43:00.001-04:00

Either Josiah created a new game or.....

There are high levels of cheatin' goin' on!

Awkward Moments Day

2010-03-18T08:11:00.003-04:00

As I drove home from work this morning, I heard on the radio that it is Awkward Moments Day. Finally! This is definitely my kind of holiday! Now..... What is the best way to celebrate this day? Do I reminisce about my awkwardness? Do I purposefully go out and put myself in new awkward positions? That could be fun ... AND more awkward for the other person. Then I could laugh and say "Happy Awkward Moments Day!" and, of course, they would be relieved that they were supposed to feel awkward and they would then "pay it forward" as any good deed should be. Or else, they may get really mad and hit me. In that case, I would feel awkward calling the police. I wonder if the police have any funny awkward stories to share...

All this rambling is somewhat awkward. Somewhat awkward is probably not good enough for Awkward Moments Day though.

I will confess an awkwardness: A lot of the time I will over analyze what I say in person to someone I don't know well. I rule out conversation starters as "too much information", "not interesting", "don't want to go there" and instead of conversing since my brain has locked up, I just stand there trying to come up with something anything to say. That's awkward. Why can't I just blurt out my weirdness and deal with that awkwardness instead?

Can you think of your most awkward moment? Or a recurring awkward moment? OR if you make someone else feel awkward today, please tell. Thank you and Happy Awkward Moments Day!

Random Thoughts Post It Style

2010-03-16T14:33:00.005-04:00

After reading Shell's Post Its every week, I decided today is a good day to participate. Click on SupahMommy's Post It below to join the fun.

It Was the Best of Both

2010-03-12T11:04:00.003-05:00

We had a taste of Spring yesterday....and it was delicious! Do I dare pack away the winter gear?Spring and Winter Meet

Don't Stop Now!

2010-03-11T11:24:00.004-05:00

Some days you just have to wake up and get a head start on the day.

That's today for me. I'm hoping to get a lot accomplished so that I can "cling to the clean" again. Alas, my previous clean abandoned me.

I don't get a head start the same way that Noah has been -throwing everything out of his crib except himself while waiting to get out of bed- but I have managed to attack the dirt and clutter this morning. The biggest task is yet before me: the boys' bedroom. If you don't hear from me by tomorrow... please send help.

Familiar Yet Different

2010-03-10T13:58:00.005-05:00

The Dominican Republic is still on my mind. And believe it or not, there is still a lot to share about my one week trip there. These are some pictures of things with which we are very familiar.... and yet they look very different. Go ahead. See if you recognize everything.

This is the kitchen of a family we visited. A lot of homes have outdoor kitchens because it is cheaper to cook over an open fire. She fed us some of her delicious jucca. Mm mm good! (I think it is yucca root?)

Not exactly the ladder you see at the local hardware store... but I LIKE it.

We saw this kind of fence a lot. We even saw one man making his fence. They use these green branches as the posts and a lot of the time, the branches take root and grow again.

This one is a little bit trickier. You can barely see it through the mesh... but there's a chicken living in that chicken coop.

And last but not least. Some call it a parking brake; I call it the emergency brake. It works!

I'm Tri-Topical

2010-03-09T11:54:00.004-05:00

I have an issue with google maps. I entered my address and my destination and *tah dah!* got directions. So far, so good. I left early so that I would have plenty of time to arrive at my appointment but something went wrong. The directions were faulty! It said to turn right on Old French Road but there was only a left! My sense of direction was telling me that the home to which I was going could NOT be left and then I thought, "If one part of the directions is wrong, how do I know how much more of it is wrong?" I did the only logical thing: I drove around hoping to see the other roads I needed.... and I called Holly and complained to her until she hung up on me. But really the hang up was accidental and she was getting me directions from, hopefully, someplace other than google maps if only I could find her an address as the starting point. Thankfully my keen sense of direction and a miracle brought me to within a mile of my destination. Holly gave me the Cherry Street directions which google map logically should have given me in the first place since Cherry is closer than Glenwood Park. duh. I arrived at my appointment 10 minutes late. I hate late. I jotted down my new directions and as I drove home. That's right. I drove and wrote because texting is dangerous.

Later... I drove home the other direction just to see how google maps was trying to send me. There was an Old French Road on the right side only it didn't attach. You can't turn right onto Old French from Glenwood! You first have to turn on Old Perry Hwy THEN Old French. Google maps, you may now update your information. Thank me.

Thinking of driving, I'm looking for new vehicle. A big vehicle and a teeny tiny price.

This car may be discounted... but it's not what I need. The paint looks great though, right?

This car is in the Hip and Knee Joint ward of the hospital. It is used for physical therapy. Definitely not for speed because I don't think those itty bitty wheels on there will work well for that. What? Oh. Why was I in the Hip and Knee Joint area? Well, it wasn't for car shopping....

I spent most of yesterday at the hospital with my mom, Roger, and my brother while my dad, who recently won the fight with Tim, was taking on a new battle with Ben, a.k.a. knee replacement surgery.

My dad was feeling good when he woke up. Mainly because he was feeling nothing. So they hooked him up to a torture device, a.k.a. physical therapy machine, that lifted and bent his leg with the new knee over and over again.

I wanted to take a picture of the machine's workings but Matt said that there were decency issues at stake. So I didn't dare lift the blankets myself lest I inadvertently expose my eyes or yours to some indecency.

Anyhow, my dad is at the hospital for the next few days pushing himself and being pushed to use his new knee. I know he can beat Ben. You can do it, Dad!

Hm. I wonder if that leg is the one that already has a scar running up it. He seems to have quite the scar collection going on. Any more and I might get suspicious about his motives for surgery.

I've Been Robbed

2010-03-08T08:41:00.005-05:00

It seems that regular people are learning more and more about forensic science. Even the very young ones seem to know how to cover their tracks.

Hey, Noah. You need to wear TWO gloves in order not to leave fingerprints. Also, don't let the camera catch ya in the act of stealing your mom's Dr Pepper! Better yet. Hands off!

This Makes Me Laugh

2010-03-07T08:15:00.003-05:00

At the Salvation Army Family Store.....

Do you see what I see? Clever marketing? or a DIRE WARNING

Lost in Translation

2010-03-05T12:06:00.003-05:00

On Sunday during Kids Church, the children were playing Follow the Leader.

SomeKid was the leader and began hopping. Nathan did NOT hop; he just ran. Ran and ran. Belinda told him that it was time for hopping because he was supposed to do what the leader did.

Nathan delivered a big sigh then stated, "Aunt Belinda, I don't SPEAK hop."

The Places I Went

2010-03-03T08:17:00.008-05:00

I was told to take a lot of pictures on my trip to the Dominican Republic. So I did.

This "restroom" was not restful. It was in a separate building behind the church and there were no lights. Picture this with just the beam of a small flashlight. Three of us ventured out back to use this toilet. We made plenty of noise as we approached and Cheryl threw rocks at the building. Why? Because we didn't want "company" in there in the dark. Rats and spiders, PLEASE let the girls have a turn. The rocks and noises did their job. *whew* When someone asked if I had actually used these "facilities" I responded, "Hey, I was just glad that I would have a door!"

The next outhouse I came across was brand new. It was built at a construction site (which I have yet to tell about). Isn't it cute? Then they said we had time to use the outhouse if needed.

So, of course, I quickly took advantage of the offer AND took a picture. The door latch was a little tricky.

Here's the bathroom I used everyday. The showers were cold but surprisingly refreshing to me. The lantern was for when the power was out. (The power goes out nearly every day for hours and usually comes on again in the evening/night.) That toilet had me practicing me my patience; you had to hold that handle until it was completely done flushing in slow motion. The water bottles were for brushing teeth. You don't want to put even a minuscule amount of tap water in your mouth.

Ah! Another church bathroom. Better than the scary dark outhouse but it had its own setbacks. Notice there is no t.p. No problem. I came prepared. (The other girls called me Walmart. Not that I had packed a lot; I just packed what I remembered needing in a third world country.)

And there was no running water. This bowl was filled with bleach water for cleaning your hands. Yes, I used it. Then I used my hand sanitizer too. What? Wouldn't you?

