Circling the Square Table

Monday Mumbles

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

Who's ready for Monday? Come on...who's coming with me? Who's ready? Who's awake? Who's.....tired?

1. I know I'm doing something right when my 7 year old hears "I Hate Myself For Loving You" (a la Joan Jett) on the car radio and says thoughtfully..."I know this song." It plays for another 30 seconds while yours truly belts it out and then he goes, "It's the Sunday Night Football song!" Yes, my wonderful little boy, yes it is.

2. Speaking of football, that wonderful little boy just got signed up for his first taste of it. Flag football this spring. I can't wait to see if he likes it!

3. Even more so, I cannot wait to be the parent on the sideline again, camera in hand. I LOVE coaching basketball, but I miss having photos of the games. I'd ask Hubs, but he's doing his best just watching OJ and EJ and still attempting to catch most of the game.

4. TO had one of his basketball buddies over Friday night. While I was in the midst of setting up their beds and asking the boys pertinent questions and blankets, he said to me with a confused grin, "You are acting like my MOM....no offense." I took that as a compliment meaning I act like a coach in practice and not like a coddling "are you alright baby" kinda MOM.

5. I just took my Facebook friends from 171 to 152 this weekend. Not gonna lie. It felt great.

6. My mom, Evelyn, and I took an hour and a half car ride Saturday afternoon. Evelyn was NOT at all pleased with being in the car. We stopped after an hour to get my sister and my mom hopped in the back with her. While she attempted to sooth the grumpy little turd, Evelyn decided to remove her shoe, remove her sock, take my mom's hand and guide it to her leg. When mom's leg patting was clearly the wrong move, Evelyn took her hand once more and placed it directly on her foot. And this is how my mom learned that her granddaughter is spoiled beyond all imaginable and receives foot rubs in the car.

7. Some of you know me, some of you have been reading long enough to know, but some of you newbies don't really know how much I love sports. I don't post a lot of "MY TEAM DID..." on here, but you all need to know. I love my Kansas Jayhawks. I love my Oakland Raiders. I love my Kansas City Royals. I'm gaining a fast appreciation for Sporting KC Soccer while my interest in boxing is waning.

8. Oh, and I'm not a casual fan. Sure, as a mom, I might have to miss a few games now and then due to activities. But given a chance to attend a purse and gossip party or hang with Hubs and his friends to watch the game.....? I'm picking the game. Every time.

9. Unless the host of the purse party happened to be married to some really hot football player and he would be in attendance to assist with the veggie tray. I mean, I am still a chick after all.

10. OJ never stays in his bed. I vaguely recall my parents saying someone else did that when they were younger, but I don't know who they were hinting at. Anyhow, when I put OJ to bed, he is never IN his bed when TO heads in for the night. He's generally on the floor. Sunday night, I told him, "OJ, I do NOT want to see you on the floor when TO comes to bed. It's too chilly down there." He nodded his compliance. When I took TO in, OJ was NOT on the floor!! He listened! No floor bed for him. Instead, he was tucked snugly in TO's bed. At least he listened, right?

Funny Faces Friday

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-06:00

I'm in a blogging rut. I've only done Mumbles and Faces for the past few ~~months~~ weeks. I have thoughts swimming in my mind, but I can't seem to get them down onto "paper".

Part of the reason is because I'm stuck in working mommy role where everything is mommy related, and let's face it. There are enough mommy blogs. My thoughts are no different than a hundred other moms.

Another reason is because the thoughts I'm having are potentially risky. They run the risk of offending others, at the very least because my opinions will differ from theirs. Sure, this doesn't typically bother me. But the issues are sensitive, the thoughts are raw, and if put here, they run the risk of alienating even if that is not the intent.

In effect, my life is boring. I'm okay with this, but it makes for pretty tame blogging. I don't have the time or energy to sit and research and provide you with provocative questions or links. I don't want to minimize and focus the blog for only one cause or concern.

It leaves us back to where we were, huh? I didn't even take new photos recently to share with you today. So what's a gal to do? Dig into the archives. Everyone needs a giggle, even if it's recycled. Happy Friday!

This is Till five years ago, age 9. It's Halloween. We don't typically allow guns in the car. What do you take us for? Texans?

Yup, this is Turner. Please look close. Scooby slippers. Black work gloves. And? Oh yeah. A fanny pack.

This is why Owen was named "The Angry Italian" for so long. He looks like a greasy little mobster baby. Evil eye and all.

Evelyn has been a diva from the word go. At least she doesn't stick her tongue out all the time, like she used to.

Monday Mumbles

2012-01-23T08:58:00.000-06:00

Good morning. Been a bit of a crazy weekend. Instead of mumbles from me today, you're going to get some wisdom from children. No, not mine. Just some quips that I found and thought were adorable. Enjoy the innocence of these children's words today!

1. My mom's cookie are done when the smoke alarm goes off.

2. Water is composed of two gins. Oxygin and hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.

3. Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick.

4. When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.

5. Syntax is all the money collected at the church from sinners.

6. You smell good! Is that Oil of Old Lady?

7. When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don't answer him.

8. If mom says "no" she means it. If dad says "no" it means maybe.

9. Brothers are annoying until they get a car.

10. When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not breathe, you expire.

Funny Faces Friday

2012-01-20T04:30:00.000-06:00

We just can't seem to get away from this clinchy smile.

Evelyn met a cousin this past weekend, and here she is, giving the stink eye.

Again. The smile. There is nothing cute about this. At all.

Two words: Angry. Birds.

In case you wondered, he's actually wearing an Angry Birds tee shirt that says "Wingman". Oh yes he is.

No teeth smiley got a hair cut. Now I'm ready for his curls to come back. Now.

Wisdom by Owen

2012-01-19T07:07:00.001-06:00

Mom: I'd really like to sleep through the night without somebody coming into my bed at night and waking me up, Owen.
Owen: Then why don't you go out and sleep on the couch??

Mom: Blah blah blah morning chatter....
Owen: *wiggle wiggle wiggle*
Mom: Owen, do you have to go to the bathroom?
Owen: Um, yes. Thank you for asking me, Mom.

Owen: *dinner time round table activity* Let's do best and worst today!
Owen: I'll go just go last because I'll have too many and I'll talk too much and I don't want anyone to interrupt me.

Owen: Mom, you're just too cuddly.
Mom: Thanks, Owen.
Owen: I just too much love you. Do you want to snuggle? We can cuddle in your bed. Do you want that, Mom?
Mom: Why don't we snuggle tonight when we're watching Wipeout.
Owen: Okay!! You're just so warm and cuddly. I just too much love you.

I just too much love him, too.

Monday Mumbles

2012-01-16T08:33:00.003-06:00

Another Monday, another day off work. Days like these really trick a gal, though, into thinking four day weeks are the norm. Oh so wrong.

1. Our 2nd grade boys basketball team is 2-0. Turner is progressing nicely, but it'll take more one on one work either with me or Hubs.

2. Man coaches do not like losing to women coaches. At all.

3. Sissy has a LOT of hair. And I love every minute that she'll sit still and allow me to comb it out and play with it.

4. She's still bow-legged, by the way. Walking like she's on a camel. Apparently, the more she walks and runs, the more it'll work itself out. She certainly gets in plenty of running, chasing after Owen in anger.

5. Sunday afternoon/evening I escaped for a girl's day. We met up and bowled a game and successfully stayed under 100. Impressive, we were. In the 10th frame, my girlfriend bowled a strike, and the group of boys next to us started clapping for her. Standing ovation! They were probably 4th grade or so. What sweet kids.

6. Or were they mocking? Hmmm...

7. I had leftovers from my dinner last night. This morning, the box is sitting empty in the trash. Another hmmm.....Okay, well not so much. Clearly Hubs is a pig and couldn't contain himself.

8. OJ and Sissy and I are up bright and early. Ugh. We're about to hit the store and get diapers and wipes. I'd like to think we're getting to the tail end of buying these items. She's 19 months and I had the boys frequently attempting the toilet by this age. In due time, I suppose. She knows what she's doing when she's doing it, she just hasn't figure out she should be doing it somewhere else. I figure I've got 5 months to make my 2 year old goal. I can do this a bit longer....oy.

9. My mumbles have been a tad boring. This is why I shouldn't write them on days off work. I'm not feeling nearly as spunky on days off as I would if I was gearing up for dealing with co-workers and clients.

10. Quite a few asked about the pot pie recipe. It's really nothing special, and it's not exact. It's a concoction of ingredients I slap together and not really measured. I prefer to cook my chicken either by baking for 2.5-3 hours in brother and seasoned with salt, pepper, and season salt, or crock potted all day with the same mix.

I cook the carrots in a mix of water and butter until they are nearly softened, and then throw in a can of corn and a can of green beans. I add water/butter as needed to keep them from frying. Once all veggies are warmed, I mix in a can of cream of chicken. If I do frozen bags of veggies, which makes more, I'll also add a can of cream of mushroom. I will season as I choose with salt and pepper.

I shred the chicken, add it to the veggie/soup mix. I pour in some of the chicken broth for taste and consistency. If it needs to be thickened after that, I sprinkle in flour until the consistency is goopy enough for pot pie, not too runny and not too thick and pasty.

The biscuits were big and flaky Grands kind. I flattened them between my palms and pressed them into muffin/cupcake paper liners. Some extra would be at the top and I just flattened those gently against the muffin pan. I scooped in pot pie mixture to the top, and then baked them for 15-20, until the biscuits were golden brown around the top edges that I could see, and hoped that the insides were cooked as well.

:) That is all.

Funny Faces Friday

2012-01-13T07:23:00.000-06:00

Since the holidays, I've been slacking on the photog front. I captured one cute moment, but I let a guest photographer do some of the work for me. Enjoy!

Sissy loves to be eating whatever anyone else is eating. She's very lucky to have a big brother so accommodating and willing to feed her bites.

I made a chicken pot pie, but instead of making it into a casserole, which my kids tend to dislike, I made them into biscuit cakes. Same ingredients, different presentation. Huge difference!

Guest photographer hard at work. Can you spot the errant Cheerio?

Self portrait or close up of a model? I don't know.

Oh! So close...we almost got it all in the frame. Or is that what they intended? Again, I do not know.

Finally, a full head shot! Complete with bed head and mess on his face. OJ is destined.

Monday Mumbles

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-06:00

The first full work week is back in effect today. We'll see how long I last before petering out and napping in the bathroom stall.

1. We have serious issues, folks. No TiVo or DVR for us. I haven't ever felt the need to have one, deeming any television I missed television not worth seeing. HOWEVER....the Bachelor has started and guess who has basketball practice during most of the show's length?

2. Hubs offered up a solution. Any of you young readers know what a "VCR" is? Yeah, he thinks he could rig it for me. We shall see!

3. Speaking of basketball, Turner's team (my team since I'm Coach) won their first game! I was relieved to get that first game out of the way and excited to see how the kids responded to the competition. Too bad the opposing coach took exception to the fact that he lost.

4. My mom's dog is so utterly pathetic. He's got Separation Anxiety and just sits around like the mopiest, saddest dog whenever my mom leaves him somewhere.

5. Evie is OJ's shadow. She is his nemesis, she is his biggest fan. The sibling relationship they have is going to be so much fun to watch.

6. Friday night, Hubs and I went out to dinner to the Olive Garden. One of the best parts about the OG is the mint they give you at the end of the meal. Our waitress brought the check, we paid our bill, and she thought she was done with us. She forgot our mints, however, and Hubs kindly sat at the table until she swung back by and asked for his mint. Apparently she was really sorry she'd forgotten, or she got a kick out of a grown man's patience for mints. She brought back an entire to-go container of them. I laughed so hard on the way out, I fell off the curb.

7. I tried out two new meals over the weekend. One was a sour cream and green chilies chicken enchilada. My friend found it on this blog, and I thought I'd try it. It wasn't bad at all, and Till really liked them, but I know I will always prefer to bake or crock pot my chicken instead of boiling it. Lesson learned. The other was a standard chicken pot pie, but baked in biscuit cups instead of the regular casserole. The kids really liked that, so it was a win.

8. Hubs thinks he's too sexy to work out. So he doesn't. I think he has a woman booty. So he shakes it.

9. OJ will spontaneously tell family members that he loves them, if he's "feeling it". He might be playing near them, they might have helped him out with something, and he'll interrupt simply to say, "I love you, Grandma." It catches my family off guard because we're not typically the affectionate type, but I think they like it.

10. Last night, as I laid Sissy down, I said as I always do, "I love you, Evie. Night night." As I about closed the door, I heard her say, "Mama?" I said yes?, and she said, "I wuh woo." Yummy baby.

Funny Faces Friday - Updated!

2012-01-06T18:30:00.000-06:00

It will be up! Just later. As in...tonight. Yeah. Forgot to do it last night and ran out of the house this morning without putting it up. Think of it as waiting for the best for last on your Perfect Friday! :)

**Updated with photos**

Sissy goofs off with her Grandma, and shows off her new slippers!

OJ received a nifty ear flap stocking cap - Lightning McQueen style.

TO will always get goofy for a photo now. Those eyes though. Yum.

Spontaneously, my Grandfather offered up a silly face - and he immediately covered his eyes and said "OH NO!" while he laughed. Apparently he wasn't prepared to do such a silly thing, but I refused to delete it. I LOVED IT.

Children and the Windows They Close

2012-01-04T09:42:00.000-06:00

We often like to talk about how children open up so many paths we never knew existed. This is totally true.

We learn about a special kind of love, we regain perspective into childhood and the awe that is "new" concepts. We learn to love simple moments full of giggles, and quiet moments full of tears. We learn that puke is part of life, and bananas smeared as hair gel can be too.

But what about the paths that slowly or abruptly shut down? Because if we're honest with ourselves, whether you're single with no children, single with children, or married with or without children, CHILDREN close paths, just as they open them.

I overheard the following from the married with no children crowd here at work just recently:
"I would never take my young kids on a cruise."

Social graces and comprehension about appropriate things to say are completely different AFTER you have children. This married with none doesn't quite understand the following:

1. Young kids deserve to have fun, as well.
2. Parents who can afford to give such an incredible gift are overjoyed at the thought of their children's reaction.
3. Regardless of what you think you would or wouldn't do right NOW, it's not your place to pass casual judgment on someone else's choice of entertainment for their child. If your judgment is well-placed and with good intentions for the safety of your friend, then by all means proceed with caution. If not? Shut up.

"Man, you've got...some sickly kiddos. What's with that immune system?"

What else don't they understand?

4. Just because a child gets sick, doesn't mean they're sickly.
5. By saying such a thing, it's actually a bit of an insult to the parent who routinely tries to keep their child from dying on a daily basis.
6. Kids get germs from every place imaginable because they go to and touch every place imaginable. That's life. They're building their immune system.

On a more serious note, what happens when people near and dear to you slowly, OR suddenly, close paths. Intentionally do or say things that clearly warrant you taking extra moments of hesitation before gracing them again with your children's presence?

While we know that some of our single friends fall off the wagon when we get hitched, it's always sad. Same goes for our childless friends when we start bringing snot-nosed hoodlums under our roof. We just reach different stages of life at different times, and while we respect one another's decisions, we also understand that what were once mutual interests are no longer. If we're lucky, we grow slowly but respectfully on our separate paths and maintain a distant connection that we both remember fondly.

But I have to ask - don't you have a small list of people that you thought you'd never separate from? People whose paths might always be slightly different but the cords connecting you had a strength where mutual respect and acceptance would always be in tact? These are the people who you thought would always admire your children when everyone else called them sickly, would talk through relationship rough spots with maturity and wisdom even if they'd never been married.

What happens when these paths close?

I don't know about you, but when this happened to me, I was left with my brows furrowed, my face long, and an unsettling sadness growing inside me. I was wanted, that was clear. My friendship. But what comes along with me, not so much.

And what's even harder is when it's echoed by others, those who are supposed to always support and love the growing family. Family. Maybe some don't understand that their ever-vocal presence of opinions can become deep-rooted memories. Maybe they're kidding, maybe they're just tired that day. But when you state more than once that you prefer not to have my hoodlums around, be certain you will not have them around.

For a very long time.

I like to think I'm reasonable. I like to think I can see my children's faults. And I like to believe if they were truly awful little creatures, I'd be upset and furiously trying to improve their social deficits.

They aren't. They are 1, 3, and 7. They're loud, they have fun, they sometimes cry, they're children.

And they're part of me now. Does that mean I desert my friendships and always drag them behind me? No. But when I always have to make that choice to leave them behind to see you, part of me will never be present with you. Because I'll know you don't accept all of me, even if you never see that curly-headed side of me again. And that makes me sad.

