Surprise!

Well, I know I haven't written in awhile, and the three of you who read the blog (Hi, dad!) are probably bored to tears wondering when I'll write again. You see the thing is I've been very, very tired. And, very, very sick. And, this is because:

I'm having another baby!!

I'm sure those of you who did not previously have this information just spit your coffee across the room. It's shocking, trust me, I know. I am 13 weeks, feeling a little better and anticipating a lovely delivery in the beginning of July. 7/07. And, maybe with a little luck, 7/7/07 :-)

This was Strange....

I had an interesting conversation this afternoon:

Ryan: "Mom?"
Me: "Yes, Ryan"
Ryan: "I was thinking...if I were a midget, which is a small person, and I had a really small soccer ball, I could play soccer in the attic all day."
Me: "Hmmmm"

Where does he come up with these things?

Little Actress

Trisha in the plaid dress as Mrs. Fezziwig. I think we like her lines and costume the best. Trisha in the red dress with white apron is as Lily Cratchett. The two other girls are friends who came to see her, which was so very nice!

I cried through her whole first performance. I know, I have issues!

In other news, specifically in the "prrof that I am old" category: Rob and I were offered Steelers tickets for tonight's game...for free. We have never been to a game at Heinz field and really wanted to go, but we decided it was too late and too cold for our old selves. Ten years ago, none of that would've mattered...such a shame!

Thanksgiving Eve

Well, once again I am busily packing for our annual Thanksgiving trek. I love Thanksgiving and this year is going to be great. Once again, I have so much to be thankful for.

I continue to be so thankful for the love that God lavishes on me each and every day.

I am thankful for Rob and his wonderfulness. Each year gets better and better.

I am thankful for my wonderful children. They really, really are amazing, fun, challenging, rewarding, exciting, exhausting little blessings.

I am thankful for having a wonderful extended family that keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I am thankful for great friends who continually inspire and encourage me.

In a year that has been filled with lots of twists and turns and unexpected little things, I really have a lot to be thankful for. I'm sure you do too. So, what are you thankful for?

A Christmas Carol

For those of you who have asked, here is Trisha's scehdule of performances:

Dec 1 10:00 and 7:30
Dec 2 2:00 and 7:30
Dec 3 2:00
Dec 8 10:00 and 7:30
Dec 9 2:00 and 7:30
Dec 10 2:00

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for kids. Thanks for being interested in coming to see her. I know she is very, very excited!!

Like I said...

Boys will be boys!

Boys will be boys...

Having three boys is quite an adventure. The fact that I am not a boy makes this adventure all the more interesting. As I watch their little lives and habits on a daily basis, I often find myself perplexed and confused by their behaviors. For example....

1. Why is farting so darn funny? I was making lunches for school this morning, when all of a sudden I feel someone sneaking up behind me. I don't really pay much attention, until a half full balloon is let go by my bottom to let all of the air out making a loud farting noise. All three boys yell in chorus, "Mommy! Say excuse me" and explode into laughter. Oh, boy, when I said, "sorry" it was even funnier. Perhaps this could have been OK if it was only done once. By the time they got on the bus, this episode repeated itself many, many times. Each time the boys laughed and laughed.

2. Why must I constantly tell them to get their hands out of their pants? It's not that they are "playing", it's just more like somewhere they like to rest their hands, like a pocket or something. Or maybe they just feel better knowing that the thing is still there, I don't know. I don't understand.

3. What is it that makes boys tell dumb jokes? My dad does it. My husband does it. And, now, my older two sons do it.

4. What is it about boys that make them want to things that either a) extremely dangerous or b) extremely dirty? If it's not risking your life, or putting grass stains on your pants, it's not worth doing, I guess.

5. Don't even get me started on how they act around a girl they think is cute!

All this craziness aside, I wouldn't trade them for the world, my boys. It seems strange; the farting, the hands in the pants and the crazy jokes. But, they do make me laugh. And, while I don't enjoy scrubbing pants to get grass stains out, or taking my boys in for the occasional stitching, I love watching them play with abandon and high energy. In some ways, as I parent my boys and try to understand the mind of a male, it has helped me to understand Rob more too, which is a good thing. It reminds me of the old saying that if I can teach my children half as much as they have taught me then I have done a good job.

Why I can be happy today....

As expected, it wasn't a great night for Republicans. I really am most sad about Rick Santorum. I think he's a good guy. But, I am also certain that his career in politics is not over.

Last night was continually compared to what the Republicans did in 1994. I don't really think that is afair comparison, actually. If you will recall, in 1994, Newt Gingrich, a right-wing conservative, authored the Contract with America. In it were such things as term limits, tax reform including the elimination of capital gains and death taxes and the marriage penalty. It included pro-family, pro-life iniatives. The candidates that signed that were the candidates that won. By sticking to true conservatism, we were able to win.

Now to 2006. You just didn't see the same thing, I am sorry. You didn't see Nancy Pelosi talking about her very left agenda. You didn't see the democrats recruiting candidates that are left of center like their leadership. Heck, Howard Dean wasn't even allowed out during the campaign from what I could tell. In fact, most of the seats that were lost, were lost to very conservative democrats. For example, Casey in PA, Whitehouse in RI among others. Last night was not a victory for the left, except that they were brilliant in who the recruited to run in these key states. By sticking to conservatism, the democrats were able to win.

Oh yes, lest I forget, another eason to be happy today is that pro-marriage iniatives won in every state where they were on the ballot.

I remember after 2004, Hilary Clinton said something about the democrats getting the message that America wanted the dems to move more to the right. They did this year. Maybe, just maybe, it's a permanent thing. I seriously doubt it.

Elections

I am a Republican. Oh, sure, sometimes, I will try to be all PC and say I vote for the best candidate, blah, blah, blah. In my Republican heart-of-hearts, I know that the worst Republican is always better than the best Democrat.

Case in point: 1996; Clinton vs. Dole. Now, I like Bob Dole. I appreciate his service to our country, and I cheer him on in his struggle against erectile dysfunction. However, I don't think there's a person in the world who really thought he could win, or if he did win, really do a better job than Bill Clinton. (Of course, in retrospect...but, I digress) I still voted for Dole. Why? The worst Republican is always better than the best Democrat.

I think the last time I considered voting for a Democrat was in 1990 Blanchard vs. Engler for Governor of Michigan. I was going to vote for Blanchard; however, I didn't make it to the polls. Apparently, neither did lots of other Blanchardites since Engler won. Which is another point, see it used to be that Democrats wouldn't vote. But, they will tomorrow. They are charged up, much like we were in 1994. Oh yes, rain or shine, Democrats will vote tomorrow.

Fellow Republican, I know you're upset about Iraq. I am too. Who isn't? If only Bush had fired Rumsfeld last week or something, maybe we could've gotten a bounce. I know that you don't want to vote for same old, same old; but you also don't want to vote for Ed Rendell. I get that, but I urge you not to stay home. GO vote. The worst Republican is always better than the best Democrat.

We will probably lose and lose big tomorrow. After years of winning, the cycle is going to turn. It will turn in our favor once again. It is the cyclical nature of politics, finance, life afterall. Let's just hope not too much damage is done in the meantime.

Oh, and to the three democrats that read my blog...if you ran for office, I would make an excpetion to my rule! Would you really expect any other kind of post from me? ;-)

I'm so depressed...

I just found out that the Steelers have the same record as the Cleveland Browns...

how pathetic is that???

The annual HAlloween pic

The two extra kids are Emily and Liam, our neighbors. We only looked that good for about 2 seconds after we walked outside as it was pouring down rain. But, the kids got some good candy and seemed to have a lovely time!

Random Musings on a Friday Evening

Jonathan scored his first U-10 goal last weekend. It was a perfect goal too. I was so excited for him, since it was frustrating him that he hadn't scored a goal since he moved up. Let me tell you how excited I was for him: when I jumped up and cheered, I peed my pants. Lovely. I remember days of long ago when I had Kegels. No more. As a side note, the more I cheer for these sporting events, the more I realize I am my mother.

Why is it that Ryan loves to do the most dangerous activity available to him? It's as if he looks around and says I could sit here and color or I could play with knives...I think I will play with knives. He never chooses the safe, calm, quiet thing. Why is that? Like the other day, I come out of my house to discover RYan standing on the top of my van with a light-saberin his pajamas. What process does the mind go through to think up an idea like that?

Did I mention that Trisha is a wee-bit "emotional" lately? I think I have...

Jaden is fine. Pretty normal, actually.

Rob, who's Rob??? I haven't seen him lately. Although we are going to an adult Halloween party together tomorrow night. He is going to be a Steelers fan and I am going to be a terrible towel. I'm so freakin creative...I tell you. Plus, as an added benefit, if something should happen to win the door prize and jump up in excitement, it can dry me off when I pee my pants :)

Cheers!

