You had me at Hasselhoff....

OK, I know I haven't really seen enough to make an educated decision, but this guy has my vote so far. He is charmingly funny and comfortable in his skin. Plus, he has a nice voice. I thought it was hysterical when Simon asked him why he wanted to be the next American Idol and he answered so that he could make David Hasselhoff cry. (This was followed by a clip showing DH tearing up at last year's Idol finals.)

Plus, I loved the quartet he was in with the bee-bop guy.

Did you know that if American Idol lost half of its audience it would still be in the top ten shows? Read this article to see exactly how huge this show is. All I know is that, I will be glued to my TV for 5 hours this week! And....I can't wait!!!

Teenagers.....

I LOVE teenagers. They make me smile. What a wonderful thing to not be a teenager anymore, and see with clarity the things that they can't yet see. I count it a privilege to be able to work with them and help them, in some way, find their way along this journey. There are two teens that have particularly given me great joy this past week.

The first is a 17 year old boy who plays guitar on our worship team. He is a silly-afro-hair-wearing-skinny-as-a-rail-comfortable-in-his-own-skin kind of kid. He went to a prayer retreat last weekend with our church. It was really an adult retreat, but he went to lead worship. He came back and was talking about the awesome things he learned and it literally brought tears to my eyes! (Yah, big shock....I know.) I was so encouraged to hear the younger generation picking up the torch and the passion for Christ.

The second is a girl in my advisory. This girl happens to be a girl I have known since she was about 9. We used to go to church with her parents. The other day she came to class and announced that she wanted to apologize to the other students for not being kind and apologize to me for talking when I'm talking. She is a sweetheart, and the other girls all told her she wasn't mean at all. (I didn't tell her she doesn't talk when I am talking because she does...:-) but I forgave her). She told me later that God had really convicted her to be a leader by being a kind person. I was so proud of her for doing that in front of her peers. And she proceeded to bring lots of treats and a Valentines gift for each girl in the advisory yesterday. So...we had a party...and it looked like Cupid exploded in my classroom.

Do they disappoint me? Sure. Do they look funny? Yup! There seems to be a high population of kids with hair over their eyes. (Don't even get me started with piercings :-)) Do they do the minimum amount of work they can get away with? Of course, don't we all? Is there drama? A homeschool co-op gives Days of Our Lives a run for its money. Are they funny? They make me laugh every day!

Can someone please save this post and remind me of it in 5 years when I have a 15 year old?

A Date with my Daughter....

Last night Danny and Seth went to a basketball game and so I decided to take Annsley on a mommy/daughter date. We went to Starbucks and hung out. This was the first time we have ever done this (for some reason!!) It was just a delightful time. I realized that I haven't been out alone with her for special time for a long long time.

She is the kind of child that you can't take too much credit for. She came out of the womb happy and easy going. She is thoughtful far beyond her years, and she is truly a delight to be with. We talked about friends, life, her classes at TEC, more friends, etc... I slipped in a bit of motherly wisdom here and there, but mostly we just chatted and laughed. She was in heaven.

Then, we came home and crawled in my bed and read our books. She paused to read me passages from Heidi with beautiful descriptive words. We were both in heaven.

Tall mocha frappacino........ $3.53
Grande sugar free, skinny, cinnamon dulce latte, extra hot....... $4.02
Two good books from the library.......Free
Daughter telling me she had one of the best nights ever.......priceless!!

I Never Realized.....

is one of my son's famous sentence starters. I love his brain-it reminds me so much of his father's. And.....his father has a good brain!

Today he said, "I never realized that space, you know, outer space, is just....space....empty space."

Keep thinking and learning, young lad!! Keep realizing!

Worry released....

My mom called me last Thursday to tell me that she was going in for a biopsy for a strange mass in her breast. She has had several of these before that have turned out to be nothing, but I could tell she was a little more worried this time. She, of course, waited to tell me until the last minute. In the past, she hasn't told me until it was over to protect me from worrying. Now I know why, because I have been worried all weekend. The results were supposed to be back yesterday, but of course, were late. So, this morning she called to tell me that it was nothing! I found myself crying with relief.

I feel so thankful today for her health. I am so thankful that she does not have to go through the hard decisions that follow a negative verdict. I am just so thankful for my Mommy!! She is an amazing woman.

I am also thankful for my Grandma (her mother). Today is her 87th birthday and I went and took her some flowers. We have a family chat room and it was so amazing to hear many of her 17 grandkids and spouses rise up and call her blessed. What an amazing tribute of a life lived for God. I am blessed to have this heritage of Godly women as examples in my life. And....I'm just crazy about them!

Thank you, God, for health!

Tagged....

My friend Cathy tagged me with this challenge....

{List 6 quirky things about yourself}

Only 6, you say? I'm sure Danny could come up with a few.

1. I am listening to my book on tape (David Copperfield) at a slightly higher speed than normal on my tape recorder. I figure if I can listen to it faster (for goodness sakes, it is 27 (that is 2-7) tapes long after all) then I can get to more books in the same time! It takes a little getting used to because the reader's voice is a bit higher (and more full of helium) than normal. Danny heard that and laughed at me. He said, "that is *so* something you would do." I think of it as efficiency!!

2. I'm going to copy Cathy in that I am compulsive about my laundry! I love folding clothes!! One time Danny suggested that the kids fold the clothes as a punishment for putting clean clothes in the laundry and I told him that was a punishment for ME!! :-)

3. I accidentally call alluminum foil "tin foil" even though I am quite aware that it hasn't been made out of tin for quite some time.

4. I am borderline OCD about multi-tasking. I never just do one thing at a time. I read while I blow dry my hair. I listen to books on tape while cooking. I can not sit and watch TV unless I am also doing something else. My very favorite thing is when I can do three productive things at the same time!

5. I cry at commercials.....and just about everything else sappy and sentimental! (I got tears in my eyes at the "goodbye to football commercial" that was played at the end of the Superbowl, and that was *before* they put Brett Favre on the commercial. That was the point that the tears ran down my cheek!)

6. I don't floss very often.

The Little Red Hen....

I love three year olds! My neice, Katie, is a particularly precocious child of three. She is a delightful little girl with a great sense of humor and a girl who always knows her mind.

Her mom was reading her the book The Little Red Hen, and Katie asked, "Mommy, what does reaping mean?" Erica went on to explain that it means picking. You sow, and you reap. You plant and you gather. These are the teachable moments!

Later that night, Loren (my brother) went in to say Goodnight to his daughter.

Loren: Goodnight Katie
Katie: Daddy, look......I'm reaping my nose.

You gotta love three year olds!!

Becky

This is Becky....

Well, actually that was Becky about 16 years ago. We were college roommates for close to 3 years. Becky had large bangs, a huge smile and beautiful eyes. She still has the smile and the eyes, but to the best of my knowledge, she lost the bangs years ago. We called each other soul mates because we just "got" each other. We never had a fight in all the time we lived together.

We were in musicals together. The shot on the top right is from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We were just in the chorus, but the amount of attention that we paid to our costumes would have implied we were the leading roles. Let's just say that we had more bling than P Diddy.

We were able to go to New York together and the top picture is Beck in one of our smashing outfits that we put together for the trip. Many of those outfits fall under the category of what-were-you-thinking, but hey, it was the 80's. The bottom shot is one of us skating at Rockefeller Plaza, but I included it because the look on her face is how I always think of her.

Just looking through the photo album to find pictures made me laugh. I did not include pictures of the time we put nylons on our heads and went out to spy around our apartment complex (for some reason mine were control top which didn't make for great vision) or the time we dressed up like....well....prost....hook...um....white trash and smoked a cigarette because we were bored. I think that was the only cigarette I have ever smoked in my life. But, I had fun re-living the memories.

Yesterday, when I talked to Beck, she told me of her struggles in her marriage and with life over the last ten years. I felt so sad to hear of the despair she has experienced. I knew that things weren't great, but I really didn't know the extent of what that meant. I feel bad that I didn't know, that I wasn't more available. I wish I'd prayed more.

