My Life in Sippy Cups

The Last Post of the Year

2008-12-31T17:52:00.003-08:00

I am wanting to turn this blog into a book. I was going to use the website www.blurb.com to make it into a book, but somewhere between July and December, they quit being able to support the Blogger platform. I am now in search of another site here on the internet who can do it and I am confident I will get this published into a book. On another note, the site had the number of postings topped out at 500. Since I am almost at 400, I thought I should just wrap this year up and start a new blog, with a new name. I have been thinking of the name (OK, I had a few different names thought up) for the blog, but did not know if it would be available. After much ado, I lucked out and got my first choice! YEAH! Here is the name of my new blog:

www.WelcomeToMyLoudLife.blogspot.com

It really needs no explanation. However, on the first blog posting for it, I did touch on the appropriateness of the title. I am very excited to start anew and begin writing a new book! (And hopefully find a publisher for this one!)

What I Have Learned/Reaffirmed this Year

2008-12-31T17:52:00.001-08:00

*I do not like blanket apologies.

*I could always be a better listener.

* I need to acquire more patience.

* I really like having my toes painted.

*Timeouts are just as stressful on the parent as the child sitting there.

* I will always be busy. No matter what.

* Men cannot multi-task.

* Carpooling is a good deal.

* 2 kids are exponentially easier than 3.

* I love queso.

*The house is usually very quiet after 10pm.

*I can get a LOT of things done after 10pm.

* I love to read good books.

*I am very blessed to have 3 healthy kids.

* I cannot stand to do laundry every day.

* I realize that I will NEVER be completely caught up with laundry!

* I love Facebook.

*It really hurts to be hit with anything thrown from the back seat of the SUV.

* I cannot please everyone, no matter how hard I try.

* Having friends is a necessity.

*Having GOOD friends is a blessing!

* It is not necessary to have a playdate if you do not enjoy the company.

*It takes a village when it comes to kids.

* I LOVE MY MOM!

* Your gall bladder can be a painful organ if it is not functioning correctly.

* I love living in Texas because wearing shorts in December is fun.

* 3 year olds still need naps.

*36 year olds still need naps.

* I feel really bad when I totally miss someone's birthday.

* Being in pain can really put you in a foul mood.

*6 year olds can ask smoe very intuitive questions.

*Some people will never be happy, while there are others who will always be filled with joy despite the circumstances that they are facing.

*4 year old little girls are capable of 3-4 emotional fits a day. Or none at all.

* I have a really wonderful husband who loves me and cares for me.

* A miserable job = miserable mood.

* I should have bought stock in Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets years ago. (Natalie's consumption alone has driven their stock up 3 points.)

*3 year old boys are capable of mass destruction if they are left alone for more than 90 seconds. Sometimes less than that.

*Gnomes are fun. When you carry one around, you get asked a LOT of questions. People generally LIKE gnomes.

* A root canal is not so bad if you have a great oral surgeon.

* God really does care about me and my life. Even the small things, He cares.

2008 in Review

2008-12-31T17:51:00.002-08:00

Timeline of Major World Events in 2008

January

*Primaries in the US Presidential election begin. President-elect Barack Obama races to an early lead in Iowa. Later in the month, Democrat candidate John Edwards, and Republican candidate Rudolph Giuliani drop out of the race, after failing to win a selection in any state so far.

*Bush Proposes $145 Billion Stimulus Package. (Jan. 24): The Bush administration and the House hash out a $146 billion stimulus package that gives rebates of $300-$600 for individuals earning up to $75,000 and to couples with incomes up to $150,000. Families will be eligible for up to $300 in rebates for each child. Responding to a crisis in the housing market and rising oil prices, president says a combination of tax cuts for individuals and businesses will "provide a shot in the arm" to the economy. His plan, which is vague, is intended to stimulate spending.

*Markets Plunge Around the World. Responding to fears that the U.S. is headed for an imminent recession, stock markets fall drastically in Frankfurt, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Paris, London, and other major cities in Europe and Asia.
*Federal Reserve Slashes Interest Rates.In response to the plunge in markets around the world, the Federal Reserve bank cuts interest rates by .75%, the largest single-day reduction in the bank's history.

February

*John McCain emerges as the big Republican winner from Super Tuesday primaries, while the battle for the Democratic nomination remains too close to call. Republican Mitt Romney officially drops out of the race.

*Castro resigns as President of Cuba, ending a five-decade reign. The former dictator's health had been in question since 2006, when he underwent surgery on his intestine. Castro was succeeded by his brother, Raul.

*New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning evades three tackles and fires a 32-yard pass to wide receiver David Tyree for the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots. The last-minute touchdown seals a 17-14 win for the Giants and prevents the Patriots from becoming the first NFL side to go 19-0 for the season.

March

*John McCain secures the Republican nomination, after winning enough primaries to knock out opponent Mike Huckabee.

*Tibetan monks engage in a protest against Chinese rule of the country to commemorate the failed uprising of 1959. China acts swiftly to suppress the demonstrations, with Tibetans saying Chinese authorities have acted heavy-handedly. International attention turns to Tibet, just months before the Beijing Olympics.

*Several Are Killed in Crane Collapse. Seven people die and dozens are wounded when a construction crane collapses in Manhattan and destroys a town house and damages other buildings.

April

*Austrian man Josef Fritzl admits to imprisoning and raping his daughter Elisabeth in an underground cellar for 24-years. The 73-year old had fathered 7 children by Elisabeth, one of whom died. Fritzl faces charges of rape, incest, kidnap, slavery and false imprisonment, as well as one count of murder over the death of his infant son.

*Olympic Torch Relay Draws Protests. Dozens of human rights protesters are arrested in London after they clash with police who line the route of the Olympic torch relay. The torch is extinguished several times during the Paris leg of the relay.

*Woman Wins Indy Race. Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race.

May

*Cyclone Nargis rips through the Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon in Burma, killing up to146,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands more homeless. Burma's military junta is heavily criticized for its handling of the disaster, after restricting the access of international aid organizations.

*An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hits China's Sichuan province, killing nearly 72,000 people. Many of those killed were students, housed in shoddily-build school structures. The quake was the 19th most deadly of all time, with major aftershocks continuing for days.

June

*Barack Obama secures the Democratic Party's nomination, after a long and bitter battle with former First Lady Hillary Clinton. Clinton initially refuses to concede defeat, but eventually endorses Obama for President.

*Tiger Woods, battling crippling pain in his left knee, defeats fellow American Rocco Mediate in the first sudden-death hole of a US Open play-off. He takes the remainder of the year off after undergoing reconstructive surgery.

*California Begins Performing Same-Sex Marriages. A month after the state supreme court struck down laws prohibiting gay marriage, couples flood into city halls all over the state to get married. California is the second state, behind Massachusetts, to legalize same-sex marriage. However, the future of gay marriage is in doubt; a referendum set for November seeks to define marriage as a union between “a man and a woman.”

*Hundreds Are Killed by Typhoon in the Philippines. More than 800 people die when a ferry is struck by Typhoon Fengshen. About 500 other people die during the storm.

*Gates Ends Day-to-Day Work at Microsoft. Bill Gates remains chairman of the software giant, but he will no longer work at the company full time. Instead, he will devote more time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

July

*Colombian troops rescue Ingrid Betancourt, three American military contractors, and 11 other hostages who were being held by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas. With the help of U.S. intelligence, equipment, and training advice, Colombian military agents, in a carefully planned ruse, trick the rebels into handing over the captives without a shot being fired. Betancourt, a Colombian politician who was kidnapped in 2002 while campaigning for the presidency, was the most prominent of hundreds of hostages held by FARC.

*California Bans Trans Fats in Restaurants. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs a law that prohibits the use of hydrogenated oils in the state's 88,000 restaurants. The law goes into effect in 2010.

August

*After much anticipation, the Beijing Olympics open to great fanfare.

*Despite its best efforts, questions surrounding China's handling of the Games refuse to dissipate, and international journalists and broadcasters become critical of authorities' handling of the media.

*Barack Obama selects Joe Biden as his Vice-Presidential running mate, just days before the Democratic National Convention opens in Denver, Colorado. Republican candidate John McCain chooses little-known Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, stealing some of the limelight away from the Democratic Convention.

*Hurricanes Fay and Gustav cause massive devastation in the Caribbean and southern parts of the United States through August and September. In September, Hurricane Ike makes landfall in Haiti, killing at least 75 people.

*A spectacular opening ceremony in the futuristic Bird's Nest stadium precedes an immaculately organized Beijing Olympics.

*In the pool, Michael Phelps wins an unprecedented eight gold medals, including seven world records, to better the record set by fellow American Mark Spitz 36 years earlier.

*On the track, Bolt breaks the world 100 and 200 metres marks in the greatest exhibition of sprinting witnessed at an Olympics.

*China head the medals table, with 51 golds, ahead of the United States.

September

*Hurricane Gustav mars the opening of the Republican National Convention, held in Minneapolis.

*Governor Palin, who is widely praised for her opening speech, announces her unwed teenage daughter is pregnant.

*McCain and Palin both officially accept their party's nomination.

*Mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae collapse, just days before investment bank Lehman Brothers follows suit. Global markets plunge as a result of the news.

*Thousands of children in China are affected by milk products tainted by melamine. The scandal spreads beyond mainland China, and several products are pulled from shelves across the globe. By the end of November, authorities revise the number to nearly 300,000 affected by the scandal, 52,000 of whom were hospitalized.

*Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong announces he is coming out of retirement and plans to race in the 2009 Tour.

October

*The US senate approves a $700 billion bailout package to help curb the affects of the global financial crisis. The package allows Treasury to buy a number of troubled assets, as well as invest in some of the US's largest banks.

*John McCain and Barack Obama embark on a series of presidential debates, but are overshadowed by their two deputies, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, whose one and only debate in November receives extraordinarily high ratings.

November

*Barack Obama wins a victory against rival John McCain in the US Presidential election, becoming the first African-American elected to the position. Over the next few weeks Obama announces who will be part of his administration, including one-time rival Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

*California Votes to Outlaw Same-Sex Marriage. Voters narrowly pass a ballot measure, Proposition 8, that overturns the May 15, 2008, California Supreme Court decision that said same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

*Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker. The Saudi oil tanker, anchored about 480 miles off the coast of Somalia, is loaded with some two million barrels of oil, worth about $100 million. It is the first time pirates have seized an oil tanker.

December

*Journalist Throws Shoes at Bush At a news conference in Baghdad, a reporter for Al Baghdadia, a Cairo-based satellite television network, hurls his shoes at President Bush and calls him a "dog." The shoes narrowly miss Bush's head.

*Blackwater Security Guards Are Charged. Five employees of Blackwater Worldwide are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter and 20 counts of attempted manslaughter. They were involved in the September 2007 shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad's Nisoor Square. The incident strained the relationship between the governments of Iraq and the U.S.

*Organizers of Sept. 11 Attacks Say They Will Plead Guilty. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, suspected of being the mastermind of the attacks, and four co-defendants tell the military judge at Guantanamo Bay that they want to confess to all charges of murder and war crimes. The judge, Col. Stephen Henley, tells prosecutors that they must report back on whether the suspects can be sentenced to death without being found guilty by a military jury.

*Illinois Governor Accused of Selling Obama's Senate Seat. In several phone conversations with advisers that were recorded by the FBI since the Nov. 4, 2008, election, Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, plotted ways to benefit financially from his duty to fill Chicago's senate seat that was vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

**I compiled this list from 4 lists that I found when I 'googled' 2008/events/review.**

Mary's Last Party of the Year

2008-12-31T17:51:00.001-08:00

Mary has had a New Year's Eve Party the last 2 years, with just a small group of us. (John could not come last year because we did not have a babysitter and then this year volunteered to stay home as well so I could go.) We played Jenga (with Jerry of course!) and had an unbelievable amount of fun pulling little blocks out of a tower. After that game lasted just shy of forever, we played Apples to Apples. I have never played that game before, but it was pretty fun. Especially some people's interpretation of certain words. We decided that there would be a real winner (who got the card) and a secondary winner, who just had the funniest answer, even though it may not have been applicable. After that, it was time for the ball to drop! They replayed the New York /Times Square ball dropping and we all toasted to a New Year in Mary's fancy media room!

What a great way to ring in the New Year!

The Sign of a Good Doctor

2008-12-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

How to know if you have a good doctor:

* Are they a good listener?

* Do they ask YOU questions and wait for the answers?

* Does he/she spend time with you and not make you feel rushed?

* Do they write a lot while you are talking or wait until you are done?

* Is their staff nice? (There is nothing better than having a nurse you are on a first-name basis with!) Are they consistently there or is it a high turnover?

* Does he/she ALWAYS give you a medication? Or sometimes suggest behavior modifications?

* Do you like him/her as a person?

I have a doctor that I ADORE. I mean I really, really like him. I respect him immensely. He is a D.O., so he can do adjustments if I need them in addition to being a medical doctor. He is everything listed above and more. He is a GREAT listener: he asks me questions about my life and circumstances. He listens to my responses and may even ask a follow up question before he starts writing on his computer. He spends so much time with me, I sometimes feel guilty. He calls me his healthiest patient (though I would question that right now with all the issues that I have had this month). His staff is very nice and accommodating. We do not take advantage of this, but being on a first name basis with his nurse does have it's advantages! He knows that I do not want a medication unless I really need it, so he will suggest alternatives if available. If I do need a med, he will give me the lowest therapeutic dose to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Most of all I like him and RESPECT him as a person. He practices what he preaches and does not ask me to do anything that he would not do himself. I adore my doctor and am so glad that I found a good one!

Cooper the Bike Rider

2008-12-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Cooper is getting so good on his bike! I LOVE it that he can ride on just 2 wheels these days. Today a friend invited us out to the park and she was bringing her son's bike for him to ride. Well, ME TOO! I tossed Cooper's bike in the back and we headed off to the park. He rides like a pro! No longer is it a huge ordeal for him to get the pedals in the right place and start pedaling. Nope, he can just go now: on the side walk, on the grass, on the basketball court, you name it. I am so proud of my not-so-little boy growing up!

(Cooper and his bike-riding buddy!)

An Extra Child

2008-12-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

When you have 3 kids, what is one extra? Not too much different since I always have 4 car seats in my car Monday - Friday (carpool necessity). I took Brooke with us today and adding her into the mix is really like subtracting one. She is so quiet (which is an anomaly with this group of kids) and when she does say something it is in such a small, petite voice. She is Cooper's age and speaks very eloquently. Sometimes you shake your head and think, did she really just say that? How can a six year old have such incredible incite? She is a great little addition to our playgroup, because every child LOVES her.

Cooper adores her because they are on the same intellect level and communicate with each other so easily. Natalie loves her because she says and does such fun girlie things. And Luke cannot get enough of her because she showers him with lots of attention. It is really nice to have her with us because she is such a delight!

Jumping Party - Take 2

2008-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

We went to Jumping Party again today. I purchased a 6 month membership (for $60, what a deal!), so I wanted to start getting my money's worth. I took all 3 kiddos, plus my girlfriend Jamie's daughter, Brooke. We all packed a lunch and met one of Cooper's friends out there (who happens to have a brother Luke's age). This way EVERYONE had a play partner, even though it constantly shifted as to who was playing with who.

There is no better way to wear out all these kids at once than this place. Having them jump their hearts out, eat some lunch, then jump some more! It is a huge facility, so there is lots of running from inflatable to inflatable, plus they were racing each other on the 2 obstacle course ones. They are all pretty competitive, so eventually someone ends up crying because they did not win OR because someone cheated. (That requires a small discussion on my part with the offender.) Cooper wanted to play hide and go seek, so I let him hide. Problem was I forgot I was supposed to be seeking. After 5-10 minutes I abruptly remembered and set out to find him. Thank goodness he just thought he had done an exceptional job of hiding! I love being a MOM!

Catching the Wind

2008-12-28T22:02:00.001-08:00

Luke received a kite from Ms. Mary as a gift. Every since he saw the wind gauge on it, he has been obsessed trying out the wind gauge. He will say he wants to 'catch the wind' with it. I do not know how he came up with that particular phrase, but it actually makes sense. From the 3 year old!