2008 Elections

I have gotten access to a top secret document outlining the agenda of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Now, although it is a very top secret document, I have chosen to share it with some of my closest friends:


7:00 P.M. Opening flag burning.
7:15 P.M. Pledge of allegiance to U.N.
7:30 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
7:30 till 8:00 P.M. Nonreligious prayer and worship. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton.
8:00 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:05 P.M. Ceremonial tree hugging.
8:15- 8:30 P.M. Gay Wedding-- Barney Frank Presiding with NAMBLA QUEEN
8:30 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:35 P.M. Free Saddam Rally. Cindy Sheehan-- Susan Sarandon.
9:00 P.M. Keynote speech. The proper etiquette for surrender-- French President Jacques Chirac
9:15 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
9:20 P.M. Collection to benefit Osama Bin Laden kidney transplant fund
9:30 P.M. Unveiling of plan to free freedom fighters from Guantanamo Bay . Sean Penn
9:40 P.M. Why I hate the Military, A short talk by William Jefferson Clinton
9:45 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
9:50 P.M. Dan Rather presented Truth in Broadcasting award, presented by Michael Moore 9:55 P.M., Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
10:00 P.M. How George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld brought down the World Trade Center Towers-- Howard Dean
10:30 P.M. Nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Mahmud Ahnadinejad
11:00 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
11:05 P.M. Al Gore reinvents Internet
11:15 P.M. Our Troops are War criminals-- John Kerry
11:30 P.M. Coronation Of Mrs. H illary Rodham Clinton
12:00 A.M. Ted Kennedy is toasted AGAIN
12:05 A.M. Bill asks Ted to drive Hillary home

Ha!

For those of you who aren't aware, I've been in a training program to become a medical transcriptionist. I think it will be OK work with some nice money that I can make from home. Anyway, here's a quote from one of yesterday's lessons...it made me laugh:

"Medical vocabulary can enliven a conversation, brighten up a cocktail party, provide around-the-dinner-table entertainment, and otherwise add a little pizazz to your day."

Great! I've been looking to add a little pizazz to my day! :)

The Mind of a Nine-Year-Old Girl

Who can understand it??

No, really. I mean it. Who understands it and thus can help me with my daughter? Let's just take this morning as a "for instance". The bus comes to pick her up for school promptly at 8:22 am. Last week, I would let her sleep until about 7:45 if she didn't wake herself up. However, she began complaining vehemently that that didn't give her enough time to "feel like herself", so this morning I woke her at 7:30. She complained vehemently that I did not give her enough time to sleep. I guess tomorrow I will try for 7:37 and 30 seconds.

Next, since it's a bit chilly this morning, I suggested that she put on a jacket. "I don't have a jacket," she says. Hmmmmm, at last count I remember seeing about 6. "None of them are good," she says. Well, I'm not sure what she counts as "good", but I think I'd be happy with 2 Columbia jackets, 1 Old Navy jean jacket, 1 Gap poncho and 1 Gap hoodie.

I expected such excapades from a 13 or 14 year old pre-teen. This is 9, people!

Here's the thing though: if I take a step back and look at the things she's complaining about, I see that she is not too different than me. I mean sometimes I'll look at a closet full of clothes and say that none of them are good. So, I suppose I can relate. Doesn't mean it's not annoying as all get out!

Ode to the Sack Ladies

My 0-5 Fantasy Football Team...


It was so much fun that warm August night
I was so proud of my draft, I left in delight.
"I will beat everyone", I thought with a grin.
This is my year. I'm gonna win!

Shaun Alexander was my very first pick
He's really good. He'll do the trick.
Where is he you may ask if you don't already know
He's sitting at home with a big broken toe.

Next came Williams, Cadillac that is.
Last year, as a rookie that kid was a whiz.
This year, however; it's just not the same.
In fact, his whole team is really quite lame.

Domanick Davis was pick number three.
Three solid running backs. I was filled with glee.
But that pick didn't get me very far.
I think Mr. Davis now sells used cars.

Then there was Chad Johnson, Delhomme, and Big Ben
They haven't done much...where have they been?
Oh well, people say it's all only for fun.
I'm just hoping this weekend I finally win one!

M.S.U.

I love fall. Just so many wonderful memories around this time fo the year. Plus, it is so pretty. When I was in Lansing a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but think of my days in college. College is a great thing. I can remember many in-depth, philosophical conversations I had over the course of my 4+ years there. Some of which changed the direction of my life. One such conversation involved this guy:





Sparty is the huge sort of mascot statue that sits in the middle of everything. You had to pass by him at least once a day to get anywhere. One afternoon, a coupple of friends and I had a lengthy and heated discussion over what time of the day would be the best to, um, defecate on Sparty. I think the criteria was finding a time when no one would see you do it, but also a time when lots of people would come by shortly thereafter. I think we talked about this for like an hour. Like I said, philosphical. Life-changing. And, only in college!

Well,

Since that last post prompted such heated debate...let me explain what he meant by the quote.

I heard a guy saying that parents today put way too much of a value on a good education. Not that higher education isn't a good thing, but that true greatness can't be achieved through education. Nor is education a leading indicator of how much someone will make when they grow up. nN fact, he sited research that showed that kids who were A students most likely grow up to be educators. C students having given up on trying to keep up are most likely to become entrepeneurs. Thus, A students teach B students to work for C students.

I think I may have needed to hear that. Not that I necessarily agree with him. I'll give you a "for instance". We had Open House at school on Monday. It was a wonderful evening. And, although they say they are not supposed to talk about individual performance. I did hear really good things from all of the good teachers. And, I mean really good...like top of the class good. And, this boggles my mind. Because, in reality, I have done everything wrong. Some of it wasn't entirely my fault. I mean the triplets were born premature. They spent weeks in the hospital. They weren't held all the time to help those brain synapses get going, I didn't breastfeed, I barely read to them. I let them watch Teletubbies and other programs and I let them eat sugar and play video games. So, I ask you? How in the world are they doing so well?? I stand in awe..I tell you. And, I believe it is a miracle! You tell me without saying it's a miracle how Jaden, who had a 7 minute cardiac arrest at 4 weeks old is reading at a 6th grade ++ level. It's impossible.

But, here's the thing. I can't put all of my hope on that. In fact, if all my kids do is do really well at school, then I have failed as a parent. If I haven't taught them that all of that is rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of Christ (Phillipians 3), then I have failed.

It would be nice if the fact that in 3rd and 1st grade they are doing well in school meant that they would do well in life. It would be nice if there were some "leading indiciators" that would tell me if they would lead wonderful, fulfilling, adult lives where they serve God and others and have wonderful people in their lives who support and love them through ups and downs. I just don't know if there are. Which is why I keep praying...

Interesting.

Here's a quote I heard toady...think about it and then let me know your reaction. No, really, I"m serious about that...let me know your reaction. You know, using the comments feature ;-)

This is in reference to the value of higher education as it relates to being successful (monetarily) in life:

A students teach B students how to work for C students.

Hmmmmm....

An Open Letter to MIchigan Drivers

God help you!

I know that your economy depends on cars being bought/sold. Therefore, you must reason, that if you drive crazy and wreck a car and buy a new one, everyone wins. That's the only thing I can figure. Several questions...

1) If I am going 75 in the right lane, why do you ride my tail and get irate?
2) Conversely, how come I can be practically riding your bumper going 70 and then have to get up to 85 to pass you? Most cars built after 1974 have cruise control...it is a lovely thing.
3) IN most states, the left lane is used as a passing lane. If you have 300 cars in line behind you, a good thing to do is pull over and let the faster traffic through.

And, to the lady in Ann Arbor with the "Peace" etc. bumper stickers including one that said, "Hitting kids is never OK": Do you see the irony in yourself when you weave in and out of traffic with your child in the car going at least 80 MPH? Just curious.

Thank you...I feel much better now.

Family Size

So, I've been thinking lately about family size. The thing is I have gotten very used to people bugging their eyes out when they find out I have four kids, as if that is a big family. Even more astonishing to people is when I mention that if I could (if Rob/God allowed), I would have AT LEAST one more. Why is that so weird? There are stranger, less productive things I could invest my time in. And, for people who study the Bible, aren't we taught that "Sons are an inheritance from the Lord; children a reward from Him. " Psalm 127:3 and "Blessed is the man whose quiver is full[of children]" Psalm 127:5? I don't know...it's just something I've been thinking about! Anyway, I'll share with you this thing I got from a friend to highlight my point:

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $240,000 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $240,000 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into * $13,333 a year, * $1100.38 a month, or * $250.00 a week. * That's a mere $36.00 a day! * Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $240,000?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last
* Glimpses of God every day
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day

For $240,000 you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger -paint.
* carve pumpkins.
* play hide-and-seek.
* catch lightning bugs.
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh.
* watch Saturday morning cartoons.
* go to Disney movies.
* wish on stars

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day

For a mere $36.00 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof.
* taking the training wheels off a bike.
* removing a splinter.
* filling a wading pool.
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs.
* and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step
* first word
* first bra
* first date
* first time behind the wheel

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren. It's the best investment you'll make.

My 100th post

Yes, on this, Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day, I made my 100th post. In honor of this occasion, I present you with this quick quiz to see what your pirate personality might be. Enjoy!

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/ppi.html

The Zany Adventures of Kosmo Kramer

I shouldv'e known when we named our cat after this guy 11 years ago, he'd be nothing but trouble. You see, we've been trying to get rid of our cat for many weeks now. Why? Because he no longer uses his litter box. We've tried adopting him out to people...no luck. Here's a snapshot of some of the things we have tried recently to get rid of him.