Because they're pretty fantastic.

Monday Mumbles

2012-01-02T07:31:00.001-06:00

1. These will be short and sweet. I am not at home or on a computer. Yea for smartphones? I dunno about that.2. Evelyn is oficially a back-talking, drama making, trouble starting little girl. Oh my Lord she is awful.3. Turner had his 2nd official peanut allergy attack on NYE. I inadvertently ok'd for him to eat a peanut buttercookie. :( He felt like he couldn't breathe, but he was still talking so we didn't use the epipen. We gave him Benedryl and stood over him. No hives broke out though, which was odd. He ended up throwing up about 20 minutes after eating, which was 6:30. From there he slowly recovered, but ended up vomiting againat 1:50 in the morning. I didn't sleep much that night.4. Needless to say, our NYE was spent quietly at home. No one felt like staying up untilmidnight. 5. I just saw an ad for a new show called Bayou Billionaires? Really?

Funny Faces Friday

2011-12-30T01:00:00.000-06:00

Here are some snippets from our holiday weekend. Enjoy! I know we did.

Merry Christmas from our bunch to yours! If you enlarge, you might just catch a glimpse of the thin mint left Santa left behind! Yeah I said it...thin mints.

OJ was very pleased with his footy dog pajamas.

Till can't help but pose with some sort of "trying to be cool" look. Sheesh.

Mixing up the frosting at Grandma's house. What fun!

Sissy took this very seriously. Okay, well, she appears to be taking it seriously, but she was actually very, very tired. Nap time followed soon after.

TO was more than happy to hang in Great Granny's basement, playing ping pong and chasing cousins in the dark. He received a good poke in the eye from it, too.

OJ and his cousin Buddy. Buddy had on a Santa shirt complete with the black "belt" on it. Too cute!

In this following video, I ask that you excuse the mess and the trash bag. We were in the middle of cleaning up dinner and tidying up for the night before unwrapping gifts. The music had the kids distracted, and I clearly found a way to get distracted watching Sissy.

Monday Mumbles

2011-12-26T12:03:00.001-06:00

I didn't forget, I know they're late. I was busy sleeping in, importing photos, and generally pretending to tidy up the house which is in complete chaos.

1. I caved in on a certain tradition I grew up with and have always done with our kids. I realized compromise is apparently a key component to a decent marriage, so I did it. And it didn't kill me. Shocking.

2. That's not to say I still wouldn't have wanted to do it MY way, but choosing Hubs' way wasn't terrible.

3. Why do cleaning commercials always demonstrate their cleaning in places that already look clean? Except for the few dropped bits of whatnot. What they should do is take the dust bin from my vacuum, shake and spread it all around their demo location, and then see what their pretty little cleaner looks like after that. Because let's face it, it's when they get all dirty and dusty that the real work begins.

4. It's the day after Christmas and I'm ready for my tree to come down. Today, it will be.

5. I won't pretend our holiday weekend went off with the kids being angels. Those posts are reserved for those special mommy blogging sites that, although they very quietly admit a child had a "small meltdown", everything went off without a hitch, rainbows appeared on their freshly fallen snow, and they truly believe Jesus was sitting with them on the couch while they opened gifts. But honestly? They were really good, and only Evelyn had a few moments of meltdown.

6. I ate a LOT of food between Saturday and Sunday. More than any normal human should have consumed.

7. Sissy got a picnic basket. Owen wanted to play with it. Sissy got a shopping cart. Owen wanted to play with it. Sissy got a play microphone. Owen wanted to play with it. Sissy got a play phone. Owen wanted to play with it.

8. This is the first time in a very, very long time that I've been able to snag a couple days of vacation around the holidays. Not only do we get the recognized Monday off, I also took off Tuesday AND Wednesday. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle all the madness that will ensue here at the house with all the mess and chaos and new toys.

9. Macaroni and hot dogs to the rescue!

10. No matter what you did the past weekend, or how you socially gathered, I hope you did so in your own personal image of a castle-like existence. I know we did.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

Back on track to a happy Friday, I thank you for your kind comments yesterday. It might have seemed like a weird time to post it, and Hubs told me so very frankly. He said I should have talked to him instead of writing it on the blog, where things should be happy chatter about preparing for the holidays. Talking to him isn't always the easiest solution, especially if we're simply rehashing something he thought we'd put behind us. So I wrote it, and your comments were kind. And I felt like I lifted a small weight. I will channel Pumbaa and Timon, join the pillow dive, show my kids a happy mommy, live intentionally, remember that these worries are biggest only to ME, know I am not meant to live perfectly, and attempt sincere apologies more often. Thank you.

Onto the fun. I can't wait to see what kinds of funny faces we gather over this coming weekend, but for now, here are a few to hold you over.

Evie loves this hat that was made by my cousin. We think she looks alright in it.

Owen is becoming a particular little eater, but he does well with a banana and milk. Oh, and a milkstache.

Poor Turner had to receive a treatment this week. He wasn't pleased to be photographed with his shirt off.

And while she's learning to smile (see above), she still gives the squishy face most often.

The Curse of Me

2011-12-21T21:31:00.001-06:00

We all make mistakes, stumble on our own foolishness, and then pick up and get going again. We brush off the dust or put a band-aid in place. Sometimes we look back over our shoulder, and take time to fill the pothole that tripped us.

But what happens when the dust leaves a stain, or the wound is still open when the band-aid falls off? We're left to stare at the foolishness once more, forced to remember our careless ways and poor choices.

"Done so many things wrong, I don't know if I can do right"*.....

There are moments when I reflect on the many, many poor choices I made over the years. While I like to believe I have learned from them, there are memories I cannot seem to escape. Some days, I tell myself that youthful impulsiveness was to blame and forgiveness is necessary. Other days, I look at my actions and wonder how I behaved in such a way I surely knew better than to do.

Some mistakes were a dozen years ago. Others were a dozen days ago.

Forgiveness is hard, whether it's meant for someone else, or whether it's meant for you and you alone. It's even more difficult when you aren't the only one who won't let you move forward. It's easy to hurt one another by reminding them of their shortcomings. Places they felt short. Failures they may have experienced.

It's in moments like this where forgiving yourself is the last thing you'll do. After all, you DID make those mistakes. And we can't forget them, can we? Lest we forget and might impulsively travel down that road again....

Every mistake I make - as an employee, as a sister, as a daughter, as a wife, as a mother, especially as a mother - weighs on me like a boulder. I can tell myself I won't make that same mistake again. I try and uphold that. But what if that one solitary moment, when that first mistake was made, was enough to leave a damaging wake?

What if a repeat performance on my part won't matter? What if I irreversibly damaged their ego, or our relationship, or their trust on the first go 'round?

Sometimes, I feel like, no matter if I played a perfect game from here until my dying day, it wouldn't matter. The damage I've done with past mistakes will be my legacy, a blurred version of who I am and want to be. Futility is a lonely feeling.

*Lyrics by Tracy Chapman

Monday Mumbles

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

It's Monday. The final Monday and final week before Christmas starts for those of us celebrating the overzealous and obligatory giving day. Say what you want about "what it really means", I bet you bought some presents too! And that's okay...it's a joyous occasion to spoil our family and friends once a year.

1. There is some sort of annual blogger christmahanukwanzaakah going on over at THIS place. I ask that you scroll through (if you don't want to hear them all) for two individuals in particular. The first is for Jessica from Bern This and the other is Carrie from A Sassy Redhead. One is a new read for me, the other an old. I find them both fabulously funny.

2. What do you hunt? DEER.....FISH. Fantastic.

3. Seriously. The Chevy Santa commercials are a crack-up. YouTube 'em.

4. I love my friends. I love good conversations with them. I love loosening up as I get older and realizing that sharing parts of me that I keep hidden in deep, dark places won't kill me or push them away. I am also learning to respect the relationships as they change and evolve, even if I wasn't expecting it.

5. What I really love is keeping good secrets. About friends. And about babies. That may or may not have been baking for the past 15 weeks. Yea!

6. Evie can't stay away from the grown-up bookshelf in the living room. Never mind the fact she has her own, overstuffed kids bookshelf (2, actually) in her room. She takes my books off my shelf. I cringe with every page turn and potential page tear. I love my daughter. I do. But I really love my books.

7. So I decided to feed her need by reading her my books, and try to deter her habit. So I read to her from my quote book. About the word Community. It didn't work so I started reading to her from Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. She sat perfectly still. I guess I lose.

8. I had my first taste of Shutterfly this past weekend. Oh my.....oh my my my....can we say addiction?

9. I must continue their birthday scrapbooks though, with printed out photos and handmade loving pages. I must. Must. Yes, I'm still three birthdays behind. Be quiet.

10. Giggle box. Love.

I'm Such an Old Woman

2011-12-15T15:31:00.000-06:00

I hate calling myself "woman". It sounds so old. But then again, saying "girl" makes me feel like I'm short-changing myself. And silly. Except when I say "girl's night out". No, sometimes that sounds silly, too.

I know that, technically speaking based on that age and number game, I'm a woman. I'm married, must act responsibly as a working zombie, and mother little people who expect to be fed (and more) each and every day.

But when all the work cohorts gather around the non-existent water cooler (because really, who puts water coolers in the office these days besides doctor offices?) and start chumming it up about their weekend, the talk inevitably centers around drinking.

Ummm, I pretty much hung that hat up at the ripe age of 25. Not that I did a whole heck of a lot of drinking to begin with, so it wasn't difficult. The first time I realized I couldn't drink on a week night and survive an actual work day afterward, I stopped trying. So as they chat it up, laugh about concoctions and various silly things that happen when drinking is involved, I become the "woman" of the group.

I am not the oldest female.
I am not the only parent.
I am not the only spouse.

I am, apparently though, the only non-drinker of the group. I wonder, do I stick out like a sore thumb? Probably. But I laugh at their stories because they're funny, I make faces at the things they drink because it makes me ill to think about, and I repeatedly mother them and remind them about drinking and driving.

Never will I share any stories that I have involving liquor. Or dancing. Or peeing in inappropriate locations. Ever.

I'm a woman, for goodness sake.

Comment Consideration

2011-12-13T05:00:00.001-06:00

How long has it been, people? I feel I've neglected you. I truly love your comments. Please know that. In fact, feel free to leave multiple comments per post. Really. One word per comment is completely fine. I have a smart phone now. I can publish them ~~from work~~ at my leisure all day long!

1. Carrie
To bad we all can't stay as cute as we are when we're that age. What cutie-faces!!

Speak for yourself, but I for one know for a fact I'm as cute NOW as my baby girl is today. See?

2. Jamie
Do you know how many times I've replied to strangers with the stupid earpiece phones because I thought they were talking to me?! Ugh, always awkward... I agree! And I love how you use the word tinkle! I do and I think together we can make it have a comeback! "pee" is overrated!

It MUST be overrated because Evie won't use it at all! When she's tinkling in her diaper, she tells me she's got "poo poo". I don't get it. Does she always want to be stinky, or does she just toot a lot and get confused?? I dunno.

3. Intense Guy
I hope the coughing and hacking quiets down - or maybe you need to turn up the volume on "Angry Birds"?

Ear pieces... yes, I think its time for new glasses - and if its been a while - you are in for a rude shock with the prices theses days...

Okay, I am STILL not playing Angry Birds. I refuse, due to the fad. As for the cost...Ugh. It's the entire reason I've avoided getting both contacts AND glasses each year, even when my prescription changes!

4. Rebecca
The mere fact that you even consider getting up for Boot Camp in any weather puts you miles ahead of me. I'm all for a good run - in the afternoon!

I have purchased 1, yes O-N-E, Christmas gift. I will pay for this lack of preparedness later...for now, I don't care.

I do miss getting to run in the afternoons, after work. Unfortunately, those are my only solid consecutive hours with the kids, so I've had to forego the p.m. runs for...morning or nothing. It's really, really hard. So hard. (Have you bought anymore gifts since you left this comment for me last week? I hope so!)

5. RAHKed
I followed your blog long ago then I fell out of the blogging world, like for a couple of years:) I come back and you have added the prettiest little girl and your boys are so big and adorable! They all look so happy!

I was so excited to see someone RETURN! Yes, indeed, the girl now lives here too (how did THAT happen?) and the boys....OY. Big, adorable, loud, obnoxious, crazy. You've got plenty of adjectives to pull from. Welcome back!

Monday Mumbles

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

I had Thursday and Friday off last week. Unfortunately, my new position requires me carrying a Blackberry and I didn't do a very good job of staying away from the emails. In fact, I took Owen and Evelyn up to the office on Thursday for a quick, 20 minute visit and work stop. Oops.

1. Isn't it such a refreshing feeling to rearrange your furniture? The room feels different, it feels renewed, even if you still have the same old dungy carpet in the same too-small room. It just feels BETTER.

2. And then you stick a too-BIG tree in it, and the room goes back to feeling small, but shiny. Decorative and shiny, yes.

3. Owen likes to follow up Hubs' dinner time prayer with a prayer of his own. It unfailingly goes, "Dear Lord, thank you for the food. Thank you for the milk. Amen." Well, Saturday night I had served up the plates, but hadn't yet gotten around to the milk. Owen did his praying and it went, "Dear Lord, thank you for the food. Thank you.....uhhhh, where's the milk?" I interjected and said we have it in the fridge, and we'll get it in a minute. "Dear Lord, thank you for the food and.....uhhhh, ummm, I don't know what to do." I again interjected and said we can still be thankful for having it in the fridge. Continue. "Dear Lord, thank you for the food. Can I please have some milk? Amen."

4. This past weekend Till turned 14. Holy moly, we could potentially have a child move OUT of the house in approximately 4 1/2 years!!! Oh, and happy birthday Till. Please continue to outgrow these teenage years as quickly as possible while remaining young at heart. We need your refereeing and lego-building skills.

5. I like to put my kids in swishy pants so that I can hear where they are at all times.

6. Evelyn giggles like a maniacal little devil when she's really, really having fun. Is that a good thing? Probably not.

7. I followed a link that a fellow Twitter friend posted. I thoroughly enjoyed the writer's style, and even the post itself until the final sentence. Where she stated the exact thought that prevents me from fully committing to this thing called religion. And while some sentences standing alone can bring a meaning entirely different than its intention within context...I don't think this one does. It might have been a bit tongue in cheek, but still...grrrr.

8. Speaking of Twitter, I'm @Toojemama and who are you? Post yours in a comment so I can check you out. My Twitter rules for myself are that I won't be posting the same thoughts as Facebook, and I won't be posting links to my blog. If you read my blog, you already know how to get here. If you have me on Facebook, you already read or hid what I said. No need to duplicate.

9. Anyone else finding some joy in the Chevy commercials where the salesman looks like Santa? Please say you do. He's funny.

10. I've found that if you teach your eldest child really, really well, they can become really, really good instructors to the youngest children. Or else Turner is just 'specially fantastically super duper great. Whatever.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-06:00

What IS That, Anyway?

2011-12-08T08:47:00.000-06:00

How often have you been involved in a conversation where your conversing partner said, "I didn't say anything because it's none of my business, but....."?

And what are they doing in that moment? With you? Saying something! To someone it either likely has nothing to do with, or everything to do with.

Why do we feel it's our duty to say whatever we wouldn't to the correct person's face to all the incorrect people? And we're not just talking about the person they're spilling all of their "non-business" to, who might be across from them at the lunch table. It's usually everyone at the nearby tables, as well. Let's face it, the non-business business spiller isn't typically a QUIET person.

Or maybe they are spilling to the people in their little, silly-looking ear pieces at Target. Up and down the aisles they meander, jabbering to the greeting cards, short sleeve shirts and tampons, about their non-business business, sharing it not only with the ear piece people but with me and you.

What kinds of things have you learned? I mean really.

We're all guilty of gossip. I get it. I just hope the next time I tell you guys, in confidence on this BLOG, that I might or might not have tinkled my pants when running long distances at lightning speeds, you won't be blabbing in the Depends aisle, telling your girlfriend from elementary school how you know this blogger who has serious bladder control issues and should probably seek help.

Monday Mumbles

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

The sniffles have hit our house. The sniffles and the hacking cough that drives me up a wall. I've climbed nearly all of them in our tiny little mouse house.

1. The problem is the sniffles and coughing are allergy and asthma related, so it makes it harder to get "mad" at the culprit. Not that I'd get angry at the kids for being sick, but if it were Hubs....I wouldn't promise anything.

2. Hubs and I wrapped every single present we have for the kids Saturday night. We have 1.5 gifts left to buy for Till and then we can wrap his final 3 gifts. This is the furthest ahead we have EVER been. EXCITED.