Even the nicest bathrooms have their occasional challenges. The house was running out of water. Cheryl had ordered a water truck to fill the cistern but it hadn't arrived yet. I said, "We could just carry some water up from the other house so that we can flush the toilets here." She agreed but didn't let me do it. She had the guys on the team carry buckets. Buckets and buckets. *ahem* Sorry, guys. My fault.

I will admit that I didn't go here. Holly did. And I asked her to take a picture. That's right. I knew that Josiah would want to see a picture of the airplane's bathroom. But I totally could have gone here; I was just, well, I didn't want to get up and squeeze past the nice man sitting next to me.

So there you have it. I did miss a few places. Thank me.

My dad laughed at me for taking all these pictures. (So did Micah and Holly and Cheryl and everyone who knew) My response? "It's a lot more fun using a questionable/scary bathroom when you are collecting evidence for bragging rights!"

I hope you are sufficiently impressed. And please, please, tell me your worst bathroom experience. Okay, maybe I should clarify; please tell me about the worst bathroom you have used or the one that made you suddenly realize you didn't have to go so bad after all.

The View with a Fish

2010-03-02T09:52:00.008-05:00

While in the Dominican Republic, we chose Friday and had a special lunch at the fish place.There were so many of us that we took two trips to get everyone here. It was not so impressive from the outside....

...but the inside of the restaurant offered a gorgeous view. No, no, no. This is not the view. This is where we stood to enjoy the view. The back wall was open to a beautiful valley.

We saw this. This.

This.

This. (The tops of the banana trees)

This.

This. And this. Any questions?

Then everyone had arrived and it was time to eat. I love Dominican food.

Hello, fish. I hear that you are delicious.

Oh. my. cow. You certainly were delicious! I didn't do a bad job of finding and eating all the fish meat possible, if I do say so myself.

I think Leo made have done better (but he has had more practice too).

Anyone that wanted seconds could choose their fish if they so desired; however, I was full.

Thank you Fish Place for the view and the delicious lunch.

Homecoming AND Homework

2010-03-01T08:21:00.007-05:00

I received an email from John while I was gone telling me this:

It is starting to hit Josiah and Nathan that you are not here, Nathan has cried a few times and Josiah has come close but is trying to be the big brother I guess, Noah is still content knowing that you are still irking.

Aw. I didn't want my boys to have a hard time. It surprised me that my energetic, ornery-leaning Nathan was having the worst time of it. I thought my baby, Noah, may have a rough week since he doesn't like to see me leave for even a short trip to the store but his thought that "Mama irk" (interpretation: Mommy is at work.) satisfied him the entire time. Josiah? I wasn't sure how he would handle it but I think he did great.

My journey home began early in the morning, one week ago. Once the trip home was underway, I was looking forward to seeing and hugging all of my gentlemen. We called from Pittsburgh and asked them to meet us at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Upon our arrival, there were squeals and smiles and BIG hugs. Nathan kept telling Grandpa and I, "I am REALLY happy to see you!" Josiah jumped into my arms to hug me. Noah grinned from ear to ear. I couldn't have asked for a better homecoming.

Can you tell that they missed me? Certainly not from this picture.

~PART 2~

John started working the next morning so I quickly had to get back into the swing of things at home. I was told that Josiah had to do a book report for school, his very first book report, and that John saved that for me to do with him. We had three evenings to do it and John and Josiah had already read the book. The first evening, we didn't have the construction paper required but we read the book again. I bought some construction paper and I started helping Josiah follow the instructions the second night. It was not successful but now he knew what he wasn't supposed to do.

It's hard to get Josiah's picture sometimes. I had him show me his dollars that Grandma has given him for Valentine's Day. Sneaky, eh?

I'm not sure that Josiah will ever want to do another book report with me again. His report was to have six pages attached and folded accordion style. I kept pestering him with directions.

Follow the instructions. You have to focus on what you're doing. Use pencil first then go over it with markers. Write neatly. Draw the picture right here. Keep your letters the same size. You better write that word again. What is the setting? Please don't drink over your book report. Do you remember the main characters? What pictures do you want to draw that will tell the story? You don't have to draw the same pictures that are in the book. Be careful with the paper. Don't wrinkle it.

And so on... until is was finished. *whew*

Yes, I do have perfectionist tendencies. "Hi. My name is Sarah and I'm a perfectionist. I have been relaxed about the state of homework for 3 days now. Oh wait. I forgot something. 0 days now."

I think his first-grade book report turned out well. His pictures? They may need some explanation. But I think this format was a great way to get him thinking about the aspects of his book and how to tell about the story.

Republica Dominicana Project #2

2010-02-26T08:53:00.005-05:00

Okay, so the Dominican trip wasn't all fun and games, cleaning water, and church services .... unless you call this part "The Painting Game". I like the sound of that!

Come to think of it... they DID hand me a machete and a shovel as well as paint, brushes, and rollers. And that ramp to the roof could be a slide of sorts with only a 50/50 chance of sliding right off and twisting or breaking something...

And leaning over the side of the roof to reach the top of the wall could be a balancing game of sorts. You just don't want to lose your balance because, well, you could end of losing a lot more. Loads of fun!

Notice that Holly spent some precious painting time dancing around when she thought no one was looking. Okay, maybe I made that part up; we knew that she knew that we knew that she was dancing. It was all part of "The Painting Game" I'm sure. Maybe she was practicing her brush stroke technique.

Hm? What was the shovel and machete for? The machete was to cut back the trees and other growth from the walls we were to paint. Then we lost it. So I "borrowed" some one's shovel that happened to be laying around and dug up the weeds that were growing on the roof. That's right. Weeds. On the roof. And I made the ants really mad too. You can see the pile of dirt, weeds, and ants behind the dancing Holly. No, you can't really see the ants; but you can see the dirt in which they live. It's the ant penthouse.

This is the wall beside the water filtration building. Beautiful, yes? No? Micah cleaned it up and painted it too.

Tah dah! Now there is a freshly painted, clean wall next to the freshly painted, clean water building.

This is one of the outside walls of the church/school and that is the path to the water filtration building. We cleaned the wall, swept the path, and then painted the wall. Since we had already played the "balancing over the side of the roof game" with this wall on the first painting day, we remained on the ground this time.

A little story on the side: There was a bird that kept whistling at me, so I whistled back and forth with it for quite some time. My competitiveness took over. I had to outlast the bird! My whistler was getting so tired... and then the bird... I think he started mocking me. He did learn a new whistle from me though; if he ever migrates to my house, he can call my dog.

After we ran out of white paint and the wall/path was sufficiently finished, I helped Holly do the finish work on the water filtration building. Those poor brushes! Brush work just isn't the same when you're working with bricks. I felt a little bit sorry for them.

What? Yes, those are the same jeans I wore the first painting day. No, that's a completely different shirt. Did I wash those jeans? Um, no. Were they disgusting then? Wow. You're really asking some personal questions. Um, yes they were disgusting but not SO disgusting. I sprayed them with Febreze the night before and once again that morning for good measure. So although they were disgusting, they smelled fresh. Now while you're at it, why don't you give me a paper cut and pour some lemon juice on it? Did I bring those jeans home? NO! They told me that they wanted to stay and be a missionaries in the D.R. so I let them.

I consider "The Painting Game" to be won. Yes, it was a team game. Us against the walls. We won.

Good Times

2010-02-25T10:00:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time a sister and a brother walked and talked.

Sister told Brother how funny it was to her that Husband tried to answer bra questions when he obviously knew nothing about bras (except that he likes what they hold). Brother laughed with Sister.

Sister wondered aloud whether she should tell Husband to stop trying to talk about bra sizes as if he knows anything about it or whether she should teach him so that he could be informed.

Brother stated that learning is good. Too many people don't know about bra sizes including many women.

Sister stated that there are stores to which women can go and get a professional bra fitting.

Brother said he wanted to work there.

Sister said she was telling Brother's Wife.

And there was much laughter.

*Any resemblance to actual persons may or may not be completely coincidental.

Republica Dominicana Project #1

2010-02-24T17:00:00.010-05:00

So one of the main projects of this trip was to build and install a water filtration system in the town of Baitoa. Two teams had already arrived and started on this before our arrival early Tuesday morning. (We were supposed to arrive late Monday night but that's another story.)