Trip to Humane Society:
Me: "Hi. Um, can you please take my cat?"
Nasty-PETA-Lesbian-Lady: "Why, what's wrong with him?"
Me: "Well, he pees and poops all over the place."
NPLL: "Have you tried changing the litter?"
Me (Only in my head) Response #1: "Well, I did change it that one time when we moved to our house 6 years ago." Response #2: "What is this 'litter' you speak of?"
Me: "Um, yeah...I've changed the litter."
NPLL: "Well, we are are full and can't take any more cats. We have over 200 cats" yada, yada, yada
Me: "Can I trade?"
NPLL: "No."

Ok. Let's try the vet.

Me: "Hi. WE totally hate, er, I mean love our cat. BUt, he's peeing and pooping all over the place. Is there anything we can do for him?"
Dr.: "Well, maybe he has an infection, we could give him some antibiotics."
Me: "Yeah. Can't we just, say, put him to sleep?"
Dr. :" Well, I can't ethically do that." Yada, yada, yada.
Bottom Line: My cat comes home with some antibiotics and antidepressants. If those don't work in 4-6 weeks, we can talk about putting him down. And, yes, I did say my cat is on antidepressants.

Here are things still left to try:

1) Go to an out of town vet, walk in and say, "Hi, I'm Sally Jones and this is Tiger for a 11:00 appointment." The receptionist will say she doesn't have us listed for an appointment. I'll say, "I'll go out to the car and get the card." Leaving Kosmo in the waiting room, I'll "go out to get the card" and take off!

2) Drop Kosmo off at a very exclusive resort AKA "Butkas Cat Care Business". At BCCB, cats are encourged to return to the feral roots. They are dropped of in a remote section of a large farm and then allowed to fend for themselves.

3) Keep Kosmo outside all of the time until one of the neighbors complain that I am mistreating my cat. I think then the humane society will come and get it. Sure, it might mean a night or two in jail for Rob and/or I, but really, it's a small price to pay.

4) Have the children start peeing and pooping all over the place as an object lesson to show Kosmo just how ridiculous he is being.

5) {INSERT YOUR SUGGESTION HERE}

9/11/01

I find myself watching alot of the coverage of the 9/11 anniversary events today. I'm not really sure why...it really hadn't fazed me the past few years. Who can help but think about where they were 5 years ago today. This morning, as I watched the Today show, Jonathan came down and sat on my lap and asked me, "What is 9/11?". I asked him some questions to see if he had any memory of the event and was kind of surprised to find out that he didn't. Strange, isn't it?An event he can't even remember will have such a profound impact on his life.

Most of the children in today's elementary schools can't remember 9/11, but their parents sure can. People who have taught for a long, long time say that this generation of parents are some of the most over-protective and un-trusting they have seen. NO wonder.Think of what we have seen since then...the images we've had to process. We've seen terrorists bomb busses, trains, and subways. We've seen them invade schools and take hostages. We've been told that we need to come up with a family terror plan and buy plastic covers and duck tape for our windows. We've seen arrests and close calls. We've seen danger.

We no longer have to just worry about strangers approaching our children on the street, we have to worry about them posing as 13 year-olds and approaching them in chat rooms. We no longer have to just worry about our children getting sick from the flu or pneumonia, there's now Avian Flu, SARS, anthrax. WE don't just have to worry about our kids getting in fights with kids at school, but we have to worry about MySpace character asassinations. And, whether it's conscience like it is today, or buried somewhere in our subconscience, we worry that one day, maybe soon, our kids could be victims of a terror attack. So, maybe, just maybe, there is good reason for our overproectiveness and untrusting natures.

During an interview with President Bush today, Matt Lauer asked, "If we saw all of the intelligence that you see on a daily basis, would it be harder for us to sleep at night?" The president said probably so. So, Matt Lauer asked, "So, then, how do you sleep at night?" And, the President answered, "Because I have faith in Almighty God" Amen. You see, I owe it to my children to remember that though I do not know what the future holds, I know WHO holds the future. I know WHO holds their future. And, I pray that He will guard them and protect them, especially when I can't.

Some Interesting Comversations

I had this weekend... I'll keep the names confidential to protect the innocent.

This one struck me as strange:

Me to Son #1 who came downstairs after sleeping in his underwear: "Son, what's all over the front of your underwear?"
S1: "Chocolate"
Me: "Ummm, how did you get chocolate all over the front of your underwear"
S1: "I was eating chocolate in bed."
Me: "Okaaaaaay."

This one made me laugh:

Son #2(these are not in birth order, don't try to guess) was trying to do the Hand Jive from Grease. After messing up a few times, S2 exclaims: "Great! Now I'll never get in Grease the Musical!"


Here's another:

During the playing of Family Basketball last night (or, as I call it, the time where I sit inside terribly embarrased at my children's lack of ability to get along with one another) Son #1 was really being uncooperative. I asked him to come inside and I told him he was being uncooperative. He got very upset, indeed. After he calmed down, I asked him why he got so upset. He said that he didn't like my calling him a name. I said, "Uncooperative?" He said, "Yes. I don't even know who Uncle Ofrative is!"

I can't tell you any about Trisha since that would be a dead give-away! :)

What I Did This Summer

In typical back-to-school-essay style: (Although I've forgotten how to write an essay)

Besides the everyday summer type things like swimming, picnics, playdates, movies, vacations, etc. I did something very interesting this summer. I went on a 30 day fast. Yes, it's true. From June 12th-July 11th, I ate nothing! I only drank juices and water and maybe occassionally some tea.

I decided to fast because I felt like I needed some cleansing physically and spiritually. John Piper in his book, "A Hunger for God" says: "If you have no desire for God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled too long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. "

The first week was difficult but after that it really was quite, well, refreshing, I guess. It was really an incredible experience, and probably something I will try to do once a year.

So, what are you doing with all of your free time?

That seems to be the question of the week. So, to everyone who has asked, here are the top 10 things I plan on doing with my free time:

10. Attempt to get my name on the highscore board daily on GSN.com's Phrase Frenzy
9. Call my sister everyday when the kids get on the bus (7:30 her time) to wake her up, just for the fun of it.
8. Work hard at breaking the world record for number of Bon-Bons eaten in one day.
7. Exercise incessantly until I have the perfect body...NA! Scratch that, that doesn't sound like fun afterall!
6. Have lunch everyday with a different friend.
5. GO shopping to buy new outfits so that I look fabulous when I go out to lunch with my friends.
4. Take up a new addiction.
3. Stalk my children up at school. BTW, binoculars are on my wish list for my birthday, people.
2. Become a "Master Lurker" in the blog world by reading and never commenting.

And, the number one thing I plan on doing with my free time....
1. Get regular haircuts, eyebrow waxings, manicures and pedicures.

So, there!

A Letter to My Kids on Their First Day of School

Dear Kids,

Well, it's here. The first day of school. Summer sure flew by. There were so many things that I wanted to do with you this summer. But, as usual, time flew by and most of them went un-done. However, I do think we had a great time together even with the few wrenches thrown into our plans.

Trisha, when I hugged you goodbye this morning, I didn't want to let go. You have such a sweet, caring spirit and I know the world can be cruel. I think your teacher is going to do a great job of nurturing your creative side, but I know you are worried about some of the girls in your class. I wish I could tell you that girl politics will get better, but I am afraid it doesn't. Just know what an awesome person you are, and know that I am going to pay very, very close attention to that this year. I love you.

Jonathan, when I hugged you goodbye this morning, I didn't want to let go. I am amzed at what a responsible young man you are becoming and I am amazed at what a gentleman you are. I have some concerns about your teacher...in some ways, she reminds me of the one you had in first grade. I'm praying that she'll bond with you immediately and appreciate your humor and your willingness to learn in the same way your dad and I do. I love you.

Jaden, when I hugged you goodbye this morning, I didn't want to let you go. I know how hard this is for you. I know how anxious you are. I could see the fear on your face as you got on the bus. But, you were brave and you did it and I am very, very proud of you. I am excited for you because your teacher seems great and the aide that you love is back for another year. You're an extremely hard worker and wherever you go you motivvate people. I love you.

Ryan, when I hugged you goodbye this morning, I didn't want to let you go. Oh my gosh, how fast time has flown! And, despite my wishing and calling you my "baby", it became very clear this morning that you certainly are a big boy and very ready for first grade. You're definitely a free spirit and part of me worries about your obedience level in school. I know that you'll do great, your teacher is awesome and you love to learn and you love to please. I love you.

It's weird, given the way the last week went with all of the fighting, I was really looking forward to this day. After your busses left, I went back inside the house and I couldn't believe how quiet it was...nearly too quiet. In fact, here it is 11:30 and I miss you terribly. In fact, I'm going to go up to school soon so I can stalk you while you're at recess.

May God bless you and keep you, may He make your paths straight, may He cause your teachers to fall in love with you and may He raise up friends who will be a positive influence in your lives.

All my love, Mom

My Goodness!

I haven't posted in so long. It's not that I haven't thought about you, it's just that we have been so busy enjoying the last few days of summer vacation. Here's waht we've been up to:


Ryan at First Grade Orientation. I really haven't seen him that quiet and still in a very, very long time. His teacher is very nice and nurturing. She greeted him by getting down to his eye level and telling him how glad she was to have him in her class. ROb asked if I cried. Um, yeah, nearly. Very different from my first first grade orientation experience.

Trisha is getting ready to do the rock-climbing wall at the the Triplets' ninth (yes, that's right, ninth, birthday party!)

