Somethin' »

i am alive and, look, i have a blog. 

okay, now that we’ve established those two pretty important facts we’ll move on to where in the world i’ve been.

last friday we did the full shopping trip like last time.  ran back to the in-laws, picked up our children, ran home put away groceries, and started the clean-up i should’ve done earlier in the week for company.  that company came in and proceeded to help me clean.  oh, the shame.  my husband ran for the hills (went to his friend’s house to have man time) and we welcomed the other half of our company.  after babies were all put to bed we stayed up and girl-talked until 2 in the morning.

with the sunrise came children.  and doggies!  we had three grownups, 1 six year old, 1 five year old, 1 three year old, 1 almost three year old, and 2 one year olds.  plus, two very cute and very active doggies.

we went to a kids’ fest (where my oldest climbed a 40 foot rockwall to the top and pushed the i-did-it! buzzer!), slid down a huge slide while holding a 2 year old and a one year old, resisted the urge to buy a hamster and stop at 3 different garage sales.  we got fancy ice cream from the ice cream truck and played at the park.  we started a build-a-bear birthday tradition with my sister (dropped the 5 year old off with her) and took the rest of the kiddos to a playland, picked up the 5 year old and his new stuffed bunny, thanked the sister profusely, and went to the zoo.  for 3 hours.  we rode a camel.  saw a baby gorilla and a baby camel.  learned more than we ever wanted to know about reptiles (my boy children’s newest fav exhibit) and insects.  picked up hot-n-ready pizza (oh, little ceasar’s what would we do without thee?) and ran home for dinner, baths, and bedtimes. 

i got sick, lost my voice, and found it again.  my daughter got the croup and i fitted in a doctor’s visit and steroids.  we watched doggies fight and play and have the time of their lives.  we had fits, fall-outs, and crying jags.  we watched babies walk, crawl, fall, cry and giggle.  we felt the burn of baby-wearing while pushing double strollers up hills both ways.  we heard kiddos fight, play, and laugh.  we soothed tears, fears, and woes.  we celebrated their accomplishments. we gave and accepted wife and motherly advice.  we watched as our friend crocheted a beautiful blanket for other friends just beginning their baby adventure.  and my children learned about crocheting, undivided attention, and gentleness from the most patient and loving woman on the planet.  we watched our wonderful friend find her way with 2 little ones in the same place i once was.  and she taught us laughter, endurance, and exuberance.  we loved on a very bothered daisy cat.  we talked politics, the pope, and poop.  we laughed, cried, prayed, and wished we lived closer.  we packed up, hugged, and waved goodbye. 

and we sat in the quiet and missed them.

Somethin' »

tonight i was lining the kids up for baths and thinking again that i should really do a “how i do what i do” post on bathing in our house, when i got to my oldest child.  a boy.  i went ahead and washed his hair and his feet (flip-flops and the park leave their mark) since i had run a full bath for the others and we were likely going to run out of hot water and definitely out of time before bed for his very own shower that he now takes all the time.  i then handed him the soap and told him to “finish up.”  he stood and turned around to wash.  when did this happen?  when did this child that i knew every dimple, every flaw, every perfection begin to turn into a stranger? 

and of course, the answer is: a little at a time.  when he no longer wore diapers, no longer needed help dressing, wiping, buckling his seatbelt, washing his hands.  and i’m aware (acutely so) that it will continue along this path until i wonder who it is that stands before me.

i recognize it in the ones coming up after him, as well.  they are slowly becoming the people i’m striving so hard to get them to be.  my sweet second child that i, somehow assumed would never get big, is.  my girl, who is just coming out of diapers, is taking her first strides into independence.  and i’m a little sad at the loss of the knowledge of every aspect of their little lives.  even as i celebrate their bigness each step of the way. 

may i continue to walk that line of parenting carefully and mindfully and joyfully. 