This is the church/school building. The water system was to be installed in a small building behind here.

All these parts have a specific purpose. It looks sort of like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle. I'm just glad that there were people who knew what they were doing. I asked Jim why the pipes go up and down in that pattern. The answer is that the ozone needs 30 feet of vertical pipe to rid the water of bacteria.

There was trench digging, pipe laying, trench filling in, pipe building, pipe installing, door and track building, and much cleaning and gluing and following of instructions.

This is Leo. He is married to my friend, Cheryl. Charro in Spanish. His full name is Juan Leonardo Perez Sanchez. Doesn't that sound cool? Well, he is cool. And he's the man in charge.

The cement thing in the background is the water cistern with regular water. The water is pumped up to the roof where there is a holding tank which is run through the filtration system. I was told the water will go through the system several times.

Micah, my brother, and Dave, the master builder, tested the weight holding abilities of the counter that they built before painting it. Test 1- Successful.

We called in more volunteers. Test 2- Successful. The counter will easily hold the big jugs of water.

Now for the finishing touches.

Tah dah! The water filtration system is complete!

These were the water tests. Each bag was filled with water then a chemical to make those pesky, invisible, deadly bacteria show up. The first bag of unfiltered water turned black within 24 hours. The second bag was partially filtered and turned yellow within 24 hours. The third bag was absolutely clear. Jim drank the water. And since Jim is still healthy... Success!

The last item of the water project was the installation of a small cross which Dave's neighbor had sent with him to leave on one of the projects. Little did we know that it would take some ingenuity to install it; small nails weren't readily available so Dave made staples do the job.

With this system in place, people will be able to purchase clean water for 70% less than the normal price allowing them to use clean water more often.

And more encouraging news: the mayor of Baitoa is excited about this project and wants to have ten more installed around the area!

Any questions? I may know the answer. If not, I know who to ask.

Friends Don't Leave Friends in the Dark

2010-02-24T12:08:00.007-05:00

I've been thinking about where to begin this tale of travel. After much consideration, I decided that I would start somewhere in the middle and work my way around sort of in a spiral pattern. Beginning to end is so overrated, isn't it? No? Oh well.

The five of us that traveled together are my dad, my brother and sister-in-law, Dave, and me. Now for some reason Dave felt the need to look out for me. Probably because he's a dad, husband, and grandpa AND he didn't want to answer to John if anything bad would have happened to me. Little did he know that I'm pretty independent. Not careless. I just know when I'm capable of doing something without assistance. But I humored him a bit and let him do his guardian duties .... sometimes.

Dave is the one looking at the camera instead of the view.

One dark rainy night when the power was out, Dave waited to walk me across the street to the house in which we were staying. Thanks, Dave.

Since there was no power and neither of us had flashlights with us, the house was very, very dark when we got in there. So I did my trick.

As I started walking to my room, I told Dave, "Just shut your eyes real tight then open them again and you will be able to see better...." and I went to my room, climbed in bed and went to sleep without a second thought.

The next day I learned that Dave hadn't heard me and spent some time getting his phone out and trying to use the light of his phone as a sort of flashlight and continued stumbling through the house to his room after realizing that I had already vanished. (I will admit that I laughed upon hearing this.)

"What? Really? You don't know that trick?" Apparently more moms than dads use that technique when entering a dark room....

Micah and Holly informed us that pirates would wear those eye patches for just such a reason. They would flip up that patch when raiding a ship in the dark and be able to see perfectly. And it must be a true story.... it was on Myth Busters. And to think, I thought those pirates were just clumsy and frequently poked their eyes out.

Maybe the next trip I'll bring my own eyepatch... or get one for Dave at least.

Anyone There?

2010-02-23T08:03:00.004-05:00

*tap tap tap* Hello? Is this thing on?

Testing. One. Two. Three....

Hi. I'm back from the Dominican! There are many, many stories and an abundance of pictures I have to share with you. In fact, there are so many that I think I will piecemeal them out to you. After all, it wouldn't be fair to overwhelm you with all 388 pictures in one sitting...

The trip was a great success. I loved the Dominican people and the country is so beautiful! Learning Spanish is now on my to do list so that I can communicate better the next time.

There. That's one of the views I enjoyed on Friday. I'll tell you the story about that place soon. Right now, I've got some boys here that have missed their mommy and I'm to enjoy their stories and hugs for now.

No, I Did Not Learn Spanish Yet

2010-02-14T21:32:00.011-05:00

There is only one short night of sleep before I begin my journey to the Dominican Republic. Really short. Super short. They are picking me up at 6:15 in the morning. I don't usually see that time of the day. Por que? (See? I threw in a little Spanish already!) Why would I wake up so early in the morning? Why leave behind all my gentlemen? Why go to the Dominican? Why, oh why, go to a place where you may see creatures like that!? Inside the HOUSE!?

Well, I'll tell you.

*cue the music* tu-du tu-du tu-du

No! No! Not like that!

Fine. I won't sing it.
(My apologies to everyone who has not seen Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. I'm truly sorry you have not seen the funniness and the line memorization possibilties that movie has to offer.)

We going there to serve and encourage Leo, Cheryl, and Zamar. They are missionaries in the town of Baitoa; their ministry includes three churches and a school. We plan to do whatever needs done including painting, building, speaking to the school children, putting on a conference... I may even be able to help Cheryl with her blog.

We will also help install a safe-water system. There are three big manuals of instructions. With this in place, the people will be able to get safe, clean drinking water. (It's a good thing there are women on the team so that the instructions are read. What? What did I say?)

One or two days will be spent in a particular valley where a particular former Franciscan monk lives and works. His name is Pastor Reuben; he loves Jesus and loves people. There is such poverty in this valley that after visiting there, my dad told me that it is the worst poverty he has ever seen -- and my dad has seen poverty in Haiti and in India. So far I haven't been able to imagine worse poverty. We are delivering to Pastor Reuben the Cash for Cluckers money that was raised. This Kids Church class collected offerings each week since October in order that Pastor Reuben may buy chickens for the people of the valley. Chickens for both meat and eggs. Have you ever thought you couldn't do much because the need was too great and there were so few to help? It's amazing what can be done when you step out and start. These children raised $1,258.20. That's worth about 175 chickens! (give or take a few cluckers)

So. Those are the reasons that I am leaving on a jet plane. (I do know when I'll be back again.) My bags are packed. After checking off all the items on my "Don't forget this stuff" list, we did the weigh-in. Just under 40 pounds! Woohoo! I still had ten pounds to spare.

That means I get to wear my lightweight coat to the airport instead of furreezing. You see, it's light enough to pack into the bag so Little Brown Coat can take a joy ride to the Dominican and back.

I'll take a lot of pictures! (including pictures of the plane as requested by Josiah)

Cuddles Are Priority Today

2010-02-11T09:43:00.005-05:00

I'm "working" with one arm (and some times less) today. You see, I have this little boy who feels yucky and who needs that aspirator a.k.a. The Snotter but refuses it. He's very good at duck and cover. He also needs Tylenol but he spit it out or more accurately, he let it all fall out of his mouth and onto his shirt when he bawled about me giving him the stuff in the first place.

He doesn't want to eat. He doesn't want to play. He does, however, want to remain in my arms and rest his head on me. Both arms. He wants both arms because everyone knows that when you are feeling sick only full attention will do.

There are a lot of things I wanted to accomplish today. Okay, there are a few key things I wanted to get done. Right now though, I'm just hoping for a shower. How quickly priorities can change!

Because I'm Sure You Want to Know...

2010-02-10T10:11:00.004-05:00

I am aware that lately I've left some things hanging. You're probably just barely restraining yourself from asking me what's up. Shh. I can have my delusions and feed them too.

Tatatatata DAH!

Last week my dad had a showdown with Tim. Yeah... Tim didn't stand a chance and has been banished NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

In December I asked Santa for a few highly reasonable items for Christmas.

1. Vacuum- preferably one that would recognize Legos and spit them into a separate compartment so that I can rescue them without all the bending and crawling currently needed to avoid sucking them up.

2. Carpet Cleaner-
Is there a super fast model? One that dries as it goes too? Or maybe one that
vacuums, saves Legos, cleans, AND dries? That would be good. Then you could skip
#1.