That's Rob up on the tippy top of the rick climbing wall. As you can guess, his colon is feeling better and he is nearly 100%. Hooray!

Here's the crazy boys at the birthday party. We had both boys and girls together. I was surprised that there was some boy/girl chasing. But, overall, I think it was just good, clean fun! Although I do use the term "clean" very, very loosely! :)


This is Jaden up to bat at the Pony League World Series Opening Game. It was the perfect day for baseball. Jaden has been playing in a league sponsored by the Washington Wild Things for special need children. They are called the Lil Wild Things and do lots of neat things. This game to open the Pony League World Series is just one of them.

Here we are at a Washington Wild Things game. Jaden got to go out to the Pitchers MOund and be on the field for the singing of the National Anthem...another perfect day!

That's just a few highlight. I promise to get bback to the witty and touching stories(if I do say so myself) after the 28th. Until then, here's to enjoying what's left of summer!!

One big basket of eggs

Rob was in the hospital for 5 days last week/this week. That wasn't a lot of fun, I have to be honest. He's better now and I think he's going to be fine. But, I don't like going to sleep alone. Because then all I have to keep me company is my thoughts.

Here's the thing: After the triplets were born, I made a decision to stay at home with them, to become a housewife, if you will. I have pretty much always worked some sort of parttime position, but as far as being career-minded goes, that pretty much went out the window in 1997. This isn't something I think of often, but by choosing to be a housewife, I have pretty much put all of my eggs in the "rob" basket. I am pretty much totally dependent on him for my financial well-being. Normally, this thought doesn't really come to mind, or if it does, it doesn't bother me, but with him laying in a hospital bed and doctors not being sure what was wrong, this really began to bother me. IN fact, it has me totally rethinking my decision not to work. Everyone knows it's not a good idea to have all of your eggs in one basket.

Rob tells me he has plenty of life insurance and he was kind enough to say I still have some things going for me so I could find another man. Great. Just what I want. After I worked so hard to break in this one! Of course, it looks like ROb is going to be around for a good long time, but I'm still going to be looking for that job!

The Pediatician

Ryan saw the Pediatrician this week for his well visit. He is doing very well. But, I did receive some very, very upsetting news at the visit: Dr. Porter is leaving the practice and moving to NY.

Dr. Porter joined the practice right around the time Ryan was born and he's been my favorite ever since. He's been there for well visits and visits with sick kids. He's handled my slightly-neurotic-albeit-inside-the-bounds-of-normal questions without making me feel like an idiot. We've talked about the danger/benefits of vaccinations and he's given me tips on how to get my children to do or stop doing just about anything I've wanted them to do or stop doing. He's called my home after Jaden's surgeries to make sure we were OK. He knows off the top of his head that Ryan had some blood work done at 2 years old, and still sucks his thumb, and that Jonathan has an "innocent" heart murmer. (Not the kind that will kill him on a rollercoaster, I asked). He's reassured me that yes, around 9 years old, girls do start to change a bit.

In a nutshell, I've entrusted Dr. Porter with the health and wellbeing of my children, which is, in essence, trusting him with my heart. That's why I'm not embarassed that when he gave me a hug and wished my family well, I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

Now on to terrorizing the newbie...

Big Brother

You have to help me! I am in the throws of a very powerful addiction! I am hooked on Big Brother 7 - All Stars. It's true. I love it. I can't get enough. I watch every episode and although I haven't stooped so far as to buy the Live Feed package, I do read the daily postings of those who have. You know, there is a girl who stays up all night to watch the houseguests and report on their happenings. As much as I'd like to think that is totally weird, most of the good strategizing happens in the middle of the night, so I'm really glad she does it! My sister says I need to get a life, and perhaps that's true. After James wins the big money and spltis it with his biggest fan (me), I'll be sure to get started on it. Big Brother isn't watching me, I'm watching it!

Speaking of 1984, I've been school shopping with Trisha lately and I've noticed that tight, pegged ankle length jeans with boots are back as are wearing black leggings under a short denim skirt. Big bangs can't be far behind, right? And I was jst getting used to the "long and lean" look of the flared leg jean. Those 80s pants just made me look short and stumpy....bummer.

In the words of Jaden: peace, out!

Michigan

Michigan's OK. I mean it's not Penna and it's not "round in the ends and high in the middle", but it's pretty OK. Yesterday the kids and I got back from a fun time visiting with my parents. On the first day, we went to a lake and swam. Do you know how much it cost...$4.00 for the whole family!! For $20.00, you could get a pass to come to the lake for the whole year and swim. That's a $165.00 savings over the 5 pool passes I bought. Now, of course, that would not be a full savings, because if you are going to swim in a lake all summer, you'd have to account for the copays of hospital visits and pharmaceuticals required to rid your family of various bacterium such as E.Coli or MRSA. But, still, a better deal.

On another day, we went to the Rainforest Cafe. I think only Auburn Hills and Disneyworld/land have Rainforest Cafes, so you know it's gotta be an alright place. Good times and where else can you ahve good food and have your kids freak out from loud thunderstorms every 30 minutes...just kidding...I love it there. Makes me want to move there, I tell ya.

Also, when I was there I read a very disturbing book that I can't get out of my head. It is called, "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoulet. I read it in like 4 hours. About a family dealing with a daughter with Leukemia. There's alot to it and I highly recommend it, but I could really see myself in the mom of the book. I hate to compare cancer to Spina Bifida, but I think one thing I could see is that when you have a kid with some chronic health problems, there are bound to be times when your other kids are "thrown under the bus" so to speak, while you deal with the tragedy at hand.

A good trip was had by all...

Yikes!

TRISHA HAS CHICKEN POX.

I know, it's like saying she has an 8 track player or an Atari system. She had even been vaccinated. Lord help me!!

Happy Birthday, Little King

6 YEARS OLD!!! It is so hard to believe. But, as they say, time flies when you're having fun and I so enjoy having Ryan for a son. BTW, the name Ryan means "Little King"

Thanks Craiglist!

I don't know how to do links, but this was so funny, I had to make sure you saw it. Makes me very thankful I no longer work in an office...Enjoy! :)

We've all been there but don't like to admit it. As much as we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the WORK POOP is inevitable. For those who hate pooping at work, following is the Survival Guide for taking a dump at work.

CROP DUSTING: When farting, you walk briskly around the office so the smell is not in your area and everyone else gets a whiff but doesn't know where it came from. Be careful when you do this. Do not stop until the full fart has been expelled. Walk an extra 30 feet to make sure the smell has left your pants.

FLY BY: This is the act of scouting out a bathroom before pooping. Walk in and check for other poopers. If there are others in the bathroom, leave and come back again. Be careful not to become a FREQUENT FLYER. People may become suspicious if they catch you constantly going into the bathroom.

ESCAPEE: This is a fart that slips out while taking a leak at the urinal or forcing a poop in a stall. This is usually accompanied by a sudden wave of embarrassment. If you release an escapee, do not acknowledge it. Pretend it did not happen. If you are standing next to the farter in the urinal, pretend you did not hear it. No one likes an escapee. It is uncomfortable for all involved. Making a joke or laughing makes both parties feel uneasy.

JAILBREAK: When forcing a poop, several farts slip out at a machine gun pace. This is usually a side effect of diarrhea or a hangover. If this should happen, do not panic. Remain in the stall until everyone has left the bathroom to spare everyone the awkwardness of what just occurred.

COURTESY FLUSH: The act of flushing the toilet the instant the poop hits the water. This reduces the amount of air time the poop has to stink up the bathroom. This can help you avoid being caught doing the WALK OF SHAME.

WALK OF SHAME: Walking from the stall, to the sink, to the door after you have just stunk the bathroom. This can be a very uncomfortable moment if someone walks in and busts you. As with farts, it is best to pretend that the smell does not exist. This very uncomfortable walk can be avoided with the use of the COURTESY FLUSH.

OUT OF THE CLOSET POOPER: This is a colleague who poops at work and is damn proud of it. You will often see an Out Of The Closet Pooper enter the bathroom with a newspaper or magazine under his or her arm. Always look around the office for the Out Of The Closet Pooper before entering the bathroom.

THE POOPING FRIENDS NETWORK (P.F.N): A group of co-workers who band together to ensure emergency pooping goes off without incident. This group can help you to monitor the hereabouts of Out Of The Closet Poopers, and identify SAFE HAVENS.

SAFE HAVENS: A Safe Haven is a seldom-used bathroom somewhere in the building where you can least expect visitors. Try floors that are predominantly of the opposite sex. This will reduce the odds of a pooper of your sex entering the bathroom.

TURD BURGLAR: This is someone who does not realize that you are in the stall and tries to force the door open. This is one of the most shocking and vulnerable moments that can occur when taking a poop at work If this occurs, remain in the stall until the Turd Burglar leaves. This way you will avoid all uncomfortable eye contact.

CAMO-COUGH: A phony cough that alerts all new entrants into the bathroom that you are in a stall is called a Camo-Cough. This can be used to cover-up a WATERMELON, or to alert potential Turd Burglars. The Camo-Cough is very effective when used in conjunction with an ASTAIRE.

ASTAIRE: A subtle toe-tap that is used to alert potential Turd Burglars that you are occupying a stall. This will remove all doubt that the stall is occupied. If you hear an Astaire, leave the bathroom immediately so the pooper can poop in peace.

