The Karate Mom

Traditions - December 23rd - Yeah...I'm behind

2011-12-23T12:19:00.000-06:00

So, as we can all tell, apparently I simply cannot blog every day. I'm just glad I don't get paid for this because, well, I'd be fired by now.
I'm not going to try and make up the last eleven days of traditions, so you don't have to flee the room in terror that I'm going to bore you to death. As I thought about it, many of my traditions are things that everyone does - baking, decorating, etc. - and I found it frustrating, trying to think of ways that I do these things differently than everyone else does.
I did think of one that's unique, though. Many years ago, my aunt bought a beautiful, cream-colored, damask tree skirt for us for Christmas. The year Reilly was born, I decided that, each year, I was going to embroider her hand prints on the tree skirt in gold thread. For the first three years, I did both hands, with the year underneath them. Then, when Declan was born, I switched to one hand for each of them, with their initial in the middle. (It was much easier!) It's really neat to see how much bigger their hand prints have gotten!
Another tradition that goes along with this one is that I always trace their hands on it at the END of the season, and then lay it aside to embroider, resolving that I'll do it BEFORE next year. Then, three months later, I put the skirt in storage and don't get it back out until we get out the decorations the next year!

Nothing to Do with Traditions!

2011-12-13T06:58:00.000-06:00

This has absolutely NOTHING to do with Christmas traditions, but I wanted to share it anyway. Because it made me laugh. A lot!

Declan, who is eight, has a great sense of humor but can often really over-do a joke. I think that's a common quality in all eight-year-olds, especially boys. So, we were at dinner and he had done something funny by accident, then, when it got a laugh, proceeded to do it two more times. Then, this conversation happened:
Me: "My mom used to call that 'running it in the ground'."
Declan: "Guess what? My mom STILL calls that 'running it in the ground'!"
Oh, I foresee many hilarious conversations with him as he grows! He has The Reilly Gene big time - my Grandpa Charlie was a very funny man, so we call that silliness The Reilly Gene. (And, yes, my Reilly is named for the Reilly side of the family!) It's so much fun to watch his comedic timing mature.

Also, bonus story: I fed Supey a marshmallow and laughed a LOT when it got stuck on his raspy tongue thingys! I took a video on my phone and I'll try to figure out how to upload it. (I know you're waiting with bated breadth!)

Traditions - December 12th - Music: Also Known as "Please Don't Make Me Listen to That Song!"

2011-12-12T17:22:00.001-06:00

You know, I was thinking. Maybe I should go back and amend my original post about traditions to say that I'll post as many of our family traditions as I can manage in a month when things reach a light-speed amount of activity? Because I'm thinking I was a little ambitious when I said that I was going to post a new tradition every day. Plus, even with the large amount of traditions for our family, I'm not sure that we actually have twenty-five separate ones. And I'm kind of worried that, by the end of the month, I'll be turning, "Brushing my teeth on Christmas Eve" into a tradition.
SO.
I'm not going to backtrack and try to make up the lost days. I'm just going to start with today.
And my tradition for today IS...changing the radio station.
"Wait, how does this relate to Christmas?" you ask.
Here's the deal. I adore Christmas music. As much as I hate it that Wal Mart starts playing Christmas music the day after Halloween, I just LOVE playing Christmas CD's and listening to the radio stations that play non-stop Christmas music starting the day after Thanksgiving. I love the classic carols - Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Angels We Have Heard on High, and ones like that. Some of my favorites are the ones that Bing Crosby and his ilk sing - Walking in a Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells. That classic sound! I sometimes like it when current artists re-make some of the classics. (I say "sometimes". There are plenty of artists who have murdered some of the classics!) A couple of weeks ago, we bought the Michael Buble' Christmas album and it's GREAT! So is Third Day: Christmas Offerings.
There is one song, though, that I really hate.
*gets ready to duck thrown candy canes*
It's "The Christmas Shoes". I think that I may have even blogged about it in the past, so much is my loathing for this song. Call me heartless, call me a Song Scrooge, I don't care. When I'm rocking along with Mariah Carey as she belts out "Alllll I want for Christmaaasss is yoooouuuuuu!", nothing can bring down the mood in the car like a song about a little boy, buying shoes for his dying mom in case she meets Jesus tonight. I'm sorry! When that song comes on, I change the station. The very small cynical part of me even imagines that this boy and his dad are in some kind of thief operation where they scam Jell-O hearted people into buying this darling little kid shoes for his mom, and then they turn around and sell them on eBay. Like a modern-day Artful Dodger and Fagan.
I'm just not sure why this is becoming a trend. I heard another song along that same sad line the other day. And the station actually played the SECOND sad song RIGHT AFTER the song about the shoes. I almost passed out.
Now, all joking aside, I do realize that there are people who are grieving during this season of joy. I realize that there are children out there, not just in third world countries but right here in the U.S., who are not having a jolly Christmas season because of their home life. And so, right before I reach for that radio knob, I try to remember to thank my Heavenly Father for the immense blessings in my life and pray for His divine comfort for those people who need to feel His presence.
Edited to add: I wanted to give you all a link to Samaritan's Purse, which is the organization that heads up the Operation Christmas Child. You can find it RIGHT HERE! I also realized, as I was browsing, that you can actually build a box online and they'll put in the things that you choose and ship it out. I may have to do this with The Kids!!

Traditions - December 6th - Operation Christmas Child

2011-12-06T19:35:00.001-06:00

Every year, we fill a shoe box for Operation Christmas Child through an organization called Samaritan's Purse. The gist of it is that you pick the age range - 3-5, 6-8, 9-13, I think is how they break it up - and gender of the child you're buying for, and then fill a shoe box with all sorts of little things. The Kids always pick for a child that falls into their same age range and we tend to pack our stuff in a shoe box-sized plastic box with a lid. (I guess I've always figured that they can re-use the box for something. Plus, I never think to keep my shoe boxes!) We always try to put some personal hygiene items in the box, like a bar of soap and washcloth, toothpaste and toothbrush, combs, hair ties for the girl. We also put in something like a note pad and pencils, crayons, stickers, little toys, things like that. It's a lot of fun to do, and we're able to get most of the things at the dollar store. (I'd like to shop elsewhere for it, someplace like Walgreen's or Target, because sometimes it feels chintzy, but it's a budget issue at this time. I keep telling myself that, once we're out of debt, we'll have the freedom to give more. As Dave Ramsey says, "Live like no one else so later you can give like no one else!")
Reilly and Declan always seem to have such fun picking out what they pack in their box. You pay a small fee to cover shipping cost, and last year, we paid it online so we could find out where the boxes went - Mexico. I'm a little bummed this year, because we didn't actually get to DO this tradition, and it's the first time since Reilly was about four or five that we've missed it. Our niece got married the weekend they were due and, of course, I hadn't done it EARLY (Heaven forbid!), but I'm sure we'll get back in the swing next year.

Traditions - December 5th - Christmas Dishes

2011-12-05T10:05:00.001-06:00

This tradition is going to be shorter, seeing as how I just wrote a REALLY long post all about our Christmas movies, and I don't want to bore you to tears during this time of Yuletide joy!
The actual tradition du jour for the 5th of December is my Christmas dishes. Several years ago, my mom bought for us a set of Christmas dishes - white with holly leaves and berries around the edge. The set came with dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, tea cups and saucers. It's just beautiful!Then, last year, she bought another set for me. It's not exactly the same, which I love. The one Martha Stewart-esque thing about me is a love of setting an eclectic table with mismatched dishes. (Probably because, most of the time, we're missing a dish or two because I've broken them. Necessity is the mother of eccentricity!) The newer dishes are rimmed in green and have a Christmas tree in the middle.
The very best thing about these dishes are that they are really for every day use. And that's where the tradition comes in. I pack away most of our regular dishes and mugs, and we use our Christmas dishes for the entire Christmas season. (They're dishwasher safe, which makes it that much easier! I'm not sure this tradition would have stood the test of time if I had to hand-wash everything!)

Traditions - December 4th - Let's Go to the Movies!

2011-12-05T09:44:00.002-06:00

Hee hee, I just KNEW I was going to skip a day by accident! I thought about writing several times yesterday, but we were pretty busy and I just flat forgot! Oh well, I'm sure that it won't be the last time this season.

December 4th - So, yesterday I was going to talk about movies - Christmas movies, to be exact! (Duh, Lisa, what other kind of movies would you be talking about in a post about CHRISTMAS traditions?) I remember, waaay back when I was a kid, we had to wait and hope and pray that we would just happen to see a preview for "Charlie Brown's Christmas" or "Frosty the Snowman" or that stop-action version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer so that we could try to remember to watch it when it came on TV. Sometimes we'd remember and get to watch the whole thing. Sometimes we'd miss the first part of the movie, which is why I was an adult before I realized that the reason that elf knew how to take the teeth out of the Abomidable Snowman was because he really wanted to be an elf dentist and not an elf toy maker. Because of that, and because they began to make such great Christmas movies, I decided that I wanted to start a collection.
I think that the first Christmas movie I bought was "The Polar Express", because that was the first movie Reilly ever saw in a theater. It was followed quickly by "Scrooge", which is, in my humble opinion, the very best version of "A Christmas Carol" ever made and none other will ever compare. Not even "The Muppet's Christmas Carol", although it comes in a close second. I mean, it's just not the same without the rousing rendition of "December the 25th"! Over the years, I've purchased all three of the "Santa Clause" movies, "The Miracle on 34th Street" - the new one with the cute girl from "Mrs. Doubtfire", Jim Carey's "The Grinch", as well as many others. I try to buy a new one each year, so our collection keeps on growing. This year, I actually bought two: "Mickey's Christmas Carol" and "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas". Next year, I already know I'm going to buy "Arthur Christmas" because we went and saw it on Saturday and I LOVED it!

Traditions - December 3rd - The Big Countdown

2011-12-03T08:24:00.001-06:00

The tradition of the day is...*drumroll*...ADVENT CALENDARS! Years ago, my mom bought us a cloth Advent calendar, shaped like Santa, with little pockets for each day of December. Over the years, a variety of candy found its way into the pockets - Lifesavers, York Peppermint Patties, those little gold-wrapped chocolate coins. This year its Andes mints and little, tiny Reese's Christmas trees.
Side note: I was REALLY glad that there weren't too many peanut butter trees and Andes mints left over after I filled the calendar this year. I love Reese's candy with a passion that's almost obsessive, and Andes mints are a close second. It has taken every ounce of my self control not to empty the Advent calendar, scarf the candy, and blame it on the dog.
In addition to that calendar, we have a snowman with a candy cane that is moved from day to day, a Playmobil "Santa's Post Office" calendar with a new piece to add to the scene each day, and a Christmas ornament that we flip over each day to count down. PLUS, my mom got each of the kids one of the calendars that has a little chocolate behind each day. As it stands, there's NO WAY that this family won't know how many days are left until Christmas!

Traditions: December 1st and 2nd - Pastries and Lights and Soup! Oh, My!

2011-12-02T08:02:00.001-06:00

I love traditions. I mean, almost obsessively love traditions. So much so that it feels like the world tilts on its axis a bit if we can't DO one of them. Back in November, Troy mentioned watching a new Christmas movie that we had gotten and I said, "NO! It's a tradition that we don't watch a Christmas movie until Thanksgiving night, after the 'lights on' at the Square!" (More on that later...) He looked a little confused and remarked that he didn't really recall that that was a tradition. I realized that, so far, we had done that ONCE because we didn't have anyone join us for "lights on". (Apparently, doing something that I enjoy ONCE turns it into a tradition to me!)

So, I am challenging myself this December to share one of our family holiday traditions with you (all four of you!) each day. Some might be long standing traditions, some might be a little more recently added, (like the movie thing!) but they will all be things that I look forward to doing to usher in the Christmas season.

Since it's December 2nd and I only had this brilliant idea about five minutes ago, I'll share TWO with you today. (Hey, bonus! Two for the price of one! Yippee!)

Tradition Number 1: Thanksgiving Butter Braid - In this part of the U.S., many organizations sell Butter Braids as a fundraiser. Reilly's American Heritage Girl troop sold them a couple of years ago, and I was hooked. Butter Braids are frozen filled pastries that you put in the (cold) oven overnight to rise overnight, and then bake in the morning. I get one for Thanksgiving morning and one for Christmas morning!

Tradition Number 2: Lights On at the Square, plus Corn Soup: On Thanksgiving night, there is a high-society outdoor shopping center (I'll call it The Square) that lights all of their trees at once, officially starting the Christmas shopping season. We go at 6:30 when they start singing carols and then, at 7:00, Santa arrives and flips the switch to illuminate the night. Then we come home and eat corn soup and bread sticks! Sometimes we have friends join us for this end-of-Thanksgiving tradition, sometimes it's just us. This year, since I was sick, was the first year since 1998 that we couldn't go to The Square. :(

So, Did You All Have a Good Thanksgiving?

2011-11-30T06:39:00.000-06:00

We did! Well, I mean, despite the fact that I managed to wake up with a stomach bug on Thanksgiving morning which caused me to feel nauseous every time I got up to walk around and didn't allow me to eat anything but half of a roll and a bread stick all day long, we had a great Thanksgiving. Hey, I will say that having a stomach bug is a GREAT way to ensure that you don't over eat on a holiday! Let's just all pray that there is no repeat of this on Christmas because I can't imagine trying to make merry and open presents and everything while feeling like I want to ralph every time I stand up. Plus, I really missed having turkey and trimmings. Leftovers are great, but just not the same!
Our house is officially turned into Christmas land now! Declan was DYING to get the decorations up, so we pulled them all out on Sunday afternoon. I think that this year was the first year that Reilly and Deco helped decorate throughout the entire process. Usually they fade off about halfway through, but they stuck it out the whole time. Reilly wanted to be in charge of putting out the Christmas bears, and she took that job very seriously, carefully choosing which ones were going to make the cut this year. (We have too many, some have to stay in storage!) Declan was in charge of setting up the Playmobil Nativity. I looked at it yesterday and realized that he set it so that all of the people AND all of the animals in the scene are bowing to the Baby Jesus. He has the right idea, yeah?
One of our favorite things to do leading up to Christmas is the Advent calendar. We have one with pockets that I fill with candy of some sort - this year it's Andes mints and KitKat bars! I may have to knock one of The Kids out of the way to take a turn this year. I also bought a Playmobil Santa's Post Office Advent calendar, and my mom got each of The Kids one of those ones that has a piece of chocolate behind each door. Add to that the snowman with the candy cane that you move from day to day, PLUS the Hallmark ornament that I bought at a garage sale that counts down to Christmas, and I think I have to say that we are the family who is most prepared to know EXACTLY how many days there is until Christmas!
P90X is still going well! I even did it last Thursday when I was sick. Not that that makes me a superstar or anything. I'm actually just kind of clueless because, when we did it, I just didn't realize that I was actually sick. I thought I had just eaten too many snacks at a friend's house the night before. Or that I was somehow hung over from the two glasses of wine in four hours that I had consumed, despite the fact that I was not even close to the region of "tipsy". (I really was thinking, "Whaaat?! I know don't drink alcohol often, but, really, I'm not THAT much of a lightweight, am I?") We're in Week 3 and, while I still feel like I do plenty of flailing around, I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than when I started, and there are a couple of places on my body that don't jiggle quite as much. Hey, that's really all I'm shooting for with this craziness - little to no jiggle!

10 Days!!

2011-11-18T06:53:00.000-06:00

Wow! Troy and I have actually worked out for ten days in a row! Well, Monday was our day off, so I guess it's actually nine days. However, I really feel good that we're sticking with this. I know, without a doubt, that I probably would have not been as consistent if he wasnt' doing this with me.
Little back story for you, we decided that we wanted to do P90X together because, well, frankly, both of us are...lacking in tone? A little round a round the middle? Flabbity? It was really Troy's idea, and he has been so positive and gung-ho that it's really making it easier for me. We do have to work out before he goes to work, which means we usually start at about 4:15 or 4:30. (Yes, that's in the morning. This is the life of a Frito Man! And it's why we're both sacked out by 9:30!) I told him the first morning that it was REALLY good he was waiting for me in the living room because the bed was SO warm that I would have skipped it if he hadn't been counting on me to work out with him! We were waiting for the P90X DVD's to come in the mail, so the first week we just worked with Jillian Michaels on our Wii. I'm GLAD we did because that work out was intense in itself and was a good prep for the harder P90 course.
Today was Yoga in P90x, and it was pretty hard. I just did the best I could and took breaks as needed. It really felt like I was doing a lot of flailing around, but I can only assume that it will get easier. We were cracking each other up, though, which made it fun. (Tony Whats-his-face takes it so seriously!) At one point, I read the title of the next pose as the One Legged HAMSTER Stretch (instead of Hamstring) and just about died laughing! Of course, that led to several hamster jokes and we had a good time.
Anyway, I promise I'm not going to turn this into a workout blog and I DOUBLE promise that I'm not going to make you look at our "before" pictures. I don't want you to vomit on your keyboard! I do want to keep track of my progress, though, so I thought this was as good a place as any!

The Best Laid Plans...

2011-09-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

To celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, which was back in August, we decided to take a trip to Branson. This is how our weekend went:
Friday Plans - get to Branson whenever we get there; eat dinner at a new Mexican restaurant at Branson Landing; check into hotel.
Friday Reality - stop in Springfield to go to the Bass Pro shop (loved it!), got to fancy Mexican restaurant and realize they wanted an arm and a leg (and possibly a kidney!) for some enchiladas; decided to go to "our" Mexican restaurant and get some decent priced, really good Mexican food; bonus - it's right next door to Cakes & Cream, so we got to have a funnel cake for dessert! Checked in to hotel.
Saturday Plans - get to Silver Dollar City when they open; ride Powder Keg, Wildfire, and the Barn Swing over and over until we just can't take it anymore; possibly go shopping; go to the little purple "Buy One, Get One Free" show ticket company and find a show to see; eat BBQ dinner.

Saturday Reality - got to SDC when they opened; realized we were really glad we'd brought our waterproof jackets and worn our jeans because it was kind of drippy. And cold. Decided to give it some time, see if the weather would clear; bought two ponchos when we realized that Troy's jacket wasn't really waterproof and he was pretty soaked; ate lunch (skillet potato and sausage! YUM!) and decided to call it because it was still raining; left without riding anything. Spent some time at the hotel, drying out Troy's shoes with a hairdryer. Got our tickets from the purple store - "The Legend of Kung Fu" - and went shopping at Branson Landing; ate BBQ dinner and went to show.
Sunday Plans - Zipline canopy tour at noon!! After that, WHATEVER!! Shopping, eating, it didn't matter because we were going ZIPLINING!!
Sunday Reality - Tour scheduled at 12, ominous clouds roll in at 11:50, skies open and thunder begins at 12:15. Tour rescheduled for Monday at 9:00! More shopping, lunch, and a movie ("Contagion" - blegh!). Got out of the movie and realized that IT WASN'T RAINING! Sped like a NASCAR racer up to SDC where we got to ride PowderKeg four times in succession before they closed all the outdoor rides because, you guessed it, MORE thunderstorms were heading our way! Shopped some more, then headed to another movie. ("Apollo 18" - meh.)