When we got home from church today, we decided that we would try to go catch the wind. We went to Veteran's Park, where there is a big open field to try out all the kites. Ms. Mary got Cooper a macaw one, Luke a dragon one and Natalie a box-type kite that was a Princess theme. They all came in these huge triangular clear cases and had minimal putting together steps. (This is always a plus, especially when the kids want to fly it RIGHT NOW!) John put Cooper together first and got it flying pretty quick. However, the wind was not so hip on staying around, so JUST when he had it going good enough to hand off to Cooper, the wind would die down. The poor macaw made many a crash landings! Since Luke was the instigator of motivating us to fly the kites, John put his together next. He did not have so much luck and Luke was not so keen on following the directions of 'do not let any more string out, do not let any more string out!' I think he just wanted to hold the string dispenser and unravel it all.

Natalie was patient throughout the flying of the boys' kites and was ready to get her kite in the air once John put it together. It was pretty neat to see it soar straight up into the sky on the first time. Once it got to a certain height one of the rods popped out and it came down so fast I almost hit the deck for cover! I found the renegade rod and put it back together and she was ready to go. This time Cooper thought he could toss it up to get it going, but by then we were out of wind again.

At this point all the kids are all out of patients for getting their kites up and they wanted to play. Could not blame them on that account. I took them over to play while John kept flying the kites. FOR 30 MINUTES! Yes, I think the kites that Mary got for the kids were enjoyed by John the most!

THANK YOU Ms. MARY for the afternoon of entertainment! I am sure we will have many other afternoons of fun like this with our kites!

Big Church with Natalie

2008-12-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

They did not have children's programming for children older than 3 years old last week and this week. I asked John to take Luke and Cooper and I would take Natalie. That meant that she would sit in big church with me. She has two responses to church: completely enthralled or completely disengaged. I had a little pep talk with her before we got there, to ensure that she would NOT ask me when it would be over. Not even once. She agreed. And guess what? She did not ask me once when church would be over. I could tell that she had checked out of the listening part, but at least she was quiet and content. I brought 2 books for her to practice her alphabet and to practice concepts in a workbook. That kept her busy, thank goodness. She did a little singing and signing, but for the most part looked like she was just suffering through it. Oh well, maybe some of it will sink in...

Jason's Deli

2008-12-27T21:50:00.001-08:00

I took Natalie and Cooper to Target (as a treat) and let each of them pick 1 thing from the dollar spot. Then, it was time to head home OR go out to eat. They wanted to go home. Now it is rare for me to have them by themselves and have the time to take them out to eat. (Besides Chik*Fil*A) No, they wanted to go home. I could not believe I had to talk them into going out to eat! Finally I came up with a clincher. Hey guys, do ya'll want to go to Jason's Deli, where they give you ice cream as dessert? SOLD! I had them hooked at that point. They were all over the fact that ice cream was a guarantee for dessert.

It is sad to say that I paid $2.59 for a serving of mac-n-cheese and $2.59 for a personal size cheese pizza, but it was all worth it for the fact that I got Black Currant Tea to drink. I do not know why I have started to like that kind of tea, but I have. That along with a turkey wrap and I was as happy as the kids were. After they had (relatively) good behavior, I went to get them their ice cream. With a choice of chocolate, vanilla or swirl, which flavor do you think they went with? VANILLA! Can you believe? Cooper and Natalie are both VANILLA! I really thought Cooper would go for swirl, because that sounds like fun, but no, vanilla it was.

They both are pretty funny in how they eat ice cream off of a cone. Inevitably it ends up on their nose or as a beard at some point. I should not laugh, but it is really cute when they are not even trying to be funny. Here are some pictures of their cuteness:

The Angst of Bed-time

2008-12-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

1) Where did we go wrong?

2) What did we do wrong?

3) When did it get this out of control?

This is what we ask ourselves most nights at bed-time. There was once a time in our short parenting careers that we did not have an issue with this particular part of the evening. We took it for granted that the kids went to sleep without a 1-2 hour battle. We took it for granted that they went to sleep without threats or bribes. Woe be the night that we do not have to bribe or threaten one, two or all 3 kids. That would be a cause for celebration, for sure.

Right now I am listening to Natalie sob with all her heart about the unfairness of sleeping in the guest room. Why? Because Cooper cannot NOT talk to her, she cannot NOT talk back to him, and all this talking leads to him convincing her it is OK to: a) jump on her bed, b) turn the light on, or c) hang on the bunk bed, or d) find some other mischief to get her in trouble or e) all of the above. Hence she does what he suggests and gets in all sorts of trouble and he lies back and relishes in the fact that he is NOT in trouble for once.

The techniques that we have tried:

1) Staggered bedtimes. Problem? No one goes to sleep the moment that they are put into bed. (Wouldn't that be nice!) They all seem to wind down whether you put them to bed at the same time or 15 minutes apart. Sometimes the wind down period is 10 minutes, sometimes it is 2 hours. You never know what kind of struggle it will be.

2) Quiet time 30 minutes before bed, reading 3 books, singing songs, telling a nice long story and saying prayers. You would think after all this quiet down time they would start to unwind and be ready to lie their sleepy heads down for a long night's rest, right? No such luck. It does not matter if you read 3 books or 6 books or the whole library collection in their room. They just store up all that energy while they are siting still and unleash it as soon as the lights go out!

3) Bribes and Threats. Neither really work. They only remember the treat that was offered in the form of a bribe. They wake up the next morning, can I have my piece of gum? I went to sleep. Yes, you sure did, after I told you to the 58th time!!! They only remember that they did exactly what we asked, they slept. They do not remember the small war they waged before they finally dozed off. Threats really do not work well either, because after you remove whatever object that you threatened to remove, they cry so loud that you end up bribing them to be quiet by giving it back. Does not seem so effective except making them upset (which ruins the evening for everyone).

I am sure. No, I am positive that this WILL get better. There will come an evening that we will figure it all out and the kids will miraculously go to sleep without fuss. I just know it. They may be teenagers by then and I may have a complete head of gray hair, but I am POSITIVE that it will happen. I just know it.

How About THAT?!?

2008-12-27T18:13:00.003-08:00

MP3 Player Lights Rescuers' Way to Missing Skiers

Sat Dec 27, 9:34 am ET

SAVOGNIN, Switzerland – Swiss rescue officials say they have found two missing skiers after spotting the light from their MP3 music player.

The Swiss air rescue association Rega says it received a distress call from the French tourists late Friday but the skiers' phone battery went dead before they could be reached.

Rega spokesman Gery Baumann says the two men were eventually found after midnight in steep, wooded terrain by a helicopter crew that spotted the light from their digital music player.
Baumann said Saturday that the two 22-year-olds suffered only mild hypothermia despite enduring temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius).

The incident happened near the town of Savognin in southeastern Switzerland.

Making Cupcakes with Natalie

2008-12-27T18:13:00.001-08:00

Natalie got a cupcake making set for Christmas. That meant that someone was going to have to sit down and make cupcakes with her. Natalie has asked every day, so I decided to run point on the making of the cupcakes today. Really I did 95% percent of it, but she got to sit on the countertop and watch me. She did stir the whisk a few times so I could take a picture. Other than that, it was all me making the cupcakes. They were pining for 12 minutes until the cupcakes were ready. I must say they turned out pretty good. I have never made anything with those silicone pans and was a bit fearful to put it into the oven at 350 degrees. No worries, though. Nothing melted and they came out just fine. I was the Mom of the Day for letting Natalie and Luke both have 3 cupcakes before nap. Yea me!

Luke's Jumping Party

2008-12-26T20:53:00.005-08:00

John took Natalie and Cooper to his office today so I had to find a way to entertain Luke AND wear him out for nap. I'm still feeling not-so-good and very afraid of hurting my incisions, so I am kind of limited to the activities that I can partake in. I decided to take Luke to the Jumping Party place and let him run, jump and play his little heart out. I knew I needed to take someone who could keep up with him and play with him. My neighbors' 12 year old was just perfect for that job. She is young enough to enjoy playing and jumping plus I could see how she interacts with him for future babysitting opportunities. Well, she did GREAT. He absolutely loved playing with her and she appeared to be having fun too.

It's funny, she is at an age where she can act like a kid when appropriate, yet carry on an adult conversation when appropriate. We had a great talk all the way out there. She is so well-spoken and also quite humorous. She answers questions in complete sentences and says yes and no vs. yea and uh-uh. She got her braces off a few months ago and since then it is like she has morphed into an almost teenager (in a good way) from being a little girl. It is so fun to see her growing up literally before my very eyes...

John Takes the Kids to Work

2008-12-26T20:53:00.003-08:00

John used to work 15 minutes away, in the same city that we live in. We would go visit him at his office quite regularly. Now he works 43 miles away. Not close AT ALL. So, once a year John takes the kids to his office. He took them last year the day after Christmas and ever since then that is all they can talk about. When do we get to go to Daddy's office? And the other one would reply, the day after Christmas (as if everyone knew that)!

Today was the day. Natalie (of course) woke up early to start packing her (new) Hello Kitty backpack with all the essentials that she would need at Daddy's office. You know, a puzzle, a video, 4 coloring books, 52 crayons, 16 markers, 1 Hello Kitty, 2 changes of outfits for the Hello Kittys, a photo album book, a book to read and lots more that I did not get to inventory. Cooper gathered up all that HE needed: his humming dog, a DVD, 2 books, a puzzle and 2 little trinkets from his treasure box. I finally convinced him to use a backpack after he dropped the third item on the way to the front door. You would have thought that they were going to an amusement park with the excitement that filled the car as they got in. Whoo-hoo, an hour to Dad's office, alright!!!

Mary's Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T20:53:00.001-08:00

Mary came over to celebrate Christmas with our family tonight. The kids love, LOVE, LOVE Ms. Mary. And they ESPECIALLY love it when she brings 25+ gifts into the house. She restocked our under-the-Christmas-tree area like magic! There was so many gifts that we had a hard time finding a place to take the obligatory 'Tree Picture' without having to relocate some gifts to the kitchen...ha ha (just kidding!).

Mary is one of those people who are kind of hard to buy for. To say she has everything might be the Understatement Of The Year. However, sometimes you luck out and she'll surprise me with a "You know what I don't have is..." and right then and there it is like STOP, TIME-OUT! I need to write this down! So that was one thing we got her: exactly what she asked for, matching drinking glasses. The search was long and tedious to find the right ones that I thought she would like, that would go with her variety of themes of plates and that she would like enough to use at gatherings. It was tough, but I think she liked them. John did quite a bit of shopping for Mary. He got her a gun cleaning kit AND a new gnome. Not just any gnome, one that goes OUTSIDE! He even ordered it online (from GNOMES-R-US). The fact that he spent more than 5 minutes picking the right gnome out for her should say something... The kids picked out an ornament that was a huge 'M', a necklace that has an 'M' on it and a jacket that has her favorite character on it (Grumpy). I ordered her a book from Snapfish of the best select pictures that were taken this year of her, her and the kids and fun things that she has bought the kids. (WHICH IS A LOT, LET ME TELL YOU!)

Mary got the coolest things for the kids. She always gets them a book, writes an inscription in it and signs it with her name and Scout's name and his paw print. The kids love that. They think that is the funniest thing. (Me too!) She got them each a few other things that they JUST LOVE! Why? Because it came from Ms. Mary, of course!!

The best present Mary gave us? Staying to read three bedtime stories and helping me with the adventure of putting the kids to night-night!

My Christmas

2008-12-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

John is a good shopper. Especially when he goes to Nordstrom's to do the shopping. He really went above and beyond this Christmas. We both got guns earlier this month and it was assumed that this was our Christmas presents. Imagine my surprise when there were not 1, not 2 but 3 gifts under the tree for me!?! I took a while to open them, but was quite surprised that he got me such cool things. The first thing I opened was 'SOLID PERFUME'. This is a little necklace with a daisy that you can keep in your purse to 'freshen' up with throughout the day. It was "Daisy/Marc Jacobs". He also also got the velvet body butter and a bottle of the real perfume for me. John does not get me Eau de Toilette, ever. He always gets me the real stuff. I like that. Plus, he gets me what he likes. Which is why I am wearing good-smelling stuff, for him, right?

The next box held multiple items. First thing I saw were 2 UnderArmour shirts to workout it. Yea! I will be so glad when I CAN workout again!Right now I cannot even get out of bed to quick, lest I reinjure one of the incision sites. Next in the box were some really cool Nike Yoga pants, that I happen to be wearing RIGHT NOW. They are black and I LOVE them! And under the pants, there was a cool long-sleeved layered shirt that I cannot wait to wear with some jeans! WOW! I love it that John has a good eye for knowing what I like!

The last gift was one I totally was not expecting. He had pointed it out in the Costco ad a few months ago, but I did not think he remembered or that I would be so lucky as to get it. It was a GARMIN. This thing does it all. It tracks your heart rate, speed, distance, time, location in the universe, everything! It will probably take me a few hours to figure it out, but I am so excited! Again, I'll have to wait until I am off the injured reserve list, then I will be good to go.

I had such a nice time Christmas Eve with Mother and Calvin and the wonderful meal that she fixed for all of us last night. This morning was incredibly fun with the kids all going nuts. Once Pa-Pa, Weezie and Autumn got here, then there was even more fun to be had. We had a great time just being together and THEN a delicious lunch that John whipped up in a jiffy for all of us. There is just something about being able to sit around a table and just talk. That is so nice. I think we all enjoyed each other's company. We should do this kind of thing more often than once a year...I'm just saying.

Luke's Not-so-Quiet Christmas

2008-12-25T16:09:00.005-08:00

Luke wants what the older kids have. Cooper got a guitar for Christmas. So did Natalie. Luke got a ....drum. He really was not so happy about that. He tried not to throw a fit, but he couldn't help himself. He just want what the older kids have. Well, Pa-Pa and Weezie came over and saved the day. Among all his other gifts, they brought Luke his very own guitar. I have never been so happy for him. The look on his face was priceless. He finally had what the big kids had. Though he did not know how to hold it correctly, that did not stop him from playing until the batteries ran out (just kidding). He LOVES that guitar and I am so happy that he feels like a big kid!

My mom got Luke a ball for Christmas. That may sound trivial and small, but let me tell you, Luke loves anything that is round and that he can throw. And that is exactly what he did as soon as he unwrapped it. I kept saying, Luke let me get a picture of you with your ball, and he would chunk it across the room. Let me tell you, my mom's house is not a house you can throw things in and not hit something. Here is the picture I finally snapped before something got broken...

Luke's other favorite gift was pajamas. I know, it is a little weird that both of my boys love pajamas so much, but that is just how it is. Luke got 2 new pairs of pajamas, one of them INCREDIBLE HULK and one of the Iron Man, similar in color to Cooper's. I love matching stuff for the boys, so they both were wearing matching ones tonight. I can not wait to see Luke in the HULK ones, waiting for him to stand in front of the mirror in our bathroom and say, "BIG MUTH-THULL BOY!"

Cooper's Christmas

2008-12-25T16:09:00.003-08:00

When Cooper gets fixated on a certain something, there is not much chance of changing his mind or getting him to focus on something else. He can be very single-minded. Last year he wanted this macaw/parrot from Costco that was $80. I mean he really wanted it. I could not fathom buying it for him. At all. I did not even entertain the idea because it was so much $$ for a toy that I knew he would break pretty quick.

All year he reminded me that I would not get it for him. Sorry, but that is the way it is, Cooper. Then, 3 weeks ago my mom asks me what Cooper would want for Christmas. I happen to look in the Target ad and low and behold, there is that macaw/parrot right there in the ad for $24!! How about that! I told my mom and she got it without having to go to 8 different stores to find it!

Fast forward to Christmas Eve. Cooper opens the present....whoa. You would have thought that he opened the golden ticket. He was so excited. It is like he held on to that desire of wanting that parrot for a year and it all came out when he opened it. He loves that parrot. Though it does not have a name, he loves it all the same. (Yes, that rhymed!) It is actually pretty funny in that it: repeats what you say, says random things at random times and will purr if you pet it. Cooper absolutely adores it.

Amongst other things, he has been wanting a guitar for a while. Not a toy guitar, mommy, a REAL guitar. I had told Grandmother this and sure enough, she sent a real acoustic guitar for him. From the moment that I took it out of the postage box, even Luke knew what it was. That's pretty funny that the 3 year old made the call. Of course this was the first gift that Cooper opened this morning. It did not leave his side too often all day. I would really like him to learn how to play it, because I believe that he does have a gift for playing music.