I didn't receive either of the models I asked for but I did get some new vacuum bags.

Oh well. At least my vacuum still sucks.

In other news...
After being missing in action for nine days, Cai showed up and was instantly welcomed back into Noah's arms. And there was much rejoicing. The dog, also called Cai, who filled in for Cai may need counseling due to feelings of abandonment. But don't worry; we have a Woody doll and everyone knows that Woody takes good care of all the toys.
Note: No one received the promised reward since it was Noah himself who found his Cai.

Speaking of dogs...
Miss Hepburn, my fabulous seasoned citizen client, moved and DID get to take her dog with her. And there was much rejoicing.

Regarding the boobies discussion...
Apparently Josiah is correct. It seems that John may have what can be categorized as "man boobs". I felt obligated to tell you this since it is ... uh... well ... just HILARIOUS to me!

That about wraps it up. In the words of Paul Harvey, Now you know... the rest of the story.

It's Almost Time!

2010-02-09T12:04:00.001-05:00

Side Games

2010-02-08T14:26:00.003-05:00

During the big game day yesterday, we had some other games going too. Multi-tasking, you know. We even did a game within a game. Amazing, right?

While we played Apples to Apples, Josiah and I had a little spur of the moment game. First, I put a sour head candy in my mouth. whahaa! Those things are insanely sour! Then it was Josiah's turn.

I will admit that he kept his sour head candy in his mouth longer than I had kept mine.
Josiah-1
Mom-0

I think losing that particular game was worth it. Who came up with that stuff as a candy?! It could be a torture device. And be careful when taking it out! If it touches the end of your tongue where sour is registered..... well, just be aware that you don't want that to happen. *shudder*

Wishing for the White Stuff

2010-02-05T11:02:00.005-05:00

I am hearing rumors of "snow fatigue". These reports are coming out of areas that don't normally get a lot of snow.

People are saying that they are *gasp* running out of stuff to do. *shocked face*

WHAT?!

You've got a winter wonderland just on the other side of that door!

People are reporting that they have cleaned house, baked, cooked, read books, organized, done laundry, painted, done crafts, sewn, yada, yada, yada, and more. REALLY?

I live in an area where our average yearly snowfall is well over 100 inches....
and I still manage to get nothing done. Seriously. What are they trying to do?

We have a measly 3 inches of snow left on the ground that has been melting down from the couple of feet we had a while back. I didn't appreciate it while it was here. Usually our snowfall just. keeps. coming.

Personally, I am hoping for more. Oh yeah. LOTS more. Why? Because I haven't yet recreated some awesome Calvin and Hobbes snowmen scenes. That's why.

I feel the NEED to get creative in our snow play and I really want to see what Josiah would come up with. Think of the possibilities!

Life Lesson: Don't take your snow for granted.

Of course... our front yard isn't big enough for multiple scenes. We may have to "borrow" some more lawns. Coming Soon to a yard near you....

Child Rearing Is a Full Time Job

2010-02-04T11:54:00.005-05:00

Train up a child in the way he should go.... Some things are very important.

Encourage creativity.

Get permission before touching breakables.

Take care of those smaller than you.

Treasure "old" things.
Some day you may really, really appreciate it.

Keep your face clean.

Try to look at things from another viewpoint.

Stay hydrated.

Never, ever punch your uncle in the you-know-what's.
Nic said that Josiah almost learned his first vulgarity.

(Nobody worry. He recovered. I think.)

Note: They may be shocked initially when you enforce your standards but it's worth it.

I hope.

Waiting AND Getting Shiny Teeth

2010-02-03T10:50:00.005-05:00

It's a waiting kind of day over here. There is the waiting for my dad's surgery to be done and the waiting to hear how John's job interview is going/went. Just waiting.

Did you ever realize that when you say or write a word very often, it starts to sound and look strange? Maybe your words are different than mine. waiting. waeting. wating. whaeting. I think it's pretty cool that in the old days people just spelled a word however they thought it looked best and that they liked to be creative about it. Sure. Standardized spelling is nice but where's the creativity in it? Hm?

Okay. Enough weighting. (See? That spelling brings up a totally different meaning. Oh well.)

Here are the latest Nathanisms:

"I'm your hero."
"Welcome to my world!"
(This one is completely John's fault.)

"Mommy! My teeth are shiny! From wipes."
(This is a result of too much unattended time in the bathroom.)

I Shall Call You Tim

2010-02-02T09:54:00.006-05:00

Do you know what I do when I hear bad news? No? Well, I'll tell you.

First, I like to pretend that I didn't hear what I just heard. Outwardly, at least. Inwardly, I ponder. Sure. I pray about it right away. Nail that sucker with prayer!

After I absorb the news ... I like to mock it. Really. Doesn't bad news deserve a good mocking?

I am certain that a good mocking of evil boosts morale. You should try it some it some time.

You see, last week my parents told me that the mole which had been removed from my dad's back was malignant melanoma, a skin cancer. He has to go back tomorrow to have more cut out around the original spot.

Cancer acts all big and bad but suppose I refuse to fear "cancer"? Cancer, your name brings dread to people. I shall no longer call you "cancer". I shall call you.... Tim.

Tim? Yes. Tim.

I feel completely capable of both taking a situation seriously and laughing at the same time.

Besides. It's not really the mocking that gives me hope or strength. That's just fun. Jesus is the one who heals and gives peace, strength and courage. I also know that Jesus' name is above every name whether a person or a thing, cancer or Tim.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I
have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
~Jesus (John 10:10)
"A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." Proverbs 17:22

And the Winner Is.... Mom

2010-02-01T09:32:00.012-05:00

I'm sure that EVERYBODY is talking about the Miss America Pageant. Well. Most people... half of everybody? Okay. One out of ten. *ahem* Well, I am.

After not seeing the pageant for years, I said to myself, "Sarah, you're going to have to watch that pageant this year." After finding out what day the pageant aired, I waited until Saturday to do my show prep.

I did a search on the Internet and came to this page which showed me each contestant's picture, name, and state. Of course, I pulled out my index card and listed all the states' two-letter abbreviations and the first name of the contestant. Step 1 complete. Then I pulled up the post office web site and made sure that I wrote down all the abbreviations correctly. YES! I still have it.

Next, I scrolled through each contestant choosing my preliminary favorites based on their photos. I picked 12, then erased one. (Sorry #12.) Seriously, Rhode Island, this is supposed to be a contest to be a public relations person, not some sultry magazine model. Couldn't you find a "girl next door" picture like everyone else?

Then I had John look through everybody and choose his favorites because that's what I do.

He only chose six and five of those were ones I had chosen. His only chance of pulling out a singular win was dependant upon Miss Vermont's success.

As John was giving his quick yes or no, Noah started mimicking him and doing his own, "No, no, no, no, no...." Wow. He's tough.

Then Josiah joined in the scrutiny! His first remark? "Her face is too square." Really? Then, "Round, oval, oval, oval, round..." Then there was much laughter.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?

Since the pageant was on TLC, I went to my parents' house and watched the show with my mom. Yes, I sucked her into it too.

I was pulling for Miss Oregon during the pageant but she was eliminated before I left for work. That's right. I didn't get to see the end because of work.

No worries though.

We recorded it.

And I watched the whole thing again with my sister-in-law, Holly, on Sunday.

We watched the evening gowns (There was one gown I didn't like because it didn't allow for "gliding".) ... the swimsuits (Sorry, DC, but you were thrusting your rib cage out. This is not a show for starving children. Besides that, I haven't seen my ribs for some time.) ... the talents (One sang a Whitney Houston song. Lovely song. Lovely voice, but COME ON! You're putting yourself up against Whitney instead of the other contestants. Most anyone would have a hard time with a sing off against Whitney.) ... and finally, the Questions. (Please, ladies, focus on the actual question asked. You forgot where you started and I'm pretty sure that is why you two finished last.)

The big moment finally arrived!

Miss Virginia is the new Miss America!

I know the suspense was killing you.

"Isn't she lovely...."

Just so you know, she was on MY list (and not John's).

Wait! Wait! The best was yet to come.

On the way home from Grandma and Grandpa's house last night, Josiah asked me, "Did you ever win won of those contests, Mom?"