Monday Plans - ZIPLINING! FINALLY! It was awesome, the weather was perfect, and we had a blast. Headed home to our darling kids.

I can say that, with the exception of going to see the show on Saturday night, and despite my months of careful scheming, NOTHING this past weekend went as I had planned. Not a single thing.
I can also say that, because I just love being with Troy, no matter where we are or what we're doing, this was one of the best anniversary trips ever.

Cub World 2011

2011-09-12T06:57:00.003-05:00

Sunset over Cub World

Going out to Cub World with our Cub Scout pack is, by far, my favorite way to camp. It's a one night campout and all the moms and siblings are invited. Troy and a couple of other leaders head out the night before to set up the cooking area and get other things ready. An extra added bonus for ME is that this means that when I arrive on Saturday morning with Reilly, the tent is already set up. It's ALMOST like arriving at the Holiday Inn Express. Except for the sleeping bags and cots instead of sheets and beds...and the lack of a shower.
The kids spend a good portion of the day running amok, finding bugs and lizards, and discovering exactly how much dust and debris can stick to their skin, hair, clothes, and shoes.
This year we had the honor of staying at the Castle campsite - an incredible three-level castle structure, perfect for the water balloon battle that was held in the afternoon. This was AFTER they got to play on the 40-foot long slip 'n slide that the leaders constructed out of plastic sheeting and pool noodles. It was AWESOME! There was BB shooting and archery, plus some skits and jokes after dinner and a snipe hunt in the dark (Declan's most anticipated activity!) which all made for an incredibly fun Saturday. And some unbelievably exhausted kids!

Preparing for the Snipe Hunt

We all arose early on Sunday, which kind of surprised me. I mean, who would expect that everyone would play so hard on Saturday, stay up so far past any semblance of regular bedtime, and STILL be up before seven o'clock on Sunday morning? Sheesh! There was breakfast, chapel, a flag ceremony, and a flurry of packing up and scoping the campsite for trash, then we all headed home. Personally, I was ready for a nap by 11:00! I found one pair of Declan's socks that I was a little concerned would come to life in my washing machine, so I tossed them out. It's standard camp procedure, I think.

The sacrificed socks!

All in all, a fantastic weekend!

Bruiser: The Saga of the Fridge (Or "How A Great Deal Cost Us Around $3,000!)

2011-09-07T07:03:00.002-05:00

As you all may or may not know, a few years ago we got a new fridge. Actually, I'm thinking that you may NOT know this information for one of two reasons: 1.) I did not write about it or 2.) I DID write about it but you don't remember because, really, who keeps track of some random person's appliance purchases? (Come to think of it, it's a funny world when people actually even consider writing about their appliance purchases.)
Anyway, whether you know it or not, we got a new fridge a few years ago. Being the Dave Ramsey uber-fans that we are, I took cash to the appliance store and started my search. I had every intention of bartering with the sales person, but ended up not haggling over price at all because I found a great deal on a really nice fridge in the scratch and dent section - big, glass shelves, ice maker in the freezer, regularly something like $600, marked down to $350. When I say "scratch and dent" I mean that this fridge literally looks like it got hit with a baseball bat on its door! And there's a funny place that looks like The Hulk pinched it with his fingertips. But, honestly, the great deal totally trumped the look of the fridge, so I bought it.

I was going to put a fridge picture, but
I must not have one. So I put this instead!

Skipping forward a few months, we realized that the kitchen was smelling kind of...musty and weird...and that the floor in front of the sink was warping a little bit. Upon further inspection, Troy realized that the place under the sink where he had installed the hose for the ice maker was leaking. Yikes! He fixed it and we went on our merry way. Fast forward about a month later and, lo and behold, we realize that the kitchen is smelling weird again. (We do live in a really old house, so weird smells are not unusual.) After investigation, we realize that now the ice maker for the fridge is leaking from behind , and it is, in fact, so bad that, because the fridge sits against an outside wall, you could see the water on the outside of the house! Double yikes!
At that point, we disconnected the ice maker and called our favorite contractor to come and replace the floor.
Ka-CHING! That was about $2000. Triple yikes!
(For those keeping track, our cheap fridge has, up to this point, cost us $2,350!)
Well, this happened almost two years ago and, being a little gun-shy, we have never made an attempt to re-install the ice making apparatus. Troy and I looked at each other and decided to let the professionals handle it. However, it seemed a little foolish to call a plumber JUST to come and install an ice maker, so we put it off and put it off. When we needed ice, we just ran to the store and bought a bag of ice and put it in the freezer.)
(Average 1 bag of ice per month at $2.00 per bag x 18 months = $360 spent on ice.)
(Yes, I realize that there are 24 months in 2 years. I'm not sure we actually bought a bag of ice every month for two years. I'm averaging here, people!)
Last Thursday, my washing machine began to over flow. Then the sinks in my kitchen. It was lovely, I tell you, because I got to see all the egg shells from the last few weeks. Or months. Plus some other stuff I didn't recognize.I called Roto Rooter and they promptly sent out a handy dandy plumber to fix the problem. While he was here, I asked, "Hey, how much more would it cost if you hooked up my ice maker?" He told me it would be about $120 or so more than the price of just reaming out the drain. "SOLD!" I said.
Off he went to get the part he needed and, bada-BOOM, bada-BING, an hour later we have an ice maker.
(I don't think anyone actually said "bada-BOOM, bada-BING". We are in Oklahoma, after all, not living in Little Italy in New York City. Maybe I should have said "yee-HAW!" instead. Because we say that here all the time, you know.)
(For those still keeping track at home, this brings the total cost of our fridge, on which we got such a great deal, to about $3070.)
(For those of you still reading after all this rambling, congratulations! I think you need a hobby!)
The sound of the ice maker clunking around is music to my ears now, and I still get a little thrill when I open the freezer and see those little crescent-shaped cubes. And we've all learned our lesson, I believe. When it comes to plumbing, we're gonna let the professionals handle it!
(By the way, I realize that we spent over $300 on ice when we could have gotten a plumber out here two years ago for $120. The irony, it makes me laugh a little.)

*** EDIT ALERT! ****
My friend Julie, who is an accountant, pointed out to me that $2 per bag of ice x 18 months of ice is actually $36 NOT $360 like I said up there. This makes me feel a whole lot better about the amount of money we spent on ice.
However, it doesn't make me feel a whole lot better about the fact that I'm home schooling my kids and apparently don't know simple math. Quadruple yikes!

An Unexpected Advantage

2011-08-31T06:18:00.000-05:00

My mom is a nurse. (A great nurse, by the way.) That means that when I was growing up, there was NO faking being sick. If we didn't have a fever, we weren't sick, and we didn't miss church or school unless we were practically bleeding out our ears. I loved school, but I LOVED staying at home with my mom when I was sick because she took such good care of me - I got to lay on the sofa and watch The Price is Right. I didn't often try to fake it because 1) I'm a terrible liar and 2) Momb* would pull out the thermometer and there was NO thwarting the thermometer! I do remember faking an ear infection once for a few days because I wanted to be at home with Momb, but that all came to a screeching halt when she took me to the doctor and - SURPRISE! - there was no infection at all. This was in the days before co-pay's, so parents just paid out of pocket for office visits? Yeah, I felt really guilty for faking it.

I think I still feel guilty about that.
Sorry, Momb!

Well, now I'm a mom myself (Number one: DUH! and number 2: I've not earned the title of Momb yet. I'm still a fledgling.) and The Kids sometimes don't feel well. Home schooling has a distinct advantage on sick days.

Because I can have them do school on the sofa under a blanket and they don't miss anything!

I kid, I kid! I don't do that!

Yesterday, Deco woke up not feeling well. He said that his throat hurt and his head hurt, so I gave him some Tylenol, installed him on the sofa with the TV remote and went about my business. (I should point out that he didn't ever run a fever. I always pull out the thermometer, too!) Some time later, I could tell he was feeling much perkier - YAY! I made sure that he knew that I thought it was great that he felt better, but he wouldn't be getting up and playing if he hadn't done school.

At about 11:00, he got dressed, started his schoolwork, and felt fine the rest of the day. (I think it's just a bit of a cold.)

When we started home schooling, lo so many years ago, I didn't think too much about what we'd do with sick days. I guess I just assumed that The Kids would be sick at least a whole day at a time! But I like the flexibility we have - they can rest when they're not feeling well and pick it back up when they're feeling better.

*Not a typo. It is Momb, with a "b". And I used to say that the "b" is silent, but I realized as I typed it that it's not. It's pronounced "Mom-buh".

Oooo! Technology!

2011-08-23T06:37:00.002-05:00

Guess what? I am not typing this blog post! I am SPEAKING it! This is my first post using Dragon Dictation, a phone app which allows me to just say what I want my phone to type and then I can just copy it into my blog. Oftentimes, I struggle with getting what is in my head on to the page and I thought that this might help. However, it could have its drawbacks because I DO tend to ramble. Who knows? I could end up with three-page long blog posts and bore you all to death! We will just see how it goes.
My birthday was wonderful! I did get two over-the-phone birthday songs, one from my mom and one from my brother. Plus Troy and The Kids sang to me as well, and we had wonderful chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and dinner and fantastic presents. (Don't you love how the cake was mentioned before dinner? That's how I roll!) I am such a blessed lady! This past Sunday we got to go to Shogun for lunch with my mom and my brother. Shogun is one of those restaurants where they cook at your table. They fling knives and eggs up into the air and make fire volcanoes with onions and things like that. It's awesome!! We had a wonderful lunch and more celebration. I just love my birthday week!
School is going really well so far; no major issues to speak of. I still have all my hair, so that's a good thing! We have it kind of easy this first couple of weeks because we haven't started our co-op yet. That is where we get most of our assignments, so for right now we're reviewing some things from last year and doing math and stuff like that. It's been a good way to ease back into school.
Okay, I'm going to have to sign off and actually get this into my blog! This dictation thing is a whole lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Apparently there is a disconnect not only between my brain and my fingers but between my brain in my mouth as well!

Today is my BIRTHDAY!

2011-08-18T07:03:00.000-05:00

And I swear, I'm like a 5-year-old with how much I love my birthday! If I could, I'd buy Hello Kitty paper plates and balloons and streamers and decorate the house. Well, I guess I COULD do that, actually. I mean, I'm a 36-year-old woman, I guess I can do just about whatever I want that's legal. But I didn't...maybe because I'm a 36-year-old woman...
Here's a list of things I'm thankful for on my birthday:
~ It's my BIRTHDAY!

~ A fantastic husband to celebrate with!
~ Two adorable kidlets to celebrate with!

~ The singing phone call I'm sure I'll get from both my mom and my older brother. Because, that's a family tradition, after all! (Possibly my cousin, too, but she does have small children, so calling and singing is quite possibly NOT on the top of her To Do list for today.)
~ My mom will say, "On this day I was so what?" and I'll respond, "Tired? Bemused? Cantankerous? In pain?" and she'll say, "NO! So HAPPY!" and then tell me how she was wheeled down the hall after giving birth, waving the pink card to my dad to show him that she'd had a GIRL! (I love this story!)
~ My wonderful girlfriends who are taking me out to lunch today!
~ EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!!!!
~ Chicken paprika and egg noodles for dinner tonight
~ Chocolate cake with chocolate powdered sugar icing
~ Shogun for lunch on Sunday with my mom and brother (and Troy and The Kids, too, of course!)
~ A dog to lay on my feet (because that's where he is right now!)
~ A floofy cat to bite at me almost every time I pet him.
~ A home
Happy birthday to MEEEEEE!

Last Day

2011-08-12T07:14:00.000-05:00

Well, today is our last official day of summer break! We start back to school on Monday.
I'm kind of excited to get back into the routine. However, just like I do every year, I find myself wishing that I could do something to make the first day of school more...special. I have such fond memories of wearing a new outfit and using my new backpack and lunchbox and finding out who was in my class. It was all so new every year and I mourn, just a little, that my kids won't experience that. In earlier years, we did things like make gum and dissect an owl pellet on the first day, but, after six years, I've kind of run out of ideas. I always try to make something special for breakfast, but that seems kind of anti-climactic.
Actually, as I think about it, it's kind of funny that I'm mourning "memories" for my kids that they'll never miss because they won't ever know them. This is their norm, this is what they know. I guess I just don't want my kids to ever resent having been homeschooled because of something they feel they've missed. That's the reason we take a full summer break instead of schooling year round. I decided that I didn't want them looking around at other kids and thinking, "Why does everyone else get to be off of school for two and a half months in the summer and we have to keep having school?" (Plus, frankly, I like having the longer break myself! A week or two at a time, scattered throughout the year, would NOT make me feel refreshed!)
Anyway, I'm going to stop rambling now because The Kids are up and clamoring for breakfast. (Sheesh, what IS this with them and their need to EAT on a regular basis?)

Yes, I Am Normal

2011-08-09T20:15:00.000-05:00

Don't laugh! It's true! I went for my first meeting for The Big Brain Study last Friday and the psychiatrist DID NOT laugh me out of the building or offer me a comfy bed, so I can only assume that I am, indeed, a Healthy Control and not depressed. Or schizophrenic, or manic, or bipolar, or paranoid, or any one of a number of mental illnesses, based on the questions she asked me.
It was kind of fun, although I did feel a kind of pressure to be uber-normal. I know that shrinks can pick up on body language and things like that, so I kept wondering if I was shifting in my chair too much or if my crossed arms made me seem close off. But, apparently, I passed because I got a call today and I'm scheduled for my first MRI at the end of August. So exciting!
The shrink, whose name is Lisa, asked a series of questions that really have gotten me thinking. Looking over the course of your whole life, what would you say was the very best time of your life? And, consequently, looking over the course of your whole life, what would you say was the very worst time of your life?
I couldn't answer those questions specifically.
I pretty much said, "I can't pinpoint the 'worst' time in my life because it's all been pretty good."
It's not that I don't have times in my history that have been "bad" or "good" or even "the best. I have had all of those things, without a doubt. For a year in high school, I was in an abusive relationship. My parents divorced when I was a senior. Troy and I, as wonderful as our relationship has been, have been through rough spots. That's marriage!
As I've ruminated about it, I think I couldn't answer because I don't tend to dwell on the bad things that have happened, so they tend to fade into the background. And, honestly, how can I look at the years that Troy and I spent dating, which were full of coffee with friends and times spent pet shop hopping and fun and compare those years with the years after our children were born or what we're experiencing right now with kids who are a little older? I would say that all of these have been great times in my life, but it's like comparing apples and oranges.
Anyway, nothing I said or didn't say raised any red flags, so that's good!

I'm Not A Socialist

2011-08-05T07:24:00.001-05:00

I was reading a mom's debate board that I frequent and came across a debate about shared school supplies in public school. You know, you're given a list of stuff to buy and it all goes into the "pot" so that all the kids can use them throughout the year. Many of the mom's said that they would pay the $$ for the nicer Crayola crayons and then their kid would get the cheap, dollar store crayons to use in class because that's what was pulled from the pot for them.
I really dislike the idea behind shared school supplies. I understand that there are kids who can't afford supplies and, were my kids in public school, I don't think I'd have a problem donating $10 or something to a class fund to provide for that situation.
However, there are two things that bother me about a communal supply.
One is that I remember, as a kid, being so excited to go and choose my folders and notebooks. I always wanted the ones with cute pictures on it. I loved shopping for them and I loved using them. This was a really fun memory I have of school, and, honestly, something that would be fun to pass on to my kids. (Actually, since I homeschool, so I DO get to pass on that memory to my kids! They pick out their own folders and such. WOO HOO!)
The other thing is I really hate the idea that all the kids have to have identical supplies so that nobody "feels bad" that they don't have a "fancy" folder. I remember some kids having really fancy Trapper Keepers that I didn't have, but it didn't scar me. It was just LIFE. Nothing, not uniforms or school supplies, is going to keep kids from learning that there are some kids whose parents have money and some kids who don't. Because even if they all wear identical colored shirts and pants, a portion of the kids are going to have really nice Nike's and some are going to have Target shoes. And even if they all have identical folders, some kids are going to be driven to school in a Lexus and some are going to drive to school in a 10 year old Honda. It's LIFE.
For the record, I also don't think that everyone should get a trophy at then end of a sports season. There were teams that WON and teams that LOST. Not everybody wins. It's LIFE. Encourage the kids to do their best, give them a pat on the back and a pizza party when they lose, and give prizes to the winners.
(It's funny, I didn't realize that I felt so strongly about this until I read the debate.)
OH, and, by the way, today is my first Lab Rat appointment. I go in for a psych eval later today. I'll report back what they find!

Manners, Manners

2011-08-04T17:04:00.000-05:00

I thought that teaching manners to kids would begin when they were just wee little babes, looking up with adoring eyes as you remind them to say "Please!" when they ask for a sippy cup of juice and really be ironed out by the time they're, say, eight and eleven. (I just randomly threw those ages out there. It's pure coincidence that that happens to be the ages of my children. I promise.) I'm realizing, however, that teaching manners is an ongoing thing, as I constantly remind them to speak politely and hold open doors for people and things like that. I'm afraid that this may well extend into their adulthood.
One of my favorite lines from "Despicable Me" is where Gru says, in response to a "pretty please" from one of the girls, "The physical appearance of the please makes no difference." (This line is made even better if you say it in your head with a Russian-esque, Gru-like accent.)
I heartily dislike it when my kids (or anyone's kids, for that matter) say, "Get me a drink, please!" and I'm very likely to respond with, "The physical appearance of the please does not make that statement polite!" (And believe you me, I often deliver the line with a Russian-esque, Gru-like accent!) I don't know if it's making a difference yet, but I really want them to learn that tacking the word please onto an order doesn't make it okay.
I also hate it when anyone says, "No offense, but..." because, really, when do you say that that you're not getting ready to say something offensive?

Here I Go Again...

2011-08-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

...on mah owwwn! Goin' down the only road Ah've ever knowwwn! Like a drifter, Ah was born to walk alooonnne, and Ah made up mah mahnd, Ah ain't wastin' no more tahm...so here Ah go again!

OK, sorry, I just typed that title and was flooded with memories of Tawney Kitain, dancing on the front of a sportscar in that Whitesnake video from the 80's.

Here are the things that go through my mind as I watch that video:

1. Awww, their hair matches!

2. Doesn't doing splits on car hoods hurt?

3. She really shouldn't hang out the window like that!

4. She REALLY shouldn't kiss him like that when he's driving! His eyes TOTALLY aren't on the road!

5. Awww, I miss hair bands! (Not the ones you put in your hair. We have plenty of those! I mean Hair Bands!)

That whole thing is a total sidetrack of what I actually got on here to tell you. I just got caught up in the 80's spirit.