3. I finally resolved that I need new glasses. I can't honestly recall when I bought the frames I have, and I know for certain that the lenses in them are 3 prescriptions old. Evelyn has gotten hold of them one too many times over the past few months and one of the poor arms (are they called arms? I'm having a brain meltdown at the moment) is dangling like a sad little Viagra patient.

4. Hubs is officially addicted to Angry Birds, and both Turner and Owen can play it. The end has arrived.

5. When I look at my kids, I don't see them behaving like Hubs, or behaving like me. I don't dwell on their little idiosyncrasies and think, "This one melts my heart because they remind me of me." I'm not sure that'd be a GOOD thing. I'm thankful that I see them as a unit, working together sometimes, and tearing each other apart at other times. But a unit, all the same.

6. My friend Stacy, who first got me started in boot camp, forced my hand to go this morning. I've been bad and skipped for....nearly 4 weeks? Eek, I know. But it got cold!!! I am NO good in the cold.

7. It's not often that women who are thin can complain about being thin without getting the "OH MY GOSH, SHUT UP you skinny bitch" look. But you know what? I'm tired of apologizing for being thin, or keeping my mouth shut when people slide in eye rolling comments about weight and how I don't encounter their issues. I'm 34, and I'm not sorry. You know why? Because I have ZERO BODY FAT to keep my ass warm during morning boot camp, and IT IS AWFUL! Bone chilling, finger-and-toe-frost-bite-AWFUL.

8. Me love my iphone long time. Or 4 days. Fantasy football, Facebook, Twitter. I just love staying up to date and not sitting with my face in the computer at night time.

9. Owen has been concerned lately with every single person he knows dying and he would be left alone. I said God would watch out for him and let him come live with all of us. He then worried that I wouldn't be able to walk and find him in God's barn because I didn't have feet. Is this kid hinting at what my Hell would look like, or is he just morbid? I'm not sure.

10. Because, for the record, sitting in one place for my eternity would be Hell to me. I like to be on the move, up and going, seeing people and being active. If I sit too long, I get extremely antsy to the point of anxiety attack, I think. Okay, maybe that's a bit hypochondriac of me, but still....you get the gist.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-12-02T04:00:00.000-06:00

Mama's Got Herself a New Toy!

2011-12-01T15:24:00.000-06:00

Mind out of the gutters people.

I'm finally smart.

And when I say I'm smart, so is Hubs.

image found here

On With The Show

2011-11-30T08:19:00.000-06:00

To something more lighthearted...at my expense.

Last night my belly started hurting something terrible. It was a cross between

"oh I ate something BAAAAAAD"

and

"what kind of menstrual cramps are THESE?"

(sorry IG)

and

"am I gonna blow? and from which end?"

It is STILL hurting right now, this morning. In fact, it just made an awful gurgly noise. I really, really hope they fixed the bathrooms on this floor last night.

This office is staying so cold my fingertips are purple.

My post yesterday lost me *2* followers! Gasp! Right? Ah well. Can't win 'em all, and apparently can't have differing opinions with them all, either. Clearly, after 3 years of blogging and only 123 followers, I wasn't in it for a popularity contest. I never did win any of those when I was younger either....

You know what else I never won? The lottery. I guess I'm good.

What I HAVE been missing, however, is a girl's gathering. Maybe once my gurgles subside, I can work something out. Ouch.

Freedom of Speech, or Simply Disrespect?

2011-11-29T09:10:00.000-06:00

Let's make one thing clear. This has nothing to do with politics. In fact, I'm fairly certain I sit on the opposite side of Governor Brownback from Kansas on most everything.

It's about respect.
It's about parenting.
It's about knowing your place.
It's NOT about freedom of speech.

The local teen, Emma Sullivan, who has recently made headlines for her juvenile (and rightly so, she is only 18) tweet while visiting Governor Brownback is wrong. Her school officials are wrong. Her parents are wrong.

Yes, people should get to say what they want. No, we shouldn't stifle it because we disagree. HOWEVER...............

There comes a time and place when we should exercise this right respectfully. "He sucks" and "he blows a lot" is not a respectful or intelligent way to express your freedom of speech. It's not insightful, and it's downright rude when you've been welcomed into his place of employment for an educational and informational gathering. As a student. Which means, in my eyes, as a child.

Since when did parents stop making their children apologize to other adults when they've been rude to them?

We've become so ingrained as a society to ALLOW and GIVE that we're failing an entire generation of kids. They have no concept of a society having roles and structure and respect. It's about them, it's about now, and it's definitely NOT about understanding a time and place for everything. To them, the time and the place is all about them.

I'm disappointed. Maybe I'm the one overreacting. But isn't it time some of us did? For the RIGHT reasons?

Monday Mumbles

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

With each passing Monday we get closer to the holiday weekend in December. Not the warm fuzzy, let's toast and kiss weekend. THE weekend. The sacks full of wasted paper (newspaper in recycle mode if you're "cool" like me).

1. The Jayhawk football coach was dismissed from his duties yesterday. This makes me sad for a man only given two years to make it HIS team. Do I think he was in over his head? Possibly. Does that make me feel less sad for him? No.

2. I text Hubs and said if the ex-coach needed a place to stay, he could sleep in my bed. (What? For a 49 year old man, he's handsome. Sue me.) Hubs responded, "For 6 mill, he can sleep in mine too." Yes, indeed, the payout on his contract makes it less hurtful for him. More importantly, having a Hubs with a sense of humor makes it less painful on me.

3. In all seriousness, it's not about the money. It was refreshing to have someone in ANY sort of powerful position who demonstrated morals, goodness, and the passion to create compassionate and thoughtful, hardworking and spiritual human beings. That was his goal, and while he might have failed on the field, I doubt he'll feel like a failure otherwise.

4. Remember how I told you that OJ and Evie couldn't keep their hands off one another? They really can't.

5. Is anyone else tired of thinking of meals to make? Maybe this just happens to those of us who dislike cooking?

6. Thanksgiving was good for us. Was it good for you? The weather was SPEC.tacular. I had a lot of helpings of a lot of things. Food coma? Yes.

7. Over a span of nearly 3 weeks, my dad's side of the family just grew by 4. My cousin's wife had their son November 8 (Liam), my cousin had her twins November 17 (Carter boy and Kinley girl), and then my other cousin's wife had their daughter November 23 (Kelsey). Christmas will be nuts!

8. When women wear leggings or tights, what's the secret to keep from getting a camel toe? I don't wear these clothing items, so this isn't a personal necessity. But some women have it, and some don't. Is it simply a matter of not yanking them up to your neck? Is it about the undies underneath? What gives?

9. For those who read and don't know what a camel toe is, it's better left to a personal email. So send one if you need an explanation.

10. I am itching to start a new book, so I need to raid my bookshelf. There are a few on there that I haven't started yet. Shame on me. I'm secretly hoping to get a few new ones at Christmas. Shhh.

THE Home or MY Home?

2011-11-26T08:39:00.000-06:00

My sister called me last night and asked that we chat about what to do with Mom and Dad. I was confused. Our parents are divorced, so I wasn't sure if something happened between Thanksgiving night and Friday night to cause a stir about Christmas time shared. I wasn't sure if she was being funny about some anecdote that I missed while most of them had the day off and probably saw one another.

No.

She wanted to talk about what to do with them when they become...well...OLD. She didn't want to be having the same discussion she witnessed over lunch on Friday. Apparently my dad's siblings all decided to discuss my 90 year old grandmother and what she should and shouldn't do. Understandably, the 9 of them didn't agree on everything.

Yes, I said 9. My dad is #4 of 9. My mom is #4 of 5. I am #2 of 5, if you want to know.

So, my sister wants to put them in a home.

Really?

I suppose I haven't thought about it much. My parents seem so capable still, at 61 and 54. The idea that we'd have to put them in a home instead of bringing them into one of ours seems strange to me yet. But I suppose if finances wouldn't allow for us to devote time and attention to their needs, it might be required. I would rather think that, by the time this decision rolls around, I'll be able to take them in and care for them as I feel we should. And what would that be like, should we take them in, and they still have their right minds about them?

Dad is so bossy.
Mom talks. A LOT. (love you Mom!)
Dad constantly does chores.
Mom constantly cleans.
Dad ALWAYS watches sports.
Mom rarely, if ever, cares to watch sports.
Dad is content at home.
Mom always likes to be out of the house.
Oh, and they're divorced.

Should Hubs and I be the ones to take them both in (seems like a rather far-fetched idea considering that last bullet point), we would:

No longer be the bosses in our home.
Never get to talk about what we wanted again.
Be forced to do chores because dad was.
Be forced to clean more because mom was.
Set up separate television viewing areas.
Leave mom alone to watch hers, because...well...we like sports.
Be separated because one would be at home with dad while the other took mom out.

To be fair to my parents, odds are good that they'll be able to sustain on their own for a very long time. With regard to my 90 year old grandmother, she hasn't lost a bit of her sharpness, her mind is strong, her memory fine it appears. She's just slowed down. She still drives, and gets her hair done weekly.

My mom's parents are 86 and 77, still living on their own as well. My aunt lives there, but doesn't need to, necessarily. They both still drive, my grandmother still works. They are starting to worry their kids as is my 90 year old grandmother, but at these ages, my parents have luck and genetics on their side.

To humor my sister, though, we can have the "talk". But she should know...if she's still single and childless and making more money, she's totally taking them both in. Just sayin'.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-11-25T07:08:00.000-06:00

they love playing in the target ball

Sissy and her Grandma

OJ and his favorite man, Dad

Evie's 1980s outfit as she exercised around her uncle's car one afternoon

Losing My Marbles Along With the World

2011-11-22T16:21:00.001-06:00

I do not think of it as a mid-life crisis. I think of it as a semi-mid-life review.

Is the world crazy? Am I?

Lately, I get so sad when I hear about all the tragedies around us. The child molestation cases, the missing babies, the murder suicides, the mindless and horrible acts of violence against one another. And when I say sad, I don’t mean I dwell for a few minutes, remind myself how lucky I am and move along with my day. I get SAD.

What’s happening, people? Where is the humanity? The compassion? The simple acknowledgement that we are human, children need to be nurtured, and forgiveness should be one of the first lessons taught and one to repeatedly be practiced?

By no means do I succeed daily, but as I age, and as my children age and change almost by the minute, I reflect. Isn’t that part of our moral and human duty? To reflect and learn? Why do so many people wake up each day, and continue to live so selfishly, and with such little purpose beyond themselves?

The larger picture is being overlooked. It’s bigger than us. Every day, life is bigger than we are as individuals, bigger than our individual joys and sorrows, our individual successes and failures. It’s bigger because we are a collective whole that needs to hold one another accountable.

And there needs to be a distinction made between finger pointing and holding others accountable. It’s fine, sometimes, this distinction, but important. Too often we think we’re making sure others know what their responsibilities are by pointing fingers at them when they fail to uphold it. This is not the same as holding someone accountable. Pointing out failures and placing blame (whether accurate or not) is not the same as uplifting a fellow man and steering them to what is the right action, the moral choice, the responsible standard to which he should hold himself.

We need to be less afraid of offending our family and our friends.

We need to be stronger in our convictions about what is right and wrong as a people, and not allow the mentality “what is right for one is not necessarily right for another” to invade every single action.

We need to care again.

Monday Mumbles

2011-11-21T04:00:00.000-06:00

The glorious weekend is over. Monday is here. Alas, a 4 day work week for some of us, 3 for others. Maybe still others are off altogether? Lucky dogs.

1. We had a surprise visit from my dad yesterday. He wanted to watch the Raiders with us, since they were airing on television in our viewing area. It's rare around here unless they're playing the Chiefs, so we cherish the games we get to see. It was even better with some excitement from Grandpa while we watched.

2. How in the world do you stop a child from jumping off furniture? Granted, I never wanted to be the type of parent who forbid fun in the house - you know the type. No jumping, no wrestling, sit quietly and properlike. I didn't want to be THAT...but maybe in hindsight...I should have?

3. OJ and Evie can't keep their hands off one another. And I don't mean in a good way.

4. To my siblings - Once OJ's hairs are cut, his head looks considerably smaller. So there.

5. Does anyone else have trouble getting motivated to do anything in the cold? I hate it. Hate It.

6. Have I ever told blogland about the man at work with apples? To be fair to the apple, which I really do detest simply due to the volume it creates when eaten, it's not just apples with him. He eats and slurps and chomps ridiculously loud. This is no secret, I've told him. But oh, how I wish he cared enough to change it.

7. Evelyn is getting quite the pot belly on her. I hope that means she'll be growing taller soon. Otherwise she might end up tripping on her hair.

8. Thanks to Hubs' proactive take on holiday shopping, we are nearly done with the kids already. We just have to wrap up Till's items. Yea! What a relief.

9. Speaking of relieving yourself, Evie is very aware of when she is peeing and poohing. She does not, however, care to relieve herself on the toilet. She simply tells me when she's emptying it into her diaper. I've had one successful pee in the potty, but that's it. I suppose at the turn of the new year, we'll get amped up about it.

10. I suppose I can be pleased that she at least blows her nose at 17 months. That's better than nothing, right? Especially considering how much I hate sniffers. Please, if you're a sniffer, GO BLOW YOUR NOSE.

What I'll Miss

2011-11-19T16:45:00.001-06:00

The luxury of the laundry basket.

The wonders of a set of keys.

Permission to squeeze and kiss chubby thighs.

Swabbing bare bottoms while smiling faces look up.

Jabber that no one understands, and everyone accepts.

Just a few of the baby gifts that Evelyn still has, but the boys have outgrown. I love the joys that a baby brings, but I know after her, it's time for our family to move into another phase. The bigger kid phase is fun, too. But oh, sweet baby phase, I do love you.

Now I must go play hide and seek in the couch cushions. Excuse me......

Funny Faces Friday

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-06:00

At a recent playdate, Evie found a nifty pair of shades.

And then the owner of the nifty shades showed her how it's done.

And then the brother of the owner of the nifty shades gave Funny Faces Friday lessons.

add 1

add 2

add 3

add 4

Holiday Cheer - Not Here

2011-11-17T12:32:00.000-06:00

It never usually is, though.

image found here

Monday Mumbles

2011-11-14T01:00:00.000-06:00

Oh, sweet vacation. You are coming to an end. How incredibly sad. I realize, when I take too much time off work, how easily I could do without it. The work, not the money. So on with the show.

1. I get to coach Turner's basketball team again. Did I mention that last week? I think I did. We have our first practice tonight and I'm super excited.

2. I do sometimes feel like I'm taking away from Hubs by doing the coaching. I think men like to coach their sons, and moms should sometimes stick to coaching the daughters. But the sports girl in me just can't help it. Maybe I'll ask Hubs if he'd be inclined to assisting at practices and letting Till stay at home with the wee ones for an hour.

3. Last week, I made Till go out and run a 5K with me for FUN. He didn't put up a fight, but I don't think he was prepared for what 3 miles felt like compared to the 1.5 he was running in cross country, or the 2 miles we ran the other week. But HE DID IT. He had a side ache, and he grimaced for a majority of it, but he finished running the entire time. And we did it in an 8:42 pace!

4. What a productive weekend I had! Turner had his basketball skills test Saturday, I sat on the coaches panel and did the scoring, and then we held the draft for the NEXT TWO HOURS. Seriously, 2 hours? For 7 and 8 year olds?

5. When I got home, my mom was there to visit. We chatted and then she and I took Evelyn to dinner for a ladies hour out. After dropping Evie off back at the house and bringing Hubs some food, Mom and I went back out to Costco for a little holiday shopping.

6. We visited my grandma and grandpa and aunt Sunday as a belated "get well" to my aunt and "happy birthday" to my grandma. We then spent the afternoon with my dad and siblings, and I helped my brother with his resume. Full weekend. Family time. Thumb's up.

7. Oh, at the draft the men clearly weren't sure what to do with the female in the room. At the restaurant, Evie flirted with the waiter. And at my grandma's, Owen decided to call Turner a jackass when he was angry with him. In his defense, he had reason. Oy, potty mouth.

8. FYI, he learned it from his father. I'm sure of it.

9. I have my first basketball practice all planned out. The drills, the reason behind it, and what we're trying to learn or correct. I'm such a nerd.

10. And I love it. I love being a nerd. Rock on, teachers!!! Because we're all teachers, in some way or another, right?

p.s. Thank you Donna, for the contribution to the Turner Treat Fund. :) Good seeing you yesterday!

Funny Faces Friday

2011-11-11T04:00:00.000-06:00

Getting By....in this big, bad world

2011-11-10T08:01:00.002-06:00

Written in response to a friend's email.

