Remembering

I've been reading through last January's posts because I thought I had posted about this before. Twelve years ago today, my father passed away. It still is a wrenching thing. I don't like this membership I've acquired in the dead dad's club. I remember thinking at the time that this weird nothing is right with the world feeling will never go away. And it doesn't exactly. It eases a bit, and sometimes you feel fabulous but there is a niggling feeling that something is missing all the time. When I see my fabulous girls and know how he would have been as a grandfather, or with my nephews who would have been the coolest things ever. And I kind of hate the feeling that my life is diminished some because he is gone. I can never be as cool as it was. I hate that feeling. And I don't know how to explain it.

Today, I am going to lunch with my mom to remember. Recently a causal friend of ours lost her husband after an illness. She has been spending time with my mom as she grieves. I guess the thing I want to remember most about people who are hurting like that is that even when I don't know what to do I will do something. The thought to spend some time, send a card, make a call. Even if it isn't much it will help.

Mood Music

Did you notice the new atmosphere on the blog? I found a site that allows me to compile a playlist and then attach it to the blog. Right now I have it set on random but another blog I read, puts a theme song to go with some of her posts on top so it plays first whenever someone opens her blog. If you want to create your own playlist click the link above or the one on the player. You don't have to have a blog to post to, just open it up from any internet connected computer and background music. It doesn't have all the music I've searched for, or Mom or Shan searched for. It seems to find songs posted on websites and then play them from there. It has quite a selection so I think it works pretty well.

This Cracks Me Up!

Every time I see this promo for the US Open in cracks me up. Enjoy.

Netflix Contest

Check on this contest from Five Minutes for Mom. I need new movies don't you?

I Won!

Forgive me for the self involved title but I so rarely win anything that I am a little crazy. I stuck by the Wildcats through I can't even tell you how many losing seasons and then football got good. I still am with the purple teams now that they have been struggling. I was always a Royals fan, I vividly remember the '85 series and the twenty plus seasons of drought since then. Seriously. My college roommate is from St. Louis. She is a Cardinal's fan. We had to agree to disagree. I seem to pick the teams that used to be great, or are great but not as great as the more popular team in the group I am with. So when I clicked over to Parent Blogger Network and it said that the winner of the $100 Spa Finder Gift Card was my entry I was so thrilled I can't even tell you. Yea Me! I now will return you to less bragger blogging.

Real Moms Have Messy Rooms

My room is usually a disaster. I watched my kids fall backwards on the bed in their new cowgirl hats and thought what a great picture! After I took it I noticed all the crap on the bed and the closet with the doors waiting to be replaced. Recently my mom, my biggest critic and one of my closest friends, told me that I didn't have a gift for housekeeping. No Joke. She tempered this criticism by telling me I do have a gift for mothering. I am doing something right! I'd rather be a good mother than have a clean house anyday.

"Enter the Real Mom Truths contest! The winner will receive this amazing 4G iPod Nano and Chocolate gift set, plus a link to their post on True Mom Confessions on Mother's Day. Today is the last day to enter. Go here to get info. You can win thisCheck out the true confessions of moms at this site. It'll make you think.

I Laughed Out Loud

My husband always calls them Rifle Droppers. Which I am ashamed to say I laugh at. Go visit Hillary's blog to read this commentary she posted from another blog. It is so funny I woke up people laughing. I visited there in high school and would love to go back sometime, but I am married to a man who thinks Canada is too foreign to visit. He sees no need to visit France or most other European countries for that matter.

Cheap Dates Extrodinaire

One of the cheapest things we do is get a pizza from Papa Johns on Customer Appreciation Saturday. Every third Saturday of the month they offer a large Pizza for $5.99, cheese, sausage, or pepperoni. My husband loves Papa Johns so for him it is a big treat. We get at least one and then have it for supper after putting the kids to bed, and watch a movie from our collection that we don't get to watch with the kids.

Another cheap idea we love it our babysitting co-op. There are six families and we have a ticket system for free babysitting. It's a good for dentist appointments, school committments, or dates, and many other uses. We are all Christian families so we can feel pretty good about the people we are leaving our kids with and with the ticket system, we are "paying" for our time and not taking advantage of friends or family.

When we do that for date night we often go to this Mexican restaurant, and get an order of chicken fajita's to share and a couple of diet cokes. With free chips and salsa that gets a meal out, with a waiter for less than $15. Can't beat that.