We had a wonderful time at Silver Dollar City this past weekend, although I did have one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. We got to the park on Saturday morning and I whip out my guest passes, only to discover that in BIG BOLD TEXT on the front, they plainly state that they are VALID AFTER 6 PM ONLY. I really wanted to melt into the ground. It was made worse by the fact that, just the night before, I had joked that we were going to tease that we forgot to bring them with us. Hardy har har. No, we remembered them, I just didn't pay enough attention to the not-so-tiny fine print.
Hey, nothing says "You're my friend, let me bless you" like inviting someone to use free passes that only cost them an arm and a leg.
BUT, I did go into the customer service area and throw myself on their mercy and beg and plead and possibly shed a little tear as I asked if we could either swap them for actual free admission passes or get a discount on tickets. The nice guy ended up giving Bryan a discount, so it may have only cost them an arm to enter the park.
Once in, we had a really great time! It was hot, but, really, we're used to that now, seeing how it has felt like we're living either directly in the hinges of Hades or maybe camped out on the face of the sun for the past two months. The water ride lines were loooong, but the other lines weren't too bad. By the end of the day, we were all sticky and gross and tired, but it had been a great day.

Deco and the "water tree"

Reilly and Kendall. She taught Kendall how
to swim this weekend!

Hot and tired, but still smiling!

We ARE the rule breakers! This was the
first time Deco actually looked in the
hole. I'm not sure what, exactly, he thought
was in there!

Shelley and four of the kids, getting ready to be soaked!

Many Things Going On PLUS I'm A Lab Rat!

2011-07-29T06:57:00.000-05:00

Oh, there are so many things going on in our life right now! All of them good, some of them exciting, one of them, in particular, bringing me a little uncertainty.
How's THAT for some ambiguous-ness?
The first exciting and good thing is that, soon, we're heading off on a weekend trip to Branson with some good friends. Last Christmas, we were blessed by Troy's dad and step-mom with season passes to Silver Dollar City, which we LOVE. With these passes came guest passes and we decided that, rather than waste them, we were going to use them to take some of our closest friends with us. Back in May we went and spent the day at the park with The Cox's and had an absolute BLAST, and now we're taking The Sheppard's and we're going to have yet another blast, I'm sure of it. I only wish we could have all gone at the same time because, well, that would have just blown SDC off the map with the blast we would have had! Oh my, what fun that would have been!! But, alas, our guest passes only get us four in at a time.
So, I'm excited about THAT.
The second good and exciting thing is that in September, Troy and I are going to go BACK to Branson and celebrate our 15th anniversary. And we're going ZIP LINING! Oh my, I'm so excited about that!! It's going to be weird to NOT go to Eureka Springs because that's kind of our thing (my thing? I don't know, I'm kind of the one who does the planning and Troy just comes along for the ride...) but it will be great to have a weekend away.
Can you tell I love having things to look forward to? If Anticipation were a love language, I think it would be my primary!
The THIRD exciting thing, which also ties into my being a lab rat and which will make the title of this post make a little more sense, is that I'm going to participate in a medical study! A psych hospital here in town is doing an MRI study to compare the brains of depressed people to the brains of non-depressed people, and I signed up to be in it. (I'm one of the non-depressed people, just in case you were wondering.) I'll go and have a psych eval and then go back and have an MRI done and I think that's it. My only hope is that I don't get done with the psych eval and have them fall on the floor laughing, saying, "Hon, you only THOUGHT you were normal!"
Okay, now onto the thing that I'm uncertain about.
I applied for a job yesterday.
Yes, I'm considering going back to work part-time. We worked so hard a few years ago to get rid of our debt and we cut it in half, which is GREAT, but once I stopped working at Whole Foods, we kind of lost momentum. I'm really ready to get intense and get rid of more! Yesterday, I applied at Mardel, which is a great Christian bookstore, and I'm just waiting to see what happens. Waiting and praying. The great thing about Mardel is that they're not open on Sundays, so I wouldn't have to ever worry about missing church, and they close early on Wednesdays, so I'd still get to go to Impact classes at our church. My only drawback, as far as employment goes, is that I wouldn't be able to go in until 5:00 because of wanting Troy to be home before I leave.
It's kind of a scary prospect. I know that if I do get a job, it will be kind of stressful on the family. But I really feel like the end result would be worth a short period of stress. I want our money to be OURS, not going out the door to everyone else. I want to save for the future, for The Kids' college, I want to be able to give generously, I want to anonymously pay for someone else's meal in a restaurant.
So I'm waiting and praying, knowing that God has a perfect plan for me, for our family, and that if I seek His will, I can't go wrong. Won't you pray with me?

Our Summer So Far

2011-07-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

When summer begins, I always have visions of us merrily doing crafts teaching The Kids how to cook and playing games and doing all sorts of educational things and everything being very Norman Rockwell-esque. However, I've come to realize that, since I spend September through May teaching my kids, when summer rolls around I want to NOT TEACH ANYTHING, nor do I want to do anything educational. At all. Let's just be slugs and lose some brain cells.
So, we've not learned a thing this summer.
Wait, that's not entirely true. I HAVE been a terribly mean mother and made The Kids continue doing some math each day. This is because I switched curriculum and Reilly needed some holes filled. We had to go back a couple of grades, so I felt she needed to continue working thru the 4th grade curriculum so we could get it DONE and move on to the 5th grade level. Because she'll be in 6th grade. Yeah, I need her closer to grade level! It didn't seem fair to make her do math but not make Declan, so he and I have been working on addition and subtraction facts.
Aaaand now you've just died of boredom, I can tell. Sorry.
I guess when I think about it, the rest of summer HAS been kind of idyllic and Norman Rockwell-y. We've gone swimming, we've eaten sno cones, they've had sleepovers and played in the hose and played with friends and watched TV and movies.
So, while summer is zooming by at the speed of light, and we're going to be starting school again before we know it, it's been good so far!

Today...

2011-04-13T17:33:00.000-05:00

- I wanted to make a bulleted list, but my iPhone won't let me. Something about not supporting "compose" mode without Firefox. Oh well. I'll use the little hyphen instead.

- Today I realized that I really like dark chocolate . This revelation came to me when I was reading a post at Stuff Christians Like dot com (I was going to type that as a link, but my phone kept wanting to autocorrect it as "stuff bristle slime"!) He was talking about chocolate crosses for Easter and I began to crave chocolate. Then I realized that I wanted dark chocolate. This may not be a revelation to anyone else, but dark chocolate is GOOD!!

- The show "I Shouldn't Be Alive" REALLY makes you realize the human body can endure SO much more than I ever thought. And it has taught me to make sure that if I'm ever going to go on a hike, even if it's just for an afternoon, I should take a five-gallon jug of water, 12 days worth of food, a tent, extra clothes, a gun, and a satellite phone. Actually, it's kind of taughtme I should probably stay out of nature all together. And out of lion cages, because they will certainly try to eat you.

- Starburst jellybeans ROCK! but not as much as Sweetart jellybeans.

- I love my iPhone much more than I thought I would.

- That's it for today!

Changes

2011-04-12T21:05:00.001-05:00

Well, you'll all be thrilled to know that I have recently made some changes in our school curriculum. OK, well "some" is maybe an overstatement...we've begun a new math curriculum! Now this is a pretty big deal around here, as I've been a huge fan of Math U See since we started it with Reilly when she was halfway through first grade.
And therein lies the actual issue.
Since MUS is based on mastery, she has reached 5th grade and there are math concepts that she has never laid eyes on - like fractions and decimals and division with remainders. I struggled with this so much. I realize that we're not planning on ever putting her in public school, so it really shouldn't matter the order in which she learns the concepts, just that she learns them at some time, right? And she would have...eventually. Then I started to worry that Declan, who was in the second book, wasn't acually understanding the concepts, and I decided that it was time for a change.
So I bought a program called Teaching Textbooks, which is mostly done on the computer. Now the kids are begging to do math every day! I had to go back to 4th grade with Reilly, but I think she'll catch up in no !time

Stuck

2011-04-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

There is a reason I've not posted anything of value in a long time. (OK, for those of you who just said, "Lisa, you've not posted anything of value, EVER, on this blog!", just go ahead and slap your own face, since I can't be there to do it for you.) plain and simple, I have a lot of trouble actually getting my words down on the screen. I guess it's kind of like having writers block, except I think that maybe that term should only be officially used for someone who is, you know, a REAL writer. You know, the guy sitting in his dim, dusty study, pecking away at his typewriter while wearing a red velvet smoking jacket, stopping only to drink whiskey and stare balefully at the misty marsh from the tall window.
Or maybe the guy on the computer at his desk in his bright, sunny home office with the cocker spaniel at his feet. Whatever. Not trying to stereotype here or anything.

Anyway, I think that my problem is that I read a lot of blogs. Some of them are fantastic - funny and heartwarming and enjoyable. Those are usually written by "professional bloggers" who get paid real money to write and, therefore, are actually talented. Some of them are actually not that great and I'm not sure why I continue reading. I mean, when I find myself thinking, "WHO CARES?!?" while I'm reading, you'd think I'd read there again. But I don't bother to take them off my Google reader, so I still skim the posts.

On one hand, I don't want to be one of those blogs that people read and think, "WHO CARES?!?" as I talk about homeschooling or housework or my latest plan to save our family hundreds of dollars a month by dumpster diving for coupons. I mean, I'm not really that interesting and I don't know that I'm talented enough to make the minutae of my life interesting and engaging.
On the other hand, the entire reason I started blogging was to keep track of our homeschooling adventures (I call them "adventures" to make things seem fun. Grammar? An ADVENTURE! Math? ANOTHER ADVENTURE!) So, really, I guess I should realize that this blog is more for me and my family, both near and far, than for anyone else. (Not that I don't love all you anyone-elses who read!) Maybe looking at it THAT way will ease my writers block.
Now, I'm off to find my smoking jacket.

Things I'm Excited About

2011-02-25T16:17:00.000-06:00

Today I feel on top of the world. I'm practically jittering with excitement. Now, I'll fully admit that part of that jitteriness might have to do with with the fact that I'm drinking a cup of coffee. I love coffee. I USED to just drink it because that's what everyone around me was doing, but now I actually crave it in the middle of the afternoon.
I'm digressing.
Yeah, you're not surprised, are you?
I'm excited because it's Friday and we don't really have anything going on this weekend. That seems like it would be less than exciting, but I love having two and a half days (because the weekend starts when Troy gets home!) to just do whatever. I recently made a decision that I was not going to do housework on the weekends because It occurred to me that I never really have a day off. So for the past few weeks I've worked diligently from Monday to Friday to make sure that the house is being cleaned and the laundry done so that, on Saturday and Sunday, I can sit around like a lump. Not that I never sat around like a lump before, it's just that before, I would feel guilty because there were things that I was not doing. Now it's guilt-free lumpiness.
I'm excited because I'm making lasagna tonight for dinner and it's going to taste SO GOOD.
I'm excited because we're going to Silver Dollar City in a few weeks. (SQUEEE!)
I'm excited because we FINALLY have our "baby" emergency fund in the bank, after a year of trying to get it built up. No, it's not a fund in case we have a baby. Lord, please don't let us have THAT happen! (Not that I don't love babies. I just don't want to own one.)
I'm excited because I've got some clothes in a consignment sale that's going on right now and I'm going to put the $$ that I make into our "Trip Fund" for future trips to SDC.
Oooo, life is fun right now!

25 Years

2011-01-28T13:37:00.000-06:00

It was only because I saw it posted by someone on Facebook that I was reminded that today marks the 25th anniversary of the Challenger shuttle explosion, although I'm sure it was on the news this morning. (I just don't get to watch the morning news, what with all that pesky schooling I have to do in the morning!) I would have been eleven, or almost eleven when it happened, but I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news.

I had been sick for a couple of days prior to the accident, but on this particular day I was at my dad's physical therapy clinic. My mom always let us have one extra day of recovery, and since she worked as my dad's receptionist, I had just gone to work with her. I was in his office, playing at his desk and I believe I was watching "The Price is Right" when they cut in with the news of the explosion. As an 11-year-old, I was irritated that they had interrupted my show with the boring old news, and it was with some disinterest that I watched the goings on. I remember going out to tell my mom what they said, but she was checking a patient in and I had to wait. I leaned on the door frame, not wanting to interrupt, and once she was free, I nonchalantly said, "Hey, you know that space ship that was going up today? It blew up." I remember that I was kind of surprised at how shocked she was.

It amazes me that it's been so long.

My Family's Favorites!

2011-01-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

I got this idea from my friend Heather!
These are all of my family's favorite things:

What's your favorite color? Pink (Reilly); Brown (Declan); Don't have one (Troy)

Favorite TV show? Shake it Up (Reilly); Phineas and Ferb (Declan); Future Weapons (Troy)

Favorite movie? Newsies (Reilly); Newsies (Declan); Braveheart (Troy)

Favorite person? God (Reilly); God (Declan); Lisa (Troy)

Favorite place? Home (Reilly;) Home (Declan); Home (Troy)

Favorite veggie? *makes gagging face* Deco reminds her that she likes tomatoes, so she says "I like tomatoes!" (Reilly); Carrots (Declan); Chili Peppers - after a discussion about the fact that peppers are actually a fruit (Troy)

Favorite thing to eat for dinner? Chicken ala King (Reilly); Pancakes (Declan); Chickenchilada Casserole (Troy)

Favorite breakfast food? Bagels and cream cheese (Reilly); Pancakes (Declan); Bacon and eggs (Troy)

Favorite fruit? Oranges (Reilly); Bananas (Declan); Pineapple (Troy)

Favorite dessert/treat? Ice cream (Reilly); Ice cream (Declan); Cake and ice cream (Troy)

Favorite snack? Four Cheese Cheez Its (Reilly); Slim Jims (Declan); Cupcakes (Troy)

Favorite place to eat out/restaurant? El Tequila (Reilly); Incredible Pizza Co. (Declan); Arizona's (Troy)

Favorite animal? Elephants (Reilly); Cougar (Declan); Dogs (Troy)

Favorite toy? My American Girl doll! (Reilly); Nerf guns (Declan); My iPhone (Troy)

Favorite book? I don't know (Reilly); Batman (Declan); Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Troy)

Favorite letter? R (Reilly); L (Declan); I don't have one (Troy)

Favorite number? 12 (Reilly); 18 (Declan); I don't have one (Troy)

Ain't We Got Fun?

2010-12-27T19:57:00.000-06:00

This is, from left to right, my favorite mom Kay (Nani Kay), my favorite brother Erin (Uncle E.), my favorite son, Declan (Deco), my favorite self, Me, my favorite daughter Reilly (Bear) and my favorite husband Troy (Ched). We were getting ready to eat our fabulous Christmas dinner at my mom's house. This is the house that I grew up in, which means that there has only been ONE time in 35 years that I haven't had Christmas dinner in that very room, at that exact table. The one time I didn't was when I hosted Christmas dinner at my house. (Which, for the record, is the house that my MOM grew up in.)
This is one of many reasons why I love traditions. Because I have roots that grow deep and strong.
This was a fabulous Christmas!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T19:37:00.000-06:00

I hope to get my act together sometime and get some of our great Christmas pictures up so that you can really experience all the fun we've had, but, for now, I'm just going to have to give you some of my most favorite memories:

The week before Christmas went really, really slowly which was fantastic because i hate it when time flies too fast and I feel like the fun times are over before I have time to really enjoy them.
Troy got home at about 11:30 (in the morning!) on Christmas Eve and we just got to hang out together all afternoon before we went to my Dad's house. We drank coffee and watched T.V....it was great.
I always give my little brother money for Christmas, but I try to figure out unique ways to present it to him. I've done a "money tree" and shirt/pants dollar bill origami and a pirate's treasure chest filled with gold $1 coins. THIS year, however, was my favorite! I bought a pack of Stride gum, verrrrrry carefully slit open the bottom of the cellophane and slid the pack out. I then replaced four of the gum sticks with $5 bills (IN the foil), verrrry carefully slid the pack BACK into the cellophane and superglued the end back up. The result? It looked like a completely new, unopened pack of gum! Oh, the look on his face when he opened it! Then I demanded a piece of gum, so he opened it and realized what I'd done. It was PRICELESS!
Troy and I drank cider and watched "A Christmas Carol" when we got home, aglow in the lights of the Christmas tree. Awesome!
I told The Kids they could come out at 6:45...but we were all awake at 6:00 anyway, so we got started early!
Presents, shrieks, torn wrapping, picture taking, squeals...what more is there to say?
Over to my mom's hous, where there was more shrieking, paper tearing, and picture taking. Perfection.
I got a Nook color. More perfection.
I took the tree down on the 26th. Because it was dropping needles like rain. I was afraid it was going to spontaneously combust.

(This has been the most fantastic, magical, fun, relaxing, love-filled Christmas. I honestly don't think there is a single thing that could have made it better.

Well, it would have been better if I'd not had to buy Deco a new video spy watch. He got one from my mom and it was one of his favorite things EVER (along with his pocket knife! And his Paper Jamz guitar!) and, this morning, I managed to drop it into a cup of coffee. Yeah. Stellar. I think it died instantly.)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-14T16:06:00.002-06:00

Courtesy of Simon's Cat!

Kind of reminds me of Supey and our tree!

A Christmas MeMe!

2010-12-09T07:19:00.001-06:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I'm one that uses a combo of both. I borrowed a tradition from one of my best friends of not marking presents with names, but assigning each family member a particular paper. I put a few presents under the tree before Christmas so The Kids can begin wondering which ones are theirs. Then, on Christmas morning, the presents in their stockings match their paper, so they FINALLY know! It's quite fun, and now Reilly requests that tradition every year.

2. Real tree or Artificial?

Usually artificial, but a real one this year because I didn't think that our 37-year-old artificial tree was going to make it another year. I love it, but I will say I kind of missed the annual assembling of the tree. "Put the E branches in the E slots..."

3. When do you put up the tree?

The house gets decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving! I love having Christmas decorations out, and there are currently only two rooms in our house that remained undecorated - the school room and master bedroom. And I'm going to decorate the school room sometime soon!

4. When do you take the tree down?

Seeing as how our live tree is going to be bald by the time Christmas day arrives because it's dropping needles like crazy, I'm thinking that it won't be too long after Christmas before it hits the curb. I don't think that Supey getting under the tree and gnawing on the lower branches has helped one bit.

5. Do you like eggnog?

Not enough to buy it myself, but I'll have it over at my dad's house.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

Oh, hands down, my Cabbage Patch Doll! I was a child of the 80's and the perfect age when that craze hit. My parents were on the waiting list at Toy's R Us but had pretty much told me that it wasn't going to happen. Then, Mom got a call something like three days before Christmas that her name had come up, so she was able to go and get one. Oh, the JOY that I felt when I opened that present!!! It still makes me smile when I think about it! The funny thing is that my dad had set up the video camera to capture my reaction...but it didn't work, so now it just lives in my memory.