His other favorite thing that he got were pajamas. This boy loves pajamas. LOVES them. Pa-pa and Weezie are notorious for getting him pajamas. Thank goodness! No matter what pair they get them, they become his favorites. Case in point, the Superman pajamas that they were wearing this morning came from Pa-Pa and Weezie. So tonight he is sporting his new pajamas that look SO CUTE! (And have a new superhero on them!)

A Hello Kitty Christmas

2008-12-25T16:09:00.001-08:00

Natalie loves Hello Kitty. I do not mean kind of likes Hello Kitty, I mean she LOVES Hello Kitty. This infatuation has been going on for a year. Over a year. It is nice because when you see something Hello Kitty, you KNOW that she will like it. If someone asks what to get her? Hello Kitty. It is a guaranteed home run EVERY TIME. From Hello Kitty clothes to Hello Kitty stickers, she loves it all. Target has the most Hello Kitty stuff of all the retail stores. Even in the Dollar Spot at Target, they help us out with stocking Hello Kitty.

This Christmas was easy for everyone. Yep, you guessed it. Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty EVERYTHING. She got a HK tent, HK puzzle, HK backpack, HK coloring books, HK color table, HK pajamas, HK sleeping doll, HK shirt, HK sweatsuit, HK ear muffs, HK stickers and so much more HK stuff. It looks like Hello Kitty puked all over our house. I'm glad that I like Hello Kitty stuff or I might be sick of it by now. It is just so cute to see her get SO excited every time she opens something Hello Kitty...

Christmas Eve with Gram and Grandad

2008-12-24T22:12:00.001-08:00

After Natalie's appearance in the nativity play at my church, we headed home to wait for the green light to go over to Mother's for Christmas Eve. For as long as I can remember, we have always done the opening of gifts on Christmas Eve. That is the way it has been since I was a little girl. Why break tradition now?

Once Mother and Calvin were out of church, we made our way over to their house. Lucky for us (especially lucky for the kiddos), the food was not ready. Mother said that the corn casserole would not be ready for another 30 minutes, do you want to just open presents now? Are you kidding? The kids were itching inside of their skin waiting to open presents! I am quite sure we would have a much quieter dinner if they opened presents and calmed themselves down before we asked them to sit down in form of china dishes.

We gladly all sat down for the handing out of presents. My mom did the honors. When she said go, the kids went to town. Cooper opened his VERY favorite gift of ALL time, the talking parrot. He has wanted this thing since last year when he spotted it at Costco. Gram was the hero of the day by getting it for him. I do not think he noticed any other gift after he opened that parrot. He was enamored with that thing.

Natalie locked in on the Hello Kitty tent as her FAVORITE thing. She had pointed it out to me in Target one day, IN JULY, telling me she wanted it for Christmas. I said, sure, sure ,sure, I'll remember. Well, thank goodness John remembered. He told Gram, and she made Natalie's day. Once Natalie opened it, she screeched, ran over to Gram, said thank you about 33 times and started asking every adult if they could put it together for her. After the tent, she did not really notice any other gift either.

Luke? It does not take a lot to get Luke excited. He really liked the dump truck that Aunt Autumn got him, but his favorite of all was the royal blue ball that Gram got him. If in doubt on what to get Luke? A ball. It is that simple. Really.

After all the gift-giving and receiving, we sat down to an awesome meal. my mom made this corn casserole that is so good, you almost feel guilty for eating it. It is SO GOOD. It almost tastes like candy, but it is made with corn, so how bad could it be for you?!? We also had ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with brown gravy and roasted sweet potatoes. It was so good, I think I ate a little too much for my gall-bladderless state. Oh well, it was worth it. Great time, great food, great family, great fellowship!

My Nativity Angel

2008-12-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

At our church, they have 2 Christmas Eve services. One is the Candlelight service and one is the 'Family Friendly' service, which is a little lighter and forgiving if you have little ones. Typically during the Family Friendly service they have the 4 year olds reenact the nativity scene. I don't know how Cooper missed it when he was 4, but I wanted Natalie to be able to do it. We got the letter a few weeks ago and responded lickety split so she could be in it. She stated up front that she wanted to be an angel. Why not Mary? Because I want to be an angel, mommy. OK. The dress rehearsal was the day after my gall bladder surgery, so Mary was so kind to take her up there for it. Sure enough, they had assigned Natalie to be an 'angel'. How about that!

Today I took her up there early to get her costume, which included a white silk sheet with a hole for her head, some gold wings and a gold headdress/headband. She looked so cute! She was VERY serious about playing this part and would not speak to anyone (besides me) while she was in costume. Once she got up there she played her silent part exceptionally well. Now I know why the short people are not put on the top riser. BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SEE THEM! If it was not for my friend Margi and her wackazuma camera, I would not have had any pictures of her up there. It was a combination of me being too short, my camera not having enough reach and Natalie strategically being right behind a tall girl whose wings completely blocked her. Oh well, my friend Margi ALREADY e-mailed them to me so I can post them on here! Kudos to you MARGI!

I was very proud of my little nativity angel!

A Day to Myself

2008-12-23T21:02:00.003-08:00

I am still recuperating from what was supposed to be an easy procedure. I do not know who made this determination, but it definitely was made by someone who has not had their gall bladder out recently. I am still waking up in pain (serious pain), am OK during the day and then in pain again at night.

All this to say, my friend Lahoma volunteered to take the younger kids today. My mom had Cooper, so that left me with a day to myself. What a blessing this day was! I took a 2 hour nap (which does wonders for me), was able to clean various neglected parts of the house, wash 4 loads of laundry and start and finish wrapping gifts. Quite a productive day I must say! I did not feel rushed, I just kept doing what needed to be done. I also made some more Sweet Goodness, which turned out to be the best batch yet.

I'll take a day like today, anyday, without the precursor of surgery...

Dear Santa

2008-12-23T21:02:00.001-08:00

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, helped with loads of homework and projects without complaining and sold forty-eight dozen frozen cookie dough boxes for the Jr High Band. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my daughter's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I'd like a pair of feet that don't ache or crack (in any color, except pink and purple which I already have due to being constantly on the go!) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming kids out of the car when we get home. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the last four pregnancies. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows for my car and my house and a radio that plays anything but The Cheetah Girls and Hannah Montana; a television that broadcasts something other than Dora the Explorer and Blues Clues; and a refrigerator big enough for six gallons of milk and a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with kids who don't fight and three pairs of Turbo tennis shoes to keep up with them all. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your sister," because my voice seems to be just out of my daughter's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog, who ran away. If it’s too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, time for breakfast at least once a week or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served through a drive-thru window. If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to make a magic paint for the walls? You know, one that does not allow any sort of pencil, pen, marker or crayon to be seen on it. It would help immensely in the clean up of the murals my walls currently display! It would also be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without rolling their eyes, deep grunted sighs or demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my daughters have seen my feet under the laundry room door. I think they want their crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,

MOM

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa for another year. Many thanks!

(Written last year by my good friend Julie)

A Day with My Mom

2008-12-22T19:55:00.001-08:00

Rare is the day that I can spend with my mom, doing nothing in particular, just hang out and do whatever. Today happened to be one of those days. My mom came over to be with me between when John left and when Kayla would be here. (Since I am still recovering from the surgery, John had Kayla come over to babysit during the day.) Once Kayla got here, Mother, Cooper and I left to go to her house. After we had a Subway sandwich, I excused myself to take an hour and half nap. When I woke up , my mom and I got down to business making some jewelry. I have always envied those who can make their own necklaces or bracelets. Well let me tall you, my mom is the queen of making necklaces, bracelets and earrings. She can make anything to match anything! I think she has over 101 bracelets, and I'm not kidding. She has 6 tackle boxes full of beads, so I had a quite a plethora to chose from. I arbitrarily decided on brown, just because I almost always go with black, so I thought I would do something different. I thought these turned out pretty good...
After we made those, we made some Sweet Goodness. I think I need to name her creation Nutty Goodness because she wanted 2 lbs. of peanuts in hers, so that's what we did. It was plenty nutty, that is for sure. Cooper's nose was working, because he came scampering down the stairs from playing with Legos to inquire about the 'chocolate nests' that he could smell. I let him lick the spatula when I was done and he was all to happy to oblige.

A Preschool Christmas Program

2008-12-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

A preschool Christmas program. The epitome of cute I must say. The kids all dressed in their Christmas best or in some matching shirts leading you to question your ability as a parent to recognize your kid under any circumstance. The thing is, as Forest Gump says, it is like a box of chocolates. you never know what you are going to get. They practice for months on end, trying to get the kiddos to all sing the songs, stand on stage, do whatever 'special' thing they are supposed to do and hope that the kid DO in the program what they have been practicing all this time. However, you fill the chapel with 100 parents and the kids kind of freak out. They forget that they are supposed to sing, they remember that they want their mommy to hold them NOW, they forget how to hold the tambourine OR they do something really silly that you could never predict.

In our case, Luke was the star singer. In practice, he knew all the words, sang the loudest of all and was the most animated. You might say he was kind of a leader (of the 3 year olds). Well, we were sure in for a surprise when he came out. He decided he would pull his hat down over his head and play peek-a-boo. At first it was funny. Then it was annoying. (Any cute activity that persists more than 3 minutes becomes annoying.) I went from embarrassed to upset. I wanted a picture of him on the stage! No such luck, Luke was too busy trying to be Mr. Funny Guy up there and there was not one split second to catch him without that silly Santa hat over his face. Plus, while he was doing this little shinninigan, he for sure was not singing. Since he was not singing, most of the other little 3 year olds weren't either. I was not happy with his performance, or lack thereof.

Natalie on the other hand did phenomenal. She did so good! I do not know exactly why they put the shortest girls on the top step and the tall girls below them, which makes it VERY difficult to see your vertically challenged daughter. This seems to be a trend that I would like to see changed, because I want to get pictures of my daughter singing!

After all the classes had finished singing, Natalie did the closing prayer. She stood up there all by herself and said the Lord's Prayer. All by herself. I was so proud of her and her big girl voice!

Santa Pictures

2008-12-21T12:10:00.002-08:00

I really wanted to get a decent picture of the kids with Santa. Last year I ended up scoring over 8 different Santas, but this year I just have not been motivated. There is an extra level of difficulty this year, with Cooper being in school during the day, I cannot just pop in any where and get a picture like any other year. I tried to get a decent one at Holiday Magic, but Natalie was not feeling the holiday spirit that day. And it was obvious.

I thought that today could be the day. Probably the last chance we had of getting all three of them with Santa. last year, we happened to be in the Highlands (a new shopping center) and they had a Santa right there in the middle of all the stores! I got an e-mail last week that Santa would be there again this year. I got all matching shirts for the kiddos and went out there with Mother, Calvin, Mary and the 3 little ones. (John was taking a class.) We went to the tent where Santa was hanging out and tried to get a good picture of the kids. Well, you can see Natalie is still trying to show her pouty face. but this will have to do. I am about out of Holiday spirit when it comes to the Santa pictures. She will just have to look at this in later years and wonder, why was I being so difficult?

These are the cute glasses Ms. Mary got for the kids!

Are they adorable or WHAT?!?

A Birthday Party

2008-12-21T12:10:00.001-08:00

I am usually right there in all the action when it comes to birthday parties. I like to play the games with the kids, jump on the trampolines, run on the track, whatever. Usually. Just not today. I felt like sitting back and watching. It was Cooper's friend Cooper's birthday party at a gymnastics place. I asked if I could bring Natalie, so she got all dressed in her little leotard with a skirt. She was a bit younger than most of the kids, but she had SO much fun. (I could just tell!)

They played some silly, really silly games (toilet tag?), jump on some trampolines and swing around on a rope then drop off into a pit of foam blocks. These kids have a whole lot more patience when it comes to parties, because they all waited their turn, did not push, yell or scream, and just stood in line. I have never seen such calm, controlled behavior out of a group of (mainly) 6 year old boys! Impressive! Maybe it was the fact that the leader of the party was a guy who was 20~something but acted 8~something. He had the loudest voice I have ever heard! And let me tell you, he needed it with 20+kids all screaming and singing at once. How he kept them under control is beyond me, but he did. I think Cooper and Natalie BOTH had a great time! (And I had a good time doing 'not much'.)

A Productive ER Visit

2008-12-21T12:09:00.002-08:00

John took me to the ER in Dallas last night for (hopefully) the last time for this excruciating pain that I have been having. What we knew:

1) the pain was caused by my gall bladder,

2) my gall bladder was not functioning properly,

3) my gall bladder needed to come out.

However, getting someone to take it out in a timely fashion seemed to be an issue. I scheduled an appointment with a surgeon for a 'consult', then I was told it would be another week or two until he could take it out. Seriously? I had to deal with this pain and only eat egg whites and mixed vegetables for another week or two? I asked the schedule girl what am I supposed to do if I get this incredible pain again and she said, "then go to the ER". Hmmm. Now there is an idea.

John took this morsel and ran with it. He called his brother (who works at the hospital that we went to) and lined up the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, everything. It could not have been any easier. We ran our errands, attended a birthday party and did what we needed to do. Mary had Luke, Mother came over to take care of Cooper and Natalie and we were off to the hospital. We were already in the computer system and within 3 hours of getting there, we were in a room awaiting surgery.

What I had done was a laproscopic removal of my gall bladder. Usually they go through your belly button and then make 3 other 'holes' to move everything around. Since I had my hernia surgery, they were unable to go through my belly button, so they had to make 4 random 'portals' in my belly. All I can say is I will not be sporting a 2 piece bathing suit anytime soon. I look like a multiple GSW victim. Yep, looks like I took 4 shots to the gut and walked away from it! Plus they used dermabond to seal it up, so it looks like I have an overdoes of neosporin suffocating my wounds. As long as they heal up decent looking, I'll be all right. Just one gall bladder less.

The surgeon said that every surgery has something that makes it difficult. For mine, would you like to know what the difficulty was? Not enough fat. He said when they put all the air in there, there was not a lot of room to move the instruments around. (Well, at one point in time there was an 9 1/2 pound baby moving around in there!) He said that usually they have fat surrounding the organs, so they can just slice through the fat and out come the organs. Not in my case. He said when they looked at my organs, that they looked like a textbook. All the organs sitting there, without any fat surrounding them, thus making it hard to separate them and get the gall bladder out. Oh well, it can never be too easy, huh?

Secret Santas

2008-12-21T12:09:00.001-08:00

Secret Santas in 3 states spread cheer, $100 bills

By CHERYL WITTENAUER, Associated Press Writer

ST. LOUIS – At a suburban Goodwill store on Friday, Theresa Settles selected a large, black comforter to warm her family until she can raise the money to turn the gas heat back on. A petite woman approached, her face obscured by dark sunglasses and a wrapped winter scarf, and handed Settles two $100 bills stamped with the words "secret Santa."

"The only condition," she said, "is that you do something nice for someone. Pass it on."
"I will," Settles said, the only words she could get out of her mouth.
The secret Santa was a protege of Kansas City's undercover gift giver, Larry Stewart, who died of cancer nearly two years ago. Stewart roamed city streets each December doling out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift.
Before his death in January 2007, Stewart told a friend how much he would miss his 26 years of anonymous streetside giving, during which he gave away about $1.3 million. Stewart, from the city suburb of Lee's Summit, made millions in cable television and long-distance telephone service.
The friend promised Stewart he would be a secret Santa the next year. "He squeezed my hand and that was it," said the Kansas City Santa, who would say only that he was an area businessman and investor. "I honored a promise."
Two secret Santas, one from the Kansas City area and the other from the St. Louis area, descended on thrift stores, a health clinic, convenience store and small auto repair shop to dole out $20,000 in $100 bills, hugs and words of encouragement to unsuspecting souls in need.
In this economy, they weren't hard to find.
Cynthia Brown, 40, was laid off three weeks ago from her food service job. Santa found her at the St. Louis County health clinic and gave her $100, exactly what she had asked to borrow from her mother a night ago to buy food.
"I have three daughters, and I can't get unemployment yet. I was down in food," she said.
Leotta Burbank, 50, of West Frankfurt, Ill., was at a thrift store Friday to buy decorations for her sister-in-law's room at a St. Louis hospice, where she is dying of pancreatic cancer.
When Santa gave her money, Burbank collapsed into his arms and wouldn't stop hugging him.
"God provides," she said. "This is real emotional for me."
For the secret Santas, it's not about keeping Stewart's memory alive as much as the meaning behind his legacy.
"It's not about the man, it's not about the money, it's about the message," the Kansas City Santa said. "Anyone can be a secret Santa with a kind word, gesture, a helping hand."
He said the money is given without judgment, but on the condition that the receiver pass along a kindness to someone else. Stewart began his holiday tradition at a restaurant in December 1979, after he had just been fired. He gave a waitress $20 and told her to keep the change and was struck by her gratitude.
Stewart also gave money to community causes in Kansas City and his hometown of Bruce, Miss.
The secret Santas want to expand their operation to every state, but so far only nine givers operate in Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix, St. Louis and Kansas City. They plan to start giving in Detroit this holiday season.