We've also played cribbage or Mexican Train dominos for a nice date night after the kids are in bed.

Take a drive and make a stop at Sonic for a fun icecream treat or special drink.

Watch for coupons in the paper for mini golf, batting cages, or go-karts, buy one get one free.

Find a local tennis court that you can spend an hour.

Every year for our anniversary we go out to a nice supper, and then, since Christmas is four days later, we finish our Christmas shopping, at the mall. We have been doing that since our honeymoon, five years before we even had kids.


Any activity done together, is a great date. Even if it is only the church league softball game, or cleaning the garage.

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

I am not sure this is a great way to gauge my Bible knowledge, but I did feel a certain professional pride was on the line when I saw that the questions were so very elementary. If I hadn't gotten a 100% I would have been ashamed. Give it a try and see if you agree.

Homemaking for Me

Aprons - Y/N?

Never. How would I know what I did if it isn’t on my jeans?

Baking - Favorite thing to bake:

My Mom’s buttermilk fluff rolls

Clothesline - Y/N?

Definitely. Nothing is better than putting your clean body, freshly shaved legs into a clean bed of line dried-linens. The smell is fabulous!

Donuts - Have you ever made them?

Absolutely. They are a snow day tradition at home. It takes all day for the dough to raise twice and they are a cholesterol buster but taste wonderful.

Every day - One homemaking thing you do every day:

Make the bed. I hate to get into a bed that isn’t made.

Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?

Yes, we get beef from my cattle raising father-in-law, so it is a necessity. I also believe in filling up my storehouse, when God provides a big harvest, (or a great sale) and then you have it for the lean times.

Garbage Disposal - Y/N?

Sure

Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?

My mom is a great resource for advice, tips. I also read the Everyday Cheapskate for her wonderful ideas.

Ironing - Love it or hate it?

I love to iron since it is a household task I can do while watching TV. I love laundry in general.

Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it?

I have two, one in the kitchen and one in the family room.

Kitchen: Design & Decorating?
It is roomy and well stocked. It is a homey place and very lived in.

Love: What is your favorite part of homemaking?

I love staying home and taking care of my family. I love to bake and cook. My cleaning skills leave a little to be desired.

Mop - Y/N?

No, I use a hardwood floor cleaner on a special cleaning pad.

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?

I wash almost everything in the washing machine. I rarely wear nylons so they go in too.

Oven - Do you use the window, or open the door to check?

I open the door, I don’t trust the window view.

Pizza - What do you put on yours?

My favorite is pork sausage and mushroom and black olives. My family doesn’t like the olives so they are a rare treat.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?

I work on my Bible Study, read a book, take a bath, check email.

Recipe card box - Y/N?

Yes for the tried a true. I have cook books and sheets of recipes I am looking for a chance to try.

Style of home -

Split level house with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. I love the living room because it is big and opens to the dining room so nice for entertaining. I wish the family room was bigger and not just off the garage, so it would be warmer in the winter.

Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N?
I use tablecloths for special occasions but I have nice placemats and matching napkins on the dinning room table all the time. I took the cloth napkins off the kitchen table when I had kids.

Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?

Pretty organized, the cleaners, trash bags and grocery store sacks are pretty neat.

Vacuum - How many times per week?

The kitchen floor gets it almost daily but the rest of the house just about weekly.

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do a week?

5-8

X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do and cross them off?

I want to, but it doesn’t happen

Yard - Who does what?

I do the flowers, and decorations, but my husband mows and trims.

Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?

Check on lights and kids.

What does homemaking look like for you? This was a lot of fun to think through!

TADA!!!

Following the blog tradition, for my 100th post:

100 Things About Me
1. I am a Christian

2. I love sports especially volleyball and softball

3. I am an avid K-Stater and alum

4. I love snow

5. I love to read

6. I taught Middle and High School English

7. I was born in Kansas, I was Bred in Kansas and when I (got) married I (was)
wed in Kansas

8. I can list all fifty states in alphabetical order

9. When I did it on a test in 8th grade my teacher accused me of cheating till
I did out loud for her

10. I have been married to my college sweetheart for 10 years

11. He’s the only man I’ve really ever kissed

12. I work for the Menninger Bible Program, a four year course through the Bible that was written over 100 years ago

13. I have a large and close extended family

14. I miss my father everyday of my life

15. My mother drives me crazy but I love her

16. She is one of my closest friends

17. I am five feet 2 inches tall

18. I don’t wish I was taller

19. I am a very picky eater

20. If it swims, I don’t eat it

21. I taught swimming lessons and lifeguarded for spending money in college

22. I cry very easily

23. I am addicted to Coke

24. Chocolate is my friend

25. I drive a 12 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee and I love my car

26. My favorite author is Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series

27. When we were dating, I was amazed my husband thought I was pretty

28. I have learned that external appearance is only as important as we believe
it to be, in so far as it affects our internal attitudes

29. I am semi obsessive about sets. If a toy or book or anything comes as part
of a set, I need the whole set and I hate to lose any piece of a set.