7. Hardest person to buy for?

I don't really have any particular person who is difficult to buy for, actually. Probably any of the teenagers who are on my list, but the invention of the iTunes card has been a blessing in that regard!

8. Easiest person to buy for?

Absolutely my mom!

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

We actually have...hmmm...*counts*...wow....ELEVEN nativity scenes! I can't believe it!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Neither. It's too expensive to mail cards to everyone and e-cards just seem...weird, I guess.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

I can't remember any horrible Christmas gifts. Maybe I've blocked them out?

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

I can't choose just one! Really, I can't! I add to our movie collection every year, and every year we watch almost all of them! The Santa Clause series (all three of them!), A Christmas Story, Elf, Scrooge (with Albert Finney), The Grinch (Jim Carrey), the newer version of A Miracle on 34th Street, and The Muppet Christmas Carol are all ones that it just wouldn't seem like Christmas time if we didn't watch them at least once. (Now, I DO have my LEAST favorites, which would be Prancer Returns and Holidaze. Those only get watched as a desperate last resort!)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I start saving in August and usually start shopping in October!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

No, I don't think so.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

HOMEMADE Chex Mix! That stuff in a bag doesn't even COMPARE!

16. Lights on the tree?

Wait. You mean there are people who DON'T put lights on the tree? That would just be weird! I'm a colored light person, and this year we got some of the bigger bulbs and I LOVE them!

17. Favorite Christmas song?

"O Holy Night" and "All I Want for Christmas is You" are probably the top two, but I do love all the classics. Now, my LEAST favorite is the Christmas Shoes song. I know, I know, that makes me completely cold hearted, but I just can't get in to a song about a little boy buying shoes so that his Mama can meet Jesus. PLUS, a little cynical part of me says, "What if he's just running a scam?" I mean, he could be going from store to store, laying out this sob story to gather gifts for his family. Next, he's going to the tie store to get a tie so that his DADDY can meet Jesus! Then he's off to the grocery store to get the turkey! It just doesn't jive with me.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Home, home home!

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Vixen, Nixon, Comet, Jet Dry, Sneezy, Grumpy, Slappy, Snappy....wait, I've gotten off track here.

I can only name them in the context of singing the beginning of "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer"!

20. Angel on the tree-top or a star?
Star. Because that was what was on sale at Target after Christmas a few years ago.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

MORNING! Totally! What would we do with ourselves on Christmas morning if we weren't opening presents at the crack of dawn?

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

Christmas decorations in the stores the day after Halloween!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

I don't have a favorite. The year Reilly was born, we did a baby-themed tree with pink ribbon and baby ornaments that I bought and some of her pacifier's hung on the tree. It was cute!

24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner?

Spinach artichoke heart casserole!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

A Barnes & Noble Nook Color! And it's what I'm getting, too! I'M SO EXCITED!!

2010-12-08T06:23:00.002-06:00

I know that I should have a feel good "Christmas is coming!" post here right now, and I swear that I have one brewing in my head. However, since the probably won't be completed in my head until mid-January, at which point it would just seem weird, I will instead post this video. YOU MUST watch it 'til the end because I guarantee that you'll laugh until you about wet your pants.

So, without further ado, I present....Cat Yodeling!

Happy Saturday!

2010-11-20T07:18:00.000-06:00

Good morning, everyone! I hope that you're having a fantastic Saturday right now! Just in case you aren't, and just a little ahead of being just in time for Christmas, I present to you this instructional video on how to gift wrap your cat.

I figured that this would be great information to have for those of you who go out early on Black Friday. That way you can purchase your cat at a great bargain and get the gift wrapping done when you get home. That way you're not staying up late on Christmas Eve, trying to wrap your cat.

*In the interest of full disclosure, this video is not mine. I found it at Laughing Squid and it was originally shot by Flippy Cat. We all know that Supey would never have stood (or sat) for that. Go to Flippy Cat and watch some of the domino videos...they're AMAZING!

Hee hee!

2010-11-17T06:39:00.000-06:00

I just took an online personality test, akin to the Myers-Briggs test and came out as a type ESFJ - extroverted, sensing, feeling, judging. At the Keirsey Temperament site (whatever in the heck THAT is!), it sub catagorizes my results as Guardian/Provider. And this is the part in the description that made me laugh and want to jump up and give a little, "AMEN, brothah!" It says, "They love to talk with others, and will often strike up a conversation with strangers and chat pleasantly about any topic that comes to mind."

You know how you always teach your kids that they shouldn't talk to strangers? I've always said that I'm a terrible example of that! I will regularly chat with people in a check out line or some other place where I'm waiting for something. At the fair this year, I walked over to a stranger and commented on his t-shirt because, well, it was a Perry the Platypus t-shirt and it rocked and that deserved recognition. Talking to people I don't know is something that was passed on to me from my Grandpa Charlie, as he was one who never met a stranger.

This gets another little alleluia from me: "Family traditions are also sacred to them, and they carefully observe birthdays and anniversaries." My adherence to tradition can almost be a handicap, really. No, we can't celebrate Thanksgiving in the evening because we HAVE to go to the tree lighting at the outdoor mall and come home and have corn soup and bread sticks. We've done it for eleven years! It cannot change!

Oh, and in closing, here are a few notable ESFJs: Sam Walton, Martha Stewart, Ray Kroc, Barbara Walters, Dave Thomas, Dolley Madison and Ed Sullivan. I'll admit that when I first read that, I thought that Sam Walton was referring to the dad on the T.V. show "The Waltons" and I thought, "How can one have a similar personality to a fictional character." Then I remembered that Sam Walton is my Uncle Wally. You know, the one who gave me that great recipe for the cake I brought to the party last week that just so happened to come in a great plastic container! With a price sticker on it!

Dental Hy-Jinx

2010-11-13T16:20:00.000-06:00

For the past week or so, Reilly has been complaining of her teeth hurting, especially when she eats. So, like the dutiful mother I am, I called the dentist to set up an appointment. We haven't been to the dentist in eight months because, well, I forgot that we had an appointment in August - despite the fact that I HAD WRITTEN IT ON MY CALENDAR - and we carted off to Ohio instead. Oops! So this is what our Thursday looked like:
9:00 - arrive at the dentist to have her checked out. Sure enough, she had a little cavity in between two of her teeth. Our Fantastic Dentist looked at his schedule and said, "Well, I actually have time now if you want me to go ahead and fill it."
"Heck, why not? That way we don't have to come back!" I say. So he numbs her up and fills her cavity!
10:00 - checking out, I decide to make our cleaning appointments. The girl says, "I've got you on our cancellation list! I'll call you if there's a cancellation. Of course, we had one today at eleven, too bad that's so long from now!"
"Heck!" I say. "We can go kill an hour and come back!" We head off to Sam's, kill an hour, and return to the dentist so The Kids can get cleaned.
12:00 - checking out, after having both kids' sets of teeth rendered shiny and smooth, I begin to schedule their next cleaning, which won't be until June. (THIS is why it's hard to remember appointments! Too much time in between!) The dentist phone rings, and someone cancels their 1:00 appointment. The girl looks at me. "Do you want to come back at one?"
"Heck, why not!" I say. "We can kill an hour and come back!" We toddle off to McDonald's for an oh-so-delicious lunch, and then head back. once again, to the dentist's office.
2:00 - we're finally able to leave the dentist's office! All of us, shiny and clean, and safely scheduled for appointments in June!
(This time I'll remember!)

Yikes!

2010-11-08T07:12:00.000-06:00

Hey, everybody! Do you realize that it's been OVER A MONTH since I last entertained you with the goings-on in my brain! I know! I'm sure you've felt completely deprived because, as we all know, my life is the most interesting EVER!
Yeah, not really.
Which is really the reason I've not written. Because, really, who cares what we do in school every day? Math, reading, language arts, blah blah blah...sometimes it puts ME to sleep. (Not in the middle of school, though, because then what kind of role model would I be?)
(I do have a posts brewing about my desires to be a cowgirl, but it's more of a half formed idea than anything that would interest anyone right now.)
Troy and Declan camped out with the Cub Scouts this past Friday night, which was a blast for them. I was not jealous, however, because it got down to 27 degrees and I was really glad to be snuggled up in my own comfy (WARM!) bed. I think that Declan got sick though, because he's been kind of a wreck since then. Troy and I went on a date on Saturday evening and Deco REALLY didn't want us to go out.
"I just want the whole family to be together!", he says, huge brown eyes filled to the brim with tears. I tried to point out to him that we had been together the entire afternoon, and that we were going to be back in just a couple of hours. He bravely put on a smile and survived, but I know he would have been perfectly content to just stay at home.
Yesterday, we attended the wedding of the daughter of some friends of ours and Deco kind of melted down after dinner. Same sad brown eyes filled with tears. Same issue. He wanted us to be at home, with nobody else there, doing something where we were all interacting with one another. Not all of us in the living room but doing our own thing - one of us reading, one of us on the iPhone, etc. - but doing something together.
So we came home from the wedding, got in our comfies, and played on the Wii. After two rounds of Mario Kart and a couple of events at the Winter Olympics with Sonic the Hedgehog, he fell asleep on the sofa. In about 5 seconds. Complete with snoring.
Poor guy!

insert clever title here

2010-09-23T15:25:00.000-05:00

We've been on vacation this week, which has been a nice change from the grueling drive of day in and day out of school, every day, relentlessly clawing our way through book after book...
OK, who am I kidding? We've been in school all of four weeks. It's not like we really NEEDED a break. BUT, it's been nice to be off, even though we've not really done anything super exciting. Unless you count going to the insurance office to see about switching over our homeowner's insurance.
But you don't. I can see it in your eyes.
One of the best things about homeschooling, other than getting to do school in your pajamas (which we never do because I'm allergic to being in my PJ's any later than 8:30, but I've heard that's a perk of homeschooling) is that we get to be off school whenever Troy has a vacation. He gets three weeks a year, but chooses all of those weeks at the end of the previous year. It's nice when he can space them out so as to have a week off every four months and it's really nice that I can just work our school schedule around the weeks he's off. Then, when you figure that we usually do something like go to the zoo and/or the science museum, I can count those days as school field trip days. It's great!
This week we went to the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum with Troy's dad and stepmom, and I think we may go to the aquarium tomorrow. BINGO! Two field trips! I wonder if we can count watching "Amelia" (about Amelia Earhart) as school?
What else has been going on? Hmmm...
Supey, our terminally ill cat got sick last week, requiring a visit to the vet for some antibiotics. I think I've mentioned before that he has Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which is an immune system thing that's incurable. But he's at least three years post diagnosis and has only been to the vet twice for illness since then, so I kind of laugh when I think of him being terminal. I mean, most of the time he's fat, floofy, and full of attitude! They gave him a shot and I got some pills to give him at home and he's back to normal.
I was thinking, though, and I don't know that he really appreciates me kissing him on top of his head after I give him his medicine. Because, really, to HIM getting a kiss right after having a pill shoved down his throat would be equivalent to smacking ME upside the head and then pushing me down into a pile of elephant poo.

It's Just Typical, Really

2010-09-13T15:52:00.001-05:00

Last Wednesday, we headed off on a field trip about an hour and a half away. The Kids were going to get to tour a pioneer farmhouse and barn, and spend some time in a one room school, and everyone was so excited. My dear friend, Julie, had entrusted the care of her two youngest darling daughter's to me, as she needed to be at home for the older kids.

I'm sure that by the end of the day, Julie was thinking, "Big mistake!" and questioning whether or not her friendship with me was safe.

You see, about four months ago, we realized that Monty was riding around on four tires so bald that they practically shined. But, being ever the procrastinators, and being cheap on top of that, we have put off getting new ones. Yes, I realize that normal, responsible people don't put off things like that! Stop looking at me in that tone of voice!

Tuesday evening, I was going to the store and Deco calls on my cell phone. "Mom! You should check out your back tire because I think it's flat!"

I will say that, in the back of my mind, I was thinking that tires don't tend to just leak, and there was probably something wrong and that I should just bite the bullet and go have a new tire put on since I was driving the next day. But there was "America's Got Talent" to watch! And it's getting toward the finals! I couldn't miss it!

So I head to the gas station and put some air in the tire. And pray.

And head off the next morning, carrying precious cargo that includes not only my OWN kids, but some borrowed ones!

Can you see it coming? You can, can't you?

LUCKILY, I was caravaning with my OTHER dear friend Shelley because that means she was there to support me when the back tire blew out, shredded all over the place like confetti. She was there to stand with me by the side of the road, IN THE RAIN*, while semi trucks blew past us at eleventy jillion miles an hour, buffeting us with wind and practically scaring the prairie skirts off of the girls in the car. She was there to frantically call her husband so he could tell us how to get a hold of the highway patrol, and to offer a sympathetic ear as I repeated, "AAARRRGH!" over and over again. Most thankfully, she was there so that I could give her my GPS and all of the kids in my car so that she could go ahead and get them to the field trip.

A nice highway patrolman stopped and helped me change the tire. I was glad that he was there, although I REALLY wish I could have found out a way to make sure he knew that I know how to change a tire and I totally could have done it myself, but I didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Plus, he had a really great car jack thingy and the whole process was much quicker than if I had done it myself.
So he puts on my little donut tire that's about half flat, warns me to put air in the spare SOON, and I drove into the city, praying the whole way that the spare wouldn't blow because, really, what would I do then but sit by the road and cry? I spent the day at Wal Mart, having FOUR new tires put on the car. I figured that, with my luck, if I didn't replace all of them, a different one would blow on the way home.
Apparently, the blown tire was the highlight of Julie's kids' day. I was thinking of it from their perspective, figuring they're probably thinking "Things like this NEVER happen when we're with OUR mom!"
That's because their mom is smart enough not to head out of town with four bald tires.

*Of COURSE it was raining! OK, well, to be honest, it was sprinkling. And gray. And it wreaked havoc on my hair that I had carefully straightened.

My Heart, Full to the Brim

2010-09-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

Shortly after Troy and I got married, we decided that we were going to plan to take a mini-honeymoon every year around our anniversary. If we couldn't do that, we'd get presents for each other, but our goal was to get away at least once a year and just be together.

Back inAugust, we celebrated fourteen years of marriage, and we've managed to take some type of trip for ten of those fourteen years. (Actually, it's eleven trips, if you count that one year we went to Memphis in August and counted it as the trip because we couldn't afford more than one trip.)

Anyway, this past weekend, we headed to what is probably our favorite getaway place - Eureka Springs. One of my most favorite things about Eureka is that there really isn't a huge amount of stuff to DO, so it's the perfect place to go for two days. We took naps. We stayed at a fantastic B and B where they fed us the most scrumptious breakfasts you could imagine. So good, in fact, that on Saturday we were too full to eat at lunchtime so we just had a mid-afternoon dessert of cheesecake (me) and coconut creme cake (Ched) at a shop downtown. We walked up and down the streets and looked in the shops.

OK, I'll be honest. The Eureka Springs historical district, where all the shops are, is on a HUGE hill. One of the trolley lines they have stops LITERALLY in front of our B and B. So we got trolley passes and on Saturday got on at our front door, rode to the top of the hill, walked down and shopped one side of the street, took the trolley back to our B&B, then walked DOWN the other side of the street on Sunday. It was perfect! Because we're not lazy, we're frugal with our energy.

Some high points:

Chuck, our ghost tour guide, with the freaked out
girl in peach to his right.

When we were packing the car to leave home, I bumped the lock on the storm door with a bag and locked it. We were both outside. This was the ONE time I'd made sure to lock ALL the windows AND the back door and I thought we were going to have to break something to get back inside. I was mentally trying to calculate which window would be the cheapest to replace when Troy whips out his Boy Scout knife and jimmied the handle so we could enter. So, while our house may not actually be secure when the storm door is locked, I was relieved that we didn't have to postpone our vacation.
We went on the ghost tour of the Crescent Hotel. I didn't see any ghosts, or experience any weird tappings on my leg or feel anything playing with my hair while we were walking around. The guide was very earnest about the validity of the sightings that had been reported to him, and the things he'd experienced and it was an interesting tour. There was one girl who was REALLY freaked out by the end of the tour and it took ALL of my self control to not lightly touch her hair when she wasn't looking so that I could watch her jump out of her skin.
Troy and I used every opportunity we could to talk with a lateral lisp, (i.e. pronouncing our "es's" way back in our mouths) with bonus points if we could combine that with an Elmer Fudd-esque "r". I can't think of how to write an example, and you probably wouldn't think it nearly as funny as we did, but it was hilarious to us. Which is what counts.
There was a VW convention in town, so we watched a VW parade. Actually, we kind of got caught by it because the trolley wasn't running, so we had to watch by default. There was one that had a big key on the back that turned when the car drove, which was kind of cute.

I never get tired of spending hours and hours in the company of my favorite guy. We came back refreshed and relaxed, so the trip was a success. I can't wait to go somewhere next year!

Troy drooled over a Lotus at The Crescent

In the dining room, getting ready for breakfast

My Heart Cracked Just a Little

2010-09-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

I just had this conversation with Reilly, age 10:

Her: Mom, do we have anywhere to go today?

Me: No, not really. It feels like we should have somewhere to go, though, doesn't it?

Her: Well, not unless it's going somewhere to get something for US!

Me: *mimics her child* We need to go to Target and get TOYS!

Her: No, CLOTHES!

*I give her a pouty, puppy dog eyes look*

Me: Toys!

Her: Clothes! Why not clothes?

Me: No, wait, you're my baby girl! I'm never going to buy you anything but TOYS!

Her: Well, some toys would be okay, but I want CLOTHES!

Time, would you please slow down already? I'm just not prepared for this!

School is going really well, other than the fact that both of The Kids seem to have forgotten every math fact they learned last year. I think that's typical, though, so I'm just taking the first few weeks to review...just like "real" school does, I guess.

We had Orange Julius instead of pancakes for our First Day of School breakfast!

Same room, same schoolmates...oh well!

Honest to pete, I had about seven "clever" things I was going to write about before I sat down to write, and now they've all dribbled out of my head. Frustrating.

Also frustrating is the fact that Blogger keeps changing my font and it's really a pain to add pictures to the post because they don't actually get added WHERE THE CURSOR IS, which would make sense. And I have a tiny, tiny window to edit my post in while there's a HUUUUUUGE space RIGHT over to the right.