Cooper's 'Holiday' Party

2008-12-19T21:31:00.000-08:00

Cooper had his 'holiday' party today. The kiddos get an hour and half to play games, exchange gifts (books) and eat something fun for snack. (They eat lunch at 10:30 a.m., so everyday they get a snack in the afternoon.) I am a room mom for Cooper's class and let me tell you, this is such a fun part of being a mom. I love being a room mom. I love being there in the midst of all the fun and activity. Cooper thinks it is awesome that I am there and I love that. That might change as he gets older, but for now I am going to soak it all in and relish in the fact that he likes having me around. To see how his face lights up whenever he sees me at the school is priceless.

All the room moms gathered together to get the party started while the kiddos were still in the library. We put red and green M & M (s) in cupcake holders for bingo, got the beanbags for the snowman toss, set up the snowman poster for pin-the-nose-on-the-snowman and uprighted some super-sized candy canes to have a ring toss. Each mom (and 1 dad) manned each station and let the kids play. After the games, we let them sit down to eat their special snack (popcorn, juice box, their leftover M & M (s) and a cookie) before they played the pass-the-present exchange. We then passed out their stockings and backpacks to get ready for dismissal. I had so much fun helping out!

When is the next one?!?

Entertaining Ad from Craigslist

2008-12-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

NINJA HAULER: 2005 Nissan Xterra - $12900

OK, let me start off by saying this Xterra is only available for purchase by the manliest of men (or women). My friend, if it was possible for a vehicle to sprout chest hair and a five o'clock shadow, this Nissan would look like Tom Selleck. It is just that manly.

It was never intended to drive to the mall so you can pick up that adorable shirt at Abercrombie & Fitch that you had your eye on. It wasn't meant to transport you to yoga class or Bed, Bath and Beyond. No, that's what your Prius is for. If that's the kind of car you're looking for, then just do us all a favor and stop reading right now. I mean it. Just stop.

This car was engineered by 3rd degree ninja super-warriors in the highest mountains of Japan to serve the needs of the man that cheats death on a daily basis. They didn't even consider superfluous nancy boy amenities like navigation systems (real men don't get lost), heated leather seats (a real man doesn't let anything warm his backside) or On Star (real men don't even know what On Star is).

No, this brute comes with the things us testosterone-fueled super action junkies need. It has a 265 HP engine to outrun the cops. It's got special blood/gore resistant upholstery. It even has a first-aid kit in the back. You know what the first aid kit has in it? A pint of whiskey, a stitch-your-own-wound kit and a hunk of leather to bite down on when you're operating on yourself. The Xterra also has an automatic transmission so if you're being chased by Libyan terrorists, you'll still be able to shoot your machine gun out the window and drive at the same time. It's saved my bacon more than once.

It has room for you and the four hotties you picked up on the way to the gym to blast your pecs and hammer your glutes. There's a tow hitch to pull your 50 caliber anti-Taliban, self cooling machine gun. I also just put in a new windshield to replace the one that got shot out by The Man.

My price on this bad boy is an incredibly low $12,900, but I'll entertain reasonable offers. And by reasonable, I mean don't walk up and tell me you'll give me $5,000 for it. That's liable to earn you a Burmese-roundhouse-super-kick with a follow up three fingered eye-jab. Would it hurt? Oh yeah. Let's just say you won't be the prettiest guy at the Coldplay concert anymore.

There's only 69,000 miles on this four-wheeled monster from Planet Kick***. Trust me, it will outlive you and the offspring that will carry your name. It will live on as a monument to your machismo.

Now, go look in the mirror and tell me what you see. If it's a rugged, no holds barred, super brute he-man macho Chuck Norris stunt double, then contact me. I might be out hang-gliding or BASE jumping or just chilling with my ladies, but I'll get back to you. And when I do, we'll talk about a price over a nice glass of Schmidt while we listen to Johnny Cash.

To sweeten the deal a little, I'm throwing in this pair of MC Hammer pants for the man with rippling quads that can't fit into regular pants. Yeah, you heard me. FREE MC Hammer pants.

Arkansas Family Welcomes 18th Child

2008-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

It's a GIRL!
Thu Dec 18, 8:46 pm ET

ROGERS, Ark. – An Arkansas woman has given birth to her 18th child. Michelle Duggar delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long.
"The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob Duggar, the father of the 18 children. "She's just absolutely beautiful, like her mom and her sisters."

The Duggars now have 10 sons and eight daughters.

Jim Bob Duggar said Michelle started having contractions Wednesday night. She needed the C-section, her third, because the baby was lying sideways. Jim Bob said both baby and mother were doing well Thursday night.

"We both would love to have more," he said.

The cable network TLC broadcasts a weekly show about the Duggars, called "17 Kids and Counting." Chris Finnegan of TLC — which handles public relations for the Duggar family — said the show's name would be updated to account for the latest addition to the family. He said TLC also will air a show Monday on the baby's delivery.

Jim Bob Duggar is 43, a year older than his wife. Their oldest child, Joshua, is 20. The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jordyn-Grace, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 17; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 12; Joy-Anna, 11; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 8; James, 7; Justin, 6; Jackson, 4; Johannah, 3; and Jennifer, 1.
"Our whole family is excited about Jordyn's addition to our family," Jim Bob Duggar said. "She's just perfect in every way."

A Kindergarten Program

2008-12-18T11:41:00.001-08:00

Today Cooper had his first kindergarten program. We like to get a good seat for the kids' programs, so the whole crew showed up nice and EARLY. So early, in fact, that we scored the FRONT ROW JOE seats. Oh yeah, no one ridiculously tall was going to sit in front of me and my camera!

I do not know what we were expecting from a kindergarten program. A dance? Some songs? A few instruments? Believe it or not, we got all of the above. One class walked in a circle while the other 4 classes sang the song (I guess that is could be a dance?). They sang a total of 4 or 5 songs, loud and clear. And for one song each class had 2 children playing these lollipop drums and for another song they all got to shake some bells. Overall, Cooper did great and looked so proud that he had 4 fans in the front row. As for John, he wanted at least 45 minutes of entertainment since he took off 1/2 of the afternoon off to come watch this...

Cooper is showing the lollipop drum -->

The HIDA Scan

2008-12-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

I have been experiencing excruciating pain on and off since right after Thanksgiving. I have been to the ER twice and now have a 'somewhat' diagnosis. The physician at the ER and the ER physician that lives in our neighborhood suggested that I get a HIDA scan.

In a nutshell, the HIDA scan is a nuclear medicine test that checks the function and condition of the gallbladder. It can help determine if a person has a form of gallbladder disease or if the gallbladder is functioning properly. I was a little nervous about it until one of my friends (thank you Melissa!) that happens to be a nurse AND had the scan done herself, said it was no big deal. Also, the fact that you get to lie down and maybe even sleep for an hour and half sold me that it couldn't be SO bad. Let me tell you, she was right. I enjoyed the quiet humming of the machines, had a great technician and I did sneak in a little snooze for about 30 minutes.

The only downfall was how I felt tonight. I do not know if it was the nuclear stuff that they put in my veins or the pain is just getting worse. I was suffering for over 2 hours tonight after I ate some mixed vegetables. Yes, plain ole corn, green beans, carrots and peas. They were steamed and I forced them down without any butter, salt or any sort of seasoning. I started hurting about 20 minutes later. The first pain pill got laughed at by the horrendous pain I was in and then about 30 minutes after I took the 2nd pill. I had a small reprieve. I am ready to hear back about my results and schedule to have this organ of my body removed.

Seriously, this is a perfect set-up for anorexia:

1) Eat = pain

2) No food=no pain

3) Hunger pain is not near as intense as the gall bladder pain.

Conclusion:

I would rather listen to my stomach growl than writhe in pain for what feels like a small eternity.

Bargaining, Bribing and Begging

2008-12-17T21:57:00.002-08:00

The 3 B's that we all understand. If you want someone to do something, you can:
A) beg them to do it,
B) bribe them into doing it or,
C) bargain your way into getting it done.
OK, maybe this just applies to how I have to deal with my kids.

Here is an example of all 3 tactics being used:
Me: Cooper, get dressed, please. (DIRECTING)
Cooper: Why?
Me: Umm, because you are not going to school in pajamas?!?
Cooper: OK.
***10 minutes later*** (BARGAINING)
Me: Cooper, are you dressed yet?
Cooper: No.
Me: If you can get dressed in the next 3 minutes, you can get in the car first.
Cooper: OK!
***10 more minutes elapse*** (BEGGING)
Me: Cooper are you dressed yet?
Cooper: No. Can I have a treat if I get dressed?
Me: NO! Just get dressed PLEASE!
***7 minutes later*** (BRIBING)
Cooper: Look I'm dressed.
Me: Great. Now go make your hair nice.
Cooper: Can I have a treat?
Me: If you can make your hair nice and be sitting at the table in less than 3 minutes, you bet!
***1.5 minutes later*** (MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!)
Cooper: Look Mom, I'm ready for my treat!
Me: Awesome, now eat your waffle and I'll get your treat...

Special Occasions

2008-12-17T21:57:00.001-08:00

My mother taught me to read when I was four years old (her first mistake). One day I was in the bathroom and noticed one of the cabinet doors was ajar. I read the box in the cabinet. I then asked my mother why she was keeping 'napkins' in the bathroom. Didn't they belong in the kitchen?

Not wanting to burden me with unnecessary facts, she told me that those were for 'special occasions' (her second mistake). Now fast forward a few months.... It's Thanksgiving Day, and my folks are leaving to pick up my uncle and his wife for dinner. Mom had assignments for all of us while they were gone..

Mine was to set the table.

When they returned, my uncle came in first and immediately burst into laughter. Next came his wife who gasped, then began giggling. Next came my father, who roared with laughter.
Then came Mom, who almost died of embarrassment when she saw each place setting on the table with a 'special occasion' Kotex napkin at each plate, with the fork carefully arranged on top.
I had even tucked the little tail in so they didn't hang off the edge!!

My mother asked me why I used these and, of course, my response sent the other adults into further fits of laughter. 'But, Mom, you said they were for special occasions!!! '

*^*This is not my story (it's from an e-mail),

but I just had to share it.*^*

Pass this on to your girlfriends who need a good laugh or anyone who has a daughter!
Life is too short for drama and petty things. So kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly, and forgive quickly.... and for heavens sake, use the good napkins whenever you can!

A Re-Root Canal

2008-12-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

I had 3 root canals done 16 years ago. I was cheering at a college basketball game and stunting with my partner. It was pre-game and we were warming up. As I was in a liberty, a cameraman who was filming warm up for the players ran into my partner's shoulder, knocking me down onto his camera. It scraped up my left thigh and knocked my 3 front teeth out. UTA was nice enough to pay for me to get new teeth 'appliances', which also included having 3 root canals done before the new teeth could be placed.

Now, flash to a year ago. My 3 teeth really did not match and you could see the top margins. We have really good dental insurance, so I had all 3 replaced with one that are made with a different material and made with better technology. However, my bite has not seemed just right. I went to see my dentist before our insurance changed at the end of this year. He noticed my bite was off, but decided to run an x-ray of the tooth that I had mentioned. It is not good when any medical professional says, "UH-OH". I had an abscess in the root of one of the teeth that I had previously had the root canal done. Thank goodness I happen to know a fantastic endodontist (I used to personal train her, her husband and babysit her kids years ago). I left his office and went straight to her office to have them shoot an x-ray. Again I hear, "UH-Ohh!". Isn't it written somewhere that you should not scare a patient with an "UH-Ohh!"?!? I called Deborah and she talked me back into a calm state and said I could call her Monday on when to come in to fix it.

Today I go to her office (as a patient for the first time ever). We chit-chat, talk about what is going to happen and she gets down to business. Let me tell you, she is the VERY BEST at what she does. It is good to have a perfectionist as your oral surgeon when you are talking about drills and other instruments all around your gums, teeth and tongue. She cut open a flap of my upper gums, cleared out the abscess, sent off the material to biopsy it, put something in there to take up the space and stitched it right back up. Pain? No. None at all. I felt a little zippity from the topical pain reliever and the epinephrine, but otherwise I probably could have gone to work out. Instead, I went to my favorite store (Back to the Rack), Dollar Tree and CVS. By myself. Without having to hold any one's hand, put anyone in the cart or say, "No, you cannot have that!". I think I'll have another re-root canal again someday just to have 2 hours afterwards to myself...

SIMPLE WHITE ENVELOPE

2008-12-16T22:35:00.001-08:00

It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, 'I wish just one of them could have won,' he said. 'They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.'

Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition --one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-16T22:31:00.000-08:00

I do not think I have gone on my rant this year yet about the "Holidays". The 'Happy Holidays', the 'Holiday Party' and the 'Holiday Season'. Really? Do we have to make it so generic? In year's past I was so against all the commercialism of Christmas, but in the past 2 years, I have become more and more sensitive to the whole 'Holiday' business. I can tell you this, I will NEVER send out a Christmas card that says 'Happy Holidays'. Nope. Never. You can take that to the bank.

I know that it is all about political correctness and stuff, but come on! When you are one Christian talking to another, how about a little Christ in Christmas talk? I try to emphasize this with my children, when they get overly excited about 'Santa', presents, etc. I try to shift their focus back to what it is really all about and why we are so thankful that God sent his one and only Son here to earth for us sinners.

This year I will be making a conscious effort to wish everyone Merry Christmas, as a way of saying that I am celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Also I am challenging anyone who reads this blog to please do the same. And if you'll pass this on to your blog/e-mail/facebook friends, maybe we can prevent one more treasured tradition from being lost in the sea of 'Political Correctness.'

Eddy the Elf

2008-12-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

Our neighbors across the street gave us a book last year called The Elf on the Shelf. In the box, there is a book and an 'elf'. The book explains all about the 'elf', his function in life (to tell Santa everything the children do) and all his magical powers (not much, just that he can fly to the North Pole every night and get back before the children wake up). The kids get to name the 'elf'' but the do not ever get to touch him. Touching him with kid-size hands = Eddy cannot fly anymore. Oh and Santa lets Eddy hitch a ride back with him on Christmas Eve. (That's when Eddy goes back in the box until after Thanksgiving the next year.)

Though I feel a little ridiculous talking to an elf, the kiddos sure do not mind one bit. Once they find him, first thing in the morning, they will sometimes chit-chat with Eddy for a good 10-20 minutes. I know, this probably is not a proper psychological environment, but it sure is humerous what they tell him. They will even tell on each other, "Luke! I am going to tell Eddy that you called me a bad name!" It is so cute that it is funny. Also, we will not have many more Christmases like these that while they are all so young. I think I'll sit back and enjoy it while I can...

Busy-ness

2008-12-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

I like to be busy. I think I am afraid of being bored or worse, my children being bored. Not on my watch! It is my job to think of something FUN to do and implement it! However, I am grateful for days like today when I have absolutely nothing planned. It is like having a catch-up day to make up for the weekend craziness.

I need to go back and read my notes on a talk that our previous pastor's wife did on "Myth of the Supermom". What mother does not want to be SUPERMOM? I want to be everything to my children and for my children. I know that I really can't, but I feel like I should try as hard as I can. To raise the bar, so when I fall below it, I have still attained more than if the bar was not there at all. My problem is in the margins. I know that I do not build in enough margins to keep me from losing my patience, etc. I think if I was intentional and consistent I would accomplish a whole lot more without getting so upset if something does not go perfectly.

Case in point: this weekend. This weekend I have a list of things that I wanted to do. I wanted to take the kids to the Winter Wonderland festival. We went last year and they LOVED it and have asked periodically when are we going back? I also wanted to schedule them for a 15 minutes session with Santa at Chelsea's Tea Room. It took me all week to work out the logistics and secure a time that would not interfere with the other 4 things that I wanted to do. Also, my mom had invited me to her church's Festival of Tables. I really wanted to go, just to get to spend 2 hours with my mom. And I really, really, REALLY wanted to go to Mary's Christmas party. She throws the best parties around, but no go for me. I was incapacitated for an 18 hour pain-reliever stupor. So do you want to know how many of these things I was able to accomplish? None. Zero. Zilch. I made it through the weekend without accomplishing anything but getting an 'almost diagnosis'. I'm kind of sad about missing so many fun opportunities, but the whole weekend was out of my control...