I think the term "trust the process" is a load of garbage. My opinion of course. We are presented with situations and choices, and we make decisions. What we have to trust is that we're choosing the best option that does just a few things:

1. Makes life the most simple and direct for ourselves.

2. Maximizes the experience without detriment to others or ourselves.

3. Makes us proud in the moment and in retrospect.

These are the terms I'm trying to live by, NOW. In lieu of the mistakes I've made in the past.

As for staying afloat day to day, it's all a mindset. Nothing can drown you. Except you. Until you trust that you can handle all the outcomes of deciding to step outside the kiddie pool into the big one, you won't ever know what you can truly do.

Or endure.

Or receive.

Nobody can say anything to destroy you. One person's opinion or 200 people's opinions or 2 million people's opinions don't matter, so long as you acted in a way that you can endure, live with, and forgive OR be proud of.

What else is there, really?

We wake up, we sleep.

We encounter other people who we should treat with dignity and respect.

We handle and present ourselves in caring and loving and joyful ways.

Those who don't accept or appreciate or become part of what we offer aren't necessarily meant to stay. And that's okay. Life is an experience. And a choice. Everyday.

Monday Mumbles

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

Mumbling on a day off from work. Oh wait, I don't just mean a day. I mean the week! I have so many things I want to do, to catch up on, and I'm GOING TO DO THEM. I will. I really will. Be quiet.

1. I've actually planned ahead and already have my funny faces ready to go for Friday. Check ME out. I told you I had things I wanted to get done.

2. Does anyone else scrub the bathtub and walls when you're actually taking your shower? Or am I alone here? Do moms ever stop looking at the house as "something to be done"? Because I know I didn't feel this way as a single chick living alone!!

3. I made some pretty awesome philly cheesesteak sandwiches yesterday. Bought some deli roast beef, diced and sliced it. Grilled it to warm, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and season salt. In another skillet, I sauteed green and red peppers and onions. Once each skillet was warmed just right, I portioned out the meat, portioned the veggies on top, and covered with provolone. Covered the skillet to melt the cheese, and buttered/toasted hoagie buns in the other skillet. Dished up the mix onto the hoagie and gorged. GORGED.

4. Anyone need to break for fashion after all that food talk?

5. You'd think I'd want to go running after I gorged on that sandwich, but it was actually just the opposite. I went running yesterday morning at a road race, a 5K. That's 3.1 miles for you non-runners. I opted for the recreational race instead of the elite, for obvious reasons.

6. I ended up winning my age group 30-34 year olds in 25:41. That breaks down to an 8:17ish pace for each mile. I hadn't run that pace in a loooong time, so I was pretty excited. So excited I MIGHT have peed my pants a tad. You MOMs know what I'm saying.

7. My friend Catholic Lady Michelle signed up to do it when our company announced they were sponsoring. I hemmed and hawed about doing it. I get way too nervous for competition. I learned in high school I don't like it much. But because she was doing it, I felt a sense of relief knowing I would know someone and we were both recreationally participating. Thank you, Michelle!

8. Sometime last week Owen declared the following when he had to leave the television to visit the restroom, "UUUHHH. *SIGH* THIS....is unacceptable. I am TIRED of this. I am tired of going to the bathroom. I poop too MUCH." Wouldn't it be grand if all boys thought like this at 3 1/2 and continued it for the rest of their lives? Imagine not having your sons or husbands or brothers taking up bathroom space for 30 minutes at a time. Leisurely doing business. I love OJ.

9. Hubs and Till eat too much. That's all.

10. Oklahoma City, or 45 some miles from it, experienced a 5.2 earthquake. Many people in the KC metro area said they felt the tremors. I did not. But it's okay. We felt one in Japan when we visited back in 2003, and that was enough for me.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

A little more Halloween fun!

Spooky Greetings!

2011-11-01T06:33:00.000-05:00

The town held a Boo Fest Saturday morning. These cheesy heads were all set to go!

Owen liked Mickey and so we got a photo. I love how he's eyeballing him, though.

My little Luigi has such sweet, lovely eyes. They capture HIM.

My lollipop girl is caught in the moment. Or simply caught up in keeping her hair out of the lollipop.

Must click. To enlarge. Too sweet to miss. These little faces look so sweet.

I donned my brother's costume for walking around. Evelyn is looking over her shoulder for me...to avoid me. She was not at all impressed but eventually found peace with Captain America and let me carry her while we trick or treated.

Oh my sweetness - Buzz, Luigi, and Pirate Princess.

Till is too old for trick or treating, and too big to boot. He did, however, get himself a little 'stache to wear. He had good fun with us last night.

Monday Mumbles

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hi ho. Hi ho. It's that time again. Speaking of....we're one dwarf member shy of pulling off the clan. Maybe we can recruit a 7th next year and force Hubs and Till to dress up too.

1. It's that time of year where holidays are crammed down your throat, and you're forced to either "participate" or look like a bum parent. But how much can you really get into body parts and gore, blood and guts, when your babies are 1, 3, and 7?

2. I AM trying very hard to just play along and see it for what it is (and not for what it isn't) - I have even borrowed my brother's Captain America costume. That's right, I'm going to dress up when I walk around with the kids. And not in some girly choice costume.

3. Hubs and I went to a wedding Saturday night. Sometimes weddings feel so staged and planned for show. And while this one had the traditional staged activities as well (bouquet, garter, money dance, cake cutting, bubbles photo op), I really enjoyed the smitten nature the bride and groom clearly possessed for one another.

4. We also took advantage of the kids staying overnight with my dad, and did some holiday shopping (to help Santa, you know) Sunday morning. At least we've started, and have some good ideas brewing. It can be fun to cap off the end of the year with some well-deserved and needed gifts.

5. How in the world do you find time to help all of your children turn out to be superstars? It takes so much time and attention to cultivate their minds and help them realize everything they can accomplish. I always feel like I'm shorting one or more than one.

6. Speaking of, we waited too long to carve up Owen's festival parade pumpkin. I cut into it Sunday night, and it was rotten inside. :( Oops.

7. Turner's been talking back and generally being argumentative lately. At least he knows when I've hit my limit and shuts his mouth.

8. Owen has taken to tears and mournfully stating, "But I just want you to love me, Mama. Do you love me?" when he gets scolded. It's taken me about 3 weeks, but I've finally realized he really is punking me. When I didn't fall for it last night, he immediately ceased crying. And here I thought I'd made him feel unloved all this time.

9. Evelyn is such a bully, and if anyone punks people, it's her. She's a trip and I'm in trouble. That's all I know.

10. Till's teenage years continue to be tumultuous, but we've decided to take them one day at a time. We're trying different tactics to stress the importance of developing a love for school and learning and achieving in a general sense. Time will tell how we've done. For now, I just know I'm tired. Very, very tired.

The Annual Festival Weekend - Part Two

2011-10-28T07:24:00.000-05:00

During the parade, a truck had its bed full of pumpkins and handed them out, free!

Sissy giving her best pirate eye as she watches the parade with Grandpa.

The weather was gorgeous all weekend, and the family enjoyed hot dogs on the curb.

We were the first waiting for the super slide, and they asked Turner if he'd go down as a "test rider", for free again!

I was excited that Turner agreed to ride the boats with the kids so I could capture all three together. He refused to go on the merry-go-round.

This ride didn't actually go down like this. Dad thought he'd get to ride along and take Evelyn, but the height max was 52". Sorry, Pops! As soon as he got out, Evelyn wanted nothing to do with it...even when we switched her next to Owen. OJ had a good ride though!

Dignity - article found

2011-10-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

Nothing I've written today, but thought I'd point you in the direction of an article I did find. I liked it. I found it thought provoking. I shared it with Hubs. I think it helps us set some personal goals for our family and our behavior and our accountability to one another.

The article can be found by clicking this link

Monday Mumbles

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Phew. Long weekend. Good weekend. Tiring weekend. You?

1. TOOJE and I packed up the car and headed to my mom's house for the weekend, leaving behind Hubs and Till. While it can be tiring to be alone with the three little ones, it's also relaxing to be away from the grumpy teenager and sometimes difficult to please spouse.

2. For those of you who know Hubs and do not believe my previous mumble, suffice it to say IT'S TRUE. Of course, it's also true we can all be difficult to please at times. I get this. I didn't say it wasn't relaxing for him to be away from me, but hey....these are my mumbles. Not his.

3. (If they were his, there were be spelling and grammatical errors all over the place.)

4. I'm doing my best to get revved up for running again. I joined boot camp because I couldn't get motivated to run, but now boot camp has me wanting to run. But how far do I want to run? Am I interested in getting into long distances again? I just don't know.

5. I'm getting old, folks. Sometimes I get too tired to eat dinner.

6. By the way, I forgot to tweet #dorkysisbadluck yesterday. She wished my sports teams good luck and both were beat down. It was a rough weekend. I think it's safe to tell Dorkys - please keep your good lucks to yourself. ;) We'll try it on our own next time!

7. I showed you how much OJ loves the Target balls. Well, here they are again....still loving Target.

8. And a photo of sissy that I love and didn't share last week.

9. This darn weather has been messing with Turner's allergies and asthma, and now he's got a good, hearty cough that will require doctor's attention I fear. I thought we were handling it okay, but it took a turn for the worse Sunday night. Blah.

10. You know how I have complained (shocking) about the faux bull balls that people so delicately place on the back of their pick-up trucks? This is the ONLY place I deem bull balls acceptable:

The Annual Festival Weekend - Part One

2011-10-21T01:00:00.000-05:00

The first part of the festival weekend didn't actually take place AT the festival. It wasn't actually on the weekend days either. It took place Wednesday at my Granny's house. My brother and SIL came to visit from Florida, and we gathered mid-week for dad's family to get a chance and meet the newest addition to the family.

My nephew Nobu - 5 months old and kissable as can be.

Sister-in-law Asako - new mommy glow!

Cousins!!

Evelyn did a great job of sharing Grandpa with Nobu.

Brother Paul and Asako - congrats family!

Monday Mumbles

2011-10-17T09:46:00.000-05:00

Another Monday, one that I conveniently took off from work. Yea!

1. Yup. Took the day off. I had Friday off as well. Ain't that something?

2. This morning, we already had an Owen in our bed between us. When Evie woke up, I attempted to bring her into the bed as well, hoping she'd go back to sleep. My hope was weak, though, since she's never gone back to sleep in our bed. She usually bounces on our heads, tries to climb the headboard, giggles and makes a ruckus until we get up. This morning? She went back to sleep!! I snuggled her tight.

3. Sissy loves the action figure wrestling men. In fact, she snuggled and kissed one this morning. This is not a surprising revelation.

4. The kids and I went to my hometown festival this weekend. It was the usual parade, arts and crafts, carnival. My siblings and I jokingly (but not joking) call this weekend our dad's favorite weekend of the year. It's also the weekend where he eats normal sized portions of food for an American.

5. We decided to throw in the early Saturday run as well. I didn't get a chance to run the 5K since we were running late, but we entered Turner into the kids 1 mile fun run. He ran an 8:45 and got a 2nd place trophy for his age group of 8 and under!!

6. Yes, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have ran an 8:45. If I had run at all, I would have been aiming for a 9 minute mile.

7. I've been unpacking the bag from the weekend stay at my dad's, and Evelyn has been putting "deodorant" on with both the actual stick tube AND the mini hair spray can. Apparently she's only worried about her smelly hygeine right now. But do I really spend that much time wiping on deodorant that it's the only thing she copies??

8. I'm thinking that with another day off, I might have to make a trip to the mall for some more pretzel bites. Can't help myself.

9. I skipped out on boot camp this morning. I feel a little guilty since we didn't have it on Friday either, but this weekend pooped me out. I plan on going running sometime today to make up for it, though. Before or after pretzels, I'm not sure.

10. I finished reading The Help last night. I.....think I might be at a loss for words. I loved reading the book, but I don't know how I feel. The ending left me sad, but I'm not sure that was the intention. I guess I'm sad knowing how much further they still had to come, still HAVE to come. I sat there holding Evie this morning, and thought to myself, "For so long, we had black women taking care of white children and now...here I am, a white woman taking care of MY black baby." Because despite how much things have changed, there are some things....that are still the same.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-10-14T07:27:00.000-05:00

Someone (or people) love the big red balls at Target. Can't say I blame them. They ARE fun.

She actually left her headband like this for almost ten minutes. Got such a kick out of the fact she could see through the loopholes.

Ummmmm.....itchy much?

My cousin had these little scooters and a concrete garage to play in. I may or may not have gotten on myself....

Monday Mumbles

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

Guess what time it is? That's right...bank holiday time!! Another Monday where I get to sit at home and hang. There are some perks to being in this industry.

1. Let's get this out of the way first. Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, passed away Saturday at the age of 82. Yes, my family went into mourning. Okay, not really, but I truly felt a sadness that I've never experienced before as it relates to deaths in the sports world. He created an image and a love for a team that surpasses all others in the league. That's not my bias either, those are words spoken by sports figures, media, and retired players all Saturday and Sunday. RIP, Big Al.

2. A friend of mine ran the Chicago marathon this past weekend and did great! I love getting to say that, too. Strange that I feel so connected with friends who accomplish such feats, yet I didn't have a part in it. Maybe because it's running.

3. My friend Emily gets induced today! She decided to wait until birth day to find out the sex - so excited someone else chose this way too. It just brings it all together in one happy moment. The baby enters the world healthy, it's identity is discovered, and can begin it's journey as part of a family.

4. I think I like having that pregnancy-in-the-womb life just between baby and mother. To me as a mother, the sex never mattered, and baby and I could just "be". No one hassled about "what is it", forcing me "decorate properly" and determine its existence here on Earth before it was truly HERE...on Earth. I never could explain WHY I preferred not to know, so that's the best I can do. Take it or leave it. Just don't argue with it. I don't argue when you find out - I DO, however, celebrate when I find out that OTHERS aren't finding out.

5. A friend of mine entered her daughter into Girls On The Run. Ever heard of it? I hadn't. It sounds fantastic, though. I am contemplating the 5K they will be doing next month. Such a great cause, and I of course love the idea of getting girls to fall in love with running and exercise at an early age.

6. I just realized all of these are pretty lengthy today. My fault.

7. I wasn't a big fan of taking videos but Hubs was. And then I realized it really was a good idea. You're probably going to be seeing a lot more random videos 'round these parts. I apologize in advance for any random screaming, scolding, bossing, or swearing you might hear.

8. I have been approached by a couple different people who have a need or interest in blogging. I say need because sometimes you have no other outlet for creativity or venting. Guest blogging with anonymity is ALWAYS WELCOME here. Take me up on it, and you'll love the feeling of release. Promise! :)

9. I've just started reading The Help. Can't wait to get into it and make it another "book I can't put down".

10. You know something else I can't get enough of? Them.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-10-07T06:58:00.001-05:00

The kids went to a local alpaca farm with my dad last weekend and were fortunate enough to be given some sheared, pressed fur. I've been asked to make it into a pillow.

Power

2011-10-06T11:23:00.003-05:00

Last night, when the kids were asleep, I snuck into the boys’ room and lied down with Turner in his bed. It was nice and dark, with their glow in the dark stars dimly lit on the ceiling. Turner was wiggly, tossing and turning. I tried putting my arm on his body to calm him and help him sleep more soundly, to no avail. And it was then it hit me…as it’s done before, and as I’ve blogged before….

I made these people. They are walking around on this Earth solely because we MADE them. Holy crap, are we given power.

And all their joys and sorrows and trials and triumphs are primarily occurring during these early years because of how we treat them. Talk to them. Touch them. Love them. Teach them. Reprimand them. Direct them. Follow them.

Holy crap, are we given power.

Not only is our direct one-on-one interaction their primary source for knowledge, but so is our indirect interaction. The behavior of the parents speaks so loudly yet we often ignore it and dismiss our own behavior as a catalyst for good, or a catalyst for bad. Behaviors like how we speak to one another. Touch one another. Love one another. Forgive one another. Struggle and survive with the help of one another.

Holy crap, are we given power.

There is nothing quite like children (for whom you are responsible) to make self-reflection such a priority. I never spent so much time looking in the rearview mirror, berating myself, coaching myself, making promises to myself. But in the end, the responsibility bestowed upon me has ultimately made me a better person and I am thankful.

More importantly, however, it’s made me realize to never take for granted the ability to change, seek opportunities for betterment, and treat one another more kindly than the previous day. It’s difficult and I fail constantly. But I’m aware now, and I’m trying. It’s what I ask of my children, and am constantly surprised with success.

Holy crap, are we given power. Over ourselves. Make the most of it.

Who's Chasing You?