WATERMELON: A watermelon is a big poop that creates a loud splash when hitting the toilet water. This is also an embarrassing incident. If you feel a Watermelon coming on, create a diversion. See CAMO-COUGH.

HAVANA OMELET: A case of diarrhea that creates a series of loud splashes in the toilet water. Often accompanied by an Escapee. Try using a Camo-Cough with an Astaire.

UNCLE TODD: An Uncle Todd is a bathroom user who seems to linger around forever. This person could spend extended lengths of time in front of the mirror or sitting on the pot. An Uncle Todd makes it difficult to relax while on the crapper, as you should always wait to poop when the bathroom is empty. This benefits you as well as other bathroom attendees.

Four Things about me
Things you may not have known about me.....
A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. McDonald's Drive Thru lady
2. Dental Receptionist
3. Something-or-other at a Financial Services Firm
4. Leasing Agent for an Apartment Complex

B) Four Movies I would watch over and over.
1. Grease
2. Father of the Bride
3. Jerry Maguire
4. Terms of Endearment

C) Four Places I have lived
1. Milford, MI
2. East Lansing, MI
3. Bethel Park, PA
4. Canonsburg PA

D) Four TV shows I love to watch
1. Guiding Light
2. Survivor
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Amazing Race

E) Four places I've been on vacation
1. Nassau, Bahamas
2. St. Petersburg, FL
3. Disneyworld
4. Amaraillo, TX

F) Web sites I visit
1. EverythingFing.blogspot.com
2. noelheikkinen.com
3. ebay.com
4. mothering.com

G) Four of my favorite foods
1. ice cream
2. pizza
3. anything mexican
4. Gorgeous Gorgonzola salad from Bella Piatto

H) Four Places I'd rather be right now
1. The Beach
2. Heaven
3. Shopping
4. Asleep in bed

OK, LURKERS, here's your chance, jump in and tell me more about you by answering the same questions. Doesn't it sound like fun :-)

Grease is the word.

Well, Wednesday night it was a big night on the town for Rob and I as we went to see the Pittsburgh CLO production of Grease. Those of you who have known me for any length of time know of my affinity for the movie, so I was so thrilled when Rob got me tickets as a Mother's Day gift. The musical is a little different from the movie. Some things I really like better in the musical and some things better in the movie.

I think the first time I saw Grease I was eight years old. Sang along to every tune. And, for my birthday, my Grandma and Grandpa Anderson got my the soundtrack LP! Best present ever :)

I found out something interesting about Grease earlier this summer from my sister-in-law. Apparently, Grease is only a white-girl thing. She asked me what it is about white girls of a certain age that makes them just love the movie. I was sure thinking about that when I saw it Wed. night. I think for me, the appeal had to be those tight black pants. I mean who didn't want to walk around in those like Olivia Newton John telling some guy he better shape up!

Anyway, all around good fun! And, to Rob, who bought me the tickets and actually clapped as enthusiastically as I did even though he was probably hating every minute of it: "You're the one that I want, you are the one I want...ooh, ooh, ooh, honey. The one I need, oh yes, indeed" :)

Experiment $0.00

This week I gave myself a challenge. My mission was to not spend any money from Monday-Friday. I thought it would be simple enough. We had already bought pool passes. I went to the grocery store and stocked up on snacks and food, and I filled my gas tank. It really shouldn't have been a problem. Except, that the weather wasn't really pool weather. And, Trisha had Brownie camp all week 1/2 hour away each way. And, we ran out of milk. So, in the end I had to spend $17 at Giant Eagle for milk, juice, and cat food, and with any luck I'll be able to make it to the gas station on the fumes I have left in the van. $17 isn't bad, though. It was fun to do for a few days...but, I don't think I'll try it again anytime soon :)

Gymnastics

Trisha had her gymnastics show last night. She did a beautiful job!! SHe knew where she needed to be and she did all of her stations well; beam, floor, vault, bars, everything! She even did great on teh bars which she told me was something she was nervous about because she wasn't very good at the trick they had to do. She did it perfectly. Way to go, Trisha!!

BTW, Trisha is also owner of a very successful pet sitting business. She has worked with dogs, cats, ferrets, fish, hamsters, etc. She can watch pets at your house or ours. SHe has several return cutomers including Missy the cat, Jenna the dog, and Hunny and Hunter the dogs.

Thanks for the guilt :)

So now the government is coming out with ads telling mothers that not breastfeeding your baby is as dangerous as smoking or going riding on a bull while pregnant. Really?!?! C'mon. I think all normal minded people can agree that ideally, breastfeeding would be the way to go. And, I think most mothers go into their birthing experience with the intention to breastfeed. Sometimes, though, that just doesn't work out like we had hoped. For a whole host of reasons, sometimes moms can't exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. And, the government coming out with these ads and claims doesn't help the problem at all. Heaping guilt on people who are trying to do the best that they can does not solve any problems at all.

Not one of my children were breastfed exclusively for 6 months. None of them had chronic ear infections or chronic respiratory disease. I think all told, not including Spina Bifida related things, all four of my kids have been on antibiotics maybe 10 times combined in the 8.5 years since becoming a mom. They consistently (again, except for Jaden) miss less than 5 days of school per year because of illness. They are very healthy children. I get that that data doesn't qualify as a scientific study, but I just have to wonder if the data they have isn't somewhat skewed. I mean, afterall, babies who are exclusively breastfed for 6 months, probably aren't in daycare several hours a day where there are germs all over the place. They are probably at home. Could that perhaps be why they are more healthy?? Something to think about!

Of course, now in my next post, I"m going to have to say something nice about daycare, since I just made those moms feel guilty :)

So Proud.

AS a mother of four, I often find it difficult to praise one kid without feeling guilty that I'm not praising the others. They don't make it easier either. Often when I say something like, "Hey, so-and-so, I really liked the way you [insert thing here]!" one of the other kids will say, "what about me?" Anyway, despite feeling guilty and the inevitable, "What about me?"s, this post is about Jonathan. We had soccer tournaments yesterday, and while all of my soccer playing children had great games, Jonathan really shined. It wasn't just that he scored five goals (one was taken away,though), it was that I can see that everything has clicked with him on the soccer field and I am excited for him because I could see that he is excited for himself. I could see that he knew he had mastered a skill and he was proud. And, so was I.

I was also proud because in his last game he played against one of his best buddies. What I liked was that everytime Sean got a goal, even though he was on the opposite team, Jonathan clapped for him or gave him a high-five, and vice versa. It was nice to see.

I'm so proud...

Summer Boredom Happened So Fast...

It didn't take long folks. In fact, I think it was about 9:15 this morning when the first, "I'm bored" of the summer was uttered. However, my children are creative and have come up with some new games of their own. Here are my top three:

3. Who can fight over the most ridiculous thing? The current winner is Jaden and Ryan for their heated "My foot stinks more than yours" argument.

2. How many kicks does it take to get your sibling to yell out for mom. I know sounds like fun. A spin-off of that game is how many times can you jump on your sibling's head before they yell for mom.

And, my favorite so far....

1. Guess in which bodily oriface I have hidden a small chess piece. At least, I assume that is what they were playing, otherwise, why would Ryan have put a small pawn up his nose?!?!

It's gonna be a long summer, folks :)

Last Free Afternoon

Yesterday was my last free afternoon of the 2005-2006 school year. So, to celebrate I went out and did lots of my favorite things to do:

1. Went through Starbucks and got a grande Mocha Frappucino (full fat for me thanks, today is a special day)
2. While I drove, I played music, Prince's Purple Rain, really really loud in my minivan. I'm sure that I looked extremely cool
3. Went to Ni-Kohls and did a little shopping. Something unfortunate happened here, though. I bought a new pair of sunglasses that looked really cool in that little mirror on top on the rack. I suppose pretty much anything can look great in that small of a mirror. Unfortunately when I got them on in the car and was walking into my next stop, I saw them full on and well, not good.
4. Went to Big Lots! I know I'm almost embarassed to admit that is one of my favorite things to do, but they have blow-out prices for crying out loud! Who wouldn't love that??
5. Came home and watched some TiVod Apprentice and Guiding Lights. I may or may not have eaten some bon-bons.
6. Took a shower.

That, my friends is a perfect afternoon. And, a perfect way to end my few hours of independence, at least for a few months.

Up in the Air

A lot of things are really very beautiful when they are up in the air...fluffy clouds, hot air balloons, soaring birds, the sun, etc. However, when it is my life that is up in the air, it's not quite so pretty. Lately, so many things seem to be unknown.

For example, are we going to be in PA or in MI? If we are in PA, are we going to live in this house or are we going to be able to find something more accessible? If we are in PA, there's alot unknown about Jaden in school. They don't know: will he be upstairs, will he be downstairs, will he have a new teacher, or will one of the other teachers move, who will the new principal be and will he/she be willing to meet Jaden's needs without a fight, and perhaps the biggest question of all, will all of these changes make him so anxious that he won't even be able to go to school and Ill be homeschooling him. Is someone going to take over my job at church or I am going to be doing it again? Should I get some sort of job with all the "free time" I'll have in the fall and if so, what type?