Another Day in the ER

2008-12-13T20:48:00.003-08:00

OK, I sound like am falling apart, right? I think if they would have diagnosed me correctly the first time that I went to the ER, I would not still have this pain and would not have had to go again today. My pain tolerance is pretty high, but whatever this is, it is KICKING MY TAIL!

Both times that we have been to the ER, we have lucked out and it has been empty. We were in a room within 10 minutes. That is nice, let me tell you! Especially when you are feeling as bad as I was. The drill? Change into a not-so-flattering tattered hospital gown that has more openings than a coral reef, provide a urine sample, give up your arm with the best vein and freeze your toes off until they bring 2 warmed up blankets. That's the S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedures) for ER protocol. Oh yeah, you do get to leave your 'unders' on! I thought that was pretty funny when the nurse said that.

This go around, we skipped through all the niceties and told them everything we had been through in the last 2 weeks. As in: normal CAT scan, normal blood count, normal urine, getting a wrong diagnosis, taking medications that I didn't need to and the unbelievable pain that I was in. They did not take forever to give me pain medication (THANK GOODNESS!) I was already in my happy place, so I was ready for them to go ahead and do the ultrasound of my liver. Here is the diagnosis, if you would like to call it that:

Now all I have to so is make it through the HIDA scan, in which they flush out the liver with a nuclear medication that they shoot through your veins, then invoke a gall bladder spasm. ALRIGHTY THEN! I CANNOT wait, sign me up ASAP!

Tea with Daddy

2008-12-13T20:48:00.001-08:00

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2 1/2 years old and had just recovered from an accident. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a get-well gift and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home. My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!'

My mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up. Then she says, 'Did it ever occur to you that the only place that baby can reach to get water is the toilet?'

*This is from an e-mail that I received, but still funny even if it was not my own dad I tricked like that!*

Denzel Washington

2008-12-12T08:56:00.001-08:00

Brooks Army Medical Center

I do not know whether you heard about this but Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC) last year. This is where soldiers who have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the United States, especially burn victims. There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time.While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his checkbook out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it. The question I have is why does Denzel Washington's patriotism not even make page 3 in the Metro section of any newspaper except the local newspaper in San Antonio?

Melissa Lawson in Concert

2008-12-12T08:55:00.001-08:00

Melissa Lawson came to our church tonight to do a benefit concert for a private school that operates on our campus. She invited the Navy guy (name?) from the show (Nashville Star)to 'open' for her. I was not feeling so good, so I was struggling just to make it through his performance. Once she was on stage she sang 8 or 9 songs and WOW! She has this voice that takes your breath away. She is so down-to-earth that you just cannot help but adore her.

I got to sign 2 of the songs that she sang, then I headed back up to my seat by Mary. It was nice that the concert was over by 9:05, because I have time to be tucked in bed by 9:30. I still do not feel so good, hopefully when I wake up tomorrow this incredible pain will be gone.

Sweet Goodness

2008-12-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I do not cook much. I am blessed with a husband who is exceptionally gifted in culinary talents and loves to cook. Seriously, he loves to cook the Thanksgiving meal(s), Christmas Dinner(s), even ribs for his own birthday party! I think he would be hurt if I ever said, "No, let me cook the Christmas meal." (Which I would not) I can make a great mac 'n cheese, bake some chicken breasts, but not much beyond that. Sometimes I will surprise John with a Homemade Gourmet meal or a recipe that a friend gave me, but for the most part, John does the lion share of the cooking for our household. AND that is FINE with me!

All this to say, my friend, Laura, made this sweet treat for a get-together at her house. She made it in the crock pot! How about that! Since I actually saw what it looked like while she was making it, then tried it when she had completed it, I thought I could do it myself. I called her to ask about the specific ingredients, bought them and was ready to fire up some sweet stuff in my crock pot. Another thing that some people know about me is that I cannot leave a recipe on its own. I like to add some things here and there.

So here's what I put in the sweet stuff:

*1 1/2 pounds of white almond bark

*1 1/2 pounds of chocolate almond bark

*1 package of chocolate chips

*1 jar of peanut butter

*1 jar of Marshmallow Creme

After it was all melted, I turned the crock pot off and added the following while stirring it all up real good:

*1 can of cashew pieces

*1 large bag of pretzels

Then I dropped globs of it in varying sizes on wax paper. It made a whole bunch of these. Then I turned on the fan and left for 3-4 hours. When I came back it was hardened enough for me to peel it off the paper and stack it.

John said it was the best thing he ever put in his mouth. Cooper called it a chocolate bird's nest. Me? I call it Sweet Goodness.

Thank you, Laura, for the recipe and inspiration to do it!

Sick Day for Cooper

2008-12-10T20:54:00.002-08:00

I took Cooper to school this morning. Even though he was saying how his stomach hurt, I took him anyway. Well, I was back home for 15 minutes before the phone rang and the caller ID said that it was Cooper's school. Never a good thing. I answered and the nurse informed me that Cooper had puked and needed to be picked up. Alrighty then! Instead of taking the littler ones to school first, we went to pick up Cooper. That was an ordeal in and of itself. We finally get everyone loaded back in the car and head off to the preschool. Cooper is on Cloud 9 getting to see Ms. Darcy, Ms. Susan, Ms. Carly, everyone! Whoo-hoo it is a homecoming for him! I felt compelled to tell each teacher that he threw up, thus he could not be in school today (and to please not hug him, lest he give you the 'bug'). Cooper grew weary of this and asked me to 'quit spreading the word' about him throwing up, please'. I told him that I had to let people know what kind of sick he was so they would realize that it was legitimate that he was out of school.

Well, let me tell you, we had such a great day together. It is quite rare that I get him for 5 hours with no sibling tacked on. We just hung out, went to a few stores, let him pick out some toys for Luke and Natalie and then did a little bit of nothing so he could 'rest'. He got a little tired of me saying, 'No, you cannot eat that, that will upset your tummy.' But, you know, I am not good with puke and I was not about to give him anything that would encourage another round of explosive...puke. He made it through the day without anymore incidents, so I think he is good to go back to school tomorrow morning...

He does not look so sick, does he?

Cowgirl CHIC!

2008-12-10T20:54:00.001-08:00

Our Women's Club in our neighborhood puts on a holiday party/auction every year. I have gone to it every year that I have lived in the neighborhood (3 years) and it is usually a lot of loud, festive fun. This year was no exception! The auction chairperson, Jennifer, coined the theme for this year to be "Cowgirl Chic" (pronounced 'sheek' vs. 'chick'). It was such a big hit! The decorations were awesome and a lot of the guest brought 'cowgirl' themed gifts. The house that we had it is was one of those houses that keeps going and going and going. This is a good thing when 50 women are all moving about.

The auctioneers were some neighbors that like to dress up and talk with accents. They had this act going the whole time, complete with funny names and all. They did a great job trying to keep the other women focused on biding on items that normally would not have received a second glance. It was not unlike herding cats with a little tuna on your fingertips: they would pay attention, then wonder off, then back on track with the bidding again...

Lots of fun conversation, gifts and prizes to be had by most!

Cut and Color?

2008-12-09T21:13:00.001-08:00

I got my hair cut and highlighted today. YEA. FOR. ME! I love getting my hair cut. I do not know why it feels so good to get the dead ends cut off and feel like I have healthy hair again. But it does. I also like to get my hair highlighted. OK, I LOVE getting my hair highlighted. I had blond hair growing up, then my freshman year it went this mousy brown. Yuck, yuck yuck. It did not look good on me at all with my skin tone and blue eyes. So the summer before my sophomore year I spent the summer by the pool with 'Sun-In'. Basically a peroxide spray that bleached your hair completely out. From then on I dyed my hair once a month. Even when I was in boot camp, I got permission from my company commander to dye my roots during the 20 hours of liberty that we were granted. By the time I was in my 20's my hair was so blond it was almost white. Not so good. It did not look natural, but that didn't matter to me, I just wanted it BLOND! Right after I had Natalie, I got a gift certificate to a salon. A Salon! Not just a haircutting place, it was Norwood and Company, an Aveda Salon. I went there and they convinced me to try and attain a more natural hair color. Travis said that on a scale of 1 to 10, I was a 14 in the blond color. After 2 years of highlights and low-lites, we finally achieved a more natural look.

Reality? I will always want it blonder, always. But I force myself to try and be happy with this more 'natural' color...

<----My favorite color of blonde

The 'natural' color of blonde that John prefers--->

My Dislike for Car Maintenance

2008-12-09T21:12:00.002-08:00

I cannot stand taking my car in for maintenance. I do not care if it is just an oil change, it is such a pain! You never know if it is going to take 45 minutes or 3 hours. Also, you can count on that they are going to tell you there is SOMETHING wrong with your car. In my case today, they told me that my rear brakes needed fixing ($199), new fuel filter ($60) and transmission filter and flush ($199). Yea for me! Good grief. Then they found a screw in one of my tires when they rotated the tires and when they were fixing that, they found a nail also! Guess what?!? They charged me for 2 patches on the same tire... $15 X 2. Lucky me.

I know it is not true, but I feel like a big sign is on my head that says, "Please charge me extra because I have estrogen!" I would much rather John take the car in because I do not think that they mess with him when it comes to 'suggesting' things that are wrong with the vehicle. I'm just saying...

Things that I Hope I Will Never Forget

2008-12-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

* The sound of my mom laughing and playing with the kids.

* Seeing Natalie run to my dad from the soccer fields and him scooping her up in his arms.

* The look on Cooper's face after he scored his first soccer goal.

* Seeing the beating heart of each of my children on the sonogram.

* That Luke wanting 'soup' for Christmas when he was 2.

* The feeling of Cooper kicking when I was 13 weeks pregnant. I had just turned on Beethoven and he started kicking away.

* Seeing John get on one knee when we were rollerblading across the Joe Pool Lake levee and asking me to marry him as the sun was setting behind him.

* That Cooper wanting a 'fan' for Christmas when he was 3.

* Scuba diving with John in St. Lucia.

* That Natalie stayed in the Hello Kitty phase for over a year.

* How sweet it felt for Luke to wrap all his fingers around just one of my fingers when I would ask him to hold my hand.

* The thrill of flipping through the air.

* How Natalie reaches for my hand anytime we are walking beside each other.

* How warm Cooper's hands are anytime it is cold.

* How cute it is when Luke would say eleven up instead of seven up.

* How cute it was when Natalie would ask for Repel intead of Propel.

* The sense of pride and accomplishment I felt when I graduated from Boot Camp in 1990.

* How loved and real I felt after accepeting Christ as my Saviour in 1998.

* How cute Cooper and Luke were when they wore overalls as toddlers.* How cute Natalie was as Supergirl.

* How cute Luke was as the Incredible Hulk saying that he has 'big muth-thuls!"

The Napkin

2008-12-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this.......

John 20:6-7 (New International Version)
6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

Early that Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body and I don't know where they have taken Him!". Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the napkin that had covered Jesus face was folded up and lying to one side.

Is that important? Absolutely! Is that really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about the Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the Servant set the dinner table for the Master, he made sure it was exactly the way the Master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the Master had finished eating. The Servant would not dare touch that table until the Master was finished. If the Master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm finished". I did not know this.... If the Master got up from the table, and folded his napkin beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because.... The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!". He is coming back! During this Holy season, I pray that you are blessed with peace and joy in the knowledge that He IS coming back someday.

Home Depot Craft?

2008-12-07T22:45:00.001-08:00

This Saturday, Natalie needed a little 'girl-time'. I suggested that I take her to the gym with me, go shopping with her and make some cookies with her while John do 'something' with the boys. I do not need to tell him what to do, he can usually figure out something fun to do with the boys for a whole morning. I sure did not expect him to come home with a CRAFT! You heard that right! He happened to be in Home Depot at the exact right Saturday, at the exact right time. They had kids' crafts set up and he just walked into it. (He admits that he cannot take too much credit, that he had no idea that he could be so lucky!) They have quite a system set up at Home Depot. They gave each kid an ORANGE apron with their name written in a black sharpie (just like the workers), a craft and even a little pin to go on their shirt. WOW! All this for the amazing low price of...FREE! How lucky can you get? Also, they were nice enough to give John an extra apron for Natalie, the makings for the craft (an easel) and a pin for her as well.

I think I like Home Depot even more now...

The New Basketball Goal

2008-12-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

While John was at Academy (with the boys), he was supposed to get ammunition for our new guns. How he ended up in the basketball department I will never know. Somehow the 3 year old talked him into getting a new basketball goal. That's right, a new one. We have one, but it is ridiculously high. I mean high like probably regulation height, which is too tall for any of us under 6 foot. So John fell prey to the 3 year old's pining and bought a new goal that had him spreading out tools for a few hours trying to put it together just right. Luke could not wait. He was silly excited about this goal, because he knew he could be a SUPERSTAR!!

Let me tell you, he is! He can shoot that basketball 10 times and he makes it 8 or more times. He is really good. Most of the time it is all net, he does not even use the backboard, he just swishes it in! He does not like to play with Cooper, because all Cooper does is block his shots. I think Cooper knows that if Luke fires off a shot, he'll get it in. Therefore, Cooper does not let him shoot. He can kind of be a not-so-nice big brother sometimes...but we are working on it. Until then, I am teaching Luke some defensive moves!

Starting the Process

2008-12-06T22:24:00.001-08:00

It is December 6th and we are starting the process of decorating for Christmas. For some people, the process started after the pumpkin pie was served at Thanksgiving. We, typically, are not so quick to decorate. In fact, one Christmas we decorated a few days before Christmas Eve. YIKES! Well not now! I am surrounded by folks who take this decorating SERIOUS! I went on a walk last week, stopped at a friend's house to let the kids play and ended up helping her decorate her living room. All the while I am wondering, why am I doing this? Don't I need to decorate my OWN house?

Good news! We purchased our real tree this evening. We have an interesting tradition when it comes to tree selection. We go to Home Depot. Sometimes we might even go to Lowe's if they have a newer shipment of trees in. Yep, we are pretty old-fashioned in that way. (HA!HA!HA!) The kids think it is great. They get to watch us look at 30+ trees, pick out the best one, watch the cashier chainsaw off the end and see them wrap the tree in the netting. Then John throws it on the SUV, ties it down and off we go to soak it in water. This is the beginning of the process for us.

Oh yeah, we also have Christmas lights! Mary was nice enough to let us hire her nephew to put the Christmas lights up on the house. John says that is the best $50 he has spent in a long time!

Entertainment Central

2008-12-06T22:02:00.000-08:00

With all the roles I play: mom, wife, driver, dishwasher, negotiator, mediator, folder of all the laundry, finder of all things lost, master approver of all outfits, hairstylist, etc.; the most important role that my children think I am is Entertainment Central. This is my responsibility to mold my children's growth, development, physical well-being and all that important stuff. It is my job to come up with something fun, exciting and energy-draining to do before nap every day.

[Now that Cooper is in school, going to have pictures taken is no longer an option. (Darn!) I'm funny in that I do not want pictures of just 2 of the kids. I am afraid that in 10 or 20 years, Cooper might look back and say, "Hey, what's up with me not being in the Santa picture? Was I in time-out or something?"]

Here are some of the things that I take them to do to stimulate their minds, bodies and energy level:

* FW Zoo (we all have a membership, so it is free, free, free!)

* MAC (somewhere else that we have a membership so it is free, free, free!)

* Jumping Party (kind of far, but worth it if we take our lunch an make it a 2 + hour stay)

* Random parks anywhere in a 5 mile radius. (There are approximately 40 that we have to choose from)

* Mall play areas (Ridgmar and Parks are our favorite)

*Leapin' Lizards

* Pump It Up

* Playdates with a friend from the neighborhood or school

* My gym (if all else fails, let the play in the Kid's Klub at the gym while I get in a 2 hour workout, right?)

* The public library (Storytime especially, plus it is free, free, free!)

* Storytime at the Ballpark (Not free, but I always have a half off coupon)

* Seasonal fun activities like Boo at the Zoo, water park outings, Country Critters, pumpkin patches, etc.