2011-10-03T20:58:00.000-05:00

My Best Friend's Wedding. Who's seen it? Julia Roberts....Cameron Diaz, Dermot Mulroney, Rupert Everett?

There is a scene in that movie, nearer the end, where Julianne (Roberts) hops into a catering van and chases Michael (Mulroney) all over town. Michael happens to be chasing Kimberly (Diaz). George (Everett) not so gently asks Julianne, "Michael's chasing Kimberly! You're chasing Michael! WHO is chasing you???"

And therein lies the problem.

We sometimes get so consumed by the relationship we used to have, we think we could have, or what we wish to have, we forget to truly READ the other person.
Their feelings
Their glances
Their body language

Julianne was so convinced what she and Michael used to have was RIGHT, she failed to see she was alone.

I wondered if I had done that with some Facebook friend requests. I had, for so long, wondered what happened to college acquaintances and fondly recalled happy moments that I might have misjudged our relationship. And it was then I realized it's okay to have been impacted by someone more than I impacted them. I used to fret about such discrepancies - why don't they feel our friendship was worth the effort? Didn't they know I was genuinely interested in getting to know them?

Not any longer. And not in a malicious, spiteful, "FINE THEN" tantrum sort of way. There are times when your life is truly FULL. I believe you can be at capacity and unable to absorb the responsibility and effort that a new friendship, or rather, lasting relationship would require. I've been there and I totally get it.

I also understand when I'm on the receiving end of the short stick, so to speak. Lack of proximity, lack of commonality. It can all lead to dissipation. It's this wash of relief and maturation that makes it okay when I've been de-friended or when I de-friend. It's what makes it okay when friendships at work dissolve. Because along the way, new and different relationships are built, and new people are brought into my life for their own special reasons.

Nothing specific prompted my ponderings, before you start showering the "what happened?" and "you're so fantastic, who doesn't want to love you?" (okay, I might have gone too far there) comments. I was just sifting through photos I have, and photos on Facebook....smiling at common people and realizing....I turned out okay. And so did they. And we haven't talked in umpteen years.

What makes it even better is that I looked at another set of photos and saw a face I didn't speak to for nearly....gosh, 6 or more years? And I couldn't imagine not talking or seeing her every month now. I just hope I don't lose that much more time with anyone else who makes me smile. We are getting old, you know.

Monday Mumbles

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-05:00

That time again. Did anyone else's weekend just speed by? Productive? Fun? Sunshiny good?

1. I tend to forget about our windows being open when the weather is so nice. Not a bad thing, right? Unless you happen to need to yell at your children a lot, and by the end of the night you worry your neighbors will be calling in reinforcements to secure the children's safety.

2. Holy crap. I saw a commercial last night for Wendy's. They brought back "Where's the Beef?" And I went roller skating yesterday! Life is repeating itself.

3. I am very tempted to show you the pain that boot camp has put me through, but it's really more PG-13, so I will refrain. I took a photo of the top of my rear just to have proof of what the 300 sit-ups in the Killer 1000 workout did to me. I literally rubbed the very top of the inner side of my butt cheeks raw. I still cannot sit without adjusting for the pain.

4. Instead, I will show a great photo of TO and his grandma who came to watch them last weekend while Hubs and I went away. She made it up on Friday in time to see him play some ball before we left town.

5. And how about a photo of an ultra-evil looking EJ? I'm telling you, she's up to NO. GOOD.

(and for the record, she's only using a bottle because her sippy cups were dirty. she doesn't use a bottle anymore.)

6. And one more....of Hubs and I actually liking one another at the Mall of America!

7. I am considering NOT teaching OJ how to tell time, either standard hand clock or digital. It really does you no good when they learn this little trick. I tell TO it's bed time, and he tells me "nuh uh. I still have 2 minutes!" With OJ right now? I say it's time for bed, and he says OK! Well, except for the times when he says, "I just don't like bed times." Lose-lose, huh?

8. I am finally going to start reading The Help. I know, I know...I'm really behind considering the movie probably isn't even in theaters anymore. Blame it on the rain.

9. Oh, that's right. We're having sunshine, 80s, and no rain all week!

10. There are some nights I look around our house after the little people are in bed, and sigh in frustration. We have SO MUCH STUFF cluttering every single wall/corner/room/floor space that it can be overwhelming at times. But last night? I looked at the tackle box, guitar, and talking garbage truck Stinky, all of which were in front of the tv, and was thankful. Thankful that we have family and friends who love our kids and like to see them happy. Want them to have toys and clothes and gadgets that make childhood so special. Thankful that we can provide the things they need and despite all the dirty dishes, we have food. Thankful I have a washer and dryer downstairs to take the stink out of the dirty clothes sitting at the top of the stairs. So in fairness to the Mumbles, I will say I could have used TO's help in putting his cup away instead of him leaving it on the living room floor. BOYS.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-09-30T06:26:00.000-05:00

Funny. This reminds me of her one year old photo shoot. Turkey.

He's turned into the silliest boy ever. I love my OJ.

My little sis tried the 6 saltine cracker in one minute trick. It didn't work.

Can you guess who this is? The ribs might give him away as my child.

Monday Mumbles

2011-09-26T13:54:00.000-05:00

Better late than never – sorry for you early birds who might have checked for Mumbles and found yourself severely disappointed. Okay, not severely, but you know what I mean.

1. I don’t want this to sound like a complaint, because I LOVE my new group, my new work environment, all of it. Except one teeny tiny part. The guy next to me is so incredibly loud when he eats, chews gum, or sucks on suckers. I mean ridiculously loud. As in, if I were single…I’d never go on another date. Other than that, he’s a cool guy! OMG, he’s so loud.

2. And I’m fairly certain he doesn’t care. At all. I’ve joked a bit about it….and he’s fairly okay with its annoyance level.

3. Hubs and I got away this weekend, sans kids! We calculated that we hadn’t done that since 2003, which was PRE-children. We’ve each gone on separate mini-vacations, but nothing together. And…miraculously, we didn’t argue!!

4. Shout out to Mom for watching them. I called her Sunday morning to make sure things were okay since she had to administer a few breathing treatments. She.sounded.pooped. We’re talking POOPED. I hope she gets some much needed rest this week!

5. My little brother took TO to the local amusement park with the giant roller coasters. It was his first time being big enough to ride most of the BIG rides, and he did great I hear. I just wish I could have been there for some photo ops.

6. Instead, I was busy being a big kid at the amusement park inside Mall of America. Seriously. I bought the unlimited band and rode every ride along with our hosting family and kids.

7. I’m a sucker for competition (even if it’s just with myself), and am loving this boot camp stuff.

8. Okay, so I’m not loving the jumping = tinkle in my pants thing, but aside from that….it’s great.

9. Did I mention when Hubs and I were gone for 48 hours (literally, only 48 hours), I kept looking at our host family’s kids and smooching their faces because they reminded me of mine? I’m sure they were like who is this crazy kissing woman, but hey…it’s what I do.

10. Anyone else need a nap about now?

Monday Mumbles

2011-09-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Good day to you. And you, and you....oh, but not you. You look grumpy. We can't have grumpy people here on Monday!

1. So by pretending I could keep up at Boot Camp, I apparently strained an ab muscle. In actuality, I have NO idea what I did to it, but it hurts. A lot. I'm rethinking this "fake it 'til you make it" theory.

2. My sister "rounded up the troops" and she came up with my dad and brother Sunday to hang out, have lunch, and watch some football. It was great considering my dad BROUGHT the lunch and all I had to do was clean a few dishes.

3. And next weekend? My mom is coming up to hang with the kids while Hubs and I make an escape for a very quick trip to see some friends who recently moved away and are homesick. And I think Hubs is especially in need of some friend time.

4. Does anyone know anything about knuckle popping? I'm tired of hearing Till do it, and I want to explain to him why it's bad. I don't know if it really is bad for him, but I want to tell him it is. Give me a good story.

5. Have I ever told you that Owen has "special speak"? For example, Pancakes are "panpakes". Dominos are "domilos". Lemonade is lemolade. Fat Albert is Fat Alvrick. I love that kid.

6. Whenever he says these things, it reminds me when Turner used to say "strawbabies" for strawberries. Aaahhh.

7. I went to get a hair cut Saturday evening and took Evie. She sat through my wash and cut and style. Literally sat. And watched. Silently. The entire time. I didn't worry about her running around, grabbing things, etc. She was perfect. Perfect. Yummy baby.

8. One teenager in the house, and we are a success. He doesn't understand sagging your pants. If nothing else, we won that battle.

9. I get aggravated with Hubs. He will suggest fun things for us to do, but when it comes time to actually follow through, he changes his mind or at the very least has doubts about it. Stage fright? Social anxiety? Or just laziness? Will a punch in the gut cure it?

10. I can't wait to sit down and read about Dorkys' adventures in Europe. She returned safely, and I bet it was won.der.ful. Jealous!! Right here.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Monday Mumbles

2011-09-12T01:00:00.000-05:00

The start of the week can be full of randomness and to-do items that leave you feeling overwhelmed. Time to get them off your chest and smile on Monday!

1. Once upon a time, Mommy decided to join a fitness boot camp. Summer the Sargent hurt Mommy very badly. She hurt her so badly Mommy couldn't walk or stand properly for many, many days.

2. Yet Mommy went back to boot camp three days later. After that second day, Mommy's body hurt just as badly in other areas. Mommy plans on returning to boot camp for a third day. Mommy is an idiot. The end.

3. Daddy thinks that instead of boot camp, Mommy should attend "booty camp".

4. On another exercise note, Till joined cross country again this year and made the A team! I plan on attending his meet this afternoon.

5. TO is playing fall baseball and his first double header got rained out Friday evening. We get to make them up this week, a game apiece on Tuesday and Thursday. Can't wait to see how he does under this new regime of "real ball" learning and competition.

6. Despite my extreme reluctance to start the Autumn season, I do love football. In fact, my beloved alma mater KU has started their season out 2-0. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk! My Oakland Raiders start their season tonight on Monday Night Football. Fingers crossed they put up a fight.

7. Did I mention that we let TO sign up to play fantasy football with us this year? Yeah. He's currently kicking my rear. My dad helped him with his draft selections, and they're raking in the points this weekend.

8. Did anyone else have a difficult time watching the 9/11 stuff? I distinctly remember living through it, where I was, how I found out, what that night was like at home glued to the television. Watching it again is....harsh. I debated how much to let my kids watch, and how much to explain. OJ decided he wanted to watch football when he found out that people died.

9. I wanted to watch football too.

10. And so I did. The end. Amen.

I Have No Idea...

2011-09-10T08:51:00.000-05:00

...what Evelyn was doing, but I knew I had to capture it on film.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-09-09T07:28:00.000-05:00

Omaha zoo photos - somehow Grandma made the most of the funny face photo op too!

My brother's girlfriend went along for the fun. And fun they had.

Apparently OJ kept asking about the giraffes. And finally....he saw them.

For the love of hippos, they never saw them. So sad.

Monday Mumbles

2011-09-05T15:28:00.000-05:00

I totally forgot it's Monday. I love these types of holidays.

1. My boys went to the Omaha zoo with my mom and my brother this weekend. I think they had a good time.

2. Owen, however, is in desperate need of a haircut. When he walked up to the house, I said, "Ooohhhh." He looked....bad. Fluffy haired bad.

3. And for the record, Evelyn (as an only child) was a BRAT this weekend.

4. Admittedly, I loved the quiet that this weekend brought. However, hearing the boys giggle in the back room makes me smile.

5. Sissy needs pajamas and I found some. I love puns. Some of you may know that already. Her new jammies have a cow on them and read, "It's pasture bedtime." LOVE IT.

6. Turner will be joining a school club called Reader's Theater where 2nd graders meet a couple times a month, read and perform together. I'm hoping that he likes it.

7. It's time get Owen signed up for an activity. I think he's finally in a mature enough state of mind to behave for the 30-60 minutes it takes to participate once a week in soccer or whatnot. Fingers crossed!

8. As the summer might be wrapping up (sad face), here's a recap of how much we enjoyed ourselves.

9. My girlfriend from Miami is visiting home this week, and I was fortunate enough to get in some time before she headed home to her parents. Yea for me!

10. Does anyone do some sort of meditation? My friend was telling me about a type that she does, and it seems to really be doing her some good.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-09-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's sissy's day in the sunshine.

How to Get from Point A to Point B

2011-08-30T06:19:00.000-05:00

I had a dream that the photo of Evelyn on the swing at my family reunion was actually an ad for diapers.

Except it was a dual threat ad, you see. "Diapers aren't just for babies...take them along with you on any roller coaster amusement park adventure you have!"

And then Ellen DeGeneres saw Evelyn's ad and thought she should be invited to her show. So we went. Duh.

On the show, I am explaining why any grown person, women in particular, need diapers. "Well, as we ALL KNOW....diapers aren't just for babies and scary roller coaster rides. Come on, women...when we're out running????"

*crickets in the audience*

"What? Seriously? None of you??"

*crickets getting louder*

"WELL, I know I have friends back home who understand this need! After having those babies, there's just a need. It must just be a Midwest Swing."

And that, folks, is why I'm looking for my Nelly CD this morning before going to work.

Monday Mumbles

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

The last Monday of August. Who, besides me, finds that to be baffling???

1. There are many reasons why I question OJ as my own child, but the fact that he loves to swing makes him a dead ringer he's mine. I could swing for hours. OJ does swing for hours.

2. While I am an admitted lover of summer, I do NOT love the bug bites. And lately? They seem to be zooming in on me. I have bites on my neck, the inside of my elbow, the backside of my legs, and my ankles. Ugh.

3. Anyone else like the Toyota Venza commercial where the girl child says that having 657 friends on Facebook is "living" and insinuates that her bicycle riding, adventure seeking parents need more of a social life?

4. I accidentally forgot to post Funny Faces Friday. I won't miss it this week. I have some good ones stored up, I think.

5. There is nothing quite so sweet as getting caught staring at your kiddo, BY your kiddo. I just couldn't help myself watch OJ, watching TO. I wonder what he was thinking.

6. Love my kids but I really get excited for their bedtimes. That's when I indulge in the snacks I've hidden from them.

7. I scored two pants-and-jacket professional suits this weekend. At Macy's (I know it's not Nordstrom's, but it's not Target either). Both were originally priced at $200. I got them BOTH for a total of $65.

8. We have always said OJ has attitude, but I am fairly certain that his sister tops him. She is either going to be a real riot or a real terror. Please keep my sanity in your thoughts.

9. With the NFL lockout and all the monetary discussions that took place in order to get this professional football season started forced me into apathy. I have been slow to get excited about the season, but after our fantasy football draft Sunday afternoon and watching my team play Sunday night, I'm getting back into the groove. The post-game interviews with shirtless players don't hurt the cause.

10. What do you think is your most repeated line, either to a child, spouse, friend, family member? Right now I believe it would be, "SIT DOWN." What do you catch yourself repeating?

Couples Retreat Analysis

2011-08-24T22:50:00.001-05:00

Have you ever seen the movie Couples Retreat? It's not a terribly great movie, but then again I don't consider myself a movie critic. I love romantic comedies and consider them Oscar worthy. Or Emmy or Tony...whatever award the movies receive. Couples Retreat has some lines in it, though, that make me half laugh, half go cock-necked, squinty-eyed, hmmm.

While most blogging heathens like to discuss how perfect their marriages are, Facebook nuthouses, on the flip-side, like to announce to everyone that they married a psychopathic drunk bastard. The truth? Life. And I think romantic comedies, while almost always ending happily, contain some justified storylines about life. Couples Retreat is no different. These quotes may not be EXACT wording....Tivo not included for word verification. The purpose of the statement is in tact, however.

You don't want to look back and say you made it through your life...you want to enjoy your life.
I don't know about all of you, but there are definitely days when I feel like I've just gone through the motions only to look back and realize I never kissed my husband hello or good-bye, I didn't do anything significantly educational OR fun with my children, and the meals we had were, at best, icky. I mean, there are days when I wake up and think I've accomplished something because my underwear doesn't have a hole in it. Making it through, or enjoying???

You could be doing a lot better than "it just works for us".
Ever had a conversation with another married person, describe to them how you and your spouse handle a certain situation only to realize when you say it out loud, it sounds really, really terrible? It sounds sad. And lifeless. And loveless. And unromantic. Not all routines were meant to be glued into your life for eternity, and what might have worked as an initial solution may not be what's BEST for you anymore, just because it's WORKING.

We prefer to bond....on our own.
I do this for the house...he does that for the house. I do this for the kids...he does that for the kids. I do this over the weekend....he does that over the weekend. But not too often do we ever say "we" did this together. As I type, I'm alone in the bedroom, winding down, and he is in the living room winding down. I think married people like to jokingly say that "absence makes the heart grow fonder" to make themselves feel better about never bonding with their partner. Admittedly, there are some couples that do bond, A LOT, and smother each other sometimes. Not a good option for me us. Dilemma.