Much O' Nothin' »

melissa noticed that i had a birthday the other day.  i know, i know, i didn’t announce it.  having your thirty-first birthday ain’t nothin’ to shout from the rooftops.  i remember the “thirty-something” show from when i was a kid.  those people on there were old.  and boring.  yeah.  i’m feelin’ it.

however, noteworthy for the day was that my honey made me a surprise “mixed tape” off i-tunes.  he burned ‘em on pink and purple cds.  and he even endured the entire trip to my parents and back saturday listening, not only to the cds, but to my sometimes loud sing-along.  he’s so my john cusack.

and if you’re wondering - they’re all from the 90’s and mostly pop.  with a song from our wedding thrown in.  because i love me some sarah mclachlan, lisa loeb, matchbox 20, alanis, oasis, natalie merchant, gin blossoms, pearl jam, wall flowers, sixpence, sugar ray, a shawn colvin, no doubt, r.e.m., deep blue something, some weezer, and, of course there must be some they might be giants. 

a marvelous present, indeed. 

Much O' Nothin' »

actually, it was only a one box cake.  a funfetti cake.  i just squatted (i love that word) down and leaned in really close to the cake and it made it look gi-normous compared to babyhead.

and the icing, well, long story kinda shorter… it started out plain white whipped out of a container and then i needed extra so my honey made up a recipe to add to it.  but it was kinda crazy around here (big surprise) and he forgot and put the egg yolks in it, not just the whites.  since we’re a bit shy of salmonella, he then boiled it to kill off anything.  and we hoped it would gel again.  but not really.  so i just poured it over the top and called it volcano cake.  oh, and we always color our icing with food coloring.  and we don’t go easy with it, just like our pancakes.

k.t.:  the potatoes froze well, but i had baked them with all the stuff mixed in, wrapped them and then microwaved or rebaked them when we were ready to eat.  they did fine.  the onions - i chop them and stick ‘em in a ziplock.  i only use them in recipes, so they do fine also.  and i would love to do a recipe exchange blog.  if we do, would all the rest of y’all be interested in posting your own or at least linking some of your other posts with your recipes in them?

lisa:  yes, i think i’m still interested in the homeschool convention.  are you going to be around?

david and others:  yes, the doggy has a name.  he belonged to my mom and she had the very cool name meko yuma for him, calling him meko.  but because we’re goof balls we decided to rename him to fit into our ridiculous family.  i voted for mr. roboto.  i got voted out.  i think bilbo baggins it will be.  bilbo just kinda fits him.

yes, i am aware of the california homeschooling craziness.  are you?  get informed, if you’re not already.  i initially was pretty concerned, but after researching it, i’m a little calmer.  they’re handling it well and they’re in good hands.  we’ll just keep a close eye on it.

with the chicken broth, i poured it into ice trays and when it was frozen popped them out and stuck them in a big ziplock.  now i can grab just the amount i want in a recipe, it thaws quickly and i don’t have to chip off the big block.

mandy:  i know i already talked to you, but others may be wondering.  the shirts said “my parents are exhausted”, i got them at wal-mart for $4.95. 

jill:  first weekend in april’s great. 

megan:  first weekend in april?

did i miss any others?  you would think i could email or even call you people, but i fail at such friend things.  sorry. 

Much O' Nothin' »

i was just griping to my best friend in st. louis yesterday that it wasn’t fair that she would blanketed in beautifulness, but that we would be getting rain today.

this is what i get for complaining.