Me: No, I didn't.

Josiah: Why not?

Me: Well, I never entered one of those...

Josiah: You could wear your wedding dress.

Me: I suppose I could...

He thinks I would win! (Josiah, now would be a good time to ask for whatever it is you've been wanting.)

P.S. I was going to name this post "And the Winner is ... ME" but then I thought that you would think,"Is she out of her mind? Miss Maine did NOT win the pageant; she didn't even make the first cut! Obviously this person has no idea what she is writing about." (because I have faith in you to know the 2-letter abreviation for states too and that those abreviations are foremost on your mind at all times) and then you wouldn't read that it was indeed me that won because I picked the winner and John didn't and Josiah (God bless him!) implied that I too could have won.

Moving Shmoving

2010-01-29T11:52:00.003-05:00

I have moved 13 times in my life. Each move was a good move too. And by good, I don't mean that the moves were always easy but that each move added something positive to my life.

My most recent move was when I married John. THAT has definitely added a lot to my life. Husband, new family, babies, pets, neighbors.... Some day I'll tell you stories about my neighbors.

Today I am thinking of other people moving. It is possible that I have a harder time with friends moving than me being the one who moves. I think it's because of nostalgia. The memories of important moments in my life spent at that person's house replay in my mind and I think, "I'll never be able to visit this place again."

"This is the yard I played Kick the Can and my friend got clotheslined running in the dark."

"There is where the mistletoe hung where I kissed my first love."

"That is the wiggly doorknob that nearly scared my friend to death after we watched Nightmare on Elm Street."

"The 'fort' at my grandparents' house is where we had countless hours of fun and make-believe."

Now I realize that I take on the worry of moving for others too. My client, Miss Hepburn, is moving soon and I wonder what she will be able to take with her. Will she be able to keep her dog? She loves that dog. Will she have a hard time leaving the house that her son built for her and her husband? She has done such a nice job at decorating it. This time it is not my cherished memories that I'm concerned about.... but hers.

Miss Hepburn won't need my services anymore and even though someone else will... I'll miss her because she has become my friend. May your move be a positive one.

ALL POINTS BULLETIN

2010-01-28T10:32:00.004-05:00

MISSING DOG

Description:
small, approximately 12 inches long
Dark brown ears and brows
Cream face and legs, brown body
House broken
Cuddly
Doesn't bark
Gets along with children
Loves to be carried

Name: Cai

Last seen: Yesterday before lunch

Cai has already been missing for one nap and one night-night.

REWARD OFFERED

ONE BIG KISS

Clinging to the Clean

2010-01-27T09:42:00.006-05:00

It has been ten days since we CLEANED our house. I'm talking about put away everything setting on the surfaces, pick up toys, put away laundry, organize kitchen counters, DUST, sweep, mop, vacuum, EVERYTHING downstairs. Upstairs? Not so much. Yes, we did have company coming. Why do you ask?

It was Josiah's birthday party. Nearly everything was done. With only two things left to accomplish, I decided coffee was a priority. Then people started arriving .... 15 minutes early. Really? When does that ever happen? Belinda, my sister-in-law, was the first one through the door and she asks, "Is there anything I can help you with?" I told her, "Well... everything for the party is set but I am about to go into the toy room and scoop up everything left on the floor and put it in a laundry basket." (I had already done some picking up, okay? There were pathways by this time.) Belinda says, "I can do that!" (Belinda rocks.) And soon everything that had not yet been picked up in that toy room was stashed away for another time. Success!

Ever since that time I've been clinging to the clean. Confronting the chaos head on. Defending my living room from the invasion of toys, blankets, coats, hats, shoes, dishes, and, yes, even popcorn. The battle is wearisome at times but the fight must go on.

OR ELSE

This could happen. again.

This is the "before" picture of the Playroom.

You see, my idea of clean and my boys' idea of clean is not the same. No. Not at all. I say, "Pick up your toys." They hear, "Stuff them into the toy room (and for good measure, dump them out in the process)."

Never, never, never, never give up! (I like to borrow quotes from Winston Churchill.)

Oh, yes. Get this. I was channel surfing and saw a glimpse of an organizing show on HGTV. The person was asking for help in organizing their spotless playroom. I had to turn to the channel. Obviously, they have no CONCEPT of a mess.

P.S. I'm sure that some day you will hear about Josiah's actual birthday party but I'm waiting for a quote from him which he may or may not deliver. Right now he said he's thinking about what he might want to say on the blog.

Kids Are Snack Height

2010-01-26T09:43:00.004-05:00

The Place: My parents' house.

The Time: Lunch time

The Occasion: Football playoffs

The Crime: Taco Theft

The Victim: Nathan

The Culprit: Jesse the dog

Soon after Nathan began eating his second taco, there was an outcry against Jesse.

"Jesse stole my taco! He ate it! He's a bad dog. He's a VERY bad dog!"

The kids tend to forget that they are at just the right level for Jesse to snatch their food right from their hands. It happens almost every time. Sometimes Jesse is sneaky about it. Other times he will nonchalantly walk by and just grab it and go. A lot of the time, they abandon their food for just a moment only to return and find it missing. Jesse steals food. It's what he does.

I asked Nathan about the incident so we could get all the facts straight.

He must have thought the story needed some embellishment.

Next time, Nathan, watch out for that dog, octopus, pipe food-snatching team!

You Didn't. Really? It's Too Much!

2010-01-25T12:30:00.002-05:00

The Splash Award – Blue Cotton Memory passed this award to me. It is given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring blogs.

I just want to thank all ~~my fans~~ the people who skim my writing. You 30 or so people are the best! And I'd like to thank "words". I mean, where would we be without them? You couldn't even tell me where we would be if you didn't have words. See? Of course, you COULD show me a picture... Yes, pictures are very expressive. That would work. So... I would also like to thank "pictures" ... for showing us stuff.

In all seriousness, this award is a blessing because it lets me know that the things I've shared have given someone a laugh or encouraged them in some way. I love to see and share the humor in life.

The rules for this award are:

Put the logo on your blog/post.
Nominate and link up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
Remember to link the person from whom you received your Splash Award.

These blogs have made me smile, laugh, be inspired or impressed me with their heart for people and perseverance in hard times.

Suburb Sanity - I love her sense of humor. She can tell you how to insult people nicely, what to do about sleepless nights, and how to make a nearly-grown child call home.

The Livesay [Haiti] Weblog - Troy and Tara are missionaries in Haiti. Yep. They are there right now. I love reading their stories of hope in the midst of heartache.

Our Kantola Family Story - She made me start blogging. She's an excellent writer: witty, funny, and real. She also has excellent taste in friends.

The Jungle Hut - Rita lives in Paraguay. Oh the stories she has to tell!

JenHartNSoul - Jen offers insight, recipes, and, yes, humor too.

thatgirlblogs - I love the way she tells stories and shares her frequent brushes with fame.

Today's Cliche - It's a His and Hers blog! We get to read the different ways that He and She view life.

Nobody Listens To The Girl - She cracks me up. I love to laugh and Bethany delivers. She is also an expert on Trent Edwards.

Anne Nunn Photography - Her photographs are beautiful. She finds and shows you the beauty in the everyday and those special days too.

Bethany from Nobody Listens To The Girl also recently listed me in her top ten blogs. (Yeah, I was just as shocked as you.) AND she recently reinstated me on her blogroll so whatever I did to fall from her graces must have been resolved or maybe just enough time passed to allow my link to be shown once again. (I'm so sorry, Bethany! I'll never ever do it again unless it was really funny to me... )

I am now going to pass this honor on to my top ten blogs. If you will, please turn your attention to the blogs above including Blue Cotton Memory (She has five boys and a lot of insight to share.) Now I realize that Nobody Listens to the Girl is in this list already and you're not supposed to place the giver in the givee list... Just call me a cheater.

OR look to the right and see my longer list of favorites. Now I'm an overachiever. And a brown noser.

Would you stop calling me names already? I'm just trying to pass along a prize and an honor...

P.S. I do NOT have tuberculosis! Just in case you were concerned... be concerned no longer. Friday I had to have a ppd test (apparently tuberculosis is abbreviated ppd and, yes, I know that ppd stands for something else which is another term for tuberculosis) for work. I was stabbed and injected with a foreign substance in order for them to tell me this morning something I already knew. I'm not sick. Well, THAT'S a relief. Those non-symptoms had me worried.