Use it. Harness it. Hmm. Boom.
If you "went there" with the words harness and boom, that's exactly what the quote was meant for. We have to remember to harness our good feelings and 'boom boom' once in awhile. Or more than once in awhile should you find the energy.

I don't know what journey you're on, but I can't take this trip with you.
Ever watched your significant other flip off the handle in anger, or be totally chill about something they should freak out about? Either way, you are keenly aware that you don't want to feel or act or emulate them in any way.

We need to get focused and stop pointing fingers. You're a problem. A real, real problem.
Ever have a fight start AND end with these sentences? I am pretty sure I have. You might have good intentions to erase blame and find solutions, but you just aren't quite ready to holster the finger. But we all know that the finger holstered would make things better, now don't we?

If you want to play "guess your disease" or "interpret your tribal tattoo", be my guest. Have fun.
Spoken by a married man to another married man with a wandering eye. When it comes down to it, no matter how angry you are, do you want to join the ranks of the crazy, single world?

Monday Mumbles

2011-08-22T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hidey Ho, Monday goers. What did you do this weekend? We celebrated two birthdays, had approximately 3 meltdowns per child, and some great weather.

1. We went bowling for TO's 7th birthday, upon his request. I do believe he had a good time.

2. It was really, really chilly in the bowling alley. Hence the need for blankets. Really?? Yup. Apparently.

3. A gal at work made "cake balls" for a guy's birthday on Friday. I've never had a cake ball. Have you? This is what it is: a baked cake, crumbled and mixed thoroughly with frosting, chilled and rolled into golf ball sized spheres, and then chilled again before being dipped in melted almond bark chocolate. I decided to try them and I think they might have been too much "sweet" for my traditional cake and frosting family. But they were fun, nonetheless.

4. My sister had the rubber inflation part of her basketball get sucked into the middle and became useless. So she bought a new ball. But she kindly brought up the bad ball, which she had cut into Pacman-like, so that the "boys" could blow it up. So thoughtful of her.

5. The kiddos had a great time at my cousin's child's first birthday party Sunday. It was at a city park with a playground and swings, and more importantly...room to run. We love tired children. And cute children.

(shirt look familiar, friend???)

this kid can't get enough of swinging. definitely my child.

6. I've decided I have time to try and finish the two books I have started and to get a third. I am ready to start reading "The Help". I know, I know....rave reviews. Good movie. I just move slow on these things.

7. Speaking of books, I am now desperately behind on birthday scrapbooking. This week. I will do TO's 6th birthday party, and I will work my way toward this past weekend's celebration. At least I have 8 more months before the next birthday rolls around. I should be able to finish up 4 parties in that amount of time.

8. The past month's worth of Sundays, I find myself going through the mental motions needed to "prepare" myself for my old position. Old habits are going to be hard to break.

9. And I never realized how much trust I need to feel comfortable at work. Maybe I always felt secure enough that my managers recognized my efforts before and I never realized the trust I put in them each and every day.

10. If there's one thing I will never grow uncomfortable doing, it is kissing my babies' faces. I love those faces.

Hair Care - One Year Later

2011-08-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

I love looking at the crazy photos we have of Evelyn and her hair. It's like a child all by itself. One that her father doesn't like, at all, mind you. Here are two photos - one in August 2010, and one in August 2011. Someday this girl might get a hair cut!

2 months old

14 months old

Follow Up to Absolutes-ly Nots

2011-08-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

When I realized I was the parent and home owner, but not necessarily the marriage builder, I asked Hubs, "Are you happily married?"

He emphatically stated, "NO!"

And then he recanted. He said:

Because my wife knows her place.

He always knows how to piss me off. And then he spoke, seriously.

My wife is my biggest supporter. My wife takes care of our family. Plain and simple.

I guess it is because I'm the parent and the home owner. Who knew?

(I'm sure a little nookie and food wouldn't hurt either!)

Absolutes-ly Not For Me

2011-08-16T21:57:00.000-05:00

I have never been one for absolutes. Never say never, for example. I rarely catch myself saying "I always....", and I don't like lumping things into all or nothing.

And then tonight I was posed the relatively straight-forward question, "Are you happy in your marriage?"

It wasn't a face to face conversation, but instead through Facebook. This allowed me a slight moment's hesitation for two reasons. First, I knew the inquirer wanted a yes or no answer. That's just how they are. Second, Hubs and I go through periods of difficulty and are currently breaking one. But ultimately?

My fingers typed "yes".

And then I followed it with some jibberish about their question not being a yes or no question. I said it's difficult to maintain happiness in a marriage when children are little and finances aren't secure. Finding the happiness through the stress is a difficult task, and it takes practice and repeated efforts and reminders to find the joy in your partner. The everyday can BEAT.YOU.UP.

Let's be honest. It's so easy to distract yourself that you're doing the right thing because you care for the kids, feed them and bathe them, do their laundry and clean their rooms, and love on them and read them books. Those are the RIGHT things to do in a marriage. Right?

No, those are the right things to do as a PARENT.

And then you distract yourself that you're doing the right thing because you worked a full day, came home and picked up the laundry from the bedroom floor and straightened bathroom towels, did a load of dishes before cooking dinner and then washed the dinner dishes as well. Those are the RIGHT things to do in a marriage. Right?

No, those are the right things to do as a HOME OWNER.

So why did I answer yes?

Because Hubs listens to me when I speak rationally. He believes in my parenting. He randomly rubs my feet. He understands I do more housework than he does. He plays with the children outdoors. He pushes them on the swing, and shoots basketball. He talks to them. He recognizes his own need for personal time. He recognizes mine. He compliments me. He tries, harder than me sometimes.

So why should he answer yes, if asked?

Because I'm a good parent and a decent home owner? Lord, do I have work to do.

Monday Mumbles

2011-08-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

The Mumbles are generally ten random things that I feel like grumbling about, right? WELL...we just had a GREAT weekend at my family reunion on my father's side, and instead I'd like to "mumble" with photos and give you some insight into half the chaos that influenced ME, growing up. (I apologize to FB friends. These photos will be repeats for you! But please, read along, for the "insight" portion of the show.)

1. The reunion would never have been if it weren't for this woman, my grandmother, "Granny", my dad's mom, mother of 9. My memories of "family reunion" always consisted of a road trip to a small town in Missouri where a member of my Granny's husband, my dad's dad, lived. They lived near a large lake, had a "barn" house (old barn converted into a home), an in-ground pool, and lots of crazy people. The last time we had one of those was August 2000, mainly due to the lady of the barn house passing and the tradition slipped away. Now that Granny and my late grandfather are parents of 9, grandparents of 21, and great-grandparents of 19, soon to be 23, it seemed a perfect time to revitalize the reunion, with Granny's family as the core unit. This year in particular was perfect because Granny turned 90, her middle child turned 60, and her baby turned 50.

2. At this small town in Missouri, there was a small inn. At this small inn, there was a wonderful in-ground pool, a covered picnic area, shuffleboard, a slide and a swing set. I couldn't wait to wake up and go swinging. I love swinging. Present tense, not past. It was only fitting that the place chosen to host our revitalizing reunion had the following characteristics:

was an old barn converted into a bed and breakfast with 21 rooms
an in-ground pool
large dining area and patio
swing sets
acres upon acres to play on

OJ enjoying the wooden bench facing bench platform swing

EJ also enjoying the swing set (she really was having a good time!)

3. Swimming. Those reunions dating back from 1984ish to 2000 had one major theme - swimming. When we awoke at the inn, we went swimming. When we made it down to the barn house a few hours after waking, we would get in their pool, going down the slide and off the diving board for hours upon hours. When we loaded up to go on the lake, we were swimming at the "beach", off the pontoons, or jumping off cliffs. This year was no different. Well, minus the cliffs, jet skis, and pontoons. And muddy water.

My brother Jimmy giving the water 2 thumbs up

Till looking like a grown child

Big brother shark chasing little brother guppy

TO showing off his skills in the deep end

4. Another tradition was the magic show. My uncle...who married my dad's sister....began performing magic shows for all the family. My earliest magic show memory was actually a sidenote of the show, but instead involved my little brother (above). Before the show one night, my brother thought it only appropriate that the national anthem be sung, as in sporting events. So at the age of 4 or 5, he stepped up on a cooler, stuck his chest out far and proud, and belted the Star Spangled Banner.

The kids always get a front row seat to the show

5. Every year, someone would always bring a new toy or gadget to share. My cousin Billy was always a good source of interesting and physical activities. This year, he brought out a couple of kites, and the small/medium kids were instantly drawn to them.

Billy, left, explains to my cousin Andrew (yes I have a cousin in the 4th grade) and TO how, exactly, to manipulate the strings in order to manipulate the kite

Billy helps TO get the hang of it

6. Games. Games games games. My family loves them, the aunts and uncles and the kids alike. We might be a tad competitive, but it's all in ~~mostly~~ good fun. Below are two photos of the "boy time" game of ultimate frisbee. I do believe we walked away from this game with zero injuries. Success!

And a reunion for THIS family wouldn't be proper without at least one game of Trivial Pursuit

7. Relaxation. Whether it be on the boats or beach at the lake, pool side in the lounge chairs, or napping in the afternoon at the inn, everyone found their quiet spot. TO and EJ enjoyed the hammocks....almost as much as I did.

8. If we can, we celebrate. As I mentioned earlier, the occasion was perfectly planned in 2011 for the 90th, 60th, and 50th birthdays. We already had a big bash in March for Granny, we had a great party in July for my Aunt Mary, and since the "baby" turns 50 August 25th, we capped the weekend off with a birthday party.

Loved his cake. We weren't sure how he got INTO or OUT OF this little train. Apparently he's always wanted a vanity plate that read "9 of 9". I think it'd be cute - he should do it!

9. Nothing finishes a good weekend off like a great sunset. If you click the link, you'll see the full moon past the plant and the trees.

10. I found it only fitting for a family reunion to end on a note of continued tradition. Here, my cousin Billy enjoys some quiet time with his beautiful, pregnant wife Joyce. We can't wait to meet 1 of 4 new family members coming this November and December!!

Avoiding the Rump Lump

2011-08-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

Have I ever told you the story of my ass?

I know some of you know the story. It dates back to 2002-2003. You know, the days when I was childless, full of hours to do as I pleased, and ambition. Oh yes, my girlfriend and I were full of energy and enthusiasm. She wanted to do a marathon, and while I knew she was more "about it" than me, I was willing to try.

So she found the training program and we trained. We trained and trained and we ran miles upon miles. And my shins started hurting. And hurting and hurting. And then my back.

On the day we were supposed to run 16 miles, I made it 4, cried, and quit. I limped to Hubs' work, asked for his car keys, and drove my butt home.

As the days and weeks ensued, my extreme lower back became my enemy. I couldn't sit in my chair at work without tearing up. So I went and got it fixed. I had 8 visits with the chiropractor my mom used, and I have spent the past 8 years in blissful comfort. And birthed three babies, to boot.

But before I got fixed, and was in considerable pain, I realized another side effect of the back issue was a lopsided tush. A stress fracture in my spinal tissue (potentially created in my youth during gymnastics or cheerleading or constant running) reared its ugly head, caused pain, causing my pelvic bone to shift to compensate for the pain, thus throwing my rear out of alignment.

One rump hump was larger than the other. Considerably.

Unfortunately, as I have started running again in my post-breastfeeding EJ days, I have begun to feel those twinges in my back again. And I fear the rump hump. No one wants an uneven ass.

So instead of compromising my tush, I am taking it easy. With sprint workouts. We'll see how that plays out for me and my ass. In the meantime, my regular pain the ass keeps shooting nerf gun darts at me. I must get revenge.

Monday Mumbles

2011-08-08T07:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday friends. What do you have to mumble about? Or is your week off to a glorious start and no mumbling is necessary? Feel free to leave miniature rainbows and fluffy clouds, too. We don't discriminate.

1. It's a lonely day when your highlight is finding the construction-muddled highway you drive each day has finally opened all lanes. I might have teared up with joy at the end of last week.

2. Girls night last night - loved the mexican food. loved the conversation. loved the girls. as always.

3. Sunday night girls night = rough start to Monday. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

4. Hubs' nephew is in town from Seattle. He's 10. He said at the pool the other day, "Everyone's so nice here." How sad that city kids are shocked by the niceness of people and how we can treat one another when we escape the harshness of the daily grind.

5. EJ has attitude. That's all I have to say about that.

6. I got lazy Sunday and didn't write out my mumbles, and now I have to go to work. Better luck next time!

What You Missed….June

2011-08-06T20:45:00.001-05:00

We're nearing the end of this series, at which point we'll be caught up. The highlight for June? Sissie's birthday, of course! Evelyn turned one and we had baby cousins and bigger cousins and friends join us at a wonderful farmstead smack-dab in the middle of the suburbs. We're talking goats, pigs, pony rides, pond fishing, horse-drawn wagon rides, and goats. Did I mention goats?

Rules Established

2011-08-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

My friend got me thinking today, but I didn't revisit that conversation until after the kids were in bed.

I realized I wasn't following the rules I'd told her just hours before I had set for myself. At least I wasn't following them tonight. Maybe I pretended I didn't have to because it was Friday?

Or maybe I was just lacking self-control.

We were discussing "screen time" and how she wanted to cut back. As in completely unplug from work email at home, Facebook, blogs, television shows, Tivo. I said there's no need for that! Just implement a few ground rules. Here is what I laid out that I (generally) follow:

1. Only one TV show per season. This doesn't include sporting events, so both are acceptable. But this way you're only obligated to one evening per week, for one to two hours, max. And of course the weekly sports events that air can be family time.

2. No blog writing or reading until the kids are in bed. Period. Comment moderation is acceptable so long as it's under five minutes.

3. Facebook isn't something that keeps me glued to the computer because I fail to see the joy in searching or whatever. And I don't have that many friends on there that I'm bombarded with status updates. The ones with lengthy and constant status updates are probably hidden. BUT...she mentioned the games. She plays the games. Apparently they're addictive. I say - cold turkey.

After my 4-5 month computer hiatus, I felt free. Not that I didn't miss reading your blogs, knowing how your day was going with Facebook, and generally making myself look silly here at the Table, but I wasn't NEEDING to check anything because I couldn't.

Now that my first week back is under my belt, I plan on sticking to these rules and limiting my time. Lucky for me I deleted a few FB friends, hid some others, and you guys aren't blogging that much. I don't want my friend to completely unplug but instead set some guidelines. I'd lose a reader, for goodness sake.

What You Missed….May

2011-08-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

My sister’s law school graduation!!

What You Missed…April

2011-08-03T22:27:00.001-05:00

I figured we could do a quick catch up for all the months we missed. The easiest way to do this is with photos. Yup, I’m taking the easy way out. The highlight from April? OJ’s birthday of course!!

Tweet Tweet!

2011-08-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

I'm trying it out.....against all better judgment. It may last one whole day...

@Toojemama

I promise, I will not tweet what I am eating (unless it's really important to the story).
I promise, I will not tweet the same thing I said on Facebook.
I promise, I will not tweet from the bathroom (unless I need help).
I promise, I will probably not last very long on this thing. It's just another thing to maintain.

Ugh.

Some Updates in Photos

2011-08-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

Monday Mumbles

2011-08-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

It’s no lie. I’m really mumbling again! All thanks to my girlfriend’s husband. I must thank you for the delay in the fix, though. While detox was difficult, I found myself truly enjoying my evenings without that “itch” to blog or facebook or email. I will try and curb all of these urges to a more reasonable level. I do, after all, have a lot of children in the house.

1. It’s been a long time. Let’s get a few housekeeping items out of the way. First, pictures. I will definitely post tomorrow with some cute, recent photos of the babies. It won’t happen today.

2. I am officially behind on my birthday scrapbooks, but about to fix it. I printed Turner’s 6 year old photos and will be starting it. It MUST be done before his birthday….which is in 3 weeks. And then we’ll be doing Owen’s from April, and then Evelyn’s first party.

3. Much to your disappointment, I’m sure, I haven’t stopped watching The Bachelorette. It is, in fact, about to be done. Tonight is the finale and I can’t wait. The only thing that would make it better is if my girlfriend was in town to have the finale watch party we’d planned. Unfortunately she lost her grandmother this past week and is with family.

4. I met her grandmother once….at least once anyhow. I believe this was the same grandmother that taught us the phrase, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” If my boys’ pee didn’t smell like horse’s urine, we could utilize this advice more often.

