Counseling, anyone?

Our elementary school, like most in the country has a guidance counselor on staff. Mr. Hughey, or as the kids call him, "The Feelings Teacher" is ours. Every year, Mr. Hughey comes around in the beginning of the year to talk to the kids about their feelings. They color in a little "feeling wheel" (I now have about 14 in my home) to help them identify their feelings. They are also told that at any time, if they have a problem or some bad feelings, they can fill out a slip and talk to Mr. Hughey. Isn't that sweet!

OK, so a few days ago, I am in the car with Trisha,who was contemplating whether or not she should try-out for the community theater showing of Grease. See, when she did a Christmas Carol, there were some 12 year old mean girls who gave her a bit of a hard time. She couldn't really decide what to do, so I suggested that we talk to Mrs. Shannon the director. You know what Trish says???? "That's what Mr. Hughey said I should do." Um, what??

Turns out, Trisha has been filling out lots of little slips lately for Mr. Hughey. One slip said: "I don't know what to do about Grease." There were also slips for: "Maddy is being mean to me", "Maddy and Kaitlyn are fighting and I'm stuck in the middle", and perhaps my personal favorite: "My mom is acting weird." I told Trisha we should probably save those slips for big things, but I guess to her, those are big things. Poor Mr. Hughey. He probably thinks we are one messed up family. Good thing we are adding another!

A lot has changed...

since I was last pregnant 7 years ago. For example, 7 years ago, I ate lunch meat like it was going out of style. Turns out, it actually was going out of style. At least for pregnant ladies. It seems I can catch some strange bacterial illness from lunch meat and it's now banned.

7 years ago, during those transition weeks between regular clothes and maternity clothes, you were stuck using rubber bands and long shirts. NOW, they have these things called Belly Bands that you can use over your old pants. Just leave them unbuttoned, pull up the belly band and voila! no one can even tell your pants are completely undone.

Those were interesting changes, but this one is the most interesting of all: 7 years ago, as your pregnancy progressed, your belly would be begin to expand and stick out. NOW, it appears that back ends are now the part that beings to expand and stick out.

What other changes/surprises are ahead? I can only guess. Maybe in the past 7 years, labor has become less painful!!

Look What I Got

Finally. It's like I'm finally coming into the 2000s! I got some gift cards for Xmas from my boss and this is what I bought. I feel really cool with it, I must admit! So, anyway, I did a shuffle of my songs and here were the first 10:

1. Praise You With the Dance

2. Baby Got Back

3. Everybody Dance Now

4. Now that We Found Love

5. Hey man, Nice Shot

6. Consuming Fire

7. Pump up the Jam

8. Ride Like the Wind

9. Blister in the Sun

10. Everything's Zen

Just a fun, eclectic mix and it's all mine!! :-) Who knows, before long, I might even have a page on MySpace!

Meerkat Manor

Have you seen this show on Animal Planet? It's pretty addictive. I used to make fun of Rob for his watching it all of the time, until I started. It's fascinating. In honor of those adorable little meerkats, I present:

Everything I needed to know about life, I learned from watching Meerkat Manor:

(and these are in no particular order)

1. If your wife has recently given birth to a litter, it's very important that you quickly knock her up again. If this means mating with her while she is nursing her new pups, so be it. You don't get pregnant 15 times in 6 years by just sitting around.

2. Apparently, it's universal among the species that everyone has a crazy uncle with [social problems]. However, it's just not a good idea to have him babysit your children.

3. If food is scarce, it is OK to take food away from your children. If they try to get it back, give them a warning bite. If they still try to get it back, kick them out of your family.

4. If a rival male is roving around looking to mate, trust him on that. He's just looking to mate, not become your dominant male and start a family with you.

5. If your teenage daughter comes home pregnant after meeting the aforementioned roving male, your choice are to a)kick her out of the family b)move the whole family and leave her pups behind c)both. It is not an option to show grace/understanding. Afterall, she might try to take your position in the family.

6. Should someone try to challenge your authority, a good tactic is to pee all over the place. This practice apparently lets people know that you are in charge.

2006 ~ The year of the Fluke

That's what I've decided I am going to call last year...the year of the fluke. Since some really strange and fluke-y things happened. Like in January when Jaden had to have shunt surgery. That wasn't really a fluke, it is something that just happens when you have a kid with Spina Bifida. Sometimes their shunt fails. However, the shunt fell out of the proper placement in the first surgery and they had to do another surgery less than 18 hours later. Apparently, that very rarely happens, maybe less than 1% of the time. Weren't we lucky!! It was just a fluke!

Then in August, Rob was admitted to the hospital for five days. How he got to the hospital is a really great story in a typical male kind of way. Just to give you a clue, I got a call around 6pm, when I would normally be expecting him home, saying that he was in the Emergency Room and could I possible come down. Anyway, turned out to be diverticulitis. Now, some of you do not know my husband, but, he has a diet that makes a squirrel look like he is low on fiber. As it turned out, in all of those feet of colon, he had 2 inches that had diverticula, and those 2 inches were the ones that got infected! So very rare and strange in an otherwise healthy 30-something male. Just a fluke, said the Dr.

And, then in perhaps the biggest fluke of all, we found out on Halloween that we were expecting a baby. I have always wanted another baby. In Spetember, Rob finally said that he could be willing to welcome another child into our home. By the end of October, I was pregnant. Pretty normal for the average woman, but we're not average. We tried two plus years to get the triplets and now I am working on my 5th...craxy, wonderful fluke!~

There were other small things too that I won't bore you with. But, here's the thing. I don't really believe in flukes. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe in a Sovereign God who allows and ordains things to come into my life to teach me things and to bring Him glory. Maybe the lesson is as simple as remembering that our bodies will fail us and this world is not my home, or something that I seem to keep needing to be reminded about: that God is in control and His timing is always perfect.

There is something about a new year that I always find a bit scary, I guess. Because that's the thing about life...you never know what is around the next corner. Sometimes it's a wonderful surprise and sometimes it's not so great. Although, I do not know what 2007 will hold for us, I know WHO holds 2007 and I pray that He will bless us and keep us (and you) come what may!

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!