I feel like I did when trying to get pregnant in that two weeks between ovulation and "knowing". You can't really plan anything one way or the other. I can't take a new job or make big plans...I could be pregnant. I can't buy maternity clothes and baby gear, I might not be pregnant. The only difference is I have no idea when this up in the air phase will end. Alot will become more clear I think by August.

There is one thing I know...God knows! "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11

Shhhhh...

Don't tell anybody, but summer vacation is just around the corner (2 weeks from today) and I'm NOT looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, the precious little things that they are. But, there's something about the thought of being with them 24 hours a day/7 days a week, that is currently sending a shiver up my spine. There are certain things that I am looking forward to. I'm sure we'll have fun. I get their undivided attention for a few months to un-do some damage. (No, the world is not billions and billions of years old!) We won't have to rush in the mornings to get ready for school, we can be lazy. There will be some fun camps and of, course VBS. It's just, well, I like having some time to myself. I know, it's selfish...let's just keep that between you and I!

To Request or Not to Request...

That is the question.

To me, teachers are a lot like Obstetricians. Every single one of them has a following of people who love them and critics who'd be happy if they never had to deal with them again.

I would not say that I was overly impressed with the two of three first grade teachers we've had thus far. Trisha's teacher wasn't bad, but very strict and very CLEARLY does not like little boys. J & J's teacher was, well, horrible. (For us). Lots of people like her. I thought she brought out the worst in my boys and they had a very tough year with her. She is extremely sarcastic. Here's an example: At P/T Conference, she said that she has a very hard time motivating Jaden. I asked her what she's done to help him. She replied, " I call him names. He'll tell me to stop calling him names, but I tell him I'm going to keep calling him names until he finishes his work." Does anyone else find that as horrifying as I did? There was a lot of talk and a lot of prayer about pulling them out and homeschooling them (that's how damaging I thought she was being). In the end, things did turn around and by January, I think everyone got along fine.

So, now here's the dilemma. I certainly DO NOT want Ryan to have her. I would prefer him to have the third teacher who is nurturing. But, do I make a request? Do I become THAT kind of mom and request a teacher? AND, does requesting a teacher indicate that I do not trust God to match Ryan with the teacher that he needs?

Since we are getting a new principal, I have no idea whether or not this principal will even honor requests. The current principal did not honor any one year and honored them all the next. If I request and the principal decides not to honor requests, then I am guaranteed not to get the teacher I want. And, if I say I'm going to leave it up to God and Ryan gets the most horrible teacher, what do I do then?

Decisions....Decisions....

Happy Mother's Day

I was spoiled today :) I got lots of lovely handmade gift and lots of kisses and hugs. And, well, suffice it to say, someone is going to see Grease (the musical) when it comes to Pittsburgh in a few weeks.

I was working on a project for my church's children's ministry and I came across these quotes about motherhood. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite:

"In becoming a mother, I lost my mind, but I found my soul. " - Anonymous

"The best inheritance a mother can give ehr child is a few minutes of her time each day." -OA Battista

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children."-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Making the decision to ahve a child-its momentus. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." -Elizabeth Stone

"Parents are so often busy with the physical rearing of a child that they miss the glory of parenthood, just as the grandeur of the trees is lost when raking the leaves." -Marceline Cox

Happy Mother's Day!

Sneaky Little Mister

Some stories just go down in family lore for all time. Just mention the words "Fried Eggs" to someone in my family of origin and we still laugh hysterically. So far this story, courtesy of Jaden, has had some legs.

We had only been in our house a few months. The triplets were 3 and Ryan was just a baby. Our next door neighbors were very friendly, older (not retired, but have grandkids older than any of my kids) people, occasionally giving my kids snacks and often stopping by for a chat. Mr. Neighbor loves to cut his grass, I mean really loves. Anyway, one Sunday afternoon, he was cutting his grass as Jaden watched in amazement. Neighbor went around and around in circles around his house and Jaden watches, getting excited everytime neighbor came back into view. WHen neighbor turned off his lawn mower, Jaden says to him, "Hey, what are you doing there you sneaky little mister??" THe neighbor says, "What?" Jaen repeats, "what are you doing you sneaky little mister?".

I have no idea even where Jaden got that phrase, and I'm not really sure why neighbor got offended. But, ever since that time, no more cookies, no more chats. They've erected a large tree border between our yards and he leaves the 12 inch strip between his lawn and our driveway that is technically our lawn. I think he really likes us!

Anyway, Sneaky Little Mister still enjoys cutting his lawn, so for kicks, let's keep track, we'll start with May.

SLM: 6 Rob: 2

Field Day 2006

I had the pleasure of vounteering for field day this year, now that all four of my children were involved. Rob also took the day off so that he could volunteer, which I thought was pretty cool. Together, Rob and I were responsible for Lawn Jacks, which has been highly touted as The Most Boring Game at Field Day. Throughout the day, you'd hear kids chanting, "Par-a-chute! Par-a-chute!" or "Dodge-Ball! Dodge-Ball." When they canme to Lawn Jacks, it was, "Is this almost over?" :) Oh well, one set of volunteers had to continually set up 75 pizza boxes for a relay.

It was fun to see my kids have fun. When we left, I said to Rob, "I love our school." And I do. Before field day, we had Jaden's IEP meeting to plan his services fro next year. It went very well. I'll post more later about that.

BTW, that lady with Jaden is his new teacher (after the other one went on Maternity leave)

Long vent about the kind of people I hate **

I'm over it now, so never mind :)

The weekend sports report

We had three soccer games and one wheelcahir basketball day camp. Very fun.

Trisha was the first game and she was a great goalie. She is one of the few girls ont he team who can punt the ball out of her endzone when she is goalie. Because she is a little bit shy (like her mother), I've had to teacher that's it's OK to get in there and get the ball away from someone; that she can be aggressive. Check shy and check nice at the door, sister. This week was the first game she really did that. SHe has some good height on the other girls and she was usign it to her advantage this week, which was fun to see!

I was not able to go to JOnathan and Ryan's games because I was with Jaden. But, from what I hear, Ryan scored four goals, a new all-time Klan family high. The previous record was held at three goals made by Jonathan in May, 2003. Of course, at Ryan's age they do not have goalies, but still, four goals is pretty good now! Jonathan also scored a goal in addtion to his killer defense moves.

Jaden had a lot of fun at hte basketball camp, I was SHOCKED at the level of play/competition that was seen. I was sort of expecting just a friendly game of wheelchair basketball. NOPE! The kids were zooming around, getting their fingers slammed between wheelchairs (no one complained), ripping balls out of each others hands...it was pretty cutthroat. I have to say the mother in me did not at all care for people ripping the ball out of Jaden's hands while he's try ing to hold on to the ball and move his wheelchair at the same time. I wanted to yell: "Hey! Cut him some slack; he's in a wheelchair." Of course, everyone was in a wheelchair! The first picture is Jaden's pregame workout. The second is him playing...look at the intensity in their eyes!

Crazy for You

I heard this song from Madonna on the radio yesterday. And, I guess it's the time of year maybe, but it brought back memories of my senior prom.

It's hard to describe my senior prom, although the words "terribly unfortunate" immediately come to mind. My date was, well, not my first choice. I went to an all-girls school, although I knew lots of guys (not in the Biblical sense, mind you). The first guy I asked said he'd like to go, but he needed to ask his girlfriend first. Never mind. The second guy said he'd like to go, but he didn't have enough money to rent a tux. Loser! So, that pretty much left the guy I took. Sadly, I can't even remember his name. It HAS been 18 years. I think it was Joe something and I think we called him Skippy. I can't remember if this was an actual nickname he was aware of, or something I just called him. I think it may very well have been his first date ever. In addition to the bad date, instead of renting a limo, my dad got one from Ford Motor Co. (where he used to be employed) and DROVE IT HIMSELF!! In addition to that, there was enough room in the limo for 6 people, not the 8 that we had in there (plus everyone's big dress hoops...this was 1988, afterall) Sadly, I was not one of the fortunate one's at the prom who were able to secure some alcohol. Perhaps that would have made the evening more enjoyable. At any rate, it was all worth a good laugh with my girlfriends for many months/years afterward. And, I think I've gotten over the embarassment of the my parents driving me.

Thanks for walking with me down memory lane!

Wiping Crayon off Walls

We had a guy come today to paint up the stairs and in the hallways upstairs. This is the one area of the house that has not been touched in the nearly 6 years that we have lived here. When we moved in, Ryan was a newborn and the triplets were barely 3. One of their favorite things to do was color on the walls (that, and cut each other's hair!) So, this morning, I got out my Magic Eraser and started to erase the crayon marks. I think my favorite was when Jaden drew a picture on the wall along with his name. When I got angry about it, he kept insisting he didn't do it. When I asked him why his name was on it then, he just got a little mischievous grin and started laughing...he knew he was caught.

You know I've never really been one to live in the moment. When I was in 3rd grade, I was nervous about getting lost in Junior High. When I started 7th grade, I was worried about having to pass swim class in order to graduate from high school. You get the drift. That's why in the middle of cleaning the crayon, it dawned on me that I have FOUR months left until ALL of my kids are in school ALL day long. In fact, school starts August 28, 2006. This will be nearly 9 years to the day that I became a mom. Nine years seems like a long time to be knee deep in diapers and crayon marks. But, I'm feeling like it's not enough!! Oh, how I used to hate when people would tell me, "It goes by soooo fast!" But, it does. And, in my like-to-fret-about-things-before-they-happen-kind-of-way, I am sad.