Boogers and Sharks

2010-01-21T09:17:00.009-05:00

Nathan was full of funny answers yesterday.

As I'm putting the pizza into the oven, Nathan asks me, "Are you making pizza for dinner?". "Yes, I am. Do you want to eat some pizza?" Then he says, "I'm not hungry anymore; I already ate!" So I ask, "Oh really, what did you eat?" Nathan replies, "Um... a booger...."

That must of been SOME booger. I think it was more likely the cookies he kept sneaking.

After dinner was NOT eaten and before the boys left for Wednesday evening church, Josiah tells me that he just flushed Nathan's underwear on accident. I start laughing. He looks at me and says, "No, I really did. I didn't know they were in there and I flushed them." I tried to pull off a rescue operation with the plunger but, man, they were GONE. This happened while I was commenting on Kate's blog so here's my instant reaction:

"Hey! Guess what? My toilet is awesome! A kid's pair of underwear just got flushed by accident and the toilet didn't even get clogged. So long, Super Hero briefs."

Yep. Nathan wasn't too thrilled. "I want my underwear back!", he whined. Sorry, dude, they aren't coming back.

Later, my friend let me on this: "Sarah...he's a funny one. This evening during class I asked him if he needed to go to the restroom. He said 'No, I told you I already went.' I said okay, just making sure. Then he said that he couldn't go in there...that there were sharks in the toilet. I said oh... well they have to go they can't stay there. What a funny kiddo. I do enjoy having him in class."

Sharks. I had not heard that one before. Where does he come up with these things?

Thankfully, if there are sharks in our toilet.... THEY DON'T STAND A CHANCE.

I Remember Still

2010-01-20T09:53:00.007-05:00

Haiti has been consistently in my thoughts in the past eight days, sometimes in the forefront and sometimes in the background, but always there.

When I first moved there as a child, I hated it. Everything was so completely different. But it wasn't long until it became home.

Gonaives in 1985

To me, Haiti is a nation of contrasts. There is great beauty and overwhelming ugliness. Friendliness and suspicion. Love and hatred. Affluence and poverty. Generosity and theft.

My family was robbed when we lived in Haiti. That's a longer story than I want to spend time sharing today except for this: Everything of value was taken from us and our Haitian help including Leiz, our yard man. But when Leiz saw that my dad's watch had been taken from his wrist, Leiz took off his own watch and tried to give it to my dad. Even in the midst of his own loss, he wanted to give what he had to help comfort us in the overwhelming realization of what had just happened and that we had survived.

St Marc in 1994

I've watched the news and followed blogs of survival lists and orphanage updates. I've looked for news of missionaries that we know. I've wished that I could give a little Haitian girl a home.

Another earthquake was felt in Haiti this morning. This one was a 6.1.

Please don't stop praying for Haiti. In the words of one Haitian woman, "Pa Bliye'm" Don't forget me.

M-ap prie pou ou, Haiti. M sonje toujou.

Read The Livesay [Haiti] Weblog for current stories of endurance, perseverance, and hope.

A Little Facebook Lingo

2010-01-19T08:23:00.004-05:00

Sarah laughs about Nathan asking her "Did the Fireside Girls give me this patch?" in regards to the label on his shirt. I especially like that John said, "Don't tell Matt about that!" Mwahahaha!
Yesterday at 5:36pm .Comment .Like

Sarah became a fan of Would you stop repeating their name already and just ask them your question!? and Why does the bathroom suddenly become grand central station when it's MY turn in there?.
Yesterday at 2:09pm .Comment .Like

Sarah is now friends with Bethany and 17 other people.
Yesterday at 10:17am .Comment .Like

Sarah joined the group 1 Million Strong for Craving that Hot & Sour Soup and those Crispy Fried Wontons from Hong Kong Takeout Restaurant.
Sun at 11:30am .Comment .Like

Sarah is attending One Week Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic in February.
Jan 12 @ 7:25pm .Comment .Like

An Open Letter to Huggies Pull-Ups

2010-01-18T09:49:00.003-05:00

To whom it may concern:

We use your product and love the construction of it; after all, Pull-Ups is "The only brand with easy open sides." The purpose of these? "There for moms, just in case!" Right. As if accidents are the exception... I like this feature just in case my child rips off his Pull-Up and it is still clean; I can then reattach the sides and save myself from wasting 25 cents. Besides, it looks more comfortable. I mean, if you're going to sleep with your own urine right next to your skin, you may as well be comfortable.

The other features you offer such as Learning Designs and Cool Alert show an effort to improve the potty training experience but they fall flat. The Designs are not visible unless you first take off the child's pants (This part is no problem for the child.) and then said child bends over and tugs the Pull-Up into a position where he can see if the Learning Designs are still there. It's just simpler to feel or smell whether the Pull-Up has been filled. And Cool Alert? Really? Can it be cool inside a Pull-Up next to the skin of the child who has just peed? I kind of doubt it. My child has never commented on feeling the chill but neither have I tested this myself nor will I. I'm putting the Cool Alert in the irrelevant idea section.

My main concern is the characters you put on your Pull-Ups. Yes, they are very cute. However, you have a practice of selling two characters in the same package. Yes, they are related: Princesses and Cinderella, Lightning McQueen and Mater. Here lies the problem. Kids don't need this choice! My son roots through the package searching for Mater because "Queen wakes me up". Mater is his Pull-Up of choice since you, in your creativity, have pushed choosing a pattern upon young children. Perhaps if you would teach Lightning McQueen to let sleeping boys sleep, this problem could be averted. I propose you create an all Mater package; this way the choice can be made in the store instead of ALL OVER THE BATHROOM FLOOR. *ahem*

On another note, I see on your website that you have a potty dance video. That's great! Children love music and dancing. *watches video now* Uh... Never mind. We don't have time to be dancing on the way to the potty!

Anyway... thanks for those Easy Open sides. They ARE your saving grace.

Sincerely,
A mom with way too many Lightning McQueen Pull-Ups who is contemplating altering McQueen with a big black permanent marker to look like the funny, buck-toothed Mater.

Normally I Don't Post Nudes

2010-01-15T10:42:00.004-05:00

But today I'm making an exception.

Noah was playing a particularly long time in the bathtub a couple days ago. He kept playing that game that he likes. I call it "You're a Sucker, Mama!". In this game he repeatedly tells me that he wants "out" but when I approach him, towel in hand, to lift him out of the tub, he suddenly does an about face and says "NO!" I think this game brings him much delight; it brings me much annoyance.

This time the game lasted too long.

His evident concern began the second he noticed his hands. He lifted them to me and in a very anxious voice asked, "Mom?". (He's very wordy.) He had a serious condition known as "raisin hands". I could have told him, "Ha! That's what you get for playing your 'Mama's a Sucker' game." but I didn't. I let him know that his hands were okay and relieved his mind of worry. Soon he was laughing at his hands and feet and their metamorphosis.

As I was thinking about Noah's worries later, I considered that a lot of times I've probably found myself in the same situation. Not with raisin hands but in life's struggles. What looks disastrous in the moment, passes. Some of those moments seem to last a stinking long time but I know it will come to pass and I will have learned and grown from the experience. In the mean time, I have the promises of my Papa God that He will always be with me, strengthen me, guide me, and comfort me.

Obsess Much?

2010-01-14T08:08:00.005-05:00

I've been having a lot of thoughts this morning but nothing in particular is screaming for attention (except my citrus loving children who keep asking for more oranges).

Then this thought comes to me: I need to get a Dr Pepper. And I keep thinking about that wonderfully shiny can of deliciously satisfying Dr Pepper until I get up and get one.

Then I thought, "I bet I can find a picture of Dr Pepper online." You see, I didn't want to post the picture of John holding a Dr Pepper because it would bring back too many sad thoughts of betrayal and what not.... aaaand I'm feeling a bit lazy about taking a picture of my current can. (Besides, there's too much clutter around here this morning to get a clear, non embarrassing shot.) So I went to drpepper.com and found THIS:

Yeah, apparently they don't sell cans of Dr Pepper in their online store. Go figure.