5. Our midwest summer has been wonderful. I might be the only one who truly relishes this 100+ degree weather, but I don’t care. It feels wonderful to sweat, be warm, with the sunshine beaming on my face. Keep it coming, Mother Nature. Keep it coming.

6. This summer also brought the realization that Turner needed swim lessons. We weren’t getting the job done, and frankly we didn’t have time. And after 6 lessons, he can swim anywhere in the pool…shallow, deep. He can tread water, he goes under, he even swims under water a few strokes. And on Saturday? He finally realized that jumping in is FUN….after a few nudge/throws from me. I couldn’t be more pleased.

7. My friend Michelle had her baby June 30th, a second son named Vincent. I just wanted to be sure she got a “whoop whoop!!” shout out here.

8. Did I ever blog about my trip to Florida to visit my brother and sister-in-law after they had my nephew? If not, then let me assure you….traveling with Anger Management Evelyn was a treat. Especially for the obviously self-consumed teenage boy next to me on one particular leg of the journey home. Hee hee hee.

9. As I mentioned in my previous post, I do have a new position at work and am enjoying the first two weeks. Ideally, I’d be living off interest earned on PowerBall earnings, but until that comes to fruition, this gig seems to be good. It’s a relaxed atmosphere, they work hard, play hard.

10. Mumbles should be their regular weekly occurrence. Would you like to mumble with me?

A New Post!!!

2011-07-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

I am trying to type with a little peanut head girl leaning on my forehead. She's literally putting all her weight on my head and shoulder and giggling....

.....she must love the fact that I'm home at 1pm on a Friday...and typing on a computer!

Don't get excited. I'm just using Till's personal computer that I always refrained from using before. He saved up his own money and purchased it himself over a year ago, and I never wanted to impose my addiction on his personal property.

I'm like that, though. If they're given something in celebration or purchased it themselves, I make sure it's THEIRS. Even something as small and replaceable as an apple in the Christmas stocking. We once had an inadvertent eating of the wrong apple, and we made a vow (and educated Hubs) not to let things like that happen again. It gives them pride and a sense of gratefulness in things that they receive, and they appreciate them more. At least it's working out that way. I really only imposed the rule because I don't like to share food.

There is headway on the computer front though. My girlfriend and I were texting last night and she let me know that her hubby made mention (at that very moment) that he was working on my computer. AND that he was "dedicated" to it. Rock on, friends, rock on. I love them.

Hey peeps - did I happen to mention I applied and was offered a new role at my company??? Yup, I am in a new department! Been there for 2 weeks, and couldn't be happier. Learning new things, an entirely different perspective of banking than what I've had before, and my new group seems genuinely excited to be doing their jobs. They're dedicated, too, you could say. But to promoting a positive environment, a culture of acceptance and learning and growing. I'm too excited. TOO.

Okay, this little peanut head girl wants to play. She stepped in front of the keyboard as a gesture. I'm off to enjoy my Friday afternoon and weekend. Love to you all!!

"Outspoken"

2011-06-25T16:09:00.000-05:00

Clearly, I have a reputation.

Hubs went out with one of our new(ish) friends from the area, a parent of a kid who has been playing ball with Turner. Mind you, I was already aware that the wife of this new(ish) friend is quiet, polite, and sweet. I stop short of calling her reserved because I don't want her to appear uptight. She's not uptight. At all. She's just not loud.

Like me.

Or, as her husband so eloquently asked Hubs, "So Jess is pretty...outspoken, huh?"

I asked Hubs if he defended me. If he acknowledged that, while I might speak my mind, it's never with obnoxious intent but instead with informative feedback. I'm pretty sure by his hemming and hawing that he did not.

I like that term, don't you? Informative feedback. Because we all know that some feedback....well, it's certainly NOT informative. Or needed. Or intelligent. And so what if my feedback comes in the form of "HEY YOU! THAT WAS....STUPID."

Okay, I don't really do that. But apparently my tone of voice is well-interpreted and accurately received most days. I say congrats to me. No need wasting time behind hidden "bitch" code, right?

I blame it on my Dad. He's the one who WILL yell "HEY YOU! THAT WAS....STUPID." But his would also be followed by an expletive as I duck behind a tree until people stopped looking.

Vacation Ramblings

2011-06-14T19:02:00.000-05:00

How are you, my pretties??? Me? Can't complain. I am once again down in the Florida sunshine to visit my brother and sister-in-law. I came down here back in 2009 with Turner and my mom, with the purpose of vacation and Disney. This time, the purpose was meeting my first (and possibly only) nephew, who is 4 weeks old today.

Cute. And tiny, compared to his big, ornery, noisy cousin Evelyn. MAN, is she obnoxious and bossy. Never mind her bossiness comes in the form of "aahhhg! baaahhhh! baaaahhhhmmmaaaa! baaaa!" They have a dog. Poor dog. Bossed around and led astray by little miss Evie.

She came because she flies for free. The others stayed back because I wanted to pretend that I am on vacation. You can't REALLY relax away from home until the children are completely able to wipe their own ass and maybe fix snacks for themselves. Never mind the fact that she still thinks she needs to be on the boob.

Let me catch you up on a few things.

1. I don't believe my computer is fixed yet. I've not asked.

2. Turner is a rock star little t-ball/coach pitch player, even if he doesn't like it. I like watching him, so he will continue.

3. It's weird to call my brother a daddy.

4. Owen told Hubs he loved him, and then he told me he loved me, and then he said, "And I love Grandpa......because he doesn't scream at me and say NAP TIME."

5. I called my Miami Beach friend and we met in the middle today at a smaller beach. Lovely day.

6. I have been watching the Bachelorette and I think she's awful. I mean, she's a nice girl but awful with men. It's no wonder she's still single. Serious insecurity issues. I feel bad for her. For those who are watching, I like Ben C. the lawyer and J.P.

Toodles for now...I should go watch Wipeout. Or try and help with the crying baby. Hmmm.....decisions.

Library Lulls

2011-06-01T20:21:00.000-05:00

My time spent on the computer away from work continues to dwindle.

Would it be horrible if I put a mini pencil through the eyeballs of a most likely junior high girl? She's across the table from me, eating like a HUGE COW. OMG, I cannot STAND listening to people eat or chew gum. At first, I thought it was gum, but NO...when I heard her unwrap something, I realized she's eating pieces of chocolate and slurping and chomping them. I might die if I have to continue coming to a public place for this.

But no worries. There's another person just to my left who is popping away at their gum. All bases covered.

Winter has left us, and I'm hoping spring is on its way out. Love me some summer! And with Evie on the weaning stages....I finally get to think about running! Just weeks away now....I'd be jumping for joy if I weren't in the library.

Our neighbor has continued to make visits to Hubs, and I occasionally sit in on the discussions. I've found a lot of the talk interesting with thoughts that are challenging to consider. And that's just the normal God stuff, not the specific Jehovah's Witness beliefs. I do know that I continue to try and remember to act in a way that is pleasing, and that means in hindsight, will I be pleased with my actions? I cannot begin to imagine any God would be pleased if even I cannot be. Baby steps.

I cannot wait to catch up with April on her Bachelorette thoughts. Anyone else watching that nuttiness? And of course SYTYCD is back on....a display of muscles, in any form, can't be bad. Except for professional weight lifting. Gross.

Lovelies, I hope you've been well. Leave me a good note in your comments telling me something fantastic you've done or seen or said in the last few weeks. Anything. I just want to hear how your days have been, anecdotes, silly stories. Toodles for now....

Time Marches On

2011-05-19T20:46:00.000-05:00

In my case, living without the internet at my fingertips hasn't ended my world. Maybe my connection with friendly strangers and intimate acquaintances and immediate gratification from those who read my dribbles. But not my world. At least not yet.

So what's been marching on? Let's see...

I've become an aunt this week. No longer the only mommy! My older brother and his beautiful wife had a bundle of blue joy enter the world Tuesday morning. I have already arranged a much needed vacation for next month, assuming my nephew would be here, and I'm excited to meet him. I saw pictures tonight and he's adorable. OF COURSE. All closely related babies are adorable. It's a mentally programmed requirement.

My ever-schooling sister graduates from law school this weekend. I cannot wait to re-visit my alma mater campus, even if the weather might end up being less than ideal. Such a scary thought that all of my siblings are officially done with school, grown up, and ready to be swallowed by this ever-evil working world.

Evie will be one next month. ONE. She's a walking, babbling, big haired bundle of attitude and sass and humor. She.Is.Fun.

Owen has transitioned to the 'big kid' drop-off room with success, without tears, and loving it. Now if we can just get him to WANT to learn the essential pre-school staples. Letters and their corresponding sounds, writing, and telling the truth. Yes, he lies. It's so NOT endearing.

Turner is rounding out his successful first year in the public school system. I'm SO happy I decided to bump him to first grade. I think he enjoyed it, learned a few things, and made some friends. It also shaped his perspective that not all children would be kind, considerate, or your friend. Unfortunately, learning different strokes for different folks is part of life, and he's handled it pretty well. He expresses himself at home, asks why people behave the way they do, and seeks the right path. I can only hope it continues. In the meantime, we're working on his baseball swing, and gearing up for flag football.

Till decided to join a baseball participation league this spring and has been enjoying himself. It's hard to believe he went from the size and age of Turner when he moved in with us, and is now as tall (or maybe taller?) than me now, growing fuzzy hair on his lip, and pretending to be cool. Junior High does funky things to kids, and I'm not all that excited about it, but hey.....they grow out of it. Right?

So much to say, to tell, to release. Not enough time. It's interesting how facets of one's life can impair the others. That's the virus of the virtual world where nothing is personal anymore...or too much so? In any case, I look forward to the day when my words are able to babble freely again here in this space.

In the interim, hugs and kisses to those who need it, kicks in the shins to those who deserve it, and a double flip off to those who have earned it.

At the Doctor

2011-05-13T17:05:00.001-05:00

Oh yes it is! The computer is at the doctor!!

Soon....

Soon, soon, soon.

Happy weekend, friends!

Sadly........

2011-04-27T20:31:00.001-05:00

.......I think I'm getting used to this no computer at home thing. It makes things a bit difficult...but eh. I'm surviving. Which I didn't think I had a chance of doing.

......I think I miss Facebook more than I miss blogging. I just ran out of time to blog and read blogs, and I had been feeling guilty if I actually blogged and didn't take the time to go read others. But only one could get done, and since my sisters depended on me for entertainment, I leaned toward writing. But Facebook....I miss silly short messages from friends, laughing over silly status updates, looking at new photos.

......I must leave the library now and head home, where I'll sit in bed and eat ice cream, wishing I had a phone with internet. And just when I was happy NOT conforming......

We're Getting Closer

2011-04-19T19:25:00.000-05:00

Yes indeedy. My girlfriend and hubby have hit ground here at home. I'm just waiting for the right time to bombard him with my poor, sickly computer.

Tick tock....tick tock....

The library and I have become good friends, though. Except for the whole "checking out free books" part. Yeah, I keep buying them. Oh well.

Just read Water for Elephants upon recommendation by friends. Loved it. How about you? Have you read it? Let's chat.

It's a Party

2011-04-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Please, come in....come in. Welcome. Have a seat...there's one over there. Oh, and over here. Feel free to grab a drink. And cookies! I made cookies. Wait, no, my dad made cookies, but still...help yourselves. The party has started so enjoy!

Hello. My name is Jessica and I am addicted to celebrating. I have tried facing my demons by pretending that things are "small" and thus don't require my attention. I pretend others don't want or deserve the special food and drink. I tell myself that it doesn't need to happen THIS time.

But it does. It always needs to happen. Celebrating that is.

Why?

Because. There is no other reason than because.

Someone told me that people are sometimes "weird" about post-graduate degree celebrations. I never would have 'thunk' it, I said. Why? I said. That makes no sense that when you achieve the highest you have, others shy away from acknowledging it.

I didn't spend too much time trying to figure it out either. I simply said, "That's unfortunate for them. We're still having our party." And we are. My sister is graduating from law school next month and my cousin is getting her Masters in Education Administration. So we're celebrating. And why not?

Every day should be an excuse to find joy, and positive moments, and celebratory highs. From the mundane to the exuberant. From baby spittles to post-graduate degrees.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions about what constitutes honor and recognition. Far be it from me to impose my own. But to catch wind of a celebration and then cast a shadow on it saddens me. The old adage stands true each day that you encounter those who do not adhere to it.

"If you don't have anything nice to say......don't say anything at all."

If a celebration isn't your cup of tea, by all means you are allowed to stay at home. But as for me and mine? Congrats are in order for so many things. It makes my days happy, and it makes me happy for others. I am honored to help my parents and my sister get her announcements in order and in the mail, and the parties put together and organized. I'm honored to congratulate my cousin on her accomplishments and carving out a path that she will enjoy for many years.

Most of all, I'm honored to watch them see the fruits of their labor come to an end, new chapters begin, and to share FOOD and DRINK with them in a great big toast of congrats. CONGRATS.

Who Cares What Day It Is

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

Since I cannot seem to get to the library on Mondays, we'll just call this what it is. A hurried up attempt at putting something out here.

Should I mumble? I don't really have anything to mumble about.
I think we've almost gotten everyone back on healthy, or semi-healthy ground. All the little people are able to attend school/daycare so that's progress. The oldest "little" person is now claiming to feel icky, so who knows what that means. He's got the yearly school testing going on, so I refuse to let him try and play that card unless it's legit.

Hubs took TO and OJ to our major league baseball team's 3rd game of the season Saturday. The game started at 12:10pm, they arrived at the ball park at 10:30, and didn't leave until it was over at 3:30. And they loved it. I guess there are lots of good things for little people to do there, they've revamped a lot of it and make it interactive and kid friendly. I haven't seen it. I've always been knocked up or nursing some little tit monkey. I know, I know...I COULD go...but it's so burdensome sometimes. And the house was QUIET.

I hope all of you faithful blog friends don't forget about me while I'm absent from your blogs and barely touching my own. I think of you!! Often. My reading material is NOT nearly as entertaining, I must say that.

Take care, be well, stay near....I've only got two more weeks.

OMG.

Monday Mumbles on...Tuesday?

2011-03-29T20:08:00.000-05:00

At least I made it into the library. I think Hubs realized I needed a break. From home, from the detox that's taking place with no computer at home, from work, from little people....aaahhhh. Now if only the little pre-teen boys would be quiet behind me.

1. Shout out to Michelle - you look FABULOUS 25 weeks pregnant! Don't let baby belly tell you otherwise. It's beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful.

2. Blogging at the library, with time limits on the computers really, really stinks. There's a little clock up in the corner that keeps tick....tick...ticking...at me. GO AWAY!

3. Evelyn already likes to wrestle. I cannot figure out how all of our kids seem to be hopped up on goofballs from the word go. I like it...don't get me wrong...but I'm so TIRED. Can I keep up? I dunno.

4. I just turned around and saw the pre-teen boys. I knew one of them as a friend of Till's from elementary school. I said hello and reminded him of who I was. It didn't stop him from talking too loudly. Time to pull out the mom voice, I think.

5. OJ turns 3 in a couple of weeks. I started this blog when he was just.....4 months old? 7 months old? Something like that. Now he's a walking, talking monster who still plays with his curls when he's sleepy.

6. I just remembered the other day that our anniversary is coming up March 31st. It's weird to think back on that day and how whirlwind the weeks were, leading up to it, and to have that day just slip by now...year after year.

7. And we timed it poorly, I might add. It falls directly between my parents' birthdays. My siblings and I always want to try and do something for them on their birthdays, but with March Madness, first quarter of the financial industry, school, spring breaks, and our anniversary, their birthdays float by as well.

8. To add another thing to that list this year, we had our Granny's 90th birthday to celebrate. My dad is one of 9 children, and all 9 children made it in for the big celebration, along with many cousins.

9. We went out to dinner Saturday night and had an Italian feast, literally, at a buffet/cafeteria style restaurant. It went perfectly minus TO's vomit session that included a standing splatter right behind the hostess podium, right before the hallway to the restroom, and again right before the door to the men's room. He felt MUCH better after that, I assure you.