Somethin' »

my honey went to a new job this morning.  everbody breathe a collective sigh of relief with me.  and pray for him.  that he would make friends.  that he would learn the ways quickly.  that his boss would be a godly man or one that wants to be.  pray that this job would see us into responsibility and new friends.  we’ve been brought low and i know that He has allowed us to be without friends in order to turn to Him and to each other.  may He now bring us to others. 

this has been a long road.  and we don’t know what to expect.  except that he left this morning armed with paperwork for actual health insurance and benefits (wow, what are those?!)  and a $10,000 raise.  yes, we have broken into the $40,000 dollar range.  $40,019.20 to be exact.  why am i so scared?  because our society is built to keep people on assistance.  i’m scared to go it alone.  we’ll be dropping medicaid soon.  we’ll be reporting the money and see if they’ll let us keep any of the food stamps.  we will still be keeping the wic.  we want to be able actually pay our bills.  on time.  and feed our family.  and get the oil changed.  and share with others.  of course we want to be able to occasionally get underwear and socks when they’re needed.  and we’d love to be able to let the kids play ball and go to dance.  and get actual furniture that would get the mattress off the floor and piles of stuff out of the corners.  but right now, we’ll focus on paying those bills. 

this money won’t solve all of our problems.  but it will relieve some pressure. 

since christmas, we’ve had the food stamps come through and we got our tax return early.  and then we’ve gotten word on this job.  the blessings have flowed.  and we’ve eaten like kings. 

let me not forget, Lord.  i will build an altar to You.  for all good things come from You.  i will have an attitude of undeservedness.  i don’t deserve anything that i get.  let me share with others.  let me not forget how it felt to be hungry.  how it felt to ration food to my children that they would have food and not go to bed hungry.  how it felt to be downcast.  how it felt to be looked at as less.  help me to build up others that have that look.  help me to bless them as i was blessed in those times.  help me to not forget how good it felt to pay those first bills on time.  to walk into the water office and hold my head high.  to not hope the check would go through, but to know it was good.  help me to remember, Father, how it felt to not know if i’d have electricity through the day.  help me to praise You in the good times.  to thank You.  to be mindful of others that You are bringing through a hard time.  help me to remember they don’t deserve where they are.  just as i don’t deserve the sunshine right now, nor do they deserve the rain. 

that i may remember.

Somethin' »

i watched my oldest son become a little more of a man today. i watched as he stood contemplating the jump he would have to make to cross the creek at the park. he knew he couldn’t just take the bridge. and i knew it was a moment that had to happen. even as everyone else was being loaded into the van and my mama instinct wanted to cry out, “get in the van for crying out loud! we’re all waiting. just jump already, or wade through it, or cross the bridge for goodness’ sake.” but i knew it was much more than a boy-need to jump. it was a coming of age moment. even my second son who is more the dare devil and jumper extraordinaire took a little bounce and uneventfully went on through the water. and the look was there in his eyes too. one of needing to prove himself. but amazingly it was as if he knew his older brother needed to prove it a little more than him. or maybe he knew it wasn’t his time yet. but my oldest did. and i watched. as he, time and again, ran from a distance away and stopped abruptly at the water’s edge each time. not quite ready. time and again he checked to see if i was watching.

there was one time after trying and losing his nerve several times that he squatted down and put his chin in his hands. and shook his head. this was not going to get the better of him. he was determined. but still unsure. standing on the brink of… something bigger. something he’d never done. something he needed to do.

and then he did. and he fell and got wet up to the knees. and it wasn’t a soaring success of perfection. but he was proud. he held his chest out a little further. because even with the fall, he knew he didn’t back down. he knew when he felt the need to prove himself, he proved himself worthy.

Somethin' »

(we’ll get back to the moving the site thing later - right now, i want to post this on every site i have.)

i have a friend that posts on the homeschooling site with me.  she posted this message tonight.  i read it and i honestly thought, no offense girl friend!, that it couldn’t possibly be as bad as she described.  but it is. 

just in case you don’t follow the link i will recount her experience and what followed.  because i’m that mad.

in fact, i’ll just quote her and then i’ll tell you my story.