* Eat and Play places (Chik*Fil*A) (McDonald's (as a last resort!))

* Adventure walk (free, free, free!)

* Picnics (we have park picnics, car picnics and even floor picnics)

* Visit to Gram and Grandad's house

Your Christmas Invitation

2008-12-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

You are cordially invited to

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!!

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ

Date: Every day. Traditionally, December 25

but He's always around, so the date is flexible...

Time: Whenever you're ready.

(Please don't be late, though, or you'll miss out on all the fun!)

Place: In your heart.... He'll meet you there.

(You'll hear Him knock.)

Attire: Come as you are... grubbies are okay.

He'll be washing our clothes anyway. He said something about

new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the last.

Tickets: Admission is free.

He's already paid for everyone...

(He says you wouldn't have been

able to afford it anyway...

it cost Him everything He had.

But you do need to accept the ticket!!)

Refreshments: New wine, bread,

and a far-out drink He calls "Living Water,"

followed by a supper that promises

to be out of this world!

Gift Suggestions: Your life. He's one of those

people who already has everything else.

(He's very generous in return though.

Just wait until you see what He has for you!)

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light,

Life, Love, Real Happiness,Communion with God,

Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing,

Power,Eternity in Paradise,

Contentment, and much more!

(All "G" rated, so bring your family and friends.)

R.S.V.P. Very Important!

He must know ahead so He can

reserve a spot for you at the table.

Also, He's keeping a list of His friends

for future reference.

He calls it the "Lamb's Book of Life."

Party being given by His Kids (that's us!!)!

Hope to see you there! For those of you whom

I will see at the party, share this with someone today!

A Neighbor's 21st Annual Party

2008-12-05T14:46:00.003-08:00

Our neighbors across the street have an 'annual' Christmas party the first Friday in December. It is so much fun! The first order of business is to check out the food. They have the most AMAZING selection of yummy things to eat. Next, each couple gets into the STOCKING. This is the most gynormous stocking you have ever seen (or stepped in to). Even John fits into it! Each couple stands in front of the fireplace (with the N-O-E-L in the background) and they take a picture with a Polaroid. That way each person gets one to take home. That's a nice little party favor! A while later, we are all assigned numbers that we forget. Once we remember them or make up what number we want to be, we divide up into different rooms to play a trivia game, which varies from year to year. Sometimes it can be next to impossible (fill in the blank-50+ questions) or like this year(multiple guess, only 25 questions). Our team actually answered all of them (with the help of some one's blackberry!). We did not win, but it sure is fun to team up with people that you might not know and work together to try and win a prize. Shortly after the trivia game, they start passing out envelopes for the 12 days of Christmas - the Man Version. The rookie usually gets the "5 GOLDEN RINGS!" part. (The whole song really hinges on that part, ya know?!?) This year they kept it clean, but in years past, some guys would get a little carried away. All in all, I look forward to this party every year, because it seems to be the unofficial beginning to the Christmas season.

A Little About My Neighbors

My neighbors are so much fun. They are the neatest family and we have so much in common with them. They are about 8 years ahead of us in the parenting department (one already in college). We watch what they do, knowing that we will be there eventually. I think that they watch what we do, reminiscing on how they used to handle 3 young kids. Also, they welcome and enjoy our kids coming over to their house. Our kids, in turn, LOVE to go over there. It is such a novelty to them. I always think it is interesting that they can go somewhere that has no toys and STILL HAVE FUN! The Mrs. will play soccer with them behind their house, bust out a craft for them to create something or even bake a treat. They never know what kind of fun is going to be had, they just know it will be exciting!

Playdate at Ridgmar

2008-12-05T14:46:00.001-08:00

I love playdates. What is a playdate? Well, it is when you choose to entertain your children and invite a friend and their child(ren) to join you. Sometimes there are playgroups, in which you have a whole circle of moms with similar-aged children who want to do different things with their kids during the day. The word playdate sounds so trivial, yet endearing. Silly, but fun. The fact is, the kids enjoy playing with someone new and I enjoy conversation. Plus the person you are conversing with understands when you have to abruptly leave the conversation to pick up your child to console him or her.

Laura is one of my favorite people to have playdates with. (And also to go on cruises with!) We have the best conversations (in snippets sometimes). We NEVER run out of things to talk about. (As if!) We like to do the same things, have similar parenting styles and our kiddos are all within months of each other's ages. We have actually known each other since college, but did not get reconnected until about 3 years ago. Since then, we have added 2 boys to the mix, been to the zoo a kajillion times, played at innumerable parks, celebrated countless birthdays together and handed down tons of clothes. (OK, she hands down all the clothes to me!) Also, she is kind of my mentor when it comes to parenting. Not only does she have 3 kids, but she was an early childhood teacher for many years before that. She is just slightly ahead of me in each different stage, so I have a trusted person I can ask those sometimes tough questions. I would say she is my go-to mom when it comes to a difficulty that I may be having with the kids and cannot come up with a solution.

All that said, we went to play at Ridgmar today. It is so nice when the kids all play with each other, stay in the designated area and do not cry. [This is not always the case. About a year ago, I had to quit bringing Luke because he would just escape out of the area and I would have to be chasing him every 5 minutes. That is ridiculous and preventable. So I just quit taking him there until he got over that little stage.] After we finished playing, we went up to eat at my favorite eating place, Chik*Fil*a. It was kind of fun: the kids sat at their own table and we sat our own table, less than a foot away. We had our own conversation and they... ate each other's food when we were not looking. Oh well, that was worth getting to share conversation for 10-15 minutes! Thanks for being such a good friend and mentor, Laura!

Polar Express Night @ Mary's

2008-12-04T20:43:00.001-08:00

My friend Mary LOVES the Polar Express. She loves the book and the movie. Since the movie came out, she has had a Polar Express night for the kids (and adults). Everyone comes over to her house in their pajamas, eats breakfast food, drinks hot chocolate and roasts some marshmallows and s'mores. I usually only take Cooper and Natalie, but this year I brought all 3 kiddos. (Luke was crying so loud that I could hear him in the driveway while he was in the living room with John.) I relented and brought him along, just hoping that my 3 balls of energy could keep it tame for at least an hour. I told all 3 that we would leave at ANY moment if they started acting all wild and nutty. They all readily agreed to that...

We had so much fun just hanging out (as adults) while all the kiddos were enthralled with the movie in the new media room. (The media room that 2 of Mary's friend built for her over the summer.) They would get a little rowdy when the music got really loud, but for the most part the only casualty was the arm of a chair that Craig was able to pop back into place.

Thanks Mary for having Polar Express for the kids and the kid in all of us!

A Cookie Swap

2008-12-04T20:42:00.001-08:00

My girlfriend Laura has had a 'cookie swap' every year, for the last 4 years. We all bring 6 dozen of whatever we baked and then share with everyone. There are anywhere from 5 to 10 of us, so you can imagine the assortment of fun stuff to taste and share! Laura usually makes 2 or 3 different cookies, so sometimes we have to bust out a calculator to do the math to figure out how many of each cookie/brownie/fudge, etc. that we each get. She spends a week cooking and baking various treats, sweets, salads and drinks for us to enjoy while we are there. She makes the best punch! I love eating stuff that looks fancy on the serving dish, I'm just weird that way I guess. After we chit-chat, tell kid stories and carry on for a while, we get down to the cookie swapping business. It is so fun to come home with something you could never bake yourself. We do bring copies of our recipes just in case you may want to duplicate the Red Velvet Cake Balls that melted in your mouth. Not that I would know or anything...

I LOVE THE COOKIE SWAP, Laura!!

One of Those Stories

2008-12-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

I received this as an e-mail and it was too good not to share.

Two Choices: What would you do?...you make the choice.

My question is: Would you have made the same choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay ran awkwardly towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the way Shay!' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero, making me so happy and coming home to see his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

Noah Today

2008-12-03T23:58:00.001-08:00

In the year 2009, the Lord came unto Noah,
who was now living in the United States, and said:

"Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated,

and I see the end of all flesh before me."
Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing

along with a few good humans."

He gave Noah the blueprints, saying:

"You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will

start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah

weeping in his yard - but no Ark.
"Noah!," He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"

"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed."

"I needed a building permit." "I've been arguing with the inspector

about the need for a sprinkler system."

"My neighbors claim that I've violated the neighborhood

zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding

the height limitations. We had to go to the

Development Appeal Board for a decision."

"Then the Department of Transportation demanded a

bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines

and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage

for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them that the sea

would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it."

"Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban

on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl."

"I tried to convince the environmentalists that I

needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!"

"When I started gathering the animals, an animal

rights group sued me. They insisted that I was confining

wild animals against their will. They argued the

accommodations were too restrictive, and it was cruel

and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space."

"Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until

they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood."

"I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the

Human Rights Commission on how many minorities

I'm supposed to hire for my building crew."

"Immigration and Naturalization are checking the

green-card status of most of the people who want to work."

"The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They

insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building

experience."

"To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets,

claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with

endangered species."

"So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least

10years for me to finish this Ark."

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine,

and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked

up in wonder and asked,

"You mean you're not going to destroy the world?"

"No," said the Lord."The GOVERNMENT beat me to it."

Somewhat Interesting Facts About Me

2008-12-03T21:33:00.000-08:00

Interesting facts about me:

*I became a follower of Jesus Christ on Easter 1998.
*I have been attending Pantego Bible Church since December 1997.
*I got engaged Aug. 19 @ 8:19 pm and married 2/5/00.
*I started learning sign language in 2003.
*I joined the Coast Guard 3 weeks after I turned 18.
*I served 8 years with USCG(R).

*I met all 5 conductors of the U.S. Military bands (and took a picture with them).
*I cheered in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

*I was a college cheerleader for 3 years.
*I knocked out 3 of my teeth cheering at a college basketball game.
*I held the Goldsmith Stadium record for fastest time in the women’s 300m hurdles during high school.

*I have high jumped higher than my height (I jumped 5’4” when I was 4’11”).
*I competed in a power lifting competition (won my weight class, pound-for-pound and each individual lift).
*I entered 6 bodybuilding shows – won 3.
*I completed a triathlon.
*I completed 2 marathons.
*I have gone skydiving (tandem).
*I have bungee jumped (with Andrea).
*I have bench pressed more than my body weight (benched 175 when I weighed 125).
*I did a double front flip after the age of 35.
*I am an expert with an M-16 and 9mm.
*I have run more than a 100 10Ks and 5ks since the 8th grade.
*I have run in 2 Mud Runs with a team of 5 people (2007 and 2008)
*I walked 60 miles from Kenosha, WI to Chicago to benefit Breast Cancer research.
*I was part of the Sea-Partners Initiative – instituted and funded by the D.O.D.
*I completed my undergraduate degree in 4 years – only switching majors once (from engineering)
*I completed my Master’s Degree in 1.5 years.
*I only received 1 ‘B’ in grad school.
*I had 3 children in less than 3 years.
*I have had 7 surgeries: knee (1991), augmentation (1996), vertebral injection (1999), 3 c-sections (2002, 2004, 2005) and hernia (2006).
*I have scoliosis (minor, but apparent in x-rays)
*I have taught at 3 different colleges.
*I played on a championship flag football team in grad school.
*I was in a sorority (Delta Zeta).

*I appeared on TV for the show American Gladiators in 1993. My shows have since been replayed on ESPN Classic.
*I have performed CPR (and he lived for 3 days following the heart attack).

Vicks Vapor Rub

2008-12-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it. Some of us have used Vicks Vapor rub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it are not sure why.

To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult), put Vicks Vapo rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime, then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works all of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly. I just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs. It was a surprise finding and was found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.

Try it yourself!

Cooper's Prayer

2008-12-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today is the day. Today Cooper prayed the salvation prayer with Mr. Chellette at Beach Club. Cooper and I have had many, many discussions about knowing Christ as your savior, admitting that you are a sinner and having Christ in your heart, but I felt like another adult needed to hear the sincerity in his heart. After he prayed with Mr. Chellette, he came to me to tell me. I do not know if he could ever realize what a big deal that it is to me. That I have been praying for this day since before he was born. To know that my son will live with me in eternity ...

WOW, I do not have enough words to describe it...

A Few Hours

2008-12-02T20:17:00.001-08:00

I never realized how important alone time was until I had children. When i was single, I had more alone time than I knew what to do with. I felt like I needed more interaction time. Not now. I must say I do like adult conversation, especially after a whole day with only interacting with the kiddos, but there is something to be said about alone time. It is said that extroverts gather up their energy when they are alone. Kind of like recharging your batteries. That must describe me, because I really enjoy having a few hours to myself every once in a while. Even if it just walking about a store aimlessly, coming home to clean while the kids are at school or having lunch at my kitchen table without anyone screaming, "I DON'T LIKE GREEN BEANS!" It is just nice to not hear anything and have minimal sensory stimulus.

Today I was granted this luxury. After I dropped the kids off, I came home briefly and then headed over to my mom's house. I hung around there for an hour or so and then came back home. I unloaded all the fun decorations that she so graciously gave me. After that I made fudge. I did not listen to any music, I did not talk on the phone, I just made fudge. How refreshing that was for me to just do one thing and not have to multi-task 12 other things! I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I finished the 5th batch of fudge! (mint chocolate, vanilla pecan, holiday vanilla, peanutty peanut butter and chocolate pecan peanut butter) I am no Martha Stewart, but I can make some serious fudge! I probably would have made even more, but I ran out of butter. (Of all things!)

Getting to Know You - Christmas Edition

2008-12-01T16:51:00.002-08:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like to wrap.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Since I've been married, real. Growing up it was always artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever I can talk John into it.
4. When do you take the tree down? The day before the trash guy comes to get it.
5. Do you like eggnog? NO
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Strawberry Shortcake - she blew strawberry kisses
7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? Natalie - she's a Hello Kitty freak. ANYTHING Hello Kitty!!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? LOTS. I leave a few up all the time and others just at Christmas.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, earlier the better! Also, I LOVE getting Christmas cards in the mail!
11. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story
12. Favorite Christmas book? The Bible
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Serious shopping? Early December.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? UMM, yes.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Spiral Sliced Honey-Baked Ham
16. Lights on the tree? Colored, but I prefer clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? stay home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yep
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel holding a start
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? With my mom-Christmas Eve. With my kids - Christmas Day. With my dad-day after Christmas
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The commercialism of Christmas
23. What theme or color are you using? Good ole red and white....
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Queso and hot chocolate on Christmas Eve. The ham or turkey on Christmas - John cooks, so it is ALWAYS good!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? For my children to really get what Christmas is all about...

A Night in the ER

2008-12-01T16:51:00.001-08:00

I have been having this sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach. Really, it feels like my rectus abdominus, just slightly about my belly button. It has been bothering me, on and off for the last 4 days, but it is not consistent and I could not figure out a trigger. Today, the pain went to a whole new level. It started hurting again around 2:45 and never let up. Around 6 it became almost unbearable. Nothing relieved the pain: not lying down, curling up in a ball, stretching my stomach, nothing. All I could do was cry(which I cannot stand to do!). John gave me the ultimatum of calling an ambulance or my mom so she could come over and watch the kids while he took me to the ER. I opted for him to call my mom and she was over licketey-split!

There was only one person in front of us in triage, so we were in a room pretty quick. We had some of the nicest people helping us. Everyone from the triage nurse to the 2 pod nurses to the tech that took my blood, they were all extremely nice and accommodating. One nurse even offered to get me a warmed up blanket. I'LL TAKE IT!! You do not have to ask me twice! You can even bring me two if you would like...and she did!

The very nice nurse, Cheryl, said she would give me something for the pain. It starts with the letter M. As in MORPHINE. She put it directly into my IV and said, "you are probably going to feel the effects pretty quick, since ...". Yes, ma'am! I was already feeling it before she finished her sentence. That was some serious quick-acting pain reliever. However, it does make you talk funny and say things out of order. John got a big kick out of listening to me try to tell him a story.

After a CT scan, blood sample, urine sample and physical examination they determines, by process of exclusion, that it was acid reflux. Well let me tell you, I would rather have another C-section than have that much pain again. The doctor gave me 4 prescriptions that I hope never have to take. We dropped them off at CVS, but they said that they would not be ready for an hour. Alrighty then! Glad I am not needing them immediately! We were home by 10:30, but it felt like it was 2AM.

We were just extremely thankful that it was not anything serious!