But, I also felt great joy when I heard her talk of how God has changed her. He has totally rescued her, and I know he will continue to do His work in her life. I hear it in her voice how well she is doing, even in the midst of hard times. God is sustaining her. Becky told me about how at a low point of her life, God drew her to the book of Romans and used his word to speak to her and change her. I love that story!!

Please say a prayer for Becky and her husband. He needs the same miraculous transformation that Becky had. I pray God will open his eyes to the absolute TREASURE he has in Becky and their three beautiful children.

I love you, Beck!!!!!

Tuesday Ten

Did you miss me? I have been having bloggy thought lately, but haven't made the time to type them out. And, now, of course I can't think of a single one! :-)

1. My Rhode Island trip was wonderful! I went back to the school we model our program after to watch their students do exhibitions. It was very helpful to see and talk with others who are doing the same things. But, let me tell you that their budget is a little less "strict" than ours, because I (and the other 4 teachers from the northwest) ate at some of the best restaurants I have ever been to. This Italian restaurant Zoomas was so good I almost cried. The crab ravioli was ta'diefor!! I have not been that full in a LONG time. Honestly, I really could go on and on about some of the other food I ate, but I have 9 other things to get to.

2. Being in a nice hotel room by myself is a wonderful thing. I find it so refreshing. Silence. Ahhhh!

3. I watched the movie High School Musical while on my trip.....twice. I have a confession to make. I loved it!! I thought it was so cute.

4. One of my students (who has a strange and mixed up family life) has been coming over to work at my house on Mondays. She lives with her Grandma, but she basically homeschools herself. She keeps talking about wanting to come live with us. The girl desperately needs a mommy. Please pray that God will make it obvious if we are supposed to take her in or not.

5. SOOOO happy for Peyton Manning and Tony Dungey. Because of these two fine men, the Colts have been my second favorite team all year. If I can't be cheering for the Hawks in the Superbowl, at least I can get excited about them.

6. My children both had to have a filling yesterday. This is so surprising if you know the regiment of brushing/flossing/repeat cycle that Danny puts our children through. They brush after each meal.....and floss!! Can you imagine that? However, our dentist assured me that both of their cavities were due to flaws in their teeth, and not lack of dental care. They were kinda like no-fault-cavities.

7. Did you know that yesterday is called Blue Monday and it is the day when more people than any other experience depression. The Christmas bills are due and the New Year's resolutions are broken. I'm content! How about you?

8. There is beautiful, gorgeous snow here. On Saturday we had about six inches, and it is so gorgeous!! LOVE it!!!

9. I'm going on a date with Danny tonight! The kids are going to a basketball game with Danny's parents. I like my husband.

10. Philippians 2 is a great chapter, and we have been memorizing it as a family. There are a lot of gems in this chapter, but the verse that has been floating around in my head is verse 15, that talks about shining like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. Shiny things stand out to people. When we become blameless and pure, people will notice that and be attracted. Great stuff!!

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. Philippians 2:15-16a

Happy Birthday, Honey!!!

Today is Danny's birthday. Thus begins the first day of the last year that he will be in his 30s!!

We met when we were 18, and we have long-since crossed the bridge of having know each other for longer than we didn't know each other. Yet, we still look at each other sometimes and wonder how we got *here*! We are married, parents, responsible adults? Aren't we those college kids writing notes in Calculus class?

I have posted many times before about Danny and what a great father and husband he is. But, today I want to say it again!! 21 years ago he drew me in with his questions and theories, his laugh and his leadership. Today, he still makes me laugh. He still questions everything and comes up with new theories about life, society, and God. Sometimes they make me laugh and sometimes they make me cry, but they always make me think!

He is quick to apologize when he is in the wrong. He likes to be with his family and would choose being with the kids and me over anything else. He has high standards for himself and those around him. He spends time every night with the kids, teaching them, reading to them, playing games with them, and even (much to his chagrin) wrestling with them. We make a great team.

Words don't mean that much to him, but I want him to know how much I appreciate all he does!!

I love you, Danny! Happy Birthday!!

The only problem.....

with making your blog all Christmas-y and cute is that come January 9th, (when the tree is put away) the blog still has the Christmas stockings!! People, please promise that if I don't post much, you will still come visit me. I am having a serious lack of things to say these days. Last night

I went out to coffee with a dear, old friend. (Old in longevity, not age.....although she just had her 50th birthday.) If you knew Mary, you would not believe for a second that she was fifty years old!! I have known Mary since I was in high school, but we mainly became like family as we served together in the music ministry in our old church. We sang soprano together for close to 10 years!! We don't get to see each other nearly enough these days!! Maybe soon I can announce her new blog!! I'm trying to talk her into it. Love you, Mary!!

You know I can't let this post end without a little love for the boys in Seattle!! GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!

They party's over....

The cousins left this morning. There were a few tears shed by all, but each time we have to say goodbye is one less time (Lord willing) that we will have to say goodbye. One year from now they will be home for good!! We love you guys!!!

This picture is the kids is the costumes that Grandma made for them. This is what they wore for the play. It was a wonderful play!!

My son is awake.....

I know this because I can see his booklight on and I can hear the lovely sound of George Winston playing on his CD player. He loves piano music and it makes me happy to hear it coming from his room.

I must share with you what this boy made for me. He and my dad started whittling together with my dad's whittling kit and he made this creation for me. Unfortunately, you can't really see the "intricate" hand-carved mouth, but he decided to place marbles with googly-eyes attached into the eye sockets. He sawed off the corners himself. I love the look of pride on his face. He was really excited to give me this treasure. I am crazy about it, because I am crazy about him!!

Merry Christmas....

I will post some pictures when I have some more time, but Christmas and Christmas Eve were wonderful times spent with people we love. Despite the very painful Seahawk loss (:-)), the days were full of laughter and eating!! Here are some highlight memories....

• The Christmas play that the cousins wrote and performed. It was truly priceless!! They all donned new costumes sewed by Grandma for the occasion.
• Opening the ornaments from my kids and their hopeful look as they asked it we could put them on the "downstairs" tree (you know, the one that matches and looks classy). They chose them especially because they thought I would want to hang them on *my* tree. So, I did!!
• The cousins sledding and building a snow fort.
• Seth and cousin Cade (Danny's sister's son) entertaining and playing with Sammy (my brother's son who is almost 2). It was so cute to see the big boys take Sammy under their wings.
• The smell of my Aspen Winter candle.
• Our Christmas Eve service.
• The fact that the wonder of Christ's humble birth still moves me to tears and doesn't get old no matter how many times I hear the story.

I am so grateful for these blessings and many, many more!!

Butter Up!!!

My Grandma is famous for her popcorn balls. Do you know how I know she is famous? Because she told me! Every year we get together to make them. Every year she frets that this will be the batch that doesn't stick together.

She is old school; no candy thermometer for her. She drips some of the goop into ice water and feels it. We all try to feel it, so we will know how to recreate the right touch when someday she is gone. However, in reality, the candy thermometer is much easier.

I had to get a copy of her recipe because it says things like, "boil to soft crack stage, or not quite" and "form into balls after adding popcorn. Don't form too soon, but don't wait too long." Nothing like specifics, eh?

Wherever my grandma is, there is laughter. She told me that she was just doing this for the money and that she feel that she deserves more than minimum wage since she has all the stress of making sure the mixture is exactly right. We, of course doubled her salary from last year!

My grandma made the mixture, my mom helped her, my grandpa buttered the spoons and bowls, my cousin and I formed the balls and the kids wrapped them.

For some reason, this year Iwasvery aware that four generations of family in the kitchen together was a treasure that will not happen forever. I savored the moments. I took pictures. I laughed. I listened to them tell of the old days. I soaked it all up!! The ironic thing is that I don't even really like popcorn balls!

Jammy picture.....

I wish y'all could hear Danny tell his bedtime stories to the kids. I find myself sitting close enough to the bedroom so I can hear them as well. I think I laugh harder than the kids. Their squeals of delight are the best!!

Oh, I have so much more to blog about our holidays, but so little time!! :-) Stay tuned for more holiday fun!

They're here........

Danny's sister & family arrived late Saturday night. We all drove to the airport to surprise them because they thought it was too late for people to come meet them at the airport. The kids joy at seeing each other brought tears to my eyes!! They are such good friends and it has been difficult to be apart.