**Excuse me while I go run the vacuum so that my boys can run around like screaming banshees......... OKAY. I'm back. I hope you didn't mind waiting. **

But while I was there, I discovered that under the entertainment link there is an online game (games are nice) and that you can watch a cute and funny little commercial for Diet Dr Pepper (which I don't drink). Oh. Sure. You can drink it if you want! I just realize that it's winter and our bodies need an extra layer of fat in order to keep warm in these frigid temperatures so a LOT of regular Dr Pepper and brownies help me out in that area.

HOWEVER, the most important discovery I made is in the "About" section. There is a timeline which shows you what Dr Pepper has looked like throughout the decades! You know, in case you were to time travel, you can know exactly what you're looking for without having to question whether it is a counterfeit Dr Pepper or something. I think it is a very thoughtful and informative slide show. I'm going to study it diligently, just in case.

ANYWAY... now that I have my Dr Pepper, what am I going to write about this morning? *sigh*

My Heart is in Haiti

2010-01-13T08:44:00.006-05:00

This morning my thoughts and prayers are for the people of Haiti.

I've been there.

I've lived there.

I suppose it is like hearing your hometown was leveled. I'm familiar with it. Friends still live there.

Are any of the victims the children that used to hang on my arms? The ones with smiles and laughter despite their living conditions? Do they have their own children now?

Are the people I bartered and joked with now pleading for help?

And so I pray. Will you pray for the people of Haiti today?

"But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.'" Mark 10:27

This picture is of the Haitian flag with tears or blood flowing through it. Both are flowing in Haiti right now.

Woohoo! A Rant and a Pouty Session

2010-01-12T10:48:00.006-05:00

I received my new camera yesterday! Woohoo! A brand-new-to-me camera! You see, I've been having "camera envy" when I see all these great pictures out there so I decided to use my Christmas money and buy a nice one for myself. After doing a lot of research (some may call it pestering my photography friends), I bought this one (because she told me to).

It's supposed to be this colossally awesome point and shoot camera so that I can take colossally awesome pictures now! It didn't come with a manual but, no worries, John downloaded the manual to my desktop for me. And it's only two hundred and some pages long. So.... I haven't read it yet. But that hasn't stopped me from trying it out.

Now that I have a new camera to pursue my interest in photography, I'll have to learn more about it. Yeah, learn more about both my camera and photography. First, I'll check in on Ree and Miz Booshay to see what photography tips they have for me. Then I'll ask questions of my friends; I'll try to limit it to, oh say, ten questions a day. Oh. Sure. Yeah. I'll read my manual too.

You might tell me that I could read Photography for Dummies but then I would be like, "What did you just call me?!" and I would so unfollow you (unless you are just too funny for me to stay away).

I despise these books. I don't even care if they are helpful. I look away when I see a display of them in the store so as to avoid even the possibility of being suckered by them. They call people dummies. And people call themselves dummies by buying them.

Dummy: Slang A stupid person; an ignorant or foolish person.
Stupid: Very slow of apprehension or understanding; marked by, or resulting from, lack of understanding, reason, or wit; senseless.

I love informational books (Learning is awesome!) but I just don't understand the success of books that insult you. *sigh*

Moving along...

I tried out my new camera to document what happens when Noah spills the salsa. See?

I can't believe that just happened. I'm devastated!

Don't even look at me!

Are you still watching?

What do I have to DO to show you how awful this is?

End of Pouty Session

My Milo, Episode 5

2010-01-11T13:10:00.004-05:00

Previously...
Our long-suffering cat, Milo, went missing during a very cold, very snowy week. There was much worrying and fighting off of mental images of frozen felines.

The saga continued....

Okay. The worrying was all me. Thursday at bedtime, we prayed for Milo and his safe return. Afterwards Josiah says, "Our cat is missing?" (That whole "time is relative" concept is sometimes a blessing. My plan had worked! You see, I had purposefully not drawn attention to the situation in an attempt to prevent the boys from worrying.) When Josiah asked if we would make posters for him I told him that we probably would.

Our search efforts on Thursday night were unproductive. I walked up and down the block calling for Milo. I even had John dig out the sewer, which had been blocked by a wall of snow, to see if perhaps Milo had gone in there and been trapped by the snow plows.

Friday morning, John made the requested "Missing Cat" posters and placed one at each end of the block. Within just a couple of hours, we got a phone call from a lady who thought that it was our cat which she had housed for a night. When she wasn't able to find his owners the next day, she took him to the ANNA shelter.

John called the shelter and they confirmed that our description matched the cat there; however, the shelter is only open three hours a day and they were closing in 5 minutes. Seriously? Three hours? We had to wait until Saturday to (hopefully) retrieve our Milo.

John went to the shelter Saturday while I was at class. I gave him a call during my break. It went something like this:

Me: Hi. Whatcha doing? (asked just like Isabella asks Phineas and Ferb)
John: I got the cat.
Me: Our cat is home?
John: Yep. We had to pay $35 to get him back.
Me: Really.
John: Yeah, but while he was there he drove them crazy by spraying all the time.
Me: Milo was spraying? (He has never done that at home.)
John: Every time a male cat came near.
Me: Oh.
John: So they fixed him.
Me: What? They just neutered a person's cat!?
John: Apparently, he was driving them crazy and it was before we called.
Me: They didn't take out his claws, did they?
John: I don't think so... but they gave him his shots too.
Me: Huh. *inwardly thrilled that our cat was neutered and shot up for a mere $35*
John: They told me that he was spraying so much that they made the vet squeeze him in right away.
Me: Okay. See you later. *and there was much rejoicing*

Later, Josiah asked me what "fixed" means. I told him that Milo wouldn't be able to be a daddy now unless, of course, he already is. "He can't be a daddy? What if he already was?" "Well, then he'll still be a daddy but he won't have any more little cat babies", then recalling that he already knows that girls have the babies I added, "He can't help a girl cat have kittens anymore." The questioning continues, "Why not?" *sigh* After trying to gauge how much information he will need to be satisfied, I tell him, "They did a surgery that cut the tubes that carry the cat seeds to the girl cat." His next question was "Can he be a grandpa?". So I inform him, "Not unless he already has kittens out there somewhere and then they have kittens some day." The follow-up question: "Well, can he be an uncle?" Not sure where this is going I ask, "Hm?" Josiah clarifies, "If he meets a girl cat and she has kittens already, can he be their uncle or something?" I responded, "Yeah, sure." Satisfaction was achieved. *and there was much rejoicing*

To sum up: Cat was missing. Cat was found, slightly altered. No more man whore cat.

Doesn't he look thrilled to be back?

In a Minute!

2010-01-08T08:54:00.004-05:00

I have class this weekend. There is one class tonight and one class tomorrow morning.

This is actually the snow-date class. The original dates were December 11-12 but a snow storm came, the roads were bad, and it was pushed back until now.

Guess what? I still have to finish my homework. That's right. Still.

Of course, the morning of the original class date I had laid out all the books and notes that I needed to write my two essays but then the class cancellation phone call came and I immediately re-prioritized my day. After all, I had just been given the time to catch up on the previous days' tasks. I don't remember what those tasks were but I'm sure they were very, very important.

My month in which to finish the homework quickly filled with shopping (that Christmas deadline was looming), decorating (Christmas again), planning (um.. yeah), cooking (there's always that except when I don't do it), celebrating (Christmas! and New Years! and football not so much), visiting (must be social), playing (new games, ya know), reading the novels which I received for Christmas (I certainly don't want to seem ungrateful!), and, yes, blogging (the monologue in my head has to come out sometime).

That brings me to today and I find myself just a bit closer to completion on the homework front. (The Mentalist was a rerun last night so I wrote an essay then.) It's not like the homework is hard; it will just take a block of my time. Once more I must bust out the books and notes and write that last essay... after I finish cooking a special breakfast for my guys.

I hear another storm is heading my way too.....

Wondering about my Wanderer

2010-01-07T09:13:00.006-05:00

Dear Cat (or Milo if that is your preference these days),

I realize you are a well-liked, well-trained, gets-along-with-dogs, friendly cat and that others in the neighborhood may like to visit with you. However, you've been out visiting for two days and two nights now and I worry about you. Why have you chosen this cold, snowy week as the time when you don't come home at night?