LUKE

2008-11-30T19:33:00.002-08:00

Some interesting things about Luke:

*His favorite book is Going on a Bear Hunt.

*His favorite color is OGIN (orange).

*His favorite TV show is Higgly Town Heroes.

*His 2 favorite friends are Max and Ryan (really his name is Brian but Luke calls him Ryan.)

*His favorite sport is baseball with soccer running a close second.

*He loves to run on his toes when he is trying to be 'real fast!'.

*He can strip down to naked in 30 seconds flat.

*He LOVES to wear a basketball outfit.

*He can make a mean scowl when he is not happy about something.

*He has a great smile when he doesn't try to hard.

*He loves to swim.

*He likes to wear pajamas at nap-time.

*He loves his Batman jacket.

*He can say the Lord's Prayer.

*He loves to sit in the back row of the SUV. (like a big kid!)

*He can count to 10 in Spanish.

*He is incredible at memorizing things.

*He likes to do anything the older 2 are doing.

*He loves fun food day!

*If it is round, he wants to throw it or kick it.

*If it makes noise, he wants to hold it and make it make even more noise.

*He can scream at 102 decibels.

*He can walk himself down to his class at school, put up his backpack and get to work without any of my help.

*He can fall asleep in 35 seconds, OR after an hour and half of random talking, singing and yawning.

*He loves SCOUT (Ms. Mary's dog).

An Afternoon at Cabela's

2008-11-30T19:33:00.001-08:00

Mary came over today after church to give John and I a few hours to go somewhere. That somewhere was CABELA'S. Can you imagine a more romantic place? Actually, we had a great time just being together without children. I have not been alone with him (without children in a 1000 foot radius) in at least 3 weeks. It was so nice to walk in the store, hold hands, chit-chat, finish a thought or two, and not have to say, "Stop it!", "I said NO!" or "If you hit your sister again you WILL sit in time-out!" We did not have to stop at the fish tank and talk about every fish, why it was so big, who caught it, who fed it, who was going to take it back to where it came from, or anything like that. We did not have to pull a wagon, pack snacks or bring sippy cups. Nope, we just walked in that store like 2 adults on a mission!

We went there to find a gun that would fit my hand and possibly look for a handgun for John. I expressed an interest in taking a Concealed Handgun class with Mary and John decided he wanted to take it also. Well, let me tell you, if there were 40 cars in the parking lot, then 38 of them were at the gun counter. Did I miss the memo? That is was officially Gun Grabbing Sunday? We finally got to speak to a very knowledgeable gentleman who gave us all the pertinent information we needed to make an educated choice amongst the abundant selection of firearms.

This was the only thing worth taking a picture of at Cabela's:

John said that they put that sign there for me. It does look inviting doesn't it?!?

Thanks for the afternoon with my hubby, Mary!

Our Thanksgiving Feast

2008-11-29T17:18:00.001-08:00

Today we everyone over for 'Thanksgiving' and to celebrate Daddy and Louise's birthday. John was up at 5am to put the 22 lb. turkey in the oven. He waited until 7am to wake me up to start the cleaning. It was not THAT bad, just a lot of relocating piles of paperwork. I LOVE having both the breakfast and dining room table clean, but it is so HARD to keep them clean. It is almost like if it is a horizontal surface and easily accessible, then it will collect paperwork, which will get turned into a pile, which will morph into more and more multiple piles. I have tried so many different systems, tactics and strategies to prevent the 'paperwork pileup'. Nothing seems to work. One of these days I'll figure it all out and have a spotless house like my mom's...

I digress. Back to the food feast. John made the turkey, 10 lbs. of smashed potatoes, roasted sweet potato tidbits, stuffing, homemade gravy and some rolls from Costco. My mom brought the green bean casserole (which always tastes significantly better than when I make it) and Louise brought some little muffins, a pecan pie and this frozen dessert that is barvsha dovsha (meaning very good in polish). AND to top it all off, we had a huge happy birthday cake from Costco. Yea, I'm still full.

The kids were acting a little nutty the whole time everyone was here. I do not really know why, except they just seem to have too much energy! (Have I said this before?) Anytime my dad comes to visit they identify him as their own personal jungle gym and acrobat. He swings them, piggy back carries them, rolls them, flips them, you name it! I do not know who loves it more: him or them? They just eat up all the physical attention that he gives them. I'm sure after he leaves our house he needs a nap AND a hot tub!

Really?

2008-11-29T17:17:00.001-08:00

This is so sad and ridiculous at the same time:

NEW YORK – Police were reviewing video from surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify who trampled to death a Wal-Mart worker after a crowd of post-Thanksgiving shoppers burst through the doors at a suburban store and knocked him down. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

At least four other people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries. The store in Valley Stream on Long Island closed for several hours before reopening.
Police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the Wal-Mart doors before its 5 a.m. opening at a mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the employee, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.
"This crowd was out of control," Fleming said. He described the scene as "utter chaos," and said the store didn't have enough security.
Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help Damour were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said. Shoppers stepped over the man on the ground and streamed into the store.
Damour, 34, of Queens, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined.
A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, where she and the baby were reported to be OK, said police Sgt. Anthony Repalone.
Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."
"When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling `I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store. It said it tried to prepare for the crowd by adding staffers and outside security workers, putting up barricades and consulting police.
"Despite all of our precautions, this unfortunate event occurred," senior Vice President Hank Mullany said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those impacted."
A woman reported being trampled by overeager customers at a Wal-Mart opening Friday in Farmingdale, about 15 miles east of Valley Stream, Suffolk County police said. She suffered minor injuries, but finished shopping before filling the report, police said.
Shoppers around the country line up early outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving in the annual bargain-hunting ritual known as Black Friday. It got that name because it has historically been the day when stores broke into profitability for the full year.
Items on sale at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.

NATALIE

2008-11-28T21:08:00.001-08:00

Natalie is my child that keeps me guessing. Today she may like something, yet tomorrow she may completely care less. Here are some interesting things about Natalie that apply today:

*Her favorite color is pink, or purple, depending on the day.
*She LOVES to color.
*She loves to make books out of multiple coloring sheets.
*She LOVES stickers.
*She will always ask for a band-aid if she sees a box of them out.

*She loves soccer.

*She loves holidays.

*She likes to build things, stack things and line things up.

*She can be the most easy-going child OR the most hard-headed, never-give-in kind of child.
*She is a GREAT sharer.
*She can throw a fit at the drop of a hat.
*She loves all things crafty.
*She is a good helper.
*She has no problem saying when she wants to leave somewhere, if she is not having fun or if she ABSOLUTELY does not want to do something.
*Her favorite friend is Abby.
*She likes to match.

*She loves school!
*She can say the Lord's prayer in front of people.
*Her favorite book is the Little Bible for Little Eyes.
*She thrives on individual attention.
*She loves girl-time!
*She lives on chicken nuggets.
*She can count to 26 in Spanish.
*She can count to 100 by 10s.
*She does NOT like sandwiches.
*She does not like scribble scrabble.
*She loves to cut with scissors.
*She loves to wear shirts that match me.
* The only constant with her is Hello Kitty. She has been in this Hello Kitty phase for OVER A YEAR NOW! Seriously! Can it get anymore ridiculous?
*She ADORES her cousin Natalie!

Cooper's Writings

2008-11-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

We received Cooper's report card along with a packet of 'writings' that he has been working on for the first 12 weeks. The page has a huge box on top (to draw a picture) and then 3 lines for the child to write a sentence about what is happening in the box. At the very bottom, there are 12 things that they are 'evaluated' on, whether they were able to include in their writing sample. Here are some of his sentences:

9/3/08 Me Ses B U yellow J = My sister got stung by a yellow jacket.

9/7/08 I w s u w f = I was star of the week first.

9/9/08 I gt a gl I soley = I got a goal in soccer.

9/15/08 I rd me bk wkd = I rode my bike this weekend.

9/17/08 Airplane = I rode on an airplane.

9/25/08 I W Pt M B C = I was painting Mrs. B's cross.

9/27/08 I Wht to: Me budr = I went to my brother's party.

9/30/08 NATALIE W M A M = Natalie was mad at me.

10/28/08 I am s t mn = I am a spiderman.

11/4/08 I wint Tick-or-tet in mi nabhd = I wnet trick or treting in my neighborhood.

11/5/08 I am goi to the book fer = I am going to the book fair.

11/6/08 Mi gammther is cumi on friday = My grandmother is coming on Friday.

***11/11/08***Not much translation needed here. (I think it is funny that he has a smile on his face and his opponent has a sad face!) Here it is:

Not bad for a kindergartener!

Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade 1989

2008-11-27T23:28:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago today I was 17 years old and spending a week in New York City. This was the first year that cheerleaders were invited to cheer in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They invited the top 300 cheerleaders in the nation. We stayed at the Marriott Marquis, where we practiced 8 -10 hours a day. The practices started as early as 6 am and some nights we were still practicing until 11 or 12 midnight. Two days before the parade, we had our dress rehearsal in Hoboken, New Jersey. They rented out a street for us to practice walking up, getting into position, listening for the music cue and practicing on concrete. It seemed very funny to me that they had to drive across state lines to rent a small side street. The night before the parade, we actually walked down to 5th avenue and did a dry run. I remember that Scott Bacula (msp?) from Quantum Leap was there. Whoo, we were all impressed with him!

As far as the parade itself, it was not really so much fun. We had to meet in the main ballroom to 'assemble' at 3AM!!! There was a lot of hurry up and wait time, but I think they were trying to get the logistics down of how to get 300 girls (and a few boys) to the beginning of the parade route. (We had to carry/pull the big, huge balloons through the whole route.) Also, my year was the first year in the history of the parade that it snowed. That meant we were walking 4 miles in little short skirts and white keds, freezing our tails off while we were holding on to the huge balloons that had the potential to take you up into the skyline. (They warned us that if the balloon started to go up to let go and do not feel like you needed to be the one to hang on to try to save it!) The reprieve was getting to go into Macy's (the namesake store) for an hour before our official performance time and warm up our bones. When it was time, we got in our places for the 2 minute performance. They messed up the music! It was chaos, everyone was trying to pick up where the music finally faded in, but the routine looked pathetic until the last 30 seconds. We nailed the ending! Unfortunately, this is where the TV cameras are filming for the networks. After we finished, we had to turn the corner and do the performance again for the crowd. This one was flawless, but there were no cameras to catch it. The saddest thing about the whole parade? When we were done, they pointed up in the general direction of our hotel and we had to walk back. In our frozen keds. Kind of like, "good job, see ya later kids!" Most of us slept the rest of the day, buried under the covers, still trying to warm up.

We did have nice outings scheduled while we were there. They took us to a Broadway show, but I cannot recall the name of the show that we saw. We had tickets to see the Rockettes performing the Christmas Spectacular, which was phenomenal. We visited the Statue of Liberty and took the tour, then headed over to Rockefeller Center to see the tree all lit up and skate on that famous ice rink. I think best of all was the Friday night dinner cruise through New York harbour that we had the after the parade was over. We had the most delicious meal and all the stress of the whole week was released.

Overall, it was a great experience that I wish I could relive it again and I am sure I would appreciate it so much more with what I know now.

Dave's Things You Don't Want to Hear at Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T01:58:00.000-08:00

"These styrofoam peanuts are just as good as stuffing"

"In the year since we were last together, I forgot how much I despised you people"

"Instead of watching football, I Tivo'd a week of Regis"

"Finish carving the turkey, then we'll see if we can reattach your thumb"

"There are two pecan pies -- one I licked and one I didn't"

"Why is Shecky naked?"

"Surprise! It's a raccoon!"

"Did I shoot this turkey myself? You betcha!"

"Who invited Letterman?"

"Are you wearing a wire?"

"After grandpa has a couple more glasses of wine, get him to sign the new will"

"White or green meat?"

"You want a wing or a hoof?"

Albino Peacock

2008-11-27T00:10:00.001-08:00

An Albino Peacock!

(He looks like a giant snowflake!)

Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade Mishaps

2008-11-26T23:46:00.001-08:00

The Macy’s Parade has been a Thanksgiving tradition since the 1920s. Through the years, however, there have been a number of mishaps with the giant helium balloons – some comical and some tragic. Here are ten such incidents.

1. Kathleen Caronna might want to think about buying a lucky horseshoe or something. First, in 1997, she was the victim of the infamous Cat in the Hat incident. When the Cat balloon got swept astray of the parade route by high winds, it ran into a lamp post and knocked it down – right in to Ms. Caronna, who was in a coma for a month afterward. She sued the city, Macy’s, and the lamp post manufacturer for $395 million and settled for an undisclosed amount. But that’s not all. In 2006, a plane carrying Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor crashed into the Belaire Apartments building. Caronna’s apartment was one of the ones hit, although she wasn’t home at the time. Still: weird.

2. In 1986, there were two incidents: a 61-year-old bagpiper had a fatal heart attack while marching in the parade, and a spectator fell out the fourth story window he was watching from and landed on someone below.

3. In 1942, the parade was cancelled and the balloons were reduced to rubber for the war efforts. The Red Cross War Fund of Greater New York received a check for $12 for the 650 pounds of rubber.

4. In 1957, a downpour caused the hat on the Popeye balloon to fill up with rain. The added weight made the balloon veer off course, and eventually the cap could hold no more water and dumped gallons and gallons on surprised spectators. I think it’s rather fitting for a man of the sea, myself.

5. In 1963, the parade was nearly cancelled because of JFK’s extremely recent death. It ended up carrying on, but all of the flags in the parade were adorned with seven-foot black streamers. Lyndon B. Johnson actually encouraged the company to go ahead with the show in an effort to try to help Americans through their grief.

6. In 1993, the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon hit a lamppost (dang lampposts) and basically exploded. Part of the lamppost fixture fell and broke the shoulder of an off-duty policeman standing below.

7. In 2006, two sisters were attacked by M&Ms. The ropes of the 515-pound balloon promoting the tasty chocolate morsels got caught up on – yes – a lamppost. Neither of the girls were hurt too badly – just some minor scrapes and bruises. In exchange for their ordeal, they received V.I.P. seats in the grandstand and a lifetime supply of M&Ms (that’s 384 packets every year, in case you’re curious).

8. In 1936, the Father Diedrich Knickerbocker balloon deflated when his nose sprung a leak.

9. In 1956, the parade was a total bust. Every single balloon (there were only three that year due to a helium shortage) got flattened by high winds.

10. Finally, 1995 was not the best year the parade ever had. A woman who was seven months pregnant was injured when a float knocked a traffic light into her. (Luckily, her injuries were minor.) Another lady fell through a subway grate. And a group of anti-fur protesters stripped down to nothing but Santa hats and tried to join the parade. They were arrested for public lewdness and indecent exposure.

Reason, Season or a Lifetime

2008-11-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

Playing the Wii

2008-11-26T07:26:00.001-08:00

It is pretty bad when your parents are more in-the-know about technology stuff than you are. Yes, that's right, my mom has a Wii. Yes, my kids have to go to Gram and Grandad's house to play a video game. I did not even know what a Wii was until a year ago. Not that I need anything else to manipulate my time. My mom put on the bowling game tonight for me and kids to play. Though I doubt the accuracy of the bowling motion, it does make a difference in your score if you position the line just right and how level you hold the remote when you release the 'B' button. The fact that I got a strike only after I did all these things correct could make one think that it is somewhat accurate. The kids bowled pretty decently, though they did make some handsome gutter ball a few times. Overall, that is a fun game!

After the bowling, Luke really wanted to play t-ball with the Wii. Umm, newsflash: there is NO t-ball with the Wii. At least not on my mom's Wii. Luke settled for playing baseball and could not figure out if he liked the batting part or the pitching part best. Halfway into the game, Natalie decided she wanted to play too, so Gram gave her the remote that she had been using. I got to sit back and watch Luke pitch an imaginary ball to Natalie so she could hit it with an imaginary bat. Oh, it was cute as anything. The picture does not do it justice...

In One Word

2008-11-26T07:24:00.001-08:00

1. Where is your cell phone?

Kitchen

2. Your significant other?

John

3. Married?

Yes

4. Your mother?

Tamara

5. Your father?

Jim

6. Your favorite thing?

Acceptance

7. Your dream last night?

Frustrating

8. Your favorite drink?

Water

9. Your dream/goal?

Happiness

10. The room you're in?

Office

11. Your fear?

Suffering

12. In 20 years?

Grandkids?