10. Irony or divine timing? You decide. The Wednesday after publishing my religion entry, our neighbor came for a visit. This is the son of the elderly gentleman that Hubs has befriended. The son is just a few years younger than us, so you'd think Hubs would have befriended HIM, but he prefers interacting with the elders. Maybe something to do with being raised by his great-grandparents. Anyhow....the son and his father are practicing Jehovah's Witnesses, and Hubs has had several "life" discussions with them that don't even necessarily revolve around their faith, but their faith is indeed what revolves their life. Hubs has admired their strong sense of family, their characters, their personas. Which, I agree, are comforting and easy to engage. Hubs initiated the 'sidewalk' conversations and the son readily suggested coming over for some follow-up discussion. The son is actually a practicing minister. And without speaking a word about their direct beliefs, has been over twice now for enlightening, boisterous, and thoughtful discussion about life, God, and understanding life through the Bible's teachings. He's also left us with some interesting reading material that is short, and to the point, but directs you to passages in the Bible for complete reading. It's been a terrific couple of Wednesdays, and I look forward to him returning.

No Funny Faces

2011-03-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

sorry. my computer at home ate a virus and is seriously bugging out. as in I can't do anything with or on it.

my best girlfriend's techy husband is out of town for nearly a month, so he can't look at it until he returns. boo.

I am going to try and hit up the library a few times over the next weeks, but I'll be gone from here. a lot. those who can email me at work, please do. I'm lonely.

Happy Friday despite and.....

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK tonight!

Monday Mumbles: Evening Edition

2011-03-21T21:30:00.000-05:00

It's the late night edition of Mumbles. I had scheduled Turner's Funny Faces to post early Sunday, but the "scheduled posting" didn't work properly (it's about 50/50 for me...and you??) so it didn't go up until later Sunday evening. So the Mumbles got pushed back to give TO his proper respect.

1. My sister Leslie tipped me off to an interesting quote about impossibility:

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."
(Muhammad Ali)

2. Just to clarify, anyone who thinks that nothing is impossible haven't met my co-workers. Just sayin'.....(on the real though, I loved this quote. I love inspiration and focus and possibility.)

3. This same sister is an interesting character, and for lack of a better cliche, marches to the beat of her own drum. I'm fairly certain she'd describe herself as normal, but I don't know many 25 year old women (girls, still, to me) whose idea of a good social time includes frequent trips to the local university's performance and entertainment center. With her aunts. Or her brother-in-law. Or by herself.

4. The list of shows she's seen include:
     a. Neil Berg's 100 years of Broadway
     b. "Fiddler on the Roof"
     c. Black Violin (picture classical meets hip hop.......on violin)
     d. "Bus Stop" (play by a native Kansan)
     e. Garrison Keillor (NPR story-teller)
     f. coming up in April.....Jay Unger and Molly Mason (musical stylings of Civil War era music)

5. Speaking of plays and musically talented individuals, I drove by my old junior high this weekend, which is no longer a school at all. It's nothing. So sad. BUT, across the street was our music building, for both choir and band. I had a sudden urge to call my childhood friends and apologize for having to sit next to me during choir. I couldn't sing then and I can't sing now, but I sang out loud anyhow so I could get my A. Sorry, Tracy!

6. TO had spring break last week. He spent the first couple of days here at home, and then he spent Wednesday through Sunday down with my dad or my grandma and aunt. When I finally got to see him Sunday, he STILL didn't want to go home with me. I was sad.

7. Don't get me wrong, I was HAPPY that our family is that close and he enjoyed all of them and my cousin's boys so much. But it stung a little, and I made the mistake of telling him it made me sad. I laughed when I said it of course, but sensitive TO waited ALL DAY to cry at bedtime, telling me he felt bad that it made me sad. He's adorable, even if he's a cry baby. Love that kid.

8. Evie is going from sitting to a free standing position without the use of props, furniture, or toys to boost her up. Not yet ten months old and she thinks she's ready to walk.

9. It hit 80 degrees both yesterday and today. I looooooooooooooooooove it. Sooooooooooo happy. SO SO Happy.

10. Finale - My Jayhawks are ready to Rock Chalk to the Sweet Sixteen!! If you don't know what I'm talking about, try googling "NCAA basketball and March Madness" or "best thing in sports, ever" OR, better yet, "why am I so out of the loop".

Funny Faces Shuffles into Sunday

2011-03-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

And here's my "baby".

Touchdown celebration

This is the igniting of the dynamite after scoring a touchdown....

....and this is the result of the blow up!!

More touchdown celebrations.

Funny Faces Smear to Saturday

2011-03-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

Owen's turn!! Come back tomorrow for Turner.

Funny Faces Friday

2011-03-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

I took so many fun photos at my mom's last weekend, that I can't decide who or which to display. So I'm not choosing. It's Evie's turn today, Owen's tomorrow, and Turner on Sunday. Be sure to come back and see how cute my boys are! Hideously egotistical, I know.

Monday Mumbles

2011-03-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

This isn't just another Monday. No sirree bob. It's THE Monday. The first Monday of the NCAA tournament. The day before it all kicks off, before brackets get busted, the day hope lives greater than any other day of the college basketball season. Aahhh, to be a fan.

1. Thanks Mom, for the weekend. For the food, keeping an eye on the kids, the food, helping me make Anna's graduation invites (yes, yes...Anna helped too), the bathtub the kids cleaned up in, the massage on my neck and shoulders. They still hurt, by the way. I need another one.

2. A belated thank you to my brother Jimmy for watching OJ when he was sick a week ago Friday. We appreciate you driving up here to be with him. You and the girls are always so helpful and we are grateful.

3. Is anyone else tired?

4. For those uninterested in basketball, I have no words. This is THE best time in all the world. March Madness, 64 teams (I exclude the 4 teams that get to play into the final 4 spots...I'm not adjusting to that change yet)....6 games....1 champion. And what's so great for me? Every single year, my team is a legitimate contender. Every.single.year. It's wonderful being a Jayhawk.

5. After OJ had the flu last week, he developed an ear infection. I am through treating his ear infections with amoxicillin or any other antibiotic. We will treat his pain with over the counter relief, and wait it out. 80% clear up on their own, and so will his. The one he was diagnosed with Tuesday night? Clear. He's good to go!

6. I know we mention Evelyn's hair around here. A lot. But for as pretty as it is, no mom should have to worry about anything other than keeping a wet, wiggly baby upright in the bathtub. Not only do I have to ensure she doesn't tumble over, I have to try and scrub those long curly locks and get tangles out. It's truly tasking.

7. I love my Hondas. Anyone see the Honda commercials with the "really big" buttons? Makes me laugh. Except for the hair. Ewww.

8. Another winter storm in our area. It makes me sick. Literally.

9. I know this might sound bizarre, but when I see those little Smart cars, I want to run up to them and kick them over. Or at least see if I can karate kick them over onto their side. Is that the SUV driver in me? Maybe.

10. *YAWN* I'll be fighting to get through this day, this winter weather, so that we can move onto more important things. St. Patrick's Day, basketball, another weekend.

Enjoy your Monday!

Funny Faces Friday

2011-03-11T03:00:00.001-06:00

Anyone else need some lighthearted fun to get their weekend started?? Me too! Of course, if all else fails...we've got basketball. LOTS of basketball coming up!

Owen was all too happy to be silly again at his Grandpa's house. A football in the hood did the trick.

And he loves this bag of toys. I'm fairly certain my dad gathered these toys from behind random washers and dryers that he fixes in people's homes. Or maybe from kiddie meals...that's really all my dad requires when he eats.

Sissy is a really good hair customer, most times. So long as she has her own comb to chew on that is.

And I've gotten really quick at parting and pulling and wrapping the bands.

She's getting too big, too fast.

Here's Turner at our Bulls basketball party. The gal on the right was my assistant coach, Sally. We had so much fun. I'm glad that I signed up to do it!! You were GREAT your first year, TO!

Reaching Out: Religion

2011-03-08T03:00:00.005-06:00

I struggle with religion.

I don't think this is an unknown fact here. I don't think it's uncommon generally. I do think it's easy to push to the side, gloss over, and forget about for awhile.

And the hardest part? Just when I think I'm making head-way on my path, I am slammed backward by an offhand conversation, silly Facebook status update, or fevered blog post. I have come to terms that my largest obstacle lies in the fact that I see all sides. Of all stories. Death penalty, atheism, abortion, tithing hang-ups, hypocrisy in living a Christ-led life. I often ask myself why things have to be completely right or completely wrong to be "right" in the eyes of God.

I want to completely believe. I want to so easily say, "My God made me, loves me, and will lead me where I need to be." I think those who have always believed cannot comprehend the thoughts of those like me. That there isn't a great creator, waiting to take me in and forgive my sins. The sheer impossibility that by simply stating that a man, Jesus, was taken on a cross to bear all human sin, and I accept that, will absolve my worries.

Never mind the fact that everyone who does believe in this great Creator and his impossibly perfect son Jesus decided that worshiping required rules. But their rules only. Not those "other" people on the other side of the tracks. In order to reach this perfect destination and wipe away all the Earthly turmoil and strife, you must do this....and you must do that...But why, then, do I feel as if those who believe with all their being are the ones casting the most judgment? I have found few believers who consistently accept me and my family the way we are, and keep inviting us to them so that we may find out how joyful their lives are with God in it. Hoping we join them one day.

I keep waiting for something grand to happen to bring me around. I sometimes think that those who call themselves "saved" as an adult had some triumphant "God shining light" moment take place that finally brought them around. They say that being saved simply means admitting and announcing that you accept Jesus the son as your savior and that he died for your sins. But really? How do you just wake up one day from a state of unrest and disbelief and say..."You know what? He is. He really is. That's my guy."

Most of all, I want to believe so that I can have the peace that true believers have. Those who live life with honest belief that God watches over them, giving them a sense of peace. No matter the truth about religion, those who believe have a safety net for their emotions and their pain. And they have a common thread that binds them with their family or friends. I keep talking to Hubs and telling him that no matter my struggles, I want my children to grow up believing as he did as a child. As he does now, despite his adult struggles he's currently experiencing. I want them to have the peace of mind and safety of believing.

Because that's what it is, really. A safety. And despite all the rules that everyone tries to impose on religion, the only concept I can wrap my mind around is trying to improve as a person in a kind and heart-filled way each day. I agree that we all fall short and we all sin. I also know that I must try much harder not to have negative feelings permeate my thoughts, and instead focus on how I can bring something positive to the table each day.

There are a few people I want to bombard with questions. People who might have found their way as an adult, from a state of "I don't know" to a state of "I am at peace with believing". But starting that conversation is difficult. I am always afraid that if I ask, I will feel as if I'm speaking with a believer who's been one all along and had it awakened in them. It's as if they had the foundation of the concept of God laid down as a child, and then decided they wanted to believe as an adult. No. I want someone who knows where I've been. Who didn't even have the notion of God solidified as a child. And who can explain their feelings in a way that I will understand.

But I think that's the problem. It's not something that can be understood, or even explained. I'm afraid it's a path I'll have to find on my own.

Monday Mumbles

2011-03-07T03:00:00.000-06:00

Monday will be coming 'round the mountain when it comes......

1. We did it. Our Bulls team finished the season of Kindergarten-1st grade basketball (unofficially) undefeated! Unofficial because we are not allowed to keep score, at least on the books. So we kept them in our head. All ten games. NOT. ONE. LOSS. Our Bulls rocked!

2. And this last game on Saturday? We did it without our tallest, most productive kiddo. He was home sick, unfortunately, but everyone stepped up and hustled like crazy. TO had his best game by far, stealing passes and making shots and making plays for the team.

3. Evie ate her first booger. Well, sort of. She wiped her fist on her face and under her nose, which was runny. She then stuck her fingers in her mouth and chewed on them. YUM.

4. She will be 9 months on Thursday. She's already pulling up to her feet and trying to stand on her own....I have a feeling we'll have another early walker. TO walked at 10 months, OJ at 11. She might just beat them!

5. OJ had to leave school on Thursday with a temperature of 104.6. I freaked out and ran out of work. He swabbed positive for the flu and they warned he might be feverish, up and down, and sickly for 5-7 days. He was pretty much recovered by Saturday night, and I'm guessing that's because he received the flu shot so when he caught it, it had a slightly less hurtful grasp on him.

6. Watching 60 Minutes last night, I was thankful and sad at the same time. Watching the stories of the children whose parents lost jobs and had to move their families into hotels made me immediately grab Evelyn and smooch her cheeks. Listening to them talk about doing homework without electricity made me jump up and click off the errant light back in the kids' room. Hearing the story about lack of food made me so thankful that Hubs is out right now, treating OJ and TO to "the King" of Burgers. We aren't hurting. Not like we could be. We must do more to help others.

7. Did you see the Miller Lite commercial that takes place at a pool where a dude thinks he should wear a speedo? And then the little foreign man walks by wearing the same speedo and says something like, "Hey look! We da same! Brothas!" and then smacks his hiney back and forth? That's what happens at my house now when TO gets done with a bath. And sometimes just because.

8. Teenage girls are supposed to be the annoying, difficult breed. I don't yet have experience with one, but I have to say that so far? Teenage boys? Suck. Sullen, indifferent, obnoxiously "cool", and without a clue that extra effort will be needed as school only gets more difficult from this point on. Someone help us!

9. BUT....he's polite. At least to adults outside of the school "zone". He's been complimented numerous times on his sweet, polite behavior and manners. There is hope.

10. I'm a fairly strong personality. I'm sure you don't know that, though. So I'm tellling you. But what I find interesting is that many people think because I'm THIS way...that Hubs must be the other way. That I must rule the roost. That I call the shots and he does what I say. I'm here to tell you that's a FALSE assumption. He couldn't be further from a "Yes honey" type of guy. More to come on this topic.

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone. Don't be too much of a grump, and if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, close your eyes, click your heels, and start over. :)

Funny Faces Friday

2011-03-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

We pulled from June 2009 for some favorites that weren't necessarily faces. But adorable all the same. Happy Friday, blog friends.

The More Things Change....

2011-03-02T22:05:00.000-06:00

....You know how it ends. The more they stay the same. But the focus in this statement? Change.

Why do we as humans resist something that, as a small child, we should learn is inevitable? In fact, it is truly the only constant we experience. Some might try and argue that a parent's love is constant, but those with parents who are human understand that a parent's love can ebb and flow, and in fact change as we try their patience and test their limits. They probably continue to love us, but the way they deliver it and the way we receive it is ever-changing.

Change. It's there. Always in our face. So why, when it greets us, do we spit on it? Kick it? Refuse to let it in and see what it has to offer?

Sometimes a reaction to change is based on the way it is presented.

Sometimes a reaction to change is based on past experience with similar change.

Sometimes a reaction to change is based on what others suggest will happen.

Sometimes a reaction to change is based on our imagination running wild.

But the one thing we fail to understand in all of this? We can allow our reaction to move and grow based on these factors, or we can take our initial reactions for what they are. Initial reactions. From there, it's on us.

Do we allow the presentation from others dictate our feelings?
Do we allow past experiences determine the outcome of future events?
Do we allow suggestions from others to become our reality?
Do we allow our over-active fairy tale nightmares come to fruition because we act them out subconsciously?

I have resisted change. When I first entered the workforce, I did not grasp the ever-changing technology of the business world, and at first could not adapt. If it ain't broke, why fix it? Seeing the bigger picture from a successful business standpoint was not my strong suit.

Lately Hubs and I have gone through some growing pains. We both needed to make some changes to make things work better for us. What I have realized through these attempts, however, is that I have been unwilling to let Hubs change, at least in my eyes. I let my imagination run back to the past, and expect the same results. At times, he gives me the same result but I wonder if that is because my emotionally stunted growth forces his hand? Other times, I try very hard to see his behavior as a positive step in the right direction and relish the moment. I have a feeling he experiences the same emotions with regard to me and my behavior. There is no pretense that I have been angelic, as much as I'd like to fool you.

There have been times, though, where the change was strangely welcomed. When my parents divorced I was nearly 17, and it was sad, to be sure. But I also remember taking it in stride, making it work, and realizing that it was a relief, to some degree. I am sure it wasn't an easy decision, nor was it easy on them financially with 4 children still at home. With the bigger picture in mind, however, the relief it provided them both mentally and emotionally made both parents better parents, I believe.

I never did take my parents' decision personally. I sometimes wonder if it was because I was older, but then I look at my sisters who were 8 and feel like they survived as I did - fairly unscathed. If I had taken it personally, I don't believe I would have benefited from this change and quite possibly been hindered by it. Instead, the experience taught me perspective, a human need to survive, and that parents aren't selfless creatures put on Earth solely for my needs.

Lately I have been trying to figure out ways to help others see that change does not equal death to familiarity or the end of progress or no more happiness. It is always said that life is what you make it, and we would all be better served to heed this advice more often. Lately I have been letting others fill my ear, alter my course of what I know to be right and best for me. I thankfully have others who counter those sentiments and help me stay straight and positive and hopeful. I am taking a stance tonight to be that positive and hopeful influence to others.

Back to my roots, if you will.
Back to what I know.
Back to the future.