They will be here for 3 weeks and you should see the calendar of events that the Grandparents have put together. They are putting on one of their "famous" plays again this year. They have been planning it over the phone for about 4 months now.

Yesterday it felt like the holidays. We just hung out at Danny's parents watching football, eating, and catching up. It was a nice day. We just got memory card fixed so I should be able to grace you with some pictures soon. Maybe when they come to spend the night tonight in their matching Christmas jammies.

I bow to peer pressure....

and post our family Christmas picture for the year. This is one of my favorite memories of our Northeast trip this past spring. We walked towards Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset. It was such a gorgeous night, and the view was amazing. There were a couple other good pictures from Washington DC, but this was my favorite.

Can I tell you something really sweet?

WARNING: shameless mommy brag!

Today we were in the dollar store and Seth saw these really tall thick pencils covered in Christmas colored velvet. He got excited when he saw them and he said, "Mommy, I really want one of these on my Christmas list. This would be way up near the top." (Note: this is the kid who has an extremely short Christmas list and it includes....socks!!!) A woman my age looked at me longingly and said, "That is so refreshing. I wish something like that made my son so excited!!"

Danny always reminds me that "less is more" when it comes to giving the kids things. I'm pretty sure I would spoil them rotten if it were up to me. But, it is times like this when I am so glad I listen to his wisdom. For the most part (they are normal kids, after all) they are content with small things and thankful for the gifts they are given.

And you know what....I bought that kid a pencil right there on the spot!

Shhhhh.....I did buy him some socks for Christmas, too!

Choked up again?

Yesterday, my students started their exhibitions. This is a time where the high school students have 30 minutes to present their learning for the semester in front of family, friends, and teachers. They make an agenda, they prepare their projects, they bring artifacts to demonstrate the work they have been doing. I was so proud of my students yesterday. Many of them performed using their musical talents. The way these students can articulate what they are learning and *why* has grown so much over the last year!

But, one I was particularly proud of is a girl who was adopted from Haiti two years ago. She has now been in my Advisory since last September. When she first started her English was still very limited and she could not talk at all about her learning. She was always a fun, sweet girl, however, yesterday, at her exhibition, she spoke with such eloquence and poise. She talked about the books she had read, and she performed her clogging dance. She talked about her writing and the improvement she has seen in her own work.

My children think nothing of me getting choked up as I am reading parts of books to them. They just say, "Mom's crying again." or "Mom, why did *that* make you cry?" I was explaining this to my students yesterday and several said their mom did the same thing!

So, it should have come as no surprise to them when after Gladys's exhibition I was talking about how proud I was of her that I got a little teary. Gladys says to me in front of everyone (in her beautiful Haitian accent) "Are you crying, Mindy?" The students thought this was hilarious since I had told them only a couple of hours before that I get choked up a lot. I tried to tell them that I just had something in my eye, but they didn't buy it!!

I love celebrating the progress of my students, and sometimes gently pushing when they need a little nudge. Yesterday, the exhibitions were very validating. One girl said she liked me because I make her work when she doesn't want to. :-) One girl has started coming to my house occasionally to work. There are some days that I wonder why I am doing my job, but yesterday, I remembered!!

TIme out...

This seems to be the time of the year that all the things I said "Yes" to are coming due. I realized that I haven't been on my computer for pleasure since Friday!! That is like fasting to me. I feel out of touch with my homies and online buddies. I actually have things to say, but no time to write.

Missing y'all!!

Hot??

Apparently, there is a boy who thinks my daughter is the "hottest girl in school." I know this because my daughter heard it from this boy's sister, who heard it from her brother.

I prefer words like sweet, pretty, lovely, innocent....but HOT? How can a nine year old be HOT? How can a NINE year old be hot? How CAN a nine year old be hot?

Danny told her that no boy except *him* was allowed to notice how beautiful she was. She beamed under his praise, and she looked positively......lovely (and sweet and innocent.)

The Stocking are Hung by the Chimney with Care

The tree is trimmed.
The lights are lit.
The boxes are a mess in the guest room. (Thank goodness we never have guests during Christmas!)
The snowman is made (due to a nice little snow yesterday).
The sleds have taken their first run of the year.
The 4 foot snowball was rolled in the park.
The hot chocolate has been drunk (drank? dranken? drunken?) with extra marshmallows.
The Christmas music is playing gently in the background.

I love, love, love this time of the year!!

Excitement

Annsley: Mommy, you just don't know how excited I am for tomorrow.

Seth (at an earlier time today): I can't wait for tomorrow. After all, there's only one tomorrow each year.

(I couldn't help pointing out that actually there were actually 365 tomorrows each year...unless it is leap year....)

Why are my children so excited for tomorrow?

The Christmas decorations go up. The Christmas music comes out. We start out with Amy Grant belting out, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." The kids re-discover their treasures from years gone by. I re-discover my treasures from years gone by. Every ornament is filled with, "remember when..."

• The sand dollar ornament we got on our honeymoon on the coast.
• The beautiful blown glass ball that I got in France and treasure. (I'm trying to hold loosely because I know it will break one of these years!)
• The ornament that says "Daughter" on it that my mother-in-law gave me on the first Christmas after I got married.
• The ornaments that the kids have made each year

OK, so I guess the kids aren't the only ones who are excited!!!

Ten Things I am Thankful for....

These make the list every year and some seem cliche, but I really do feel it with all my heart this season!

1. I am thankful that I love to be with my family (and Danny's family.) I am thankful that we live close to both.
2. I am thankful for healthy happy children.
3. I am thankful for a husband who totally fulfills his role as leader and provider of our family and yet serves me in so many ways at the same time.
4. I am thankful for old friends.
5. I am thankful for God's grace.
6. I am thankful for a job I love-one that I just might do even if I didn't get paid. (Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for the money too!!)
7. Strangely enough, I am thankful for the internet and the friends I have made through The Well Trained Mind message board and blogging. I have gained endless wisdom, info, booklists, and laughs from y'all.
8. I am thankful for our parents' health.
9. I am thankful for laughter and lots of people in my life who make me laugh.
10. I am thankful that tomorrow I am not going to think about what I eat, and I am going to end a big meal with a big piece of pecan pie with whip cream and not even think twice about it. But, the next day, it is back on the plan!!

I love my Grandma....

Ree inspired me to stop by my Grandma's today. Please go check out the absolutely gorgeous picture of her Ga-Ga!! I love the wrinkles. (That first picture actually made me cry!) This afternoon I had a couple of hours without the kids and so I stopped by the retirement home where she and her husband live. I just gave her the biggest hug and realized that it had been way too long since I just stopped by her place. We see them quite a bit at my parents' house, but it had been too long since I just dropped by. I used to do it weekly when the kids were little.

She makes me laugh. She is sharp witted, and extremely wise. When we were kids she would let me sleep by her bed and she would tell everyone we were going to sneak out and go "bowling and dancing." Those were the naughty things she could think of to do.

She leads a women's Bible study "at the home." She jokingly refers to the beautiful retirement facility where she lives as "the home." Leading this Bible study tires her out. A lot. I am so impressed that she isn't coasting through this phase of her life, but she is sharing her passion with others.

She loves to watch professional basketball on TV and she likes football too! Hmmmmm, wonder who I take after! In fact, she used to have a lifesize cutout of Michael Jordan. She joked that she might leave my Grandpa for "her Michael."

OK, so this photo isn't going to win any photo contests. In fact, she would really hate it, but it was all I had. Thanks, Ree, for the reminder of the precious gem I have in my Grandma.

Tuesday Ten

1. It is time for Tuesday Ten. You know what that means, don't you.....I've got nothing to say. But, there is only so long you can leave a post about puking at the top of your blog and expect people to return. (I lost 3 pounds, for those of you who asked! :-))

2. I'm eating my new favorite breakfast-crustless pumpkin pie. It is made with Splenda and fat-free half and half so it has almost no points (for those of you familiar with the Weight Watchers point system, that is a good thing!). I start my day with a piece of pie and coffee-guilt free!

3. I'm reading a book called Manhunt by James Swanson that is about the 12 day chase for Abraham Lincoln's killer. We are approaching the Civil War in history and it looked like an interesting choice.