30. I was very surprised that my daughter has red hair, it never occurred to me
as an option so I was taken aback when they told me they could see her red
hair during delivery.

31. I am glad it has stayed red

32. I didn’t expect curly blond hair for my other daughter but I love it too.

33. I miss the West Wing on TV

34. I watch too much TV

35. I am a sucker for a happy ending

36. I am an eternal optimist.

37. I hate math.

38. I am organizationally challenged.

39. I have trouble saying no.

40. My husband hates that I have trouble saying no.

41. I’ve been known to volunteer him for things because of this.

42. I read at least three books a week.

43. When I was child-free I would read one book a day.

44. I love Star Wars.

45. I love my DVR and satellite dish.

46. I am a mild sort of Trekkie. Never dressed up or been to a convention but I
have seen every episode of the Next Generation and Voyager many times.

47. I hate it when they cancel a TV show I have just gotten into.

48. My parents were married for 26 years before my father died.

49. We had the first wedding in our new church building, and the first funeral.

50. I have a whole lot of fun with my children.

51. I am a born and bred Reformed Presbyterian, but not rabid about it. I think.

52. I had so much fun directing VBS last year that I volunteered to do it again.

53. My dad worked for M&M candy and so we had a lot of access to candy at home.
Hershey is the enemy.

54. I still feel a little guilty when I eat a Kit Kat.

55. I can tell the difference between good chocolate and cheap chocolate easily.

56. I love history.

57. I was very close with my maternal grandparents.

58. It surprises me that my children think I am cool.

59. I am sure that will change but I hope it doesn’t.

60. I thought my parents were great, if not cool.

61. I enjoyed spending time with them, even when it wasn’t cool to do that.

62. My friends hung out with my parents, too.

63. I want to be a parent like they are/were.

64. I am a member of the Dead Dad Club

65. I love Grey’s Anatomy

66. My favorite color was pink.

67. I thought that was a wimpy favorite color in high school and changed to
Navy. Now they are both my favorites.

68. I love singing the Psalms

69. I listen to Country music.

70. I was country when country wasn’t cool ala Barbara Mandrell

71. My favorite food is steak and homemade French fries.

72. I love all things cinnamon.

73. I won’t eat nuts

74. Or salad

75. My mom thinks that’s weird.

76. I am a bit of an airhead.

77. I tutor reading and English.

78. I like Sudoku

79. I do crossword puzzles

80. I love flowers.

81. My husband forgets to get them so I buy them for myself as a treat
occasionally.

82. I am amazed at what a godly man I married.

83. Family is one of my highest priorities.

84. I was an athletic training major in college for two years.

85. I changed my mind because it is a hard career for families.

86. I was the trainer/manager for my high school girls basketball team for three
years.

87. I can tape a mean ankle.

88. I know what RICE means.

89. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

90. I wish my body would tolerate pregnancy better so I could have more children.

91. I think we’d like to adopt someday.

92. I am a conservative republican.

93. I spend a lot of time on the computer

94. I went to Europe for two weeks between junior and senior year in high school.

95. I want to go back, someday.

96. My husband has no wish to see France.

97. I am insanely curious about people. Some might call it nosy.

98. I am very klutzy.

99. I believe in the beg borrow and steal method of teaching ideas.Wherever,
whomever, however, whatever, I find the ideas, I believe in using them to
help my students.

100. I really love to Blog.

Huh?!

I took this test and I don't understand my score. I got a 10 out of 11 and when I checked my answers I didn't see the one I missed. I checked them three times so I wonder if there is a glitch. I have taken this kind of test before and gotten hung up because I didn't read or listen closely to the question. It is an interesting way to look at how we listen and what assumptions we make about what people say or what we read. I think doing this test aloud would be harder to do and get the right answers because we jump ahead so much easier when listening. Give it a try and let me know how you did.