The End of Summer

2010-08-23T06:40:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, it's the end of summer. We start school today.
*sigh*
Here's the deal...I'm ready, but I'm not.
Meaning, the books are ready, the pencils are sharpened, the table is cleared. I've even gotten my lesson plans done for this week. I'm excited to get back into the routine of school and to watch my kids learn.
The only problem is that we've had a great summer and I'm not sure that I'm ready to let that go. We've played, we've gone swimming, The Kids and I have gone on a vacation to Ohio with my mom. We've relaxed and watched TV and played with friends and gone to the library. We've been busy, yet so NOT busy and it had been almost perfect.
Many people get to the end of summer and can't wait to get their kids out of the house all day, and I certainly don't feel like that. I just want to go on watching "Phineas and Ferb" while we eat breakfast and then putter around all day.
But, we will forge on, and it will be a great year.
I'll post some pictures of our first day, and tell you all about our new adventure we're having this school year. It's going to be different!
But for now, I should go and shower before everyone wakes up!

Things I Remember About My Wedding Day

2010-08-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

Today, Troy and I celebrate fourteen years of marriage! I could go all gushy and mushy, and say how much I love him and how I can't believe it's been so long and call him schmoopy and lavish him with kisses.
But that would mean that today would be like every other day of our marriage.
*grin*
So, instead, here are some things that I remember about our wedding day.

First and foremost, I was not nervous in any way, shape or form. (I used to hate it when my dad said that - "...way, shape, or form." So redundant.) I knew that I wanted to marry Troy without any doubt, so I didn't need to be nervous!
He wasn't nervous either, by the way.
I went to Merle Norman to get my make-up done, and to some random salon to have my hair done. I don't even think the salon is there anymore. I was supposed to get a manicure, but decided not to. I didn't call to cancel that appointment. I wonder if they're still waiting for me to show up...

Natalie, putting on my garter. I realize that I don't like posed pictures like these!

Natalie's grandma, Jemima, happened to be in town from Australia during my wedding, so she got to come.
My mom's friend Mary Jane was at the church to help with little details that needed helping with, and probably to keep my mom calm. She made the best chicken, grape, and almond salad for us to eat so that we wouldn't pass out up at the altar. Even to this day, I can't eat that salad without thinking of August 10th, 1996.

Mary Jane also gave me a foot rub, the very first one of my life. It was GREATLY appreciated because those "dyed to match" shoes I got from Payless were KILLING me.

Myra, my best friend's mom, made my dress. She said that she'd never bled so much when she was sewing, and it was probably because she was working with yards and yards of pure white satin. I told her she should put a dot of blood in the hem to represent all the blood shed for my dress. She embroidered a little red heart instead, which was probably much more sanitary. I'm showing off the heart in the above picture.
Troy and I were having all our pictures taken before the wedding, so I wanted to have a moment alone with him. My plan was that he would be standing at the front and I would come up the aisle so that he could see me for the first time just like it was the beginning of the wedding. Our photographer obviously didn't understand that because when I walked into the back of the church, here he came around the corner with Troy in tow. Kind of ruined the picture I had in mind, but that's OK.
Right before my dad walked me down the aisle, he looked at me and, in a panicked voice, said, "I forgot to bring your wedding present!"

This picture wasn't taken at that moment, but we probably looked kind of like that.

Troy was very emotional during the vows, and I remember thinking that I should be emotional, too. "I really should be crying, but the tears won't come!"
Troy's hair was as long as my veil. I loved his long hair! He cut it about three months after the wedding. I think we still have the braid around here somewhere.

Troy and his dad. I like to call this picture "Pete and Re-Pete"

Our reception was supposed to be cake and punch, but there were also chocolate covered strawberries there as well. To this day, we don't know who provided them. The man who was in charge of the reception just told my mom, "It's taken care of!" and wouldn't tell her how.
I didn't find out about the strawberries until we got home from our honeymoon. I was kind of bummed that I didn't get one!
We went whitewater rafting in Colorado for our honeymoon, and camped the whole time. It was beautiful, even when I fell out of the raft in the rapids under the Royal Gorge bridge and Troy thought he was going to lose his new bride on his honeymoon.

I love his braids!!

Yes, cheezily enough, my wedding day was the happiest day of my life! I'd marry him all over again in a heartbeat!

Here's a Little Ear Worm for Ya'!

2010-08-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

I bought a Train CD about 8 years ago because I love their song "Drops of Jupiter". THAT song really should win a prize for the most nonsensical, yet singable song ever written. It's right up there with "American Pie", actually.
A couple of weeks ago, Train performed THIS song on "America's Got Talent" and it got stuck in my brain and now I may have to go and buy the CD that it's on. I think it's a plot. A CD selling plot.

Actually, now that I think about it, I should submit "Drops of Jupiter" to Lyrics, Weakly so that David can parse the lyrics. He'd have a ball with it. Or, it might drive him insane and be his demise. Which would make me feel bad.

America's Got Talent!

2010-07-30T07:36:00.001-05:00

OK, this guy is completely amazing, and I really hope that he wins AGT! We DVR the show every week, in case we miss it and The Kids have gone back and watched his performance at least 4 times.

The only downside? He's French.

This One Isn't from the iPhone...

2010-07-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

...just from my highly evolved brain.

Sometimes I think that security has gone haywire. I can understand credit card companies, banks, and places like AT&T being careful about who they give information to, but I tried to talk to someone about our PikePass awhile back and the woman couldn't tell me anything because I wasn't the main account holder. I'm thinking, who in the heck are they saving us from? Someone who might want to know our travel patterns around Oklahoma? And the library website won't save my library card number. I guess they're worried that somebody might go online and *gasp* renew my books!
I just spent about eleventy hours downloading a book from the library and burning it to CD so that my mom and I can listen to it when we're driving to Ohio. I think that I could have READ the book in the amount of time that I spent getting it onto the CD's!
I've become a huge fan of Minute to Win It.
I had a pedicure done two weeks ago, and it really wasn't very good. My nails looked fine, but she didn't get my feet as soft as I wanted. I considered going back and getting my money back, because, really, it's excessive to pay someone $30 to paint my toenails. But I think I was kind of worried that they'd talk about me after I left. Or argue with me when I was there. I'm such a wimp.
My fantastic husband Troy worked on my computer and made it run faster. Before he did this, I had to go in and back up anything I wanted to keep. One thing I forgot to back up? All of the pictures that I took in school last year. WAAAAH!
Was that thunk I just heard you falling out of your chair, dead from boredom?

2010-07-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it will be interesting to see if this post works because I'm writing it from Troy's iPhone. While I'm lying in bed...but maybe that's TMI. Hey, at least I didn't say I was writing from the shower or something like that, right? Because then you'd all start to question my intelligence for taking the phone into the shower.
There are a few disconcerting things about blogging from an iPhone, not the least of which is the voice that keeps TALKING to me, telling me which words I'm getting ready type. It's like predictive text, only with sound. And I don't know exactly when she's going to pipe up, so I'm kinda on edge right now. Also there's the fact that (SEE?! She just said "FACT!" in a loud, bossy voice! Duh, lady! I knew I said that!)
Where was I?
Oh yeah...the fact that if I'm not careful about finger placement, I end up hitting a button that sends me shooting over to some OTHER place and I have to re-log into Blogger. Annoying. And I just spent a good five minutes trying to figure out how to get my cursor back to the end of that previous sentence because, somehow, I managed to get out of place.
Plus my arms are going to sleep because of the weird position I'm forced to sit in.
So, all in all, I'd say this hasn't been my greatest blogging experience. And YOU'D say that this hasn't my greatest blog POST, wouldn't you?
Over and out, because I can't feel my fingers anymore.

Funny Things My Kids Have Said Recently

2010-07-06T13:25:00.001-05:00

"I'm going to name him, and frame him, and call him Sam." ~ Deco, referring to an acorn that he found and drew a face on.
"I'm was on repeat!" ~ Reilly, referring to her bout of stuttering this past Saturday morning. (I had grabbed her and shaken her and said, "She's skipping!")

Scared

2010-06-24T14:48:00.001-05:00

I just had what was, quite possibly, the scariest moment of my life to date.
There's a little girl who lives at the end of the street that Reilly likes to play with, and she is allowed to walk down there by herself to see if she can play. So, today, when she asked me, "Mom, can I go and see if Anna can play?" I thought nothing of it and told her that would be fine. I continued putting away pet food and puttering about for probably five to ten minutes when it occurred to me that she wasn't back yet.
So I head down the street to retrieve her.
At Anna's house, there are two cars in the driveway, but nobody answers the door despite several rounds of knocking...well, knocking, then knocking harder, then pounding with my fist, actually.
No answer.
I head back up the street to our house, my heart beginning to speed up. A nice guy who lives across the street from Anna's house called to me and asked if I was looking for someone. (He was very nice and said, "You looked kind of worried.") I told him that Reilly had gone down there to see if Anna could play, but she apparently wasn't there. He said that he'd seen a couple of girls leave with someone in an SUV a little while earlier. I told him I was sure that she had come back into the house and I'd just not noticed.
I get back to the house, calling her name as I come through the door, expecting her to answer from her room.
No answer.
I'm amazed at the amount of scenario's that can go through a parent's head when faced with something like that. In a matter of about thirty seconds, I had her being whisked into the SUV and taken off to who knows where. I had her somehow locked up in Anna's house, unable to get to the door. I had her snatched off of the street by a passing car.
I kept my wits about me long enough to call to the neighbor across the street to see if she had gone there. And, when her friend said that, yes, she was there, I was able to maintain my composure long enough to tell her to tell Reilly to come home RIGHT. NOW.
And then I sat on the sofa and burst into tears.
I don't think she'll ever change locations like that without telling me. I'm thinking that the trauma of watching her mom bawl while trying to chew her out might just have scarred her for life.
Which, at this point, is fine with me.

They Giggled as They Gobbled at the Laces of Our Shoes

2010-06-18T08:32:00.003-05:00

How is it that my little baby girl is 10-years old today? I could go on and on about how time flies, but anyone who is a parent would just roll their eyes and say, "Yeah, yeah, Lisa. Tell us something we DON'T know!"
So I will.
Here are 10 Fun Facts about Reilly as we celebrate her 10th birthday:

She always says, "Squeegee, Luigi!" (complete with strong Italian accent) as she squeezes out her hair after a shower. (Why, yes, she does this because she learned it from me! Why do you ask?)
For the past eight and a half years, when it's been my night to put her to bed, she's asked for the same two songs. "Morningtown Ride" (or, as we call it, The Choo Choo Song) and The Teddy Bear Picnic. Now, I will say that I don't sing them ANYTHING like these people...although, that might make for a different bedtime routine!
She loves having her back scratched, probably as much as I do! This is how we bond during movies. And how I bonded with my Dad when I was a kid!
She is a very good mimic, quite adept at doing accents. My favorite is her British accent.
She loves being read to; this morning at breakfast, we read Birthday Monsters and The Birthday Bears, (The second book is where I got the title of this post!)
Supey sleeps, almost exclusively, on Reilly's bed. Years ago, we decided that he shared Reilly's birthday, so he is officially six years old today. Reilly adores Supey.
She loves roller coasters.
She also loves to watch me edit dance recitals.
Reilly was born on Father's Day and we got to be on the news that night.
She doesn't like any kind of nut, except for pistachios.

Happy birthday, Baby Bear!!

The last ten years have been a joy, an adventure, and a blessing!

What's the Japanese word for "puke"? *

2010-06-15T08:37:00.000-05:00

We have a dog named Neko, which actually means "cat" in Japanese. We're a family that loves us some irony, so we named our dog Neko-Ashi Dachi, which is the cat stance in Bushido Kai.
OK, well, I said "we are a family of irony" but I'm not sure that it's a "we" thing. Troy is actually fairly normal and probably would have been just as happy to name the dog Nikki, which is kind of a family dog name in his family. His mom, his dad, AND his grandmother have all had dogs named Nikki. Numerous dogs named Nikki, I believe. In fact, currently his dad and his mom BOTH have dogs named Nikki. And both of those dogs are poodles.
But, I digress.
As usual.
Anyway, Neko is, bar none, the best dog I've ever had in my life. He's cute, and funny, and obsessed with his squeaky ball. (That's the part that makes him funny, actually. I mean, it's not like he tells a good joke.) He will play fetch for as long as you're willing to keep throwing the ball. I think he could go on for hours.
The ONE minor flaw with Neko is that he's a puker. I don't know why I seem to be blessed with dogs that like have weak stomachs, but JoJo was a puker too. At least twice a week I hear, "Moooom! Neko puked!" This morning I thought that we should institute a "You Find It, You Clean It" policy so that I can stop being the Puke Patrol. Then I realized that the problem with that plan is that everyone would just ignore the mess, hoping that someone ELSE would see it. And that's just gross.
Yes, I did just write a post centering on dog puke. What? It's not like you come here for deep, meaningful reading material!
On a cat note, Supey has a drinking problem. In that, when he drinks, he ends up with water splashed on his nose.
On an "OH I'M SO EXCITED" note, Troy and I are going back to Eureka Springs for our anniversary in August! And we're staying in the same place!

I'm so excited that my heart literally gets fluttery whenever I think about it!!!

*For the record, DO NOT Google "Japanese word for puke" because you'll wind up with MANY x-rated links. Apparently, there's some kind of puking fetish out there, and it's got a Japanese flair.

Summer Lovin'

2010-06-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

OK, well, not really, that just somehow seems like a good summer title. However, it kind of gives off the wrong impression and there's no telling how many weirdos will show up now through their sicko google searches. I mean, people more weird than the three of you who already read here. (Hi, Mom! *waves*)
Well, we're in the throes of summer now, which means that we're really doing a whole lotta nothin' and that's just how I like it. Each day has no bigger plan than eat breakfast and lunch and see how many popsicles one can consume.
Well, not me on the popsicle thing. I'm not a huge fan because, honestly, I think they taste weird. I don't like sno cones, either. I'm more of an ice cream sandwich girl, really, which might explain my round-ness.
I sat down here to write something interesting and now my mind has kind of gone blank. I need to keep a voice recorder handy so that I can actually write all the witty things that come to mind. Or maybe that wouldn't be a good idea, because I think maybe I'm more witty INSIDE my mind than OUTSIDE of it.
I was blessed with a summer cold last week. Funny how the words "summer cold" leave an impression of a light sniffle and a few delicate sneezes. Not for me! I have been treated to laryngitis and about 4 million gallons of fluid making a mass exodus from my nostrils. I've gone through about a box and a half of tissues in the last week, which is actually not anything big for me. It's not uncommon for me to go through an entire box of tissues in 24 hours. Beat THAT!
Oh, right. It's not a competition.
I've regained most of my voice, which is a relief to Declan. Every morning, he's said, "Mom? Talk. Oh, you STILL don't sound right!" I think he was a little freaked out that his mom sounded like a bad guy from a superhero cartoon.
So I'm pretty much back to normal and ready to take on the day! Me, and my box of tissues.

Bullet Points

2010-05-03T18:02:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm Lisa and I'm a failing blogger.
I like bullet points because it makes my posts look longer. Because we all know you want longer posts from me.
Stop laughing.
I went to ABKA Nationals this past Saturday, where I ranked second in kata and third in sparring. This is especially exciting because there were more than four women competing in both of those things, so I actually legitimately earned those, as opposed to kind of defaulting into the placement.
I'm experiencing allergies unlike I've ever experienced them, which makes me better appreciate what my husband goes through every time the wind blows. My face itches. Not just my eyes, my entire face. It's annoying. Feels like little bugs crawling on my cheeks.
Last night, Deco was telling me a story at bedtime, but he wanted to put in "funny words". So, he's telling "Jack and the Beanstalk" and gets to the end where the giant is coming down the beanstalk, and Jack says, "Mother! Mother! Bring me some scissors!" Cracked me UP! That kid is going to be SO FUNNY when he grows up!
The Kids don't know it, but we only have two weeks of school left! Yes, our official last day of school will be May 14th. Can you hear me cheering from there? I'm ready for some summer break!
I really want to teach Reilly to cook this summer. She's already chosen some recipes from some cookbooks she got from the library. Of course, they're almost all dessert recipes. Maybe we need a nutrition class this summer, too.
I think I like bullet points because it fits my rambling stream of consciousness better.
Darn, I forgot to wash the towels today.
OK, gotta run!
BYE!

Mom and Daughter Weekend

2010-04-13T12:04:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, Reilly and I went to a Mother Daughter retreat at a camp close to us. (Do you like how cagey I'm being? That's so none of you STALKERS can figure out where we live and come and TP our house! Ha HA! I'm so sneaky!) We had a great time! There was a ropes course, so we got to do something aptly named "The Screamer", which was basically where you were hoisted up in a harness, ala Peter Pan, as high as a telephone pole. Then you yank on a tab that releases a carabiner, causing you to swing through the air, screaming like a little girl. It was awesome! Reilly did a zip line after dark, and we also did some rock climbing and riflery. There were times of teaching, and a fun activity to build trust that involved setting and un-setting mousetraps while blindfolded. All in all, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend!

Math, the Relational Way

2010-04-12T12:23:00.000-05:00

"Any time I'm doing math, I like to pretend that two is a boy and he likes four...because, you know, two plus two is four, and two times two is four...and any time that two has to deal with four, he's really excited."

Reilly, Age 9, today while she was doing math. Should I be worried?

On another note, I know that you've all been waiting with bated breath to see how my prairie dress turned out! After hours and hours of blood, sweat, and tears...okay, that's a little dramatic. There was no blood or sweat, but there were almost some tears when I realized that I'd messed up on the pinafore and now had seams on the outside of the shoulders. The great thing is that my genius friend, Julie, was able to help me fix the problem so that I didn't have to throw the pinafore out and end up sitting in the corner, rocking and sucking my thumb. (That's why Reilly has little bows on her shoulders. We decided that she's the RICH prairie girl, ala Nellie Olson, and can afford little embellishments like shoulder bows.)

Reilly didn't have as much fun at the one-room schoolhouse this time. I think it's because it was the exact same as last year, which makes sense because the public school kids JUST go in fourth grade. It's only because we're homeschoolers that we get to add other grades (third and fifth) to make up the numbers that are required to go. So, I don't know that she'll go back next year. It's taking every fiber of my being NOT to say, "I WORKED FOR 27 HOURS TO MAKE A PRAIRIE DRESS FOR YOU! YOU ARE GOING BACK NEXT YEAR, WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT!" I don't want to traumatize her.
I will say, however, that she has her halloween costume for next year, whether she likes it or not!

10 Things You Might Not Know . . .

2010-03-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

. . . unless you know me really well!

I love office supplies. Pens, especially. I adore going to Staples or Office Depot, and could spend time browsing, just as though I were at a clothing store.
I would rather store things in the fridge in Ziploc baggies than in bowls with plastic wrap over them.
I would rather use foil than plastic wrap to cover the tops of bowls. I love how it makes a nice, firm grab on the edge of the bowl.
The only exception to #3 is if I've gone whole-hog and bought the fancy, sticky, grippy type of plastic wrap. (The actual name of the product I'm thinking of is escaping me at the moment.)
I'm a good speller.
I cannot sleep with my back to the door unless Troy is in between. I think that I believe that the Boogieman will come in and eat him first, allowing me enough time to escape.
I am currently really enjoying "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains", and I'm actually rooting for Boston Rob, who is on the "Villains" team.
I can't wear my house slippers without socks, it bugs me too much.
I can play songs on the recorder by ear.
I often sing songs in "opera style" at the top of my voice. My kids are used to it, but I think that I need to pay more attention to whether or not the windows are open. I'm not sure that the neighbors love it.