4. I love this time of the year. I am so excited for Thanksgiving, which is silly in a way. We share big meals at my parents house all the time, so it is not like it is something out of the ordinary. But, I love to be with my family.

5. Did anyone catch that Seahawks win on Sunday!! Sheesh, my heart can not take one more Josh-Brown-kick-a-field-goal-in-the-last-second-of-the-game-to-win moments!!! I'm asking for a Seahawks shirt for Christmas, and after this, I want one with #3 on it!!

6. My kids are funny. We started a new grammar book and Annsley is so excited because she has a textbook. If you have ever seen the Rod & Staff text book, you will know that they are *nothing* to get excited over. They look like they were published 50 years ago and are very plain and un-ornamental. I think Annsley felt like she was old fashioned copying her lessons from her book. We were sharing the book, and Seth announced that he wanted his own text book. Go figure!!

7. One thing that I love about my job is that I get almost 3 weeks off at Christmas and almost 3 months off in the summer. That is a good gig!!

8. I have quite a bit of Christmas shopping done already. I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow, it just happened.

9. What do you want for Christmas this year?

10. Next week, I am going to go with Tuesday Six.

How to Lose Some Quick Weight (Subtitled: Food Poisoning on an Airplane)

Last night ranks as one of the top ten worst experiences of my life!! So, I'm going to share all the gritty details with y'all. (I say y'all because I have been in Plano, Texas for 3 days.) We ate a good Mexican meal for dinner. It was delicious...chips, chile con queso dip, guacamole....can you guess where I'm going, here? I felt full when we left the restaurant to head to the airport. I tend to get motion sick in cars, so I was not feeling well by the time we got to the airport, but I thought it would just go away like it usually does.

Fast forward, I'm on the airplane, and I am not feeling better. All of a sudden I figured out that I may have a bit more than motion sickness and headed for that place that under normal circumstances I avoid like the plague....the.airport.bathroom. I will spare you the gory details (and the revisiting of the Mexican food) but four visits later we landed in Denver. My apologies to all my fellow plane members for the fact that I prayed that the plane would crash. Fortunately, God did not answer that prayer.

I stumbled off the plane to the Denver airport bathroom and at this point all pride and dignity was gone so I just plopped myself right on the floor of the bathroom and sat there. Yup, right on the floor!

The next leg of the flight I had my seat changed to the seat in the back right next to the bathroom and the lady in the seat next to me changed seats as quickly as she possible could. (If I had felt better, the speed of her movement would have been comical.) This flight was on a plane with an extra small bathroom. I literally do not know how anyone larger than me could even close the door, let alone do what I needed to do! The stewardesses were so sweet and brought me gingerale. God, in His mercy, allowed me to sleep almost the whole leg of this flight and when I got off the plane I actually felt a bit better.

There is nothing like that feeling when you finally realize you might just make it in the land of the living. If you are still reading, you are very hard up for entertainment, but I couldn't help but share my misery with all of you. Today I stayed home from work and rested. I haven't eaten much today but I think I'll feel back to normal by tomorrow. However, I may not eat Mexican food for a while!

Jack-o-Lantern time....

Well, I was going to save this for tomorrow, but since Mrs. M-mv asked so nicely, here you go! Here is the before and after.

Today my baby is 8!

This is the day we brought Seth home from the hospital (Halloween). Note the Halloween jammies for the trip home!













Gotta love those 6 month smiles!!



















That is the smile that melts my heart every time!!













Too bad mom didn't comb your hair before the photo shoot!



















Somehow that cute little boy became an eight year old soccer player who can make me laugh with his voices and his imitations. (He has Danny down pat!!) He has the boundless energy of an eight year old boy, and even on the days it drives me bonkers, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world!! This is the boy who talks non-stop. He loves to tell me things. He loves to be with me. This boy is enthusiastic about learning (most days) and keeps me on my toes with his insightful questions!

Happy Birthday, Seth! You do know that you will always be my baby!!

Last soccer game....

Today we beat our nemesis. There is a team that we have played 3-4 times before and we have never beat them. (Yah, I know....we don't count score at this age....whatever!) This morning we set our for the field on a gorgeous crisp fall morning, game plan in hand. Our game plan, you ask? Not get killed! Last year we were thrilled to only lose to them by 1. Well, in the first half they scored two goals! But, in the second half Seth scored the goal to tie it up. And one of the boys (who is not one of our better players) scored the winning goal. It was *so* fun to see him get to be the hero!! We had a pizza party after the game to celebrate the last game of the fall and you would have thought we had won the world cup. Soccer has been so fun.

Early Halloween

Every year the retirement home where my grandma lives has a big neighborhood Halloween party. The residents all line up in chairs along the halls and pass out candy to the kids. There are lots of carnival games. It is a great event that allows children to get to interact with the elderly and vice-versa.

Here is my dear grandma and her husband! I love that they live so close to us now. When I was growing up she lived on her farm about an hour and a half away.


Here is the ninja and the Renaissance princess!!




















My beautiful mama, grandma and silly pirate brother eating a sucker.

I don't know this woman, but she made me smile, and for just a minute, want to be old.

Let the sorting and trading begin!! Don't you just remember the joy of coming home and doing this?

Yesterday....

We went on a field trip to Eastern Washington University. I have a confession to make. Growing up in Spokane, I never had a very high opinion of EWU. It was an option for kids who didn't go away to WSU or U of W...or private schools. It somehow seemed lesser in my mind. But, the campus, which is about 30 minutes from Spokane is absolutely beautiful! The brick buildings and fall colors gave on a crisp sunny day seemed just perfect. We had this spunky enthusiastic student tour guide who completely sold me on Eastern. I found myself longing to go back to college and take advantage of all the great programs and student services. No cooking....no one to take care of but myself.....people planning fun activities for me to participate in.....studying......now, *that* was the life!

When I was going to college Eastern seemed WAY too close to home. Now that I am raising future college students.....Eastern sounds like a fantastic option!!

Tuesday Ten

1. Today at school we will be taking the high school students on a field trip to Eastern Washington University. We have good kids, so I'm sure it will be a fun morning.

2. My baby turns EIGHT in five days. I need to get a present for him!

3. My dad is in Russia (Archangel is in the northwest near the Arctic ocean) right now, helping to start a new institute to train pastors in that region. This is probably the 10th time he has been to different parts of Russia for this purpose.

4. Yesterday afternoon I went and stripped wallpaper with my mom. She is trying to get my dad's office redone while he is gone. There is something very satisfying about stripping wall paper. The kids helped too, and we all loved it when a BIG chunk came off at the same time.

5. I made pumpkin rolls on Monday and they are yummy!! They don't taste very pumpkin-y, but they are delicious.

6. I took homemade chicken noodle soup (and pumpkin rolls) to both my mother and my mother-in-law on Monday because they were both sick. Isn't it funny how good chicken noodle soup tastes when you are sick?

7. The tooth fairy has been to our house twice (once for each kid) this week. She managed to show up (on time) both times!! My daughter can not seem to keep a tooth in her head. She is 9, and she has lost 16 teeth. I didn't even know kids lost that many. She lost her first 2nd molar.

8. I wish I could think of something really witty to post right about now.

9. I read many of your blogs and you tell funny stories about when you were growing up. Why is it that I can not remember one interesting story about my childhood? NOT ONE! Either I have a bad memory or I had an extremely boring childhood. Odds are heavily in favor of the former.

10. Thought for the day from Our Daily Bread: There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. Oh, but don't you wish there were? Read Philippians 3:7-14 today.

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:13b-14)

One hundred and fifty things.

I found this from Donna at Quiet Life. The object of this list is to highlight the things that you have done. Feel free to borrow this and complete it on your blog.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain----not a real high one!!
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone---well, does a good book count as someone?
08. Said “I love you” and meant it---every single day!!
09. Hugged a tree-------for photo purposes only :o)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris---summer 1990
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)---Does the Seahawks game count?
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment---more times than I can count!
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment---almost every day!
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states---well, not yet, but we are over halfway there and have definite plans for the others!
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs----You mean some people don't???
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class----for 2 weeks when Danny & I first got married, but we couldn't stop giggling through class. I don't think the teacher appreciated us so we had to quit!
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children - still raising!
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray-my foot touched one in Mexico!! Ouch!!
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days----Danny & I took a canoing class in college.
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school----right now
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream---almost every day!
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Pit in my stomach....