“You’re the Photographer

Just yesterday we went to Taco Bell. I wanted to be kind and get some tacos for the children. In the bag was Purple Taco Bell Hot Sauce packets. Purple? Well, that’s new. On the packet there was a website URL address. What is this I wonder? I type in the url and it takes me to a vitural photographer activity where YOU are the photographer and a string bikini clad model is waiting for you in a virtual setting. The object of the game is to snap some shots of her. No matter where on the screen you try to manuever the camera lens, it defaults you to her chest and behind. She glares sensually into the camera posing in sexually suggestive poses.

I am appalled!

So I call 1-800-TACO-BELL and speak to a representative and explain why this frustrates me and that I am concerned about children finding this website. She says, “Let me go to our site and see what I can find.” She types in tacobell.com and doesn’t see it, Yet when you click on the purple hot sauce packet it takes you there.

I told her that I will not be a patron at Taco Bell anymore unless this campaign stops immediately. I said, “How dare Taco Bell have an ad campaign like this! Not only is it innapropriate, but to add the link to this website to their own packets is just disgusting.”

Families who value any kind of decency should call their number and file their grievance.

She herself was upset at the description I gave her. She said she would be sure to let them know how I felt and I assured her other families would be calling her soon. So please call today. Families need to take a stand and let their voices be heard!”

so, being a little disbelieving and cynical i google taco bell.  just to make sure i have the real site.  yep.  i go the official site.  the site right now is built around this campaign.  big purple packet.  i click it.  i click that yes, i am up for the game.  and that’s it - i’m snapping shots of a model’s body parts in a string bikini.  maybe on the surface this is not that big of a deal in our current society.  except that i have children.  i have boys who will have to deal with these things.  i have a daughter that i have to train up differently than this girl who used to be somebody’s little 2 year old princess.  and it’s not like it’s a victoria’s secret site.  it’s fast food, people.  FAST FOOD.  they put the packet with the url right there on it in the sack.  not a flier with a “we’ll mail you something with the url.”  no.  it makes me furious.  from the magazines that are in walmart eye level and next to the candy at the check out to the wall-sized posters of the victoria’s secrets’ models facing into the mall to fast food.  i consider myself to be somewhat lenient and understanding.  we don’t wear ankle-length dresses around here.  i do go to the mall occasionally.  i read harry potter and i didn’t support the walt disney boycott.  (no offense, again, to all my friends who fit these categories!) but i will be calling 1-800-taco-bell during their business hours to complain.  and i will not be eating there until this is resolved.  and i will post this everywhere i can.  and i will beg y’all to make calls.  and i will make a difference for decency and i will attempt to make the world a little better for my little ones.  or at least to keep it from getting decidedly worse.  will you join me?

Much O' Nothin' »

i know, i know, we’ve been here before.  this time i’m taking a not-completely-non-money-related break.  i have realized that i’m spread too thin at this season.  i will focus more on looking at y’all’s sites and helping with the homeschooling sites.  i will sit and watch cinderella with my kids and celebrate, not just endure, this very busy season of everyone stuck inside and having a 2 year old and an almost 1 year old.  because right now, it’s kickin’ my boot-ay.  and i ‘ve prayed about it and need to refocus for just a while.  and my husband surprised me with an incredible valentine’s present - i will have my own domain name and will completely host my own site.  so i will be working behind the scenes to get that site up and going.  i will still blog as the inspiration hits and i will try to update on the kiddos when i can.  by all means, please don’t unlink me!!  and i’ll be sure to let you know when i’m back full time.  you know me, that could be 6 months or it could be tomorrow!  (and knowing me, it’ll probably be closer to tomorrow.)  i just need to take the pressure off.  it’s the equivalent of the weekly asking of my husband to tell me it’s perfectly okay to live in an absolutely funky disgusting house.  to which he always replies, “of course.”  and then he drives home to find the house in tip-top shape.  i just need to know that i have taken all the pressure away. 

so, i’ll be seein’ ya.  just on your sites more!

Much O' Nothin' »

in reference to my spouting off, i have updates.

if you’re a tv junkie, like me, this might interest you.  and here’s how it would actually affect you.