On a completely different note, I am married to the bestest guy in the whole world, just in case you were wondering. He bought me the CUTEST shoes! Just out of the blue, simply because I admired them. Not for any special occasion or event. Just because he loves me!

Aren't they GREAT! I love them!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2010-03-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

In honor of this day, which, yes, I'm honoring despite the fact that I'm probably 1/8th Irish or something like that, I decided to introduce you to the fantastic music of Celtic Thunder. Enjoy!!

I've watched interviews with these guys, and some of them have accents so thick, you can hardly understand them! I'm always amazed how accents get softened when someone is singing. (Heck, for years I didn't know that Rod Stewart had an accent, and then I heard him speak instead of sing.)

Things That I Wonder...

2010-03-16T05:57:00.000-05:00

How is it that there is, apparently, a widely-celebrated day called "Pi Day" that I've never heard of? It falls on March 14th, because 3.14 is Pi and 3/14 is the date on that day. (That lesson was for all of you slow folks who might not realize that the numerical date for March 14th would be 3/14. Sorry for the lack of confidence in your brain skills. Rest assured, I'm about to make fun of my own brain skills here in a second, so there's nobody who is left out on this here blog.) I mean, my friend Heather celebrated Pi Day with her kids, complete with pizzas with cute pepperoni shapes on them and my cousin, Ryan acknowledged Pi Day on HIS blog. I'm barely smart enough to remember that pi is 3.14, but I don't honestly know how that has any relevance to life as a whole. What do we do with pi? And, really, aren't we glad I'm homeschooling my kids so that I can share my wealth of math knowledge with them? I fear for their future...
I wonder why in the world the powers that be decided that we should "spring forward" on a Saturday night. Why not a Friday night, when 90% of the population doesn't have to get up to go anywhere the next morning? I mean, I actually had to go in and WAKE UP MY CHILDREN yesterday morning because it was 7:30 and they were still asleep and we had to get ready for church! It is UNHEARD of that I have to wake my kids up! They pop out of bed at 7:00 every morning, regardless of how late they have been up the night before. If it had been Saturday morning, I could have just let them sleep! It was decidedly unfair.

The Kids were in a musical called "Splash Kingdom" at our church on Friday night, and it was FANTASTIC! Reilly was one of the leads, a character named Sandy Shore who was a "valley girl", which meant that she got to say things like, "TOTALLY AWESOME!" and "Bummer!" It was a part that seemed to have been tailor-made for her. Deco was a "lifeguard" in the chorus, and had a ball singing and doing the motions. It was a wonderful, fun way to share the message of salvation!

Things I Want to Not Forget

2010-03-03T16:45:00.001-06:00

Declan is going to turn seven years old on Friday. I look around me and think, "Wait a minute. How is it possible that I have an almost-seven-year-old and a nine-and-three-quarters year old?" and then I want to freeze time a little bit so that it will stop going by so quickly. Then someone starts to argue with me or asks me for a snack and I silently beg time to go a little faster so that it can be bedtime quicker.
Let me say that one thing I love about homeschooling is that, when it's all said and done, I will never, ever, ever be able to believe that I didn't spend enough time with my kids. When they are grown and heading for college, I will be safe in the knowledge that it actually might not have been possible for me to spend more time with The Kids. (And, I will also admit that there are some days that I would give a kidney just to go to the store by myself, lest you think it's all sunshine and daisies all the time!)
Anyway, I was thinking today about things that I don't ever want to forget about my kids as they are small.

Declan is obsessed with superheroes, especially ones that he can "assign" to members of the family. I don't know how may conversations we've had about which X-Men we would all be, or which Ben 10 character we would be. (For the record, we've decided that I would be Dr. Jean Gray and Troy would be Cyclops because, after all, they are boyfriend and girlfriend. It's just natural.)
Not only does he love talking about superheroes who actually "exist", he loves to talk about superheroes that he makes up. These conversations, left unchecked, could go on for hours as he recants all of the super powers that SolarMan has.
We still read to both of The Kids every night, unless we're not home at bedtime. This is a tradition that I think I would be perfectly happy to see continue until they leave for college. The best conversations happen after the lights go out, and not all of them revolve around superheroes.
Reilly adores having her back scratched, and she and I often trade scratches while watching movies or TV in the evenings.

That's about it for now. What are some things that you want to remember about your kids?

To Snack or Not to Snack?

2010-03-02T10:31:00.000-06:00

I have a son, as you probably all know. (Duh!) He is beginning to fall into that "typical boy" mode of being a black hole of food consumption. I mean, that kid can EAT! He can pack away an adult-sized chicken nugget meal with no problem! (Not that that's the healthiest option for dining, I'm fully aware. We don't do that often.) He will finish lunch or dinner and then, an hour later, say that he's hungry. Sometimes I think that he is genuinely hungry and sometimes I think he's just bored, so I'm really trying to find a healthy eating balance for him, and Reilly, too.
While I'm a big supporter of "clean your plate" at meals, I want my kids to be in the habit of ceasing to put food in their mouths when they're full, whether or not their plates are clean. I know that part of the reason that I put on weight over the years was because I kept eating when I was full, simply because it tasted  good. Just the other day, Declan said, "My stomach is telling me that I'm full, but my mouth is telling me to keep on eating." Man, how many times have I felt THAT?! It was a great teaching moment! I'm also trying to teach them to not let their eyes be bigger than their stomachs, and only put the amount of food on their plate that they think they're going to eat.
Especially with Declan, I'm trying to figure out when he is really  hungry and when he's just looking for something to do. This can really be kind of tricky, and I worry that I'm denying him snacks when he really needs something to eat. I'm also trying to teach him that our stomachs need not feel FULL all the time. Feeling hungry every once in awhile isn't a bad thing.
So, I'm on a quest to have at least most  of the snacks that we keep on hand be healthy snacks. Believe you me, I'm not opposed to a PopTart or chips for a snack every once in awhile, but I really want to be able to offer fruit or crackers or something like that most of the time. I was surprised at what I found when I googled "healthy snacks for kids" looking for recipes and ideas. More than one website offered mini pizzas as a good snack option. My mind boggled a little bit, because, as far as I'm concerned, the whole purpose of a snack is to tide you over until the next meal. Pizza is a meal! (Plus, I'll just say it out loud, I'm a wee bit too lazy to cook mini pizzas mid-afternoon.)
Anyway, I don't really have a good punch line for this post, and I realize that you may have fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of reading. Sorry about that. Wipe the drool off your chin and return to your regularly scheduled day!

Neko-Ashi Dachi

2010-02-25T09:31:00.001-06:00

As you may or may not know, we have a dog. A little, brown poodle, cute as a button, named Neko-Ashi Dachi. (Pronounced Neeko Ah-shee Dah-chee). We call him Neko for short, although the "Ashi Dachi" comes in rather handy for three-naming him when he's in trouble.
"NEKO-ASHI DACHI! Did you puke on the carpet AGAIN?"

You may or may not know that, in the style of karate that I take, neko-ashi dachi actually means "cat stance". After much extensive research (OK, I admit, actually after about 5 minutes of google searches) I discovered that "neko" is "cat" and "ashi" is "leg, foot, be sufficient, counter for pairs of footwear", whatever in the heck that means. (I knew already that "dachi" is stance) I love the irony of my dog actually being called "cat" all the time!

This is what a neko-ashi dachi looks like in real life:

But, really, I think it looks a whole lot better in this picture:

(And that picture, my friends, is what prompted this whole post!)

WFMW: Saving Thirty Bucks!!

2010-02-24T13:03:00.000-06:00

Well, I've never actually done this before, although my friend Heather over at The Duklings does it every Wednesday. It originates at We Are THAT Family, I think...I don't know. Wait, I just realized that it must originate there because the web address on the banner matches. So, yeah, it started there.
Amazing how my posts often end up as a meandering string of consciousness, huh?
So, my "thing" that works for me is saving money! See, our cat, Supey, had been using the same litter box since he was a kitten. I began to think that maybe, just maybe, we should get a new one, seeing as how it's just plastic and has probably soaked up several years of...well, I'll just stop there. Suffice to say, I thought it was time for a fresh toilet for Supercat.

I headed off to Petsmart and found one that seemed to fit the bill. Nice and big, for our...umm...hefty kitty, and with the extra added bonus of having the entrance in the top. This is a bonus because we have a small dog who, unfortunately, has very few qualms about going spelunking in the cat box. Yes, that is gross. This is the reason that I pretty much don't let any dog lick me on the face. Because, EW, you know the places that they put that tongue! *gag* The only problem was that The Perfect New Poop Place carried a hefty price tag: $34.99. Yikes! Thirty five bucks for a cat toilet!

But, as I took a closer look at the Clevercat Top Entry Litterbox I realized that all it really was was a Rubbermaid tub with a hole cut in the top. Yes, there are little litter-catching grooves on the top, and the edge is nice and smooth, but other than that, it's just a $35 Rubbermaid box. So, I decided that I would make my OWN Clevercat box! One $5 box and a bread knife later, and VIOLA! My own top entry litter box! (The bread knife came into play for cutting the hole in the lid.) AWESOME! It really does work well, and I'm very glad that I didn't shell out the $35 for "the real thing".
(Wow. I can't believe I just wrote a whole post about a litterbox.)
OH! I almost forgot to say, if you want to find out things that work for OTHER people, things that are probably far more interesting than this was, go to and look HERE!

Everyday Words

2010-02-17T10:45:00.001-06:00

Today, in language arts, Reilly was to write words that she hears every day. (Exactly why this is a LA exercise, I don't have a clue. I'm not sure what skill this develops...) This is the list that she wrote:

Good morning
Neko
Supey
Time to start school.
What do you want to do?
Papa's home!
Dinner's ready.
It's time to get ready for bed.
What are we reading?
Love you!
Is your CD changed?
Are you all ready for bed?

I don't know why it tickled me so much, but it did!

One of Declan's spelling words on his mid week quiz: thorn

The sentence in which I used the word "thorn"? *sings at top of lungs* "THORN IN MY SIDE, YOU KNOW THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE-E!"

Aaah, I do love me some 80's music. And 80's hair. And shoulder pads.

So, What's Up with Y'All?

2010-02-16T18:55:00.001-06:00

Last night, I made chicken fajitas and had some cheese dip to go along with them. I put some of the dip in a bowl for Declan and he said, "I'm kind of outgrowing cheese dip." My heart broke a little. Not because he's "getting so big" but because WHAT KID OF MINE DOESN'T WANT CHEESE DIP!?
I got all domestic today and made some banana bread! It turned out a little...weird? It tastes fine, if a little dry, but the top caved in and the edges got kind of crispy. Troy joked that it was the bananas, which were so "ripe" that they almost disintegrated. Hopefully the bread doesn't kill the two sets of neighbors that I...ummm...blessed with a loaf!
We had a really fun Valentine's day! Many years ago, Troy and I decided that V-Day wasn't going to be a

big gift giving holiday, but I love making a special meal for The Family. I set the table with our wedding china and always get a little hoo-ha (translation: "just a little something") and set it on everyone's plate. This year, my mom and my brother came over to dinner, which just made it that much more fun. I do loves me my family!
My husband is a super genius. Our bathroom toilet (duh...like we have a kitchen toilet?) has been "running on" for a long time now. Sometimes we could jiggle the handle and it would stop, sometimes it would just stop on its own, and sometimes we had to turn off the water to the toilet to get it to stop. Sometimes you had to hold the handle down to get it to flush at all. It was very tempermental, which, honestly, it has earned. I think this toilet was installed when Nixon was in office, so it could be as tempermental as it wants to, as long as it wasn't spewing nasty water all over my bathroom. Anyway, Troy realized that replacing some sort of valve thingamajigger would make it stop. So he trooped off to Ace hardware and bought the proper thingamajigger and VIOLA'! It was fixed. He's my hero, I swear.
I'm ridiculously excited to be watching "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains". Seeing Boston Rob and Colby and Jeri and Stephenie and Rupert...it just brings back some great T.V. watching memories! I'm a little skeeved out by the amount of injuries in the first 10 minutes of the premiere, though. Hopefully things will get less painful, although I think that Boston Rob falls down a hill next week.

Winter Apocalypse 2010 Update

2010-01-29T19:05:00.003-06:00

Sooo....this picture shows what my front yard looks like. It iced overnight, about half an inch.
Wait, I have to interrupt myself here to share something that I heard the weatherman say earlier. You know how they always talk in that very serious tone of voice, regardless of what they are talking about? Well, I was watching earlier today, trying to see when the snow was going to actually hit, and he said, "SOME places in town have reported up to SIX TENTHS of an inch of ice."
Now, Reilly has just started doing equivalent fractions, something which I had never heard of before...OK, well, maybe I heard it waaay back when I was in school, but when it comes to math, the teacher often sounded a lot like Charlie Brown's teacher....ANYWAY. (Don't you love how I even interrupt my interruptions? I do that in real life, too. I'm sure it's not annoying or anything.) It makes me wonder if the weather men have mathematicians sitting around coming up with ways to make really little numbers sound like really BIG numbers.
Weatherman: "Oh, no, Ernie. We didn't even get an inch of ice. After all the hype and after causing the stores to completely run out of toilet paper, we didn't even get an INCH. In fact, we barely got over HALF an inch! We've got to do something, otherwise some random housewife is going to come in here and strangle us!"

Ernie the Mathematician: "Well, you know there are ways to make that sound better. The bigger the number sounds, the more justified people feel in their TP purchases. So, we'll say SIX TENTHS OF AN INCH and that will sound huge! And if that doesn't work, we'll bump it up to twenty-four fortieths. Easy peasy, rice and cheezy!"

Wait. I lost my train of thought.
Anyway, I guess this whole post is to say that it did indeed snow, probably at least six inches, so I no longer feel like I need to strangle a weatherman.

My Lack of Techi-ness

2010-01-29T11:25:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the layout of the photos in the previous post. I thought it would be fun to add some random pictures and apparently I don't know how to actually get them into the posts without them looking all weird.
So, it is snowing a bit here, I'm thankful to report. Thankful because, honestly, if it weren't snowing, I'm afraid that I would be in the closet having a nervous breakdown. They've been talking about it for SO LONG, getting us all worked up, and I thought that if it doesn't do SOMETHING, I'm going to head down to the news station and strangle me a meteorologist! And I think that going to prison would delay my Girls Only Weekend a bit longer than a snowfall will.

The Weather, It's A-Changin'!

2010-01-28T17:01:00.001-06:00

In the interest of NOT going three months between posts, and because I'm sitting here at the kitchen table, waiting for the Winter Apocalypse, I decided that I'd just write a little post about what's going on here.
So...
Hmmm...

Apparently some nasty weather is heading our way. You don't even have to watch the weather to know this. I could tell just by going into Wal Mart and realizing that people have been stocking up on...everything, actually. One would think that the weather is somehow directly related to everyone's bowel and bladder evacuation because the TP aisle was looking a little thin. "Edna, snow's comin'. Better stock up on some toilet tissue! Oh yeah, and git some soup while you're up there!"
I had to cancel a Girls' Only Weekend with two of my best girlfriends because of the weather, so I'm a little bitter about that. OK, a lot bitter. As in, I'll lament about it to anyone who will stand still for thirty seconds.
The ONE good thing about Winter Apocalypse 2010 is that every single stitch of clothing in our house is clean, with the exception of the clothes on our backs. I decided that if we were going to lose power - which I feel we are destined for because if someone so much as sneezes hard in their backyard our power goes out - I at least wanted to be sitting in the dark in clean clothing.
We are also well stocked up on propane for our little indoor space heater. Which may guarantee that we don't, in fact, lose power because I think that my level of preparedness directly affects whether or not bad things happen. It's not that I'm actually preparing for power loss, it's that I'm thwarting power loss by being completely prepared. If I were sitting here with no propane and a single can of soup with which to feed the entire family, then we would lose power for sure. I'm maybe a little superstitious about this, I think.
On another note, I'm getting ready to make cookies, which feels really domestic. I don't just usually make cookies out of the blue, but a friend of mine from church made these FANTASTIC cinnamon cookies for a party last weekend and she sent the recipe to me. I realized that I had all the ingredients and thought, "Why not?!" Is it the equivalent of fiddling while Rome burns? Baking while the city freezes?
Last note: we had history co-op yesterday and I hosted. We made charoset, which is an apple/cinnamon/honey/nut mixture used in Seder meals to represent the mortar with which the Jewish people bonded bricks. I also bought some matzoh for the kids to try. I've now finished off the remaining matzoh, thankyouverymuch. Apparantly, I really like the taste!

It's in the blood!

2010-01-26T08:34:00.000-06:00

OK, now I know that some of you who read this blog PROBABLY spend a fair amount of time thinking, "What in the world is WRONG with Lisa that she acts the way she does?" (I certainly know that poor Troy probably wonders that on at least a weekly basis, if not daily!)
Well, we - meaning my side of the family tree! - often attribute our...ummm...quirks?...fun?...to The Reilly Gene. No, not Reilly as in my daughter, but the Charley Reilly for whom she was named. There is a distinct uniqueness to the Reilly Gene, and it is universal and strong within anyone who shares that bloodline. (Case in point would be the Christmas Gifting of the Billy Bob Teeth and Ensuing Hilarity.)
The following video is of my mom's sisters family and is a perfect example of how deep running is this Gene. I also want to point out that THREE of the people in this video (my uncle and two of my cousins' spouses) are not actually of the Reilly bloodline, but are still active participants in the Festivities. Which leads me to believe, in all of my scientific research, that The Reilly Gene is actually catching, making it unique among the gene...species?
ANYWAY, watch and learn, and then tell me that you DON'T want to go and spend Christmas with them next year!