Do you ever have that feeling in the pit of your stomach that something isn't right? I had it a little yesterday and I woke up with this feeling. I can't figure out what it is. Things are fine with Danny, the kids are fine, my parents are good. I have a lot to do, but I finished a big assignment and turned it in yesterday, which should give me a euphoric feeling.

Could it be that the Seahawks lost yesterday? If so, I desperately need to get a life!!

Life is good! Go away, weird feeling!!

Tuesday Ten

1. It has been a long time since I have been to my yoga class. Perhaps the last time I went was when I wrote this. I started up again on Sunday, and I am still so sore I can hardly stand up or sit down! Whoever uses yoga as a relaxation or meditation technique is *not* taking the same class that I am!!

2. How do football coaches not have heart attacks right there on the field? The last two minutes of the Seahawks game on Sunday nearly put *me* into cardiac arrest and I don't have a whole lot invested in the game.

3. Today I get to go out to lunch with a friend. I'm looking forward to that!

4. Why do some school days take forever and some take such a short time? The work is pretty much the same. Last Monday the kids were still working at 5:00. Yesterday, they were done by 2:30.

5. It is amazing to me how many people don't like to be with their families on holidays. I really hope my children and their spouses want to be with us when they are grown.

6. I like playing the game Clue. The kids are getting pretty good at it and it is a fun way to teach logic skills.

7. I'm not really a lotion girl, but I got a gift of some Origins Spearmint and Lemon lotion and it smells so good that I find myself smelling my hands a lot. A strange sight, I'm sure.

8. We finished Story of the World 3 and are moving into modern times this week.

9. We put up our fall decorations this weekend. Somehow the kids always think this is going to be a way more exciting event than it really is. We don't have many decorations and it takes about 5-10 minutes, but you would have thought we were going to Disneyland!

10. Conversation between Seth and I yesterday.
Seth: Mommy, what's sexual relations mean?
Mommy: sputter, cough, sputter...Er, um, it is a special love for moms and dads.
Seth: Oh.

Blast that Bible!! :-) What kind of thing is it teaching my children?!? Note to self: Don't have seven year old reading Genesis on his own.

Obnoxious mom

Really, there is nothing more obnoxious than moms who post pictures of there kids and talk about how cute they are, right? But, I mean really!! Come on, look at that kid!!!

























And that coach on the left ain't too bad either!

Reading in Bed

Mindy: So, are you really going to carry that book on the bus?

Danny: (sheepish smile) Yes?

Mindy: It sure is.....pink.

Danny: I'm secure in my manliness.

I'm not sure where Danny first heard about this book, but he put it on hold at the library and has been enjoying it thoroughly. Last night we lay in bed; Danny reading Stop Dressing your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank and Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom, and me reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexandre Solzenhitsyn. Does anyone see the ironic contrast here? It is usually me reading lighter material and Danny tackling something a bit more weighty.

Last night we were both tucked in early with our respective books, and Danny started giggling. I ignore him concentrating a little harder on the Russian gulag. He then moved to chortling. I looked at him to see if he wanted to share the joke with me. I then turned back to my book re-reading that same paragraph for the third time. Next, he was laughing so hard he was shaking the bed. He had to share a few excerpts with me. Pretty soon we were both laughing so hard that we had tears streaming down our faces. I'm not sure what was making me laugh harder, the book or Danny trying to read through his laughter. And then, I turned back to read a couple of pages of my book.

About five minutes later, we repeated the cycle. Several times.

If you are looking for a funny light read, I'd recommend the book (if you don' t mind a little colorful language.)

Happy reading in bed, everyone!

Loving fall..

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it is officially fall here. Yesterday was a gorgeous fall day, sunny and crisp. Perfect for watching a soccer game! It just makes me happy to be out there with all those families. There are grandparents and parents and coaches holding babies. I have heard about how obnoxious youth sports parents can be, but I have seen nothing but families encouraging their kids. Perhaps it changes when they get older, but it is just wholesome good-ole'-fashion exercise and competition. Good for the body and the soul. Good to both win and lose. (Our team lost this week. :-)) But, they played well and their coach (Danny) was happy.

Today was cold, and I felt like turning on the fireplace and eating hearty soup and watching football. I did two out of three of those things. (I was upstairs so I didn't turn on the fire.) I turned in two assignments this weekend, which always feel great. Each course only has 3-4 assignments, so that is like turning in a third of the work. I'm always relieved when they are in!

Not too much to say. Just checking in. Have a great week!

Reflections on marriage....

When Danny and I got engaged a friend of mine told me that Danny would "stifle my free spirit." Those words have come back to me many times over the 15+ years that we have been married.

I have been deeply reflecting on my marriage the last couple of days because on Sunday I learned that a couple we know is separated. "We just grew apart. Our interests are different,"she told me. It caused me to reflect on my interests and Danny's interests. Honestly, we don't have that many of the same interests. I love football. He doesn't like to watch sports. He likes conservative politics and staying current with the news. I like reading fiction that takes me away from the real world. He likes working outside in the yard. I don't. :-) I like watching a little mindless TV once in a while. He prefers reading books in Spanish. He is pretty serious about life. I am hopelessly optimistic and happy.

Honestly, yes, there are days when I have felt (and still feel) like he is "cramping my style." But, when I reflect on those times, I realize that my "free spirit" needs a bit of stifling. That is what marriage is all about. The trick is to learn how to do that while still celebrating and honoring the other person's strengths. How does one celebrate the person that is their spouse and yet still help them to become more like Christ?

There is so much I want to say about this subject, and I have deleted about eight different paragraphs because I don't want to get boring or preachy. I guess I realized that it isn't about "common interests." It is about a mutual commitment to loving and serving each other long after the romantic feelings have turned to more realistic ones. It is about knowing exactly when to "stifle" the other person and when to celebrate them. And I think Danny does this well.

A Turning Point

Last night we went to my parent's house for a little family party. My uncle and aunt were visiting from Seattle so we got together to eat a little food, watch the WSU Cougars play football and have some great family time.

Last night Annsley took her younger cousin, Katie, downstairs to play dress-up. Pretty soon they emerged from downstairs, and Katie (3 years old) was decked out in the fanciest, prettiest outfit. But, Annsley was wearing her normal clothes. We all "oohed" and "ahhed" over Katie and they disappeared to don a new outfit. Soon, they arrived again with Katie in another fancy, sparkly outfit and Annsley still had on her own clothes. I know Annsley still likes dress-up because she enjoys playing it with her friends.

I felt a little sadness. Annsley no longer wanted to preen in the spotlight, in dazzling sequins and feathers, thinking herself a princess or a ballerina. My little girl is growing up!

I also felt a little proud. I watched her being perfectly content to usher Katie into the spotlight and step back and let her take center stage. My little girl is growing up. And she is growing into a confident, kind young lady!

Tuesday Ten

I'm going to borrow an idea from my friend, Cathy, who often lists ten random thoughts on Tuesday.

1. I think the Nyquil I took in the middle of the night last night sucked up all my brain fluid leaving not only my nasal canal dry, but also my brain as well.

2. Rats! I'm only on thought two and I'm running out of things to say. :-)

3. Seth had his first soccer game on Saturday. Everyone told me how sports can take over your lives, but no one told me how fun it is to cheer them on from the sidelines!! Seth's team won their game, and it is so fun to see the growth in the boys from last year.

4. Why can't homeschooling moms call in sick and get a sub?

5. I love a good hearty soup. I made a big pot of bean soup this weekend and I have been enjoying this for lunch. There is something about fall and soup that go so well together.

6. On Sunday the kids and I volunteered to work in the 3 year old class at church. Sometimes I forget how stinkin' cute 3 year olds are!!

7. I'm only on thought 7?

8. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and watched an informercial. It is disturbing how at 2:30 in the morning the Slim in Six plan sounds amazingly appealing. If I ordered right then, I could have had the whole plan for 3 easy payments of $19.95. The odd thing was that in my sleep deprived state, I found myself considering it. Really, I would have received a bunch of free gifts if I had ordered right then.