I know I have posted in the past about how glad I am to be out of the baby stage and how I'm OK with the fact that those days of preschoolers are dwindling. I know! I know! BUt, there's something about seeing the art work of a three year old and then seeing the emerging cursive of almost nine year olds that makes me miss having wee ones. But, fortunately, I took good pictures and I have good memories. Not even a Magic Eraser can take those away!

I have a new hat to wear!

I'm an AUNT !!

Yes, my first nephew was born this morning to Rob's sister Michelle and her husband. I hear he's adorable. I can't wait to meet him :)

Easter Weekend

Well, it was just a lovely time to be sure. Lovely church service, lovely egg hunt, lovely dinner of cereal or leftovers...your choice! Lovely 3-on-3 basketball game with the kids. Allow me to expound:

Church was wonderful. Jam Packed to be sure. But, a nice message. In Luke 24:11, it says, "but they did not beliee the women because their words seemed to them like nonsense." The women were telling them that Jesus wasn't in the tomb, but that he was alive. SO, if having faith in a risen Lord sounds like nonsense to you...don't worry, it sounded like nonsense to the first diciples at first also.

Egg hunt. This is an annual tradition where we hide eggs filled with jelly beans all over the place. I think there is still one or two that we haven't found. THe one big downside tot his is that I do believe I ate approximately 1,276,999,475 jelly beans yeaterday.

Dinner. Well, what can I say? We don't live by any family and the kids would really just turn their noses up at a big ham/potatos/vegetables dinner anyway. So, instead of making Easter dinner like every other dinner we usually haave, I just take a break and give the kids the traditional cereal dinner. Although I can't really callit traditional because sometimes we go to McDonalds.

Basketball game. This was ROb's idea and it actually turned out to be fun. Team "Um" was me, Jonathan and Ryan. Team "Red Balls" (from Lingo) was Rob, Trisha, Jaden. Team "Red Balls" won by one basket, with Trisha scoring the winning basket. Several injury time outs were taken, not for physical injuries, but for the emotional injuries inflicted from the frustration of not being able to score a basket. But, that was just Rob!!! HA_HA only kidding!!

I ended the day, for some bizarre reason, looking at my Jr. High yearbook. Yup, good ole' Clifford H. Smart Jr. High School. Was Jr. High a good experience for anybody really?? I think not.

Jonathan has a stalker

The original title of my post was going to be something about Jonathan having a play date with a girl today. This should, of course, not be a little weird to me, but I have to admit that it is. From what I understand, Jonathan is like the Casanova of the classroom. Although he is adorable, I think it's because unlike most of the other boys, Jonathan actually pays attention to the girls. It is perfectly natural that jonathan would be very comfortable around girls given the fact that he has a sister his exact same age. I think I'm still bothered by that stupid Bringing Up Boys Book! It assumes that since he likes to play with girls this means he will grow up gay. I'm not going to worry about that. I was a bit concerned given the fact that we don't really know this girl or her family.

Anyway, now to the stalker part. I counted. This girl called 25 times yesterday. twice she got to talk to Joanthan. After my not answering her call on her home phone, she proceeded to call on her mom's cell phone. Finally, I answered and said that Jonathan would not be able to come to the phone but that we were excited to have her over. I asked her if she wanted me to give Jonathan a message...she says, "No, what I have to say to him I can tell him myself at school tomorrow." Excuse me?!@?! Maybe I should just circulate this picture of Jonathan...that should cure this female interest thing!


*Bringing up Boys is a book by Dr. Dobson that began my journey into deciding not to listen to him!

Why I send my kids to Public School

It is always this time of year, as the school year draws to a close, that we examine the school year and begin thinking about whether or not we are going to make a change. For us, Public School is NOT a default decision. Meaning: we could afford Christian school if we felt so led, and I wouldn't mind terribly homeschooling if we felt so led.

Our decision to send them to the neighborhood school was actually a proactive one. I like that my kids are learning from someone other than me. Afterall, I know that I am not the end-all, be-all of knowledge and talent. I know that I have benefitted in my life from learning from many different people with many different personalities and strengths. I like that we get to meet and interact with different people. Not just people who all look like we do and believe exactly as we do. I like that my children have had the opportunity to learn at such a young age that just because someone says something is true, doesn't meant that it is true!

I remember when I first sent the triplets to Kindergarten, I told Rob that the first time someone told them they needed to be gay or vote for Hillary Clinton, I was pulling them out. To my surprise, this has never happened. I have not seen the liberal, horribly anti-Christain agenda that so many people talk about. HAve things been taught that do not line up with scripture? Once or twice. But that gave us a great opportunity as a family to talk about the truth. Is the public school perfect? Of course not. But, neither is Christian school and neither is homeschooling. There are things I don't like...like mean teachers (if anyone is going to yell at my kid it should be me) and the constant rush, rush, rushing in the morning. But, overall, at least so far, the first few years have been good. Doesn't mean I won't change my mind in the future. But, for now, public schooling is for us!

This is hilarious!

Whatever...

I hate thinking of titles...

Anyway, I can't get a friend off my mind. This poor lady has just had one family member after another diagnosed with medical problems. And, now, today it's her husband...a 40 year-old guy with a strange mass and a biopsy. I have told God that I will not be impressed if it's cancer. I really won't be. It boggles my mind that some people seem to get slammed with problems while others live scott-free. This life is not fair. That's a lesson some smart people (my parents) tried to teach me when I was younger. I think I am only now starting to "get it". It reminds me of a quote I heard recently that this life here on earth is as close as believers will ever get to hell. Close enough for me, thanks. Sadly, and I do hate to mention this, it is also as close as non-believers will get to Heaven. I pray that my friend's husband will be fine.

On a much lighter note, a few people have wondered why I didn't mention on my blog the fact that I rammed into a friend's lightpost yesterday and knocked it right off the ground. Pretty clean cut, I might add. OF course, I am mortified and told her to please send me the bill, but the reason it didn't really hit my radar as being something to blog about is because of my driving record. I mean you really can't have high hopes for someone who rams their car into a gas pump for her first official act of driving with a license. (A brand new car too, might I add).

BTW, as I am typing this, I hear the doorbell. I go and answer the door and it is Ryan...with a daffodil for me. "Isn't it pretty?" he says. "Smell it." he says. "I gave it to you because you don't feel well." "Do you have a cup for it? It's real you know". What a sweetie pie, so thoughtful. Let's just not mention to the neighbors that one of their daffodils is missing!

Exercise Class...

Sometimes kids have strange ways of telling you that they love you. Take this for example: I was coming out of exercise class the other day with Ryan. The babysitter wasn't there, so Ryan had to sort of sit on the sidelines and watch the class. We got into the car and Ryan exclaimed in a very excited and proud voice, "Mom!! You were the biggest mom in the whole class!!". He was so proud of me!! Don't worry Ryan, I noticed

Comments from this quarter's report card...

"Ryan is doing well in all areas, he is always cooperative and attentive duirng instruction. He is eager to learn."

"Jaden is making outstanding academic progress, and I can always count on him to follow the rules and be a good listener. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Jaden this school year."

"Trisha's academic work continues to be top-notch, and her sense of integrity is something to be admired. Although she is well-liked by her classmates, she is not easily influenced by others."

"Jonathan performs well in everything he undertakes. His math skills are exceptional. He is a clear thinker and an attentive listener. He is able to explain his thinking and reasoning while solving problems. He is a fluent reader with good comprehension skills."

Hey, I warned ya...incessant bragging!!

The challenge of weight loss

Another weigh-in at Weight Watchers, another huge disappontment. I have gotten myself an accountability partner to help me with my weight loss goals. She is an aerobics instructor who goes to my church and the type of person who actually will hold someone accountable, which is good. I signed on with her the beginning of March and got serious about it. I've been working out and staying, basically, within my points range every day. So, since the beginning of March, do you know how much weight I have lost???? 4.2 pounds. Yippee. I'm working my tail off (although apparently not in reality) ,I drink so much water I can't get off the toilet, AND I am practically eating like a freakin' Ethiopian. Those people on The Biggest Loser lose like 14 pounds a week...what the heck?!?!?!?

Oh well, I must remember that I am not eating healthy and exercising for vanity. But, it's really to honor God with my body and to create a good example of a healthy lifestyle for my children, right? And, maybe a little bit it's so that I don't look *terrible* in summer clothes. At any rate, my goal this week, is to eat more food, specifically to eat more lean protein. (oh, you mean I'm not supposed to eat all of my points in Oreos.) :-)

Ryan

To me, Ryan is like the perfect 5-year-old boy. He's got just the right combination of craftiness and cuteness, sweetness and sassiness. He is eager to learn, loves his brothers and sister and is very affectionate. He says really cute things like, "I thought about Jesus all day today, even at school" and "I think when I get older I will tell Trisha's children about Jesus." When I asked about his children, he said, "Nope. Just Trisha's " :-) He's got a spark to him, that Ryan and he loves to have fun. He tries so hard to be a good boy and most of the time he succeeds, it's just that sometimes he gets a crazy idea and runs with it...literally. And, when he runs with that idea, danger is usually involved in the equation. So, when I got called from BIble Study this morning to come to Ryan's aid, it was no surprise to me whatsoever that he hit his forehead and ripped it open (again). Yes, by again, I mean this is the third time he has split his head open. The second time he had to have stitches. 3 of them. Right on his forehead. On the way into Bible Study this morning, he was telling me about what a brave boy he is. He sure had yet another chance to prove it. Poor Little Dude. I love those little scars on his little forehead. It's one more thing about him that makes him perfect. Oh, and, for an added bonus, school secretary calls and asks me to pick up Jaden, who is sick. I tell her that I will be happy to pick him up as soon as I get out of the ER with Ryan :) I know she thinks I have a great life!!