13. Where were you last night?

Here

14. What you're not?

Asleep

15. Muffins?

Healthy

16. One of your wish list items?

Mission

17. Where you grew up?

Keller

18. The last thing you did?

Exercise

19. What are you wearing?

Shoes

20. Your TV?

Off

21. Your pet?

Qyn

22. Your computer?

Quiet

23. Your life?

Busy

24. Missing someone?

Little

25. Your car?

Tall

26. Something you're not wearing?

Shoes

27. Your favorite color?

Purple

28. When is the last time you laughed?

Today

29. Last time you cried?

Week

30. a. Mood?

Satisfied

b. Four places I go over and over: School, Church, Preschool, Costco

Keeping a Promise

2008-11-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

Luke found a box that ha been sitting in the garage for the last year or so. Cooper received it as a gift and we had never opened it. Luke pulled it out of a corner and thought it would be super if I put it together. There was no putting it together, it was an inflatable soccer/hockey goal, a soccer ball, inflatable hockey stick and puck. I promised him that I would do it during nap. WHAT?!? What was I thinking? My favorite thing to do during nap is...nap. Not air up a hockey/soccer goal and soccer ball.

Well, a promise is a promise, right? I need to build the trust now and follow through with my promises, even with the 3 year old. After helping Luke fall asleep, I went in to help Natalie fall asleep and ended up napping with her for an hour and half. I woke up in a panic about the whole soccer goal thing. CRAP! I darted out to the garage to assess what exactly I needed to do and how long it would take me. Oh. My. Goodness. After pulling this monstrosity out of the box I could not believe what I had gotten myself into! I had naively thought that I could blow it up by mouth. HA. HA. HA! Not unless I had a week to do it! Then I thought, "OOH! The air compressor!" That would be fast and painless. Nope, no such luck. I did not have an adapter to fit into the openings for the air to go in. AHH! I am running out of time AND ideas! I then thought about the pump for the bikes. Not the best idea, but it sure beat the only other manual idea I had. After looking around for 5 minutes, I finally found the one pump that the kids have not destroyed with their pretend play. I quickly realized I did not have the adapter that the box promised it had included, so I had the pleasure of holding the pump valve as close to the air opening and pumping the other hand while holding the pump itself with my feet. Sound complicated? YES! It was very complicated! Plus, either my hand got tired of holding the two together or my tricep from pumping the handle up and down. I just kept telling myself, "A promise is a promise! A promise is a promise!" After 35 minutes of nonstop pumping, I finally had the whole goal aired up. (There were 4 LARGE parts that had to be inflated.) THEN, I had to air up the soccer ball! Good-ness! The ball itself took 10 minutes because it was so big! I am quite glad that there were no pictures of me completing this task, because I am SURE that it was not pretty. I was thoroughly exhausted, but I knew Luke would be so excited when he woke up.

As I walked in from the garage, the kiddos were waking up from their naps. Luke looked at me and said, "Did you air it up?" I was so relieved to say YES! He bolts outside to find it and emits a high-pitched squeal that every dog in a 1 mile radius could probably hear. Natalie looks at it and casually turns around, puts her hand on her hip and asks, "Did you air up the hockey stick too?" I pretty much wanted to put her in time-out for such a snide little question!

They had an incredibly fun time playing with the goal and ball, taking turns being the goalie. I do not know why it is so fun to be the goalie, because that person is the one getting smacked in the face every other kick. They played until it got dark and then we headed off to the gym for my workout...

WOW!

2008-11-24T08:33:00.001-08:00

This is a picture taken in west Texas on an oil rig and during a storm. The photographer was trying to catch a picture of the lightning. He was unaware of the tornado's presence until the lightening illuminated it. (TAKEN 3 APRIL 2008)

Slumber Party at Ms. Mary's

2008-11-23T16:29:00.003-08:00

After I ran, Mary had invited us over for dinner and let the kids watch a movie. Since their nap lasted until 4:45, I figured they were not going to be so keen on going to bed at 7:30. Right as we were loading up, Mary called and suggested a slumber party. SURE! Why not? The kids thought that was a most excellent idea and jumped out of the car, ran in to put on their pajamas and pack their little bags. I packed my pajamas because I feel a little weird about driving in pajamas, there is something wrong with that.

We had a nutritious dinner that included mac and cheese (with queso in it, yum, yum!), yogurt and an apple. The kiddos had eaten 5 nuggets each at home before we left, so I think they were pretty full! After taking some fun pictures, Mary pitched them a fort, unrolled 2 sleeping bags and made them the cutest little sleeping area at the foot of the bed that I was going to sleep in. After Luke started crying I put both of them in the bed that I was now going to share, and thought they could go to sleep within minutes. No such luck. Natalie started to cry (???) and Luke did not want to be in the bed with her anymore. (Cannot blame him!) I found a twin size bed for him to sleep in and he was asleep before I left the room. Natalie procrastinated shutting her eyes for another half hour before she gave in to sleepy-time.

I had fun getting to actually talk about numerous random things that we might not get to talk about otherwise. (My kids never let me have a complete conversation on the phone or in person if they are within 50 feet of me!) It is so nice to be able to sit and chit-chat with your girlfriend!

Six Words

2008-11-23T16:29:00.001-08:00

When people say that God told them this or God said that I always wondered what exactly they heard. Did they hear an audible voice? What did the voice sound like? Did the voice have an accent? You know, all sorts of curious questions about how God sounds if someone is going to be so bold as to say that God talked to them.

In 2000, I felt God talk to me. This is the only time I have ever felt God talk to me. Notice that I did not say I heard God. No, I felt it. I felt it as real as any voice I have every heard. Here is what happened:

I had been struggling with an issue that was very close to my heart. Praying about it daily and finding no solution. I was addressing it as best as I could, but I was not coming up with any answers to my MANY questions. I was driving down I-20, heading west and approaching the Spur 408 merge/split off. (Driving and running are my favorite praying times.) It was there, as I was driving 60 mph, that I felt God say,

"It's not wrong, it's just different."

This is as clear right now, this very moment, as it was over 8 years ago. It was right then that I was done worrying about the issue that had been laying on my heart so heavily for so long. I still find comfort in those 6 words when I find myself revisiting the same issue...

Does This Count?

2008-11-22T22:22:00.001-08:00

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Luke's Day with Ms. Mary

2008-11-22T22:21:00.002-08:00

Luke had the privilege of spending the day with Mary. When I told him this morning, I thought he was going to jump out of his socks! He was so excited! He immediately started asking a plethora of questions: Can I take my shoes off at Ms. Mary's house? Can I watch TV at Ms. Mary's house? Can I pet Scout at Ms. Mary's house? I think Natalie was a bit jealous, because she would like to spend the day with Ms. Mary too.

They must have had so much fun, because Luke was nonstop chattering about all that they did from when I picked him up until the moment before he dozed off for night-night. I could not tell if he was more excited about eating eggs at brunch or getting to see Santa to tell him all about the rubber bow and arrow that he wants for Christmas. He just effuses excitement when he is trying to articulate the words to convey his experiences.

Want to know the best part? Mary took pictures of Luke in all his cuteness. No, she did not JUST take pictures, she had them developed into prints and GAVE them to me when I came to pick him up! How about that? Then, when I got on the computer after I put the kiddos to bed, she had e-mailed me the images. How awesome is that?!? What a great friend I have! Thanks MARY!

A Funeral

2008-11-22T22:21:00.001-08:00

My 98 (and a half) year old grandmother died on Thursday, early morning. She had been put in a nursing home just a few weeks ago and then placed on hospice on Wednesday. It was expected and not expected all at the same time.

She was a phenomenal woman who birthed 3 boys. She became a widow before I knew her and lived a content life. She played 3-4 rounds of golf into her late 80's. She quit playing only when she moved away from the golf course community that she had called home for over 20 years. When she moved into the metroplex, she was worried that she would gain weight, so she bought herself a treadmill and walked 3-4 miles a day to stay in shape. She really took care of herself. She was one of those people who never seemed to age. Really, she looked the same as the day I met her as she did just last year.

She was a good person and I think all that knew her would say the same...

(She had 3 sons, 6 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren that affectionately referred to her as grama.)

Dave and Busters

2008-11-21T22:07:00.001-08:00

Our junior league co-hosted a soft-opening of Dave and Buster's in our town. Dave and Buster's (as my good friend Laura describes it as) is an adult Chuck E. Cheese. No kidding! They have come out with some really cool interactive games! Some you put a helmet on, some you are dancing on and so much more than I ever had as a kid! With our $25 admission, we were given a $20 playing card. They are pretty tricky about how they make you pay for games. You start out with 100 points. Games can range in price from 6.2 points/game to 25.6 points/game. Really? Do you really need to have tenths of a point? I think that is a rip-off and scam to get you to either buy more points OR not get to use all of your points. Whatever.

Mary, Jamie and I found the game that would yield the highest number of coupons/point played. It was basically a spin game and you hit the button to get it to stop on 20/40/60/80 or 500 tickets. This was the only game we played. We pretty much monopolized the game for 30 minutes while we yelled, screamed and cheered each other on. We each broke the game once and almost depleted the machine's supply of tickets. I think collectively we banked over 2500 tickets. Pretty impressive for first-timers!

Aunt Missy Comes to Visit

2008-11-21T22:06:00.001-08:00

My sister, Missy, flew in today from Tennessee. Not under the best of circumstances, but it is nice for us to see her when we can. She got here early enough to go with me to pick Cooper up from school. He did not remember her, but that is to be expected. The last time he saw her, he was only 3 years old. Once they started playing catch, it was like they were best buds of all time. When she left, Cooper was saying, "Bye! I love you!!" And let me tell you, when he says it, or screams it, it is like his whole body is emitting the message.

Aunt Missy came back after Natalie's soccer practice to play with Luke and Natalie and let me go out for the evening. I think the kiddos were a little wound up with a new guest in the house. It seemed like I had loaded them up on sugar, but no, it was honest-to-goodness crazy kid energy. I headed out quickly so as not to ruin the moment(s) for them...

Health Warning!

2008-11-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

Time for a Feast! (or two)

2008-11-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

Cooper's grade level usually eats lunch at 10:30, but since today was going to be chaotic with lots of parents coming up to eat with their children and slowing the lunch line down, they started 15 minutes earlier. So I am eating turkey at 10:15 in the morning. That felt a little odd. That meant that the trypotophan lethargy could hit me before 11, not so good for the kind of day it was going to be. I sat with Cooper and ate my miniscule slice of white meat, potatoes and stuffing, while Cooper helped himself to my cookie and roll. Nice. Cooper's lunch consisted of 2 cookies, 2 rolls, 2 chocolate milks and 1 bite of everything else on his tray. I'm sure I will get the Mom of the Year award for letting him get away with that.

After his class was dismissed, I donned my blonde hair net, washed my hands like a surgeon, and set to serving. For the first shift I handed out utensils. Yes, I know it may sound a bit unnecessary, but you just would not believe how many kids (and adults) almost bypassed me without taking any. (!) One the second shift, I had the honor of passing out orange sprinkled cookies that were different shapes. At first I assumed (I know, I should never assume anything) that every child would want a cookie. Nope, that is not the case. I bet 15 kids turned the cookie down. After one lovely child took the cookie off his tray and gave it back to me, I realized that I needed to ask them if they wanted a cookie before placing it precariously on their already overfilled little tray. These kids were so polite. Most of them said yes, please and thank you. Some even threw in a ma'am for good measure. That really got me because I love it when kids say ma'am. I grew up saying it and will still say it to my mom and older people. OK, back to the cookies: some kids did not want a cookie. One little girl said that she is allergic to sugar. Hmm, how about that!

After I served my 300+ cookies, I removed my hairnet, peeled off the gloves and set out for Natalie and Luke's preschool. I went there to work 'cleanup'. It was impressive how 12 volunteers cleaned and broke down over 10 tables, folded and stacked the 90+ chairs and got everything looking like there was never a feast for 100 kids in that space. It is amazing what people can accomplish when they work together for a common goal. Way to go volunteers!

Sweet Story

2008-11-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

She is pregnant. He had just saved her from a fire in her house, rescuing her by carrying her out of the house into her front yard, then he continued to fight the fire. When he finally got done putting the fire out, he sat down to catch his breath and rest.

A photographer from the Charlotte , North Carolina newspaper noticed her in the distance looking at the fireman. He saw her walking straight toward the firefighter and wondered what she was going to do. As he raised his camera, she came up to the tired man who had just saved her life and the lives of her babies and kissed him just as the photographer snapped this photograph.

Bring on the Hairnets!

2008-11-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

I happen to be coordinating 2 Thanksgiving Feasts at 2 different schools, that happen to be occurring on the SAME day and at the same time. That took some creative planning on my part once I realized the lack of a calendar check that I should have done before I committed myself. However, I think I have it figured out. I will drop Cooper off at his school, go home, grab the corn and head up to the preschool. Do what I need to do there and dash back to Cooper's school so I can eat with him (at 10:20), then serve food to the parents and kids until 12 noon. Then, head back to the preschool and help with the cleanup that starts around 12:15. Now mind you, I recruited over 20 people to help with each feast so the burden should not rely on my presence. I kind of put myself on each list as a bonus person. Delegate, delegate, delegate.

At Cooper's school, we had to have a little 'training' this afternoon. As I was walking in with Luke sleeping on my shoulder, one of the volunteers asked if we were going to get to wear hair nets. Hair nets? I had not really thought of that, but sounds like it could be a possibility. After our 5 minute training, the food service manager made mention of hairnets. I thought this cute little mom was going to jump out of her skin with excitement. That totally made her day! "Hairnets, we get to wear HAIRNETS! WHOO-HOO! I love hairnets!"

Seriously, I thought she was joking, but no, she was ecstatic about the hairnet-wearing opportunity. Personally, I think she missed her calling...

Also, you better believe I will have my camera and there will be pictures taken of the volunteers in their most-fancy hairnets!

Patience and Wisdom

2008-11-19T19:08:00.001-08:00

Now that is one SMART dog!

Another New Park

2008-11-18T17:44:00.000-08:00

I have seen this particular park driving to and from Cooper's school from time to time, but I never made a special effort to take the kids there. Today, I worked out earlier in the day so after Beach Club I could take the kids to a park. (Since it gets dark so ridiculously early now!)

We went to this 'best kept' secret park that is hiding in plain sight. The kids had such a good time there! It's funny how exciting new playground equipment can be, when really it is the same stuff, just in different configurations and colors.

Cooper wanted to demonstrate his 'fly-off with a half twist' skill that he has been perfecting on the swings at school. Natalie wanted to show me her front flip on every horizontal bar that she could climb up to. Then there was the 'cylinder walk' that both had to try along with the 'shaky bridge walk' and the 'fireman pole slide'. Lots of fun to be had at a 'new' park! Cooper wanted to go on an adventure walk while Natalie was content to stay at the park and keep playing. I bribed her with the promise that I would let her take a picture with my camera. That worked. She was skipping by the time we got to the first tree. After I let each child take 3 pictures each, we were back at the park. I was OK for another 5 minutes before it was so cold that I felt like my nose was going to fall off. Cooper kept encouraging me to put on my hood, as if that would keep my nose from being cold. I finally made the 'who wants to go eat?' announcement and they were running to the car in no time flat!

Rock Thief

2008-11-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

"Can you get this out of my pocket?"

These were Cooper's opening words when he arrived home from school.

"What? You want me to get something out of your pocket? How did it get in there in the first place?" -- I wanted to ask.

Instead, I did what any curious mother might do and fished out the monster rock that was wedged in his back pocket. His back pocket. His last recess is at 1:20, so for 2.5 hours he sat in class on a huge rock that was almost bigger than his Levi pocket. Let me tell you what this is an indicator of: my son is a rock thief. He loves rocks. Loves them. Every rock is the most special rock in the world and he must save it and bring it home. Sometimes he leaves them in his jean pockets, other times he will put them in his treasure box. I wash so many rocks and stones in my washer, that you would think I would remember to check his pockets. Nope, I am doing good to just get the clothes washed and folded before the next 8 loads pile up. Regardless, rocks and stones are staples at our house. We should, by now, have our own rock garden, but I dispose of rocks any way I can. The bushes, the grass, the trash: pretty much any place I can quickly and stealthily eliminate a rock while Cooper is not looking or when he has temporarily forgotten about it. Let's hope this obsession does not morph into boulders, quartz, gems, minerals, etc.