9. My reading list has been heavy lately. I pick random books from 4-5 different book lists and it seems the ones I ended up with these last couple of weeks have been hard work. I'm not opposed to pushing myself in my reading (knowing my natural predisposition to fluff), but the Gulag Archipelago and Nyquil do not make for a great match! I need a good easy light read.

10. Hooray, I made it all the way to ten!!

You gotta see these pictures!!

Don't miss the last picture on Crissy's blog entry!! I about choked on my Diet Dr. Pepper. I have been so busy playing catch up, that I haven't been able to blog about anything else. More later, I promise!

Some pictures for you...

I forgot to post these. The official ones are better and there is one of Crissy and me which I love, but I don't have a digital version of it. So, these are a couple from my camera. Don't you love the green vest? The other is my poor attempt to catch the action up close. Then I gave up because I realized that I would be better off having Crissy send me pictures of the action if I need one! :-)

Reflections of the Seahawks game

My whole trip to Seattle was such a blast!! I am going to spread it out and talk about being at my cousin's wedding, my family, and staying at Patty's house tomorrow so that I don't blab on for too long today.

The game was everything I hoped it would be. It was truly exciting and it was so cool to be on the field. Here are some of my random thoughts about the big game.

• First of all, in all honest, I was closer to the Sea Gals than I was to the players. For much of the time I was about a foot in front of them. I think it was safe to assume that the whistles and catcalls were for them and not me. They had on hotpants and I had a huge plastic green "media vest." My greatest fear was that they would show a close-up of the rear ends of the Sea Gals and my rear end would be in the background. Not a pretty contrast!!
• Second of all, don't be deceived, ladies....they do have cellulite.
• I wonder why it is that the guy up in the stands feels the need to shout out "Wusey!!" to a professional football player who has just been brutally tackled by another large football player.
• It is so loud and the energy is so amazingly high down on the field I could hardly believe it!
• At one point in time I got swept up in a group of Sea Gals and camera men down in the endzone and there were fans hanging over the edge to give high fives to the Sea Gals and I reached up before I could stop myself and high fived a guy in the crowd. I then realized that it really wasn't me that they were hoping to greet, but for a moment, I was caught up in the crowd. :-)
• Crissy is just as awesome in real life as she is on the internet. (And, to all you doubters, she was not a creepy 50 year old man.) She is fun and worked like a busy beaver the whole game while I was out having fun.
• Crissy's boys are *so* cute and charming and now I claim Jeffrey more than ever for Annsley's future husband. (And, no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I would then be related to someone who could get me into the games!)
• Crissy's husband is awesome at what he does and it was almost as much fun to watch him work as it was to watch the game. He is obviously well loved by everyone from the big-whigs down to the security guards. It was fun to watch the magic!!
• Judging by the noises that are made when those players hit each other, I think it might hurt a little bit to play professional football.
• I saw the largest arms and thighs I have ever seen in my life!
• Press passes make you feel extremely important!

Thanks again, Crissy. This was an experience I'll never forget!!

I'll be gone this weekend....

First, I'll be going to my cousin's wedding, and the kids are in the wedding. I lived with their family one summer when I was in college and worked as a children's intern at their church. So, they are very special to me!! I love my family. I know, a person is supposed to dread getting together with their extended family. Danny calls them "relatives." I find that the distinction between "family" and "relatives" a huge one. I am going to see my family this weekend. And, I can't wait!! My mom has four brothers and so I have tons of cousins! Even more fun is watching our kids (second cousins) all playing together.

Then....on Sunday.....look for me on the sidelines......HERE! Can you say excited?!? I get to help Crissy's hubby and crew carry equipment. I'll probably be the one bowled over by the 260 pound linebacker. Or, you may see me sneaking over to call a few plays. I can not tell you what a nice thing it was for Crissy to give me this opportunity.

Then....after the game I get to go stay with Patty!!

A person ought not be allowed have that much fun in a weekend!

See ya on Monday!

A Halloween History....

Early to be talking about Halloween, you say? Well, I'm going to give you a little Buller family Halloween History. When my children were babies and toddlers I always made their costumes.

And they were cute. Darn cute! Dare I say, practically the cutest kids to don costumes. And I spent lots of time and energy on their little sweet outfits. The top two pictures are Annsley as a peapod on her first Halloween. The bottom two are Seth on his first Halloween (well, actually his second. His first was the day after he was born....but I digress.) Really, my crowning jewel was the lion costume. That was the year my kids were the lion and the lamb. (Come on everyone...."awwwwwe".) I made Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. I made a duck and a skunk. And I would proudly promenade them around our church's fall festival saying humbly, "Yes, I made it.....thanks."

And then, they got older. And I started homeschooling. And teaching. And they had opinions. They no longer wanted to match and be cute. They wanted to be batman and a princess. And I had no time to sew a costume that would cost me more to make than to buy.

So, I swung to the other extreme. "What do you want to be this year?" I would ask the week before Halloween. (All the "good" costumes were sold out by then.) "How about the batman in your dress-up box? Great!!" Let's face it. A seven year old batman doesn't hold a candle in terms of cuteness to a two year old skunk!!!

Why am I telling you all this today? We had a little extra time this afternoon and we drove past the 50% off card shop where they have tons of costumes and accessories. And we stopped. And we bought costumes....before they sold out of the good ones!! So, this year we will be proudly sporting a cheap (they even chose ones that were on sale) ninja, with sword and a Renaissance princess. And I didn't have to make them. And I no longer have to have the Halloween costume thing hanging over my head.

But, one of the best parts was that the kids were so thankful. You would have thought I had given them a solid gold sword and crown! I love it when my kids are thankful. It made me almost want to do something really nice for them.....like sew them a costume or something.

I will remember

It still hurts.

Today, I pray!

ONE MORE DAY!!!!!

Yup, it is that time of the year again!!















Talk about fall butterflies!!

Here is a confession I must make to you all. Danny has to go to second service tomorrow because he is an usher. But.....I'm going to first service.....so I can watch the game!! We don't sit together when he is ushering because he has to stay in the very back and I really don't like sitting in the way back. So, I sheepishly asked him if I could go to first service. He rolled his eyes at me and I took that as a yes! :-)

Go Hawks!

Do you know what I love?

We got our first bag of the year today....

It gave me fall butterflies in my stomach. Does anyone else get seasonal butterflies? It is a literal physical sensation I get in my tummy. The first smell of fall in the air. Football games. Leaves turning. The first snow fall. Christmas decorations (even when they are in October). The first feeling of sunshine poking through the clouds. The first little crocus poking out his head. The first time of the year I swim. These things all give me what I have termed "seasonal butterflies."
I love Spokane *so much* because of the four distinct seasons. Every season brings with it its own special joys. Sure, you gotta put up with some blah, yucky days from Feb.-April, but it just makes that sunshine all the sweeter. The other day Danny said, "We need to go live somewhere that is *this* temperature all year long." I heartily disagreed. I wouldn't trade the colors of autumn or the snowy days for all the sunshine in San Diego.

Do you get seasonal butterflies?

So, which do you like better.....the corn or the pumpkins?

First Day of School

Every Labor Day we attend a wonderful community event. The large park that is about 5 blocks from my parent's house has an outdoor symphony performance. It is one of my favorite events of the summer. There are all kinds of people there. There are "symphony people" who come early, bring their tables and wine and sit near the front. There are families galore who bring picnic blankets and cookies. There are teenagers with piercings. There are ladies in red hats playing cards around a card table. There are people that I went to high school with. It was a beautiful night last night and following a barbecue at my parent's house, we walked over to enjoy the show. We got to see good friends (good to see you, Cath) and some people we haven't seen for a long time. It was a perfect end to the summer.

And, today we start school. I'll have to wake the kids up and get started a little earlier than we have been getting around this summer. I have a little pile of new school supplies sitting at the breakfast table, which should prove to be exciting for the kids. (Yes, I'm raising a new generation of geeks who get excited by school supplies!) The assignment notebooks are ready to go. I love fall! I'll give a report on the first day of school later.