Maybe it's working afterall :)

Sometimes I wonder if the things I am trying to teach my children are even sinking in at all and then something happens that let's me know that maybe, just maybe it is. Here's an example:

Jimmy* came over for a little visit the other day. He decided that he would like to have something to eat, so he helped himself into my pantry and proceeded to say, "Nikki, can I have a Twistable."

Out of nowhere I hear Jonathan say, "What are you doing calling her Nikki, it's Mrs. K***" (Don't want to use my last name to make it any easier for you stalkers to find us!)

I say, "Thank you, Jonathan. And, Jimmy, not right now becasue we are about to have dinner. Maybe when you leave you can take one home with you."

Jimmy replies, "Well, my mom said that I could have one if I wanted to."

Jonathan says, "My mom said no." and then Jonathan walks over and whispers in my ear, "I'm worried that Jimmy is trying to be the boss of you."

I love that Jonathan was trying to protect his mom. I assured him I knew what jimmy was up to and I had it under control, but it sure was sweet to see this little protective side come out of him. And, that's one thing I always try to teach: loyalty to family. I think he's getting it.

*Jimmy's name has been changed to protect his identity. Furthermore, I would like to state for the record that Jimmy's behavior, while extremely bothersome to Jonathan, was not nearly as much so for me. Thank you.

My cat is in heat

Can I tell you how much fun it is to live with a cat in heat?? Not a lot...that's how fun it is!

Exhaustion

Y'know there comes a time in every camel's life when she is just a few straws short of a broken back. This does not happen infrequently to this camel. I'm sure you moms can relate. It's interesting because I've been studiing the life of David in my Bible Study and I learned this week that he, too, got exhausted. It was from fighting the same old battle over and over and over again. He had let his physical needs for rest and for proper nutrition go unmet. And, he felt like he was the "only one" who was battling this old enemy. I can sure relate to David. Nothing can exhaust me like fighting the same battle over and over, whether it's a behavior issue with the kids or a medical issue with Jaden, sometimes I just get tired. I know that I am not good about making sure I get proper nutrition, and I'm pretty good at running myself ragged pretty much with things I don't really need to be doing. And, I know I often feel like I am the "only one" who could possibly understand what I'm going through.

The cure to David's exhaustion was to let other people come in and fight the battle for him. Other men saw his exhaustion, told him to leave, and fought the battle for him. He went and retreated and spent time alone with God. I am learning that the cure to David's exhaustion is also the key to mine: letting people in to fight battles for me. Sometimes by letting them physically helping me and other times, by letting them know what's going on and so they can pray for me. Retreating away to spend time with the Lord is also key. I am thankful for my friends who know me well enough to know when I am exhausted. And, I am also thankful that God has used me to fight battles for others who are weary too.

One thing I heard this week is sometimes exhaustion comes because it is God's way of signaling that you need to make a change. So, that's something I'll have to look at. As mentioned in earlier posts, I do tend to be a bit of a "joiner" and get a little "overextended", which can add to my exhaustion from time to time. Maybe it's time to make some changes.

13 years and 4 kids later...

The date was March 13, 1993. The event: my own wedding. It was a wonderful day filled with many fun memories; a day when Rob and I pledged our unfailing love to each other before God. A snowy day, a cold day, but not too much went wrong, at least not that I was aware of until after the fact. Overall, a great day.

Now, 13 years and 4 kids later, it's fun to think back on that day. However, I have to say there have been days in our marriage that have more significance and meaning than our wedding day. Like a few weeks later when we were at the grocery store and Rob spent 30 minutes picking out juice...that was a significant day in our marriage...the first realization that perhaps this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought. Or, the day we closed on our first home. Or the day when after months of prodding, Rob finally agreed that we could start trying to have a family. I was very excited. Or the day we found out we would be parents of a child with a disabilty. Or those days when our precious little children came into the world. March 13, 1993 was just the beginning of what has been and will, I'm sure, continue to be a journey filled with many ups and downs. That day back in 1993 was just one event in our lives that have been filled with many events.

On my wedding day when I took those vows, I really had no idea what I was getting into. And, for the first few years I could have easily said, "I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS!" And, in fact, I did several times. But, I'm glad we both hung in there. I'm glad that I've got to share all of these events with Rob, even the hard ones. We are building a history and looking forward to our future!

I'm still cheesed off...

that Gedeon didn't make it to the Final 12 on American Idol...that's a crock, man!

Game Show Network

It seems we've developed an addiciton to the Game Show Network. I think interest was peaked about game shows when I got to sit in the hot seat at Millionaire Play It! in Disney. At any rate, channel 52 has become a very important fixture in our lives. I think it may be starting to be a problem though...here are some recent conversations I've had, tell me what you think:

Me: "Jaden, what did you do with your homework?"
Jaden: "I stuffed it in my blank."

Me: "Trisha we can either go to the Library or go to Target."
Trisha: "B. Target. Final Answer."

So, it's hard to tell whether or not we watch too much game show network. One thing I know for sure is next time the kids aren't really participating during family clean time, I'm going to try this: "100 people surveyed, top 5 answers on the board, what punishment will happen to children if they do not clean up their toys after they are done playing with them?"

Flat Stanley

Today at school was Flat Friday...the culmination of two months of work. We had a lot of fun learning about Japan, Detroit, and Missouri. Here are the boards:

A Myxd trip to the Dentist

So, yesterday, Trisha and Jaden had dentist appointments to take care of some fillings at 3:00. I had to pick up all of the precious little preciouses from school. School Secretary (who is getting mentioned more and more in my blog...hmmm...) calls everyone down except Trisha. You see Trisha is in the nurse's office not feeling so well. So, I walk in there and ask her how she is doing. She says, "I think I'm going to puke." She makes it into the bathroom, thankfully, but suffice it to say that the teacher's restroom...well, I'm not sure it will ever be the same. Apparently, she had a migraine. After trying to clean oursleves up, we pile in the car and head to the dentist. (I think this is a good time to mention that Trisha was crying the whole trip to the dentist becasue some puke went up her nose and its all she can smell!) Obviously, Trisha can't make her appointment, but because I am Efficient-Mom, I remember that Jonathan also has a cavity so I call ahead and put him in Trisha's place.

Now, when we get to the dentist, I wait for over a half-hour before the kids are even called back. Normally, I find this slightly irritating. Today, I find it horrifying. Because, there was a girl who WALKED IN and Dr. agreed to see her right then. I know he did this because, since I work there, he can just blow me off. It always amazes me at how quickly I can go from Spirit-filled, nice calm Christian lady to freaky, nasty B**** lady. It's probably not good, but it does get results.

So, Jaden and Jonathan are seated. I think I have mentioned Jaden's "anxiety problem" before. Apparently, while seated back in the chair he started to get "nervous". And, wouldn't you know it, HE pukes. Now, I know what you are thinking...since both kids puked, maybe it was a stomach virus. I thought the same thing..till Trisha and Jaden ate 6 pieces of pizza between them for dinner.

In the end, only Jonathan got his teeth worked on and he was the one without the appointment. Expect the Unexepected...the motto of Motherhood!

Random Musings on a Tuesday Afternoon

All my children are in school in the afternoon. Lest you think I have nothing better to do than update my blog, let me assure you that I am posting to avoid doing all of those mundane things that make my job a wee bit boring. Laundry and toilets...what a joy! So, here are those things that are running through my mind right now as I speak...

1. What is he thinking???? I may sound like a democrat here, but why is letting an Arab country take over our ports a good idea? For that matter why do any countries other than our own control our ports? That seems like a no-brainer to me and yet...

2. Finally had "THE TALK" with Trisha. I had put it off for months, bought several books ont he subject and in the end I just old her straight out without the help of any visual aids. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be really. I'm sad that I wasn't able to protect her innocence longer. But, she was asking questions and I am determined that the culture and her friends are not going to be the voices that define this discussion for her. SHe thought the whole thing was gross. And, she said to the brothers, "Believe me. You DON"T want to hear about how babies are made during dinner....you'll puke!"

3. Read an article yesterday that confirmed statistics I had already heard: divorce rate among parents with a child with a disability nears 100%. WOW. It boggles my mind and yet it doesn't. A lot of defense mechanisms have to go up so that your heart isn't completely broken everytime something doesn't go your child's way...which is often. Unfortunately, a person can forget to let those defenses down and it is easy to forget who/what you are fighting and who/what you are not. I am thankful that Rob and I are in a good place.

4. Did you know that the first long distance phone call was made from Cape Girardeau, MO in 1877. I learned that helping my 2nd grader with his school project. You learn something new everyday.

OK...I've put off mundane tasks long enough!