Skool

2010-01-21T15:39:00.000-06:00

I've been terribly lax in posting things about school on this blog. Apparently, my lack of blogging about school over on Morning Star was not due to an inability to maintain two blogs, but was actually due to the fact that I find it more fun and interesting to blog about random things like cheese and poetry. (Not that I've actually blogged about cheese, but that was the first random word that popped into my mind.) I think that I also hesitate to blog about school because it's as though I jinx myself whenever I say that school is "going well". No sooner do I say that things are going "great" or "fantastic" or "smooth" than gremlins seem to take over and things go to pot. I find myself fantasizing about locking myself in my room and watching "Little Miss Perfect" all day long while The Kids run amok and swing from the chandeliers. (Ha! You thought I was going to say "fantasizing about sending them off to school elsewhere", didn't you?)
So, at the risk of putting a pox on our homeschooling journey, I will say that...things are going pretty well! It's not been at all like last year, with lots of fighting and strife, and I honestly have to say that the duct tape I make her wear over her mouth during school has worked wonders. *snicker*
Oh, I kid! I kid!
So....what are we doing in school that I can dazzle you with?
*crickets chirping*
You know, here's the thing, and I may have mentioned this before. I think that the reason I don't blog about school very much is that I don't really feel like there's anything blog-worthy that we're doing. I mean, it's just school. Reilly does grammar, math, spelling, science, history, handwriting and map skills. In the last few months, she's written two five-paragraph expository essays and one three-paragraph persuasive essay. (Them's sum big 'ol words there, huh?) They were well done for her age and she did them almost independently. She's working on her multiplication facts and doing fairly well in that department. I mean, what else is there to say? It's school. The most fun thing that we do by far is our history co-op that we go to every other week. (However, I'm fairly sure that that meeting is as much for me and my girlfriends to get to be around other grown-ups as it is for actual history education.)

OK, wait, wait! I DID have a funny moment today when I was giving Reilly her spelling test! The format of the test is that I read the word and then use it in a sentence as she's writing. Sometimes it becomes a race to see if she can finish writing her word before I finish my sentence. She often wins because sometimes I find it hard to find a use for, say, the word nobleman. Today, one of her words was preacher. So I said the word and then promptly belted out, "THE ONLY BOY WHO COULD EV-ER REACH ME...WAS THE SON OF A PREACHER MAN!"
She thought it was hilarious. Then, on the word teacher, I said, "I love being a teacher."
She responded, "Even though you're a weird one!"
And I switched the sentence to, "Your teacher can flunk you at a moment's notice."
That was equally as hilarious.

Random Dozen

2010-01-14T12:10:00.002-06:00

You know, it seems kind of silly to come back after not blogging for an eternity and make you read a "Random Dozen" list when so much has happened since I blogged last. I mean, we had a major holiday, people, yet I somehow have failed to write even one jot or tiddle about it. (Not that I would actually know a jot from a tiddle. I'm just trying to make you think that I'm all Bible-y and stuff. I do, however, know a semi colon from a semaphore.)
So, before I get to my randomness, which we all know is what I do best here at The Karate Mom, here's a run down of the holidays for you.
Christmas Eve - delicious ham at my dad's house. Yum.
Christmas Morning - kids awake before 6:00, but stayed out of our room. Got them at 6:15. Many packages ripped open. Lots of "Yay! I love this!! My favorite!" (My family is very gratifying to buy presents for!)

Christmas Day - over to my mom's house for more package ripping and "Yay's!" Lots of laughter when my brother, Erin, gifted us all with "Billy Bob teeth". We are, if nothing else, a silly family. I just KNOW that Troy looks around sometimes and thinks. "What in the world have I gotten myself into?"
Other Christmas Noteworthiness - It was a white Christmas, so we got to go sledding. Awesome! We spent time with Troy's dad and sisters on different occasions, which was fun. Although no Billy Bob teeth were involved. I wonder...maybe I should invest in some for next year's festivities?
Now everything is back to normal. (HA! Did you see that? I just referred to us as NORMAL right after I posted pictures of us in Billy Bob teeth!) So I'm going to do a Random Dozen!

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave?
Ummm, probably some time last month when I was craving something salty. Troy and I decided that it might be that my BODY was needing salt, so he went and bought some Gatorade for me. I think it helped.

2. M & M's or Skittles?
Hmmmm...depends on what mood I'm in. The only think about M&M's is that there's really not all that much chocolate in them. So it's kind of a let down.

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?
Not yet, and I'm only seven months behind in my current "Read the Bible in a year" plan! I keep on trucking, though, because I figure it's the content that's important, not the time frame.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?
Not long, actually. I do get up much earlier than The Kids, though, because that way I have a couple of cups of coffee in me before I hit "Mom Mode".

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?
Yes, several back when I was a kid. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go on another one!

6. Who is your favorite actress?

I don't really know. I like lots of different ones, so I can't really narrow it down!

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.
I want to put something really profound in here. But I'm all seeing, all knowing so there's really not anything I don't understand. Hey. You can stop laughing. Honestly, even though I'm signed up, I don't understand Twitter. I mean, I know HOW to do it, but I don't get why anyone is interested in the tiny little boring details of my life. "Just walked it to the kitchen and got some water! Yay for hydration!"

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?
Oh, I like new things alright. I'd probably buy more techie things if we had the MONEY!

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?
They're just too expensive! However, when I am picking one out, I know it's the right one if it makes me laugh out loud in the store. Because, honestly, I rarely buy serious cards. They're just not my style.

OK, apparantly this is actually going to be the Random 9 because for some reason, the last questions didn't get copied and pasted. And I've got a mountain of laundry waiting to be folded. I hate for Troy to get home from work and have the only fruits of my labor be a new blog post.

Poetry

2009-12-19T03:22:00.002-06:00

JABBERWOCKY

Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought --

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'

He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

OK, my favorite part? "O frabjous day! Calloh! Callay!" Because, really? I use the term "frabjous day". Laugh if you want, but sometimes, in the end, it's the words that aren't real words that end up making the most sense!

I remember my mom reciting this poem to me when I was a little kid. (Not reading it, reciting it from memory.) The poem painted a picture in my head that is still there, unfaded through time, and if I had an ounce of drawing talent I'd try to render the image that I see. But I don't, so the picture will stay where it is. Recently, she shared "Jabberwocky" with The Kids, and it captured Declan's imagination as well. I wonder what picture he sees?

I do know, however, that when Deco comes out of his room in the morning? He's definitely galumphing!

NOW it can be Christmas!

2009-12-12T18:14:00.000-06:00

Well, if you've been reading here for any length of time, you might recall that I've posted in the past about making Million Dollar Fudge. This is absolutely the number one Christmas tradition in our family, bar none. In fact, it might be safe to say that Troy would rather do without presents on Christmas morning than do without M.D.F. (The Kids might not agree with that, though.)
Last year, I posted the following regarding M.D.F.:

"Making Million Dollar Fudge is an exercise in science because there's a whole lot of boiling of sugar and butter and evaporated milk to the exact perfect temperature for the exact length of time while the moon is in the seventh house of Jupiter and fairies and leprecauns dance on the lawn and it can all go south very quickly. Apparently on Friday, I had fairies and gnomes dancing on the lawn because when I poured the butter/sugar/milk mixture over the chocolate, I could tell very quickly that it wasn't going to turn into Million Dollar Fudge. It was, in fact, going to turn into Million Dollar Crap, because the temperature was very wrong and the chocolate went all wonky - that really is the best way to describe it. Honest. - and I had to throw it away. There's nothing that pierces the heart more than tossing seven pounds of lumpy, greasy, curdled-looking chocolate mixture into the trash. (Well, look at that. Apparently there is a better way to describe it than "wonky"! Who knew?) Especially when you know that the reason that it's called Million Dollar Fudge is because it costs about a million dollars to make."

I'm happy to say that this year, I succeeded in making the fudge on the first try! No lumpy, greasy, curdled-looking chocolate mixture to be found in MY kitchen!
However, as it was mixing, Troy called me out to the livingroom to watch a video on "free running" (which is amazing, by the way), so I stepped out of the kitchen for about 3 minutes, leaving the fudge to mix in my favorite kitchen appliance, the Kitchen Aid mixer. When I returned to the kitchen, what I DID find was the mixer with blade stopped and smoke pouring out of the back of it.
Yes, I killed the mixer.
The fudge survived. So, for Troy, it now officially feels like Christmas.

Reading, Writing, and...well...Writing

2009-12-09T22:22:00.000-06:00

Last year, or maybe it was halfway through the year before that...I don't remember...anyway, the timeline isn't really that important, but SOMETIME in the past year and a half, I decided that the thing that was lacking in school at our house was a true grammar and writing curriculum. I know that I want my kids to be able to speak and write in a grammatically correct manner, and I want them to know how to form ideas into coherent sentences and get them down on paper. In a way that is at least mostly correct.
(What's with me and all the words today? Why can't I just say, "I decided I wanted a good grammar and writing curriculum for Reilly."? Oh well, I guess it's just about what you've come to expect from this blog if you've been reading here for any length of time at all.)

ANYWAY, at the suggestion of my good friend, Julie the Homeschooling Guru, I decided to get Shurley English, which, while it is not flowery with pretty pages and colorful pictures, is very thorough and exactly the curriculum that I was looking for, and I knew it would fit the bill just perfectly. For the writing portion, we started with 3-point paragraphs and then moved onto 3-paragraph essays. However, Reilly really fought against the writing portion, saying that she haaated it and it was tooo haaaarrrrrd. There were days that it took her two hours to write a 3-point paragraph, which basically consisted of nine sentences. But, since I really feel like this is one of those super important subjects, I simply told her that it was something she had to do, whether she thought it was as fun as a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's or not.
Life Lesson #1. Things we have to do aren't always fun. I keep telling her that I don't think that doing the laundry is particularly scintillating, but I have to do it anyway. I don't think this particular example means a whole lot to her.
In the past few weeks, I've begun to notice a huge shift in Reilly's attitude toward writing. It started when she was writing her first 3-paragraph essay and instead of just discussing the topic with her and throwing her out to do it herself, I sat with her and we worked on it together. I even had her dictate to me what she wanted the paragraphs to say and she copied it into the final draft. We also took several days to complete it instead of trying to do it in one day.
This week, Reilly has been working on her first 5-paragraph essay. I helped her pick her topic (Pet Care) and figure out the points she wanted to make, and she took off like a rocket. She's about halfway through and has worked on her own for probably 90% of the time. No complaining or whining, no crying and saying how much she hates to write. Just hard work and a positive attitudel
I'm so proud of her, and yet I can't help but be concerned that she has been invaded by Pod People.
(When she finishes I'll ask her if I can transcribe the paper onto here so y'all can read it and be proud with me!)

A Month?

2009-12-02T08:26:00.001-06:00

Wow, can it be that it's been almost a whole month since I last posted? It just doesn't seem like it's been that long! And a whole holiday has gone by since I last wrote! WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
(Well, for one thing, I've been reading other blogs and wishing I wrote as well as they do, that's for sure. I've got blog envy.)
But, on a less whiny note, we've just been keeping busy, as has everyone else, I'm sure.
School is rocking along fairly well. I mean, really, it's nothing exciting. I wish I had a ton of pictures I could post, showing the fantastic things we've been doing, but I'm afraid that taking pictures of handwriting and math just aren't that scintillating. Sometimes I fear that I lack creativity when it comes to school.
But no whining. I'm not going to whine
Thanksgiving was wonderful! We ate lunch at my mom's house and my brother was here for the first time in eight years. (Wait, I mean that he was here for THANKSGIVING for the first time in eight years. He's been to town lots of times, just not for Thanksgiving.) That evening, we went to a little shopping center with some good friends and watched them turn on all the Christmas lights. Then we came home and ate corn soup and breadsticks, as has been our tradition for the past 10 years.
I love traditions.
I made my own turkey again this year, even though I wasn't hosting Thanksgiving. I just love turkey sandwiches so much! I used a bunch of the remaining leftovers to make turkey tacos which turned out very good.
OK, I'm going to stop typing now, as I think I've put you all to sleep and I'd hate for you to drool on your keyboard and short out your computer. Plus, I really need to start school with The Kids!

Stuff About Me

2009-11-05T14:55:00.002-06:00

~ I almost always owe the library money for overdue books. It's a really good thing that one can't be banned from the library for consistently having books that are overdue, because they would have put me on a "Wanted" poster years ago. I don't know why it's virtually impossible for me to get my books back on time. Actually, It's probably the same gene that made it impossible to get movies back to Blockbuster. We always owed them money, too, which is why we switched to Netflix. It's way, way, waaaaay cheaper!

I joke that I should just have an account with the library that I can add money to every few months. Then they can take my overdue fees out of there and just contact me when it gets low. (Actually, I think that it really would be handy if I could pay them via PayPal.)

2. I do believe I'm addicted to those cheap animal crackers made by Stauffer's. You know, the ones that come in the ginormous bag that you can get for $1.89 from Wal Mart? I find myself continually drawn back to the siren song of crunchy, toasted, slightly sweet goodness again and again. Oh well, I guess it's better than continually raiding The Kid's Halloween candy and stealing their Snickers bars. (IN MY DEFENSE, before anyone gets mad at me for stealing The Good Stuff from my kids, Reilly doesn't like Snickers bars because she doesn't like nuts. So, I'm really just getting them off of her hands.)

3. I have a recurring dream in which I'm frantically trying to dial a phone because there's some sort of emergency and I keep mis-dialing and having to start over. The funny thing is that every single time I have that dream, in the dream I think, "Oh no, this is just like that dream I always have, only THIS TIME IT'S REAL!!" as I frantically try the number again.

4. I've had that dream for years. YEARS.

5. My dreams are so weird that I can remember them for years. Even when they're not recurring ones.

The End.

Thanks for watching!

Vacation!

2009-11-04T10:21:00.003-06:00

Troy was on vacation last week, and we got to go to Memphis to visit his mom. This will be our last trip to see her in Memphis, as she and her husband are moving to Austin. This makes me sad because...well...it means no more Corky's barbecue ribs! *sob* It was all I could do to not go and eat there every night since we'll never be back. *wipes tears from eyes*

We had a wonderful vacation!

Aaaah, Corky's. I will miss you so much! *sob*

Random Dozen

2009-10-21T17:26:00.004-05:00

Hi, there!

I read a blog called BensRib, which I really enjoy a lot. (She calls her grandson Sticky Bean, which is about the cutest nickname I've ever heard. And her kids are adorable, even though they're not little. They're all, like, college aged, I think.) ANYWAY, she often participates in a thing called Random Dozen which is hosted at a blog called 2nd Cup of Coffee. So, I liked the questions from this week and decided to participate!

1. Candy corn: Your thoughts?

I can take it or leave it, actually. I'll eat it if it's around, but that's not saying much because I'll pretty much eat ANY sweets that are sitting around. I've heard that if you mix candy corn and peanuts together, it tastes like a PayDay bar. I'll have to try it when I'm off my Extreme Diet. (P.S. I've lost 19 pounds!)

2. Briefly, what was the first conversation you ever had with your spouse? (or best friend, if you're not married.) (Or someone significant, like your librarian.)

I don't honestly remember the FIRST conversation with Troy, but I can say that it probably included some...ummm...inappropriate innuendo. From Troy, not from me. I was squeaky clean and the perfect angel and he was the devilishly handsome older man. He's changed a lot. Well, he's still devilishly handsome. Just not such a bad boy.

3. Could you ever become a vegetarian?

Only if vegetarians can eat huge, juicy steaks, medium rare. Otherwise, not on your life.

4. Have you ever dressed up your pet in a costume?

I will admit to putting Neko and Supey in a Hawaiian print Build-a-Bear shirt. It looks cute.

5. Name something about childhood that you miss (like Clark Bars, Teaberry Gum, Malibu Barbie, cracking fake eggs on people's heads with your fist and "It's the Great Pumpkin" airing only once a year).

No worries, no mortgage. Knowing that my parents were taking care of all of my needs.

6. Have you ever won a trophy? If not, what do you deserve a trophy for?

Yes, I've won a karate trophy at a tournament. Well, actually, I have two. But at the second tournament, everyone got a trophy, so it kind of feels like I didn't win it.

7. When do you think is the appropriate time to begin playing Christmas music each year?

December 1st. NOT THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN, THANKYOUVERYMUCH!!

8. What's your favorite board game?

Apples to Apples, or pretty much anything that's going to make us laugh a lot.

9. How do you feel about surprises (receiving, not giving)?

I love surprises! LOVE THEM!!!!!

10. Is it easy for you to say, "I'm sorry?"

HAHAHAHAHA! Yes, it is. I say it a lot, especially to my kids.

11. What is your favorite candle scent?

I love spicy scented candles, like you'd put out at Christmas. I had one that smelled like vanilla cookies, or something like that. It's nice to have the house smell like I'm baking something yummy, since I rarely actually do that!

12. October is traditionally "open house" time in public schools. If you had a literal open house in your home (like a reception) what light snacks would you serve visitors and what would you show them (as in art projects, graded papers) that would uniquely represent you?

I'd make my friend Jan's artichoke dip, and probably those little weenies in grape jelly/mustard sauce. Some Ro-Tel dip, for sure. Sweets, like brownies and cookies and stuff. Oh, and homemade French onion dip with chips. I love entertaining.
I might show off some of the videos that we've edited, especially the family ones. I love the video work we've done. I'd show off Troy, because he's my best friend.

And, I have to steal Karen's answer, because it's so very true:
"I would show them my kids. They are my life's work."

Hope you've enjoyed my Random Dozen!

Tradi-shuuuuuuuuun! Tradition! *

2009-10-20T06:59:00.003-05:00

*Note: The title is supposed to mimic the song "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof. I'm not sure that it was obvious in the typing, but I wanted to make sure that you know my intention.

One of the things that we love, love, love to do around our house is watch Christmas movies in the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I decided last year that I wanted to add to it each year because, as nice as our collection is, I want it to be bigger. Honestly, one can only watch "Elf" so many time before you're craving something new and fresh. Or old and fresh, as the case may be, seeing as how some of the best Christmas movies are the old ones. "Scrooge" with Albert Finney (which is really the only true story of "A Christmas Carol" there is. I mean, all others are just plain second fiddle.) and "A Christmas Story" will always be on my list of The Best Christmas Movies.

ANYHOW, I'm super, super excited because the other day, I bought our Christmas movie for this year.

Are you ready?

Is the suspense killing you?

No.

I'll wait then.

...

Ready now?

I bought the 3-DVD set of The Santa Clause movies! I'm so excited! I love those movies! I can't wait to watch them!

OK, on another note, I've been trying to cook things from a healthy cookbook that I have, so I made polenta for dinner tonight. For those who don't know, another name for polenta is "cornmeal mush"...and that's pretty much what it was. The recipe called for topping it with spaghetti sauce and a little bit of mozzarella cheese, making the dish sound pretty good.

It wasn't.

Troy was the only one who liked it.

I let The Kids have a PB&J and some leftover chicken from last night. I just had my salad. It was much better than the mush. I should have saved it to use as a threat.

"If you complain about dinner, I'm pulling out The Mush!"

"If you don't stop bickering, I'll make you eat The Mush!"

"If you don't scratch my back, I'll give you The Mush!"

I'm thinking that threat would really pack a lot of power!

From One Bacon Lover to Another

2009-10-16T05:37:00.002-05:00

OK, this is the funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time!

A Day in the Life...

2009-10-15T11:14:00.003-05:00

So, this is how school seems to go lately:

KarateMom : OK, Reilly, now you're going to do your spelling journal entry.

Reilly : Waaaaah! I don't waaaant tooooo! It's tooo haaaaard! I can't thiiiiink of annyyything to wriiiiite!