I'm a genetic oddity

I have a confession to make.....

I think God left out a few girl genes when He created me.

I hate shopping!

I went to the mall yesterday because my mom gave me a little money for some new clothes for the kids and me. Her stipulation was that I had to use it on clothes. So, I set off to the mall with high expectations. I didn't mind shopping for the kids. I'm really too cheap to pay full price for anything, but we did end up with a couple of things on sale for each of the kids.

We then went to Barnes and Noble, a family favorite place to visit. I left to kids in the children's book section and popped next door to the Nordstrom Rack. My first feeling when I walk into the Rack is a sense of being overwhelmed. I don't really know what I need. I don't know where to look. I don't feel like trying on clothes. I don't really know what is "in" these days.

So, I start tentatively looking at the hundreds of round racks (which seem to be in no particular order). I pick a couple of things up and then realize I don't really like them and put them back. I don't even make it halfway through the clothes before I give up. I go to the racks of shoes. I must go to the back of the shoe racks where they keep the *big* shoes. All the cute footed people get to shop in the bright, cheery front of the shoe section, but I head toward the dimly lit section in the back. Shoes never look quite as cute in size 9 (or 9.5) as they do in 6. I'm not bitter. I look at 2,680 single shoes and find none that I really like (and I'm *not* willing to pay $60 for a pair of shoes.) I leave Nordstrom Rack empty handed, feeling discouraged and a bit like a shopping failure. I race back to Barnes and Noble where I feel comfortable and happy. I check on the kids who are surrounded by piles of Bernstein Bear books. Go figure, they haven't read those books for years, but they are enjoying it.

I set off again for a couple other shops, certain that I can find something to spend some money on. I walk up to The Gap. I walk in, look around, don't find one thing that I think would look cute on me. I turn around and walk out. Couple other stores. Same story. I buy something at Barnes and Noble and call it good.

Side note: Who came up with the notion of selling jeans that have carefully torn and worn (and even dirty) patches on them? Doesn't anyone else find this one of the silliest fads yet?

I do like to look cute/hip. I just don't know how to do it by myself. I don't enjoy the thrill of the hunt. I need a personal shopper.

Somehow I missed the shopping gene. (And the hair styling gene, and the make-up gene.)

But, I really like football. :-)

A New Song turns 1 today!!!

Happy Blogiversary to me!!!!!

One year ago, I fearfully and shyly made my first blog entry. I didn't want to tell anyone about it. I was afraid I would fail. I wanted to have a "good blog" (whatever that means), I wanted my blog to be more like all of your blogs.

One year later, I find I don't care nearly as much. I don't care if I write every day. If I am not as spiritually deep, or funny, or creative, or brainy, or artsy or (fill in the blanks) as the rest of you, so be it. I am who I am. I think blogging helps a person become OK with this fact. It has for me. I like the relationships that develop through the blogging world. I like peeks into your inner thoughts and I like giving you peeks into mine.

Here are a few lessons I have learned over the year.....

• Blogging makes me look for the art in things. I find myself thinking I wish I could capture that beautiful sunset so I could put it on my blog.
• I have to think in order to blog. Honestly, thinking ain't one of my strong points. I prefer to make quick decisions, quick messages, quick tasks, easy reads, and fast food. :-) Blogging forces me to slow down and think.
• Honestly, I'm out of lessons and I don't have time to think about it right now. :-) But, everyone knows you can't have just two bullets. There should be at least three, right?

Thanks for reading and commenting. Blog comments make my day!

50 things....for Laney

I got this from Laney

1. My roommate and I once: put on black outfits and nylons on our heads and went spying around our apartment complex

2. Never in my life have I: Mowed a lawn

3. The one person who can drive me nuts, but then can always manage to make me smile is: Danny

4. High school was: A long time ago (20 years, to be exact!!)

5. When I'm nervous: I get cold and my teeth chatter.

6. The last time I cried was: I choked up tonight at our church service worship, but I can't remember the last good cry.

7. If I were to get married right now, my bridesmaids would be: some of the same, and some new. (How is that for a diplomatic answer? If I started naming people, I'd have a long list!)

8. Would you rather run naked through a crowded place or have someone e-mail your deepest secret to all your friends? Hmmmmm, do I know the people in the crowded place?

9. My hair is: straight and sometimes even combed

10. When I was 5:I moved to Spokane

11. Last Christmas: was our first Christmas without Danny's sister and family and it seemed so quiet.

12: When I look left: Why would I do that right now?

13. I should be: Saying goodnight to the kids.

14. When I look down I see: My laptop on my lap.

15. The craziest recent event was: the airline losing my luggage for 3 days on my trip to Rhode Island.

16. If I were a character on "Friends": I'd be Monica. I really like order and organization.

18. My favorite aunt is: I don't have a favorite, they are all wonderful.

19. I have a hard time understanding:How parking garages work-I know I parked on the yellow floor, but my car is still hidden. I don't get it!!

20. One time at a family gathering: We sang The Twelve Days of Christmas in July (It is a family tradition when we gather at Christmas, and we haven't all been together for a long time at Christmas.)

21. You know I like you if: I laugh with you

22. If I won an award, the first person I'd thank: I'd like to thank all the little people...

23. Take my advice: Alphabetize you spices!

24. My ideal breakfast is: Lunch

25. If you visit my home town: You can swim in my parent's swimming pool (one of my top favorite places in the world to be.)

26. Sometime soon I plan to visit: My cousin in Seattle

27. If you spend the night at my house: You will get to hear a crazy story from Danny and you will get to experience my nighttime kid kiss routine. (It includes a butterfly kiss, an eskimo kiss, a Mexican kiss on the cheek, a kiss blown....no French kiss, however.)

28. I'd stop my wedding if: I was throwing up.

29. The world could do without: Punk rock

30. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: Jog (sorry, Laney!)

31. The most recent thing I've bought myself is: 3 cute little serving bowls when I was in Rhode Island.

32. The most recent thing someone else bought for me is: My traveling companion to Rhode Island (and co-teacher) is legaly blind and she bought me this wonderful smelling lotion as a thanks for helping her out.

33. My favorite red head is: My friend's son, Evan....he is really one of the only red heads I can think of.

34. My favorite brunette is: My mom

35. My car must have a sign on it that reads: We don't spend a lot of money on cars.

36. The last time I was drunk: Refer to question #1. (Actually, I was more just tipsy.)

37. The animals I would like to see flying besides birds: Pigs....so I could say "When pigs fly."

38. I shouldn't have been: Wasted on a husband who doesn't like to watch football.

39. I should have: Had more children

40. Last night I: Went out to dinner as a mystery shopper.

41. There's this girl I know who: has read Gone with the Wind 26 times and thinks she knows all the quotes by heart!! :-) (PS, Patty, I knew if wasn't a direct quote from the book, but I knew it was the only way people would recognize the quote. :-))

42: I don't know: html

43. A better name for me would be: Happy (or Dopey)

44. If I ever go back to school: It would be to get my masters in Distance Education....oh wait, that is what I'm doing! :-) But, if I really had my druthers I would go back and take random art, music, history, etc...classes.

45. How many days until my birthday? I can't count that high (It is in March)....Happy birthday, Laney!

46. One dead celebrity I wish I'd met is: David Hasselhoff.....oh, did you mean physically dead, or just career dead? (Don't hassel the Hoff!!!)

47. I've lived at my current address since: Jan 2000.

48. I've been told I look like: Meryl Streep and Helen Hunt.

49. If I could have any car, it would be: Um......something with a good cup holder. Did I mention we don't spend money on cars?

50. If I got a new cat tomorrow, I would name it: Considering our last cat was named....Kitty, I might try to come up with something a bit more interesting.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a....

How did it take 38 years for me to discover this treasure!?! I loved every minute of it from cover to cover, but I especially loved the ending. It was not what I expected, but it was perfect! I really enjoy endings that surprise you. I won't tell you what the surprise was because you all need to read the book!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Civil War and Reconstruction from the southern viewpoint. It is one that is not often told in the politically correct world we live in today. I don't totally buy it, but it is fascinating to read this perspective. Patty gets the Gone With the Wind award, having read the book 26 times. (That is 26,000 pages! :-)) I enjoyed reading her thoughts about the book in an email.