Are you stuck inside another person's house thinking of us as we are thinking of you? I know you can be most persuasive when you want outside. Can you try to convince them that you desperately need outdoors for your *ahem* "seed sowing" time? Or is that what has caused this situation in the first place? Have you been tamed by a female feline?

I realize that you are a desirable cat. Your list of quality attributes is impressive for a cat:

1. You stay off tables and kitchen counters. That is a quality many cat owners only dream about. Give a big thank you to Nathan for that since it was his task to chase you down yelling, "CAT! CAT! CAT!" when I was otherwise occupied with nursing the baby.
2. You play well with others. After being brought to our home when you were a little kitten, you were immediately immersed in the atmosphere where young children and a curious dog were simply accepted as the norm.
3. You've never ruined a piece of furniture even though you have all your claws.
4. You cuddle in the evenings and are a great foot warmer.
5. You allow yourself to be picked up pretty much any way and any time. Again, a big thanks to the boys and especially Nathan for their training in this area.
6. You prefer to poop outside rather than your litter box which is a thoughtful attribute that I greatly appreciate.
7. Although you may sleep on the beds during the day, you know that downstairs is your designated territory for nighttime.

Milo, I want to know you are safe. Please come home! We love you and miss you.

Sincerely,
Your people

Stating the Obvious

2010-01-06T10:09:00.005-05:00

Weather report: It's been a snowy week. (No! Really!?)

Perfect conditions for "snow swimming"

5-Day Forecast: Snow

Snow

Spitting Snow

Snow

More Snow

Okay. Maybe not THAT much snow.

Thank God for that spitting snow; otherwise our weather would be pretty redundant!

In other news....

Boys LOVE snow. So much so that when little Nathan went inside yesterday complaining of cold hands to his mother, he was not yet ready to give up on the snow play. He simply requested his mother to blow on his fingers for him and fix him up with a fresh pair of warm gloves. It is reported that he then said "Thank you, Mommy, for blowing on my fingers." before returning to the outdoors.

Economic news: Hot chocolate sales are soaring.

The Lookout

2010-01-05T07:05:00.006-05:00

Here's the situation. My brother and sister-in-law, Micah and Holly, my dad, and myself are sitting around my parents' dining room table on New Year's morning. Micah begins to relay to me a story that my dad told him earlier.

This is my dad's story through the Micah filter:
"At 2:43 the neighbors across the street came home in their car. Got out and went into the house. But they left their car door open!
Exactly two hours later, he came out to close the door but then she got into the car and drove away. Only to return three minutes later."

Me: "What is this? The Burbs?"

Holly: (bursts out laughing) "You guys are scary. That's what Micah said!"

Dad: (chuckling and wondering what the Burbs are though aware it must be a movie)

Me: "Are you writing this down?"

Holly: (cracking up) "Oh my gosh! Micah asked him if he was keeping a log!" (Holly thinks I'm funny; she has an excellent sense of humor.)

Me: (thinking maybe we can get Dad some kind of recording device for his birthday so he can walk away from his big ol' Burb window more often)

Dad: (still laughing at us and himself)

In other news, my other brother, Matt, just got a scanner. He has probably been dreaming of this ever since he was a kid listening to my grandpa's emergency frequency scanner. I hope he keeps posting stuff like this on his facebook status: "I overheard the dispatcher ask an officer "are you on something?" Nothing like a lawman under the influence! (By the way, I do know what she meant.)"

My mom used to be a teacher and everyone knows that they have eyes in the back of their head.

My kids think I have an uncanny sense of knowing what's going on in other parts of the house. What can I say? It's in my blood.

So.... if you think you think you're being watched...

You probably are.

Now if you'll excuse me... I've got to stalk, er, I mean, check in on my other blog writing friends.

UPDATE: My dad called to let me know that it was he who shut the car door for his neighbor. Also, his neighbor has come outside and moved his truck after not being out in about four days (which is unusual for him) so he must have been sick and is now feeling better.
Steve (I think that's his name; I'll have to call my dad to be sure.), I'm glad you're feeling better.

Fashion Advice

2010-01-04T10:03:00.003-05:00

Josiah was eagerly waiting for me to take him shopping with me. He had $4.37 in a plastic baggy and he knew he could buy FOUR things from the Dollar Tree. (The cashiers really like seeing that bag of coins pulled out. Heh heh heh) I had told him that I would take him to the Dollar Tree since I wanted to go to Kohls on one condition: He couldn't pester me about when we would leave while I was looking around.

We were agreed.

However, there was no stipulation that he couldn't pester me to actually get out the door and into the car and so he kept checking in with me to see when we were leaving.

At last, I said, "Okay. I just need to look in the mirror to see what needs done." "What do you mean?", he asked. "Well, I'll have to comb my hair and stuff.", I informed him. Always the helper, Josiah looks me over and matter-of-factly says, "I think you're going to have to comb your hair, put on some make-up, and... put your contacts in. Oh, and change your clothes because you're still wearing kind of pajamas."

Huh. This from the same boy who frequently forgets to comb his own hair and wears oversized, undersized, ripped, and stained clothes just because he likes them.

Thanks for tips, kid. How would I pull myself together without you?

Boots, Boys, and Boxes

2010-01-02T13:29:00.004-05:00

I came home from work this morning to find this:

Of course, my first question is "Nathan, where are your clothes?" and the answer is simply "I don't need them."

While I am focusing on finding clothes which my child actually does need to keep warm around here, the words "trap" and "cat" and then "cat trap" filter through to me. "What are you guys talking about?" Josiah then directs my attention to their newest contraption. "Oh wow... Is the cat IN there? Okay. Let the cat out, please. Thanks."

I'm not sure if they placed the cat inside the trap or lured him in with his food bowl but he was indeed trapped and seemed very accepting of his fate. He emerged slowly when Josiah opened the trap door. Though I don't condone trapping the cat, I admitted to myself that their setup was pretty cool. Maybe they've been watching too much Phineas and Ferb....

Aren't boots and boxes cool? Of course, they would be nothing without the boys!

Clearing the Air

2009-12-31T11:31:00.003-05:00

Since it's the last day of the year I thought about making resolutions but I like to save those for my birthday since that's my personal new year. (Then at my birthday I can just leave it to New Year's if I still can't come up with anything resolution worthy.) Actually, I tend to make resolutions throughout the year and get started on them right then and there while the motivation level is high.

Then I thought about sharing my favorite posts but that would take a lot of time and consideration because should I choose a favorite funny, a favorite goofy, a favorite reflective, or a favorite rambling post? Hm... Or a favorite post about each member of my family? One funny and one more on the serious side? OR I could re-post a dud as my favorite so that the bar would be reset at a super low level and I could only write better posts from there!

So instead I'm going to tell on John.

It was Christmas Eve and we were getting ready to go to his side of the family for our Christmas celebration when I suggested that he call Belinda and get her recipe for sausage rolls so we could make them and bring an appetizer with us. (John LOVES these sausage rolls!) He calls and tells me that Belinda is going to email the recipe to us. So far, so good.

The email arrives and we look at the recipe. We have all the ingredients and there are still two hours until we need to leave. As I'm preparing to leave the house for that last minute stocking stuffer I say, "Okay. Let's make those." John looks at me and says, "I don't think we have time to make that." I remind him that we don't have to leave for two hours. Then he says the rolls have to be refrigerated for one hour. "Yeah....? There's enough time."

At that moment he says, "But you're leaving." and then in response to the look on my face he quickly adds a lame, "And I don't know how to make it." OH. MY. COW. "You know how to brown meat. You've got the instructions right here in front of you! You can't claim you don't know how!" I could hardly believe my ears that this excuse was coming out of my husband, the same man who likes to claim that he is "a master chef". I ended the conversation with The Look.

Knowing the wise thing to do, John made the sausage rolls while I went from store to store searching for the stocking stuffer which everyone else thought would be perfect too. After finding it at the fourth store that I checked, I returned home in time to help get everyone ready (out of their stained, ripped clothes and into something clean) and into the car. John brought his sausage rolls which were a BIG hit and, of course, claimed to be a master chef. It was a wonderful time.

The end.