(Note to reader: Her journal entry this morning basically consisted of writing about what rooms she would put into a castle if she could design a castle in any way she wanted. It was to be purely from her imagination.)

KarateMom : Reilly, if you don't stop complaining, I'm going to add more work for you to do.

Reilly : Waaaaah! You're not heeellllping meeee at alllllll! Waaaah!

KarateMom : OK, Reilly, we need to move onto something else. When we get finished with school, you can do your journal entry as well as writing twenty-five sentences because of your bad attitude.

Reilly : Waaaaahhhhh!

KarateMom : OK, now we're going to do Orange Book.

Reilly: Waaaaaah! I don't waaaaant to write another letteeerrrrrrrrr! Waaaaahhhhhh!

KarateMom : Hey, I just realized that you did today's lesson yesterday! You don't have to do Orange Book today.

(Whining magically stops.)

Fast forward to the end of school. We've done science, which was completely happy-happy-joy-joy because everyone LOVES science. It's sunshine and roses! We have completed grammar with no complaining at all.

I tell Reilly that she can go ahead and begin her journal entry. She asks if she can begin writing the sentences that she was assigned. I say sure, and write out "I will complete all of my schoolwork with a good attitude." for her to copy.

The storm begins again.

Reilly : I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A LONG SENTENCE!!!

KarateMom, realizing that this is just leading into an argument, ignores the statement and continues entering things into Homeschool Tracker. Reilly begins writing, beginning to put the sentences one after another instead of starting each sentence on a new line. She also completely ignores the margin. KarateMom corrects Reilly.

Cue tears and yet more arguing. Reilly has ten sentences added to her twenty-five that she is to write, bringing her total to thirty-five sentences. All because she wouldn't just quit the bloody complaining.

I swear, sometimes I get to the end of school feeling like I've been beaten with a stick.

Yes, Virginia, There Is A KarateMom

2009-09-23T16:26:00.003-05:00

No, I've not fallen off of the face of the earth. (How many posts have I started with that phrase anyway?)

Honestly, though, there are some days I wish I had. Or could.

So, I don't really have a well planned out post, I just starting blogging off the cuff. Which is what I usually do. Which is why my posts usually have about as much content as the inside of a Twinkie. Sorry.

So, instead of trying to make a post that has some sort of logical segue from topic to another, I'm just going to do bullet points.

(And, yes, I had to go to dictionary.com to find out how to spell "segue". It's not spelled like it sounds, unless you're talking about one of those two-wheeled thingies that mall cops run around on. Which I wasn't talking about. But I have ridden on one, and they're fun!)

(SEE?! NO CONTENT!)

Speaking of Twinkies, I'm on a diet. Now, I fully realize that announcing to the world via a blog that three people read that you're on a diet is just asking to fail, but there you have it. It's a fairly radical diet, involving supplements and counting calories, but I have lost seven pounds so far. I mean, I feel like I would trade my spleen for an Oreo, but weight is coming off. (But, really, who needs a spleen anyway?)
We spent the last weekend at the lake with my two favorite families. (We were at a house, not camping. Which is, to me, the perfect way to enjoy the lake!) We went tubing and jet skiing and played games and watched movies and laughed a LOT. All of the kids just got to run around outside and have fun with each other. There was a motorcycle out there, which Troy enjoyed a LOT. He spent three hours on Saturday morning, just giving kids rides. I thought he was going to cry when it was time to go home.
School is going. Most days just fine, some days with a lot of kicking and screaming. Honestly, I wish I were exaggerating a whole lot on that point, but I'm only exaggerating a little. Some days have been really ugly. Some days I honestly wonder if I'm sacrificing my relationship with Reilly for education. But today was great, so I just have to let the past be the past and look to God's grace for tomorrow.
There's something a little disconcerting about my daughter calling in from the other room "Moooommm? Do we have any shortening?" What exactly is she plotting in there?

~WARNING! WARNING! STRONG OPINION TO FOLLOW! ~

I think that Michael Moore is a moron. He's made a movie called "Capitalism: A Love Story". Yes, idjit, let's SLAM CAPITALISM.....THE THING THAT MADE YOU A MILLIONAIRE! Moron.

OK, I'm officially done ranting.

And, I'm done posting, actually. I have to go and get ready for class at our church tonight and I have to make my dinner to take. Because otherwise I'll get sucked into the vortex of cheesey goodness that is Tacorito Casserole, and that just doesn't fit into my diet plan.

Although I wish it did. ....mmmmm....cheeeeeessssseeeee....

I Know What Ice Fishing Is!!

2009-09-03T06:18:00.002-05:00

I think that one of the best lines in the epic movie* "Titanic" is where Rose is hanging off the end of the ship, about to throw herself into the icy waters of the ocean, and Jack begins to talk to her about how cold the water will feel. He mentions ice fishing, starts to describe it, she snaps at him, "I know what ice fishing is!" and he says, "Sorry, you seem like more of an indoor girl." Makes me laugh every time.

Sometimes I feel guilty because, well, I'm more of an "indoor girl". I don't go hiking or biking or running. I don't go camping except about every three years. When we told people that we were going to Hot Springs for our anniversary, SO MANY PEOPLE responded with, "Oh, there are great hiking trails there!" and all I could think was, "Ummmm, ew. Hiking? In August? On a romantic anniversaryvacation? Nu-uh. That's no vacation!" I wonder if I'm tainting my kids because we don't do these types of things as a family.

I am, however, working on teaching Declan to ride his bike without training wheels, so we've been outside quite a bit in the past couple of days. The weather has been fantastic, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Someone invented this fabulous contraption called a Buddy Bar (or something like that) which is a long metal handle you attach to the back of your kid's bike so you can hold on to them without killing your back. It makes it a lot easier, although I'm sure it's quite a site, seeing out-of-shape me, trotting along behind him.

(Ha ha! I say "out-of-shape" as though I was at one point in shape. I mean, I guess I'm a shape. Sort of round? Does that count?)

On a completely unrelated note, I bought a new phone off of eBay. Aaah, the bidding war was exciting! I can totally see how someone can become addicted to online auctions. The scheming, the waiting, the watching of the clock, palms sweating, holding your breath as you worry that someone is going to outbid you. Which, actually, is totally what I did. I waited until the last 30 seconds to put in my maximum bid so that nobody could outbid me! YEE HAW!

The only thing I'm worried about is the fact that I actually bought the phone from someone in Hong Kong. What if I get it and all of the numbers and phone text are in Chinese, so all I can actually do is answer calls that I get?

* I think that every time I've ever heard "Titanic" talked about, either in print or on T.V., it's described as "the epic movie", as though we'll forget the hugeness of the story. It's kind of like how, when an actor either wins or is nominated for an Oscar, they're forever known as an "Oscar nominee" or "Oscar winning actor". Even if they were nominated 50 years ago and nobody can remember what in the heck movie they were nominated for.

Or maybe it's not like that at all.

I can't believe I just ended a sentence in a preposition. And me a homeschooling mom and everything. For shame!

All the noise, noise, noise, NOISE!

2009-08-28T12:30:00.004-05:00

We've got quite a bit going on in our house this week! We're having a new floor installed! And, let me tell you, somehow I didn't expect it to be so...so...LOUD!

OK, sorry, little bit of overuse of exclamation points there. I think that maybe my brain is stuck in the mode of TALKING REALLY LOUD because of having to be heard over all the sawing and hammering and cursing. (Well, not so much the cursing, although I've heard a couple of salty words come out of one of the guys mouths. I may have to say something if I hear any more. Three strikes and you're out and all that. Although, he really can't be OUT because then, really, who would finish the floor. I'd be left with plywood and it's kind of splinter-y!)

Anyway, back to my story, told in typical Lisa-Style with waaay too many details, right?

So, for the past two days I've been here at the house while a crew of guys demolishes my kitchen floor and leaves a dusty mess. BUT, the end result will be fantabulous! Our old floor was one of those Pergo-type floors that looked like wood but wasn't. (I think that Pergo is sawdust smashed into planks, held together with marshmallow fluff, and then covered with fake paper that looks like wood. But what do I know?) We're not replacing it on a whim, we're actually replacing it because we had a couple of leaks from Bruiser the Refrigerator* and the floor was warped. And smelly. And we were worried that one of these days we'd all develop respiratory problems because of the mold.

And, whooo-EE, lemme tell you. When they pulled up the old floor - and the five layers of 30 year old linoleum that were UNDER the laminate - the house was some kind of stinky. I'm surprised the contractors didn't quit on the spot and tell us we were on our own!

I'm going to pause here and extol the virtues of the guys who are working on our house. They arrived at 9:00 yesterday, worked like dogs, took a 30 minute lunch, worked like dogs AGAIN until 5:30, and arrived promptly at 8:45 this morning. I think there are three things you need to have as a grown up - someone you trust implicitly to work on your house, someone you trust implicitly to work on your car, and a good computer geek who you can call to ask all your dumb computer questions. Me? I have all three!

So, below you'll see a slide show of the progress thus far. I feel kind of silly taking pictures during this process. I'm afraid that one of the burly, manly guys will laugh at me for blogging about my home remodel. (Or sue me for not paying him for the right to use his image!)

Side note: The picture of the "very very bottom layer" is actually the wood planks that make up the complete bottom of our entire house. There were big knot holes through which you could see the crawl space. I hate to think what things might have crawled up through them! *shudder*

Oh, I should say that we did our best to have school this morning, but it was really really hard to concentrate. So we did a few subjects, and then called it a day. The Kids were pleased.

* I feel compelled to mention that Bruiser is the fridge that we got such a great deal on. Remember? We only paid $350 for it? Well, the ice maker hose leaked TWICE, so, really? Bruiser cost us around $2500 when you add in the floor replacement! WHOOPEE!

Dadgummit!

2009-08-20T15:37:00.005-05:00

I'm trying desperately to make a slideshow of our first day of school pictures for the blog, but I can't find any good website to let me do it! I'm having trouble uploading them to Photobucket, and the other site that I found was giving me grief as well.

Phooey.

And I know that y'all would want to see what we did on the first day of school, right? Because we dissected an owl pule pellet! And found real bones inside! (I always try to do something fun on the first day, seeing as how The Kids don't need to spend any time getting to know their classmates or teacher. We're all pretty well acquainted!)

...

OK, OK, I finally figured it out! I thought this might be better than having a loooong post because of all the pictures laid out.

YAY! I think it worked!

We're having a good start of school, actually! My goal this year is to get Reilly working more independently, which seems to be going well so far. I just want to make sure that my time is more evenly divided this year than it has been in the past, seeing as how Declan's in a REAL grade now.

(How is it that I have a fourth grader and a first grader? When did they get so old?)

13 years, and 1 Week

2009-08-17T23:39:00.003-05:00

In honor of the week after Troy's and my 13th anniversary, I decided to post this "Couple's Quiz" that I found that I had done on Facebook. I think I may have posted it here before but, hey, if your memory is anything like mine, it'll all be new to you, too!

What are your middle names? Kay and Dean

How long have you been together? Together for fifteen, married for over twelve!

How long did you know each other before you started dating? Maybe a year? I don't know, we were working at Petty's and flirting heavily while I dated someone else, so I wasn't' keeping track.

Who asked who out? Well, technically he asked me out first, but I was dating someone else. But, the first time we actually WENT out, I asked HIM to go to a party with me.

Whose siblings do you see the most? We see mine most, especially since my brother moved to town.

Do you have any children together? 2 - Reilly and Declan

What about pets? Three - Holly, Neko, and Supey the Supercat

Did you go to the same school? No, he graduated from Sand Springs when I was in fifth grade!

Who is the most sensitive? That would be me!

Where do you eat out most as a couple? That would be BUENO!!! (Mmmmm....Buuueeeennnnoooo!)

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? To Colorado

Who does the cooking? I do the cooking, but most of what I learned, I learned from him!

Who is more social? HAHAHAHAHAHA! *rolls on the floor, wiping tears from eyes* That would be me. Hands down.

Who is the neat freak? Well, when he cleans, Troy is much better at cleaning. He's more...ummm...methodical about it. ( More freaky, I guess.)

Who is the most stubborn? I think that each of us would point at the other as the more stubborn.

Who hogs the bed? We have a king sized bed, so we don't have to worry about either of us hogging! There's plenty of space!

Who wakes up earlier? Oh, he wakes up earlier, for sure! He's up at 3:00 almost every morning for work!

Where was your first date? The going away party of a friend of mine from high school (Nick Something-or-other?)

Who has the bigger family? His family is bigger

Do you get flowers often? No

How long did it take to get serious? Probably nine months or so.

Who eats more? He does

February 2009

Who sings better? I'm the better singer

Who does the laundry? Moi!

Who’s better with the computer? Troy

Who drives when you are together? He always drives. I just hang on, close my eyes, and pray! (Hee hee!)

Who picks where you go to dinner? We sort of decide together.

Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? We're both pretty good about admitting that, actually

Who wears the pants in the relationship? He does, but we're a great team. He's wears the pants, I wear a coordinating jacket!

Who has more tattoos? We both have three!

Who eats more sweets? We're equal on that front!

P Funk

2009-08-17T19:36:00.008-05:00

(That's what The Other Brother's* kids call their uncle (my cousin) Preston. This is a fantastic montage of his Lake Placid Ironman.)

I'm so proud of Preston!

On another note, we started school today! I'll try to remember to post some pictures of our Adventure with Owl Puke.

Yes, you heard me right.

Owl puke. It was great.

We had a great first day, complete with pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Oh, and owl puke. But not for breakfast.

*The Other Brother is Ryan. Just in case you were wondering. That comes from this video:

Lucky 13

2009-08-10T09:20:00.003-05:00

Thirteen years ago today, I was lucky enough to marry my best friend. He's the peanut butter to my jelly. He's the pepper to my salt. (Heck, he's the pepper to everything!) I'm the Bonnie to his Clyde, only without the crime spree. We complement each other in the best of ways, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that God, in His perfect wisdom, made us for each other.

I love you, Troy. More now than I did then, and I look forward to a lifetime being married to you.

It Came!! It Came!

2009-07-29T07:20:00.008-05:00

My Flip video recorder ARRIVED! Yay! And I lurve eeet! It's so very easy to use, and so wee and portable and it's great!

Here's one that I made and edited this morning. Sorry about the music, I just chose one of the Flip music clips and it's a little....ummm....generic. And it doesn't really fit. But, honestly, what music WOULD fit with a fat, floofy cat chasing a fly?

Here's a video of a poor Frito man, heading back to the warehouse at about 8:30 last night. I'm just glad it wasn't MY Frito man. (Yes, I was driving, but I was watching the road and not the recorder. I promise.)

And, here are The Kids, singing The Frito Man song that I made up many, many moons ago. We love to sing it to our own, personal Frito Man. (OK, so I didn't make up the tune. I parodied the Weenie Man song.)

Last...I promise, it's the LAST video...is Fat Floofy Supey the SuperCat, doing what we call "supersaults".

Obsession

2009-07-28T11:10:00.002-05:00

OK, I've become obsessed over two things.

(Hush, all of you who just said, "What? Only two things?" You know who you are...)

The first obsession revolves around the delivery of my Flip recorder. As we all know, one can track a package being delivered by UPS. I demonstrated that in my earlier post. The thing is, I know from previous experience that I can go online and KNOW WHEN IT'S ON THE TRUCK here in town. Then I will find myself jumping with anticipation each and every time Neko lets out even the smallest bark because I'll think that it's The Box Man at the curb. And, if you know poodles, they have no shortage of barks to let out. They're convinced that their Owners must know each and every time a leaf falls in the yard or a fly lands on the car outside. (Although, to Neko's defense, he's a lot less bark-y than JoJo was. A LOT less.)

The second obsession is over Google Maps street view. I've been looking at the map for where our B&B is in Hot Springs. I was able to look at the front of the house, then go around the corner and look at the side of the house. I was able to look at the surrounding houses. Then, of course, I had to look at MY house. It's fascinating!

OK, I'm done.

Squeeee!

2009-07-28T06:39:00.003-05:00

It's on its way! It's on its way!

Date	Time	Location	Event Details
July 28, 2009	04:07:00 AM	TULSA OK US	Arrival Scan
July 28, 2009	03:30:00 AM	TULSA OK US	Arrival Scan

My Flip recorder is ON ITS WAY!!

I'll keep you posted on how much I love it. Because, really, I know that y'all are on the edge of your seats with suspense. Right? Right?

Hello?

*tap tap*

Is this thing on?

Edited to add this most adorable and funny video of Maru, our favorite Japanese cat:

The Karate Mom

Traditions - December 23rd - Yeah...I'm behind

Nothing to Do with Traditions!

Traditions - December 12th - Music: Also Known as "Please Don't Make Me Listen to That Song!"

Traditions - December 6th - Operation Christmas Child

Traditions - December 5th - Christmas Dishes

Traditions - December 4th - Let's Go to the Movies!

Traditions - December 3rd - The Big Countdown

Traditions: December 1st and 2nd - Pastries and Lights and Soup! Oh, My!

So, Did You All Have a Good Thanksgiving?

10 Days!!

The Best Laid Plans...

Cub World 2011

Bruiser: The Saga of the Fridge (Or "How A Great Deal Cost Us Around $3,000!)

An Unexpected Advantage

Oooo! Technology!

Today is my BIRTHDAY!

Last Day

Yes, I Am Normal

I'm Not A Socialist

Manners, Manners

Here I Go Again...

Many Things Going On PLUS I'm A Lab Rat!

Our Summer So Far

Today...

Changes

Stuck

Things I'm Excited About

25 Years

My Family's Favorites!

Ain't We Got Fun?

Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas MeMe!

Happy Saturday!

Hee hee!

Dental Hy-Jinx

Yikes!

*insert clever title here*

It's Just Typical, Really

My Heart, Full to the Brim

My Heart Cracked Just a Little

The End of Summer

Things I Remember About My Wedding Day

Here's a Little Ear Worm for Ya'!

America's Got Talent!

This One Isn't from the iPhone...

Funny Things My Kids Have Said Recently

Scared

They Giggled as They Gobbled at the Laces of Our Shoes

What's the Japanese word for "puke"? *

Summer Lovin'

Bullet Points

Mom and Daughter Weekend

Math, the Relational Way

10 Things You Might Not Know . . .

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Things That I Wonder...

Things I Want to Not Forget

To Snack or Not to Snack?

Neko-Ashi Dachi

WFMW: Saving Thirty Bucks!!

Everyday Words

So, What's Up with Y'All?

Winter Apocalypse 2010 Update

My Lack of Techi-ness

The Weather, It's A-Changin'!

It's in the blood!

Skool

Random Dozen

Poetry

JABBERWOCKY

Lewis Carroll

NOW it can be Christmas!

Reading, Writing, and...well...Writing

A Month?

Stuff About Me

Vacation!

Random Dozen

Tradi-shuuuuuuuuun! Tradition! *

insert clever title here