Now, I have to watch the movie!

My house is clean....

and when I say clean....I mean *really* clean. I mean pull out the refrigerator clean. I'm talking under the oven clean. Microwave grate taken off, soaked and scrubbed clean. Fridge drawers taken out and cleaned under clean. Every drawer and closet organized clean. Pens that don't work thrown away clean. Top of the kitchen soffet cleaned. Even garbage cans scrubbed clean. Yup, it is clean!! And I feel great!!

I'm reading two books right now that I am loving. The first is (of all things) Gone With the Wind. I have never (gasp) read the book or (double gasp) seen the movie. It is a wonderful book. For some reason, I pulled it off my booklist somewhat begrudgingly, assuming it would be a bit boring. I am 553 pages into the 1037 page book and I can not put it down.

The second book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, is one I had never heard of before, but I am listening to it on tape. It is great novel written from the perspective of a teen boy who has Asperger's. It is great writing and a creative perspective on life. And, the kids uses lots of math examples in the book, so...how could I not like it? His chapters are not numbered 1,2,3 but rather 2,3,5,7,11 (the prime numbers.) My favorite quote has something to do with prime numbers and life.

"The rule for working out prime numbers is really simple, but no one has ever worked out a simple formula for telling you whether a very big number is a prime number or what the next one will be.... Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical, but you could never work out all the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them."

Math geeks....you know you love them.

Tagged by Needleroozer....

Five things in my freezer:
Peaches
Raspberries (more raspberries than any freezer has a right to hold!!)
Frozen onions and jalapenos portioned out to use for Mexican rice
Fruit pops
Homemade ice cream

Five things in my closet:
Canned peaches (at least in the pantry closet)
Clean organized shelves (just did this last week)
The white shoes that I wore in my wedding (why do I keep these?)
The black shirt that is really out of style, but Danny liked when we were dating. Why? I don't know. I'm not a saver!!
Danny coats encroaching (read: taking over) my side of the closet.

Five things in my car:
Canned peaches (that I loaded home from my mother-in-law's house)
A Wind in the Door book on tape
Chapstick (or lip crack as we who are addicted like to call it!)
Yoga mat (don't ask when I last did yoga)
Emergency kit that I put together with all kinds of random supplies

Five things in my purse:
Peaches (I wish I were kidding, but I think that there are a few pieces of peel floating around)
Lip crack
Trident gum (original)
Cell phone
Sugar Free sour candy

Five things on my mind:
Yup, you guessed it!! Peaches!!
I don't have to cook dinner tonight.
I have to go to an open house tonight.
I really need to go finish cleaning the kitchen
Getting the kids packed to spend the night with Grandma.

Canned Peaches

Today after church we canned 80-ish jars of peaches. We all (Danny, his parents, Annsley and I) have weary backs and feet. Guess what we had for dinner tonight! Peaches and ice cream.

The peaches are "put up" and now I have to figure out what to do with the last box. What a great problem, eh? I think a batch of peach crisp is definitely in order. Danny wants some fruit leather, and I'm having a hard time getting excited about that. Does anyone have any great fruit leather recipes?

All good things must come to an end

OK, I'll try to make this a very long post so that awful picture doesn't pop up on your screen anymore!

This morning, amidst tears from five kids and two moms, the cousins left to go back to California for the year. (OK, in the interest of honesty, Seth didn't cry while they were leaving, but cried about his mysterious stomach ache after they left. The boy has issues with excessive displays of affection or emotion. I hereby apologize to his future wife...I tried, really I did. And then, of course, while I was typing this, he walked by and said, "I like you, Mom." Future wife....you will also have lots to thank me for. But, I digress.)

It is so hard to watch them go, but....it is better to have loved and lost...yada, yada, yada. Seriously, it was such an unexpected gift that they got to be here for the summer that we can not complain about saying goodbye. But, it still hurts!

They spent the night last night and everyone got way too little sleep, and that was OK! But, we are all paying the price this afternoon!! Anyone want a couple of cute, tired children? Cheap!!

I am almost done with my fall cleaning project!! I just have the kitchen and dining room left. Great Expectations (Dickens) is now keeping me company while I work. I love listening to books on tape while I work. I especially feel productive when I can listen to books on my reading list while I am cleaning!! I'm loving Great Expectations!! I have never read it before.

Next week will be cooking week. I'll be canning peaches and doing some other bulk cooking to get ready for the school year.

So, do you think this post is long enough to bump the bum out of view? Let's hope so!

Traveling Woes

I'm sorry, but I just can not resist posting this picture!! This is the next step in airport security. I just got back from Rhode Island and thankfully didn't have to do the strip search! :-)

I think I had this nightmare once, only I was the lady in the aisle (which I'm afraid to say may hit a little too close to home!) and everyone else was fully clothed.

Back to the Real World

Well, we had a wonderful time in Cannon Beach. I tried blogging a couple of times while we were there, and both times I crashed when I tried to upload pictures. So, I decided to wait. We had great weather. I started each morning at 6:30 with a walk to Haystack rock with my mom. Those are very special times to me. Special enough to get me up at 6:30 on my vacation!! The speaker (Dr. Hubbard) spoke on Hebrews and he was a good teacher. I would have liked a little more personal application, but it was good learning.

The play we saw this year wasn't great. That was a disappointment. Usually the plays in Cannon Beach are delightful. The actors in this two man show weren't quite funny enough to pull it off.

One highlight of the week was sharing some brie with Patty and her hubby!! (Thanks again, Patty, I could have used about three times longer to chat!!)

The kids were old enough this year to take themselves to and from the meetings this year. It was a strange feeling to give them more freedom. They would go to the rec center or take off on the beach with friends. They loved it, and I found that I missed them. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed all the reading I was able to do, but it was one of those moments where you are aware of your children growing up! The funny thing is I remember as a kid loving the extra independence we had when we were in Cannon Beach.

The children's program there is incredible. The kids come away with so many great memories.















(family walk to Haystack rock...a mile down and a mile and a half back! :-))














(The whole gang, minus Danny, the photographer)

On Wednesday I leave for Rhode Island again for another conference. 4 nights in a hotel room by myself. It sounds pretty good to me!

Ahead of the game!

Every year, late summer, when we get back from Cannon Beach, my mind shifts into high gear fall anticipation. I love summer, but I love fall too. I love the anticipation of a new school year. I love the school supply sales. (Yes, I already started buying, but that is another post.) One thing we do to get ready for the year is a MAJOR (and I mean REALLY major) house cleaning. I literally go room by room and clean everything!! Every drawer emptied and cleaned, every closet organized, every mini-blind dusted, every baseboard washed, every wall rubbed down, everything!!

A couple of days ago I got a little bee in my bonnet to clean out my "office" (read: junkroom that contains my abandoned scrapbooking supplies, homeschool materials, and anything else that has no immediate home.) This room is one that takes some considerable going through and I had the great idea, "What if I *start* with that room and get it done before I leave?" So, in a flurry of garbage bags (plural!!), wet and dry clothes, and, of course, Clorax wipes, I began. My accompaniment was The Lord of the Flies read by the author himself. He is a terrible reader. He has this disturbing little swallow. It is SO annoying. But even worse? He pauses after each chapter to add his own pompous comments about his writing. Again, another post.

Well, I finished and moved on to the school/playroom!! I enlisted the help of two willing servants. (They preferred that to math. Go figure!) They dusted the mini-blinds, baseboards, etc. Every Playmobile knight is in its place. Every lego is either vacuumed up or in its proper bin. The miscellaneous little junky toys that somehow accumulate even though we don't really ever get toys is in one of the aforementioned garbage bags.

Today, I tackled the laundry room. I even pulled out the washer and dryer to clean behind and under them. How can machines dedicated to cleaning things make such a mess? But, now, they are polished and shiny, ready to do battle with the next batch of laundry.

The week I had intended to do this was the third week of August, so I really feel like I am ahead of the game now. Somehow, once the ball gets rolling, I really enjoy the process. It feels so good to look at a room and know everything in it has been cleaned.

Now, if only it would stay this way!!